Baldock Beast Multi-terrain Half Marathon N R O M L S 1 O 5 he first thing want to tell you all is that the Baldock Beast Multi-terrain Half Marathon is a beautiful course which takes in some wonderful scenery. he race will be graded with runners on the day lining up in terms of their predicted finishing times. he run starts on the old Wallington Road. his is a slightly narrow path but wide enough for 4-5 runner abreast he path itself is flat and well maintained but be advised there is some uneven ground so please do not try and pass people on the right hand side. he first mile of the course is a long the narrow path which takes you up a number of small hills and then across the bridge over the main road. After about a mile, the route picks up the main Wallington Road which takes runners on a mile and half climb up to the village centre. Whilst hilly, the ascend is gradual and not steep. At the village, runners turn left on a downhill section which leads them to the first water station. By this stage the field will probably be beginning to stretch out. After the water station, runners have a short section across open fields to contend with before joining the Rushden Road. his section is thankfully flat but this does not last long as runners are soon faced with a small hill climb up to the village of Sandon. hankfully at the top of the hill the run levels out again and there is the second of the four water stations at around the 4.5 mile mark.
M L S 6 0 H N D At around the 6 mile mark the terrain changes again with runners taken on a wonderful yet muddy section of around 800metres through woodland. All can say to runners is pray for dry weather or invest in some black trainers. his section of the race can be slippery so take it easy on race day. he woodland section is followed by a gentle hill that leads runners back to the village of Sandon. his is one of the most scenic sections of the course with Sandon Church on your right and the duck pond on your left. f your legs are tired by this point you will soon speed up if the grumpy goose is around. Watch out for the goose as you pass the red telephone box! Runners will then pass the village school were hopefully residents will be out on force to cheer on the competitors. At around the 7.5 mile mark is the third water station which is located next to the football pitch by Sandon Sports and Social Club. At this point the road narrows as it moves from Sandon down to the Rushden Road. his section of the race is slightly down hill and is an opportunity to set some fast mile times. he road is narrow so runners on the day will need to keep to a maximum of 2 abreast. Next up is the small village of Redhill before runners face the biggest challenge of the Baldock Beast which is the ¾ mile climb up to the village of Wallington and thankfully the 4 th water station. Runners then pass a second duck pond thankfully minus the nasty goose before running the final two miles mostly downhill to the finish line. My Finish ime: 1h 50 mins V R D C Course Verdict : his is a lovely course which takes in plenty of North Hertfordshire Countryside. Yes it is challenging with a few hills but it also has several relieving downhill sections. t is a varied course taking in gravel tracks, open fields,muddy woodland and road running. will definitely be running the course again before race day and don t say that after many of my half marathon runs. Rating: 9 out of 10
Baldock Beast 2012 to 2014 Reviews You have read my review of the course, but don t just take my word for it. Detailed below are ratings from the Baldock Beast from 14 of the people who actually took part in the race 2012, 17 of the people who took part in the race in 2013 and 8 of the people who took part in 2014. he Big Picture Category 2012 figures 2013 figures 2014 figures Overall Score 88% 88% 95% How many would do it again? 95% 100% 100% Scenery 85% 81% 82% PB Potential 59% 58% 60% Atmosphere 74% 75% 80% Organisation 77% 85% 90% Value 79% 79% 80% Beginner friendliness 69% 75% 75% Now for some of the comments from runners on the day.
2012 comments Don t be put off by the beast in the title, it s not that bad. Lovely course with as many downhill stretches as uphill. Great Course, well organised and supported for an event in its 1 st year. Great scenery and very good marshalling. Lots of uphills but that means lots of downhills too; a PB is not out of the question. Very good new race. absolutely loved the course stunning scenery on undulating country roads. Well organised, well supported, the hills were alive. really enjoyed the race, challenging in places, but long downhills too, which helped for a PB, so happy! Great course, well organised, friendly support in each village and lovely downhill section on finish.
Really pretty run. Nice atmosphere amongst runners. ough constant hills. Welcome to my annual running calendar, Baldock. Well done Baldock for a first time you got this almost nailed. Good organisation, friendly field and marshals, good course with some interesting hills. A really good race. Generous goody bag too: t-shirt, medal, pen, water, a Lucozade body fuel sachet and a Mars bar. 2013 reviews Very local for me and great if you enjoy hills, still good if you don't. Great well organized race, nice country side setting, recommended. Some of the hills are hard work but its a nice route and well organised, with a bag drop, bbq and some small stands.
Really enjoyed the interesting course and mixed terrain. What you can expect is a good fun, multi-terrain (mainly roads) race, which is fantastically supported through the local villages. he support on course from marshalls and public was excellent given it was freezing. he low entry fee and great organisation puts some well established and more expensive races to shame. Well done, keep it up. 2014 Reviews 3rd year at the Beast - it gets better with age. xcellent challenging run. Undulating with long tough uphills and fast downhills. Well supported and signposted along the route. Weather was a real bonus. Organisation was excellent - views from previous years have been taken on board. Love this run! Hills. Plenty of them. Loved it. Well worth it & 'll definitely be back next year!!
Plentiful enthusiastic emails from the organiser and think it was he who kindly picked us up from the station too - how's that for service? he course, out and back with a loop round a village or two. Plenty of variety, mostly on very quiet roads, some field and woodland track - bit muddy but easy enough in road shoes in spite of all the rain. Constantly undulating though never any really big or steep hills. A good challenging but very fair course. Altogether a very nice race and easy to access from Central London.