More Mallow 10 photos...

If you look at the previous post for the Mallow 10, you'll notice that I have added even more links for photos with large galleries from FinishLinePhotographs and from Joe Murphy of Eagle AC.

In addition to those, there is another gallery from our regular race photographer Jorge Ruiz Villasante which are a class apart. Most people take race photos from one or two stationary spots and it's great to have so many of those type of galleries available. Jorge however cycles along the course and has the ability to spot what might make an excellent photo.

Here are a sample of a few...

A selection of faster runners...

No shortage of red 'Mallow 10' beanie hats...

The anticipation of a 'High 5'...

Checking out who is behind...

If you can smile, you're going too slow!! ;o)

The eventual winner of the ladies race, Lorraine Manning of Raheny Shamrock AC pacing off Cork runner Tim Lucey of Bandon AC

Sheer effort...

More High 5's!

Jorge's photos are a pleasure to view and a slideshow of his Mallow 10 gallery can be found HERE.

Results of the Mallow 10 Mile Road Race...Sun 7th Feb 2010

Just over 500 runners turned out for this 10 mile road race in North Cork which is pretty impressive considering that it was only 1 week after the Dungarvan 10 and it had to be cancelled from it's original date in early January. Last year, they got 576 runners and if the weather had been kinder in early January, they may well have got somewhere in the region of 700 entries instead.

Despite a bit of a breeze, the conditions for the race were pretty good. A bit dull but it was cool and dry which was the main thing. A lot of the faces present today were also present in Dungarvan last week and judging from some of the times, the short gap of a week between the 10 mile races was enough for most people to recover and post some fine times in Mallow.

Results...

The full results are now available HERE.

(Sorry about the broken link earlier today. Mallow AC changed the name of the results file so the link had broken as a result. It should be ok now)

The category results are available HERE.

By the way, this was the 2nd race in the John Buckley Sports Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series and the results after 2 races should be available soon.

Photos...(Updated Tues 9th)

There were plenty of cameras out along the course and there should be loads of photos available soon.

1) To get the ball rolling, we have 3 short albums from Eddie Keogh of Eagle AC...

a) Near the Start line...

b) Near the 3 Mile mark...

c) Near the finish...

2) Another batch here from Paudie Birmingham...

a) Near the start line...

b) Near the 4 Mile mark...

c) Near the finish...

3) Loads of commercial photos of the finish line HERE.

4) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a large gallery of 329 photos HERE.

5) Jorge Ruiz Villasante has an excellent gallery HERE.

The FINAL Ballycotton '10' list is out!!...

The final list of successful entrants for the 2010 Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race is now available.

The alphabetical list is HERE

The list in numerical order is HERE

It would seem as if there are 3340 entrants. That's about the same as last year. Considering that club runners had a full 2 week window to get their entries in, does that suggest that the huge growth in numbers attending road races has not resulted in lots of new members for the various athletic clubs??? Are most people quite content to do their own thing without joining any club?

Comments...???

Weather forecast for the Mallow '10' on Sunday...

The current forecast is looking pretty good for this race. Broken clouds with a slight chance of rain. Met Eireann are predicting...

Frost and fog clearing, becoming breezy in places with southeasterly winds freshening. Mostly dry with some sunny spells, but rather cloudy along parts of the southwest and west coasts, with possibly a little light rain at times. Top temperatures 6 to 9 C

Update...Sat 6th 3pm...It looks as if it might be a bit cloudier than expected but the BBC are now predicting that any rain won't hit the South-West until later in the day. So fingers crossed, it's looking good for Mallow!.

Temperature wise, it will be ideal.....cool but not freezing.

As for the wind, a moderate South-Easterly breeze is forecast. If that's the case then it won't be a factor until after the 6 mile mark when we turn South and head back towards Mallow. We will be running into it for about 3 miles until roughly the 9 mile mark.

Preview of the Mallow 10 mile road race...12:30pm Sun 7th Feb 2010
The thing to remember about the Mallow 10 is that the registration, start and finish points are in 3 completely different parts of the town. If this is your first time doing it, take note of the instructions below. If you have done the Mallow 10 before then be warned that the course has changed somewhat and the start and finish lines have moved...so read on.

Getting registered...

As I mentioned in a previous post, if you are going then you should register online before midnight on Friday. Not only is the entry cheaper (€12 as opposed to €15 for non-registered), it also means that you don't have to join long queues on the day and it makes life a lot easier for the organisers.

Getting your number...

When you register online, you are indicating your intent to attend the race. You have to go to the Youth Hall to collect your number. If you do not pre-register, you can enter on the day for €15. Please note that the last entries are at 11:30am!!

Getting to the Youth Hall...

If this is your first time doing the Mallow 10, then check out the map above. If you are coming from Cork on the N20, take the exit into the town at the roundabout. Keep going straight up into the town and when you see some dudes head on a pedestal, turn left here up the hill and look for parking. The Youth Hall is just around the corner.

Getting to the Start.......

Note that the start line is about a mile from the Youth Hall and it's different from last year!! From the Youth Hall, head back into town, left at the 'dude on the pedestal' and downhill to the river. Cross over the Blackwater River, straight through the traffic lights and after a few hundred metres you come to a garage...see the black dot on the map. Last year, the start line was just up the road to the right. This year, you need to take a left and go to the start line which is up in a residential area. The race starts at 12:30pm sharp so give yourself plenty of time to get there.

Getting back from the finish.....

Last year the finish was outside the local Co-Op shop and the road was pretty busy....not a great spot for the finish of a race. This year, the finish is in a cordoned off lane of the main N20 road near the roundabout, about a mile from the Youth Hall. Considering that this is the main Cork/Limerick road, the Gardai and Mallow AC don't want several hundred finishers crossing the road in dribs and drabs causing traffic delays to say nothing about the safety aspect. They want everyone to follow the stewards instructions and to use the nearby footbridge which crosses safety over the main road. From there, head back into town...straight up the slight hill and then left at the pedestal. No doubt Mallow AC will have a fine spread ready for all the runners after the race.

The Course....

As a 10 mile course, it's pretty reasonable although there are a few small drags. Nothing major but perhaps enough to lose you those vital seconds if you were trying for a PB.

The race starts in a residential area and back towards the garage and then left. From here, the route is the same as last year until the 9.5 mile mark. After the 1 mile mark, you run underneath the N20 road and just before the 2 mile mark, there is a bit of a climb. After that, you come out onto the hard shoulder of the N20 and you run roughly 2 miles along this stretch until you reach the main roundabout where you take a left and on to the 4 mile mark.

From here, it's reasonably flat as you head out towards the Race Course. Soon the road narrows and hard shoulder disappears but hopefully there will be Gardai on hand like in previous years to direct the traffic.

Just after 6 miles, you turn off left and onto the nicest part of the course. The roads here are quiet and traffic is no longer a concern. Soon you cross a small bridge and you tackle a small climb on the other side. Nothing serious but coming at around 7 miles, it will test people to see if they can stay with the stronger runners in their group.

Out to Newberry Cross and left past a small industrial estate. The road is pretty straight here and reasonably flat. Just after 8 miles, there is a sharp downhill section and a slight detour from last year's route as you stay right and then left. Back on the road for the town and again, there is a short hill here which can be testing.

At about 9.4 miles just at the railway bridge and the N20 flyover, the route changes. Last year, you would have carried straight on......in past the church...left over the bridge...left onto Park Road and on to the finish. This year, you are going to take a right just after the railway bridge and you run up the slip road to join the N20. Then a sharp left and run in towards the finish which is on a cordoned off lane.

Instructions.......

Please see below some instructions from Mallow AC for the race...

Key Points for participants and spectators.

• As the numbers have grown by 300% over the past four years, the course has changed as we have been forced to avoid the town centre


• The start is to the left of the petrol station, just by Davis College. (a few hundred metres from the old start) in a mainly residential area.


• The finish is now by the roundabout bar on the main Cork/Limerick Road. While this is not ideal we have struggled to find a better option


• Runners will not be allowed run back out the course once finished


• Runners will not be allowed use headphones/music players


• Once leaving the finish area runners will be asked to use the footbridge to cross the road and return to hall

Registration

• Pre registered entries are €12, Registration via www.mallowac.ie will be available until mid-night Friday


• Pre registered runners must pick up their numbers in the hall.


• Entries on the day are €15 (Runners on the day will need to complete entry forms available in the hall)


• Last entries on the day will be 11:30am


• Registration will be at Mallow Youth Centre, this is a mile from the start and a mile from the finish


• Parking is not available at the Youth Centre, there are a number of car parks nearby, details on the website.


• All runners will receive a Beanie cap as per last year


• Tea/Coffee sandwiches will be available to all runners after the race

Prizes

• Usual prize categories, details on website


• €500 Euro bonus if either Male or Female records are broken


• Prizes for first 5 runners Male and Female will be presented on the day


• Other prizes will be mailed to recipients

On the Course

• Keep on the lefthand side of the road, except for one section (9 to 9.5 miles) where you will be directed to run on the right


• Obey stewards


• Beware of traffic as the roads are not closed


• While all possible precautions will be taken, you are responsible for your own safety


• Please respect the property of residents at the start .

Mallow 10 mile coming up...

Now that the Dungarvan 10 is out of the way, it's time to look forward to the Mallow 10 mile road race next Sunday, the 7th of February. This was originally supposed to be on the 10th of January but had to be cancelled due to the icy conditions back then.

This will be the 2nd race in the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series. The remaining 2 races are the Ballycotton '10' in March and the Kilnaboy '10' in April.

If you are going to Mallow next Sunday then you should pre-register online...

1) If you registered already for the 10th of Jan race then there is no need to register again.

2) If you pre-register, the entry fee is only €12. You do NOT pay online. All you are doing is giving your details (name, club, age, etc) to Mallow AC so that they can get all the information into the race software beforehand rather than trying to do it on the day in a mad rush. On race day, you will just go to the pre-registered queue, pay your €12 and collect your number. Nice and quick.

3) If you don't pre-register, the entry fee is €15 on the day. So, it makes sense to pre-enter!

To pre-register for the Mallow 10, just go to this webpage and input your details.

A preview of the race coming soon...

Results of the East Cork 3k road race - Tues 2nd Feb 2010...

There was a turnout of about 136 runners for this 3 km road race in Midleton in East Cork which is the 2nd last race in the series. Normally, 100 to 120 runners is the rough number that might be considered a 'comfortable maximum' for this race. At 136, it's getting a bit crowded. You may have noticed that I did not put up a preview or notice for this race for the simple fact that they were likely to get a big turnout anyway without me giving it even more publicity.

Results...

1		East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 5 02/02/10
2	1	Sean McGrath	East Cork AC	9.21
3	2	Noel Berkeley	DSD AC	9.25
4	3	Timmy Murphy	Grange Fermoy AC	9.35
5	4	James O'Driscoll	CIT	9.41
6	5	Roy Fahy	East Cork AC	9.47
7	6	Denis Coughlan	St Finbarrs AC	9.48
8	7	Frank O'Carroll	East Cork AC	10.03
9	8	Frank Hayes	East Cork AC	10.09
10	9	Conor Tierney	East Cork AC	10.19
11	10	Robert Patterson	Dunmanway	10.39
12	11	Denis McCarthy	East Cork AC	10.41
13	12	David O'Dwyer	East Cork AC	10.43
14	13	Denis Dunne	Cork	10.44
15	14	John Lynch	East Cork AC	10.45
16	15	Donal Broderick	Midleton AC	10.52
17	16	Declan O'Connell	Cloyne	10.52
18	17	Emmet Hennessy	Midleton	10.56
19	18	Josh O'S-Hourihan	Midleton College	10.56
20	19	John Connolly	Aghada	10.58
21	20	Niamh Walsh	Youghal AC	11.02
22	21	Owen O'Connell	Midleton	11.08
23	22	Ronan O'Donoghue	CIT	11.15
24	23	David Nyhan	Cork	11.16
25	24	Edmond O'Sullivan	Midleton AC	11.18
26	25	Laurence Collins	Mount Uniacke	11.30
27	26	Martin O'Reilly	St Finbarrs AC	11.37
28	27	Brian Parkinson	East Cork AC	11.39
29	28	Tom Cody	Midleton AC	11.44
30	29	AJ Murphy	Midleton	11.48
31	30	Billy O'Sullivan	Midleton	11.50
32	31	Conor McGrath	Midleton AC	11.53
33	32	Nigel Sheehan	Mogeely	11.59
34	33	Brendan Cantwell	Castlemartyr	12.01
35	34	Tom O'Neill	Aghada	12.02
36	35	Aidan Kelleher	Dungourney	12.02
37	36	Alex Simonin	Midleton College	12.04
38	37	Ken O'Keeffe	Aghada	12.13
39	38	Emmet Foley	Whitegate	12.15
40	39	Dave Creedon	East Cork AC	12.18
41	40	Fergal O'Meara	Midleton AC	12.20
42	41	Ronan Kenneally	Rochestown	12.21
43	42	Gary Mills	Cork	12.22
44	43	Conor Mills	Cork	12.23
45	44	Joan Hough	Midleton AC	12.28
46	45	Sean O'Sullivan	Midleton AC	12.29
47	46	Karol Watson	Midleton	12.31
48	47	John O'Riordan	Rising Sun AC	12.32
49	48	Caroline Geary	Midleton AC	12.37
50	49	Declan Kearney	Aghada	12.42
51	50	Brian Healy	Midleton AC	12.44
52	51	John Twomey	Donoughmore	12.48
53	52	Eibhlin Cleary	East Cork AC	12.49
54	53	Hugh O'Donnell	Midleton CBS	12.49
55	54	Killian Lynch	Midleton CBS	12.58
56	55	Paul O'S-Hourihan	East Cork AC	12.59
57	56	Anne-Marie Hayes	East Cork AC	13.00
58	57	Breda Cahill	Midleton AC	13.01
59	58	John Walsh	Cobh	13.04
60	59	Kevin Morrisson	Midleton AC	13.06
61	60	Ger Creedon	Midleton	13.08
62	61	Finbarr Lyons	Midleton	13.09
63	62	John Walshe	East Cork AC	13.10
64	63	Noreen Mackey	CIT	13.13
65	64	Killian Deady	Midleton CBS	13.18
66	65	Paul Kierans	Carrigtwohill	13.19
67	66	Dave Barry	Midleton AC	13.23
68	67	Michael Kenneally	Crosshaven	13.24
69	68	Conor Cusack	Midleton	13.28
70	69	Anne Marie Perry	Midleton AC	13.36
71	70	Dermot Cashman	Carrigtwohill	13.37
72	71	Mary Histon de Barra	Rising Sun AC	13.41
73	72	John Paul Riordan	Cloyne	13.43
74	73	Jimmy Murray	Rising Sun AC	13.46
75	74	Joseph McCarthy	Midleton AC	13.50
76	75	Batt Kearney	Leevale AC	13.54
77	76	Shane Ruddell	Ballinacurra	13.57
78	77	Kerri O'Neill	Aghada	13.58
79	78	Tom Kelly	Ballymore Cobh AC	13.59
80	79	John O'Flynn	Glanmire	14.01
81	80	Brian Kenneally	Midleton AC	14.02
82	81	Christine Murphy	Midleton AC	14.06
83	82	Donal O'Donoghue	Little Island	14.07
84	83	Eadaoin O'Neill	East Cork AC	14.10
85	84	Matt Geraghty	Cloyne	14.12
86	85	Patricia Murphy	Midleton AC	14.19
87	86	Ger O'Brien	Glanmire	14.19
88	87	Ciara Coughlan	Midleton AC	14.20
89	88	Glen Harty	Midleton CBS	14.27
90	89	Danny McCarthy	Midleton AC	14.29
91	90	Kieran O'Donovan	Ballinacurra	14.33
92	91	John Fennell	West Waterford AC	14.42
93	92	Tom Cusack	Midleton AC	14.45
94	93	Austin Murphy	St Finbarrs AC	14.45
95	94	Con Warren	Carrigtwohill	14.48
96	95	Linda Watson	Midleton	14.50
97	96	Karen O'Brien	Cobh	14.54
98	97	Liam Morrissey	Aghada	14.59
99	98	Darren Cusack	Midleton	15.10
100	99	Philip Mullane	Ballycotton	15.12
101	100	Mike Dorney	Midleton	15.14
102	101	Louise Barry	Midleton	15.24
103	102	Vincent Murray	Glanmire	15.26
104	103	Katie O'Donovan	Grenagh	15.30
105	104	Helena Creedon	Midleton	15.47
106	105	Jim Curtin	East Cork AC	15.59
107	106	Ciara Fitzgerald	Carrigtwohill GNS	15.59
108	107	Norah O'Brien	Carrigtwohill GNS	15.59
109	108	Billy Caball	Cork	16.08
110	109	Donie O'Connell	Midleton AC	16.10
111	110	Willie O'Mahony	Youghal AC	16.15
112	111	Harry Farmer	Cloyne	16.22
113	112	Mark Sheehan	Coachford	16.25
114	113	Fionnan O'hAodhain	Lisgoold	16.25
115	114	Joy Sexton	Aghada	16.31
116	115	Kath Hurley	Dungarvan	16.34
117	116	Olive Hallahan	Midleton AC	16.41
118	117	Claire McGrath	Cloyne	16.45
119	118	Gordon Callanan	Midleton	16.53
120	119	Margaret Sinclair	Midleton AC	17.03
121	120	Nora Savage	Midleton AC	17.08
122	121	Margaret Twohig	Midleton AC	17.20
123	122	Lillian O'Meara	Midleton	17.27
124	123	Siobhan O'Connor	Midleton	17.28
125	124	Grainne Murphy	Cork	17.40
126	125	Jim McMurtry	Midleton AC	18.21
127	126	Joan McCarthy	Midleton AC	18.34
128	127	Kathleen O'Connell	Midleton AC	18.35
129	128	Aileen McGrath	Cloyne	18.50
130	129	Marie McGrath	Midleton AC	18.55
131	130	Sheila Kierans	Carrigtwohill	19.07
132	131	Mary Toher	Midleton AC	20.05
133	132	Hubert Crowe	Tipperary	20.27
134	133	Eoin Cashman	Midleton AC	20.48
135	134	John Cashman	Midleton AC	20.48
136	135	Conor la Mere	Ballinacurra	26.47
137	136	Chuck la Mere	Ballinacurra	26.48

Some Ballycotton news from a little birdie...

10 Mile Road Races and a new website for the Bantry 10...

If you have been keeping track of the road races in Cork and Munster, you'll have noticed that there are three 10 mile road races in 3 weeks.

The first of these was the Dungarvan 10 which took place yesterday, Sunday the 31st of January. Almost 1000 runners turned out for this race and there was a huge turnout of runners from Cork as well. More details with photos on the Running in Munster website.

Next Sunday on the 7th of February, we have the Mallow 10 race. More details in a few days time.

On Sunday the 14th of February, there is a brand new 10 mile road race in Bantry. There is a new website now for that race and you can find it HERE.

Races next weekend in Munster.....Sun 31st Jan

There are no road races next weekend in Cork which is mainly due to the fact that the Dungarvan '10' Mile road race is on in West Waterford. This is part of the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series and has attracted a record number of entries.

Elsewhere in Munster, there is a 4 mile road race in Farranfore in Kerry and a 5k charity run near Newcastle West in Limerick. More info on the Running in Munster website.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'FMC' 4 Mile Road Race...Sun 24th Jan 2009

Despite the blues skies and winter sunshine, the temperature only hovered around 0 deg C for the start of this 4 mile road race. This resulted in some frosty spots out along the course but nothing too serious. The BHAA were taking no chances however and duly warned all runners before the start of the run that it was no longer a 'road race', it was a 'charity event' for Haiti and people should run it accordingly. Well, if it was a charity run then it certainly was the fastest 'charity run' that I was ever in!! Looking at the times, some people seem to have run faster than they normally do. Maybe we should have more of these 'charity runs'? ;o)

From what I hear, somewhere in the region of 410 runners took part which is probably a record number for this event. If this is anything to go by then can we expect 2010 to be another record year for race numbers?

Results........(Updated Thurs 28th Jan)

The full results are now available at this LINK.

Photos.......(Updated Thurs 28th Jan)

There are loads of photos for this race and they look great in the bright sunshine.

The first batch of 194 photos are from Irene Hartigan of UCC AC. Click on this LINK and use the controls at the bottom of the screen to slow down the speed, pause or step backwards.

2nd Set of Photos........Jorge Ruiz Villasante was out and about on the day as well and captured some excellent shots. A full slideshow of his race photos can be seen HERE.

3rd Set of Photos.......There is yet another set of over 200 photos taken by Joe Murphy of Eagle AC available HERE.

Latest News items.....Mallow 10, County Roads, Bantry 10, etc...

Mallow 10........

The Cork AAI County board held their meeting on Saturday, the 23rd of January and have given their approval for the Mallow 10 race to take place on Sunday, the 7th of February at 12:30pm. That's one week after the Dungarvan 10 and one week before the Bantry 10.

Bantry 10.........

This race is coming up on the 14th of February and it is a new race on the calendar. The entry fee is only €10 and you can enter on the day of the race. By the way, this race takes place in the very scenic Mealagh Valley to the north-east of Bantry and not in the town itself. A new website will be online soon with more details.

Cork AAI County Road Championships......

This was due to take place on the 7th of Feb and had to be moved to make way for the re-scheduled Mallow 10. There was some talk about holding it in Ballinhassig in conjunction with the Rising Sun 4 mile race. The Cork AAI County Board have now decided against this and it will be held instead at some other future date.

GOAL Mile for Haiti.........

There will be a special charity GOAL mile at the CIT track in Bishopstown next Saturday between 2pm and 4pm for the eathquake victims in Haiti. Some recent estimates put the number of dead at nearly 200,000 which if true, is approaching the number that died in that Tsunami in 2004. The big difference is that the Tsunami victims were spread out over a large part of the Indian Ocean whereas in Haiti, the victims are concentrated in a relatively small area.

More details about the GOAL mile below from the Cork County Board...

Everybody is aware of the recent disaster in Haiti, which has caused so much harm to this impoverished nation. A fundraising mile run/jog/walk will be held in the CIT Track on Saturday next (January 30th) to raise funds for the GOAL charity. The event will be the same as the Christmas Goal Mile. The event is being fully supported by the Athletics Community in Cork and the Track is being made available by the Cork Institute of Technology free of charge. There will be no overheads so every cent raised will go straight to the Goal Charity.
There is no minimum or maximum donation. The event is open to all ages and abilities.

Ballycotton '10' Entries....

Just a reminder for everyone that the FINAL list for Ballycotton '10' entries has still not been finalised! A lot of people seem to be under the impression that the list of 2,500 entrants published a few weeks ago was the final entry list. It's NOT!!

The organisers are still processing entries for all those club runners and others who qualified for the later closing dates. The final list will be available soon.

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'FMC' 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 24th Jan 2010 (11:00am)

With all of the cancelled races over the Christmas period, no doubt a lot of runners are currently suffering from 'cabin fever'. It seems like ages since we had a major race in the Cork area and there should be a huge turnout for this one, the first road race in the Cork BHAA calendar for 2010. It takes place in Little Island next Sunday, the 24th of January at 11am. The registration point is the community centre which on the map above, is more or less exactly at the 1 mile mark.

Directions...If you are coming out of the city, the best way to get there is probably to enter Little Island from the Tunnel roundabout on the North side of the Jack Lynch tunnel. The Little Island/ Tunnel Management road is just to the left of the tunnel entrance, so one needs to be in the left-most lane, when approaching the tunnel. At the top of this short road, there is a small roundabout. Take the exit marked "Little Island Ind Estate". Keep going for about one mile.You will pass Pfizer's, Henkel/Cognis, and Punch Industries (all on the left). You will see a small ruined castle and a mobile phone mast on the left. The Little Island Sports Complex is next (next to the 1 mile marker). The advantage of this route is that one will pass over both the Start and Finish lines, and you should have less difficulty finding that Start line, after registering.

Parking.....There is ample parking in front of, and behind the Sport Complex, so there is no need to park on the main road. There is plenty of space accross the road in the industrial estate as well.

Registration....Inside the hall, there will be 2 queues....one for registered runners and one for non-registered. Considering that this is the first race of the year, the non-registered queue is likely to be very long. With the big crowd expected, it might be no harm to get there early especially if you are a non-registered runner.

Course...First a word of caution for new runners...you will need to run/jog 1 mile from the community centre back to the start line which is not too far from the Jack Lynch tunnel. The course is reasonably flat with no real hills. There are a few slight inclines but nothing worth talking about. As you can see from the map above, it really is a case of running along the main road in Little Island, a loop around an industrial estate and back the same way. One unique feature of the race is that near where the race loops around, you can see others in the race going the opposite direction...it's a bit like running a race and spectating at the same time!!

Overall...It's not exactly the most scenic of routes but this race always seems to get a good turn out. It's almost as if most people use it as their first race of the year. Last year, they got just under 400 entries and they should get something similar this year.

Extra notes...If you want to have a closer look at the course, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website. If you zoom in there and press the SATELLITE button, you will see an aerial photo of the course and you can see the Community hall with it's car park.

New possible date for the Mallow 10 mile road race....Sun 7th Feb???

As most of you know, the Mallow 10 was due to take place on the 10th of January but had to be cancelled due to the icy weather conditions. Mallow AC have now applied to the Cork AAI to hold the race on Sunday the 7th of February.

Considering that it is only one week after the Dungarvan 10 mile race, it's not exactly ideal but it's not like there is a great choice of dates to choose from. If you look at the race calendar on the Running in Munster website, you'll see that nearly every Sunday is busy with some event for the next few months. Given the choices, it's probably the best date that could be picked.

It does however clash with the Cork AAI County Road Championships which was originally scheduled for the 7th of Feb. The proposed solution is to hold the Road Championships in conjunction with the Rising Sun 4 mile road race on St.Patrick's Day.

A final decision will be made next weekend and we should know the result next week.

'Why expensive trainers could be worse than useless'...

Over the last few months, several people have commented to me that they had been reading a book called Born to Run about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. They live in a remote part of the country and are famous for running huge distances, often barefoot or with very basic shoes.

Just a few days ago, an interesting article appeared in the online version of the Daily Telegraph debating the pros and cons of barefoot running and also mentioned that book. The writer contends that "those expensive running shoes you've been relying on may be worse than useless: they could be causing the very injuries they're supposed to prevent ". The basic argument is that most people with modern shoes tend to land on their heel and 'pound the road' whereas people running barefoot adopt a different style of running to protect the feet which results in a softer landing...i.e. no pounding.

The article goes on to say..... "When the Tarahumara aren't barefoot, they wear nothing more cushioned than thin, hard sandals fashioned from discarded tire treads and leather thongs. In place of artificial shock absorption, they rely on an ancient running technique that creates a naturally gentle landing. Unlike the vast majority of modern runners, who come down heavily on their foam-covered heels and roll forward off their toes, the Tarahumara land lightly on their forefeet and bend their knees, as you would if you jumped from a chair. "

Also......."Out here in the non-Tarahumara world, where we have access to the best in sports medicine, training innovations and footwear, up to 90 per cent of all marathoners are injured every year. The Tarahumara, by contrast, remain spry and healthy deep into old age. "

Needless to say, there is an opposing opinion as well. The full article which is a bit long can be found at this LINK.

Closing date for the Dungarvan 10 race coming up...

This is just a reminder that the closing date for entries for the Dungarvan 10 is next Monday, the 18th of January. You cannot enter on the day of the race which is Sunday, the 31st of January. This has become one of the main events in the local running scene and attracts a lot of runners from Cork. They expect to get close to 1000 entries this year.

More information on the Running in Munster website.

Due to the cancellation of the Mallow 10 race, this has become in effect the 1st race of the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series.

Results of the East Cork AC 3 km road race - Tues 12th Jan 2009

This 3k road race in Midleton went ahead in the end after all of the rain today washed away the snow and ice. By the time the race took place, most of the rain had subsided and the overall conditions were pretty good for the race. Obviously the doubt over whether it was on or not deterred some people from making the trip and this is reflected in the number of runners taking part.

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 5 12/01/10

1 James McCarthy East Cork AC 9.14

2 Roy Fahy East Cork AC 9.52

3 Denis Coughlan St Finbarrs AC 9.56

4 Alan O'Reilly East Cork AC 10.00

5 Eoin Casey Midleton AC 10.04

6 Dermot Sheehan East Cork AC 10.25

7 Conor Tierney East Cork AC 10.27

8 Denis Dunne Cork 10.32

9 Frank Hayes East Cork AC 10.36

10 Jason Nicholl St Finbarrs AC 10.45

11 Eamonn McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 10.51

12 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 11.00

13 Ronan O'Donoghue C.I.T. 11.13

14 Owen O'Connell Midleton 11.16

15 Josh O'S-Hourihan Midleton College 11.16

16 Declan O'Connell Cloyne 11.21

17 Edmond O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.26

18 David Murphy Midleton CBS 11.32

19 Annette Quaid Leevale AC 11.34

20 Dermot Murphy Midleton 11.36

21 Laurence Collins Mount Uniacke 11.42

22 Martin O'Reilly St Finbarrs AC 11.49

23 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 11.55

24 John Cashman Midleton AC 11.56

25 Fergal Curtin Youghal AC 11.59

26 Noel Curtin Youghal AC 12.00

27 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton 12.08

28 AJ Murphy Midleton 12.09

29 Kevin O'Reilly Midleton AC 12.20

30 Jim McEvoy Midleton AC 12.31

31 Simon Thompson Midleton AC 12.39

32 John O'Riordan Rising Sun AC 12.40

33 Ted O'Leary St Catherines AC 12.43

34 Brian Healy Midleton AC 12.44

35 Nigel Sheehan Mogeely 12.48

36 Angela McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 12.48

37 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 12.49

38 Emmet Foley Whitegate 12.53

39 Eibhlin Cleary East Cork AC 12.56

40 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.58

41 Elaine Guinane Eagle AC 13.00

42 Philip O'Mahony Midleton 13.13

43 Paul O'S-Hourihan East Cork AC 13.16

44 Paul Kierans Carrigtwohill 13.18

45 John Walshe East Cork AC 13.23

46 Martin Carr Midleton 13.35

47 Padraig O'Regan Ladysbridge 13.36

48 Noreen Mackey C.I.T. 13.45

49 Yvonne Kelly Midleton AC 14.08

50 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 14.10

51 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 14.17

52 Caroline Fletcher Midleton 14.18

53 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 14.22

54 Dermot Cashman Carrigtwohill 14.26

55 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.34

56 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs AC 14.35

57 Ciara Coughlan Midleton AC 14.51

58 Vincent Murray Glanmire 15.04

59 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 15.18

60 Ger O'Brien Glanmire 15.27

61 Trish Murphy Midleton AC 15.30

62 Tom Cusack Midleton AC 15.45

63 Jim Curtin East Cork AC 15.56

64 Mike Dorney Midleton 15.57

65 Linda Hegarty Midleton AC 16.07

66 Harry Farmer Cloyne 16.08

67 Willie O'Mahony Youghal AC 16.15

68 Frank O'Brien Carrigtwohill BNS 16.16

69 Mary Kenneally C.I.T. 16.17

70 Margaret Beausang Midleton AC 16.20

71 Pauline Casey Midleton 17.23

72 Tom Casey Midleton 17.24

73 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.57

74 Clare O'Leary Midleton AC 18.05

75 Marie McGrath Midleton AC 18.32

76 Gordon Callnan Midleton 19.14

77 Olive Hallahan Midleton AC 19.35

78 Sheila Kierans Carrigtwohill 19.41

79 Mary Toher Midleton AC 20.56

80 Conor la Mere Ballinacurra 24.43

81 Chuck la Mere Ballinacurra 24.43

Status of East Cork 3km road race - Tues 12th Jan 2009...

Only 24 hours ago, you could almost say for certain that this race would be called off but with a big thaw on the way, it's now 50:50. The problem is that there is an awful lot of ice on the footpaths that will need to be melted before the race can go ahead. Will all of the rain on Tuesday and the predicted temperatures of 6-7 deg C do the trick? Possibly not. Almost certainly with all of the melting snow/ice and the additional rain on Tuesday, there is going to be a lot of surface water on the road.

Here is the statement from East Cork AC regarding the race. Please note that they are advising non-local runners that the event may be cancelled at a late stage. Remember this in case you end up making a wasted trip.

"A decision on whether to go ahead with tomorrow nights 3 k race will be made at lunch time tomorrow (Tues). Tonight the lap is in the worst state I have ever seen it. The slush and surface water, particularly on the footpath, have frozen to an extremely dangerous level (much worse and more widespread than the way it was when the 4th leg of the series was called off). A notice will appear on the East Cork AC web site at about 2pm to update the situation.

In any event anyone (non locals) intending to travel any more than a few miles to the event would be advised to give the race a miss in case it is called off at the last minute..........Liam O'Brien.....East Cork AC"

Proposed changes to the Cork City Marathon route for 2010...

It looks as if there will be some major changes to the route of the Cork City Marathon & Relay on the 7th of June 2010. Click on the map above for a larger version...

The RED dots show the new route

The GREY dots show the old route

As you can see, the early stages are still the same....start in the city, a loop out around Blackpool, down the lower road, through the tunnel and up into Mahon. When the route gets to the end of Mahon, instead of running past Blackrock castle, it now turns right onto a public walkway right next to the river. After a big loop, this joins the old Cork to Crosshaven railway track which is now a walkway. Up and over a narrow footbridge over the South Link Road and then along a long straight walkway until you re-join the old route near Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the Marina.

The next proposed change is to get rid of the loop around the Lough. Some of you might remember that this section caused problems last year when some of the relay runners ended up taking the wrong shorter route due to poor stewarding.

And the next change gets rid of the hills out near Ballincollig. Because of the extra long loop near Mahon, the route is now able to turn right just after the Tennis Village on the Model Farm Rd and onto the Straight Road. This elimates the long drag from Inchagaggin out to Nangles Nursery which is a welcome change.

The final change is that the route now goes along the Mardyke instead of the Western Road.

It's probably too early to say that this is the final route as it is subject to change. Some additional information with photos from John Quigley is now available on the Eagle AC website.

If you would like more info on the 2010 Cork City Marathon & Relay event then click HERE.

A second look ahead to 2010...

A few days back, I put up a post outlining some of the events coming up in Cork in 2010. Now I can update some of that information.

1) I had mentioned that there was a 10 mile road race coming up in Cobh. Well, that particular race is on Sunday, the 18th of April and the organisers have a special website for it........http://www.greatisland10.com

2) A additional race that I didn't mention because I wasn't sure if it was going ahead is the brand new Dunmanway 10k. This will be on Sunday the 20th of June at 2pm........so you have plenty of time to get ready for that one ;o)

3) I also mentioned the fact that there was a new 10 mile race in Bantry coming up on the 14th of February. I hope to have some more info on this race in the next week or two.

4) Those of you who made the trip to Killarney at the end of 2009 for the Feet First 5 k series might be interested to know that there will be another series of Killarney 5k races starting soon.

5).........and finally, I have updated the Running in Ireland website which has a list of all the medium and long distance races in Ireland in 2010. It's not really a blog per se but more of a useful list with links to all of the various race websites to help people plan their year ahead.