National Road Relays

dna_leri

I see from the AAI website that the National Road relays in Raheny are on April 7. I had thought they were on April 28, based on information I got from my club. Does anyone know if this was a recent change or were they always planned earlier this year?

RayCun

They were the 28th in the draft list last November, don't know when (or why) the change took place)

dna_leri

I wondered if it had anything to do with the Samsung Night Run planned for the 28th.

Also noticed they have changed the Masters Age Categories from O40 to O35.

RacoonQueen

dna_leri wrote: »

I wondered if it had anything to do with the Samsung Night Run planned for the 28th.

I suspect this is why it was changed. Far more important for AI to get a wad of cash from Samsung than to have the relays when they were supposed to have them.

RayCun

yeah, probably the Samsung race

dna_leri wrote: »

Also noticed they have changed the Masters Age Categories from O40 to O35.

That changed for cross-country this year too, it was brought in line with track.

Timmaay

Pain in the arse pulling dates like that forward, not much notice given to the clubs is the most frustrating thing about it, our club are in a rush now to get teams together! And yep, all because of a nothing commercial race that they consider more important. Typical of Athletics Ireland though!

mrak

wtf.. just heard about this now.. this is crazy, how is the event supposed to be a success when they do things like this.. We had hoped to target it, but this will put us under a lot of pressure.. probably unlikely.

ChickenTikka

Not sure if there was a different thread on this.

Just like to join with our Dublin brethren in congratulating Sligo AC on a magnificent performance in winning the senior men's road relays.

Its high time those Sligo guys stayed up in the North West. They should have their own road relays up there and their own soccer league instead of coming up to the capital and taking stuff that doesn't belong to them.:rolleyes:

dna_leri

And also acknowledge the part played by the auld lads from Craughwell (including Mrak) & Finn Valley to break up the monopoly.

HelenAnne

Sligo were fantastic! And I say that as a club-member of Raheny Shamrock, who were beaten into 2nd place. My friend and I were marshalling at the end of the first long straight on the route, and it was so exciting, especially in the senior men's with the three-mile lap, because clubs kept switching their lead all the way round. On the final lap of the senior men's, Raheny were still in the lead as they ran out of our sight, but we thought the Sligo man looked ominously comfortable ... and we were right.

It was so close with the senior women too, and it was great to see Linda Byrne & Sarah Mulligan running, and Raheny's Fiona Roche, Elish Kelly, Aoife Talty & Lorraine Manning. Obviously, when I'm in the same races as these women I don't see them for dust after the starting gun's gone, so to be watching and see how well they ran was amazing.

I was surprised there wasn't more discussion of the relays here - it was such an exciting day, and really great to see such high-level runners running around the roads where anyone could watch them for free. I'd really recommend people come & watch next year.

Well done to Sligo, who won the Senior men's race, DSD who won the senior women's, Raheny for the O35 women, Rathfarnham, 035 men & Tallaght AC who won the 050 men's. (apologies, who won the O50 womens?)