Organising the more niche events
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Peter O'Farrell | Sep 25 2024, 5:30pm | A common refrain whenever anyone asks for a particular race or type of race is well why don't you organise it yourself. That's all well and good but obviously the person would like to take part in the event! Is the concept of the running race director worth a consideration in 2025? Events such as the Glacier Lakes and the recent Stone Cross to Lug Relay are many hours long and realistically a race director could give "the IMRA phone" to a trusted deputy and run a leg. Both these events have passionate advocates and yet both struggle for numbers. Whilst IMRA isn't really a numbers game it can be difficult to justify the effort involved in races with few punters. Alowing one of the aforementioned passionate folk to do a Johnny McCabe* and both organise and race would help. *Johnny McCabe organised and took part in both the CLEC and an MTB mountain mountain based out of Carlingford for over a decade. The 2 recent Carlingford races are another case in point. Ideally another local would come forward and take on the Sunday race and let poor Turlough have a run himself - it's an easier sell if they get to play also. Thanks for your patience if you read to the end :) |
| Brendan Lawlor | Sep 25 2024, 7:08pm | IMRA members of a certain vintage will recall our most famous running Race Director, the one and only Vivian O Gorman . Registering runners at the back of his car, race gear on, brief race briefing and he was off together with the rest of the field.. those were the days my friends, we thought they’d never end. The only drawback to that approach came if there was any issue in the race , then who was in charge? Hence the current requirement that the RD, First Aid and Laptop must be non running. The deputy RD can run and I’ve done many times myself. One solution to allow what Peter suggests would be to amend our race rules slightly to allow a race director to take part in their race providing they have a non running deputy race director, and said Deputy RD is reasonably well experienced. It’s well worth considering. Thanks Peter for suggesting it |
| Turlough Conway | Sep 25 2024, 7:17pm | I think that's a decent idea! You could achieve this under existing rules by splitting the roles between deputy race director (event director) and a race director (directs during race). So the deputy/event director does all of the spade word up until before the race and returns to help after the race is over..then returns gear etc. and all that. Clear on the day responsibilities would have to rest with the race director but the deputy can advise etc as needed (eg kit reqs, course changes etc) |
| Alan Ayling | Sep 28 2024, 10:48am | "Clear on the day responsibilities would have to rest with the race director". Precisely. Including the managing of any crisis or unforeseen situation which might arise during the race. Not possible if the RD is running. So the answer to the question is NO, the RD cannot run in the race. The solution: If you are keen to be involved in organising a race but really want to run, come to an agreement with the person you envisage being your "Deputy". Put them in as RD, you as Deputy. Between you, as long as all the preparation work gets done, it doesn't matter a hoot who actually does the work. You can do it all and leave the other party to be in charge on the day as RD. Obviously they'll have to be competent to do the job on the day. |
| Peter O'Farrell | Sep 28 2024, 8:43pm | Thanks Alan. The Irish solution to the problem A.K.A. the "Brendan Lawlor" solution. But think of the (admittedly remote) possibility of Jason Kehoe running leg 6 of the WWR, making an unplanned error and then having to penalise himself afterwards. Situational. Comedy. Gold! Joking aside - for the longer relay events it should be feasible, sure 82.6% of nav event entrants are race directors or committee members anyway! |
