Irish Mountain
Running Association

Glendalough Tucker Trail

AuthorDateMessage
Greg ByrneJun 28 2022, 10:41pmEntries are open for the Glendalough Tucker Trail and close on 17th July.

The race information pack has been updated and includes contact details for the Race Director should you have any questions.

We will host a zoom call for entrants in race week. Time, date & details of how to join will be posted here at least 7 days in advance of the call.
Greg ByrneJul 12 2022, 4:30pmEntries for the Glendalough Tucker Trail 80km will close this weekend, on Sunday 17th.

For those entered we will host a participant's zoom call on Wednesday, 27th July @ 8.30pm.

Anyone who would like join please email me at gregdbyrne at gmail and I will forward the invitation link.
Eamonn HodgeJul 13 2022, 9:52amI'm reading all the race reports and it looks absolutely brilliant. Anyone who's done it before can you share what you ate and drank during the day. I imagine it would be close to 11 hours give or take so wouldn't be going full blast. Is it easier to eat when you're not going super fast. Not talking about the sub 8 hour crew here. How much real food do people eat? I imagine the sweet stuff would get very sickly quite quickly.
Avril ChallonerJul 13 2022, 11:15amHi Eamonn, my rule is as long as I can eat it while running its fair game, I just make sure it won't melt or be an issue if its squshed. Some of my favs are: wraps with cheese/peanut butter & jam, babybell, bags of nuts/dried fruit/pretzels, salty crisps, veloforte bars, buttery salty baby potatoes, sausage sandwiches. I think cold pizza would work well but I never seem to have leftovers to try it. I know people who like pots of baked beans or rice pudding at the aid stations. For me its about getting calories in so if its appealing then its a winning food. The good thing about this race is you get to go back to your aid station regularly to restock or pick something up that won't travel well (watermelon!). It's very variable to the individual so test lots of things on training runs and have a think about what appeals to you for testing out on the next one.
Mick HanneyJul 13 2022, 1:42pmAt least one chap had a pint of guinness at the Glenmalure Lodge Checkpoint one year :-) Thats one way of getting the calories on board.
Brendan NevilleJul 13 2022, 2:21pmMick a pint of Smithwicks in 2018 in Adrian's memory - added 10 minutes to my "run" back to Glendalough. I think you took the photo. Cheers
Mick HanneyJul 13 2022, 8:11pmSlainte. https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/184686/
Eoin KellyJul 14 2022, 11:11amA pint in the Glenmalure Lodge would have been a brilliant idea last year, surprised i didn't think of it - maybe this year so!

Eamon - great advice from Avril. I'll just add that a variety of stuff can be useful in case you find that something really is not working for you on the day.

Last year I ate mostly peanut butter wraps, breakfast bars and then carb drink too. Bonked around Lough Dan and was revived by a magic banana from the guy with the water table just before the road on the way back from the lake. It was the nicest banana i had eaten in years!

Note that the peanut butter wraps were a bit of a disaster at the Wicklow way race, having been great at the Tucker Trail - so just make sure you have a variety of food that you have tried out before. I know i can always shove in a few of the cadburys brunch bars so have a stock of them in the transition area box.
Eoin KellyJul 14 2022, 11:29amAlso, last year the weather was pretty sh!t - with lots of rain at times. I used a big clear plastic box from Ikea with a lid for the transition area. it was great, loads of room to root around and find what i needed, and the lid kept everything nice and dry.
Eamonn HodgeJul 16 2022, 3:32pmThanks Avril and Eoin. Great information there. I like the food suggestions there. I had read your race reports so had come across the magical banana before!

In terms of quantities were you all struggling to get enough calories in or were you ravenous during the race? I'd be in the "completion" section of the people taking part.
Peter DoyleJul 16 2022, 6:45pmMade the brave (foolhardy?) decision to enter the race today. For me it will be a matter of survival so apologies to the volunteers in advance as suspect I may keep them out for evenry minute of the 12hours available :-)

@Greg - sent you an email regarding Leg 1 where the trail as marked based on recce I did differs from that as described in race pack at one point so worth clarifying.
Perhaps others have noticed this as well.
Seems there is no need anymore to run along the R756 as is a new trail parallel to the road with official St Kevins Way marker posts. Makes things safer and distance is still the same. So checking should we follow the marked trail or the route as described in the race pack.
Avril ChallonerJul 16 2022, 9:31pmI have a talent for being able to eat Eamonn so I don't think I was ever hungry. I always start eating early in the race. I like to pick mental markers that I should have eaten by the time I get to as a reminder. Also if I see anyone near me eating I also try join in on a snack. It's unlikely you'll over eat so any excuse for a snack works for me. Also I like the pint idea... I may have the steal that one for future.
Greg ByrneJul 16 2022, 10:03pmThanks for the question Peter.

THE RACE WILL FOLLOW ST. KEVINS WAY AS MARKED ON THE DAY.

This should mean following the new trail running parallel to the road as this is the way marked route for St.Kevins Way today. Thus avoiding the road section described in the road book. A far nicer option as well.
Greg ByrneJul 18 2022, 10:00amEntries are now closed for the Glendalough Tucker Trail and the start list is:

Olivier Agneray (M)
Joe Berney (M60)
Pavel Bodi (M40)
Nicky Boland (M50)
laura burns (F45)
Graham K. Bushe (M50)
Sarah Clarke (F40)
nicola cleary (F45)
Ray Cullen (M45)
Eimear Deegan (F40)
Tom Downes (M50)
Peter Doyle (M50)
Karen Duggan (F45)
David Fagan (M55)
Mark Foley (M35)
Con Halpin (M)
michael harlick (M50)
Eamonn Hodge (M40)
Brian hutchinson (M55)
Rade Inic (M45)
Eoin Kelly (M40)
Kevin Kelly (M40)
Niall Kelly (M40)
Julian Kennedy (M40)
Gerard Keogh (M40)
Ian Kinsella (M40)
Niall Lagrue (M40)
Brian Lydon (M40)
Eoin Mac Eochaidh (M40)
Laurence Mahony (M45)
Stephen Mangan (M35)
Brian McFlynn (M)
Nicki McPeak (M45)
Seán Meehan (M)
Fergus Melligan (M35)
Oisín O Briain (M45)
Derry O Neill (M40)
Caroline O Sullivan (F45)
Ronan O'Grady (M45)
Shane O'Neill (M40)
Kazimierz Pawelczak (M45)
Ron Peacock (M45)
Steven Pettigrew (M)
Becky Quinn (F45)
Lisa Quirke Cashman (F45)
Warren Redmond (M35)
Walsh Rowan (M45)
Roelie Smit (M45)
Ian Tumulty (M40)
Liam Vines (M50)
Shirley Walsh (F45)
Damien Ward (M45)
Mick HanneyJul 21 2022, 11:00amThanks to Barry Dalby in EastWestMapping (https://eastwestmapping.ie/), RRPrinting and our own John Condon, for his fab design skills, for help in producing a lovely buff runners will receive for the Tucker Trail. Hope you enjoy it.
Eamonn HodgeJul 25 2022, 10:55amLight rain predicted for Saturday. Darn it.
Ronan O'GradyJul 25 2022, 12:48pmHi Greg, I'm unable to open race booklet link on imra event page and wonder could u put up link in email.

Thanks

Ronan
Greg ByrneJul 25 2022, 3:26pmHi Ronan, not sure exactly what you're askingfor, but here is the link to the file on the IMRA site:

https://media.imra.ie/ad-hoc/2022%20GTT%20Race%20Pack.pdf

I've just checked and the link worked fine for me on the laptop, both via the link on the event page and directly putting the link above into the address bar of the browser (Chrome). Hope this works for you.
Ronan O'GradyJul 25 2022, 4:19pmThanks Greg. Just wouldn't work from my phone. Works perfect from that link
Shirley WalshJul 26 2022, 8:13amHi All, with regards to the drop bag, can I use a plastic tub with a lid instead?
Eamonn HodgeJul 26 2022, 12:04pmHi Greg,
Just checking if there will be a Zoom call this week?

Thanks,
Eamonn
Steven PettigrewJul 26 2022, 12:16pmIf you email gregdbyrne at gmail he will send a link to the zoom call that is scheduled for 20:30 tomorrow.
Eamonn HodgeJul 26 2022, 12:30pmThanks Steven!
Steven PettigrewJul 26 2022, 1:07pmNo hassle, Eamonn.
Eamonn HodgeJul 26 2022, 3:18pmHydration jackets

Not sure what they're actually called. The ones with the two small bottles in tje front. I'd normally be a size small tshirt or occasionally a medium. Tried a Salomon and the medium seemed tight and large possibly a better fit. Have any of you needed to size up? Is Salomon body-shaming me?!
John MurrayJul 26 2022, 5:48pm@Eamonn

Which type of Salomon Hydration Vest did you try on? Was it the 12L advanced skin?

I just bought a new Adv.Skin 12L vest to replace my old one and had to size up from the old one. Usually go for the small but had to exchange for the medium.
Greg ByrneJul 26 2022, 11:04pm@Shirley Walsh, a plastic kit box/tub is perfectly acceptable and is recommendation in case of rain. Typically something similar to the IKEA SAMLA 65L is perfect for this race

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/samla-box-with-lid-transparent-s99440774/

A plastic hot tub would be interesting also...
Eamonn HodgeJul 27 2022, 9:02amHi John, not actually sure which one it was. Run Hub in Ballyogan had a small selection. Might have been an 8 litre one.

Don't suppose anyone is heading from Dun Laoghaire on Saturday morning?
Shirley WalshJul 27 2022, 9:36am@Eamonn Hodge, where did you find the race reports? I can't find any!
Steven PettigrewJul 27 2022, 11:08am@Shirley if you go to the event page and select "History" you can see all the previous races. Click on the year and you can see the race reports near the top for that race.
Eimear DeeganJul 27 2022, 11:09amShirley on events page/tab click into previous years results and you should see reports
Steven PettigrewJul 27 2022, 11:11am@Eamonn Mine seemed tight at first and I regretted not going a size up but I feel I broke it in after some use and now it feels perfect. I think part of it feeling off at first was because it was a new thing for me and didn't really have anything to compare it to.

If you go a size up you can always tighten it at the chest anyway.
Eamonn HodgeJul 27 2022, 9:11pmThanks Greg for the Zoom call.
Just want to double check that the EastWest buff is sufficient for the mandatory kit requirement of a map?
Mick HanneyJul 27 2022, 9:20pmYou mean hat Eamonn?
Ok it has a map on it, but not of this route! :-)
Eamonn HodgeJul 27 2022, 9:25pmGreg had a great screenshot where it has the route on the map on the buff! Looks great!
Shirley WalshJul 29 2022, 7:29amThanks Steven & Eimear! Reading race reports here.

I missed the zoom call just wanted to know if it will be well signposted? Or do people tend to get lost and have to pull out maps etc
Steven PettigrewJul 29 2022, 9:50am@ Shirley

I feel it's well signposted but without practice it might be slightly confusing for someone who hasn't done it before. Just make sure you know what signs you're following (WW, Kevins Way, Lough Dan). The posts are also fairly close together so you shouldn't be running that long without seeing the next one.

Some signs might be behind some fern so don't expect them to be painfully obvious.

I was doing leg 3 last week and I missed a signpost pretty early on and ended up back in Laragh. It was easy enough to retrace my steps and get back on the WW but just an example of how one can go off track and how to get back on.
Steven PettigrewJul 29 2022, 9:58amI meant to say Leg 2 there! Not leg 3.
Eimear DeeganJul 29 2022, 11:24amShirley I've occasionally missed the 'yellow man' too but they are at all major junctions just need to look a little harder for some, if there's no yellow man stay on the trail you are on. If you do think you are off track and have phone coverage you'll be able to check it off the trackers we're wearing.
Greg ByrneJul 29 2022, 3:53pm@Eamonn, the buff map is pretty good and sufficient for an experienced navigator. As you have only run 151 IMRA races I would suggest bring a map with you to Glendalough and then decide if you think it is good enough for you.

@Shirley, the way marking on the various trails is very good and all major junction are are marked. However, remember that these markings are put there for walkers and they can sometimes be hard to spot at running pace. This is particularly true when travelling downhill, although it can also happen as we struggle uphill, hands on thighs, looking at our feet for inspiration. We only introduced trackers last year, so hard to tell if many people went off course previously, but in all the years only 2 people have dropped out claiming an "extra 5 to 10 miles".

@Steven, those ferns on that junction have been pruned as of Wednesday afternoon.
Greg ByrneJul 29 2022, 3:54pmLink for the tracker to be used in the race tomorrow:

https://live.primaltracking.com/tuckertrail22/
Shirley WalshJul 29 2022, 4:42pmThanks Greg, will keep my eyes peeled for those waymarks!!! Last question from me.... mandatory maps; are the maps in the booklet ok to use or can we get more appropriate maps at this late stage, preferably ready to print online? I'm so last minute I know...
Shirley WalshJul 29 2022, 4:56pmIgnore that last question..i found the answer in the booklet!!!
Graham K. BusheJul 29 2022, 4:58pm@Shirley
in the FAQ (last page of the Race Information Pack)

What sort of map do I need?
You can print out the pages of this booklet or bring a proper map. The level of detail depends on your own
requirements. We require that you carry something that will allow you identify the direction you should travel
in and/or to allow you to ask someone for directions to your next checkpoint.

Don't panic :)
Peter DoyleJul 30 2022, 9:29pmThanks to all involved today in organizing, registration, supporting, running, manning food/ drinks tables, etc. . particular thanks to the life savers at the base camp in Glendalough. They dealt patiently and diligently with incoherent and disoriented runners and patched us up and got us moving again.
My first attempt at the event and delighted to finish.
A really special day. Thanks again.
Greg ByrneJul 31 2022, 11:23amLOST AND FOUND

A Ronhill running pack was left behind after the race in Glendalough. This has been added to the IMRA Lost & Found and will be available for collection at Sugarloaf on Wednesday.
Roelie SmitAug 4 2022, 7:57pmJust a quick belated post here. A massive thanks to Greg and all the volunteers who helped on the day at the central aid station as well as the other other various stations along the route. The fact that so many gave up their Saturday to help out is greatly appreciated.
Roelie SmitAug 4 2022, 8:18pmAlso congratulations to all who entered and toed the line at the lake on Saturday morning. Thanks to all of you for the friendly faces and the couple of folk who I spent some time with along the way. As Greg mentioned in the brief, it's a unique event in that we get to see each other a couple of times on the out an back routes. Thanks to all for the words of encouragement, which played a big part in getting me around the course.