Dublin Marathon 2023

I fell into the 3rd category when running new york a few years ago, got the winter vomiting bug the weekend before, but the hotel, flights and race was paid for so felt I had to go. Of course in hindsight I'd never do that again.

We can be a stubborn lot, even when sick or injured we still go out, I know of one runner on Sunday who did the marathon while waiting for the results of a MRI!

Re: the entry for next year for those who ran this year. I can't remember whether you wait for an email with instructions or look for a link on the website.

I still think that's wrong. It's closing it as an option to loads of others. None of us have a right to enter it next year imo

And those of us who had a 4.30am wake up call from the baby and started out on the back foot.

The guaranteed entry for women for DCM based on them running the half is for next year's marathon - not this year's marathon.

I don't agree with this, I have done the last 4 now and would be fairly pissed off if I didn't get a place next year.

Maybe I’m in the minority but I just don’t get some of the sentiment in this thread. If you ran the marathon this weekend, with the level of support and good feeling etc, and no matter what your finishing time, I think you need to take a look at yourself if the first thing you want to do a few days later is complain.

No problem with constructive criticism, framed in the right way and delivered to people who can effect change, ie the organisers, not a message board, but just coming on and speaking negatively is beyond me and surely a waste of energy. I thought most people would still be basking in that beautiful elation today.

Also, yes, I’m self aware to know that I’m shouting into the void giving out about people complaining on the internet.

I say it every year. There are always moaners.

And the great thing about DCM is they are always crying out for volunteers.

So all the people that moan about how they should do this or that, I'd assume they'll volunteer next year and try have an input

Will be a skip next year for me. Getting married in August and honeymoon in September so a training block would be ruined. I'll be back to Dublin in the future and will certainly volunteer next year.

I haven't got mine yet so presume they are sent in batches. I'm more eager for the FinisherPix email to arrive, think it should be today too.

Someone gets a female entry and doesn’t want to effect results. Maybe jumping in and doesn’t want to appear on times

I don't agree with that. Most of the "criticisms" people have discussed above are about how to make the event better, and very few people have complained about minutia of the event.

Can you point towards what people are complaining about you think is unfair? I see complaints about transfers, no-shows and registration headaches where people couldn't pick up others race number, mainly from people who (like me) did not do it this year by choice. People are suggesting improvements. Is that not fair?

exactly this - DCM doubles up as the Dublin, Leinster & national marathon championships, so e.g if you get your auntie Mary from Dublins bib and run a 3:20, you’ll comfortably podium in the Dublin championship F55 category.

personally I think the small concession made this year to return & refund bibs and then resell them was a great idea - but I still can’t figure out how 27% of the subsequent bibs didn’t show up - was it actually a sellout, as in, did they find new owners for all the refunded bibs?

It's not common, London used to have a good system of 4/5 ballot failures and you got in but they did away with that.

I'd have no problems if they went to an open ballot from today at this stage.

I'd say you have a core of 8000-10000 who do Dublin most years and after that it's the charity or once off runners. They want to get their core entry in early and work from there I'd say.

Shows you though it is an awful waste having so many bibs that go unused. I do think there is a ceiling here that is being ignored though. About 18000 might be the absolute limit if there was a proper transfer system. Easier for them to generate a revenue on 4500 entries that never show up to ensure they stay financially sound.

That link has your name, email, date of birth, home address and phone number, and your emergency contact. I'd remove it quickly.

Valencia gives last year people to enter first the following year and then it goes on sale until sold out and price increases from €70 to €150 and the €180 for cancellation list which remains open until a few weeks before the event. Refund amount depends on how close to race. So looks after the people who ran the previous year by a few days. Then enter but easy enough to cancel it. No deferrals. Something Dublin should definitely look at.

Just food for thought, you'd nearly cover the cost of two other Irish marathons in 2024 for the €115 you are paying for Dublin:

Cork - €67

Longford - €65

Limerick - €65 (bib postage option, 10% discount in Dublin marathon expo flyer which covers that cost)

Belfast - £50

Connemarathon - €75 (bibs posted & bus transfer)

Waterford - €60 (bibs posted out)

Just signed up for 2024, who's gonna start the new thread :)