Kimberley Diamond Half Marathon 2021

Saturday 30 October 2021, Kimberley, Hoerskool Diamantveld
Altitude 1224m (JHB 1750m)
21k: entry: R155 , start 5:45am
42k: R205, 5:30
10k: R105, 6:00

FINISHERS :
21k - 135 (DNF 17) Total 152
42k - 88 (31) 119
10k - 131 (19) 150
354 (DNF 67 ) TOTAL 421

Third week of PROPER races in SA since COVID lockdowns.

**RATINGS**
CONDITIONS 7/10
- Race day: Saturday, 30 October 2021
-12deg at start 25deg by midday
-ideal weather in the morning. great start times.

HILLS 2/10 (10=steepest)
-Gentle undulating hills, almost flat but not. Very fast if you're fit.
145m up 145m down

ROUTE 6/10
- Leafy suburb/ Purple Jacarandas in bloom,
- Provincial rural isolated highway road - dry, scrub grass - massive pylons - long 100km/hr roads
- suburbs of Kimberley - houses, shops, some trees
- A good mix and tour of town. Not a bad route as a tourist

CONGESTION - 3/10 low- good (10 =2Oceans congestion)
- 5:00 am good time to arrive for both 5:30 marathon start and 5:45am 21k start.
-Central location of school was very good to get in and out
-Parking very easy
-School was excellent venue to spread people out.
- COVID indemnity and sign in forms at start was a proper mess , they wanted phone confirmation as proof at gate to grounds. Very few run with their phones. Then had to look up names on printed register. People just ducked under gate because race was about to start. (its new, meh - cant really blame organizers, at least they tried)
- So few people in each race, after mat was in crowd for 25m then free.

MARSHALS 4/10
-More attention and training needs to be given / taught to marshals
- weren't too enthusiastic to be out there
- some did their job others not so. Felt like I wasn't being "protected" by (not all) many of them at busy crossovers turns and intersections. Some standing at wrong section of road and ineffective.
- heard people went the wrong way in marathon , where were marshals?
- cones need to be used at turns to separate runners from traffic for maybe 10m (even though there was so little traffic) to help marshals
- Traffic tape needs to be used more at finish line after fences. Fences worked very well at end.
- Officials / helpers at finish line area were super helpful and super friendly.

KM MARKERS 5/10
- I saw them

WATER TABLES 5/10
- Some were friendly but they generally did their job well. Not memorable but not bad either.
- Pepsi and water (coke would have been nicer)
- Water tables should be cheer sections?
- Water table after the finish line was missing! Was the Kimberley Harriers tent the water table? Were runners allowed to use "their" water and Pepsi? It was confusing so I just didn't have anything after my race till much later when I saw marathon people taking on their own. I was very confused about what to do at the finish

BINS 8/10
-Generally well placed after water tables. Adequate on the route
- More could have been placed at the end in the grounds. Though people generally found the few that were there.


RACE TIMING 4/10
-CHIPTIMER.co.za
-chip timing embedded in bib race number
- gun went off then we ran into a single lane funnel for the mat 30 seconds later. Others took 2 minutes(?) to get out. Unfairly added time to our overall race time in this way. Not good to start running then get into a single line queue
- results available on 3rd day(Wed) after race. Electronic sensor timing, should it have taken so long?
- from personal experience (my time was about 30sec off my watch but 2 people I beat by 8minutes both came in 1 minute before me in results. Woman who beat me by 3 seconds on the line, was 30 sec and 4 positions ahead of me in results)
- Not acceptable for such high tech and such a small race.

TOILETS 10/10
-Toilets behind and under stadium seating
- I think the cleanest toilets I've seen in 31 years of races? Congratulations :)
- Printed signs pointing to toilets out near finish and start lines would have helped?

ATMOSPHERE AT END 4/10
- there were 2 food trucks
-no music, (was there music?)
- Maybe bring that NG Kerk church bazaar that was the same day to the grounds?
-It was a bit too quiet at the end.

MEDAL 7/10
- simple but really good design
- unique shape that stands up to other medals
- high quality print under clear laminate
- excellent souvenir / reminder of Kimberley

RACE ORGANIZER 8/10
- race administrator Ria was on the ball and available everywhere. Her friendly, patient attitude will just take the race higher.
- Amazing to have put on a 3 in 1 race in such short notice from national announcement with all those health protocols in place. Congratulations to whole team for this effort

OVERALL RACE (as participant): 7/10 (would recommend to others)
+Excellent race overall. A FAST race for a PB (if you're fit).
+ great time of year with nice early cool start even for hot day
+ great route chosen
+ well organized, friendly
+ cleanest ever toilets

- marshals
-chip timing
-atmosphere at end
-water table after finish
- pepsi not cok

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