Fat Turkey 10km Run Sutton / Howth

potsy11

Date: Wednesday 28th December 2011

The Fat Turkey Run will be organised alongside and in conjunction with the Fat Turkey Walk http://www.thefatturkeywalk.com/.

Entry via http://www.runireland.com/events/fat-turkey-run-suttonhowth-10km

The Course will be a slightly different route to last year. The scenic route is a challenging10km course, commencing at St Fintans Church, Sutton, going all the way up Carrickbrack Road, right at the Summit Shop, right again onto Baily Green Road and up to the Summit Car Park (turnaround and aid/water station) and then back down on the same route. This is the same route that we used for the Caughoo Run in June 2011.

The event is to support Suttonians Rugby Football Club (established in 1924) and the IRFU Charitable Trust (Irish Rugby Football Union Charitable Trust was formed in 1978 to assist severely injured rugby players in their everyday lives, and help to restore their confidence and independence).

Registration will take place at 09.30 in Suttonians RFC opposite Sutton Dart Station where parking, changing and shower facilities are available.

Registration will close at 11.00 sharp to allow participants a short walk/jog to St Fintans Church car park which is the start location. The finish line will be on the grass verge opposite St Fintans Church. The race will begin at 11.30.

On completion of the race participants will jog/walk through Sutton cross to Suttonians R.F.C (approx 500 yards) where changing facilities and tea/coffee, biscuits and full bar will be available. Prize giving will take place at the club.
There will also be a host of family activities at the club with live music, several BBQs, bouncing castles etc. This fun filled family day has been an enormous success over the last number of years.

The race will be well supported as the Fat Turkey Walk will be going along the same route. Runners will be guaranteed large support all the way up to the summit and back down.

RacoonQueen

http://www.thefatturkeywalk.com/
http://www.runireland.com/events/fat-turkey-run-suttonhowth-10km

Someone mentioned it to me this morning, was going to do Fields of Athenry on the 26th but this is a tad closer to home. Not sure if the run has been done here before, but apparently the walk is an annual thing.

Most importantly;

Changing facilities and tea/coffee, biscuits and full bar will be available.

potsy11

This is the third run the organisers have done on this route.

We have just confirmed that the race is now chipped for accurate timing.

Last year we had just under 200 runners so looking to go bigger again this year. Over 120 registered so far.

potsy11

I think this thread is open in 2 places...Mods please merge - Thanks

This race is now a fully chipped race.

Online entry closes on 24th Dec....

expato

Very enjoyable run. Well done Suttonians. Any results.

potsy11

expato wrote: »

Very enjoyable run. Well done Suttonians. Any results.

Should be up this afternoon. Just finalising everything. Glad you enjoyed it.

The Hammer

A couple of club-mates of my ran this race. They were happy overall with the race - but it was the organisation either side of the race that left a lot to be desired. The lads are not on boards.ie so I will just summarise their comments so that the organisers can take them on board.

1. Great course - really challenging and well marshalled - water at 1/2 way was a nice touch. Nice finish area - plenty of room - fairly stunning view despite the weather. Excellent changing facilities and showers - parking was also spot on.

2. Number pickup and registration - this was a bit of a disaster - there seemed to be only one master sheet for marking off people who had registered online and those who were registering on the day.

3. Chip timing - there seems to have been a shortage of timing chips - these had to be collected down at the start line - rather than at the registration - a huge queue developed at about 11:10 (race start 11:30) - word circulated that there was only 200 timing chips so many people would have ran without - I am sure the organisers can verify this.

4. In the first post on this thread - there was a little bit about tea/coffee and biscuits back at the clubhouse. The lads were a bit down the field (still in the top 50) and by the time they walked back to the clubhouse all the biscuits were gone :eek: - their wives had to pay 2euro per coffee/tea :mad: - yes there was a full bar service - but I think the organisers could have a look at some of the club races Le Cheile, Dunshaughlin, Kilcock 5km, etc etc and see how they cater for people after the race. Wouldn't be too much to have a burco boiler working in the background for some free tea and coffee? Wednesday was a bitterly cold howling windy day.

Hope that this is of use to the organisers -

potsy11

Provisional results attached.

potsy11

The Hammer wrote: »

A couple of club-mates of my ran this race. They were happy overall with the race - but it was the organisation either side of the race that left a lot to be desired. The lads are not on boards.ie so I will just summarise their comments so that the organisers can take them on board.

1. Great course - really challenging and well marshalled - water at 1/2 way was a nice touch. Nice finish area - plenty of room - fairly stunning view despite the weather. Excellent changing facilities and showers - parking was also spot on.

2. Number pickup and registration - this was a bit of a disaster - there seemed to be only one master sheet for marking off people who had registered online and those who were registering on the day.

3. Chip timing - there seems to have been a shortage of timing chips - these had to be collected down at the start line - rather than at the registration - a huge queue developed at about 11:10 (race start 11:30) - word circulated that there was only 200 timing chips so many people would have ran without - I am sure the organisers can verify this.

4. In the first post on this thread - there was a little bit about tea/coffee and biscuits back at the clubhouse. The lads were a bit down the field (still in the top 50) and by the time they walked back to the clubhouse all the biscuits were gone :eek: - their wives had to pay 2euro per coffee/tea :mad: - yes there was a full bar service - but I think the organisers could have a look at some of the club races Le Cheile, Dunshaughlin, Kilcock 5km, etc etc and see how they cater for people after the race. Wouldn't be too much to have a burco boiler working in the background for some free tea and coffee? Wednesday was a bitterly cold howling windy day.

Hope that this is of use to the organisers -

Many thanks for your advice above.

I am one of the organisers and I completely agree with you on the above points. We held a meeting today and discussed / dissected all aspects of the race and organisation.

I take onboard everything that you have said.

I believe that we were victims of our own success. We didnt anticipate that we would have so many entries on the day.

Online we had 119 registered and expected another 50-80 (171 turned up without online registration). I guess a race like this at this time of year - runners tend to leave it to the last minute to decide to run.

We decided (at a late stage) to run with a timing chip company and our coordination and execution with the company was poor (not timing chip companies fault). We only allowed for 210 race chips-our fault.

I wont go into it any further but next year you can be guaranteed the following:

1. 2-3 notice boards in Rugby Club with all race info and large route maps.

2. 4 'active' registration tables. - Registration did improve about half way through when we set up 2 other tables. Points noted though.

3. We decided that we will continue with race chips for this race next year - race chip collection will be in the Rugby Club at a seperate table.

4. Race briefing will be handed to every competitor as they receive their numbers along with small route map.

The above should reduce time at start line.

6. Water and bananas to be handed out at finish.

7. Loads more coffee/tea and biscuits. Embarrassed that you were charged for the coffee.

8. Results posted in clubhouse within 60mins of race finishing.


Many thanks for your comments and we hope to see you again next year.

Regards

The Fat Turkey