The cabbage patch 10 certainly has a quirky feel about it , l travelled down from the north east of England especially for this event and wasn’t disappointed, the event was well organised really friendly and a very scenic route, l have done literally hundreds of runs and this one is up with the best, would certainly do it again

I used to live in Twickenham but wasn’t a runner at the time so it was absolutely lovely to return to my old stomping grounds. The Cabbage Patch 10 is a brilliant event that has been going for over 30 years and can boast many Olympians as previous winners including Sir Mo. Not bad for an event run out of a pub! The atmosphere is excellent, there is a real buzz about the place. A lot of club runners enter the event and it feels like most people there are quite passionate about running. That doesn’t necessarily mean fast though so don’t be put off if you think you’ll be too slow. You won’t. The course heads out of Twickenham past Teddington lock and crosses the river at Kingston bridge before heading back along the river wiggling through some residential streets before rejoining the Thames path just after Ham house. You follow the Thames back to Richmond and have to tackle the short but steep climb up to the bridge. Crossing back over to the Twickenham side you’re less than 2 miles from the finish so you just have to push hard back past Marble Hill House, up past the pub next to the park and you’re there. Its worth knowing that It’s a chip timed finish but a gun timed start so your time will depend slightly how quickly you make it across the start line. There are also only 2 water stops along the route which on a wet day like yesterday was fine but if it had been as hot as Saturday (23c) I would have melted. Overall I thought it was a brilliant event with a great atmosphere and friendly and helpful Marshall’s. I’ll definitely be back!

After three attempts, I finally bagged a place on the Cabbage Patch 10 mile race through Twickenham, Kingston, Richmond, and the Thames towpath. I could see why it's so popular, immediately. There is a fantastic atmosphere from beginning to end, with knowledgable marshals, excellent support and easy navigation all contributing towards a smooth event. Moreover perhaps, it's flat and fast but not boring, taking in the river, town and lovely wide residential roads with support out in full. One lovely lady blasted out Chariots of Fire theme from her upstairs window - gave everyone a laugh and made us feel like heroes!

I'd first heard about the race from a friend whose legendary long sleeved CAbbage Patch shirt I'd once admired. I've lost count of the number of race Ts I've got but this stands out and is just right timing for the winter training runs. 

I have three small issues with the race, one of which they can do nothing about and that's the parking. There isn't really any. As I say, not their fault. Another is I would have liked one more water stop. Two are not enough on a warm day. Three is that there is no chip start - so everyone goes on the gun but finishes on a chip. This cost me a good 1-1.5. mins as there are some really good runners at the front and you want to give them space. It's something to do with the narrow thoroughfare on which the race starts, too narrow to fit the sensor mat, or something. I'm sure they've looked at alternatives. But will I do it again, oh yes. We ran as a club and there were many other local and not so local clubs in force. As I say, a brilliant atmosphere and super flat 

This is my third time of doing this race and I love it. It's easy to get to, great value for money, and lots of support on hand from the marshals and other runners. Proceeds are donated to local charities. 

This is a popular race that sold out a good few weeks before the day. I was lucky enough to get a transfer place from someone in my club - this was handled quickly and efficiently by the race organisers. 

If you're new to this race, a few things to note

- you can have a shot of beer in the last mile!

- this is run on open roads - I'm fine with this but I've been to other races like this one without closed roads that have freaked out some runners newer to racing;

- timing is based on gun time, not chip time - this might add a couple of minutes to your overall time; and,

- there's great crowd support at the beginning and end of the race - along the route the main support is from other runners and the marshals who do a superb job. 

You can see my full review here - Race Review: The Cabbage Patch 10

I'll be signing up again next year!