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Midlands Half Marathon & 5K 12/8/2012

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  • #32
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 22,384 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=80193483&postcount=46


  • #33
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,368 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    Seriously shocked at the amount of people on the facebook page who are jumping for joy at the idea of running the 'extra' distance and one commenting that people are 'getting their knickers in a twist over nothing' how is an extra 1.25 miles nothing?

    Suspect they're locals who know him well and not a true reflection of how the majority of people felt.


  • #34
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    RacoonQueen wrote: »
    Seriously shocked at the amount of people on the facebook page who are jumping for joy at the idea of running the 'extra' distance and one commenting that people are 'getting their knickers in a twist over nothing' how is an extra 1.25 miles nothing?

    Suspect they're locals who know him well and not a true reflection of how the majority of people felt.

    I'd say it's more the fact that hardly anyone was anticipating a PB as it is marketed as a difficult course. Also most of the runners would have been relative novices training for DCM and using it as a long run. I didn't see too many club singlets today.


  • #35
    tang1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,121 ✭✭✭tang1


    menoscemo wrote: »
    I'd say it's more the fact that hardly anyone was anticipating a PB as it is marketed as a difficult course. Also most of the runners would have been relative novices training for DCM and using it as a long run. I didn't see too many club singlets today.

    I PB'b on actual half distance, 1.35.50 but wont be counting it as a pb cause of the race being long. I was told after finishing by a local "sure its another mile and quarter marathon training", suppose he had a point in a way.


  • #36
    rich.d.berry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 517 ✭✭✭rich.d.berry


    I hope nobody minds if I chip in here and make a few observations.

    Am I the only one who thinks that the registration fees for this event are a bit steep? I would have gladly participated today, because I'm training to do my first DCM, but the €45 fee put me off. Instead, for €25, I did the Tour of Kildare (100km cycle). The €25 for the TOK is even cheaper than the €30 early bird rate, and I cannot imagine that the organisational costs for the Midlands Half Marathon were any less than for the 100km cycle. Perhaps there was an awesome goody bag which made it worthwhile?

    I don't know the numbers involved for the MHM, but the TOK attracted over 300 cyclists (by my estimates). I am convinced that a more affordable event would attract more participants (unless the whole idea is to keep the MHM exclusive).


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  • #37
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    tang1 wrote: »
    I PB'b on actual half distance, 1.35.50 but wont be counting it as a pb cause of the race being long. I was told after finishing by a local "sure its another mile and quarter marathon training", suppose he had a point in a way.

    I must have finished near you?

    You'll smash that time at your next HM anyway.


  • #38
    tang1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,121 ✭✭✭tang1


    menoscemo wrote: »
    I must have finished near you?

    You'll smash that time at your next HM anyway.

    You passed me just coming up to real 13 mile mark, once i got actual distance done i walked rest, was well peed off at that stage. Athlone half next month so hopefully improve. Hope its not like its fellow Midlands races this weekend in Moone & Portlaoise.


  • #39
    RAL3
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 389 ✭✭RAL3


    menoscemo wrote: »
    Yeah what happened there was that one of the pacers fired on at 6:30/mile pace to try ot get closer to a 1:40 finish, while Ral3 stayed at what should be 1:40 pace (7:30/mile).

    When it became clear the course was going to be long and the mile markers weren't coming back (in fact they were getting longer and longer) the pacing pairs were left in a conundrum as to what to do and generally had to split up.

    Unfortunately, the incorrect distance did make the pacers redundant which was very unfair on the pacees that were hoping to hit their targets.

    Our 1 40 target translated into 13.1 miles @ 7 38 pace.
    To allow for non racing line, error margins, getting in approx. 30 secs ahead of time etc.,we planned to go at 7 25 to 7 30 pace and we briefed our group accordingly before the first mile marker.

    As the race went on it became obvious that the error of + 0.1 mile per mile was consistent and, as pacers, we were caught between a rock & a hard place.

    In order to hit 1 40 for the 'revised' distance we would have had to increase the pace to 6 59 per mile, not including any comfort zone allowance. By the time the consistent error was confirmed we would have had to quicken this pace even more to allow for the miles that had elapsed up to that point and even then we didnt know if the pattern would change later on!

    In the end we kept going together at 7.25 and only split up with 3 miles to go with Mithril going on @ 6 30 and I stayed at 7 25.

    An unusual pacing experience to say the least.........


  • #40
    Midlands Half Marathon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 ✭Midlands Half Marathon


    Hi All,

    It's been a while since I got a chance to check Boards, so sorry for any questions/comments that I missed from a while back.

    I just want to say sorry again to everyone who turned up to run. As one person mentioned already, there can be no excuses, and I don't really have any.

    Since all the pacers came from Boards I would particularly like to thank you and say sorry. I know by the reaction of most of you after the race was that you were all thinking about how you could manage such an inaccurate course for the sake of your groups. And it is a credit to you all, that you kept trying to help other runners out, even though it was near impossible with the distance.

    @RacoonQueen, I was very worried about your comment on the stradbally road roundabout. I hadn't got any feedback yet (from marshals or runners) that there was a problem/danger. You went through this twice, from different directions. If you get a chance I would appreciate it if you could let me know (privately or publically I don't mind), where the danger spot was, and should we have put more bodies on that junction, etc.
    (Thanks if you have the time)

    On the facebook posts, around 5 of them are friends, to be fair. But I think menoscemo, you might be right, a lot of people just training for Dublin, may never have done a half (or a 14.35 miles) before.

    Again sorry to everyone.


  • #41
    Marthastew
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,548 ✭✭✭Marthastew


    Brian,
    As you have already said there can be no excuses for mistakes made and I'm sure you will get to the root of the problem and learn from those mistakes. However your reaction to those mistakes and subsequent apologies were refreshing, we've all come across Race Directors who are happy to take praise but won't tolerate criticism.

    I was scheduled to pace but had to pull out because of injury so my husband took my place and I helped marhsall instead.
    My few suggestions/observations as a (very last minute, non-briefed) marshall would be

    • More than one copy of race entrants at registration to allow somebody to help out if needed.
    • A marshall on duty from 9am at the Finish Line tent, I saw lots of people heading out to ask information there.
    • Road signs in the area (maybe there were some and I didn't see them?), a few cars came speeding down the road where the start was.
    • Bollards at the road junctions which might slow down cars (you mentioned this to me as I had a few fast cars come speeding into the hotel)
    • My husband mentioned that there seemed to be some problems at the water stations, maybe some of the other pacers could elaborate on this for you.
    Olwyn


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  • #42
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,368 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    Midlands Half Marathon wrote: »
    @RacoonQueen, I was very worried about your comment on the stradbally road roundabout. I hadn't got any feedback yet (from marshals or runners) that there was a problem/danger. You went through this twice, from different directions. If you get a chance I would appreciate it if you could let me know (privately or publically I don't mind), where the danger spot was, and should we have put more bodies on that junction, etc.
    (Thanks if you have the time)

    I'm not sure if it was the Stradbally road roundabout, from looking at my garmin tracking. I don't know the area so I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure we'd just passed the 9 mile marker and it was just before the third water station. I was fairly angry at the time so I could be off on what the distance was. Looking at my garmin map I think it was the one coming off Madam's road as we were directed to go straight through and we came up to a second rounabout immediately after where we turned left.

    Even extra marshalls there would not have made a difference - you need to have guards there if the roundabout is going to be left open to traffic. The fancy boy racer cars that were in the car park at the finish line where the ones that went through hard to miss them twice. I doubt they'd have paid attention to any amount of marshalls. They also stopped side by side at our exit which caused extra danger/disruption.

    There was another road around about the 12 mile point(by my watch so about 11 on the route), again not knowing the area I'm not entirely sure my location is correct but there was traffic joining our road and our lane from an unmarshalled junction to our right. Maybe there was someone assigned there but when we went past there was no one there to alert oncoming cars to our presence.

    Are you aware there was no one manning the second water station? There was a table and bottles still in their crates, wrapped in plastic but no one there to hand them out.

    I think it's good that you've put your hands up, come on here and on facebook and opened yourself up to complaints and comments. Mostly because many race organisers will just hide away when things like this happen, shoulder the blame to someone else and make excuses. These mistakes will really cost a race in the long run and it's going to impact the calibre of runner that will run this. Our club certainly doesn't encourage us to participate in 'commercial' races, ultimately they're the sort of runners races should be looking to attract to be successful.


  • #43
    digger2d2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    Bad error re: distance and it did cause major difficulty for us pacers but it wasn't done deliberately, I know the route was run/reported on (good idea btw) prior to race day, just a shame a Garmin wasn't employed for this as it would have alerted as to a possible problem.

    Personally I thought the marshalling was no worse or better than most of the regional races I've run/paced recently.

    Lastly, I would like to say that the pacers were well looked after, place to change and leave a our gear (locked). Nice pacer's Nike singlet and good that Brian acknowledged the distance issue and the impact on the pacers at the prize giving.... Fair play.


  • #44
    digger2d2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭digger2d2


    RacoonQueen wrote: »


    The fancy boy racer cars that were in the car park at the finish line where the ones that went through hard to miss them twice. I doubt they'd have paid attention to any amount of marshalls. They also stopped side by side at our exit which caused extra danger/disruption.

    .

    The Laois Chapter of the Lexus is200 skanger me banger brigade ;)


  • #45
    Midlands Half Marathon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 ✭Midlands Half Marathon


    RacoonQueen wrote: »
    I'm not sure if it was the Stradbally road roundabout, from looking at my garmin tracking.

    Even extra marshalls there would not have made a difference - you need to have guards there if the roundabout is going to be left open to traffic. The fancy boy racer cars that were in the car park at the finish line where the ones that went through hard to miss them twice. I doubt they'd have paid attention to any amount of marshalls. They also stopped side by side at our exit which caused extra danger/disruption.


    Are you aware there was no one manning the second water station? There was a table and bottles still in their crates, wrapped in plastic but no one there to hand them out.

    Yes, you are right, this was the 2nd of the 2 "Motorway Roundabouts". And it does seem like Guards are the only option, especially when dealing with that particular type of driver.

    Unfortunately we became aware of the 6 mile water station at a very late stage. We did a deal with various clubs (local GAA and Athletic) to look after the manning of the water stations. The majority were a credit to their clubs, but unfortunately one club just didn't show up.
    Marthastew wrote: »
    Brian,
    As you have already said there can be no excuses for mistakes made and I'm sure you will get to the root of the problem and learn from those mistakes. However your reaction to those mistakes and subsequent apologies were refreshing, we've all come across Race Directors who are happy to take praise but won't tolerate criticism.

    I was scheduled to pace but had to pull out because of injury so my husband took my place and I helped marhsall instead.
    My few suggestions/observations as a (very last minute, non-briefed) marshall would be

    • More than one copy of race entrants at registration to allow somebody to help out if needed.
    • A marshall on duty from 9am at the Finish Line tent, I saw lots of people heading out to ask information there.
    • Road signs in the area (maybe there were some and I didn't see them?), a few cars came speeding down the road where the start was.
    • Bollards at the road junctions which might slow down cars (you mentioned this to me as I had a few fast cars come speeding into the hotel)
    • My husband mentioned that there seemed to be some problems at the water stations, maybe some of the other pacers could elaborate on this for you.
    Olwyn

    Thanks for all these points Olwyn, I think they're all spot on and will be implemented if we plan for next year. Thanks also for your help on the day, always great to just meet someone so helpful like that at the start of the race who says "where do you need me". I might have been a little pre-occupied at the time, but if I didn't show it.....it was really nice to hear!
    Brian


  • #46
    Boley
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭Boley


    just to make a few points
    - an announcement at hotel to tell people to head to start area - yes yes people should have watches but it would help
    - thanks for the apology at end re mix up on distance
    - a 2011 tee shirt with the year covered up with a 2012 overlay!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you dont believe me check the inside of your shirt.
    if i had done the run last year I would be fairly peeved off. The race aint cheap, recycling is great but at that entry fee.
    - registration to be open at 8am - was just 8.30. was there a need to keep people hanging around, not a big issue just a matter of professionalism.
    - great facilities after for a hot shower
    - as a couple said on the facebook page - cake please with the sandwiches.
    - very good photos of the event by Jimmy McCormack
    - thanks also to the marshalls for their encouragement as you went around


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