Here is part of an e-mail that was sent to me....
I ran the half-marathon in Clonmel today. There seemed to be about 400, The start was on a good wide street. The plan was 1 loop of the town for a little over a mile then head out to the country. We ran the first loop no bother, then we came to the famous junction on the second time round, where we were supposed to turn right, however the lead car took a left and then we all had to follow, there were a few clonmel lads in the group with me and they shouted at the stewards that we should be going right. However we had to stay going.
To make matters worse there was no obvious 1mile marker, so those of us w/out garmins had no clue of pace. We came back to the junction yet again and this time we turned right, ran on a while and there she was the 2 mile mark. The garmin wearers all agreed we were at 3.2 miles instead of 2. It was the most galling feeling I’ve had in a race, pace out the door, but it was so annoying to know that you had to run the extra, on such a hot day. I hoped they might move the finish line to the 12 mile mark but no hope of that, we had to run the full 14.3.
At the finish line all garmins were saying 14.3+
Apart from that it was well organised, good food,physios etc. Good hq, lots of toilets,easy parking
I suppose it's easy to be critical in hindsight when a mistake by one individual has such a large consequence when other elements of the race may have been well organised? However when you consider that the entry fee was €35 then I presume that a lot of people will feel very disappointed.
To put the €35 entry fee into context, the Mallow '10' mile costs €10, the Ballycotton '10' costs €15 and the Dungarvan '10' costs €20. Why should a race that is only 3.1 miles (.....or 4.3 miles ;o) longer cost more?
Photos.........there are a selection of photos at this link
More photos HERE
Results...I have put up a temporary set of results HERE. Leave a comment if you have trouble seeing them and I'll try a different format.
The entry fee was only 25euro up until the end of July and this is what the vest majority of runners paid. I think this is pretty good value for what we got. A goody bag, water and bananas at the finish, a dri-fit running t-shirt, physios on hand at the end off the race and bottles of water at 2 of the water stations not to mention the post race food. Also 25euro or even 35euro is pretty cheap when compaired to other half marathons on the calender i.e Wexford and Longford where the entry fee is nearer 50 euros.
ReplyDeleteThe incident with the lead car going the wrong way was a major disappointment but that can be easily put right for next year if the club decides to run the event again and I for one hope they do.
i,m sure they could cut price by not haveing a "goodie bag" which had really nothing in it
ReplyDeleteFYI - Wexford was €43 euros in 2010 and u can get an early bird for €35 in 2011
ReplyDeleteCirca 400 x €25 = €10,000 turnover plus sponsorship. Surely this is sufficient to provide a 13.1 miles course, as advertised.
ReplyDeleteThe goodie bag was useless...full of flyers and advertisements and the 'drifit' top was nothing to write home about
ReplyDeleteI for one am disgusted with the farcical organisation of this race.I suffered dearly in that heat and was left mentally shattered with the mistakes in mile markers. It was impossible to gauge your pace. Let's not forget also that all water stops were moved by +1.5 miles because of the big mistake in town loops. I ran with Nike+ and recorded the distance as closer to 15 miles. I can't believe they couldn't coordinate themselves to move the finish line. For €25 you'd expect better service. I won't be going back next year
I picked this race based on the fact that I ran the Annerville 10K Road Run earlier this year and I thought that Clonmel AC did a great job organising it.
ReplyDeleteI know everybody I talked to after this race was disappointed with outcome due to the extra miles, myself included as I was using it to gauge my pace for an upcoming marathon.
Not everybody has Garmin watches and were really messed up.
Even runners with the Garmin watches didn’t quite know after the 2 mile mark if the route was wrong or if the marker was just in the wrong place.
I think the main things I enjoy about any race is the following
A reasonable price, accurate course & well stewarded getting to the race and around the course. Lastly the expectation when chip timing is used is that the results are usually fast to come out. Maybe you could take the comments as positive feedback for next year’s race and hopefully the race can gain back the lost support.
The extra mile did make the water stations seem far off and to be fair the stewards should have informed people as they went around about the mile markers being out loads of people were confused.I dont mind paying the money if it is worth it but the goodie bag was poor.Also i was very unhappy with the end no indication in meters of how long left and all of a sudden you pull onto the main street and the line is upon you no time for a sprint finish to cathch those just in front.And now we all wait to see how the results will look for the 14 + course..not happy
ReplyDeleteIts time to give all these Kilnascully race organisers and Carpetbagger race promoters a wide berth..remember the race entry is not the only cost..many runners incur accomodation costs and most will incur petrol costs etc..at a minumum runners are entitled to course thats measured,marked and marshalled..forget about goody bags and tee shirts..no race should cost more than 20 euro..its time to get off the fence and support the many properly run honest value races in Munster
ReplyDeleteThe organisers must have known i was having a quite weekend and had plenty of time to kill on the sunday with that extra mile!
ReplyDeleteDef enjoyed my few pints after that!!
I sure they won't make that mistake again.
The goody bag was a bit crap but the cakes were delic.
Thanks to the physio too for the torture she put me through after the race but I badly needed it!
I walked off the course after I passed the two mile marker, when it was clear that a totally unacceptable mistake had been made by the organisers. It was the hottest day in Clonmel since last June. I witnessed quality runners in confusion, and some panic, as they looked at the two mile marker and could not believe their eyes. Earlier, when I passsed through the "wrong-turn" junction there was no steward directing runners, only one Garda. As this was the only single junction used twice on the course, why was there not a Clonmel AC presence there? No event should be capable of being totally ruined by the mistake of one individual. This was the single critical junction, where were the organisers? Blaming a lead support vehicle is not good enough.
ReplyDeletethis was some peoples first half marathon and were only fit enough to run that distance....some people actually stopped running at 13.1 miles but obviously didn't get an official time....surely prize winners should have been judged over 13.1 miles not 14.3....unfortunately, a bit like the 1993 grand national
ReplyDeleteA number of things went wrong in the lead up to this race. Firstly the race date had to be changed due to the stone throwers rally. The date change meant that the race was now on the same day as the Tipp and Waterford match. This is significant as Niall lost many of the volenteers to the match. The person driven the lead car was a stand in. And I'm afraid not even Clonmel AC could control the weather. I have been running for 25 years and have taken in many of the Clonmel AC races and this is the first time this has ever happened. Niall O' Sullivan is a great servant to the sport and a great organiser of races. He is gutted that this has happened and will learn alot from this. While I understand the frustration of many of you and share your pain, I relise the embarrassment this causes to Clonmel AC, I would like to take this oppertunity to say 1 mistake in all the years that Niall is running events is allowed in my book. I will support any race Niall organises in future cauce I know how much work and dedication he puts into Athletics. I would advise all runners to give this event a go again next year as it will be a great day out. Those of you who feel that Clonmel AC have let you down, well we can only appoligise for that and hope to see you again in oter races if you feel you cant bring yourself to forgive a human error. Keep Running!
ReplyDeleteA few dozen runners at the end of the field, including myself, did not take a wrong turn at the junction, but stayed on the correct 13.1 miles course. I also saw a well known O/70 Clonmel AC member, who also stayed on the correct course, calling back runners who had initially followed the main field at the junction. Therefore, it is most likely that some finishers ran the 13.1 miles course and not the 14.3 miles ran by the majority of finishers. How this impacts on the results is unclear.
ReplyDeleteIt was my first ever half maratharan and i new after only realised after 4 miles something was not right i thought a race car might have came along road with loud speeker or something to tell us that we had to do 14 .3
ReplyDeletewasn"t a good experience for me as i am only started running 7 months ago i also traveled a long distance to take part wont be back again.
the clonmnel half marathon was a farce.. the mistake by the lead car was a joke, the stewards were a joke, the T shirrt was crap, the Goodie bag = whats the point of a bag of flyers. the finish line position was a joke, you came around a corner and there is was no time for a sprint. infact the road into the finish was very confusing with no stewards at some junctions. Are a few cakes and sambos supposed to make up for €35 wasted, and still no results (for what there worth) on line on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteWhile the mistake was disappointing I think it is disgraceful to call the orgainsers carpetbaggers etc. The club organise events throughout the year on a voluntary basis.Some of the organisers have been organising & supporting athletics from juvenile to senior level for many years throughout Munster. While I was disappointed I had to run the extra 1.1 miles, I was equally disappointed for the organisers as I knew the criticism they would attract from people who only focus on the negatives and not give credit to people who give of their own time to provide enjoyment for others.
ReplyDeleteA group of us girls travelled up from Galway to do the half marathon but even after the cock up on the route we will be back again next year. Once you got past the 5m mark the route was lovely, plenty of water at water stations and helpful marshall. 25euro is good value for a half marathon and at least you can wear the t-shirt training. I think the worst part of the day was the heat but that is totally out of everyones control.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if the results will be available this side of Christmas 2010! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLets be very clear - this was not a free or charity event.
ReplyDeleteWhile club members may give of their time, the gross revenue generated by Clonmel AC is likely to be of the order of five figures. They also had an advertised major sponsor. Any excuses, or aspirations to get it right next time, should be seen in this context.
Will people ever get over themselves and stop the moaning. One mistake was made in what was otherwise a very well organised and well run event. People are saying the goodie bag was just full of flyers. I got a bottle of powerade, a flapjack, a packet of tayto and a banana in mine as well as all the flyers (which I enjoyed reading).
ReplyDeleteThe original post on the event points to the Dungarvan 10 as a good value race for 20euro. The logic being used seems to be that the price of a race should be based on the distance. If this is the case the 25euro most people paid for the 13.1 miles in Clonmel was better value per mile than the Dungarvan 10. By the way I'm not having a go at the Dungarvan 10 as I agree that it is an excellent race and brillant value for money but I believe the half marathon in Clonmel has the potential to become a really top class race if people are willing to forgive one major teething problem during what was after all the inaugural running of the race.
I was told on Sunday what the race cost to put on and what the club recieved from the sponsor and I can say with 100% certainty that the gross revenue generated by Clonmel AC was no where near the order of five figures as stated in a previous post.
ReplyDeleteThere is, of course, a difference between gross revenue, as estimated above, and any net return gained by Clonmel AC. There were in excess of 300 finishers, many did not finish and others paid the entry but did not start. I repeat, as a paid entrant, that the estimated gross revenue was likely to be of the order of five figures. I have seen no detail of the sponsorship received, or direct costs incurred.
ReplyDeleteThe fact remains that Clonmel AC advertised, charged, and accepted entrants for a defined event that they failed to provide.
Poor Clonmel AC, I feel terrible for them reading the majority of these posts, a mistake is a mistake, and when it was only a mistake of one-If your are unhappy don't return but moaning and whining about it is really sportsman like... Whatever about giving out about the extra mile but the price and goody bag and waterstations is harsh and petty..Its not if you were purposely ripped off with the extra mile..It could have happened to any club on their first go.
ReplyDeleteIt was the best half I've done!!! I for one will be back again. The free rub down was well worth my 35 euro seeing as those treatments can cost 50 euro. Thanks Clonmel you've got me gearing up for the next one in Kilkenny! Don't pay any heat to the negative...
lads what is the panic about,no one died (all though i nearly did from the heat:))).
ReplyDeleteIn the pre race info it was stated that we were to go left the first time and right the second time, how many people even read this ? so it cannot be all blamed on Clonmel AC.
So to Clonmel AC go ahead and organize for next year and the crowd will be even bigger and anyway the extra mile will have done us good for that extra bit of training
joke of a race,a pure disgrace...avoid this race next year,them clonmel ac people dont have a clue
ReplyDeleteIn fairness to Clonmel AC, they have been organising successful races for years.
ReplyDeleteIt's not fair to criticize the whole club for just one mistake, even if it was a really bad one.
Putting on a race like this involves a huge amount of work for a lot of club members.
With the exception of the error in distance (which was frustrating but can easily be corrected for next year) I thought this was a great race. The course route was brilliant and made for a really nice run. Also I paid €35 and thought this was worth it alone for the t-shirt and the availability of physios at the end. Would like to see the results come out more quickly but all-in-all will definitely be running this next year.
ReplyDeleteI pre-registerd for the race at €25 which I though was reasonable enough... HQ / Parking and post race food all well organised.
ReplyDeleteSignposting to Start Line was crap... we had to guess where it was and I think that the race was slightly delayed..
Must say i was really annoyed not to see a 1 mile marker - and gutted when I saw the 2 mile and my time.... guy behind me had a GPS watch and told me about the extra lap - times all out!!
In fairness it was a simple mistake but we asked about 4 stewards if the line was being brought back so that it would measure 13.1miles or if we were going to complete the course and none of them knew - really bad communication! and we cannot forgive that.
Stewarding at the end was v poor too I almost did another lap of the town till another runner called me back!
Goodie bag went in the bin - full of paper!
Why did a club decide to run 2 races on one day - a 5km and a half?? take baby steps and do one of them right!
Anyone have any feedback from the
ReplyDelete5k fun run which was held in conjunction with this race?
I am not a member of Clonmel AC, but I live in Clonmel. They are now on a hiding to nothing, and have my sympathy.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I hope Clonmel AC will remember how they all felt last May, when one of their members was denied a glorious chance to win the Great Limerick Run Marathon, due to a mix-up at a junction near the end of the course.
I don't wish to be unfair, but I recall a very harsh view being expressed at that time.
Please give the Clonmel AC organisers a break! A serious mistake was made but we should all just accept it as it was - a human error. As a previous poster said - no one died....be sportsman like and simply put it down to experience. However, the lads do need some constructive criticism, particularly regarding the atmosphere on the day. A simple pre-race welcome at the start line by an MC would have been nice, along with some communication back at the race HQ following the race.
ReplyDelete(from an impartial and unaffiliated Co.Waterford runner)
Runners like to..run. They don't knock badly organised events like the Clonmel Half Marathon..they don't blame Clonmel AC in whole or in part or wish them ill will.Lets be clear what happened here..Clonmel AC promised a flat course and a great day out.They failed..Runners have justifiably ventilated their dissapointment and nothing more..Already they are looking forward to their next race.It would be nice if a rep from Clonmel AC posted a simple apolgy on this forum thus bringing this episode to an end
ReplyDeleteJust to keep the record straight, the Clonmel AC runner who went the wrong way in Limerick was miles behind the winner and was never in contention to win. He was 1 of 2 people out of 6500+ who went wrong that day. An immediate apology was made along with other concessions to the runners satisfaction. As for this race, despite best laid plans, mistakes can happen but i'm sure no-one is more annoyed or dissapointed than the key organisers themselves. I suspect a great race will be put together for next year, I'll be there. My advice is to take all the feedback and just act on it. Best of luck for next year.
ReplyDelete35 euro for any race is a joke full stop,after all we are in a recession. is was a disgrace with what happened-when organising a race you need good stewards that know what there doing otherwise your wasting your name.ballycotton one of the best races around is only 15 euro? the goody bag they gave out was full of paper.they made thousands from the race,where is that going?someone is making nice money,shame on you clonmel ac.
ReplyDeleteThere is a race report up on the Tipp Athletics website. In it, Niall O'Sullivan writes....."The Club would like to apologise to all the athletes for the wrong distance as they ran an extra 1.9K so all the times are for 14.29 miles."
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that Clonmel AC are putting on a new race over the half-marathon distance. Ok, things didn't go so well this year but it's not fair to write the event off completely.
There seems to be a glut of commercial half-marathons charging €50 entry fees. If people want to run in them then that's their choice. But there should be an alternative of cheaper events run by the clubs as well.
I for one would be interested in running in Clonmel in future but €35 is too much for what is just another road race.
Have read all the comments with interest and believe there are some over the top comments but most are well balanced. I'm involved in sports organisations all my life like thousands of others and we all try to do our best on a voluntary basis. Sometimes we make mistakes after all no one is perfect. The race cost no doubt is a high price for many people and therefore the disappointment is understandable, however I'd ask people to cut clonmel ac some slack and look forward to a great race next year. I missed race because of injury but will be heading up next year to support another voluntary organisation who are doing their best for their local area. To Clonmel, take on board the constructive criticism, keep the spirits up and put on a show in 2011 that will have everyone talking for all the right reasons.
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something here, re 35e entry, as far as I no it was 25e up to a cut of date. To compare the cost with another race is not on, some people are raving about the cost, if you have a problem with it don't pay it and don't go and bi*ch about it later. There are loads of race on, some good value some not, if you don't want to pay 35e entry just stay at home or pick a different race. To say someone made a pile of money is way off the mark as I no that no one Person made cent from it. Any money that was made is going into the running track and that's that, I did not run myself but did see it and would agree that the mistake was not on, how ever it was a mistake to blame the whole committee for one persons mistake is very unfair on them, as I know that Niall has done more for athletics in Clonmel and Tipperary that most of of the posters on this site put together would do in two lifetimes.
ReplyDeleteNiall and the lads in Clonmel Ac organise about 20 races a year from winter leagues to Annerville10k without a problem, so build a bridge and get over it. If you don't want to come back that's your choice and if you never made a mistake then maybe you'd be right but if you have don't throw stones .
Ps I have nothing to do with Clonmel Ac, its just my opinion
above comment-nothing to do with clonmel ac im sure? anyone paying that sort of money to run a race is off there game full stop. it was a bad mistake yes but these things can happen. there is no value in running this race unless your gonna be in the prizes. well done on the organising commitee-anyone know how much they raised? over 8 grand without a shadow of a doubt
ReplyDeleteClonmel AC has issued an apology, but has not issued an offer of a refund, particularly, to those runners that were not capable of finishing the 14.3 miles course. Many non-AC runners did not finish because of the extra distance added. Many stopped at 13.1 miles and have no official time for their efforts.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the offer of a refund?
John - you might also note the following part of the headline on the Tipperary Athletics website:
ReplyDelete"A small glitch which resulted in the athletes having to compete in a distance slightly over the standard did not take one iota from a great day for Clonmel and its Athletic Club".
Hardly a balanced statement! Dismissive and arrogant?
Can any of the people who are having a pop at the 25 Euro entry please tell me where I can find a less expensive half marathon and I'll gladly run it. I remember reading a post on the Cork running blog before which listed all the half marathons in Ireland and the only one cheaper than Clonmel was the Dublin City Half in the Phoenix Park which costs 20 Euro. Most of the other races were 40 to 60 Euro with one or two offering an early bird entry of 35.
ReplyDelete35 Euro was only charged for the last 2 weeks before the race in Clonmel, I'm not sure why the price went up but I think it's something they should look at doing away with for next year.
If people don't want to pay 25 Euro for a half marathon then don't pay it, keep your fiver in your pocket and let the half in Dublin be your one outing over the distance every year.
Sounds like the great limerick run got their people out anyway. The earlier post was a total misrepresentation of the content and spirit of how those involved felt after, not least on posts on this blog. The two runners were contenders as far as I know on the day, were within shouting distance of the leader and certainly weren't satisified as a result of whatever concessions came their way afterwards. Don't like pouring over these things again but the points made bear no relationship to what happened at the time. I ran the 10k and was very dissapointed with inaccurate measurement of the course (9.5k). It took a lot for me and my friends to turn up on the day having targeted the run for a decent time. Great athmosphere and occasion otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI did the 5km and really enjoyed it. It was an good course for the 'fun runner' as it was pretty flat and went through the town on 3occasions allowing friends and family the chance to cheer people on.
ReplyDeletePutting it on at the same time as the half gave the spectators something to cheer while the other runners were out around the county, so I disagree with the earlier comment. Sitting around for over an hour waiting to see friends and family reappear at the finish is boring so why not fill the time with something to encourage others to get out running. The weather was ideal for the 5km.
There were obvious teething problems on the day, but all in all I enjoyed it. €10 for a good dry fit t-shirt was worth the entry.
"Can any of the people who are having a pop at the 25 Euro entry please tell me where I can find a less expensive half marathon and I'll gladly run it."
ReplyDeleteReply: The Cork Half Marathon on the 12th September next is €20, and they will provide you with a finishers medal. See you there.
The natianal half marathon is on 5th Sept & is only € 15, & you will receive a t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteAs for the mis-informed comeback comments on the Great Limerick run goes. I'm not a representative of the race but a competitor who was close to the incident. The 2 runners concerned were in 5th and 6th place at 22 miles, almost 10mins down on the leader so were never going to win, fact I was there. An invitation to return to Limerick next year as a guest of the event has already been taken up by at least 1 of the 2 runners concerned. There were problems with this race but the point being made is that an immediate apology was made in the face of an obvious irreversable mistake. The issue in Clonmel is that the entire field were mis-directed and it was pratically shrugged off by officials at the finish line with no words for a few days. This is what has annoyed people the most. Despite this I will be back to Clonmel next year as I know how things can go for the first running of any race.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comment regarding the reaction of the officials at the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI pulled out of the event early due to the extra distance and the heat, and stood beside the finish area waiting for a number of friends to finish. I was within a few feet of those receiving the returned chips/numbers for about forthy minutes.
I was very surprised by their virtually universal reaction of insincere mock humour, rather than an initial immediate simple "we're sorry". Even when a number of finishers said thay came to run a half marathon and/or could they have their money back, the mock humour continued.
The delay of nearly two and a half days before an apology was eventually issued, would appear to confirm the officials' misjudgement of the gravity of their mistake.