Streets of Wicklow 5k - Stephens day!!!

Timmaay

Just to let ya's know entries are now available for the annual 5k race in Wicklow town on Stephens Day from http://www.athleticswicklow.com/index.html.
This was a great race last year with Martin Fagan smashing the course record with a time of 14.05!!

islandexile

Timmaay wrote: »

Just to let ya's know entries are now available for the annual 5k race in Wicklow town on Stephens Day from http://www.athleticswicklow.com/index.html.
This was a great race last year with Martin Fagan smashing the course record with a time of 14.05!!

14.05! Did ye cycle it??

violator13

:cool:Yes,great race.I did this last year.Was a super field.About 10 internationals of various levels did it.The finish is a long straight,great if you have a kick.

Scott Hall

What is the rest of the course like? Is it hilly, does it go on bad roads etc
Do many people turn out to watch it?

Timmaay

Scott Hall wrote: »

What is the rest of the course like? Is it hilly, does it go on bad roads etc
Do many people turn out to watch it?

Hi Scott, the course isn't too bad, there is one short hill at the 2k stage, with a nice 1/2km steady downhill after that, all the road are good, no potholes etc! I seem to always get a 5k PB here for some reason, maybe because its my home race, but still I think its a fairly fast course.
Theres always a good crowd out at the 1st/final long straight, which gives you good motivation to sprint the last straight when you've unleashed you sprint finish too early:D

How Strange

Can you register on the day for this?

Timmaay

How Strange wrote: »

Can you register on the day for this?

Yep, no prob registering on the day, which will be located very close (~200m) to the race start. Entry is the same as pre-registeration, at €15, and you get a free t-shirt.

Racing Flat

So Timaay - you reckon there's a good chance of a PB on this course? Need a pick up after the National Novices, and undecided on Wicklow 5k or Navan 10k both on Stephen's Day - any preferences out there?

Racing Flat

Also, where can I get information on how to get there? Coming from Dublin...

How Strange

Timmaay, can you give some info on where to go in Wicklow to register?

I think a 5k run/jog might be just the thing to work off a bit of that christmas gorging.

Timmaay

Hi, registeration is in the east glendalough school (near the train station in the map), start will be on station road. HERE'S directions from dublin.

I've got way 2 much time on my hands at the minute, i should be out xmas shopping at the min but instead HERE'S a map off the top of my head of the course. the km will be marked on the course on the day, you can change the units on the above map from english to metric if the kms dont show up.

Racing flat, I can't guarantee ya'll get a pb, there are flater courses but still its fairly fast with steady downhills. I always run well on it, there's a great spread in the standard so there will be someone to pace yourself against without doubt.

Racing Flat

Excellent Timmaay - will be there, thanks for that

How Strange

cheers timmaay...I'll be there. It's far better than lolling around on the sofa stuffing roses into me! I can do that later!

Timmaay

Hmmm, as usual little bit of a mix up with times, I just want to confirm that the race start is at 12 NOON, not 1pm as advertised in the Irish runner:rolleyes:

Racing Flat

Excellent race - real friendly and well supported. Flat it is not. Tough course in a nice kind of way - steep uphill first half, downhill bendy second half. People who live in hilly places seem to have a distorted view of hills. Reminds me of a race I did in Sheffield once, hilliest city in world - maybe explains why Seb Coe was so good, so everyone was saying the course was really flat - it ended out hillier than some mountain races! All relative I suppose. When I was telling people I was going to race in Wicklow, everyone said 'that must be hilly' but I told them it wasn't based on the above. But although it is hilly it's probably balanced out with the downhills.
4 secs slower than my pb, so you weren't too wrong Timmaay!
How the hell did Martin Fagan run 14.05? Incredilble.
Great race though, I'll be back next year, maybe not expecting a pb next time, but close enough...

Are results available anywhere?

Scott Hall

I agree everyone was real friendly, the music blaring at the first couple of k were a boost, I had a great time:D even though I got beat by 2 women:o, not that I'm sexist or anything, it's good to be humbled mow and again;)

Timmaay

No results up yet, they'll be up on athleticswicklow.com within a week or so. I suppose i do see that course as been flat, I am a mountain runner myself (had a race up the Sugarloaf this morning), I managed to drop my pb by 20secs (finished in 17.20ish). Scott, I was beaten by those 2 women also, but no shame in that, they're both running in the olympics next yr!

Martin Fagan, Imo is the best 5k runner in the country at the min, it was a pity not to get him back for this yr, but he is running a marathon in early jan. There wasnt as many top class runners yesterday as last yr, which was a pity, and my only small complain about the race was the km markers were all over the shop, there was a 5k race on the same loop back in aug, and the old markings were still there

Next race for me is the Tom Brennan 5k in the phoenix park on new yrs, that is a much simpler course (2 laps around the triangle of Furze Road, Ordance Survey, Main Road), but I always run slower there than streets of wicklow:rolleyes:

Racing Flat

Completely agree with you Timmaay - I expect to run slower in tom brennan race than yesterday. How can this be explained, a course that appears very flat, good surface, very few bends...maybe it's because it's more exposed? But let's think positive and try to break a habit - take another 20seconds off....

Scott Hall

Results are up on http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=3125#more-3125