't hear myself think for all the noise. Awesome. And the worst moment? Getting the trots twice! And having to queue for the toilets - from the point of view of time lost and the fact that I was about to explode.The biggest surprise? Or the most memorable
their finishing times, but no one in the bustling race village had a bad word to say about the organisation: there were good toilet facilities, and the local bands that dotted the route cranked up the atmosphere. And, as the race ended just before Bluewater opened
the crowds like a homing beacon.On the down side, distance markers were sparse and both the water and sponge stations ran out of supplies early on. Toilets were markedly absent and there was certainly no orderly British queuing at the finish - runners shoved
to climb over and a final set of tyres to dance through. For a first-time event the organisation was commendable and, while more obstacles and toilets would have been a plus, this is one to keep your eye on.What you said: "It was a lot tougher than I
from the effort of picking up the rejection mailshot from the floor.But many look elsewhere for a marathon. Some go abroad and race in a big city event elsewhere. Others look to one of the smaller British spring marathons instead - there are at least
Not to be missed: Pirates swamped the city of FrankfurtNever underestimate the demands of being a supporter; it takes as much commitment as participating in an event but there are no medals to show for it. Whether it’s a 5K run or an Ironman
in Buckinghamshire? Now add the fact that a town built in the 1960s as a homage to motorised transport is home to one of the fastest growing and best organised half marathons in the UK.The event is, like Milton Keynes itself, growing noticeably every year
rural areas."PM: "Whatever the event, there are some basic ingredients that will influence a runner’s experience, including venue access, toilet facilities, water stations, a well-marked route and some sort of memento. For off-road events it can
lap I tried to think of what I needed at this early stage, and decided that a toilet stop was the only requirement.Lap two started and I was right on target. It was about 7.10am and beginning to get warm, so I tried to focus on keeping my running speed
then, I'd been living the event in my mind and I'd become used to it. The basic absurdity of the idea had long since passed me by. I had convinced myself it was just another race, a point reinforced by the fact that it's not much more difficult to get
