Annagh Hill 2019
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Joyce | Mar 13 2019, 9:28am | Thanks so much to everyone who has kindly volunteered so far- a testament to a great community! I'll be in touch shortly regarding roles etc. If anyone fancied having a go with the laptop, feel free to sign up, but we'll manage one way or the other. The course is relatively dry at the moment, and will in all likelihood be the same as last year. Any last minute changes will be mentioned here if required. Thanks to all at the Gap Pub for once again accommodating us, and for being so helpful in opening before the event for toilets/changing etc. Course will be well marked and marshalled, but be aware there are ample opportunities to get lost! You can expect fireroad, open mountain, forest, pools of water, mud, grass, trails, etc etc. There are some very steep climbs and descents- and while everyone is welcome please note there will be a cut-off point 4km into the race- anyone who hasn't reached this point by 12:50 will be directed to complete a shorter loop back to the finish. Please understand this is to limit the time marshals will have to remain on the course, and cooperation with the marshals is expected and appreciated. If you feel you may not make this cut-off and want to complete the full course, there will be an early start at 11:00 (that anyone usually slower than 160%+ winners time) can avail of. Anyone who wants to recce, I'd recommend the new EastWest "Wicklow South" map which includes all these trails not evident on other maps (available here http://www.eastwestmapping.ie/product/wicklow-south/ ) |
| Andrew Hanney | Mar 13 2019, 10:47am | Looking forward to it. I was hoping that the climb at the back of the course would return so I could get more photos like this: https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/131244/ https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/131258/ https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/131272/ https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/131190/ ;) |
| Conor O'Farrell | Mar 13 2019, 11:08am | @Andy. Hah, nice one! I face-planted so hard last year, I'm still cleaning the muck of my face! https://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/137071/ |
| Pádraig Doyle | Mar 13 2019, 11:08pm | Conor, you look like you're hiding, hibernating or having a nap; mainly nap. ;) |
| Andrew Hanney | Mar 14 2019, 8:23am | I confirm I heard snoring. Conor I want to photo your expression climbing up that section... ;) of course we would provide some sky hooks on the day. |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 15 2019, 8:25pm | *Updated Route* After some welcome tips from Bernard Fortune, myself and Mick scouted part of the course this evening and settled on a new 2019 course. Its a little longer than before, a little more climb than before, but has practically eliminated any fireroad in favour of good runnable trails. One of the nice things about Annagh is the sheer variety of trails, and I think this years route will be the best one yet. After the initial climb along the wall, an undulating ridge run will bring you to the 3.7k cut-off point (anyone not here by 12:50 will be directed to the short course back home). There's a very steep downhill section- rocks, muck, and leaves, but all runnable- before the new bottom trails through the forest (thanks Bernard!). This will take you out to the very steep Beech tree climb, then a brief flat respite before Connahill and a return of the Ridge. Alan, you'll be happy to note Enduro Falls will bookend the route to the finish- I assume you will again provide ambulance service for any broken legs? ;) |
| Alan Ayling | Mar 16 2019, 1:29pm | Woohoo! :-) Thanks Paul, sounds like a brilliant course. Hopefully it won't require any ambulance duty! |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 24 2019, 11:40am | With a week to go I just want to confirm the Junior race will begin at 12:10. It will follow the main course to the 3.7k cut-off point, before turning around back along the ridge and returning to the finish. Volunteers- I will be in contact via email in a few days. Still looking for a laptop operator if anyone knows that gig. |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 24 2019, 12:39pm | Route is great. Tougher than ever. Everything you'd want in an IMRA race including the pub near the start :-) |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 25 2019, 11:52am | Volunteers- I've sent you all an email. Please reply here if you haven't received it. Early start- having reviewed the marshaling requirements, we WON'T be having any early start. There are quite a few tricky junctions that are easy to go astray and we won't have marshals in place that early. So it will be one mass start at 12:00 (Juniors at 12:10) with a cut off point for the short course at 12:50 at the 3.7k point. |
| Nauset Gonzalez | Mar 26 2019, 12:18pm | Hi. Sunday will be my first race this year with IMRA and I have some questions Where is it exactly the place to pick up my race number? Chip is needed for this race? |
| Nauset Gonzalez | Mar 26 2019, 12:18pm | Hi. Sunday will be my first race this year with IMRA and I have some questions Where is it exactly the place to pick up my race number? Chip is needed for this race? |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 26 2019, 12:34pm | Registration at Gap pub - Annagh Hill - as per Getting There details on Event. No chip timing required this time out. |
| Aisling Kirwan | Mar 26 2019, 3:36pm | I’m available to volunteer for Annagh on Sunday |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 26 2019, 5:57pm | Thanks Aisling, I'll include you. Runners- in fact we will be using chip timing at Annagh. If you have an IMRA chip from a previous IMRA race, please bring it along. Everyone else will be provided a chip free of charge. Thanks to Jason and Conor for looking after chip timing and results. The following directions from Jason should make things clear: ********************** We will be trialing the chip timing at the Annagh Hill race on Sunday. For those of you who already have an IMRA timing chip from 2018 (or even prior to that), please bring the chip with you to the race. If you don't have a chip, one will be provided at no cost. Please register for the race first at the usual sign-on desk and if you haven't collected your 2019 race number, then do so before proceeding to getting your timing chip scanned. When all the registration is done, proceed to the volunteers managing the chip timing and they will scan your chip and assign your 2019 race number to it. Please, please, please ensure that you have your correct 2019 race number when your chip is being scanned. We obviously have to scan all participants but to help us help you, do not come to us with your 2018 race number or any other previous year for that matter. Make sure you have your correct 2019 race number. The timing chip must be attached to one of your runners to ensure that it is read by the mat. Do not put the chip in your jacket pocket or the pocket in your shorts as it will be too far away from the mat to be read, i.e. the chip is useless at that height from the mat and your time will not be recorded. After the race, keep your chip and bring it to all subsequent races that you attend. If anyone has already scanned their chip at a previous race, can they please get their chip re-scanned at Annagh, i.e. all participants must get their chip scanned before the race. For anyone who have never used the chip system before, could you please familiarise yourself with how to affix the chip to your runner by looking at the following videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEJx_yKTFMQ (demonstrates methods for using ties and laces to affix the chip to your runner). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GclTDmP_45M (demonstrates methods for normal runners and the vibram ones - also shows ways on how *not* to affix the chip to your runner). Wishing you all an enjoyable run on Sunday ************************************ |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 27 2019, 9:06am | Thank you all for the offers of help- we now have enough Volunteers for Annagh Hill. I'll be in touch again tomorrow designating jobs to everyone. |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 28 2019, 7:13pm | Lets get some positivity going. Who is looking forward to Annagh this Sunday? The route is an absolute cracker but not for the faint-hearted. :-) |
| Alan Ayling | Mar 28 2019, 11:43pm | Can't wait! Annagh is one of the highlights of the IMRA calendar. It's like a mountain adventure combined with a hill race... with some of the finest descents and wackiest climbs around. Be there. |
| Paul V Mitchell | Mar 29 2019, 8:57am | Does anyone have a gpx track of the route for Annagh hill? |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 29 2019, 10:51am | @Paul - this is 98% accurate. Only difference will be towards the finish when a route through the trees will be taken, which I didn't take on the recce. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3490224568 |
| Robert Carney | Mar 29 2019, 3:12pm | Hi, Anyone from the celbridge/lexlip/lucan area going to Annagh Hill and could grab the RD kit for me?? Thanks Rob |
| Jarlath Hynes | Mar 29 2019, 3:38pm | Rob, I'm heading down. Give me a shout at 087 681twotwo70 Jarlath |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 29 2019, 7:16pm | Myself and Mick were both out earlier marking parts of the course... fantastic evening for it and a real pleasure to be up there! Think this is the 6th time we've held a race here, and each time has been different... between felling which sometimes closes paths, sometimes opens them, and the 4X4 people who rent the hill and also plough new ground, its a very fluid hill. I think this years is the best ever course. Conditions are dry underfoot, but there are stones and rock on many of the trails and you can expect muck and puddles to appear... and of course there are some of the steepest climbs and descents on the calendar to contend with. If the weather is anything like the past few days it'll be a cracker. |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 30 2019, 4:36pm | Just in from marking the rest of the course... met a local gent walking the hill who was praising the fresh air and views- "Better to be out here free than in a Dublin highrise cooped up like a bloody canary!" was how he put it, and its hard to argue with that wisdom :) Online entries close tonight at 6pm, registration opens at 10:45-11:30, race starts 12:00 sharp. Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight, and be nice to your Mother tomorrow. See y'all down here. |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 30 2019, 9:15pm | May as well bump my race to the top of the forum seeing as others are doing it... €7/€5 entry, 10K+ distance, a very good course brought to you by various IMRA stalwarts. Lots of food (thank you IMRA) and memories but no t-shirts... there's been a huge amount of effort behind the scenes from many volunteers who I applaud, and the cost has been kept at a minimum because of them. Should be a good race, and its always a pleasure to help organise something for the model volunteer organisation that is IMRA. |
| Paul V Mitchell | Mar 31 2019, 12:15am | Thanks Mick :) |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 31 2019, 8:50am | The sun is splitting the stones down here! Should make for great views during the race in a few hours time :) |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 31 2019, 4:22pm | Thanks Paul for a great event. Report added. |
| Mick Hanney | Mar 31 2019, 5:15pm | Nice breathless report again Mikey. |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 31 2019, 5:25pm | Thank you so much to all who made the trip to Annagh Hill. Thanks also to our team of volunteers who made the race possible, and also to the Gap Pub who made the pre- and post-race so comfortable. I've a very simple formula on ranking the success or otherwise of a course: I ask Joe Lalor if he approves. Thankfully today's answer was positive so thats good enough for me :) Nevertheless several people went wrong during the race- when marking we try to consider how a leader might see a turn (or not), with gameface on and travelling at speed... its a difficult course to mark with lots of possible diversions, and for anyone who went wrong you have my sympathies and understanding. There were a couple of points where tape was removed (but I don't think it hindered anyone?), one point where an arrow from a different event led people astray, and one point where the leaders went wrong by missing a turn into the forest... this turn was marked with more tape than any other, and marshaled, although in retrospect a solid IMRA arrow marker might have removed any doubt, a lesson to learn for next year. Nevertheless, most managed to get around the route as planned, and thats what matters. Personally I'm delighted to have witnessed the legend that is Robbie Bryson roll back the years with a fine win (straight away saying he wouldn't have won but for others going astray, but thats part and parcel of the whole day). A strong win too from Becky Quinn who I believe added some distance but that didn't hamper her. One of the finest runs of the day surely came from junior Aoife Coffee, second overall from the ladies. IMRA graciously bent their Junior rules to allow this astonishing talent run the full course (being further than 8k), and she had a fantastic run to finish in the top 20 overall. Well done Aoife! These days I'm more at home in the sea than the mountains, but helping organising these races is a wonderful way of connecting with the hills again. Nice to see so many old(er) faces, and really good to see the next generation of IMRA kids spectating and climbing stacks of wood (beside signs saying Do Not Climb Stacks of Wood). Nothing ventured, nothing gained; and overall a hugely enjoyable day in the hills. |
| Alan Ayling | Mar 31 2019, 6:03pm | Well said Paul, and a super event it was. Annagh Hill has yet to disappoint. New section at the far end was a delightful addition, though it's a pity Enduro Falls has got so washed out and rocky. For the record Aoife did more than the prescribed course as well... I led her and Ger Moloney wrong at that turn just after the 2 marshals leaving the outward ridge run. Completely missed the tape, realised after a while but not soon enough we should have been running down the steep descent... met 2 other groups that had done the same! A pure case of head down watching the ground and not looking for markings. Got back up to find a really well marked turn! Should have gone to Specsavers. Nevertheless a great day on one of my favourite hills. Thanks Paul, Mick and the whole volunteer crew. |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | Mar 31 2019, 8:26pm | To clarify on Aoife running, competition rules allow for a 17 year old to run the senior route so much rule bending as clarification. Sounds like another classic Annagh experience today. Well done to all who put it together. |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | Mar 31 2019, 8:26pm | To clarify on Aoife running, competition rules allow for a 17 year old to run the senior route so much rule bending as clarification. Sounds like another classic Annagh experience today. Well done to all who put it together. |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | Mar 31 2019, 8:27pm | To clarify on Aoife running, competition rules allow for a 17 year old to run the senior route so much rule bending as clarification. Sounds like another classic Annagh experience today. Well done to all who put it together. |
| Jeff Fitzsimons | Mar 31 2019, 8:28pm | To clarify on Aoife running, competition rules allow for a 17 year old to run the senior route so not so much rule bending as clarification. Sounds like another classic Annagh experience today. Well done to all who put it together. |
| Paul Joyce | Mar 31 2019, 8:45pm | Thanks Jeff for that clarification, and apologies for suggesting otherwise... I'm not 100% clear on rules so obviously read them incorrectly. What everyone is 100% sure of is to applaud the fantastic run from Aoife, onwards and upwards. On the subject of rules there were a couple of runners who traveled from Munster (I believe) but just missed registration... I think they had their vouchers clipped, but weren't signed in... they ran but I couldn't include them in the results. I hate being a stickler for rules but this one is insurance based and unfortunately the insurance god trumps us all these days... perhaps the next time they turn up for an IMRA race they would let the RD know what happened and today's voucher punch should suffice for their next race. |
| Ben Mooney | Mar 31 2019, 8:55pm | Great race today, well done Mick and all the volunteers, very well marked. Ben Mooney |
| Ben Mooney | Mar 31 2019, 8:56pm | Great race today, well done Mick and all the volunteers, very well marked. Ben Mooney |
| Miriam O'Connor | Mar 31 2019, 9:41pm | Great race today, thanks to the RD & crrw |
| Peter Bell | Apr 1 2019, 9:15am | Race report up, thanks again to Paul and his team. Great fun on the hills again. |
| Barry Murray | Apr 1 2019, 11:14am | A legendary race ! Big hils, big report up ! |
