Irish Mountain
Running Association

The Sugar Bowl

AuthorDateMessage
John GreeneJul 29 2019, 3:36pmhi Graham, i can do summit marshal & take some photos from the top if this suits. thanks, john
Nora Gonzalez GuridiJul 29 2019, 9:57pmWhat's the distance of the junior course?
Justin ReaJul 30 2019, 7:23amIs there an end of League barbecue at this event?
Laura FlynnJul 30 2019, 7:59amYes , there will be a barbecue in Plucks after the Sugar Bowl race Justin. We’re just finalizing some details before we post up. Hope to have it up shortly with tickets for sale.
Alan AylingJul 30 2019, 12:00pmRoute looks epic from the description - any chance of a map? Any help needed clearing bracken etc in the run up to the race?
Bronagh CheethamJul 30 2019, 12:26pmSugar bowl BBQ next week already? how did that happen? gees that was a quick league!;-)
Graham K. BusheJul 30 2019, 2:38pmHi Everyone, Well the moment has almost arrived when you will be turning your focus to the final race of the Leinster League. Yes! That time already!

Event details have now been updated. 7.5km 450m climb, another new route. Well more a hybrid of previous routes, with inspiration from Alan Ayling, Caoimhín MacMAoláin, and Mikey Fry.
We will have the "Caoimhín Climb" and the "Fry Fall" (Alan already has his Abyss on Djouce)

I hope you will all enjoy.

This edition also caters for the J14's of IMRA with a looped course of 3.2km with 205m climb
Graham K. BusheAug 1 2019, 12:04pmHi All, Just a quick note to say a Big THANK YOU to everyone that has volunteered for this event. I have enough helpers now. Please look to other races such as Circuit of Avonbeg or the Mountain Meitheal Handicap. Graham
Paul GrantAug 1 2019, 4:51pmQuick reminder on the sign in process for the LL races:
EVERYONE must sign-in on race day, regardless of whether you are registered online.
EVERYONE must SCAN-IN with their chip, at registration.
NO CHIP, NO RESULT. Everyone must have a timing chip.
CHIPS should attached to your runners on your laces or with a cable tie.

For more details see Kevin's Chip timing reminders - https://www.imra.ie/forum/topic/id/5308
Andrew HanneyAug 2 2019, 3:04pmI see the course photos, using the dogs as marshals is an interesting development.
Mick HanneyAug 3 2019, 6:40pmAnyone who has ordered maps I'll have a stock of them with me on Weds so give me a shout and I'll sort you out.
Graham K. BusheAug 4 2019, 7:43amYeah Andy, the dogs probably know the route better than me at this stage.

Mick, that's great thanks. A few might wish Sugarloaf was available too :)
Eamonn ChapmanAug 5 2019, 9:54amHi I don’t have a chip are these provided at the race or where do I get hold of one? Thanks
Graham K. BusheAug 5 2019, 10:59amHi Eamonn, I can't see a 2019 race number on your profile, so I think the first thing you need to do is to purchase membership for 2019 - this will give you a new race number for the rest of this year. Then you can either purchase entry to the race €7, or a book of vouchers (€50 for 10 races*). You can collect your race number and chip at registration before the race.
* races that normally cost €7 (each voucher punch is worth €5)
In the past, vouchers were not limited to one calendar year. I assume this will be the same.. Thanks, Graham
Jean O'NeillAug 5 2019, 2:54pmI am bringing my 9 year old granddaughter with me. How do I enter/register her? It will almost certainly be a once off. And the BBQ for her? We will both run the short course. Please can it be called the SHORT course, and not JUNIOR? Thanks!
Brendan LawlorAug 5 2019, 3:23pmGreat End of Leinster League write up from this weeks Race Director, Graham Bushe...


Well, things are certainly starting to heat up now. The Leinster League Grand Finale on the Great Sugarloaf is just around the corner.
Gauntlets have been thrown and victory chants are already being sung. But who will prevail as King and Queen of The Loaf?
Word on the Street (well the web) is that Barry Murray will be travelling up to make his presence felt. But Peter Bell will be waiting for him! Well, Peter says he won’t be waiting for him, but quite the opposite - leaving him in his dust trail. Brother John is second in the league, 17 points clear of 3rd place, and feeling that his work is already done has decided to go on holidays instead. Or is it a case of quitting while he’s ahead?
Then next up are Warren Swords and Bernard Fortune. Joint third in the league on 48 points. Warren has shown some excellent form in the last two LL races… But you can never write off Bernard.
A mere 6 points behind is another M50 (What’s gong on?) Eoin Keith has been belting out these LL races in between all his other adventures and achievements.
Next is Peter, as mentioned above, who has been flying all season. He’s been spotted trying to get in a bit of a reccie of the route. Getting worried there Peter?
Followed by none other than the bold Mikey Fry, who mysteriously went missing for a number of weeks. Secret training, no doubt! And he’s even squeezed in a few reccies of the new route too!
Peter Gorman has branched out this year into some of the long-distance runs, however it certainly hasn’t taken from his performances in this league.
The eloquent Brian Kitson swapped the keyboard for a hedge trimmer and set about hacking some of the overgrowth, all in a bid to get a closer look at which line he will take on the descent. And maybe even set up a few traps.
Another thing to remember is that the above runners all have 7 races completed and will be looking to exchange their worst result for a nice new low number to ‘shake things up a bit’ in the league.
And when it comes to the league, we shouldn’t overlook two other runners, Harry Kearns and Damian McParland, poised nicely for the last race. With 6 races completed so far, the 7th could see them leap-frog a number of the top 10 place holders. So be warned, it’s not all as safe as it appears at first glance.
The top end of the ladies league is looking very competitive indeed.
Patricia McLoughlin and Niamh O’Gorman are currently tied for first place with 37 points each. Is it to be a winner takes all event? OR… Is Niamh Corbett going to strike and take it from under their noses? Well positioned to pounce, with 6 results so far and only 10 points on the board. Will there be a 7th to seal the deal?
For the rest of the runners in the top 10, it looks like early season consistency has given them a safety net.
M40 With John on holidays can Warren skip ahead on the last day? Only one point separates first and second spot.
F40 Also with 1 point between the top two, Imogen McGuinness is hot on the heels of Patricia.
M50 Looks to be in the bag for Eoin, despite Bernard being just 2 points behind.
The remaining categories are each topped by a runner on a best possible score of 7! A hugely impressive 7 wins and are as follows;
F50 Laura Flynn
M60 Conor Nolan
F60 Ger Power
M70 Patsy McCreanor
F70 Caitlin Bent
With the number of runners on 6 races so far, there is the possibility of 165 runners completing the league this year.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible take on Sugarloaf on Wednesday evening, I hope you will enjoy the route and the great food that will be awaiting you afterwards in Plucks.
Jean O'NeillAug 5 2019, 9:55pmHi, I need to sort out entry for Elizabeth O'Neill, age 9 1/2 for Wednesday. I don't know how to do it! Help, please!
Conor O'FarrellAug 5 2019, 11:14pmHi Jean

You need to create a new account, with a unique email address for Elizabeth. Then buy annual membership, then race-entry(or voucher). Make sure to enter the date of birth correctly so that the correct fees apply for a junior competitor.

Con
Graham K. BusheAug 5 2019, 11:47pmHi Jean, sorry only getting back to you now (was out on sugarloaf til late this evening) You can also get the BBQ option in the purchase imra products tab.

As for the race description, the full route is 7.5km. Short courses are usually something in the region of 5km which is too long for u14's.
Following specific requests (on the forum of other LL races) for junior routes to cater for our up and coming young athletes, I have set out a 3.2km race route for Wednesday night.
Runners under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
Jean O'NeillAug 6 2019, 12:40amThanks Graham, but I'm not technically minded enough on computers to create an email address for Elizabeth and to follow your instructions. (Wrong generation!). I really haven't got a clue. Could someone do it for me? It needs to be done by 6pm tomorrow.Thanks.
Igor Gonzalez-GuridiAug 6 2019, 7:22amHi Jean,
I had to do the same for mine. I can do it for you if you'd like. Text or whatsapp me with your phone number on zero8six8263four65 and I'll send you the email and password for your daughter. You will need to create a 'myimra' profile for Elizabeth once you have the email address. Then you can register her and buy the bbq. I use the voucher for all of us to pay for the race.
Graham K. BusheAug 6 2019, 7:32amHi Jean, each member account requires a separate email address. I used to log in with my main email. When I wanted to set up accounts for my two sons I used my hotmail account for one and set up a gmail in my name for the other. As minors, I didn't want to set up email addresses for them. The email address on the imra account can be changed later if required.
The process is the same as when you set up your account. Enter your other email address and her details. She will get a number for the year and you will get any emails sent out. I hope this helps
Kevin O'RiordanAug 6 2019, 7:56amA tip if you're using Gmail is you don't need separate accounts to have separate email addresses. Just put "+whatever" between your main email address and "@gmail.com". Eg: "grahambush+son1@gmail.com". You can use as many variants as you want (no need to do any setup for them) and any emails sent there will arrive in your main account.
Graham K. BusheAug 6 2019, 11:58amPlease remember online entry closes at 6pm tonight!
If you have just joined imra and need to collect your race number and timing chip, or if you have purchased a book of vouchers, bring the confirmation email with you to the registration desk.
There will be 2 car parks available to us on the night. At the back of Plucks, and beside the 1916 memorial garden. Please park carefully and with consideration to other road users and local residents.
The race will start and finish near houses in a quiet Cul de Sac, so once again bear this in mind during the exciting build-up and the exhilaration after completing the route in one piece.
I hope everyone intending to avail of the lovely grub afterwards in Plucks has done the necessary on the “Purchase IMRA Products” tab to give the caterers an idea of numbers. Option to purchase also closes at 6pm tonight.
Every runner, regardless of pre-reg online or voucher entry, MUST SIGN IN AND SCAN; It would be a shame to do all the hard work getting around the course and not have a result recorded.
The walk from Plucks to the start/finish area is about 600m on a narrow road. There is to be a match at the GAA pitch so please be careful on the way up and down.
See you tomorrow :)
Barry MurrayAug 6 2019, 2:49pmIs G K Bushe looking for RD of the year ??

great build up

and yes, Peter, make sure you sign in and scan

I want everyone to see the results ;)

See you all tomorrow evening for the showdown !
Andrew HanneyAug 6 2019, 2:54pmI bought three entries for the bbq, they appear in my purchase history but I had an error for the second two purchases, let me know if I need to do anything.
Jean O'NeillAug 6 2019, 5:17pmMy granddaughter is finally registered, thanks to hard work on Igor's part. Relieved!
Mikey FryAug 6 2019, 9:48pmSooooooooooooooooooo who’s it going to be not long now people ....
Andrew HanneyAug 6 2019, 10:11pmAny truth to the rumour that Barry Murray is camped out on the sugar loaf tonight?
Mikey FryAug 6 2019, 10:35pmYes Andrew I’d stay away just in case he walks out in morning streaking around:)
Peter BellAug 7 2019, 8:48amHes driving up today, 5 hours in a campervan wont do his old legs any favours. A serving of dust is on the menu for sure.
Barry MurrayAug 7 2019, 10:17amDeparting shortly with plenty of time to spare

Should even fit in a recce

Burgers with a side of sour grapes for Peter please
Warren SwordsAug 7 2019, 9:34pmI know it’s a bit early for results but anyone know how Barry Murray did? Didn’t see him myself. Neither did Mikey or John.
Brenda MalleyAug 7 2019, 11:45pmMany thanks to Graham and all the team for a superbly organized race and a great evening.
Could you please correct my result, which should have been for the short / junior course, not the long one. Thank you.
Mick HanneyAug 8 2019, 7:59amFantastic evening at the Sugar Bowl. Graham has put huge effort into clearing this route which went down a treat with runners. A tough challenge it was. A host of volunteers made the night possible - thank you all. And thanks to IMRA for the BBQ and volunteer treats.
Igor Gonzalez-GuridiAug 8 2019, 8:02amMany thanks to Graham, the committee and all the volunteers for another great night and the BBQ. Thanks also for the lovely prizes.
Peter BellAug 8 2019, 8:31amWhat a route Graham! Loved it.Massive thanks for all your hard work and to all your helpers who gave up their time. It's been a really fun league this year. Nice mix of races to suit everyone. Thanks to the committee for all the background work too and the nice end of league prize. Cheers!
Barry MurrayAug 8 2019, 8:48amCould you please correct my result, I did the junior course :)

Well done GK.. great event

Big report to follow
Warren SwordsAug 8 2019, 9:20amThanks to Graham and team for all their hard work. Super course, certainly best one I’ve ran on Sugar Loaf. Well marked and plenty of support on route. Plucks for bbq was great as always. Thanks to committee for great end of league prizes.
Brendan LawlorAug 8 2019, 9:26amThanks to Graham and helpers for a super final LL race last night
Dave DochertyAug 8 2019, 9:31amBig thanks to Graham and crew for lasts nights race and BBQ. Great craic and chats. Very speedy results. Some great photos and vids of the race up already. Looking forward to the reports.
Also, thanks to the committee and all the volunteers and RDs for fantastic Leinster League.
Conor O'FarrellAug 8 2019, 9:35amHi All

A few of the short/early starters have crept into the main results, I will get this rectified this evening. For any further queries, please email results@imra.ie

Thanks
Con
Graham K. BusheAug 8 2019, 10:51amA huge Thank You to the super team of volunteers which made the Sugarloaf Race possible this year. Because of you we all got to ‘enjoy’ another great night in the hills, (or on that hill!) Andy as deputy RD, Paul Nolan and Gareth First Aid, Paul Grant and Miriam laptop, helpers - Grace, Paula, Becky, Mark, Derek, Chris, Stephen, Henny, Cormac, David, John and George (who was drafted in last minute) looking after various tasks from carpark, to registration, marshalling, demarking, etc etc. Thanks also to Brendan Lawlor and Gavan Doherty who stepped in to help where needed. Thanks to Brian Kiston for help with some of the gardening on the descent and to Adam for marking a memorable route (under a watchful eye). Thanks also to my wife Theresa who was drafted in to help with selection of some of the spot prizes, and ended up also helping with voucher sign-in, runner retrieval, raffle ticket distribution with Adam and lots of other bits and bobs. It was a case of roping in the family. Kevin escaped only because he was away, volunteering with Sunshine House for the week.
Thanks to all the runners who came out to take part in the last Leinster League race of 2019. I hope you enjoyed the route (or parts of it anyway) As we marked the route, there were a couple of places where Adam said to me “I’ll be walking this bit!” Challenging and fun, though not sure they were in equal measures…
Thank you also to Lillian and the committee who put so much effort into providing us with these great events. Looking after all the technical details, answering the difficult behind the scenes questions, ticking the appropriate formal boxes. It’s never as straight-forward as it seems. And to top it off, reward us with tasty food and lovely prizes because we had a great time running around in the mountains!
Thanks to Plucks for the venue and great food, and to 53 Degrees who donated runners for the raffle.
I hope I haven’t missed anyone, sorry if I did.
Hope many of you will get out over the next couple of Wednesdays to support two very worthwhile causes, Mountain Meitheal and Mountain Rescue.
Until the next time, keep on running
Graham
Graham K. BusheAug 8 2019, 10:52amA huge Thank You to the super team of volunteers which made the Sugarloaf Race possible this year. Because of you we all got to ‘enjoy’ another great night in the hills, (or on that hill!) Andy as deputy RD, Paul Nolan and Gareth First Aid, Paul Grant and Miriam laptop, helpers - Grace, Paula, Becky, Mark, Derek, Chris, Stephen, Henny, Cormac, David, John and George (who was drafted in last minute) looking after various tasks from carpark, to registration, marshalling, demarking, etc etc. Thanks also to Brendan Lawlor and Gavan Doherty who stepped in to help where needed. Thanks to Brian Kiston for help with some of the gardening on the descent and to Adam for marking a memorable route (under a watchful eye). Thanks also to my wife Theresa who was drafted in to help with selection of some of the spot prizes, and ended up also helping with voucher sign-in, runner retrieval, raffle ticket distribution with Adam and lots of other bits and bobs. It was a case of roping in the family. Kevin escaped only because he was away, volunteering with Sunshine House for the week.
Thanks to all the runners who came out to take part in the last Leinster League race of 2019. I hope you enjoyed the route (or parts of it anyway) As we marked the route, there were a couple of places where Adam said to me “I’ll be walking this bit!” Challenging and fun, though not sure they were in equal measures…
Thank you also to Lillian and the committee who put so much effort into providing us with these great events. Looking after all the technical details, answering the difficult behind the scenes questions, ticking the appropriate formal boxes. It’s never as straight-forward as it seems. And to top it off, reward us with tasty food and lovely prizes because we had a great time running around in the mountains!
Thanks to Plucks for the venue and great food, and to 53 Degrees who donated runners for the raffle.
I hope I haven’t missed anyone, sorry if I did.
Hope many of you will get out over the next couple of Wednesdays to support two very worthwhile causes, Mountain Meitheal and Mountain Rescue.
Until the next time, keep on running
Graham
Peter O'FarrellAug 8 2019, 10:55amThanks to Graham and all involved in creating a super new route on Sugarloaf there last night. It was fantastic.
The evening only improved with burgers, conviviality and the chance to win a pair of shoes at the prizegiving.
As Brendan sez, all for a fiver!
Graham K. BusheAug 8 2019, 11:19amThanks also to Conor, who not only provided the results so swiftly for last night's race, but also for the league too.

Well done to all those who conquered the Great Sugarloaf in 2019, from the tough side!
Lillian DeeganAug 8 2019, 11:23pm.
Massive well done to Graham & his race day crew - a fab wrap on the LL season.

Found €50 punch card: Peter Knaggs - RD Graham passed on your voucher card post race. A wise man you are having details on your card! Can you get in touch with me - Lillian.deegan@imra.ie - I will sort the return at an upcoming race. Thx.
.
Paul O'GradyAug 9 2019, 6:44pmA big thank you to Graham and the team for a fantastic race and route. A fitting end to the league.
Brian KitsonAug 11 2019, 7:41pmThanks to Graham and his fantastic team for putting on a Great race and to Lillian and all the gang for the wonderful after-party BBQ (my race voucher was delicious, Gordon).

I couldn't let the League pass by without putting up a customary rambling report to accompany the excellent reports already put up by Mikey and Barry. I have a feeling Mikey's will be on the Leaving Cert curriculum in years to come.

Finally, a special thanks to anyone who read my reports this year and also to those who were kind enough to say nice things about them.
Gordon PlaceAug 12 2019, 9:43amGreat reports lads! And well done to all the photographers 1148 photos!!
Miriam MaherAug 13 2019, 9:13pmBrian - although you’ve set the bar high already - best race report to date. Fact.
Conor O'FarrellAug 14 2019, 9:39am@Gordon, you could probably create flip-book of Andy's photos and create a full length movie of people going past him, with very few glitches. ;-)