I signed up to the Chester Half Marathon a couple of months ago, so the entry price was a little more expensive than I'd normally pay (I've already signed up for next year on the early bird offer).
The fact I've signed up to next year only a few hours after finishing probably tells you all you need to know. The event was well held, plenty of space in the race village, baggage drop was easy, loads of toilets and the logistics just worked.
I decided to park at the local shopping centre. That was a mistake as it was £10 for 3.5 hours. My own fault though!
Once I got to the race village I nipped to the toilets, where the queues were very reasonable and then dropped my bag.
The race start was marked out for the different times and although not everyone started in the right place, I've experienced worse!
The race itself is well marked out and you run through the town before heading out to more scenic surroundings. You then come back into the town for the finish (where there is a bit of a hill). The support around the course was good and the locals were friendly.
Water stops were frequent with a energy gel at about 6 miles.
There were race pacers who carried small flags but I think an improvement would be the rucksacks with the bigger, more visible flag. I didn't see the 1:40 pacer until I was quite close.
Medal is nice and the t-shirt is well fitted.
Overall a very good race and I'll definitely be back next year (already signed up).