Dublin Half Marathon - 15th September 2012

SnailsPace

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Sosa

SnailsPace wrote: »

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Route map

Last Years Thread



Route Map released

Is this route PB material ? Im thinking of heading up in Sept ?

RacoonQueen

Sosa wrote: »

Is this route PB material ? Im thinking of heading up in Sept ?

Wow that's a big route change. Looks like it comes out the Parkgate street gate and back in at Islandbridge. No real hills to contend with till mile 10, 10 -12 is fairly tough and pretty much up hill the whole way. Nice easy finish though.

Miles 1 - 4 flat, with the wind behind you up to 1.5 or so, bit of a drag from 2 -4. Not very familiar with the roads up by Farmleigh edit: actually it looks like it comes out of the park here and back in the knockmaroon gate? In which case it's a bit of a downhill here I think with a bit of a climb again when you come back into the park.Then back onto Chesterfield with the wind behind you again as you make you're way out of the park for a mile(hardworker will confirm if I'm reading that right). Wee bit of a downhill coming out of the park and very slight descent as you run up the Conyngham road back to the Islandbridge gate. Uphill from 10 - 12 and an easy enough mile to finish off. Proabably the best half marathon route they've had in the race series.

Definitely a pb course for me. The hill on Military road isn't that tough, you have to dig in on the upper glen as it's a long incline.

dev123

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Sosa wrote: »

Is this route PB material ? Im thinking of heading up in Sept ?

Wow that's a big route change. Looks like it comes out the Parkgate street gate and back in at Islandbridge. No real hills to contend with till mile 10, 10 -12 is fairly tough and pretty much up hill the whole way. Nice easy finish though.

Miles 1 - 4 flat, with the wind behind you up to 1.5 or so, bit of a drag from 2 -4. Not very familiar with the roads up by Farmleigh edit: actually it looks like it comes out of the park here and back in the knockmaroon gate? In which case it's a bit of a downhill here I think with a bit of a climb again when you come back into the park.Then back onto Chesterfield with the wind behind you again as you make you're way out of the park for a mile(hardworker will confirm if I'm reading that right). Wee bit of a downhill coming out of the park and very slight incline as you run up the Conyngham road back to the Islandbridge gate. Uphill from 10 - 12 and an easy enough mile to finish off. Proabably the best half marathon route they've had in the race series.

Definitely a pb course for me. T
he hill on Military road isn't that tough, you have to dig in on the upper glen as it's a long incline.

Which way will the blowing in october? Poor oul Jean Byrne won't be able to sleep with your nostradamus-like predictions ;-)

kit3

3 stars (average)

dev123 wrote: »

Which way will the blowing in october? Poor oul Jean Byrne won't be able to sleep with your nostradamus-like predictions ;-)

strange, but wind always seems to be in your face heading up Chesterfield Ave which would make RQ right. Interesting course. agree a definite but slight drag from mile 2 to about 4.5 (Castleknock gate). Then appears to go through Farmleigh and out of park (is there a gate in there ?). Although Military road isn't too bad, coming at that stage of the race and followed by the upper glen road will make it tough enough. Still looks like a good course and nice finishing area.

RayCun

4 stars (good)

Agree with RQ, that's a fast course, faster than the last few years. Nice to get out of the park twice, even if it's only for a few minutes.
Decisions, decisions...

RacoonQueen

dev123 wrote: »

Which way will the blowing in october? Poor oul Jean Byrne won't be able to sleep with your nostradamus-like predictions ;-)

Phoenix park is in the twilight zone, other than the days when the wind is blowing in every direction it always going the same way.

Sosa

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Phoenix park is in the twilight zone, other than the days when the wind is blowing in every direction it always going the same way.

think i will head up for the 10 and the half this year...i have been threatening for a few years now.

Mr Slow

Definite pb course there, there's a fast decent when you exit Farmleigh by the tower and turn left to Knockmaroon, total of about 4 miles down Chesterfield which is great, The North Road is a pain in that direction but at that stage in the race won't feel too bad, once you get to the top of Military Hill it's pretty much downhill to the bottom of the Upper Glen Rd, the drag here will hurt but all told it's the fastest course they've put on yet.

RacoonQueen

Sosa wrote: »

think i will head up for the 10 and the half this year...i have been threatening for a few years now.

Don't turn up on the 17th though. There's no race that day.

Sosa

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Don't turn up on the 17th though. There's no race that day.

I had the copped RQ...knew it was a Saturday

D Chief

I think I'd rather have last year's half marathon course where we got to run down the Upper Glen Rd twice. Only real uphill bits of that course were on Wellington Rd after about 8k (not that bad and not that long) and about a mile from the finish a short sharp climb up to the 15 acres. One of the worst features of last year's course was the footpath up to the Castleknock Gate. That is in this year's course too and comes much earlier in the race, so congestion will be more of an issue.

Mr Slow

D Chief wrote: »

I think I'd rather have last year's half marathon course where we got to run down the Upper Glen Rd twice. Only real uphill bits of that course were on Wellington Rd after about 8k (not that bad and not that long) and about a mile from the finish a short sharp climb up to the 15 acres. One of the worst features of last year's course was the footpath up to the Castleknock Gate. That is in this year's course too and comes much earlier in the race, so congestion will be more of an issue.

Fair point but last year we had a long drag into the wind up Chesterfield, cost me 30 secs and the North Rd that late in the race didn't help either.

beeduybe

Don't understand why the route goes on the footpaths and not the road up towards the Castleknock gate? Won't they have to close the road anyway so the runners can get from one side of the road to the other.

geld

3 stars (average)

The hills from mile 10 to 12.5 don't do anything to call this a PB course. Add in thousands of runners running on footpaths ( as it says on the map) on mile 4 to 5 and you have potential congestion problems.

I'll probably run it if I'm doing the marathon and it does represent good value for money but it needs to be a lot flatter and less crowded to call it a PB course.

Mr Slow

geld wrote: »

The hills from mile 10 to 12.5 don't do anything to call this a PB course. Add in thousands of runners running on footpaths ( as it says on the map) on mile 4 to 5 and you have potential congestion problems.

I'll probably run it if I'm doing the marathon and it does represent good value for money but it needs to be a lot flatter and less crowded to call it a PB course.

When I call it a pb course I'm comparing it against previous years. If you ran x last year and are in the same condition this year you'll do better.

Brianderunner

Mr Slow wrote: »

When I call it a pb course I'm comparing it against previous years. If you ran x last year and are in the same condition this year you'll do better.

As long as you have something left in the tank for the last 3 mls yeah. Those short on training will die there. That gate at mile 10 has a dirty little incline before Military Hill. where normally there is a downhill either down Wellington Road or the Kyber to give you momentum heading into it.

I can see a whole load of unofficial 10 mile pb's for the first 10 though.

shels4ever

Mr Slow wrote: »

When I call it a pb course I'm comparing it against previous years. If you ran x last year and are in the same condition this year you'll do better.

Yep, for the park its as fast as you can get, without just doing laps of the flat section. But a any course is a pb course if you run it fast enough

geld

3 stars (average)

Mr Slow wrote: »

When I call it a pb course I'm comparing it against previous years. If you ran x last year and are in the same condition this year you'll do better.

Point taken Mr Slow. I was thinking of the wider context and comparing it to other courses. You are probably right in the Phoenix Park point of view.

However,I do remember running this years ago and we did laps of Chesterfield Ave and the North Road. This would probably be the flatest course in the Phoenix Park. Probably not feasible with today's large numbers.

RacoonQueen

In 07 and 08 we did 2 laps taking in Military road and upper glen twice. Half marathon courses since have been miles better than what we did in 07 and 08. Course in 2009(think 2010 was the same course?) was a good one too.

I could go out and run a pb on this years course tomorrow. Those hills at half marathon pace aren't too much trouble IMO.

gnu

Brianderunner wrote: »

As long as you have something left in the tank for the last 3 mls yeah. Those short on training will die there. That gate at mile 10 has a dirty little incline before Military Hill. where normally there is a downhill either down Wellington Road or the Kyber to give you momentum heading into it.

I can see a whole load of unofficial 10 mile pb's for the first 10 though.

This has me a bit worried. I'm doing Hal Higdon's Novice HM plan but the longest run on it is 10 miles. If the last 3 miles are in any way tough I'm wondering if I will indeed die at mile 10.

Mr Slow

gnu wrote: »

This has me a bit worried. I'm doing Hal Higdon's Novice HM plan but the longest run on it is 10 miles. If the last 3 miles are in any way tough I'm wondering if I will indeed die at mile 10.

That plan is designed to get you around, you'll be fine on the day.

gnu

Mr Slow wrote: »

That plan is designed to get you around, you'll be fine on the day.

Thanks Mr S. I just remembered I had a similar confidence wobble with his 10k plan - got to 8km in the GIR and thought for a second, I don't know if I can keep running, I've never gone this far before. But I just ignored the thought, kept going and was fine. Note to self: trust the plan!

Mr Slow

gnu wrote: »

Thanks Mr S. I just remembered I had a similar confidence wobble with his 10k plan - got to 8km in the GIR and thought for a second, I don't know if I can keep running, I've never gone this far before. But I just ignored the thought, kept going and was fine. Note to self: trust the plan!

The midweek mileage is what helps you cover the extra, trust the training

gnu

Mr Slow wrote: »

The midweek mileage is what helps you cover the extra, trust the training

Will remind myself of this if I'm ever tempted to skip a midweek run!

tunguska

gnu wrote: »

This has me a bit worried. I'm doing Hal Higdon's Novice HM plan but the longest run on it is 10 miles. If the last 3 miles are in any way tough I'm wondering if I will indeed die at mile 10.

At the risk of stating the obvious gnu, why not just run the 13miles in training? You've got over 3 and a half months. If you've already run a 10k in april, Im 100% sure you can run 13.1 miles in training before september. You gotta replicate race conditions in training as best you can, that way you'll be well prepared for race day.

gnu

tunguska wrote: »

At the risk of stating the obvious gnu, why not just run the 13miles in training? You've got over 3 and a half months. If you've already run a 10k in april, Im 100% sure you can run 13.1 miles in training before september. You gotta replicate race conditions in training as best you can, that way you'll be well prepared for race day.

Thanks tunguska, I know I'd feel happier if I could do that. I've got about 4/5 extra weeks to play around with but in the past I've needed to repeat weeks, take time off cos of illness plus I'll be away with no running opportunities for over a week so I don't want to depend on having all that extra time. Plus the plan doesn't scale back every 4th week and I'd like to do that when needed. Hopefully, I will get beyond 10 miles in training and feel a bit less intimidated come race day. But barring major catastrophe, I know I will finish the damn thing no matter what, even if I have to crawl the last 3 miles.

zooming

4 stars (good)

tunguska wrote: »

At the risk of stating the obvious gnu, why not just run the 13miles in training? You've got over 3 and a half months. If you've already run a 10k in april, Im 100% sure you can run 13.1 miles in training before september. You gotta replicate race conditions in training as best you can, that way you'll be well prepared for race day.

i just did 10k race on Monday and in training i have done 10 miles albeit sloooowly....I would aim to do a half in 2 hrs 30...you?

Duzzie

zooming wrote: »

i just did 10k race on Monday and in training i have done 10 miles albeit sloooowly....I would aim to do a half in 2 hrs 30...you?

If I recall correctly, there is a 3 hour cut-off time for the Dublin Half Marathon. I'll check the leaflet that I have and post again if it is different to that.

tunguska

zooming wrote: »

i just did 10k race on Monday and in training i have done 10 miles albeit sloooowly....I would aim to do a half in 2 hrs 30...you?

Again I'd say do the 13 miles in training. If you've run 10 already you've got 3 months to add 3 miles, which is plaenty of time to prepare. A really good training session would be to run the actual race route, dont underestimate how much of a difference this can make to how you run on the actual race day.

zooming

4 stars (good)

tunguska wrote: »

Again I'd say do the 13 miles in training. If you've run 10 already you've got 3 months to add 3 miles, which is plaenty of time to prepare. A really good training session would be to run the actual race route, dont underestimate how much of a difference this can make to how you run on the actual race day.

Hi,
Thanks! I dont live near Dublin so its not really an option for me

Darren 83

3 stars (average)

I entered the half marathon, and I seen that you are not allowed earphones or headphones is this true, What happens on race day how early do I need to be there, where do I collect my bib number stuff like that

thanks for replies in advance

RayCun

4 stars (good)

Darren 83 wrote: »

I entered the half marathon, and I seen that you are not allowed earphones or headphones is this true, What happens on race day how early do I need to be there, where do I collect my bib number stuff like that

Earphones/headphones mean you can't hear instructions from the marshalls, and aren't as aware of other runners, so the ban is a safety issue.

Your bib number is posted out to you, should arrive in the week before the race. You pin it to the front of your top. It contains the timing chip.

You should aim to be there about an hour before the start, to leave plenty of margin for delays. Wear some warm clothes and leave them in the bag drop for afterwards.

There'll be three wave starts. Wave 1 is for runners who will finish in less than 100 minutes, wave 3 for runners who will finish in more than 120 minutes. If you expect to have to walk at all, go in wave 3. If you're not sure, go in wave 2. The chip on your number will tell you exactly how long your race took, so there's no advantage to starting too near the front - you'll just get in the way of faster runners.

Darren 83

3 stars (average)

Thanks for the quick reply, I train with my ipod should i ditch it, was never at a marathon whats the atmostphere like?

RayCun

4 stars (good)

Half marathon

There won't be a lot of spectators, but there'll be plenty of runners around you, you'll never be on your own.

Try one or two runs a week without your headphones. Lots of runners grow psychologically dependent on them but you don't need them really.

eoinín

I was quite reluctant to ditch my music whilst running as it was really helping when I felt I was lagging - the opening few notes of a really good song would give me the extra push I needed, especially towards the end of a long run. And singing along in my head (hopefully I wasn't singing out loud as I ran!) distracted me from the tough slog of the run. So when I first ran without music I was surprised at how straightforward it was.

I find that in longer races such as a half marathon, it is actually beneficial, not just from a safety point of view, to have no music. Firstly you get to hear and appreciate any supportive cheers along the route (this maybe won't be the case in the Phoenix Park half, I know). But more importantly there's a pretty good chance you'll get chatting to someone running around your own pace, which I find to be a much more satisfactory way of eating through a km or two than being lost in music. Give it a try in a shorter race before the half and see how you get on.

jester1980

I ran last year with headphones all the time, but had to ditch them for the Connemara marathon this year. Never went back and enjoy my runs more now with out them.

moviechic3

2 stars (poor)

RayCun wrote: »

Your bib number is posted out to you, should arrive in the week before the race. You pin it to the front of your top. It contains the timing chip.

Is this also true for those traveling from the States? I did not see an option when signing up that there was a local pick-up location.

RayCun

4 stars (good)

moviechic3 wrote: »

Is this also true for those traveling from the States? I did not see an option when signing up that there was a local pick-up location.

Check your order confirmation email, but I think it will say that race numbers are posted out 10 days before the event. If that won't suit, mail raceseries@dublinmarathon.ie and let them know. There is no number collection on the day.

moviechic3

2 stars (poor)

Check your order confirmation email, but I think it will say that race numbers are posted out 10 days before the event. [Quote/]

Thank you very much, will double check the e-mail then confirm through e-mail contact.

RubyK

Can anyone tell me if it's much of a walk from the Luas stop at Heuston Station, to the startline?

RayCun

4 stars (good)

RubyK wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if it's much of a walk from the Luas stop at Heuston Station, to the startline?

There are shuttle buses on the morning of the race, but the walk is about 2 1/2 to 3 miles. Perfect for a warmup-up jog

RubyK

Thanks for that Ray - one more question for you - is there somewhere you can leave a bag?

SnailsPace

3 stars (average)

RubyK wrote: »

Thanks for that Ray - one more question for you - is there somewhere you can leave a bag?

Yes, there is a bag drop

RubyK

Thanks snailsPace!

Wasn't sure about doing this, or the Kilkenny Half the following day, but I'm leaning towards Dublin, as I've not done the half there before.

Darren 83

3 stars (average)

Just completed my long run 12k in total, happy with my progress so far, Ran up and down hills, can any on give me advise on phoenix and hills that sort of thing only ever gone to the zoo so I don't know what expect

Thanks in advance

iarmhi1975

If you are looking for a PB try "the flatline" Athlone Half Marathon, it has 66m or elevation gain and loss during the route and at the hardest part it rises 40cm every 100m. That's as flat as a pancake.

Just saw it the other day, it's on the same day a Dublin Half

Mr Slow

Darren 83 wrote: »

Just completed my long run 12k in total, happy with my progress so far, Ran up and down hills, can any on give me advise on phoenix and hills that sort of thing only ever gone to the zoo so I don't know what expect

Thanks in advance

Here's my assessment of the course.

The first mile and a half is down Chesterfield Ave, you have a helpful slope here and if the wind is blowing 99% of the time it will be at your back, turn before the Zoo and you have a drag up to the North Rd, Miles 2 - 4 will alternate between dragging and respite and you may have wind to contend with here (the water station at the triangle (Mile 3) is always a mess due to 'bottlenecking' the runners on the thinnest part of the course).

Miles 4-6 again are sloped in your favour or flat, at the 6 mile marker or close there's a slight rise followed by a downhill to the Knockmaroon Gate, once back in the park there's a dip followed by a rise at the 6.5 mile point, onto Ordnance Survey Rd and pretty flat up to Chesterfield just after the 7 mile marker, turn right and again the wind if any will be in your favour along with the slope, you can enjoy 2 miles plus of this and if you keep even effort you'll gain some time. Out of the park onto Cuningham rd there's a slight rise and dip before you re-enter through the Kilmainham Gate.

Immediately when you enter the park there's a rise (the left side of the rd has the lesser rise and is the shortest possible route, don't kill yourself storming up this because you have Military Hill to deal with once you turn left (10 mile), this is a bit of a bloodsucker plus on this end of the park you're open to the wind which a lot of the time will be against you here but once you get past the top there's a gentle gradient to the top of the 'S' bends and this is followed by a consistent decline to the lowest point in the park, what goes down must unfortunately go up and at 11.5 miles you'll begin to challenge the Upper Glen Rd which while not as steep as Military Hill is longer, once you get to the top (Mile 12) there's a slight drag against you to the finish but nothing that will kill you.

For me it's the fastest course they've put on in the Park in the last few years, enjoy.

zooming

4 stars (good)

any other advice re the Dublin half? Im getting nervous, my BIG fear is finishing stone last....boo!

RayCun

4 stars (good)

zooming wrote: »

any other advice re the Dublin half? Im getting nervous, my BIG fear is finishing stone last....boo!

Last finisher last year took 3.39, you're probably safe

zooming

4 stars (good)

Ha! I dunno!!! Its my first time