this is my home Half, i've done it a few times. it's a big race, 10-13k runners. the race village is suitably large, plenty of loos and the bag drop/pick up is very efficient. bus service back in to reading is easy too.
the start is by the footie stadium, and the first 2-3km are through an industrial estate, not terribly inspiring, but flat. the course is generally pretty flat, there are two hills of note, one at about 5k, one at about 13k. after the first hill the course is gently downhill for the next 5k or so, quite handy. support is great throughout, particularly busy in town. there is live music dotted about, my fave being the steel band under the Oracle overpass - it sounds fantastic there, echoing under the bridge, a good pick me up.
the finish is in the stadium, quite nice, but the few km leading up to it seem to take forever, you think you're close, you can see it, but you're not! in fact, even when you get to the stadium, you have to run around it to the side entrance.
i was aiming for a pb, under 1:45. i smashed it, 1:42:55
the race t-shirt was rubbish, and i think the good bag was lacking too, as i recall.
overall, it's a good race, well organised.