Irish Mountain
Running Association

Slieve Donard - Comedagh

Forum Messages

AuthorDateMessage
Jonathan McCloyJun 28 2010, 8:11amJust letting ye's know NIMRA have moved this race forward one week to Saturday 21st August.
Nora LalorJul 6 2010, 3:05pmT his puts it on same day as Lug Relay, a shame as they are both classics
Jonathan McCloyJul 7 2010, 2:20pmDC is also an irish championship race... might be worth considering for some runners.
John LangenbachJul 9 2010, 10:25amI think the NIMRA website still has the old dates (downhill on the 21st and up/down on the 28th). Is the information on this thread more current than the NIMRA list?
Jonathan McCloyJul 15 2010, 8:42amYip, it was sent out in an email to NIMRA members....

"Donard-Commedagh


The final Championship over the Donard Commedagh route has been moved to the earlier date of 21st August to avoid a clash with a large parade in Newcastle on 28th and also using Donard Park. Offers of assistance to the organisers, Mourne Runners, would be appreciated.


BARF Club, organisers of the Donard Downhill, provisionally set for 21st August, have generously agreed to move the latter race to September, probably 25th (to be confirmed). This is the penultimate Grand Prix race with the Slieve Gallion one on 2nd October.


Selection for the Home International on 19th September will take place after the Donard Commedagh Race. The Br & Irish juniors also takes place on the weekend of 18th/19th September but over Howth, north Dublin."
aidan roeJul 15 2010, 1:59pmLads. Do you have to join NIMRA to run in races. hoping to do one or two in Aug.
Thanks
Aidan
Kevin O'RiordanJul 15 2010, 2:26pmI've done a few races up there and they accept IMRA membership. You might have to pay £1 extra to enter the race but that would be it.
Jonathan McCloyJul 15 2010, 3:33pmYip, £1 extra if you're not affiliated to a UK club as far as I know
Paul SmythJul 15 2010, 4:10pmI do a number of NIMRA races each year and I don't think I've ever been required to pay extra to enter nor has membership of any other organisation or club been required. At some races it is even possible to pay in euro.
niamh o ceallaighJul 15 2010, 4:22pmThanks for those updatesJonathon. We have ammended the calendar.

Really looking forward to this race. For anyone who has not competed in the Mournes before, it is a really stunning place. This race route in particular offers amazing views of the Mourne Mountains and out to sea.

Niamh
Charlie O'ConnellJul 31 2010, 6:56pmThis race cannot be run as an Irish Championship league race unless it is run in accordance with IMRA Championship Rules as updated July 8. Neither is it in the interest of IMRA members who need one more Munster & one more Irish race to complete both championships. It would be impossible for an IMRA member to race DC and Mangerton the same weekend. In the interest of the IMRA membership the Irish Championship race should be moved to the Mangerton venue. The DC race could still go ahead but would not be an Irish Championship race and could then be run under NIMRA rules. Don't forget to bring Stirling.
Jonathan McCloyAug 2 2010, 10:34amAs I am not a member of IMRA, nor have I competed in any IMRA races this year, I appreciate that my opinion has limited value in an IMRA context. However, as a mountain runner from Ireland, I hope you'll hear me out.

I have been looking forward to this race for some time, I was excited when I first read that IMRA was including the Donard-commedagh race in the Irish Championships, as I believe it has the potential to be the most competitive "local" mountain race held on this island this year.

Races of this calibre (terrain and competitors) are a rareity throughout Ireland. It is my personal opinion that IMRA's decision to include the DC race in the Irish Champs is a step towards a higher standard of mountain running on the island, which is long overdue.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe the purpose of this move was not just to improve on the local scene, but was also to extend a welcome to northern athletes. So that they may compete in IMRA races and indeed the trials for World and European competitions, now that Northern Ireland is no longer represented at these competitions (Northern Irish runners can choose between GB or Ireland).

In essence, I hope that this race remains part of the Irish Championships this year and in years to come.
Jonathan McCloyAug 2 2010, 10:49amand for clarity, I believe I am right in saying that this race is organised under a NIMRA permit and is a NIMRA Championship Race. So just to help avoid any confusion, it would appear that the only decision regarding IMRA is to weigh the benifits/drawbacks of maintaining the Irish Champs label on this race.
Rene BorgAug 2 2010, 11:14amJonathan, as a foreigner but adopted Wicklow-man, I'm delighted to see NIMRA runners taking the time to come here and discuss the Donard-Commedagh race.

Personally, I believe the inclusion of this race on the IMRA calendar was one of the bravest and most innovative decisions in years. There's bound to be some bureacratic and logistical challenges in bringing together races from two separate organisations but as you say there are numerous advantages.

Kenny Stuart shared some interesting views on why his Snowdon record (and many others record he set: notably Ben Nevis, Skiddaw and Grasmere) still stands despite a quarter of a century having passed.

In essence, he believes the top runners today are any bit as talented as he and his compatriots used to be but that they lack the layer behind them to "push them up". He didn't go into why that is, but did say that records were broken not because people tried to break them but because there were 10-12 good runners in the top-end of the field pushing them on.

Donard-Commedagh as an IC race is a great opportunity to combine athletes of equal level who normally compete separately in IMRA or NIMRA races into the same race and help push race times on to the next level.

Personally, my hope would be that over a number of years, we'll see a large IMRA contingent at DC and large NIMRA contingents attending races such as Carrauntoohil, Lugnacoille and Croagh Patrick to truly make it feel like an All-Ireland Championship. It may be necessary for IMRA and NIMRA to work closer together on their calendars to achieve this and improving the logistics around the races may also be needed (e.g. Carrauntoohil in particular is a very long journey for NIMRA runners). Creating more of a formalised weekend with buses, BnB/hotel bookings and perhaps some events around the races may make the trip eaiser and more worthwhile. This is already largely done for Croagh Patrick and is a similar experience to what many of us have travelling to Snowdon.
Alan AylingAug 2 2010, 8:40pmSlightly off topic, but Rene's last paragraph has me thinking. It would be great if we could get a bit more of a weekend away event thing going for some of our bigger races. Something with a bit of a festival atmosphere, road trip/stay-over sort of thing. A bit like the two day things in Connacht with Croagh Patrick on one day and Ben Gorm (or previously Nephin) on the other. Would allow plenty of the convivial craic that goes with IMRA events, but taken to the next level. Anyone who was ever at one of the legendary Errigal weekends will know what I'm talking about.

How to achieve that for Irish Championship races I'm not quite clear on. Rene's suggestions seem good though.

Now on topic: I definitely hope to make the Donard/Commedagh race, both to support it and to finish the Championship. Just relies on me surviving the MTB delights of Fort William the week beforehand!
Ken CowleyAug 6 2010, 12:10pmJust noticed that on the NIMRA website it says 11am, not 12am?
Am hoping to do this race, just have to check a few diary issues, and if so, hope to offer my car for car pooling, from s/side Dublin.
Ken
Turlough ConwayAug 6 2010, 2:48pmI drove to Newcastle last weekend without breaking any speed limits within 1hr 40 minutes from the North Ciry Centre. Theres a great outdoor seawater swimmingpool you can use for 2 pound in Newcastle if you have an hour to spare and want to be kind to those aching muscles after the race.

I reckon with improved roads etc the Mournes are now well in the training zone for greater Dublin mountain runners. You can leave on a saturday at 8, be on the hill by 10 and home by 2 or 3.
Niamh O CeallaighAug 7 2010, 5:14pmThe race will start at 11am. The details will shortly be updated on the IMRA website. Looking forward to seeing lots of you there. A great opportunity to race the highest mountain in Ulster
Niamh O'CeallaighAug 11 2010, 1:33pmEvent details for the Donard-Comedagh race have now been updated.

A full, detailed route description can be found at the following link: http://www.nimra.org.uk/events/2010/8/28/donard__commedagh/

For the purposes of the Irish Championship scoring, only competitors who have completed at least one other Irish Champ race this year will be awarded Irish Champ points for this race. This will prevent the championship results being diluted by a large number of local participants.

Please not that this race is being organised by NIMRA. However, should you have any queries, please feel free to contact me on niamh dot oceallaigh at imra dot ie and I will do my best to answer them.

Thanks,
Niamh
David BellAug 22 2010, 10:19pmGreat to see so many enthusiastic IMRA runners at Donard Commedagh. You even managed to bring the sunshine although we did wonder whether you had a secret weapon when we saw the Garda helicopter hovering over the race route! Hope to see you all again soon.
aidan roeAug 23 2010, 1:34pmThanks to NIMRA/Mourne Runners for organising a super race. Tough course (got plenty of arse time on descent)and friendly crowd. I'm looking forward to getting up there running again soon. I think most of the IMRA runners at all levels thought it was a different class of running to what were used to in Wicklow.
Zoran SkrbaAug 23 2010, 1:37pm+1, legs still sore! thanks to all the organisers and summit marshals. will definitely be back.
Caroline ReidAug 23 2010, 2:00pmThanks to NIMRA - WHAT AN AMAZING RACE!!!!! On a day when I felt the tank was empty, I still was thrilled to finished what is truely a magnificent race! What a stunning area!

One of the toughest races I ever did, it was fantastic to get a master class in mountain running watching the NIMRA runners on the accent and descent!

Hopefully more IMRA runners will travel up to some NIMRA races as there was a great buzz on Saturday. Slieve Donard 2011 will definetly be a put into my dairy : )

Thanks again NIMRA and IMRA for including it in the championship.

PS Phewww Zoran glad your legs are sore too...thought it was just me as I haven't been racing!
Ken CowleyAug 23 2010, 8:24pmJust to reiterate what others have said. An amazing race on Saturday in the Mournes. Extremely difficult, but satisfying to finish it, and with all limbs apparently intact. And another reward (given the great weather) for climbing all those seemingly vertical peaks was the occasional snatched glimpse at the view. Never mind Co Down and the coastline, it seemed you could see the whole country from up there! Very well organised too..
Ken
julie & brian byrneAug 23 2010, 10:15pmhave to say we enjoyed the day at slieve donard even though we got the start time wrong, and took the wrong route to start with, took the scenic route to the top of donard, after we met the race masdhall coming down and we went back up to the top wondering why the helicopter seemed to hovering over us! thankfully not for us! finally got to the top of comedagh with marshall in tow to the finish in just under 4 hours. NEW RECORD FOR 10 K ( 6.2 MILES ) ha! ha! but we,ll be back next year a bit organised.
julie & brian byrneAug 23 2010, 10:15pmhave to say we enjoyed the day at slieve donard even though we got the start time wrong, and took the wrong route to start with, took the scenic route to the top of donard, after we met the race masdhall coming down and we went back up to the top wondering why the helicopter seemed to hovering over us! thankfully not for us! finally got to the top of comedagh with marshall in tow to the finish in just under 4 hours. NEW RECORD FOR 10 K ( 6.2 MILES ) ha! ha! but we,ll be back next year a bit organised.
Kevin O'RiordanAug 31 2010, 9:46pmDonard results are up now. Sorry for the delay.

Results on IMRA website include only IMRA runners. For full results, visit http://www.nimra.org.uk/results/2010/8/21/donard__commedagh/
Alan AylingSep 1 2010, 5:07pmThanks for the update Kevin.

On a personal note, delighted to finish joint 8th in the Champs with Martin Francis - makes the antics of the finish at Carrauntoohil all the more relevant!