North London Half Marathon 2015 - Review

REVIEW OF THE 2015 NORTH LONDON HALF MARATHON

Race date : 15 March 2015

Having recently run the inaugural North London Half Marathon we've since noticed quite an array of opinions. Some were surprisingly critical. So we thought we'd add our thoughts to the mix.

Travelling from the south side of London, we were hopeful that our early rise and long journey would be worth it. And, all said, it was. All we needed was provided. Free buses were laid on, taking us most of the way from the tube station to Allianz Park. At the race venue, bag drops were provided and covered areas were available to shelter ahead of the race (it was cold and windy!). Then the race itself was, as we hoped, well laid out, and we all got to see Mo Farah at the start and run through Wembley Stadium.

Let's be fair, it was good, but not perfect. We somehow ended up in the wrong queue for the bag drop. It was at least twice as long as the others and we consequently waited doubly long. For us, that was as bad as it got. The weather could have been better, but that probably wasn't the organisers' fault.

As for the actual race, the route was very much as sold - out and back, passing through Wembley Stadium. Having run a good few half marathons between us, we felt this was definitely in the better 50%. Contrary to some comments in the media, we found the locals to be very supportive and generous with their cheers (and jelly babies) along the way. Running through Wembley Stadium was a stunning way to mark the half way point. On top of that, the Lucozade/water station in the car park seemed aptly positioned ahead of the inward half of the race.

In conclusion : Organisation of the bag-drop could be improved. Otherwise, a fun race, with supportive crowds and efficient transport assistance before and after the event. 8 out of 10.

Date of review: 22 April 2015