A “Craic” on the World’s Friendliest Marathon - My Review of the 2019 KBC Dublin Marathon.
/Two of my favorite people in the world reside in Dublin, so when they suggested that I signed up for the 2018 Dublin Marathon I was all in. I get to see them, and I get to run. However, when I attempted to sign-up for the race it was sold out (yeah, I procrastinated). So as soon as the 2018 race wrapped up and registration for 2019 was open, I signed up.
There is no better way to tour a city than to do so on foot. This was my fourth visit to Dublin but outside of the city sightseeing tour buses, Temple Bar and Grafton Street I had not truly seen the city. I have seen the inside of many pubs 😊 but I could definitely benefit from a running tour of the city. The Dublin Marathon is known as the World’s Friendliest Marathon and this year marked the 40th anniversary so big things were to be expected.
Here is my review of the 2019 KBC Dublin Marathon from pre-race registration communication to finish.
Registration: This year the KBC Dublin Marathon had a record-breaking number of registrants, over 22,500. Signing up was a breeze. I registered via their online portal and received a confirmation soon after advising where to get additional information regarding the race, the Dublin Marathon website. No qualifying time is required except for Athletics Ireland (AAI) registered runners who wish to enter on via the Good For Age standers. I received two other emails from the race organizers, another welcome email in July and a third in September with packet pick-up details.
Note: For the 2020 staging of the marathon entrants will be processed via lottery. Entries to the Lottery must be received by 17:00 hrs on 30th November. If you are interested, don’t procrastinate.
Expo: The expo was held at the Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge. It mirrored the major marathon expos in the States. There was a great diversity of vendors, speakers and presentations throughout the expo. The race energy was alive and could be felt in every corner. This is the moment it all began to get real.
Bib numbers were not pre-assigned but as soon as you presented your race registration QR code with your wave assignment you were presented with a bib and a sticker with your name to add to the bib.
The official marathons shirts were sold out by the time I got to the expo. Fortunately, the vendors took pity on me and sold me the shirt that was on the mannequin.
The last short. Straight from the mannequin’s back.
Recommendation:
1. Consider the number of registrants when determining the supply of official paraphernalia for sale.
The Race: The Dublin Marathon is a single lap course with some logistics that seemed to be well planned out. The start and finish were in the same place, so bag drop was a easy walk to the start pens and pick-up was also convenient.
Bag Drop – Communication from race organizers advised that bag drop for my wave would open at 7:15am. This was not the case. Runners were forced to wait without word in the frigid temperatures until sometime after 8:00am before being allowed to drop bags. The was cause for major anxiety on my part. I was hoping to use the time between bag drop and the start to stretch and warm up but that was not to happen.
Race Corralling – The corralling of runners to the start line was somewhat unclear. Fortunately, the race wardens gave me correct directions.
The Course - The course took us through some of the most gorgeous and historic areas in Dublin. The race started in Fitzwilliam Square and finished in Merrion Square North. The route goes through Stephens Green, through the Liberties and onto the Quays. It took us through Stoneybatter, Phoenix Park and into Castleknock. From there it moved us through Chapelizod, through Inchicore, Crumlin, Drimnagh, Kimmage, Terenure, and Rathgar. The race then took us into Clonskeagh, out onto the N11, down Nutley Lane and down Northumberland Road before taking us to Merrion Square North. The infrastructure of the city is hundreds of years old and the roads are very narrow. This could be one of the reasons the Dublin Marathon may be known as a slower course. Runners should be prepared for tight curbs, narrow paths and cobblestone throughout the race. The race opened up in Phoenix Park. This was where I finally began to settle into the run and my pace. The added bonus here was the beauty of the park which was especially magnificent in autumn glory.
As far as elevation is concerned the course is mostly flat with some hills throughout. The most challenging is the long drag between miles 21-22 that has to potential to break your spirit. It is not that it is very steep; it is very long and gradual and occurs at a point in the race where you may be low on fuel and motivation. To add insult to injury, it is followed by a much shorter but much steeper hill less than 1K later.
Aid stations seemed to be sufficiently placed along the course. There were 10 water stations and 4 lucozade stations along the way. There were also 2 High 5 stations providing energy gels. Loos were also distributed along the course. I struggled to identify medics along the course which is very important to me because I have had to rely on them for critical aid before.
In a bid to be environmentally friendly water was distributed in 50ml bottles. Runners may not necessarily need that much water at one time and may not care for the added burden of toting the bottle with them. While there were dumpsters close to the aid stations for disposal, some people were throwing almost-full bottles to the side of the (narrow) roads. I can only image how cumbersome this became for individuals in the slower waves.
Recommendations:
1. Adhere to the schedule as communicated to the runners. This is a year’s worth of planning on both ends with greater adverse impact on the runners if commitments are not met.
2. Include an advisory of the hills in course related communication.
3. The medics need to be more visible and attentive. Feather banners and medic bibs will prove useful in helping runners identify them.
Miscellaneous:
The Dublin Marathon is known as the world’s friendliest marathon and I would have to agree. Crowds lined the length of the 26.2-mile course, cheering the runners on and providing much-needed support. Along the route colorful signs and smiling faces gave much needed encouragement. They came with treats, called out to runners by name and ran over to assist anyone who looked like they needed help. The marathon had dedicated cheer sections which felt like you were at the finish each time. This was a real boost through some of the tougher sections. However, there were times when they got over zealous in their support and stepped onto the course, narrowing the already narrow field. There were a couple of trip-ups for this reason.
It is important to make note of the temperature. The marathon takes place in autumn so you will likely face somewhere between 8 - 12 degrees Celsius which translates to 46 to 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Dress in warming gear disposable. This will help if you have to wait for bag drop to open and comes in handy as you wait for the start as well. I did not consider this, and I suffered. My toes felt like they were frozen in place.
The race packet included a tam which was extremely useful. We also received a long-sleeve tech finisher's shirt at the finish line. This too was very useful.
Post-race hospitality was also dismal. There were no changing facilities. Runners who were familiar with the race knew to include a full-size towel in their race bag for modesty. Added to this was the exposure to frigid temperature we had to change in. If there were any post-race festivities, I also missed it. Well wishers were bundled up outside of the runner’s area with little or no entertainment and refreshments while they waited.
I was surprised guinness was not there. Anyhow, Heineken to the rescue.
Recommendations:
1. Improve race marshalling in cheer zones to limit interference from supporters stepping onto the course.
2. Provide warming foil at the finish.
3. Add changing tents and/or heating lamps to bag check area where runners are expected change out of their wet clothing.
4. Add post-race festivities for well-wishers to include entertainment and vending.
Here is a side-by-side summary for you to take away.
Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this race. It was one that made me glad. Dublin is simply an amazing city and the race and crowd support represents this fact well. There was never a stretch of time where the energy of friendliness was never felt. The entire country supports this race and I would highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a fun European marathon.
Marathon #10