connemara marathon any advice or tips

Tweenas

Hi
I have signed up for the connemara marathon next April. I was wondering would anyone have any tips or advice. I saw a planogram of the course and it looks very hilly. Is it as tough as it looks ?
thanks:)

RacoonQueen

It's not as difficult as some people make out. Really enjoyable marathon and great course, not a place to go to get a PB but it's a fantastic event. Once you've done the training you'll do it with ease, just make sure you get a good bit of hill work in and you'll be fine. I've only done the Ultra there so it was lonely enough for much of the course for me but I assume marathon runners will have a few other runners around them for much of the race.

SUNGOD

its hillier than cork or dublin but it is a different kind of marathon, its a wide open course with fantastic scenery.
it would not be a PB course for most people. my tip would be to train for a normal marathon and if possible add in some hills in to your programme .
if you cant train specifically for a hilly course you will probabily just be slower over that course.
my biggest tip for conn is forget about the watch and just enjoy it especially if its your first marathon it is a fantastic event.

Tweenas

Thanks for the replies i am looking forward to it alredy. How did you find training through the winter ?

RacoonQueen

Personally, I'm much more of a winter runner than a summer one. I really enjoy running on the cold, dark, wet nights and it was always a pleasure to go out for me...during the summer I have to drag myself out. If you're in a city just keep to bright, busyish areas if you're worried about safety or anything.

Krusty_Clown

Tweenas wrote: »

Thanks for the replies i am looking forward to it alredy. How did you find training through the winter ?

Hill running can be a little more difficult in winter, due to the obvious absence of day-light in the evenings, so make sure you get a couple of hills in, on your long runs at the weekend. The marathon hills are not that big (not as big as everyone is led to believe, with talk of the 'Hell' of the west), so find yourself a 10 mile route with a similar profile hill, and start off by doing this route once, and eventually twice as your long runs hit 20 miles. By the time the race comes, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Best of luck.

TFBubendorfer

Tweenas wrote: »

How did you find training through the winter ?

Irish summers are cool with plenty of wind and rain.
Irish winters are cool with plenty of wind and rain.

Sorry, what was the question again?

n-dawg

If your based in Dublin I'd recomend doing your long runs around Howth. The hill there is very sililar to the hills in conemara. And if your up for a bit of fun for your tempo sessions consider doing some of the IMRA winter league. The hills in those races make connemara look like a pancake.

Carb

Whats the stroy with accommodation for this. Is it something that needs to be done sooner rather than later?

SUNGOD

depending on where your staying...clifden would be the main location and i would imagine will fill up fairly fast where as if you stay in galway it wont be as bad because more accomodation available.
i always book early just to be sure
oh actually nearly forgot peacocks hotel which is right on the finish line but in the middle of nowhere

Carb

SUNGOD wrote: »

depending on where your staying...clifden would be the main location and i would imagine will fill up fairly fast where as if you stay in galway it wont be as bad because more accomodation available.
i always book early just to be sure
oh actually nearly forgot peacocks hotel which is right on the finish line but in the middle of nowhere

Thanks for that. I'd better look into in then. What's Clifden like. I may have to make a long weekend of it to get the missus to tag along, and I'm thinking Galway might be better from that point of view.

RacoonQueen

I stayed in peacockes last year, I wouldn't even recommend it to a man united fan. Horrible place, I'm considering staying in Galway the Friday night and heading to that Kip for the Saturday so I don't have to rise as early from my leaba but it's a seriously horrible hotel.

sarsfieldsrock

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I stayed in peacockes last year, I wouldn't even recommend it to a man united fan. Horrible place, I'm considering staying in Galway the Friday night and heading to that Kip for the Saturday so I don't have to rise as early from my leaba but it's a seriously horrible hotel.

Is Peacocks really that bad? I was thinking of staying there next year for the same reasons as yourself but I might just stay in Galway now for the duration.

asimonov

if you are willing to pay hotel prices Lough inagh lodge at the start of the full is a great place to stay, we had lunch there afterwards last year and there were a few ultra and full runners staying there.

ultraman1

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I stayed in peacockes last year, I wouldn't even recommend it to a man united fan. Horrible place,it's a seriously horrible hotel.

+1, though not about the man U fans,maybe peter risdale though,it definitly not the place to stay.Oughterard is a bit nearer than Clifden to the finish

RacoonQueen

sarsfieldsrock wrote: »

Is Peacocks really that bad? I was thinking of staying there next year for the same reasons as yourself but I might just stay in Galway now for the duration.

It's worse, and ridiculously overpriced. It was handy with it being on the start and finish line of the Ultra though.

RoyMcC

RacoonQueen wrote: »

It's worse, and ridiculously overpriced. It was handy with it being on the start and finish line of the Ultra though.

As to price they certainly appear to bump them up for the Connemarathon - can hardly blame them I guess. Can't comment on the place itself though - what are its shortcomings?

Personally I like the ritual of getting up early in Galway and joining everyone else on the march up to the Cathedral and then the scenic drive out to the course.

RoyMcC

Conn selling out fast. It's probably not for me this time around, but I'm looking forward to the first sighting of a thread commencing 'Lads I forgot to enter - anybody got a number to sell...'

Good on the organisers to allow switching entries between Ultra/Full/Half up to 1 March, and also deferral up to that date. Maybe they'll set an example soon and allow (regulated) number swaps for a fee?

aburke

RoyMcC wrote: »

Good on the organisers to allow switching entries between Ultra/Full/Half up to 1 March, and also deferral up to that date. Maybe they'll set an example soon and allow (regulated) number swaps for a fee?

Not this year anyway.
The event changes and deferrals is enough of a headache.

jb-ski

http://www.hillside-lodge.com/

stayed here last year, about 1/2 mile outside Clifden.
very pleasant stay,good breakfast etc (on Monday morning of course),
but i'm sure there's no shortage of B&B's around that time of year.

However for anyone interested in Music or specifically Guitars,
owner is Guitar Technician who tours with U2 (works with Adams Claytons guitars), among other bands, so loads of Guitar stuff / music memorabilia in house.

also for anyone travelling back to Dublin or East on Sunday, it's quite a spin back
to Galway city.

dowlinj

Hi,

Doing the Connemara 1/2 this year for the 2nd time. Just noticed on their site that MP3 players are banned. I know this wasn't the case when I did it a couple of years ago. Anyone know anything about this and whether or not it'll be strictly enforced? I've become quite attached to having music when running and I'll need those Rocky tunes when I'm trying to get over that bitch of a hill at the end!

Lex Luther

The connemara races are a great event in a beautiful and unique environment but if you are planning to run the marathon in a time between 3.00 and 3.15 its a complete pain in the butt as you will will reach half-way just after the half starts and spend the next couple of miles trying to pick your way up-hill through the most of the half marathon field, on very narrow roads.
For that reason alone although I'd definately do the half again , I'll never again do the marathon.
LL

leonard daly

The half marathon does clash badly with the full marathon and makes it especially difficult for people who want to get a good time for the full. Plenty of hill trainig is the only way to get through this one. Theres a 2 mile hill climb with 4 miles to go which seriously took the wind out of my sails last year. Didn't start training till the end of january which was not enough time to get up to speed. You need to at your best to get a good time here.

RacoonQueen

RoyMcC wrote: »

As to price they certainly appear to bump them up for the Connemarathon - can hardly blame them I guess. Can't comment on the place itself though - what are its shortcomings?

The food is poor, waiting ages for breakfast to be served, on the Saturday morning we took about 5 minutes to find the restaurant and the people we were travelling with were directed towards the bar for their breakfast as were other runners who unluckily had already eaten breakfast by the time I'd arrived at the bar to save our fellow travellers from eating their breakfast in there, my Saturday evening meal was the only pasta dish on the menu, which from a hotel on the start and finish line of a major marathon is pretty poor they could have changed it for the weekend - the meal I did have was meant to have spinach in it, it didn't it had cabbage instead My post race shower was ice cold, we were over charged for the stay and despite been told three times that our cards would be refunded they failed to do so. We went in a party of 4 last year, 2 adults to each room and it was €100 per person per night, 400 euro for 2 nights for two people in Connemara is unreal.

Art of Noise

n-dawg wrote: »

If your based in Dublin I'd recomend doing your long runs around Howth. The hill there is very sililar to the hills in conemara. And if your up for a bit of fun for your tempo sessions consider doing some of the IMRA winter league. The hills in those races make connemara look like a pancake.

I ran around both Howth and Killiney when i was in Dublin. I would have thought the Dalkey/Killiney areas are generally hillier than Howth bar the summit. They are also more scenic once you hit the Vico (Coast) Road.

mithril

RacoonQueen wrote: »

The food is poor, waiting ages for breakfast to be served, on the Saturday morning we took about 5 minutes to find the restaurant and the people we were travelling with were directed towards the bar for their breakfast as were other runners who unluckily had already eaten breakfast by the time I'd arrived at the bar to save our fellow travellers from eating their breakfast in there, my Saturday evening meal was the only pasta dish on the menu, which from a hotel on the start and finish line of a major marathon is pretty poor they could have changed it for the weekend - the meal I did have was meant to have spinach in it, it didn't it had cabbage instead My post race shower was ice cold, we were over charged for the stay and despite been told three times that our cards would be refunded they failed to do so. We went in a party of 4 last year, 2 adults to each room and it was €100 per person per night, 400 euro for 2 nights for two people in Connemara is unreal.

So it's not quite the "oasis of luxury amidst the rugged beauty of Connemara" they are claiming on their web site.

I was going to stay there since the following comment is on`the Connemarathon web site
"ULTRA RACE Participants - The Ultra Marathon starts from Maam Cross at 9am so we are urging you to book into Peacockes Hotel or one of the local B&B's in the area. There is a limited number of rooms in Peacockes so please book early at www.peacockes.ie."
but now I think I will give it a miss.

There are Ultramarathon buses going from Clifden (also Galway) so I think I will try the Station House again. Not cheap but comfortable, buses go directly outside and there is a swimming pool and sauna.

ultraman1

if ur doin d ultra,oughtarard,in my humble opinion is a better option.galway to clifden isa malogen of a drive.then ur clifden to race start then back to clifden after finish then back throo golway on d way home,unless you like drivin....

RacoonQueen

mithril wrote: »

So it's not quite the "oasis of luxury amidst the rugged beauty of Connemara" they are claiming on their web site.

It's an errrr...slight exaggeration. :pac: I'd say ours was a unique experience but some digging upon our return suggested that we're not the first guests who stayed there who weren't very impressed. I'm probably going to opt for Galway myself as I probably still won't be back driving by then.

mithril

ultraman1 wrote: »

if ur doin d ultra,oughtarard,in my humble opinion is a better option.galway to clifden isa malogen of a drive.then ur clifden to race start then back to clifden after finish then back throo golway on d way home,unless you like drivin....

I don't think there are any ultra buses from Oughtarard though. I am not keen on the drive but I prefer staying in Clifden to Galway.

ultraman1

mithril wrote: »

I don't think there are any ultra buses from Oughtarard though. Iquote]
d galway bus drives throogh it

mithril

ultraman1 wrote: »

mithril wrote: »

I don't think there are any ultra buses from Oughtarard though. Iquote]
d galway bus drives throogh it

Thats a good option then. Thanks!

Krusty_Clown

If you really want to splash out in style, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel is a wonderful place to stay. But it had better be a very special occasion! Very near to the start of the marathon, however, you'll have to figure out how to get to the start and finish. In fact, I take that back. Don't stay there for the race. Go visit some other time, when you can really appreciate it. Great place for a special occasion with the OH!

Nialloooo

Hi All,
Just a quick one, im hoping to run the ultra and my girlfriend and my brother and friend are going at the 1/2 , so there planning on making a good weekend arriving on the 10 for two nights, where will the best place to stay for atmosphere after the race?? as its the first time they have run a race and id really like them to enjoy the race and also the social side after it, might help keep them runnning . so would clifdon , galway etc be the best post race , i prob be fast asleep so wont bother me :-)

Thanks

Magnet

I went out to Buskers on Cross St. in Galway after the Ultra this yr and "Most" of the people were wearing their medals in there.. Great buzz and mixture of people...
I know there is an after race party in Clifden in the Station House but haven`t been yet!

HardyEustace

Nialloooo wrote: »

Hi All,
Just a quick one, im hoping to run the ultra and my girlfriend and my brother and friend are going at the 1/2 , so there planning on making a good weekend arriving on the 10 for two nights, where will the best place to stay for atmosphere after the race?? as its the first time they have run a race and id really like them to enjoy the race and also the social side after it, might help keep them runnning . so would clifdon , galway etc be the best post race , i prob be fast asleep so wont bother me :-)

Thanks

Personally I'd stay in Galway and then head to Buskers after the race. The city is always great fun after the race.

ultraman1

Magnet wrote: »

I know there is an after race party in Clifden in the Station House but haven`t been yet!

not great......

Nialloooo

thanks galway it is so,
also i see on the ollical web site tht all mp3 players are banned but on the same offical web site the photos of people crossing the finish line some people have head phones on , are they very strict about it?39.3 miles will be loanly enoght without marian finucane on sunday moring to keep me company lol

size5

Apologies if I am asking an obvious question, as this will be my first marathon.

From the talk I take it there is bus transport from Galway to race start?
Can I take it there is return buses to Galway?
Is it a long wait from completing the race to getting back to Galway?

Nialloooo

Hi Size 5, congarts on taking up the challange.
I havent done this one before but frimm the web site it looks like the bus takes about 1 hour to get there, the depature times and location are on the web site, think its catherdal car park form galway. as for the wait for the return bus im not srue but if its like belfast they just fill up a bus and it leaves once its full.
I stand to be corrected on that dough.
Hope it was of some help

size5

Nialloooo wrote: »

Hi Size 5, congarts on taking up the challange.
I havent done this one before but frimm the web site it looks like the bus takes about 1 hour to get there, the depature times and location are on the web site, think its catherdal car park form galway. as for the wait for the return bus im not srue but if its like belfast they just fill up a bus and it leaves once its full.
I stand to be corrected on that dough.
Hope it was of some help

Though it might be something like that cheers N

911sc

Nialloooo wrote: »

for the wait for the return bus im not srue but if its like belfast they just fill up a bus and it leaves once its full.
I stand to be corrected on that dough.

That's how it was in 2008 and it worked quite well, so i would assume it will be the same.
I will stay in Galway city this time...the Getaway hotel (were we stayed in 2008) was seriously overpriced and the room was very dissapointing. The main reason i picked this hotel was because of the leisure centre/swimming pool for wife and kids...The place was so filthy that my wife did not use it...