Wicklow Hospice Team 100 Half Marathon & 10K - Feb 22nd Avondale, (20euros entry)

Timmaay

Ok new race on the calendar in Wicklow, around the lovely avondale park and surrounding roads, which is located near Rathdrum. Online entry is 20euros for either the 1/2 or 10k, and 25euros on the day. Loads more info up on their website: http://www.wicklowhospice.ie/event/wicklow-hospice-team-100-half-marathon-10k/

More info to follow, including a course map etc.

Shane O' Malley

Great value for a Half.

Got a bunch from Dublin Runners heading down but would love to see a map of route first.

Timmaay

Shane O' Malley wrote: »

Great value for a Half.

Got a bunch from Dublin Runners heading down but would love to see a map of route first.

I'll contact the main organiser and get back to ya asap.

barryoneill50

Timmaay wrote: »

I'll contact the main organiser and get back to ya asap.

Tell bill to get the garmin out:D....

gammy_knees

Anyone know if the running surface is a mixture of forest trails and roads? As its going through the park I suspect its a trail. Not indicated on the website.

Shane O' Malley

barryoneill50 wrote: »

Tell bill to get the garmin out:D....

Good man, few pics too.

Paddigol

Any update on this?

Good value, good cause, ticks all the boxes, may also enable me get out for a lsr Sunday along the Wicklow Way Ultra trail by way of a recce for March, so might be worth the trek up from Kerry.

Now just gotta sort out permission.

The "forestry park" suggests it may not be on roads, which would be an extra bonus if so. Can anyone confirm that?

Paddigol

After my post above, I read somewhere that the 10k run is a one lap course, 50% on 'road' and 50% on forest trail. The Half Marathon is two laps of the same course. Sounds good - nice change from the usual road runs.

It does look like it could be a great event - great location, reasonable entry fee, and seems to be a proper charity event.

Would be nice to see a bit more info, but given the nature of the event I won't be too critical!

Think I'll do it anyway.

Timmaay

Paddigol wrote: »

After my post above, I read somewhere that the 10k run is a one lap course, 50% on 'road' and 50% on forest trail. The Half Marathon is two laps of the same course. Sounds good - nice change from the usual road runs.

It does look like it could be a great event - great location, reasonable entry fee, and seems to be a proper charity event.

Would be nice to see a bit more info, but given the nature of the event I won't be too critical!

Think I'll do it anyway.

Yep I was talking to the organiser today, that describes it well, no major hills and all fairness runnable would be my opinion on it. I'm meeting up with him on thur, when I'll do out a mapmyrun route of both courses so yas can see the elevations etc!

mylifetoday

Timmaay wrote: »

Yep I was talking to the organiser today, that describes it well, no major hills and all fairness runnable would be my opinion on it. I'm meeting up with him on thur, when I'll do out a mapmyrun route of both courses so yas can see the elevations etc!

Hi Timmaay, interested in this.... any luck with the course profile ??

mylifetoday

Does anyone have a mapmyrun profile of the course from last year ???

barryoneill50

Bill's garmin must be on the blink, he might pick one up in the local sports shop:D

Gavlor

Is this going ahead? If so, any map or further info regarding parking, showers etc.

Timmaay

Apologies about the delay, I'm not hugely involved in the actual race itself I'll admit, just doing the timing as a favour. Anyways yep still going ahead definitely, we are having a meeting today about it, and I'll definitely get a course map then, so will post it up later today.

Paddigol

Signed up and looking forward to it. Anyone else? Or any idea what sort of numbers are expected for the half marathon?

sideswipe

Just entered this for Saturday. Hope to do it as part of my long run, great cause even if I can't make it down.
Anybody seen a route for it yet?

RAFA B

Yes anyone seen a route for this please? Looking to see how flat the course is, inclines etc? Thanks.

Paddigol

Nope. At this rate I expect to turn up and find an invisible route. Or maybe a choose-your-own-adventure style route.

BeepBeep67

Just spoke with one of the organisers, 2 lap route for the HM, half in Avondale Pk, rest on the surrounding roads, not too hilly by Rathdrum standards :rolleyes:.
He's trying to get me a copy of the map over and I'll attempt to map it later if that comes through.
Going to head down and use it as a PMP session myself.

Gavlor

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Just spoke with one of the organisers, 2 lap route for the HM, half in Avondale Pk, rest on the surrounding roads, not too hilly by Rathdrum standards :rolleyes:.
He's trying to get me a copy of the map over and I'll attempt to map it later if that comes through.
Going to head down and use it as a PMP session myself.

Nice one. Going to head up myself. It's a 1.5 hr drive so I'll prob give it a lash

BeepBeep67

Gavlor wrote: »

Nice one. Going to head up myself. It's a 1.5 hr drive so I'll prob give it a lash

Assuming a reasonable course - what time are you aiming for?

RAFA B

Thanks. Training for London so the hills might be good for me in the long run!

Gavlor

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Assuming a reasonable course - what time are you aiming for?

82ish...

BeepBeep67

Gavlor wrote: »

82ish...

You'll be up the road from me so, going to head out at MP and maybe finish faster.

Gavlor

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

You'll be up the road from me so, going to head out at MP and maybe finish faster.

Might catch you beforehand.

BeepBeep67

Ok, this is the best I can do.
I've mapped one lap as best I could on MMR (not sure where the finish is) from the image I received.
Map

Timmaay

Thanks a million bb, thinks abit manic here on my front!

The finish is back inside near the house afaik.

RAFA B

Anyone know of there are shower facilities please?

mylifetoday

Just signed up..... Weather looking good for it(fine weather runner:D)

Coll1e

Really enjoyable event. nice mix of country roads and forest roads. I can't find the results online tho. Anyone know if/where they are posted?

sideswipe

Ran this earlier as part of my LSR. Found it enjoyable but a little disappointed that it measured short by half a mile and the chip timing seemed to have failed. These are fundamentals of a decent race and if I had been targeting this race as a PB attempt I'd be well peeved.

Think it has the makings of a good race. Half road, half forrest trail with some challenging climbs, although none too long and with some nice down hill sections to balance it out. Decent price, good cause and well run apart from the obvious mistakes.

redved

sideswipe wrote: »

Ran this earlier as part of my LSR. Found it enjoyable but a little disappointed that it measured short by half a mile and the chip timing seemed to have failed. These are fundamentals of a decent race and if I had been targeting this race as a PB attempt I'd be well peeved.

Think it has the makings of a good race. Half road, half forrest trail with some challenging climbs, although none too long and with some nice down hill sections to balance it out. Decent price, good cause and well run apart from the obvious mistakes.

Was this the 10k or the 1/2 that was short? Had the 10k at about 9.65 but given the fact that the gps is in and out of tree coverage its hard to know how accurate this is. Thought the course was tough enough over all, def not one for a pb

mylifetoday

Ah feck you sideswipe.... I don't use GPS as I run by heart Rate. I had intended to just run 5 mls hard intending to give PB a lash next wk in Bohermeen. The course was so enjoyable and the weather so good that I went for it today and got a PB of about a min.

I was wondering where the results were also.... as I don't see them on Precision timing.

Anyway...enjoyed the day.... and it is great value and a great cause

sideswipe

redved wrote: »

Was this the 10k or the 1/2 that was short? Had the 10k at about 9.65 but given the fact that the gps is in and out of tree coverage its hard to know how accurate this is. Thought the course was tough enough over all, def not one for a pb

Was the half that I measured short. Spoke to a good few others afterwards who also had it short. Fair point about tree cover, but I had the mile markers well off from mile 1 onwards.

+1 on not being a PB course!

Gavlor

mylifetoday wrote: »

Ah feck you sideswipe.... I don't use GPS as I run by heart Rate. I had intended to just run 5 mls hard intending to give PB a lash next wk in Bohermeen. The course was so enjoyable and the weather so good that I went for it today and got a PB of about a min.

I was wondering where the results were also.... as I don't see them on Precision timing.

Anyway...enjoyed the day.... and it is great value and a great cause

yep, definitely short by .4 mile approx.

Nice challenging course but the stewarding was a bit of a mess for the second half. They seemed distracted by the 10k finishers!

It could be a great event, unique in the layout.

Oh yeah, what a spread afterwards!

sideswipe

mylifetoday wrote: »

Ah feck you sideswipe.... I don't use GPS as I run by heart Rate. I had intended to just run 5 mls hard intending to give PB a lash next wk in Bohermeen. The course was so enjoyable and the weather so good that I went for it today and got a PB of about a min.

I was wondering where the results were also.... as I don't see them on Precision timing.

Anyway...enjoyed the day.... and it is great value and a great cause

:P Sorry

Not sure about the results- nothing on Precision Timings site. There was no starting mat and they had people taking down numbers at the finish. Might take a while to get them up, hope I'm wrong though!

Gavlor

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.593159647426992.1073741846.438955359514089&type=1

Bulmers

Enjoyed this today,nice atmosphere and nice route,good set up,well done to the organisers and all for a good cause.

Done the HM and garmin saying 20.3km but thought maybe as going through trees this might have been the reason came up shorter.

Anyone know if results will be posted?

jfraz

Hello,
I ran this race too. Each time we came into the carpark, where we started, I ran straight up that hill again, straight to the top. Later I noticed runners taking a left off that hill and running through the finish area towards the trail loop. did you guys who measured it short run up the hill each time or did you head through the finish area?

thanks.

sideswipe

jfraz wrote: »

Hello,
I ran this race too. Each time we came into the carpark, where we started, I ran straight up that hill again, straight to the top. Later I noticed runners taking a left off that hill and running through the finish area towards the trail loop. did you guys who measured it short run up the hill each time or did you head through the finish area?

thanks.

The first time back through the car park was straight up the hill. The second loop swung left back through the finish area. If you went up the hill twice you went of course.

Timmaay

Ok results up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0An2ctL4xVoPrdHRfN0NOc0hTWVplZUgxaXJUcGZXNkE&usp=sharing

Apologies about the delay, on the day registration difficulties did admittedly create problems for all of us, a far greater number of people showed up on the day than was expected. All lessons to be learnt for next year. In terms of timing, It was a gun start only, with two start locations, and with a reasonably wide starts for both races, the difference between a chip start and gun start should be very minimal for all competitors. Full handtime backup was recorded also.

In terms of the course, its a nice location but I personally would think that running both races on the same loop is probably not a runner in the future, certainly not with the numbers that we had yesterday.

mylifetoday

sideswipe wrote: »

The first time back through the car park was straight up the hill. The second loop swung left back through the finish area. If you went up the hill twice you went of course.

I wondered about that too.... I actually stopped to ask the steward who was there if he was sure that the half-mar runners were to turn left the second time around and he said yes.

Thanks for the results Timmaay and am inclined to agree with you about having both 10k & halfmarathon on same course.... but only because both courses were a series of loops and both courses were overlapping each other also.
Normally, its not an issue to run both together if the half is one long circuit of 13.1 mls. & the 10k course is then measured back from the joint finish line to find where the 10k is to start.

Slogger Jogger

Lots of trail options in Avondale. Seems a shame to have to use the roads for the 10K. If its trailly and hilly people aren't really expecting fast times.

Lots of junctions though, which require marshalling, so I suppose the trail/road route is a happy compromise.