Dublin Marathon 2022

chabsey

There's a stretch, somewhere in the middle I think (I should know given I've run it a few times) where there's a more demoralising incline because it just goes on and on for ages the road just stretches out ahead slowly upwards. I was running it today and obviously feeling it more in my legs than other years but thinking to myself that it really was no fun - whatever about running a marathon, running one where the course bites in so many places (or it did for me today) combined with the 110 euro entry makes me want to consider other options. That said though, the support especially in the home stretch is just otherworldly.

Edit: I think it's the Crumlin road. F**k that road.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119812649#Comment_119812649

Relying on on-course nutrition (beyond water) is a mug's game. Carry it with you or have someone placed to hand it to you. It's not hard to prepare 250ml bottles of sports drink and get someone to pass them to you at the point you want them - if I can organise that anyone can!

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813139#Comment_119813139

Huh? Water in bottles all over the course. If you're referring to the sports drink, surely a cup is far more preferable to a 500ml bottle (which you had the option to pick up and carry if you wanted). The marathon organisers can't wipe everyone's arse.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813318#Comment_119813318

People would complain about that just as much - just as many drags. Dublin is pretty flat, but there's no way to design a marathon course with no drags unless it's all coastal out and back and then people would complain about the wind.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119813908#Comment_119813908

I measured 26.49 miles, but that's within normal expectations for any GPS measurement of a marathon route.

cullenswood

Dublin is a tough but fair course. There are climbs, but the majority of them are in the first half, which is fair considerIng Roebuck comes at 35!🐊

That's not the beast it's made out to be.

There are tougher battles on the MerrIon Road after 36km. I was still on track but my legs were saying a massive no. Crowd got me there.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814183#Comment_119814183

Yep. I was running easy for most of the route today and was more aware than normal of the terrible lines that most mid pack runners take, going the long way around almost every single bend and never (with a few exceptions) taking the short line. It's not your watch, folks, it's your road management!

cullenswood

..

"

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814219#Comment_119814219

It was very odd watching the road out in front of me in the second half of the course, gradually sweeping round to the right... And every single runner being on the left hand side of the road.

GoHardOrGoHome

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814383#Comment_119814383

We need a blue line!

FinnC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814409#Comment_119814409

Maybe that’s what the €3 fee you have to pay even if you don’t get in through the ballot is for! To buy blue paint for the road!

average_runner

Roebuck is not bad but the problem is, you have Milltown hill and the clonskeagh drag before it.

When you get to Roebuck, dont look at it just put the head down

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814409#Comment_119814409

Would certainly help. I guess people's brains switch off and they just do follow the leader. Just surprised nobody else had already taken the shorter line in the half mile ahead of me.

It makes even less sense though after you have taken the shortest line around a sweeping bend and saved 50 meters plus on the rest of the field to the other side of the road, then at the next turn to the left a bunch of them hop up the kerb and run behind the crowd of supporters on a corner to save a couple of meters, "cheat" by not following the road, and risk tripping by going up and down kerbs with tired legs.

Marathon runners are a bit daft at times. :)

sledge144

I've been simracing voor about 20 years now so I always try to take racing lines when running.

Yesterday there was a tight 90° corner and I got stuck on the outside line and lost 30-4m to the pacers in maybe 10 seconds.

pc11

If there was a blue line with everyone trying to follow it, there would be chaos and accidents. Just follow the shortest line yourself. I am very fixed on running that shortest route, I'm always baffled by people who don't, but it leaves room for me.

Trampas

The right turn on clonskeagh towards Apple green I find the vast majority are on the left side of the road.

roebuck can be a bit messy as road goes left and right a few times

oinkely

Great event. The start was a bit poorly managed, especially with having to wait half an hour to get into the bag drop area.

The lack of public transport meant I drove to UCD and parked just beside the ramp back down onto the N11 after crossing the flyover. I then cycled into the start area.

In terms of water etc on the course I'm in two minds about the bottles Vs cups debate. I picked up two bottles on the way around at different points and held on to them until they were empty. Had my hydration pack on with my preferred electrolyte/ carb drink as I detest lucozade sport so had no need of the cups.

I hate seeing the waste of bottles, with people taking a mouthful and chucking a nearly full bottle away. I do appreciate that cups are hard to drink from, but for the amount 80% of the runners seemed to take from the bottles the cup would have done them just as well.

However, it looked like a lot of the cups were plastic, why not compostable paper?

Anyway, I can see both sides, but I think I would lean towards paper cups......

Next thing I noticed was the amount of dirty feckers chucking their gel wrappers on the ground. Boils my fcukin blood, you brought it with you so bring it home or hold on to it until you pass a bin. Takes almost no effort and is not going to make any difference in your time......

The support on the way around is great. The course has it's challenges, but then I'm not very experienced at running marathons on the road, preferring the mountains where you get lots of breaks. The marathon is relentless, no slowing, no change of pace (except for when the wheels come off).

The first half was great, 20 to 30 was pretty horrendous with loads of long stretches with good visibility ahead, which is tough enough. Found heartbreak hill to be relatively ok, slowed a bit but picked up the tempo afterwards.

I ditched the hydration pack on the ramp after UCD as it was empty and asked a random stranger to put it at my car, which he very kindly did. It was a great mental boost cause it meant I was almost there!

The run up to merrion square is tough too, trying to see through the crowds to pick out the finish, and then you see it and it looks miles away.

Had to give it a bit of Welly for the last few hundred metres to get under 3.35, and crossed the line at 3.34.58. delighted with that, after 3.48 in 2019. Though I will have to go back at some stage to find the extra 5 mins!

FazyLucker

I can never understand how they don't have a tranche of bins every km, if people knew they were there I'd imagine the waste would be minimal.

The problem with the energy gels, etc as well is the cleaning machines don't tend to pick them up. Anyone who lives near the route will be seeing them beside or in piles of leaves for months.

Maybe a solution to the bottles v cups would be to have both?

Still the most environmentally wasteful thing is the clappers that they give out. Serve no worthwhile purpose whatsoever.

FazyLucker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814144#Comment_119814144

I think that is fine once you can rely on the supporters, I'd be petrified I'd be frantically trying to find someone at Dolphins Barn or somewhere.....

Trampas

I didn’t see anyone giving out gels yesterday. Always carry my own but just didn’t see them. Maybe on wrong side of road

The Black Oil

Saw this lad on the home stretch. Unreal.

https://twitter.com/dublinmarathon/status/1586722009148530688

Murph_D

[edit - wrong thread!]

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814643#Comment_119814643

Long tables with gels around the 21.5 mile point on Clonskeagh Road. Thousands available, on the left side of road anyway (didn't notice the RHS). Agree with the above comment about people dropping gel wrappers, it's a terrible habit and easy to just stick them in your pocket or belt.

sledge144

Agreed, kept empty sticky gels in my pocket and put them in a bin after bag collection.

Nog to bothered with the plastic bottles and cups. It's all plastic so I'm thinking all the bins are already on the way to try recycling plant.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814153#Comment_119814153

The lucozade bottles were 750ml Jim, and no, a **** plastic cup is not preferable to a 500ml bottle.

Its horseshit to dismiss the opinion as needing my arse wiped, I have just as much right as you to have opinions as to what is efficient or not.

Swashbuckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814562#Comment_119814562

Try clapping for three hours straight 🤣

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814735#Comment_119814735

Sorry if I offended!

OK, you're right - but 750 ml bottles are even heavier, who wants to carry those?

Of course you're entitled to the opinion - I'm just disagreeing with it, but I could have phrased my comment in a more civil way, apologies.

Anyone see gandalf? He flew past me going towards crumlin. Looked to be going 7min mile pace. Wonder what he finished in.

deconduo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119814905#Comment_119814905

Yeah he passed me around Crumlin as well at some pace!

Ross Runner

https://youtu.be/QddlpEZA8tE

Doesn'tdo the atmosphere justice, but sure ut never comes across, nothing like being there 👍👍