What Makes A Good Road Race

DaveH

Hi All,
Thanks for all the Raheny 5 comments. Remember we have smaller races throughout the year.

I would just like to know from athletes of all standards what makes a good road race. I know its a bit of free market research but Im just interested. Also what bad races are out there?

Cheers
Dave

TheRoadRunner

For me in the following order

1) Accurately measured traffic free course.
2) Organization of the race itself.
3) Changing facilities and refreshments.
4) The general atmosphere of the race.
5) Price, although this is not a major concern if the first 4 hit the nail on the head.

I use to be into t-shirts and medals etc but no longer care about these.

Prizes aren't a huge issue. I have only ever felt let down in one race where I won a prize. I finished in the top 3 and got 20 euro! It cost me 15 to enter so I was a little bemused.
However, there were plenty of spot prizes, prizes for age categories and teams and I know the promoter wasn't running it to make profit so it didn't bother me in the end. I think he wanted to spread the wealth around the prizes. There was a great post race spread so that more than made up for it

Racing Flat

PB potential - For club runners a huge factor, possibly a deciding factor if 2 races were on the same day...

Tradition - some races can't be missed, e.g. Raheny, Ballycotton. Plan the year around them.

Convenience - if National Champs (eg 10k, half mar) are within 2 hour drive I'll go, any more than that a bit of a pain. Maybe why Phoenix Park is popular - more punters to chose from.

I wonder whether there's too many races nowadays? So maybe fields are getting decimated/split between them. I'm only running a few years, but it seems like when I started all the lads in the club would be going to the same race. Now you've someone running a BHAA on the Sat, someone else doing a road race, someone else doing a hill race, hard to keep track. While I like the BHAA races, there are so many now, it doesn't matter if you miss one, there'll be another in a week or two...

Imagine if there was just one race a month - be like having a Raheny every month - would that work, using a variety of distances. Maybe a National strategy would be good???

How Strange

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

For me in the following order

1) Accurately measured traffic free course.
2) Organization of the race itself.
3) Changing facilities and refreshments.
4) The general atmosphere of the race.
5) Price, although this is not a major concern if the first 4 hit the nail on the head.

I use to be into t-shirts and medals etc but no longer care about these.

T-shirts, medals and plaques aren't that important IMO. I'd say most of them end up in the bin so it's a waste of money. I think that a t-shirt made out of sweat resistant fabric would be a good idea as people would be inclined to wear it to races or just out training so it is advertising your club abd sponsor(s) for alot longer. I never wear those ordinary cotton ones.

my number 5) would be water stops along the route. For a 5 mile one water stop would be sufficient but it was sorely missing in Raheny. I hate carrying a water bottle with me and I'm a novice so I don't have the drinks belts or any of those fancy gadgets.

IMO, cost isn't a big deal for me if all of the above are there on the day. The way I see it my €20 is helping to fund an athletic or running club so no complaints.

I really like the way there was someone at every mile giving you the time. That made me really push myself after mile 1.

run_Forrest_run

my idea of a good race:

1. Properly measured (and signed) route.
2. Clear registration procedure with plenty of staff for little waiting around.
3. Clear signs to the relevant changing areas (and not in the way of the crowds looking to register!)
4. Parking!
5. Decent refreshments after ( a nice warm cuppa would do!).

Racing Flat

What makes a bad race....

Delayed start - really annopys me, when you've timed your arrival so that you won't be hanging around in the cold for too long, get the warm up doen, head to the start kline and they announce 'Start delayed due to extra people registering'. I understand it can be unavoidable in places like Ballycotton where there's only 1 road in and out, but in some of the races in the Phoenix Park, it drives me mad. If poeple arrive too late, tough - they could always have another start 15minutes later to accommodate these. Am I being too fussy?

cfitz

I think most people who take their running fairly seriously agree that it's the PB potential and good sensible organisation that make a race.

How Strange wrote: »

T-shirts, medals and plaques aren't that important IMO. I'd say most of them end up in the bin so it's a waste of money. I think that a t-shirt made out of sweat resistant fabric would be a good idea as people would be inclined to wear it to races or just out training so it is advertising your club abd sponsor(s) for alot longer. I never wear those ordinary cotton ones.

Yeah, I wouldn't have much interested in them freebies, but if they could afford to give out decent technical running t-shirts that would be a million times better than a cotton t-shirt.

How Strange wrote: »

my number 5) would be water stops along the route. For a 5 mile one water stop would be sufficient but it was sorely missing in Raheny. I hate carrying a water bottle with me and I'm a novice so I don't have the drinks belts or any of those fancy gadgets.

I think if you need to take in water in a 5-mile race something's not right. I think it might be worth your while to read up on the science behind taking water during a race.

How Strange wrote: »

I really like the way there was someone at every mile giving you the time. That made me really push myself after mile 1.

Getting your splits called to you is a huge convenience. I think a lot of runners would appreciate it.

louthandproud

Racing Flat wrote: »

What makes a bad race....

Delayed start - really annopys me, when you've timed your arrival so that you won't be hanging around in the cold for too long, get the warm up doen, head to the start kline and they announce 'Start delayed due to extra people registering'. I understand it can be unavoidable in places like Ballycotton where there's only 1 road in and out, but in some of the races in the Phoenix Park, it drives me mad. If poeple arrive too late, tough - they could always have another start 15minutes later to accommodate these. Am I being too fussy?

Couldn't agree more, it seems to be a regular occurrence in some of the mass participation Phoenix park events, the Bupa 10K and the Dublin 1/2 Marathon a couple of years ago to name two. Do the organizers build in this time to their schedules or do they just get it wrong or do they just keep accommodating late arrivals?

rdunne

Hi all
1. can I ask you , do enjoy getting the results on race day. Or do you mind not knowing, as you already know your own time?
2. would you be interested in volunteering to help on race day if say your were not running for what ever reason.
Having one or two other people can make a massive difference.
3. what price are you happy to pay for a good race?
4. do you enjoy the mass participation events more then the smaller 200-300 runners events?

I'm on the committee for dublin BHAA, but asking on a personal level

Racing Flat

rdunne wrote: »

Hi all
1. can I ask you , do enjoy getting the results on race day. Or do you mind not knowing, as you already know your own time?
2. would you be interested in volunteering to help on race day if say your were not running for what ever reason.
Having one or two other people can make a massive difference.
3. what price are you happy to pay for a good race?
4. do you enjoy the mass participation events more then the smaller 200-300 runners events?

I'm on the committee for BHAA, but asking on a personal level

1. Getting results on race day is great. They seem to have this well organised in Cork BHAA races (maybe they've smaller numbers making it easier to do this) where they hand out print outs of the results when they are doing the presentations. Granted if you wear a watch you'll have your own time but always nice to get the official time and also to see how your 'rivals' did.
2. Yes, but if I'm at a race it's probably becasue I'm racing it, but happy to help out at my own club races and we do this on a rota basis. Could this work in Dublin BHAA races, eg 5 registered members get selected to help out, put it on rota and if someone can't do it they let you know so you can get someone else, or get a replacement themselves?
3. If racing every few weeks 10-15Euro is enough. I don't like paying big money unless it's for a marathon, for which 50Euro is enough.
4.Enjoy both, probably get more competition in BHAA type race at my level, whereas in Bupa 10k although there's a few thousand, you don't get too many around the 34-38min mark, maybe club runners not interested due to the extortion! All in all happy with 1-2 mass participation races a year as they take more planning/time, have to get there early etc, but for the races every few weeks a smaller crowd is better IMO. Also love the club races where you have about 20runners which are fiercely competetive, but you know everyone so well it's always a laugh.

BeepBeep67

With the road racing season upon us again and based on experiences over the last few years - just wondering what's everyones top requirements from road races:
Does this thread still capture it?
Do the requirements of club athletes vary from casual runners?
Has the recent running boom changed expectations?

For me it's:

1. Accurate course
2. Safety (good stewarding)
3. Timely and Accurate results

RacoonQueen

Your three pretty much sum it up for me. A medal is meaningless for anything shorter than a marathon, even the marathon medals stop meaning anything when you've got a load of them.

I just want the course to the correct distance, good guidance from the stewards so that the course isn't too congested with walkers/slower runners starting in the wrong place. Good communication from the organisers is key aswell.

tHE vAGGABOND

1) Accurate course - its the be all and end all. I was pretty p1ssed off when my PB for the cupid 10k, turned out to be a PB for 9.8k, and wont be doing anything that group organise again.

2) Good organisation. I loved the St Pats 5k a few weeks back, as there were loads of people to help at every stage, and all parts of the before, during and after the race was a total pleasure, as there was no stress at all.

3. Bag drop! I have done several races without a bag drop and its a right pain, as I dont drive, so I will always have a bag, and need somewhere to put it. So thats important for me, personally.

4. Im not too stressed about the timed results, as long as we get them quite quickly, thats fine my me. I dont need it hours after the race.

5. Maybe its cos Im new at all this, but I do like my tee-shirts from races and wear them around the house and when relaxing stuff? [also helps they are all right size, and most of rest of my tee-shirts are XXL, and are literally swimming on me!!] Its not make or break, but its a nice touch. Maybe after I have been running for a few years and I have 20 such teeshirts my opinion on that would change!

Medals are meaningless. If we were 12 they would be ace, but a cheap medal for an adult is a bit rubbish tbh

RayCun

1. Accurate course
2. Safety (good stewarding)
3. Timely and Accurate results

That's the big three all right.
When you're organising a race, what are the other things you're trading off against each other?

(I dislike the boot camp warmup things before a race. Please tell me they are paying to do it as a promotion, and they're not getting paid)

gerard65

For some people (no names, but you know who you are) it seems to be how close the finish line is to a pub:p

huskerdu

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

1. Accurate course
2. Safety (good stewarding)
3. Timely and Accurate results

I agree too. These three are essential. If you cant manage these three things, you shouldn't be organising a race in the first place.

After that, in order of importance

- starting on time is the most important issue.
- A bag drop is great.

- Biscuits or other treats when you finish are nice, way nicer than a medal, and more useful.

Mind you, the kids still ask if I won the race, so a few medals do impress them for a while. ( Time has taught them the bitter lesson that Mammy never wins the race).

Ruu_Old

-Timing (and prompt postings of results!)
-Safety of course (includes proper directions)
-Post race food


Lesser important things that have been available at the races I attend, massages. I like medals, they have really creative ones and I travel all over the US to take part in them. It is nice for a souvenir.

T runner

In the same category as the after race refreshments (social) id put having a good venue afterwards for afterrace refreshments, prizegiving etc. This facilitates chatting, socialising etc. When lots of people who with so much in common are in the same vicinity, you must facilitate a good location for a social natter.