Best Value Races?

Pink11

So following on from the debate brought up in the Samsung run 2015 thread, lets hear from you all on the best value races/race series from around the country?

We're looking for well organised and good value. Please provide links if you can.

This might be a nice thread for the more experienced people to share their experience with those who are new to signing up and trying to figure out which races to go for. I think most of us have fallen for the advertising ploys at one point or another so lets give shout outs to the others!

Murph_D

Anything organised by a running club tends to be good value and well organised. Plus you usually can get a free cuppa and plenty of sambos and cake afterwards if you know where to go.

The ones I've done (or spectated) and would recommend:

Jan - Raheny 5 mile
Feb/Mar - Bundoran 10k / 10 m
Mar - Omagh HM
May - Terenure 5 m
Jun-Sept - Dublin Race Series (not club fundraisers but very well organised as part of marathon build up)
Dec - Jingle Bells 5k
Dec - Waterford HM

Countless more. The bhaa races come recommended by many but haven't done one myself yet.

tang1

Dunshaughlin 10k, for €15 you get serious value for your money, and best 10k in Leinster by a mile. Any of the Meath races are good value & well organised. It all depends what your looking for really, most club races are the correct distance, well marshaled & provide a serious spread of food after.

The more corperate races are badly organised, sometimes short & offer little in value, in my experience of running them, anybody remember the Valentines Dash 10k, more like 8.5k.

yaboya1

Emniscorthy 10k on in early February. This year it was only €10. You get a well organised chip-timed race on an accurately measured course. There's also a nice little goody bag and a hall full of food & drink afterwards. From what I've heard the K-Club 10k in early April is very similar, but I've never done that one myself.

Condo131

Hands down - No arguments! Ballycotton 10
Entry fee: €15 - Free if you ran the first race (1978), or are over 70

What you get:
Registered Athletics Ireland race
A well organised race
chip timing
Accurate course
Number posted out to you (No SAE req'd)
The famous Ballycotton mug
Full medical backup
Closed roads
Results booklet (on request - no longer posted out)
Coveted Top 100 T-shirts (Brag shirts!)
Bananas, mars bar & water afterwards.
Good spread on prize fund (not that I ever got a sniff of any of it ever! :rolleyes: )
Refreshments & biscuits at presentation in Hall
Prompt results - no waiting several days to see them in some associated newspaper

...and I'm probably forgetting several things!

Cork BHAA races also great value, @ €5 per race for most events, with great spread of individual & team prizes, usually "all you can eat" "spread" afterwards..and these days, the proceeds often go to charity.

ooter

K club 10 k is a very well organised race,was on the same day as the GIR this year unfortunately.

eoinín

parkrun - cant be beaten for value - free weekly timed run, well organised and good atmosphere.

http://www.parkrun.ie/

Wicklow Way Ultra: 51km for €15! 29c per km! Beautiful scenery, great cameraderie!

https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/1223

On that note the IMRA races are great value - €7 each for great fun events in a lovely locations.

https://www.imra.ie/events/

also, as mentioned, The Dublin Race Series, Terenure 5, Raheny 5, Ballycotton 10 are all great fun, great value. Stook 10 mile should also be in everyone's calendar:

http://www.stook10.ie/

vanderlyle

The Rathfarnham 5K (September) for the quality field.

The Dunboyne 4 mile (March) - I've never seen as much food after a race.

Both 20e

WicklowTiger

Rosslare 10K organised by Wexford Tri Club, Easter Monday every year. Last few years it's been €13, or €15 on the day. Chip timing, great technical T-shirt, good prizes, very well organised - mostly flat course in a lovely seaside setting. And sambos/cake after!

glacial_pace71

The Dublin BHAA races offer a good mix of cross-country in winter, with the summer months seeing a variety of road races, beach races and a few on the track too (though Irishtown was/is still under repair as far as I recall?) - can't post links but Google 'Dublin BHAA' and you'll find the current list of fixtures. Races are a tenner each for a member or €15 for day members. (Membership = €15, so it pays for itself after 3 races).
The Raheny 5 in January, the Dunboyne 4 miler in spring, and the Sportsworld Classic/Terenure 5 miler in the summer are all good value and well-run events.
The Dublin Race series is pretty good value too.

Toffeeboy

run Clare series Jan to April. 5km, 5 mile, 10km & 10 mile for 50 euro.

http://www.eamonmoloney10k.ie/

eviltwin

Dunboyne is great, one of the best events I've done. Dublin race series is excellent value, women's mini marathon and parking too

JohnDozer

tang1 wrote:

The 10k isn't value for money, year upon year its short & the organisers refuse to address it.

That's a different 10k. The one mentioned above cannot be faulted. Those 4 races for €50 are excellent value and very well organised. Plans are afoot for another series next year and I highly recommend them. All perfectly measured with chip timing.

menoscemo

vanderlyle wrote: »

The Rathfarnham 5K (September) for the quality field.

If you think that is good check out the Na fianna Bob heffernan 5k near Enfield.

€12 for arguably the fastest and most competitive 5k in the country. Perfecly organised and a huge feed afterwards.

http://registration.precisiontiming.net/events/preview?id=233&EventNAme=Bob_Heffernan_5k_2015

tang1

JohnDozer wrote: »

That's a different 10k. The one mentioned above cannot be faulted. Those 4 races for €50 are excellent value and very well organised. Plans are afoot for another series next year and I highly recommend them. All perfectly measured with chip timing.

Apologies, i'll delete my comment.

HelenAnne

eoinín wrote: »

parkrun - cant be beaten for value - free weekly timed run, well organised and good atmosphere.

http://www.parkrun.ie/

Wicklow Way Ultra: 51km for €15! 29c per km! Beautiful scenery, great cameraderie!

https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/1223

On that note the IMRA races are great value - €7 each for great fun events in a lovely locations.

https://www.imra.ie/events/

also, as mentioned, The Dublin Race Series, Terenure 5, Raheny 5, Ballycotton 10 are all great fun, great value. Stook 10 mile should also be in everyone's calendar:

http://www.stook10.ie/

I love the cowbell I got at The Stook! And delicious food after.

Best post race food: terenure 5 mile, the Stook, Sheeps Head 10k and (rumour has it) the Route 2 Crook.

HelenAnne

HelenAnne wrote: »

I love the cowbell I got at The Stook! And delicious food after.

Best post race food: terenure 5 mile, the Stook, Sheeps Head 10k and (rumour has it) the Route 2 Crook.

And the BHAA brack.

All the BHAA races are good, but I really enjoy the Teachers and Garda cross country.

Timmaay

Little bias here ha, but Wicklow fit4life league, 5euro entry, range of accurately measured races from 1mile to 4 miles, prizes for loads of different ages categories alongside spot prizes afterwards, end of league completion prizes.

Slightly different but very much so viable alternative for all athletes are track races such as the Dublin graded, 8 euros (or 5e student/junior), races are all graded according to times so pick whatever race you think suits yourself.

On the other end of the spectrum actually are the IMRAs, I can't remember the entry fee but think it's 7euros, brilliant atmospheres at these races, with a very closely knit community doing them week in week out.

breffni blue

Raheny 5 for €20 is great value
EOI marathons are the best value marathons in Ireland €25 for great medal, well stock aid stations, and results posted within 24hrs of race,

Slogger Jogger

The IMRA races are better value again. You can buy race vouchers which work out at €5 per race.

Also, if you do your summer races and the required volunteer stint you'll get a completion prize which is usually substantial e.g. last year it was a light-weight running jacket. IMRA likes to give back to its members...

RayCun

in general, you want your races to be organised by a running club, and licenced by the AAI, or run by a body like IMRA or BHAA.
Organised by runners for runners, where the money raised is going on race expenses (including prizes and goodie bags etc) and back into the sport

Otherwise you have people cutting corners because "sure its only a fun run", or they don't even realise the ways they are failing to provide a good race. An athletics club won't want to put on a bad race because they have a reputation to uphold. An insert-other-sport-here club isn't going to care, because the race is just a fundraising means to an end

rainbow kirby

breffni blue wrote: »

Raheny 5 for €20 is great value

+1, absolutely fantastic race.

The spread of food after the Jingle Bells 5k and after BHAA races is always a sight to behold too

Dunshaughlin 10k is well worth it too, good course and the finish line strawberries are a nice perk.

ultraman1

http://climbers.net/race/expensive-races.php

Most expensive...

vanderlyle

menoscemo wrote: »

If you think that is good check out the Na fianna Bob heffernan 5k near Enfield.

€12 for arguably the fastest and most competitive 5k in the country. Perfecly organised and a huge feed afterwards.

http://registration.precisiontiming.net/events/preview?id=233&EventNAme=Bob_Heffernan_5k_2015

Never ran this but from reading last year's thread, it sounds very fast. I'll miss it again this year because I'll be away on holidays. Can't argue with 12 euro.

The quality field comparison got me thinking, so here are the cumulative number of finishers under 15, 16, 17, and 20 minutes. Numbers are taken from precision timing results pages for the last 3 years.

Race||Sub 15|Sub 16|Sub 17|Sub 20

2014 Rathfarnham||10|33|63|193
2014 Bob Heffernan||1|14|49|199
|||||
2013 Rathfarnham||4|20|47|167
2013 Bob Heffernan||0|9|42|157
|||||
2012 Rathfarnham||0|23|56|173
2012 Bob Heffernan||0|10|39|150


Interesting that the sub 20 figures match quite closely. That's where quality of the Bob Heffernan really comes through, at least in terms of proportion of finishers. E.g. in 2013, 56% of Bob Heffernan participants finished under 20 minutes, vs only 15% sub 20 in Rathfarnham.

menoscemo

vanderlyle wrote: »

Interesting that the sub 20 figures match quite closely. That's where quality of the Bob Heffernan really comes through, at least in terms of proportion of finishers. E.g. in 2013, 56% of Bob Heffernan participants finished under 20 minutes, vs only 15% sub 20 in Rathfarnham.

Yes it's the depth that is amazing I'd imagine Bob Heffernan has maybe a 10th of the numbers Rathfarnham does but almost all in the former are there targeting a good time and lots of local clubs make up the numbers.

eoinín

RayCun wrote: »

Otherwise you have people cutting corners because "sure its only a fun run", or they don't even realise the ways they are failing to provide a good race. An athletics club won't want to put on a bad race because they have a reputation to uphold. An insert-other-sport-here club isn't going to care, because the race is just a fundraising means to an end

I think that's a bit of a generalisation. People shouldn't blanket ignore non-AAI or non running-club races on the assumption that they'll be rubbish. If a GAA club organised race has got good feedback in previous years and sounds well organised, then go for it. There are some great races out there that are not organised by traditional running bodies but are still enjoyable and may be in unique locations. The Run-Egal / Horn Head Challenge in Donegal is one example I can think of. With the GAA organised races you're often only paying €10 for a 10k, which is pretty good value.

And on the flip side just because a race is organised by a running club, it doesn't mean that it is guaranteed to be accurately measured. I can think of 2 club races I've ran in the last few years that were considerably shorter than advertised distance. The clubs readily admitted to this but it just shows that even experienced race organisers get it wrong.

RayCun

eoinín wrote: »

I think that's a bit of a generalisation.

it completely is, that's why I said "in general"

yes, sometimes non-club races are good, and club races are bad. But if its the first year of a race, or you haven't heard anything about the race before, a club race is a better bet than a non-club race.

bigslice

RayCun wrote: »

in general, you want your races to be organised by a running club, and licenced by the AAI, or run by a body like IMRA or BHAA.
Organised by runners for runners, where the money raised is going on race expenses (including prizes and goodie bags etc) and back into the sport

Otherwise you have people cutting corners because "sure its only a fun run", or they don't even realise the ways they are failing to provide a good race. An athletics club won't want to put on a bad race because they have a reputation to uphold. An insert-other-sport-here club isn't going to care, because the race is just a fundraising means to an end

I'd disagree on the grounds that this isn't a gurantee. I'd be involved in a GAA club race and am also a runner myself in a AC.

From day one the GAA club raced was set up to be an annual event and we worked on that principal - €10 entry, AAI course and measured, closed roads, chip timed, massive spread and after event guest speaker.

We've grown from about 400 in year 1 to nearly 800 last year, which isn't bad for a 5km at the start on December in Monaghan.

When its over we have a debriefing and highlight any issues we had so that we can start again next year.

Outside of that I've been at races set up others - GAA clubs, national schools etc that have been poor. I'd agree that club races are generally very well run and great value for money.

When you see Fun Run in the title, generally save to assume it could go anyway!

RayCun

if you're a GAA club hosting a big match, you get the pitch in good condition, lines marked, flags in place, all that crack.. same if you're a golf club hosting a golf competition - mow and water the greens, rake the bunkers, what have you...
because you're inviting your peers around, and putting on a good match is central to what your club is about. If you hold great matches and run ****e fun runs.. okay, maybe you'd rather be better at both, but one is the priority.

If you're an athletics club and you get the distances wrong, or people go off course because of missing stewards, or the timing at your track meet doesn't work, it's embarrassing, in a way that a badly run pub quiz or raffle wouldn't be. Yeah, you'd like the fundraiser to go well so you can do it again next year and make more from it. But if it doesn't, it isn't the end of the world

But yeah, there are some clubs who have made monumental ****-ups, and you'd hope they were deeply ashamed of it

tunguska

Bohermeen 5k is one of my favorite races of the year. Course is very fair (not overly undulating, not as fast as the Bob Heffernan race either). Saturday evening in June and the weather is usually great. Good depth of field and a whopper spread after. 12 quid to enter and its usually on 2 weeks before dunshaughlin.

sconhome

Galway 5k series.

6 official races, chip timed, measured, certified, for runners by runners with all proceeds going to the County board works out at just €5 each. AND a t-shirt for anyone who completes the series.

What's not to love about it?!

event

Patsy Kelly 5k in Dundalk in April. Very quick course, good t shirt, quality goody bag, loads of food afterwards. AFAIK its organised by a running club there. Ive always enjoyed it and make a point of doing it when I can. €15 IIRC

Might be biased but I love the Dunleer 4 mile. You dont get many 4 mile races so its a bit different. Last year we got mugs (makes a change from the t shirt you wont wear). Great atmosphere at the finishing stretch, good spread of food afterwards.

My two favourite in Louth anyway

eldiva

menoscemo wrote: »

If you think that is good check out the Na fianna Bob heffernan 5k near Enfield.

€12 for arguably the fastest and most competitive 5k in the country. Perfecly organised and a huge feed afterwards.

http://registration.precisiontiming.net/events/preview?id=233&EventNAme=Bob_Heffernan_5k_2015

No chance, Rathfarnham is far more competitive. Sure this year they had 10 under 15min and 33 under 16min. That's competitive.
Other races are Dunboyne 4mile, Jingle Bells 5k, Tom Brennan 5k, Dunshaughlin 10k.

Might sound elitist but for a quick 5k and value of money you can't rule out Armagh 5k but it does have a qualifying standard of 17min.

menoscemo

eldiva wrote: »

No chance, Rathfarnham is far more competitive. Sure this year they had 10 under 15min and 33 under 16min. That's competitive.
Other races are Dunboyne 4mile, Jingle Bells 5k, Tom Brennan 5k, Dunshaughlin 10k.

Might sound elitist but for a quick 5k and value of money you can't rule out Armagh 5k but it does have a qualifying standard of 17min.

I mean depth from the median time point of view, not necessarily from the very front of the field.
As Vanderlyle pointed out 56% of the finishers in Bob Hefferenan 2013 finished under 20 minutes compared to 15% in Rathfarnham.
In Bob Heffernan you can start a few rows back and not be impeded by slower runners at the front unlike in Rathfarnham

pc11

Let me add my thumbs up for the following:

• Raheny 5 and all the Raheny mid-week series races
  
• Park Run
  
• BHAA races
  
• IMRA races
  
• Waterford HM and Waterford winter series
  
• Rathfarnham 5K

Bungy Girl

+1 to

Raheny 5m
BHAA
IMRA
Dunboyne 4m
Terenure 5m
Dunshaughlin 10K
Jingle Bells 5K

And, I don't think it has been mentioned, surprisingly, but The Lakes 10K in Blessington organised by Lakeshore Striders in early September is an incredible race. So well organised, brilliant atmosphere, beautiful location and to the very best of my knowledge all the registrations go to a nominated charity with the race costs covered by sponsors. Best post-race lemon muffins ever. BTW I've nothing to do with the organising club, it's just my favourite race by a long shot. Which reminds me to enter it now .

menoscemo

Yes the lakes 10k is a cracker.
Consistently scored top marks when we used to do a poll on races on the events forum. Over 3 years and about 15 votes per year I think it scored 5/5 on every vote ever!!

skittles8710

The Killarney Marathon of the Lakes..I did the half last yr. 30euro entry, great scenic route, t,shirt, medal, pacers, plenty water stations, relaxed atmosphere but well stewarded and a fine spread of sandwiches tea, coffee and juices afterwards at the finish line.

Button_y

I haven't ran too many races I usually like races on country roads but have ran the SLOT fit for life 10K the last 2 years and thought it was really well organised, great atmosphere and great value. I have ran a couple of commercial races which I thought cut corners with food/water, I don't care about a medal, the t-shirt can be handy but I could take it or leave it. The course and atmosphere are what really make a race for me.

eldiva

Tinryland 4 mile is also a great race

spurscormac

AKW wrote: »

Galway 5k series.

6 official races, chip timed, measured, certified, for runners by runners with all proceeds going to the County board works out at just €5 each. AND a t-shirt for anyone who completes the series.

What's not to love about it?!

Simply can't be beaten for value.
4000+ people online at opening of registration and just 700 places available says it all really.

Not that I'd be biased at all :P

jake1970

the flatline Athlone half marathon is a well organised race and great value.

career move

I did this race last night. It was started in 2013 as a memorial to John Kelly(1929 - 2012) who was born and went to primary school in Loughmore. He emigrated to Australia in the forties and after dabbling in several sports at a relatively high level, he went on to represent Ireland in the 1968 Olympics in the 50k walk. Unfortunately for him he had to pull out of the race early on due to illness but he had some other notable successes including winning a snowy Philadelphia marathon and earning a place in the Guinness book of records for walking 120 miles in the notorious Death Valley Desert, California in the non-stop record time of 34 hours 9 minutes and 9 seconds.

The race itself takes place in the locality of Loughmore which is a very small village. The start is downhill and fast for about half a k and then levels off. You then begin one of only two ascents of any note when you climb steadily in the 2nd k for about 400m. There are a couple of short descents after this that give you a chance to recover and the rest of the course is relatively flat on quiet country roads with only a couple of turns. The last 200m is the other uphill when you turn back under the railway bridge to run up to the finish.

For a small local race it was really well organised. The starter made me laugh before the off when he announced that only the skinny men and women should be in the front row There were loads of marshals out on the course and plenty of tea, sandwiches and cake after. They were also very generous with the prizes - cash for the first 3 men and women and there was also a seperate junior race with prizes for the first three M/F U16. What I thought was a lovely gesture was John Kelly's widow, Kati Kelly, donated the medals that John won during his lifetime, and the winning man and woman received one of these as well. How cool is that?
Definitely a race for the diary!

rom

Waterford half
Ballycotton

dintbo

Some great rates already mentioned. Don't think anyone has said the Ferrycarrig 5 mile yet. Great race, pretty competitive at the top end of the field and a good time of the year two help get back in to shape after Christmas excesses.

aero2k

I'd agree with all the races mentioned already - I've run a fair few of them and I trust the opinions of people who have run the others.

I'd add
Dungarvan 10 - good course, great grub afterwards, best tee shirt ever
Craughwell 10 - as above
Castleknock 5km - new in 2014, organised by local runners, challenging but potentially fast course

If you like to contribute to charity, the Ark 5k/10k and the Liberties 6.5 k are very good - all funds go to the charity.

The best value race I ever ran was a 10k in Dungarvan organised by West Waterford AC. It takes place annually about 4 weeks after the 10 miler, over part of the same course. No tee shirt, entry fee was €7. Git 101 ran with me, we had a huge feed afterwards, and we got spot prizes of a bottle of wine each, so I reckon we came out ahead.

pc11

aero2k wrote: »

I'd agree with all the races mentioned already - I've run a fair few of them and I trust the opinions of people who have run the others.

I'd add
Dungarvan 10 - good course, great grub afterwards, best tee shirt ever
Craughwell 10 - as above
Castleknock 5km - new in 2014, organised by local runners, challenging but potentially fast course

If you like to contribute to charity, the Ark 5k/10k and the Liberties 6.5 k are very good - all funds go to the charity.

The best value race I ever ran was a 10k in Dungarvan organised by West Waterford AC. It takes place annually about 4 weeks after the 10 miler, over part of the same course. No tee shirt, entry fee was €7. Git 101 ran with me, we had a huge feed afterwards, and we got spot prizes of a bottle of wine each, so I reckon we came out ahead.

+1 for anything that West Waterford AC organise, a really excellent club. (Not a member, but have done several of their races).

Greenmachine

Super idea for a thread. Will mark some of these in the calender.

Pink11

I didn't want to make a new thread so said I'd bump this one.

Anyone know of any other 10k minimum races mid week? I really wish we could have some more of these. (I'm living in Dublin).

I need a race in October. It's the only month I've nothing at all on. (Doing the Clon marathon in December so the Dub marathon is out for me this year).

tang1

Pink11 wrote: »

I didn't want to make a new thread so said I'd bump this one.

Anyone know of any other 10k minimum races mid week? I really wish we could have some more of these. (I'm living in Dublin).

I need a race in October. It's the only month I've nothing at all on. (Doing the Clon marathon in December so the Dub marathon is out for me this year).

Not mid-week, Donadea 10k is 10th of October & Longwood 10k is week after on 18th. Both very good races €20 with t-shirts. The Athlone 3/4 marathon is the 4th of October and if like last year, you get a tech singlet rather than a t-shirt. Not much on mid-week that time of year, keep an eye on Lindie Naughtons blog, she has most comprehensive racing calender you can get. Something new may pop up there.

Pink11

tang1 wrote: »

Not mid-week, Donadea 10k is 10th of October & Longwood 10k is week after on 18th. Both very good races €20 with t-shirts. The Athlone 3/4 marathon is the 4th of October and if like last year, you get a tech singlet rather than a t-shirt. Not much on mid-week that time of year, keep an eye on Lindie Naughtons blog, she has most comprehensive racing calender you can get. Something new may pop up there.

Thank you. I would love to do a 3.4 marathon but I'll be away for that Athlone date. I tried to research some more and can't find any other races of that distance in Ireland. Can anyone help?:pac: