New Dublin Event - Ironman or Challenge?

NewWheels

As most seemed to be doing the business in Athlone over the weekend you may not have seen the article in yesterday's Sunday Times about the Lord Mayor of Dublin (Oisin Quinn) looking to bring a new triathlon event to Dublin for the August Bank Holiday weekend 2014. Talks are supposed to have already started with Ironman and Challenge organisations.

Swim would be Dublin bay, cycle into Wicklow mountains and marathon on the city centre streets. WOuld be great opportunity for the city and for the sport.

With the way Ironman Galway has disappeared should the preference be for the Challenge Family?

Either way great idea and I hope it happens

tunney

NewWheels wrote: »

As most seemed to be doing the business in Athlone over the weekend you may not have seen the article in yesterday's Sunday Times about the Lord Mayor of Dublin (Oisin Quinn) looking to bring a new triathlon event to Dublin for the August Bank Holiday weekend 2014. Talks are supposed to have already started with Ironman and Challenge organisations.

Swim would be Dublin bay, cycle into Wicklow mountains and marathon on the city centre streets. WOuld be great opportunity for the city and for the sport.

With the way Ironman Galway has disappeared should the preference be for the Challenge Family?

Either way great idea and I hope it happens

Two chances of this happening.

IM (or Challenge): What about local support? Will Dublin get behind it and be happy with 17 hours of closed roads?

Lord Mayor: Oh.............

NewWheels

Well the roads are closed this August Bank Holiday for the new Rock & Roll Marathon!!

The article was well presented as an opportunity for businesses to make revenue. It was reported that the local German towns made between €8/9m from their events. (IM Frankfurt & Challenge Roth)

tunney

NewWheels wrote: »

Well the roads are closed this August Bank Holiday for the new Rock & Roll Marathon!!

The article was well presented as an opportunity for businesses to make revenue. It was reported that the local German towns made between €8/9m from their events. (IM Frankfurt & Challenge Roth)

Yes huge money to local economy. But Irish people don't work like that do that? "what about ME???"

ThisRegard

tunney wrote: »

But Irish people don't work like that do that? "what about ME???"

Some Irish people, same as some English, American, Spanish, whatever.

Don't be waving that big brush around, you may take an eye out.

RayCun

NewWheels wrote: »

Well the roads are closed this August Bank Holiday for the new Rock & Roll Marathon!!

The article was well presented as an opportunity for businesses to make revenue. It was reported that the local German towns made between €8/9m from their events. (IM Frankfurt & Challenge Roth)

Roads are closed on the bank holiday, so low city centre traffic, and for only 3.5 hours in the morning. Frankfurt and Roth aren't tourist destinations, so the races are bringing in people. Same if you had an IM in Longford or Carlow. But how many extra people will a triathlon bring to Dublin in August?

couerdelion

RayCun wrote: »

Roads are closed on the bank holiday, so low city centre traffic, and for only 3.5 hours in the morning. Frankfurt and Roth aren't tourist destinations, so the races are bringing in people. Same if you had an IM in Longford or Carlow. But how many extra people will a triathlon bring to Dublin in August?

I'd reckon there would be a good few Irish Americans who would love to do an Ironman in Ireland if they decide to go out of the states. Plus UK athletes looking for something different from IMUK. A full ironman is a lot more of an event than any 1/2 IM and would sell a lot better plus Dublin an awful lot easier for foreigners to get to than Galway/Carlow/Longford.

kingQuez

I recon an IM in dublin would be pretty grim.. even on the august bank holiday.

RayCun

couerdelion wrote: »

I'd reckon there would be a good few Irish Americans who would love to do an Ironman in Ireland if they decide to go out of the states. Plus UK athletes looking for something different from IMUK. A full ironman is a lot more of an event than any 1/2 IM and would sell a lot better plus Dublin an awful lot easier for foreigners to get to than Galway/Carlow/Longford.

Yes, but on August bank holiday weekend they'd be crowding out other tourists, it isn't new revenue.
Road closures in Dublin city centre would be a nightmare - for Dublin marathon you can open O'Connell street again maybe an hour after the start. For an iron-distance race the roads would have to be closed later in the day because it's after the swim/bike, and for much longer, between the elites starting their run and the tailenders finishing theirs.

bryangiggsy

RayCun wrote: »

Roads are closed on the bank holiday, so low city centre traffic, and for only 3.5 hours in the morning. Frankfurt and Roth aren't tourist destinations, so the races are bringing in people. Same if you had an IM in Longford or Carlow. But how many extra people will a triathlon bring to Dublin in August?

47 people have signed up for Shadowman Iron distance outside Athlone.

IM in Dublin..zero appeal for me

Shedite27

In fairness, there's very few major city Ironmans around the world, even the ones that do call themselves "Big City" Ironmans (eg Challenge Barcelona) are really held 45-60 minutes commute outside the city from what I can see.

More likely it'd be billed as "Ironman/Challenge Dublin" but held in Navan/Naas/Bray etc.

elvis jones

If an event does come i can see it being a half distance race to see how it goes and then it can be upgraded. I agree with Tunney re roads being closed the Irish hate it and we need better public transport to make it happen if only to get athletes to the start line.

pgibbo

elvis jones wrote: »

If an event does come i can see it being a half distance race to see how it goes and then it can be upgraded. I agree with Tunney re roads being closed the Irish hate it and we need better public transport to make it happen if only to get athletes to the start line.

I think we know how a half distance will go. Just look at Galway 70.3 :pac:

Can is open, time for tea....

elvis jones

pgibbo wrote: »

I think we know how a half distance will go. Just look at Galway 70.3 :pac:

Can is open, time for tea....

Location and organisation is a lot to do with that.

pgibbo

elvis jones wrote: »

Location and organisation is a lot to do with that.

Not sure I'd agree there.

Most people found the organisation was quite good in Galway.

The location will have damn all of an influence unless you mean Ireland as a location. Not that many overseas athletes travelled to Galway and I don't think Dublin would be much better. Why pay a premium for a race like that in Ireland when there's a very good chance that the weather will be muck. Most would and do go to Europe and race in better weather and on better roads.

elvis jones

pgibbo wrote: »

Not sure I'd agree there.

Most people found the organisation was quite good in Galway.

The location will have damn all of an influence unless you mean Ireland as a location. Not that many overseas athletes travelled to Galway and I don't think Dublin would be much better. Why pay a premium for a race like that in Ireland when there's a very good chance that the weather will be muck. Most would and do go to Europe and race in better weather and on better roads.

100% right there !

By location i mean

1. Unlike Dublin no real public transport to get people to Salthill
2. Parking wasn't great for those coming to see the race

catweazle

Galway and Ireland in general is a tough place for sports tourism. The uproar in Galway when people realized they couldnt drive to mass was crazy - no understanding of the positive tourism and economic benefits. The city council probably didn't help either, they should have been let finish in Eyre square rather than packing it all out in Salthill like a bad smell

I often said that you would have some chance in Kerry - a town like Killarney is well used to having major events and might have less grumbles about the inconveniences it causes as the town is heavily dependent on tourism.

There is not too many places in this country that would tempt me to go long perhaps The Hardman race has some iconic scenery, the lake swim, the ring of Kerry and a marathon through the National park and in a location which gives an above average chance of decent weather, coupled with large amounts of accommodation. Book it for an All-Ireland football final weekend and their is a good chance a lot of the locals will be off up in Croke Park anyways. Certainly not as easy to get to as Dublin but thanks to the good old local politics we have Shannon, Cork and Kerry Airport and when you see the epic journeys people do to get to inacesssible places like Roth and IM Austria.

The only issue here for me is the low numbers, I have done two marathons in my time, Connemara and Dublin and I wouldn't be rushing back to Connemara too quickly. For something that I may only ever do once I would like all the razzmatazz going, no doubt rip off republic would click into action as well and gouge every penny they can.

I wouldn't use the Shadowman as a barometer of interest in an Iron distance race in Ireland. You would want to be a Triathlon geek to have even heard about that race so poor was the marketing around it, I am surprised they even got 47

nerraw1111

catweazle wrote: »

For something that I may only ever do once I would like all the razzmatazz going, no doubt rip off republic would click into action as well and gouge every penny they can.

Not sure if there would be any money left to gouge if Ironman are involved.

RunMD

would love to see a Tri-Star Event

pgibbo

RunMD wrote: »

would love to see a Tri-Star Event

+1

I'd love to try a race at that distance

Oryx

pgibbo wrote: »

+1

I'd love to try a race at that distance

What distances are they? I cant access their site for some reason.

pgibbo

Oryx wrote: »

What distances are they? I cant access their site for some reason.

1k swim, 100k bike, 10k run IIRC

http://www.bryanmccrystal.com/2012/04/pre-mallorca-111/

elvis jones

pgibbo wrote: »

1k swim, 100k bike, 10k run IIRC

http://www.bryanmccrystal.com/2012/04/pre-mallorca-111/

Sorry but there's no challenge there really.

Izoard

pgibbo wrote: »

1k swim, 100k bike, 10k run IIRC

http://www.bryanmccrystal.com/2012/04/pre-mallorca-111/

They also have a 222K (2k, 200K, 20K) distance IIRC...

pgibbo

elvis jones wrote: »

Sorry but there's no challenge there really.

I didn't say it was a challenge, just that I'd like to do the distance. :pac:

Running a fast 10k off a 100k bike wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world either. I guess it's all relative to how hard you push yourself.

Same can be said for an IM. I know people that do them off less than 10 hours training a week and cruise around quite easily in 13 hours.

griffin100

elvis jones wrote: »

Sorry but there's no challenge there really.

Not if you're happy to plod around the course there's not, but that applies to IM as well. Pushing it hard for the duration is certainly a challenge.

elvis jones

pgibbo wrote: »

I didn't say it was a challenge, just that I'd like to do the distance. :pac:

Running a fast 10k off a 100k bike wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world either. I guess it's all relative to how hard you push yourself.

Same can be said for an IM. I know people that do them off less than 10 hours training a week and cruise around quite easily in 13 hours.

Perhaps but the 1st set of distances above did nothing for me at all. The 2nd set would interest me, personally.

griffin100

elvis jones wrote: »

Perhaps but the 1st set of distances above did nothing for me at all. The 2nd set would interest me, personally.

I wouldn't disagree with that.

mloc123

elvis jones wrote: »

Sorry but there's no challenge there really.

Perhaps the challenge is in training to be fast and not just complete?

Oryx

mloc123 wrote: »

Perhaps the challenge is in training to be fast and not just complete?

I would just prefer proportions that aren't as bike centred. Horses for courses.

RacoonQueen

Oryx wrote: »

I would just prefer proportions that aren't as bike centred. Horses for courses.

I hear ya 5k swim 40k bike 30-42k run :cool:

mloc123

Oryx wrote: »

I would just prefer proportions that aren't as bike centred. Horses for courses.

As somebody that can't swim or swim but can bike to a reasonable level... I'd like a 1k/100k/10k

I had considered the distance this year but tristar are defunct now.

elvis jones

griffin100 wrote: »

Not if you're happy to plod around the course there's not, but that applies to IM as well. Pushing it hard for the duration is certainly a challenge.

Agreed, that's why i said it didn't interest me........personally. I'm not saying its not a good mix, just not one for me:)

Oh and i always plod, i'm built for comfort.........not speed;)

elvis jones

mloc123 wrote: »

Perhaps the challenge is in training to be fast and not just complete?

Less last comment above:D

Shedite27

I think all triathlon distances should to be an equal time challenge along all disciplines.

elvis jones

Shedite27 wrote: »

I think all triathlon distances should to be an equal time challenge along all disciplines.

I don't think that would work as you'd end up with a very very short cycle.

Shedite27

elvis jones wrote: »

I don't think that would work as you'd end up with a very very short cycle.

It would be short compared to what we're used to, but that's only because what we're used to. I reckon an Olympic should be about 2k swim, 20km bike, 10km run. Would balance it out a little more.

elvis jones

Shedite27 wrote: »

It would be short compared to what we're used to, but that's only because what we're used to. I reckon an Olympic should be about 2k swim, 20km bike, 10km run. Would balance it out a little more.

If i'm honest i can't see that working at all. A lot of people who start out do it in try a tri races and they have a short swim as thats the hardest part for a lot of people so having a 2k swim in a race like that would put off a lot of people.

foxyboxer

Could always have the base located down the docklands. You could close off that section of the city within reason. The cycle would go out from transition on john rogersons quay out to Wicklow and back. The marathon would then use the same course as the docklands run (8 * 5km loops). No need to close down as msny roads. Just an idea.

tunney

I think its gas that people think that there is a snowballs hope in hell of this happening.

BTH

tunney wrote: »

I think its gas that people think that there is a snowballs hope in hell of this happening.

I hate to say it, but I agree with Tunney (I feel dirty).

The only possible locations for something like that are miles out from the city centre, like Bray, or Greystones, which my international race standards would still be advertised as Dublin!

Its still not going to happen

tunney

Thinking outside the box (or being led to)

A *big* race - think non AG here is not Challenge or Ironman its ITU............

pgibbo

Maybe Doc will bring his new races to Dublin :pac::pac::pac::pac:

gilleek2

tunney wrote: »

Thinking outside the box (or being led to)

A *big* race - think non AG here is not Challenge or Ironman its ITU............

Forget the AG'ers? You think that the same local businesses that will grumble about the cost-benefit of 2,000 people doing an Ironman on their doorstep will be keen for town to be closed down for 100 pros?

As was said above, Killarney or maybe Kenmare may well be the place for this. While i'd love a big Ironman or Challenge event in or near Dublin i cant see it happening. 8 laps of a 5k course would be awkward and boring.

hardCopy

Phoenix Park would surely feature heavily if this ever happened, you could have three laps of a 10k circuit with another 5k in and out of town.

Transition in Sandymount or somewhere. Although a route like that would mean closing all the bridges between Islandbridge and the Eastlink as well as the North Quays.

Pretty hard to manage without basically closing Dublin for the day, Half Iron would be more feasible.

I think locals would get behind it, if support for the marathon is anything to go by.

Wicklow would be a good location though, plenty of lakes and less disruption to traffic, would still bring tourism into the city.

tunney

gilleek2 wrote: »

Forget the AG'ers?

As in there is no spectale in watching AGers. ITU racing would be great.

Plus AG IM would need 10 hours of road closures. ITU 2 tops.

gilleek2 wrote: »

You think that the same local businesses that will grumble about the cost-benefit of 2,000 people doing an Ironman on their doorstep will be keen for town to be closed down for 100 pros?

But that is the point the town will not be closed down under any circumstances for 2000 people. The tourists already come to Dublin the August bank holiday weekend.

gilleek2 wrote: »

As was said above, Killarney or maybe Kenmare may well be the place for this. While i'd love a big Ironman or Challenge event in or near Dublin i cant see it happening. 8 laps of a 5k course would be awkward and boring.

There won't ever be a full Ironman of any brand in Ireland. Weather, gouging by local business, lack of support/spectators and road quality would mean that even if one was tried it would last one to two years tops - like Galway 70.30

tunney

hardCopy wrote: »

Phoenix Park would surely feature heavily if this ever happened, you could have three laps of a 10k circuit with another 5k in and out of town.

Transition in Sandymount or somewhere. Although a route like that would mean closing all the bridges between Islandbridge and the Eastlink as well as the North Quays.

Pretty hard to manage without basically closing Dublin for the day, Half Iron would be more feasible.

I think locals would get behind it, if support for the marathon is anything to go by.

Wicklow would be a good location though, plenty of lakes and less disruption to traffic, would still bring tourism into the city.

Support for the marathon I always found was pi$$ poor - in comparison to continental events

elvis jones

The road were also closed for over 24 hrs in the city centre on the June bank holiday in 2012 for F1 cars to drive around for 20 min.

There might be no spectale in watching AG's Tunney but if anyone turns out it will be the AG's friends and family. Gavin Noble raced in Athlone and i'd say apart from those who were racing ( prob not even all of them ) could even point out Noble. He didn't bring a crowd to the streets along the run BUT 1st timers doing try had family with signed etc who were there all day paying for parking, buying lunch, drinks etc.

peter kern

dave do you have numbers that hotels and restaurants are not having extra capacity for the august weekend ?

tunney

peter kern wrote: »

dave do you have numbers that hotels and restaurants are not having extra capacity for the august weekend ?

peter do you have numbers that hotels and restaurants are having extra capacity for the august weekend ?

zico10

tunney wrote: »

Support for the marathon I always found was pi$$ poor - in comparison to continental events

I did a marathon Lisbon and it wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say the support at the Connemarathon was better, and it was nothing like the support given in Dublin. I can't comment on other city's marathons. Of course from BBC coverage London does look to have incredible support, but how many cities in the world could match that?

Would closing down Dublin for a triathlon work? I'd be inclined to think 'No', but then from what I've heard Lisbon's IM 70.3 is a great event, so I could be wrong.