Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

David McCarthy wins 1500m race at Amsterdam Open & Flame Games...31st Aug 2013

At the Amsterdam Open & Flame Games on Saturday (31st Aug 2013), David McCarthy of West Waterford AC won the mens 1500m in a time of 3:42.25.


 Other Irish athletes in action at the same meet....
Mens 100m...6th...Lane 2 SCOTT Gary        IRL    SEN    12.08   

Mens 200m...2nd...Lane 8 COLVERT Steven        IRL    SEN    21.13

Womens 400m...3rd...Lane 3 CANNON Shauna        IRL    SEN    56.59

Womens 200m...
2nd...Lane 4 CANNON Shauna        IRL    SEN    24.90   
3rd...Lane 7 MCCALLION Ciara        IRL    SEN    25.16

Top Russian race walker Igor Erokhin gets lifetime ban for doping

This just in! Remember this image from the 2012 London Olympics?


It shows Rob Heffernan finishing 4th in the mens 50 km walk. The Russian who finished just behind him in 5th place was Igor Erokhin.

Back in 2008, Erokhin failed a doping test and served a two year ban.

Today, it was announced on a Russian News website that he has now been banned for life after problems were found with his biological passport. All of his results since the 25th of February 2011 will be cancelled, including his 5th place in the Olympics.

Results of the Liscarroll 10 km road race...Fri 30th Aug 2013

A total of 131 people turned out for this years Tom Fitzpatrick Memorial 10k race in Liscarroll in NW Cork, a drop of 11% on the figure for last year. 

1 32:19    SHANNON, Michael    St. Johns AC    M    05:11.9
2 35:00    FEEHAN, Maurice    Gneeveguilla AC    M    05:37.8
3 35:42    HEGARTY, Brian    Leevale AC    M    05:44.6
25 41:12    FINN, Carol    Leevale AC    F    06:37.7
28 41:19    CARROLL, Aoife    Mallow AC    F    06:38.8
30 41:24    ENRIGHT, Deirdre    Riocht AC    F    06:39.6


The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) A slideshow of photos from Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC HERE

31st Aug 2013...The great Ed Moses is 58 today

The 31st of August 2013......Today is the 58th birthday of Ed Moses, one of the all time greats in the world of athletics. Throughout the late 70's and early 80's, Ed Moses of the USA dominated the world of 400m hurdles.

He won Gold at the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games and bronze at the 1988 Seoul games. He was World Champion in 1983 in Helsinki and in 1987 in Rome.

His personal best time of 47.02 seconds was set exactly 30 years ago today in Koblenz, West Germany on his 28th birthday. Only one person, Kevin Young of the USA has run faster and that was in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics when he set a new world record of 46.78s, a record that still stands today.

Besides his medal tally, a quick look at the stats show what a phenomenon Ed Moses was...
He broke the world record 4 times...
He won 122 consecutive races...
...and he remained undefeated for 9 years, 9 months and 9 days.

The video below shows the career of one of the all time greats (26 mins long)...

Friday, August 30, 2013

Reminder...Kinsale 5 mile road race next Sunday, the 1st of Sept 2013

Just a reminder about the main road race in Cork this weekend, the Kinsale 5 mile road race on Sunday morning at 11am. The race has an Athletics Ireland permit and has been properly measured by Jones Counter.


More details in this earlier post.

Full preview with directions, maps, photos, etc HERE

Derval O’Rourke say drugs cheat Yanit robbed her of European gold

Following on from the news last Wednesday that Turkish athlete Nevin Yanit has been banned for two years for failing a drugs test, Derval O'Rourke gave an interview to the Irish Examiner. In it, she said that she believed that Yanit was most likely to have been using drugs when she won the 100m hurldles final at the European Athletic Championships in Barcelona in 2010. In that competition, Derval finished second and won the silver after setting a new national record of 12.65 seconds.

In the interview, Derval said ......"It’s not as if she was just on drugs this year. In the last two years previous she has been European outdoor [100m hurdles] champion twice [Barcelona in 2010 and Helsinki 2012], fifth in the Olympics [London] and she won indoors [Gothenburg] this year. "

The full interview by Feidhlim Kelly can be seen HERE

Athletics training for juveniles with Togher AC...Tues 3rd Sept 2013

Togher AC is a club based in Cork City that specialise more so on track and field events rather than road running. On Tuesday the 3rd of September, they will have a training session and they invite anyone with an interest in track and field to try it out. This might be of special interest to parents in Cork City who might like to get their children to try athletics and Tuesday evenings at the Mardyke is a convenient time.


From the club.....Togher AC training for the new year will be launched on Tuesday 3rd September at 7.00pm at the Mardyke Track. This will be an opportunity for new members to see what our great club is about. Training in Togher AC is available for men and women, boys and girls. Different training groups exist which include...
Little athletics, ages 7-10
Juvenile, ages 12-19
Senior, age 20+

Each training group is coordinated by a qualified coach who always has the best interested of the athlete at heart. Children taking part in Little athletics are given the chance to try every element of track and field from sprinting to jumping to throwing, while in the juvenile ranks training slowly starts to become more specific to a few events.


If you think you may be interested in taking up the fantastic sport of athletics, come along to the Mardkye track any Tuesday at 7pm. You can try the first sessions free over charge and if you like it become a member for only €50 for adults and €30 for little athletics and juveniles for the year! For more information about the club you can call the secretary Aidan on 087 6436897 or email Peter on togherac@hotmail.com

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Usain Bolt wins Diamond League 100m race in Zurich in 9.90 seconds

After an awful start, the world record holder and Olympic champion Usain Bolt managed to stay ahead of the rest of the field to take first place in the mens 100m at the Diamond League event in Zurich this evening.



Heres the race...

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Results of the Cork BHAA LeisureWorld 5 mile road race...Wed 28th Aug 2013

A total of 412 runners took part in this years Cork BHAA LeisureWorld 5 mile road race in Ballincollig, a jump of 33% on last years number.
Winner of the womens race Orla Drumm.......Photo : Gearóid Ó Laoi

1 Gavin Sweeney                 26:00
2 JOHN MEADE        JOYCE WOLFE PHYSIOTHERPY     M  26:39
3 Eric Curran        UCC STUDENT     M  26:52
13 Orla Drumm        UCC     F    29:11
34 Sinead O'Connor        DEPT OF EDUCATION     F    30:26
50 CARMEL PARNELL        CORK SHOPS     F     F55  31:18

The full results are HERE

Photos...
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery HERE 
2) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE
3) Kieran Minihane has a gallery HERE

Orla Barry is Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month for June 2013

At a special presentation ceremony in Cork today, Orla Barry of Leevale AC was presented with an award for being the Cork City Sports Athlete of the month for the month of June. Orla who is from Ladysbridge in East Cork secured her best ever result at a major Championship by winning silver in the F57/58 women’s discus at the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France.

Derval O'Rourke to be upgraded to Bronze medal after Turkish athlete fails dope test

This just in!! The Turkish Athletics Federation's (TAF) Disciplinary Board have today banned Nevin Yanit from competitons for two years after she was proved to be positive in use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Issuing a statement on its official website, the Turkish Athletics Federation said the result of the urine sample taken from Nevin Yanit during the P.S.D Bank compettiton in Dusseldorf on February 8, 2013 confirmed usage of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Statement....."The IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations] had informed us that Nevin Yanıt’s sample taken at the PSD Bank event in Dusseldorf on Feb. 8 tested positive for a banned substance,” the federation said today in a written statement. After her B sample also tested positive, the Disciplinary Board asked for Yanıt’s defense and decided to ban the athlete for two years following deliberations."


Back in March of 2013 at the European Indoor Championships, Derval O'Rourke finished in 4th place in the womens 60m hurdles. Nevin Yanit won that race.

If the two year ban starts from when Yanit failed the drugs test in February then Derval O'Rourke will be upgraded to the bronze medal.

Update...From Athletics Ireland @4pm...Athletics Ireland has contacted European Athletics to establish what procedures will be followed in relation to recent championship results attained by Nevin Yanit. European Athletics has not yet received notification of the official sanction from the IAAF and cannot make an official comment until that occurs.

Athletics Ireland will continue to communicate with European Athletics and the IAAF in order to establish the implications of this development for Derval O’Rourke and will urge the international federations to bring clarity to the situation as soon as possible. 

Reminder for cheapest entries for the Cork Half-Marathon in Blarney

Just a reminder that the closing date for the cheapest entries to the John Buckley Sports Cork Half-Marathon in Blarney is next Saturday the 31st of August. After that, the entry fee goes up by €5 to €25 entry on race day.

More info on the race in this earlier post.

Preview of the course with maps, directions and photos HERE

David Cussen of Old Abbey AC sets new PB in the high jump

Just catching up on a piece of news from last week. On Sunday the 18th of August, the Athletics Ireland Track & Field League final was held in Tullamore, Co.Offaly. David Cussen who was competing as a guest for Bandon AC won the mens competition with a jump of 2.13 metres.

High Jump - Men Division One
Place Name Club Hgt(m)
1 David Cussen Bandon A.C. 2.13
2 Mark Rogers Louth Athletics 1.75
3 Ian Crowley Riocht A.C. 1.70

This was a new record height for the Cork athlete, beating his previous best of 2.10 metres  which he set at the Cork City Sports in June. This now moves him from joint 15th to joint 11th on the Irish mens all time list and he is still only 17 years old.

Photo...Athletics Ireland

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Paul Robinson of St.Coca's AC wins mens elite 1 km race in Austria

Last night (Mon 26th Aug 2013), Irish international Paul Robinson of St. Coca’s AC won the mens elite 1 km race at the Gugl Games in Linz, Austria.


After staying around 7th place for most of the race, Paul weaved his way through a field of runners in the final 100m to take the victory on the line. His time of 2:18.29 minutes is just outside David Matthews Irish Record of 2:17.59 minutes.

In the video below, Paul is in the light blue singlet in 5th place in lane 1 at 19 seconds. At the bell with 400 to go, he is in 6th place.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Results of the IMRA Curragh Woods 6 km trail run...Wed 21st Aug 2013

The last and final race in the IMRA South Munster Trail League was held on Wednesday, the 21st of August in Curragh Woods near Midleton. A total of 82 people took part in the 6 km event.

As a series, it was very successful with 62 and 81 taking part in the first two races.  Perhaps not the type of numbers that you might expect to see at say a road race but almost double what would expected at a typical mid-week IMRA event where people run to the top of a mountain and back down again. These off road trail type runs appeal to a lot more people and I presume there will be more in the future.
1    Tom Blackburn    23:25
2    Owen Cummins    23:30
3    Roy Fahy    23:34
13    Niamh Walsh    27:46
21    Aisling Breedy    28:48
24    Mags Dempsey    29:13


The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE

Photo Credit : Kieran Minihane

Looking ahead to the Cork BHAA Leisureworld 5 mile race in Ballincollig next Wed 28th Aug 2013

One of the big races coming up this week is the Cork BHAA Leisureworld 5 mile road race in Ballincollig to the west of Cork City. A main feature of this race is just the ease of access. With the new flyovers on the South Ring Road now open, it's very easy to get to.


As with all Cork BHAA races, the entry fee for registered runner is just €5 with €8 for non-reg runners.


Details from LeisureWorld...LeisureWorld BHAA 5mile Road Race is coming up in Ballincollig Wed 28th August 7.30pm start. Chip Timing is being provided at no extra charge by LeisureWorld, with entry as usual on the night. Anyone not running that night who can volunteer 6pm-9pm, will get a free entry to the Rebel Run 10km on October 20th. email Shane@leisureworldcork.com or call Shane on 021 4346505 for more info.

LeisureWorld are one of the main fitness centres in Cork City with facilities in Churchfield on the north side of the city and in Bishopstown next to the CIT campus..........Leisureworld, Rossa Avenue, Bishopstown, Cork. Website: www.leisureworldcork.com

Registration for the race is at Supernova in Ballincollig.
Registration opens at 6.15pm and closes at 7:15pm.
Changing facilities are available in Supernova.
Refreshments as per usual with BHAA races, so tea and sandwiches in Supernova afterwards. 

From the organisers.....Supernova are offering a service to drop & run. Kids aged 4-12yrs can be dropped in and looked after 6pm-9pm where they can play & be supervised while you are running. The charge is €5 per child.This service has nothing to do with Cork BHAA & LeisureWorld & prior booking should be made direct with Supernova on 021 4826905

Crunch Food Company will have their van on site from 5pm for anyone looking to buy a great tasting healthy snack before or for after. https://www.facebook.com/CrunchFoodCompany.



Preview......A full preview of the course with maps, directions, photos, description, etc can be seen HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Navy 5 mile race...14th Aug 2013

The Navy 5 mile race was held back on the 14th of August. Results here

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Overall view of the size of athletic clubs in Munster...

Following on from an earlier post about the size of the various athletic clubs in Cork by the number of adult and juvenile members, I had similar posts up on the Running in Munster site about the clubs in Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford.

In this post, we'll look at how the Cork clubs compare to the other various clubs in Munster.

First of all, here is some background info. The chart below from the 2011 census shows the population of each of the six counties in Munster. It would probably be a reasonable expectation that  the number of athletes in each county should roughly match the relative size of each county. i.e Cork will have the most adults in clubs, then Limerick, then Tipperary and so on.


Adults...Seniors and Masters...First, this is how the counties compare based on the number of adults in athletic clubs (July 2013).

By taking the total number of adult members and dividing it by the available population in that county then a percentage of the total can be worked out.  
1) The best performing county is actually Tipperary. For example, about 0.62% of the total population of the county are adult members of an athletic club.

2) Waterford at 0.43% has remained largely unchanged in the last two years.

3) The numbers in Cork have grown in the last two years going from 0.29% to 0.42%. There is plenty of scope there for clubs to grow before they match the performance of the Tipperary clubs. For example, there would be over 3,200 adults in athletic clubs in Cork if they were doing as well as the clubs in Tipperary rather than the 2189 as it is now.

4) Clare are at 0.35% but it's a bit misleading because of the inclusion of Marathon Club Ireland members registered through the Clare County Board. If they were omitted then Clare, Limerick and Kerry are roughly all the same around 0.26%. Over the last two years, Limerick has recorded a small growth while Kerry is the only county in Munster to lose adults in the last year. Looking at the chart above, all of the athletic clubs in Kerry, Clare and Limerick could double the number of adult members and they would still be behind the numbers in the Tipperary clubs. Obviously, there is huge scope for growth in adult membership in athletic clubs in those three counties.

Largest clubs in Munster....These are the 14 largest clubs in Munster in terms of adult membership (100+ members)...(Cork 7 / Limerick 2 / Tipperary 3 / Waterford 2)...
It's no great suprise to see that Clonmel AC in Tipperary is the largest club in Munster in terms of adult members. No clubs in Kerry or Clare have over 100 adult members.

Juniors and Juveniles......This is the breakdown of the number of Juvenile and Juniors in athletic clubs in each county...

Again, by taking the total number of juvenile & junior members and dividing it by the available population in that county then a percentage of the total can be worked out.  
1) Again, Tipperary have the highest percentage at 0.83%.
2) For juveniles and juniors, the clubs in Clare and Kerry are doing well in contrast  to the number of adult members that they have. The stats show strong growth in numbers in Clare in 2013.
3) Waterford are slightly behind at 0.66%. The stats show hardly any growth in the last two years. There is plenty of scope for growth in underage athletics in the Déise.
4) Cork is well behind with 0.53%. One possible factor here is that very large population centres don't seem to translate into huge numbers in clubs. An example of this can be seen in Dublin where the clubs while big are nowhere as big as the population there might suggest. However, it's hard to believe that the clubs in Cork couldn't be bigger even though they recorded huge growth in last two years already.
5) Limerick is frankly dismal with 0.38%. Even looking at the raw stats bears this out. Limerick is the second largest county in Munster in population terms and has 720 juveniles. Waterford is the smallest county and has 743. It was even worse two years ago when there was only 584 in Limerick. Whatever the reason for the low numbers in Limerick, there is huge scope for growth.

Largest clubs in Munster....These are the 29 largest clubs in Munster in terms of juvenile and junior membership (100+ members)...(Cork 9 / Limerick 3 / Tipperary 6 / Waterford 3 / Kerry 5 / Clare 3)...

One to note here is Bandon AC in West Cork, the second largest club in Munster in terms of juveniles and juniors. The population of Bandon was 6,640 back in the 2011 census.

These are some of the other larger towns in Munster by population.....
Ennis Clare      25,360 / Tralee Kerry       23,693 / Clonmel Tipperary & Waterford    17,908 / Carrigaline Cork    14,775 / Killarney   Kerry    14,219 / Cobh    Cork    12,347 / Midleton    Cork    12,001 / Mallow   Cork    11,605 / Tramore   Waterford    10,328 / Shannon   Clare    9,673 / Dungarvan Waterford    9,427 / Nenagh Tipperary    8,439 / Thurles  Tipperary    7,933 / Youghal    Cork    7,794

Why couldn't there be athletic clubs in these towns as big as Bandon AC?

In conclusion.......I started off this post as a quick comparison between the various clubs in Munster and it turned into a monster post ;o) For anyone interested in the stats however, it does show up areas in the province where club membership for adults and for underage athletes is lagging.

Of course, the size of a club doesn't mean a club is better. Some of the clubs with a large adult membership have different priorities with some concentrating on track and field while others are more interested in road running. In general though, the larger a club is then then more dynamic it is. It's no accident that two of the largest clubs in Munster...Clonmel AC and West Waterford AC.....are also the busiest in terms of organising road races.

In terms of juveniles and juniors, it's obvious that there must be areas of Munster and probably the country where there is very little in terms of athletics. Look for example at BMOH AC in Sixmilebridge in Co.Clare. A brand new club and already it has over 100 juveniles. Could that not be repeated in many other towns around the country?

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Cork Association for Autism looking for sponsorship for Ladies mini-marathon in Cork

 
The Evening Echo womens mini-marathon is coming up in Cork City on Sunday, the 15th of September. The Cork Association for Autism are looking for volunteers to raise sponsorship for them. Details here..... http://corkautism.ie/cork-mini-marathon-run-for-autism/

Results of the Mardyke 5k road race...Sat 24th Aug 2013

Results of the World mini-games 5k road race in Cork City...Sat 24th Aug 2013

1    Michael Herlihy             M    16:01
2    Rory OSullivan             M    16:14
3    Sheldon Kirkwood             M    17:31
4    Emma Murphy             F    17:43
5    Sinead O Connor             F    17:56
10    Niamh Roe             F    18:50


The results are HERE

Friday, August 23, 2013

Should there be top 30 t-shirts for women in the Ballycotton Summer Series?

Back in July after the Churchtown South 5 mile road race, I put up the standings after the first three races. Someone then left this comment...

Given that 125 women (versus 222 men) have competed all three races; perhaps consideration should be given to the number of top finisher shirts? 20 versus 50 seems a bit biased.

I made a mental note to come back and look at the stats for the series after the last race in Ballycotton. First of all, some background info. The chart below shows the total number of people that have completed all four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series....

1) The total number of people that have completed the series has grown from 122 in 2007 to 306 in 2013.
2) For whatever reason, there was a surge in the number of men completing the series in 2009 and 2010 and has remained pretty much level since. The number of women however has grown at a more steady rate.
3) As a percentage of the total, the number of women has gone from roughly 26% in 2007-10 to 29% in 2011 to about 36% in 2012-13.

One of the features of the Summer Series is that Top 50 and Top 20 t-shirts are awarded to the top men and women respectively. The chart below shows what percentage of each gender got a t-shirt...

Before 2011, a slightly higher percentage of women got a t-shirt. It varied from about 4-7% more. Now with more women completing the series, the percentage of women getting a t-shirt has declined and now lags behind the men by about 8-9%.

Based on the 2013 figures, nearly 29 t-shirts should have been awarded to the top women in the series in order maintain a parity with the men. So to answer the person that left the original comment in July, there is a valid case for say the top 30 women in the series getting top t-shirts in future.

Results of the Ballycotton 5m road race...Thurs 22nd Aug 2013

A record 539 runners took part in this years Ballycotton 5 mile road race, the last one in the Ballycotton Summer Series. The chart below shows the numbers over the years.

As you can see, there hasn't been any great increase in those running faster than 7 minute miles but the numbers that are slower have gone way up.

This years race was won by Sean McGrath of East Cork AC. In the womens race, Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC won in a new course record time of 27:33. Just to show how much Lizzie has improved over the last few years, these are her times.....2009 = 29:13, 2010 = 28:49, 2011 = 28:53 and 2012 = 28:36.

As well as a course record Lizzie Lee's 27:33 is now the equal fastest time by a woman in any of the four races in the Ballycotton Series over the years. She shares the distinction with one Sonia O'Sullivan from Shanagarry 2001!



1   25:51    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:10.1    1    1
2   25:57    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    05:11.3    2    2
3   26:47    MEADE, John    St. Finbarrs AC    M    05:21.3    3    3
12  27:33    LEE, Lizzie    Leevale AC    F    05:30.5    504    12
54  30:42    LEONARD, Helen    Leevale AC    F40    06:08.3    303    54
56   30:44    REGAN, Maura    Eagle AC    F35    06:08.7    301    56

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos....
1) Gearoid O'Laoi has a large gallery HERE
2) Alan Bannon has a gallery HERE

Overall results of the Ballycotton Summer Series....
The winner of the mens section of the series was Sean McGrath of East Cork AC. His times for the four races were remarkably consistent...25:53, 25:46, 25:50 and 25:51.

The winner of the womens section was Maura Regan of Eagle AC. Maura's four times were 32:06, 31:43, 31:23 and 30:44. The time for the last race was a new personal best time for Maura by about 22 seconds.

For the men, the time cut off for the top 50 was an average of 32:38 which equals 6:32 per mile for each race.

For the women, the time cut off for the top 20 was an average of 38:00 which equals 7:36 per mile for each race.

The overall series results were compiled by John Robinson of Mallow AC and can be seen HERE


Thursday, August 22, 2013

Tech tops for the Dingle Half and Full Marathon...

For those of you interested in doing the Dingle Half-Marathon and full Marathon on Saturday the 7th of September, this is the technical top that will be given out on completion of the race...


The closing date for entries is Wednesday, the 28th of August. More info in this earlier post.

World Mini Games Mardyke 5k race...Sat 24th Aug 2013

The inaugural World Mini Games (WMG) take place in Cork between Thursday the 22nd and Saturday the 24th of August. Featuring over two dozen adult sports at many different grades, the Games are open to any individual or team of any level.

As part of the Games, there will be a 5 km race on the Mardkye Walk / Western Road circuit. This route was actually used for a 5k race a good few years back and it's as flat as they come.

More details including the race flyer in this earlier post.

For more information on the World mini-games and the race, go to www.WorldMiniGames2013.com

The map below shows the outline of the course. The race starts in the Mardyke Walk and completes two full laps before going on to finish at the track at the Mardyke...

Details from the organisers.......The race will be chip timed and it is open to all levels. Those that register online and post their previous PB, if that PB is broken on the morning they will be sent a t-shirt acknowledging that 'I Beat my PB at the WMG'. There will be full use of the changing rooms in the Clubhouse in UCC.  Registration will be at the Dalys Bridge entrance, and a bag drop will also be in place.  Refreshments will be provided for racers and runners  Prizes for all categories, Men and Womens. We also welcome runners to register for the World Record Attempt for Largest Barefoot Race over 100 metres, which will take place after the 5k, and is being organised to support the Irish Heart Foundation.

Race notice...Greenville 5 km road race - Wed 4th Sept 2013


The Greenville 5 km road race is coming up in Carrigtwohill on Wednesday, the 4th of September 2013.

This is the second year of this particular race and it should prove to be as popular as the first year. Last year, there was some issue with road works near the finish line which are of course gone now. The course has been changed slightly as well so that it is a small bit faster.

The adjusted course has been properly measured with a Jones Counter and the race has an AAI licence. All proceeds from the race go to the Cork Association for Autism. The entry fee will be €10.

One unique feature of this race is that there are loads of prizes which have been very kindly donated.

It's also worth pointing out that this race is suitable for all types of runners......from those at the sharp end of things to those who might have done something like a 'Couch to 5k' programme and can jog around.

Located just15 kms east of Cork City, it should be of interest to a lot of runners. Ballycotton Running Promotions will be looking after the finish line and the results on the night.

Preview.........A preview with maps and directions based on the 2012 course can be seen HERE

Race notice...Ballycotton 5 mile road race - Thurs 22nd Aug 2013

The Ballycotton 5 mile road race is the last race of four in the Ballycotton Summer Series and it's coming up this evening Thursday, the 22nd of August. One thing to note here and it catches people every year........the race starts at 7:30pm

Registration is at the local national school. The distance from the main parking area to the registration is about 800 metres (10 min walk). From the registration area to the start line is about 200 metres. So if you consider parking.....walking to the registration.....the queue to enter.....walk back to the car......walk back to the start........and the 7:30pm start, you can see how people get caught out.
Entries.......If you are under any pressure for time, then get changed first.....carry the entry fee of €6 in your hand.....and go straight to the start line after you register. Please note that it speeds things up a lot if you have the exact entry fee ready. €1 of each entry fee is going to a designated charity.

If you have taken part in the first 3 races then you can find your race number HERE

The overall positions with times after 3 races can be seen HERE

Post Race...If you have completed all 4 of the summer series......Ballyandreen, Shanagarry, Churchtown South and Ballycotton.......then you can collect a souvenier plaque near the finish line. Back at the school, there will be tea and biscuits as well as the prizegiving. The special series t-shirts for the top 50 men and top 20 women in the overall series will be handed out there.

Preview....More details on the course with maps and photos can be seen HERE

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Beware of car clamping at the UCC Farm in Curraheen

As many of you will be aware, the UCC Farm in Curraheen is a popular spot for runners. For those of you parking outside, please avoid using the approach road to the greyhound track.

Someone sent me this info by e-mail.......Just a quick note that the blog followers might be interested in. Today (20-8-2013) at Curraheen grounds (the farm), I parked my car near the entrance and while I was changing to plod around the pitches, a fellow athlete told me that when he returned to his car (that was parked near mine) he had been clamped and had to fork out €125 to get it released.

So athletes, beware of the double yellow lines that are going ACROSS the road near the entrance of the Farm. Below the double yellow lines at the greyhound side is private property of the greyhound track which is "policed" by the clampers and you will get clamped if you park at this side of the lines.


Yellow lines start where the tarmac changes colour

Results of the Inchigeelagh 5k fun run/walk...Fri 16th Aug 2013

A total of 153 people took part in this 5 km fun run/walk as part of the Inchigeelagh Festival.

1     17.37    Kevin O'Brien    First Male
2     18.05    Sean O'Leary    First Iveleary Player
3     18.18    Gearoid O'Leary   
11      20.20    Fiona Santry    First Female
18      21.35    Clodagh Galvin   
31      23.27    Ciara Santry    


The full results can be seen HERE

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Curragh Wood 6 km Trail Run near Midleton...Wed 21st Aug 2013

The third and final race in the South Munster Trail League is coming up on Wednesday evening, the 21st of August with a 6km trail run in Curragh Wood near Midleton


Details below from the IMRA...Race 3: Curragh Woods Midleton.....Reg from 6:30pm-7:00pm at The Maple Leaf, Main Street, Midleton. (Park in roundabout car park and Maple is a 60sec walk)......ATTN: please carpool from car park to woods. There is limited parking there. NO PARKING on road at Curragh. Registration will close at 7pm to allow time to get to forest 4km away......Race start :7:30pm.....6km. Fully Marked course......Please wear trail runners if you own a pair and if conditions are wet but they are not completely necessary.

Please come to reg early of you have not run an IMRA race this year so as to fill out reg form......If you have raced make sure to bring your number!!!!.....Cost for race incl/excl membership is €5.....Tea & Sambos in Maple Leaf afterwards from 8:20pm


Maps of where everything is can be seen HERE

Race notice...Cork Half-Marathon, Blarney - Sun 8th Sept 2013


This is a race notice for the John Buckley Sports Cork Half-Marathon coming up on Sunday, the 8th of Sept 2013 at 11am. This race starts and finishes in Blarney just to the west of Cork City. Last year in 2012, the hill up around Grenagh was removed and it resulted in a much faster course overall.


The race is organised by St.Finbarrs AC, one of the main running clubs in Cork City and this is their flagship event of the year. There will also be pacers available for those trying for 1:30, 1:45 and 2 hours. As with most big races, they will be using chip timing.

The race also incorporates the Cork County and Munster Half-Marathon Championships.


The race sponsor is John Buckley Sports, one of the main sports shops in Cork for running shoes and other running related gear.

Entries.......
The Half-Marathon costs €20 to enter before Sunday, the 1st of September. You can enter by the following means...

Online (€21.40)..........You can enter online HERE

By Post........You will find an entry form HERE in PDF format.

Make cheques payable to St.Finbarrs AC. Post the entries to John Buckley Sports, Mulgrave Road, Cork.

Direct.......Probably the easiest and cheapest option if you are in the city is just to call into John Buckley Sports, fill out a form and enter.


You can find John Buckley Sports across the river from the Cork Opera House and his opening hours are Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5.30pm – late opening Friday until 7.00 – closed Sundays.

They also have a website at http://www.johnbuckleysports.com/

20% Off Voucher.........Note also that all runners that enter will get a 20% off voucher for the John Buckley Sports store. If you use the voucher to buy something like a good pair of running shoes which could easily cost €100, then essentially you will have entered the race for free. Obviously, the more you spend, the more you save.

Late entries.........If for some reason you miss the early closing date, you can also enter on the day of the race......cost €25.

Preview........A full preview of the course with map, directions and photos can be seen HERE

Breakdown of athletic clubs in Cork by size...July 2013

The bar chart below shows a breakdown of the size of the athletic clubs in Cork at the end of July 2013. As in previous charts, it shows adult membership only.......i.e. those that are most likely to be taking part in some sort of road racing or similar events. While some clubs are more track and field orientated, the majority are involved in some sort of road running so that a comparison can be made between the size of the clubs. The stats are for the 11 months between August 2012 and July 2013.

1st...Midleton AC continue to show strong growth year on year and stay as the largest club in Cork. With 255 adult members, they are up 11% on last year.
2nd...St.Finbarr's AC based in Cork City remain in 2nd spot with 183 adult members, unchanged from last year.
3rd...Youghal AC jump from 9th to 3rd with a large influx of adult members this year. From what I understand, they have a very successful beginners programme which is introducing a lot of new members to the club. It also underlines how vibrant the running scene is in the East Cork area.
4th...Leevale AC is different from most of the other clubs in that a lot of their adult members would be involved in track and field rather than road races. They also have a significant number of juveniles so they would have quite a few adults involved in coaching them. They are up 35% on last last year with 154 adult members and jump from 7th to 4th place.
5th....Eagle AC based in Cork City showed a modest increase of 6% in numbers in the last year.
6th...Bandon AC stay largely unchanged at 135 adult members.
7th...Mallow AC in N.Cork is another club making steady progress. From 58 members in 2011 and 95 in 2012, they are now up 20% to 114.
8th...Bantry AC drop from 3rd to 8th place as they have lost nearly half of their adult members in the last year. The current membership of 84 contrasts with the 171 that they had two years ago when they had a successful beginners programme.
9th...Galtee Runners AC after a slight drop last year are up by 65% in 2013. 
10th...Ballintotis Fit4Life are a new group that have registered with Athletics Ireland. They jump straight in at 9th position with 80 members.
11th...Clonakilty Road Runners AC are a relatively new club who started with 0 in 2011 and jumped to 116 in it's first year. They now drop to 73 members.

Others of note...
Togher AC like Leevale AC are another club that would tend to be more associated with Track & Field events rather than road running. They have really taken off in the last year jumping from 27 to 68 adult members.
Carrig na Bhfear AC are a small club to the north of Cork City that has shown a jump in numbers. From 36 in 2012, they are now up 58% to 57.
Tracton AC are another small club that has shown significant growth. Coached by Ian Dorgan, they have jumped from 18 to 31 members.
Skibbereen AC drop from 59 to 30 members.
Navy AC drop by 50% from 38 to 19 members.

Note...Only clubs that have had 20 or more adult members in the last two years are shown.


This is the breakdown of clubs based on their membership by juniors and juveniles...
 As can be seen above, Leevale AC and Bandon AC are the two main clubs for juveniles and juniors in Cork. Again, only clubs with 20 or more members in the last two years are shown.

Source of data : Athletics Ireland