IMRA season 2011

Slogger Jogger · 24-04-2011 1:23pm

IMRA site unavailable again. This could be the way to limit runners for the LL. Don't give them any info on the races. :rolleyes:

Timmaay · 24-04-2011 4:24pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

IMRA site unavailable again. This could be the way to limit runners for the LL. Don't give them any info on the races. :rolleyes:

I thought it was just chrome, I could get it to work on IE yday but not chrome!

rovers_runner · 24-04-2011 6:22pm

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

IMRA site unavailable again. This could be the way to limit runners for the LL. Don't give them any info on the races. :rolleyes:

I know your point was mean't in jest but from reading the IMRA forum last year there seemed to be a bit of division among the elder statesmen/women that the numbers were too high ?

I only took part in this league series once(2009) and plan to again this year but I remember there were over 200 at some races and it never being a problem.
Snobery on the part of some maybe ?

Stark · 24-04-2011 7:18pm

Prince William's Seat is still looking for a race director if you want to have a go at managing 200+ people.

ocnoc · 24-04-2011 9:21pm

rovers_runner wrote: »

Snobery on the part of some maybe ?

Snobery - NO
Health and Safety and the responsibility if things can go wrong with inexperienced people in the mountains is more the fear.

Slogger Jogger · 24-04-2011 10:35pm

Health and safety is a big part of it. Theres also the logistics of getting so many race numbers registered, parking etc. No snobbery found at IMRA races.

groovyg · 24-04-2011 10:51pm

rovers_runner wrote: »

I know your point was mean't in jest but from reading the IMRA forum last year there seemed to be a bit of division among the elder statesmen/women that the numbers were too high ?
I only took part in this league series once(2009) and plan to again this year but I remember there were over 200 at some races and it never being a problem.
Snobery on the part of some maybe ?

It’s got nothing to do with snobbery, as ocnoc said health and safety is a major headache with big numbers, carparking is a major problem since few want to carpool although I think they got stricter with this at last years races, huge numbers of runners on small trails causes traffic jams in some places.
The trails used are not closed off specifically for the races so sometimes e.g in Bray 3 Rock, Hellfire, Tibradden, Howth etc you often meet members of the public out walking who get majorly cheesed off and complain about being mowed down by runners.
Big numbers also means more headaches usually for the RD if somebody goes missing, there have been incidents where people dnf feck off home for their well earned cup of tea/pint/long soak in the bath or whatever and don’t bother to tell anybody then the RD is left wondering and worrying is the person still out there injured or gone off course? It causes a lot of stress and worry and if the s**t hits the fan and things go wrong its the RD and the Imra committee who will get the blame.

Bigger numbers means a race needs more volunteers which is a problem as everybody wants to run but nobody wants to help out, its the same

rovers_runner wrote: »

elder statesmen/women

who are doing the organising and sooner or later they will get tired of it. Personally I think if the race doesn't have the required number of volunteers it should be cancelled.

As this poster said

Stark wrote: »

Prince William's Seat is still looking for a race director if you want to have a go at managing 200+ people.

Timmaay · 25-04-2011 1:26pm

Having been a volunteer at the 1st leinster league race on previous years, I would actually share Micks concern about the lack of people volunteering, in particular at Bray Head on this Wed which appears to have a small enough number of helpers so far!! I helped out with Bray Head about 2/3years ago, and we had a decent number of helpers, but it being the 1st LL race of the year, we got a massive influx of people registering for the 1st time for that year with IMRA. There was a stupid queue because like always, everyone shows up at 7.00/7.15 despite you telling them non stop to be earlier!! The race ended up being put back by 15mins. So I suppose I would advice anyone going to Bray head to make sure ya show up earlier!

Peterx · 26-04-2011 12:11am

maybe not quite on topic but just back from a class weekend away in Kenmare with many IMRA runners, the west really is the best in sunshine.
Another one coming up next weekend too:D

ocnoc · 26-04-2011 9:20am

Peterx wrote: »

class weekend away in Kenmare with many IMRA runners

That explains why I was unable to find results from Croagh Patrick but more importantly, Mweelrea!

woops

jeffontour · 26-04-2011 10:03am

Peterx wrote: »

maybe not quite on topic but just back from a class weekend away in Kenmare with many IMRA runners, the west really is the best in sunshine.
Another one coming up next weekend too:D

Be hard to get a better day to be at the top of Ireland than we had Saturday. Smashing views to be had.

WithCheesePlease · 26-04-2011 11:13am

Hey all,

I'm planning on turning out for my first IMRA run this Wednesday evening at Bray. Eh, although from reading the previous posts I hope first timers are still welcome!

Is there anything I need to know or bring? I have trail runners and all that from the likes of WAR and ROAR etc. but is any other mandatory kit required?

And what's the story with first time registration? Is it just turn up at The Strand Hotel around before 7 and go from there? Is there a cost?

I'll most likely get the dart out - can I arrive at the hotel to register and get to the start by foot or will there be a bus / car pool or what's the story?

Thanks...

Donny5 · 26-04-2011 11:24am

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Hey all,

I'm planning on turning out for my first IMRA run this Wednesday evening at Bray. Eh, although from reading the previous posts I hope first timers are still welcome!

Is there anything I need to know or bring? I have trail runners and all that from the likes of WAR and ROAR etc. but is any other mandatory kit required?

And what's the story with first time registration? Is it just turn up at The Strand Hotel around before 7 and go from there? Is there a cost?

I'll most likely get the dart out - can I arrive at the hotel to register and get to the start by foot or will there be a bus / car pool or what's the story?

Thanks...

Yeah, come along. Turn up well before 7 to avoid queues for registration, which will cost you €10 for the remainder of the year and then €7 for the race.

donothoponpop · 26-04-2011 11:30am

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Hey all,

I'm planning on turning out for my first IMRA run this Wednesday evening at Bray. Eh, although from reading the previous posts I hope first timers are still welcome!

Don't know where you got the idea that new runners aren't welcome? There's discussion on safety and volunteering issues that increased numbers brings, but nothing to discourage first timers.

Anyway...

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Is there anything I need to know or bring? I have trail runners and all that from the likes of WAR and ROAR etc. but is any other mandatory kit required?

And what's the story with first time registration? Is it just turn up at The Strand Hotel around before 7 and go from there? Is there a cost?

I'll most likely get the dart out - can I arrive at the hotel to register and get to the start by foot or will there be a bus / car pool or what's the story?

Thanks...

If you turn up at 7, you'll likely miss registration. Best thing you can do if its your first race, is turn up early (6pm), with a completed 2011 membership form (stick down Boards AC as your club if you've no other;)), €10 for years membership, €7 per race, so have €17 spot on, no messing with change. Bring a rainjacket just in case the weather is terrible and the RD makes a call its a mandatory item. Walk to the race start, and ask others to give you a heads up on what to expect during the race (which will be a marked course). Then come back for more, and make sure to :DVOLUNTEER:D down the line.

Best of luck.

nerraw1111 · 26-04-2011 11:57am

Just to dispel the notion that IMRA is in anyway snobbery. Absolute nonsense. I've done two leagues with them and you really couldn't hope to meet a better bunch of people, be that before the race, during a race or having a pint afterwards.

There are legitimate concerns about numbers which are being voiced by experienced members who have seen the numbers increase massively in recent years. 831 runners have already ran in 2011 compared to 1706 in 2010 and 794 in 2007.

That's not to be confused with new members not being welcome.

Sure the first item on the IMRA homepage at the moment is a message instructing new members to be there before 7pm.

Regarding volunteers. Perhaps if a person has run a whole season without volunteering then they should not be allowed run the following year until they have volunteered? Of course that might mean a surplus of volunteers for the first races of the year etc.

Or a cap on races? i.e. You're only allowed run X number of races a year before you must volunteer before being allowed run again? Perhaps in the case of the Leinster League X would be 6 races so a person could not score in the league without volunteering?

rovers_runner · 26-04-2011 12:28pm

Ok, it seems my initial post has been taken up wrong, probably my fault.

What I meant to question was that some of the IMRA runners, maybe organizers/volunteers of some races, maybe not (that wasn't my point) were posting last summer that there were too many people taking part and they were organising alternative runs by themselves.

Following from this I wondered do some people look upon a cap in numbers as a good thing for safety and keeping track of volunteering ?

Hence the question of the other alternative motive (snobbery) which would have been looking at the diluting of numbers by newbies taking from the quality of races.

PS, I'd agree with earlier point that anyone I've ever spoken to at these races has been friendly and I never got any impression that people weren't welcome.

Ar Strae · 26-04-2011 1:12pm

WithCheesePlease wrote: »

Hey all,

I'll most likely get the dart out - can I arrive at the hotel to register and get to the start by foot or will there be a bus / car pool or what's the story?

Yeah it's an easy walk down from the DART station. Basically just cross over the lines at the gates and walk along the promenade. I'm going to be heading out on the DART, hoping to catch the 17:36 from Connolly. Due to a funeral that morning I probably won't be able to get out of work earlier. That'll land me in Bray for 18:15, ample time I reckon to stroll down the prom, pay my 7 quid and start getting ready for the race!

With Cheese Please, I don't know what DART you're getting down but if you want to hook up I'm happy to walk ya down to registration! Can't have people thinking fresh meat new members aren't welcome in IMRA!

But yeah given the usual madness at Bray, definitely best to have the form printed out and filled in and 17 quid exactly on ya.

You'll have a blast at the race, Bray is a usual first race for people joining IMRA, I did it for the first time 2 years ago. Enjoy it!

Ro

Dunebuggy · 26-04-2011 1:47pm

Couple of Items around some of the discussions here among the friendly folk. I am not speaking on behalf of the committee but just giveing a general update.

% will be back, there isn't room on the page for them currently - it makes it too clunky. So they should be back in the next few days.
Enduro points were put up on a trial basis. Trial is over

Website been down, we have had issues over the last 2 weeks in terms of both the DNS and Performance. The DNS issue has now been resolved. IMRA.ie is firmly now owned by IMRA. Additional resources will be applied to the server over teh coming week

IMRA welcomes all new members !! There is a concern over numbers and we will need to CAP races via registering online as a potential way of solving this. Still in progress among the committee.

Bray course is shortened this year - we are not on the promenade. This is as a result of feedback from the general public last year. WE NEED TO CARPOOL!!!!

Peterx ... Expecting between 300-400 to turn up.

Sounds like we missed an excellent in Cork/Kerry

Ar Strae · 26-04-2011 1:52pm

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Regarding volunteers. Perhaps if a person has run a whole season without volunteering then they should not be allowed run the following year until they have volunteered? Of course that might mean a surplus of volunteers for the first races of the year etc.

Or a cap on races? i.e. You're only allowed run X number of races a year before you must volunteer before being allowed run again? Perhaps in the case of the Leinster League X would be 6 races so a person could not score in the league without volunteering?

I love the second idea, that really makes sense. Of course it probably leads to 150 running volunteers at the last few races in the LL, few who actually do anything :-)

Is the volunteer list an accurate representation though?

For example:

Looking at the list of runners on the IMRA site (couldn't do this earlier as it had crashed...again :mad:)

There are two runners in the top 5 names of the list, (not witch-hunting here, that is the order they come up in!)

Bernard Fortune, who has run 124 races since 2000 and apparently never volunteered

and

Martin Francis, who has run 165 races since 2000 and volunteered once.

Now I assume both of the guys above, who are serious backbone runners of IMRA have volunteered a lot more than that but organised it off-line.

But without the online record it would be difficult to verify whether someone had done their volunteering requirement and enforce it.

Ro

Peterx · 26-04-2011 6:03pm

rovers_runner wrote: »

Ok, it seems my initial post has been taken up wrong, probably my fault.

What I meant to question was that some of the IMRA runners, maybe organizers/volunteers of some races, maybe not (that wasn't my point) were posting last summer that there were too many people taking part and they were organising alternative runs by themselves.

Yep, there are too many people at the Wednesday races in the eyes of some and so in the best Irish tradition the split commenced (although I always enjoyed the irony of using the IMRA forum to announce where the unofficial run was going to be on)

We share a finite green space with all other mountain users and like most other mountain users we use cars to get there.
The carparks are the exact definition of a finite space in this context with several fine routes unlikely to get any further airing due to carpark or start funneling concerns. C'est le vie...maybe time to lobby Coillte/County councils to provide more carparking spaces.....maybe time to lobby for better public transport - there is a new bus route servicing the DMP route, more the next few weeks a bus stopping and picking up at WWR leg start/finishes would be useful..

ocnoc · 26-04-2011 8:17pm

Dunebuggy wrote: »

Expecting between 300-400 to turn up.

eeek.... thats a lot.

Long live the championships

:P

Quack13 · 26-04-2011 10:15pm

New 'Boards AC' member here, running my first race in Bray tomorrow.

Have been doing some (6k-12k) running on the roads over the past 6 weeks to so, so am kind of jumping in at the deep end tomorrow.

Haven't ran competitively in about 15 years. I used to do some cross country/middle distance for an athletics club although was never too good at the long distances. Sprinting was more my thing.

I'm hoping to take part in some adventure races later in the year, and hope to get to some of the communal training runs mentioned on here also.

Hopefully I can pick some of your brains about correct footwear/gear etc. as I am way out of the loop on all of that.

Looking forward to it anyhow. Roll on tomorrow!

Quack13 · 27-04-2011 9:50am

Can I also add that I am driving from Cherrywood technology Park at around 6 o'clock, if anyone wants a lift.

I cannot access the carpool section on the IMRA site at the minute as I don't have an account, so could no share it there.

IM me if you need a lift.

Stark · 27-04-2011 9:57am

Send me a PM with your name and phone number and I can come round to your house and kill you send you a MyIMRA invite.

donothoponpop · 27-04-2011 10:01am

Stark wrote: »

Send me a PM with your name and phone number and I can come round to your house and kill you send you a MyIMRA invite.

I think you need to be in the imra system (ie, previously run a race) to be able to receive a MyImra invite (from where you could put up on the carpool system, volunteer, etc)

Stark · 27-04-2011 10:19am

Ah yes, forgot that he was someone who'd never run before.

Quack13 · 27-04-2011 10:23am

Cheers Stark,

I will send you a PM after I've run in the race this evening.

(If it hasn't scared me off, that is!

)

Donny5 · 27-04-2011 3:25pm

Just to be sure, the Strand Hotel, this is it, right?

Also, any suggestions on road vs trail runners?

Thanks.

T runner · 27-04-2011 4:06pm

Donny5 wrote: »

Just to be sure, the Strand Hotel, this is it, right?

Also, any suggestions on road vs trail runners?

Thanks.

Trail runners are better than road runners for this race unless youre an experienced descender.

ocnoc · 27-04-2011 4:08pm

T runner wrote: »

Trail runners are better than road runners for this race unless youre an experienced descender.

A pair of light road racers are ideal for this race if you are willing to sacrifice a second or 5 on the final short descent. Last year the descent was a bit wet and I felt the fear in flats.
However, something with studs would have been horrible for the other 95% of the race.

IMRA season 2011

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