Week ending Saturday 31st October
A very different Dublin marathon experience
When the organisers of the Dublin City Marathon announced in May that it was cancelling the race this year, some might have criticised the decision as being far too early to call back then, but of course it turned out to be very foresighted in light of the current level 5 restrictions. However, keeping to the well-established October date, this year the event went “virtual”, which means that runners could run the 42.2km distance on any route of their choosing, adhering to Covid-19 restrictions at all times of course, between last Saturday and Monday, time themselves using a special app on their phones, and submit their times online.
Declan Costello ran his race last Saturday morning and was satisfied with his time of 4 hours 25 minutes considering he is still not fully fit and still on the way back from a niggling injury. That left him free on Sunday morning to selflessly assist six other Club members with their races by cycling the route with them, providing regular encouragement and carrying water and gels if required. All six left their homes at pre-determined times and merged after about 8km at the Royal Canal near the Dublin Bridge, so they could run within sight of each other but still well socially distanced. The course was laps of a mixture of canal paths and quiet country roads, so was very safe to run on. There was also water stations dotted around the course where the runners could self-serve with sanitised water bottles and also a dedicated group of supporters that travelled around the parts of the course on the road following the action and providing vocal support
Running 42.2km solo took real mental resolve and was nothing like the normal event that attracts huge entries and about 300,000 spectators lining the streets of Dublin, but of course we’re not in normal times. Leading the group home was Mary Stuart in 3 hours 44 minutes, a big personal best for her and she was absolutely delighted at the finish. Following closely behind was Criona Reid (3 hours 45 minutes), Joan Hickson (3 hours 52 minutes), Linda O’Driscoll (3 hours 55 minutes), also delighted with her new personal best, and Jane Creevy (4 hours 2 minutes). Unfortunately Joe Fagan had to withdraw injured at 25km, very disappointing for him, but he knows he made the correct if difficult decision to stop or risk further injury and we wish him well.
It hasn’t been easy for the Club’s marathon runners to keep training for a marathon experience that would be so alien to what they know and expect, so very well done to those that competed last week-end, which is a testament to their dedication and willpower to keep going regardless.
Group training continues for underage members only
Level 5 of the Plan for Living with Covid-19 allows for individual training only and restricts travel to within 5km of home, but an exception has been made for underage training, so our juvenile members and their coaches can travel to the Club for organised training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Belvedere at the weekend, as before, which will assist them in keeping some semblance of routine and normality in these challenging times. Adult members can continue training of course, but must do so alone within 5km of home.
Therefore, training continues at the Club grounds during the week and in Belvedere at the weekend with strict adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines, especially social distancing not only among athletes and coaches but among parents too dropping and collecting their children at training.
Cross country postponed until further notice
It should be no surprise that all cross country fixtures – Westmeath day 2, Leinsters and Nationals – are all postponed until further notice. We need to be at level 2 before we can hold competitions, which is a long way off, so it’s not unreasonable to predict that there will be no cross country this side of Christmas and if it happens at all, it will be sometime in the New Year but we’ll keep everyone posted of any changes or updates.
Dressing for the cold
It’s only going to get colder at training from now on, so everyone should wear appropriate running gear for the cold weather. Warm clothing is essential and that includes going to and from training. A pair of lightweight gloves, a woolen hat and a few layers of warm clothing is all it takes. Having a warm sweat shirt, fleece or jacket for after training is especially important. Parents of younger juveniles should insist that they wear the proper clothing. Also, lightweight running tights or leggings are recommended and will give much needed protection against the cold. Athletes not properly dressed for the cold weather will not train to their best.
Road safety and reflective clothing
Moving the clocks back an hour last Sunday means that the nights will now draw in very quickly and everyone running on the roads at night must wear reflective clothing. If you do not wear reflective clothing, how can you expect drivers to see you? It is very simple, if you are not wearing a reflective bib, you should not be running on the road at night.
For the latest news, results and details of fixtures check the Club’s Facebook page or the website at www.mullingarharriers.com.
PRO
