Morning all - there are two themes to this post......
We are now in the era where on line entries for races are the norm. There is good and bad about that. On line entries allow a race organiser to plan ahead much more easily as the money for the race comes in earlier. On the other hand, races are much more likely to sell out, making many would-be entrants frustrated.
Last weekend's Lliswerry 8 is a good example. So too is next weekend's Reverse 10. And now too, Cardiff Running Events 20/10 has sold out - I can't ever remember a new event selling out before - Phil's organisational skills are obviously a strong selling factor.
Of course - some races are much harder to sell. Entries for the Welsh XC Championships comes into this category. Entries have always been relatively sparse - even in the 1970s and 1980s (whilst, by comparison, the English Cross Country Championships are always full!)
This just goes to show how much of entering a race exists in the mindset of the potential entrant.
Which leads to the second theme of this post. The Barry 40 has existed since 1986. It's popularity in the 1990s grew to such an extent that I had to close entries the preceding November. Not any more. In 2017 we introduced a track marathon to be held simultaneously. That worked in part - to at least make the event financially viable. And in the two previous track marathons - no participating athlete has failed to finish.
A common reply I often get is "I couldn't get my head around it" or something similar. I know this is a widely held view. And yet, if you talk to any of the previous participants in the 40 or marathon, boredom isn't a factor. In fact, the same athletes keep coming back year on year. And if performance is important to you, you could be on to a winner e.g Lisa Cleary ran 8 marathons last year and her run at Barry was her quickest by 8 minutes!
Many would be London Marathoners for 2019 who had their applications rejected must be out there wanting to run a marathon. So here's one with no accommodation costs, no travel costs, no hassle of getting to the start - you can organise your own support crew to cheer you on from the stand. Of you can take a leaf out of Steve Speirs book (from 2018) run the race, have all your family pictures taken at the finish line and let them take you out for a meal direct from the race!
So what are you all waiting for? Croupiers entries to date: Alan Mann, Loretta Daley, Roy Silver (travelling from France - what a hero!) and Laurent Bono - first timer. Plenty of room for more!
Race date: Sunday 10 March at Jenner Park, Barry, start at 10AM. We'll allow 6:30.
Entries details on Cardiff Running Events. or e Mail me at
mick.mcgeoch@sky.com or simply come and ask.