Nothing amazing about the event. The route is quite simply, terrible, the wind this year didn't help matters either. Bag drop was awful, 1 person taking bags after you filled in the luggage tag while the other just kept picking the bags up and moving them, developed quite a lengthy queue due to lack of support there. Medal was alright, but the same for every event which is poor, and then just a banana and small bottle of water was very meh.

This is not a closed road race. It is 2 laps of willen park, that you could do for free yourself. Disappointing event as I thought it would all be on tarmac and closed roads. The park is public, so people, buggies and dogs everywhere on the paths. Had to keep asking people to hold their dogs so I didnt get chased. awful experience. Hill at the end was pointless, so steep everyone was walking, given we were at mile 18. Youd like to finish a race fast and strong but this isnt possible, people just gave up. course was generally very congested, couldnt over take people and the amount of public on the pathways was really frustrating. the mile signs were clear and it was really hard to follow the route, i thought id gone the wrong way a few times. the medal was generic for all 5 events on the day which was a shame as well. wont do again.

Great event for my first half marathon. It was well organised with decent support for a smaller event. I really enjoyed running through some of the local villages. The hill as you near the end was a killer. Thankfully has a good pacer and met some lovely runners who warned me about it. It started on a wide road, which helped with congenstion. It gave everyone time to settle and separate a bit before the course narrowed as we headed onto some paths. Such a good friendly atmopshere. Definitely recommend this half for your first or as part of your marathon training.

Well organised event with excellent marshals and race officials on the course. Bottled water was provided at the drinks stations and support from spectators was good at certain points on the course. The second lap for the 20 mile event got a bit congested at times where the half marathon runners join the course after starting about an hour later and the hills through Campbell park in the last mile are a good challenge you should allow time for if going for a PB. Overall, an interesting course and plenty of people running the event helped maintain focus throughout the run.

Decent event but probably wouldn’t do it again. Event didn’t feel as ‘big’ as it should have done given this was a multi-distance, city centre run with large numbers of spectators. The start/finish areas had the feel of a much smaller event. Only water and bananas for finishers with no goodie bags. No real event village to speak of. Medal was of excellent quality though.

I did the 20 miler and this works well as a springboard to the marathon. A double lap in the middle but the park you run through is lovely and scenic. Plenty of water stations. The killer is the (steep) uphill section at the end..... it'll catch you out with tired legs. The half marathon also runs alot off the same course and they start after you so you run the race with them towards the end. Having a McDs near the finish line is a good treat for some!

Year upon year, I have raced the MK Festival of Running, whether it was back in 2015 with my first ever 5k, or when I progressed onto 10k's and now the Half Marathon routes. This event holds a 20 miler as well, for those looking to do an early Marathon. Both the 20 Miler and Half share some of the route. The Half route is nice and apart from the Campbell Park hill which is around 800 meters from the finish, it is as described, fast and flat. It is my Local race, and I shall always enter 1 of the distances, crowd support is sporadic though, and on those chilly days, its one of those races where you just need to keep focused. Recommended, but nothing at Race HQ, for the kids to do, so not technically a festival, but what they did this year which was good, along with one of their partners Nuffield Health, we were allowed to use their showers after the race. Very nice indeed!

MK 20 was very well organised. There wasn't a race village and you don't need a bag drop as you can park close to the start. The Car Park fills up very quickly so its best to get there early. The course is mostly flat but there is a big hill close to the end. There isn't much support on route. Its a really good race to do for Spring Marathon training.

Pre-race information: Good Organisation on the day: Not bad, but some signs to the bag drop and information stand would have been very helpful. I found no organisers or marshalls for around 40 minutes before the start. Parking: Lots of it and very close to the start. Easy to get to from the M1. Toilets: Some in the Xscape. Lots of portable toilets but I only found them afterwards and they weren't signposted. Bag drop: Outdoors and uncovered, and not signposted, but adequate. Route (surface): Mostly cycle paths and foot paths. Generally good. Route (toughness): No obvously tough bits apart from the hill in the last half mile. Route (interest): A bit tedious. The first 3 miles were nice and the part of the route through a large park was nice. Otherwise, not much to look at. Route (safety): The whole route felt safe. There were small stretches on live rural roads, but mostly separate from traffic and well marked. Pacers: Every 10 minutes over several times (1:40 to 2:20 at least, I think). Zoned start: Yes, but not strictly enforced. Staff and marshalls: Good and helpful. Medal: Decent. Goody bag: Average. T-shirt: No, but available for purchase separately. Spectators: Quite a few good places for supporters. Most of the route had at least some people watching. Entertainment for friends/family: Entertainment complex and shopping centre very close to the start/finish.