This was a good race, that would really excel if some organisational and safety issues were ironed out. The marshalls were very enthusiastic. What public support that was there, was good. However, I have done races in smaller cities that had a lot more public support and I expected a lot more from Birmingham. At times that you would go through long sections with no public support. For some runners this may not bother them, but I really feed off crowds.
The bagdrop was okay and they allowed runners to walk on buses to dropoff their bags as they had to be moved. I do acknowledge that they say they are not responsible for any of your belongings when they are there and not to leave valuables in your bag. However, I am concerned that they are allowing runners to walk on the bus, grab their bag and not stopping to check if runners actually have their own bag. I much prefer races where volunteers take your bag and hand it back to you.
It was concerning, especially in the later stages of the race where you couldn't see marshalls. I would have thought, that there would atleast be more marshalls, especially in the second half of the race as people would start to dehydrate and tend to run into trouble in those areas. As a runner, I would have no idea what direction to run for the closest point of help if another runner got into distress. It would have been good if large potholes in the road were marked. There were a few very large ones in the first few kilometers and with the amount of people on the road, it was difficult to see them until you were right on them.
A real downfall for this race was that they only had one water station. At this time of year there is a high likelihood of sun and warmer weather. I really struggled in the later half of the race due to the heat, and was desperate for some more water. While there was a local church handing out their own water, it was less than half a kilometer from the water station and the race organisers should not rely on locals to hand out water.
Another big organisational issue was the starting gates. The different themed waves was good. However, there was no division or organisation based on projected finish time. I started in the first wave, and it was carnage for the first 2kms of faster paced runners dodging around slower paced runners. I did not see a single pacer until 5km into the race as they passed me, and the start could have been a lot smoother if there were areas within a wave based on projected start time. There was quite a bit of shoving and jostling at points, and I'd be shocked if somebody didn't end up injured in the beginning stages because of this.
I really enjoyed the Commonwealth aspect of the race, as the city is bidding for the Commonwealth games. They could have done something more at the start of the race to make it more unique and to make it standout more.
The course itself was great, and I really enjoyed running through the park just before the cricket grounds. I really liked the downhill at the start as it helped you warm up and get into a rhythm. The hill section within the last mile is a real challenge and it does test you as a runner. However, it offers a fantastic downhill towards the finish and lets you open up for a sprint in the last straight.
The medal is good. In comparison with some other 10ks I've done, the Birmingham 10k medal does not compare to the Runforall Medals. The finishers shirt is really nice, and I really enjoy that it is not your standard white finishers shirt. The navy is a nice refreshing change, and feels of good quality material.
The finishers area is brilliant and well organised. I really enjoyed being able to walk out of the finishers area and into a beautiful park. The location of the 10k start and finish is a really a massive strong point of this race. It's easy to get to and right next to the city centre.
Would I do this race again? Definitely, but I think with a few small changes this race would be massively improved and be really great.