Shocking bad race calendar for Dublin area over the summer months

rovers_runner

Have been monitoring the race calendars on the bhaa and runireland and other smaller sites like athenry ac.

I've noticed how far Dublin is behind Galway and Cork when it comes to organised running events especially over the summer months.

The bhaa hasn't a very big programme although they spread what they can across the calendar year.

It's shocking bad that a city with almost a third of the population of the country (with a good proportion of AC clubs too) wouldn't have at least a few running events a month in the summer.

thirtyfoot

Its the busiest and best time of the year, its track season:cool:

shels4ever

well for some if you can manage the track, but for some of us thats not an option yet,

But there are a good few races but hard to find, i'm doing most of the Bhaa with the Rahney series too, them maybe the adidas series so of me there is no shortage of races,

Sainttoff

I am just looking at the adidas tem and 13 miler for build up to the marathon, nothing else as will just train on my own.

Timmaay

Most club athletes are concentrating on the track at the minute, theres a graded meeting every 2nd wk in dublin. Most of the bigger road races are held from dec to may. Apart from the adidas series, theres lots of hill runs on in south dublin/wicklow over the summer, check imra.ie for info. These arn't everyones cup of tea, They are over the side of hills with some steep climbs and decents, but they are brilliant craic. they vary in length from mainly 5k to 10k, but some are up to 20/30k.

donothoponpop

^+1
I'll vouch for these IMRA mountain races in Wicklow, they are great fun. The ones on Wed evenings are shorter, and closer to Dublin, about 5k-10k as Timaay says. The terrain is forest trails, boggy heather, stoney mountaintops etc, most abilities will be in evidence at these runs. The longer runs at the weekend are typically longer, over steeper courses, and further down in Wicklow. I had the single greatest running experience of my life at their run at Ballybraid a few weekends ago. This Saturday is the eight leg Wicklow Way Relay (entry is now closed), a run up and down the mountains from Kilmashouge Forest to Shillelagh in South Wicklow.
Highly recommended,
-donothoponpop

Racing Flat

shels4ever wrote: »

well for some if you can manage the track, but for some of us thats not an option yet,

Because the graded meetings are graded, there's a standard for everyone. Go and have a look and you'll see all sorts there.

Krusty_Clown

Hi Guys, haven't considered doing an IMRA event before, but had a look at the link above, and I see there's one coming up in one of the areas where I do a lot of my training. Can I just turn up on the day and join IMRA?

The event is The Scalp and is part of the Leinster League. Is the Scalp event difficult (6-2,2,2)? Would I get by in a pair of trainers?

I'm used to hill running, but all on roads, and obviously nothing that steep.

copacetic

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hi Guys, haven't considered doing an IMRA event before, but had a look at the link above, and I see there's one coming up in one of the areas where I do a lot of my training. Can I just turn up on the day and join IMRA?

The event is The Scalp and is part of the Leinster League. Is the Scalp event difficult (6-2,2,2)? Would I get by in a pair of trainers?

I'm used to hill running, but all on roads, and obviously nothing that steep.

you can join on night, scalp is one of the shortest and most suitable for people not used to hill running, but with the rain the last while there is a steep section of hill that will be pretty slippy without a decent bit of grip. it's the bit in barnasligan wood, down from the top to the trail near the road. The only steep uphill bit is to the top of carrickgollwan which will be a walk anyway as it is a bottleneck.
The downhill is the only bit that may not be suitable for trainers imo, however on the night prob half the people will be wearing them as the rest of the race suits them.

If you train out there you can prob work out the terrain pretty easily from the map on the site.

Timmaay

Yeh, you'll get way with a pair of trainers, proper trail shoes might gain you 1/2 a min if you're good on the downhills, but for a beginner trainers wil do. You should definately try run scalp, there is a big vary in standard at the imra races, so you'll always have someone to race against. The wed night league runs are all well marked, and require no navigation skills (except to follow the markers:p). Ya'll have to pay €17 euro total on your 1st race, this will cover the €7 entry fee and yearly membership of €10. But it's well worth it for the end of league prizes and brilliant website they have with each runners profile/photos etc.

I'm not sure if I'll be at Scalp (legs are sore from the wicklow way relay today!), but its a really enjoyable run. Copacetic, what you do is go out like the clappers so as you wont be stuck behind a queue of people up to the top of carrickgollwan, then hope ya have enough left in the big for that second forest loop which I keep forgetting just how long it is! The last two years the finish has took me by surprise, its a long narrow path and the finish suddlenly pops out around a corner, give people with sprint finishes like me no chance!

Only other thing I'll say is show up in plenty time for scalp, its a bit of a walk from the registration up to the race start.

Anyhow, trying to get back on topic, lots of races in dublin/wicklow over the summer, you have to go up the hills to find them!

copacetic

Timmaay wrote: »

Copacetic, what you do is go out like the clappers so as you wont be stuck behind a queue of people up to the top of carrickgollwan, then hope ya have enough left in the big for that second forest loop which I keep forgetting just how long it is! The last two years the finish has took me by surprise, its a long narrow path and the finish suddlenly pops out around a corner, give people with sprint finishes like me no chance!

yep, tried that approach one year, was reduced to a walk for a section in the middle after the big first mile effort! Now I just plan for a nice walk break in the middle and put the effort in before and after, where I come in it ain't an issue! You can't pass anyone for last 200m anyway as it is so narrow so sprinting all needs to be done uphill before it narrows!

shels4ever

Hi there,
Is the Dublin peaks still run, I ran this years ago and managed to win the junior event, ( think there were only 10 in hte class). But anyway i'd think of doing some of these again, maybe next season when i'm fitter.

Krusty_Clown

copacetic wrote: »

...<snip>...but with the rain the last while there is a steep section of hill that will be pretty slippy without a decent bit of grip. it's the bit in barnasligan wood, down from the top to the trail near the road. The only steep uphill bit is to the top of carrickgollwan which will be a walk anyway as it is a bottleneck.

You got it spot-on Copacetic. Very slippy on the wet pine needles on the way down through the woods.. Pity about the walk up Carrigologan, I feel I could have made an extra minute or two on some sections, but I guess that's the nature of these events. Really enjoyed the experience, and will definitely do some more. Finished at 129% thanks to the leading pack getting lost for a while.

emerald007

getting road races organised in dublin is very difficult since it involves garda approval to close the roads, i don't think this is as big an issue in rural areas. there are loads of track and mountain runs in dublin since these events do not impact car traffic. the route of the addidas series in the park also has minimal impact on traffic.