IMRA Season 2018

james quinn · 08-12-2017 10:15am #1

Have done a few one off races with IMRA before but was hoping to give the league a go and get some consistency in. Any recommendations or tips for the league in general?

The Winter Spring League specifically.

Slogger Jogger · 08-12-2017 3:39pm

The winter league has something for everyone, ranging from the more straightforward traily races to the damnation of Maulin and Annagh :-)

Enjoy. Get out and practise similar routes or on the courses themselves if you can. The best training for hill running is hill running. Some short speed or hill reps in training will also be of benefit. Make sure your footwear is up to the task. And don't forget your jacket. A lightweight one which can fold into a pocket if need be is best.

League race, Climb, Distance, Difficulty Rating
Howth Winter 255m 5.71km 6
Hellfire Spring 240m 6.40km 4
Ticknock Winter 330m 7.80km 7
Mullaghmeen 423m 10.80km 6
Trooperstown Hill 380m 10.60km 6
Maulin Winter 538m 7.50km 7
Annagh Hill 630m 11.15km 9

seamusk84 · 23-12-2017 2:34pm

Some good practice to those new to trail running on the 27th of December (This Wednesday) at Djouce -

https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/1532/

james quinn · 02-01-2018 3:21pm

seamusk84 wrote: »

Some good practice to those new to trail running on the 27th of December (This Wednesday) at Djouce -

Went to this actually and it was very enjoyable race. Seemed a lot flatter than the few events i have done before so expecting a lot more hills for the league.

seamusk84 · 05-01-2018 11:08pm

james quinn wrote: »

Went to this actually and it was very enjoyable race. Seemed a lot flatter than the few events i have done before so expecting a lot more hills for the league.

Yeah it was the reverse of the Xmas race last year...Was a good bit tougher in reverse! The 5 of us at the front stuck together for entire race, personally I was too knackered on the last 500 meters to challenge for top 3. The remembrance race is meant as more of a trail run as oppose to mountain race.

Looking forward to Howth next week and although it's short race by WSL standards, it ain't easy! It's actually a real lung buster. So you are in for a treat.

You won't have anything near as easy in the WSL as Earls Drive on the 27th :pac:

Slogger Jogger · 06-01-2018 10:03pm

Looking forward to the IMRA season.
More races on the calendar this year, including some new additions in the south-east.
Cmon Boardsies lets be having you.

james quinn · 08-01-2018 9:49am

seamusk84 wrote: »

Yeah it was the reverse of the Xmas race last year...Was a good bit tougher in reverse! The 5 of us at the front stuck together for entire race, personally I was too knackered on the last 500 meters to challenge for top 3. The remembrance race is meant as more of a trail run as oppose to mountain race.

Looking forward to Howth next week and although it's short race by WSL standards, it ain't easy! It's actually a real lung buster. So you are in for a treat.

You won't have anything near as easy in the WSL as Earls Drive on the 27th :pac:

I was in no mans land between you 5 and those behind me, the gap was only getting bigger as race went on to your group ahead!!! Was afraid that would be the case alright!! I'll be at Howth anyway, have done it once before a couple of years back but would be hoping for an improvement this time on what was a bad bad day out on my behalf:-)

Neady83 · 08-01-2018 1:07pm

Just signed up for the Gelandalough Clover on February 24th.

I did my first IMRA race last year, the Wicklow Way, and really enjoyed it - IMRA know how to put on a great event with fantastic support.

Unfortunately I'm based in Galway so will probably only make it East/South for some of the longer races but I'm definitely going to do a few this year.

seamusk84 · 14-01-2018 7:47pm

Great day for Howth today, the weater was very kind to us. How did ye get on?

Most of us seemed to go wrong coming off the hill, but with the group I was in we copped it and turned back after about 150 meters. Cost me about 5 places though, but happy with 23rd! Solid start to the year I guess :pac:

Looking forward to some of the longer races in the WSL coming up! My personal favorite from last year being Mullaghmeen.

ThisRegard · 14-01-2018 8:25pm

Off the final hill? You initially headed back towards the steps you came from the start?

Slogger Jogger · 14-01-2018 9:17pm

seamusk84 wrote: »

Great day for Howth today, the weater was very kind to us. How did ye get on?

Most of us seemed to go wrong coming off the hill, but with the group I was in we copped it and turned back after about 150 meters. Cost me about 5 places though, but happy with 23rd! Solid start to the year I guess :pac:

Looking forward to some of the longer races in the WSL coming up! My personal favorite from last year being Mullaghmeen.

Yeah, was in the same bunch and reckoned 4 or 5 places were lost. Could have done with a marshall there were both tracks were marked. Though the wise ones in the field had done a warm-up in that direction and figured out their finish route in advance :-)

Very well organised route. Massive turn-out. Probably too big a crowd for the route on offer. Was quite congested at times on the narrow tracks.

Great day for it and enjoyable run to kick off the year.

Working class heroes · 14-01-2018 10:41pm

Ran into a fcucking tree near the finish, great bloody crack!

jamule · 15-01-2018 9:38am

I feel I cheated my way to 7th.

The lad in front of me went straight off the last hill, I went to go left but couldn't see any tape, the guy behind me went by and went straight so I followed and seen tape and kept going (even though I knew it had to be wrong),gave up chasing then because I presumed I would be DQ'd.

james quinn · 17-01-2018 3:31pm

Missed Howth as it turned out so looks like Hellfire will be the first one of the season. Any tips?!?!

Slogger Jogger · 17-01-2018 9:32pm

james quinn wrote: »

Missed Howth as it turned out so looks like Hellfire will be the first one of the season. Any tips?!?!

Pace yourself on the 1st steep climb. Correct footwear essential or you'll be slipping about.

Looking at the event details, the pub is 3.5k away from the course so that might make a nice warm up and one less car to bring to a small car park.

Peterx · 17-01-2018 11:39pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Pace yourself on the 1st steep climb. Correct footwear essential or you'll be slipping about.

Looking at the event details, the pub is 3.5k away from the course so that might make a nice warm up and one less car to bring to a small car park.

About 2.5km up through Masseys?

jamule · 20-01-2018 5:08pm

Enjoyed Hellfire this morning, great weather for the hills. Have to improve my climbing, jaysus I lost places everytime, made most of them back up going down.

I see someone has moved into pole position for dick head of the year, and its only January.

DubOnHoliday · 20-01-2018 5:25pm

jamule wrote: »

Enjoyed Hellfire this morning, great weather for the hills. Have to improve my climbing, jaysus I lost places everytime, made most of them back up going down.

I see someone has moved into pole position for dick head of the year, and its only January.

I really like Hellfire,short sharp climbs and long descents. Missed the fuss... don’t know what happened there. Some toys being ejected from somebody’s pram.

Baby75 · 20-01-2018 11:12pm

Going to my first IMRA tomorrow in Castlecomer part of the Southeast Leinster league

Slogger Jogger · 21-01-2018 8:50pm

Tricky but fun running conditions at Hellfire yesterday. Very slippery ground on the main climb up and slushy bits to contend with elsewhere. The little hills on each loop can take their toll (they did on me at least). I didn't expect the diverted way to the finish line via fire trail but I guess it was in the interests of safety. Couldn't have runners speeding down the normal route the given the icy conditions.

james quinn · 22-01-2018 10:16am

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Tricky but fun running conditions at Hellfire yesterday. Very slippery ground on the main climb up and slushy bits to contend with elsewhere. The little hills on each loop can take their toll (they did on me at least). I didn't expect the diverted way to the finish line via fire trail but I guess it was in the interests of safety. Couldn't have runners speeding down the normal route the given the icy conditions.

those three little uphills on the loop section definitely did enough to jump up the heart rate alright!! I can understand the move to switch the back section to the trail as someone was going to get hurt trying to decent when it was quiet icy but it would of been great if it was mentioned in the briefing, unless it was and i completely missed it.

james quinn · 22-01-2018 10:18am

jamule wrote: »

Enjoyed Hellfire this morning, great weather for the hills. Have to improve my climbing, jaysus I lost places everytime, made most of them back up going down.

I see someone has moved into pole position for dick head of the year, and its only January.

@Jamule i think we are all dying to hear more on this!!

Kissy Lips · 22-01-2018 4:26pm

james quinn wrote: »

@Jamule i think we are all dying to hear more on this!!

Not a good idea to encourage libel.

Peterx · 23-01-2018 11:14am

It's only a minor bugbear but should this thread not be in the main forum?

The WWU (for example) would surely (Shirley) be more like an IMRA thread for the sub-forum.

Kurt.Godel · 23-01-2018 6:27pm

Peterx wrote: »

It's only a minor bugbear but should this thread not be in the main forum?

The WWU (for example) would surely (Shirley) be more like an IMRA thread for the sub-forum.

Hear hear, would never have happened back in the day;)

Very welcome news today for all hill runners- EastWestMapping have just released their much-anticipated new 1:25,000 scale maps for Wicklow South and [URL="[url]http://www.eastwestmapping.ie/product/wicklow-south-east-encapsulated/[/url]"]Wicklow South East[/URL] . These are a labour of love and a testament to the great work of Barry. Wicklow South map includes Annagh Hill, and a must for anyone who wants to recce with a map showing the relevant trails and terrain.

DubOnHoliday · 01-02-2018 6:59pm

Can this thread be moved to the main forum or should we just start a new thread there?

Ticknock this weekend.... not running it myself due to a cold but I will be suitably positioned to take photos of suffering at the top of the bone shaker....say cheese

chickey2 · 01-02-2018 9:08pm

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Can this thread be moved to the main forum or should we just start a new thread there?

Ticknock this weekend.... not running it myself due to a cold but I will be suitably positioned to take photos of suffering at the top of the bone shaker....say cheese

Thanks for the reminder, I've just signed up. I stupidly missed Hellfire because I got the day wrong doh!

Baby75 · 01-02-2018 11:16pm

I am running my second imra race Carrigbyrne Hill Southeast League race

really looking forward to it

MonkstownHoop · 01-02-2018 11:28pm

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Can this thread be moved to the main forum or should we just start a new thread there?

Ticknock this weekend.... not running it myself due to a cold but I will be suitably positioned to take photos of suffering at the top of the bone shaker....say cheese

If I manage to say anything it probably won't be cheese :-)

james quinn · 02-02-2018 10:39am

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Can this thread be moved to the main forum or should we just start a new thread there?

Ticknock this weekend.... not running it myself due to a cold but I will be suitably positioned to take photos of suffering at the top of the bone shaker....say cheese

Being new and very low on knowledge on boards in general how do i move the tread given i set up originally but unsure how to move? I'm sure its a pretty basic fix

DubOnHoliday · 02-02-2018 11:43am

james quinn wrote: »

Being new and very low on knowledge on boards in general how do i move the tread given i set up originally but unsure how to move? I'm sure its a pretty basic fix

Try pm one of the forum mods...

chickey2 · 03-02-2018 2:43pm

I really enjoyed my first IMRA race today at Ticknock. I was just thinking how well marked it was when I missed that sharp right into the forest! Luckily someone behind me shouted before I'd gone too far. I loved that downhill section through the forest, no mud!
Will definitely be back for more.

DubOnHoliday · 03-02-2018 10:20pm

Photos are up on IMRA fb

MonkstownHoop · 03-02-2018 11:32pm

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Photos are up on IMRA fb

Great pics, cheers!

seamusk84 · 04-02-2018 7:39am

Yeah the marking was superb at Ticknock yesterday. I actually remember back in 2012 a whole load of us went wrong on that sharp right into the forest! We ran straight ahead right to the bottom.
Didn't make that mistake yesterday but a good few in front of me did so I yelled out "wrong way" to let them know!
Think I finished around 25th...losing way too many places on the downhills. Off to sportsdirect today for a new pair of speedcross 4's!
Bring on mullaghmeen next Sunday, this time I'll be prepared for those downhills

Supernintento Chalmers · 04-02-2018 2:53pm

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Photos are up on IMRA fb

Pity the results wouldn't appear as quickly :rolleyes:

Djoucer · 04-02-2018 4:02pm

Supernintento Chalmers wrote: »

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Photos are up on IMRA fb

Pity the results wouldn't appear as quickly :rolleyes:

Volunteer so and see if you can do it quicker.

Baby75 · 04-02-2018 4:15pm

fantastic morning at Carrigbyrne Hill so well organised and marshalled course was really to follow and had a few steep snappy hills

on a plus side the cake and coffee in the sun when we finished was fab as well

Supernintento Chalmers · 04-02-2018 6:10pm

Djoucer wrote: »

Volunteer so and see if you can do it quicker.

I volunteer at the local Park Run, the results come out within hours of the race, same as with most Park Runs around the country. Park Runs which don't have an entry fee or the assistance of chip timing.

Djoucer · 04-02-2018 6:33pm

Whoop de doo. Park runs don't take half the effort to organise as an IMRA race.

You're not likely to have a runner go missing around a 5km jog around the park. Nor does it require hours to mark and de mark it, get permissions from land owners, arrange prizes (we have prizes as it's a race). Collect all the race gear, hand over all the race gear to next volunteer (IMRA have a different course each week.)

All of which takes days/weeks to organise.

So quit moaning about race results not being up. It's likely those who organised the race gave up
their whole Saturday so you could run around. Better things to do with the rest of their weekend than sift over results. You're literally moaning about a volunteer.

Supernintento Chalmers · 04-02-2018 7:07pm

Djoucer wrote: »

Whoop de doo. Park runs don't take half the effort to organise as an IMRA race.

You're not likely to have a runner go missing around a 5km jog around the park. Nor does it require hours to mark and de mark it, get permissions from land owners, arrange prizes (we have prizes as it's a race). Collect all the race gear, hand over all the race gear to next volunteer (IMRA have a different course each week.)

All of which takes days/weeks to organise.

So quit moaning about race results not being up. It's likely those who organised the race gave up
their whole Saturday so you could run around. Better things to do with the rest of their weekend than sift over results. You're literally moaning about a volunteer.

Jeez. Take it easy pal. No need to get so defensive

Hurrache · 04-02-2018 7:49pm

It's an unfortunate aspect of life I've seen creeping into a variety of events I've been involved with over the years, IMRA is becoming a victim of its own popularity and I believe it's a generational issue.

It's the need for immediate satisfaction and entitlement which results in posts like the one rolling their eyes because the results aren't available a day after the race despite the race director previously apologising for the delay and issue with the results. Had they been involved, or volunteered, years ago they'd realise the process involved and wouldn't be a stranger to or have an issue with sometimes waiting days for results.

There's a certain rudeness and unjustifiable demand of volunteer race organisers and volunteers creeping in, and there's no place for such things.

And not to denigrate the work that goes into Park Run, there's no comparison between the two when it comes to organising and volunteering, apples and oranges.

DubOnHoliday · 04-02-2018 9:58pm

Some guy made the lovely comment that all the race photos of him where brutal. No more pics of that guy.

Hurrache · 04-02-2018 10:17pm

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Some guy made the lovely comment that all the race photos of him where brutal. No more pics of that guy.

Wow, that's an amazing complaint.

Peterx · 04-02-2018 10:19pm

Supernintento Chalmers wrote: »

Pity the results wouldn't appear as quickly :rolleyes:

I think the laptop unfortunately decided on doing a big update right before the start. these things happen. The main thing is getting a race and we got that.

I remain amazed that anyone could have missed the turn into the forest.
It had at least 8 tape streamers and a big line of do not cross tape across the track. The course was essentially over marked (when compared to the guidelines) - but this was in recognition of the challenges involved in having a marked race in such a busy amenity area.

It is and it isn't a good comparison when comparing IMRA to Parkrun.
Both are run by volunteers but IMRA does charge an entrance fee.

The fee is relatively small as the work is done by unpaid volunteers but it is still a fee and that does come with certain expectations.
The expectations can appear unrealistic when you know the reason the race organiser wasn't back at the pub announcing the prizes was that she was waiting on all the runners to to return to the finish.
Parkrun's system is beautiful in that regard, tail runners and a course that is very difficult to get lost on. Tail runners wouldn't work for IMRA as lads can miss a turn literally anywhere, on any course, no matter how well marked.

And as you have found out, other IMRA members are very protective of their kin

Peterx · 04-02-2018 10:31pm

As to the race itself well it was mighty.
The weather was excellent, dry and cold and not too windy and right from the start there was a hard but nearly manageable pace set by Conor O'Keefe. I say nearly as I couldn't manage to actually match it and had to settle in for the steady slog up to the high point. I had also mentally settled in to the race to be first ould lad and maybe this contributed to my not being able for Conor's pace as Mikey was both a fellow ould lad and beside me.
Onto the lovely downhill and the absolute joy of finding out I was descending OK for a change and was now matching the pace up front.
I nipped ahead of young Luke Maher on the downhill( MTB gravity enduro section) of the hillrun and was closing up to Conor but sadly for me the going became slightly less technical and Conor started stretching away again. Luke showed great leg turnover, a gift from a cross country season don't you know, and easily ran past me and then repeated the trick and passed Conor too.
The winner, Luke Maher, still in secondary school. I felt really old then

His mother Miriam had been battling with the aforementioned cursed laptop before the start, as a running volunteer - so got no warm up. From my point of view it was an excellently organised race and I know my finishing time.
Thanks to Maike and Mike and team.
I have the DOMS today. Need to train more!

DubOnHoliday · 04-02-2018 10:35pm

Peterx wrote: »

As to the race itself well it was mighty.
.......
I have the DOMS today. Need to train more!

You had a terrific race, well done!

james quinn · 05-02-2018 9:57am

Great race, my ascending needs a huge amount of work as even do it was only a few km i thought i would never get to the 4km mark which meant all down to the finish and some really enjoyable fast sections. In fairness to the organizers its a thankless job. Putting on an amazing race in my opinion and it was made clear at the brief no results would be up until today.

Roll on next week, any comparison between ticknock and mullaghmeen?

Slogger Jogger · 05-02-2018 7:32pm

Thanks RQ for moving thread to the main A/R/T.

A most enjoyable event. I am happy too not to see the results as all the fast guys like Peterx emerged from hill running hibernation, for a welcome return, to show us how its done. Whatever about the young lad winning, Emma Donlon had a fine run too, showing the rest of us how to climb. I myself found it a bit of a slog, only getting into the running in the final part for a delightful downhill.

seamusk84 · 07-02-2018 9:24am

james quinn wrote: »

Great race, my ascending needs a huge amount of work as even do it was only a few km i thought i would never get to the 4km mark which meant all down to the finish and some really enjoyable fast sections. In fairness to the organizers its a thankless job. Putting on an amazing race in my opinion and it was made clear at the brief no results would be up until today.

Roll on next week, any comparison between ticknock and mullaghmeen?

Mullaghmeen is a much tougher and longer race, it's actually excellent. The uphills are tougher and it's very technical underfoot through the forests. Wait until you hit the wall at the back of the course!

Can't wait personally, I need to break back into the top 10% and I'm going to throw everything I have at it!

james quinn · 07-02-2018 10:28am

seamusk84 wrote: »

Mullaghmeen is a much tougher and longer race, it's actually excellent. The uphills are tougher and it's very technical underfoot through the forests. Wait until you hit the wall at the back of the course!

Can't wait personally, I need to break back into the top 10% and I'm going to throw everything I have at it!

hearing that the uphills are tougher isn't what i was hoping for!! Expecting the extra few km to hurt alright. Top 10% / top 20 was my aim last weekend too but just didn't make up enough ground on the decent or looking the other way i lost too much ground and places on the ascent.

IMRA Season 2018

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