I ran English Half Marathon last year. It was one of the stand out races so entering in 2017 was a very easy decision.

The day saw both 10K and Half Marathon distances, plus a 1 mile 'fun' race afterwards. This mean't it catered for all abilities & made it a good family occation.

Registration was simple enough. Runners were kept well informed with regular emails.

Race packs were posted with mine arrived just two days before the race.

Baggage was busy but trouble-free. Fair play to volunteers who did a brilliant job.

There was a super atmosphere in and around race HQ.

It was brilliant to meet up with #VisorClub members and friends from twitter.

The race itself was excellent.

Finding starting zone was easy enough.

Water stations were regular and well stocked. 

Local support was very good.

Race route was run on road or flat paths. It started in town centre, went into country lanes before heading back to town centre, via a fleeting run around Warrington RL Stadium. Course was undulating and fairly hilly for first 7/8 miles but final 5 miles or so were mainly flat or downhill.

The finish line is a sight to behold with a red carpet and Golden Gates finish. Visually, it is possibly the best I have experienced.

It looks fit for royalty.

EMH is renowned for lovely bling. The finisher's medal didn't disappoint. Medal was big. solid and beautiful.

Runners were also rewarded with quality finishers bag which included a shirt, beer token and a large amounts items to eat. 

10/10 for that.

Now for the gripe -

The finish line was rammed with runners who were queuing to get finishers shirts and medals.

Why were these not placed directly into finshers bags?

Some runners got to finish and struggled to cross line due to congestion. It's an area that needs looking at. 

A few simple tweaks would have solved this problem.

There was a mini post-race festival with 'LIVE' music, food, beers and a great atmosphere.

In summary -

If you want a brilliant finsh with top-notch bling then this is the race to do. Both are quite stunning.

Down side was the congestion. Putting shirts and medals into finishers bag is the obvious thing to do.

This is a race I will do every year. That's how highly I rate it.

Finally can I pay tribute to the pacers and marshals who did an absolute fantastic job.