Meath Spring Half Marathon 2014 (Bohermeen) - March 2nd

MKDTH

I can't see a 2015 thread for this race so decided to write it here.

Does anyone know when entry for the Bohermeen half marathon closes?

I've emailed them but had no reply.

Walsht

Still open but filling up fast, large entry at this stage compared to last year, we are expecting a very big turn out. Numbers and info will be posted out soon

Slow_Runner

Has anyone got a course map for this. Last years one is no longer supported and link on the Bohermeen website requires Mapmyrun account.

Thanks

RayCun

last year's course

Slow_Runner

Thanks RayCun!

Walsht

Slow_Runner wrote: »

Has anyone got a course map for this. Last years one is no longer supported and link on the Bohermeen website requires Mapmyrun account.

Thanks

I have posted a new map of the course on Bohermeen Facebook and also to Precision Timing if you want to have a look.

pistol_75

I got an e-mail from our club today that had been forwarded from Bohermeen. This is 92% sold out apparently. Not sure what that means in terms of places left but now might be a good time to get off the fence if you haven't signed up yet.

yaboya1

Good luck to all this morning.

BeepBeep67

Results for the half: http://www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=2457

tang1

Anybody know what happened to Gary O Hanlon, see him in photos but checking his bib number he has no finishing time?

ultraman1

tang1 wrote: »

Anybody know what happened to Gary O Hanlon, see him in photos but checking his bib number he has no finishing time?

Dropped at 5/6 miles

rovers_runner

Another good race tainted by a drug cheat.
Not feeling to depressed these days I'd say, with all that prize money mounting up......

tang1

ultraman1 wrote: »

Dropped at 5/6 miles

Did he pull out?

tang1

rovers_runner wrote: »

Another good race tainted by a drug cheat.
Not feeling to depressed these days I'd say, with all that prize money mounting up......

He doesnt accept any prize money he wins, he hands it back. Your 50% right at least.

ultraman1

tang1 wrote: »

Did he pull out?

Yea,saw him being walked back to hq,

yaboya1

tang1 wrote: »

Did he pull out?

He was walking the opposite direction down the road as the group I was running with passed about 6-6.5 miles. So we're talking about approximately 37 minutes since the race started (a half-marathon) and some bright spark behind me asks him "Are you already finished Gary?". If NASA are recruiting, look no further :cool:

tang1

Netwerk_Errer wrote: »

He only done that in his first race back after the ban. I seen him collect the first prize in Charleville last year.

Not splitting hairs with you NE, but i know for a fact he hands prize money back. He may have collected the 1st prize but he wasn't the one that cashed it.

Netwerk_Errer

tang1 wrote: »

Not splitting hairs with you NE, but i know for a fact he hands prize money back. He may have collected the 1st prize but he wasn't the one that cashed it.

Quite possibly tang. I'll take your word on it.

pistol_75

Netwerk_Errer wrote: »

Quite possibly tang. I'll take your word on it.

But does the prize money filter down IF it is returned? Or does 2nd place just get the original 2nd place prize money?

average_runner

tang1 wrote: »

Not splitting hairs with you NE, but i know for a fact he hands prize money back. He may have collected the 1st prize but he wasn't the one that cashed it.

Yeah apparently he hands it all back or it goes to a charity.

He just runs for the enjoyment of it all now.

menoscemo

average_runner wrote: »

He just runs for the enjoyment of it all now.

Well he seems to getting sponsored to do so...just saying.

tang1

menoscemo wrote: »

Well he seems to getting sponsored to do so...just saying.

No your not wrong there, Tri and Run in Mullingar are sponsoring him as far as i know.

tunguska

Did they run out of water at the finish today? I'm hearing some grumblings along those lines. For people who finished in a time greater than say 1:50, did you get water at the finish?

yaboya1

tunguska wrote: »

Did they run out of water at the finish today? I'm hearing some grumblings along those lines. For people who finished in a time greater than say 1:50, did you get water at the finish?

MKDTH finished in 2 hours and said they had none left when he got over the line.

tunguska

yaboya1 wrote: »

MKDTH finished in 2 hours and said they had none left when he got over the line.

Im hearing that yeah, but there's people saying they finished in over 2 hours and there was plenty of water. I Dont know what's going on there?????

laura_ac3

tunguska wrote: »

Im hearing that yeah, but there's people saying they finished in over 2 hours and there was plenty of water. I Dont know what's going on there?????

Yeah, I finished in just under 2 and there was no water left at that stage. Maybe someone brought some back leftover from the water station on the course?

Pacing Mule

Going to sound like a whiner here but yeah there was very little water left when I finished at 1:49. In fact there was nothing left bar empty drawstring bags and the last of the water. There was 400 people to finish behind me. Was there actually a goody bag as such for those who managed to come home in the top half ? Racing isn't about the goody bag I know but when you get handed an empty bag you do wonder wtf ?

I'm also going to state here as constructive criticism that I felt that runner safety was compromised throughout the course with the lack of road closures. I was personally pinned in by two way traffic moving beside me and saw one runner narrowly avoid a smack of a van mirror as it squeezed past. One thing that really got to me though was the lack of a sweep car / awareness of those last runners out on the course. My wife having aggravated an injury finished dead last and in a lot of pain. I had jogged back down the course to find her and there appeared to be nobody at all looking out for the last of the runners coming back in. Any of these could have been in serious trouble miles from home and would have been alone on strange country roads trying to make their way back. She herself had ran / hobbled alone for most of the second lap and would have pulled out if there had of been someone there to assist her. There was no marshalls left on the outer part of the route although there was people still at the water station cleaning up. She ended up having to run on the opposite side of the road to face into oncoming traffic to try and stay visible / safe. That's a very poor show.

Decent spread afterwards it has to be said but again for the very last of the runners they arrived back to the place being cleaned up. To be absolutely fair a cup of tea and biscuits was organised with no fuss at all.
On the positive side the Bohermeen club themselves were incredibly helpful in the run up to the race. There was a great atmosphere and crowd support around the club house was fantastic. I really don't want to come across as a moaner but there is a good bit of room for improvement for me. Will be messaging the same to the club too.

chinguetti

When I finished at 1.41, they were handing out the goody bags empty and you could put in it what you wanted yourself from a selection of water, banana, crisps and magazines. Not a real problem for me but it was all a bit odd.

However I'm with PM on the cars on the course. I had a major issue with the cars on the last couple of mile on the course, esp in the final mile. They were marshalls at the first turn on the course (the same turn as after mile 12) but they didn't seem to be stopping drivers telling them to pull in. I had a running battle with a white car in the last mile as it drove along mindless to the fact there was runners on the road. It was then forced to stop before the turn into the finishing line (causing a bottleneck) as it couldn't go anywhere due to people watching the finish and the parked cars already there.

To be fair to Bohermeen, they made changes from last year on the traffic front and it was better IMO. Also they can only do so much about traffic and some people will ignore the marhsalls but no car should have been left up the last mile of the course.

As for full road closures, I doubt that would happen as its rural Ireland on a Sunday which means there's mass on at 11 or 12 up the road.

ArgieExile

Agreed that the lack of water at the end of the race was very poor, maybe caused in some small way by earlier finishers taking more than one bottle, due to the "DIY" Goodie Bag. I finished just under 2 hours and no water - When I asked one of the young helpers, they said there was some in the hall - In the hall, the spread was excellent, but it wasn't Hot Soup I needed at that point -

Totally agree on the cars too, although I have been used to running on rural roads and races, and it's tough to get roads closed in these situations, but still dangerous and unwelcome.

Runninghard

Agreed with Pacing Mule et al about the traffic. I was out on the course (I think around the 4km/14km mark) taking some photos and some of the things I saw were scary. Cars were coming up from Lawless Cross on the N51 towards Bohermeen and meeting groups of runners. I'd say that from the look on their faces most of the drivers had no idea they were going to come across them. Some of them were driving quite fast and it almost seemed they had no idea a race was on. I have one photo of a guy being passed on both sides almost at the same time by cars going in opposite directions on a narrow road.

Most similar large races I've seen have a lot more stewards/marshals on the course, some with red flags to warn cars of approaching athletes or even a couple of guys on motor bikes as marshals. There appeared to be only a lead van with Martin Fagan and one motor bike. There was also one Civil Defence jeep. A sweeper van would also have been of benefit as I definitely saw some back-markers really struggling. There were also issues for the back markers on the finishing straight with cars parked on both sides of the narrow road and people milling around. That road was actually open as well and cars including a Garda van went up and down it while runners were struggling to finish.

As regards closing the roads or even some of them, I had been in Kinvara for the Rock and Road Half a Marathon the day before and they had most of that course (except the N67) closed officially so it can be done. It may be down to the local authority but it definitely much more pleasant and safer. They had about the same number of runners in their HM and about 700 in the 10k. It's amazing how different a well organised course looks and feels.

If anyone from Bohermeen reads this please take it as constructive criticism. There was a terrific buzz about the place and everyone seemed to be genuinely welcoming. The event is a credit to your small community. Get the roads sorted for 2016 and you will have a magical course.