Djouce (New Route from Djouce Woods)
Forum Messages
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Mick Hanney | May 11 2014, 9:05pm | Hi, I assume people will drive towards Glencormac Inn and head up to the Djouce car park with full cars. Cheers, Mick |
| John Bell | May 11 2014, 9:27pm | Good idea. If I can make it on time I'll swing by the Glencormac Inn on my way. They have a big enough car park to the side of the pub. |
| Alan Ayling | May 12 2014, 11:58am | There is a bit of a problem getting the map up for this race, so here’s a bit of a route description. The start will be at the junction on the fire road, about 1 km down from the car park. We intend parking on the fire roads initially, then working back up towards the car park, so anyone arriving late will have to make sure and leave enough time to get to the registration and get themselves ready. There are lots of benefits to having the start/finish down there and not at the car park, so please bear with us! From the start, it’ll be down the fire road the Trail League route uses, around a couple of bends and this swings gently uphill, parallel to the river for a few hundred metres. At the end of the fire road (having gone straight past where the trail league route goes right to cross the river), there’s a river crossing and a singletrack leading up to the upper fire road not far from Paddock Lake. The singletrack climb may be familiar to mountain bikers as the “Foxglove Climbâ€. At the upper fire road, turn R, follow this to the top of the Earl’s Drive (the switchbacks where we’re going the opposite direction in the Trail League). Out the back of the first bend, then swing steeply uphill to the left – the steep climb becomes more gentle, eventually emerging at the junction at the top of the Red Road (to you mtbers, this climb is Gravity Enduro Stage 5 in reverse). A wide trail leads out from the junction on the Red Road to the edge of the forest, here the course turns R to go over a small crest and meet the Wicklow Way. From here, the short course will go straight on; the full course will swing L and follow the Wicklow Way and the steep climb to the summit of Djouce, returning the same way to pick up where it left off. Having re-joined the short course route, it’s along the WW beside the felled forest , to a little gate in the fence on the right, not far before the big stile. We’ll leave the WW here and go through the gate, following some trails down to the little windmill thingy that probably no one has a clue what I’m on about at this stage… a few metres uphill and then down a mtb track – very steep at times, it’ll spit you out at the very bottom of the Earl’s Drive. We’ll go upstream a few metres to a crossing point on the river, getting over with dry feet should be at least possible in theory… Then it’s a friendly wee climb back to the finish, which is in exactly the same place as the start. The entire short course loop will be clearly marked with tape. The out-and back to Djouce will not have any IMRA markings as there’s no need. There are WW markers and there’ll be a marshal at the point where the trail splits WW straight on Djouce right. From the marshal to the top of Djouce and back needs no markings. There are steep climbs and two steep descents (off Djouce and the mtb trail later on), so bring your grippiest shoes. It’s strongly recommended to bring a jacket with you as well, as the open mountain section is very exposed and not the place to be in a singlet if the weather is poor. If the weather’s nice, the jacket can stay in the car. If you thought that description was long, spare a thought for the poor soul who has to mark the route… |
| Mike Jordan | May 12 2014, 12:18pm | I haven't got lost in a Leinster League race in a while - looking forward to it ;) |
| Patrick Conroy | May 12 2014, 5:09pm | Hi guys. Im uncertain of how to get to the race location from the Glenmacormac Inn. I was thinking of driving towards the race location as I will be in plenty of time and there should be spaces. Do I take the right turn off the R755 road and on to the R760? From there where do I go? It will be my first IMRA race, looking forward to it! |
| James H Cahill | May 12 2014, 6:45pm | Patrick, from Kilmacanogue, take the R755 signed Roundwood and Enniskerry. After approx. 1km take right onto R760 signposted Enniskerry. After approx 1.2km take sharp left turn (almost back on yourself) onto the Old Long Hill signposted Roundwood (If you reach a left turn on a sharp bend signposted to Powerscourt waterfall you have missed the turn onto the Old Long Hill and gone 200m too far). Up the Old Long Hill for about 1.8km and you reach a forestry on the right (Djouce Woods). Car park is on the right about 100m after the start of the forestry. |
| Slawek Glaz | May 12 2014, 9:46pm | Hi :-) if someone could post the car park - GPS coordinates, it would really help... Thx |
| James H Cahill | May 12 2014, 10:32pm | Entrance to Djouce woods carpark: 53.155664,-6.186853 |
| Oran Murphy | May 13 2014, 7:40am | Fair play Alan, sounds like a great route. Have run versions of it before but always end up around 15k total as can't resist coming back along the ww after djouce! Will be interesting to see the route. |
| Rachel Cinnsealach | May 13 2014, 4:11pm | We URGENTLY need a laptop operator for this race tomorrow. Any volunteers? |
| Peter Cannon | May 13 2014, 5:51pm | I cannot log into imra. I will do the laptop, assuming someone brings it along? Peter |
| Peter Cannon | May 13 2014, 5:52pm | I cannot log into imra. I will do the laptop, assuming someone brings it along? Peter |
| Jim Fitzharris | May 13 2014, 6:00pm | Patrick, I hope you make your first IMRA race tomorrow evening and really enjoy it. I did my first in 2004 and returned for another 150+ races! And I still feel like a newbie compared to many runners! If you have been reading the forum, you will now realise do not need to know where the race start is - just where the Glencormac Inn is located - because you can carpool ....... ;-) The fact that you will be early does not confer special parking rights - just go to the pub. It is a 5 minute drive from there to the race start . As Stuart rightly said in another thread, it is a great way to meet people. Sorry to be nagging on about this but if you have ever had the hassle of being a car parking marshal, you will understand ......... I will be swinging by (no, not a rope!) the pub some time around 18:30 and will happily give lifts or accept one. Cheers, Jim. |
| Rachel Cinnsealach | May 13 2014, 6:25pm | That is great Peter, Thanks millions. |
| Pól Ó Murchú | May 13 2014, 7:00pm | Added as Laptop operator Peter. I have laptop. Should be there early enough. |
| Stephen Brennan | May 13 2014, 7:36pm | Eoghan, I would to collect numbers and other paraphernalia after the race assuming they aren't being used up north on the weekend. Looks like a great route. Good luck with it. Stephen |
| Jesko Zimmerman | May 14 2014, 9:27am | Hi all, Can't get my car up on the car pool (not able to select the right event for some reason), so I'll have to post it here: I'm volunteering and heading out form UCD (Richview entrance Clonskeagh) at 5 pm. Still got two seats in the car, so if you need a lift contact me under 08five8three3613seven. Also I will be going back through town, towards Balbriggan, so if anyone needs a lift to the northside let me know. Cheers, Jesko PS: Does anyone know how to remove your car from the carpool if you made a mistake? |
| Amanda Anderson | May 14 2014, 11:28am | Hi, I'm a relative newcomer to this but I will be leaving Greystones/Delgany around 6.30 if anyone wants to pool from say Shoreline. Ill swing by the Glencormac on the way up in any event. |
| Amanda Anderson | May 14 2014, 11:30am | Hi, I'm a relative newcomer to this but I will be leaving Greystones/Delgany around 6.30 if anyone wants to pool from say Shoreline. Ill swing by the Glencormac on the way up in any event. |
| Angus Tyner | May 14 2014, 12:15pm | Will be leaving Ashford before 18:30, space for 2 more. Car pooling not listing this event. zer0 86 two 5 one 7 zero 49 |
| Patrick Conroy | May 14 2014, 2:45pm | Thanks Jim, I should be in Kilmacanogue by 6 and will happily accept a lift from somebody heading to the race start. Cheers for the info. |
| Paul O'Grady | May 14 2014, 3:39pm | I tried to put my car up on the carpool section - but it doesnt have the option for today's race (will the system not take a carpool space on the day?) Anyway - leaving Blackrock at 6pm, going via the N11, M11 and on to Kilmacanogue/Glencormack if anyone is looking for a lift 086 2900827 |
| Brendan Lawlor | May 14 2014, 10:29pm | What a great race! A route to match Ballinastoe for gnarly nonsense, descents you'ld need a rope for,plenty of terrain variety, plenty of parking and, and - a GAZEBO !! - eat your heart out Graham and Jane Porter Thanks to all for a great event! It can't have been easy to mark though. |
| Patrick Sweetman | May 14 2014, 11:42pm | That Race was "Epic" who needs Hell and Back? That run had everything! Big thanks to all the organisers, ESP the race marker, Great Job. Already looking forward to next yeass repeat. PS hope the couple of fallers are doing ok and it was nothing serious? |
| James H Cahill | May 14 2014, 11:47pm | Fully agree with Brendan's comments, what a great route, it had everything (and at my speed I had plenty of time to admire all of it) - narrow parts, wide parts, rocky parts, steep parts, steeper parts, even steeper parts, trees to go under, trees to go over, rivers to cross, muddy parts, branches to avoid,and plenty of parking. The only part that seemed to be missing was a flat part - but I guess that's why it is the Irish MOUNTAIN Running Association. Well done Eoghan and all your team for a very efficiently run enjoyable event. Great route Alan. |
| Niamh O'Ceallaigh | May 14 2014, 11:53pm | Class route!!! Well done and thanks to Eoghan and crew. Brilliant race. |
| Alan Kilbride | May 15 2014, 12:23am | Hey, Just to echo the above, wow, great race, loved it!! Brilliant course and well done to all the organisers for putting on such a good show all round. There was one lady with a GoPro camera (front and back!).... I wonder will she post a link to the video here?? Thanks again, looking forward to next years! Al. |
| James Higgins | May 15 2014, 1:51am | Found in car park after tonight's race...a pair of smelly, wet Adidas Kanadia. Let me know if they are yours. |
| Torben Dahl | May 15 2014, 8:31am | Thanks to Alan & Co. for organising this interesting new route. Especially the finish in Crone Woods was a great twist ;)... I only blame myself for missing the turn and wasn't bad getting some extra kilometres in. However the fact that so many people missed the turn, including a lot of the early starters, makes me ask the question: Was one of the two marshals standing at the junction of the long/short route supposed to have been standing a bit further down at that "hidden" right hand turn that a lot of us missed? Thanks. Torben |
| Caoimhin MacMaolain | May 15 2014, 8:38am | I just want to echo all of Torben's points. It was a very well marked and interesting route, but around 10 of us ended up in Crone after missing that sharp right turn. Even if we can't have marshalls at the unobvious junctions, can we at least re-use the arrow signs for this? It can be difficult to see bits of tape on a fast descent, especially if unfamiliar with the area. |
| Barney Crampton | May 15 2014, 9:14am | Great course, well run, excellent marking, really enjoyed it all. Many thanks to organisers. Kind regards |
| Laura Schwirz | May 15 2014, 9:15am | I also want to echo previous comments on this race. Excellent route choice, varied terrain and epic descents! My result isn't up which is probably due to my delayed start. I finished just behind Ercus Stewart after a bit of a final battle on the uphill which I clearly lost.. I spoke to the race director after the race and he said it was ok to include my position rather than time so I don't mind at all as long as my result will show up. I'd appreciate if this could be changed as I wouldn't want to have missed out on such a great race. Well done to all the helpers, marshals and race marker for a memorable race day! Thanks, Laura |
| Ronan Hickey | May 15 2014, 9:48am | Hi Looked like a savage route! Well done guys. I'm sure there will be a more comprehensive review and decision but Eoghan and his team of volunteers ended up having to stay until 22:30 that night and ended up contacting Mountain Rescue because we believed we might have a runner still out on the course. That runner it turned out had lost their number on the race and run through the finish without a number and didn't inform a marshal or a volunteer. Do we need to maybe announce at the start of each race that every runner must either hand their number in or report that they have finished to a volunteer or marshal if they drop off the course? Laura, just wondering about your race situation. I was one of the guys with clipboards taking the numbers down at the finish. I didn't put your number down as you hadn't registered (and weren't wearing a race number). I don't know the normal set up for these situations but am I right in saying: 1. You arrived after registration had closed 2. You ran the course anyway for the craic as a "bandit" (which you are welcome to do of course!) 3. You want to be added into the race results (position only not time). I assume so it can count towards the 7 Leinster League races for the prize? I had assumed that if a runner misses registration, they don't appear on the results. Is that not the case? If we actually do add them to the results then there are probably another 5 or 6 runners who ran last night who should also be added to the results Ronan |
| Eoin Keith | May 15 2014, 9:53am | Ronan, Just to confirm: if a runner hasn't paid the race entry and signed in on the sign on sheet then they're not in the race and they will not have a result. Nice and simple. |
| Michael O'Doherty | May 15 2014, 10:13am | Well done to the organisers for a great job and of course, the 'evil genius' who came up with this new beaut' of a route. There was no let up and I've never seen such expressions of relief and joy at an IMRA finish line. A great challenge. |
| Declan Baxter | May 15 2014, 10:25am | Hi Guys, Great race yesterday eveving. I registered last night and ran race but not on results. My number was 703. Thanks |
| Paul Steele | May 15 2014, 10:32am | Hi guys, great race, very challenging. Just to let you know that Paul Steele race number 1972 and Gordon Douglas race number 168 ran at the early start so we will have to have an extra 30 minutes added to our times. Thanks |
| Greg Byrne | May 15 2014, 11:44am | Well done Alan on coming up with a course the exposed any weakness in one's mountain running ability; climbing, walking, falling, steep climbs, gradual climbs, mucky tracks, single track, double track, fast descent, steep descent, cliff diving, tree hugging, river crossing, river jumping, uphill finishes... too much to recall from the blur. I am currently awaiting the arrival of the many blisters I could feel forming in the second half of the race. And my compliments to Conor Short and Peter Linney on some awesome descending off Djouce... I was choking on their dust is my excuse. |
| Paul O'Grady | May 15 2014, 11:47am | Many Thanks for the DNF - but I did run the full correct route - and not the alternative route from the Crone carpark! I do not know my finish time - but can I please have one???? |
| Julie Harkin | May 15 2014, 12:12pm | I also ran in the early start so 30mins should be added to my time (oh dear). Thanks Julie ps I'm really sorry that I missed the exciting downhill but it might encourage me to look out for the tape a bit more!! |
| Debbie Bolger | May 15 2014, 12:25pm | Hi There, Great race last night - my first one and really enjoyed it. My time is not on the list of results - I was registered. My race number was 707. Can you please add my time? Thanks Deb |
| Pól Ó Murchú | May 15 2014, 1:46pm | Hi, meant to post that results up are very much just provisional results. Posted at approx 1am and haven't even looked at the long list or errors that I have yet but if you result is missing or wrong you can email me pol.omurchu(at)imra.ie and I will correct. Please put DJOUCE RESULTS as subject please. Just makes it easy to sort through. Thank you. |
| Warren Swords | May 15 2014, 1:52pm | Great race. Course was fantastic, looking forward to going back and trying to find the route again. Took a spill on the Djouce downhill and gashed my elbow. Thanks to Anthony who was marshaling for giving me his jacket and drifter bar! And Lucy who stopped her race for 10 minutes to bandage me up. Mike Jordan and Alan Ayling did a great job on First Aid. I think I should start bringing my own first aid kit at this stage. Thanks to the marshals at the turnaround too for walking me down and lift back to finish. I got a jacket from another runner whose name I have forgotten. Sorry! It’s a light yellow rain jacket? I can bring it to the race next week. Thanks again for stopping. Looked much worse than it was, should be back running tomorrow. |
| John Kelly71 | May 15 2014, 8:30pm | Great race last night. Superb route - and brilliantly marked by Alan.It has been said over and over again to follow the markers and not the person in front of you and you won't go wrong! But still people complain. After marking a couple of routes myself that were far more straightforward than this i really think people have no idea the amount of work that goes into it. In short tough shit if you don't see a turn because you are not paying attention, or there is no marshal at the turn, or you are following the person in front of you. Its all part of the fun. |
| Erin Moore | May 15 2014, 11:18pm | To last poster - nobody seemed to be 'complaining', they just pointed out that some ended up going the wrong way, while also acknowledging that the route was well marked. This is an issue that should be addressed. It got dark last night at 9.30, yet organizers had to wait around until 10.30 due to the confusion about runners taking the wrong route/not returning. That is even more hassle than putting marshals in appropriate places, etc. It is most important to get all runners back safely and in good time, which is not always possible if there is confusion over the route. Also, your choice of language is inappropriate for a forum like this. It really doesn't present a very welcoming image of IMRA. |
| Anne Hodge | May 15 2014, 11:19pm | Brilliant course last night! Very exciting stuff. I am not going to try to find the route again myself - wouldn't have a hope without the excellent markers ... thanks to all for organising. |
| Alan Ayling | May 16 2014, 12:49am | Now the dust is settling, some thoughts on last night's Djouce race... Firstly, thanks to everyone for the feedback – delighted it's mostly been excellent feedback, but also some very useful constructive criticism and ideas for how the race might be improved for next time. A new route will always bring extra challenges. No one is really familiar with it – runners, race officials, marshals... If (read that as WHEN) we do this again, it should go more smoothly! Before I go any further, let me pay tribute to all the organising team and helpers – things weren't always easy, but everyone pulled together and the job got done. In particular – Eoghan as race director, Dan for looking after the tent, Justin O'Keeffe for the cool-headed handling of the issues around missing/non-missing runners, and a special thanks to Ger Power who wasn't even down as a volunteer but – realising what needed doing – stepped up to the plate both before and after the race. So, some specifics - The route: mostly very well received it seems. Not for the faint of heart, that steep downhill especially, but the majority of runners seemed to relish the challenge. Course marking: again, most people were happy. Regrettably, it went horribly wrong for a few people. A couple of points caused issues, where the route left a main path to take a smaller path – something runners may not expect. I've had some good suggestions about marking these spots with signs and not just tape, or having marshals in place. Something to think about for next time. That said – it is up to runners to be vigilant!! Putting signs out isn't always practical (try driving stakes into a fire road or keep signs from blowing away on a windy evening!) and marshals aren't always available. I sort of marvel at how people missed some of the tapes last night, then I have to remind myself that I managed to run straight past a stricken runner injured and bleeding and I never even noticed him (sorry again Warren!) - it's incredible how little you see when you have your race head on. The plain white marking tape: seemed to work well. Comments welcome. Parking: I heard no complaints, so I'll take it parking along the fire road was a good idea. For this venue at least. The uphill finish: Sadly the layout of Djouce Woods kind of requires an uphill finish, unless you finish at the river, which really wouldn't work. So sorry about that one folks. If it's any consolation, I suffered for that uphill... Issues at the end: it is a shame the prizegiving in the pub had to be cancelled. Unfortunately, all the evidence said there were two missing runners. The priority will always be runner safety, so the organising team had to stay at the scene until all runners were accounted for All the proper procedures were followed; two runners had signed in but not recorded as having come through the finish. In fact, both were safe and well, as eventually confirmed by phone. The problem came down to race numbers in both cases (nothing to do with having taken the wrong route, the people in question were not lost). No need to go into specifics or blame here, but there are a few things ALL runners can do to help avoid problems like this in the future: 1. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU RUN WITH THE CORRECT NUMBER. If in doubt, check the master list of numbers, which is available at registration. 2. NEVER SIGN ON FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF. 3. IF YOU RETIRE, MAKE SURE TO REPORT THIS TO THE FINISH, or make sure someone lets the race director and officials know you are back. 4. ALWAYS GIVE YOUR RACE NUMBER BACK AFTERWARDS. (Except in Munster, different story there, in Munster you mind your own race number and bring it along next time). If you manage to lose your number en route, let the finish officials know! 5. LISTEN TO THE RACE BRIEFING! If you, or someone near you, is busy yapping instead of listening, someone will miss an important piece of information! We will try to get the various prizes to their winners in due course. To close – thanks again everyone for a very enjoyable race and here's hoping we'll have it on the calendar again next year. Alan (the “evil genius†- thanks Michael!) |
| Paul O'Grady | May 16 2014, 9:29am | Alan - dont mind the criticism (just the feedback) - it was a great route and a great race and something different - especially for a wednesday - thank you. People always had the option of the (still challenging) short course - which is great idea if we do plan more adventerous mid week races. We will all know for next year. Also i was delighted to find out that Djouce Woods is a misnomer - they are nowhere near bloody Djouce!! |
| Louis Mullee | May 16 2014, 11:08am | Alan, possibly the most enjoyable IMRA race I have done. Loved it. Thanks and looking forward to the same route next year. This is a not to be missed route for me! Thanks again to all the volunteers. |
| Jason Michael | May 16 2014, 12:36pm | Hi, My first IMRA race for a couple of years and thought the course was a belter. As mentioned elsewhere on the thread, the variety was great - and with limited fire road (yay). After slithering down the single track (and I thought biking down was interesting . . .), fording the stream, and climbing the small hill to the finish, I was half-expecting a pit of fire to hurdle over. Kudos all. Regards. |
| Alan Ayling | May 16 2014, 1:31pm | The pit of fire... darn it I knew I'd forgotten something! Thanks again everyone for all the kind words. |
| Val Jones | May 16 2014, 3:04pm | I missed the event, but my curiosity has been tweaked. Any chance of putting up a map of the route or did anyone track the route on a gps and upload it somewhere? Val |
| John Langenbach | May 16 2014, 3:35pm | http://connect.garmin.com/activity/500189761 |
| Amanda Anderson | May 17 2014, 3:19pm | Thank you all for a great race. Loved the route, loved the mountain. The longest/highest race I've ever run in my life. I was the poor unlucky sod that 'twisted my ankle'. Thank you every last person that passed me offering help, checking I was ok, right up to hobbling over the finish line and straight to first Aid. Thank you to the first Aiders, to Rozanne for babysitting me and to Justin for getting me home. Turns out I BROKE my ankle! It is now pinned and plated and in a rather fetching Air Cast. Thus I have reached the end of my running season. Still , it hasn't put me off! Hope to be back next year. Best of luck to all for the rest of the season! Amanda |
| Iosac Coleman | May 18 2014, 7:48pm | Hi lads, I raced the junior course on wednesday, I came through first but I am on mentioned on the results ! |
| Eoghan Carton | May 20 2014, 5:46pm | Hi All, Apologies for my my untimeliness in posting after the race. I realise there is a lot of activity on the forum which is definitely welcome after a race. There were a lot of lessons taken on board and learned from the Djouce Race. Amanda, I am very sorry to hear about your injury. I had a plate put in my ankle recently myself, you'll come round sooner than you think! There is very little I can add at this point accept to thank the volunteers on the night: First of all thanks to Caitriona for collecting the keys in Rathdrum (twice!) and dropping them off on her way home. Our marshals, Caitriona, Niamh, Paula and Anthony who went out on the course early, stayed out there, phoned back with updates of injurys and then collected the markings in the dark. Thanks to Pat, James and Mike for carefully controlling the parking. Packed them all in beautifully! Registration was carefully managed by Justin, Ger, Brian, Tiarnan, Seamus and Ronan (thanks for the phone Ronan!). Peter and Jesko were superb on the laptop. All made more comfortable by the tent sent down by Dan! James took on the role of chief 1st aid officer, having to go mobile in his ambulance several times. While he was collecting casualties, Dan was more than happy to take over on his new bike. Later in the evening as runners were coming in (and not coming in) it was all hands on deck to identify potential missing runners, Clodagh had the numbers all ready and in order before we looked for them. Shay checked people out at the car park before making his way to Crone and back in search is missing runners. Throughout the evening Justin controlled the area brilliantly especially when it got dark and snaggy. Couldn't have had a better deputy race director. Finally and most importantly, thanks to Alan who devised, recced, marked and raced the route. He then waited until the very end with all other volunteers, calmly using his experience to ensure every runner was accounted for. Thanks everyone for your assistance last night in what was slightly more than the average Wednesday night race. If I missed anyone, I'm very sorry! |
| Jim Fitzharris | May 22 2014, 5:08pm | I am coming late to this party but would like to echo all the kudos to the RD and race marker: well-earned! With regard to the area where a few runners went astray, surely the best solution here would be the age-old one of putting a length of tape across the track. I know that this is kind of verboten under the latest course marking protocol but where there is a real risk of error, surely we could revert to this? This was fast downhill stretch and a right turn off the track was counter-intuitive. I am not getting at Alan here - the course was well-marked but it is hard to legislate for junctions like this. I was running down this strecth and kept thinking, surely we turn off somewhere? Thankfully, the runner in front of me spotted the turn otherwise I too may have gone wrong. Cheers, Jim. |
| Peter O'Farrell | May 22 2014, 5:28pm | Long lengths of tape fluttering randomly across junctions are what becomes of well meant lines of tape barriering off a path. Jim - the guidelines* are quite specific about tape, it is there to be followed. When you see tape....you follow it. Always. This gets runners used to watching for changes of direction wherever they see tape. Alan did a great job marking the course, you cannot legislate for folk who do not see the tape. It is a hillrun. I have marked courses and returned to the race director and with self satisfaction reported that no one could possibly get lost on my perfectly marked course - only to be proved wrong! The tricky situation of a hard to see minor right turn off a huge downhill fireroad and runners with no blood in their brains is difficult and the guidelines suggest the use of arrows and/or marshalls in this case. "Use of Arrows on printed paper Arrows can be very useful for turns. All arrows should have the word “IMRA†and the direction ie: “LEFT†or “STRAIGHT ON†printed in very large lettering on the top and bottom of the page and the arrow should ONLY be used with the words facing up the right way. If someone interferes with the arrow it will be obvious when the word “IMRA†is not facing the correct way. Ideally arrows should be cable-tied to a post or mounted on the wire markers." "This one has to be heavily marked as runners naturally run in straight lines and will not see a left or right turn off a straight path unless it is very visible. Place 4 streamers starting 40m before the junction at 10m intervals up to the junction. Place Streamers both sides of the path you wish the runners to follow at 5m intervals to increase the chance of the runners seeing the fluttering tape. Tie a confirmation streamer 50m after the junction. Arrows placed on the path either on the junction or prior to the junction are very useful in this case." * until they are changed! |
