Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 28th Feb 2026

This monthly free timed 5k run on the Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway was held last Saturday 28th of February 2026 and there were 30 finishers.

 

Notice: Banteer 5 mile road race - Sun 8th March 2026

This years Banteer 5-mile road race organised by Mount Hillary AC is coming up on Sunday the 8th of March 2026 at 10am.

Entries HERE

The village of Banteer is about 20kms to the west of Mallow and just south of the N72 road. There are age category prizes up to O70 and the course is reasonably flat.

Update: 27/02/2026 - From the organisers... "Entries to the race continue to come in thick and fast – the route is the same as last year (see the map below) and resulted in some fast times.

Our pacers, from 32 minutes up to 50 minutes, will be there to support the runners and drive them on if targeting PBs or specific training goals for longer races later in the year. This will be excellent preparation for future races, including the next Rebel Diamond League race in Dromahane and the Mallow 10-mile race later in the month.

Also, for the first time, we are offering prizes for breaking the new course record.

As noted by some people, don’t forget there is a train station in Banteer – less than 0.5 miles from the start line, so a convenient way to get here if you prefer not to drive!"

Results of the Cork BHAA MTU 5k - Sun 1st Mar 2026

Saoirse Twomey wins the 2026 MTU 5k by two-seconds

Top 3 men & women...
1 Niall Shanahan 0/40M M1 00:15:42 Dept of Ed
2 Darren McCann M2 00:16:55 Navy
3 Dylan Magorrian M3 00:17:00 Kildinan Farm
6 Saoirse Twomey F1 00:17:44 The Phoenix Clinic
9 Michelle Kenny 0/45F F2 00:17:46 Dept of Ed
12 Sharon Rynne 0/35F F3 00:17:59 Kepak

Full results HERE

Results of the Stone Mad Half-Marathon in Blarney - Sun 1st Mar 2026

The 2026 edition of the Stone Mad Half-Marathon in Blarney was held on Sun 1st March on a wet and blustery morning with 374 runners crossing the finish line. 

That's a good bit down on the 432 finishers last year so it's likely a good few people this year decided not to run 21.1kms in those conditions.

Top 3 men & women...
 1 25-29 Evan Fitzgerald (#511) 01:06:55
2 35-39 Jonathan Perrott (#177) 01:18:09
3 18-24 Trevor Mc Guirk (#67) 01:18:15
1 35-39 April Quinn (#479) 01:21:56
2 25-29 Brid Flanagan (#1) 01:22:54
3 45-49 Niamh Cronin (#319) 01:27:23

Full results HERE

Results of the Ballycotton Lighthouse 5-mile - Sun 1st Mar 2026

The second outing of the Ballycotton Lighthouse 5-mile road race was held on Sunday 1st March 2026 on that turned out to be a very wet and windy morning. 

A total of 327 runners braved the conditions which is down from the 342 last year when the conditions were dry.

Top 3 men & women...
1 Donal COAKLEY M MS 5775 27:29
2 Paul CASHMAN Watergrasshill A.C. M MS 5772 29:27
3 Mark WALSH M MS 6998 30:20
10 Emma DOYLE Leevale A.C. F FS 5839 31:38
14 Sinead FLANNERY Ballintotis Fit 4 Life F FS 5846 32:14
17 Emma MCGRATH F FS 5606 32:58

Full results HERE

Notice: Run Crosshaven 10k & 5k - Sun 8th March 2026

The Run Crosshaven event is coming up this year on Sunday 8th of March 2026 with the following options...

2km - 10:45am // 10km -  11:30am // 5km - 11:40 am

Enter HERE

From the organisers... "Join us for the ultimate running event of 2026 - the Crosshaven Road Race returns on March 8th.

Notice: Midleton Greenway 10-mile race - Sun 8th March 2026

The second running of the Midleton Greenway 10 Mile Race will take place on the new Midleton to Mogeely Greenway on Sunday March 8th 2026, at 11am.

Entries: You can enter online HERE

Entry Fee: €30 (+ booking fee). Please Note: Entries Limited

Online entries close midnight Thurs 5th March

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 28th Feb 2026

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 28th February 2026. Approximately 1,230 runners and walkers took part in the 11 events in Co Cork.

Report... While the weather was cold and dry in Cork City and the east of the county, the rain arrived early for some of the parkruns in west Cork.

If I missed anyone who passed a notable milestone like 100, 200, 250 or above parkruns then let me know.

Tramore Valley Park... Well done to Tim McCormack who completed his 100th 5k parkrun this weekend!

Tim has completed 48 in Ballincollig and 42 in Tramore Valley Park.

Kieran Daly also reached the century mark at the same event.

Marie Therese Brady was the third person to reach 100 at Tramore Valley Park this weekend.

Ballincollig... Denis Browne completed his 150th 5k parkrun.

Upcoming milestones....

a) Youghal #200 on the 7th of Mar

***

Ballincollig Regional Park:  329 this week, 321 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Anthony MANNIX Male VM35-39 Cork Track Club 17:43

2 Simon TUOMEY Male SM25-29 19:02

3 Jason PECKHAM Male SM30-34 19:18

6 Anne O'DONOVAN Female VW35-39 19:52

29 Suzanne LABOWICZ Female VW40-44 21:45

36 Mairead PEREZ Female VW50-54 Eagle A.C. 22:55

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/414/

Tramore Valley Park: 286 this week, 281 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Michael SHEEHAN Male SM25-29 18:55

2 Aaron CLAYTON Male SM25-29 19:01

3 Dan RUDDY Male SM25-29 19:03

9 Jill HODGINS Female VW45-49 20:37

16 Isabelle CROWLEY Female JW11-14 20:58

18 Oonagh O'DRISCOLL Female SW20-24 21:31

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/191/

Glen River: 76 this week, 67 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Stephen HALL Male VM35-39 Stainland Lions RC 19:06

2 Niall HYLAND Male VM45-49 Frontrunners Cork 20:03

3 Richard BOURKE Male VM45-49 St Finbarrs AC 20:21

13 Mags HASSETT Female VW50-54 St Finbarrs AC 23:34

14 Niamh SHEEHAN Female VW35-39 Togher AC 23:45

22 Maura FITZGERALD Female VW35-39 25:04

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/300/

Midleton Greenway: 141 this week, 144 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Dave COLLINS Male VM40-44 18:18

2 Conor O'NEILL Male VM45-49 18:29

3 James 0 MAHONY Male VM35-39 19:06

28 Nessa CRONIN Female JW11-14 23:36

31 Lorna SANTRY Female VW35-39 23:48

35 Annabel ADAMS Female SW30-34 24:22

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/55/

Mallow Castle: 88 this week, 75 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Tadhg SULLIVAN Male SM30-34 Bweeng Trail Blazers 16:14

2 Niall MURPHY Male VM35-39 18:17

3 Ken DEANE Male VM40-44 19:17

10 Aoife O FLYNN Female VW35-39 22:59

15 Kate MCSWEENEY Female SW30-34 23:46

20 Doireann FRAWLEY Female JW11-14 24:06

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/218/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 63 this week, 44 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Derek SMYTH Male VM45-49 18:53 

2 Sean HOULIHAN Male JM15-17 19:05

3 Eoin O'CONNELL Male VM55-59 MORDEN RUNNERS 19:25

11 Shannon SOTOK Female SW30-34 22:56

12 Laura BEAUSANG Female JW11-14 23:04

14 Cliona O'KEEFFE Female VW40-44 24:32

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/199/

Macroom Castle Demense: 63 this week, 54 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 David BRADLEY Male JM15-17 20:19

2 Luke HOWARD Male JM10 West Muskerry A.C. 20:44

3 Damien OMAHONY Male SM30-34 20:47

20 Margaret LUCEY Female VW45-49 25:43

21 Mary LUCEY Female VW40-44 West Muskerry A.C. 26:03

22 Carmel PURCELL Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 26:30

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/566/

Clonakilty:  58 this week, 47 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Finn O'MAHONY Male SM18-19 18:58

2 Martin WHITE Male VM45-49 Clonakilty Roadrunners AC 19:12

3 Olan MURPHY Male SM20-24 19:43

16 Sandra WALSH Female VW55-59 24:44

28 Sophia KINGSTON Female SW25-29 26:58

33 Leah WALSH Female SW20-24 28:04

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/522/

Glengarriff Woods: 76 this week, 90 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Jay MURDOCH Male VM40-44 21:24

2 Lewis SMITH Male VM55-59 Marple Runners 21:55

3 Tony MCELHINNEY Male VM55-59 Bantry Athletic Club 23:47

4 Alice COPPINGER Female VW45-49 Bantry Athletic Club 24:28

6 Sandra SMITH Female VW55-59 Marple Runners 25:48

12 Meave QUINLAN Female VW40-44 26:57

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/443/

Bere Island: 30 this week, 61 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 James FORSHAW Male SM25-29 20:14

3 Tadhg HOBBS Male SM18-19 22:44

5 Edward STEL Male VM55-59 24:45

2 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 20:43

4 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:10

7 Mags O NEILL Female VW45-49 Beara AC 25:13

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/534/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 20 finishers this week, 37 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Níall CROWLEY Male VM35-39 25:05

2 Gordon JENNINGS Male VM55-59 25:26

3 George BUCKINGHAM Male VM60-64 28:01

6 Frances LYNCH Female VW60-64 Sanctuary Runners 29:53

9 Celine BUCKLEY Female VW55-59 Castlehaven GAA 32:30

11 Therese LYNCH Female VW60-64 34:56

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/454/

For more information about the weekly 5k parkruns in Co Cork, go to this page HERE.

Guest Post: Did I get it wrong? ...by Pat Walsh

* Did I get it wrong? *

A thoughtful post and constructive opinions are welcomed.

When I was younger and a bit quicker I concentrated on short, fast races. As I aged and slowed, I moved to longer distances to compensate and give myself a challenge. We will age and we will slow down, so is it a search for validation and achievement.?

But have I got it all wrong.?

Should I have done the longer stuff when I was younger and my body had the strength and resilience to cope with the mileage needed.

And then as I aged, to cut back on distance and try to keep some speed with a reduced overall mileage.

5 men in Ireland have broken 2.10 for the marathon in the last 18 months and none are old. New era in Irish running. Top 5 in the record list. They haven’t gone through the…. I’m aging, I’m slowing so I better do a marathon. They are young and going for it. 

Best of luck Fearghal, our Marathon record holder in Tokyo on Sunday.. 

We are all different, with varying ideas of what is right and wrong for ourselves.

No two bodies are the same and some have to ability to continually put up big mileage while others get injured if they train 3 times a week.

How many 50+ pick up some injury that threatens their running future while the same thing at 30 would be a rub of deep heat and away we go.

If we run longer we need to recover and our ability to do that lessens with age.

I got injured as I got older because my body could no longer handle the weekly totals. 

Why was I doing it? I was slowing down anyway.

My fastest marathon was as a 25 year old on a whim, with nothing better to do and a few weeks training.

My last marathon a few years ago, was 30 years after the first one. It was my slowest and I was preparing for 5 months for it.

Did I fixate on weekly mileage while ignoring strength and flexibility? I was slowing, so slogging out extra slow miles was actually counter-productive to my overall ability to run. 

I’m asking questions and not offering definite opinions. I have had a fantastic time running and met so many lovely people and made beautiful memories. Things I would never change, but it never hurts us to just ask questions about what is best for ME.

On a lighter note, I may be getting wiser in my old age and will be available with my free travel pass in a few years to come and lecture you.

Have a lovely week and for the benefit of your running future… ignore me. 

#pwr

Notice: Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 30th Apr 2026

The third edition of the Bandon AC 5k is coming up this year on Thursday 30th April 2026 at 7:30pm.

Entries HERE

Bandon AC have built a full size 400m athletics track and all proceeds from the race go towards this project.

Info from the organisers: "Start line: Colaiste Na Toirbhirte, the race will start at 7:30pm SHARP. Finish line: Mart / Old Still

Race route: The race will start adjacent to Colaiste Na Toirbhirte and run up in the direction of Kilbrittain Rd (The race will not be turning onto any part of the bypass), the race will turn left once on the Kilbrittain Road for approx. 500m and will stay on the left hand side of that road, it will then take another left off the main road to Curraveda East, it will go through crossroads here and again between the Monarone / Tullyland road, it will turn left onto the Mill road and will finish before reaching the junction by the Old Still and the Mart.

Artists impression of the new athletics track

Parking: NO PARKING ON THE RACE ROUTE, We advise anyone that is taking part to park at St Patrick's Church Car Park, here there will be enough space for all participants. There is limited amount of parking at Bandon GAA, parking also near the finish and in Car parks around the town. Parking can be a 15/20 minute walk mostly uphill so plan accordingly to be at the race start on time.

We ask all to only park in the designated parking areas and to AVOID parking on the bypass and in nearby housing estates and to obey general road safety rules. 

If you have any questions please feel free to respond to this email and I will do my best to answer your query. 

We have been overwhelmed with the support locally and this has been a huge help for us in organising prizes and paying for the event."

Course... The race start just off the Bandon Relief Road and the first 500m is downhill to a junction with the Kilbrittan Road, a very fast start. Then there is a short 500m gradual climb until you turn off left  after the 1km mark and onto a quiet country road.

From the 1km mark, it's reasonably flat for the next km. Just after the 3km mark, there's a turn left and then it's very gradual downhill through a glen to the finish line. Despite what the profile above might suggest, you're following a stream all the way down a glen for the last 2k so there is no climbing here.

It's probably one of the fastest finishes of any race as you don't lose that height advantage in one burst, it's more of a gradual 2km downhill stretch which is ideal.

Overall, a nice fast 5k course on quiet country roads to the south of Bandon.

Top Half-Marathons in Ireland in 2025

Following on from the post about the top 10-mile races in Ireland in 2025, this post is about the top half-marathons in Ireland in 2025. First up, the top 30...

a) There were approximately 130 half-marathons in Ireland in 2025 and to get into the top 30 required getting about 1000 finishers or more.

If I add up all the finishers for all the half-marathons in Ireland in 2025, the figure is just over 100,000!

b) The ratio of half-marathons to 10-milers in Ireland is about 3:1. In Cork, it's just over 1:1 with just a handful more half-marathons.

c) While the numbers at short distance races seems to have levelled off, there seems to be very strong growth in the numbers at half-marathons. In 2024, I was only able to find about 100 half-marathons whereas I found about 130 in 2025.

An event needed about 700 finishers to get on the top 30 list in 2024 whereas in 2025, it's about 1000.

d) The organisers of the Dublin City Marathon decided to hold their own half-marathon version in March of 2025 and the response was huge with over 11,800 finishers. As the chart shows, this new half-marathon jumps straight into first place and is the largest half in Ireland by far.

e) The traditional Dublin half in September saw an increase in numbers in 2025 and is now in 2nd place.

f) Belfast saw a 15% increase in numbers in 2025 and the gap to Dublin (Sep) closed from almost 1000 to about 550.

g) The Cork City Half-Marathon on the June bank holiday weekend saw an increase of just over 8% in the number of finishers but it dropped from 3rd to 7th place.

While the organisers say they are 'sold out', the reality is that they are restricting the numbers and are not taking advantage of the growth in demand for half-marathon races. This represents an opportunity cost for the city in terms of lost revenue not spent in the hospitality sector.

h) In contrast, the Great Limerick Run Half-Marathon grew by about 40% in 2025 and jumps from 5th to 4th place.

i) The Waterford AC half-marathon in November saw a slight drop in numbers in 2025 and now drops from 9th to 11th.

j) Some events have their numbers limited due to nature of the course. The Dingle Half sells out about a year in advance and could easily stay in the top 10 if they could handle more runners. Despite an increase in numbers in 2025, they drop from 10th to 13th.

k) Charleville is the second largest half in Cork and despite a small increase in numbers, they drop from 13th to 15th.

l) The Waterford Viking Half in June seems to be doing well with an 18% rise in 2025 and they move from 20th to 18th.

m) The Run Killarney and its sister Run Kilkee events both saw their numbers increase and they move from 23rd & 27th to 22nd & 26th respectively.

Second Tier... The chart below shows the second tier of half-marathons in Ireland going from 31st to 60th. Note that these are still in the top half of all the half-marathons in Ireland.

n) The Youghal Half-Marathon grew 15% in 2025 and yet, it still dropped from 29th to 33rd. It just gives an idea of how much some of the other half-marathons in Ireland have grown in 2025. Youghal was also the third largest half in Cork.

o) The Waterford Greenway Half-Marathon at the end of August is one of those half-marathons that is limited in numbers due to the width of the course. It had almost the same number of finishers in 2025 compared to 2024 and it dropped 5 places from 31st to 36th place.

p) Here are a few of the other half-marathons in Munster... the Border Half in Limerick dropped 6 places to 40th, Clonmel dropped 13 places to 50th, Stone Mad in Blarney dropped 8 places to 52nd and the Run Skibb Half dropped 3 places to 56th.

In conclusion... While the numbers at shorter distance road races has seems to have levelled off, there seems to be growing interest in events like 10-milers and half-marathons.

Considering how strong the growth was in 2025, it seems likely that 2026 will be another good year for half-marathons in Ireland.

Notice: Cork BHAA MTU 5k in Bishopstown - Sun 1st March 2026

The Cork BHAA MTU 5k in Bishopstown is coming up on Sunday the 1st of March 2026 at 10am.

The entry fee is just €5 for registered BHAA runners and €10 for non-registered. You enter on the morning of the race.

There will also be a free waterproof technical running cap with the MTU logo for the first 400 to enter on the day.

Some key points...

Cork runners take titles at 2026 Adare 10k race

The annual Adare 10k organised by West Limerick AC was held on Sun 22nd Feb 2026. The first man and woman home were Cork runners Paul Moloney of Mallow AC and Sinead O'Connor of Leevale AC.

Top 3 men & women...
1 Paul MALONEY 30:59 1043 M M45 Mallow A.C.
2 İbrahim AHMED SAMOW 31:35 1 M MS Ennis Track A.C.
3 Niall SHANAHAN 31:38 1027 M M40 An Bru A.C.
1 Sinead O'CONNOR 35:55 5 F FS Leevale A.C.
2 Carolyn HAYES 38:03 1011 F FS West Limerick A.C.
3 Amy MURPHY 39:14 1022 F FS West Limerick A.C.

Full results HERE

Dermot Hever has loads of photos up on his Facebook page HERE

National Marathon champion Ava Crean from Limerick wins the 2026 Nenagh Half-Marathon

Tom Keane and Denis O'Reilly with winner of the Nenagh Half Marathon, Ava Crean

Sunday the 22nd of February 2026 was a busy day for races in Munster with the Kinsale 10-mile, the Adare 10k and the Nenagh Half-Marathon & 10k.

The numbers in Nenagh were really quite exceptional this year. The Nenagh Half is a relatively new event and in 2025, it had 304 finishers in the half... a modest number of finishers which put it in 62nd place for the top half marathons in Ireland in 2025.

The 2026 event saw the numbers surge to 711 finishers, well over double the numbers for the previous year. This puts it on track to be the largest half-marathon in Tipperary by years end.

The 10k also saw a substantial surge with a 44% jump from 311 to 448 finishers.

I suspect one of the main reasons for the surge is the apparent rise in the number of runners in Limerick with more events appearing on the calendar.

It's all the more appropriate that the first woman in the half was 19-year old Ava Crean from Limerick with a time of 74m 16s. Ava is the current Irish national marathon champion after taking the title at the Dublin marathon last October.

Top 5 men & women...
 1 Chris JENKEN 01:08:53 01:08:53 983 M MS Derg A.C.
2 David MEEHAN 01:10:00 01:10:00 979 M MS TULLA AC
3 John KINSELLA 01:10:27 01:10:27 2032 M MS Back 2 Boston Running Club A.C.
4 Peter SOMBA 01:11:24 01:11:24 2034 M MS
5 Danny MULLINS 01:12:00 01:12:00 257 M MS Bantry A.C.
6  Ava CREAN 01:14:16 01:14:16 2031 F FS Back 2 Boston Running Club A.C.
8 Dee GRADY 01:16:08 01:16:08 981 F F40 Ennis Track A.C.
16 Andrea AZA VILLAMOR 01:22:01 01:22:02 80 F FS Glanmire A.C.
28 Eilis RYAN 01:24:02 01:24:03 345 F FS Newport A.C.
38 Jane HUGHES 1:25:12 01:25:17 289 F FS

Full results HERE

As you can see from the top 5 above, Danny Mullins of Bantry AC finished in 5th place in the men's race while Andrea Aza Villamor of Glanmire AC was the 3rd woman home.

Results & Photos of the Kinsale 10-mile - Sun 22nd Feb 2026

Niamh Allen of Leevale AC is the first woman home with a new course record time of 53m 59s

The 2026 edition of the Kinsale 10-mile road race was held on turned out to be a windy but dry Sunday morning with 933 runners crossing the finish line. That represents a 16% increase on the figure for last year where there was a big drop in numbers when the race was rescheduled. It's pretty much a return to the numbers of 2024 when there were 927 finishers.

Kinsale was the 9th largest 10-mile race in Ireland in 2025.

Top 5 men & women...

473 1 Evan FITZGERALD West Waterford A.C. M 50:55  
2324 2 Mark WALSH Leevale A.C. M 53:35  
607     4 Pat HENNESSY West Waterford A.C. M 55:13
1087 5 Damian MURPHY West Waterford A.C. M 56:00
782     6 John LONGAN St. Finbarrs A.C. M 56:03
35 3 Niamh ALLEN Leevale A.C. F 53:59  
2285 15 Hannah STEEDS Leevale A.C. F 58:34  
2296 23 Kealey TIDESWELL Clonmel A.C. F40 1:01:47  
1982 39 Jean LUCEY F40 1:04:23  
2112 58 Anna O KEEFFE St. Finbarrs A.C. F 1:06:53

Full results HERE

Photos... (Updated 23rd Feb 6:11pm)

1) Mick Dooley has some pre-race and start line photos HERE , top finishers HERE and some group photos at the finish line HERE

2) Joe Murphy has the following photos...

a) Pre-race b) Finish 1 c) Start 1 d) Start 2 e) Finish 2 f) Finish 3 g) Finish 4 h) Finish 5 i) Finish 6 j) Finish 7 k) Finish 8 l) Finish 9 m) Finish 10 n) Finish 11 o) Finish 12 p) Finish 13 q) Finish 14 r) Finish 15 

3) Pop Up Races has some finish line photos HERE

Déise Abú... first place finish for Evan Fitzgerald of West Waterford AC