After hearing really good reviews of this race, I was not disappointed. 

Similar to the other Run For All events I have taken part in, the organisation of the race was great. Having the separate gathering areas for the different waves really helped, and it didn't feel chaotic. 

The bag collection was slightly chaotic when I went, but that was all down to people not reading the signs properly. Other than that it was very smooth and again not down to a flaw in their organisation.

Run for All really know how to look after the participants. The race village is great and always well organised. The goody bags are always amazing, you get a really nice free finishers shirt, awesome medal AND free engraving. It really is great value for money, especially compared to other half marathons and even some 10ks I have participated in. When you finished you also got a free pint of  Erdinger 0% lager which went down very well!

The race itself is hilly but a great challenge. The second half of the race is a nice downhill and flat section. The last 3ish miles down Kirkstall road is really mentally challenging, especially in the heat yesterday. There was very little shade cover from the sun, and it was absolutely roasting. I did start to fall apart mentally around 11.5 - 12.5 miles but the crowds kept me going (more on that shortly). 

I do think perhaps they could try a different route perhaps that went through the city centre a bit more, through headingly and around the university. Leeds is a beautiful city, and I don't feel that route necessarily shows the best parts of Leeds.

The real start of the race is the support. They were phenomenal and I really wish I could thank every single person who came out to cheer on the runners. Everybody I had spoken to who had run this race before said how amazing the crowd support was, and it really did exceed all my expectations. It really did get me choked up quite a few times on course. I had picked up an injury on my last training run 2 weeks prior, and was feeling uncomfortable along route. The crowds kept me going, especially int he last 3 miles when I began to unravel and really start to struggle mentally.

The crowds in the last mile (especially the closer to the end you got) were brilliant. My legs felt like lead and I really didn't think I'd make it across the finish line without them giving out. The amount of people I heard cheering my name, urging me to keep going to the finish... they helped me muster as much of a sprint as I could to the finish.

This is an amazing race, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I really do think it is a must-do for any runner.