Guest Post : JIM HONOURED FOR HIS STEWARDING SERVICES ...by John Walshe

JIM HONOURED FOR HIS STEWARDING SERVICES... by John Walshe

At last night’s GSK 5-Mile road race in Dungarvan, the penultimate event in the Intersport Elverys/Asics Summer Series, a special presentation was made to Jim Veale to mark his many years stewarding at West Waterford events.

Jim – father of James, a man so associated with athletics not only locally but on an international level – has been involved with the club since its formation back in 1994. He is an ever-regular at all the local races and in particular at the club’s famous Winter League which takes in 13 Wednesday nights from October to February.

Whatever the winter weather, be it hail, rain or snow, Jim has be there in his fluorescent jacket making sure the runners make their way in safety around the streets of Dungarvan. He is seen here receiving his presentation from Gerry Cantwell, another loyal servant and athlete with the West Waterford club over the years.

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A list of John Walshe's guest posts can be seen on this page.

Inchigeela Festival 5k Cancelled

Please note that the Inchigeelagh Festival 5k which was supposed to be held on Fri 16th of Aug 2019 has been cancelled.

Running in Cork Facebook page now has 16,000 Followers

16,000 Facebook Followers....... The Running in Cork Facebook page continues to grow and now has over 16,000 followers!

If you're on Facebook and you aren't following then you can find it HERE

Race calendar passes 1 million pageviews....... Another milestone reached earlier this year was when the race calendar passed the one million pageviews mark! That's broken down into roughly 700,000 pageviews of the calendar on the Running in Cork site and 300,000 pageviews of the identical calendar on the Running in Munster site.

Now just to clarify, that doesn't mean 1 million people have looked at the calendar! If you were to look at the calendar say once a day then you would generate 365 pageviews in a year.

Still though, one million pageviews is still pretty huge for a race calendar covering just the southern nine counties of Ireland.

A look at the numbers for the East Cork Harbour Marathon

I recently had a look at the numbers taking part in the East Cork Harbour Marathon and put together this chart shown above.

As you can see, the numbers for the Marathon have been steady at around the 100 mark for the last few years.

The Half-Marathon had a record turn out this year which was up 8 on last year.

The one that's really taking off though is the 10k. This has jumped 55% in the last two years.

You can find the results and photos for the 2019 event at this previous post.

Forecast for good weather next week...

At the moment, the Jet Stream is right above us and it's dragging in a constant stream of low pressure systems from the Atlantic. The net result is that it's a bit hit or miss as to whether it's going to be wet or dry for any particular race or running event.

The long term forecast however is for a high pressure system to be the dominant feature over the country towards the second half of next week (22nd Aug on). This doesn't automatically mean it will be sunny but it should result in dry conditions.

There are loads of races to choose from next week. Have a look at the race calendar HERE

Notice : Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 15th Sept 2019

The Charleville Half-Marathon is coming up on Sunday, the 15th of September 2019 at 10am and it is widely recognised as being one of the fastest courses in the country.

This is also an ideal race for anyone preparing for the Dublin City Marathon as it should give you a good guide as to what your target pace for Dublin should be.

Note there is a limit of 1600 entries and it sold out in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

http://www.charlevillehalf.com/registration/

The entry fee is €40 until the 27th of August and then it's €45 until the 10th of September.

http://www.charlevillehalf.com/registration/ 

No Race Day entry available.

2hr 30min time limit due to organisational and safety constraints. No Transfers, No refunds, No deferrals are allowed due to organisational and insurance constraints.

Dry fit top for the 2019 Charleville Half-Marathon

Course Preview......You can see a preview of the course HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Musgraves 5k - Tues 13th Aug 2019

There were a grand total of 478 finishers for this years Cork BHAA Musgraves 5k road race.

As can be seen from the chart above, the numbers seem to jump around quite a lot from year to year. It may possibly be due to what other races are on the same week? This week, there is hardly anything on locally where as next week, there seems to be loads.

1 Alan O'Shea M1 00:15:10 Mercy Hospital
2 Alan O'Brien M2 00:15:14 McCarthy Insurance Group
3 Joe Cunningham 0/45B M3 00:15:18 Eli Lilly
46 Carol Finn F1 00:18:01 Finn Physiotherapy
58 Claire O'Brien F2 00:18:30 Dept of Ed F-A-1
63 Niamh Roe F3 00:18:49 Dept of Ed

Full results

Five ways to look after your joints

There was an article in the Guardian newspaper recently with some tips on how to look after your joints. This is perhaps all the more important if you are running and training on a regular basis.

Some of the key points outlined were...

1) Maintain a healthy weight
For every 0.5kg (1lb) lost, we reduce the weight going through the knee joint at each step by 2kg (4.5lb).

2) Exercise
A common misconception is that people think exercise will aggravate joint pain but strengthening the muscles around joints is important. Body weight exercises such as squats and lunges, and light dumbbell exercises such as bicep curls are recommended.

3) Vary your routine
They recommend a mixture of impact and non-impact cardio for good bone density and strength training (ensuring guidance is sought for correct technique). They also warn against over-stretching: “It can take the joint past its natural physiological range, which can cause damage to the joint and surrounding structures.”

4) Eat a Mediterranean diet
A diet high in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and nuts can help protect your joints. They recommend a Mediterranean-style diet, high in monounsaturated fats such as olive or rapeseed oil, with plenty of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds as well as one to two servings of oily fish each week.

5) Practice good posture
Maintaining good posture is key to preventing joint issues and especially your back. It is also important to wear the correct, supportive footwear for exercises and activity.

The full article can be seen HERE

2019 Inch Festival 5k cancelled

Someone was asking me about the Inch Festival 5k race in Mount Uniacke near Killeagh in East Cork and whether it was on this year. I checked with the organisers who confirmed that it wasn't.

As can be seen from the chart above, it peaked in 2016 but went into decline over the next two years.

There does seem to be a define contraction in the number of races now on the calendar. So far in 2019, we have seen the Blackwater 10 mile, Clonakilty 10 mile, Shannonvale 10k and Carrigtwohill 5k races go and there are probably a few more that don't spring to mind.

On the Cork BHAA front, the Merck and CPO races were cancelled.

Will there be more in 2020?

Notice : Valley Rovers Camogie Club 7km run nr Innishannon - Fri 23rd Aug 2019

This 7km run near Innishannon is coming up on Friday the 23rd of August 2019 at 7pm and the entry fee is €10.

The race HQ is at the Valley Rover GAA grounds which are to the north-west of Innishannon. Coming from Cork City, the easiest way to get there is to turn off at Halfway for Crossbarry. Keep going straight and at the crossroads where the Schering Plough plant is located, take a left. The GAA grounds are up this road.

The organisers have said it will be timed and a full list of results will be published afterwards.

Preview......A preview of the 7km course can be seen HERE

Notice : St.Luke's Home 5k road race, Mahon - Thurs 5th Sept 2019

This is the fifth year of this 5km race in race and it should prove to be a popular one again. The St.Luke's Home 5km run is on in Mahon on Thursday the 5th of September 2019 and it starts at 7pm.

Registration: Primo Events or on the day between 2pm and 6.30pm at St. Luke’s Home.

Pre-entry link...

Amongst the many spot prizes for the pre-registered runners will be 2 holidays sponsored by RCI (7 nights luxury accomodation abroad) which will be drawn at random from all pre-registered runners.

The organisers ask that all participants arrive early and allow plenty of time to enter and to get to the start line which is a few hundred metres away. Runners can also avail of the off road parking in the Cork Camogie grounds which is just across the road from St.Luke's.

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Here are some of the reasons why it should get a good turnout......
1) It is at a time of year when most of the mid-week evening races have stopped.
2) It is in Cork City with a huge number of runners within its catchment area.
3) Fast accurate 5km course.
4) 80% of it is on a quiet public walkway.
5) Finishers get a 20% discount voucher for John Buckley Sports which could easily result in savings in excess of the entry fee (valid until the end of Sept 2019).
6) All proceeds go to St.Lukes Home which is a registered charity.

....and a draw for a 7 day holiday for pre-reg runners!

BodyMechanics, a private Gym based in Douglas, specialising in Personal Training and Nutrition,  are supporting the race this year.

From the organisers......

Prizes : 1st, 2nd, 3rd Male/Female

1st in other categories (Male over 40, 50 & 60 and Female over 35, 45 & 55)
Wheelchair Athlete

Entry Fee: €15

Entry Includes: Timing Chip, On course water and refreshments, tea, coffee and sandwiches for all competitors at St. Luke’s Home after the race. Goody bag to include, running buff, 20% Discount Voucher from John Buckley Sports, drink and snack.
 
Registration: MyRunResults or on the day between 2pm and 6.30pm at St. Luke’s Home. 

Course Preview.......A preview of the course can be seen HERE

For more info, go to... https://stlukes5k.wordpress.com/ 

Notice : Churchtown 5 mile road race - Fri 23rd Aug 2019

The Churchtown 5 mile road race in North Cork is coming up on Friday the 23rd of August 2019 at 7pm.

Organised by Churchtown Road Runners AC, this race is just 4kms off the N20 Cork-Limerick road so it's pretty easy to get to.

From the organisers.....The Churchtown 5 Mile race takes place once again on Friday 23rd August 2019 at 7pm. Our main sponsor is once again AV Pound. Registration for the event takes place in the Community Hall from 5pm to 6.45pm. 

Entries are once again only €10. 

Parking for the event is at Churchtown GAA Complex, where there are changing and shower facilities also.

The race starts and finishes outside the GAA Complex. The start of the race is a fast downhill section through the village of Churchtown, passing the Market House, Community Hall and Boss Murphy's pub. Just after passing Boss Murphy's, the route takes a 90 degree left turn, passing the statue erected in memory of one of Churchtown's most famous sons, Vincent O Brien. The rest of the first mile from here is flat. Just as you pass the 1 mile mark, you meet the first hill of the route, on Windmill Hill. To your right the old ruins of a windmill still stand. This hill is then following by a slight downhill and from here to the halfway point it is predominantly downhill. At the halfway point there is a water stop. There is then a slight drag up to the 3 mile mark. From the 3 mile mark, you have a fast downhill section before the biggest hill section leading up to mile 4. While this hill is a challenge, you are well rewarded in the last mile section, which is a very fast mile. The start of the last mile is a very fast downhill section, which then levels out before your last short hill brings you to a half mile from the finish line. As you pass Egmont Agri on your right, the course once again turns to a slight down hill, with the last 300m a very fast downhill section. Tea, coffee and refreshments will be supplied in the Community Centre prior to prize giving. 

We have over €1600 in prize money up for grabs with a wide variety of age category prizes also. Once again this year we have an added €100 to the winning prize if the course record is broken. The male record was set by Niall Shanahan of An Bru AC in 2018 with a time of 25:41. The female record was set by Rosemary Ryan of Dooneen AC in 2017 with a time of 30:13.

We continue our male and female team prizes again this year. Last year our winners of the Burton and Egmont Perpetual Shields were Mooreabbey Milers AC (male) and North Cork AC (female) teams. The top 3 male and female finishers from a club count towards team prizes. No mixed teams. Open to all AAI registered clubs.

This year we have teamed up with Homeless Help and Support, Cork as a charity partner. We will be hosting a "recycle centre" for your old runners. If you have an old pair of running shoes at homes still in wearable condition, bring them along on the night and you will be entered into a draw for a new pair of runners and gait analysis to the value of €150, kindly sponsored by Fitness Solutions, Mallow.

Directions.... The village of Churchtown is just 4kms west of the N20 Cork-Limerick road in north Cork.

The road junction on the N20 next to the railway crossing is shown below. It is about 5.6kms north of Buttevant and 8kms south of Charleville.

The race HQ is at the Churchtown Community Centre....

There is parking at the GAA grounds which is just 200m from the community centre. The start and finish points of the race are outside the GAA grounds.

Notice : Rathcormac 4 mile road race - Thurs 22nd Aug 2019

This 4 mile road race in Rathcormac is coming up on Thursday the 22nd of August 2019.

Registration from 6pm in Rathcormac Hall
Entry Fee €10 - Must be Over 16.

Features of the Race:
Chip timing
AAi Permit
Flat & Fast Course
Lots of prize Catergories
Raffle & Refreshments

Rathcormac is located between Cork City and Fermoy. Coming from Cork City, just turn off the M8 at Watergrasshill (Exit 17) and follow the old Dublin road north. Coming from the North, take Exit 15 on the M8 and drive south.

The 4 mile course is to the east of Rathcormac. There are some small hills but there are plenty of flat sections as well. Race HQ is in the Community Hall.

A preview of the course can be seen HERE

Results of the Route to Crook 5 mile - Sun 11th Aug 2019

129 turned out for this 5 mile run from Goleen to Crookhaven in West Cork.

Results HERE

Results of the Kilworth Festival 5k - Sun 11th Aug 2019

138 turned out for this years Kilworth Festival 5k.

1 Paul Duggan St. Finbarrs AC 18:05 M50 157
2 James Condon Kilworth 18:46     SM 190
3 Micheal Cronin Youghal 19:26 SM 194
5 Courtney McGuire Clonmel AC 19:56 SF 171
7 Roisin McLaughlin Grange Fermoy 20:23 SF     195
13 Sandra Flynn West Waterford AC 22:04 SF 177

Full results