 Time now to look forward to an event which is taking place this weekend based out of letter Kenny It is of course, they don't you go half marathon. I'm delighted to say joining me as rest director Brandon Herbie McDade's Brandon. How you doing? Hi, Archie Busy day ahead for you guys Suppose it didn't take long for this event to sell out Brandon As you said to me earlier normally when it comes around to events and different events You'd be looking to close out the entries near the time of the event But this thing sold out very very quick. So what that when he's announced to be 400 entries? It didn't end up The entry has been open for well over probably over a year really and the last number of months and we had put a little bit of push and We were restricted to that number of 400 We can have ways of 200 For for any event Once we put that message out there. It sold out fairly quickly. Yeah Obviously a lot of interest in the event and I know this week before we look at the competitors Brendan I know this week you put a call out for for volunteers and marshals and people to help out on Sunday morning Yeah with the event that is in it and many sort of junctions and the crowds that we'll have on the street It's very important that safety is you know is maintained in it now we will have a number of Sort of loyal shirts that are there at nearly every event for us For this particular one. We need a few extra So we're working closely with it only all volunteers and there and of course with their own and other kind of athletic club members But again if there's anybody out there like to help out at a water station or at a junction Even if it's only for one hour We can we can allocate them to a certain point that'll sort of cater for that Yeah, water stations can be important particularly at this distance and given the heat We're having this week of the month urban. Oh it is and like we always seen that with half-marathon enemy We would normally have probably more than what's usual for a race we have one sort of every three mile and We have an excellent then in between out at the turn point after she took Just again with the the way the weather is going to be in Sunday. I think it'll be needed and then of course we always have a few marshals sort of Up and down the course just to make sure everybody is okay and feeling alright They you know, we'll have to do any additional water in between stations if required Yeah Were you worried at any stage along the way that's COVID may have an impact on this again Brendan? Well, we were of course early on when we seen you know that events were starting up again We thought great. We're going to be okay But then with the new Delta variant coming in and that sort of slow things up again You know back to opening up. So it was always in the back of her head that yeah, you know It could go virtual again, which we didn't want to do because we sort of Put out a message early on that we were definitely going to have a you know an actual event And then with a bit of change in it that you could have waves of 200 At the event, you know that sort of reinforces that we could cater for the 400 so we had we had ordered our 400 t-shirts or 400 medals and once we sort of reset number then we had to close it down Yeah, this event has sort of evolved It was of course that only go marathon and then you changed it then to the half marathon Has there been any changes or alterations to the course since it was last held two years ago, Brendan Maybe you'll take us around the route. Yeah, there's been many changes in 2018. We made one little change Because there are a lot of road works going on in the Pierce Road Around where the station house hotel is so now the the race starts all the registration and number of collection race pack and so on it's going to be in the Oralicious enter and that's from Saturday from 2 p.m. To 6 p.m. And we would ask as many locals as possible to come along on Saturday and click their Number and race pack so as we're not too busy on the Sunday morning But we'll also be open from 8 to 9 on Sunday morning for those who can't make it on the Saturday There is then starts at Church Kelly building suppliers Just on the Balmocouli Road heading in towards Lerner Kinney Goes up the main street turning right down Lerner's Laneway left along the Pierce Road and Turning right then down past Divers High Endy Straight through the roundabout at New Don's Onto the Polestar roundabout Taking a left in the Port Road, which is in past the LYIT Into the station household roundabout Up the Port Road and down the main street And then it heads back out again out the Balmocouli Road past the start line past aura Straight through the roundabout at St. Durens and then it continues on out past the town park and Commonwealth Graveyard Right out to the Junction at Glanthys, taking the left road for Glanthys And then we do a left horn at the second exit on that road back in towards Rockhill New Mills first of all, of course, and then Rockhill Which leads you into the bottom of the old town again Over the bridge of the old town past the old on-stores back out Balmocouli And then the race goes in the little lane way at the back of aura Right around the back of the building and finishes with the 300 meters on the track Okay, very good. That's the the route. That's the course, Brendan But what about those that are competing? There's no more entries open Who do we need to watch out for and is there any farm runners over events that we've had in the Northwest over the last couple of weeks heading into this A stuff that difficult to know came with money goes who won it in a number of cases I actually won the marathon in the early stage and half marathon and litter stages I would say he would go in favourites Also, you have Mark McPaul who actually worked for the Kiernan group that the sponsor of the event He's been in good form recently and I would say he'd be he'd love to be there there about you take one of the prizes in it And the women's end of it Just looking at the entry Monika McGratham is probably one of the leading runners in it Now, of course, there is a number of entries from from the north and there's a few from the UK in that And we're just not that sure what caliber of runner they're going to be so On the day we make it a few surprises Yeah, well listen, we'll have to to wait and see just one more call for the volunteers Brendan If they want to get involved, who do the contact? They can contact any committee member or the Donegal Volunteer Centre And then they'll be allocated a position And just for the volunteers I was kind of donated by Optum. There's a polo shirt and a wee goodie bag That we send them on their way with before the event Very good. Okay. Listen, Brendan. Thanks for talking to us and the best of luck on Sunday. Thanks, Archie