staying at peacocks for ultramarathon start
Hi,
I will be staying at peacocks hotel on saturday 5th april to be handy for the start of my ultramarathon at maam cross. i presume i do not have to go back to oughterard the morning of the race to the headquarters.
regards,
jack
Hi Jack,
You won't have to get to Oughterard the morning of the race. You will miss the pre race briefing though so we'll have to email you that info. Email info@proactive.ie one week before the race and we'll sort out something. Also, the Ultra bus stops at Maam Cross to drop finish line bags so you can hop on then. Bus times will be issued later. And one last thing, you will have to pick up a chip before race day. These will be given out in Galway and Oughterard (possibly Clifden) details on times later.
Note to others not staying in Galway, Oughterard and Clifden - At the moment these are the only locations that Buses will travel from and they will NOT pick up en route to start. There is absolutely no parking at the start areas and road closures will be in place so driving yourself will not be an option. You might think for a second it's a shame the area is so remote... but you'll soon realise that location is what is unique and special about the Connemarathon. It's amazing out there!
Ray
So those that mean that anyone intending to stay in Leenane are to be disenfranchised despite paying the full whack? Half marathons staying there have the advantage of just having to cross the road to the start line? It was my intention to stay there again - it worked well last year - for the marathon, and certainly the value you get for the hotel there is head and shoulders above that anywhere else?
Regards,
Mick
Hi Mick
I'm not sure what you mean by disenfranchised :-)
As with last year, we will run busses back to Clifden via Leenaun, once the race route is open, for people staying in Leenaun. Having looked into it, using Leeenaun as a base, is just not practical.
We'll be publishing more details about bus transfers, but the advice given by Ray above still stands.
The Race HQ is Oughterard, and where at all possible people coming from Galway should avail of the buses travelling from the Cathedral. Clifden will be a much smaller "base", specifically for people overnighting in Clifden.
Keep an eye for more details as we firm them up.
Regards
Alan
Alan,
Could you confirm that those pickups will be done, as last year? Wondering why we're having the same discussions as last year all over again re people using Leenane as a base? ;-)
Regards,
Mick
Hi Mick
I know you have a soft spot for Leenaun, and we love it too, but for a race at the scale we are now at, it just not the place for a Race HQ. It's a challenge to handle 4000 runners going though the village as it is, but having to handle all their cars too... a bridge too far [if you'll pardon the pun!].
It mightn't seem obvious to runners, but having the HQ at the Gateway Hotel in Oughterard solved all sorts of problems for us, besides having extra space.
Regards
Alan
hi,
will it be possible for me to drive to peacockes on saturday evening and drive away from peacockes monday morning in my car? i presume the roads are only closed for sunday?
thanks
hi,
i see under the section whats new for 2008 that buses will not stop at maam cross even though the second post above by ray says that the ultra bus will drop off finish line bags at maam cross and any ultra runners staying at peacockes can hop on there.
to be on the safe side i think i might just walk to the ultra start from peacockes. how far would it be? a mile or 2? also it finishes at peacockes right?
many thanks
Hi there.
The Ultra marathon start is about a mile up the road from Peacockes.
The Ultramarathon bus stops at the finish area
[which is actually the Mart, not Peacockes, they're actually seperate areas, even if it looks all the one]
and the Ultra Marathoners leaves their bags there, hop back on, and go to the start line.
If you are actually staying at Peacockes, you could walk up, or hop on then.
No other buses stop at Maam Cross on their way to the race start.
I repeat
No other buses stop at Maam Cross on their way to the race start.
This isn't new, it was the same last year. There is NO parking in Maam Cross, and to discourage people abandonding :-) cars there, we have to do this. There is plenty of parking in Oughterard and Clifden.
Alan
Joined: 2007-12-28