This year we received a 17% response rate on our survey (nearly 100 responses), so let’s have a look at what you all had to say and we will add in already planned improvement based on feedback through RaceCheck and what has come through our post-mortem process with our team and from talking to people on the day and after.
Q1: What type of category prize do you favour?
A solid 71% of you believed trophy/memento was preferable to a cash prize. This is somethign we’ll look into for 2025 for sure!
Q2: What is the most important post-race memento / gift in your opinion?
This one really divided opinions with no clear majority for any choice showing the old adage ‘you cannot please everyoen all the time is true!
The largest proportion favoured medal (around 48%) either on it’s own or in conjunction with tshirts. Some of these stated they preferred this year’s coaster as a novelty and something ‘more useful’ but speculated that first time marathoners may prefer the medal.
Tshirts were the second most favoured memento at 37% followed by coasters at 12% and various suggestions such as buffs, hats, socks and mugs favoured by about 10%. Note many people suggested a few varieties whereas some people believed the experience itself was all that was needed.
Our takeaway: the largest number of people (but not a majority) still generally favour the traditional medal / tshirt combination meaning alternative gifts need to be clearly communicated so people know what to expect.
Q3 & 4: How many nights did you stay over around the race and how many spectators/friends/supporters did you bring?
26% of survey respondents stayed 1 or more nights in the area 1% staying 5 or more nights. On average each person in the race brought at least one guest.
It is important for us to know that we need to plan with a certain amount of bed-nights for the local area so that those who can stay near the start and finish can do so.
Q5: If you could pick one thing to add or remove from the 2025 edition what would it be?
The most common response (thank you!) was that little or nothing needed to change but we are keen to move the event forward, so let’s focus on the request for the changes that showed up in the survey as they often overlapped with our own crew’s observations.
This was an open question so we focus here on the responses that came up several times:
- More Water stations
- More energy/food options at water stations
- Non-cup option for water
- Less traffic in some areas
Based on this and RaceCheck feedback below is what we likely can and cannot do in the coming years.
Things we cannot change in the short-term
We would love to have a slightly later start and less traffic/closed roads. Sadly two of these are mutually exclusive (the later you start, the more traffic) and closing roads in this area is not currently possible.
Traffic can be reduced slightly by moving the event earlier into the year but this causes it’s own problems as the Sally Gap was closed due to poor conditions as late as March this year (so it is not a route that can be run in winter) and by April this area is already quite busy.
Start lines are also fixed as the courses can only maintain the correct distance ‘as is’ unless the finish line moves to a different location. Currently there is only one road in and out of Laragh and only two suitable finish line venues (Brockagh Centre and the Laragh GFC grounds). We do not currently want to sacrifice the experience of the Glendalough lakes although this would simplify morning logistics.
Things we plan to implement in 2025
Here is a list of what we plan to add to the event (budget permitting). This is not exhaustive and if we come up with other ideas, we may well do other things:
- Less email / removal of the large competitor handbook: our new website will be the key for updates making emails and the manuals redundant in the future.
- Slate medals (combining the best of this year’s options!)
- One or two extra aid station and more energy options at the aid stations
- Portaloo at the half-marathon turnpoint
- An improved finish line experience with more banners, flags and backdrops and various local displays/vendors
- An event after-party in Laragh
- Improving experience with traffic through:
- Ensuring the Wicklow Way Relay and it’s support cars does not clash with our date
- Emphasizing what parts of the route spectators should avoid
- Implementing a ‘Bike Corps’ with local cycling clubs to increase the amount of support bikes to not just include lead but also pacer and warning bikes
- A new clearer morning logistics system consisting of three clear zones: Arrival Area, Start Area and Finish Area. Some of this will be enforced as the current parking area will not be available in the future.
- Increase in portaloos at Start Area, on course, and in the new Arrival Area.
- A set shuttle schedule with a (free) ticketting system to ensure demand is spread out equally across all four bus drops and not backloaded on the last two
- A ‘guided’ warmup jog/walk to the start lines led by a local coach
- A new ‘Internationals’ page with even more information on the best way to plan your trip and stay for our event
That’s it for now – see you in 2025 hopefully…
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