There's a thread on MTB Ireland about AGM motions for this year. I know it's early days yet but it's a good idea to get people opinions on stuff........
Anyway, a few people were saying yesterday that'd be great to have earlier start times for races as it would mean we'd all get home/back to families earlier etc...
What do people think? and what do race organizers think?
I'd be against it. From an organisers point of view, they have to run kids races, then S4/u16, and then the senior races. To make the senior races earlier means either moving all the other races earlier, or running them at the same time as the S4 - this means (with the current numbers racing) having a lot of races on at the same time, which will add to confusion, and more crowded tracks.
Regarding moving all the races earlier - If the kids races are to be moved sooner than 11, it makes it a very early morning for people to make them. It's one thing when you're in Dublin, which is resonably central, but for example, we had kids from up round Belfast in the Limerick NPS last year, to be there for 11am, they were up at 5, on the road by 6 and there by 9 (they thought the drive would take longer). Such logistics won't encourage underage racing from bikers outside Dublin.
Regarding having to wait round till half 1 for a race - that's just a result of the sport getting more popular. In the past there were mass starts (before there was an experts cat), once the kids races were over, everyone else had their race at the same time.
I'd love to start racing as early as possible but I understand is putting a lot of pressure on the hosting club. I the only way it would work is if we had a separate entity organising all NPS races, people who would have all logistics sorted and polished. It would take the pressure of the hosting club and ensure everything runs smootly.
Traveling to races is another thing to consider and we'll never please everyone. I don't mind paying extra and staying overnight if I now I'm going to brilliant race. NPS series needs to develop into a product managed by dedicated company, which has been said many times before.
although it would be great to have races a bit earlier, would it really make much odds getting home an hour earlier? personally I am fit for feck all after a race - so not much good to family when I get home anyway. Whatever is best for the organiser IMO, you are giving up a day to do a race if it isn;t close to home, end of story.
NPS series needs to develop into a product managed by dedicated company, which has been said many times before.
Can't see that happening Max! The sums simply don't add up. If you work out how much voluntary (free) time is given to organising an NPS with course building, marshalling, sign-on etc and then put a monetary cost on it, you would find the total runs to many â¬000's per event! At a "guesstimate" I would say that a commercial operation would need to charge at least â¬50/â¬60k to run a 6 race series.
It’s a fair point Oz, but there can be two very different perspectives on this.
For the competitor, they turn up, sign on, get changed, practice lap, prepare for the race (food, bottles, etc) "RACE", wash up and home, or if you’re lucky collect something at the prize giving. Not much to do really………..
For the race organiser there is the following (assuming the course has all been marked out he day before) set up sign on and timing E Z ups, lap tops, generators, PA system, manage sign on, for 2:30 hours up to 12:00, run U/A races at 11:00, run S4 race at 12:00, run, main race at 13:30, U/A prize giving at 14:00, main prize giving at 15:45, results posted at 20:00. All for 250+ competitors. Plus managing ALL the volunteers, ambulances during the day, etc.
I’m not sure there is the time in the day to make the main races any earlier unless you move everything back one hour (U/A at 10.00. not sure how fun that would be leaving at 7:00 to an U/A race at 10:00) or swap the 3 races around, can’t see that working either.
Personally I think the schedule for the event works well (everything ran very smoothly yesterday), especially when the race is in Djouce and living in Dublin or racing Tollymore living in Banbridge.
If people are concerned about their day being taken up doing a race either organise an event them selves with a different schedule and see how it all works or don’t bother racing.
BTW, the earlier start to a CX race works at 12:00 because it’s only an hour long race and was limited to 70 competitors in a local park.
Max, what you are looking for is only across the water……… but if competitors are prepared to pay double or treble the entry then I sure it's all possible.
Before it turns into a big debate I would like to know what are the major advantages over disadvantages of starting the race's earlier..?
Personally, I would not be interested in an earlier start.. from a competitor's point of view I don't see what the advantage would be.. its not like we're driving home in the dark or anything..!
The way I see it.. if you've committed to race then you've pretty much put aside the entire day & sometimes 2 days to accommodate it..
I have little or no interest in staying overnight before a race or turning it into a 2 day episode... travelling this season is expensive enough as it is without bundling BB's or camping into the equation..
John, I know they have it organised like that in UK. Maybe we can't afford it just yet but surely its something to aim for.
RL, what is 60k in the grand scam of things (when we're paying 8M for the Queens visit!)
John, I know they have it organised like that in UK. Maybe we can't afford it just yet but surely its something to aim for.
RL, what is 60k in the grand scam of things (when we're paying 8M for the Queens visit!)
I think in the original post it was moving it from half 1 to 12. Dont think its worth it for an hour and a half. At the moment we can run everything on the one day which makes it a better event with more people and atmostphere. Also you have to remember the people travelling to the race. If your from Galway,Kerry or Cork your looking around the 3 hr mark to a race in Dublin,which is just about do-able on the day. If times were moved forward it would mean travelling the day before for seniors and underage alike. Your also adding more cost to parents (at least â¬100 every 2 weeks) to put a whole family up for the night!! For me it would have to be a no im afraid.
Have to agree with Matt and JP etc, particularly on the family front, even though I am not racing this year, to have to bring the two young lads up and overnight before a race would be very expensive and take out a whole weekend as opposed to just one day, keep the present format it works for the majority!
There I was driving back from the race this Sunday thinking THANK GOD the races are run at a normal time. Even though waking up on a Sunday at 8 o'clock is still too much for me it's still better than 7,6 or 5 am... I even had time to drive around and explore the area a bit.
So far all comments here are related to families and old people wanting to wake up earlier. Think about the younger guys without families as well
Most seniors at the races really are seniors and as far as I've understood it's because the younger crowd is in the pubs getting pissed instead of the trails. Now if the races would be held at say 16, it would leave much more time to sober up if you were out the previous night and maybe then the senior categories would be changed to something "non-senior";D
Now I know this is probably not realistic but just think about the other side of things as well!
