My Event Ratings

Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		80%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Fantastic!
In full: Many thanks to Gainsborough & Morton Striders for putting on such a great race. A well organised super fast & flat course, with slick start and finish areas. A few teething problems, but nothing major. Lovely medal and hat! My wife and daughter also loved the cakes and coffee at the primary school. This race has it all! A definate next year.
Date of review: March 6, 2012

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Superb
In full: Absolutely loved it! Fantastic organisation and a great route through the city and along the coast. Just about the right sized field. Will definitely be back next year. Start/finish at the awesome Stadium of Light ... what more could you ask for!
Date of review: July 12, 2009

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		60%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Don't believe the hype
In full: First time in the FLM and I was really looking forward to it.

Having run my second marathon in New York last November I was aware of the rivalry between the 2 cities and their respective marathons. As a proud Brit I was desperate for London to come out on top in terms of race-day satisfaction.

Great start. Excellent facilities. Only let-down was the utter shabbles at London Bridge station.

My gripes started once the gun went off. Very clear that runners were in the wrong starting pens and due to very cramped conditions you were forced to keep pace with the pack of runners hemmed in a round you.

Fantastic support from the London crowds. Really unbelievable.

Route however was very clearly not capable of coping with the sheer volume of runners. If London cannot find roads capable of taking 35,000 people why not have staggered starts like NYC?

I was after a sub-4 hour PB and even after the first 5 miles it was evident that there was little chance of it happening.

Utterly crap t-shirt and even worse cheap tacky medal. You feel like a walking advert for margarine.

Great atmosphere but way too crowded. Not a pleasant running experience unless you're dressed as a carrot or a Z-list celebrity.
Date of review: April 28, 2009

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		60%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Loved the first half ... hated the second!!!
In full: This was my first marathon and overall I quite enjoyed it.

The first half I thought was fantastic. Superb route through the city and out to the University. Great atmosphere and well organised.

The second half of the full marathon was dreadful. To me it seemed like an after-thought by the organisers. Dull and tedious loops/circuits around a bleak lake to make up the miles. Parts of the second half were along un-made paths and roads full of pot-holes and loose rocks. When your legs are turning to jelly this is surely an accident waiting to happen. At one point along the side of the Trent I was met with a family on a bike ride who were shouting at me to get out of their way (just what you need after 24 miles!)

The marshals for both the first and second half were superb. As were the people of Nottingham who came out for the first 13 miles and offered support.

No chance I'd do the full course again ... but I'll definitely be back for the half.


Date of review: September 17, 2007

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