Dublin FrontRunners would like to thank Tipperary Water for their generous sponsorship of water for this year’s run, it’s the second year in a row they have donated to the run.
May Committee Meeting
Committee meeting
Your DFR committee will be meeting this Thursday 16 May. We’ve plenty to discuss as usual, chiefly the ongoing preparations for the Pride Run (have you registered yet? or volunteered yet?)
If you have any issues you’d like the committee to consider, please advise club secretary Kieran Cooney (dfrsecretary@gamil.com) by close of business this Wednesday (15th).
For our newer members, the committee comprises:
| Chairman | Ronan MacMuiris |
| Secretary | Kieran Cooney |
| Treasurer | Dave Prendergast |
| Pride Run race director | Dave Shaw |
| Web/social | Andy Chambers |
| Race/competition | Aidan Rodgers |
| Women/Couch to 5k | Val Maher |
Achill
If you’re interested, hopefully by now you’ll have returned the discounted postal entry form. Please also let me know if you’ll be attending the Ferndale dinner on the Saturday night. We’ll organise car-pooling closer to the date.
Runs
Well done to all who got up before the crack of dawn last weekend for the Darkness into Light run for Pieta House. On your way to the Park at 4am you may well have passed a few DFRs on their way home after a late night out…
Theatre Festival outing
There was a good crowd of boys out last Saturday night for “Stripped” (yes, he did, the full Monty) and the girls also had their night out in North Great George’s St (which is a good bit north of South Great George’s St). And then a big crowd out for post-theatre critical analysis and size comparisons in the Front Lounge afterwards. Thanks to Andy for the selection.
Pride Run
It’s getting closer – less than six weeks away – so please register if you haven’t done so, or make yourself available to help out on the day. We have plenty of flyers available for distribution.
Northern FrontRunners Fun Run
This year Northern Frontrunners will host their second LGBT 5K Fun Run in Newcastle. Following the success of last years event race organisers are confident of an even bigger and better event. The run is being held to mark the beginning of Northern Pride festival which follows the day after where in 2012 over 23,000 LGBT descended on site to celebrate LGBT life, promote diversity within Newcastle.
http://northernfrontrunners.co.uk/?page_id=138
Theatre
Theatre Festival night out
Just a reminder our Theatre night out is tonight, I’ll be in Grogan’s across from Powerscourt Centre from about 8:30 for a few drinks before Strip Tease, if you’re meeting up before Brown and Out let me know and I’ll put the details up.
The Front Lounge is the destination afterwords for a few drinks and a critique of the shows, I’ll be focusing mainly on the plot 
Quiz, Wednesday Run and Theatre
Quiz night
We had a very successful quiz night, raising in excess of €2,500, with 31 tables, the most in recent years, a fantastic performance Well done to Adrian F and team as winners, and to all who participated on tables or in the raffle on the night. There was some great positive feedback from members and non-members.
Thanks are due to Andy for setting the questions, which were kept a closely guarded secret until the night, which was probably just as well….
Thanks also to Kieran who helped out with logistics; to Martha, Bairbre, Erich, Dave S and Claire for marking/scoring; and to the rest of the committee for helping out.
Our quiz wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors and donors of prizes, so thanks to the club members and their businesses who helped out with prizes.
Wednesday run
Don’t forget our Wednesday evening run is back to its summer location: from this Wednesday 1 May at 19.30 from the cricket club car park in the Phoenix Park. Entering the Park through the main Parkgate St entrance, continue on Chesterfield Ave straight through the first (Wellington) roundabout, then take the second small left turn.
DFR 5k Pride Run
Registration is now open - see our website http://
Promotional flyers are available (thanks to John O’S), so please take some if you can put them up in your workplace, gym, or other locations.
The Couch to 5k programme is continuing in the Park at 10.00 on Saturdays, it’s not too late to join.
Theatre Festival night out
It’s that time of year when the luvvies get even luvvier, and the drama queens get even more dramatic – the Gay Theatre Festival! Andy has intensively researched all the critical reviews, production credits, festival prizes won, actors’ and directors’ histories, and has come up with some artistic suggestions based on the amount of naked flesh involved:
It’s the annual Gay Theatre festival starting 6th of May, so we’ll have a night out Saturday May 11th. We’ll pick 1 or 2 plays (One for the girlies, one for the boys). You book and buy your own ticket, and we’ll meet afterwards for drinks in the Front Lounge.Suggested plays:
| Brown and Out – 6 Plays | Strip Search |
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DFR Running News
Lots of running happening over the last few days and forthcoming this week, so please bear with me!
Rotterdam
Well done to all DFRs running the Rotterdam marathon:
| Darek Kuc | David Lee | David Prendergast | Dominick Branigan | |
| Donal Cronin | Eddie Fox | Joe Keena (first DFR home) | John Barry | |
| John Cotterell | Kieran Cooney | Kieran Tierney | Martin Smyth | |
| Nelson Moody | Pat Lonergan | Patrick Bamming | Seamus McLoughlin | |
| Seamus Moore | Seamus Sreenan | Tom Crowley |
And congrats also to an old friend of DFR (now running with the opposition!) Marius McNichols.
Lots of marathon first-timers, and plenty of PBs, so well done all around.
Fair play to Dominick who hobbled over the finish line, determined to finish despite picking up an injury at km 35.
Hard luck to David McKenna who had to withdraw late on from the trip after injuring his arm so close to the event.
Particular mention must go to David Lee and John Barry who managed to cross the finish line twice. It’s a long story – literally, as they ran 46km rather than the marathon distance of 42km – which I’m sure David or John will be glad to retell if you have enough time….
And well done also to those who ran the Rotterdam 10k:
| Deirdre Ryan | Dermot McCarthy | Gregory Curran | Michael Curtin | Ronan MacMuiris |
Commiserations to Mick Smyth who was carted off to a Dutch hospital after a fall due to an injury. I’m glad to say he’s OK now.
And thanks to our non-running supporters on the day: John K, Declan K, Gearoid K, Aidan R, Brian C, Johnny M
Great Ireland run
Congrats also due to those who completed the Great Ireland 10k in the Park last Sunday:
| Anne Marie Lillis | Claire Goss | Martha Cahill | Steven Duffy | Susan Reilly |
(Apologies if I missed anyone, the above were registered with DFR as their club.)
DFR Quiz
If you or your company can provide small raffle prizes, please let me know.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help out on the night as well.
Wednesday runs
There will be no DFR run on Wednesday 24 April due to the quiz.
From Wednesday 1 May, we will return to our summer meeting point, the car park of the cricket club off Chesterfield Avenue, with a usual start time of 19.30.
Achill
If you’re planning on running Achill this year, and haven’t registered, please let me know ASAP as they’re now offering discounted entry to a group of 10 for a limited time. You’ll also need to book accommodation soon as it fills up quickly.
Boston
Our sympathies are with the Boston marathon community and victims of the terrible atrocity there last Monday.
See you at the quiz!
Ronan
DFR News April – Rotterdam Marathon, Quiz, Couch to 5K Update
Rotterdam trip
The long months of training on cold, dark winter nights will finally pay off this Sunday 15 April as approx. 20 DFRs will take on the Rotterdam marathon. We’ll also have eight running the 10k (myself included). We’ll all celebrate afterwards in Restaurant Citroen as per Kieran’s earlier email.
Good luck to all!
Couch to 5k
After a fantastic start last week, the second week of the programme for beginners will take place in the Park this Saturday 14th at 10.00. Given that there’ll be a large number of people in Rotterdam, Aidan and Val would appreciate volunteers to help run the sessions. Please let them know if you can help out.
The normal run will take place this Saturday at 10.00 from the Papal Cross (with much reduced numbers!).
Quiz
Our annual quiz is on Wednesday 24th in Pantibar at 19.30. It’s E50 for a table of five, with first prize E200 cash. If you can help out with prizes, please let me know – all support gratefully received.
Wednesday evening runs
Now that the bright evenings are here, and summer is on its way (allegedly), we’ll return to the cricket club car park for our Wednesday evening runs beginning Wednesday 1 May. It’s the second small left turn off Chesterfield Avenue (heading out of town towards Castleknock) after the Wellington roundabout. We meet at 19.30 as usual.
There’ll be no run on Wednesday 24 April due to the quiz
As with all our Park locations, please be careful with valuables when parking.
DFRs competing
Well done to Tim, Hugh and Thomas who ran the Paris marathon last weekend. Alan H completed the Gaelforce Bray to Greystones 10k (and considerably beat his brother, who finished in 1h 30m, having gallantly stopped to rescue a damsel in distress!).
We have a number of people doing the Great Ireland 10k this Sunday 15th in the Park, good luck as well.
DFR News April
Couch to 5k
Exciting times as we launch our novel “Couch to 5k” programme this Saturday 6 April. This is a structured programme for complete non-runners, with the aim of the nine week course being to get beginners in a position to run our second annual 5k Pride Run on 21 June.
We’ve had an encouraging level of interest (22 first timers enquiring), and Aidan and Val will be kicking it off this Saturday at 10.00 alongside our usual run.
However, we’re looking for volunteers – particularly our women members! – to help out just one week. The “coaching” is based on an app we have, so no formal knowledge is required, just good motivational skills! Contact Aidan or Val if you can help out.
DFR quiz
Our annual quiz takes place on Wednesday 24 April (so no run that night) in Pantibar. This is our main fund-raiser for the club. No need to pre-book (E40 for a team of 4) but please bring along non-member friends to fill the tables! We’ll be having a raffle on the night, so if you or your employer/company or your contacts can provide some prizes, we’ll be grateful.
Rotterdam trip
Our Rotterdammers are now tapering down their runs prior to the big day on Sunday 14 April. We’ll be having a club dinner on the Sunday night, all welcome.
Paris marathon
Bonne chance to Tim H, Hugh H and Tom O’C who are running the Paris marathon this weekend!
European athletics
Morton Stadium, Santry will be hosting a major event, the European Athletics Team Championships on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June. Many household names will be competing. Entry is free and the AAI are encouraging clubs to attend.
DFR Table Quiz
Join us at DFR’s annual table quiz, 24th of April in Pantibar and hosted by Gay Glamazon Miss Panti. There’ll be lots of prizes, and its a great night out in support of the club, tables of 5 are €50.
Facebook Event:
New Site
Welcome to the re-launched Dublin FrontRunners web site, we’ll be expanding and updating the site over the coming weeks and months and hopefully it will become a great resource for members and non members alike.
If you have any feedback or comments on the site please let me know.
Andy