Dublin Marathon 2023

Trampas · 18-10-2023 6:58pm

It’s all about the money. Stands pay them money to be there and they’ve merchandise to sell.

winstonia · 18-10-2023 7:06pm

It's a tiny expo. Zero need for it.

Unthought Known · 18-10-2023 11:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256130#Comment_121256130

I'd imagine international runners/first timers quite enjoy it.

Burkie1203 · 19-10-2023 7:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256130#Comment_121256130

it brings in a whack of cash for DCM organisation. They see a need for it.

witnessmenow · 19-10-2023 9:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256040#Comment_121256040

I think it's understandable that I essentially cost them more if I don't go to the expo and I had to pay a fee to compensate for that. Like I would gladly pay €30 as an admin fee, and realistically if I sat down and calculated what it's costing me, I would actually pay a lot more

Half day off work, tolls to Dublin, diesel, parking , maybe food and 5 hours of my life 😅

Even just the tolls, diesel and parking would offset the €30, never mind what I value the other bits

Sunny Dayz · 19-10-2023 9:37am

They will eventually go down the route of posting out bibs, for a fee. The women's mini marathon used to be collection only but they had locations (Elverys) around Ireland in the weeks leading up to the event to collect your number and a goodie bag. But they phased that out and now you can elect to collect your number from a couple of places in Dublin otherwise you pay to have your bib posted out. It did away with the goodie bag which wasn't a huge loss IMO.

winstonia · 19-10-2023 10:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121257147#Comment_121257147

Doubt it. Manchester bigger than Dublin and doesn't bother with one. Just post out the numbers and let internationals collect

rovers_runner · 19-10-2023 12:28pm

Saturday week after the expo, 26 miles of boring the kids to tears, pointing out the aid stations which aren't even in place..............

Trampas · 19-10-2023 2:37pm

If they had the expo opened on Thursday and later on a Friday would help I guess. 7pm on a Friday still has you in the grips of rush hour traffic getting there and back. If opened till 9 you could avoid a good chunk of it. I’d easily pay €10 to get it posted out. The rds is a real pain for traffic. Maybe move it elsewhere

Unthought Known · 19-10-2023 6:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121258038#Comment_121258038

Well I enjoyed the buzz of the expo the first time I ran Dublin. I've also enjoyed it for any international marathon I've run and have made sure to buy some official merchandise.

I found Manchester a let down the 2 times I ran it, with having to go to a hotel to queue up to collect my number, with no stalls or anything (may have been one clothes rack with some tops). All a bit meh for a marathon that size.

winstonia · 19-10-2023 7:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121260062#Comment_121260062

Yeah, I'd be the opposite. Forced pointless consumerism. I'd do away with goody bags and t-shirts. Although Manchester almost has. It should only be about running or finishing. None of the other nonsense.

event · 19-10-2023 9:13pm

I like the expo myself, helps build the buzz. I love looking back over the photos in the gallery.

But dont think it should be forced on people

marathon2022 · 20-10-2023 8:49am

Same here, I always enjoy the expo but forcing people to go to collect bibs is not on.

rovers_runner · 20-10-2023 8:52am

Weather forecast not looking hectic now, most sites have reached Sunday, looks wet, suppose it shouldn't be a surprise going on the year since July.

Don't recall much rain going back over the times I've done Dublin in the past, one year we got soaked the last few miles, 2011 maybe?

Lazare · 20-10-2023 9:05am

Maybe an idea would be to have a couple of regional mini expos the weekend before.

They would have the demographic information and could model the optimal locations. Maybe one between Cork and Limerick, another in Athlone, one in Newry.

A lot of those that picked up would probably still visit the RDS on the Saturday. Maybe create some sort of extra draw to it, a free piece of merch to all at RDS or something.

event · 20-10-2023 9:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121261670#Comment_121261670

I think this will be my 7th Dublin and I cant ever remember it raining. 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022.

niallo27 · 20-10-2023 10:22am

A bit of rain is nice as long as its not windy, it was actually very warm last year.

event · 20-10-2023 10:27am

Yeah was warm enough for October. As you said, no wind is all I want. Dont care about cold/rain.

10C and no wind would be perfect

left_hander · 20-10-2023 10:32am

It never rains for the DCM. At least in my memory, be grand.....

FazyLucker · 20-10-2023 10:37am

I get that its the Dublin Marathon but forcing people to pick up their race number is ridiculous.

I have known running clubs where 1 member picked them up for the whole club, and now they are forcing everybody to do it? Not very green.

As others have said, most people who are not running knew before this week say. Let them transfer them right up to the end, surely there's an IT solution where Fazy Lucker can transfer his bib to John Smith, or just say "I'm not running" on the eventmaster website and DCM can transfer it and give Fazy 50% of his fee back IF the bib is re-sold? Or even give nothing back, anybody not running would be happy to have the bib used.

I know its a volunteer organisation but even still, it doesn't sound like rocket science.

Best of luck to all running by the way.

pc11 · 20-10-2023 12:34pm

Indeed. I started in a t-shirt and singlet and I had to ditch the t-shirt in the Phoenix Park. Very surprising. Luckily my SO was spectating there so I could toss it to her.