Sir, –As an experienced member of Ireland’s growing running community, I looked forward to competing once again in the SSE Dublin Half Marathon in Newbridge Demesne, north Co Dublin, last Saturday.
The inconvenience facing those who had paid to participate in the event included six-mile car tailbacks, a start delayed by 45 minutes, and no parking for some who had to abandon their plans to run, and inadequate water stations for those who braved the fiasco.
All this, however, paled into insignificance once tales emerged of the wider implications for the locals, including professional carers and family members unable to access homes of older people awaiting their essential morning care visit and breakfast. I understand that local businesses in Rush and Lusk also derived little or no benefit from 9,000 additional visitors in their area because of poor planning and no traffic management.
This race had always been held in the Phoenix Park, highly accessible by private and public transport.
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The reasons for why this race was moved, who approved it, and why deserve explanation. – Yours, etc,
DERRICK LONG,
Walkinstown,
Dublin 12.
Sir, – I abandoned my effort to run in this year’s Dublin half marathon six kilometres from the start line. After sitting in the car for 90 minutes and moving at 3 km/h, I lost my will to run.
Traffic management is all about flow, and there was no traffic management on Saturday morning. It felt very much as if the invention of the motor car is still news to the Garda unit in Swords and Fingal County Council. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.