Preview of the Dungarvan 10 Mile Race - Sun 3rd Feb 2008 (1pm) (Updated Sun 3rd Feb 10am)

The 2nd race of the 4 part Munster 10 mile Classic series takes place next Sunday, the 3rd of February in Dungarvan, West Waterford. With over 500 runners taking part in the 1st race in Mallow in early January, the 2nd race in Dungarvan has the potential of attracting an even bigger entry. Last year, they got 516 entries and if the weather co-operates, I see no reason why they won't break the 600 mark.

Registration...
The registration point for this race is the Crystal Sports Centre which is just off the main N25 road in Dungarvan. The race starts at 1pm so considering the big numbers, you would really need to be there by 12 noon to make sure you're not rushing. Entries on the day cost €20. If you want to have a look at the entry form, here is the LINK. If you are not sure where the Sports centre is, then read on.

Course...

The race starts just a few hundred metres West of the Sports centre. You run back towards the Sports centre, then out and left onto the N25 for a short distance. Soon, you leave the N25 again, do a loop around to the West and you end up back near where the race started. Here, you are just following the stewards directions until you get onto the nice quiet roads around the 2 mile mark. The next 4.5 miles for me, are the best part of the course. Nice quiet roads with nothing much except trees and fields on either side.

Just before the 7 mile mark, you re-join the N25 main road again. Now, you are running inside the hard shoulder and you begin a long but gentle climb after the 7 mile mark. After the 8 mile mark, the hard shoulder gets a bit narrow so you need to be careful here. From then on, just follow the stewards instructions as you get closer to the finish. Just a quick word about the finish...last year, it was in the Sports centre where you registered. That is, it is about 40 metres in off the main road. Check it out when you register so you know exactly where the finish of the race is.

There are 2 maps available of the course....

I have put the course up on the MapMyRun website (as shown up top). Here is the LINK and just zoom IN and OUT to get your bearings.

West Waterford AC have an ordnance surveymap up on their website with the course. You can't zoom in or out but you might find it a little clearer. The Crytsal Sports centre is also shown there. Here is the LINK.

Weather Forecast...(Updated Sun 3rd Feb 10am)
The current forecast looks like Sunday will be hit or miss when it comes to the rain. It now looks like a cold front will arrive very early on Sunday morning and there will be a few hours with a lot of rain and high winds. I think that it will probably be ok for the race. I reckon you could look out the window tomorrow morning around 9am and see heavy rain with strong Southerly winds. According to the map above, they expect the worst of the weather to have cleared by mid-day. Once this front has cleared, there might be the odd shower with a light Westerly breeze. Honestly, I think if you put off going to Dungarvan because it looks wet tomorrow morning, you'll be making a mistake. The only thing you can really be sure of tomorrow is that the day will improve as it goes on. By the way, they are predicting that the temperature might only be around 6 deg C around the time of the race. It might be no harm to bring a thermal vest and gloves just in case.
See the rainfall radar map below...it is now clearing from the West and the start of the race should be ok.
So, keep those fingers crossed ;o)
Last year...
By the way, if you did last year, you can find your time HERE.

Results of the East Cork 3km race (No 6 of 7) - Tues 29th Jan 2008

A fine crowd of 113 entrants turned out for this race, the 6th of 7 in the East Cork AC Winter 3km series. The weather forecast turned out to be spot on, rain in the morning and dry in the evening time. The temperature for the race was about 6 deg and there was hardly any wind...ideal conditions. Looking through the results, you might notice that we have a bit of an international field with runners from Poland, France and the USA taking part..!! Anyway, here are the results up on the blog, just 2.5 hours after the race thanks to some speedy typing by Liam O'Brien ;o)

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 6 29/01/08
1 Sean McGrath East Cork AC 9.16
2 Alan O'Shea Bantry AC 9.24
3 Roy Fahy East Cork AC 9.35
4 Frank Hayes East Cork AC 9.53
5 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.04
6 Tadgh Murphy Bandon AC 10.05
7 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.07
8 Shane Maher Grange Fermoy AC 10.09
9 Noel O'Regan Midleton AC 10.23
10 John Desmond Eagle AC 10.29
11 Marty O'Keeffe Youghal AC 10.31
12 John Lynch Cork 10.33
13 James O'Driscoll Skibbereen 10.38
14 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 10.41
15 Eoin Casey Glenbower AC 10.44
16 Tom Cody Midleton AC 10.48
17 Denis Carroll Eagle AC 11.00
18 Frank Cashman East Cork AC 11.06
19 Denis Collins Mount Uniacke 11.10
20 Alan Lane Glenbower AC 11.17
21 Edmond O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.18
22 Nick Parkinson East Cork AC 11.19
23 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.20
24 John O'Callaghan Rising Sun AC 11.20
25 Pat Moloney USA 11.21
26 James Cleary Whitegate 11.23
27 Paul Cleary Whitegate 11.26
28 Paudie O'Keeffe Midleton GAA 11.33
29 Ned Ramsell Midleton AC 11.37
30 James Power Whitegate 11.38
31 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 11.39
32 Maurice Tobin Grange Fermoy AC 11.41
33 Sean O'Keeffe East Cork AC 11.44
34 John Dunphy Rising Sun AC 11.44
35 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.45
36 Matthew Boenart Cork 11.46
37 Cathal McCarthy Midleton AC 11.48
38 Coran Swayne Midleton CBS 11.51
39 Daniel Walsh Glenbower AC 11.53
40 Mick Walsh Midleton AC 11.53
41 Brian Healy Dunboyne AC 11.54
42 Paul Cotter Eagle AC 11.55
43 Liam Callanan Whitechurch 11.55
44 David O'Leary Midleton 11.58
45 John Lynch Cork 11.59
46 Kevin McSweeney Midleton GAA 12.00
47 Tony Lilley Togher AC 12.01
48 Ken Owens Togher AC 12.02
49 Trevor MahoneyMidleton 12.02
50 Eoghan Cotter Whitegate 12.05
51 Tim Collins Mount Uniacke 12.06
52 Colin McGregor Cloyne 12.11
53 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 12.13
54 Leslie Coughlan Midleton CBS 12.15
55 Don O'Hanlon Cork 12.17
56 Anthony Barry Glanmire 12.25
57 Kieran Rohan Midleton AC 12.31
58 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 12.33
59 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.35
60 Colman Quirke Midleton GAA 12.41
61 Matt Chojan Poland 12.45
62 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.47
63 Mary O'Keeffe Youghal AC 12.48
64 Trevor Collins Naas AC12.49
65 John O'Halloran Glounthaune 12.49
66 Vince Hurley Cork 13.01
67 Stephen Murphy Bandon AC 13.01
68 Liam Walsh Midleton GAA 13.02
69 John Walshe East Cork AC 13.06
70 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 13.07
71 Vincent Connolly Midleton AC 13.10
72 Mark O'Keeffe Youghal AC 13.12
73 Elga Ryan Midleton AC 13.14
74 John Cotter Cobh 13.26
75 Maggie Chojan Poland 13.27
76 Jerry Rush Cobh 13.33
77 Cian McParland Cobh 13.33
78 Kevin Cronin UCC 13.34
79 Tom O'Neill Midleton 13.36
80 Mick McCarthy West Waterford AC 13.38
81 Niamh Savage East Cork AC 13.46
82 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 13.48
83 Grainne Lynch Cork 13.49
84 Ann Geary Lisgoold 13.50
85 Maura O'Doherty Midleton AC 13.56
86 Máire Murphy Youghal 13.57
87 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 13.58
88 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 13.59
89 Tim Geary Lisgoold 14.06
90 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 14.11
91 Padraig O'Regan Midleton 14.17
92 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 14.18
93 Willie O'Mahony Youghal AC 14.20
94 Tony Mulcahy Midleton 14.28
95 Diane Lilley Togher AC 14.29
96 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 14.30
97 Carrie Higgins Carrigtwohill AC 14.31
98 Sam O'Keeffe East Cork AC 14.36
99 Kate Crawford USA 14.37
100 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.57
101 Keith O'Mahony Cork 15.12
102 Vincent Murray Midleton 15.17
103 Olive Hallihan Cloyne 15.23
104 Margaret Beausang Midleton AC 15.28
105 Lillian Grandfield Cloyne 16.14
106 Kevin Cummins Cork BHAA 17.27
107 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 17.33
108 Mary Toher Midleton AC 17.37
109 Daire Healy Ballycotton 17.38
110 Orla Kelleher Dungourney 17.39
111 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 17.44
112 John Cashman Midleton AC
17.45 Wheelchair Jerry Forde BIAC 18.10

(...with thanks to Liam O'Brien of East Cork AC for these results)

Preview of the East Cork 3km Road Race (No. 6 of 7) - Tues 29th Jan (7:30pm)
The 6th race in the series takes place in Midleton on Tuesday, the 29th of January at 7:30 pm. The current weather forecast is that a cold front will cross the country on Tuesday. So, the morning may well start off very wet with heavy rain but hopefully, the front will have cleared by the evening time.
Going on previous races, I'd expect that they will break the 100 mark again if the weather is ok.

If you want more information about this race, check out this LINK. If you click on the items in the menu bar there, you can also check back through any of the previous times for last year or for the first 5 events in the current series. Note that if you are not using broadband, they may take a small while to appear.

Results of the Cork BHAA Little Island 'FMC' 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 27th Jan 2008 (Updated Wed 30th)

When I arrived in the hall for this race at 10:30 am, I found myself at the end of a very long queue. So, I kind of guessed then that the numbers were going to be very big. And they were, with just over 400 runners taking part. Last year, they got 313 so this is a huge increase. The conditions for the race were ideal..blue skies, sun shining, a little bit cool with a very gentle wind.

Photos...
John Quigley of Eagle AC was out and about during the race with his camera and he took about 280 photos. These are now up on the Eagle AC website. The link is HERE.

A 2nd set of photos has now gone up on the Eagle website. These 66 photos were taken by Pat O'Driscoll of Eagle AC. Looking through them, Pat obviously has a flair for this kind of thing as some of the shots are really good. Here is the main link to the main album index. They may add these photos to the other earlier set have have a look around.

The Cork BHAA have their own set of photos up HERE.

Results...
The category prize winners are shown below. The full results are now available at this LINK

FMC 4-Mile Road Race (Cork BHAA), Little Island, Co Cork
1 B Keane (temp-reg) 20:40; 2 S McGrath (temp-reg) 20:41; 3 R Creech (Jannsen) 20:47; 4 C O'Donovan (O'Donovan) 21:02; 5 R Fahy (temp-reg) 21:13; 6 J Grufferty (Bio-Pharma) 21:37; 7 N Curtin (Quality Hotel, M40) 21:39; 8 S Wilkinson (Cork Simon) 21:41; 9 G Murray (temp-reg) 21:43; 10 K O'Sullivan (temp-reg) 21:49.
M40: 2 L Cotter (Kerry Foods) 23:13; 3 D Broderick (Munster Beverages) 23:15.
M45: 1 D Sheehan (UCC) 25:14; 2 P Dineen (Eli Lilly) 26:19; 3 J Leahy (Naval Service) 26:31.
M50: 1 E McEvoy (Cork Teachers) 22:18; 2 J Collins (Team adidas) 22:47; 3 P Collins (Team Herbal Life) 22:58.
M55: 1 T Huff (Team adidas) 24:25; 2 D Cotter (Cork Painters) 26:45.
M60: 1 M Dunne (UCC) 25:43; 2 L O'Leary (Cork City Co) 26:13.
M65: 1 G Webb (Plant Hire).Team:
(Grade A) 1 Workout Express 51; 2 Carraig Court 73; 3 Jannsen 113.
(Grade B) 1 Naval Service 80; 2 UCC 98; 3 Pfizer-Ringaskiddy 106.
(Grade C) 1 Proscon 111; 2 Quality Hotel 133; 3 Naval Service 153.

Women: 1 A Cooke (temp-reg) 24:09; 2 A MacPhail (temp-reg) 24:13; 3 N Roe (temp-reg) 24:16; 4 A-M Healy (HSE, F35) 24:20; 5 M Sweeney (Cork Shops, F45) 24:26; 6 M Crowley (HSE) 24:51.
F35: 1 M Walsh (Pfizer-Ringaskiddy).F40: 1 F Kirwan (Sensory Labs).
F45: 1 M Mulcahy (Bank of Ireland).
F50: 1 M Beausang (Midleton Shops).
Team: (Grade A) 1 HSE; 2 Quality Hotel. (Grade B) 1 Citco; 2 Bank of Ireland.

(...with thanks to John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions for the above results)

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'FMC' 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 27th Jan 2008 (11:00am) (Updated Sat 26th)

The first road race in the Cork BHAA calendar takes place in Little Island next Sunday, the 27th of January at 11am. The registration point is the community centre which on the map above, is more or less exactly at the 1 mile mark.

Directions...
If you are coming out of the city, take the N25 East and turn off for Little Island. You then take the road into Little Island...going through the roundabout, past the garage and follow the road around to the right. The road now heads West again and follow it until you see the 1 mile sign on the road on the right. The community centre is here.

Alternative directions...
I recieved the following text in an e-mail from Donal O'Donoghue who lives in the area. He wrote...
"Given that Little Island has two entrances, and the Sports Complex is on the West side of the island, it would be better to enter Little Island, from the Tunnel roundabout. It's two miles shorter, for people coming from the City, and there's fewer turns, and less chance of getting lost.
Directions from the Tunnel Roundabout: Tunnel Management road is just to the left of the tunnel entrance, so one needs to be in the left-most lane, when approaching the tunnel. At the top of this short road there is a small roundabout.Take the exit marked "Little Island Ind Estate". Keep going for about one mile.You will pass Pfizer's, Henkel/Cognis, and Punch Industries (all on the left). You will see a small ruined castle and a mobile phone mast on the left. The Little Island Sports Complex is next.
The advantage of this route is that one will pass over both the Start and Finish lines, and one should have less difficulty finding that Start line, after registering.

Parking.....There is ample parking in front of, and behind the Sport Complex, so there is no need to park on the main road."

Thanks Donal

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

Overall...
It's not exactly the most scenic of routes but this race always seems to get a good turn out. It's almost as if most people use it as their first race of the year. Last year, they got 313 entrants and I'd guess that they will easily break the 300 mark again this year. The current weather forecast shows high pressure building for the weekend so the weather should be dry and settled.

Extra notes...
A lot of people probably won't be registered for this race so it might be very busy in the hall with people entering the race and getting registered for the year as well. Considering the numbers that will be there, it might be no harm to arrive early, join the correct queue and beat the rush.
If you want to have a closer look at the course, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website.
If you zoom in there and press the SATELLITE button, you will see an aerial photo of the course and you can see the Community hall with it's car park.

Dungarvan 10 entries...
The 2nd race of the Munster '10 mile Classic' series takes place on Sunday, the 3rd of February at 1pm. If you enter this race on the day, the cost is €20. If however, you enter before the 1st of February, the cost is €15. Hence, the notice now so that you have plenty of time to get those entries off.

You will find the official entry form at this LINK.

CPR Course, Inniscarra - Fri Feb 1st 2008 (7pm)
There is another CPR course coming up again at the start of February. The last one was held in the Pfizer Sports Hall in Ringaskiddy late last year and was very good (...and paid for by Pfizers!!). The course coming up in Inniscarra is a CPR course and I think there will be a fee for doing it. Interested??
Then read the following info from John Quigley of Eagle AC...

The County Board are holding a CPR course in Inniscarra Community Hall (familiar as the check-in point for the BHAA Inniscarra 4M). Many people had to be turned down for the last Course, which was very generously sponsored by Pfizer Heart Foundation, so the next phase involves a CPR course, followed by a defibrillator course (date/venue to be set).
Interested persons should give their names to County Board Chairperson, Noreen Murphy, 085-7157810 or John Quigley, 087-6261178 (please leave a message - I can't answer during office hours!),
If demand for the courses is strong, the Board will organise more courses.

First come to fill 20 places. Please pass this on as widely as you can (until I say stop!). Note: This course doesn't include Defibrillator training - that will follow but if you haven't done the CPR, you probably won't be able to get certification.

Remember, if trained, you don't HAVE TO perform CPR/Defibrillation, however if you don't learn, then you CANNOT do it. In all probability it is for your loved ones; family and friends that you will be called on to aid. Seconds count! Don't look on helplessly if haven't learnt. Get in and learn!

See also http://www.corkathletics.org/

Cork BHAA website down at the moment (Fri 18th Jan 08)...

It's look like the Cork BHAA website might be down for a few days until some hosting issues get sorted out. In the meantime, if you want to get a BHAA registration form for 2008, I have put up a tempory one at this LINK.

The Cork BHAA website is now back online (Mon 21st Jan 08)

Belgooly 4 mile race pictures (26th Dec 2007) -
A set of 120 photos have been added recently to the photo gallery on the Eagle AC website. They were taken by Roy Cummins of St.Finbarr's AC and show shots of the Belgooly 4 mile road race near the start and around the 3.5 mile mark.

You can see the index of the photo gallery at this LINK.

Ballycotton 10 training schedule...
The usual training plan for a 10 mile race is 8 weeks. With the Ballycotton 10 coming up on the 9th of March, we are now in the 1st week of the 8 week schedule. There are plenty of training schedules out there on the Internet if you go looking for them. Most of them are basically the same...they will recommend some long slow runs and some short speed sessions. The simple programme that I will list below is one designed for beginners who might be trying to break the 80 or 90 minute barrier for 10 miles.

Basics for Beginners...You should be aiming to run at least 3 times per week, preferably 4 times and at most 5 times a week. You need to increase your milage slowly, by about 10% per week. You should be aiming to do at least 20 miles per week.

Standard Week
Day1...5 miles easy or rest
Day2...6 miles (First 2 miles / 20 mins slow to warm up. Then run for 4 minutes at a fast pace followed 3 minutes at a slow pace. Repeat this cycle 5 times. Run the last mile /10 mins slow to warm down.
Day 3...Rest or 4 miles slow
Day4...5 miles. 2 miles slow to warm up, next 2 miles at a good steady pace, last mile slow to warm down.
Day 5...Rest
Day 6...Rest
Day 7...Long slow steady run of about 6 to 7 miles.

Some notes...
1) Every 2nd week, you might try a different session on day 2. Run 2 miles slow to warm up, then 8 cycles of running faster for 2 minutes followed by a 90 second jog.
2) Repeat this cycle for 8 weeks. Do less in the 1st week and slowly increase your milage.
3) The biggest mistake that beginners make is that they try to do too much too soon and they get injured. Remember...a) increase by 10% per week b) run slow for about 20 minutes to warm up before any type of speed training c) a slow run means that you should be able to have a conversation with someone while you are running. If you are puffing and panting, you are going way too fast.
4) Don't under estimate the value of those long slow steady runs. They're great for building stamina.
5) You should run for at least 30 minutes in any particular run. Running for 10 to 20 mins is pointless...you're just getting warmed up and you stop!

There is no hard and fast rules with this schedule. Adjust it to suit yourself. If it feels comfortable, add a bit extra. If it's too much, do a bit less.

Remember that the Ballycotton 10 is only 7 weeks from next Sunday (20th Jan) so get cracking!!

Registration for the 2008 Season now due...
Just a quick reminder that the Cork BHAA are now taking registration forms for the 2008 season. The cost is only €10 for the year. The advantage of being a registered runner is that you will qualify for any prizes available and the entry fee for each race is reduced (€5 rather than €7 for unregistered)

The forms can be found on the Cork BHAA website and should be returned asap if you wish to be registered before the Little Island race on the 27th of January.
(NOTE...Fri 18th Jan...8pm...There is a problem with the BHAA website at the moment due to some administration error with the hosting company. It should be back in a few days time. In the meantime, if you want a registration form for 2008, I have put up a tempory one at this LINK)

Beginners...
If you are new to the running scene, here is a quick explanation. There are 2 types of races in the Cork area. Some races are organised by the various Athletic clubs around Cork City and County, and people generally run for their club. The other type of race are the Cork BHAA (Business Houses Athletic Association) ones. They have a set of about 18 races per year and people run for their companies (where they work) rather than their club. In reality, the same people usually run in both types of race. One week, they might be running in a race for their Athletic club and the next week, they might be running for their company.
So, if you are just starting, the best thing might be to try one first as an unregistered runner (entry €7), see if you would be interested in doing more and then get registered.
It's important to note that you do not have to be registered or a member of any club to do any of the road races in Cork.

Results of the Cork BHAA 5km 'Cross Country Challenge' - Sun 13th Jan 2008
The heavy rain on the Saturday made sure that this BHAA 5km Cross Country race was going to be very wet and soft underfoot. And so it turned out to be with some very slippy sections in Beaumont Park, especially at the sharp corners where the ground got cut up. As the course was made of 3 laps of a large loop circuit, the ground got worse as time went on. There was one particular bad spot about half way around the loop where the ground was very steep and muddy. It was very difficult to get a good grip and run this section...it almost felt like you would be faster going up on all fours ;o)

The full results are now available on the Cork BHAA website. The link is HERE.

The Cork BHAA also have a set of photos up on the site...click on this LINK.

Additional Note...It was announced at the race that the BHAA ' St.Vincent's ' 5km race in Knocknaheeny on the 16th of March has been cancelled.

More photo's of the Bandon 5 Mile Road Race...
Bandon AC have now put up an extra set of 142 photos on their photo gallery page. They cover runners at different stages of the Bandon 5 mile road race which took place on Sunday, the 30th of December 2007. The quality is pretty good and if you would like to see them, click on this LINK.

If you want to see the other set or you missed the results of this race, see my earlier post on the race results.

Flor O'Leary of St.Finbarr's AC sets new Indoor 800 metre record...
I normally don't cover other athletic events as I try and concentrate on the road races but this item caught my eye on the St.Finbarr's AC website.

"Flor O’Leary Smashes All Ireland Indoor 800 Metre Record. In a resounding demonstration that he is back to his true form, our own Flor O’Leary smashed the Irish M70 record for 800 metres at Nenagh on Sunday last (Munster Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships - 6th Jan 2008). Flor ran a superb time of 2.58.8 minutes which was over six seconds inside the existing record."

That time works out about 6 minutes per mile pace. That's an amazing achievement for someone who is aged 70 as there are a lot of people who are half his age or less who would be unable to do it.

Mallow Floods...Thurs 10th Jan 2008
What a difference 4 days make! Looking at the news today, you begin to realise how lucky we were last Sunday with the weather. 4 days ago, the last half a mile or so of the race was along the Park Road, just before the last corner and the finish. Today, the same road was under 1 metre of water! You begin to think 'what if...?'
What if the heavy rain arrived 4 days earlier?
What if the race was on next Sunday, the 13th of Jan?

I guess that it's always going to be a risk with this race until the civil works go ahead to prevent the flooding.

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Cross Country Challenge' - Sun 13th Jan 2008 (11am)

Please note that for this race, the registration point has been changed. It was supposed to be in the Cork Con Rugby grounds. Beaumont Boys School is now the new venue for registration, refreshments and prize-giving. This is located just next to the park.

This 5km race take place in Beaumont Park in Blackrock, Cork City. It is the only cross country race on the BHAA calendar and usually attracts about 100 runners. For anyone new to running scene, you might think that this cross country race will be a race with mud and dirt everywhere. The reality is that this is just a race on grass rather than on tarmac. If it's wet, it might be a bit slippy but otherwise, it's just like a normal race. All you really need to do is to wear a pair of old runners and off you go. As the ground is soft, you'll need to work a bit harder during the race so don't expect your time to be close to your 5 km time on the road.

Note that if you were registered with the Cork BHAA in 2007, you will still count as registered just for this race only.

Location...

As you can see on this aerial photo, the school is just next to the park. This is also a walkway going over to the road near the Cork Con rugby grounds if you want to park somewhere near there.

If you are unsure as to where exactly it is, check this LINK.

Ballycotton 10 entries now fully closed...

Yesterday, the 8th of January was the final closing date for oversea's entrants to get their entries in. So far, the organisers, Ballycotton Running Promotions, have put up a list of the first 2,500 entries, i.e. those people who entered in the 4 days between the 4th and 7th of December last. Now, I presume that the organisers will start processing the remaining entries and they should appear soon.

By the way, there are no cancellations. The organisers know that a number of people won't make it on the day and they take this into account when estimating the final turnout for the race.

Race day is Sunday, the 9th of March 2008, just 9 weeks from next Sunday (13th Jan)

Results of the East Cork 3km Road Race - 8th Jan 2008 (No.5 of 7)

A good sized crowd of 102 turned out for this race, the 5th of 7 in the East Cork Winter 3km series. It looked pretty dismal before the race with heavy rain and very strong winds at about 7pm but as with most East Cork races, the rain had stopped well before the start of the race. The course was a bit wet but overall, the conditions were fine for the race.

So here are the results below. If you want to compare your time to previous times, you'll find your old times at this LINK (May take a while to download if you don't have broadband)

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 5 08/01/08
1 Sean McGrath East Cork AC 9.29
2 Roy Fahy East Cork AC 9.42
3 Noel Curtin Youghal AC 9.51
4 Elton Heffernan Togher AC 10.12
5 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.21
6 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.24
7 Kevin O'Leary Glenbower AC 10.29
8 John Lynch Cork 10.51
9 David O'Dwyer East Cork AC 10.55
10 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 11.02
11 John Desmond Eagle AC 11.11
12 Eoin Casey Glenbower AC 11.16
13 Tom Cody Midleton AC 11.18
14 Denis Carroll Eagle AC 11.22
15 Alan Lane Glenbower AC 11.23
16 Martin O'Keeffe Youghal AC 11.24
17 Phil McGrath East Cork AC 11.25
18 Kevin Cooney Midleton AC 11.25
19 Denis Lyons Cork 11.30
20 Robert Heffernan Togher AC 11.31
21 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.32
22 Nick Parkinson East Cork AC 11.43
23 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.44
24 James Cleary Whitegate 11.49
25 Dermot Murphy Togher AC 11.52
26 Brian Parkinson Bingley Harriers 11.53
27 Paudie O'Keeffe Midleton GAA 11.53
28 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton AC 12.06
29 Paul Cleary Whitegate 12.07
30 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 12.08
31 John Dunphy cORK 12.11
32 James O'Leary Midleton CBS 12.13
33 David O'Leary Midleton 12.16
34 Brian Healy Dunboyne AC 12.18
35 Laurence Collins Mount Uniacke 12.20
36 Terri Hennessy East Cork AC 12.21
37 Cathal McCarthy Midleton AC 12.22
38 Sean O'Keeffe East Cork AC 12.23
39 Mick Walsh Midleton AC 12.24
40 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.25
41 Paudie O'Shea Midleton GAA 12.28
42 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 12.30
43 Ken Owens Togher AC 12.35
44 John O'Callaghan Rising Sun AC 12.40
45 Leslie Coughlan Midleton CBS 12.43
46 Kieran Rohan Midleton AC 12.45
47 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.49
48 Karen Kenny Grange Fermoy AC 12.51
49 Colin McGregor Cloyne 12.56
50 Don O'Hanlon Cork 13.00
51 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 13.01
52 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 13.02
53 Adrian Walsh Midleton 13.03
54 Darren Kearney Midleton 13.04
55 Daniel Walsh Glenbower AC 13.05
56 Gary Boyle Donegal 13.07
57 Peter O'Brien Glenbower AC 13.12
58 Peter Stanley Carrigaline 13.14
59 John O'Halloran Glounthaune 13.21
60 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 13.24
61 Denis Hellen Glanmire 13.26
62 Mary O'Keeffe Youghal AC 13.29
63 Owen O'Connell Midleton 13.35
64 Kevin Cronin UCC AC 13.38
65 Matt Chojan Poland 13.44
66 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs 13.45
67 Vincent Connelly Midleton AC 13.47
68 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 13.51
69 Elga Ryan Midleton AC 13.53
70 Maggie Chojan Poland 13.58
71 Carloine Geary Midleton AC 13.58
72 Michael McSweeney Midleton AC 14.08
73 Mark O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.10
74 Maura O'Doherty Midleton AC 14.19
75 Michael McCarthy West Waterford AC 14.21
76 Tom Elliott Passage West 14.22
77 Maire Murphy Youghal 14.40
78 Tim Healy Togher AC 14.46
79 Finbarr McCarthy Midleton 14.47
80 Samantha O'Keeffe East Cork AC 14.50
81 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 15.02
82 Tim Geary Lisgoold 15.03
83 Billy Caball Cork 15.06
84 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 15.08
85 Grainne Lynch Cork 15.12
86 Carrie Higgins Carrigtwohill AC 15.17
87 Padraig O'Regan Ladysbridge 15.21
88 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 15.22
89 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 15.34
90 Stefanie Beausang Midleton AC 15.45
91 Willie O'Mahony Youghal AC 15.49
92 Oonagh Mee Grange Fermoy AC 15.54
93 Margaret Beausang Midleton AC 16.00
94 Keith O'Mahoney Cork 16.30
95 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.56
96 Conor Crowley Cork 18.25
97 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 19.03
98 John Cashman Midleton AC 19.04
99 Claire O'Leary Midleton AC 19.05
100 Daire Healy Ballycotton 19.19
101 Mary Toher Midleton AC 21.21
Wheelchair Gerry Forde Blarney Inniscarra AC 19.20

Preview of the East Cork 3km Road Race (No. 5 of 7) - Tues 8th Jan (7:30pm)

The 5th race in the series takes place in Midleton on Tuesday, the 8th of January at 7:30 pm. The current forecast is that it will be wet on Tuesday but it should clear later in the day. Hopefully, it will have cleared by the start of the race. A strong Westerly wind is also predicted.

Going on the past races, I'd expect that they will get somewhere between 90 and 120 for this race although a lot would depend on the weather. Coming just 2 days after the Mallow 10, no doubt a lot of people will be taking it easy and using it as a recovery run.

If you want more information about this race, check out this LINK. If you click on the items in the menu bar there, you can also check back through any of the previous times for last year or for the first 4 events in the current series. Note that if you are not using broadband, they may take a small while to appear.

New Poll on the Mallow 10 prizes - Sun 6th Jan 2008

As you probably know, Mallow AC decided that for their race this year, they would enter everyone into a draw for 2 TV's rather than giving everyone a T-shirt as they had done the previous year.

They are now curious to get some feedback on this decision. On the right hand side of this page, you will see a new poll and the question is...

For the Mallow 10, would you have preferred to get a t-shirt or be entered in a draw for 2 TV's?

You have a choice of 2 answers. So, if you did the Mallow 10, just select one option and let the organisers of the race know what you would have preferred.

Results of the Mallow 10 Mile Road Race - 6th Jan 2008 (Updated Mon 7th)

A huge crowd of 521 runners turned up for this race, a big jump up from last year's figure of 386. The weather for the start of the race was fine but unfortunately, the bad weather that was due in the evening, arrived in Mallow about 1pm. It was more of a drizzle than anything serious and the race was well underway by the time it had arrived. As for the race itself, it was very well organised. There were plenty of stewards and traffic cones out along the road to keep things safe.
Inside in the hall, I noticed that the guys from West Waterford AC were taking entries for their 10 mile race on the 3rd of February (2nd race in the Munster 10 mile Classic series). I hear that they took over 100 entries at the Mallow race today so it looks as if that is going to be a big one as well.

Anyway, back to the results.
Here are some comments that I recieved from Mallow AC...
To all runners...Final results will be tomorrow (Mon 7th Jan). If people have any changes they would like to be made (Clubs, Names etc.) They can let me know. We were overwhelmed by the entries and an increase in numbers from last year of close to 40%. 521 people finished, If people have comments suggestions etc. they can email me… details on website. Thanks for your support.

They are now up on the Mallow AC website. The link for the results is HERE.

Photo's........Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC has put 249 photos up on a photo website. The link is HERE.

There is an additional photo album now on the Mallow AC website with 49 shots. The link is HERE.

Preview of the Mallow 10 Mile Road Race - Sun 6th Jan (12:30pm) (Updated Sat 5th 11am)
Next Sunday, the 6th of January see's the start of the Munster Classic 10 mile series. The Mallow 10 mile is the first of 4 races in the series with a 10 mile race every month in Munster from January until April. So, let's have a closer look at the Mallow 10...

3 points to note...
Note that the registration point, the start and the finish are in 3 different parts of the town. This can and does catch out people who have never done this race before. See map above.
A...this is where the Mallow Youth Centre is. You should park near here and register before 12 noon. Prizes and refreshments are available here after the race as well.
B...this is the start point for the race. It's just under a mile from the Youth Centre. Just jog along with the other runners to the start and use it as part of your warm-up.
C...this is the finish point of the race. It's just a short walk back to the Youth centre from here.

How to get there...
If you look at the map above, I have put in a series of RED dots showing a possible route. Just remember 2 things
1) If you are coming from Cork, use the roundabout on the main Cork-Limerick road to enter the town centre. Don't follow the road to the right.
2) If you get lost, remember that the Mallow Youth Centre is on the North side of the Blackwater river. Stay on this side of the river and you'll find it ok.

Course...
See map below for the course. While there are a few small hills and drags, there is nothing really bad. To be honest, I'd be more concerned about the wind. In general, for the first half of the race, you are running West and in the 2nd half, you are running East. A strong wind will probably impact you more than any of the hills. As for course itself, it starts in a residential area and heads out of town. Around the 1.5 mile mark, there is a slight uphill before you join the main N20 road. From here until the roundabout, you are running inside a pretty wide hard shoulder so you are not near the passing traffic. The only spot where you have to be careful is near the roundabout where the hard shoulder gets a bit narrow. After that, you turn left onto the main Killarney road. It's not the nicest of roads but the sheer number of runners makes the traffic slow down. Out around the 6 mile mark, you start the nicest part of the course with mostly quiet rural roads until you re-enter the town around the 9 mile mark. From here, you run as far as the bridge, cross over the Blackwater river and then run the half mile or so to the finish.If you want to have a closer look at the course, Mallow AC have put up the course on the MapMyRun website.

Weather Forecast...(Updated Sat 6pm) The current forecast is that it will be cool with a max temperature of 6 to 8 dec C. It will probably be bright but overcast. It will probably be dry as there are no weather fronts crossing the country at the time. There will, however be a light breeze from the South West which might be felt for the first 6 miles but should be to our backs for the last 4. It might be a bit cold for just a singlet so a thermal vest and gloves might be a good idea. So, overall, the conditions should be ideal for the race.

Registration...You will need to fill out an entry form at the registration point in the hall. If you want to save some time and just speed up the entry process, why not print out the form and fill it in before you go there? The link to the entry form is HERE.

Entry Fee...First of all, the entry fee for the Mallow 10 is €10. Last year, the guy's from West Waterford AC were taking entries for the Dungarvan 10 on the day of the Mallow 10. I presume that they will be there again this year at the Youth centre. Remember that the Dungarvan 10 is the 2nd race in the Munster series and takes place on Sunday, the 3rd of February. If you enter the Dungarvan race next Sunday, it will cost you €15 which is €5 less than if you enter on the race day in Dungarvan. So, if you are doing both races, bring €25.

New Runners...For any of you who have never done a 10 mile race before, my only advice for Sunday is to take it easy! You can't run it hard like a 5 mile race. Pace yourself, run about 30 to 40 seconds slower per mile than you would in a 5 mile race. You will probably have to work a lot harder to do the 2nd half of the race in the same time as the 1st half, so keep something in reserve.

And finally...I reckon that they will get in excess of 400 runners for this year's event. So, get there early (11:45 or before) and avoid the rush to the start.

See below for some additional information provided by Mallow AC...

*********************************************

Registration is at Mallow Youth Centre from 10:30 to 12:00. We are expecting a large number of people compared to other years so please come as early as possible. Numbers have increased over the last few years with the exception of 2006, when the race was cancelled because of safety concerns due to thick fog. It was run in May of that year instead.

Year /Competitors...2002 = 190, 2003 = 215, 2004 = 285, 2005 = 303, 2006 = 199, 2007 = 386
We will be asking all runners to complete an entry form to speed things up at registration, this will include an email address section and we will send results on Monday to all competitors who provide email addresses.We would hope to have all entries processed by 12:00 noon to allow people get to the start which is about a mile from the youth centre.

Directions to youth centre are as follows.....From Cork, Kerry, Limerick – when you come to main roundabout, follow directions for town centre, take the second left after the church. (O’Brien Street) and proceed up the hill past the shopping centre.From Dublin, Waterford take the first right after the Spa House, which will be on your left as you enter the town. Turn right at top of the hill.

Map on the website showing location of registration. mallow youth centre

Prizes are as on the web-site, with the bonus of €500 for a sub 49:40 time. All runners will be entered into a raffle for two prizes of a flat screen TV.

There is also a non-competitive 10k walk commencing at 12:00The course is the same as previous years, it is slightly uphill for the first two miles and then downhill or flat for pretty much the rest of the course. The map my run website shows a climb at the 4 mile mark which is incorrect. Mallow 10 Mile CourseFull details are on the web-site, but if anyone has questions they can contact us for further information.

Mallow AC

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Mallow AC have a special page on their website for the Mallow 10, here is the LINK.

New Year Resolutions for 2008 -
This post is mainly aimed at those of you who are new to the running scene. Looking through the recent Bandon 5 mile race results, I noticed that about one third of all runners were listed as independent. So, if there is one thing you might consider doing in 2008, then why not make a New Year's resolution to join one of the many local athletic clubs?

I can imagine that from a beginners point of view, an athletic club might seem too advanced or too serious for someone starting off or for someone who is not running so fast. The truth is that most clubs are made up of runners of all different abilities, and that they are all looking for new members.

So, why join a club?
There are probably many reasons but here are a few that I came up with...
1) Training...Many clubs organise training runs and it is a lot easier to do a long training run with someone else rather than on your own.
2) Safety.....Some people may not feel comfortable running on their own, especially in the dark.
3) Teams...In many of the local races, there are team prizes. By running with a club, you might help them win a prize. Sometimes, clubs are just short one person in a race to get them into the prizes and you could be that person.
4) Ballycotton 10 entries!!...The demand for entries for this race is so high, that the window for independent runners getting their entry forms in on time is getting shorter every year. By joining an AAI affiliated athletic club, you have a full 2 weeks to get your entry in.

Which club to join?
I am not to going to recommend any particular club, it's up to you to decide. Some clubs are slighty different from each other. Some organise training runs, some do not. Some have 50+ members, some have a lot less. Perhaps you might consider joining a club in your own area? Maybe one of the smaller clubs where you could have a larger impact because of the small numbers? Just look through some of the results on this website and see what clubs are out there. Most of them are pretty obvious as to where they are from...i.e. Bandon AC, Mallow AC, etc.
Here are some of the not so obvious ones...Eagle AC, St.Finbarr's AC, Leevale AC are based in Cork City. Rising Sun AC is based near Ballinhassig between Cork and Bandon.

So, look around the net, talk to people at the local races and decide which club suits your needs best.
No matter what your ability is, I'm sure that the local clubs would love to have you as a member.

Results of the Beaufort 10km road race - Jan 1st 2008

I normally do not cover races outside of Cork but I noticed that a good few runners from Cork made the trip down to Kerry to do this 10km race. So, here are the results...

Charles O'Shea Cup BEAUFORT '10K' Tuesday 1 January 2008. 2:00 pm
Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile
1 0:32:18 MURPHY, Cian Iveragh AC M 05:11.8
2 0:32:52 O'CALLAGHAN, Donal Riocht AC M 05:17.2
3 0:33:44 FITZGERALD, Arthur Farranfore-Maine Valley AC
4 0:34:57 BARRETT, John Gneeveguilla AC M 05:37.4
5 0:36:18 O'SHEA, Patrick Iveragh AC M55 05:50.4
6 0:36:19 O'SHEA, Michael Iveragh AC M45 05:50.6
7 0:37:28 MURPHY, Ed Gneeveguilla AC M 06:01.7
8 0:37:35 TWOMEY, Sean Gneeveguilla AC M 06:02.8
9 0:38:09 CLIFFORD, Sean Killarney M 06:08.3
10 0:38:14 O'MAHONY, Stephen Skibbereen AC M45 06:09.1
11 0:38:20 CARROLL, Denis Eagle AC M45 06:10.0
12 0:39:15 SHEAHAN, Denis Gneeveguilla AC MJ 06:18.9
13 0:39:19 BARRY, Kenneth Mallow M 06:19.5
14 0:39:23 MAHONEY, Tomas Waterford M 06:20.2 4
15 0:39:31 MURPHY, Humphrey Riocht AC M40 06:21.4
16 0:41:31 CLIFFORD, Cathal Killorglin MJ 06:40.8
17 0:42:01 FINN, Denis Duhallow AC MJ 06:45.6
18 0:42:09 MAHONEY, Maire Waterford F 06:46.9
19 0:42:20 CURRAN, Tom Killarney M 06:48.6
20 0:42:34 BURKE, Marion St. Marys AC F 06:50.9
21 0:42:48 MCMAHON, John Riocht AC M 06:53.1
22 0:43:37 MCCARTHY, Jerry Mallow AC M50 07:01.0
23 0:43:39 BENSON, Aidan Farranfore-Maine Valley AC M 07:01.4
24 0:43:55 WALSHE, John East Cork AC M55 07:03.9
25 0:44:00 HORGAN, Timothy Killarney M50 07:04.7
26 0:44:12 DENNEHY, Anthony Star Of The Laune M 07:06.7
27 0:44:15 O'SHEA, Ian Beaufort M 07:07.1
28 0:44:19 FINN, Carol Duhallow AC F 07:07.8
29 0:44:29 GALBRAITH, John Beaufort M 07:09.4
30 0:44:42 TWOMEY, Jerry Duhallow AC M50 07:11.5
31 0:44:49 MCCARTHY, Tim Killorglin M50 07:12.6
32 0:45:02 O'SHEA, Cormac Beaufort M40 07:14.7
33 0:45:09 FITZGERALD, Maura Farranfore-Maine Valley AC FJ 07:15.8
34 0:45:12 O'SHEA, Mike Duhallow AC M45 07:16.3
35 0:45:31 CAHILLANE, Sean Dingle M 07:19.4
36 0:46:35 SHINE, Donie Duhallow AC M50 07:29.7
37 0:45:44 FINN, Mary Millstreet AC F45 07:21.5
38 0:45:50 O'CONNELL, Mary Gneeveguilla AC F 07:22.4
39 0:46:13 HEALY, Brian Dunboyne AC M45 07:26.1
40 0:46:27 BRENNAN, Michael Ballincollig M45 07:28.4
41 0:46:32 BARRETT, Breeda Gneeveguilla AC F 07:29.2
42 0:46:32 LANDERS, Gary Beaufort M 07:29.2
43 0:47:25 MANGAN, Anne Star Of The Laune F45 07:37.7
44 0:47:38 CLEARY, Pat Tralee M55 07:39.8
45 0:48:23 FINN, Gayle Duhallow AC FJ 07:47.0
46 0:48:23 CUFFE, Pat Beaufort M40 07:47.0
47 0:48:27 GERAGHTY, Matthew Killorglin M 07:47.7
48 0:48:44 KENNEALLY, Sean Clonakilty M 07:50.4
49 0:50:01 DINEEN, Micheal Gneeveguilla AC M45 08:02.8
50 0:50:19 BOYD, Lina St. Finbarrs AC F40 08:05.7
51 0:50:19 COPITHORNE, Joe St. Finbarrs AC M50 08:05.7
52 0:51:45 CLIFFORD, Niamh Killorglin FJ 08:19.5
53 0:54:20 GRIFFIN, Kevin Iveragh AC M60 08:44.5
54 0:54:46 CULLINANE, Eileen Riocht AC F45 08:48.7
55 0:55:38 O'LEARY, Margaret Gneeveguilla AC F 08:57.0
56 0:59:09 BYRNE, Julie Riocht AC F50 09:31.0
57 0:59:58 GRANDFIELD, Lillian Killorglin F 09:38.9
58 1:04:14 TOHER, Mary Midleton AC F50 10:20.1
59 1:04:18 NEENAN, Willie Millstreet AC M70 10:20.7
60 1:10:14 O'SULLIVAN, Joan Gneeveguilla AC F50 11:18.0
WHEELCHAIR: FORDE, Jerry Blarney-Inniscarra AC M55 54:50
Organised by Star of the Laune AC - Happy New Year to all! Results produced by Ballycotton Running Promotions.
(.....with thanks to John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions for the above results)