Streets of Galway 8k, 7/8/10

Seres

good race , great support , perfect conditions , really fast posting and textin results and i got a pb, so im happy , only issue i would have is the start is very congested , maybe they should have a cutoff for faster/slower runners ?!

Jnealon

3 stars (average)

The start is a bit narrow, best to keep the elbows out and stride a bit short.

ChampionChip

I checked the file and the time difference between the two ladies was 2 tenths of a second. There was clear daylight between the two girls as they crossed the line.

As regards the chip times being provided if you email me at glenn@championchipireland.com I will happily send you the results sorted by chip time just for your interest.

The Streets race is one of my favourites in the year. Excellent organisation, co-operative and friendly.

T runner

Really enjoyed this race (not the last 2k though!).

Organisation was brilliant and i loved the route. Flying through the city streets like that was great.

(Hand on heart I got a better handle on the orientation of Galway/Satlhill in half an hour on saturday than i did in 4-5 years of piss arting between the two in my college days!) So the coastline line doesnt turn 90 degrees at seapoint eh!

Anyway, hadnt a great run. Heavy training and tired legs may have taken the edge off my racing physically and mentally. I suppose thats par for the course with marathon training.

My Wonderings about my finishing position was miraculously interrupted by a text giving me my time and finishing position.

Great stuff

Speedy44

Seres wrote: »

good race , great support , perfect conditions , really fast posting and textin results and i got a pb, so im happy , only issue i would have is the start is very congested , maybe they should have a cutoff for faster/slower runners ?!

I know that they had signs encouraging slower runners & walkers to start towards the back. Unfortunately for a lot of the participants, this may be the only race they take part in all year, they even had someone predict their finishing time at 20mins :eek:

It is definitely a narrow street, so if you want a good time you have to make sure that you plan your start place stratergy just right. I believe that having a staggered start is something that they are looking into for future years.

dochara

2 stars (poor)

pgibbo wrote: »

Snap out of it....

That car wasn't in the way. Not ideal I know but who is going to be running over there? It wasn't on the race line.

The prom is a footpath. This was a road race. The racing line is on the road. People should not be running on the footpath along the prom. Do you know how many volunteers would be required to stop people walking the prom. Also, why should local residents have to give up their walk when the roads are already closed.

From what I hear it was a sprint finish so technically they could get the same time. Then again I was way too far down the field to comment on that. Just what I heard.

I think Mick says it all here[/URL].

Nothing to snap out of thanks and thankfully, we are all entitled to express our opinions, different though they may be.

1. The car may or may not have been in the way but it looked slipshod and careless that it was allowed to stay there.

2. Wouldn't have been a massive exercise to put bollards and tape around the 'shortcut' at the junction of Grattan Road and Seapoint Road.

3. The roads were NOT closed. Cars were moving (not particularly slowly) from Whitestrand towards Seapoint as the runners made their way between 6 and 7 km.

4. Why should old ladies have to give up their daily walk in Pamplona during the annual bull-run? Common sense, that's why!

5. I wasn't being critical of the times given to McCambridge and McGloin - I meant to imply that it was great to have such a close finish after 8 km.

Expressing an opinion contrary to that of the majority is actually allowed in Ireland! No need to attempt to lecture me or to ask me to read Mick Rice's 'unbiased' opinion either.

SafestHands

4 stars (good)

OK, as one who is close to the race organisation of SOG, let's deal with the these trite, unacceptable, incorrect and plainly ridiculous comments one by one, for once and for all.

>>1. The car may or may not have been in the way but it looked slipshod and careless that it was allowed to stay there.

There is 6pm mass every Saturday evening in Galway cathedral, after which the barriers to the cathedral car-park are timed to come down at exactly 7pm (by which time all mass-goers have usually left). On Saturday last, an elderly couple exited the car-park at the last minute, at precisely the worst time possible time for the oncoming race (just after 7pm) and ended up driving into no-man's land inside the race cordon.

Rather then spook the occupants too much (and it can be quite intimidating for elderly motorists in particular to be facing down 100s of runners as well you can imagine!), the on-duty garda quite correctly instructed them to pull in to the road-side and remain there until the main bulk of runners had passed. A clear example of purposeful, reactive decision-making while being sensitive to a genuine mistake made by a member of the public who knew nothing about (and probably cared less for) our road-race.

>>2. Wouldn't have been a massive exercise to put bollards and tape around the 'shortcut' at the junction of Grattan Road and Seapoint Road.

Yes it would actually - this would require transporting several bollards between race-headquarters and an on-course location, and also appointing volunteers to construct and then later remove this unecessary diversion. There is also the issue of liability - who would be responsible if a member of the public (or a race entrant) tripped over said temporary structure and injured themselves? The insurance cover and liability waiver issued to the organising club only covers the immediate areas around the race start/finish.

There were countless potential other shortcuts throughout the course if runners choose to take them. Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting that we address each one? The race-route is clearly documented and detailed for all to see. Run on the road - it is a road-race. The clue is in the race-name.

>> 3. The roads were NOT closed. Cars were moving (not particularly slowly) from Whitestrand towards Seapoint as the runners made their way
>> between 6 and 7 km.

Nowhere in any official race detail will you see a reference to roads being closed for the duration of the race. Why is this? The answer is quite simple - we NEVER advise that we are closing down the roads completely to traffic. The nature of the race permit, and the arrangement with the traffic corps of the local Gardaí, the Galway corporation, the Galway city council and all other vested interests is such that the roads cannot be officially and fully closed for the duration of the race, but that the race as a "moving entity", will be facilitated for it's duration as it progresses along the public thoroughfares of Galway city and it's suburbs (by temporarily closing down busy junctions, etc.).

Is the penny dropping now for you? I sure hope so...

>>4. Why should old ladies have to give up their daily walk in Pamplona during the annual bull-run? Common sense, that's why!

Oh dear, oh dear, even I am losing patience here...

>>5. I wasn't being critical of the times given to McCambridge and McGloin
- I meant to imply that it was great to have such a close finish after 8 km.

This is the only comment you make with a smidgin of sense to it, IMHO!

Even in a society that encourages free-speech, individuals should still refrain from commenting about subjects they know very little or
nothing about - "there are those who have an opinion about everything, even subjects they don't have an opinion about".

Please offer yourself up as race volunteer at some local race in future where you can actually help out in a more constructive way.
(something similiar to what the likes of the many SOG volunteers did last Saturday night for example).

runsalot

4 stars (good)

I have to say that this race is an example to any club or group looking to put a race together.

HardyEustace

3 stars (average)

Once again a really lovely race. Well organised, lovely crowd and a great atmosphere. Was great to be able to pop in and collect the race number on Friday evening as well.

T runner

One for the streets vets.

Do you think the conditions on saturday were slightly harder than other years, last year for example?

I noticed in my splits taht teh last 2k into the wind were at 6 secs per k slower than my average speed. Im guessing with a tail wind on this exposed part it could mean hypothetically 6 secs per k or so faster in other years?

Mick Rice

4 stars (good)

Yep. Thought it was a slower finish than last year. I managed to finish with a 3:16 'flourish' last year, but flat to the boards this year I was 3:24. The km from 6-7 was my slowest into that breeze at 3:38.

It's all relative I suppose, as it was a great night for running, but I do think it was a little slower than last year.

brutes1

4 stars (good)

T runner wrote: »

One for the streets vets.

Do you think the conditions on saturday were slightly harder than other years, last year for example?

I noticed in my splits taht teh last 2k into the wind were at 6 secs per k slower than my average speed. Im guessing with a tail wind on this exposed part it could mean hypothetically 6 secs per k or so faster in other years?

Slower than last year no doubt, same here, thought id run 2640/50 handy, as did my trainin buddies! all came in 2710/15

2009 first half 13.31, second 13.24
2010 first 13.26 , second 13.49 :mad:

Felt was going faster in second half, as i usually do , got into a group and sat in for a while so that may have slowed things up , but must have been a wind factor as most guys were slower second half..oh well..

T runner

Mick Rice wrote: »

Yep. Thought it was a slower finish than last year. I managed to finish with a 3:16 'flourish' last year, but flat to the boards this year I was 3:24. The km from 6-7 was my slowest into that breeze at 3:38.

It's all relative I suppose, as it was a great night for running, but I do think it was a little slower than last year.

Thanks Mick. My second last was slowest too, which makes sense I guess.
I was 3:34 and 3:31. Was a great night for running indeed. Bit breezy on the way out too at places i found. That little drag at Dr Mannix road punched me above its weight! Lovely course though, broken up nicely into 2kish stages: Claddagh/City (to hospital), Newcastle/Lr Salthill Rd, Dv Park/Dr Mannix, Promenade/Claddagh.
Ill be back next year.

There was a beardy lad there wearing a red stripey UCG AC top and a king of mountains cap who saved for the last section and scalped about 10 runners.

T runner

brutes1 wrote: »

Slower than last year no doubt, same here, thought id run 2640/50 handy, as did my trainin buddies! all came in 2710/15

2009 first half 13.31, second 13.24
2010 first 13.26 , second 13.49 :mad:

Felt was going faster in second half, as i usually do , got into a group and sat in for a while so that may have slowed things up , but must have been a wind factor as most guys were slower second half..oh well..

Yep, I know the group you were in too. I was about 30-40 metres behind it in no mans land most of the race wishing I was there. I would have been one of the weakest runners in the group if Id tagged onto to it early in the race but I would have made up for it by doing absolutely no work!

A prevailing wind on saturday and you would have got your time Id say.

ManFromAtlantis

4 stars (good)

yep altho the breeze was forecast as north/west it was much northerly on the night. (if not sligtly east of north!)

at least the breeze was relatively light but it def cost some time on the run in.

next year a good west or south/west breeze might be in order. as the first half would be fairly sheltered then happy days the stretch home :-)

i'd love to try the course again myself before the summer is over real early say 6am or so. i wonder does anybody know are there any marks on the ground for the exact start and finish line?

niall1980

There are yellow paint strips on the kerbs at the starting line which is the exact start. not so sure bout the finish line Though.

Speedy44

T runner wrote: »

One for the streets vets.

Do you think the conditions on saturday were slightly harder than other years, last year for example?

I noticed in my splits taht teh last 2k into the wind were at 6 secs per k slower than my average speed. Im guessing with a tail wind on this exposed part it could mean hypothetically 6 secs per k or so faster in other years?

Never mind all ye're moaning lads, ye're all just a year older

I was helping out on Sat, so did 9mls on Friday night with 4mls at half marathon pace. I ran out the prom into a very strong head wind from the finish for 4mls @ 7:53 pace feeling like sh*t, when I turned I flew in at 6:10 pace, not much slower than I was doing mile repeats on the track last wk ! Did I mention that I was also hungover :rolleyes:

I was thinking that with this wind they'll be pb's all over on Saturday, unfotunately it changed.

Speedy44

as far as I recall, the finish line is at the gate just after the claddagh hall. The gate was obviously open on the night but will be closed now. Remember not to cut the corner at the roundabout on the prom !

littlebug

4 stars (good)

Goddam that corner... it cost me a pb what with all those crowds running the right way around the roundabout :mad:

Seriously... last year people seemed to just cross the road after coming down past leisureland and I followed suit and didn't even notice that other people were going round the roundabout. This year it was much clearer where we were supposed to go I thought and those who slipped through more than likely cut the corner in ignorance/ innocence (like me last year ).
I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only person slower this time

ManFromAtlantis

4 stars (good)

niall1980 wrote: »

There are yellow paint strips on the kerbs at the starting line which is the exact start. not so sure bout the finish line Though.

thanks. yea looking at photos teh finish line is at teh end of teh 'yellow box' on nimmo? pier.

ManFromAtlantis

4 stars (good)

some nice stats/analysis (new) of the race now on Galway city harriers web site.

dochara

2 stars (poor)

T runner wrote: »

There was a beardy lad there wearing a red stripey UCG AC top and a king of mountains cap who saved for the last section and scalped about 10 runners.

Barry Davey methinks.