An amalgam of emails sent to Malcolm. Much praise, much appreciation, some constructive criticism.
Ian,
Having looked at the feedback on the Runners World website a couple of things that some people have commented on regarding our race are – plastic cups and chip timing.
I could do with some feedback from the club via the newsletter.
Bottled water would probably cost £1 per runner. Would you be willing to pay an extra £1 on your entry fee to have bottled water at each drinks stations rather than plastic cups?
Chip Timing costs around £1.80 per runner rather than 30p per runner using the current system. Would you be willing to pay an extra £1.50 to have chip timing?
Malcolm
My first Wilmslow half marathon – and what an enjoyable one. I think the whole event was very well organised with very clear start and finish lines.
I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who is involved in the race and appreciate the hard work involved. Please pass on my thanks.
My name is s.thompstone and i had the pleasure of running in your excellent half marathon for the 2nd year running.
Will you please pass on my thanks and gratitude to all the marshalls , physio staff, and your dedicated team of organisers. They must be taken for granted by so many, but they just don’t magicaly arrive on the day and i would just like to say that they make the event the success it is.
On a personal note i’m chuffed to bits with 1 hr 51 and took 8 mins off last year, you probably don’t need to hear this but i’m telling everyone
Thanks again and see you next year.
I ran in the race today, I have to say it was my first half marathon.
I ran with a few friends and also my mum and her sister, I just wanted to say how well organised we felt it was, everything ran like clockwork!I would also like you to pass our thanks and gratitude to all those people who stood at the water stops. I can speak for all of us by saying that without their help and support we wouldn’t have finished as quickly as we did! So a great big thank you to everyone in team H20!
Once again, thanks for a great race!!
It gets bigger and better every year!!!
Subject: I feel stupid
Dear Malcolm
>I feel rather stupid, many thanks for sorting out my premature dementia, I must apologise for my brashness and general numbness!
>I DID reply to your email last week.
The race is on Sunday 19th MARCH !!!
The verification email you have pasted below states MARCH. All the
information on the website states MARCH.
Today is the 19th FEBRUARY!!!
Race numbers are being posted out this week
Best WisheMalcolm Fowlerwww.wilmslowhalf.org.uk
—– Original Message —–
To:
Good afternoon
I emailed last week to say that I had not recieved my race number, but I had payed my fee. Obviously the race was today and I had no-one contact me about my missing number and I obviously did not run in the race, therefore I am requesting a refund on my money in the form of a cheque. It appears that the race has been really badly organised this year. I am dissappointed that I did not recieve my number to run even after my effotrs to obtain it. I hope to hear from you soon.
Below is my verification email that I was sent, but I have recieved nothing else.
wilm06-5XJP029643
>Thank you for your order. Your payment has been processed successfully.
To avoid lots of people losing their numbers, race details and numbers are posted out to all entrants approximately 3 weeks before the event. This is confirmation that we have received your entry so there is no need to enquire further unless you don’t receive your number by 11th March 2006. If you have any queries about your entry, please contact Race Secretary, 10 Haddon Close, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 7 YG.
Just wanted to say a big thank you for the terrific organisation and great atmosphere provided! Marvellous! Even the weather was kind after the bitter weather preceding the event. Will definitely be entering next year and hoping for an improved time. Thanks again,
Thanks for swapping the number. Very well organised race, great weather and a pb! Would be nice to have a luggage store for those nor arriving by car.
Please can I say THANK YOU to the organisers and marshals for making
yesterday’s event one of (if not) the most enjoyable events I have run.
I am not a fast finisher and so was able to enjoy the camaraderie and
atmosphere as I trundled round !
Thank you very much for a very rewarding day – I will definitely be
applying next year.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the organisers and stewards for another fantastic race. It was simply brilliant.
Many thanks for a great race. Excellent organisation, scenic course. encouraging marshals, even the weather was good. This was my preparation race for London and managed to set a personal worse! – things can only get better
Well done, please pass on my thanks to everyone concerned.
Thanks very much for great organisation. You must have worked very hard. The results are much better organised than any other race I’ve done – infinitely better than Great North Run result site. All marshalls, parking, toilets etc. no problem and everyone very helpful. The balloons added to atmosphere and helped me find my way there. As an L55 competitor, I appreciate these things – and will be L60 in 3 months! Many thanks.
I would just like to say that I thought yesterday’s event was fantastically organised, and I would like to say thanks to all of the organisers and volunteers on the day and all of the effort that was put in- I tried to yesterday but speech was somewhat difficult at times! It was my first year and I had a very enjoyable day, as did everyone that I spoke to. I’m looking forwards to hopefully running again next year, (when i’ve recovered).
This is a quick email to say a huge thanks for making the race so enjoyable – all the marshals were so enthusiastic and motivating (it was clear our “Team Bolton” were not half marathon regulars!)
Well done for organising a top race!
Just a personal thank you for another great day,I’m sat here legs and feet aching, feeling very satisfied.That was my 5th Wilmslow and it is certainly the highlight of my running year, congrats to all the backroom staff and volunteers who make the day such a wonderful event. Even the weather was excellent for distance running, once again thanks and see you next year.
I would like to express my thanks for a fantastic day! This was the first time that my husband and young nephew had every competed in such an event and I’m sure it will not be the last.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank ‘the commentator’ and the many people working behind the scenes. Their hard work did not go unnoticed.
Look forward to next year,
Subject: Re: Lost number
Just a note to thank you and your team for an excellently organized race. I got my race number easily, plenty of facilities and even a warm shower afterwards, perfect! Great course and momento as well. It’s almost encouraged me to try again next year!
Just a note to say thanks for another great run, and a special thank you for taking notice of my comment in respect of cyclists – I certainly cant blame them for my bad time!
I wondered how you had managed to get rid of the flood I am sure everone appreciated it as much as we did!
Just a quick email to say thanks to you and your team for organising the Wilmslow Half-Marathon. It was my first time running in such an event, I’ve not even been a spectator before and I had a really good time. I train alone but running in a crowd was great fun especially since I managed to finish in 1hr 41m 30s, beating my pre-race estimate by 9 minutes.
Just a short note to congratulate you on the great race/event last Sunday. It was my first half marathon and I had a fantastic time as did my friends who also travelled with me to Wilmslow.
I know that many of my other running friends are considering the event for next year.
Well done!!
Garrett Harte Editor Newstalk106
Just a quick email to pass on my thanks to everyone involved for another successful Wilmslow 1/2 Marathon.I have ran in 4 or 5 now and am still enjoying them! Well organised as ever, and what’s great is the fact that many residents throughout the course are out and about giving encouragement and refreshments to all the runners – Well Done Wilmslow residents!!
I’II be back again next year
Thank you to you and your team for such a well organised and enjoyable race.
Thanks for organising a great race.
This was my 3rd Wilmslow. It’s always the day after I come back from my annual skiing holiday so the legs are always a bit tiered before I start to run! However I managed 1:47:08 which was about a minute or so faster than last year.
I hope that you have received positive feedback from other participants.
Thanks again and see you next year!
A big Thank You to you and all your colleagues that made yesterdays race such a success. It was my second Wilmslow Half Marathon, and my time of
2 hours 7 minutes and 6 seconds was just over 10 minutes quicker than last year. A new Personal Best.!!
It wasn’t any easier though. I now look forward to browsing the web site photos, looking to spot myself and friends. The aches and pains are a small price
to pay for the £300 pounds I raised for the two charities.
Look forwards to next year (hopefully under 2 hours.)
Once again thanks
just wanted to say thanks for another brilliantly organised race (although I’m sure you’ve been making the hills higher than last year!!!) Only real problem, as I’m sure you already know, was the car parking in the field opposite Kings Road. It was a quagmire!! So many cars got stuck and it took so long to get out. I lost count of the number of hypothermic runners trying to push their cars out of the mud, ably assisted by the stewards!!
Anyway, car parking aside, I and my fantastically supportive husband and kids had a wonderful time and will definitely be back next year. See ya then!!!
A big thank you to you and all your wonderful team for organising todays race! It was great and clearly loads of hard work went in to the smooth running of it! So well done and many thanks!
I just wanted to say that overall Wilmslow was a great day (if a bit cold brrr!) and the good bag was excellenet as ever. However I wondered if you wanted some feedback on the race? This is the second time I have done Wilmslow and I always enjoy it, but I do think there are a number of things that would make it just that little bit better (especially with big races like the Liverpool Half on the same day).
First of all, chip timing! The 4 Villages had it this year and I really think it makes a big difference. I only started 1 minute-ish from the start line but that obviously does impact on your time. Having chip timing means that people don’t feel they have to get right up to the start so much, cos you know that you will get your “real” time. I have looked at the feedback on Runners World and a number of entrants had mentioned this.
Another thing is toilets. Sufficient toilets? Not if you are a women? Did you see the queues from 10 – 10.30? Its nice to say go early, but people’s bladders don’t always work like that! Again, the 4 villages had double the number that you did, there is plenty of space for more and it does make the whole pre-race experience a bit less stressful.
Some smaller things, I love that you have 3 rather than 2 drinks stations (which is better than the 4 villages). Do you reckon you could find a sponsor who would give you bottled water? I’ve never quite mastered the art of drinking from plastic cups (really I end up accidently washing my face in it). Your team who give our the water are excellent.
Another thing, this time I don’t know the ‘right’ answer but I thought I would mention it. Two of my mates with GPS watches measured 13.43 and 13.7 miles. Obviously the milage does go up if you “run round” people but by 1/3rd of a mile? Of course their GPS might be wrong, but I thought it might be worth checking. Certainly the last ‘mile’ went on forever, but they usually do!!!
Last thing, you could be a bit more friendly and encouraging in your race info brochure, its still a bit mean but not as bad as last year.
I hope you find this feedback useful, it isn’t meant to be a critisism, just some ideas to make the race even better, though I know that cost is always an issue. If I could chose any one of the above, then defo go for chip timing!!!
Thanks for a great day again
I just want to put my own thanks down on email for what was a fantastic day, brilliantly organised and hugely enjoyable for those of us who ran.
Thank you so much for the trouble you went to to get me into the race
running for charity after the entries had closed. I ran in just over 2 hours and have so far raised nearly £500 for Francis House.
To go from never having run a half marathon in my life to feeling
Wilmslow is an essential yearly activity now, is a great feeling. And all the more worth it to be doing it for such a worthy cause.
Anyway I can’t speak highly enough of the day. Thank you for all the
marshalls who went on and on encouraging us, for those who handed out
drinks, cleared rubbish, organised the recording and finishing…. the list goes on. They were frankly superb, as were the many villagers who had their access to their own street curbed for the day and had to put up with all the crowds and the human mess.
I was impressed and touched by their dedication – it was no greater than my own in running the course. I hope they have been thanked big style.
If I have any slight regret it’s that there don’t seem to be many
pictures of us ordinary mortals on the web. It was great last year to
spend hours trawling through hundreds of photos even though I never
found one of me. This year I was thinking there’s bound to be /one/
somewhere, but it seems it is only one photographer as yet and so I will have to accept not having any photo memento of myself on the day, as I went on my own
Not to worry, unless suggestions can be put forward for future years.
Anyway a HUGE THANK YOU.
Have a well deserved rest now until next year.
I would like to pass on my thanks to all the people who helped with the organisation of this years race. i have run the wilmslow half for the past 4 years and always enjoy the race. I would like to thank the number of volunteers who help at the finish, start and at drinks stations on route – without them we would have no race and its great that so many are willing to give up their time for the likes of people like me! I wondered if there is any ideas about changing the start as there now seem to be so many entering. This has become quite congested – although the change in route 3 years ago has certainly improved things. With such a big entry i wondered if the race will introduce the shoe chips that other large races have?
Again many thanks for all the hard work that must go into the race – just wanted to let you know that you are appreciated !
Thank you very much for the Wilmslow Half Marathon! It was a beautiful race! I, Florian Freyer (race number: 1322), run my personal best time. Unfortunately, I lost a ten Pounds bank note when I was trying to pull out a power bar out of my trouser pocket. It happened around mile 7.
Blessing in disguise: one of the very helpful “marshalls” noticed what happened to me and wrote down my race number. Is there any chance that you could send the money to me? I know you probably have much more important things to do, but I would very much appreciate that! After the marshall picked up my money, she screamed that I would get it back…
My email address: [email protected]
I can in 16th at the weekend and heard a vicious rumour that there may be a prize for the top 20? Is this true?
Another well organized race. Thanks. A 5 min PB for me. Will be back again
Would just like to congratulate on another superbly organised race which was most enjoyable. My wife chose Wilmslow as her first half marathon on mine and some friends of our recomendion. But can you imagine her disappointment to told there were no large t shirts left when she finished in a time of 2hr 17mins.I think I would have cried if that was me having run all that way not two get a t-shirt you can were and be proud of.
Any way my point being is they any chance you could get her a t-shirt in large it would be much appreciated.
Well done again on a super race.