Gaelforce 2009 - Organisers Reply

donal_mcg

I had sent a mail to the GF organisers letting them know how disappointed I was with this years race and to be fair to them a fairly concise reply came through this morning I thought it may be of interest to some of the posters who were on after the race.....

Dear Donal,

Thank you for your frank email. We do take all feedback seriously. I am
sorry you found this year's event to have dropped in standard from previous
years.

Whilst I accept that some things can be improved and we will strive to do so
towards the 2010 event (particularly in the areas of nice-to-haves such as
goody bags and specifically in the area of the Delphi operation) I feel your
comments on safety, extorting money from competitors and things being "done
on the cheap" are misplaced.

I would be happy to discuss specifics with you if you feel you would like to
do so, either by phone or on email. From the headings below, I have a
general idea of where you feel the race let you down. In terms of the
general points though, of cost-cutting year on year, poor safety and
extortion of competitors, I can tell you that the per head cost of staging
GFW 2009 to 2010 went UP, not down, with investment being made in more
safety cover, more marshals, more signage and road closures. Naturally, with
a larger event, these cost centres are bound to rise but I can tell you we
spent more on the PER HEAD costs of these items too, meaning the investment
per head went up from the event, not down. Sometimes it is not clear to see
where this investment goes, particularly with behind-the-scenes safety,
admin or logistics. In terms of doing it on the cheap, I can assure you this
was very much not the case.

Similarly, where other services were offered this year (such as merchandise,
enhanced photo sales system and enhanced after party offer with live music),
none of these items were compulsory and no-one was forced to buy anything
out-with their entry fee. I am sorry if you felt otherwise and again, I
would be happy to discuss specifics with you.

In respect of safety, (and you have mentioned the bike stage so I will
address that). We identified the risks on the Drummin road and as such shut
it and other roads for GFW this year for exclusive use of the event. We also
placed signage, warning of the sharp descent and loose gravel and described
it in the event programme too. Some people did spill here. An ambulance was
stationed at the bottom for treatment of incidents here. There were more
marshals on the course this year and more Gardai, but we will never marshal
the entire length of GFW. It is impractical to do so. You can be 100%
assured that in this event, safety of participants is our number 1 priority.
Accidents will happen and we will deal with them when they do. Our safety
operation treated 75 minor injuries and took 7 people to hospital, for your
interest. We returned around 30 non-finishers back to Westport House and
guided 3 people off the Reek who needed assistance.

If you would like to discuss specifics I will be happy to do so. There are
areas of the event that I know we can improve and we will look to do so
towards 2010. Like I mentioned at the top, these include specifically
enhancing the nice-to-haves such as goody bags and includes a full overview
of the Delphi scenario, that did cause participants (and ourselves) issues
during the event.

I hope to some degree this email has helped as a response to your concerns
and I am wholeheartedly disappointed the event has not mirrored your
experiences of the past. Rest assured we are committed to being the best
adventure in the country and as such, we will look at any feedback
constructively and act on those issues that we feel can enhance the event.
Again, if you wish to discuss specifics, then do let me know.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Mee
GFW Event Director

bleary

I didnt take part in Gaelforce but had the misfortune of being stuck for over an hour in their registration jam on Friday, It was a disgrace -incompetently organised. Their marshals didn't seem to have any control over the crowd or knowledge about what they were meant to be doing.

Gaelforce meant I had an extra 2 hours journey on a long day already
There wasnt any signage warning of delays that evening and no plans seemed to be in place.
If Friday was any indication of the organisation of the rest of the weekend then I'm suprised people weren't badly injured.

Mr Ed

I took part this year in my first adventure race, in fact my first race but I'm involved in running sport events and found that GFW wasn't that bad.

The Delphi centre was a bit of a disaster area but with the numbers involved, what else would you expect at a venue in the middle of no where.

I haven't the previous experiences of other races but all in all, it wasn't a total disaster. I enjoyed the experience and I'll be back next year to beat my time.

A medal at the end though would have been a nice touch!

Hard Worker

Donal - just my own tuppence worth:
I wouldn't reproduce a reply from someone without letting them know. We don't even know what you wrote to him, so it is difficult for us to make a judgement on the reply.
He mentions that you felt he extorted money from competitors. I always hate those type of comments. Do you know how much a road closure costs? Do you know how much a Garda costs? Have you ever staged a similar type event yourself?
I never like criticising Race Directors as I am involved in Event Management ( athletics and football ). The perfect race hasn't taken place yet. Positive feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. If someone slips up on a safety issue, then fair enough, you are fully entitled to have your say. If it comes to querying event budgets, do some homework before mentioning extortion.