Event FAQ
Registration will be held at Glen Swilly GAA club, not far from Letterkenny from 16.00 - 22.00 on Friday 28th June.
You will then leave your bike at the transition area. For the full course this will be along side Gartan Lake. The sprint course will be in the car park of the Glenveagh National Park
Pricing options for GFN 2013
The price of your entry into Gaelforce North (full or sprint course) is determined by whether you are including bus transfer from Bunbeg to the start line and how soon you actually enter.
If choosing to make your own way to the start line you will need to be dropped off by someone as it is not possible to park anywhere near the start line of GFN. You will also need to organise transport back to your accommodation after the race if you are not staying in Bunbeg. This option will suit those of you staying in Letterkenny and surrounds.
To make it fair to everyone involved we have made the decision that you can only win your category if you are in the elite wave. This means that you will not have had a time out at the kayaks.We recommend that you look at times from previous years to see the usual range of times achieved by competitors in the elite wave. Remember if you beat a winning time but you are not in the elite wave you will not be placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in your category.
The below are the times the buses will be leaving Bunbeg and the times the waves will be starting Gaelforce North.
Please note that your wave will start the race 1.5hrs after the bus leave Bunbeg. If you are making your own way to the start line you must be at the start line at least a half an hour before your start time.
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| Wave Name | Bus Leaves Bunbeg | Race Start Time |
|
Elites |
06.30 | 08.00 |
| General 1 | 07.00 | 08.30 |
| General 2 | 07.30 | 09.00 |
|
General 3 |
08.00 | 09.30 |
| General 4 | 08.30 | 10.00 |
If you are unsure on anything call our office on 095-42006 or email gaelforcenorth@gaelforceevents.com
To enter the new sprint course, tick the Gaelforce North box as normal and choose the sprint course after you have entered your personal details. This will also bring the cost down to the correct amount.
We know bike choice can be hard, especially with on and off-road sections. It is up to you to choose but we sent one of our team out on the route and here is their advice:
There are 3 options:
1. Mountain bike
Pros: Better handling on rough ground and off-road
Much less chance of a puncture
Cons: Slower on the road and quite heavy to cycle up hills.
2. Road bike
Pros: Fast on the road sections.
Lighter so therefore easier to cycle up a hill
Cons: Not designed to go off road so will probably have to carry at certain stages.
Because they are designed for off-road use there is a higher chance of damage, puncture, breakage of bike.
3. Cyclo-cross bike
Pros: Good mid-level bike, not as fast as road bike but a lot faster than mountain bike.
Sturdier than road bike and less likely to puncture
Cons: Expensive bikes to buy and more a jack of all trades.
In conclusion: I did the course recently and it is possible to do it on a road bike but you will have to carry it at certain stages and cycle over rough/gravelly road. Like most of our events there is quite a long section on road mixed in with smaller sections of off-road. I did it on a cross country bike with Specialized Armadillos and the grip wasn't the best on the off-road parts but it is a lot faster on the road parts. In the end it is going to come down to which bike you have in the garage and then what your budget is in terms of buying either a new bike or upgrading an exisiting one.
Make sure that you know how to change a tyre and have a bike repair kit and spare tubes with you.
Please Note: You can only use one bike for the cycle. If you are found to change bike during the event you will be disqualified.
Gaelforce North 2013
Just in case you are wondering what expenses your entry fee goes towards covering this is some of what is included:
Bus transfers, permissions and risk assessments for access to beautiful parts of the countryside, safety cover and race marshals, adventure equipment (kayaks, paddles, etc), safety boat cover on water, electronic timing devices, course design and maintenance and lots lots more!
And then of course there are the all-important goodies:
- Race prizes
- Unique medal on completion
- Cool event t-shirt
- Post event food (lovely homemade soup and fresh baguettes!)
When paying for your entry to Gaelforce North it is stipulated that this is a non-refundable payment. As soon as a competitor enters we incur costs such as administration, etc. It is also not possible to transfer entries to any other Gaelforce Events, next year’s event, or a different competitor.
Due to insurance reasons we cannot accept anyone under the age of 18 into this event. All participants must be 18 years old on the date of the event.
The breakdown of discipline distances within the event is as follows:
| 1 |
Running/Walking: |
19.5km Approx |
| 2 |
Cycling: |
42.5km Approx |
| 3 |
Kayaking: |
2km Max |
| Approximate total distance | 64km |
The breakdown of discipline distances within the event is as follows:
| 1 |
Running/walking |
12km Approx |
| 2 |
Cycling |
32km Approx |
| 3 |
Kayaking |
1km Max |
| Approximate total distance | 45km |
We provide kayaks and all safety equipment required for the kayaking section as part of your entry fee. You will need your own bike. Gaelforce North will not rent bikes or have a bike rental partner for 2013. You will also need some more mandatory kit. Please note that the mandatory kit is for your safety and that of your fellow competitors!
Ask questions and share your knowledge on our forum.
No is the simple answer here. You personally will choose your wave when you enter Gaelforce North. It is not possible under any circumstances to change waves at any time. There are around 1,000 people taking part in this event and therefore we cannot deal with each individual’s entry in this way.
We do not have a bike hire partner for GFN 2013.
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm. You can call us on 095 42006 or email info@gaelforceevents.com
Most of the cycling in GFN is on sealed country roads. However, there will be a small section in the event which will be on forestry off-road/rough track. This short section is approximately 6km long and is during the last cycle back to the beach and is included in both the Sprint & Full courses. 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. 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 fixed 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, 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!
Elites: If you are in the Elite Category you will not get a time out at this section
For safety reasons, you are not allowed to use an ipod/MP3 etc. while competing.
Your bikes must be left at the bike transitions (for sprint and full courses), before 10.30pm on Friday 28th of June. They will be racked according to the race numbers. All competitors will be wearing a race number for the 2013 event and will be issued a race number for 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. For all the 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 GFN. The adventure is in the course!
You can leave your repair kit, cycle helmet, bike shoes(if using), some food and drink with your bike when you leave it in the transition area. This must all be securely tied to your bike and you cannot leave anything behind when you leave the bike transition area.
All other mandatory kit must be brought with you from the start line. This is for your safety and the safety of other competitors!
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 information on this system. Lost dibbers must be paid for and will set you back around €30 – they aren’t cheap! Look after them.
No. Gaelforce North 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.
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 bouyancy aid and a paddle. Then you will go to the shore 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 timeout is just as you reach the kayak section as there maybe a short wait time for kayaks.
ELITES - if you are in the elite category you will not get a time out or have the choice of a timeout at the kayak section.
