gaelforce west 20/8/2011

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

Ah_go_on wrote: »

U'd imagine they would have updated the course details on the site, they've had almost a year to do it:mad:

belcarra wrote: »

It was incorrect two years ago as well so that's even longer that they've had to fix it!!

A lot of the time in Adventure Races, the distances displayed are just estimates not accurate measurements.

Like the kayak is down as a KM, but its less than 800m.

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

snailsong wrote: »

I think it depends on the person. I'm definitely faster on the path, I think beyond a certain steepness I can't let the brakes off so I never get a proper rhythm. Also there are a lot of deep holes hidden in the heather, so risk of injury is greater. I'm no expert, descending is by far my weakest discipline.

The top guys all take the straight route down, so if you want to win it that's what you gotta do.

I would be the same as you, I am definitely faster on the path. Or I was last year at least, ain't gone near the reek this year, giver of injuries is all it is.

Jmcmen

Anyone know the number of spaces left?

Q7

4 stars (good)

Jmcmen wrote: »

Anyone know the number of spaces left?

Still over 500 spaces left. Website this morning shows
5am Elite 128 spaces
8:30am Jogger 136 spaces
9am Jogger 299 spaces

All other waves look to be full.

belcarra

Mr Freeze wrote: »

A lot of the time in Adventure Races, the distances displayed are just estimates not accurate measurements.

Like the kayak is down as a KM, but its less than 800m.

I hear what you are saying and 200m isn't much in fairness.
However, to consistently advertise that the 14k run is 12k is a bit much!
I didn't do it last year and haven't looked at the route this year but I assume it's still the same initial run from the Beach, over the large hill to the Kayak transition?
It's weird really because they like to avertise it as a mammoth task when they are actually understating the distance.

yop

belcarra wrote: »

I hear what you are saying and 200m isn't much in fairness.
However, to consistently advertise that the 14k run is 12k is a bit much!
I didn't do it last year and haven't looked at the route this year but I assume it's still the same initial run from the Beach, over the large hill to the Kayak transition?
It's weird really because they like to avertise it as a mammoth task when they are actually understating the distance.

Nope, run changed last year, the hill is gone due to access rights.

At this stage the 1st run is close to 14km.

Going by last year definitely running will be the key in GF, from what I noticed last year the stronger cyclists in our group were killed on the 1st run and even though strong on the bike made up feck all time on the bike. You are talking, inc reek the guts of 20km+ of running so without doubt the stronger you are at running the more chance you have of a good time.

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

belcarra wrote: »

However, to consistently advertise that the 14k run is 12k is a bit much!

Agreed, I am not defending them, but I see they have it updated to 13km now.

centre back

4 stars (good)

right guys am going to buy a bike this week, am sick of borrowing one for events and training! thing is the price is scary, the trek i borrowed last year was worth over a 1,OOO! Can't get my head round that as i'm not a lover of cycling anyway's! halford's seem like the best bet with their carrera range which are between 3-5 hundred, just wondering how much time a 500 euro bike compared to a 1,000 euro bike would cost in a race??

Whistlejacket

4 stars (good)

Hi centre back

I think your best bet would be to go to a bike shop where the staff know their stuff and can ensure that you get maximum value for your 300-500 euro. I'm not knocking Halfords staff or their bikes, but you're unlikely to get the same level of expertise there in my opinion.

I bought a road bike last year from Buckley Cycles in Tullamore and the lads in the shop were brilliant - got me up on the rolling road thingy and made sure the bike was the right fit and correctly adjusted etc. for me. They had bikes from 200 quid up and loads of frame sizes and models in stock. I ended up going with a Specialized and it was 50 quid cheaper than the same bike in a shop in Dublin, no charge either for the time they took to get me sorted and they threw in some spare tubes, water bottles and holders.

I live in Navan and my local bike shop have serviced the bike a couple of times since and kept it right for just a tenner or so at a time.

When it's your first competition bike and you're going to be using it a good bit I think correct set up and maintenance are more important than the initial budget. You may find yourself looking to trade up in a few years and again, Halfords are less likely to be interested in that than a bike shop that want return customers and good word of mouth.

Good luck with it.

makl

centre back wrote: »

right guys am going to buy a bike this week, am sick of borrowing one for events and training! thing is the price is scary, the trek i borrowed last year was worth over a 1,OOO! Can't get my head round that as i'm not a lover of cycling anyway's! halford's seem like the best bet with their carrera range which are between 3-5 hundred, just wondering how much time a 500 euro bike compared to a 1,000 euro bike would cost in a race??

can u get one on the bike to work scheme? about 50% off, some shops say 61%, dont know how they manage it) the max is 1000, which would suit you if you dont mind payin up to 500.

re halfords - some of the staff know their bikes inside out, i'm sure their prices are up there with the best, but with shifts always changing and a high enough staff turnover, post-purchase customer service etc might not be the best.. if you're in dublin thinkbike in rathmines gives you free service for 2 years after you buy. no harm comparing prices with online companies in britain.

LaHaine

4 stars (good)

centre back wrote: »

right guys am going to buy a bike this week, am sick of borrowing one for events and training! thing is the price is scary, the trek i borrowed last year was worth over a 1,OOO! Can't get my head round that as i'm not a lover of cycling anyway's! halford's seem like the best bet with their carrera range which are between 3-5 hundred, just wondering how much time a 500 euro bike compared to a 1,000 euro bike would cost in a race??

The guys in the cycling forum are fantastic for info and tips on what bike to buy. You should look and see what bikes interest you and run it by them

LaHaine

4 stars (good)

As part of my run this morning I ran from the car park to the mast up at mount leinster.

Just wondering if anyone has ran this and knows how it compares to croagh patrick?

g0g

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Check out last year's splits Rawhead: http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2010/gaelforce6/gael_force_splits.html

Some great info contained in there.

The last person under five hours did the reek in 36min up and 22 down. But there's lads under 4.30 hours, doing it in 40 mins up and 21 mins down.

First place did it in 30.21 up and 10.49 down, while second place Peterx did it in 26.53 up and 11.31 down.

I think the cycle is the critical part if you have a goal time in mind.

I was 310th, but just realised if I was a woman I'd have been in the top 20 (I think!):)

darabbit

Unfortunately I cannot take part this year as I tore a calf muscle and it's refusing to heal.

I cannot get a refund or transfer due to the unfair rules that GFW have enforced. I won't be entering anymore races organised by these money grabbing so and so's!!

<mod>
see charter

If you want to look for (or sell) race numbers because you forgot to enter on time then check that the race allows transfers (most don't). Forward the link or email which states transfers are allowed to the mods before posting your request. We'll close any threads that don't do this.

</mod>

makl

darabbit wrote: »

Unfortunately I cannot take part this year as I tore a calf muscle and it's refusing to heal.

I cannot get a refund or transfer due to the unfair rules that GFW have enforced. I won't be entering anymore races organised by these money grabbing so and so's!!

yea thats pathetic, worse than ryanair. why would u enforce a system that causes everyone to hate you as a result.

Fi H

darabbit wrote: »

Unfortunately I cannot take part this year as I tore a calf muscle and it's refusing to heal.

I cannot get a refund or transfer due to the unfair rules that GFW have enforced. I won't be entering anymore races organised by these money grabbing so and so's!!

In fairness, while I appreciate its annoying, those are the rules! Tonnes of people get injured in the run up to gaelforce so if they had to chop and change entries for all those people it would be a nightmare. Its the biggest adventure race in the country with over 3000 people. It must be hard enough to run without throwing that into the mix. Also how would they know who was injured and who just changed their mind about entering?

They are a commercial organisation, so profit does factor into their races and its unfair to think it shouldnt. I am sure the cost of running Gaelforce is also phenomenal. Some other races arent run in a commercial way and can deal with changes in a different way, that said killary's events are generally well run and you get a nice t-shirt and medal when you finish!

ultrapercy

A nice T-shirt and medal is no compensation for being gouged. The big city marathons and all smaller events have a deferal policy, the only reason for it is greed. Events like this are destroying sport and the less glamourous but better value non commercial events. This is a disgracefull attitude on behalf of the organisers they are taking advantage of a monopoly situation, they do not deserve support.

yop

ultrapercy wrote: »

A nice T-shirt and medal is no compensation for being gouged. The big city marathons and all smaller events have a deferal policy, the only reason for it is greed. Events like this are destroying sport and the less glamourous but better value non commercial events. This is a disgracefull attitude on behalf of the organisers they are taking advantage of a monopoly situation, they do not deserve support.

Haven't agreed with a lot you said previously but you have it on the head.

The non refund is a cop out, plenty of events allow deferals at the least, out of 3000 people if 100 pull out on the day it won't effect organisation the least, yet it could pocket the organizer 8500 euro!!!!!!

Without doubt this and other facts inc the price is the reason that GF is losing its gloss. There are plenty of other events around the country for 1/2 the price.

They need to cop on a bit on this front.

makl

Fi H wrote: »

In fairness, while I appreciate its annoying, those are the rules! Tonnes of people get injured in the run up to gaelforce so if they had to chop and change entries for all those people it would be a nightmare. Its the biggest adventure race in the country with over 3000 people. It must be hard enough to run without throwing that into the mix. Also how would they know who was injured and who just changed their mind about entering?

1. the point is they shouldn't be the rules
2. even if they are not injured, so what? it's run off an excel document, just change the name and details. i'm sure they have someone in the office that can do that.

well said ultrapercy. greed greed greed.

darabbit

Fi H wrote: »

In fairness, while I appreciate its annoying, those are the rules! Tonnes of people get injured in the run up to gaelforce so if they had to chop and change entries for all those people it would be a nightmare. Its the biggest adventure race in the country with over 3000 people. It must be hard enough to run without throwing that into the mix. Also how would they know who was injured and who just changed their mind about entering?

They are a commercial organisation, so profit does factor into their races and its unfair to think it shouldnt. I am sure the cost of running Gaelforce is also phenomenal. Some other races arent run in a commercial way and can deal with changes in a different way, that said killary's events are generally well run and you get a nice t-shirt and medal when you finish!

Hi Fi H,

I know rules are rules but a 'no refund', 'no transfer' policy is just greedy. I work in a data management role and it is not a nightmare to sort data with even the most basic of tools like excel. I did not ask for a refund, I asked for a transfer to another event next year. I registered early for 85 and would have been very happy to do another event next year even though the entry would have been significantly less.

I will not be participating in any other events organised by this commercial organiser as I feel that the organisers have no respect for the participants and are only doing it for the commercial gain. This is my decision at the end of the day. There are many other events out there for half the price where the particpants are actually appreciated and I will be focusing more on thesse in the future when I am injury free.

Fi H

each to their own - I just dont think its fair to be so harsh on them when they are just enforcing what they said up front.

They arent gouging cash out of people, theres no oblligation on anyone to sign up!

Fi H

ultrapercy wrote: »

A nice T-shirt and medal is no compensation for being gouged. The big city marathons and all smaller events have a deferal policy, the only reason for it is greed. Events like this are destroying sport and the less glamourous but better value non commercial events. This is a disgracefull attitude on behalf of the organisers they are taking advantage of a monopoly situation, they do not deserve support.

For the record, while what you have said is well intended it is not the actual practice of all other events to have either a refund or deferral policy. In fact while some may make arrangements with people on a one to one as far as I know pretty much every event has a no refund or deferral policy. Just a few examples! :

From dublin marathon page:
What should I do if I am ill or injured before the race?
You must be fit and well to run a marathon. Severe exertion during or soon after any kind of fever is extremely dangerous. If you find yourself in this situation you must withdraw - even if this is the first time you are running the event.

Do I get a refund or deferment if I can't run?
Sorry, under no circumstances will you get a refund or deferment if you can't run.

Can I transfer my number if I can't run?
Sorry, under no circumstances can you transfer your number to someone else if you can't run

From WAR webpage:
Can I get a refund if I cannot attend?
When paying for your entry to WAR it is stipulated that this is a non-refundable payment except if requested withing 7 days of entry date except for late entries. As soon as a competitor enters we incur costs such as admin etc. It is also not possible to transfer entries to any other Belpark Events, next year’s event, or a different competitor.

ROAR website:
Q) Are entries transferrable or refundable?
A) Sorry but No they are not



PS before people start implying i am in some way involved in organising any events I am not this is just my opinion!

ultrapercy

They are gouging and very few business would operate this way, not without being the subject of ire on the Joe Duffy show anyway. Im not sure what the position is as regards the law but it certainly contravens the law of always keeping the customer satisfyed. Its mean a spirited, uncaring arrogant "f$%k you, we have your money now" attitude.Warning someone in advance your going to kick them in the nuts dosent justify actualy doing it. Thats it Im off to talk to Joe.

Mr Freeze

3 stars (average)

ultrapercy wrote: »

Thats it Im off to talk to Joe.

Are you really off to talk to Joe?

Free advertising for GF that will be.

ultrapercy

Ya realy, do you have his number ? I know its confusing when theres no smiley face so heres 2 of them.:):). Heres one to show I realy am annoyed :mad:.

nerraw1111

There is no reason why Gaelforce can't defer or transfer entries.

But they aren't the only ones that have this nonsense rule. The only race that I can think of that allows the transfer of entries is the Warriors run (other than tris).

Which races are you talking about Percy? Dublin marathon doesnt allow it and Cork City only allows a deferred entry if you can produce a medical cert.

Gaelforce isn't destroying 'the less glamorous' as they all have the exact same conditions. It's an an issue to do with most races in Ireland. Not just GF. To single them out is wrong.

Not sure about you, but if someone warned me they were going to kick me in the nuts, I probably wouldn't sign up for it.

It's a crap policy but GF is just one of dozens of events across the country that operate this policy.

From an organiser's point of view, imagine the number of people who sign up for this event at the start of the year, then look for their money back when they haven't done their training. They can justify not offering a refund but a non transfer or deferral sucks

ultrapercy

I agree with you 100%. Wouldnt expect them to refund, just defer or trassfer. Otherwise its free money for them.

makl

yea forget about refunds, thats fair enough, just transfer it...

anyway, transferring is still possible, someone else just runs under your name. ridiculous that they wouldn't just change a name even though a different person can race. unless they start IDin at the startline

why accept a 'rule' when its unfair.

Enduro

ultrapercy wrote: »

A nice T-shirt and medal is no compensation for being gouged. The big city marathons and all smaller events have a deferal policy, the only reason for it is greed. Events like this are destroying sport and the less glamourous but better value non commercial events. This is a disgracefull attitude on behalf of the organisers they are taking advantage of a monopoly situation, they do not deserve support.

I have to ask you, which sport do you think is being destroyed? Genuine question.

All the multi-sports challenge races in Ireland are commericially run races which are run on a for-profit basis (and AFAIK they mostly have similar terms and conditions, since they're all copying each other anyway). There is absoultely nothing wrong with that in itself, and its a good thing that some people can make a living out of organising these races. They take a financial risk organising these races... they deserve any profit they make from it. But you need to recognise the reality of the situation. There is no gain for the organisers to be dealing with large numbers of people changing their minds about doing the race. You pay your money, and you enter under well defined terms and conditions. If you can't accept them, then don't pay your money.

If you think you're being gouged then why TF would you enter the race in the first place? God help an fool who thinks GF is glamorous :eek::eek: It's not exactly the olympics, or even a real adventure race. They don't have a monopoly. They organiser 3 or 4 races out of a vast number of similar copycat multi-sports challenge races.

All the adventure races (the real ones) that I know of in Ireland are organised for the love of the sport. AFAIK they're just about break even. I don't think anyone organises adventure races to make their fortune!!

An interesting fact for you all... last year nearly 3000 people registered for GF. AFAIK there were about 2100 finishers. That's a hell of a lot of no shows. But the organistation would still have had to have been set up to cope with 3000, presumably. Re-allocating 900 entrants is actually a pretty big oranisational task (although at 80 quid a pop, or whatever the entry fee is, there is a bit of cash there to ease the pain of dealing with it).

ultrapercy

Im sure like every other business the research has been done and the no show situation can be factored into the model (do I even know what Im trying to say??) Im not saying they make a fortune but they make a nice profit and not offering a deferal/transfer policy is imo profitering.The (possibly ott/dramatic effect) destroying sport remark was made more with the road racing scene in mind. Theres an awfull lot of over priced poor value races taking away from established well run club events. I was in the moment.As you say tho its up to people to vote with their cash.