IMRA Season 2018

james quinn

Unfortunately as suspected an alternative for Sunday couldnt be found so its confirmed that Maulin rescheduled for March 17th will be the final race in the Winter / Spring League

Slogger Jogger

james quinn wrote: »

Unfortunately as suspected an alternative for Sunday couldnt be found so its confirmed that Maulin rescheduled for March 17th will be the final race in the Winter / Spring League

Its a pity. Not for the want of trying that's for sure. Snow is melting very slowly on our favourite hills. Enough of this darned road running in training :rolleyes:

Kurt.Godel

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Its a pity. Not for the want of trying that's for sure. Snow is melting very slowly on our favourite hills. Enough of this darned road running in training :rolleyes:

Gotta say Mick, that course inspection on Wed was a blast! It would have been fantastic to run a race in those conditions except:
a) there would have been no running
b) there would have been little parking!
c) there would have been HUGE problems getting first aid onto the course!!!

However, living in a world without consequence:
d) it would have been EPIC and the session back in the pun EVEN EPIC-ER!!!

But, hopefully we will get to run it in the Summer. For the moment, anyone who wants to make memories; get up on those snow-covered hills!:D

seamusk84

Anyone know when Maulin on Paddys Day will reopen for online registration?

Hurrache

It's there now for purchase.

Kurt.Godel

Annagh is now rescheduled and will run Saturday 31st March. Full details www.imra.ie

Kurt.Godel

Maulin has been cancelled due to a lack of volunteers.

Hurrache

It's a bad day and weekend really. Bank holiday weekend, St Patrick's Day, rugby all creating a perfect storm to be either out with family or away watching the game for many.

james quinn

pity but if not enough volunteers nothing that can be done

james quinn

Would hardly be rescheduled again at this stage given it was the second time and the year is ticking along. Are we likely to see Annagh Hill as the last race?

Kurt.Godel

I really feel for the Race Director, thats twice she has put in a lot of effort in vain.

Lack of help is a big problem in a volunteer-led organisation like IMRA. Quite often over the last few years a race has been saved at the last minute by the usual suspects coming forward to save the day. Thankfully there are many newer runners who also seem to share a lions burden of their volunteer duties. If anyone is on the fence about volunteering, any race director would be very grateful for people signing up to help at an early stage, it makes the job of planning much easier. And for some reason volunteers seem very lucky when it comes to any spot prizes after the race! Annagh in particular has always been organised by people from Boards, so any help from Boards members would be most appreciated! https://www.imra.ie/volunteering/

I'd imagine (but don't know) that Annagh will now be the final race in the Winter League. As it happens I'm just back in from an inspection of part of the course- lots of trees and branches down in places from the snow, so more cutting needed! Its also very wet at the moment, cannot stress enough that grippy shoes are mandatory highly recommended!

DubOnHoliday

It was never going to work having a race on St Patrick’s Day, it was my first thought when I saw the date. Those with families would find it very difficult to go. I know a huge amount of work went on behind the scenes and full respect for that. I have to bite my tongue when I see people on the imra forum moaning about this and that and you see they never volunteer. It would be an interesting stat how many runners from 2017 volunteered. There also should be a limit for the shorter races on volunteers. Last years Killiney relay had something like 25 volunteers for a 3k loop! The next race at tonelagee had 4 or something like that.

Not sure Patrick's Day is such a factor. Or the rugby.

MMRA have 2 races today, an ultra and a half marathon, and are proceeding even though both only fixed for today following a postponement during the bad weather. And Claragh is on tomorrow.

Not saying the situations are identical, there are different logistics in putting on an ultra, the Claragh run has the huge support of the local AC. Do know there was a drive on social media to get volunteers out, local ACs were in touch etc.

Hurrache

It's definitely a factor for many. Saturday's in general aren't great for anyone with a family as kids have lots of activities on anyway, and then add St. Patrick's Day to the mix. There was no local AC involved with Maulin in the first place.

DubOnHoliday

Would’ve helped out except for my family is in the parade with local AC. Anyway I think it’s a blessing in disguise, it would be horrendous on Maulin today.

Kurt.Godel

Still snow on Annagh ridge this morning- that deep drift that was 2m is down to 1m now. All runnable though, and great fun.

Slogger Jogger

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

Still snow on Annagh ridge this morning- that deep drift that was 2m is down to 1m now. All runnable though, and great fun.

I hope you cleared a good path. If we send you for a few more reccies we'll be sorted.

Kurt.Godel

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

I hope you cleared a good path. If we send you for a few more reccies we'll be sorted.

lol we will have to get back up there with the hand saws- the snow has weighed down a few trees/branches. The remaining snow banks are all runnable though, so all good to go. Should be a good race; we will have enough volunteers to plan, mark, marshall the route, and record position (and photograph too!). I'll do first aider if needed; as far as I can see everything after that is bells and whistles. A nice pint back at the pub and a grand way to end the winter league.

neasyerac

Great Course at Sli Mhuscrai Half Marathon on saturday! Big kudos to the people who gave up there time for the ultra, great event all around. Knee deep in bog land or running down fire roads it had it all! Great start to the half series.

DubOnHoliday

And so it is... Wednesday night racing is back this week with the start of the IMRA trial league at Djouce. At an earlier time of 7pm to ensure people finish in daylight. The trail league is aimed at introducing people to hill running, not loo much elevation. See you there!

james quinn

havent been able to make the wens night races due to my better half working late on a wens of all days!! Any recommendations on league or races to look at instead? Finished the winter / spring league and missing the hills!

Peterx

The Leinster League is back, the Munster Men are flying, the Irish Champs kicks off up in local knowledge land at Slieve Donard and the internationals are giving it sox at the Trail World Championships.

Here comes the summer!

I still think we should cancel the winter league, the anticipation of waiting for the season to kick off would be even bigger

Was out in Bray Head watching the action, great evening for it and Bronagh and team did a super job of herding the cats into something resembling a line. Those pesky juniors are getting better all the time. It reminds me of the cycling

Peterx

One of the highlinghts of the IMRA season is upon us with the WWR, Wicklow Way Relay rolling around again.
The recces have been done, the logistics and car drops are planned and now all it takes is for the runners to run.
Haven't seen the team make-ups as yet but as always the bigger club teams will be duking it out for the overall with battles continuing all the way down the field. A long way down if your runner gets lost


mildly off topic:
I was thinking of different ways of doing the race and I would love to see a human powered effort. It would be a massive day out for some on an 8 man team but essentially you would cycle to your leg start, run your leg and then cycle to the finish. Logistically easy for a 2 man team of similar height although the effort would be mad, ted.

Djoucer

Love the relay.

The joy of seeing a runner on your leg go wrong as you sprint to get out of sight before they look back.

The waiting team wondering where their runner is, emotions going from concern to anger.

''Tis great craic.

Kurt.Godel

It's the best race of the year, hundreds of eager runners, positively Shakespearean for drama, in a setting that can't be beat. Every year the wide awake tortoise passes by the hares who fell asleep at a junction, and adds to the drama and the stories. Recent years have seen a narrowing of this activity though... the advent of GPS watches, or more prudent recces?

I'm running leg 4 for OverBoards, chosen for the swim in the lake afterwards! It'll be great fun tomorrow, looks like a pretty warm day, see y'all out there and back in Shillelagh.

Hurrache

I don't think GPS watched have much input into how the race plays out, there's still many runners getting lost or taking wrong turns, of all abilities, on all legs. So many finish the final leg alone coming from the wrong direction.

Kurt.Godel

The teams are now listed on IMRA website... on paper the winner looks like TTRacers for 3 in a row (but "on paper" isn't worth the paper its written on). Rathfarnham look strong and will put it up to them all the way, but all it'll take is a twist or a turn and several teams look ready to pounce. I think leg 7 looks like being an interesting leg, several fast racers there and its a tough leg to pace right in the heat.

Special kudos to Torban who will run leg 1 for one team and leg 7 for another!!!

Working class heroes

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

The teams are now listed on IMRA website... on paper the winner looks like TTRacers for 3 in a row (but "on paper" isn't worth the paper its written on). Rathfarnham look strong and will put it up to them all the way, but all it'll take is a twist or a turn and several teams look ready to pounce. I think leg 7 looks like being an interesting leg, several fast racers there and its a tough leg to pace right in the heat.

Special kudos to Torban who will run leg 1 for one team and leg 7 for another!!!

Really? Which teams?

RayCun

Leg 1 - Not much faster, but certainly furiouser
Leg 7 - Glendalough AC

Kurt.Godel

lol Tinahely Tri club also have the same runner for legs 1 and 7... best of luck Darren!