Riverfest 2017

panda100

FutureGuy wrote: »

Congrats to both of you, I also finished the half in 2:03. Wanted to get under 2:05 so happy out. I was actually in and around the 2h pacer up until mile 10 but couldn't keep the pace comfortably. A little disappointed I didn't put the head down but I was mentally all over the shop.

Shaping up nicely for an assault on Dublin Marathon in October

Us boardies all must have been huddled together so! Your time was great, I wouldn't be disappointed with it at all. Great achievement to do a half marathon I think. Some great signs along the route. My personal favourite was the man with the sign 'Run, Random Stranger, Run'.

Insect Overlord

FutureGuy wrote: »

Congrats to both of you, I also finished the half in 2:03. Wanted to get under 2:05 so happy out.

panda100 wrote: »

Us boardies all must have been huddled together so! Your time was great, I wouldn't be disappointed with it at all. Great achievement to do a half marathon I think. Some great signs along the route. My personal favourite was the man with the sign 'Run, Random Stranger, Run'.

Are ye running/training with clubs? I've always trained on my own, either in Cratloe or on the Condell Road (or on running tracks for a bit of sprinting) but I'm starting to think about joining an actual athletics club.

The signs and support along the route were great. There was a good Mrs Doyle "go on, go on, go on" sign by Punch's Cross as well.

The lads over on the Athletics / Running forum seem very satisfied with the event this year. Still room to improve, but one worth recommending to people who haven't run Limerick before. That's a nice little bit of good publicity for the city too.

FutureGuy

panda100 wrote: »

Us boardies all must have been huddled together so! Your time was great, I wouldn't be disappointed with it at all. Great achievement to do a half marathon I think. Some great signs along the route. My personal favourite was the man with the sign 'Run, Random Stranger, Run'.

haha yeah I saw that sign too, was very funny.

Yeah, it's easy to look back and say I should have ran harder when I'm relaxing with my feet up I'm really happy with the time overall and I'd have bitten someone's hand off if they offered me that time beforehand.

An File wrote: »

Are ye running/training with clubs? I've always trained on my own, either in Cratloe or on the Condell Road (or on running tracks for a bit of sprinting) but I'm starting to think about joining an actual athletics club.

I'm in a similar boat, I'm not affiliated with a club but might join one. I'm also a fan of the Condell road. I live in the city so it's a perfect spot for speedwork.

panda100

I'm a member of Limerick Triathlon club and have gone out to the track sessions in UL with Doonen AC a few times. It's on Tuesday at 7pm and is brilliant for speed work. I also try and get out to Cratloe at least once a month with the Tri club to tackle the hills. I definitely think training with a club is the way to go. I only started running four years ago and see my fitness and speed improving all the time with the club

zulutango

The track sessions at 7pm on Tuesdays in UL are fantastic. You don't need to join a club for this. Just turn up at about 6.40 or so, and do a few laps of the pitch to warm up. At 7 Joe Chawke will call everybody over (there's often about 100 people there of all abilities) and there'll be some stretching and then the session will start. It's only about 40 minutes long and expect it to be tough, but it really is mixed ability so anyone can join. You'll take huge chunks off your half marathon times if you do this kind of training. Bring one or two euros as a donation for the floodlighting costs.

panda100

zulutango wrote: »

The track sessions at 7pm on Tuesdays in UL are fantastic. You don't need to join a club for this.

Are you sure? I thought you had to be a member of a club for insurance purposes. Not that I've ever had to show any evidence of membership at those training sessions!

zulutango

panda100 wrote: »

Are you sure? I thought you had to be a member of a club for insurance purposes. Not that I've ever had to show any evidence of membership at those training sessions!

Yes, I'm sure .. unless it's a new requirement. I've been going for many years and I'd know that the vast majority of people there aren't members of Dooneen AC. I haven't been in a few months due to injury and it's possible that the situation has changed, but I'm sure I would have heard from others if it had.

topper75

You need club insurance to cover you but that club doesn't have to be Dooneen.

If you have yet to join a club, Dooneen AC is a very good one indeed of course.

A fantastic idea if you would like to run a little faster than you are now going.

zulutango

topper75 wrote: »

You need club insurance to cover you but that club doesn't have to be Dooneen.

If you have yet to join a club, Dooneen AC is a very good one indeed of course.

A fantastic idea if you would like to run a little faster than you are now going.

Yes, but the question is do you need to have club membership or insurance to attend the session, and I'm fairly sure the answer is that you don't.

panda100

zulutango wrote: »

Yes, but the question is do you need to have club membership or insurance to attend the session, and I'm fairly sure the answer is that you don't.

You need club membership as that provides you with third party insurance cover at training sessions. i don't know how you would get that insurance cover individually.

zulutango

panda100 wrote: »

You need club membership as that provides you with third party insurance cover at training sessions. i don't know how you would get that insurance cover individually.

Why do you need insurance? It's not a mandatory requirement. Most people don't have it.

jonski

Lads, I know this isn't supposed to be just about the run but I have a question relating to it that someone here might know the answer to . So, my daughter did the 10K ( only decided the Sunday before that she would ( *proud dad comment ) ) and all along she was seeing notifications on social media about the Barringtons Hospital Great Limerick Run but as soon as it was over those notifications became the Bon Secours Hospital Great Limerick Run . Anyone know the reason for the change ? not really important , just curious .


Edit :msg to self : Google first, then see if there is a need to ask a question . Seems the Bon Secours recently took over Barringtons .

Insect Overlord

jonski wrote: »

Lads, I know this isn't supposed to be just about the run but I have a question relating to it that someone here might know the answer to . So, my daughter did the 10K ( only decided the Sunday before that she would ( *proud dad comment ) ) and all along she was seeing notifications on social media about the Barringtons Hospital Great Limerick Run but as soon as it was over those notifications became the Bon Secours Hospital Great Limerick Run . Anyone know the reason for the change ? not really important , just curious .

The Bon Secours group took over Barrington's in the last couple of months, I believe. Will find a link for you when I'm back at my laptop.

jonski

An File wrote: »

The Bon Secours group took over Barrington's in the last couple of months, I believe. Will find a link for you when I'm back at my laptop.

edited my above post to reflect my stupidity

JohnDozer

An File wrote: »

Where's the best place to look for photos of the run? Richard Lynch's site has over 1000 pictures up, but a lot of those were of groups at the starting line or marathon runners finishing. I couldn't find myself in any of them, so I'm hoping some of the other photographers might have snapped me during the race!

Look up the Galway Cow on Facebook as well. Large albums there from 900m to go mark

dibkins

An File wrote: »

The Bon Secours group took over Barrington's in the last couple of months, I believe. Will find a link for you when I'm back at my laptop.

Sounds like they took it over in the middle of the race:P

topper75

zulutango wrote: »

Yes, but the question is do you need to have club membership or insurance to attend the session, and I'm fairly sure the answer is that you don't.

I asked Joe Chawke himself once straight up and that was what he told me zulutango: you need to be a member of an athletics or tri club. Otherwise he is open himself to claims.

But you are entitled to doubt this as second-hand information if you want.

zulutango

I'll ask him next time, but I've been going for years and not a member of an athletics or tri club and I know that many, if not most, of the people who go aren't either. It simply hasn't been an issue.

bigpink

Anyone i asked didnt even bother going into it and the few that did said it was very poor

riverrocked

I went in on Saturday and laughed at the size of the zipline. I was struck by the alcohol being sold in Arthur's Quay Park and I was there at about 2pm. It feeds into that stereotype that the Irish can't attend an event for over an hour with out drink in them.
The road under Sarsfield bridge should have been closed. Wasn't it closed last year?

Saying that it was grand, it wasn't Disney but really Limerick is just a big town so you can't expect much more than a town fair.

leakyboots

I dunno, could they not have just closed off the boardwalk and put a rake of stalls, food or otherwise, along it? Let it run on to Arthur's Quay from there with whatever else they've planned. You go to other cities which have rivers through them and they make a regular feature of having traders along the riverfront. I know we've got the milk market aswell so maybe that's got it's own muscles to flex in that regard.

Or I went to Italy and they had these little huts, like a small garden shed, lining the streets and there was a food festival on. No reason why we couldn't have those up and down the riverfront - on both sides, the paths are wide enough to take it.

FutureGuy

We have an absolutely gorgeous boardwalk on either side of the river and none of it was used at all.

I just think the whole thing is regressing at an alarming rate. It's getting poorer every year.

Berty

leakyboots wrote: »

Or I went to Italy and they had these little huts, like a small garden shed, lining the streets and there was a food festival on. No reason why we couldn't have those up and down the riverfront - on both sides, the paths are wide enough to take it.

Ah yes I agree, but there wasn't enough of them in Arthurs Quay Park to line a street. There must not have been much interest in having a stall in the Park. Maybe it was the rental price or people didn't make enough money in the previous year and couldn't be bothered booking again this year.

Also I found the German beer table coverings(Bavarian Colour) a little odd considering none of the beers were even German.

zulutango

Why not close the whole city centre to traffic for the Saturday and Sunday and give the streets over to people and events? Make a proper festival of it. As it is it's a piss poor event, mostly jammed into Arthur's Quay Park. It attracts a lot of people but it's way short of the potential that the city has for a festival.

panda100

FutureGuy wrote: »

We have an absolutely gorgeous boardwalk on either side of the river and none of it was used at all.

I just think the whole thing is regressing at an alarming rate. It's getting poorer every year.

Do you remember when Riverfest wasn't even anywhere near the river and was squeezed on to Ellen street and the street beside the library? :eek:

zulutango

panda100 wrote: »

Do you remember when Riverfest wasn't even anywhere near the river and was squeezed on to Ellen street and the street beside the library? :eek:

I think it's fair to say it's an improvement on those dark days. Do you remember Paddy Expo (the original Riverfest)? That was a good festival!

Does anybody here see the attraction of watching jetskis or power boats? I can think of few things less appealing and I reckon they detract from the experience rather than add to it. I met some Czech visitors the other day who were happy to drink beers and enjoy the few days but they were wondering what all the hype was about. There is a complete mismatch between how the festival is presented in local media and what it actually is.

keane2097

zulutango wrote: »

I think it's fair to say it's an improvement on those dark days. Do you remember Paddy Expo (the original Riverfest)? That was a good festival!

Does anybody here see the attraction of watching jetskis or power boats? I can think of few things less appealing and I reckon they detract from the experience rather than add to it. I met some Czech visitors the other day who were happy to drink beers and enjoy the few days but they were wondering what all the hype was about. There is a complete mismatch between how the festival is presented in local media and what it actually is.

I thought the stuff they had flying up and down the river the night of the fireworks was good, although the fireworks were the only part I was around for.

The Specialist

zulutango wrote: »

Why not close the whole city centre to traffic for the Saturday and Sunday and give the streets over to people and events? Make a proper festival of it. As it is it's a piss poor event, mostly jammed into Arthur's Quay Park. It attracts a lot of people but it's way short of the potential that the city has for a festival.

Because not everybody cares about Riverfest and people still have places to go? Though judging by the behaviour of pedestrians the last 2 Riverfest weekends it wouldn't be a bad idea for their own sake - they seem to lose all sense of self preservation and blindly walk out across the roads. It's infuriating - missed 2 green lights outside McDonalds on cruises street on Saturday afternoon due to dumb ****s just deciding they had right of way to walk across the road while traffic was trying to move.

zulutango

The Specialist wrote: »

Because not everybody cares about Riverfest and people still have places to go? Though judging by the behaviour of pedestrians the last 2 Riverfest weekends it wouldn't be a bad idea for their own sake - they seem to lose all sense of self preservation and blindly walk out across the roads. It's infuriating - missed 2 green lights outside McDonalds on cruises street on Saturday afternoon due to dumb ****s just deciding they had right of way to walk across the road while traffic was trying to move.

Yes, I think for public safety alone it would be a good idea. It was quite chaotic with all the pedestrians and cars competing with each other. And the other advantage of closing the city streets would be that it would open then up to more people and more events could be held. As a matter of interest, where were you travelling to and from?

seachto7

keane2097 wrote: »

I thought the stuff they had flying up and down the river the night of the fireworks was good, although the fireworks were the only part I was around for.

fireworks. Look at the shiny shiny