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Athletics Ireland Race Series 2019

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  • 05-03-2019 10:26pm
    #1
    JamesK03
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭


    Hi,

    What do you think of the new Athletics Ireland Race Series incorporating the national 5k, 5 mile and 10 mile championships? I think these are all new championship races. Is there a need for all of them?

    Also, all of these races are in Dublin which means that all the National senior road races (5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile, half marathon and marathon) are held in Dublin. This doesn't seem fair to me particularly for club runners outside Leinster. (I do live in Dublin so it does suit me!).


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    #2
    average_runner
    Registered Users Posts: 12,845 ✭✭✭✭average_runner


    IS this why the Tallaght 5k got moved out from the bank holiday weekend?
    Its now 2 days before the Bob Heffernean 5k. Will have to give Tallaght a miss


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    #3
    RayCun
    Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    At the county level, I think any race can ask to be the county x distance championship, and if no-one objects it will be. Tallaght 5k for example - I don't think the county board said "we need a road 5k championship, who can host a race?", I think Tallaght said they were going to hold a 5k and asked if it could be the county championship.

    Same with these races. I don't think AAI decided to hold championships and then looked around to see where to hold them. They were going to hold these races in Dublin, realised there were no championships in those distances, and added that in as an extra selling point.


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    #4
    HelenAnne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,035 ✭✭✭HelenAnne


    JamesK03 wrote: »
    Hi,

    What do you think of the new Athletics Ireland Race Series incorporating the national 5k, 5 mile and 10 mile championships? I think these are all new championship races. Is there a need for all of them?

    Also, all of these races are in Dublin which means that all the National senior road races (5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile, half marathon and marathon) are held in Dublin. This doesn't seem fair to me particularly for club runners outside Leinster. (I do live in Dublin so it does suit me!).

    Plus the National Road Relays. You're right - very Dublin-centric (& I live in Dublin too!)

    At least the XC moves around!


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    #5
    El CabaIIo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 354 ✭✭El CabaIIo


    Every National senior race road, indoor and outdoor track or Cross-country is held in Dublin now. There is some fantastic races and venues all over the country but everything still gets held there. AAI has become way too centralised. It's not like Ireland is a big country where it's a major pain in the ass to get anywhere but having the vast vast majority of championship races in Dublin is a disservice to the name of a National Championship and athletics in Ireland where 90% of all members are from outside Dublin.

    It's getting worse every year and it doesn't exactly sell the sport and the buzz of championships to those outside.


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    #6
    RayCun
    Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    Are there Munster and Connacht championships at these distances?


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    #7
    El CabaIIo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 354 ✭✭El CabaIIo


    RayCun wrote: »
    Are there Munster and Connacht championships at these distances?

    On the roads, Munster has a 4 mile, half marathon and marathon.

    Indoor and outdoor track, yes. But to be fair, for indoors, Nenagh isn't a place to hold indoor nationals anymore.

    XC, yes.

    Why do you ask?


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    #8
    RayCun
    Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    Plenty of opportunity to have new championship races held in those provinces so.

    Edited to add - complaints that the national half used to move around but is now stuck in Dublin carry more weight to me. But there wasn't a national road 5k until a race in Dublin applied to be it.


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    #9
    RayCun
    Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    National indoors is still in Athlone, isn't it?
    The national juvenile and masters track championships are *always* held in Tullamore.


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    #10
    Sacksian
    Registered Users Posts: 1,895 ✭✭✭Sacksian


    To be fair, for senior track, the national championships are held at the national stadium, and, for senior xc, the national championships are held at the national sports campus on the National XC course. They're the national venues.

    National Novice, Intermediate and Masters XC are generally not held in Dublin and national juvenile and masters outdoor track are in Tullamore and indoor masters are always in Athlone (possibly national juveniles too).

    I honestly think the Novice, Intermediate and Masters XC should be held in Abbottstown too - it's the National XC course and, unless you're doing senior xc, you're not going to get a chance to run a championship race on it as an adult. It's only used a couple of times a year.

    The difficulty with moving something like the road relays is not that it's in Dublin; it's that the unique course and atmosphere of the event are so integral to its success that I doubt clubs would follow it if it moved. I'd move senior track before I moved the relays!

    These new road championships are slightly different to the xc/track or relay championship races in that many of the category and team winners will have no idea who they're racing against in these mass events. I don't think many of our top seniors or clubs really target the road championships, apart from marathon, so I think, as Ray said, they're largely just promotional add-ons.

    I would imagine AI would be happy for greater geographical diversity if clubs were offering and able to host the events (which is probably the main consideration) but Dublin is generally the least worst solution in terms of transport connections, facilities, access wherever you're coming from, especially with the numbers competing from NI in recent years.

    I also live in Dublin.


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    #11
    HelenAnne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,035 ✭✭✭HelenAnne


    Sacksian wrote: »

    The difficulty with moving something like the road relays is not that it's in Dublin; it's that the unique course and atmosphere of the event are so integral to its success that I doubt clubs would follow it if it moved. I'd move senior track before I moved the relays!


    I also live in Dublin.

    I would HATE the relays to be moved, btw - as you say, I think the course and the atmosphere and everything are great. And I think it's only the fact that they've been held there so often means they can be held on a residential loop like that - people are use to it and put up with it :) I think if you looked elsewhere in the country for a mile loop to run around on the roads, there'd be loads of resistance from residents etc.


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    #12
    El CabaIIo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 354 ✭✭El CabaIIo


    RayCun wrote: »
    Plenty of opportunity to have new championship races held in those provinces so.

    Edited to add - complaints that the national half used to move around but is now stuck in Dublin carry more weight to me. But there wasn't a national road 5k until a race in Dublin applied to be it.

    We're not talking about provencial races here though, Munster has only 1 less provencial road race distance than Leinster and has the same amount of track and XC races and I'm not sure what this has to do with National events.

    National indoors was in Abottstown this year.

    All the races used to move around, National senior XC used to be held country wide, so did the marathon and half and 10k.

    I'm not a fan of the something is called "National xxxx" and all events should be held therel and that it is a valid argument against moving events around the Country.


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    #13
    average_runner
    Registered Users Posts: 12,845 ✭✭✭✭average_runner


    The problem I have with the national 5k is it has pushed the Tallaght 5k out by two weeks where it now competes against the Bob Heffernan. This can't be good for the clubs in athletics, where these races are one of their primary incomes.

    Also I do believe if Irish Athletics was serious about national 10k it would have them in a different city each year and around the city like they do in the Uk for their big races. Having every race in the Phoenix park, is just lazy and doesn't promote the sport much.


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    #14
    MisterDrak
    Registered Users Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭MisterDrak


    Just registered for the Frank Duffy on 24 Aug, and noticed that the start time is now 9:30am. That's bound to catch a few people out !

    (Even with the numerous mails that will follow nearer the time).


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    #15
    colin32
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭colin32


    Registered for the 10 mile race today. I presume the course will be similar to the 10 mile marathon race series course


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    #16
    Naos
    Registered Users Posts: 4,728 ✭✭✭Naos


    Going to register for this but before I do...

    Can novice runners enter as well? Just ran my first race yesterday (Great Ireland 10km run), there's a lot of talk in this thread about county races....


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    #17
    colin32
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭colin32


    Yes anyone can enter. I've entered myself and I'm no more than a fun runner


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    #18
    esme95
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭esme95


    Hey, I am considering participating this year. Did the three races last year and got on okay but started training a lot earlier in the year. Do you think that it is too late to start for the 5k?


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    #19
    Tommy Max
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭Tommy Max


    Any body got the course maps for the 5k and 5 mile?


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    #20
    healy1835
    Registered Users Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭healy1835


    Tommy Max wrote: »
    Any body got the course maps for the 5k and 5 mile?

    Not sure if the route has changed but this is last year's 5 Mile......

    Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/DNAVkm5h7V


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    #21
    AAD
    Registered Users Posts: 156 ✭✭AAD


    The 5k Route has been revealed today and for a change its the same 5k route that nearly every 5k race uses in the park.

    start: Chesterfield avenue towards the Mountjoy monument/round about. left turn onto Ordinance Survey: right tune towards the Mount Sackville entrance : left then into the glen, up the hill out of the glen then left turn again back around the road towards ordinance survey again, one final right turn into furze road to the finish.


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    #22
    Tommy Max
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭Tommy Max


    fast to begin with and then a fairly tough finish.


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    #23
    yerrahbah
    Registered Users Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭yerrahbah


    61537757_2812148215503292_6428044421098373120_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent.fdub4-1.fna&oh=ed763bf4977b280dd0b60d05e744535d&oe=5D5CCF73


    2019 Irish Runner 5 Mile takes place on Saturday June 15th @ 10am. This years race will include a 'Family Mile' which will start at 9:20am.

    This year's 5 Mile route will see participants starting on Chesterfield Avenue and finishing on Furze Road
    The Family Mile route will start and finish on Furze Road

    I haven't ran in the Phoenix park in a while, Would I be right in saying that mile 3 to 4 is mostly downhill, but then is uphill from just before the 4 mile marker back to Furze road?


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    #24
    Tommy Max
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭Tommy Max


    yerrahbah wrote: »
    61537757_2812148215503292_6428044421098373120_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent.fdub4-1.fna&oh=ed763bf4977b280dd0b60d05e744535d&oe=5D5CCF73


    2019 Irish Runner 5 Mile takes place on Saturday June 15th @ 10am. This years race will include a 'Family Mile' which will start at 9:20am.

    This year's 5 Mile route will see participants starting on Chesterfield Avenue and finishing on Furze Road
    The Family Mile route will start and finish on Furze Road

    I haven't ran in the Phoenix park in a while, Would I be right in saying that mile 3 to 4 is mostly downhill, but then is uphill from just before the 4 mile marker back to Furze road?

    the last 1.5 miles will be a tough finish. anybody got the 10 mile route?


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    #25
    28064212
    Registered Users Posts: 10,494 ✭✭✭✭28064212


    yerrahbah wrote: »
    I haven't ran in the Phoenix park in a while, Would I be right in saying that mile 3 to 4 is mostly downhill, but then is uphill from just before the 4 mile marker back to Furze road?
    Not really. From the Castleknock roundabout (just after the 2 mile marker) to the finish is almost all flat or slight downhill. There are two notable exceptions:
    • Just after the 3 mile marker, after the left-hand turn, there's a steady downhill
    • Before the 4 mile mark, before the hair-pin turn, there's a short-but-steep climb. Because of where it is, it has the potential to turn the last mile into a death-march which will definitely feel uphill, but it's essentially flat

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    #26
    SeeMoreBut
    Registered Users Posts: 797 ✭✭✭SeeMoreBut


    A non noticeable gentle rise from Mickey D's house to Ashtown gate.

    All good from there to 3.5 miles. Short sharp climb to hair pin turn and then as said last mile of death but if you are going well you won't notice it as you fly by people.

    I hate the long finish on furze road as this race about a km long as different races finish at different places on the road.


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    #27
    Seageebee
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭Seageebee


    I tried to enter the 10 mile and failed....the athletics Ireland website doesn't appear to want to let you enter without a membership number....also initially doesn't seem to want entries to any one event just the three?

    Maybe I missed something but I have been successfully entering races for over 30 years without difficulty normally!


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    #28
    colin32
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭colin32


    I'm entered and don't have a membership number. It has been a couple of months since I signed up though, so maybe something changed

    Also I only signed up for the one race


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    #29
    KSU
    Registered Users Posts: 946 ✭✭✭KSU


    Seageebee wrote: »
    I tried to enter the 10 mile and failed....the athletics Ireland website doesn't appear to want to let you enter without a membership number....also initially doesn't seem to want entries to any one event just the three?

    Maybe I missed something but I have been successfully entering races for over 30 years without difficulty normally!

    All AAI championship online entries require your AAI lifetime membership numbers

    They have started to crack down on this to make sure that people pay there membership as well as the transition to online entries for these championships.

    If you ring your club secretary they can usually pull it up for you.


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    #30
    yerrahbah
    Registered Users Posts: 1,366 ✭✭✭yerrahbah


    Seageebee wrote: »
    I tried to enter the 10 mile and failed....the athletics Ireland website doesn't appear to want to let you enter without a membership number....also initially doesn't seem to want entries to any one event just the three?

    Maybe I missed something but I have been successfully entering races for over 30 years without difficulty normally!

    https://www.athleticsireland.ie/runzone/raceseries/

    scroll down to and click on

    Irish Runner 10 Mile General Entries:


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    #31
    Seageebee
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭Seageebee


    yerrahbah wrote: »
    https://www.athleticsireland.ie/runzone/raceseries/

    scroll down to and click on

    Irish Runner 10 Mile General Entries:

    Thanks! ...yes I missed the general entries section!!


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