New mandatory kit rule for 2015 and onwards
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Gareth Little | Dec 9 2014, 11:37am | Hi all, I just want to start getting the word out there that the IMRA committee have agreed to a new rule in regards to mandatory kit. From 2015 onwards, all runners will be required to carry with them a rain jacket for ALL IMRA events. This rule will be in force for all races regardless of league, distance, temperature etc. This is a rule that has come straight from the committee and will not be up to the RD’s discretion on race day. Anyone not showing up to races without a rain coat will not be allowed to take part in the race. Anyone found hiding their jacket and not carrying it with them or anyone who is found not to have a jacket at the end of the race will be given a DNF. We will also be compiling a list of recommended kit that you should also look to have with you when you arrive at each race. For anyone that has any concerns about this new rule, please feel free to contact me at gareth.little@imra.ie Thanks, Gareth |
| Stephen Bailie | Dec 9 2014, 11:47am | 100% Totally agree. As coming from an Irish army background wise decision guys. |
| Stuart Scott | Dec 9 2014, 11:59am | Great! A rule like this has been a long time coming. With the numbers on the hills these days, it's good to see runner's mindsets changing and actively taking responsibility for their own safety. The mandatory jacket will have a nice pocket to hold a compass and map. Any thoughts on expanding this mandatory kit for weekend races? Stuart. |
| John J Barry | Dec 9 2014, 12:17pm | long time coming folks - well done.. League prize next year return of the "Bum bags" with basic necessary kit (me like a fool gave away my previous one to brother for his 'fell' running :-( |
| Ronan Hickey | Dec 9 2014, 12:23pm | It probably makes sense, although I can see raised eyebrows for a race on a baking hot day up Bray Head. As long as its consistently applied and enforced with DNFs it should be fine. For the first few races maybe a volunteer should walk the first few turns in the course after the field has set off, picking up all the "donated" jackets and give them in to Focus Ireland? Ronan |
| Brendan Lawlor | Dec 9 2014, 1:01pm | For any of the raised eyebrow brigade there are two reasons why this is such a good idea 1) the weather can change during a race and your nice sunny start can turn into a nasty windy shower 2) if you hurt yourself during a race ( as an average of 1 person does in every two races) you will get cold very quickly (irrespective of the weather) and hypothermic in minutes in cold or windy conditions Plus if everyone has one it is no advantage/disadvantage to anyone, so well done committee - long overdue! I feel a group purchase a la Tierney Lenser Headtorches coming on .... |
| Richard Nunan | Dec 9 2014, 1:59pm | Thanks Gareth.. Just to reiterate, that there will be a compulsory check at the finish line for ALL Races - to make sure that everyone complies with the new rule. This is a baseline - other items will be added to this list for other races such as the winter league etc... |
| Greg Byrne | Dec 9 2014, 11:44pm | It is intriguing to see how this resolution seems to have come from the AGM. Without further elaboration it can only be assumed by those that did not attend that the mandatory kit issue arose due to problems at the Powerscourt Ridge race earlier in the day. At Powerscourt Ridge many runners turned up without mandatory kit (rain/windproof jacket). The issue arose due to the late announcement on the Friday at 16:15 of the requirement for a jacket & hat/buff. Less than 20 hours before the race start. It was the correct decision, and in my opinion should never have been left so late. 15 km over two of the highest mountains in Wicklow… it should be mandatory to carry hat, gloves and jacket over such a race. My gut feeling is that the race director was bound for trouble given the late notice. If the current draconian solution is to be applied then could I ask that mandatory kit be highlighted as a yellow bar across the top of the race details page. I have previously had to ditch mandatory kit requirements for Lug because Munster runners arrive up without it. The days in questions were somewhat fine so I felt confident in the decision, but the bigger issue was people travelling under the premise of local rules. We did introduce a requirement in previous years for people to bring mandatory kit for weekend races. As a weekend race director I never found this to be a problem, but the folks I met generally had mountain experience and brought the gear out of forethought. Wednesday night runners are a different kettle of fish. Again… Putting a big yellow banner across the page will highlight the requirement before we get Jane & Joe Bloggs doing their internet thing. Please make the race director’s job as easy as possible. They are the face of IMRA. There have been posts on the IMRA facebook page with respect to the quality of jacket to be expected… in all fairness if you cannot walk more than 10 metres you need a tent, mat and 4 season sleeping bag. If IMRA is asking runners to carry anything more than a Lidl/aldi windproof running jacket then I think it is in the interest of all members for IMRA to publish it’s race risk assessments for each race. And I will be watching the photos of the international races/trails… it would be a shame to see double standards |
| Dermot Murphy | Dec 10 2014, 9:19am | Greg, the discussion at the AGM was mainly regarding the Galtees race - conditions were quite benign at the race start, but gale force at the top and very challenging at the top. This race was in the middle of the summer, so highlighted the need to always be prepared no matter the time of year. The announcement for the Powerscourt race was late, but was not a problem, as the race start was delayed a few minutes to allow people to get rain jackets if they did not already have one with them. |
| Richard Nunan | Dec 10 2014, 9:40am | Greg, thanks for pulling the debate back to the IMRA forum. We are conducting the debate in both areas so that everyone is aware and can provide feedback. It has been very positive so far. This is actually the third time it has been discussed at the AGM in a row. Last year Diane Wilson and Hazel mcLaughlin walked us through how NIMRA had a success in this area. We plan to follow a similar process that is carried out there and other places. Munster as part of IMRA have already done the ground work on this and had raised it as a concern at the AGM. For the powerscourt race clarity was provided in terms of mandatory gear due to the number of "new" queries we were receiving. Carrying a raincoat for all races and setting the expectation that there will be a requirement for mandatory kit for all races should reduce the requirement for clarity. |
| John Langenbach | Dec 10 2014, 12:12pm | To confirm, would 2014's league prize jacket be acceptable to meet 2015's requirement? |
| Greg Byrne | Dec 11 2014, 9:56am | Thanks for the responses. I wasn’t at the Galtymore, but it certainly sounds epic from the race reports. And at the same time similar to Croagh Patrick, Mwelrea and WGL in the last couple of years. Such conditions are not exceptional in this country and as any hill walker will testify they can appear almost instantly. Looking at the race details it would seem to be pretty clear: mandatory kit is required with a good list given, the race was graded a level 10 or extreme race and personal navigation is specifically mentioned. Was the requirement for mandatory kit dropped on the day or did runners turn up without it? For the former I would think the logical answer is to make mandatory kit a requirement for all Championship races. I don’t think anyone can have a reasonable argument against this: 13km on open mountain, no road access from the course, >1000m climbing, top peak over 900 metres, winning time >1 hr. Given that temperatures drop by 1 degree Celsius with every 100m climbed it doesn’t take much for the sun to disappear and the wind to make the summit of Galtymore drop below zero. Similar analysis would work for the big ones such as Carrauntoohil & Lug, the remote ones such as Mangerton, Mwelrea & Nephin or the long ones WGL, CoG, Aughavanagh. The latter issue is matter of culture and can only be tackled by making people carry a jacket all the time. If it is culture change then this needs to be lead from the front. If people see the leaders carrying jackets they will follow suit. At the recent Powerscourt ridge race there was a big guffaw over the ‘late’ requirement for a coat. As I was at the front I was not surrounded by first timers! Honestly; two of the highest peaks in Wicklow, in Djouce probably the windiest peak in Wicklow, 16 km long, winning time >1hr… why would you not have a mandatory coat? In the end at least 3 of the top 10 did NOT carry the mandatory kit. I do think the quality of the gear should be the matter of discussion. It has been hinted among the Facebook posts that a jacket with taped seams should be the minimum. Is the plan to turn mountain running into a middle class sport? If you analyse the requirements for Carrauntoohil, WGL or any of the Ultra races then yes you will err towards a mountaineering style jacket. In these cases even moderate runners can be exposed for >3 hours to the Irish elements. Where does this leave the person looking for a new challenge, turning up to a marked Wednesday night trail race? The same person who does not know the difference between their roclite, ludite, kayano and mudclaw? This is the same person who is not willing to raise their hand for fear of asking a stupid question. If there is to be a minimum standard for the quality of the jacket then please do some kind of information sheet, possibly a video explaining the different coats and highlighting the options available (maybe there is one out there? See appended links). Think back to how much you knew about the subject on the day of your first IMRA race. It is very easy to judge others from a position of knowledge. With respect to navigation could I suggest that IMRA make it mandatory that they provide a race map online at least 7 days before each race. Maybe it is necessary to bring a few to races to hand out? I know we could buy maps at the NIMRA Flagstaff to Carlingford race previously. Would a B&W print out in a zip lock bag meet this requirement? Possibly also provide links to the excellent Mountaineering Ireland videos on basic mountain awareness, there is a really good on one locating your position using a compass & features. To finish I find it fascinating that we’re introducing a rule that could present a massive barrier to entry essentially because existing experienced runners heading into Ireland highest mountains need to be forced to do the right thing. Shame on us… Top line, top dollar… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PuOwODwYRg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pCf7DianBo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO5WGr9tlQY Good enough??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODsHOsHmo0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Twm1JkNUK8 |
| Diarmuid O'Colmain | Dec 11 2014, 10:18am | Good idea! A whistle could be another candidate for inclusion in mandatory kit; hard to argue it would be too heavy to carry! Recommended kit could include a light hat and pair of gloves - particularly for people with, shall we say 'thinning' hair, or poor circulation. It is difficult to be prescriptive about the type of jacket that should be required. Maybe as Greg suggests, information on the website explaining options would be useful - or an example of a suitable jacket like the Inov8 jacket that was a LL prize some years ago. |
| Niall Corrigan | Dec 11 2014, 10:35am | Greg I don't see how insisting on taped seams turns hill running into middle class sport. If people were to be guided by your video choices than that might have the effect you are referring to. Tresspass, Reggatta, Craghoppers are 3 brands I can think of off the top of my head that produce reasonable and affordable mountain wear for the entry level market at roughly half the retail prices of the brands you highlighted. The insistence on taped seams and a hood (a standard borrowed from the organizers of the Lakeland 100) only imposes a minimum standard of features which is easily recognizable by RD's, volunteers and runners, it doesn't, in my experience, make being safe in the mountains unaffordable for most. It would eliminate jackets such as the Patagonia Nine Tails you chose as an example which, in my opinion, is not up to the job, but I suspect you know that already. I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments on the culture of bravado among some experienced runners who should, as you say, lead by example. |
| Brendan Lawlor | Dec 11 2014, 12:42pm | I wouldn't be too prescriptive about which jacket people need to have - the key point is everyone has to have one for every race. If your jacket is crap and you hurt your leg at least you have a jacket and anyone stopping to help you will also have jackets. I also find it very hard to believe that people who plan to run off road don't have a suitable rain jacket There will naturally be teething problems and moaning on this initially but just like caps on race numbers, we will all get used to it quickly and soon wonder why we didn't bring it in a lot sooner. Also our photographers will do all the enforcing needed as if you don't have your jacket or you plan to drop it in a ditch after 100m and pick it back up on your way over the line , as I've seen several runners do over the years well you will be rumbled and you will be DNF'ed I agree that people need to be well warned in advance about this change for 2015 - hopefully the naysayers will eventually come around but you can't please everyone :) You'll certainly need a jacket up Djouce at the Solstice run on the 21st Dec !! |
| Mick Hanney | Dec 11 2014, 1:36pm | Re: the maps, I agree with the sentiment but it relies on consistency in the calendar and on routes to have maps available. In 2014 lots of route were subject to change as a result of permission issues and last minute maps had to be provided. Ideally each league and their route maps would be tied down before they start but that hasn't been possible in recent years despite best efforts from volunteers. |
| Alan Ayling | Dec 11 2014, 8:32pm | Have to agree with Brendan about not being too proscriptive about what sort of jacket is acceptable and what isn't. As already shown in this thread, we can get ourselves tied up in knots with this sort of thing. The crux of it is this - for too long, runners have been going out into remote country with inadequate gear. In some cases, deliberately and flagrantly going against kit requirements which were supposed to be in place. It's an unacceptable risk to IMRA for all sorts of reasons. So something has to change. Finding a solution that works for IMRA, for race directors and for runners isn't that straightforward - as the man says you will never keep all the people happy all of the time. While the new rule has its flaws - mandatory jackets for trail races in perfect conditions in summer hardly makes sense - at least it will get us the culture change which is obviously needed. |
| Moire O'Sullivan | Dec 12 2014, 5:10pm | I don't know about other mountain runners, but I seem to have accumulated a few jackets over the years. A few of them I've retired because the pocket seams have gone, a better model was out, the zip just didn't flow as freely as it used to. However, they are still perfectly good jackets. Maybe such jackets could be donated / off-loaded so that a newbie could have one at least to do the mountain races. They won't win any fashion stakes, but at least they could have one and avoid any initial 'entry costs'. Happy to give them to an appropriate IMRA committee member if someone was willing to organise such a jacket donation scheme. |
| Jason Kehoe | Dec 12 2014, 5:33pm | Pleased to see this coming through. I've had my fair share of falls during races and one in particular changed my attitude to kit. Coming down from Croagh Patrick I smashed my quad at the bottom of the cone. In only a singlet and shorts on one of the sunniest days of the year it took me nearly two hours to hobble down. I didn't realise that I was near hypothermic at the bottom and even passed out for a while at the end. The Galtees race was another rough one, never experienced anything like the conditions there, some people even took shelter for a while. I had all the kit but didn't need / have time to use it. In my small bumbag is the following for all Championship or > 1 hour races: -Whistle -Compass -Map printout -Foil Blanket -Magic Gloves - from Pennies -150ml~ drink & sucky sweets -Lightweight hat / balaclava -Lightweight Rain jacket -Lightweight rain bottoms (If uncertain weather forecast) -Phone (if long/unfamiliar race) I dont even notice wearing it anymore and I very rarely dip into the bag but it's reassuring to know its there and I can stay somewhat warm long enough to extract myself or get help. If everyone has it then no 'disadvantage', I always looked at the flip side and considered it an advantage to carry it! Putting specifications on equipment complicates it and will make this a more difficult process for the average runner to follow and enforce. Taped seams sound like the sensible choice and I'm not even sure if any of my jackets have them so would probably need to buy a new lightweight seamed jacket. If so then I'm for it. In the next round of enforcement I think all equipment should be mandatory to bring to every race and then it is up to the race director to decide on just bringing the jacket or more. Keep it all together in the boot of the car and no problem. Don't know about you but I'll be bringing most of the gear. Advantage or disadvantage to your race? Lets ask that question if you find yourself in a heap or lost on the side of a mountain. |
| Pat Barry | Dec 15 2014, 3:12pm | Oh this is sounding so familar to that discussion/heated argument just across the Irish Sea! FYI here is the FRA rules http://fellrunner.org.uk/pdf/committee/14_Competitors_Safety_Rules_and_Equipment.pdf Section 12 is all about the kit list. WATERPROOF whole body cover (i.e. covering the to rso from head to ankles) Other body cover appropriate for the weather conditions including, as a minimum, hat and gloves but also e.g. a fleece Map, preferably waterproof, of the race route and surrounding area Compass suitable for navigating the course (GPS type equipment is not acceptable ) Whistle Emergency food (long races). Must accept the FRA recognition of “waterproof†to mean a garment marketed as "waterproof" (i.e. not just “windproofâ€) with taped seams. Such garments require maintaining (i.e. cle aning and reproofing) to maintain their waterproof quality |
| seamus ryan | Dec 15 2014, 10:37pm | I carry a lightweight disposable poncho, it has no seams, a hood and is bright yellow, its much handier than a bulky jacket, in fact it not much bigger then a wallet. I have a foil blanket thats about the same size too. |
| Pat Barry | Dec 16 2014, 11:49am | Seamus, it may be OK on a short run, just hope you are never facing a 3 hour hobble, with a sprained ankle, in howling wind and rain to the nearest road. |
| seamus ryan | Dec 17 2014, 11:32pm | Without any clear definition of what types of raincoat are acceptable, then i have to assume my poncho is ok. |
| BrÃan O'Meara | Dec 18 2014, 9:07am | Gear sufficient to prepare for a three hour hobble in howling wind and rain would set the benchmark a bit high for every race. The individual's common sense/sense of responsibility depending on the conditions of the day should play the primary role - there's no point going full nanny state (at the risk of bringing the full wrath of the 'when you're lying with two broken legs in four feet of snow, five hours from shelter, you'll wish you'd brought more than a rain jacket with you' brigade down upon my head). Likewise, were we to determine the mandatory kit rule based solely on the conditions on Galtee Mór this year, ski goggles and a fleece would also be mandatory. Rain jacket for all events is a common sense rule, with obvious occasional additional requirements for longer, open mountain races (space blanket, hat, gloves, etc) |
| John J Barry | Dec 18 2014, 5:30pm | My understanding is that all gear is required for every race and the Race director will make the call if say hat's and gloves are required for race 'x'. But a jacket is mandatory for every race. I would not class a 'poncho' as good enough for any off road adventure. I agree with Seamus, we need a clear definition of gear (especially quality of jacket) required, I would have thought the Inov-8 jackets from a couple of years ago be enough for Mid Week league races where Pat's 'hobble' may not be more than an hour. But then the top of Djouce down to Crone is a long way if one is injured. |
| seamus ryan | Dec 18 2014, 6:03pm | @John J, i agree i think we need a clear definition, i used the poncho as an example of fulfilling the requirement to carry a raincoat, it the bare minimum but without clear guidelines i'll be carrying it. Do you need the same type of raincoat for the Scalp/Howth as you would for Djouce/Seefingan ? |
| John J Barry | Dec 18 2014, 7:25pm | My understanding is 'YES' you do. The reason is that it removes the ambiguity of selecting a jacket for a particular event. |
| Stephen Bailie | Dec 19 2014, 1:36am | I'm sorry actually no I'm not again. People are missing the point of mandatory gear saying different hills you don't need it on. BULLSHIT. If you hurt your ankle on any hill your in trouble cause weather can change so quick. |
| Stephen Bailie | Dec 19 2014, 1:36am | I'm sorry actually no I'm not again. People are missing the point of mandatory gear saying different hills you don't need it on. BULLSHIT. If you hurt your ankle on any hill your in trouble cause weather can change so quick. |
| Pat Barry | Dec 19 2014, 10:32am | Galtee Mor, has been mentioned a couple of times. John and I both ran it last year. I had an excellent rain coat in the car but just took a light pertex on the race to save weight. From being lovely in the valley it was horrendus up top. I was very cold and wet but I was running well so I was able to keep the body warm enough. If I had a accident or navigation misshap (as has happened many times on Galtee Mor) then it would have been a very different story. |
