Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Clonakilty Marathon cancelled...

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Clonakilty Marathon cancelled...

The unofficial word is that the 2015 Clonakilty Marathon has been cancelled. Despite the fact there is still no official statement from the organisers, people are turning up in Clonakilty only to be told that the Gardaí had to stop the event due to local flooding.

Waterford AC cancelled their half-marathon yesterday afternoon giving people plenty of time to hear about it and not to travel.

As of last last night, the organisers were saying the following.......

Race update,

Met Eireann has issued a orange rain and yellow wind warning for the WHOLE of Cork County. As of now the race is still GOING AHEAD as we have NOT been advised this will affect us directly in West Cork

Miles and Smiles travel safe The Clon Crew


A lot of people have traveled quite long distances for this event.

Update...Course inspected at 6:45am, official statement at 8am. People knew at 7am it had been cancelled and it took an hour to get a statement out??

THE CLONAKILTY WATERFRONT MARATHON REGRET TO ANNOUNCE AFTER INSPECTING THE COURSE AT 6.45 WE HAVE DECIDED TOCANCEL TODAYS EVENT. HAVING HAD HOURLY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GARDAI, ,COUNTY COUNCIL ,AND OUR MEDICAL SERVICES THE RED CROSS .

THE DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO POSTPONE UNTIL A LATER DATE WHICH WE WILL CONFIRM BY EMAIL TO EVERYONE TAKING PART IN THIS YEARS EVENT . FOR THOSE THAT HAVE COLLECTED THEIR RACE NUMBER /CHIP PLEASE HOLD ON TO AS THIS WILL BE VALID FOR UNCONFIRMED DATE. 

WE APOLOGISE TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRAVELLING THIS MORNING FOR THIS LATE DECISION,AND THOSEWHO HAD MADE THE TRIP YESTERDAY UNFORTUNATELY WHILE OUR ORIGINAL ROUTE WAS CLEAR TO RUN. UP TO 6 AM THIS MORNING DUE TO RISING TIDES THE WATER
LEVELS HAVE ROSE CONSIDERABLY LEAVING THE ROUTE
IMPASSABLE

OUR ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FROM LAST YEARS EVENT WHICH WAS OUR OPTION THIS MORNING HAS NOW STARTED TO FLOOD . IN THE INTEREST OF HEALTH AND SAFETY WE HAVE HAD TO CANCEL THIS EVENT
WE APOLOGISE FOR THIS LATE DECISION THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON OUR NEW RACE DAY SHORTLY
OUR BEST WISHES
THE CLONAKILTY WATERFRONT MARATHON

Updates... 
1) High Tide......Please note that the high tide is at 12:26. Considering the amount of water in the river, it would be prudent not to park in a low lying area just in case you are in Clonakilty.  

Needless to say, there has been a lot of anger expressed at the organisers on social media as they didn't cancel yesterday...

Waterford offered a full refund yesterday for those whom can't attend new date..No mention of the same in this statement.This "Organisation"are a disgrace.Not surprised.

You should have cancelled it yesterday!!! How many people have you put in danger on the roads in this crap this morning. Trees down all over the place.

Could learn an awful lot from the considerate and early approach Waterford AC took

This should have been cancelled yesterday evening when waterford cancelled there one. I'm sure met eireann don't put out weather warnings for the fun of it...

I've spent enough money already registration, hotel, etc, I'll take a refund thanks.

I understand that the force of Mother Nature is beyond the control of the race organisers, but the communication in relation to this has been terribly disappointing. If it was decided to cancel at 6.45am, why wait until after 8am to post an official announcement? I'm a local and can't even imagine how anyone who travelled in dangerous conditions from further afield must feel!

I will take a refund also this decision should have been made last night. I travelled last night and people are still arriving this morning. Not good enough

29 comments:

Unknown said...

Terrible for them to leave it so late, it just shows the difference between this and Waterford which is run by runners for runners. I gave up running Clonakilty after bad organization a few years ago. Seems they still can't get it right. Feel sorry for all those who travelled.

Anonymous said...

Adam. Seems you were dressed appropriately for the event.

Anonymous said...

The contrast between Waterford couldn't be greater.

The Waterford half marathon was organised by a local athletics club while the Clonakilty marathon is run by a business.

Entry to the Waterford half was about half the price of the Clonakilty half.

The athletics club cancelled the Waterford half a day in advance so that people wouldn't need to travel. The Clon organisers left it to the very last moment not giving a damn about how far people had to travel or in what conditions.

Waterford are offering people a refund. No mention of one from Clon.

With Waterford, it's all about the runner. In Clonakilty, it's all about the profit.

Anonymous said...

This is a Commercial event. They are a "just for profit" organisation and hoped against hope it could've gone ahead. People will look for refunds now and the cost of reorganising another day will cost the organisers. RunClon are a commercial entity. It wouldn't have taken a meteorologist to know yesterday evening that this wouldn't go ahead today! They have risked people's lives yesterday evening and this morning unnecessarily in doing this. I didn't enter for cost reasons and I've read on social media more than 10 rants this morning already re the late nature in the cancelling of this event and see this as proof of my above point. Echoing last years complaints..... Bad organisation, no lessons learned.

Unknown said...

Couldn't agree with you more.

John G said...

Absolutely shambolic carry-on by the organisers in Clonakilty. A group of school kids would have managed this better. No regard for the runners whatsoever.
Waterford took the sensible decison yesterday to cancel their race in plenty time, with consideration given to both the weather forecast and the runners.
Met Eireann do not issue status red and orange weather warnings for nothing. And the organsiers not to pay heed to this was bordering on negligence from a health and safety point of view.
I'm no expert, but the following was staring me in the face yesterday evening :-

1 Clonakilty is in the southwest, and was in the orange-status alert area
2 The forecast for this morning was for the storm and rain to continue unabated
3 Clonakilty is a low-lying town, and has a previous history of regular flooding in bad weather
4 Some of the marathon and half-marathon course is out around the coastal areas near Clon, where the gale-force winds would be at their strongest.

The organsiers should have made the decision yesterday and removed all doubt. If nothing else, it should have been called off on safety grounds. By not making that call last night, I think they put runners in danger this morning. High winds, falling trees, and unseen floods in the dark on the roads were always going to be possible hazards.

And what exactly was the timeframe of events this morning in Clon ?. I am registered to run in the 10k, and I received an email from the organsiers at 08.23am, saying the event had been cancelled. Thats 37 mins before the start. That is an absolute disgrace, and the organsiers should be totally ashamed of themselves. If the decision was made at 6.45 or 7am, why didnt word go out immediately. Even at that stage, it was too late, with some runners i'm sure being on the road at that stage.

Did the organsiers need a permit for this race ? Becasue if they did, I would strongly recommend that they NOT be given a permit to hold any such event in Clonakilty in December in the future. This is the 2nd time in 4 years that there has been a total and utter fiasco surrounding this race in Clon. The year it was based in Inchdoney was a total farce. It worth going back to read the comments on here.

Clonakilty Waterfront marathon should not be allowed to hold this event ever again.

Anonymous said...

I've travelled from Dublin for the race. To be honest the late cancellation didn't affect me much - even if it was cancelled last night I would already have been here anyway so wouldn't have saved me the journey.

I would be annoyed if there was no refund option - its a bit much to just say that its on another date and everyone can travel to it again.

Agree with comments above: races by running clubs seem to be better organised

Anonymous said...

Once again, another shambles. I stopped entering a few years back, wish more would do the same.

There was no way on earth this would have been safe to run - but they tried everything they could and waited as long as they could before being forced to cancel by the Gardai. Speaks volumes.

Anonymous said...

How many times have Clon made a HAMES of things and people still keep supporting it, cop on, this is a commercial event, decent races have fallen by the wayside in the past few years for lack of support, like shop local, support races organised by local clubs and the BHAA., HAPPY RUNNING GHRISTMAS.

Anonymous said...

Shame on Clonakilty, just met a couple who had come from London for the event, maybe if it was called off yesterday it would saved them all the hassle and the weather forecast would have justified an early Friday cancellation.

Pat said...

It always amazes me how venomous people can get , no one died no one injured . Organisers in a no win situation , they genuinely thought it could go ahead weather per se was not a factor but as a consequence sections of the road were in part flooded by 6am. This constant reference to commercial races equally frustrates me people have a choice , it's a lifestyle choice . I could go to a concert and pay €100 or I could race and pay €60 my choice . Indirect benefit is health through training and night away get over it lads . We're a bunch of whiners in this country . Yep I planned to run today it didn't happen in clon so we organised our own half marathon some where else brilliant

Anonymous said...

Did race last year and was a disaster. Gave it another chance this year but now never again. No need to state the obvious that money Iis the reason thisrace wwasn't cancelled yesterday. And the dry fit top just sums it up. No sizes only large or Xllarge at 7.05 this am . And cheap looking too. Will never wear it. Says it all.

ber g said...

I was in Clon just after 6 this morning.(yeah I drove down from Cork, so what, it was my choice to do it) I must compliment everybody involved. The volunteers were already standing out in the lashing rain advising about parking. The finishing area was in place and the people involved in that were all ready at work. The hotel staff were efficient and helpful as usual but most of all the Clon crew had done their absolute best to try to ensure the event took place and had been out through the night checking the route. Im surprised to find so many moaners, get your priorities right, its not the Clon crew that is at fault, open your eyes, its the weather and this is Ireland WELL DONE TO ALL THE CLON CREW. I cant wait for the new date.

Anonymous said...

How could they, in all honesty, think it could go ahead ? Madness. Greed ruled .
When you pay, in this case, good money, for something, you expect a service. In this case, it failed through incompetence.
The fact remains it should have been called off yesterday.

Aidan said...

Why do the supporters of this clon fiasco think people who make valid criticisms are whingers. Being honest I havent ran clon for a few years. I have no problem with it being a commercial event. We all know that. The problem is they are cutting corners. One lesson is communication. Or lack of more like.
Anyone who thought their was a possibility that the race was going ahead today and clon was going to escape the storm was really living in cloud cookoo land. I suspect if they cancelled yesterday they would have to offer refunds while today they probably dont. I read a comment that apparently its probably the best organised marathon in ireland which tbh is rather insulting to intelligent people. Pity this could be a great one

Unknown said...

Did clonakilty last year and noticed what I thought were a few shortcuts in organisation but really liked the course so chose to do it again this year.

No issue with individuals volunteering to help the event but do feel that the event organisers should have handled the cancellation better, not waited for the last minute, offered option of refund straight away.

I won't be coming back to this event.

Anonymous said...

I really don't understand why people choose to support this race given the track history over the last number of years:

1. its clearly a race for profit and commercial reasons and as such is quite an expensive race.
2. it has constantly shown that it chooses to cut corners at every turn
3. Last year they got so lazy that they just chose to use one single stretch of road for all race routes, meaning multiple out and backs.
4. There are other races around the country on the same day who organize much more professional events.

People are of course entitled to support who they wish. But for god sakes if you choose to support Clon, fiascos like this today are going to happen. Its not a case of weather or other. Its a case that the organisers are not clued in enough to organise a top class event.

Anonymous said...

I can understand that the organisers have no control of the weather. I can even allow for the fact that maybe they thought it could go ahead on Saturday morning. What I cannot understand is how they could decide to cancel the event at 6:45am and then not put up any notice on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail until 8am. It really brought home to me that the organisers couldn't give a damn about the runners who were traveling to the race.

Never again.

carafw said...

Whatever about the rights and wrongs of the decision to cancel, I'd like to thank the marshals standing in the torrential rain for hours, answering questions by frustrated runners, but remaining friendly and cheerful. Likewise the helpers at registration, who seemed genuinely sorry for the decision and patiently tried to address runners concerns. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

People keep supporting this farce. 2012 was a shocker with three races starting at once in the hotel. 2013 involved tractors being used to bring runners across flooded areas. 2014 the lead runner was directed the wrong way in a course that involved awful back and out section. 2015 we have this. The organisers make 50 grand off this every year and people for some insane reason keep coming back. Nuts.

Anonymous said...

No hint of an alternative date from the organisers yet ? No communication from them since yesterday morning. Scandalous.
What about people who want a refund ?
Come on lads, sort out this shambles.

Pat said...

Fab morning in Cork, was there an option to run the event today ? A lot of people already in the town . For the marathon runners still aligned to taper , just a thought . For sure any one not able to commit to new date should get a refund that's the right thing to do.

Anonymous said...

IF they do not provide a refund then may I suggest that a group of runners take legal action against the clon team
They provided a bad service, put lives in danger, no communication on facebook page despite being able to put up irrelevant photos of the directors run

I think runners should get a full refund plus expenses for fuel accommodation and stress it has been done before remember the concert goers that sued for that barbara streisand concert a few weeks back

also these guys should not be given a race permit again this whole debacle reflects badly not only on run clon but clonakilty as a whole

Jane said...

I wrote a complaint on their Facebook wall yesterday and was met by a barrage of abuse by certain supports of "Bob" (who ever he is) and a blind refusal to accept the points as I made as being valid. My husband and I made the journey as far as Innishannon on Friday night and the conditions at that point were horrendous. I kept a watchful eye on FB from 7pm until 11.30pm and there was zero communication from the organisers in spite of the 100 or so more comments from people asking to know if the race was still going ahead. At 6.30am I checked again, still nothing! Travelled to Clon in appalling conditions to be told in a blasé manner by a steward that the race was off. That was half an hour AFTER the decision was taken to call off the race and yet they continued to neglect their responsibilities to making an official announcement. I will not be taking part in the rescheduled event, I will be returning my so called "hi tech" top and demanding a full refund. By those who seem to think that yesterday's carry on was acceptable I have been called "whinger" "bitch" "moaner" and I've been told that I "should be embarrassed" for myself, that I "should wind my neck in" and "get a grip". Lovely!!! Never, ever again will I have anything to do with this event. I wanted to support West Cork this year as I had done Waterford in 2013, well from now on Waterford AC will have my full support and from what I've read, I am not the only one.

Anonymous said...

ambulance chasing there dude....seriously get a grip...a full refund would be plenty..stress my eye, stress is not being able to find a shelter when you are homeless.perspective required

Anonymous said...

unbelievable that a refund is not being offered and yes I agree the comments defending the organisers are pathetic

Unknown said...

I've just see the statement from the organisers on their Facebook page. No hint anywhere in the statement that they might have got anything wrong, or made a poor decision at any stage, or that communication to the runners was a total shambles. Nothing. Just an expression of "disappointment".
Seeing as how us runners regard this Running in Cork website as the bible for runners, how about the organisers come on here, and just be honest. Saying that they were still hoping it would go ahead up to 06.45am on Saturday morning is just plain daft, and, in my view, a deriliction of their duty and care to runners.
Can anyone shed some light on whether the organisers needed a permit for the race, and will they need one for next year ? Because they should not get one.
And finally, to Bob Hilliard ,( the main organsiser referred to in Jane O'Sullivans post above ) who to be fair, has put hours and hours into organsising this and previous Clon marathons, come on here, be honest with the runners, and admit that mistakes were made. I think we would have more respect if you did. I would anyway.

Anonymous said...

Personally i suspect the Clon crew will say nothing and try to gut it out though

Anonymous said...

I have read all the previous comments and am not surprised by the reaction from the RunClon team. My last experience with this race was the year that we started in Inchydoney. This too, was a fiasco, the race was 45 minutes late starting due to badly thought out logistics. I wrote on several forums to complain about this and there was no acknowledgement of their mistake - they simply ignored me. The weather, that year. saved the organisers from an unmitigated disaster, it was a beautiful day. Because of this I have never run this race and have chosen to drive a considerably longer distance to Waterford (from Cork city) where a much more organised race is available. I'm sure these people only want to run a successful enjoyable race and I know from being involved in much smaller races, the level of effort that goes into something like this however this team should now acknowledge the mess they have found themselves in and try and rectify it.