Early season middle distance races

rodneyr1981

So was looking for an early season middle distance race more as a tester to check fitness opposed to an A race etc.
Options appear to be limited to Lough cutra or athy double.
Have done cutra before and at close to €170 Finding it hard to justify even if local.
Have never raced athy double. Can't say a 3k swim with sections upstream excite me.
What's are people's views on athy? Good race?

EC1000

rodneyr1981 wrote: »

So was looking for an early season middle distance race more as a tester to check fitness opposed to an A race etc.
Options appear to be limited to Lough cutra or athy double.
Have done cutra before and at close to €170 Finding it hard to justify even if local.
Have never raced athy double. Can't say a 3k swim with sections upstream excite me.
What's are people's views on athy? Good race?

Did athy double last year as a training day out. Thought the run left a bit to be desired due to over crowding and some very narrow sections but was still a vast improvement on previous editions and would go back. What you lose going upstream you get back in spades coming back down.

TriFirst

EC1000 wrote: »

Did athy double last year as a training day out. Thought the run left a bit to be desired due to over crowding and some very narrow sections but was still a vast improvement on previous editions and would go back. What you lose going upstream you get back in spades coming back down.

Agree with you about the run, it was unmitigated chaos, badly organised. I actually think this race has become too popular now not helped by the relentless marketing which has literally been daily since the years. The sheer volume of competitors last summer was an concern also on the cycle but the run was all over the shop.

Kurt.Godel

Its been a few years since I did the Double Oly at Athy, but the chaotic organisation that year convinced me never again. On the other hand I've been back to Cutra for many years because their races are so well organised.

zico10

There was quite a bit said about Athy in this thread last year;
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057554366&page=6
Make of it what you will.

Lough Cutra is probably a bit over priced and I think the more successful it becomes, the higher the entry fee will rise. But I've done the half distance race twice and although there were one of two things that could be improved upon, by and large they were enjoyable races with far more positives than negatives.

rodneyr1981

Cheers folks. While I agree cutra does have it pro's (nice swim and well organised) the run course leaves a lot to be desired imo. Some of the feedback on athy is off putting.

Cutra on my doorstep and it's a bike course I can recce most Sunday mornings so while it's over priced I might just have to suck it up.
Then again tri as a whole is generally over priced..

TriFirst

zico10 wrote: »

There was quiet a bit said about Athy in this thread last year;
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057554366&page=6
Make of it what you will.

Lough Cutra is probably a bit over priced and I think the more successful it becomes, the higher the entry fee will rise. But I've done the half distance race twice and although there were one of two things that could be improved upon, by and large they were enjoyable races with far more positives than negatives.

Yes I communicated my frustrations directly with the race organisers who promised things would be better this year, it remains to be seen.

Havent looked at Lough Cutra as of yet. As far as price goes I believe the whole sport of triathlon and the races are overpriced.

peter kern

TriFirst wrote: »

Y

Havent looked at Lough Cutra as of yet. As far as price goes I believe the whole sport of triathlon and the races are overpriced.

of course the question is is it organicer driven or athletes driven, the crying out if there is no t shirt and medal after a race is amazing those days. and when relatively cheap races are there like the hardman full than people dont do it.
same with dua champs was fantastic value at 30 euro and solid food afterwards that race could have done with many more people to compensate the club for the effort they put into the race.
same setanta duathlon is a great value for 15en euro . and so are the pulse and the wicklow tri club aquathons but partication is almost going down in those races while dublin city tri sells out at the prices you complain about.

TriFirst

peter kern wrote: »

of course the question is is it organicer driven or athletes driven, the crying out if there is no t shirt and medal after a race is amazing those days. and when relatively cheap races are there like the hardman full than people dont do it.
same with dua champs was fantastic value at 30 euro and solid food afterwards that race could have done with many more people to compensate the club for the effort they put into the race.
same setanta duathlon is a great value for 15en euro . and so are the pulse and the wicklow tri club aquathons but partication is almost going down in those races while dublin city tri sells out at the prices you complain about.

I enjoyed the aquathons in wicklow last year, also did the Muckno tri which had a small field but it was well organised. Shame the participation is dropping. I think people are obsessing over the Ironman brand hence they focus on the 'glamour' Dublin 70.3 and the Dublin City Triathlon is such a big draw that it sucks competitors away from hinterland races again a shame. Personally I don't care where the race is I'll race because I enjoy competing against myself.

El Director

Hi Rob. I don't think I'd do Lough Cutra again because of the slip and slide/mudslide into and out of transition. Same old story with Athy it would seem - crowed course. These type of events don't excite me much anymore.

Have you considered doing a good training day with some club mates/boardies? An unofficial type of half, plan it yourself and see if others want to join in. Some might just jump in for parts of it and/or help with logistics etc... Just a madcap idea Thinking of organising one myself for the longest day of the year if I am around and if not later i the summer. Prices of races have definitely put me off and I will support those cheaper aquathons as I usually do - love the no frill races.

emmk

Hi Guys,

Waterford Tri have a training day on Sat 9June and a Friendly Half on the 10th
Friendly half TI Licence required.
Swim in a pool 30min or 2km
Bike Out and back 2:30 or 90km Cork Road very hard to get lost
Run 1:30 out and back Tramore to Waterford or 21km

Transition and aid station on run €30

https://www.waterfordtriclub.com/club-training-weekend

I didnt think much of Athy last year

RacoonQueen

emmk wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Waterford Tri have a training day on Sat 9June and a Friendly Half on the 10th
Friendly half TI Licence required.
Swim in a pool 30min or 2km
Bike Out and back 2:30 or 90km Cork Road very hard to get lost
Run 1:30 out and back Tramore to Waterford or 21km

Transition and aid station on run €30

https://www.waterfordtriclub.com/club-training-weekend

I didnt think much of Athy last year

Looks good I'm doing* Sheephaven half end of June, so might be a good training day for that. To do the 30/2:30/1:30






*well I'm signed up for it anyway, my track record aint great though...

emmk

The Friendly is designed to challenge people wanting to step up and times to beat for the elite
Every one starts and end together, some just travel a little further

RacoonQueen

emmk wrote: »

The Friendly is designed to challenge people wanting to step up and times to beat for the elite
Every one starts and end together, some just travel a little further

Yeah I'm a bit confused by it. How's does it work on the bike and run? Do you turn round at 1:15 if you haven't hit 45k yet? Are Tri bikes allowed?

Tibulus

rodneyr1981 wrote: »

S
Have done cutra before and at close to €170 Finding it hard to justify even if local.

I too am looking for a early half to kick off the season and unwilling to even consider Cutra at that price. Done the olympic last year and was not impressed terrible road surface, poor marshalling not even food after for the olympic.

Have done Athy olympic few years back, was very poor that year but Im told it has improved. Would be racing the double this year only for a wedding.

Both are commercial races pity there is not a club organised half early in the year. Tri An Mhi did in the past.

emmk

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Yeah I'm a bit confused by it. How's does it work on the bike and run? Do you turn round at 1:15 if you haven't hit 45k yet? Are Tri bikes allowed?

Yep thats it and Tri bikes are allowed.

emmk

Tibulus wrote: »

I too am looking for a early half to kick off the season and unwilling to even consider Cutra at that price. Done the olympic last year and was not impressed terrible road surface, poor marshalling not even food after for the olympic.

Have done Athy olympic few years back, was very poor that year but Im told it has improved. Would be racing the double this year only for a wedding.

Both are commercial races pity there is not a club organised half early in the year. Tri An Mhi did in the past.

Hi Tibulus. Did you read the post above we are running a race early in the year only a few weeks. even have it in a pool so you dont freeze

headDown

Hi All,

El Director wrote: »

Have you considered doing a good training day with some club mates/boardies? An unofficial type of half, plan it yourself and see if others want to join in. Some might just jump in for parts of it and/or help with logistics etc... Just a madcap idea Thinking of organising one myself for the longest day of the year if I am around and if not later i the summer. Prices of races have definitely put me off and I will support those cheaper aquathons as I usually do - love the no frill races.

+1 To this idea.With all this good weather I've been thinking of doing a middle distance training day myself here but doing it solo is always going to be tough.Anyone wants to take it on over the next few weeks I'd be willing to go.Why was the Tri an mhi half ever stopped?

emmk

HeadDown Why go it alone!!

https://www.waterfordtriclub.com/club-training-weekend

headDown

Thanks emmk. Looks a great weekend and I hope more clubs host similar days/weekends. It's just to far away for me I'm in the middle of the country.Have a few races already planned that are weekends away so will just keep it local for a training day.Best of luck with it!