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

barryoneill50

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......

Oh, money is the cure is it. I'll start doing the lotto so........

tang1

Date for next year's race:

belcarra

tang1 wrote: »

Date for next year's race:

That's my birthday so I suppose I'd better sign up!

Ruu

Going to give this one a go in 2016. 👍

PippaChic

Last year, I did the 10km and went back to my car as the first lot of HMers were crossing the halfway mark. I was parked in the main field, I tried to drive out the only gateway but was terrified to pull out onto the main road as the runners were flying around the corner towards the gateway (that's the turn mentioned by chinguetti). There were marshalls standing at the corner but I felt one or two of them should have been at the gateway to direct the traffic out safely.
Eventually I got directed out by a fellow 10km runner but was left waiting on the road as I couldn't get past cars that were parked there as I'd be knocking down runners!. Then a tractor with trailer pulled in behind me taking up nearly all the road - the runners coming round the corner were not pleased! Eventually i (and the tractor) was let out by the marshalls.
It wasn't fair on the runners.

Ruu

Registration opens on Dec. 1st at runireland.com

Pacing Mule

Pacing Mule wrote: »

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.

I did. Got zero reply or acknowledgement. Won't be back this year which is a shame because it's very close to being a great race. The 5K organised by the club remains one of my favourite races.

Ruu

From bookface.

The course for this years Meath spring half marathon on march 13th, the course is over 2 quite flat laps ,the only change on the map maybe the parking arrangement .Definitely a course for a PB.

Ruu

The 10k has been added back.

Dub13

Thinking about doing this, what time does it start at..?

Bluesquare

Hi Guys,

Is the course running the opposite way to last year? Social media tells me this will make it harder????

Thanks

Ruu

10k is at 11:50, half is at 12. I don't know the route but they posted it on their facebook a while ago.

Ruu

Race route map and medal were posted on their FB page the other day.

Dub13

Just signed up for the half, said it was 93% full on there facebook.

MaxPower131

Dub13 wrote: »

Just signed up for the half, said it was 93% full on there facebook.

Thanks Dub13...saved me 5 yoyos;) Price goes up on March 2nd.

happygoose

Anyone got the excel file of last years results?

RuMan

Results here -

http://www.myrunresults.com/events/meath_spring_half_marathon_2015/469/results

Ruu

Fast course, I came in at 1:39:01. No bother with traffic, plenty of support around and well marshalled. Race started a bit late, I think a lot of people thought both races started in the same place. 10k started 100m from the community centre and the half started 500m from there.

Winner was in at 1:08:xx

Seanie_H

Ruu wrote: »

Fast course, I came in at 1:39:01. No bother with traffic, plenty of support around and well marshalled. Race started a bit late, I think a lot of people thought both races started in the same place. 10k started 100m from the community centre and the half started 500m from there.

Very enjoyable race, course, organisation.... I couldn't really fault it.

Younganne

I haven't done this since 2013 and I love the course change.

Great race, no issues at all, plenty of parking with shuttle buses, well marshalled, great feed afterwards with plenty for everyone. Soup and sambo followed by coffee. Laughed at the spud in the goodie bag, Meades Potatoes one of the sponsors.

dublin runner

Another superb race, on a fair course. While not a fast course it's an honest test. Other than the usual chaotic start the race was near faultless.

I'm happy with my effort. I never felt in top gear but really enjoyed it. The real (and actual winner!) was Eoin today. 1.08 with no taper. He could be on for something special in Rotterdam. Fingers crossed for him! Deserves a cracking time.

Dub13

Great race, first time doing it and I loved the course. Was my first race this year so hard to predict how I would get on. My PB was 1:39:10 from the DRS back in September so I would have been happy to get within a couple of min of that considering at the time I was just at the end of a marathon plan.

So I was over the moon to come in @ 1:39:33 but I did lose about 20/30 seconds just before the 4k mark as my lace came undone. Poxy that but what can you do, schoolboy error as somebody shouted at me at the time.

Anyway I would do this again, great time of the year to start getting stuck into the longer stuff again.

PippaChic

Younganne wrote: »

I haven't done this since 2013 and I love the course change.

Great race, no issues at all, plenty of parking with shuttle buses, well marshalled, great feed afterwards with plenty for everyone. Soup and sambo followed by coffee. Laughed at the spud in the goodie bag, Meades Potatoes one of the sponsors.

I remember you doing this in 2013, that was my first and last time doing a HM - I spotted your name last on the list in the hall after I finished the 10k

Like Ruu, I felt the place was far better managed this year - marshalls were present at the car parks to ensure nobody pulled out in front of the runners!

ultrapercy

dublin runner wrote: »

Another superb race, on a fair course. While not a fast course it's an honest test. Other than the usual chaotic start the race was near faultless.

I'm happy with my effort. I never felt in top gear but really enjoyed it. The real (and actual winner!) was Eoin today. 1.08 with no taper. He could be on for something special in Rotterdam. Fingers crossed for him! Deserves a cracking time.

Very well done great time. You deserve it for the hard work you have been putting. BUT.. if that's not a fast course what is ? I did it a few years ago and thought it was pancake. I'm from Mayo tho so my perception may be a little skewed.

expato

Apart from the Civil Defence Van running interference at 12.3 miles it all went very smoothly. I nearly jumped in and decked him. Top race with top organisation (other than captain Mainwairing in the van)

runnter

Good race today.I was Considering going over to the Debra Run but choose this one instead.Im very glad i did.Nice Run and thanks to botharmeen for hosting this event.I will defiitly do this again.

dublin runner

ultrapercy wrote:

Very well done great time. You deserve it for the hard work you have been putting. BUT.. if that's not a fast course what is ? I did it a few years ago and thought it was pancake. I'm from Mayo tho so my perception may be a little skewed.

Ah thanks, happyish. Hoped at 5.43 pace but felt pretty awful so happy to stick it out. See, the problem is where you are from. There ain't a flat road in either Mayo or Sligo so you are just stronger than us urban slickers!

I have always said both Sligo and Mayo runners (proportionally speaking) are very very strong and outperform many bigger counties. That's just my opinion obviously!

Bohermeen is a great course. I haven't competed in Charlville yet but would be interested to see how it stacks up in comparison.

Younganne

PippaChic wrote: »

I remember you doing this in 2013, that was my first and last time doing a HM - I spotted your name last on the list in the hall after I finished the 10k

Like Ruu, I felt the place was far better managed this year - marshalls were present at the car parks to ensure nobody pulled out in front of the runners!

My name is always last on entrants list, therefore its always easy to find!!

Ruu

Decent write up and pics in Meath Chronicle if anyone is interested.

RayCun

anyone do the 10k last year? has the traffic situation improved?