dublin athletics club suggestions

silverside

Hi everybody

I'm looking for a south dublin club to join - have been running for a few years and becoming more serious about track training - to give an idea, 5k time about 18 minutes and looking to shave a minute off that. although i also enjoy the social side and various random races (hills, sprints etc). I run better when I have the structure of a training group / coach for at least one session a week.

Anyone want to give some advice or "sell" their club to me - i've emailed the main clubs (from the athletics ireland website) and will try to drop into a few sessions - but personal suggestions very welcome !

Stupid_Private

Not my club but I've trained with them before - Rathfarnham SWAF. Good turnout and very decent range of abilities there.

I didn't get to try Dundrum as they told me I had to join to take part in their sessions.

Liffey Valley located in Phoenix Park. Good range of abilities there. Training very structured twice a week. I think they may also be doing Saturday hill sessions at the moment, not 100% sure on that. Club handicap races are arranged all year round.

They're the only 3 clubs on the southside I had dealings with.

W.B. Yeats

Stupid_Private wrote: »

Not my club but I've trained with them before - Rathfarnham SWAF. Good turnout and very decent range of abilities there.

I didn't get to try Dundrum as they told me I had to join to take part in their sessions.

Liffey Valley located in Phoenix Park. Good range of abilities there. Training very structured twice a week. I think they may also be doing Saturday hill sessions at the moment, not 100% sure on that. Club handicap races are arranged all year round.

They're the only 3 clubs on the southside I had dealings with.

The training times of most southside clubs are really crap though.. usually at 7 midweek when I'm still at least 30min from home:(

Stupid_Private

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

The training times of most southside clubs are really crap though.. usually at 7 midweek when I'm still at least 30min from home:(

Any earlier and people are still at work. Any later and you get home way too late to be cooking a dinner.

W.B. Yeats

Stupid_Private wrote: »

Any earlier and people are still at work. Any later and you get home way too late to be cooking a dinner.

Do most people actually finish work at 5.30?
I'd be surprised if that's the case-
7pm assumes you are a nine to fiver and can get home relatively easy.
I'm a 8.30 to at least 6pm and have a 140mile roundtrip commute type.
Doesn't fit into the running club timetable unfortunately

scaryfairy

anyone from Liffey Valley? based on their website, they seem friendly enough... was wondering, what their membership fees might be? some clubs fees seem quite out of proportion: 120 eu/annum!!! (I am used to more like £25/yr!).

silverside

thanks for the info - yeah i emailed Dundrum and was surprised by the officious reply (basically "join first"), though i may still drop in for a chat

W.B. Yeats

silverside wrote: »

thanks for the info - yeah i emailed Dundrum and was surprised by the officious reply (basically "join first"), though i may still drop in for a chat

I'm surprised at that answer. Any club that wants to broaden its membership would surely welcome people along for a session or two before asking you to pay up. I played gaelic football all my life and any club would welcome a new lad in for a few sessions before suggesting he join.
Not very welcoming really is it?

Stupid_Private

scaryfairy wrote: »

anyone from Liffey Valley? based on their website, they seem friendly enough... was wondering, what their membership fees might be? some clubs fees seem quite out of proportion: 120 eu/annum!!! (I am used to more like £25/yr!).

£25 a year - sounds like someone was in the same running club as me in the UK!

Liffey Valley would be the higher end of the scale alright in terms of membership costs. Not too sure what the prices of other clubs in Dublin are but I think most of them hit the €100+ a year bracket. Not too sure why they're that expensive when again you compare them to the same things in the UK. With my £25 in the UK I also got a free running singlet - no such thing over here!

During my warm down the last day in Phoenix Park I saw the women's group from Liffey Valley on their warm up run. Couldn't get over how many there was in the group - Easily over 50. Must be the bright evenings or the women's mini marathon that's encouraging so many down. Or maybe it's like that year round and I just haven't noticed as it'd been dark every evening since I joined! If you're looking for a good group to train with you'll definitely find someone of the same standard down there.

RacoonQueen

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

The training times of most southside clubs are really crap though.. usually at 7 midweek when I'm still at least 30min from home:(

Could you not bring your gear into work and go by on your way home?

Most clubs will also do a Sunday session and then the club/track will be open 7 days aswell so you can always drop in to train/have a chat and get some help.

W.B. Yeats

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Could you not bring your gear into work and go by on your way home?

Most clubs will also do a Sunday session and then the club/track will be open 7 days aswell so you can always drop in to train/have a chat and get some help.

Couldn't do the way home thing. I'm coming in from the M7 so am lucky to be at the red cow at 7.20. To have a chance of doing something before I got home I'd have to try Naas and then drive home afterwards. Tallaght would great if they had a 7.30 session...

thirstywork

Tallaght ac or maybe lucan harriers???

violator13

Tallaght have a track, floodlights,gym and are obviously southside.Worth a go.

lecheile

Stupid_Private wrote: »

£25 a year - sounds like someone was in the same running club as me in the UK!

Liffey Valley would be the higher end of the scale alright in terms of membership costs. Not too sure what the prices of other clubs in Dublin are but I think most of them hit the €100+ a year bracket. Not too sure why they're that expensive when again you compare them to the same things in the UK. With my £25 in the UK I also got a free running singlet - no such thing over here!

During my warm down the last day in Phoenix Park I saw the women's group from Liffey Valley on their warm up run. Couldn't get over how many there was in the group - Easily over 50. Must be the bright evenings or the women's mini marathon that's encouraging so many down. Or maybe it's like that year round and I just haven't noticed as it'd been dark every evening since I joined! If you're looking for a good group to train with you'll definitely find someone of the same standard down there.

Stupid Private and Scary Fairy - regarding a subscription rate of over €100 being 'expensive' you may wish to consider what you get in return. Most clubs offer 46+ weeks of coached training sessions 2 or 3 times a week, have to register and pay fee to the AAI for every athlete, pay entry fees into county, provincial and all Ireland competitions, maintain grounds and equipment - and that's before you start considering the cost of financing facilities and equipment.

Things are very different in the UK as the clubs are much better funded from government coffers. Don't focus on the relative cost, focus on what you get in return and be gald that there is a very dedicated bunch of volunteers in every club throughout the country that makes it possible for athletes of all levels to partake for just over €2 per week.

snack_ie

Rathfarnham WSAF is the business.
Great group of people and a superb coach - I think Adam was voted the top coach in Ireland last year, by Athletics Ireland, or something down that line.
Coached training every Tues,Thurs and Sat and Sun mornings, and informal runs leaving the clubhouse at 6.30 on Mon/Wed/Fri - have to check time not sure that, this is right.
All for 70e = bargain, which covers a lot of race entries too.
Come along and see if you like it, and if you do then join afterwards.

thirstywork

snack_ie wrote: »

Rathfarnham WSAF is the business.
Great group of people and a superb coach - I think Adam was voted the top coach in Ireland last year, by Athletics Ireland, or something down that line.
Coached training every Tues,Thurs and Sat and Sun mornings, and informal runs leaving the clubhouse at 6.30 on Mon/Wed/Fri - have to check time not sure that, this is right.
All for 70e = bargain, which covers a lot of race entries too.
Come along and see if you like it, and if you do then join afterwards.

haha you gota love that post above,I think he was voted top coach in ireland last year.Im sure snack_ie you dont think but you know.
Have to agree though,very good club and good mix of all levels there.

silverside

thanks everyone

rathfarnham is top of my shortlist to visit

i dont begrudge 100 euro odd a year, considering all the training/socialising/fun that gives, and that it is an amateur sport done for the love of it - I am also in a London club paying a fraction of that, they have economies of scale though, and dont have a clubhouse to run, nor any significant affiliation fees.

thirtyfoot

On cost, how much is it too enter a gym? Also in a gym you won't have access to a range of coaches, competition and training partners to choose from. Its great value I think. Also keeps the sport alive as most clubs will have a bunch of juveniles they will be looking after and hoping to bring through and subs will cover this.

thirtyfoot

As a blow in northsider I am unbiased regarding the southside but I'd recommend Crusaders. The wide gambit of athletes in all disciplines, in all ages and all standards. Great facilities too. Your subs give you access to track and gym all year round.

celestial

Anyone got any thoughts/comments on Crusaders AC in Irishtown?

Woddle

Theres another dad who I chat with when collecting my daughter from school, he lives out in Rathfarnham but travels out to crusaders, he speaks very highly of them.

Stupid_Private

lecheile wrote: »

Stupid Private and Scary Fairy - regarding a subscription rate of over €100 being 'expensive' you may wish to consider what you get in return. Most clubs offer 46+ weeks of coached training sessions 2 or 3 times a week, have to register and pay fee to the AAI for every athlete, pay entry fees into county, provincial and all Ireland competitions, maintain grounds and equipment - and that's before you start considering the cost of financing facilities and equipment.

Things are very different in the UK as the clubs are much better funded from government coffers. Don't focus on the relative cost, focus on what you get in return and be gald that there is a very dedicated bunch of volunteers in every club throughout the country that makes it possible for athletes of all levels to partake for just over €2 per week.

I wasn't having a dig at anything in my comment. As I said, when compared to the UK club I was in the prices over here are expensive - and that's true, it's 4 times the price for the same service.

scaryfairy

same here - not trying to have a go at anyone or anything - I am on a budget and was really shocked (still not very happy about it) to see these membership fees, having spent 3.5 yrs in the UK. I was a member of a club called Wimbledon Windmilers and admittedly the membership fee did not include entry fees to races, nor equipment or track fees (whoever wanted to do the Saturday track session had to pay £2/week or 20something to the people running the track in Wim Park) - "only" friendly training sessions (4-6 times/week) in Richmond Park or Wim Common, local races and a lot more. I do agree, volunteers are important - I also did my part as most other members. Anyway, of course I accept that's a different country with different stuctures/prices/expectations, it's just a bit harder to fork out 120 euros than 25 pounds...