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Thursday, May 31, 2007


Weather forecast for the Cork City Marathon...(Updated Sun 6:00 pm)

The slow moving front that caused all the rain on Saturday will clear the country this evening. Tomorrow looks like it will be sunny and warm. There may be a few clouds but it looks as if it will be mostly sunny.

One weather website said it would be 14 deg at 9 am and 18 deg at 12 noon. Although with the sunshine, you could probably add 2-3 deg on to this in the city.

The forecast is for very light / variable winds from the North which might keep the temperature down a bit :o)

By the way, sunrise is just after 5 am so there sun will be up for about 4 hours before the Marathon starts !
Cork City Marathon 2007 - Now that there are only a few days left, I'm just putting all the relevant links on one post to the blog.

Map of route done by John Quigley is available at http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/ireland/cork/356227594

Map showing water stations.........see previous post below.

Pace calculator...http://www.lucozade.com/running/performance-zone/PaceBands.aspx
Just type in your estimated time and you will get your target pace per mile. If you want to, you can print out the times and make a useful bracelet to wear.

Carb loading and hydration...see previous posts below.

Latest info........1,600 doing the full Marathon and 700 teams doing the relay. Assuming that there are about an average of 4 per team, that is about 2,800. That would give a figure of about 4,400 people taking part in the whole event which is close to the original target of 5,000.

...and finally, the Cork Marathon website...http://www.corkcitymarathon.ie/

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Cork City Marathon - Water Stations.
Now that the Marathon is only a few days away, I thought I'd put up a map showing where the water stations are located (Note...the map on the Cork City Marathon website shows the water stations in the wrong place and not all are shown).
1st Water Station - By the Brewery, around the 3 mile mark
2nd Water Station - Beyond Silver Springs, around the 6.5 mile mark.
3rd Water Station - Skehard Road, after CSO building. Around the 9.5 mile mark.
4th Water Station - Lee Rowing Club on the Marina, around the 13 mile mark.
5th Water Station - Turners Cross, around the 15 mile mark. Lucozade Sports available here.
6th Water Station - The Lough, around the 17 mile mark.
7th Water Station - Model Farm Road, near the County Library. Around the 20 mile mark.
8th Water Station - By the Guide Dogs building. Around the 22 mile mark. Lucozade Sports available here.
9th Water Station - Halfway along Carrigrohane / Straight Road. Around the 24 mile mark.
10th Water Station - Near Mardyke bridge, around 25.5 miles.

Results of the Youghal Charity 10km race - 26th May 2007

The results of this race are now up on the Ballycotton Running website.
Click HERE to see the results.

Sunday, May 27, 2007


1 week to go to the Cork City Marathon...



Now that we are in the last week before the Cork City Marathon, I thought it might be a good idea to do a quick review of the advice available on various websites.


On UK Runners World, they give the following advice for the last week...

"During the last week of your taper, things can get ugly. Two weeks ago, you ran 20 miles in a single run, but now you shouldn't even be totalling that distance in the whole week before the race. And as your mileage plummets, your worries can skyrocket. But take comfort that thousands of other marathon runners preparing to race this coming weekend are going through exactly the same thing. And take refuge in your final mission: to ensure that your body is sufficiently fuelled, hydrated, refreshed and recovered for the task.
Training Checklist - Beginning on Monday, do no runs longer than four miles. And when you do head out, remember that these jaunts are more for your head than your body, because training has little effect this week. Almost all running should be at one and a half to two minutes per mile slower than marathon goal pace - except a Tuesday two-miler at marathon goal pace, sandwiched by one-mile jogs. Again, if you want, throw in some quick 100-metre strides after one or two of your easy runs. This helps fight off the sluggish feeling that can occur during your taper. Three days before the race, run just two to three miles easy.
Two days before the race, don't run at all. On the day before the race, jog two to four miles to take the edge off your pent-up energy so you'll sleep better that night.
Nutritional Needs - “Emphasise carbohydrates more than usual in the last three days before the race,” says Tichenal. About 60 to 70 per cent of your calories should come from carbohydrate sources. Pasta, potatoes, rice, cereals and fruit are healthy choices, but even fizzy drinks and sweets do the job. It all turns into muscle glycogen. Wash all those carbs down with fluids so your energy and water levels are high on race morning. Alcoholic beverages don't count towards your fluid totals, however, and you'll need to make up for their diuretic effect by drinking extra fluids. You know you're adequately hydrated if your urine is clear or pale yellow in colour. Don't restrict the salt in your diet. Low salt intake combined with excessive hydration can lead to hyponatraemia, a rare but dangerous condition that can afflict marathon runners. Drinking energy drinks and snacking on salted pretzels will keep your sodium levels up. Don't look at the scales. Because of your fully stocked fluid and fuel stores, you're likely to gain a couple of pounds. But it's worth the weight. Having your body's energy reserves at full capacity will do more for your race than weighing a little less - and you'll lose those pounds by the finish line anyway.
Don't do anything tiring. Let the kids take the bins out. Let the dog walk himself.
Don't try anything new. No new foods, drinks or sports.
Don't cross-train, hike or bike.
Remember: during this final week, you can't under-do. You can only overdo.
"


From McMillan Running, they advise...

"Hydration - In the three days prior to your race, you'll need to consume 0.5-0.7 ounces of fluid per day per pound of body weight. Shoot for 75-100 ounces daily, consuming an 8 ounce glass at regular intervals. The way I do it is to set the timer function on my sports watch for 1:00:00; and, every time the alarm sounds, I drink 8 ounces.
This strategy: 1) ensures that you drink enough without having to really think about it and 2) provides constant intake instead of realizing you are behind and chugging to catch up. What the latter means is that you will not have to jump up and take a leak every 20 minutes. If you drink more water less frequently (i.e., chug a 16 ounce glass every two hours), you'll be forcing the body to "pass" on the available fluid because it cannot absorb it. If you need an analogy, it's like what a farmer wants when his crops are dry: six hours of light, steady rain that provides a gallon per square meter rather than a 15 minute downpour of the same volume that ends up washing into the lake. Stop drinking water about two (2) hours before you hit the sack to reduce the need to whiz during the night.
Carbohydrate Intake
In the two days prior to your race, you'll want to focus on carbohydrate consumption: it will be 70% of your diet. Even 5K racers need to focus on this, as training can leave the body in a carbohydrate-depleted state that may take a few days to fully re-stock. Research shows that the optimal intake is four to five grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day. For me, at 150 pounds, that’s 600 or so grams of carbohydrates.
NOTICE: That’s almost 2500 calories in carbohydrates alone! So, you have to be careful to not just eat more. You are changing the composition of your diet, not the quantity. You’ll need to pay attention to keeping your “bad” fat intake moderate to prevent unwanted weight gain. I recommend you keep a food diary of some sort to make sure you a) eat enough carbohydrates and b) don't over-eat. I typically eat at 7:00 AM, (9:30 AM snack), NOON, (2:30PM snack), 5:00PM, and (7:30PM snack) the days preceding a marathon. That way, I can evenly distribute the intake over the course of the day. If you try to consume the volume of carbohydrates you need at only three meals, you'll barf (or at least feel like it). Your in-between meal snacks (times in parentheses) are a good time for a shake, smoothie or some other liquid carbohydrate source. Also, stock up on healthy nutrition bars and fruits that you know will not cause you gastrointestinal problems. Bananas are usually a safe bet; plus, they have lots of good potassium.
Our rule is that in the last three days prior to a marathon, you should never get hungry. This would indicate low blood sugar and your carbohydrate stores would be used to replace this blood sugar. This is not what we want when we’re trying to store--not immediately use--carbohydrates. In the last three days, keep food with you at all times. You may get stuck in traffic or have delays in your travel to the race. This will make sure that you don’t get stuck without food. And, the same goes for fluids
!"


......and finally, the BBC do a piece on their website called 'Analysis of a marathon runner' which compares 2 runners, one doing 2h 28m and one doing 3h 19m for a marathon. The link is http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/6576637.stm

Friday, May 25, 2007

Results of the Ballyandreen 5 mile Road Race - 24th May 2007

The results of the 1st race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer series is now up on the Ballycotton website.

Click HERE for the results.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007



Start of the Ballycotton 5 Mile Summer Series...


The 1st race in the Ballycotton Summer Series starts next Thursday, the 24th of May in Ballyandreen at 8pm. This is one of the most popular races in Cork and gets about 250-300 entrants every year.


If you are new to the running scene in Cork, Ballyandreen can be a bit hard to find. The easiest way is probably to head towards Ballycotton first (via Midleton/Cloyne/Shanagarry). As you enter the outskirts of Ballycotton, you will see a small church on the right. Take this right, stay on this road for about 3-4 kms and then left at the first crossroads. The parking area is about 800 metres from the sign on so arrive early and give yourself plenty of time.

The other 3 races in the series are on the 4th Thursday of June, July and August.


Monday, May 21, 2007

BHAA Team Leagues...
The BHAA team leagues have now been updated after the Garda/IPS 5 km race. The links are..

Cork BHAA Mens League

Cork BHAA Womens League

For more info on the league, see the post dated 16th of May below.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Results of the Cork BHAA Garda/IPS 5 km Road Race in Ringaskiddy - 17th May 2007...
283 runners turned out for this race which is very high for a BHAA event. The results of this race are now up on the BHAA website. Click HERE for the results.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Results of the Rising Sun 1 mile road race - 11th of May 2007......
60 runners turned out for this annual 1 mile race which raised almost €600 for charity. On the night, there was a problem with the time keeping so the times are not given in the results.

For the results, click HERE

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Cork BHAA Team leagues....

At the start of the year, Mick Dooley of the Cork BHAA asked me to put together a league based on the results of each BHAA race. There are 2 leagues, one for men and one for women. The rules are pretty basic. They are...

A) Each complete team recieves 1 pt.
B) First team in each grade receives 5 pts, 2nd team 4 pts, 3rd team 3 pts, 4th team 2 pts and 5th team 1 pt. (So, for example, the 1st team in Grade B will receive 6 pts (5+1) )
C) In the event that a company has 2 teams, the higher scoring team will count for the points and the other team will count for a max of 1 pt.


If you have a look at the team results of a recent race and then look at how the points are alocated on the league table, then it is easy to follow.

I have put the 2 league tables up on a different site on the Internet. The links are...

Cork BHAA Mens League

Cork BHAA Womens League

If you have any queries about the league, you should contact Mick Dooley of the Cork BHAA.

If you have any thoughts about the league, ie. concept, rules, layout, good idea/bad idea, etc, then leave a comment by clicking on the 'Comment' tag below. I'll pass on all comments to Mick & the BHAA.

John Desmond

Monday, May 14, 2007

Mile markers for the 2007 Cork City Marathon

John Quigley of Eagle AC and Kevin Cummins of the Cork BHAA have accurately measured the Marathon course and have now pinpointed the exact mile markers. They are as follows...

Mile - Description
0 - Start at Penney’sWest up Patrick StGrand ParadeSouth MallParnell PlaceMerchant’s QuayLavitt’s Quay
1 - At Traffic Sign for J23, Outside door to Flor Griffin’s, Lavitts QuayCoal QuayKyrl’s QuayNorth Gate BridgePope’s QuayNew Road Leitrim St
2 - Just after turn on Leitrim St., opposite Gate to Murphy’s Brewery, ¾ way along gate.Watercourse RoadLeft turn @ New Furniture CentreRight turn onto Gerald Griffin StGreat William O’Brien StCommon’s RoadThomas Davis StWatercourse RoadBlackpool bypass
3 - Approx. 10M South of Traffic Lights @ Murphy’s Brewery corner, Leitrim St.Leitrim St,New RoadCamden QuayPatrick’s QuayPenrose QuayHorgan’s Quay
4 - Horgan’s Quay, Middle of walled gateway, just after first pole West of old splayed (also walled) gateway to CIE siteWater StLower Glanmire Road
5 - Approx. 15 m West of 2nd pole on left before Skew BridgeLower Glanmire RoadTivoli Dual carriageway (South side)1st Relay changeover by Tivoli flyover
6 - Approx. 15m after Belvedere lodge sign on dual-carriagewayTivoli Dual carriageway (South side)Midleton Parkway
7 - Approx. 20m before Tunnel roundabout, Approx. 3m beyond end of guard rail on right.Jack Lynch Tunnel (North/West bore)N25
8 - To be readjusted Sunday 20th May – should be between the top of the rise up from the Tunnel and the first major bend N25Slip Road to Mahon Point(Mahon Point road)
9 - Opposite Bowen gate (LHS) by PM offices(Mahon Point road)Skehard Road(Inchera Road)
10 - @ pedestrian entrance (LHS), Inchera Park, After St.Michael’s Cemetary(Inchera Road)Ringmahon Road2nd relay changeover on Ringmahon RoadCastle Road
11 - @ side gate, 15m North of Stella Maris, Castle Road (LHS), just before St. Luke’s HomeCastle RoadBlackrockMarina
12 - Opposite Leeward, Marina (LHS) (before Church Avenue), Just after grottoMarinaCentre Park Road
13 - 2m beyond bend @ Lee Rowing Club, just after turn in roadCentre Park RoadVictoria Road
13.1 - After 9th tree (close to JB Sports 5k finish), near Fuel depot entrance (RHS)
14 - @ South East pillar, Douglas Controls car park, Victoria Road (LHS)3rd Relay changeover on Victoria RoadVictoria RoadQuay,Albert StSouth Link
15 - On South Link, 18” before drain, approx. 50m before Bridge on South Douglas RoadSouth LinkSouth Douglas RoadCurragh RoadKinsale RoadTramore Road
16 - Opposite manhole by “Cottage”, Tramore Road, just after Tramore RoadFriar’s WalkConnolly RoadPearse Road
17 - Outside no 224 Pearse Road (LHS), by parking sign.Pearse RoadHartland’s AvenueGlasheen Road
18 - Outside “Flowers in Bloom”/”Klassic” opposite entrance to St. Finbarr’s Cemetary, Glasheen RoadGlasheen RoadLiam Lynch ParkWilton RoadModel Farm Road
19 - 3m East of pole between Mount Mercy and Dept Ag. Offices, opposite “Nephin”Model Farm Road4th Relay Changeover between Leesdale and Melbourne
20 - @ opening in wall on footpath @ Inchigaggin BridgeModel Farm Road
21 - @ bus stop, top of hill, @ guide dogsModel Farm Road
22 - Approx. 30m before “Slow” signModel Farm RoadCarrigrohane Road
23 - @ East side of JAWoods, InchigagginCarrigrohane Road
24 - Directly opposite Mutt & Jeff, County HallCarrigrohane RoadWestern Road
25 - South side of pedestrian bridge, Cumann na mBan Bridge (bet 6th and 7th light)Western RoadCumann na mBan WalkNorth MallPope’s QuayChristy Ring BridgeLavitt’s QuayPatricks St
26 - Flor Griffin’s Lavitt’s Quay
26.22 - Porter’s/Moderne, Patrick St


With thanks to John Quigley for the above info...

Friday, May 11, 2007

Results of the Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 Mile Road Race - 10th of May 2007

The results of this race are now up on the Cork BHAA website. Click HERE for the results.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Closing date forCork City Marathon Entries extended...
The closing date for entries for the Cork City Marathon has been extended by a week. The new closing date for entries is Friday, the 18th of May.
As of mid-week, there were supposed to have been approx 1,000 entries for the full marathon and about 300 teams for the relay (300 x average of 4 per team = 1,200??). Total field = 2,200?
According to the original info on their website, they were expecting 5,000.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

West Cork Run results (Half Marathon 6th May '07)

The results for this race are now available HERE

Monday, May 07, 2007

Cork City Marathon 2007...
The closing date for entries is next Friday, the 11th of May. You can enter online or by downloading the PDF entry form, printing it and returning it by post.

Other links......
Cork City Marathon Website

See some of the posts below for details on the route, including the relay changeover points.
Results of the Midleton 5 mile Road Race - Wed 2nd May 2007

The results for this race are now on the Ballycotton website. The link is http://www.ballycottonrunning.com/LOCAL%20RESULTS%204.htm

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Eagle AC 2007 Little Island 7k Race Results

Place Time Name Club Gender Cat Pace Prize

1 23:05 Cillian O'Leary Raheny Shamrock M S 05:18.4 1st MS
2 23:27 Steven Macklin Togher AC M S 05:23.4 2nd MS
3 23:54 Elton Heffernan Togher AC M S 05:29.6 3rd MS
4 24:21 Tony Kelleher Eagle AC M S 05:35.8 4th MS
5 25:42 Stanislan Byczek Lisgoold M 45 05:54.4 5th MS
6 26:02 Brian Hegarty Cork M S 05:59.0
7 26:12 Carmel Parnell Cork F 50 06:01.3 1st FS
8 26:16 Tony Huff Ballynonty M 50 06:02.3 1st M50
9 26:21 Donal Vaughan Rising Sun AC M 40 06:03.4 1st M40
10 26:22 Denis Carroll Eagle AC M 45 06:03.6 1st M45
11 26:41 Donal Coakley Togher AC M S 06:08.0
12 27:10 Ruari Maciver St. Finbarrs AC M 40 06:14.7 2nd M40
13 27:13 Mark McMahon West Muskerry M S 06:15.4
14 27:18 Joe Moriarty Tralee M S 06:16.5
15 27:37 Sinead Ni Chonchuir BHAA F 35 06:20.9 2nd FS
16 27:42 Pat Twomey Eagle AC M 55 06:22.0 1st M55
17 27:50 Padraig McDonnell Eagle AC M S 06:23.9 Team
18 28:10 Donal Twomey West Muskerry M S 06:28.5
19 28:19 Patrick Murphy Ballymore Cobh M 40 06:30.5 3rd M40
20 28:23 Denis Kelleher Midleton AC M 40 06:31.4
21 28:34 Seamus Cahill Riverstick Kinsale AC M 40 06:34.0
22 28:38 Tadhg Lynch Eagle AC M S 06:34.9 Team
23 28:38 John Cashman Midleton AC M 40 06:34.9
24 29:13 John Scannell Eagle AC M S 06:42.9 Team
25 29:22 Clare O'Hanlon Eagle AC F S 06:45.0 3rd FS
26 29:27 Mike McGrath Eagle AC M 45 06:46.2 2nd M45
27 29:31 Fidelma Kirwan Eagle AC F 40 06:47.1 4th FS
28 29:41 Dave Cotter Belgooly M 55 06:49.4 2nd M55
29 29:48 Trevor Mahoney CBSB M S 06:51.0
30 29:50 Anthony Barry Glanmire M S 06:51.4
31 29:52 Sharon McGarry-Leahy St. Finbarrs AC F S 06:51.9 5th FS
32 29:53 Margot Dinan St. Finbarrs AC F 35 06:52.1 1st F35
33 30:03 Tony Cooke St. Finbarrs AC M 40 06:54.4
34 30:05 JJ Murphy West Muskerry M 45 06:54.9 3rd M45
35 30:06 Ann O'Riordan West Muskerry F 35 06:55.1 2nd F35
36 30:24 Hubertus Wiese Cork M S 06:59.3
37 30:34 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC M 55 07:01.6 3rd M55
38 30:34 Sally Drennan Midleton AC F 40 07:01.6 1st F40
39 30:37 Vincent Groarke Rochestown M S 07:02.2
40 31:04 Bartholomew Hearney Leevale M 45 07:08.5
41 31:11 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC M 55 07:10.1
42 31:16 Nicola Sisk BHAA F 35 07:11.2 3rd F35
43 31:21 Thomas Kelly Ballymore Cobh M 45 07:12.4
44 31:29 Aidan Buckley Eagle AC M S 07:14.2 Team
45 31:30 David Merriman Cork M 40 07:14.4
46 31:32 Rosaleen Kelly BOI F 45 07:14.9 1st F45
47 31:35 Diarmuid O'Mahony Kildare M S 07:15.6
48 31:35 Aine Murphy UCC F 45 07:15.6 2nd F45
49 31:47 Peter Garry Cork M S 07:18.3
50 31:59 John Walshe East Cork AC M 55 07:21.1
51 32:06 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC M 60 07:22.7 1st M60
52 32:07 John O'Mahony Cork M 65 07:22.9 1st M65
53 32:10 Frank Linehan Togher AC M 55 07:23.6
54 32:16 Paudie Birmingham Charleville M S 07:25.0
55 32:23 Shawn Rodwell Cork M S 07:26.6
56 32:28 Michael Schmidt Ballincollig M S 07:27.8
57 32:49 Fiona Dukelow Midleton AC F 35 07:32.6
58 32:53 Frank Lombard Tower M 40 07:33.5
59 33:02 Martin O'Sullivan Ballincollig AC M 50 07:35.6 2nd M50
60 33:19 Kevin Phelan Eagle AC M S 07:39.5
61 33:22 Aidan Hickey Cobh M S 07:40.2
62 33:27 William O'Mahony Youghal M 60 07:41.3 2nd M60
63 33:29 Caroline Godsil Midleton AC F S 07:41.8
64 33:39 Amanda Stavrch St. Finbarrs AC F 45 07:44.1 3rd F45
65 33:40 Aine Corrigan Douglas F S 07:44.3
66 33:43 Paddy Daly Army M 60 07:45.0 3rd M60
67 33:58 George Webb Rising Sun AC M 65 07:48.4 2nd M65
68 34:26 Eileen Buckley St. Finbarrs AC F 40 07:54.9 2nd F40
69 34:28 Laura Buckley Eagle AC F S 07:55.3
70 34:57 Marian Lyons St. Finbarrs AC F 50 08:02.0 1st F50
71 35:05 Helena Ryan Ballincollig F S 08:03.8
72 35:13 Bernard Sisk Cork M 60 08:05.7
73 35:14 Catherine Mellerick Eagle AC F 35 08:05.9
74 35:59 Jerry Lawton Belgooly M 50 08:16.3 3rd M50
75 36:09 Jaap Verheggen Netherlands M S 08:18.6
76 36:12 Sandra Walshe Douglas F 40 08:19.2 3rd F40
77 36:16 Sandra O'Sullivan Cork F 40 08:20.2
78 36:37 Margaret Beausang Midleton AC F 50 08:25.0 2nd F50
79 36:41 Chris Thornhill Cork M S 08:25.9
80 36:44 Mary Murphy Cork F 45 08:26.6
81 36:46 Claire Twomey Blarney F S 08:27.1
82 36:52 Paul Scannell Douglas M S 08:28.4
83 37:12 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC M 60 08:33.0
84 37:40 Catherine Twomey Blarney F S 08:39.5
85 37:49 Kevin Cummins BHAA M 60 08:41.5
86 38:52 Maura Lucey Eagle AC F 35 08:56.0
87 39:00 Pat Buckley Mallow M 55 08:57.9
88 40:05 Pierre Casaubieilli Cork M S 09:12.8
89 40:13 Sheila Roche Rochestown F S 09:14.6
90 40:16 Denis Kelleher Midleton AC M 40 09:15.3
91 40:17 Maura O'Doherty Midleton AC F 35 09:15.6
92 41:45 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC F 45 09:35.8
93 42:37 Denise Mulcahy Mallow F S 09:47.7
94 45:11 Eva Mulcahy Mallow F S 10:23.1
95 45:59 John Hyde Mallow M S 10:34.2
96 49:42 Mary Toher Midleton AC F 50 11:25.4 3rd F50
97 54:10 Margaret Considine Cork F 35 12:27.0
WC 33:28 Jerry Forde Blarney WC 07:41.6


(With thanks to Mark McGloughin of Eagle AC for the results)