Ironman 70.3 Dublin

rooneyjm

checky88 wrote: »

Has anyone any clue when registration usually opens for this?

February

cart man

checky88 wrote: »

Has anyone any clue when registration usually opens for this?

It was Oct 2014 for Aug 2015 and Feb 2016 for Aug 2016.

I believe that it opened later this year due to behind the scene changes rather than a conscious decision to do it later. I would say that it also resulted in not selling out. They sold out the number of Irish spaces this year but the numbers travelling were down, I would think those that had decided to race abroad had already made up their mind before Dublin was even confirmed as going ahead again.

It is good that a date has been decided for 2017, I didn't do it last year as I had already entered other races before it was announced. I may build my season around it next year again. With Sterling devalued though and hotel prices in Dublin up it is possible less from UK will travel.

ray o

Might be of interest to some - Priority Entry for TI members

http://www.triathlonireland.com/News/2017/Priority-Entry-to-IRONMAN-70-3-Dublin-for-TI-Members.html

RacoonQueen

€297...

jnk883

Had provisionally put it on my plan but for €297 I'm definitely giving it a skip. It went down to 265 close to race day last year. Hardman half and Lost sheep will now be my main races. I skipped HOTW due to price as well. So many better value races out there, just because its and Ironman branded race they get to charge almost 300....crazy.

peter kern

RacoonQueen wrote: »

€297...

229 000 hits ...

iAcesHigh

Well they can charge as much as they want, it's a company On the other hand, I can choose my races as I please as well

And I was close on not doing IM 70.3 Pula for under €200

Shedite27

jnk883 wrote: »

So many better value races out there, just because its and Ironman branded race they get to charge almost 300....crazy.

Seems to be the response to every Ironman thread on here :rolleyes:

sconhome

Shedite27 wrote: »

Seems to be the response to every Ironman thread on here :rolleyes:

I'm ready

Muff Richardson

I know its a new race but is this expected to sell out fast? as in within a few days?

RacoonQueen

Muff Richardson wrote: »

I know its a new race but is this expected to sell out fast? as in within a few days?

Impossible to tell. It sold out instantly year one, year two they were still trying to flog entries in the days leading up to it.

tunney

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Impossible to tell. It sold out instantly year one, year two they were still trying to flog entries in the days leading up to it.

Technically it did not in year one.
Peter still took my money though.

Fazz

Muff Richardson wrote: »

I know its a new race but is this expected to sell out fast? as in within a few days?

I'd say you're good into June anyway.

But that's just my guess.

Reasoning:
- Triathlon in Ireland not growing as fast/at all
- Event didn't sell out last year
- 3rd year running, not exactly a destination race/course.
- Other strong domestic options around those dates (CK, Lost Sheep, etc)
- WC Qualifiers not as attracted as it's for SA.

paulie gaultieri

My main grievances after year 1 related to the non-existent maintenance support on the bike course and the standard of post race food. The latter was addressed last year but for me the former was not.

Fazz

paulie gaultieri wrote: »

My main grievances after year 1 related to the non-existent maintenance support on the bike course and the standard of post race food. The latter was addressed last year but for me the former was not.

Sorry but I don't think these are fair comments/gripes.

Regarding bike maintenance - very few if any races provide this and it's not a prerequisite. You bring your own spares just as you do training so what's the issue? Did you race without spare tube and get a puncture? Live by the sword die by the sword if so.
I almost did, then packed my spares and proceeded to get a puncture and fix it myself. At no stage was I thinking where's the bike support.


Regarding food...
Year 1 saw healthy recovery meals from Gourmet Fuel, fine portions of spaghetti bolognese as I recall and another option.
Year 2 saw dominos provide 2 or 3 types of cold Pizza.

Now I'm a dominos fan but to say the standard of food was better in year 2 says more about your food preferences than standard of recovery food.

By far the year 1 option from Gourmet Fuel was better post race food.

paulie gaultieri

Fazz wrote: »

Sorry but I don't think these are fair comments/gripes.

Regarding bike maintenance - very few if any races provide this and it's not a prerequisite. You bring your own spares just as you do training so what's the issue? Did you race without spare tube and get a puncture? Live by the sword die by the sword if so.
I almost did, then packed my spares and proceeded to get a puncture and fix it myself. At no stage was I thinking where's the bike support.


Regarding food...
Year 1 saw healthy recovery meals from Gourmet Fuel, fine portions of spaghetti bolognese as I recall and another option.
Year 2 saw dominos provide 2 or 3 types of cold Pizza.

Now I'm a dominos fan but to say the standard of food was better in year 2 says more about your food preferences than standard of recovery food.

By far the year 1 option from Gourmet Fuel was better post race food.

OK maybe the food grievance is harsh but I'm going to stand firm on the maintenance. I had no issues either year and think if you have no spares or can't fix a puncture you deserve a dnf.

I never saw a maintenance van either year and was it not the case that a pro waited over an hour for support near the start of year one? I think if they are to persist with roving vans participants should be given at least a number which they can call.

I said it before I really do hope the city gets a full distance event in the next few years. I'm just giving my two cents on how the logistics could be improved slightly. The post-race bike collection issue after last year has been discussed sufficiently here and doesnt need to be brought up again. Hopefully the organisers have taken note.

peter kern

I guess here the question is what can one expect paying 50 euro for a race and 300 euro for a race

Fazz wrote: »

Sorry but I don't think these are fair comments/gripes.

Regarding bike maintenance - very few if any races provide this and it's not a prerequisite. You bring your own spares just as you do training so what's the issue? Did you race without spare tube and get a puncture? Live by the sword die by the sword if so.
I almost did, then packed my spares and proceeded to get a puncture and fix it myself. At no stage was I thinking where's the bike support.


Regarding food...
Year 1 saw healthy recovery meals from Gourmet Fuel, fine portions of spaghetti bolognese as I recall and another option.
Year 2 saw dominos provide 2 or 3 types of cold Pizza.

Now I'm a dominos fan but to say the standard of food was better in year 2 says more about your food preferences than standard of recovery food.

By far the year 1 option from Gourmet Fuel was better post race food.

peter kern

tunney wrote: »

Technically it did not in year one.
Peter still took my money though.

you and donald ...

joey100

I'd have to agree with the maintenance issue as well. I had a mechanical on the bike, took a while for the repair van to get there, no problem with that, couldn't be fixed and my race was over. Bike was put in the van and off they went. Leaving me standing on the street in my tri suit and no way of getting anywhere. Mechanical van had the mechanic and then another few people sitting in the seats in the van who were out to watch the race. Had to walk for a bit, get a lend of a phone, ring my mam to come and get her to collect me and then walk to a part of the course she could drive to. Not ideal. I knew where I was going so was lucky. The advice I was given by a marshall was to walk to the Phoenix park from Ringsend, through town on a Sunday morning in my trisuit, because that's where my bike was going. If I had of been over to the race from England or abroad then I wouldn't have had a clue. No effort was made at all to help get me to the end or anywhere really.

Then at the end of the race no one had a clue where my bike was. No sign of the mechanical van, bike wasn't racked at it's number and none of the marshalls had any idea where any of the bikes in the van where. I was sent back and forward from the bike collection point to the food part at the end about 3 times to find out off different people if they knew where the collected bikes where kept. Finally found it after around 45 mins of looking.

The van getting to me isn't the problem, I understand that they can't be everywhere along the course. The way I was left on the side of the road after was a problem though. I wouldn't be entering the race again. Races are great when everything goes according to plan, you see how much planning and how prepared they are when things don't go fully right.

Fazz

peter kern wrote: »

I guess here the question is what can one expect paying 50 euro for a race and 300 euro for a race

And that's been answered to death also.

We all know the usuals:
- big event
- good organisation
- closed roads/course
- exbo/atmosphere/support
- live tracking/timing
- WC qualy slots/AWA nonsense etc.

It remains to be seen what the demand will be this year, having decreased similar to Galway overall but I think the numbers are still sufficient to continue ongoing - depending on background tourism/funding/if any etc.

iwillhtfu

peter kern wrote: »

I guess here the question is what can one expect paying 50 euro for a race and 300 euro for a race

From the sounds of it the only difference is distance and a red carpet finish.

If you're looking to race in Dublin I'd choose DCT. If you're looking to swim in the Irish Sea King of Greystones.

Fazz

joey100 wrote: »

I'd have to agree with the maintenance issue as well. I had a mechanical on the bike, took a while for the repair van to get there, no problem with that, couldn't be fixed and my race was over. Bike was put in the van and off they went. Leaving me standing on the street in my tri suit and no way of getting anywhere. Mechanical van had the mechanic and then another few people sitting in the seats in the van who were out to watch the race. Had to walk for a bit, get a lend of a phone, ring my mam to come and get her to collect me and then walk to a part of the course she could drive to. Not ideal. I knew where I was going so was lucky. The advice I was given by a marshall was to walk to the Phoenix park from Ringsend, through town on a Sunday morning in my trisuit, because that's where my bike was going. If I had of been over to the race from England or abroad then I wouldn't have had a clue. No effort was made at all to help get me to the end or anywhere really.

Then at the end of the race no one had a clue where my bike was. No sign of the mechanical van, bike wasn't racked at it's number and none of the marshalls had any idea where any of the bikes in the van where. I was sent back and forward from the bike collection point to the food part at the end about 3 times to find out off different people if they knew where the collected bikes where kept. Finally found it after around 45 mins of looking.

The van getting to me isn't the problem, I understand that they can't be everywhere along the course. The way I was left on the side of the road after was a problem though. I wouldn't be entering the race again. Races are great when everything goes according to plan, you see how much planning and how prepared they are when things don't go fully right.

Broom Wagon is defo an issue that is perhaps harder to manage at a big race.
I know from assisting our Pulse sprint triathlon, it's straight forward enough, the broom wagon follows the last rider out of transition and sweeps up any mechanicals on the way.
Any accidents are dealt with immediately by emergency but any mechanicals are forced to wait until broom sweeps them up or they make their own way back to transition.

Not so bad in a sprint, or Olympic even, but in a 70.3 with 1500-2000 entries and oodles of waves you're in for a long wait.
And if more than a couple athletes you can fit, are you supposed to have a couple buses following the broom to pick up folk. Probably so in fairness.

Perhaps I think of things differently but I know if I had a mechanical in any race that I couldn't fix I'd be walking back to transition with my bike or shouting at others to throw me a repair or whatever may be needed.

If it was a long walk I'd try nab a lift, but I wouldn't let my bike go without me if at all poss. It's not hard to walk with your bike and doesn't slow you any more.

It sounds like the mechanics were out to you in timely manner, but the broom wagon was still behind most likely so your quickest option was phone a friend or get to T2.

Not an easy problem to fix really on a long course with a lot of athletes.

rooneyjm

IM has somehow tricked people into expecting nothing for 300 quid. A marketing masterstroke.
No mechanical support, if you do have issues sure didnt we tell you before the race that there was no help and that is now acceptable.
Stranded on the course, "there will be a sweeper bus in 3 hours or you can walk."
No customer service, doesnt matter who's sick/dead, no refunds, no transfers. Thats grand, sign me up for next year.
A few slices of poxy pizza. Did Rahney on Sunday for 25euro and there was a bag of goodies that you could feed a family on for a week.

Shedite27

What are people expecting for mechanical support? Rolling vans that get to you in what, 20mns? an hour?

First year the favorite had a mechanical and was waiting an hour for support. When he got it he hopped back on, finished the race (still beat me!), and just said "that's triathlon".

paulie gaultieri

Shedite27 wrote: »

What are people expecting for mechanical support? Rolling vans that get to you in what, 20mns? an hour?

First year the favorite had a mechanical and was waiting an hour for support. When he got it he hopped back on, finished the race (still beat me!), and just said "that's triathlon".

I don't think a couple of maintenance gazebos aling the route and a number to call is too much to ask for personally.

68 lost souls

paulie gaultieri wrote: »

I don't think a couple of maintenance gazebos aling the route and a number to call is too much to ask for personally.

I understand a number to call, but how many athletes will have a phone on them to make that call?

mossym

68 lost souls wrote: »

I understand a number to call, but how many athletes will have a phone on them to make that call?

i know where you are coming from, but easy enough to flag someone down/ask a bystander can you use their phone. i've done a few events where the number has been printed on the number on your bike, makes it easy enough

tunney

68 lost souls wrote: »

I understand a number to call, but how many athletes will have a phone on them to make that call?

None should, its against the rules no?

rooneyjm

Shedite27 wrote: »

What are people expecting for mechanical support? Rolling vans that get to you in what, 20mns? an hour?

First year the favorite had a mechanical and was waiting an hour for support. When he got it he hopped back on, finished the race (still beat me!), and just said "that's triathlon".

You would expect that when they get to you that they can actually help you. When they got to me they had, no spare wheels, tyres, tubes, foam, glue and that was two supposedly support vans. They took my bike off to transition and left me with a 10k walk.
If they dont have the basics, what are they doing there?

peter kern

tunney wrote: »

None should, its against the rules no?

not anymore you have to go of course to use it