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Thread: Wicklow Round

  1. #1
    Master IainR's Avatar
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    Wicklow Round

    Has anyone heard of this?

    I fancy a go but have looked at the 'Rules'?

    Quite frankly I find it quite insulting that there are so many rules and regulations, with 'verification marshalls' needed to provided by the IMRA.

    They then have the cheek to talk about 'spirit of the round'.

    I'm very tempted to have a go but could not bring myself to have to justify to these people why I should be considered worthy.

    I liked the unofficialness of the Paddy Buckley, I'm not overly keen with needing witnesses for the BGR, but needing marshalls sent out is just a joke, and this registering an attempt so many days prior..

    ..I just feel this is so far away from what long mountain rounds should be about.

    It doesn't suprise me that this is by a 'mountain running association', sorry but this sort of beaurocracy shouldn't have to be experienced to go for a long run in the hills.

    Rules
    • Each attempt must be publicised two weeks in advance on the IRMA website including a timetable of planned arrivals at peaks and which standard is being attempted.
    • Previous training and race results must be supplied which demonstrate the ability of the competitor to complete the stated attempt.
    • Each attempt must be ratified in advance to be considered for an award.
    • The IWR reserves the right to confirm the starting or finishing or arrival of the competitor at any one of the peaks.
    • Ratification of an attempt may not be given on the desired day if there is not sufficient verification marshals available.
    • A competitor must have sufficient resources to survive in a mountain environment for the duration of the attempt.
    • Competitors may run solo or in groups on the strict understanding that all members carry their own gear and that the navigation is done by a member doing the attempt in total.
    • It is against the spirit of the event to have a pacing runner or navigational support.
    • Route choices on a tarred road are permitted but no transport of any kind.
    • Food dumps and logistical support along the route are allowed.
    • The competitor must provide a list of times each of the specified peaks were reached in order to claim an award.
    http://www.imra.ie/?sec1=wicklowround

  2. #2
    Grandmaster dominion's Avatar
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Frankly.... I hope to have a go at a BGR one day. It won't be registered in advance, it won't be publicised after. I'll know I succeeded or failed and that's all I care about.
    I've never questioned that John Fleetwood completed a 48 hour Winter Ramsey Round. I saw those pics and was in awe of the achievement. I don't care about needing someone elses approval or acceptance into their 'club'.

    Good luck with the Wicklow Round.

  3. #3
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    >>I just feel this is so far away from what long mountain rounds
    >>should be about.


    I think the words "Competitor" and "Event" say it all Iain.


    "Previous training and race results must be supplied which demonstrate the ability of the competitor to complete the stated attempt"

    Oh dear...

  4. #4
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Iain,

    Agree totally with your comments. Just go and do it - I'm sure the folks on this forum will accept your word if you tell us you've done it (just as with Fleetwood's solo efforts)

    I got rather peed off by another IMRA rule last year - 'Anyone wishing to participate in a race must be a member of IMRA for the current year'. In reply to my email they confirmed that there is no exemption for members of other hill running organisations such as FRA.

  5. #5
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Me to i can`t see a problem, you want to do a Wicklow round, or any other for that matter then go do it.

    Who gives a stuff if it is officially recognised or not i don`t for one, after all is it not for our own satisfaction we do these things?


    Just leave the official route to the hero`s that seek adulation and recognition for there achievements and enjoy that inner feeling of being an elite runner that bucks the trend and does it there way, so much more satisfying in my opinion, plus it is so much simpler without rules to bend.

    Good Luck
    The older I get the Faster I was

  6. #6
    Master IainR's Avatar
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Agree, have a few offers to support on logistics over there, so may try and get a weekend over.

    I do think national organisations should keep out of the rounds, just do them, record how you did them and look for another one. They are such personal achievements anyway.

  7. #7
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Quote Originally Posted by IainR View Post
    Agree, have a few offers to support on logistics over there, so may try and get a weekend over.

    I do think national organisations should keep out of the rounds, just do them, record how you did them and look for another one. They are such personal achievements anyway.

    Thats it in a Nutshell Iain
    The older I get the Faster I was

  8. #8
    Senior Member bill's Avatar
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    With you all the way Iain. I'll have a word with Dublin-based little brother.

    I got rather peed off by another IMRA rule last year - 'Anyone wishing to participate in a race must be a member of IMRA for the current year'.
    Yup, that's always been the way of it (results are processed & produced by IMRA - it's not like over here, very top-down...). The membership fee wasn't too bad but when they bumped up the membership fee couple of years ago (to limit numbers in the Leinster summer league) it became rather punitive for visiting runners.

  9. #9

    Re: Wicklow Round

    Have read this thread with interest.

    Some views about Mountain Running in Ireland:

    IMRA was set up about 30 years ago by a few runners from orienteering backgrounds interested in doing a few organized Hill/Mountain runs and races.

    IMRA has 764 members for 2007 at time of posting. 8 of these members form the IMRA committee. 7 of 8 are active mountain runners probably running too many races in some cases as is habitual in our sport. They are elected yearly from the general body of runners. All of our members (764) are required to volunteer to help out in a couple of races every year. Committee members are volunteers who take on extra work.

    When members refer to IMRA it is more often referring to the collective body of runners (764). Many members view it as their club and usually assign IMRA as their club in races abroad. The words community and even family are often mentioned when describing IMRA. Fell runners in England may view themselves as part of a fell running community. In Ireland this community is IMRA, no exaggeration. If you read a few of the race reports on the IMRA website you will get a sense of this.

    There are no Mountain Running athletic clubs in Rep of Ireland. The sport is still developing. Reluctantly, the IMRA committee organise and process results for almost all races. We are aware of the limitations of this top down system. We have a strategy of trying to promote mountain running in clubs. We introduced club competitions for races this year. In time we hope that clubs will take on races and also that pure mountain running clubs would be set up.

    Membership of IMRA for our races is a necessity for insurance. A membership fee of 10 euro was introduced in 2006, (plus 7 for a race) to curb numbers in the Leinster League for environmental reasons. This had the effect of making a one off hefty entry fee of 17 euro for visitors and one off runners in non Leinster League races. This was unfair and has been corrected: For 2007 one off race fee is 10 euro. (Leinster League still unchanged)

    Wicklow Round and Rules:

    The Wicklow Round was devised by 2 IMRA members (non committee). They presented it at the IMRA Annual General Meeting in its current form. IMRA (general members) had to decide to take it on wholesale or drop it. We voted to take it on. As it is new, there will, in all likelihood be a review at year end and assessment with necessary changes made.

    I know that the 2 who devised the round have been hill-running from the start. One I know has been involved in organising many runs and events in the past. He has competed in Britain many times and would be meticulously aware of the nature of the different rounds in the British countries. He is probably uniquely knowledgeable in all matters about Wicklow, the laws of the land, insurance laws relating to outdoor activities and the demography of the Dublin/Wicklow area (very few runners local to Wicklow). I don’t know why the rules are as they are but I strongly suspect the presence and nature of these rules may have more to do these factors than bureaucracy.

    Apologies for the length and official tone of this posting (it’s not official) but I felt in only fair to give an informed view of the nature of IMRA and how the Wicklow Round came into being.

    Views from people experienced in Rounds like Iain are obviously welcome and valuable (he has posted on IMRA forum). As are runners intending to travel for a race in Ireland. (Post on our forum for advice re. which races, local accommodation etc.)

    As for myself I am doing a one year stint doing records on the IMRA committee. I work in IT and view this as giving something back. I’ll be glad when it’s over though: I can concentrate on being a bit better in races next year!

    Turlough, Sligo

  10. #10
    Master IainR's Avatar
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    Re: Wicklow Round

    Thanks for the reply. Interesting response. I set a list on long distance challenges which I want to complete, so the wicklow round is still an aim, but I still stand by the social part of the rounds.

    My list is:

    Ramsay
    + some cairngorm 24 hr runs

    South Wales Traverse
    Paddy Buckley - done

    Bob Graham
    Lakes Marilyns

    Wicklow Round

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