Connemarathon 2011

RacoonQueen

Oisin - 5:30
Meno - 5:50
Claralara - 4:28

Not sure on other times yet.

menoscemo

aimman 6.03. Sarsfield rock a few minutes behind that. Great race. I was cruising to 5.40ish with 10k to go until i got the worst cramp ever from hamstring to neck. great course hills not as bad as advertised

Oisin11178

I might have been just 5.31. Last third nearest by about 5 mins and last mile the fastest. Very happy.

Slogger Jogger

Great times guys. Well done all round.

liamo123

Watch time 5.11.00......Got 2 marathon distance in 3.18.30 approx but no amount of reading previous logs can prepare u for those bloody hills...took a couple of walking breaks but delighted with result.... will wait a week or two before deciding whether to return in 2012.. Would love 2 give it a right lash with the proper training.....Well done to all

jlang

Just crept in as the clock passed 3:30 but it was a game of two halves or rather a 16 and a 10. First half was a bit quick at about 1:35 and I knew I'd need to slow up for the second. Of course, I paid the price for such a fast start - a couple of 11 min miles and watching all the half runners I'd eased past retake me as I had a 1:55. Second slowest marathon from me but only 12 mins off the fastest: Dublin last year. And with interrupted training, a few extra kg and the harder course I'd have taken 3:30 if offered this morning. Even if I made it harder for myself I had a good day.

ronanmac

menoscemo wrote: »

aimman 6.03. Sarsfield rock a few minutes behind that. Great race. I was cruising to 5.40ish with 10k to go until i got the worst cramp ever from hamstring to neck. great course hills not as bad as advertised

Jaysus, you were looking very relaxed when I saw you, for a man who had just run 38 miles! Nice to make your acquaintance, if only briefly!

ct_roy

first time running Connemarathon. Finished the half in 1:55 - nowhere near a PB but a great day out. Given the severe lack of training I was pushing hard for a sub 2 and was very happy with 1:55. Glad we didn't get the predicted scorcher as that bloody hill at 9.5m was tough enough in the mist!

Will defo be back for more punishment next year - very well organised and the run is stunning.

hunnymonster

Congrats to everyone to took part in one of the races yesterday. It was great to see the boardsies in action again. I hear you had a real battle of wills with the wind for the last 6 miles? I really enjoyed seeing people at the finish and of course the party last night! Fantastic event and hopefully I can be on the start line next year

yop

Well that was fun! Great buzz about the place and a lovely day.
A nice wee wind and a bit of drizzle but nothing major.

Had a good run heading for 1.45 but I faded to a slow finish. The hill of hell took it out of me.
Finished in 2.03 but I had it in my head with the training I was doing that I was looking at a 2.12 so I am very happy with that.

PIORUN

Done half in 1:37 which I was happy with considering the wind and hill from 9 mile mark, took a lot for me to keep going which I didn't think would happen to me on a half. Didn't find first part of course too hilly compared to say Dingle but that gradual climb after 9 mile mark made up for it...

Mick Rice

Good grief, but I'm tired and sore today. It was great to meet a lot of people yesterday. Conditions were tougher than last year I think and so was very happy with 4:29. Thought the U2 heads, the devils and the rest were great fun. Am limping like a f***er today. If anyone has good tips for healing up blisters in a hurry, let me know. I have the London Marathon in a weeks time :-)

Keedowah

Did the half in 2.15 - a PB (well it was my first half!). Loved it - the support along the way was great, and I found the whole thing very well organised, loads of water stations and the U2 & Devils were a nice touch.

Well done to everyone who took part!

Highway_To_Hell

Anyone know where the results are available online? I can only see 2010 resultson the Connamarathon website.

Thanks

yop

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

Anyone know where the results are available online? I can only see 2010 resultson the Connamarathon website.

Thanks

http://www.connemarathon.com/2011-results-will-be-published-online-12-noon

pgargan

First time running it, was very impressed with the logistics - from small touches like having the race number safety pins looped together, to the big things like buses and having your bags collected pre-race and available afterwards. Well worth every penny of the entrance cost.

Does anyone know what the story was with the darkish-coloured van (black?) that meandered down towards the finish line around 1:45 on the half-marathon clock?

Myself and a few other runners were coming up behind it. It seemed to stop or slow down and suddenly we were all piling up against the back of it. Not what you want as you're trying to sprint to a strong finish.

In order to get round it, we'd to go either side. Unable to see past it, I chose right, and found myself running but corralled in the spectator area, separated from the finish line / chip mat by a line of metal barriers. I'd to ask spectators to move so I could climb the fence and tumble over the line. Very annoying. :mad:

I don't know who dropped the ball here. Was it an official race vehicle that ended up in the wrong place? Or some member of the public trying to drive up and collect their mates?

A bit after I finished, I saw another runner hurtling down that spectator area, cut off from the finish mat, yelling "I got stuck!" Not just me, so!

nutts_77

What a course!! First ultra and didn't have a clue what to expect. Finished in 6hr 16 and am over the moon. :-) Thought at one stage that 6hr finish was possible, but really started to suffer over last 10-12km. Strange thing was that actually enjoyed the hills as they seemed to give my legs a break.

First time ever in Connemara, and what a way to experience the scenery. Will def make a return visit as soon as possible.. Thanks to all involved in this event. It leads the field and should be used by other event organisers to see how an event can, and should be organised...

brownian

Times for half about two mins off. Both runners in my party, including third placer, measured two mins faster. As did the clock? Times are provisional so far though!

Micilin Muc

brownian wrote: »

Times for half about two mins off. Both runners in my party, including third placer, measured two mins faster. As did the clock? Times are provisional so far though!

I think so! I measured about 90 seconds faster.

dx22

That was my 4th half marathon but the first one that i have trained properly for and i bet by previous best by 10 min i got 1:49 yesterday.

Did a lot more hill training and proper long runs with steep hills in training and i sprinted up the hill at the end.Last time i ran it it found the hill brutal. I now see the benefit of doing proper structured training and understand what the different session types do for your running!

el kabong

Micilin Muc wrote: »

I think so! I measured about 90 seconds faster.

Likewise, about 90 seconds off.

I too encountered the mystery dark van around the finish line. It passed my with about 200m to go, and the driver just kept on trying to drive down the narrow tunnel created by the spectators, which slowed him to a crawl. Luckily for me, by the time I was going past him, he hadn't quite made it to the barriers, and the spectators had made way slightly to allow a single file of runners down the side of the van.

To be fair to the organisers, they have a full road closure enforced at both ends, and at the only junction along the way, but they can't control vehicles emerging from driveways along the route. I suspect the van got onto the course in that way. Nonetheless, they should try to do something to ensure that if such vehicles do appear on the course, then never make it into the finish area.

tHE vAGGABOND

Did the half in 1.56.39 - absolutely thrilled with that, legs in rag order today, but let them :cool:

I will tell the story in my log, but I was more nervious than I have ever been before anything in my entire life, and was making small talk on bus with a "stranger" who turned out to be our own Micilin Muc - which was sensational, out of thousands of people leaving galway we end up on bus beside each other

Loved the whole day, alas did not get to meet anyone afterwards despite hanging around for 90 minutes odd after my run. The lesson for next time is pick a place to meet

yop

Times are off for sure, mine is saying I was an hour slower *cough cough*

Its 2 mins off for me anyway.

Good to see young Ronan on the side of the road as I was nearing the end (legs and race).

Shame we didn't meet up with more Boardsies.

liamo123

Just after checking provisional results... Mick Rice 3rd in the Ultra ; 4.29.05... Had the pleasure of meeting him before the race.. He's a bloody machine :eek: ( just after seeing Micks post on previous page... Well done )

Wonkagirl

PB for me- 1.58- mind you was my first half, so does 1 time even count as a PB? (as an aside!)

Really didnt think i'd come in sub2, so am thrilled with that. Longest training run was 9 miles on the flat, so i#'ll be aiming for sub 1.50 next yr for definite. i didnt think the hills were all theyd been made out to be- it was no worse than the gaelforce run or the Tulfarris10 for that matter- run of the mill hills i would have said?

The organisation was top notch, and all done with a smile on everybodys behalf. Had a good chat with the race director at around 11am yest am, he said his main concern after safety was that everyone had a good time- and i think they did. One of the lads with me was running with a pink number (his girlfriends) and he was calling him the 'ladyboy of leenane'- lots of other races would have disqualified him straight off. That happened a few peoiple in the Ballycotton10 apparently.

Now, the afterparty......... chronic. like a bad wedding. we left after 10 mins and went to The Quays and got trollied. Legs and liv er are in the BIN today¬!

I'll tell you one thing- i wouldnt do a full marathon if you paid me 1m euro. No way no how!

tHE vAGGABOND

i didnt think the hills were all theyd been made out to be

I was thinking the same thing tbh - but Im sure its very different at the end of a Full or even worse an Ultra.

the afterparty......... chronic. like a bad wedding

Thank god I skipped that so, had a ticket, but could not be bothered to leave the high stool where I was

Wonkagirl

yop wrote: »

Times are off for sure, mine is saying I was an hour slower *cough cough*

Its 2 mins off for me anyway.
.

My online time is spot on- exactly what i had on my Garmin to the second. NOw, on another note, my garmin said 13.2 miles. I guess runinng to the left for the entire race added in 100 yrds for me!

ct_roy

times were definitely revised today

the first pdf just after 12 had my time at 1:55:35 - the pdf now has me a minute faster - i'll take the 1:54

baza1976

Crash and burn, Crash and burn.

I had a bit of a bummer yesterday. Maybe it was bringing the wife and 2 youngins with me (my Plan A was to cycle the 75 mile trip to Con, run marathon then cycle home:D ) or maybe it was the Mc D's the day before the marathon, or the curry chip later saturday eve or maybe it was messing around the pool in the hotel with the kids or the jacuzzi or the sauna or the endless phlem or the sore throat or the stupid tickle cough lol........

I was planning on on doing each 6mile in 50min. That went to plan till at mile 18 when i was about 3min down. But i wasn't worried too much, my last resort aim was to get around under 4hr plus run up the 3 hills which are the bend before mile 7, Leanne and the HW. I got the first too hills handy enough but the HW broke my soul.
Long story (and even more excuses) short, I blew up, there have been other marathons when I thought I had blown up!!!
I was in shock:eek: I couldn't beleive it. I kept asking myself what is happening????? I have ran LSRs and was buzzing after my last LSR finishing the 20 mile in a very easy 2:50ish

I did the first half in around 1:48 ish. I noticed the chip mat wasn't working :mad: and the second half in over 2hr.....crash and burn.
Finshed up in 4:10ish over half hr slower then my last marathon.

I'll try and get these sicky things out of the way and regroup for Limerick in a few weeks and put the record straight.

Did anyone else think there was more people running the full marathon this year than others??? which was good I thought??

Well done to all the other people on this thread some outstanding results being posted.

floyd333

I did the half. Was happy enough with my time (1:38:27). It was bloody hard going though . The last hill was a killer. I have to say the event was really well organized. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxed. Fair play to the Ultra folks. I have so much respect for these people. I hope to be back next year and maybe i'll do the full.

aficionado

First time doing a full, Came in at 3.37 very happy with it,
Legs are in bits now though!
Had a great weekend will deft be worth another visit next year,
Looking forward to my next one

brownian

First time doing the full, tho have done four halfs. Thought all went very smoothly, lots of water, nice volunteers at water stations, traffic well controlled. Weather also very well managed - nice work on the clouds!

- results seem to have vanished from the connemarathon site...no doubt will reappear eventually

Seanie_H

Sorry if it's been asked before but, has the course been measured on the normal method of the shortest route? Or... Do they take the shortest route of the right hand side of the road. I resent having to cover a fair amount extra for cars and bikes. My garmin battery died on Sun morning so I didnt get my overall distance but very sure it was way longer than the usual extra at the end of 42

Glad to see most people enjoyed etc. There was a real feel good for the most part.

Might be an idea to use some barriers at the start instead of stewards getting grumpy about continually telling different people to stay right at the Mara start. Would be a great PB course if they could arrange for tunnels at 23km and 38km

TFBubendorfer

Seanie_H wrote: »

Sorry if it's been asked before but, has the course been measured on the normal method of the shortest route? Or... Do they take the shortest route of the right hand side of the road. I resent having to cover a fair amount extra for cars and bikes.

Courses are ALWAYS measured on the shortest route, i.e. running on the inside of all bends and no swerving. It's up to you to try and follow the race line as well as you can, resentful or not.

It's perfectly normal for a Garmin to display 13.2 or 13.3 after a correctly measured half and 26.4 or 26.5 after a full (and moaning about the extra distance won't get you any sympathy )

pudgeydev

Those last few miles were tough…Got through the full in under 4 hours which was on the wishlist, 3:57 which I was happy with. Went out too fast for the first half and paid for it in the second but it was great to get under 4. I really just wanted to get through it injury free for Limerick in 3 weeks so mission accomplished. Fair play to people for coming out to offer encouragement during the last 13miles, always a good boost to have!
Some bits on the organization, some of it was fantastic, the busses bringing people home afterwards was run like clockwork, the water stops were well worked out and the markers and everything were good.
Getting there an hour beforehand was a lot of waiting around, if it was lashing rain it would have been tough. I know they wanted to get everyone there in time and all the rest, just from a pure runner’s POV.
Someone mentioned earlier the grumpy lads telling you to get in the other side of the road, they were plain rude at times to people.
At the finish area there was a big queue for burgers/tea/hotdogs, presuming they were free I lined up and was surprised to be charged a fiver for my burger. If there was prices up anywhere it would have been fine but there wasn’t, there was another chipper van across the way with no queue and a few I was chatting to presumed it was free until we got near the front. Not that I mind paying, I’d just like to know beforehand.
At the bag pickup there was little to no security, I could have had a good rummage around other people’s bags if I fancied (I resisted…). I presume a lot of people had phones and a few quid in their bags, if they had someone standing at the entrance marking your number and letting you in would have worked.
That’s just a few points, overall though it was a good experience, well worth a return visit for the full, half, or god forbid, the Ultra!

EDIT: By the way, I've been into the sea in Salthill for 10 minutes a go on Sunday and yesterday for some free Cryotherapy, and the effects have been fantastic, if you're stiff and sore and can pop into the sea for a few minutes then go for it, well worth it!

shotgunmcos

Well done to everyone for completing this at the weekend, twas tough but fun eh?

Thoughts on the event itself
I last ran this Marathon in 2008 and I have to say it has stepped up a notch in organisation and professionalism. Ray and his crew did a great job on the whole. The course and markers were accurate, lots of water, local volunteers brilliant in Oughterard and on the course. All in all a good run for runners. I’m satisfied with my Marathon effort there now and have no desire to return for more. The only reason I’d contemplate Conn again would be to do the Ultra but I’m reluctant on 2 small points.

#1: The value for money. Conn is expensive. I realise Ray et al have a few more outlays than the norm with the platoon of buses etc... I don’t usually care much about the goody bag or post race treats but handing you a bag which contained an envelope with your chip and number and NOTHING else was weird. Did the merchandisers not come through or what? Why not just hand the participants an envelope instead and save the few euros for the bags on a wad of bananas and the finish. Also at the end you got a tee shirt that was probably 2 sizes too big and a handful of jellies. I arrived in early so got a small tee for Caz as she rarely gets a small tee at events. She was going to grab a medium for me but there was only large left and her running mate had to make do that. The majority of the walkers came through before the 4hr and 6hr marathon and ultra marathoners so they had to make do with a large tee and a handful of jellies. From what I saw the Ultra folk are not the largest. Surely a box of tees could be reserved for them. If I remember correctly there were orange slices and mars bars at the Conn finish before, what happened that?

#2: The finish line. I can appreciate that the logistics of the stagger start for the 3 races and walkers is probably a nightmare and every possible idea has been teased out. Respect to the RD and team for listening to the feedback. I mean no disrespect to walkers; they are out there doing their thing and enjoying themselves. They have no concept of the 6 hour ultra guy hanging on by a thread behind them when they enter the final 100m 3 abreast holding hands or diving across the road to embrace a loved one. The finish straight was busiest for the 3:30-3:50 marathoners and subsequent ultra folk and my heart went out to them having to dodge some of the madness going on in their path. I would suggest lining a row of bollards out from the finish line to split the road for 200m. Stick a sign at the end to direct runners down one chute and walkers down the other. Problem solved. Ok it makes a narrower finish for each but the supporters for each will line the appropriate side of the road too so there would be no zigzagging antics in front of the runner who just put down 39 miles. That then leaves the question on how to organise the finish arch which I’m sure can be fleshed out.

Just small things but they make a difference to the overall measure of the event IMO

menoscemo

shotgunmcos wrote: »

#2: The finish line. I can appreciate that the logistics of the stagger start for the 3 races and walkers is probably a nightmare and every possible idea has been teased out. Respect to the RD and team for listening to the feedback. I mean no disrespect to walkers; they are out there doing their thing and enjoying themselves. They have no concept of the 6 hour ultra guy hanging on by a thread behind them when they enter the final 100m 3 abreast holding hands or diving across the road to embrace a loved one.

You may have spotted me? (I came in at 5:50 for the ultra wearing a blue boards singlet.)

Yeah i spotted a large group of walkers about half a mile from the finish line walking about 7 a breast and I knew there was going to be problems up the narrow finishing Chute. I ended up passing them about 10 metres from the line and no amount of Excuse me's in the seconds before worked as there was a lot of noise. I was left with a gap of about 50 centimtres between the rail and the shoulder of a rather large lady and despite my best efforts to squeeze through the gap Our shouldres clashed and it was quite an impact on her. Thankfully no harm was done to either of us but i think she was very annoyed at me (even though I am pretty sure that she was the one in the wrong :rolleyes:)

Seres

whats the story with the results , they have pdfs up on the site labelled as results but nothin , not even in the redtagtiming site ?

jlang

Seres wrote: »

whats the story with the results , they have pdfs up on the site labelled as results but nothin , not even in the redtagtiming site ?

Link on front page works for me...
http://www.connemarathon.com/updated-provisional-results-half-full-amp-ultra

Seanie_H

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Courses are ALWAYS measured on the shortest route, i.e. running on the inside of all bends and no swerving. It's up to you to try and follow the race line as well as you can, resentful or not.

It's perfectly normal for a Garmin to display 13.2 or 13.3 after a correctly measured half and 26.4 or 26.5 after a full (and moaning about the extra distance won't get you any sympathy )

But it's hard enough to keep the shortest line on a fully closed road! I Took my f1 style racing line when possible but I'm claiming a marginal ultra for the marathon route so

Zuppy

shotgunmcos wrote: »

From what I saw the Ultra folk are not the largest. Surely a box of tees could be reserved for them.

I worked the Ultra finishers and all of them got the Ultra tee (it was different to the reguler tee). Most of them were racing snakes and looked lean. :-)

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

sentful or not.

It's perfectly normal for a Garmin to display 13.2 or 13.3 after a correctly measured half and 26.4 or 26.5 after a full (and moaning about the extra distance won't get you any sympathy )

Don't forget the GPS watch is only accurate to a certain distance (depending on your model) and also a race course will be measured with (correct me here if I am wrong - dragging it out of my head) a 1% overdistance built in.

And CONGRATS to all who finished.

opus

ZuppyLurk wrote: »

And CONGRATS to all who finished.

For sure some fantastic race reports in the Training Logs section, I had to resist the urge to sign up for next year straight away! Heard from my colleague at work today that her husband came in 5th which was much better than he expected. Seems his only disappointment is that the Dingle Ultra is cancelled.

Much congratulations to all!!

podgemonster

Did it in 1.58 despite the blisters that formed on my feet and the stitch in my side it was a wonderful experience, the adrenaline kicked in when i rounded that last corner and I saw the clock ticking towards the 2Hr mark and I sprinted to the finish!

Great feeling of acomplishment that lasted until i dozed off on the bus to Galway and lost my phone:mad:!

Kinda want some more, the feeling of finishing a big race is almost addictive!

decboy

did my first half in 1.56.05 so really happy with that, think I will look towards the kildare half in a few weeks and see what i'm like on the flat.

With regards to the finish line I would like to reiterate what a previous poster said with it getting crowded at the finish, the roads are narrow over west as it is, never mind making it harder at the finish with it suddenly all getting very narrow to get over the line. Maybe something could be looked at it for future events that I am now considering once again to take part in.

But my last point I'd like to make is that it was well organised on every other front and i would like to thank the organisers and all those volunteers that made it a great weekend.

liamo123

opus wrote: »

For sure some fantastic race reports in the Training Logs section, I had to resist the urge to sign up for next year straight away! Heard from my colleague at work today that her husband came in 5th which was much better than he expected. Seems his only disappointment is that the Dingle Ultra is cancelled.

Much congratulations to all!!

Opus I can only speak for the Ultra ( im sure the marathon and half are no different ) but on reflection Its one of the best races Ive taken part in... Fab location, organisation effective but not fussy and a huge test of mind and body which adds to the whole experience...Im hopefully going back next year and IMO its might b the natural progression for u 2

pudgeydev

Did anyone out there get an XL tshirt and want to swap for an L? The lady giving them out told me it was an XL but gave me an L by mistake.

claralara

Guys – for anyone who ran with the hilarious guy with the webcam in Connemara – here’s a link to his final video! I managed to feature as a sweaty mess and Aimman got in there about 9.11minutes. There’s a lovely tribute to Eddie at the end too!

I hope everyone’s legs have reacquainted themselves with their bodies by now!!