Sugar Bowl
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Andreas Kusch | Apr 26 2024, 3:16pm | I'm looking for a laptop operator for this event. Otherwise I probably have enough volunteers now. |
| Andreas Kusch | May 12 2024, 9:53pm | Entries for Sugar Bowl 2024 will open on Monday at 9am. Graham Bushe provided a new variation of the route for 2024. Forecast is sunny and there are no entry restrictions. We will have a Junior Course (short course). Parking is in a field beside the Great Sugar Loaf Car Park. No early starts for this race. Unfortunately we have no pub for the afters, but we will have sandwiches and spot prizes at the finish. |
| Andreas Kusch | May 12 2024, 10:03pm | Volunteer e-mail has gone out. Please check your spam folder. |
| Dominic Redmond | May 13 2024, 10:35am | Hi Andreas, I haven’t received the email, can it please be re sent to me, thank you . |
| Aoife Tunney | May 13 2024, 12:46pm | Is there an early start please |
| Andreas Kusch | May 13 2024, 1:00pm | @ Dominic, sent again. No early starts as it's a relatively short course. If you are very, very late approaching the climb to the top we might direct you directly to the finish. ( that's only to make sure you're down before it's dark). |
| Thomas Baker | May 13 2024, 3:35pm | Hello, are any more volunteers needed? I stubbed my toe so running is out but otherwise I'm up for any role needed. |
| Andreas Kusch | May 13 2024, 3:42pm | We don't want you to miss out Thomas. Sign up on the event page |
| Graham K. Bushe | May 13 2024, 3:49pm | Sugarloaf new route. Hi everyone and welcome to the 2024 edition of the Sugar Bowl Race. The start/finish is at the carpark on the Red Lane, south of the summit. The first 250m on a nice grassy path with a gentle climb, before branching right onto a single track. The climb only continues for another 250m before you start a nice grassy descent by the side of the fields. Cross the tint stream and continue straight down. (ie do not go left as per Rob Costello, and others) winding through the gorse and keeping close to the fields, stay on the single track. Through a short section of ankle biting gorse, cross another stream. The trail will come close to the Sugarloaf Way, but do not join it yet. Keep descending beside the field. You will then follow the markings left as the descent steepens. Now you will join the gritted Sugarloaf Way. Follow this all the way around the eastern slope of the loaf, heading towards the GAA pitch. However at the bottom of the descent you will come to the edge of the woods, and there is a very small wooden bridge. After this you will be turning left onto a single track that loops up behind the GAA pitch. (You will not be going onto the tarred road!) When you pass the GAA pitch, there is a short sharp descent, then left turn followed by another left, and the climbing begins for real. This is one of the old descent routes for a short bit. You will then be turning slightly right to come around the Kilmac side of the loaf. It is all single track with technical sections. Now for the wet feet… through the marshy bit, because we all love a bit of squelshy ground :) Past the old quarry and onto the motorbike ups and downs. At the end of this turn left for the western slopes. This is the climb used in recent years. Follow the trail around until you are almost back to the main trail. You will be directed to wards the summit. Please carefully follow marshal directions at the summit. We have been asked to avoid certain sections here, and your cooperation would be greatly appreciated (we all want to come back next year). Once you have summited, and negotiated the technical descent the moment you have all been waiting for is about to arrive. You will not go directly down the main trail, but veer slightly to the right. There is a mice grassy trail all the way down. I expect some fast descending here. A left at the bottom, beside the fields then turn right with a 150m sprint to the finish. Wow! |
| Graham K. Bushe | May 13 2024, 3:53pm | Just checking who actually reads these... ;) |
| Graeme Romer | May 13 2024, 5:51pm | Just wanted to check on the junior route, are there any changes to the distances / climb? many thanks, |
| Andreas Kusch | May 13 2024, 6:28pm | Junior course length and elevation as on the page. |
| Graham K. Bushe | May 14 2024, 5:06pm | Hi Everyone, I hope you are all looking forward to tomorrow's Big Sugarloaf Big Race. One thing I would just like to ask. Please remember that my neighbour has kindly agreed to allow use of his field for parking. This is grazing land and we do not want to damage it. Follow the directions of the marshals. Thank you. g |
| Dave Docherty | May 14 2024, 5:37pm | @Graham I had very nice recce from your instructions this morning. Thanks for the post. Ran out of time for a full loop. |
| Angela Flynn | May 14 2024, 6:25pm | Well…, being from Kilmac (you know) I read the route description Graham, love it and looking forward to it. Thanks |
| Andreas Kusch | May 15 2024, 9:20am | Quick reminder. Entries close at midday. Please carpool. The usual parking fees apply. €4 for 1, €3 for 2, €2 for 3 and free for a full car. |
| Karl Bourne | May 15 2024, 2:30pm | Hi Andreas, what time do you need volunteers up at the race for? Apologies if I missed this from the brief. Cheers, Karl |
| Andreas Kusch | May 15 2024, 5:05pm | 6.25 |
| David Jones | May 15 2024, 6:28pm | Andreas, I spoke to Graham. I am going straight to the little bridge junction and will send runners up behind GAA pitch. I’ll be in place from 7.15pm onwards. |
| Alan Kennedy | May 15 2024, 10:15pm | Well done Andreas on a great event. Based on chats with the runners Graham set out a cracking course. And the Junior race was a great challenge but very runnable and ice cream after was perfect. |
| Niamh Hatton | May 15 2024, 10:49pm | Thanks all the organisers and volunteers for a great evening. Extra points for laying on the weather! |
| Rob Tobin | May 15 2024, 11:05pm | A big thank you to Andreas and everyone involved in putting this one together. I was cursing him out there but credit is due to Graham Bushe on devising this lung-buster of a course. Absolutely relentless. The finish line setup with the drinks and the sangwidges was everything we needed and more on a lovely summer evening. Sure who needs a pub for race afters when the sun is shining? |
| Gerry McGuinness | May 15 2024, 11:16pm | Thanks to Andreas and hhs team for a great night's racing. Have run the sugarloaf many times and thanks to Graham's route choice I have discovered sections ive never seen before. |
| Aoibheann OBrien | May 15 2024, 11:35pm | Hi andreas, great event tonight. I was marked down as short course, but I did the long course FJ. Thanks if that can be corrected, just for my own records. 1414. |
| Andreas Kusch | May 15 2024, 11:51pm | A big thank you to David and Karen for dealing with some laptop issues and still getting the results up so quickly. There will be a few mistakes. As always, please email results@imra.ie. |
| Liam Mooney | May 15 2024, 11:54pm | Thanks Andreas and team for a great evening of racing and foddering! Twas a brute! I've made a disastrous discovery however after reviewing a few fellow athletes stravas...I strayed off course near the start for a bit and saved myself a few hundred metres of running! I could cry! But as someone who has gained handsomely from the misfortunate navigation of others if front of me in the past, I think it only right that some worthy soul be bumped up onto the podium in my place. |
| Alice Clancy | May 16 2024, 12:04am | Thanks Andreas and volunteers for such a great evening!!! Great devilish route from Graham (thank you I think!) Huge congratulations to Angela Flynn on her 200th race, first one many moons ago also on the sugarloaf….just awaiting another limerick from Paul now to celebrate it ;-) |
| Brian Kitson | May 16 2024, 6:12am | Wow, what an evening. Thanks to Andreas and the volunteers for putting on a great show. Unfortunately, I think I too may have followed the incorrect trail near the start. |
| Gavin Dunne | May 16 2024, 6:26am | What a race and what a route. Thanks Andreas and all the Volunteers who did an amazing job. Thanks Graham for an fantastic route. Great to see the results up so quick too. Sandwiches , drinks and sunshine at the finish made a very enjoyable evening. Thanks all involved. |
| Andy Keeling | May 16 2024, 6:58am | Thanks Andreas and crew. Brilliant race. Unfortunately to echo Liam Mooney. I've looked at strava and must have missed a turn. I stayed on the gravel on the first descent down towards the n11 which now looks to have been wrong. I think. Happy to Dnf and bump others behind me up a place if that's the case. Its only right. That's what I get for following racers and not tape. :( |
| Brendan Lawlor | May 16 2024, 8:06am | Great race last night, thank you and well done to Andreas, Graham and their excellent team of parking and course marshals, and other volunteers. A special thank you to Graham’s Neighbour who provided the parking field without which we would not have had a race There were 136 cars and vans in the field |
| Mick Hanney | May 16 2024, 8:33am | Fabulous route, fabulous evening. Thanks Graham in particular for showing us the Sugarloaf trails we didn't know existed. The strava flyby is interesting ;-) |
| James Clancy | May 16 2024, 8:49am | Amazing event thanks so much Andreas, Graham and crew. Glorious sunshine!! Well done all involved. |
| Joan Ryan | May 16 2024, 9:36am | Thank you for a magic evening on the sugarloaf. These races are absolutely relentless. I thought it was coming to an end before turning the corning and realising we were then climbing the summit! thanks to all the volunteers |
| Maike Jürgens | May 16 2024, 10:58am | in honour of Brendan and Graham (and all IMRA poets), added a Limerick style race report thanks all |
| Noel Donohoe | May 16 2024, 11:08am | Yes the flyby shows the front runners making good ground on that track. Better if we all went that way as there is overtaking space and the other track was backed up with someone that was faster uphill but not so fast down. That’s the only suggested change for next time. Definitely don’t change the weather. Great race. Thanks all. |
| Brendan Lawlor | May 16 2024, 11:37am | Well done Maike.. 8 Limericks in a row and in double quick time ..very impressive! Well done Mikey and David for your race reports as well.. IMRA’s literary and bardic traditions are alive and well |
| Stuart Scott | May 16 2024, 11:52am | Well done Andreas and Graham and team. Perfect night for it! The route was excellent. I really enjoyed the single track at the start. To take Noel's comment, maybe a compromise is to go up the hill slightly first to spread the field and then back down to the track? Huge thanks to the farmer for use of the field, we couldn't have done without it. There are a couple of gates leading from the field onto the hill. I suspect the sheep mightn't have been too happy but if the farmer was amenable, it could be another option next year and keep the start, finish and parking all in the same place? |
| Brian Kitson | May 16 2024, 12:05pm | …or the same route in reverse |
| Olwyn Sheehan | May 16 2024, 1:45pm | But will the results stand?! A steward's enquiry is being sought, Even though a competitive race was fought, The weather was sweet, And out came the cheats, Oh what controversy Strava has brought! |
| Warren Swords | May 16 2024, 2:14pm | Fair play to Robert Costello who the Costello Expressway was named after. He's inspired so many others to follow his path. I'm sure he'll join me and welcome this year's Costello Expressway Class of 2024. |
| Stuart Scott | May 16 2024, 2:23pm | Who'd have thought there'd be so many poets in IMRA. Can we introduce a 'Event Bard' volunteering role? It'd go well alongside the Tin Whistle Player of olden times. |
| Elaine Casey | May 16 2024, 3:00pm | Thanks to all the volunteers last night, in particular the guy at the top of the Sugarloaf, I didn't get your name sorry, I was too terrified by the time I got to you but thanks for talking me up the last bit! I normally take pictures at the summit but this time I was too focused on hugging the ground and not falling if the mountain to my death! I'd say there should be a health warning on this run for future (for those with an irrational fear of heights which isn't irrational as we'll certainly die a horrible death if/when we fall) and I'd have thought it's definitely a contender for an early start. But thanks for the rest of the challenge that I have no intentions of ever repeating again! Bring on the next one! |
| Alistair Hodgett | May 16 2024, 3:31pm | Elaine, for me this is my annual vertigo challenge. Over the previous three runnings I was improving from freezing on that ascent with plenty of gentle encouragement from people stuck behind me, to crawling on all fours, to walking it while leaning into the hill. That was yielding about a 90 second improvement per year until this year where vertigo combined with knackered legs. I haven't fallen off the side yet! |
| Joan Ryan | May 16 2024, 3:51pm | Elaine that is a priceless description and one many of us felt I hung onto the sharpest thorn ferns on the way up that summit choosing to take the pain in my fingers to avoid falling off that Cliff edge Well done on getting through it! |
| Alan Ayling | May 16 2024, 5:18pm | If there are to be DNFs for that wrong route (descending the gravel trail on the latter part of the first descent), then I'd better have one as well. I was definitely on the wrong route - blissfully unaware at the time, wondering why we were doing that frankly sh1t descent instead of the class one from last year... well now I know. On a separate note, anyone genuinely concerned with the steepness of the ground up at the summit - make sure you come to Djouce on June 12th. After that the Sugarloaf will seem tame and you'll be well up for next year's Sugarbowl. |
| Hazel Thompson | May 16 2024, 6:19pm | Wouldn’t an early start be worse with the faster runners trying to squeeze past you! And you would then have to watch the fearless way they descend. |
| Andreas Kusch | May 16 2024, 11:18pm | Just a quick thank you to my wonderful team of volunteers who certainly made my day very easy. Thanks to Lillian for organising the sandwiches and Fergus for looking after the drinks. Special thanks needs to go to Graham Bushe who actually did all the difficult parts (finding a parking field, devising a new route, marking the route, chief marshal on route, etc.). I'm only sorry I didn't get to run the route myself. Let the controversy evaporate into a beautiful summer haze... |
| Liam Vines | May 20 2024, 10:53pm | It's a new week but just want to dip back to last week for a second The committee has been discussing all the options open to us to deal with the runners who missed the turn in the early part of the race. Our decision is to leave the results as they are. The work to fully settle this is great and it would fall to one or two people and even then the results probably wouldn't be correct. It was a new starting point for the race and lessons will be learned from this year. For next year we will have a marshal on duty at the junction. I am hoping and asking that this doesn't open a can of worms and we can move onto Brockagh on Wednesday night. Liam |
