2011 Event page – Please see 2012 Charleville Half Marathon page or www.CharlevilleHalf.com

Hi Mary,
You are correct that there are no finishers medals and this was a decision made by the committee as we felt that finishers t-shirts are more useful for people. Many runners don’t like paying extra for medals so it was a decision made from some market research. Also since we are an athletic club who is aiming to make this an event for people to enjoy while also aiming to make a donation to the local charity who is hosting the event we thought it better to put money into making it a better event and towards a worthwhile charity. While one person might like a finishers medal or expect it as standard, another person might expect a water bottle or some other similar reward which are common in commercial marathons these days. However commercial half marathons usually charge 45 Euro’s for an entry fee as a minimum which you will see if you browse through the events offered on this website. You’re free to choose to run these events and pay extra for the medal if that is what is important to you but you should be aware that a lot of your money will go towards an individuals private profit rather than being reinvested in an athletic club or worthwhile charity as is the case with our race.
The elite athletes hotel room and meals are sponsored by the local hotel and are not in any way subsidised by the entry fee given by normal runners. However part of the entry fee will go towards the prize money. As an athletics club it is our basic function to encourage competitive athletics and athletes who are trying to better themselves as athletes. Athletes at the highest level make large sacrifices to compete at the highest level and achieve high levels of athletic performance that we can all appreciate and enjoy watching, therefore it is a long tradition to reward and support their athletic effort and the sacrifice they make in pursuing something so positive in society. Prize money will be offered at all age groups so anyone can compete for these rewards so there is no discrimination in our race. We aim to be as inclusive of people at all levels and our relay event is a reflection of how inclusive we are trying to be. I hope you see that we have done our very best to keep costs down for people with low incomes while also making it an event to enjoy using our expertise as an experienced athletic club.

You have done a great job. I will definitely dig it and personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they will be benefited from this site. kfwtrlfu

Apologies for late response.  We do not have pacers confirmed yet, but we are trying to get help from another local club to provide such pacers.  If we are successful, then we will let you know.  In case we are not successful, there will be mile markers, so if you bring a watch, you will be able to note your time at each mile.  Alternatively, bring a friend to run with you to act as your pacer.  It’s also worth checking with runners around you during the race to see what time they plan on finishing and pace yourself against them. Thanks. 

Thanks for the tip.  I will check out boards.ie running & athletics pages.

Correct on both counts.  Good quality T-Shirts are not cheap, so we had to limit the order to 300.  It represents a significant portion of the total cost of the race, but considering the low entry fee, we felt it was appropriate.  If we were to guarantee T-Shirts to all finishers, it would be difficult to predict the total number to order.  We also felt that we should reward those who entered early, rather than the first 300 finishers.  If you enter this week, based on the number of entries we have to date and the amount coming in daily, I’m pretty sure that you will be guaranteed a T-Shirt, but I’d be less confident if you delayed it until next week. Thanks. Signed Mike M

We are confident that we will exceed 300 Entries.  So although we will facilitate late entries up to the final cutoff point, we do not plan on having any T-Shirts left over for last-minute entries.  Every effort is being made to ensure a smooth Registration and On-Time Race-Start (10AM).  We need to be fair on those who arrive early, so please do not leave it too late.  Thanks & Regards. Signed Mike M

The roads will not be closed.  However, the 3 Garda stations in the area and the 2 county councils have been notified.  We will have a Pace Car with Race Committee Chairman about 1 mile ahead of the leading runner + someone on a bike, if deemed necessary.  We also plan on having a sweeper car and/or bike.  We have a team of up to 50 volunteer stewards covering all junctions and the start/finish.  These volunteers are locals who know the area and any potential hazards.  We have noted all Mass times and should be able to avoid this traffic, assuming we start on time.  Oncoming cars will be flagged down as they approach the runners.  We will have radio communication between all steward leaders and the Start/Finish.  There will be 2 fully kitted ambulances + a backup doctor & nurse on call.  Safety will be paramount and we are making every effort to ensure the runners are protected.  Regards, Mike M

Ishka Spring Water, a leading processor of Premium Quality Bottled Water are kindly sponsoring the event by providing small 250ml Sports Cap bottles.  Many runners prefer these over plastic cups.  We’d like to see people consume all of the water and discard the bottle into bins that will be provided.  This will minimize the time spent on the cleanup operation afterwards, as we will be adopting a "Leave No Trace" policy on the beautiful Golden Vale countryside.  Our backup plan would be to provide plastic cups and tap water in case we do not have enough bottles.  Thanks to Ishka Spring Water for their kind sponsorship.  Mike M

Thanks for your entry.  Race numbers, timing chips and T-Shirts for first 300 Individidual entries (including yourself) will be provided on the morning of the race.  Regards, Mike M 

Still a small few T-Shirts left, so get Entry in asap.  They are Technical. 

Still a small few T-Shirts left, so get Entry in asap. They are Technical.
 

There are still T-Shirts available for the first 300 Entries, but we will have reached 300 very soon, at the rate Entries are coming in.  No T-Shirts after 300 Individual Entries. If you enter today, you can be pretty much guaranteed a T-Shirt. 

Anyone entered as an Individual up to lunch time today will get a T-Shirt. There are just a few places left to qualify for T-Shirts. Regards, Mike M

If you are already entered as an Individual, then you will get a T-Shirt.  I expect to run out of T-Shirts in the next few days (based on the current rate of entry).  Regards, Mike

Thanks for the vote of confidence !  I cannot stress enough that it’s A Race organised By Runners For Runners.  Many of the committee members have already ran the complete course 4 times over the last 4 weeks consecutively to make sure they have a good feel for the course.  There’s a lot of work going on in the background to make sure all athletes enjoy the day.

Sorry no T-Shirts for Teams as some teams have 4 members paying just 10 Euro each and we have to cover all the costs of the race with that, including Team Relay buses to/from Transition points.  We can justify T-Shirts for an Individual paying 25-30 Euro.   There will be a selection of Spot Prizes for different Team Categories.  We are also providing top quality food & beverages from our local volunteer catering crew who will be working very hard to please the athletes.  Thanks, Mike M

 Registration is still available for individual Half Marathon Runners on Sunday morning from 8:30am to 9:30am. It is only Relay Teams that cannot enter on Sunday due to organisational constraints.

Kieran – you got in for to qualify for your t-shirt

If you entered early on the 12th, you would have qualified for a T-Shirt.

Yes, but please arrive early on the day of the race — 08:30 ideally.  We need to close down Registration at 09:30AM to ensure we start on time.  We will also be providing chips, numbers & T-Shirts (to those first 300 individual entries) on Saturday 5PM to 8PM at Charleville Park Hotel to avoid the rush on Sunday morning.

We have not made provisions for that, as we could not cater for such a large crowd at the Start/Finish area.  Have you friends in Charleville who might let you use theirs ?  Or use the old reliable "Wipes & Towel Down".   

Yes – but arrive early – 08:30AM

Just call out your name to those at the Registration desk and they will check it against the Registration List Printout.  We should have 3 or 4 registration desks in alphabetical order using your last name.  Notices will be posted and stewards will direct you.  Your name will be crossed off, chip & number issued and if you are in the first 300, you will be given a T-Shirt. 

Wipes & Towel Down ?

At St Joseph’s Foundation School on Baker’s Road, Charleville.  It’s next to Dunnes Stores Car Park Entrance, CBS Schools and GAA Club House.  Best to get there before before 9AM as we close Registration sharply at 09:30AM in order to ensure an On Time Start.  Advance Apologies to anyone who is turned down due to being late, but we have the interests of 500 runners and 120 volunteers to consider.  Thanks for your understanding. Mike M

Yes, before 9AM at Start Area – see above.  Note : Only for Individual Entries.  Sorry, no new Relay Entries on Sunday.   Check Cork Running Blog for more details.  Mike M