Race that divided the nation…

Clonakilty is always really nice race to run. Doesn’t matter if you are running 10 K, half-marathon or full marathon the atmosphere is always great. You always getting that special vibe here. You can feel like between members of family. Great buzz and much needed support for town itself. Usually there are two runs during the year organized by Clon crew (sometimes more). Ia and Bob always make us feel very welcome. I think that easily you can call that marathon the friendliest marathon in Ireland. And it doesn’t matter if that is ultra marathon in Summer or chilly marathon in December. This year was no different…

Most of the MCI friends were in West Cork already on Thursday evening to run next day in the director’s run. New route and plenty of fun… Even that I had Friday off I couldn’t make it to run that day. You need 3.5 hours at least to get to Clonakilty from Dublin. So, no way to drive after work on Thursday. Or maybe way but then I would end up in Clonakilty at 11PM like last year. This year I got into the car midday on Friday with plan to slowly drive down towards West Cork. Enjoyed the drive? Not really, was very windy. Car going all over the place, fuel consumption over the top, but still relaxed. Was driving to Clon to run marathon there. I was happy but still not convinced that I will bee able to run whole run. Still in recovery mode, starting my preparation for new season…

Arrived into town just after 4 PM. Left all my stuff in hotel and went to ‘marathon headquarters’ pick up my bib and talk to friends.  I knew that there were some friends who run the director’s run on Friday morning. After not seeing them for a long time was nice to exchange little bit of gossips and ideas. Talk about next season. Runners who run in the morning were telling that new route is quite hard to run and that wind wasn’t helping at all. When I have arrived it wasn’t as windy as in the morning and it wasn’t raining neither. Everything was looking fine. In the evening I was talking to Bob – marathon main man – and he told me that 6 PM check of route was good and marathon will happen. It was nice thing to hear. Have spent evening with Daria, Cezary and their family. Nice time before next day run. Went to hotel and try to get to bed quicker. I wanted to be ‘fresh’ in the morning. During night wind picked up little bit, you could hear it under the roof of the hotel, in the pipes… Not to deep sleep but was ok. Woke up as usual at 6 AM and was welcomed by heavy rain. But little bit of rain and wind never killed anybody. So, preparations continued as usual. Toilet, shower, dressing up, quick breakfast, last check in the hotel room and I was out. Before leaving I went on the Facebook to see if there is any info about the marathon. Nothing there. Went down to reception to leave the key and there I was informed that race has been called off…

At midnight everything was still ok but just after 5 AM storm Desmond hit and besides wind we got very heavy rain. Last check of the mail marathon route was done before 7 AM. And when that route was announced as ‘no go’ Bob with rest of Clon crew and Gards drove to inspect backup route. But water level was raising and this route started to get flooded. And that how the marathon has to be called off. Desmond was to blame. I know that decision of cancelling race was really hard to take for Organizers but it has to be done. I know as well that whole Clone crew did all in their powers to make that race happened. But this time weather won. All who know Ia and Bob knew that they didn’t want to take that decision. And we understood them. But there was group of runners who were very upset. There was plenty of complains about handling the weather issue. Many of these runners who were travelling the day of the race and they were saying that weather was already bad day before, especially evening. Complains that there was no communication in the morning of the run. And all participants gathered in the hotel haven’t heard any news…

All I know is that the whole Clon crew were doing all they can to make that marathon run happened. Checked 2 routes, talked to Gards. Really all they could was done. But always there will be someone who won’t be happy. Safety of runners, your safety or running the marathon whatever the price? People, please think a little bit. Crew would allow you to run if that would be safe. But it wasn’t. They waited till end, hoping for weather to turn. Hasn’t happened and the marathon was cancelled. Happened. And that has fuelled social media. Those disappointed went to Facebook to made their voice heard. Blaming Ia and Bob for everything. No communication, organization and eventually even weather. I cannot just understand that. Weather happened and then you need to deal with it…

Couple days later all participants have received info about marathon. We have been given option to run marathon on the new day 6th of February 2016, get refund or postponed race till December next year. Wasn’t that proper response? Tell me?