This is a very busy race so unless you're a fast runner in the first pen you're probably going to be weaving a lot, but if you take it for what it is rather than a PB opportunity, it's a good event. It's well suited for first timers, there's a fair bit of entertainment on the route, the support is generally good and however creepy the polar bears and other various characters might be (ok, maybe that's just me...), they are an amusing addition.

It's a bit on the pricey side but it's a prime central london closed road route and it's for charity so that's not too bad. There's a decent medal at the end, but not much else.

The organisation has gotten better over the years but the bag drop has remained a bit chaotic with pretty long queues. It's difficult to know/hear when it's time for each wave to join the queue for the start line so keep an eye on the watch. Also the long walk back from the finish in the cold is not ideal. But overall, it's a well run event.