Claregalway 10km Sat 15th

Blueskye · 08-08-2009 10:38pm #1

Anyone doing the 10k in Claregalway next weekend? Or has anyone done it before? I just signed up for it but there seems to be very little info on the site.

DAVE_K · 09-08-2009 2:49pm

I did it last year - it's a fast flat course - a good run. It's a good race, well worth doing - low hassle, not too many people. I did hear a rumour about them changing the course this year but not certain. I'll be running it myself.

Blueskye · 09-08-2009 5:05pm

Cool thanks.

aburke · 09-08-2009 6:49pm

DAVE_K wrote: »

I did it last year - it's a fast flat course - a good run. It's a good race, well worth doing - low hassle, not too many people. I did hear a rumour about them changing the course this year but not certain. I'll be running it myself.

New course this year, 2 loops of the Galway 5km series route.

mrak · 10-08-2009 8:07am

aburke wrote: »

New course this year, 2 loops of the Galway 5km series route.

.. which is definitely not a flat course!

pgibbo · 10-08-2009 9:58am

aburke wrote: »

New course this year, 2 loops of the Galway 5km series route.

Running that hill twice.....lovely!

Blueskye · 10-08-2009 12:21pm

Oh no, I hate hills!!! Was looking forward to a nice flat fast route. Ah well, I guess it won't do me any harm.

topper75 · 10-08-2009 12:43pm

€20 in? How do they arrive at these fees - pick a number at random and double it?
Not just this race -lots of them are poor value for money.

mrak · 10-08-2009 12:59pm

topper75 wrote: »

€20 in? How do they arrive at these fees - pick a number at random and double it?
Not just this race -lots of them are poor value for money.

20 bucks seems like becoming the norm these days sadly. Perhaps a slight factor might be the increase in online booking with the related costs to processing company.. I don't know. I think that Claregalway isn't just a club fundraiser - they used to give a sizeable portion to charity (formally cancer care west I think). Could be wrong as doesn't mention anything about charity on runireland.

It's also the Co.Galway 10k road championship so you have a chance of AAI medals. New course might put paid to it's reputation as the "10k pb" course around Galway but I'd say the new course will be more interesting in many ways - sounds like not too bad value to me.

aburke · 10-08-2009 9:35pm

topper75 wrote: »

€20 in? How do they arrive at these fees - pick a number at random and double it?
Not just this race -lots of them are poor value for money.

Name and Shame ... and Praise!

Which ones are overpriced, and why?
Which ones are value, and why?

Which ones have you organised?

mrak · 10-08-2009 10:11pm

aburke wrote: »

Which ones have you organised?

Heh - in fairness not sure if that's too relevant! I haven't run a bar before but can tell a bad pint .. and an overpriced one

I think the good/bad value thing has been done to death here before - the gist is basically that people should vote with their feet and stay away from any they don't think they are value. Not all races can be 4 quid each like the Galway 5k series

Mostly with races the cash is going somewhere good - to a charity or even better to a club where it will go into encouraging local athletics.

aburke · 11-08-2009 12:51pm

mrak wrote: »

Heh - in fairness not sure if that's too relevant!

I just wanted to see whether the poster favoured his own races!

Maybe a separate thread is needed.
Comments about overpriced races are relatively common.

A thread where people can discuss what constitutes value, and what races meet it, maybe?

topper75 · 11-08-2009 1:57pm

I'm an athelete not a race organiser. No apologies offered for that, although I would like to get around to that some day. Fair f**ks to anyone, including yourself, that does it. I helped out with women's mini marathon org and a few 10ks. I know it ain't easy and not cheap to stage either.

Here's where I am coming from on the Claregalway entry fee:

I am not running long relatively speaking - 3 years only. I started running IMRA races in Munster. They were E5 a pop. They went up to E10, but they are still that and between food after and spot prizes, I think they must be run at a loss! I then ran a Friday 5mile evening league in Limerick, E3 a pop. I used to do the Munster 10mile series, E10 a race, even Ballycotton for all its popularity was E12. The Galway 5k series was E5 a pop even this year. Bilboa and Dundrum 10k - E10 on the night. Same with Newmarket-Kanturk. They all represented good value with prizes, t-shirts, refreshments after etc.

Now I understand inflation, but my gripe is there is a noticable increase in so many recently organised events - up in the E20 region. I'm not picking on Claregalway on its own - it's merely an example of a questionable trend. Other recent examples are the streets of Galway (E20 can't they make the chip optional), the independence day 5K (E20). Galway bay10 miler was high too - can't rem now exactly what it was.

Value ain't there anymore. I'm voting with my feet as mrak said.
I just want to run. Races help to keep you sharp, but at those prices, I start to think that I can just keep sharp myself around the roads. If I forego 10 such race fees, I have a new Garmin. :P

DAVE_K · 11-08-2009 8:20pm

why did they change the route this year? I don't fancy 2 laps of a course as part of a 10 k and will probably give it a miss now.

I'm with others on race prices - TBH 20 spots ain't too bad on a 1 off but some of the other fees (specially for the big races and tri's) I've seen (and paid for) this year have been just too much for me to afford.

aburke · 11-08-2009 8:37pm

DAVE_K wrote: »

why did they change the route this year?

The old route went along the N17 for about a km or two.

From talking to the organisers, they just weren't entirely happy with this section from a stwearding and safety point of view.

Blueskye · 11-08-2009 9:07pm

It is a bit crap really, as I've paid for it and when I did I thought I was signing up for a flat, fast 10k route and now find out it's not that at all. And I agree €20 isn't cheap considering all the races I've done this year so far. It all adds up.

geld · 11-08-2009 9:57pm

aburke wrote: »

Maybe a separate thread is needed.
Comments about overpriced races are relatively common.

A thread where people can discuss what constitutes value, and what races meet it, maybe?

I couldn't agree more. This forum is full of good and bad comments on races and this argument comes up again and again.

Time for a sticky on the merits of different races. Maybe something based on what Runners World have http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingslatest.asp?sp=&v=1 I don't agree on all of their criteria but would certainly use some of them.

My own thinking is not so much to do with cost but value for money. €20 maybe good value for Calregalway. I don't know and can't comment as I am Dublin based and have never ran it.

As regards races in Galway I did the Tuam 8k winter run a few years ago and enjoyed it. I also did the Connemara half a few years ago; enjoyed it but don't think it is worth €60 to do it again. However, there are others who do and come back again and again so it is providing value for money for many.

Lastly I find the idea that a race organiser would come on and criticise another race just for the benefit of their own despicable.

Blueskye · 15-08-2009 9:05pm

Just did the claregalway 10km. First time. Nasty route!!! That hill is no joke and knowing you have it ahead of you for a second time is not fun. Nice t-shirt, friendly crowd. But website said it would start at 5pm and it actually started at 6pm. Started on time but lots of cars in the way, some were pretty impatient and I had to jump into the ditch at one stage as two cars were taking up the road. But managed a pb, still slow but still a bit of improvement on my last 10km.