North Sligo Athletics Club: Colerain Calamity! December 2009
Colerain All Ireland Calamity! Runners and Non-starters both victims!
A large crowd of enthusiastic parents witnessed a fiasco in Coleraine in every event, with very poor organisation and dangerous starts. I agree with all comments made on the Craughwell web site after the event and feel that all the races should have been declared "null and void".
The lack of space was obvious before the start of the competition, and attempts were made to get officials to rectify this, but to no avail.Officials, when asked, did not know where each race was starting from.
The differing fates of Cian McBride and William Crowe in the U13 boys race, two similar standard athletes from North Sligo AC. (with Cian being a slightly higher achiever), who came first and second respectively, in the well organised Connacht finals in Tuam, over a good course, illustrate that everyone, non-starters and runners were victims.
Both had been training together 5 or 6 times a week for the last 2 months, both families had stayed in hotels over night, and both, like everyone else, had been drilled and warned how important it was to get off to a fast start, to avoid being boxed in. Both were standing together, both had been jostled forward and back, trying to hold a position level with everyone at the start. Parents were standing in front of the children. Cian had been intimidated by a parent or official, who asked him to step out as he was not going to be allowed to run, and then when questioned by Cian’s father stated that , he was only “trying to rise him.”
Then a group of mainly Ulster and Munster athletes went off from two shoots without parents blocking the exits and were not stopped, and many athletes then followed. The gun never went off, officials were calling the children back, but then someone said "let them go". Both Cian and William followed at first, but at an obvious disadvantage. Cian, who is normally very cued in and has several all Ireland golds in different events to his credit, was called back, and decided to obey, thinking the race would be stopped. He was very distraught, and cried when it was allowed to continue.William, on the other hand, was so focused on not being left at the start, that he continued, well back in about 30th place, boxed in until the bend. After that he gradually forced his way through the field, reaching about 10th place by the top of the hill in the wood. He eventually finished second and was delighted to win his medal. The Connacht boys team were assessing their chances of team medals, because despite the non start of Cian, and some poor starts they seemed to have a good few in the top thirty. William had mixed feelings when he found out that his training mate did not get running. Then, for him, the shattering announcement came that the race had been declared “null and void”. He was very annoyed, declaring that he deserved to win the silver medal, racing against the odds of an unfair start. This anouncement was some consolation for those who did not get to run. But when will cancelled races, or the whole event, take place again? If it does not take place in the next few weeks, the atheletes will have lost their condition and times will conflict with track and field events.
The actual course in Coleraine apart from the desperate start and poor signposting was in quite good condition. It was the organisation that was poor. Badly designed starts with not enough space until bends seem to be a regular feature of cross country events (but this was the worst I have seen). This is leading to a rough “dog eat dog; guard your space by violence if necessary" attitude, that is creeping into the sport among competitors, trainers and parents, which is disgusting. At Kilbeggan in the U14 boys cross country race, again better organised, William was bullied by a larger competitor at the start and knocked over. He finished well down the field, whereas Cian, who got a reasonable start, finished in 8th position. The remedies have all been documented by other writers before. ‘More space’ at the start, and during the race to allow overtaking, and possibly longer races to make the start less vital. The Western Region Cross-country Championships (Even ages, U10 to U18) in Ballinamore County County Leitrim on Sunday 1st November, were better organized than Coleraine, but took place in atrocious windy wet conditions at a wet, boggy and muddy course. It was more a case of staying on your feet rather than racing. There were only a couple of places dry enough, to attempt overtaking, safely. Athletics Ireland need to be safety conscious and re-evaluate courses and protocols for minimum conditions necessary for running events.At the All-Ireland A & B Cross Country Championships, held at the Forest Park Boyle on Sunday 21st February 2010,
In the re-run of the (Colerain) (A) Boys U13 All-Ireland 1,400m Cross Country Championship:
Cian Mc Bride came 3rd and William Crowe came officially 9th (really 10th); both atheletes from North Sligo A.C. and Connacht.
Both had flue on the Monday to Wednesday before the race. Cian was lying second near the end of the race, with 50m to go, but was passed at the end,in the last 20m, achieving third place; William was lying 20th with 100m to go and sprinted past 10 runners before the finish, but did not feel his best earlier in the race (he should have got himself further up the field).
However there were medals for the first 12 places and William has not given back (and was not asked to) his second place medal from the last time.
There was trouble again at the end of the race, with long delays and discussions as trainers contested results. At one point medals were not going to be given out on the day, but eventually a decision was made. Kieth Byrne from Mohill (Co. Leitrim) came 7th but was not counted, because he had not signed in on the day. He ran in his Colerain number, thinking that since it was a re-run the old number would do. If he had been accepted,
the Connacht team would have got the same points as the first placed team; (first 6 runners from each province count). The next runner would have counted then and Connacht would have come 2nd. As it was Connacht was placed 3rd.
The Craughwell (Galway) trainer was pushing for this final official result, because he had a runner who officially was placed 6th in for Connacht (gaining a Team medal for himself) but if the Mohill atheletes position was accepted, the Galway athelete would have become 7th placed Connacht Runner and would have got no team medal.
Needless to say, the two other provinces preferred the official result. Given the circumstances in both the initial race at Colerain and the re-run in Boyle, where no one was likely to be content with the result, it was probably right to stick rigidly with the rules and give no leeway to misinterpretations caused by the re-run.
However, William now has 3 medals for this All-Ireland race; two individual (2nd and 9th) and one Connacht team bronze medal (100+ runners on each occasion) but first race has no standing in Official results.
In the re-run of the (Colerain) (A) U15 Girls All-Ireland Cross Country Championship:
North Sligo A.C. atheletes Sorcha Fallon finished 16th, Cliodhla Mc Gowan finished 26th, Ellen Kenedy was 33rd and Elan Mc Carthy was 57th; the team finished in 5th position.Positions of North Sligo A.C. atheletes in the All-Ireland B Cross Country Championships, held at the Forest Park Boyle on Sunday 21st February 2010
U11 Girls 800m: Sinead Regan finished 53rd.
U11 Boys 800m: James Devaney had one of his best runs in crosscountry, finishing 8th; his clubmate Joe Spellman, more noted as a sprinter, finished a very credible 32nd
U13 Girls very talented Nell Kelly finished 6th in a fine run; clubmate Cathy Devaney finished 19th and Denese Regan finished 45th.
U15 Boys very promising athelete Patil Aishan was 11th and Geoff Howley finished a very credible 31st.
National Intermediate race: Tommy Kelly had one of his best races ever when he finished 29th. Thomas McBride finished 85th in the same race and it is great to see this talented athelete making his first steps towards a comeback to competitive athletics, after a very long lay off. Thomas was a very successful junior athelete.
The Organisers of the event at Boyle should be complimented at the way the event was run.
There was ample space at the start, with numerous well designed corrals (I did not see any pushing or shoving or physical violence of any sort at the start).
Some of the outer lanes probably had slightly longer distances to run, but that can’t be helped.
There was a map of the different running courses for different age groups at several different locations, as well as in the brochure and the running regions were well marked out with tape.
There were a couple of wet, soft areas underfoot, but no mud-baths or very narrow stretches where it would be impossible to overtake without sliding or being knocked over.
It was possible for viewers to get to three regions on the course relatively easily during the race.
Parents and coaches were kept well away from the start area.
The compere and starters kept every race running on time, with very fair starts, with no breaks being allowed, and warning coaches and parents to keep off the track and not to pace competitors, informing everyone continuously of the location of check-in, where food and refreshments could be found etc.
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