Billed at the Milton Keynes Festival of Running, the name can be a bit miss-leading.

Although there is a good range of races on offer, a 5k, 10k, half and 20 mile race all on the Sunday starting at staggered times, there was really nothing else that would justify the festival tag. the race hub was basic to say the extreme, a registration tent being the only thing really to see, other than the xempo pacers flag, for whom I was running on the day, 

Car parking was fairly easy, plenty of pay and display parking outside the Xscape centre, which acted as a meeting point for most of the runners sheltering from the terrible weather on the day. the organisers I feel could have possibly made a bit more of the centre, although that said Sweatshop were open early for runners who may have forgot something, and later in the day there was discount for runners on Dare2B products if you had your race number at a retailer in the centre.

I was pacing the 20 mile event today so my review will obviously concentate on that.

Around 900 lined up, there were four pacers for this event, ranging from 2.30hr to myself at 3.30hr, there were no marked starting pens so we hoped that runners were sensible and lined up according to their pace using us as guides, the lack of pens were not an issue in the 20, but may have been in the more heavily populated half which started an hour after we got way.

From the start we follwed the footpaths and cycle ways along the side of the main road from the Xscape for about 3 miles until we reached Willen Lake which took us out on two 7 mile loops. my only grumble here concerns a very flooded underpass ( most of the route involved running under the main road through underpasses) within the first 2 miles. Although I understand there had been some efforts to clear some of the water, it was still knee height (for men) to run through. The early runners braved it but later runners thought better of it and scrambled up the bank and over the barriers to risk crossing a major dual rosd with live traffic flowing at speed, a marshall positioned here would have prevented this potentially dangerous event from happening. I saw a very rapidly approaching Police 4x4 to try to stop this from happening further.

On the subject of marshalls, a big well done to them, standing in some pretty grotty weather and smiling and supporting for all the day, they deserve a massive thank you.

There were good water stations, with bottled water in good supply, and plenty of clean up staff as well to avoid the usual minefield of dropped bottles.

the two laps around Willen nlake were very nice, despite some building work at some points, the views of the countryside, and the impressive peace pagoda (which features on the medal) helped the miles flow past. Mostly flat and on paths and cycleways there was plenty of room to run. Mile markers were obvious, but sometimes a little out in distance going by my TomTom GPS watch. Local support was patchy but welcomed, some groups had set up unofficial jelly baby stations. Local road closures meant most of the route was traffic free.

After the two lakeside laps, we were directed back towards the centre of MK and back towards the Xscape, a sting in the tail at 19 miles with a steep, winding hill causing a few to stop and walk, but then a nice run in to a wide finish area with an on couse announcer to name check you as you crossed the chip timimg mats, a nice touch.

Afterwards again a very basic feel, no goody bag or finishers shirt (I think you may have been able to buy one in advance) with just a bottle of water and banana given to you. The medal was the same for all distances with just the different coloured ribbon to mark the seperate events.

With nothing else to do outside again most runners headed off to get food and drink in the Xscape, although many just left before the hail storm from hell arrived!

To sum up, a very good event which is well organised, with a good range of distances, but to really live up to it's festival name it could do with a better race village, maybe a band or two on the route and a better end of race experience.

Worth doing however if you are looking at events to include in any training for spring marathons.