All I can say is 
Saw that, WTF. They’ll be expecting a tailwind all the way next!
Jeff
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Now I haven’t done this for a longgg time … but I don’t remember it being especially hilly?
(And also obviously some impressive flatness later on)
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If you don’t like the hills, then find a flatter race? Find this very strange!
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To play slight devil’s advocate it was post race feedback. So not so much people moaning instead of enjoying the event, but participants who asked for their feedback, so potentially it was a case of people simply saying theyd prefer to make it a pb course if they changed the start.
Feedback could have been I love the race, its 9/10, only way to make better would be to make it a proper PB course given how flat the rest of it is?
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Yeah, agreed. Once I read it was post-race feedback I didn’t really see what the problem was. Especially as it talks of previously being uphill and zig-zags. I can imagine it becoming quite like a bottleneck in the middle of the pack, as like with cycling, there will be people with vastly different abilities to run uphill.
I’ve had that happen on XC courses, and unless you practically sprint to one of the first main turns/climbs, you end up coming to a standstill. I’m not saying that is what it was like as I don’t know, but it could have been.
I believe there is a downhill marathon somewhere in Spain if anyone’s interested; not sure if it counts for GFA applications
This was my first half marathon.
It wasn’t the uphill start,or the funnels, or the zig-zags that made it slow…
…it was Scooby-Doo, Mr Blobby and the Teletubbies lining up in the sub 1:30 pen, then starting the run by walking six abreast taking up the whole road.
This went on for 5km.
I hated it. I’ve also done a few larger 10km events and found those the same (idiots in the wrong pen, blocking the people who could/should be there)
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Poor self seeding goes WAY beyond the Mr Blobbies as well. It’s one of my serious pet hates!
There’s a 5km series i used to do on Exeter Quay. Narrow start, with quite a lot of runners, but does spread after about 100m or so. I normally come in the top 10 or so, yet every time turn on the front row or two of the race to see people i know are >22 minute runners. Stood ready to race as fast as they can to the first corner with sub 15 guys (not me!). Ok i get that nobody wants to get caught behind in the masses but serously it’s just dangerous having to weave around all the people that sprint off the line and then just clog the entire path up!
If i am in a tri, i’m a shit swimer, so i go mid pack. Yes i won’t be getting the best line to the buoy. But tough. I need to be a better swimmer if i want to earn that right. Not just be selfish and block everyone else off (though at least in a swim you can get away wit a bit more biff to as you pass 
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