Metro St Brigids 5k Dublin city centre - March 18

gnu wrote: »

Does it start at 12? And what time should I pick up my race number - don't want to be waaaay too early and hanging around getting nervous!

It starts at 12. Number pick-up is in the mansion house and it will only take a few minutes. The start is immediately outside, so just leave yourself enough time to use the loo, drop off your gear, and do your warm-up.

Thank you both! I'll probably head in an hour or so beforehand depending on bus times.

Wow Timmaay, I can only dream of the day when 5k seems like a warm up! But then again I never imagined I could run this far non-stop either so maybe that day will come!

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Best of luck gnu, enjoy your first race and well done on getting to this point.

Thanks a mill! It's fantastic how nice and encouraging experienced runners like you are to newbies like me! This is my 2nd race (I did the UCD 5k Rás a few weeks back) and everyone there was so nice as well.

Best of luck to you and everyone else running today, looks like we have nice weather!

Top class race, everything done to perfection (even Marshalls on each km calling splits!). Well done to msb for all the hard work!

Results are up here.

I really enjoyed today's race. I managed to shave 31 seconds off my UCD 5k time so am very happy ... of course at this stage of my running career every race is probably going to be a PB! Hope everyone had a good race and enjoyed themselves.

There were lots of things I really liked about this race:

• It was quick and hassle-free to pick up my race number.
• There were lavish amounts of choccie biccies and a nice cuppa afterwards.
• I didn't check my watch but I think we started on time. It definitely didn't feel like there was endless hanging around.
• Results went up quite quickly
• I liked the music and having the face painters etc
• Fab to run through the streets of Dublin esp on St Patrick's weekend.
• Km markers were very clear and the marshals did a great job. I really liked them calling out the times although it made me think I was going slower as I started from the back of the pack. But that just made for a nice surprise when I saw the results.:)
• They did a cracking job of organising the weather, it felt perfect!

There were a few things that I would have liked to be done differently:

• For someone like me who is new to this race (and races in general) it would have been really helpful to have information on the website about the practicalities e.g. picking up race pack/goodie bag, facilities available, route map. Fortunately the folks here told me what I need to know but I met some confused Americans who couldn't understand why the info wasn't published beforehand and I don't think it would be hard to do.
• Just a personal thing but I much preferred the UCD Rás goodie bag - that organic cotton bag itself is great and I use it all the time whereas the plastic bag won't get a lot of use before it dies. And I preferred the fruit rather than sugary stuff. Wish I had thought to look in the bag before I got home as I'm sure I could have found someone there to take them! On the positive side though, it was a generous goodie bag and I'm sure most people loved it.
• Not fussed on the t-shirt, can't see myself ever wearing it. Much prefer a coloured one to white background as all my sports bras would show through the white.

ChampionChip wrote: »

The results are always based initially on gun time as per IAAF Rule 165. I usually wait a short time before we produce the chip times as it gives us time to check them and id those who did not go to the start line, there were 6 of them today.

I have just sent the results to MSB with chip time attached so they will appear soon as.

Oh my bad, I was sure they were chip as mine was so close to my watch time. LOok fwd to seeing the real results.

I'm confused too! What's a gun time? And does anyone know how long it takes to get the real time (whatever that is!)?

Edit: Oh, and only 855 people are listed, I thought there were more than that in the race?

RayCun wrote: »

Gun time is how long it takes from the starting gun going off to you crossing the finish line.

Chip time is the time between you crossing the start line and you crossing the finish line.

Gun time is the official time. The race organisers are mainly concerned about finishing order, because that's what is used for prizes - who was first man, first woman, first M40, where did the members of a team finish etc. They can stand at the finish line and see all this for themselves, without relying on chips (that might not work). If you start at the back of the race, run faster than all the other runners, but cross the finish line behind the winner - well, that's your own fault. your chip time won't get you a prize.

But for most of us, who aren't going to win the race, and aren't starting at the very front, chip time is more important.

Thanks! I don't think I'll ever need to worry about my gun time but nice to know what it means anyway.

Great organisation again by MSBAC, was a spectator with family member running

Chip times not yet up

There were significantly less runners this year, almost certainly due to the fact that today is a Bank Holiday (was given this reason by an MSBAC Marshall also)

http://www.msbac.ie/images/Results/Provisional2011.pdf (for race numbers)

Anyone know if the the elderly lady who was knocked flat at the start of the run, directly outside The Mansion House, was OK? We never saw her finish and waited til the end (hopefully we just missed her). Another runner cut her off completely by running across her when she they saw their family with cameras

Yippee!!!! Even better time than I could have hoped for! Interesting to see how many people with slower chip times placed ahead of me ... well I did start at the back on purpose, didn't want to hold anyone up but then ended up a bit stuck myself.

Very sorry to hear about that woman who got knocked over and hope she's ok and was able to race.

Am now compulsively trying to find my next race, this racing stuff is like heroin! :-)

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Loving your work championchip PB for me afterall, I thought my watch was bag on but hurrah it wasn't 20 secs off rathfarnham.


Cheaper & better for the health though gnu! well done on exceeding your own expectations!

Thanks a mill, I am thrilled even though I'd say I'm half the speed of you guys! And congratulations on your PB!!!

I would rate most club races higher then the likes of the national lotto race series, most big commercial races as such tend to be forced to compromise in the course etc due to their size, and then there's the hassle of parking/overcrowding etc. There are plenty of 5k club races coming up over the next few months, in the Kidare/Wicklow/Meath area, my own club holds a fit4life series, and the next two races are both 5ks http://www.slicualann.com/fit4life-league.html, only 5quid entry also! (don't expect a goodiebag/tshirt tho ha!)

Timmaay wrote: »

I would rate most club races higher then the likes of the national lotto race series, most big commercial races as such tend to be forced to compromise in the course etc due to their size, and then there's the hassle of parking/overcrowding etc. There are plenty of 5k club races coming up over the next few months, in the Kidare/Wicklow/Meath area, my own club holds a fit4life series, and the next two races are both 5ks http://www.slicualann.com/fit4life-league.html, only 5quid entry also! (don't expect a goodiebag/tshirt tho ha!)

Thanks for the link. A fiver is fantastic! I'm in Dublin and don't drive so those might be tricky for me to get to but I love the idea and I think I just felt my horizons expand.:D

I had felt a little wary of smaller club races as I have a (false?) sense of safety in numbers for the bigger races. I might be wrong but I have the impression that the bigger/higher profile the race, the more likely there is to be a broader mix of abilities and so I am less likely to come last! I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but I find the lure of tshirts and goodie bags or any kind of race loot in general quite appealing when it comes to signing up for something, it's like a bribe and since this is so new to me, every little souvenir is a real badge of honour for me! Once I'm actually running in the race though I couldn't care less and have the feeling that I just want to do this again and again!:)

RayCun wrote: »

Check out the race calendar. Most of the races listed there have discussion threads, so you'll be able to find out more about them - how to get there, the standard, what the course is like, etc.
In Dublin over the next couple of months you have the Samsung 10k, the Terenure 5 mile, Donore Harriers will probably be running a 5k at the end of May, plus there's all the BHAA races...

Thanks Ray, I've been looking at the Terenure 5 mile and will look at the others too. Just took the plunge and entered the Great Ireland Run (did it years ago mostly walking and I really liked the atmosphere). Was the Terenure 5m previously in or around Walkinstown for part of it? I think I might have done it years ago (again mostly walking). So anyone can enter the BHAA races? Am afraid I'm too slow and everyone would have gone home by the time I finish!

RayCun wrote: »

Yeah, the Terenure 5 mile used to start in Walkinstown, they've changed the route this year.
The BHAA races are 15 euro for non-members, or you can join for 15 euro and race for 10. The average time in the BHAA races tends to be faster all right, but there are plenty of people at the slow end too (and they usually get a big cheer coming in)

Big cheer eh? That sounds better than a goodie bag!

Bungy Girl wrote: »

http://www.womensmeetandtrain.blogspot.com/

Gnu, you should check these races out (assuming you're female !!). Great value, lovely atmosphere and tea n biccies after. Perfect for those new to the racing scene as all levels catered for.

Yes, I''m female all right and I've got the sports bra to prove it! They sound great ...and not just cos of the tea and biccies! And the prices look good too. Thanks a mill, really appreciate your help (and everyone else's).