Fields of Athenry 10km 26/12/10**POSTPONED until Bank Holiday Monday Jan 3rd**

aburke

The 9th running of the Fields of Athenry 10km will take place on St. Stephen's day, December 26th at 11am.

Over the last number of years this has has become one of the leading road races in the country, and this year we aim to raise the bar higher. The race returns to its now traditional route, finishing under the medival arch in Athenry.
Enter online at runireland.com »

A number of boards regulars, including Mick Rice, Magnet, pgibbo, locteau and myself will be working hard to ensure a great day for all.

A Bonus for early entrants.

Entry fee is reduced to €18 up until 31st October.
From November 1st entry fee will be €20.

With a bit of luck we'll avoid the severe weather conditions that forced the race to be postponed twice last year. Anbody who deferred their entry by emailing us in advance is automatically entered into this years race.

For that you get an accurately measured, chip-timed race, a fast course, lots of refreshments afterwards, plenty of water and a great opportunity for a PB.

See more at http://www.athenryac.com/news/fields_of_athenry_10km

tunguska

I have unfinished business with this race so I'll be there. Hopefully the weather will hold up.

Seres

tunguska wrote: »

I have unfinished business with this race so I'll be there. Hopefully the weather will hold up.

tell all ?

really like this race but dont know if ill be able to sneak away for the 26th , might just sign up anyway , are ye giving hats this year ?

aburke

Seres wrote: »

are ye giving hats this year ?

Oh Yes - We'll have the online poll for hat colour up shortly.

brutes1

Why not somethin other than hats this year -the only hat i wear is a top hat- ...Maybe a Raingear top or somethin - a poll for that aburke??

Whats the entry limit numbers this year..is it nearly full..??

Seres

are ye doin transfers ? want to sign up but dont want to deny somebody a spot if i cant go .

ronanmac

I'd really love to do this, but usually have to work from the 24th to the 26th. I've asked this year that I get Stephen's Day off, no news back yet, but really hoping to get to Athenry, especially as my wife has also started running and is targeting the Fields as her second ever race (and her first over 5k).

Please, please, please, bosses, some pre-Christmas spirit on the roster front .

tunguska

Seres wrote: »

tell all ?

This is a sad story Seres so get the hankies out.........Trained like a beast for this race last year. First time Id ever trained specifically for a 10k. While everybody else(well maybe except for Gary Thorton)got stuck into the mince pies and mulled wine, I was knocking out 400s on a cold dark and isloated running track(Que violins). But it was worth it because I was in great nick come the business end of crimbo, couldnt wait to race. But then the effin' snow came and shagged all my grand plans to hell. Fields was cancelled on the 26th and then again on the 3rd of jan. The next day, like a feckin' eejit, I went for a run in the snow. Of course I fell and did my knee in. It swellled up like crazy and I couldnt run for weeks. But then the fields was put back on for the 26th of january and temptation loomed. My old friend denial paid me a visit and before long I was off to Galway with my bandy knee. All was going well until 4k in but then I knew the gig was up, knee started to hurt badly, but again, me being the eejit I am, refused to call it quits. I finsihed the race and was out for the balls of 3months after. Posted a shocking time aswell to make matters worse.
So I have to go back and set the record straight because that time I did last year wasn't a true reflection. Plus, and I almost forgot this.......I lost my fields of athenry wolly hat!!! Well to be honest I threw it away in a moment of madness. It was freezing the day of the race so I decided to run with my newly aquired fields hat. But after aboiut 2 clicks you could fry an egg on my noggin' it was so hot, I took off the hat and launched it into somebodys driveway. So I gotta get me a wolly hat and a decent time this year.

littlebug

tunguska wrote: »

It was freezing the day of the race so I decided to run with my newly aquired fields hat. .

I ran with the hat, gloves, 1 short sleeved + 1 long sleeved t shirt + 1 jacket! :rolleyes: I reckon it all slowed me down by about 10 minutes :pac:

Seres

tunguska i know it wasnt the reaction you were lookin for but i enjoyed that little story (only the lenght was little , big story in terms of not been able to run for 3 months !;))

Seres

littlebug wrote: »

I ran with the hat, gloves, 1 short sleeved + 1 long sleeved t short + 1 jacket! :rolleyes: I reckon it all slowed me down by about 10 minutes :pac:

ya that happened to me too , the fact that i had Sweet FA training done cant be considered

tunguska

littlebug wrote: »

I ran with the hat, gloves, 1 short sleeved + 1 long sleeved t shirt + 1 jacket! :rolleyes: I reckon it all slowed me down by about 10 minutes :pac:

You mustve looked like the Michellin man with all that gear on.......

littlebug

tunguska wrote: »

You mustve looked like the Michellin man with all that gear on.......

I look like that all the time :pac:

Is it a different route altogether to last year or just a different finish?

BrokenMan

littlebug wrote: »

I look like that all the time :pac:

Is it a different route altogether to last year or just a different finish?

Route still essentially the same, just the finish takes you into the town with the finish at the arch.

jfh

i'm another that would like to do this, not sure if i can get away, would sign up but i'll be taking the place of someone who could run it, any idea when it'll fill up or are transfers allowed?

aburke

brutes1 wrote: »

Why not somethin other than hats this year -the only hat i wear is a top hat- ...Maybe a Raingear top or somethin - a poll for that aburke??

Whats the entry limit numbers this year..is it nearly full..??

If you come to the meetings you can have your say Brutes :-)
The Hat is our trademark at this stage, as with mugs in Ballycotton.
Raingear tops would be too expensive in any case,
Entry limit of 1500 this year.

aburke

No transfers allowed - Logistical nightmare.
Deferrals up to Dec 1st only are allowed.
If we have to cancel, [not again , please], we'll let people defer.

Seres wrote: »

are ye doin transfers ? want to sign up but dont want to deny somebody a spot if i cant go .

jfh wrote: »

i'm another that would like to do this, not sure if i can get away, would sign up but i'll be taking the place of someone who could run it, any idea when it'll fill up or are transfers allowed?

Mick Rice

You can now follow the race/club on [EMAIL="Twitter@AthenryAC"]Twitter@AthenryAC[/EMAIL] 10 days left of the online entries at Euro 18.00.

http://www.athenryac.com/followers-needed-or-twits

Vote on the hat colour for this year at

http://www.athenryac.com/what-colour-hat-fields-athenry-10km-2010

hunnymonster

I've entered FoA for the first time. Looking forward to it.

ronanmac

Christmas roster came through today, not working on Christmas Day or St. Stephen's Day :D:D:D:D, so I'm signed up for my first Fields of Athenry. Can't wait!

RoyMcC

I'm in Looking forward to a couple of weeks in the ROI over the holidays and to knocking a bit off my time from 2008. (Also hoping the Bandon 5 is on around that time too.)

Seres

signed up for this despite battling against two major obstacles , really hope to make it , really enjoyed it last year even though i was very unfit

hunnymonster

RoyMc, Do you need B&B for Bandon?

RoyMcC

hunnymonster wrote: »

RoyMc, Do you need B&B for Bandon?

No but thanks for the offer HM. If you're around over the hols we might catch up though.

hunnymonster

sounds good Roy.

DULLAHAN2

Whats the course like? Is it very hilly or mostly flat?

aburke

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

Whats the course like? Is it very hilly or mostly flat?

Mostly flat - a few drags here and there - but nothing serious.
Course map here with elevation profile.
http://www.athenryac.com/course-map

DULLAHAN2

aburke wrote: »

Mostly flat - a few drags here and there - but nothing serious.
Course map here with elevation profile.
http://www.athenryac.com/course-map

Great Thanks i dont fancy running up too many hills after the x-mas dinnear

DULLAHAN2

aburke wrote: »

Mostly flat - a few drags here and there - but nothing serious.
Course map here with elevation profile.
http://www.athenryac.com/course-map

Thanks For that dont feel like running up too many hills after the christmas

kingQuez

How serious is this race? Is it full of actual runners, or is it appropriate for a plodder?

Mick Rice

Absolutely appropriate for all standards....some people will absolutely 'blitz' it and others will walk. Plenty of room, and respect, for all...

aburke

Last few days to your entry in...

W.B. Yeats

aburke wrote: »

Last few days to your entry in...

CAn you register on the morning???
Depending on weather a drive from Dublin could be a runner (excuse the pun)

doctorchick

W.B. Yeats wrote: »

CAn you register on the morning???
Depending on weather a drive from Dublin could be a runner (excuse the pun)

Absolutely no entries on the day, pre entry only. This is likely to sell out in the next few days so get in there fast if you think its a possibilty.

DULLAHAN2

Whats the weather like down there? I have to travel from sligo, hopefully the snow will be gone

aburke

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

Whats the weather like down there? I have to travel from sligo, hopefully the snow will be gone

Hi DULLAHAN2,
I've just put up a comprehensive post about our plans to handle any potential postponement of the race.
http://www.athenryac.com/im-dreaming-white-christmas
Right now, I'd say we're 50/50.

DULLAHAN2

Great stuff. I ll be checking the site on Stephen's day morning before i leave. Thanks for that

pmcd22

A brilliant race and well organised i heard. Full of Chrismtas spirit

I also heard it was cancelled last year and only told on the day that it was cancelled so that was a bit of a scrooge job.

i read the post on the Athenry site and it said in 2004 it got lucky in the final 24 hours with a big weather change so hopefully the weather change will come a bit earlier now.

If it is still 50/50 on Christmas day at the time of the inspection (3pm) then i would rather see it called off so people get notified in good time rather than holding out for luck to strike twice.

But a miricle might happen and everything will come together..

Hope they give a quick upday on there website on Christmas day. Just provide the information on how the course is and there plans.

aburke

Race POSTPONED until Bank Holiday Monday Jan 3rd

When I wrote up a news item describing our plans to try to cope with the bad weather, the long range forecast suggested a thaw would start on Christmas eve.

It now appears that that thaw won't start until the morning of Dec 26th.

Given the state of the race route at the moment, it will take at least 48 hours of a good thaw to make the whole route safe.

See more at www.athenryac.com

[Mods - Please append POSTPONED until Bank Holiday Monday Jan 3rd to Thread title]

PWEI

What's the story with refunds if you can't make it on the 3rd? I have visitors that weekend and I'm planning on spending next Christmas in the sun.

aburke

PWEI wrote: »

What's the story with refunds if you can't make it on the 3rd? I have visitors that weekend and I'm planning on spending next Christmas in the sun.

Send an email with the details to alan@athenryac.com. We'll get it sorted.

RoyMcC

aburke wrote: »

Send an email with the details to alan@athenryac.com. We'll get it sorted.

Fair play for that Alan. Fingers crossed for the 3rd Jan. Regrettably I won't be there this year - great race.

BeepBeep67

Tried unsucessfully to convince the OH that 2 days back home would be a good idea - via the Tom Brennan and Fields of Athenry - didn't wash
Good luck with the race

Speedy44

Just chkin the weather on rte http://www.rte.ie/weather/ , its not looking good, especially with an 11am start.

DULLAHAN2

Speedy44 wrote: »

Just chkin the weather on rte http://www.rte.ie/weather/ , its not looking good, especially with an 11am start.

I just checked accuweather and it says it will be partly sunny on monday. Just have to wait until monday morning to access the situation

Speedy44

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

I just checked accuweather and it says it will be partly sunny on monday. Just have to wait until monday morning to access the situation

hopefully, but this is the part that concerns me:

"Sunday night will be bitterly cold with a widespread severe ground frost as temperatures fall to be between -6 and 0 degrees."

If there is a heavy frost it won't really matter too much if the sun is shining on Monday morning cause it'll be too cold to have much affect, especially with the early start.

Fingers crossed though, cause I want a race

DULLAHAN2

Speedy44 wrote: »

hopefully, but this is the part that concerns me:

"Sunday night will be bitterly cold with a widespread severe ground frost as temperatures fall to be between -6 and 0 degrees."

If there is a heavy frost it won't really matter too much if the sun is shining on Monday morning cause it'll be too cold to have much affect, especially with the early start.

Fingers crossed though, cause I want a race

So do i but i put my back out yesterday:mad: so no running for me. I was really looking forward to the run and getting me hat

kingQuez

Great race, really enjoyed that thismorming. Bit chilly before the race started but nice weather for it when it kicked off! Well done to all involved in organizing it, and thanks to the folk who helped out on the day.

Great hat, and the cup of tea after was worth racing for

Bob_the_dog

Thanks for a great race, first race back since a three month lay off with knee injury.

I really appreciated the extra week recovery time, you Athenry people think of everything:D

slipshod

Great day, great race. Thanks to all at Athenry AC for hosting such a fantastic event.

Gunnersonny

Another perfectly managed and enjoyable race. My favourite one every year. Well done to all involved in organising