Organisation wise, it was as good as any other race. Good points picked out were.....
1) Good start area with a corridor for runners to get access to the back. This stops slower runners who were late clogging up the front.
2) Straight open road for the first 600 metres which allowed the field to thin out.
3) Plenty of stewards out along the course to slow traffic down.
4) Great spread afterwards....no queues for tea or food.
5) Results were reasonably fast.
It had the feel of a typical short club road race except of course it was a Half-Marathon. The only issue of concern though was the traffic on the road between Charleville and Kilmallock. The road wasn't closed and cars were trying to pass on a road that was half full of runners. When the field was bunched, the traffic had no choice but to slow down but I wonder what it like for those on their own at the back of the field? Even at the pace I was doing which was around 7:40 per mile, we had to run in single file at one stage to get past a backlog of cars. The course between the church in Kilmallock and the main road was a complete contrast........nice quiet country road with no traffic......probably the nicest part of the course. If the race number continue to grow, the traffic issue on the main road is something that might need to be addressed.
Not something you see at most races........(Photo courtesy of Jim McSweeney)
Overall though, a good race. I've done a few Half-Marathons this year and it's as good as any of them. Considering it's proximity to both Cork City and Limerick City, the race certainly has potential for bigger numbers.
Results.......Updated Mon 12:30pm
Please note that the results shown on Sunday were provisional with some of the chip times 12-16 seconds too fast. The final official results are now available. Check the link below to check your times....
The full results can be seen HERE
Photos........(Updated 27th Sept)
1) Gearoid O'Laoi has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Gordon Thompson has a small gallery of photos HERE
3) Jim McSweeney has this gallery on Facebook
4) The organisers have a small gallery of finishing photos HERE (~1:39 or faster)
Just ran this race & found it to be excellently organised - parking was no problem, chip collection only took a minute on the morning, plenty of stewards & after-race were plentiful. The course itself was nice & flat so it was a very comfortable half-marathon experience. The t-shirt was also very good quality & a real bargain at €5. Overall, this was an excellent race, well done to all involved - I hope to participate again next year.
ReplyDeleteA quick analaysis of those who ran sub 1:30 in the Blarney half and also ran this race shows that times in Charlevelle were on average 3 minutes (or close to half a mile!) faster. Practically every runner that ran both events was faster in Charleville.
ReplyDeleteGiven that the weather in Blarney wasn't bad either, Charleville can certainly stand over their claim of being a very fast course
I ran with the 1.30 pacers and I have to compliment them on the job done , there was no falling off the pace from mile 10 as they checked on everyone in the group throughout the last few miles to reach the finish on time , Great race overall
ReplyDeleteExcellently organised race. It's certainly a PB course that's for sure. AS for the traffic issues I imagine the only way to deal with it is to start at 9 and shut the raod down - which i doubt is a hardly a practical solution. That said 635 runners is a very big turnout-probably one of the biggest half mara's in Cork?
ReplyDeleteCheck out Maria McCambridge's spits, bang on even, some going
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else find that the chip times in the results are too fast? See main post.
ReplyDeleteNot a lot can be done with the main road between Charleville & Kilmallock. I heard that some stray cars managed to sneak onto the narrow section of road around the 8 mile mark and were heading dangerously close to the lead runners. A farmer also decided to drive his tractor + wide baler onto that section. Fortunately, the stewards managed to remove them just minutes before the race leader arrived (probably oblivious to the whole thing).
ReplyDeleteme too john. i am down for being 15 seconds faster than my watch time even though i started and stopped watch bang on the mats
ReplyDelete20 secs too. defo pressed it just before the mat (prob 2/3 early) and pressed it a 2/3 secs after the finish. They would have never messed up the times from the spotter mat with the finish ones ?
ReplyDeleteMy chip time is 12 secs faster than my watch time, started and stopped it bang on crossing the mats, was it just me or were they fairly late setting up the start mat? was surprised it started bang on 10am as a result, seemed to be about 5-7 mins before the actual start before they were ready, excellent race otherwise, can't fault it.
ReplyDeleteYes John, I am listed as faster by 12 seconds from my watch time - started it on the mat and stopped it on the mat......
ReplyDeleteMy time is 14 secs too fast by my reckoning too
ReplyDeleteone of the stewards said to me that the chip people were slow setting up the mats. he was obviously concerned and a bit annoyed by it. don't think the race organisers can be blamed for this one
ReplyDeletehas any one else found that names and no's dont match,my no is down as a female,which i'm not. Really enjoyed race, very well ran
ReplyDeleteJohn, almost certainly the chip times are based on crossing the spotter mat and not the finish line. Faster runners seem to be out by 10/12 secs, inceasing to c.15 secs for those around 1:45 overall and by c.20 secs for finishers after that, which is basically the time it took to cover the distance from the spotter mat to the finish line. Pity really because everything else was superbly organised, well done to Michael Herlihy and all the volunteers for all the work they put into this event.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually the opposite,my garmin said 1:59:02 my results say 1:59:42,as you can see I was trying to break the 2 for the first time so I was certain where I stopped & started my watch,those folks on 2:00 plus who thought they broke it must be rightly unhappy
ReplyDeleteI'd be worried about anyone who got a 1/2 time good for age for New York or something like that.
ReplyDeleteGreat race by all accounts, did not take part as I'm injured.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking with 6 of my work colleagues this morning I found out that for a finishers t shirt and a finishers medal you had to fork out a further €5 on top of a €30 half marathon. This is disgraceful. Charleville has lost 7 entrants for next year already. If this type of behaviour continues with high entry costs and "extra" for the t shirt and medal who knows where it will end?? It has the particular stench of a particular airline!!
That's a bit harsh. The way I read it was : instead of paying €40 for the race + T-Shirt + medal, you were given the choice of No T-Shirt or Medal and saving €10 or more if you compare to other Half Marathons. I paid €55 for Dingle Half.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think its a bit harsh if you look at it in the wider scheme of things and the potential impact this could have. This type of "extras" behaviour can and will only lead to one outcome which is other races doing the same thing. Eventually when people get used to pain of paying for the extras, the so called reduction in entry cost to accomodate this will be removed altogether and what will you be left with??....... half marathon entry for €40..... no t shirt or no medal.
ReplyDeleteWe are already in a position where we acecpt an entry fee upto €60 (Waterford Viking Half back in June)This was not the case a few years back..... but it's slowy becoming the norm.
I think u need to chill Alan :) The price of the race was reasonable in the context of other races (Cork City HM a lot more expensive for example). Give the organisers a break I say....
ReplyDeleteCannot agree price of race is reasonable just because other races charge high entry fee don't mean everyone has to.€35 late entry and€5 for a t-shirt is just another way of getting more money out of people. Race was well organised and good course but won't go back if I'm going to be penalised just because I don't enter before a certain date
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/gordon_thomson/8016559889/in/set-72157631605195108 this one is better John. Mom,Dad and baby :P
ReplyDeleteAidan, you say we 'accept' a €60 entry fee.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to 'accept' it at all. If you don't like it, don't enter!
Regarding this race, as other posters have mentioned, the medal (optional) was an extra €5 and the t-shirt (again optional) was also an extra €5. I see nothing 'disgraceful' about that, whatsoever. You and your friends have decided not to enter the race next year because of this. That's fine, although I doubt you'll find a cheaper 1/2 marathon that's organised so well anywhere else in Ireland.
A lot of races (mainly big marathons) increase their prices as they get closer to the race. At least by offering the shirt and medal as extras people had the choice to pay a lower entry fee. (Admittedly one of these is included as standard in most race fees.)
ReplyDeleteAs for getting a well organised half marathon cheaper elsewhere the St. Finbarr's half marathon was €20 to enter and on the day it was €25 with a goody bag and a running hat given to all finishers.
What was unique about yesterday's race in Charleville was the amount of money that was given back in prize money. I heard the winning man & woman got €700 each but there was also money given out for 2nd & 3rd and lots of age categories. What other race hands back that amount of money to athletes ?
ReplyDeleteIncreasing the entry fee coming up to race day is pretty standard. It encourages runners to enter early. Without it, runners would just wait until race day and how can you plan for that ? How many sandwiches do you make, how many T-Shirts, Medals, Portaloos etc. It takes about an hour to get through 100 new entries with 4 Registration Desks staffed with 2 people each taking about 2.5mins per entry. To accomodate 500+ new entries on race day, you would either need 20 Registration Desks or else ask people to arrive 5 hours before the Start and that's not very practical really. Early Registration facilitates better race-planning and therefore a better experience for all runners on the day.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair I think the words 'provisional results' should be used a lot more in the first 24 hours after a race,otherwise it appears to cause a bit of unnecessary upset to tired and broken bodies :),(i'm the guy who broke the 2 for the first time yesterday and posted 'my garmin said 1:59:02 and results said 1:59:42' which today my results read 1:59:12.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to Aidans point may I just say I agree,I think its nuts having registrars trying to 'upsell' just before a race when most people have the exact amount of cash on them for obvious reasons,it leaves a bad taste,even though I understand what they were trying to do with cost.Do an all in price and rise it on the day fair enough for the 'last minuters' .I wouldn'n be as strong as to rule out running in Charleville again though,I think this is a learning curve for everyone particullary for a race in its second year.
On a positive note having only been running since May of last year(turned 40 midlife 101!) and having previously run about 15 different races of all shapes and sizes,I thought this race was well organised and had a great community buzz about it,RESPECT to the organisers and the volunteers who give their time so freely for the benefit of their parish and my new passion,running.
'here's to better times'
41 and running :)
Some people her need to relax a bit and enjoy running in perfect course, good food, chilled atmosphere, class organisation - hats of lads - Charleville half marathon is the best in country. It's not cheepest and it's no where near most expensive - so it's bang in middle and pluss people who mooning here here - you have options - T-short yes or no - medal yes or no - and another think - if you don't like - don't run - nobody did not push you to run race. We are quick to criticise somebody who try to do thinks right but think what YOU have done in your life and what You dont have done!!! So message is very simple - relax, chill out and enjoy your running!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is very rich of people being hyper critical of the race - this race is still very cheap compared to other HM's without half the frills that Charleville provide.
ReplyDeleteThe course was accurate and very Fast.
The pacers were spot on.
The grub was great afterwards.
Catergory winning athletes were rewarded.
A portion of the funds raised given to Charity.
Sure many 10k's charge 20 euros and do not provide half of the above yet a small majority of people still give out -
Keep up the good work Michael, Team and North Cork.
While this was a nice race and well organised i too find €25 for your bare entry a little steep for a club run event. Wasn't it cheaper last year?
ReplyDeleteThere's not a lot of profit going back to the Club (for gear) after paying out for Chip Timing, Water, Food, Portaloos, Ambulances, The chosen Charity, Prize Money etc. There's a lot of blood, sweat & tears required to run an event like this & a lot of sleepless nights for the organisers. Please don't begrudge them a small bit of money to go back into buying gear for the kids. There's no lining of pockets here.
ReplyDeleteWhat can you get for ¢25 ? Maybe a big lunch for 2 or a round of drinks for your friends. Or you could use it to enter one of the best races of the year, to rub shoulders with several elite athletes and to enjoy 4 Star Catering afterwards. I know what I'd spend my $25 on. I thought it was money well spent. Well done Charleville.
ReplyDeleteits great having big cash prizes but who do you think has to pay for it?
ReplyDeleteWhat can you get for €25? Two and half entries to the Cork to Cobh race.
ReplyDeleteIt's sounds like a really well orgnised, marshaled and executed event. I'll now make my final comment on this subject. With regard to the anonymous comment made at 2:41pm.... This is one of the points I was trying to get across.... the elite runners get a high prize purse and the person who runs 2h:30mins for the same race does not get a t shirt or medal??? For some if not most recreational runners the t shirt and medal is a very proud part of the day and to be asked to pay extra is not exceptable in my book.
ReplyDeleteI’ve just moved to Cork from further up the country, love it here by the way!!
ReplyDeleteI’ve just purchased my first pair of running shoes and started to hit the road. A friend of mine had recommended this blog spot to me and I’m glad she did, so here’s my tu’pence worth . I do think that the prices being asked for races are a little steep but to hear that a finishers t shirt and medal are not included just does not sit well with me. I’d be completing the race for 1 reason only to get my medal. Think I’ll just take up Zumba or something if this is the future of running!
A friend of mine is from the USA, she says that the option to reduce the overall price of the race by not opting for the tshirt or medal is fairly standard over there. You are not being charged extra to get the tshirt and medal, you are being charged LESS to opt out of it. Plenty of runners have no interest in another race tshirt or medal and for them its a great advantage to save some money. If you see it as the other way around, you are just a begrudging tight arse and you need to get over it and map out a 13.1 mile route of your own and time it on your watch. Races cant be free can they???
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed my experience at the Charleville half, I will definately be back next year, and hopefully there will be less GOMs at it and more people who want to take the sport forward
Aidan, this has nothing to do with the elites. If I'm the person who finishes at 2:30 and I don't want a t-shirt, then that choice is there for me. If you want a t-shirt then you pay for it, I definitely don't want to pay for your t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteThe commercial races give you a t-shirt and a medal charging you an extra 20 or 30 euro for race entry and you think its ok but then a club race does something like this to help people break down the cost and you're critical of them?
If you can't see the difference between the way that this club race does things and a self serving commercial race or even a self-serving club race does things you need to learn a bit more about this sport. Its not really fair to be critical of a group of volunteers who are obviously doing everything they can to serve their sport while at the same time offering as good a race as they can to participants in their race for as low a price as they can. They deserve to be encouraged and supported rather than characterised in the way you have characterised them. I will turn up everytime for a race which donates money to charity and reinvests in the sport in the way that they have.
Having the Opt Out Option for T-Shirt & Medal was in response to requests from several runners last year who did not want T-Shirts or Medals because they have accumulated too many of them over the years. So, by accommodating these requests and making life more difficult for those handling Registration, this is the thanks they get. You can't please everyone.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to open up a discussion I thought was worthy of debate but have been met with a personal insult to which I take exception.
ReplyDeleteThats real mature of you David. If you do not agree with the points I've made then thats fine and it can be discussed and debated but should not be reduced to personal insults. No need to apologise.
I liked the t shirt so I bought it... end of story. I have more t shirts that end up cleaning bikes than I can imagine.
ReplyDeleteWould feel weird about 'buying a medal' but would be happy to receive one after the race.
People are out volunteering, spending there own time and should be well looked after, I welcome the 2hr 30min cut off, organised volunteers are the biggest factor in the success of an event
There are loads of half marathons that are designed for mass participation, beautiful scenery and provides a 'packed lunch along the way' sure you'll get a t shirt and a special medal, but a lot more than 10euros has been but into the entry fee to accommodate this, plus you'll be hounded to buy photos, great selection on this blog
It's not nessary a PB course solely because its flat, other factors like weather conditions, and the pace that was set at the front has a trickle effect down the course... Of course you can go off too fast and blow up but that's racing
I'll be heading back to north cork next year, I think it's got the building of a classic and more importantly I've got a new t shirt that ill actually wear out training and only cost a fiver
Aidan, as organiser of this race its very disappointing to see your comments and the overall tone and attitude you have taken towards our race. It seems as if it was very obvious to everyone else on this blog and on boards.ie that we were trying to break down the cost as much as we can for people. It actually would have been a lot easier and cost us a lot less if we had included the cost of the t-shirt and medal in everyone’s race entry. However as runners ourselves we knew from the feedback that we got last year that not everyone wants a t-shirt or a medal so we decided to take a big risk to try to do even more for our participants by offering them this choice. It was in no way intended to gain extra profit for ourselves. In actual fact my initial estimates tell me that we made a significant loss just because we wanted to give good quality medals and t-shirts to runners.
ReplyDeleteWithout any major sponsors it was a big risk for us as a small club to take to subsidise the cost of these before we had gotten many entries at all. I would say to you to try to learn a little bit more about what is involved in race organisation before you go criticising a race for the cost... especially when you haven’t even attended the race that you are criticising. You should also look at what a race stands for because it will become very obvious what a race is about if you look closely enough. We were very clear about what we stood for before the race and you would have seen this as you are obviously a regular visitor to this site so I don’t see how you can justify your comments. http://irelandrunning.blogspot.ie/2012/08/message-from-organisers-of-charleville.html I would ask you to apologise for your unfair disparaging remarks which I have proven to have no base in fact or obviously you have no experience in race organisation as a volunteer. Since you have criticised our race so publicly I would ask that you make your apology publicly. I would even suggest that you join a club and try to put something back into the sport which you gain so much enjoyment from.
I am also disappointed at your comments regarding the prize purse for the winning athletes especially considering the comments you made after you had won the Viking Half-Marathon yourself http://munsterrunning.blogspot.ie/2012/06/waterfordresults-of-waterford-viking.html. I don’t want to seem like I am picking on you but your arguments don’t really add up. If anything they are a bit hypocritical. You willingly paid your 60 euro entry fee without any complaints to support a race like the Viking Half-Marathon which offers no prize money.
ReplyDeleteYou then happen to win this race yourself and the tables are turned on you.
It was only then that you wanted to complain and feel aggrieved.
However then you turn around and criticise our race which offers an exceptional prize purse to the top runners in Ireland and you say that you aren’t going to participate in our race because we are somehow trying to rip people off with a 25 euro entry fee. These athletes play an important part in inspiring the next generation of athletes and the example they set to them in their noble pursuit of their sport is an invaluable contribution to our sport and society as a whole. I’m sorry that you don’t value athletes who sacrifice a significant amount to perform at this level and get relatively small amounts for their performances compared to what they sacrifice in their lives.
I’m sorry Aidan, this is not a personal attack on you, but your remarks simply don’t stack up. You say that you want a proper discussion but a proper discussion requires someone who is not hypocritical in their arguments and to base their arguments in fact and reality.
I would like to thank everyone else who has been so complimentary of the race. I thank you for voting with your feet to support a race which is about promoting the sport rather than making big profits to line someones pockets. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back again next year for an even better race at hopefully the same or even cheaper entry fee if we can manage to get sponsors on board. I am glad so many people appreciate what we have done to make this a race where everyone can get the satisfaction from running faster times. I hope other clubs follow our example to try to offer better quality races to runners in the future. We will continue to demand better quality even if we are criticised for doing so.
Congratulations to all at North Cork AC and Sinead O'Riordan on the half marathon and the Ballyhoura series. Having to do seven races out of eleven was a bit steep though.
ReplyDeleteperhaps some people just need a hug? ;-)to be honest north cork would be better just ignoring the criticisms. here's the race- you either want to do it or you don't - simple as that really- can't be bothered with medals myself but the food was great. as for aidan not doing it on a matter or pricipal seriously.....
ReplyDeleteheaven forbid someone should criticize the entry fee
ReplyDeleteMust be a Record numbers of comments on blog john, great publicity for a GREAT race organised by even greather people for us the 'runners' who love to run. F... de begrudgers. j
ReplyDeleteRace organiser, rise above the negative comments, it's gaining momentum on Facebook. it was a great , well organised race on Sunday, and great value too. Let the numbers do the talking , up over 200 on last year and heading for 1000 next year. Don't let a begrudger who was not at the race become the story.........don't take the bait.
ReplyDeleteAll,
ReplyDeleteIt was my first time running this Charleville race but have done a good number of half's over the last year and I must say the organisation here was good. Good availability of parking areas which were well marshalled. The race itself, from the starting line where there were side sections for late arrivals to make their way to the back of the bunch without having to walk through the race group....Clonakility and Galway half's can take a note of that!
The marshalls on the course were well placed, and handled the traffic well between Charleville and Kilmallock. A possible improvement for next year could be to start the race at 9am to miss some of that car/lorry traffic between Charleville and Kilmallock, as there were a couple of instances for me where the traffic caused a bottle neck.
I liked the pricing split with regard to the medal and t-shirts. For anyone who has done a number of races the tee/medal opt-out is a useful cost saver, while the first-timers get the option to add what they want.
I got a PB on this race so I'll be back again for sure next year, plus the food spread (I counted 12 tables :) ) was great.
See you in 2013!
Brendan Lynch / Kinsale
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I thought to offer a choice was a good thing. €30 for a well organised race including a (nice dri-fit, running) t-shirt ain't cheap but it's not bad either.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like it, don't do it but spare us the moaning.
The fact that such a fantastic organisation like the St. Joseph's foundation benefitted is great too. Anyone that puts in the massive effort that is required to organise a race as big as a half marathon should be encouraged and supported and thanked for their efforts.
Very good course and would be an excellent choice for the All Ireland Half Marathon championships next year if they were to host it there
ReplyDeleteMicHyDathlete, I was hoping that I’d not have to comment on this issue again but following your last two posts I feel I’m obliged to. So, no I do not have experience in race organisation or volunteering. It was not my intention to draw criticism on the volunteers or organiser, but clearly I have. For this I do apologise. On further reflection, yes I do agree that my original remarks were unfair and disparaging and even perhaps a little ill thought thru. For this I think a public apology is warranted, please accept my sincerest apology for this. It still remains my opinion that races are getting more expensive and will continue to do so, for this I cannot apologise, I sure you can respect that. If I can clear 1 or 2 things up with you….I do not begrudge the elite runners the large prize money, in fact I envy all of them for their performances and I was gifted the €60 entry for the half marathon so I ran it any way.
ReplyDeletePlease accept my apologies and I hope this issue has been put to rest.
An earlier start would certainly make things easier for the organisers and the runners. It was not easy getting 60+ stewards up early on a Sunday to be out on the course before 09:30AM. I suspect it would be a lot harder if they were asked to be there at 08:30AM. A complete road closure would need to be approved by local Garda & both Cork & Limerick County Councils. Although the organisers & the runners would be happier with this, drivers would not take too kindly to it so a comprehensive plan to re-route the traffic would be required. Maybe if the number of runners increases, it will make this an easier decision.
ReplyDeletehave to agree with the above comments. it was a excellently organised race and even better for me being a charleville local.i know the controversy over the tshirt and medals was generating comment prior to the race and while I do feel everyone should get a tshirt it ain't as valuable as a PB!!! Well done North cork. The organiser should however not be easily wound up by people.i'm sure it doesn't do him any good
ReplyDeleteI could not make it down to Charleville this year but I just saw the T-Shirt on a fellow runner. I must say that it's a bargain at 5 Euro. Judging by the quality, I'm sure it cost the club more than that to source them. I can only assume that they would have required sponsorship to break even on them.
ReplyDelete