Racing - The Shape of Things to Come?
Racing Is Resuming in Some Parts of the World - Is this How It Will Be?
With all the World Marathon Majors now postponed until the autumn, in the expectation that, by that stage, Covid vaccination across the world will have changed the pandemic landscape enough to for health, travel, accommodation and race protocols to have been relaxed sufficiently to enable the events to go ahead.
US Races Go Ahead
Races are already happening in the U.S., with varying degrees of Covid protocols. Time will see how the various Covid protocols pan out. The feedback will be of great interest to race organisers and participants alike.
Glass City Marathon to Require Vaccination or Negative Test
The Glass City Marathon, in Toledo, Ohio, USA, on April 25th, with 10,000 entrants, and a waiting list of 500, recently emailed all entrants, to say that they MUST have a negative Covid test, within 72 hours of the marathon, or else they MUST provide proof of full Covid vaccination, completed at least two weeks before the marathon.
However, for other upcoming large events, it is likely that similar requirements to those being implemented in Toledo will be required for all the components in the majors; travel, accommodation and the race itself.
Gate River Run, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Saturday March 20th 2021
Last weekend, the 44th Annual Gate River Run, doubling as the US National 15k Championship, took place in Jacksonville, Florida, with a significantly reduced field on previous years. 6,733 finished, from a 2021 cap of 8,000, compared to approx. 12,500 every other year. There were also several hundred in a 5k section of the race.
Race Director's Take on Covid Changes to the Event
Covid brought several changes to the event, including the use of two different starts, with several waves going from each wave.
Speaking in the lead up to the event, Race director Doug Allred said that this year’s race would be a little different due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We intend to put in place a number of social distance guidelines,” This field is limited to 8,000 runners at 15K. There are also two different starting lines
“You’ll actually experience the course. Most water stations are still there, they run a little differently, and the finish lines will look exactly the same,” Alred said. “As long as people work together and wear the mask for its intended purpose, I think it will work. It’s a safe event for everyone and most people who come will find it a traditional run. Probably. “
A mask is required except when it is running.
“It needs more,” Alred explained the preparation. “We’re doing some small races and we’re using some of the guidelines we use at River Run to see how they go, so they really worked.”
Probably the key lesson is in the last sentence: “We’re doing some small races and we’re using some of the guidelines we use at River Run to see how they go". For race directors here, get involved with the organisation of smaller events, and see what goes right, what went right and what to improve. All race organisers should be doing that, but now, with Covid hee, we need to share our lessons learnt.
Gate River Run 2021
Will similar requirements be the norm for other races? Probably, but time will tell. Large race or small, such requirements would introduce a large burden of administration - Larger events may be able to absorb the workload, or build in scanner systems into their registration, but smaller events probably won't have such luxuries, or the manpower to work them ...time will tell
For the vast majority of us, the past year has been frustrating – and that’s definitely understating things! Everyone is, literally, ‘chomping at the bit’, hoping that racing, as we knew it, will resume again soon. However, even among runners, like the population at large on opening up society in general, opinion is divided as to how to organize races safely. Some people will run in races no matter what, while others remain very apprehensive, with the majority somewhere in the middle.
When it comes to virus transmission, races can be both safe and unsafe. Normally, runners aren’t in large groups, except before the start, and after the finish. Road races are entirely outdoors, with complete ventilation and fresh air. ....But Covid loves social mixing, as do runners and spectators.
Health Protocols in Races
Participants & Volunteers
In the short to medium term, everyone attending an event will, at the very least, need to complete a Covid questionnaire. Another possibility is that Covid vaccination passports, or proof of immunity, will be required.
Vaccine Passport
Feed Stations
In many races, you will have water stations along the course, where volunteers dispense water, sports drinks, energy gels, fruit, and more. You'll certainly have them after the finish.
No race could function without these volunteers. But, there is always some degree of contact as drinks and other material is passed to the runner, and the water stations are often congested areas, with runners gasping and breathing heavily as they get their hydration drinks, gels, bananas and other goodies.
Then there are, particularly in the longer distances, the inevitable few who finish (or not) in distress. Voluntary first aiders must deal with these. Covid has brought a major source of risk for these invaluable first-aiders.
Clearly the return to racing will bring many headaches for organisers, and, while keeping participants and volunteers safe, the control measures and systems, are probably not going to make the race experience more enjoyable for all. It's certainly going to be a learning experience for everyone involved.
Remember ... We all need to look out for each other if we're going to progress in the short/medium term.
Event Calendar
Recently, Athletics Ireland published a draft calendar for 2021, including Munster Athletics events.
Following the AAI release, Cork Athletics County Board has provisionally booked the MTU (CIT) Track for the last Sunday in August, and the first two Sundays in September. No events or Age-Groups have yet been assigned to these days, and more dates may be needed.
The format for each day is, as yet, unclear. It would be great - but probably unlikely - if we could have "Normal" T&F days. It may be that we will need to run them similar to the Cross-Country Day held in Riverstick last October, with the site being cleared after each event, hopefully with bigger numbers - we were limited to 200 people on site on that day in October.
Download Draft Athletics Ireland / Cork Athletics Calendar (PDF File)
Month | Day | Date | Organiser | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
May | Sat-Sun | 1 - 2 | WORLD ATHLETICS | World Athletics Relays |
May | Sun | 16 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | European Race Walking Team Championships |
June | Sat | 5 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | 24th European Athletics 10000m Cup |
June | Sat | 5 | ISAA | Irish Schools |
June | Sat | 12 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Games + CE Championships (Youth/Junior/Senior/Master) |
June | Sun | 13 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Games + CE Championships (Youth/Junior/Senior/Master) |
June | Sat | 19-20 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS First League |
June | Sat | 19 | ISAA | Tailteann Games |
June | Sun | 20 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Junior Championships + U23 specific events |
June | Sat | 26 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Senior & U23 Championships |
June | Sun | 27 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Senior & U23 Championships |
July | Sat | 3 | Munster | Munster U14-U19 Girls T&F Day 1 |
July | Sun | 4 | Munster | Munster U14-U19 Boys T&F Day 2 |
July | Tue | 6 | CCS | Cork City Sports |
July | Thu - Sun | 08-11 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U23 Championships |
July | Fri | 9 | Morton | Morton Games |
July | Sat | 10 | Munster | Munster U12 & U13 Girls T&F & Girls Childrens Games |
July | Sun | 11 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI League 1 |
July | Sun | 11 | Munster | Munster U12 & U13 Girls T&F & Girls Childrens Games |
July | Thu - Sun | 15-18 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U20 Championships |
July | Sat | 17 | ISAA | SIAB Schools Track & Field |
July | Sat | 17 | Munster | Munster U14-U19 Girls T&F Day 3 |
July | Sun | 18 | Munster | Munster U14-U19 Girls T&F Day 3 |
July | Sat | 24 | Munster | Munster U11-U15 'B' T&F |
July | Sun | 25 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI League 2 |
July | Sun | 25 | Leinster | Leinster Childrens Games and U12 & U13 |
July | Fri - Sun | 30-8 | WORLD ATHLETICS | Olympic Games |
July | Sat | 31 | Munster | Munster Senior & Masters Men & Women T&F |
August | Sat | 7 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Juvenile Day 1 14-19 Championships |
August | Sun | 8 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Juvenile Day 2 14-19 Championships |
August | Sat | 14 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Juvenile Day 3 12-19 Championships (12-13 Field Events) |
August | Sun | 15 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI League Final |
August | Tue-Sun | 17-22 | WORLD ATHLETICS | World Athletics U20 Championships |
August | Sat | 21 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Childrens Games + 12/13 Track Events and CE U14/U15/U16 |
August | Sun | 22 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Juvenile Relays & B Championships |
August | Mon - Sat | 23-28 | IUAA | FISU Universiade (Athletics) |
August | Thu-Sun | 26-29 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U18 Championships |
August | Sun | 29 | Cork Athletics | T&F Championships Day 1 |
September | Sun | 5 | Cork Athletics | T&F Championships Day 2 |
September | Sun | 5 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Masters Championships |
September | Fri | 10 | ATHLETICS NORTHERN IRELAND | Northern Ireland International EUROPEAN ATHLETICSP Meet |
September | Sun | 12 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Road Relays |
September | Sun | 12 | Cork Athletics | T&F Championships Day 3 |
September | Sun | 19 | Cork Athletics | Cork Women's Mini-Marathon |
October | Sun | 17 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Autumn Cross |
October | Sun | 24 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI National Marathon Championships (Dublin Marathon) |
November | Sat | 13 | IMAA | British & Irish Masters XC |
November | Sun | 21 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Senior, Junior & Juvenile Even XC Championships |
December | Sun | 5 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI Novice & Juvenile Uneven XC Championships |
December | Sat | 11 | ATHLETICS IRELAND | AAI National 30K World Athleticslks |
December | Sun | 12 | EUROPEAN ATHLETICS | 27th SPAR European Athletics Cross Country |