Ran the half marathon August 2025. Parking: after the nearest to the boathouse car park is full (presumably with early starting triathletes) they park you on the grass right by the path the course is run on. There is a bit of a queue here to do so (and at the entrance gate as the guy there asks if you are there for running). Allow 10 mins extra to your desired arrival time for this. It’s around 800m-1k to the registration/start area. Good for warming up! Registration: v efficient. At the finish area. Give your name and you’re handed a number. Tables to the left with safety pins and pens to fill out the form. Bag drop: there is a gazebo where you can leave your bag. Tear off the lower part of your number, attach and hand in. Start: The 5k/10k and HM and marathon all started at the same time (9:10am) and at the same place behind the boathouse (so everyone is mixed together). Course: everyone ran on the same course except the HM and marathon do a little extra spur with a dead turn on the way back from the end of the lake. The start is a bit congested for a short period until you get round the boathouse and onto the path by the lake, where there was plenty of room. You run down the path next to the lake, go round the bottom of the lake then turn 90 degrees right past a water/gel station then back up the adjacent path (MH and M doing the extra spur with a dead turn before rejoining the main path with the other runners). There were also triathlons going on at the same time so there were also triathletes running on the course but it was not congested and there’s plenty of room. As it’s open, spectators can walk along the side on the course on the grass or sit/stand there. Once you reach the near end of the lake again (one lap) there is a water station just before the dead turn to continue back down the first path again. The finish is the left lane at this point which curves round towards the boathouse and the finish line. Water stations: Two. One at the far end of the lake and one at the near end (so basically about every 2.5km). The one at the far end had small bottles of water with the tops taken off. There were also SiS gels on the table. There were no energy drinks. The other water station was at the near end providing water in cups only. No gels here. Finish area: you get your medal and a bottle of water. No goodie bag. Apparently there were some biscuits at the side though I didn’t see them. There was also a gazebo with foam mats and rollers you can use plus an area providing some calf stretching, although I did not use it. Facilities: a row of portaloos with a massive queue! Nit that many considering all the people there. The boathouse has some too and there is a cafe there. There was also a mobile catering van there too. All in all, well organised and very efficiently run.

A brilliantly organised race. A fuss-free race around a pancake flat course, suitable for beginners or a PB/time-trial hunter like me. Loved the the small scale, intimate setting which meant that pre-race logistics and nerves were kept to a minimal level, and more energy was directed towards the race itself rather than into dealing with nerves/logistics. Weather in 2023 was a bit warmer that I had expected, and had to douse myself with water to cool down towards the end of the race. The small scale setting meant fewer runners to pace with and was pretty much pacing alone throughout the entire race. However, the wave start worked well as there were almost always some runners to key-off up ahead. One small comment... would have loved to have the lap times being published as well since there was a timing mat at the end of every loop. All in all, thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am savouring my first sub-3 from the race... Thank you!

I absolutely loved this Marathon - Brilliant flat course and a very well stocked water / gel station every 5(ish)k. On a windy day it's not going to be brilliant but the day I ran was perfect and it was fantastic. Lapped courses really work for me so this was perfect and I ran a 10 minute PB and my first sub 3 hour marathon. I highly recommend this race!

I wasn't but the event was good and congratulations to whoever organised the weather which was much better than forecast. It is unfortunate that the published run wave information was very incomplete before race day. I guessed 10a.m. which worked though there were long periods of being pretty lonely on the course. There seemed to be a bit of uncertainly about the water aid stations. Twice plodding around my myself I had to shout to get some water. The helpers were looking the other way doing something else. I found having everything at the same place a bit awkward, not enough hands. For me the rubbish collectors weren't far enough from the aid stations. Not enough time to get the awkward caps and drink. I don't recall a goody bag.