Cooley Half
Forum Messages
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Niamh O'Ceallaigh | May 15 2025, 11:45am | Hi Everyone, We really urgently need some volunteers to sign up for this race. Liam Vines has very kindly offered to RD the race. Liam does an unbelievable amount of work for IMRA and it is disappointing that he has had to take this on given the enormous IMRA workload he already has. We won't need a large number of volunteers, but we do need help with registration, first aid and finish. Laptop would be great too. Thanks, Niamh |
| Martin Cullen | May 25 2025, 3:09pm | Hi. Will a map of the area be required? |
| Liam Vines | May 25 2025, 8:56pm | So, I have some good news and some bad news. Good news is to route is looking fantastic. I was on part of it during last week while we were working out the finer details of the easy fast finish or the sting in the tail finish. Will let you guess which won out. The bad news. We have lost two parking options over the weekend, so it is going to be really important to carpool as much as possible. The Red Cow Luas Park and Ride would be the perfect option for all Dublin Wicklow based runners. Please give yourself lots of time to get to this race get yourself parked and get the 1K to registration. Lumpers Pub has a big function taking place on the day, so we are going to have registration at the race start which is 400m up from the pub. I could still do with a few more volunteers we could use the timing mat if I get a laptop operator to step forward Jeff will set you up and it could be a good one to start at not as much pressure as a LL race. Also need a summit Marshall who is not afraid of driving up narrow steep roads. We will have a water station at Black Mountain roughly halfway so need someone there counting people and giving out water. Bring your sauna gear as there is one out the back of Lumpers pub. I am going to do a Mick Hanney on it and put up a post every day so keep an eye out for parking details and anything else I need you to know. Remember leave yourself lots of time and carpool and and shop closes on Saturday evening so buy your spot you don’t want to miss Foleys Way and the 39 steps. |
| Liam Vines | May 25 2025, 9:00pm | Martin the route will be fully marked so a map won't be part of the mandatory kit. But always good to carry one when in the mountains. |
| Lesleyann Wylie | May 25 2025, 10:49pm | Liam I have put my name down to volunteer. I can do summit marshal, have jeep, not afraid of narrow steep roads, I live on a narrow steep road!!!!! |
| Liam Vines | May 29 2025, 5:54pm | Just a quick update on parking. We lost our free parking early in the week as the local community had to rearrange their sports day to this Sunday so the sports field was unavailable. But with the help of some of our Cooley runners we have got access to a farmers field. So normal parking fees will now apply. €4 for a single person car €3 for a 2 person car €2 for a 3 person car And free for a full car Remember we only charged for parking when we have to pay for the parking The Gate of the field has to be kept closed at all times as there are sheep in the field. I will be sending out an email to all runners on Saturday evening with all the drop pins of locations and all other information needed for the day. So buddy up and save yourself money and save the environment at the same time. The field is 400m past Lumpers pub on the Right. |
| Conor McCarthy | May 31 2025, 1:26pm | Hi Liam, Had planned to run but can't anymore. Available to volunteer if you still need bodies. Also have another person happy to help if you need a few. Thanks, Conor |
| Wayne McGuigan | May 31 2025, 6:06pm | Well Liam Cheers for organising, Lad in our run club asking is there a cutoff time, And also yas need a hand setting up anything in the morning? |
| Liam Vines | May 31 2025, 8:09pm | Race day information email gone out to everyone please have a read of it. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of keeping the parking area gate closed. This is a totally new area for us to be running in, and we are trying to build relationships with the locals. We will hopefully be using this parking area for our LL race in July. I have a saying “Where there is a field there is a race” Even Tho this area is an old quarry it is so important to do what the owner has asked. No cutoff for this year as its a new race letting everyone off at the same time and we will see how it goes time wise. I have nowhere else to be anyway.. See you all in the morning give yourselves plenty of time. |
| Liam Vines | Jun 1 2025, 8:44am | Cool enough start to the morning here. So Kit will be Jacket, phone , hat or buff and gloves. Bring it with you it’s not for me you carry it it’s in case anything happens to you.. See you all soon.. |
| Jeff Swords | Jun 1 2025, 2:45pm | Results published, any queries email IMRAResults at Gmail dot com Thanks to Peter and co (apologies for not getting everyone's names) for being thrown in and handling the laptop and timing today. Great race and brilliant course! |
| Martin Cullen | Jun 1 2025, 4:07pm | Thanks Liam and Crew for a great race. Really enjoyed the downhill in the river gorge. Great race. Well worth the visit. |
| Alan Kennedy | Jun 1 2025, 5:39pm | Thanks Liam for putting in an amazing course for the Half League. Brilliant mixed terrain and agree with Martin , the run along the river and the 12 bridges was a highlight. Laura marked it perfectly and was great support up on the summit. This has to be included in future calendars and even a Wed night league race? |
| Andrew McGibbon | Jun 1 2025, 10:20pm | Thank you to all involved in organising today's race. What a great course in such a beautiful area! |
| Alan Kennedy | Jun 2 2025, 10:19am | I picked up a Salomon hydro flask on road down to the pub. Thought it was my own but found mine later. |
| Andy Keeling | Jun 2 2025, 2:30pm | Thanks to Liam and all the team for yesterday's race. Very enjoyable. Particularly the river gorge descent. Felt like we were in some sort of 90s arcade game crossing over all the little bridges. |
| Miriam Maher | Jun 2 2025, 7:42pm | Thanks Liam and all the volunteers for making yesterday a simply class day out on the hills. Race report up. Still smiling and buzzing from yesterday. |
| Liam Vines | Jun 2 2025, 9:34pm | What a brilliant day we had yesterday the weather even did its bit to show off everything that is great about the Cooley’s. I can’t take any credit for putting together this route. Back in December Shane took a few of us on a guided tour and the basics of the route was formed, then Laura took on the marking job and put her stamp to it. The 39 steps was all her idea. There is not too many nicer decants than what we finished on yesterday “Foyles Way” what a gem. Congratulations to our top 3’s yesterday Thereasa, Aoife and Orla for the girls Adam, Paddy and Con for the boys Prizes are on the way We can’t have races without volunteers and sometimes you don’t need loads of volunteers you just need good ones. Laura and Aoife route marking and demarking (They did that route twice yesterday) Peter first aid and Timing IT management Jackie, Aoife, Pol, Lesleyann, Ronan, Philip, Shane and Peters two boys on registration and finish line duties. Joyce, Darron and Lillian looking after our quarry car park. (The gate stayed closed all day) Lesleyann summit marshal. And Jeff for giving us all a timing kit crash course. He hit start on the laptop and went on running the race. I reckon a few of you crossed off one of my “to do’s” that I set out at the start of the year ”Run a new mountain”. We are back in the Cooley’s in July for a LL race. |
| Lillian Deegan | Jun 2 2025, 11:04pm | Thanks a lot to Liam, his event crew and all the local Wee County folk for helping pull together a really lovely 1/2 route for us to run about on yesterday. With Louth being known as smallest of the 32, the area was a 1st for me and it sure didn’t disappoint. Such spectacular views in every direction. Fair dues everyone! Lost & Found: With Alan K. having reunited the soft flask with its owner - we also have a backpack that was found in the quarry car park and a black buff from the finish line. Both items are in the van for pick up whenever. |
| Andrew Hanney | Jun 4 2025, 12:14am | Liam and co, well done on putting on a terrific route and arranging the best weather and views that made the journey and suffering worthwhile. Definitely more to be explored up that way in terms of IMRA races, Hopefully this particular route stays on the calendar it is brilliant. |
