Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Results and photos of the Munster Masters Cross Country Championships...Sun 1st Dec 2013

Monday, December 02, 2013

Results and photos of the Munster Masters Cross Country Championships...Sun 1st Dec 2013

The Munster Masters Cross Country Championships were held in Beaufort, Co.Kerry on Sunday 1st Dec 2013.

Womens results with the Cork teams taking top place in both categories

Place Name Team Name County
1 Niamh O Sullivan An Riocht Kerry
2 Carmel Crowley Bandon Cork
3 Carmel Parnell Leevale Cork

Women O35 Team County Team Points
1 Cork 3, 10, 14, 15 = 42
2 Clare 5, 7, 22, 36 = 70
3 Kerry 1, 13, 28, 32 = 74

Women O45 Team County Team Points
1 Cork 6, 12, 42 = 60
2 Clare 4, 27, 33 = 64
3 Tipperary 38, 50, 53 = 141

Master Men’s Results
In the mens race, it was a close race all of the ways to the finish line with just a foot separating the first two...

Place Name Team Name County
1 James Liddane Bridge Milers Olympic Harriers Clare
2 Martin McCarthy Leevale Cork
3 Shane Simcox Mallow Cork

Men O35 Team County Team
1 Cork 2, 3, 5, 6,7, 8 = 31
2 Clare 1, 4, 20, 22, 30, 32 = 109
3 Tipperary 10, 16, 19, 21, 33, 43 = 142

Men O50 Team County Team
1 Cork 31, 42, 54, 59 = 186
2 Kerry 39, 45, 61, 66 = 211
3 Clare 46, 49, 55, 62 = 212

The full results for men and women can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a number of photos HERE

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently the men's master went off over an hour early! Anyone know anything about it?

Anonymous said...

yes, the mens (and womens) races were going off very early. Apparently the juvenile races had such low numbers they ran some of them off together. We got a fright as we entered the field, the lad at the gate telling us the mens race is on shortly. Some of the lads didn't even have time to do a warm-up lap.

Anonymous said...

I believe that's simply not good enough. We pulled in at 1.40 for what we were told was a 2.45 start. Got to the car park only to be told that the men were now ready to start. Frantically we changed and ran straight to the start line where the race began almost immediately. No warm up on a cold day after travelling for more than an hour. Lucky not to get injured. When I tried to get an explanation afterwards there was no one to take responsibility.

Anonymous said...

they should stick to the times stated regardless of juvenile numbers, very unfair on travelling athletes, seems like the officials just wanted to go home early.Needs to be addressed...

John Quigley said...

Lads get over it! That's the way Cross Country always works. If the program gets ahead, events are run off. XC always carries a disclaimer warning people that the schedule is subject to change - if time is made up, events are run.

Yes officials might have wanted to get away early - these people are out there, week after week, in all sorts of weather. they can be there from very early to very late...and they are NOT paid. We runners just want to come, run and go home......anyone want to volunteer to officiate at an XC event?....There's one in Waterford this Sunday!

On Sunday, the Masters Women's race, afaicr, was scheduled for 14:00, to be followed by the Masters Men. I didn't note when the women started, but the men's race started at 13:46 - about 35 min ahead of schedule.

Numbers in the Master's women were up approx. 100% on last year, while the Men's race had an increase of approx. 10%.

My thoughts on the event were that it was great to get away early. The usual complaint with XC is with schedules that fall behind, so I can understand how someone can expect things to be late, and be caught napping.

Rule of thumb (for any race): Aim to get there at least an hour beforehand! Anyone had who followed this rule last Sunday would have cut it pretty fine, but would have made it.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I completely agree. Whilst the volunteers do Trojan work to make these events happen starting a race that long before the scheduled time simply isn't good enough going forward. This issue needs to be addressed ASAP

John Quigley said...

Anonymous (Post #6), I really don't want to get into a prolonged arguement with someone who doesn't wish to identify themselves. There isn't an issue.

Cross country events generally run to a schedule, one after another. That means events move forward (rarely) or backward (generally).

Where there is a Timetable, it's different matter and yes, in that case, events should be done on time.

Post #3 - is that you? said that they arrived at 1:40 for a 2:45 start. The schedule estimated that the women would start at 14:00, with the men to follow - I've no idea where you got 14:45. On that basis, the men would have started at about 14:15/14:20. So, at best, poster #3 arrived about 40 mins before the scheduled race start = cutting it fine, to say the least.

Anonymous said...

john you make some very valid points re volunteers i think most runners know without them there would be no racer,s, but there still has to be more specific guidelines about start times,its very straightforward if it says 2pm start it should be just that not 30mins before that...

John Quigley said...

I'm not going to labour the point - both sides are just rehashing the same points, yet I don't think the mechanics of organising an XC event is being understood.

While I've been involved in organising races for many years, I've yet to organise an XC event. Nevertheless, I know and appreciate the work and scheduling that goes into it. I'd organise any road race at the drop of a hat, but an XC event is a different ball game altogether.

Consider this scenario from the Munster Masters XC, Borrisoleigh, 1999 (I think). Temp just above freezing, with driving sleet. Program started at 11am, Masters off around 2pm (don't remember...we just wanted it over!). If that schedule had got ahead (I don't recall if it did or didn't), do you think everyone would have sat around drinking tea (there wasn't any), until 2pm, or whenever?

I'm repeating myself, but that is the nature of XC. Races are run one after another, until finished. The *ONLY* time that varies is when a lunch break (Very rarely) is in the program.

I'm been competing in XC events at county, provincial and National level for 30 years, that's the way they've always been run. The more races in the schedule, the more the actual variation in the schedule.

How did we decide on when to leave last Sunday? Well, with women scheduled for 2pm, we figured the men would be off at 2:15/2:20. Allow an hour for number collection, warm-up etc. Another 20 min for finding the course, and travel time. So...we planned to arrive in Beaufort at about 1pm at latest. Poster #3 arrived at 1:40....I'm sorry for their troubles, but that's cutting it *EXTREMELY FINE*..... welcome to XC life.

Anonymous said...

I have been going to x country all this year and as I have 2 young kids who take part, we are always early there and men race been last, we late leaving, a long day. When this race was ahead of time, i was fair happy :) . And still had 1:45 min drive home.

Anonymous said...

If a time is advertised for 2pm it should start at 2 pm or somewhere close to it+/-5 mins.Otherwise just advertise the programme starting at 11 or whatever with all other events to follow.Just because it has happened this way for 30 mins doesn't make it right.To be fair to athletes if a race is advertised at 2 it should start at 2.all pre race preparation depends on a start time.eg food travel warm up.It isn't going to put the organizers out too much to wait 30 mins to start a race.whereas 30 mins obviously could have a big impact on athletes taking part.I have seen on programmes before races advertised as not starting before a certain time eg 145. Which is not ideal but more acceptable.i wonder what would happen if a road race was advertised to start at 2 and they were let off early at 130 coz the organisers got sick of waiting and wanted to finish up early.no excuses.It is not good enough at the end of the day.

Anonymous said...

I think the problem is that on Michael Lillis' entry form, it was written 2pm for ladies race and 2.45pm for men's race. I don't understand why he put that time on the forms knowing perfectly from experience that the Munster B races are run quicker than the Munster As.That's where the confusion was. He should have written that start was around 1pm/1.30pm for ladies and 1.30pm/2pm for men as it is always the case after the B championships. Clotilde Fitzgibbon

Anonymous said...

I agree totally with Clotilde Fitzgibbon. This problem stems from the starting times given to athletes. A start time of 2.45 was on the form sent to the clubs. End of story, race went off at 1.45 leaving panic at the starting line for those who gave themselves a full hour to prep for the race. Does an XC race have exemption from the rules governing everyone else today?
I think not, it's time for XC to move into the 21st century once and for all.

Anonymous said...

John everyone appreciates the hard work and time that goes into organising an event. However if you knew the start time could vary so much it should have been made clear when people were entering. This was not the case. You should have stuck with the advertised times, 2:45pm for men. Simple as.