Despite the weather forecast for dull conditions, it looks as if the cold front arrived a few hours early and passed over the country around 5am on Sunday morning. By the time the race started, the skies had cleared and it was almost like a summers day at times out along the course...especially in spots where the wind was to your back and you could feel the heat coming up off the road. A few hours later and the rain returned when people were well on the way home. A few hours either side, race day could have been completely different.
As always, it was a superbly run event. If you have been to a lot of races, you begin to notice the small things that make the event run a lot smoother. With the race today, you could see that it went like clockwork and it's no mean feat to get the race started on time with that many runners to control.
It also raises a serious point. If Ballycotton Running Promotions can hold a very successful 10 mile road race with 2000+ runners for €15, how do other race organisers justify charging €40 to €60 for Half-Marathons???
Start of the 2010 Ballycotton '10'
Results....
The provisional results are now available. You will notice that there are 2 times.....your clock time and your chip time. Which one do you count?
(For beginners....the clock time is the time from when the start gun went off until you crossed over the finish line. The chip time is the time from when you passed over the mat on the start line to when you crossed over the mat at the finish line)
For me, I'd be inclined to count the clock time. In the Dungarvan 10 mile race, the clock started when the gun went off, not when you passed over some mat. In lots of other races, you always lose some bit of time crossing the start line. Should you take the faster time just because you are using a chip??
I guess it's up to each individual. To see what people think, why not leave a comment by clicking on the link below or take part in the new poll on the top right of the page.
The results with half way chip splits are now available HERE. (Updated Mon 22nd Mar 7pm)
Fantasic event as always. Even when driving ome I saw gardai all the way to Midleton, ensuring as smooth an exit as possilbe for everyone. Race went bang on time and the atmosphere was great. Regarding your comment about clock time vs chip time, I think the chips are given for a reason. The announcer at the start mentioned how successful the Ballycotton ten has always been in terms of safety, and I think without the chip people might scramble to get over the line a lot more, and there might be increased incidents of falling ,etc. I know I was happy to shuffle forward and use my chip time. I think the Dungarvan start might be wider and have less people?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair here with this one - How many races have 2000+ people packed into a roadway about 6-7 yards wide in a cul de sac.
ReplyDeletedon't know about this one but makes sense to use the chip, if you look at gun times in comparison to chip times the difference can be up to 1 min 30 - 40 secs for some individuals , who through no fault of their own may have to walk prior to starting or crossing the mat due to congestion.
So in essence i think this is a no brainer, why are marathons using this method - should the same apply there. Would that be fair considering it takes people 6-7 mins to cross the start line in those.
I think the chip wins if you really think about this question ....
I think comment number 2 sums it up nicely. As for the race , well hey , what a day to remember..Really really great.
ReplyDeleteGreat day - well done to all involved.
ReplyDeleteUnless you are an "Elite runner" at the front then I think the chip time is all runners opportunity to get an accurate time.
Regarding Dungarvan - all runners take off at practically the same time (or within seconds of each other)and the clock time is an accurate result.
Chip time for sure in Ballycotton.Dungarvan 10 only use chip time, and all excepts this so why not chip time for today no point having them if you are going to go by the watch now is there.
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on how long it takes you to get over the start line.
ReplyDeleteFor me today, the difference between my chip and clock time was 4 seconds. Which one do I pick? I'm inclined to pick the slower one. Simply because I probably lost 4 seconds at the start of Dungarvan as well.
If I felt impeded....i.e. it took me 20-30 seconds to cross the start then I'd probably go with the chip time as it's a closer reflection on how long it took me to run the 10 mile course.
But when the time difference is small, I'm not so sure...
Excellent, well organised event! Great day! I think the chip time is better to go with for Ballycotton. It took me over 1 minute to cross the start line so I set my watch to the start mat. I recieved 2 flyers regarding half marathon's costing over €40 euro. I agree with you on the pricing of these races, I don't know where these prices are coming from??
ReplyDeletetime is time chip is important seasoned runner. well done to all
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the cost of races most of the more expensive ones are run by Private Cos or individuals for a Profit for themselves and not for the benifit of runners.Ballycotton 10 is run by volunteers on a not for profit basis.Simple answer let Athletic Clubs stop getting "permits" for the PRIVATE races until the prices are more reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI was discusted yesterday to see so many runners wearing headphones.If these people cannot obey the rules of a race they should be banned from races.They are putting everyone else in danger by their selfish disregard of rules which they agreed to obey when they signed up to run.
ReplyDeleteI aggree about using the chip time for people stuck back in the crowd. I have to say also, that some people seem not to respect the signs for their expected time. I had to overtake people who were running far too slowly and were obiously placed to far ahead in the crowd. But apart from that, it was a great day and so well organised.
ReplyDeleteChip time definitely for us around the 75 min starting point...took about a min and a half to get across the line! Great race except for water stations...plenty of them but I can't understand the plastic cups...they're very hard to drink from and on a hot day like yesterday getting water on board is vital. Why not use paper cups that can be squeezed into a funnel...it would also cut down on plastic waste.
ReplyDeleteIt was my first time running Ballycotton 10 yesterday. I started running approx 12 months ago and think it was great value for money - really well organised & I love the idea of a mug rather than a cotton t-shirt that'll never be worn.
ReplyDeleteInclusion of a chip for €15 entry fee makes me wonder why Dublin, Cork, Dingle marathons are charging such high fees...
Wonderful to have 4 water stations along the way even though the cups were difficult to manage.
A big thank you to everyone involved!
Ballycotton was excellent as ever. I have one gripe though - the coaches at the outskirts of the village. The runners that arrive on these coaches start to change by the side of the coach and in some cases the coaches begin to pull out onto the road long before the race is over for many runners. I always finish between 70-80 minutes and don't have a personal problem with this. But for anyone running 100 minutes + getting through the last mile must be very difficult due to the coaches and runners changing. If the coaches can't be more considerate they should be made to park well outside the village so everyone can enjoy their last mile.
ReplyDelete