Brian Boru

d4r3n

I see entries are now open for this (http://brianborutrichallenge.com/)

Has anyone done it before? Was it well run?

Also, what were the swim, bike and run courses like? Only really seems to be one proper hill on the bike and doesn't seem so bad but I hear the run course is tough?

From looking at last years 30th percentile times it seems quite slow considering the distances, so a tougher course than the course maps suggest or else the pointy end of the field was very strong?

BTH

I did the sprint last year and doing the Olympic this year. The hill on the bike is short, but its proper steep at one point. Real fighting the bike stuff if I remember right. Descent aint great with poor road surface and it was very slippy in the wet last year.

The swim was nice. Very calm lake and a little sheltered too.

The hill on the run is steep too. Zig-zags up a gravel path and is tough going at points. 7km run, but its all done at 3k, with a free-wheel to the finish after that. Made the mistake last year of saving something on the hill for the last 4k but not needing it as gravity did all the work and I was far too fresh crossing the line. Think its a different run route for the Oly.

Well run race, however that road is quite busy and I was undertaking stopped cars on the way back into transition. Was getting quite dangerous and would hope something is done about it this year. With two NS races being run on the day there'll be a lot of bikes on the course.

d4r3n

BetterThanHoyte wrote: »

The hill on the bike is short, but its proper steep at one point. Real fighting the bike stuff if I remember right.

You wouldn't know if this would happen to be the climb? It seems pretty tough at the start with bits of 12/13%

BTH

d4r3n wrote: »

You wouldn't know if this would happen to be the climb? It seems pretty tough at the start with bits of 12/13%

Just did a garmin connect search of it to be sure.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104489576

Yep, thats the one. Tasty little lump alright.

Oly guys two it twice

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104746838

Oly Run, although I think they are changing it this year
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104746851

And the Sprint Run :eek:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104642779

d4r3n

Thanks for those, like the look of the bike route, sprint run looks like a killer though!

BTH

We all set for this on Sunday??

d4r3n

According to the met.ie forecast it's looking very wet and windy, should be fun

Solobally8

Did the run last night in the lashing rain. It was a mudbath up there. Very very slippy on the forest bit of the descent. Really hope its a bit dryer on Sunday.

pgibbo

I'm out unfortunately. Was looking forward to the hill on the run too

couerdelion

Road bike or TT for the sprint?

d4r3n

Going with TT bike myself, don't think the course is hilly enough to warrant a road bike. There's 257m of climbing, 153m of which is in the first 5 km, and mostly between the 3-5 km marks.

Trig1

Im doing oly this weekend too, looking forward to swim and cycle, not the run though, using my road bike (as if i had a choice)

IronmanJNR

Will the swim be on ??

I hear there was a capsized boat found on the lake .. Skipper missing

couerdelion

Tough race. The first 3km of the run were like nothing I've done before. Tired now!

Some of the waves had the cycle leg completely scrapped after an accident on the downhill section. I saw one lad with really bad road rash on his shoulder and another laid on the floor having his head and neck supported. Cycle couldn't continue with an ambulance blocking the road.

BTH

Fourth in the Olympic for me today. Was third on the road before the lockdown. Head wasn't really in it after that and had got cold before I got back to start the run.

Briando

couerdelion wrote: »

I saw one lad with really bad road rash on his shoulder and another laid on the floor having his head and neck supported. Cycle couldn't continue with an ambulance blocking the road.

That was me with the road rash, came down the hill into a tight left turn with a guy on my left and me on the outside of the turn, there was a poor guy was layed out on the road, I'd not where to go and ended up going down trying to stop before I hit him. In bits now, rumor was the other guy was in a really bad way with his back, hope he gets better.

Would be nice if races put the best and most vocal/confident marshalls on the corners that are dangerous, to stop the people going really hard where its dangerous and that are proactive enough to react to situations.

On a postive note, a few athletes stopped and offered help and went up the road trying to slow down others coming down the hill.

Talking with some friends after the race we all pretty much agreed while its nice to have hard cycling courses, its most important that they are safe. Scrap that ****e little road from the Brian Boru, it has a nice hill, but at the cost of extra danger. It would be a more enjoyable race for it.

After that little road we came onto a nice bigger road where it was a lot safer, was it not possible to use the road for the whole race?

Races like Athy, Athlone, Hell of the West, Blacksod dont have decents into sharp corners.

Places like Beast of the East that do have dangerous roads, have marshalls all over your ass making you slow down.

Overall seemed like a nice race, nice setting to have it and friendly triathletes competeing.

gombeen99

I hope you're not too badly hurt Briando, and of course that the other people involved in the other crash(es?) recover quickly. I heard talk after the race of broken bones but fingers crossed that wasn't true. I agree that the descent after the church on the Ballyloughnane Road (the windy narrow road you mentioned) is very dangerous but I must take issue with your comment about people not being warned about going too hard:

Briando wrote: »

marshalls on the corners that are dangerous, to stop the people going really hard where its dangerous and that are proactive enough to react to situations.

I clearly heard the race director at the briefing before the race started warning of the very difficult descent, between the narrow road, gradient, greasy / wet surface with water on the road at places, and tight corners, and that the descent was to be a neutral zone, with no overtaking. This I took to mean that the descent was quite dangerous, and therefore I took it VERY easy coming down. However, quite a few others absolutely blitzed past me on the way down, some of these on their aerobars (btw I'm a decent enough cyclist, usually coming in the top 30% on the bike leg so wasn't exactly coasting down with my dog & weekly shopping in my bike basket!).

I'm not referring to you (as I don't know you or anything about your cycling style), but some of the descending was kamikaze stuff and I half expected to see a cyclist on the ground or in the ditch after every corner. I feel that we all as cyclists need to take responsibility for their own actions & speed, and not blame marshals for not being vocal enough. We were all warned well in advance (ie at race briefing). I also did notice marshals on the descent telling people to slow down on the descent but there's only so much the marshals can do if people don't take notice of them.

By the way, like you, I would also like that section of the cycle course taken out.

Trig1

gombeen99 wrote: »

I hope you're not too badly hurt Briando, and of course that the other people involved in the other crash(es?) recover quickly. I heard talk after the race of broken bones but fingers crossed that wasn't true. I agree that the descent after the church on the Ballyloughnane Road (the windy narrow road you mentioned) is very dangerous but I must take issue with your comment about people not being warned about going too hard:



I clearly heard the race director at the briefing before the race started warning of the very difficult descent, between the narrow road, gradient, greasy / wet surface with water on the road at places, and tight corners, and that the descent was to be a neutral zone, with no overtaking. This I took to mean that the descent was quite dangerous, and therefore I took it VERY easy coming down. However, quite a few others absolutely blitzed past me on the way down, some of these on their aerobars (btw I'm a decent enough cyclist, usually coming in the top 30% on the bike leg so wasn't exactly coasting down with my dog & weekly shopping in my bike basket!).

I'm not referring to you (as I don't know you or anything about your cycling style), but some of the descending was kamikaze stuff and I half expected to see a cyclist on the ground or in the ditch after every corner. I feel that we all as cyclists need to take responsibility for their own actions & speed, and not blame marshals for not being vocal enough. We were all warned well in advance (ie at race briefing). I also did notice marshals on the descent telling people to slow down on the descent but there's only so much the marshals can do if people don't take notice of them.

By the way, like you, I would also like that section of the cycle course taken out.

I agree with 90% of this gombeen but I was right behind the 2 guys when they crashed,I tried to shout at them to slow down but I dont think they heard me, it was a very bad crash and thankfully I had cycled the course before and knew this was the worst bend on the course, I looked back and shouted were they ok and they were both standing at the time and shouted yes, sent marshalls back up the course to them straight away, what shocked me was that on this bend , the worst on the course- there was NO marshall, before this there was a couple of young girl Marshalls saying nothing- I know we were well warned but you definitely need the most vocal marshalls on the worst bends on the course...

outside of this, really enjoyed the swim and died on the run

couerdelion

Hope everyone who crashed is ok. Reports seem to indicate that the person who crashed the worse is recoveing in hospital.

Accidents do happen on cycles (see the women's olympic triathlon) and I've no idea what happened yesterday but the road didn't seem that dangerous. But if people were barreling down in their tri bars it's not the greatest road.

Result are out and the bike leg has been scrapped. So just the swim, T1 and run counting.

Means it was a crap race for me as the run is my weakest and I normally do better in the cycle and I have a longer T1 as I prefer to get my bike shoes on prior to mounting the bike. Ah well, the organisor had to do something and couldn't please everyone- I also think it relegated Shane Scully from 1st to 2nd in the sprint (?)

tunney

If it was a safe course before the accident then surely it was a safe course after the accident. Is the cancellation of the bike leg a result of a realisation that it was never safe?

BTH

tunney wrote: »

If it was a safe course before the accident then surely it was a safe course after the accident. Is the cancellation of the bike leg a result of a realisation that it was never safe?

Accident was on a narrow section and the faller was lying across the road. No way round him so course had to be closed.

There is still possibly a question to be asked about the suitability of the course, but I don't think you've asked it.

rowr

People can blame the course all they want, at the end of the day it was sanctioned by tri irl, ultimately people need to take personal responsibilities and have the cop on not to be reckless on a dangerous part of the course.

I was annoyed that one persons recklessness caused everybody else's day to be ruined or effected. biking is my strength, so my national series points will be down.

Every race I have done this year, I have witnessed bad biking, people swerving out, riding on the right side, pulling out without looking

speedyj

rowr wrote: »

I was annoyed that one persons recklessness caused everybody else's day to be ruined or effected. biking is my strength, so my national series points will be down.

Prove that they were reckless. As opposed to avoiding another cyclist, stray animal, having a blowout etc.. There are many possible reasons for a crash.

ray o

I think the problem with the course now is that we now know if someone has a bad crash on that part of the course and an ambulance needs to be called then thats it, the race is fvcked. I liked the course, a very tough accent and then fly down the other side. I didn't need to wait for the race briefing to be told how dangerous it was as everyone was talking about it in transition. Im sure there have been lots of close shaves in previous races and I suppose an accident like that was bound to happen eventually - for whatever reason.

As for the results i'm not sure how else they could have delt with it but it's tough to take that some people in the first 3 waves lost places as they would have completed a 23k bike before hitting that incline on the run while others hit the run straight out of T1.

rowr

speedyj wrote: »

Prove that they were reckless. As opposed to avoiding another cyclist, stray animal, having a blowout etc.. There are many possible reasons for a crash.

That decend along with the one at finish in beast of east are unique for the fact the are steep, narrow, and rough enough surface, outside factors can take you off the bike but riding at a safe speed at that point of race would minimise the damage

Huff n Puff

Dangerous bike course?
My own personal opinion is that it was fine. We were warned multiple times about it and there were numerous warnings on the route itself. Going through it in the race, I don't remember it being too difficult. Having also done Beast of the East there is no comparison in my mind to the dangerous bend there. The Beast of the East bend is far worse but very well marshalled and again plenty of warnings were given there too. Some people just don't slow down.

What could have been handled better was the wave starts. The 1st sprint wave was 3rd to go (firt two were Olympic) meaning that through the end of the swim and all the way up and down the hill we were catching the back markers of the Olympic waves. This resulted in a quite a bit of right hand lane cycling as in many cases you were passing people going 6 or 7 mph slower than you. It is difficult to ask for no over taking on sections when confronted with someone going so much slower than you. That in itself is a danger.

Race Analysis
At this stage I think I am cursed. Another NS 2nd place finish when amongst the pre-race favourites. This time I managed to win the race by a decent margin but had the victory taken off me a half hour after the race was finished. My heart goes out to the fella who got injured but a result like that is hard to take. It was even worse for William McCormack who had a strong race but was demoted off the podium down into 7th place (no prize money and very few NS points).

Just to expand on what happened in the Sprint event as it has not been recognised anywhere else.....
All the top contenders for the sprint race completed the entire course. It was mainly only the later Sprint waves that were affected. In that race, Bjorn Ludick led out most of the bike and was being chased down by myself, William McCormack, the TI juniors, Aidan Callaghan, Andrew Kavanagh etc. Bjorn lost the lead to me just after the half way mark after experiencing mechanical difficulties on the bike. I led till 5km to go when William McCormack caught me and took over. I regained the lead out of T2 with William just behind. I think TI junior Brendan Neary was in 3rd and Bjorn in 4th. The run is a very tough mountain route that really saps the energy. The run course was closer to 7km this year as they extended a section of it by removing a previously used short cut. I had a decent run to come home in 1st. William held on to 2nd and Bjorn moved up into 3rd. The usual post race photos, interviews, massages, warm downs were done before word started to trickle through about the possibility of a neutralised bike section because of a bad crash on the bike course. The right call was made here but it was still very hard to take.

I do think the prize presentation element of the race could have been handled a lot better. Some recognition of our efforts and additional prizes might have been in order (it would only have cost €150 extra to cover the two people that ended up being demoted - as medals were used for age group prizes then they could easily afford this). Bjorn did, generously, offer his prize to William after the presentation. This was a very sportsmanlike gesture but William in another sporting gesture refused.

At the end of the day, it was an enjoyable and very tough event. My legs are still in bits 2 days afterwards but at least I am not the lad having to recover in hospital. Hope he recovers quickly.

d4r3n

I was caught up behind the crash, everyone seemed to be sitting around waiting to find out what the story was, eventually we were told to head back to transition.

Into transition and were being told to head out for the run, I figured the day was over and so took the run as more of a warm down, walking at the top to take in the great views of the lake (must go back again sometime, really nice area and UL activity centre looks good) but that evening it turned out it was turned into an aquathlon but would have been nice to hear that from the marshalls over the speakers as we headed back in on the bikes.

I doubt it will count towards NS points, if it does it'll be a bit of a joke.

couerdelion

Huff n Puff wrote: »

....

I finished to be told you had won it easily. Heard the bike leg had been neutralised and seen you knocked down to 2nd. Gutted for you.

d4r3n wrote:

I doubt it will count towards NS points, if it does it'll be a bit of a joke

I'd rather get some points than none. From what I heard a lot are in the position of that being their 5th race.

speedyj

couerdelion wrote: »

I'd rather get some points than none. From what I heard a lot are in the position of that being their 5th race.

Would be silly to count it - not even everyone who did the race did the same race.

IMO series should be dropped to 4 races counting 2 Olympic and any 2 other results. I get the insistence of having 2 "standard" distance races, but prioritizing sprints over other olympics and 1/2's is em, strange..

d4r3n

couerdelion wrote: »

I'd rather get some points than none. From what I heard a lot are in the position of that being their 5th race.

If they awarded points it'd be the only Aquathlon on the NS race calender no?

Genghis

There's got to be National Series points. The decision was not to stop the race it was to let the race continue.

This from the organisers post-race note: "the Race Organisers and the Triathlon Ireland Officials but a contingency plan in place to send back all athletes from the bike route into transition to continue on the run course as normal"

How well that was communicated is another issue altogether.