Achill Half Marathon

Insect Overlord

kit3 wrote: »

No heatwave worries in Achill today. Overcast & cool with a strongish breeze. Think the wind might be your main problem. Hope it dies down for ye !

I was doing a practice run during the week in Clare. The mist and the cool breeze were the only things* that kept me going! :eek:

(*apart from 2 bottles of Lucozade Sport. They also kept me going. :pac: )

Lostnfound

Did this yesterday, have to say its a real challenge. The hills go up but never seemed to come down. It's been one of the hardest Half's I've tried yet.

Still baffled on the price structure, it's a lot of money for a race the same as every other. The technical top is a good quality product but the goody bag that their advertising states is worth €80 consists of mini bags of jellies, breakfast bars, the usual. As someone else at the race said the top obviously retails at €79 .

Will I do it again? - no, it's a tad pricey for a race. Clontarf next week is half the price and the same distance. It's all about the principal of it.

Like everyone else I know who has done it, you do it once for the challenge and that's it. The entries seem to be falling year on year (from talking to those I know based in the county who have run it) and some day the organisers who I understand are the local tourist board will realise the errors of their ways.

Murraythree

Did the 10km yesterday or rather the 9.7 km :rolleyes:
Very well organised event but way too overpriced.

sadie06

I completely agree with you that it's overpriced, but the numbers have actually increased greatly! 1,100 last year, 1,700 this year. The 10k probably accounts for a large percentage of the increase.

Such a pity the day was so grey. It really didn't show off the island at its best!

ultrapercy

Lostnfound wrote: »

Did this yesterday, have to say its a real challenge. The hills go up but never seemed to come down. It's been one of the hardest Half's I've tried yet.

Still baffled on the price structure, it's a lot of money for a race the same as every other. The technical top is a good quality product but the goody bag that their advertising states is worth €80 consists of mini bags of jellies, breakfast bars, the usual. As someone else at the race said the top obviously retails at €79 .

Will I do it again? - no, it's a tad pricey for a race. Clontarf next week is half the price and the same distance. It's all about the principal of it.

Like everyone else I know who has done it, you do it once for the challenge and that's it. The entries seem to be falling year on year (from talking to those I know based in the county who have run it) and some day the organisers who I understand are the local tourist board will realise the errors of their ways.

I think your 100% correct. 30 euros would be plenty especially as its organised by a body seeking to boost tourism. With entry fee, travel,overnight accommodation and all the extras youd get a week holiday abroad for the same price. For the 10k to be short is unforgivable. Some races can be given a bit of slack for slip ups ie charity low key efforts but at Achill prices everything needs to be A1.

Professey Chin

Did the half yesterday & I never want to see another hill in my life.....ever.

Lostnfound

Chinpool wrote: »

Did the half yesterday & I never want to see another hill in my life.....ever.

Three people I know have now said to me that Achill was harder for them than the DCM, that's given me a great boost to enter for October. A distance that I've never had a go at so maybe now's my time. Need to up the training plan and sort out the focus.

As for the 10k, surprised that it came up short, both are AAI accredited so distance should be measured correctly. I wouldn't go on what a GPS device says.

Insect Overlord

Very happy with my time from this. Probably not an ideal course for a total novice like myself! But I'd been warned that it was hilly so I was fairly well prepared.

I've some great friends in Achill so we made a weekend out of it. The weather wasn't great, but we'd have been dead if we were running in the sunshine.

Murraythree

Lostnfound wrote: »

As for the 10k, surprised that it came up short, both are AAI accredited so distance should be measured correctly. I wouldn't go on what a GPS device says.

Well I would when I have checked it with about five other people and all have it short. Imagine 9.7km, serious error. AAI:eek:

menoscemo

Murraythree wrote: »

Well I would when I have checked it with about five other people and all have it short. Imagine 9.7km, serious error. AAI:eek:

Just because a course was AAI measured, doesn't mean that that course was used for the race. Organisers have been known to put the start or finish in the wrong place/ take a wrong turn etc.

*I have no idea if any of this happened in the Achill 10k

Insect Overlord

Which section do ye reckon was short? Or did ye think there were a few metres missing off several km?

Edit:

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Hoping to finish it in 2:05.

Forgot I'd posted this. Ended up finishing in less than 1:56! :eek: Haven't stopped smiling since!

digger2d2

Some observations.....

Did the HM, tough course alright.....

Didn't realise how expensive the entry was as the OH entered me, that's very steep...

Weather was sh1te, shame...

Only pockets of people cheering on, not exactly what was suggested....

Getting the names wrong on the bibs was pretty amateur...

The lads doing the chip timing were staying in our B&B, I wouldn't have complete confidence in them sorting out the mess...

Mr Freeze

Did the half, I'd take that weather over a heat wave any day, pity it was so windy though, but the overcast weather and mist was most welcome, as it was boiling climbing those hills.

I probably wouldn't go back, I'll pick a flatter course next time, but nice to have this half marathon done at long last after hearing about it for years. Definitely the hardest, hilliest one I have done.

Organisation wasn't too bad, my biggest nitpick was the food tent at the end, that wouldn't have been fine for a few 100 people, but with nearly 1700 at the event, the tent was far too small, and the queue for food was crazy, I just went and paid for a cup of tea at the end and hit the road, didn't see the massage tent either, was there one?

yeppydeppy

What a rip off! They re-used t-shirts left over from last year. They re-use chips from last year which is why the names were wrong on the bibs. Goody bag worth €80 - that's a laugh. No mugs this year. Between the 10k and the half we had something like 20 people taking part and over 30 people visiting Achill for the weekend.
This is not a good advertisement for the Achill Island or Achill tourism - all of us intend to email Achill tourism to let them know how annoyed we were - we've been taking part for 7 years.

Lostnfound

Was talking to a friend who also took part, his number went missing so he had to queue again at the late entry section at registration. After finally convincing them that he had in fact entered paid etc he got sorted.

The person behind him in the queue was entering that morning, was stung for €70 late entry fee, told they couldn't have a T shirt or goody bag and could only have two safety pins.

It's a cracking location for a race which is a real challenge. Seems to me that the fee goes on buying the locals a flashing amber roof light for their car. I saw more marshalls in cars than locals along the route.

It's a real shame that its a rip off.

Shane O' Malley

Ran the race and loved it.

Wind was perfect at our backs when we needed. Bit of drizzle to cool us off and for some reason on a very hilly course i got a personal best.

Atmosphere in the pubs that night was great and i am looking forward to next year.

saligator

This was my 3rd time doing the Achill Half and it's still my favourite race but only due to the location and crowd I go with. There were about 20 of us running the race and more than 30 of us altogether, including supporters. I was disappointed in a number of aspects of the race this year:

- diminished goody bag - no mugs, no water bottles. also a pic of last years goody bag was on the magazine which included these things and more - false advertising?
- times seem to be wrong (i started my watch before i went over the start line and stopeed it after i got my medal but it's still faster than the time posted)
- the late start on both 10k and half, def did not need that on a cold misty day
- where was this mythical 'tented vilage'???
- re used t-shirts from last year, mayb the magazine was re-used from last year too which is why the wrong pic of goody bag was on it?
- wrong names on bibs.....were the chips re-used as well?
- no results in the paper as promised as they lost their 'dongle'

all in all not a very professional race and i just don't understand how they keep the entry fee so high. Thankfully I won a facebook competition this year so didn't have to pay. I did email them last year about al this and they said the entry fee is high because it goes to local charities, etc....still tho, they don't even close the roads and it's organised by Achill Tourism who should want you to go back.....i don't get it! they should do 'if you raise so much for our charity the entry fee drops' or each year you do it you get a discount or get a discount for however many newbies you bring with you to do the race.

Anyway, despite all that I will probably be back next year to do it again because i just love Achill and the weekend that's in so much but I'd like to see these things change

grizzlynorris

saligator wrote: »

This was my 3rd time doing the Achill Half and it's still my favourite race but only due to the location and crowd I go with. There were about 20 of us running the race and more than 30 of us altogether, including supporters. I was disappointed in a number of aspects of the race this year:

- diminished goody bag - no mugs, no water bottles. also a pic of last years goody bag was on the magazine which included these things and more - false advertising?
- times seem to be wrong (i started my watch before i went over the start line and stopeed it after i got my medal but it's still faster than the time posted)
- the late start on both 10k and half, def did not need that on a cold misty day
- where was this mythical 'tented vilage'???
- re used t-shirts from last year, mayb the magazine was re-used from last year too which is why the wrong pic of goody bag was on it?
- wrong names on bibs.....were the chips re-used as well?
- no results in the paper as promised as they lost their 'dongle'

all in all not a very professional race and i just don't understand how they keep the entry fee so high. Thankfully I won a facebook competition this year so didn't have to pay. I did email them last year about al this and they said the entry fee is high because it goes to local charities, etc....still tho, they don't even close the roads and it's organised by Achill Tourism who should want you to go back.....i don't get it! they should do 'if you raise so much for our charity the entry fee drops' or each year you do it you get a discount or get a discount for however many newbies you bring with you to do the race.

Anyway, despite all that I will probably be back next year to do it again because i just love Achill and the weekend that's in so much but I'd like to see these things change

Hey Athletes! In reply to this post and some of the other comments..
I just wanted to mention the Achill Ultra Event on August the 24th.
We guarantee you value for money, challenging running on the Atlantic Drive and a great after party.
Hope to see you at the start line for any of our 3 races.
Have a look at www.achillultra.com
Saligator. Love your idea of a discount for however many newbies you bring with you to do the race. We will be doing this next year.

Insect Overlord

grizzlynorris wrote: »

Hey Athletes! In reply to this post and some of the other comments..
I just wanted to mention the Achill Ultra Event on August the 24th.
We guarantee you value for money, challenging running on the Atlantic Drive and a great after party.
Hope to see you at the start line for any of our 3 races.
Have a look at www.achillultra.com
Saligator. Love your idea of a discount for however many newbies you bring with you to do the race. We will be doing this next year.

I saw that event mentioned earlier in this thread and had a good look at the website the evening after the last run. How would you describe the route of the Ultra event, in comparison to the July 6th run?

Murraythree

I am unknown.....overpriced, didn't get to run the full distance (10km/9.7km) and total rip off. Never again.

bman

This was my second time to do this half. First time I knew someone living on the island so stayed around. There really is a great atmosphere on the Saturday night.

The race itself was great! It's hilly, but everyone knows that before going there. The weather was perfect imo; warm but not hot, nicely overcast and without much rain.

Didn't stay the night this time as would have had to stay in a hotel / hostel and the prices are jacked up like crazy for the weekend! The race is also very overpriced. Apart from the t-shirt, goody bag was terrible. And as another poster said, the food tent was tiny for the number of people there. When we saw the queues we just hoped in the car and left.

Probably won't do it again as there are much better priced halfs out there. Pity, because the run itself is very enjoyable.

kit3

grizzlynorris wrote: »

Hey Athletes! In reply to this post and some of the other comments..
I just wanted to mention the Achill Ultra Event on August the 24th.
We guarantee you value for money, challenging running on the Atlantic Drive and a great after party.
Hope to see you at the start line for any of our 3 races.
Have a look at www.achillultra.com
Saligator. Love your idea of a discount for however many newbies you bring with you to do the race. We will be doing this next year.

Signed up for the half here. Really
looking forward to it - such a spectacular route. Heading to Achill on Monday and will check out the route again early next week. From what I remember there are lots of hills but am not usually looking at it from the running perspective. One question for grizzlynorris: after
you go down the corkscrew hill does the route go right and on into the Sound or does it go through Dooega - wasn't sure from looking at the website. Thanks

yeppydeppy

They've put up a survey, please take a couple of minutes to fill it in: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S7VTKPP

Lostnfound

yeppydeppy wrote: »

They've put up a survey, please take a couple of minutes to fill it in: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S7VTKPP

Filled it in, a bit limited as a survey in that there isn't a comment box for additional thoughts. I'd say they know what people think and going on previous years they've heard it before, great location for a race, a good challenge but costs too much to enter.

Shane O' Malley

Lostnfound wrote: »

Filled it in, a bit limited as a survey in that there isn't a comment box for additional thoughts. I'd say they know what people think and going on previous years they've heard it before, great location for a race, a good challenge but costs too much to enter.

Other than question 19 where they ask for suggestions?

Lostnfound

Shane O' Malley wrote: »

Other than question 19 where they ask for suggestions?

My mistake, I filled it out last week and obviously skipped that question. Withdraw my statement

Insect Overlord

Is anybody here running Achill this month?

kit3

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Is anybody here running Achill this month?

I'm doing the half. Drove around the course - it's fairly hilly !

Insect Overlord

Bumping this there as there's been no new thread this year. Any other Boardsies running this half marathon this weekend?

yeppydeppy

I had intended to but I got injured so no I'm not running it this year - I'm not even making the trip. I'll hold off till August now.