Good article on the decline in Irish Athletics

average_runner

Here it is : http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/running-to-stand-still-35714726.html

HigginsJ

I am very far out of my wheelhouse here as I will be the 1st to admit that outside of big championships I would pay little notice to athletics but surely the fact that club memberships have trebled in the last decade is where the attention should sit?

In this day and age where there are more and more distractions surely it is a good thing that you have big numbers. That means you have a bigger pool of talent and are more likely to find the next big thing.

I'm sure there are loads of coaching issues but I'd imagine that there are issues in boxing, rugby, soccer & GAA as well. Just a bit odd to focus on the top 1% when the remaining 99% is growing and giving you more opportunities to be successful as a sport.

Chivito550

HigginsJ wrote: »

I am very far out of my wheelhouse here as I will be the 1st to admit that outside of big championships I would pay little notice to athletics but surely the fact that club memberships have trebled in the last decade is where the attention should sit?

In this day and age where there are more and more distractions surely it is a good thing that you have big numbers. That means you have a bigger pool of talent and are more likely to find the next big thing.

I'm sure there are loads of coaching issues but I'd imagine that there are issues in boxing, rugby, soccer & GAA as well. Just a bit odd to focus on the top 1% when the remaining 99% is growing and giving you more opportunities to be successful as a sport.

"Membership figures may have trebled over the last decade, but as anyone who's checked the music charts knows, popularity and quality are two very different things."


Membership has grown, but it's mainly fun runners/joggers, recreational runners etc. This will have no effect on the quality of top level athletics in Ireland in the short term. In the long term though it could, if all their kids get introduced to athletics as a result.

Also, most new members do fun runs and road races, but the reality is, that the pinnacle of this sport, whether people like it or not, is the track and the field, where the numbers competing in Ireland are low. The track and the field (and marathon, and race walk championship distances) are where athletes careers are ultimately judged. That is where HP directors performances are judged, that is when most casual followers tune in, so yes it is important to be putting such a focus on the top 1%.

average_runner

Chivito550 wrote: »

"Membership figures may have trebled over the last decade, but as anyone who's checked the music charts knows, popularity and quality are two very different things."


Membership has grown, but it's mainly fun runners/joggers, recreational runners etc. This will have no effect on the quality of top level athletics in Ireland in the short term. In the long term though it could, if all their kids get introduced to athletics as a result.

Also, most new members do fun runs and road races, but the reality is, that the pinnacle of this sport, whether people like it or not, is the track and the field, where the numbers competing in Ireland are low. The track and the field (and marathon, and race walk championship distances) are where athletes careers are ultimately judged. That is where HP directors performances are judged, that is when most casual followers tune in, so yes it is important to be putting such a focus on the top 1%.

But the track is not promoted highly enough and the kid track meets are all wrong.

Look at the UK, they have loads of events on the track for people to get pb's. They even have a night of champions event which is free but built around fun and high level athletes.

walshb

All clubs should be 90 percent focused on their talent and those competing for them as opposed to those who simply join to be part of the club.

Weed out the elites/excellent/very goods/goods/average all the way down to the fun runners and assign time and money accordingly. Only then will the sport show possible improvements.

Clubs only have finite staff and money and resources. Use it wisely.

Keep encouraging and promoting the sport, because it's then you will get a few great talents.

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

All clubs should be 90 percent focused on their talent and those competing for them as opposed to those who simply join to be part of the club.

Weed out the elites/excellent/very goods/goods/average all the way down to the fun runners and assign time and money accordingly. Only then will the sport show possible improvements.

Clubs only have finite staff and money and resources. Use it wisely.

Clubs don't have that much money and the money spent on the average runner and fun runner is very little.

Right now I am training on my own, costing the club nothing!

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

Right now I am training on my own, costing the club nothing!

We need more of you!

HigginsJ

Chivito550 wrote: »

"Membership figures may have trebled over the last decade, but as anyone who's checked the music charts knows, popularity and quality are two very different things."


Membership has grown, but it's mainly fun runners/joggers, recreational runners etc. This will have no effect on the quality of top level athletics in Ireland in the short term. In the long term though it could, if all their kids get introduced to athletics as a result.

Also, most new members do fun runs and road races, but the reality is, that the pinnacle of this sport, whether people like it or not, is the track and the field, where the numbers competing in Ireland are low. The track and the field (and marathon, and race walk championship distances) are where athletes careers are ultimately judged. That is where HP directors performances are judged, that is when most casual followers tune in, so yes it is important to be putting such a focus on the top 1%.

I suppose I'm just looking at the spin being put on it. A very "woe is me" type of feeling towards athletics when the focus should be, look we have work to do but our numbers are growing etc.

Averagerunners point about kids track meets and promoting track is probably a fair point, you can't move but see a flyer or post on social media for a 5k but very little track, although I see that North Cork AC held a kids track event recently and the numbers seem to be positive.

Chivito550

average_runner wrote: »

But the track is not promoted highly enough and the kid track meets are all wrong.

Look at the UK, they have loads of events on the track for people to get pb's. They even have a night of champions event which is free but built around fun and high level athletes.

There are some exceptions, but in general track meets in Ireland are dour affairs. I'm an anorak and I was bored at National Indoors, and I struggle to get into the Morton Games. Highgate Harriers 10k night sounds great, as does IFAM in Oordegem in Belgium, which is an all day graded track meet, with food stalls and a bar at the finish line. Why can't we have stuff like that!

Chivito550

HigginsJ wrote: »

I suppose I'm just looking at the spin being put on it. A very "woe is me" type of feeling towards athletics when the focus should be, look we have work to do but our numbers are growing etc.

Averagerunners point about kids track meets and promoting track is probably a fair point, you can't move but see a flyer or post on social media for a 5k but very little track, although I see that North Cork AC held a kids track event recently and the numbers seem to be positive.

You should work for AAI That's the type of spin constantly being put out. Membership figures soaring blah blah. Meanwhile our best athletes run in front of empty stands at the biggest meet of the year, and you get straight finals without the need for heats in things like hurdles, and women's 1500 quite frequently, such are the low participation numbers on the track.

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

We need more of you!

See you haven't clue how a club runs. Its the average runner that volunteer's at the club, goes on the committee, coaches the kids. So get rid of these and the clubs will struggle more for finances and help. (Not talking about me, as I help out at another sport instead).

Any money the clubs gets, goes into the maintenance of the facilities and if lucky towards a new track or something

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

See you haven't clue how a club runs. Its the average runner that volunteer's at the club, goes on the committee, coaches the kids. So get rid of these and the clubs will struggle more for finances and help. (Not talking about me, as I help out at another sport instead).

Any money the clubs gets, goes into the maintenance of the facilities and if lucky towards a new track or something

I was kind of joking with my post. Nobody said get rid of average runners or fun runners.

RayCun

Numbers competing on the track are also way up - at nationals and at graded meets, similar events.

There's a good point about hundreds of carded athletes and hundreds of separate coaches. Against that, an athlete who thinks they are outgrowing their local coach and club is less likely to join a training group in Dublin than they are to join a group internationally, whether that's scholarship to the US or going to Loughborough, whatever.

And a problem with having a single national distance coach, for example, is that the coach-athlete relationship can be complicated. Some runners might respond well to Jerry Kiernan as a coach, for example, while others might not. At the moment, if you train with Jerry and feel his training plan isn't working for you, you can go over to Dick Hooper, and vice versa. Make one of them the coach, that everyone is expected to work with, and you'd have friction.

average_runner

Chivito550 wrote: »

You should work for AAI That's the type of spin constantly being put out. Membership figures soaring blah blah. Meanwhile our best athletes run in front of empty stands at the biggest meet of the year, and you get straight finals without the need for heats in things like hurdles, and women's 1500 quite frequently, such are the low participation numbers on the track.

But why are there empty stadiums. If we figure out the "why" and the "how", then a solution can be found.

RayCun

Chivito550 wrote: »

There are some exceptions, but in general track meets in Ireland are dour affairs. I'm an anorak and I was bored at National Indoors, and I struggle to get into the Morton Games. Highgate Harriers 10k night sounds great, as does IFAM in Oordegem in Belgium, which is an all day graded track meet, with food stalls and a bar at the finish line. Why can't we have stuff like that!

that's spectating, not competition

Chivito550

RayCun wrote: »

that's spectating, not competition

They go hand in hand.

HigginsJ

Chivito550 wrote: »

You should work for AAI That's the type of spin constantly being put out. Membership figures soaring blah blah. Meanwhile our best athletes run in front of empty stands at the biggest meet of the year, and you get straight finals without the need for heats in things like hurdles, and women's 1500 quite frequently, such are the low participation numbers on the track.

By the sounds of it, you should work for them!!

I assume there are qualifying events for these finals? Like provincial championships etc.? I couldn't even hazard a guess as to what, where or when the biggest meet of the year takes place but I'm guessing there is advertising around it? (That being said I follow about 5 athletic clubs on FB and never seen it mentioned)

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

that's spectating, not competition

Kids spectating, there is a chance they get into the sport, the current model they won't.

Athletics hasn't moved with the times!

RayCun

2006 nationals is as far back as I found online

3 in the 110mH, 5 in women's 5000, 3 in women's 5000 walk, 4 in women's 400mH, 3 in women's pole vault

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

2006 nationals is as far back as I found online

3 in the 110mH, 5 in women's 5000, 3 in women's 5000 walk, 4 in women's 400mH, 3 in women's pole vault

And how do the times compare to now ?

RayCun

Chivito550 wrote: »

They go hand in hand.

not necessarily.

and if the problem is the decline in Irish athletics from 10-15 years ago, have spectator figures declined?

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

And how do the times compare to now ?

no idea, I didn't check

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

not necessarily.

and if the problem is the decline in Irish athletics from 10-15 years ago, have spectator figures declined?

Maybe and maybe not, but the spectator numbers in other sports have increased, got to ask why?

RayCun

HigginsJ wrote: »

I assume there are qualifying events for these finals? Like provincial championships etc.? I couldn't even hazard a guess as to what, where or when the biggest meet of the year takes place but I'm guessing there is advertising around it? (That being said I follow about 5 athletic clubs on FB and never seen it mentioned)

There are regional championships, but they are not qualifiers for nationals - any club member can enter the national championships.

They wouldn't be advertised by clubs, as such. National champs are run by AAI, Morton games by Clonliffe, Irish Milers Clubs meets by the IMC, and so on. You might get messages on club social media wishing their athletes well or congratulating them, but not really promoting the event

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

Maybe and maybe not, but the spectator numbers in other sports have increased, got to ask why?

In rugby, yes.
In football? Maybe, I don't know.
In hockey, swimming, tennis, badminton, cycling, golf... have they?

(And does anyone have attendance figures for nationals in 2000 and 2016 to compare them?)

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

Kids spectating, there is a chance they get into the sport, the current model they won't.

tbh, I think kids are likely to spectate because they are already involved, rather than get involved because they were spectators

as far as spectator affairs go, I think attendance at the Morton mile is higher than ~10 years ago, and there's the Indoor grand prix which afaik is sold out

The membership increase in the last ten years is mainly from two things - masters runners (who are largely road runners) and juveniles. About half the current membership is juvenile, larger than the total membership was a few years back.

HigginsJ

RayCun wrote: »

There are regional championships, but they are not qualifiers for nationals - any club member can enter the national championships.

They wouldn't be advertised by clubs, as such. National champs are run by AAI, Morton games by Clonliffe, Irish Milers Clubs meets by the IMC, and so on. You might get messages on club social media wishing their athletes well or congratulating them, but not really promoting the event

Such an off topic question, do you have to be a club member to enter these regional championships??

RayCun

HigginsJ wrote: »

Such an off topic question, do you have to be a club member to enter these regional championships??

Yes. You have to be a member of Athletics Ireland (and the only way to join AAI is through a club). That's also true for the Dublin graded meets, and probably the Drogheda meets, IMC, and so on.

Here's the Leinster fixtures list
https://athleticsleinster.org/leinster-fixtures-top
Track and Field champs are on the June bank holiday weekend

HigginsJ

RayCun wrote: »

Yes. You have to be a member of Athletics Ireland (and the only way to join AAI is through a club). That's also true for the Dublin graded meets, and probably the Drogheda meets, IMC, and so on.

Here's the Leinster fixtures list
https://athleticsleinster.org/leinster-fixtures-top
Track and Field champs are on the June bank holiday weekend

Thanks, I'd be laughed off the track if I turned up for 200m or 400m so will prob stick to my slow plodding!!

Duanington

When my eldest was in primary school ( seems like yesterday...sniff.....circa 6\7 years ago), the local GAA club came to the school to hold "trials" for children out in the playground.
My daughter came home after said trials with a written invitation, with her name etc spelled out very clearly asking her along to the club the following week for training at 7 PM ( or whatever). To say she was chuffed with herself is an understatement and along she went to training, along with 50 % of her classmates ......it turns out that every child that could swing a hurley or kick a football was given one of these invitations.

They were over the moon though, there was a real feel good factor among the group as they started out on their camogie\football careers. It was a great recruiting tactic as such and I think a lot of sports can learn from the GAA on that front

Obviously the teenage years present problems with regards to keeping kids in sport but I think parents need to stand up and take some responsibility here, it can be too easy to drop kids to training, hand them, over to whatever club for an hour or two and pick them up again.


Increased membership in clubs may not directly result in increased performance on the track....yet but I suspect those adult hobby joggers may stay more involved with their kids enjoyment of the sport - I see a lot of parents and daughters out for jogs these days ( always daughters, never sons for some reason) , that's a new one on me and not something I think I witnessed once in 1990s Dublin.
The parkrun movement is something that is vastly under-rated too in my view, every week we have hundreds of people turning up for a community led athletic event, whatever about the standard, clubs can surely tap into that a bit better.
Junior parkruns, even more so - I help out from time to time at St Anne's ( and jog around with my daughter too) , there are literally hundreds of kids taking part in a weekly athletics event, some of them are mindblowingly quick around the 2.5k route too.
I don't know about anyone else but the thoughts of getting up on a Sunday morning for anything other than football was alien to me as a kid.

There is a swell of support for running and fitness in general around the country and parents\clubs\schools need to figure out how to nurture that and keep kids running.
The GAA make it fun and rewarding for each kid, junior parkruns with their wristbands to mark milestones ( kids get a wristband when they complete a certain amount of runs ) are now doing the same thing.
Sadly, I'm already starting to see parents pushing their 7\8 year old along for that PB....very much in the minority of course but you would hope that it stays that way.

The beauty of running is that it is so simple, kids love to do it by their very nature, keeping them in the sport during their teenage years is key really and that isn't the responsibility of the government or a club or someone else...its a collective thing and should be based around enjoyment

RayCun

HigginsJ wrote: »

Thanks, I'd be laughed off the track if I turned up for 200m or 400m so will prob stick to my slow plodding!!

You wouldn't, really. You'd want to do some specific training if you wanted to enter a sprint race, but there are also distance races on the track, 5000m and 10000, and 8s and 15s. In the Dublin graded meets, there are usually multiple races, and they try to group people by ability as much as possible, same in most other local meets. BHAA (if you're in Dublin) also used to organise 1500 and mile races on the track, and they have a race on the grass track in Trinity every June. You don't need to be a club member for BHAA either.

yeah, the standard is usually higher, you don't get the people who only run a 5k every now and again lining up on the track. But there's no shame in coming last either, races are so small that practically everyone lining up at the start will have come last themselves sometime, it isn't a big deal.

RayCun

Duanington wrote: »

When my eldest was in primary school ( seems like yesterday...sniff.....circa 6\7 years ago), the local GAA club came to the school to hold "trials" for children out in the playground.

something we'd love to do, but the GAA have money to pay development officers and coaches. As it is, we have huge numbers on our waiting list that we just can't take in because of lack of coaches, parents want to drop their kids off and collect them an hour later...

Chivito550

RayCun wrote: »

You wouldn't, really. You'd want to do some specific training if you wanted to enter a sprint race, but there are also distance races on the track, 5000m and 10000, and 8s and 15s. In the Dublin graded meets, there are usually multiple races, and they try to group people by ability as much as possible, same in most other local meets. BHAA (if you're in Dublin) also used to organise 1500 and mile races on the track, and they have a race on the grass track in Trinity every June. You don't need to be a club member for BHAA either.

yeah, the standard is usually higher, you don't get the people who only run a 5k every now and again lining up on the track. But there's no shame in coming last either, races are so small that practically everyone lining up at the start will have come last themselves sometime, it isn't a big deal.

Yes. And to add to the above, people generally pay attention to those at the front of the race, not those at the back, so the idea that spectators will "laugh you off the track" is purely in your imagination. As for other athletes, well athletes are very self involved, only think about themselves when they are out racing, so won't even care a jot what time you run,

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

something we'd love to do, but the GAA have money to pay development officers and coaches. As it is, we have huge numbers on our waiting list that we just can't take in because of lack of coaches, parents want to drop their kids off and collect them an hour later...

Most coaches at the gaa clubs are volunteers also, most are parents and there is usually a higher number of kids at it.

How do the gaa manage it? How do they get the parents involved ?

Duanington

RayCun wrote: »

something we'd love to do, but the GAA have money to pay development officers and coaches. As it is, we have huge numbers on our waiting list that we just can't take in because of lack of coaches, parents want to drop their kids off and collect them an hour later...

It's a real shame, funding really is a major issue for Athletics at underage level it seems ( from afar anyway).
I take it there is a limit on how many kids each club can take in? Is that a kid\coach ratio thing ?

Duanington

average_runner wrote: »

Most coaches at the gaa clubs are volunteers also, most are parents and there is usually a higher number of kids at it.

How do the gaa manage it? How do they get the parents involved ?

And again, parkrun gets massive numbers each week - all volunteer based. Not a shot at Athletics Clubs at all by the way but there must be lessons to take from these organisations

Down South

I had to put my kids on a waiting list to get into the local club. Space on track, as opposed to coaches was the restraining factor as kids couldn't be sent off running around town/woods on a dark winter nights. 120 kids registered I think

RayCun

Duanington wrote: »

It's a real shame, funding really is a major issue for Athletics at underage level it seems ( from afar anyway).
I take it there is a limit on how many kids each club can take in? Is that a kid\coach ratio thing ?

There is a required kid/coach ratio, which I can't remember

Even without the ratio, though, there's a limit to how many kids you can hold the attention of, and do something useful with.

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

something we'd love to do, but the GAA have money to pay development officers and coaches. As it is, we have huge numbers on our waiting list that we just can't take in because of lack of coaches, parents want to drop their kids off and collect them an hour later...

RayCun wrote: »

There is a required kid/coach ratio, which I can't remember

Even without the ratio, though, there's a limit to how many kids you can hold the attention of, and do something useful with.

But that applies to the GAA also.

RayCun

average_runner wrote: »

But that applies to the GAA also.

I remember one old poster on this forum giving out about masters runners, on the grounds that people should learn to call it a day when they were past their best, and start coaching instead. There may be something to that. GAA players quit playing, they stay involved by coaching. Runners keep running.

(A counter-argument is that roughly the same proportion of old athletes and old GAA players get into coaching, but there are a lot more old GAA players around)

Chivito550

Duanington wrote: »

And again, parkrun gets massive numbers each week - all volunteer based. Not a shot at Athletics Clubs at all by the way but there must be lessons to take from these organisations

What lessons? Parkrun doesn't have volunteers with technical knowledge trying to teach kids the technique behind throwing, jumping, hurdling, sprinting, race walking etc. That's a far more complex system to operate than a 5km on a looped course. Parkrun is a great initiative, and is great for improving people's wellbeing. It is not really athletics though. Fruitless comparing clubs to it.

Chivito550

RayCun wrote: »

I remember one old poster on this forum giving out about masters runners, on the grounds that people should learn to call it a day when they were past their best, and start coaching instead. There may be something to that. GAA players quit playing, they stay involved by coaching. Runners keep running.

(A counter-argument is that roughly the same proportion of old athletes and old GAA players get into coaching, but there are a lot more old GAA players around)

Lot more money in GAA too. Far easier for GAA clubs to get some local business to sponsor them. On the extreme level Davy Fitz is getting paid 90k per year plus expenses and car to manage Wexford. Amateur sport, how are ya!

RayCun

I have to point again though, that while clubs are having to turn away juveniles, and this is a real problem, overall juvenile membership has gone from 19000 in 2009 to about 34000 by the end of last year, so this is not a situation of decline.

average_runner

RayCun wrote: »

I remember one old poster on this forum giving out about masters runners, on the grounds that people should learn to call it a day when they were past their best, and start coaching instead. There may be something to that. GAA players quit playing, they stay involved by coaching. Runners keep running.

(A counter-argument is that roughly the same proportion of old athletes and old GAA players get into coaching, but there are a lot more old GAA players around)

Wouldnt go with that. Most the people at the club where we help out are not ex gaa people I tell ya.

You have parents dropping off the kids and going, but why is that ?

The gaa club has the same thing, but the parents are staying to help out.

Now i know one reason why, its the timing of training sessions in athletics, its on at a time where there is mostly only one parent available to look after more than one kid!!

GAA club has the same issue, hence they have sessions on Thursday evening and Sat morning. Thursday evening is a lower attendance!!

So maybe athletics needs to get with the times and work with the people lifestyle. come out of the dark ages!

average_runner

Chivito550 wrote: »

Lot more money in GAA too. Far easier for GAA clubs to get some local business to sponsor them. On the extreme level Davy Fitz is getting paid 90k per year plus expenses and car to manage Wexford. Amateur sport, how are ya!

Now now leave Wexford out of this!!

Who funded the new track down in Wexford? It cost over 1 million. Oh wait local businesses!!

Duanington

Chivito550 wrote: »

What lessons? Parkrun doesn't have volunteers with technical knowledge trying to teach kids the technique behind throwing, jumping, hurdling, sprinting, race walking etc. That's a far more complex system to operate than a 5km on a looped course. Parkrun is a great initiative, and is great for improving people's wellbeing. It is not really athletics though. Fruitless comparing clubs to it.

There is a lack of volunteers in Athletics clubs....there is not at lack of volunteers at most parkrun events - if there is no lesson to be learned there then we may as well give up !

Getting technical volunteers is surely secondary to getting people on board in the first place?

Chivito550

Duanington wrote: »

There is a lack of volunteers in Athletics clubs....there is not at lack of volunteers at most parkrun events - if there is no lesson to be learned there then we may as well give up !

Getting technical volunteers is surely secondary to getting people on board in the first place?

Time commitment for Parkrun? Saturday morning. Maybe afternoon for the few putting the results together.

Time commitment for athletics coaches? Generally 3 times a week, maybe more, in addition to coaching courses, attending competitions etc.

Hardly comparable.

Duanington

Chivito550 wrote: »

Time commitment for Parkrun? Saturday morning. Maybe afternoon for the few putting the results together.

Time commitment for athletics coaches? Generally 3 times a week, maybe more, in addition to coaching courses, attending competitions etc.

Hardly comparable.

Point taken but it is comparable I'm afraid - we need people doing stuff that helps an organisation is what this boils down to. We also need to get a bit more creative from the looks of things.....if we are handing out forms that say " if you cannot commit to 3 times plus per week in addition to coaching courses, attending competitions" then we can forget it

Chivito550

Duanington wrote: »

Point taken but it is comparable I'm afraid - we need people doing stuff that helps an organisation is what this boils down to. We also need to get a bit more creative from the looks of things.....if we are handing out forms that say " if you cannot commit to 3 times plus per week in addition to coaching courses, attending competitions" then we can forget it

I very much doubt clubs are saying that to would be volunteers.

My point is that it is easier to volunteer with some things than it is with others. Parkrun volunteers don't have to look after a couple of dozen kids, and try keep them out of lane 1 so they don't get decked by a senior whizzing past. Far easier to stand in a park and direct a few hundred adults up one pathway rather than another.

In any case, the problem isn't that there isn't enough volunteers, it's that we depend too much on them, which is what the article is all about in the first place.

youngrun

Dennehy article makes some good points , coaching investment is vital and using road races for funding the system whether coaching or HP are ones, and AI needs to be more focused and commercial in these areas. GAA etc is a machine with way more resources, but athletics needs to market itself and seek sponsors and vehicles to promote the sport way better to fund it.
Volunteering is easier if you have a guide/lead coach to assist in sessions/event organising and is certainly easier in a time efficient parkrun environment than an all day competition eg county champs or x country. Athletics needs to put the right structures in place to assist volunteer and coach recruitment and education such as RDOs, coach coordinators, event managers for eg, all of which need funding, drawn from most likely commercial activity.Strong base for the sport is necessary to reach the peak

average_runner

I suppose look at what happened in athletics with the community games. Whoever runs the athletics in that, have killed it big time.


When we were kids, the first trials of the community games was held in Wexford gaa park on a bank holiday Monday afternoon. Most of the town would go to it. Probably had close to 3,000 in the park watching you run. Some experience.

In Dublin for some stupid reason, the first round is done on a week day in the evening, which means alot cannot attend and their is no community or family feel to it.