Event FAQ
Welcome to GFW 2012 and thanks to everyone for your continued support. From 2011 there are be a couple of changes regarding waves and how categories are won.
Changes to Winning Criteria for Categories
To make it fair to everyone involved we have made the decision that you can only win your category if you are in the Elites wave. This means to win any category you will not have had a time out at the kayaks.
We recommend that you look at times from last year to see if you think you may have a chance of competing for the category title. Please do not enter the elites unless you think you have a chance of being placed in your category. Check what age category you are in and then look at last year’s times under the results page to see if you think you may be placed.
This next bit is important - Even if you beat a winning time by a lot, if you are not in the elites you will not be placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in this category. For example if you are in the runner wave and have a faster time than your category winner who raced in the elite wave, you will not win the category. The elite racer would still be placed ahead of you due to the fact that they did not have a time out option at the kayak transition.
Waves
This year there will be no walkers section. This is for safety reasons. You need to be able to do the course in 8 hours, at the very most 8 and a half. The cut off for 2012 at Croagh Patrick will be at 3.30pm. If you are in the last wave of joggers it will give you 5 hours (Including your kayak timeout, so don’t take too long!) to get to the base of Croagh Patrick. If you are unsure on how fit you need to be, ask around or go onto the Gaelforce forum, as a lot of people have now done the race or alternatively you can email Mona at mona@killary.com to get an idea of how fit you need to be.
If you are not confident in your fitness or what to expect at Gaelforce West try the Connemara Adventure Challenge on the 12th of May 2012. It is half the distance of Gaelforce West and will give you an idea of the challenge involved in Gaelforce West. You will then know what training you need to do to increase you fitness by August 18th.
If you are unsure on anything call our office on 095-42006 or email info@gaelforceevents.com
You will be asked when entering which category you would like to be in. There are 3 categories to choice from: Elite, Runner, Jogger. We ask people to enter themselves into a category so that they will be competing alongside competitors of the same standard.
So which category to choice (this is a guide):
- Elite/Runner - If you are a competitive hill runner, triathlete, run marathons or cyclist. This would be if you are extremely active every week. You cannot enter the elite category unless you have completed GFW in under 4.5hrs (Male) or 5.5hrs (Female) OR you have competed in an another adventure race/triathlon/ marathon and have finished in the top 20%.
- Jogger - Is starting training for GFW with a good level of fitness, maybe go to soccer or rugby training once or twice a week, but have never tried a multi sport event before.
Here are the approximate finishing times for each category:
- Elite under 4.5hrs if male or under 5.5hrs if female.
- Runners 4 - 5.5 hrs
- Joggers 5.5 - 7 hrs
When entering the race you will choose which category and bus time you will be taking on the day of the event. The times shown on the registration form are the times the buses will be leaving Westport, your wave will leave the beach/start the race, 1.5hrs after this time. For example if you are in the 7am Runner wave you will be starting the race at 8.30am.
Your category/wave CANNOT be changed once you have entered. If you are entering with a group of friends please make sure you all enter the same time slot and enter early so as not to be disappointed.
Elite - 5am
Runner - 5.30am
Runner - 6am
Runner - 6.30am
Runner - 7am
Jogger - 7.30am
Jogger - 8am
Jogger - 8.30am
Jogger - 9am
Littering is a central concern not only to race organisers, but also those who live in and utilise the countryside, mountains, beaches etc. We are confident in the environmental ethos of all of our competitors, but to minimize the chance of any temptation to litter, we have introduced a strict littering policy.
- Each competitor is required to dispose of their waste, including human waste, properly. We ask all competitors to please take their own rubbish home with them.
- If a competitor is found to be littering they will be disqualified from the race. We encourage everyone to report any littering by other competitors/teams.
- We also ask that you use a reuseable bottle for your liquids so as to cut down on plastic waste.
- If you have to dispose of any waste during the event we ask that you use our recycle bins properly, which will be located at each transition area.
Remember just because something is animal, vegetable, or mineral, doesn't mean it belongs in the wild. A banana or orange peel can take longer to decompose to than a piece of paper!
Registration will be taking place over 2 days, Thursday 16th August from 4pm - 9pm and on Friday the 17th August from 12pm - 10pm. You MUST register during one of these times, it is NOT possible to do the event without registering. Registration takes place at 2 venues, Killary Adventure Centre and the Delphi bike drop, you MUST visit BOTH venues to complete registration. Please read on for a detailed description of what you must do at each venue.
Step 1: Killary Adventure Centre Registration
Registration will be taking place on the above days, between the allotted times at the Killary Adventure Centre located just outside Leenane in Co. Galway. Direction can be found here. You MUST visit the Killary registration BEFORE you go to the Delphi Bike drop off.
Competitors will arrive to registration by car. You will be directed to a car parking space by a marshal. There are 3 areas you must visit before you leave registration, these are detailed below. It is your responsibility to ensure you visit all 2 areas before you leave Killary registration.
Area 1: Registration Pack
You MUST know your race number when you arrive at registration, these will be posted on the Gaelforce West website at the beginning of August, we will let you know when this has been done by email.
You will enter the registration room where there will be clear signs directing you to the correct area based on your race number. For example if your race number is 150 you will go to the area signed 'Race Numbers 01-300'. Here you will receive you registration pack with you event map, bike sticker, race numbers to be worn on the day and event T Shirt.
Area 2: Timing
You will then proceed to the timing area to pick up your timing dibber. This is a very important piece of equipment you need to ensure you are timed during the event. Once you receive your dibber it is you responsibility not to lose it and to return it at the finish line. Should you lose it you will be required to pay €30 for a replacement.
Step 2: Delphi Bike Drop Off
Directions to the Bike Drop Off from Killary Adventure Centre are below. Please note you MUST visit the Killary registration BEFORE proceeding to the Delphi bike drop off.
You will take a right turn at the exit from Killary Adventure Centre onto the N59 heading in the direction of Leenane. You should have the fjord on you left as you head towards Leenane. When you come into the village of Leenane the road continues around to the left and across the infamous Leenane bridge! This is still the N59 but you will now be heading in the direction of Westport. Approx 3.3km along this road there will be a turn off to the left with sigh posts for Asleagh Falls and Delphi Mountain resort, take this road. Continue along this road for approx 9.4km and you will arrive the bike drop off destination.
Bike Drop Off Procedure
- Getting your bike ready
It is VERY IMPORTANT that your bike is ready to go before you arrive at the Delphi bike drop off. You must have already attached you nutrition and hydration products to your bike as you will not be seeing it again until you arrive at the bike transition during the race. You can leave all of you cycling gear with your bike in the bike transition area such as you helmet (this is mandatory kit and you will be disqualified if you leave the bike transition area without it on race day), cycling shoes if you have them etc. This equipment must be securely tied to your bike. This area is secure and there will be security there on the Thurday & Friday night. If you wish you can lock your bike, but you will have to carry your lock for the rest of the event on race day. It is important to note that when you leave the bike transition area on race day you must take everything with you, NOTHING can be left in the bike transition area once you pick up your bike on race day. Anyone found littering will be disqualified.
- What do I do when I arrive at the drop off?
The Delphi bike drop off is as it says, a drop off area ONLY. You must have your bike ready to go before you ARRIVE at the drop off area. There is nowhere here to work on your bike this must be done BEFORE you arrive. At Killary registration you will have received you registration pack, in here is a sticker for your bike with your race number on it. This MUST be attached to the cross bar of your bike BEFORE you enter the bike compound, if you do not have a sticker on your bike you will not be allowed to enter.
Once you have your sticker on your bike and have all of your cycling gear you should go to the bike area assigned to you. This is done based on RACE NUMBER. In your registration pack you will receive a map of the bike area, on this you will see bike racks allocated based on race number. Find the rack which has been allocated your race number and proceed to it. For example a rack may be labeled 301 - 400, if your race number falls between this you should rack you bike here. PLEASE be aware of other competitors bikes and take care when placing your bike on the bike racks.
Once you have racked your bike we would ask that you return to your car immediately and continue on to your accommodation. We would ask that you do not hang around the bike drop off area as there is limited parking and the quicker everyone gets in and out of the bike compound the shorter the delays for other competitors. Should you wish to have a chat with fellow competitors Louisburgh or Westport are not far away!
The breakdown of discipline distances within the event is as follows:
|
21km Approx |
|
45.5km Approx |
|
1km Max |
The detailed breakdown, nature and sequence of activity is as follows:
|
13km |
|
1km |
|
3.5km |
|
33.5km |
|
4.5km |
|
12km |
The main type of terrain you will be cycling on for GF is sealed tarmac roads. There is a short section of off road (approx 2.5 km) after climbing Croagh Patrick and also an unsealed bog road before Croagh Patrick.
Which bike to use is a personal choice. But here is some advice: A cyclocross bike is best with fast rolling semi slick cyclocross tires.
If you cannot get a cyclocross bike it depends upon how fast and how much risk you are prepared to take.
- Speedy risky - Road Bike (racer) with high volume tires
- Less risk and less speed - MTB bike with semi-slick tires.
- Worst of all - cheap MTB bike with knobbly tires.
Tyre choice:
The best type of tyres are Continental Gater Skins, with the second choice being Specialized Armadillos. A cheaper option is Rubines.
The key thing for most participants on racers is tyre pressure, it needs to be between 110-120psi, if they you are not sure whether your tyres will take this pressure check the side wall of the tyres. Competitors with Hybrids will get by without tire change but again tyre pressure is very important it needs to be around 70psi or more. Nearly all novices make the mistake of not pumping their tires hard enough.
Make sure that you know how to change a tyre and have a bike repair kit and spare tubes with you.
When entering the race you will choose which category and bus time you will be taking on the day of the event. The times shown on the registration form are the times the buses will be leaving Westport, your wave will leave the beach/start the race, 1.5hrs after this time. For example if you are in the 7am Runner wave you will be starting the race at 8.30am.
Your category/wave CANNOT be changed once you have entered. If you are entering with a group of friends please make sure you all enter the same time slot and enter early so as not to be disappointed.
We provide kayaks and all safety equipment for this as part of your entry fee. You will need your own bike. Gaelforce West will not rent bikes or have a bike rental partner for 2011. You will also need some more mandatory kit, check the list here. Please note that the mandatory kit is for your and fellow competitors safety!!!
No is the simple answer here. You personally will choose your wave when you enter Gaelforce West. It is not possible under any circumstances to change waves at any time. There are around 3,000 people taking part in this event, we cannot deal with each individual’s entries.
When paying for your entry to Gaelforce West it is stipulated that this is a non-refundable payment. As soon as a competitor enters we incur costs such as admin etc. It is also not possible to transfer entries to any other Gaelforce Events, next year’s event, or a different competitor.
No, we will not have a bike hire partner for 2011 event.
The water stops will be highlighted on your map, provided at race registration, but you will also need to bring water yourself. You will need to have water from the start of the race and you can also have water/drink left on your bike.
Water stations will be located at:
- Killary Water site - start of Kayak
- Delphi Bike Transition
- Croagh Patrick Transition
- Finishline
Phone on +353 (0) 95 42006 or email us on: info@gaelforcewest.ie
Most of the cycling in GFW is on sealed country roads. However, there will be a small section in the event which will have a small section of off-road/ rough track. Good tyre choice and high tyre pressures will cope with this fine. Alternatively a mountain bike could be used, but the same bike must be used throughout the event. Gaelforce West does not rent bikes, should competitors need to rent bikes they must organise to do so themselves. If you want to talk more about bikes post a comment on our forum and chat to other gaelforcers.
While navigation skills are not a requirement, do not travel faster than your route knowledge. You will be issued with an OSI overview map, read it carefully. The route will be described and marked with signs/arrows, but no permanent Marshalls. This is an unsupported adventure challenge, not a Triathlon.
The kayaks, paddles and buoyancy aids will be provided by the organisers. These are double ‘sit-on-top‘ kayaks and must be paddled with a crew of 2. The event fleet will number some 100 boats of the same design. Your ‘crew member‘ can be a mate who you are racing alongside or a fellow competitor who gets to the boats at the same time as you. It’s all part of the Gaelforce camaraderie! When you arrive at the kayak transition area at Killary Adventure centre, you will receive instructions from the marshals there and be directed to the boats. Remember, you are TIMED OUT here and if you do end up waiting for a boat, it won’t matter for your race time. Whatever happens, you will not wait for long as our logistics will be designed to cope with 500 + competitors and the tiered start system will ensure you don’t all end up there together!
Your bikes must be left at Delphi before midnight on Friday 19th of August. All competitors will be wearing a race number for the 2011 event and will be issued a race number on their bike, to be displayed facing forward. This will help you and us at the transitions. Race numbers will be issued at race registration with your pack and your electronic timing “dibber.” For the 3 bike transitions within the event, the bikes will be safe and secure. You will need to pick up your bike from the final transition area at the finish line within 30mins of finishing the race.
There is no rope-work or surprise activity in the GFW. The adventure is in the course!
Your progress through the course (and results) is measured with the use of SPORTIdent electronic timing equipment, part of which requires the wearing of a small device on your wrist – the “dibber”. See www.sportident.co.uk for full info on this system. Lost dibbers must be paid for and will set you back around €30 – they aren’t cheap! Look after them.
For safety reasons, we are bringing the new rule for 2011 that you are not allowed to use an ipod/MP3 etc. while competing.
Due to insurance reasons we cannot accept anyone under the age of 18 into any of our events. All participants must be 18 years old on the date of the event.
You can left anyything to do with your bike - Helmet, shoes, repair kit,with your bike. This must be securely tied to the bike when you leave it into the transition area. You CAN NOT leave anything behind you when you leave the transition area.
You can leave some food and drink with your bike but you must also have some with you from the start line.
YOU MUST BRING ALL OTHER MANDATORY KIT WITH YOU FROM THE START LINE - THIS IS FOR YOUR SAFETY AND OTHER COMPETITORS SAFETY!
Early Bird Price up until April 30th 2012 = €85pp (excl booking fee of €3)
Late Comers Price From May 1st to close of registration = €95pp (excl booking fee of €3)
The entry fee for Gaelforce West 2010 includes the following:
- Bus transfer from Westport to start line
- Race prizes
- Event t-shirt
- Kayaks, paddles and buoyancy aids
- Marshals
- Power boat safety cover on water
- Map with pre-marked transition areas
- Course design
- Use of electronic timing devices
- Event based facilities including car parking, toilets (at various transition areas)
- Post event Snack
- Race safety cover provided by Civil Defence and Mayo mountain rescue
- Permissions and risk assessments to allow access to some wonderful countryside
- Water at transition points
No. Gaelforce West is an event for individuals only. It is not possible to enter a team. Each competitor must complete the whole course and there is no relay option.
If you are a group of friends who wish to race together you can do this by ensuring you all enter the same category/wave. It is important that all members of your group know before registering which category/wave they should enter as it is not possible to change this once they have registered.
No, you do not need to organise a partner before the event for the kayak section.
This is a race for individuals. When you arrive into the kayak transition area you will take a bouncy aid and a paddle. Then you will walk to get a kayak, your kayaking partner will be the next person waiting for a kayak also.
If you arrive with a friend to the kayak transition it is no problem to take a kayak together.
The only time out is just as you reach the Kayak section as there maybe a short wait time for Kayaks.
ELITES - if you are in the elites category you WITH NOT get a time out or have a choice of a time out at the kayak section.
Gaelforce Events have decided not to have a chosen charity for each event. We do, however, want to encourage everyone who is competing to raise money for a charity whether it be their own local charity or an international charity. To help build the profile of each charity, let us know who you are raising money for and we will add it tothe events charity page with a link to their website. If you can send us a logo for the charity we can also add this to the page.
If you work for/volunteer or would like a certain charity added to the 2012 list, please email us at info@gaelforceevents.com or call 095 42006.