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IMRA Season 2019

  • 09-01-2019 7:14pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭


    The mountain running calendar has never been busier. For those new to IMRA here is some of a piece I wrote for my club.


    The full list of events can be found here.
    https://www.imra.ie/events/
    A lot of the races are arranged into leagues. Winter/Spring league, Trail league, Summer league.
    https://www.imra.ie/leagues/

    First up in Leinster is the Winter Spring league. Starting at the Hellfire club on Sun 13th Jan.
    https://www.imra.ie/leagues/view/id/291/
    You can race all races in the league if you want, but at least 4 if you want to score.

    To join imra you do the following steps.
    1. Create a login on this imra website (for children they need a separate login and email address too)
    2. Pay IMRA membership of 10 Euro in the purchase options.

    To do an IMRA race there are two options.
    1. Pre-register. You purchase an entry online to the race at least 24 hours before the event. Cost is 7 Euro.
    2. Vouchers. You can buy a voucher card for 50 Euro which covers 10 races. With vouchers you do not have to register for any race, you just turn up on the day and your voucher card will be punched. Vouchers are the best option as they are transferable and you can share with your friends etc.

    When you go to the race you will either go to the pre-register desk, or the voucher desk.
    At your first race you will collect your number which you keep for the year (don't throw it out!), and you can collect a voucher book if you've bought one.

    Mandatory. You must carry/wear a raincoat at all times at any IMRA event. There are controls and you can be DQ'ed!


«13

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 771 ✭✭✭Rojo


    Thanks for the explanation.

    I joined and got the voucher card... No excuses now! :-)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭The Noble Nudge


    Signed up...Just a quick one for you IMRA peeps..

    I'm thinking about Maurice Mullins Ultra do I need to have ran in an IMRA event before hand to qualify to enter?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭DubOnHoliday


    Signed up...Just a quick one for you IMRA peeps..

    I'm thinking about Maurice Mullins Ultra do I need to have ran in an IMRA event before hand to qualify to enter?

    No, you just have to be mad, you qualify ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 471 ✭✭muloc


    No, you just have to be mad, you qualify ;)

    Looking at the Maurice Mullins Half - is it fairly obvious where to go? Don't see anything bout map/compass being required


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,248 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    It's pretty obvious, you just follow the Wicklow Way signs, and anyone else around you.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    Looking forward to kicking off the year on Sunday in Hellfire. Same route as the altered finish last year. Looks like it will be decent enough weather too :-)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭bilbot79


    Did you guys do this today? I never made it but hope to get to the howth one


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    Get to get the year kicks off. Conditions were relatively good in fairness, a good wind on top but pretty good overall. I found a definite jump in standards and a quality field?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    Get to get the year kicks off. Conditions were relatively good in fairness, a good wind on top but pretty good overall. I found a definite jump in standards and a quality field?

    Looked pretty competitive compared to previous years.

    Hellfire usually attracts a few fast road runners. It also doesn’t suit the more pure mtn runner given it’s lack of climbs/technical downhill.


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    Definitely agree with Djoucer, the later races with less road and more sharp downhills will tighten things up!! Good competition do and good to see a quality field keeping everyone honest.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭DubOnHoliday


    Great to see such a big turnout. Tough conditions cresting the hill each time into the gale! Ridiculous time set by the winner, amazing. I was happy to get two mins off last year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭The Noble Nudge


    Is 200 plus the normal turnout?

    Very well organised, thanks to the volunteers and words of encouragement from well wishers...
    Legs were fine cant say the same for my lungs....
    Now do I do Howth??
    Any of the cycler's know of secure bike parking anywhere over there?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭DubOnHoliday


    Is 200 plus the normal turnout?

    Very well organised, thanks to the volunteers and words of encouragement from well wishers...
    Legs were fine cant say the same for my lungs....
    Now do I do Howth??
    Any of the cycler's know of secure bike parking anywhere over there?
    Howth will see a similar amount. Races close to the m50 tend to see bigger turnouts, weather is a big factor too. For howth it’s a long way to drive for a 6k race but I’ll see.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,248 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    Is 200 plus the normal turnout?

    Very well organised, thanks to the volunteers and words of encouragement from well wishers...
    Legs were fine cant say the same for my lungs....
    Now do I do Howth??
    Any of the cycler's know of secure bike parking anywhere over there?

    The golf club used to be used and plenty safely left their bikes there. There's new owners now and for one reason or another it's not being used, so it looks like you may be locking your bike as an ordinary visitor to Howth.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,044 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    There will be volunteers at the start/finish line. Could probably leave the bike within eyesight of them?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭The Noble Nudge


    Howth will see a similar amount. Races close to the m50 tend to see bigger turnouts, weather is a big factor too. For howth it’s a long way to drive for a 6k race but I’ll see.

    Not the easiest to get to and trying to fit in Maurice Mullins training around it....
    Dont fancy running out :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    Looks like it will be calm and crisp tomorrow in Howth!! Little to no chance of rain, no real wind and nice and low temperatures for racing :-) Should be fast


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭bilbot79


    Can you still sign up at this point?


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    You can sign up online until 6pm this evening (18th Jan) or if you have a voucher at registration is fine. You need the annual membership to purchase the online entries and vouchers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭bilbot79


    Well that was tough! Very enjoyable at the same time and im chuffed with myself for putting in the effort. Will have a go a trooperstown but will need to put in some serious training first.

    Is it discouraged to do a Sprint finish? I was going for it but the officials were like 'take it easy'. I just like to empty the tank but in fairness there was a big crowd and no gap between them.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    bilbot79 wrote: »
    Well that was tough! Very enjoyable at the same time and im chuffed with myself for putting in the effort. Will have a go a trooperstown but will need to put in some serious training first.

    Is it discouraged to do a Sprint finish? I was going for it but the officials were like 'take it easy'. I just like to empty the tank but in fairness there was a big crowd and no gap between them.

    Sprint finishes are encouraged!

    May have been the case that the finish was the start of cones/finish funnel and you were still sprinting after finish line.

    But it’s always a race to the line!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭stampydmonkey


    bilbot79 wrote: »
    Is it discouraged to do a Sprint finish? I was going for it but the officials were like 'take it easy'. I just like to empty the tank but in fairness there was a big crowd and no gap between them.

    It's a tight turn towards the end, so not worth getting injured over it. My wife did her ankle badly there last year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭The Noble Nudge


    Has anyone a Strava file for the Maurice Mullins Ultra they could send me please?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,454 ✭✭✭mloc123


    Has anyone a Strava file for the Maurice Mullins Ultra they could send me please?

    https://www.strava.com/activities/914099361

    Not mine, but found it on Strava when looking for the route.

    Any idea when entry opens?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭The Noble Nudge


    mloc123 wrote: »
    https://www.strava.com/activities/914099361

    Not mine, but found it on Strava when looking for the route.

    Any idea when entry opens?

    Im told Friday 1st Feb...
    Keep an eye in here...

    https://www.imra.ie/events/forum/id/1674/


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    GLENCULLEN / TICKNOCK POSTPONED

    https://www.imra.ie/forum/topic/id/5092

    Looks like snow and ice has made the route to dangerous for racing so just postponed.

    Best call in fairness.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    Ah was looking forward to racing it in those conditions.

    The mtns at the moment are a joy to run in.

    I’d say it was more down to roads than actual course.


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 james quinn


    Djoucer wrote: »
    Ah was looking forward to racing it in those conditions.

    The mtns at the moment are a joy to run in.

    I’d say it was more down to roads than actual course.

    id agree, id say they are as concerned about those getting to and from the event as much as anything. Bar the last downhill it would be pretty straight forward. Anyway happy to respect the call.

    I'm heading to trooperstown as an alternative as i want to take advantage of the conditions


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,997 ✭✭✭68 lost souls


    Was somewhat lookkkng forward to it but the roads that way have been pretty bad this week. Definitely the right decision for the people getting there. mountain rescue have been clear this week about people not driving up the mountains this week unnecessarily


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,846 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    I’d be interested in doing one of the smaller runs towards the summer, the Prince William’s Seat one in Wicklow looks good. Are general trainers ok or do you needs specialist trainers for these?

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    You’ll get by in normal running shoes in some of the races.

    Trail shoes are always better but you’d be able to run a few of the summer races in road shoes. You’ll be a bit slower.

    V weather dependent tho. Prince William is probably one of the easier races to do in road shoes in good weather.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭Woke Hogan


    While these races are well ran, what really lets the organisation down is the delay in getting results out. :rolleyes: No results still for the most recent race which was 2 1/d days ago. Their policy is to “get results out within a week”.

    Seriously? Most people have lost interest after a few days. I’m not aware of any other similar organisation that doesn’t have results out within hours of the event finishing, including Parkruns up and down the country.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    Woke Hogan wrote: »
    While these races are well ran, what really lets the organisation down is the delay in getting results out. :rolleyes: No results still for the most recent race which was 2 1/d days ago. Their policy is to “get results out within a week”.

    Seriously? Most people have lost interest after a few days. I’m not aware of any other similar organisation that doesn’t have results out within hours of the event finishing, including Parkruns up and down the country.

    Volunteer yourself so and get them up quicker.

    Results up within a week is perfectly acceptable. Can’t see how it takes away from the actual race.

    Complaining of a 2 and 1/2 day delay? Perhaps IMRA and it’s ethos isn’t for you.

    Comparisons to Parkruns are bogus. They run the same 5k course every single week.

    Doesn’t require people going out during week to mark a 10km course, demark it, sort out parking/permits etc.

    Given all work involved, people are entitled to enjoy their weekend without someone moaning about lack of results on a Monday evening.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭Woke Hogan


    Djoucer wrote: »
    Volunteer yourself so and get them up quicker.

    Results up within a week is perfectly acceptable. Can’t see how it takes away from the actual race.

    Complaining of a 2 and 1/2 day delay? Perhaps IMRA and it’s ethos isn’t for you.

    Comparisons to Parkruns are bogus. They run the same 5k course every single week.

    Doesn’t require people going out during week to mark a 10km course, demark it, sort out parking/permits etc.

    Given all work involved, people are entitled to enjoy their weekend without someone moaning about lack of results on a Monday evening.

    Yeah alright, :rolleyes: how long would it take to sift through the times and put up the results? A few hours max? It strikes me as doing a half arsed job to be honest.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    Woke Hogan wrote: »
    Yeah alright, :rolleyes: how long would it take to sift through the times and put up the results? A few hours max? It strikes me as doing a half arsed job to be honest.

    Volunteer and find out. Lots of roles for next week’s race.

    You’ll get a quicker answer to be honest if you ask the question on the IMRA forum using your IMRA profile.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭Kurt.Godel


    Djoucer wrote: »
    Volunteer yourself so and get them up quicker.

    Perfect succinct response from Djoucer.

    The leverage behind IMRA is a large band of volunteers who make these races happen. It's a great community and has been for many many years- the secret behind its success. However, things change, and faster results are perhaps expected now from a more online savvy community... not something I personally agree with but I can understand where it comes from.

    If you are honestly rolling your eyes at the timing of results Woke Hogan, you first need to look inward and ask what can you do to speed up the process. These races happen/don't happen because of the work put in by volunteers. For 7€/5€ a race, the IMRA model works very well IMO. If you can offer better value by helping speed up the results process, I'm sure all RD's will take on board your suggestions (and no harm in discussion to make things better).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭Kurt.Godel


    Woke Hogan wrote: »
    Yeah alright, :rolleyes: how long would it take to sift through the times and put up the results? A few hours max? It strikes me as doing a half arsed job to be honest.

    Sorry I replied to your post now after reading that. Maybe IMRA isn't for you. It's volunteer-led and unpaid, but a huge amount of positivity to those who enter, those who run, and those who organise.

    Was your position in the race material that it needed to be posted so soon?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭Woke Hogan


    Kurt.Godel wrote: »
    Sorry I replied to your post now after reading that. Maybe IMRA isn't for you. It's volunteer-led and unpaid, but a huge amount of positivity to those who enter, those who run, and those who organise.

    Was your position in the race material that it needed to be posted so soon?

    If you expect me to tell you my race position you have another thing coming. I take my privacy very seriously, lad.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    On a positive note, this weekend’s race is one of the classics. Trooperstown.

    Good tough uphill and fast downhill, v technical in sections.

    Hard race to judge. It can be an energy sapping course when muddy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭Kurt.Godel


    Woke Hogan wrote: »
    If you expect me to tell you my race position you have another thing coming. I take my privacy very seriously, lad.

    I don't expect at all, and that wasn't what I asked. I had another reply typed but deleted it... what's the point in being negative?

    It'd be surprising if your race position and privacy of same affected anyone beyond yourself... now maybe thats not the case, but either way if your position matters to you, perhaps try and change things by helping out and volunteering to make things better. I've hosted a few IMRA races and its always hard to get medical and results volunteers...

    I don't wish to be smart but there are no shortage of complainers who contribute less than they receive. Change starts within.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 568 ✭✭✭Supernintento Chalmers


    Djoucer wrote: »
    Volunteer yourself so and get them up quicker.

    Results up within a week is perfectly acceptable. Can’t see how it takes away from the actual race.

    Complaining of a 2 and 1/2 day delay? Perhaps IMRA and it’s ethos isn’t for you.

    Comparisons to Parkruns are bogus. They run the same 5k course every single week.

    Doesn’t require people going out during week to mark a 10km course, demark it, sort out parking/permits etc.

    Given all work involved, people are entitled to enjoy their weekend without someone moaning about lack of results on a Monday evening.

    God, that's a fierce over-defensive post, and a shoddy defence at that.
    The poster was only expressing an opinion, the first thing they said was that the races are well ran.

    Having varying courses does not increase the complexity of recording and uploading results, so no, the parkrun comparison is not "bogus".
    Also, do the people who mark the course and sort out the parking also record the results? These are completely separate things and to be fair, parkrun courses also need to be marked / demarked and stewards are required. Usually it's the same handful of people week in week out too, I'm guilty myself of not volunteering enough for my local one.

    IMO it's fairly shameful to attack and gang up on somebody who makes a valid point. It doesn't exactly make imra seem like an attractive place for newcomers.
    And yes, in this day and age a week is a ridiculous amount of time to take for results to be made available :confused:

    @woke hogan, hope this doesn't put you off, I'm sure there are plenty of people who share your opinion


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    God, that's a fierce over-defensive post, and a shoddy defence at that.
    The poster was only expressing an opinion, the first thing they said was that the races are well ran.

    Having varying courses does not increase the complexity of recording and uploading results, so no, the parkrun comparison is not "bogus".
    Also, do the people who mark the course and sort out the parking also record the results? These are completely separate things and to be fair, parkrun courses also need to be marked / demarked and stewards are required. Usually it's the same handful of people week in week out too, I'm guilty myself of not volunteering enough for my local one.

    IMO it's fairly shameful to attack and gang up on somebody who makes a valid point. It doesn't exactly make imra seem like an attractive place for newcomers.
    And yes, in this day and age a week is a ridiculous amount of time to take for results to be made available :confused:

    @woke hogan, hope this doesn't put you off, I'm sure there are plenty of people who share your opinion

    Most of this is nonsense. I mean it’s been less than 3 days since race but you’re waffling on about a week!

    No-one attacked the poster. He was moaning about volunteers not posting his results within 72 hours.

    If you feel “in this day and age” that 3 days is too long to wait, perhaps IMRA isn’t for you.

    Marking a 5km fun run in a local park that takes place every week is completely different than marking a mountain. Baffling that this needs to be pointed out. Takes more people, more time, more research, more tape etc.

    Recording results for a mtn race is also completely different than a park run. You have to account for early starters, complications if people have gone wrong, which completely jumbles up the results.

    Of course, anyone who volunteers, knows this and doesn’t immediately go on a public forum to complain about volunteers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭Woke Hogan


    God, that's a fierce over-defensive post, and a shoddy defence at that.
    The poster was only expressing an opinion, the first thing they said was that the races are well ran.

    Having varying courses does not increase the complexity of recording and uploading results, so no, the parkrun comparison is not "bogus".
    Also, do the people who mark the course and sort out the parking also record the results? These are completely separate things and to be fair, parkrun courses also need to be marked / demarked and stewards are required. Usually it's the same handful of people week in week out too, I'm guilty myself of not volunteering enough for my local one.

    IMO it's fairly shameful to attack and gang up on somebody who makes a valid point. It doesn't exactly make imra seem like an attractive place for newcomers.
    And yes, in this day and age a week is a ridiculous amount of time to take for results to be made available :confused:

    @woke hogan, hope this doesn't put you off, I'm sure there are plenty of people who share your opinion

    It’s alright, I can handle it. I didn’t know I was interrupting a backslapping session though :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭DubOnHoliday


    Putting on a parkrun takes an hour, putting on and volunteering for an imra race can take up half your day depending on where it is. When the race is over the last thing I’d be doing is getting on a laptop to post results and the vast majority of Imra members are cool with that.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,248 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    God, that's a fierce over-defensive post, and a shoddy defence at that.

    Do you know anything about what's happening with the results process at the moment, it certainly appears that you don't.

    Why don't the people who complain do so on the official IMRA website and put their name to it?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,120 ✭✭✭Peterx


    The Parkrun comparison comes up a lot. 2 very good volunteer led organisations, both with sexy and functional websites. Parkrun is "better" in that it usually has a core team of volunteers visiting the same place every weekend with experience.

    By it's nature IMRA struggles with volunteers, they are often willing but inexperienced and they are sometimes just not there.
    Every single week with IMRA you could have an entirely different set of volunteers in place - typically a different place, there is no chance of continuity unless the poor unfortunate committee take it upon themselves to personally visit every race, and that leads to burnout.

    That's just the nature of the beast and it's difficult to see that unless you volunteer.

    So it is a weakness and yes the results are sometimes frustratingly slow but the pluses are many and hopefully see ye at Trooperstown for a big plus, a race in the hills for a fiver :)

    So complaining about the tardy results is valid but having to listen to loads of people react about it (and your volunteering record) is the price


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,120 ✭✭✭Peterx


    On the plus side if the laptop is acting up (I don't know that it is) I won't have to get a laptop operator for the little gem of a race I'm organising in Laois.

    Did I mention the upcoming unofficial Laois Champs?
    A fine race, only an hourish from Dublin. Or Limerick.

    https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/1711

    There will be a specially commissioned plate for the first Laois male and Laois female over the line.
    And everyone will get cake


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,248 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    I assume the poster was complaining about Mullaghmeen as that fits the timeline. He'd know there was an issue with course markings going missing and as a result the organisers and committee have the unenviable problem of trying to figure out who at the head of the race ran the designated course and therefore who placed.

    I don't think think this is an issue that Parkrun ever has. And like Peterx points out, Parkrun usually has the same group of volunteers week in, week out, on the same course which would probably be local enough to them. It's a much easier proposition.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,120 ✭✭✭Peterx


    Hurrache wrote: »
    I assume the poster was complaining about Mullaghmeen as that fits the timeline. He'd know there was an issue with course markings going missing and as a result the organisers and committee have the unenviable problem of trying to figure out who at the head of the race ran the designated course and therefore who placed.

    I don't think think this is an issue that Parkrun ever has. And like Peterx points out, Parkrun usually has the same group of volunteers week in, week out, on the same course which would probably be local enough to them. It's a much easier proposition.

    To be fair to Parkrun, I don't actually think it's easier having to show up to your local park every week to ensure other people get a free race.

    Our model is good, a couple of times a year volunteering for most of us with the dedicated few working their asses off - and thanks to them!

    On marking - it's just hugely difficult.

    One year at Crone Wood at a junction there was:
    1. Marking Tape
    2. Arrows
    3. A person - a marshal in place
    which were directing people back up the steep ride on the way home and lads ran around the marshal to continue on the main path. Runners just wanna run in straight lines, very hard to mark for that.

    Courses should be designed to make sense as much as possible - to kinda quote Barry


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,441 ✭✭✭Slogger Jogger


    We live in a just-in-time society so there will always be some who are impatient. Some of the remarks in previous threads are out-of-order.
    With the majority of IMRA events the results are posted quickly.
    Results can be made ready on the laptop quickly enough too, but its the upload that tends to get delayed, certainly in my experience. Not anyone's fault. Results upload functionality is a role that only a couple of people (volunteers) are authorised to do as far as I know, so if they are busy, on holidays, not on email its inevitable that its going to take a few more days. No big deal.
    Widening the circle of people who could upload the results could be the answer.


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