National Novice Cross Country - 15th Dec 2019

Aquals

Has anyone heard anything about where this might be in this year?

junebabies

Any news on this? Wondering the same.

Aquals

junebabies wrote: »

Any news on this? Wondering the same.

The latest rumour I heard was that it was Navan, but that’s just based on the fixture list on the Cork Athletics website saying that. It could be written in as Navan because it was there last year. They might have done a copy and paste job.

RacoonQueen

Looks like location was announced on Nov 9th last year. So perhaps a couple of weeks to go yet.

https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/novice-juvenile-uneven-age-xc-champs/

junebabies

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Looks like location was announced on Nov 9th last year. So perhaps a couple of weeks to go yet.

https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/novice-juvenile-uneven-age-xc-champs/

I knew it was late being announced last year but couldn't rem exactly.
I don't think there is anything in the Navan rumor tbh, hopefully it's not there again. Abit of a trek from us.

adrian522

Anyone hear a rumour about Dunboyne?

Wubble Wubble

adrian522 wrote: »

Anyone hear a rumour about Dunboyne?[/QUOTE]

Afraid not. But if it's true, I'd be more likely to sign up. At least I'd have a chance of getting home before nightfall

Sacksian

Please not Dunboyne, isn't the course there in (the very accurately named) Cow Park? From what I remember, it's just a couple of fields?

My preferences would be any one of: Abbotstown, DKIT, Santry Demesne - all fairly interesting courses (and near!). WIT is cruel but probably used a bit too often in recent years, last National Novice in Dublin was 2015, I think? There have been a few rotated around in recent years.

youngrun

Sacksian wrote: »

Please not Dunboyne, isn't the course there in (the very accurately named) Cow Park? From what I remember, it's just a couple of fields?

My preferences would be any one of: Abbotstown, DKIT, Santry Demesne - all fairly interesting courses (and near!). WIT is cruel but probably used a bit too often in recent years, last National Novice in Dublin was 2015, I think? There have been a few rotated around in recent years.

Heard it was Dunboyne . Fair play to Meath for stepping up.
However its a low grade course and a long way from the HQ

There is a massive amount of work involved in organising a National XC and many counties and clubs cannot do it every year, it is a serious effort in peoples free time. Needs to rotate to save voluntary effort

Athletics Ireland +Sport Ireland need to get a proper regional standard XC facility in each province at a minimum commmisioned as a matter of urgency +ideally each major county

In Connacht we struggle badly each year to get venues and the OPW have pulled Lough key out of the mix for eg .

XC running will die a death without proper infrastructure

Sacksian

youngrun wrote: »

Heard it was Dunboyne . Fair play to Meath for stepping up.
However its a low grade course and a long way from the HQ

There is a massive amount of work involved in organising a National XC and many counties and clubs cannot do it every year, it is a serious effort in peoples free time. Needs to rotate to save voluntary effort

Athletics Ireland +Sport Ireland need to get a proper regional standard XC facility in each province at a minimum commmisioned as a matter of urgency +ideally each major county

In Connacht we struggle badly each year to get venues and the OPW have pulled Lough key out of the mix for eg .

XC running will die a death without proper infrastructure

Agreed! And I'm not diminishing the volunteer contribution by saying that. It's just that it's a really dull course, from an athlete point of view.

In terms of infrastructure, I still don't understand why we have a National XC course that is only used twice a year (and once isn't even a championship race)! It's a good course and there's no point having it, if it's not used for National events beyond Senior.

Would love to do the Novice on it - 4 laps of the 1500m loop!

RacoonQueen

Sacksian wrote: »

Please not Dunboyne, isn't the course there in (the very accurately named) Cow Park? From what I remember, it's just a couple of fields?

My preferences would be any one of: Abbotstown, DKIT, Santry Demesne - all fairly interesting courses (and near!). WIT is cruel but probably used a bit too often in recent years, last National Novice in Dublin was 2015, I think? There have been a few rotated around in recent years.

I always really enjoyed Dunboyne. Mucky, messy course and was always a tough course despite being relatively flat.

junebabies

youngrun wrote: »

Heard it was Dunboyne . Fair play to Meath for stepping up.
However its a low grade course and a long way from the HQ

There is a massive amount of work involved in organising a National XC and many counties and clubs cannot do it every year, it is a serious effort in peoples free time. Needs to rotate to save voluntary effort

Athletics Ireland +Sport Ireland need to get a proper regional standard XC facility in each province at a minimum commmisioned as a matter of urgency +ideally each major county

In Connacht we struggle badly each year to get venues and the OPW have pulled Lough key out of the mix for eg .

XC running will die a death without proper infrastructure

The school Cross-country finals next March are a Connacht venue. Any idea where this would be?

junebabies

Sacksian wrote: »

Agreed! And I'm not diminishing the volunteer contribution by saying that. It's just that it's a really dull course, from an athlete point of view.

In terms of infrastructure, I still don't understand why we have a National XC course that is only used twice a year (and once isn't even a championship race)! It's a good course and there's no point having it, if it's not used for National events beyond Senior.

Would love to do the Novice on it - 4 laps of the 1500m loop!

Might be wrong but the Novice is run after the juvenile uneven age nationals. The kids will have already run Abbottstown for the even age nationals. I know my kid for one wouldn't like both national finals in the one venue.
Possibly why they won't run the novice at Abbottstown??

youngrun

junebabies wrote: »

Might be wrong but the Novice is run after the juvenile uneven age nationals. The kids will have already run Abbottstown for the even age nationals. I know my kid for one wouldn't like both national finals in the one venue.
Possibly why they won't run the novice at Abbottstown??

Yes partly. Also I guess Dublin athletics would have to organise- all these are volunteer led /organised for much of the lead up and set up , so two big events is a very big ask for a county to take on especially given the limited pool who put in the legwork..

youngrun

junebabies wrote: »

The school Cross-country finals next March are a Connacht venue. Any idea where this would be?

Who knows .. Loughrea, Sligo racecourse, St Marys in Galway all possibles i guess.

Sacksian

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I always really enjoyed Dunboyne. Mucky, messy course and was always a tough course despite being relatively flat.

I just found it really dull - they're generally all mucky come December!

Sacksian

junebabies wrote: »

Might be wrong but the Novice is run after the juvenile uneven age nationals. The kids will have already run Abbottstown for the even age nationals. I know my kid for one wouldn't like both national finals in the one venue.
Possibly why they won't run the novice at Abbottstown??

youngrun wrote: »

Yes partly. Also I guess Dublin athletics would have to organise- all these are volunteer led /organised for much of the lead up and set up , so two big events is a very big ask for a county to take on especially given the limited pool who put in the legwork..

I do appreciate that - but what's the point of a national xc course if it's so sparingly used? (I presume Athletics Ireland do the Autumn Open - I don't think MSB are involved in that anymore?) And being on the Sports Campus - you have event management professionals, facilities, etc.

junebabies

Dunboyne has been announced for the uneven age/ novice nationals.

adrian522

Confirmed for "Cow Park"

https://www.athleticsireland.ie/competition/fixtures/

Aquals

Great, thanks! Not a bad venue, all things considered!

junebabies

What's the cource like?

Wubble Wubble

Not much climbing involved, but there are a lot of twists and turns - from memory, 18 in each of your three laps, basically covering two fields. I've raced there in the Leinster Masters in 2017 and 2018. Ground was heavy in parts, but the clumpy grass can be more of a problem TBH.

KielyUnusual

It really is a pain how they limit entries to eight per team for these events. I'm going to have to enter 3 or 4 teams for our club and then decide who's on what team based on recent results. The likelihood of tough,mucky conditions really fecking up the expected order are also very high 😭. They used allow you to put up 11 for some reason, even though they stated 8 but they seem to have fixed that this year.

I really don't get the logic of it. They hardly want the situation where a really strong club has two teams on the podium. Charge more money for bigger teams if you like Athletics Ireland but stop making my life such a hassle :mad:

Timmaay

KielyUnusual wrote: »

It really is a pain how they limit entries to eight per team for these events. I'm going to have to enter 3 or 4 teams for our club and then decide who's on what team based on recent results. The likelihood of tough,mucky conditions really fecking up the expected order are also very high 😭. They used allow you to put up 11 for some reason, even though they stated 8 but they seem to have fixed that this year.

I really don't get the logic of it. They hardly want the situation where a really strong club has two teams on the podium. Charge more money for bigger teams if you like Athletics Ireland but stop making my life such a hassle :mad:

My heart bleeds for you lol‚ (I'm here trying to scrap 4 lads out to run in it hahah)

Sacksian

All the entries (including Efrem Gidey) are in for the Novice:

https://athleticsireland.entry4sports.com/entry/v5/competition/showEntries.php?compid=163

I am confident enough to say that I think Donore have a very good chance of a first team medal since 2015. Depending on who makes it to the startline, of course, but I'd be surprised if we weren't in the reckoning at least for bronze (and I'll be around 10th scorer for us).

KielyUnusual

Sacksian wrote: »

All the entries (including Efrem Gidey) are in for the Novice:

https://athleticsireland.entry4sports.com/entry/v5/competition/showEntries.php?compid=163

I am confident enough to say that I think Donore have a very good chance of a first team medal since 2015. Depending on who makes it to the startline, of course, but I'd be surprised if we weren't in the reckoning at least for bronze (and I'll be around 10th scorer for us).

Still hoping for that elusive first ever team medal for the Cru. We're missing a couple of our top runners, which is going to make it difficult. Sneaking under the 100 point mark will be a challenge. I'm suspecting DSD, Clonliffe and Leevale will have strong squads too. Our main rivals over the last few years, North Belfast Harriers, have no team named so that's one thing. Then there's the unknown quantity of the teams all around the country.

Looking forward to it anyway. Dunboyne is a very handy location from Dublin. I was down supporting at the Leinster Novice in Cow Park some years back and from what I remember its fairly flat with maybe a gentle slope across the few fields. Its no WIT anyway

Wubble Wubble

Course is here. Three times around the 2,000m Lap B for the men - twice for the women. I ran the Leinster Masters there in 2017 and 2018. There aren't any steep hills to worry about, but it may be heavy underfoot.

Sacksian

I ran it in 2013 for the Leinster Masters and did not enjoy it (although we did win a team medal), so not looking forward to a return.

It's got ridiculously competitive in recent years but (and it's a big 'but' because there are always drop-outs between the entry list and the start line) I think we have a chance of scoring below 100 this year - mainly down to our top two or three, but also a good few guys around a similar standard who will be gunning for fourth scorer.

junebabies

Does anyone know how far the train station is from cow park walking?

Wubble Wubble

10 minutes max. Bear in mind that there isn't that much parking space at the station - it may be busy from very early with all the juvenile races.

junebabies

Wubble Wubble wrote: »

10 minutes max. Bear in mind that there isn't that much parking space at the station - it may be busy from very early with all the juvenile races.

Thanks that's perfect, my daughter is running in the juveniles so will be there early. We are actually getting train out too.