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IMUK Getting Bored of the negatives
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Right, I know the history, I've had my own run ins with some Yeovil based people a few years back, but I'm now well and truly bored with the constant one sided criticism of IMUK (over several years), especially from some that haven't even been near the race for several years.
Ok, it wasn't the perfect race. But I've yet to go to a perfect race. Anbother thread is going on about how we are all saved as One Step Beyond are organising an Iron distance race. Now I love the vit, and have voted it my favourite UK race on several occasions. But using the same level of pettiness that is applied to IMUK then the following make it ludicrous and inconceivable to even consider entering the vit:-
1) Lake way too shallow can walk most of it
2) Car park too small
3) Transition too cramped and not carpetted, swept
4) Not closed roads
5) Not enough aid stations on bike / run
6) Run includes a bit over mud where I nearly turned my ankle, very dangerous
7) t-shirt is long sleeved - would have to cut arms to make it a proper tee (serously, saw someone complaining that they would have to hack off the collar to make the IMUK finisher polo shirt wearable
Now a lot is said about the IMUK organisers and the paid staff, compared to those that volunteered. In fact as far as I can tell there are virtually no paid staff. There are a few Tri-uk shop staff that help build the site and I assume they still get paid, but most of those in the non white shirts are still volunteers, just people that volunteer every year for 70.3 and IMUK.
And the way in which we were spoken to, abued, shouted at, sworn at and generally treated by racers and family in the days before th e race was shocking. OK, it's great after the raqce to say 'volunteers are excellent', but when you've been screaming the 'f word' at a pregnant volunteer, or throwing things at us then it's scant consolation. The point here is that when we had goodness knows how many inches of rain on Monday>Thursday before the race then we had to adapt and do what we could. I appreciate that in the week before people are on taper and so not getting rid of the agression on the pedals, but boy did we spot that!
I've raced at overseas Ironman, and the main difference to Bolton was the size of the expo. Apart from that, then the crowd support, was simmilar. What would help is if we had more volunteers, especially at the aid stations. Sadly then the constant negatives actually become self defeating as this means that less people take the positive approach to join in, and help and add their experience to making it a better event. I also personally feel that it reduces the desire for the organisers to enter into open discussions. I'm not saying that debate or discussion on what can be improved shouldn't take place, but please get some perspective.
Right, that's got that off my chest. Sorry, but perhaps it's because I'm a bit tired and grumpy after the lack of sleep over the last week.
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Comments
D - There were loads of positive comments in the stuff I read - so presumably it's ANY criticism you're upset with.
Anyway, are we still going to New Zealand?
Gyraffe - Nope, not any criticism, I guess it's the unreasonable criticism. And by 'the unreasonable' then I suppose it means 'criticism I consider unreasonable'
And as for NZ, then yes, it is 100% my intention to be there.
Candy - we did find a small leather pouch containing ky jelly and a second mini tube of 'personal lubricant'. Whilst I appreciate the need to use some bodyglide to stop wetsuit chaffing this appeared a little too well used and 'expert'.
Right, off to recce a cycle route for a new local race. See you later.
D Your point is well made especially on the self-defeating bit.
Im with you on the perspective issue too , I think (and Im extrapolating here so bear with me) that folks want IM UK to be as much of a success as you do and that they are passionate about a sport they put a lot into , thus they get frustrated when they think they can help and percieve that not only that they are not being listened to but the response is in some cases bordering on or overtly hostile.
One place I feel I must challenge you on is the support., not sure which overseas IM youve done apart from NZ , but look at IMDE and their media stats , 350,000 people on the course ! I was there in 05 supporting and there were in excess of 15000 at the swim start which is in a gravel pit 12 miles from the city...
Likewise Klagenfurt really embraces its race and has magnificent crowds in the town and on a couple of the climbs, a place where Heartbreak at IMCH is somewhat pre-eminent.
If there truly was this kind of support at Bolton (I wasnt there) then fantastic ....and for me as a slight extrovert this is important and does have a bearing on the races I sign up to.
I agree getting volunteers is key and Ive never shouted abuse at one even when they have been somewhat inept , CH and FR are nowhere near as good as DE and AUT when it comes to bike aid stations , though a word for Almere on ITU long course they were bang on the money and probably the best race volunteers Ive ever seen , many doing IM and then Long Course 2 days back to back.
AUTistic, you say. Clever use of psychology there.
Klagenfurt it is.
I have to say that the locals in the main did seem to embrace it and it was on the local news loads of times.
I spoke to some marshalls at the brieifng who were locals just happy to marshall the race because it was happening in their home town, I assume there were lots like that but hopefully others will see and want to do it next year.
Firstly I applaud all the work that so many people put into the race, paid staff and volunteers, so many people put in so much work its a shame that in my opinion they are let down time and time again by the organisers.
I wont go near the place again as the organisers have done things that for me personally only a change of organiser will redress.
I dont need to go near the race, every single year ive read and heard reams and reams of issues raised by competitors and other people involved. The feedback here has been relatively good though id question how much is a blinkered perspective from people that havnt raced many overseas IM events.
In my opinion youre having a laugh comparing the organisation to Vitruvian, Pace Setters/One Step Beyond, your list strikes of seriously clutching at straws and is seemingly dwarfed by the list of suggested 'improvements' to IMUK posted on Tripetalk. If you are getting bored with the negatives, I would hope the IMUK organisers are too, it would seem to me that it would be relatively easy to turn around. If I was organising the race I would engage with the athletes that so want to help, use a list and project plan, read every suggestion made about the race and ensure every base and contingency is covered.
It would appear that every year apparently basic things are lacking, which leaves with the conclusion that the organisers are incompetent. It also makes me think that the UK deserves a whole lot better, we need an IM race which competes with other worldwide IM events, sadly I dont think we'll ever get that with the current organisers.
In my mind one thing above all else sums up the negativity to IM UK and that’s the perception that lots of people are fearful of criticising the race/organisers. I have never heard of any other race organisers taking legal action against competitors, banning, disqualifying people from the race, forcing people to write apologies and issue retractions online. I couldnt name another event where comments are often qualified as personal opinion.
The above comments are my opinion and should not be interpreted as factual.
ah, the good old days.
have to admit, like duncan says, other races get cut alot more slack than IMUK though. hopefully now imuk is somewhere where the locals support it it'll really sort things out for next year. wonder what the foreigners are saying about it.
by pure coincidence i met a bloke this morning who did IMUK, i asked how it was and he said, unprompted, that it was the most poorly organised race he's ever been involved in and that he would never do IMUK again.
d74 can believe that it is some kind of forum led witch hunt if he likes but i think the negative views of many forum users are just a reflection of the general views held.
all i can say is that i've spectated 6 IM races, including 3 times at UK, and i wouldnt bother doing UK
lol tmw!
just commenting on the types of people he is a fanboy for...
Quick recap? My attention span isn't coping well with the long posts today...
It think it is both true that IMUK could be improved quite a lot and that the threshhold for criticism is lower than at other races.
One thing they did get right was the finish line - it really was an exciting atmosphere for the athletes and the spectators. Way better than IMA or IMCH in my opinion.
Nick said the food in the athlete's garden was very 'northern': pies, sandwiches etc. I would have loved to have something like that at IMCH where there was chopped up powerbar (who want powerbar products at that satge??!!), some creamy chicken thing with rice (even if I ate meat I wouldn't want to eat soemthing that looked like dog sick) and spaghetti with tomato sauce ( a) i need protein and b) spaghetti seems way to complex to manage!).
Loads of people complained about the aid stations running out of water other IMs.
I think the biggest problem here is the response to criticism.
Aye but Melli could you and FB not enter into the spirit of things with TMW and Barley as its more entertaining
a
After reading the TT thread on the race it seems that we are all sliding into the Pipe and Slippers comfy chair sort of comments there are a number of folks there having a right go.
Sheephouse lane does sound good and Pie afterwards wahoo ..
and Melli you are simply too fast to get good atmos at the finish chute dear
immecentric - I've done IMA, although was a little while ago (2005). And whilst I can't comment on IMDE, then personally I thought that the RupertTheBear climb was great on lap1, by lap 2 and 3 the place was deserted. Equally on the run, then the first lap half of the course is deserted along a railway line, then on the second lap even the town square was empty. And this was from a top 1/2 finisher not at 10 at night. The finish was spectacular though, especially near to midnight, followed by the fireworks. Now of course playing devils advocate then when it comes to spectators that is something that we can all do soemthing about. Indeed it's not really IMUK office that can do that. In addition, if you look at the finish line photos then you can see we're now in IMA territory in terms of grandstands, screens and crowds.
TMW- Not sure why you think I'm a RC fanboy - if you look at several posts then I have seriously questioned the safety of his former races. If you mean that I'm a fanboy as I volunteered to crew for a couple, well that's true, but that's because my approach to something that I think i dangerous or poor for competitors is to get involved and to try to make it better for those that are competing. If it's something else that I've said, done that makes you think that have anything other than a basic politeness to Rory then you're missinterpretting it big style. Having hopefully addressed that issue, then as FB says, it's not really an issue related to IMUK.
As for the Vit comments clutching at straws, the long sleeved tee shirt was a reference to one persons comment that the finishers shirt was crap ad they'd need to take a pair or scisors to the collar to make it wearable. The other comments weren't clutching at straws, but simply using the same standard by which IMUK appears to be judged. Far from criticising the VIt then I was trying to show that IMUK is being judged to a different set of standards. The Big Woody had a lot of problems by all accounts, and I think that shows how hard it is to step up from Half or standard distance to full distance organisation.
What I would agree with though is that communication wise then the race office doesn't always seem to get it right. But then, this is in part because of the constant criticism on the forums I think. But only in part.
As for any 73 page tri-talk improvement list. I just hope that all those competitors have also emailed those comments to IMUK office, otherwise it's a waste of time.