In reply to The New NickB:
I did Manchester those years and it was a very enjoyable event. These revelations are not great, but they don't mean much the the majority of runners, who are doing it for the fun and challenge.
I think that Manchester numbers will be down next year, what with the short course issues, but more importantly the gigantic snafu this year with baggage and bogs.
There was a 25+ minute queue to use the traps, if one wanted to 'lighten the load'. The baggage drop off had another 25+ min queue, which as race start was approaching fast saw people throwing their bags at the hapless staff. Good old group4 were stood around, dressed paramilitary style, scratching their arses and doing nothing to help.
After the race, there was a 2h+ queue for bags. It was sunny and warm, which made it less unpleasant, but still pretty p.poor. The worrying aspect is that if it had been cold, wet and windy (as had been the case a few years ago) having several thousand cold and tired people stood in the open could have resulted in a mass casualty event. But this is where group4 showed their worth. Us runners had organised ourselves into a huge long line that snaked back and forth several times, all around the cricket ground. We were tired, annoyed, but resigned to the fact. G4 staff, in a spirit of helpfulness, took it upon themselves, to come out and occasionally shout at the runners and then disappear again until next time they felt like shouting. Bless 'em.
So if you're looking for a marathon next year, I suggest Manchester. There will be few runners and the course will be the right length.