First time I have run this race, overall it was an enjoyable race, it was well organised and well marshalled, there were marshals placed wherever there could be a concern over which way to run and they were on the road with stop/go sign for the cars to let us carry on running without stopping us.

It may be just me with this little gripe, but it is the first event I have run where the timing chip is laced into your running shoes, I kept thinking it was going to come apart as I kept catching it with my other foot. It may be just my running style.

The course is a mixture of road and path/trail running and as others have mentioned previously there are places where it isn't easy to overtake / get out of someone's way. The course starts at Stockport County football ground and finishes not far from where you start taking you along the very scenic river Mersey, but before you finish you have to go up the dreaded hill, just what you want at the end of nearly 13 miles.

Once finished you get your medal, flapjack, water and an energy drink, overall a well run event.

I was late to register for the Hatters Half Marathon. I was feeling a little under motivated so signed up to the race with the intention to just make sure that i can complete the distance before Manchester Half in October.

Signing up was very simple through the run Britain website and at £20 for an unattached entry i was always going to get good value as long as i finished.

It was always going to be a good race for me to enter. Stockport isn't too far from where i live and the course that takes in part of the Transpennine Trail is one that i have ran quite a few times on training runs. So i knew the area and knew the terrain.

The race would start at Edgeley Park, the football ground of Stockport County which is very easy to find. There was also the bonus that the race organisers got permission to use a car park that was a very short walk from the starting line. It was £2 to park and it made all the difference on the day as the car park would of adequately provided parking for all the runners which were just over 300 in total.

On arrival at the starting area there was free massage if you wanted it and a concourse under one of the stands were being used as the registration area. Registration was on the day between 8 and 9am, names were split into 4 sections in alphabetical order. It was quick and simple, just what you need. There was also plenty of toilets to use in the stand so there wasn't the usual queues that are a regular cause of anxiety before races. Everything was relaxed and ran smoothly.

The race began at 9.30am. There was a quick race briefing by a man with a mega-phone but as i always hang around at the back i couldn't really hear it. Once the race started the course was simple enough. Down the hill from Edgeley onto the Transpennine Trail and then it looped back to finish. The course was simple but at time very narrow, offering no room to pass but as i was really using the race as a test of my fitness i wasn't too concerned with going past people.

This part of the Transpennine Trail from Stockport to Northenden is solid ground. Road shoes are more than adequate for the terrain unless there has been a really heavy downpour of rain. It is also nice and flat. The only hilly part of the race is the last Mile which is uphill and to be fair its a big hill but it was down the hill from the start so only fair you should go back up it.

I was impressed with the water stations. There were 3 at 3, 6 and 9 Miles. You could have either a cup or take a full bottle. I was pleased with this because i had been ill the night before the race so wanted to mke sure i stayed hydrated. Some other Halfs i have done have only offered 1 water station and i don't think that is anywhere near enough for a Half Marathon.

Everything considered the Hatters Half was enjoyable and this was mainly due to the organisers, because it was so well organised it meant that i wasn't as stressed before running as i sometimes get.

My only gripe with the race was that there was supposed to be a total ban on headphones during the race because there was some road crossings involved (there was traffic management) and some people still ran with headphones in. Nowhere near as many as other races but i'm of the opinion that if you set a rule you should enforce it.I had a guy stop in front of me and we weren't even a mile in. He had headphones in and seemed to be texting someone on his phone. This was on a stretch around quarter of a mile and it was was difficult to pass him. He was oblivious that he was literally holding up every runner behind him and i had to give him a gentle nudge so that he moved. Even then he looked at me as if he had no idea what the problem was. 10 minutes later he came blasting past everyone on another narrow stretch of course with total disregard for eveyone else. 

Apart from that minor issue i enjoyed the race. Completed it in 1hr 56mins and my plan was to finish sub 2, so happy days. The medal was pretty decent too, I will run again next year. Well done to the organisers.

This was the second running of the Hatters Half, which starts out at the Football ground in Stockport before heading through the estate roads down to the river. Much of the course is then spent running along the riverbank save for a quick loop of Northenden town centre before reversing the route.

It's a relatively flat course with only a short section at the start and end where there is a hill (that section is uphill on the way back!)

Couple of gotchas. 1) there are stretches of the riverbank which are difficult to overtake so if you think you're going to go quick, it's best to do your overtaking before you leave the road section. 2) despite Stockport being a hotbed of running (seriously, we have 5 parkruns and each village has at least a RunTogether group if not it's own affiliated club) the car drivers in the town mostly need banning from driving. Totally impatient and often unwilling to observe simple safety - it's something that marrs all the events occurring on Stockport's roads. There is one major road crossing which you go out on and return on and there was a concern for safety of the marshals due to the behaviour of some drivers. A shame that the minority behave like this.

That safety aspect aside it's a run worth looking into if you're new to the 13.1 distance.

The medal was fine and you also get a free ticket to see Stockport County play later in the month. Whether this is a benefit I guess depends on whether you like football!