Adare 10k and Dungarvan 10k Road Races on Sunday, 2nd of March 2008...
This weekend is a quiet one in Cork with no local road races. There are however, two 10 km races in the adjoining counties of Limerick and Waterford. Now, if you are doing the Ballycotton 10 on Sunday week, the last thing you should do is a hard 10 km race the week before! If however, you are not doing the Ballycotton 10 or you can control yourself ;o) and run the race at a slow pace, then you have a choice of 2 if you are prepared to travel.

Adare 10k, 2nd of March, Limerick...2pm
This race takes place in Adare which is not too far from Patrickswell and the main Cork to Limerick road. I am told that the course is a little hilly. Entry fee is €10 and there is a T-shirt for the first 200 finishers. If you want to have a look at the race flyer, the link is HERE. I don't know exactly where the race starts from but I'm sure if you arrive in Adare early, you'll see some runners warming up. I guess it might be signposted anyway.

Dungarvan 10k, 2nd of March, West Waterford...2pm
This 10 km race follows roughly the same route as the Dungarvan 10 mile road race in that it starts near the 2 mile mark and finishes around the 8 mile mark. That being the case, there should be some nice countryside running for the first 5 miles of the race. The race HQ is in the Dungarvan GAA grounds and everything will be signposted on the day. Entry is €8 and the race starts at 2pm.
(...with thanks to James Veale of West Waterford AC for the above information)

Run for Charity in the Ballycotton 10...
Everybody who is doing the Ballycotton 10 should have recieved their race packs by now. Well, if you examined the contents carefully, you will have noticed that there is a sponsorship card in there for the Cork Cancer Research Centre. I know some people consider getting sponsorship just too much hassle. They just want to do the race and leave it at that.

Well, I recieved an e-mail from Fiona in the Cork Cancer Research Centre and she supplied the information shown below. If you read through it, you'll see that this really is a deserving cause and I think we could all put in a little effort to pass that sponsorship card around to family, friends and around work to get it filled up. Any money that you collect can be passed on to them at the community hall in Ballycotton on race day. So there is no need to be getting postal orders / cheques, etc.

Have a read through this and see if you can help...

PRESS RELEASE - URGENT - BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ RUNS FOR RESEARCH:
CORK CANCER RESEARCH CENTRE DESIGNATED OFFICIAL RACE CHARITY
With only two weeks to go before the famous Ballycotton ‘10’ takes to the roads around the scenic East Cork village, this year’s designated charity, the Cork Cancer Research Centre (CCRC), is appealing to all those who have entered in the race to run on their behalf.
This year’s race takes place on Sunday, 10th March and has attracted 3,100 runners from all over Ireland as well as the UK, the USA, Germany, and Belgium. ‘At this stage the 3,100 runners who have gained entry into the race should have received their race packs,’ said a spokesperson from the CCRC. ‘Each race pack contains a sponsorship card for the Cork Cancer Research Centre and we are delighted to be chosen as the official charity for this year’s race.’
‘We were surprised to see that the entry fee (EU12) for the Ballycotton ‘10’ is one of the cheapest for a race of its kind in the country. Therefore, we would appeal to runners to possibly consider donating what they would normally pay for a race to the CCRC’.
The CCRC will have a stand in the Community Hall in Ballycotton on the day of the race (Sunday, 9th March) and sponsorship money raced for the CCRC can be handed in to the stand on the day.
Bernice Glavin will also be attending the event and selling her book ‘The Journey’ at the CCRC stand. Bernice was diagnosed with cancer in November 2005 and the book tells of her own story of her battle with cancer. There are difficult moments as well amusing moments, however the book highlights that life goes on after cancer diagnosis and can, in fact, be enhanced by the experience.
Any runners wishing to obtain extra cards can do so by contacting the Cork Cancer Research Centre on 021 463 6612.
Join the fight against cancer and make a difference today – help us to influence the future. For further information, please contact Fiona or Orla on 021 463 6612 or visit www.ccrc.ie

About the CCRC
Since 1999 the Cork Cancer Research Centre has been bringing new Cancer Prevention and Treatment initiatives to the people of Cork and Munster.
The Centre has been at the forefront of advancing cancer prevention in Cork by initiating a screening programme for patients at high risk of developing colon cancer, which it is hoped will aid in the earlier detection and possible prevention of this cancer. To date there are over 600 such patients identified and placed on the database for regular screening.
The research work carried out at the Centre since its inception has translated into three unique clinical studies, two focused on using less invasive surgery to treat inoperable cancers, and a third on the impact of diet and probiotic bacteria to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. The Drug Delivery Research team has demonstrated greatly improved treatment of cancer nodules previously unresponsive to conventional therapies and this is now been investigated for the treatment of internal cancers.
Coupled with the research to date, Cork Cancer Research Centre is focusing their efforts on the treatment of Cancer Metastases. They are excited about the recent results using Gene Therapy which show promise in using the body’s own immune system to prevent or reduce secondary spread. If we can treat or prevent secondary cancer spread then we will truly be able to positively change the prognosis of many cancer patients. This is the future of Cancer Research and CCRC is at the forefront of these developments.

Belgooly Athletic Club launch new website...
I was asked by John Copithorne of Belgooly AC some time ago to put together a website for their club. I decided to use a blog format as it will be easier for them to maintain and all the information that they requested can be displayed on it.

You can see their new website at... http://belgoolyac.blogspot.com/

Belgooly AC are a small club who concentrate on track and field events mainly for children and teenagers. They have members from both Cork City and County. They train at the CIT track in Bishopstown every Tuesday and Thursday night between 7 and 8 pm and down in Crosshaven on Wednesday nights. So, if you know of anyone in that age group who might be interested in starting athletics, you should contact John Copithorne. His details are listed on the new website.

Results of the Eagle AC 5 Mile Road Race in Carrigaline - 24th Feb 2008
There was a small bit of a mishap with the results of this one. Now, the results are actually ok but it's just that the PC that they were using crashed and the results just need to be re-entered again so no panic.

I heard after the race that the problem seemed to be down to a certain well known Eagle AC member plugging in one too many kettles. Appearently, he had bought the 'mother of all kettles' recently on e-bay, wired it up with his trusty screwdriver and plugged it in just as the results were nearly finished. Alas, there was a bang and half of Carrigaline along with the sports hall was plunged into darkness.

I'm not naming any names but a photo taken in the sports hall today would seem to suggest that this was the likely culprit....Click HERE.

Race Report...
Conditions for this race were more or less ideal. Cool and dry with only a slight wind. It has to be said that this isn't the easiest or fastest of 5 mile courses. But for anyone doing Ballycotton, it is on at the right time with just 2 weeks to go. The time you got today should give you some idea of what you might do in Ballycotton. A VERY rough guide would be to double your time today and add on about 3%.
As for the race itself, it seemed to go pretty smoothly. The club had plenty of stewards out at all of the road junctions and it was pretty safe. Someone left a comment below about the race starting late but to be honest, I didn't take a note of the start time. Someone else said that maybe somebody fell just before we left the housing estate? Hopefully, it wasn't too serious.
As for the numbers, I hear that they got around the 240 mark so that is up on last year's figure of 222. So overall (except for the Kettle incident or should we call it 'KettleGate' ;o) , the club put on a good event.
On to Ballycotton...
Photos...
John Quigley took a series of 42 photos from the race car. They are mainly of the front runners. The link to John's photos is HERE.

Pat O'Driscoll has a set of 266 photos at this LINK. Most of them are of people finishing.

Results...Click on this LINK to get to the Eagle AC results section. Select your option then.

Comments on the race...
Would anyone like to comment on the race? What did you think was good / bad / otherwise??? Just click on the Comment link underneath this post. No kettle jokes please ;o)

"Any idea why this race did not start on time ?.....HB"

"Cheers to Eagle Ac for the kick in the mouth, energy depleting race!!! It was the wake up call I needed before Ballycotton 10. The relentless hills made it ever so tough. The only thing was that I thought that the mile marker was a bit early? Another friend (better than me) thought the same. Anyway thanks for the great race and the nice spread of food after!!! Cheers...........Don O'Hanlon"

"Don...I must ask about the 1 mile mark because I was thinking the same myself!! I got there about 10 seconds quicker than I thought I should. ...and as for the food, 10 out of 10 for the Apple tart ;o).........John Desmond"

"I got a new GPS watch for xmas and it's usually pretty much bang on with distances. Yesterday it indicated the course was actually longer than 5 miles. i.e. 5 mile mark just before final turn!! It beeped for 1 mile mark about 12 yards before actual marker so i would say mile 1 was definately not short. It was a net downhill mile which might explain fast splits!?? Also to confirm there was a faller near the start but he carried on in the race so I would say no major harm done there. The course is very tough but for some reason I liked it. Overall a good race, just wonder about distance ( couldn't be the watch of course!!)....Cheers AJ"

"The first mile may seem short, but it's just a fast mile, mostly down hill. There is actually no five mile marker, the five miles is the finish line. The marker before the corner is the 400 metres to go marker (that's what was written on it)....Anonymous"

"What I meant was my GPS watch beeped for 5 miles just before the corner i.e. approx 80 metres to go...........AJ"

"Hi John. I thought the course was fine, took no notice of the first mile marker. I'm sure Eagles had the distance correct but as you said, it's a question for you to ask if you thought it was a bit short yourself. Well done to Eagles, enjoyed the run.....John Dunphy, Rising Sun AC"

"I think the first mile was probably just fast due to some downhill running in it. If anyone else wants to comment, just click on the Comments link below. I hope to have some additional info regarding the queries raised here sometime tomorrow.......John Desmond"

"Hi John, I see you have had several comments regarding the race. Eagle is committed to continually improving both the race and race safety, and also to making the entire race experience enjoyable for the competitor. This year we failed to live up to our usual standards and have learnt from the experience.
Late Start......Due, in particular, to traffic logistics relating to church services in Carrigaline, Eagle always strives to start the race precisely on time. However, this year we were late – approx. 11 minutes. A major reason for the delay was the bottleneck surrounding the toilets. There were long queues at the toilets – there are only 4 ; 2 ladies and 2 gents. It is something we have been aware of and we have considered hiring Portaloos. We’ll be considering the position again for next year’s race.
We also improved the safety & medical features surrounding the race. Part of this meant ensuring that a full contact protocol was in place for all stewards, officials, ambulance & Gardai before the race started. In the interests of safety, we were NOT going to start before we knew everything was in place. Garda and Ambulance personnel briefing – we had a special handout for them including maps, steward locations and steward and officials contact numbers - took several additional minutes just before the start.
We were also affected by the late unavailability of two key race personnel from previous years. This meant that we had to “blood” people into these positions at short notice – and they performed admirably well. The upside of this is that we now have more people experienced in key positions.
However, the consequence of all this was that I was diverted from one of my usual tasks; whistle-blowing, badgering and cajoling runners to get to the start on time. In other years we would have began with an announcement 20 mins to start and further announcements every 5 mins approx. This did not happen this year and the lesson has been learnt. If we inconvenienced anyone with the delay, please accept our apologies.
Course Measurement.....The course was measured using a Jones counter, calibrated according to AAI/IAAF procedures. I also use, for my own purposes, a Garmin Forerunner 305 and Garmin eTrex Vista while measuring, though they play no part in the official measurement.
With the proliferation of GPS devices, more and more people are questioning the accuracy of courses. This is welcome – there are still a few courses where measurement has been made by car, or even guesstimate. However the IAAF procedures do NOT permit GPS devices to be used for measurement – they are not accurate enough for measurement purposes.
I would be very disappointed if someone told me that their GPS showed me that the race was spot on. In that case, I would be pretty sure that the course was short. A properly measured course is measured along the shortest route a runner is likely to take. A Short Course Protection Factor of 0.01 is then added to ensure it still isn’t short.
A course may be longer than the stated distance but may NOT be shorter. Check out this site for details on measurement: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/certification/manual/ (As most people, including very many experienced runners, have no idea how courses are measured, I have been considering putting an article up on the Eagle website. I’ll probably get round to it in a few weeks.) I use the Forerunner just to give me a rough warning of where the miles are. The Vista is used to give me a printout of the altitude profile. (Unfortunately I didn’t get around to posting the profile on the Eagle website before the race but I will do so in the next few weeks. I have good profiles from many races in Cork and Eagle intend posting some of these at some stage – it’s on our ‘To Do’ list)
As AJ says, there is a big fall in the first mile and, in general the surface is good. Also Sunday’s starting pace appeared to be somewhat easy (fine for me to say in the lead car!) and, in the early stages, people seemed to be ‘dragged along’ by the lead group, possibly resulting in a faster than normal, for many, first mile.
I am very concerned to hear about a faller. These things happen, but I would like to hear from the faller or someone else who can tell me first-hand what happened. It may have been a simple trip or slip – the faller apparently continued the race - , but, if the cause is something we can control, we’ll see what we can do to avoid it next year.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the people who volunteered to steward or assist, the very many who have given us positive feedback and also those, including your Blog posters, who took time to raise issues or concerns....John Quigley, Chairman, Eagle AC "

"I would just like to thank John Quigley for his very detailed response to some of the issues raised here in this comment section. He obviously spent a considerable amount of time putting it together. Some of you may not be aware that John is one of the few AAI accredited measurers in the Cork region and was one of those responsible for making sure that the Cork City Marathon last year was accurate and correct.
One thing he forgot to mention however was that Eagle AC raised €460 for the local 'Meals on Wheels' charity in Carrigaline thanks to the €8 entry fee, so well done!!......John Desmond"

"Hi John. Thanks to you and John Quigley for the responses. Very interesting about the course measurement. I knew my Forerunner 305 wasn't going to be exact but I was not expecting it to be out by 80 or 100metres over 5 miles. Good to know all the same. Didn't see how the fall happened. I only saw him getting up but he definately continued on in the race. Just one of those things I'd say.Once again thanks for all the info.....AJ"

"I saw the runner fall and think it was a trip. I saw him get up with no ill effect and he didn't seem to feel too put out. I don't see it that often so it was just something that can happen from time to time. It wasn't any fault of the course or the organisers.Thanks for the info on how the race distances are set John (Quigley). It good to know how it is done and I look forward to that article that you plan to put up on the Eagle website on course setting. Maybe John (Desmond) can put a link to it on the blog when it comes out? I wasn't put out by the race starting late. There is a lot of good voluntary work goes into running these races and with the big increase in number racing, a slight delay is understandable.....Thanks again, Don"

"Hi John. Looking at all the comments and I'm thinking to myself...What the hell is all the fuss about?. Someone falls (it happens), late start, first mile a bit short, in all fairness, Eagle ac put on a great 5 miler. It was very enjoyable (glad the faller was'nt hurt) but please all remember, don't go to races expecting everything to run smoothly sometimes expect late starts. As per comment above from Eagle ac, they done all they could to ensure safety to all us runners and that's what we need to understand that the late start was to benefit the runner's to ensure that all was in place before they could start the race, remember we just turn up run the race and off we go home. The organizers have a hell of a lot on their plate to ensure safety to us runners and to ensure that we get around the course as safe as possible. Now I hope the above makes sense to all of us and makes people understand what it takes to organize these event's. Comment's are always useful and welcome to the organizer's on events and it's useful for them to plan next year's events so I'm sure they are thankful for any comment made....kind regards....John Dunphy, Rising Sun AC "

Preview of the Eagle AC 5 mile Road Race (Carrigaline) - Sun 24th Feb (11am)
This 5 mile road race takes place next Sunday, the 24th of February at 11am in Carrigaline, just South of Cork City. It is on at just the right time, exactly 2 weeks before the Ballycotton 10. This race is a good test of your fitness before the big one and you have a full 2 weeks to recover.

Directions & Parking...
See the map above. If you are coming from Cork (top of map), take the left at the 2nd roundabout as you enter the town. This is the relief road and you should see a signpost for Crosshaven. Go through the next major junction with traffic lights and take the first right into the car park.

Sign-On & Registration...
This takes place in the local community centre. It is only about 200 metres or so from the car park. Note that there is only limited car parking available near the community centre and parking on the main road is strictly forbidden. If you are going to this race, it would help a lot if you could pre-register. It would really speed up things on the day. If you go to this LINK, you can give your details there. The entry fee is €8 with €2 of this going to a local charity.

If you are still not too sure about where the community hall is, click on this LINK. Make sure the 'MAP' option is selected and you can zoom in and out to get your bearings.

The Course...
It's not the flatest of races with a few drags out along the course but nothing too bad. You start about 500 metres East of the Community Centre in a housing estate (When you come out of the community centre, turn right and follow everyone else to the start). The road is fairly wide at the start and by the time the runners reach the main road, the field should be well spread out. There is nothing special about the first 2 miles. It's pretty flat with a few tiny hills. Note that the road here is not closed so watch out for any cars.
Just before the 2 mile mark, you turn left into probably the most serious hill of the race which is about 400 metres long. It's not so bad if you take it handy. Then through 2 kinks in the road and down into the village of Shanbally. Left past the church, climb slightly and then fall downhill to the 3 mile mark, all inside the hard shoulder of the main road.
At about 3.5 miles, you turn left off the main road and then you have the next climb. It's pretty short but enough to get you into trouble if you push too hard. Then you run downhill to the 4 mile mark which is in a hollow and then climb back out at the other side. This is the 3rd real hill in the race and the least serious.
After that, nearly all of the running is flat or slightly downhill as you finish through the housing estates. After the last corner, which is a sharp left, the finish is about 70 metres away so you should see it in plenty of time.

So overall, probably not a course for getting PB's but it's not too bad either. The 11am start is a good idea. It means people can go there, do the race, go home and still have the afternoon free.

If you want to have a closer look at the course, you can find it on the MapMyRun website.

Weather forecast... (Updated Sat 3pm)
The current forecast shows a narrow cold front passing over the country late Saturday night and very early on Sunday morning. Any rain should be well gone by the start of the race. The weather conditions for the race itself should be dry with light Westerly winds. Temperature for the race will probably be around 8 deg C.

Other Info...
The race page on the Eagle AC website can be found HERE.
The flyer for the race can be seen HERE.

Results of the East Cork 3km race (No 7 of 7) - Tues 19th Feb 2008
Just 2 shy of the 100 mark turned out for this, the final race of the East Cork 3km Winter Series. Weather conditions were ideal...cool, dry and hardly any wind.
Overall, the whole series got some nice figures with about 100 entries and over per race which is is pretty good. These 3km races are an excellent way of improving your speed and fitness over the Winter months and they really seem to make the long Winter seem shorter. Those 3 weeks between races seem to fly and before you know it, you're into February and the longer evenings are just around the corner.

Full credit to East Cork AC and to Liam O'Brien in particular for putting on this 3k series. Well done lads!!
Take a bow... ;o)

Some stats... (Updated Sat 23rd Feb)
Last year (2006/7), they had 240 runners taking part in the 3k series with 11 people doing all 7 races.
This year (2007/8), they had 271 runners taking part with 8 people running in all 7 races.
The 8 on the roll of honour were...Eoin Casey (Glenbower AC), James Cleary (Whitegate), Tom Cody (Midleton AC), Batt Kearney (Leevale), Michael McCarthy (West Waterford AC), Mick Walsh (Midleton AC), Niamh Walsh (Youghal AC) and John Walshe (East Cork AC).

A complete list of the times for all 7 races can be see at this LINK.
(It may take a while to download if you don't have broadband)

So, on to the results of the final race...

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 7 19/02/08
1 Alan O'Shea Bantry AC 8.57
2 Sean McGrath East Cork AC 9.00
3 Roy Fahy East Cork AC 9.31
4 Oliver Le Gall France 9.55
5 David Muldowney Eagle AC 9.57
6 Shane Maher Grange Fermoy AC 10.11
7 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.12
8 Tim Mahony East Cork AC 10.15
9 John Desmond Eagle AC 10.22
10 Donal Broderick Midleton AC 10.23
11 David O'Dwyer East Cork AC 10.27
12 James O'Driscoll Skibbereen 10.28
13 Robert Patterson Dunmanway 10.31
14 Eoin Casey Glenbower AC 10.32
15 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 10.33
16 Brian O'Connor Grange Fermoy AC 10.37
17 Tom Cody Midleton AC 10.38
18 Denis Carroll Eagle AC 10.55
19 Frank Cashman East Cork AC 11.00
20 Edmond O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.09
21 Michael Mulcahy Knockraha 11.16
22 Alan Lane Glenbower AC 11.17
23 James Cleary Whitegate 11.18
24 Nick Parkinson East Cork AC 11.19
25 Paul Cleary Whitegate 11.21
26 Sean O'Keeffe East Cork AC 11.24
27 Dermot Murphy Togher AC 11.24
28 David O'Driscoll Dunmanway 11.25
29 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.26
30 Matthew Boenaert Cork 11.26
31 Kevin Cooney Midleton AC 11.27
32 Tom O'Brien Cork 11.30
33 James Power Whitegate 11.31
34 Terry Higgins Pfizers 11.34
35 John Dunphy Rising Sun AC 11.34
36 Matt Chojan Poland 11.35
37 Cathal McCarthy Midleton AC 11.38
38 Michelle Nolan Midleton AC 11.39
39 Donncha O'Dhonnabhain Cobh 11.40
40 Trevor Mahoney Midleton AC 11.41
41 Terri Hennessy Grange Fermoy AC 11.45
42 Paudie O'Keeffe Midleton GAA 11.45
43 Dermot O'Sullivan East Cork AC 11.46
44 Daniel Walsh Glenbower AC 11.48
45 Ken Owens Togher AC 11.50
46 Phil McGrath East Cork AC 11.53
47 Mick Walsh Midleton AC 11.59
48 Brian Healy Dunboyne 11.59
49 Don O'Hanlon Cork 12.05
50 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 12.10
51 Liam Callanan Whitechurch 12.14
52 Darren Kearney Midleton 12.23
53 Damien O'Brien Cobh 12.24
54 Trevor Collins Naas AC 12.25
55 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.26
56 Colman Quirke Midleton GAA 12.27
57 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.28
58 Dave O'Leary Midleton 12.31
59 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 12.36
60 Maggie Chojan Poland 12.37
61 Mary O'Keeffe Youghal AC 12.37
62 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 12.38
63 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.44
64 Sean Geaney Pfizers 12.45
65 Kieran Rohan Midleton AC 12.49
66 Vincent Connelly Midleton AC 12.52
67 Liam Walsh Midleton GAA 12.58
68 Damien Collins Cork 12.59
69 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs AC 13.02
70 Adrian Walsh Midleton 13.03
71 Niamh Savage East Cork AC 13.18
72 Peter O'Brien Glenbower AC 13.20
73 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 13.22
74 Mick McCarthy West Waterford 13.33
75 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 13.36
76 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 13.42
77 Maura Doherty Midleton AC 13.44
78 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 13.45
79 Padraig O'Regan Midleton 14.00
80 Denise O'Brien Midleton AC 14.00
81 Tim Geary Lisgoold 14.13
82 Carrie Higgins Carrigtwohill AC 14.16
83 Keith O'Mahony Cork 14.29
84 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.36
85 Graine Lynch Cork 14.36
86 Billy Caball Cork 14.37
87 Samatha O'Keeffe East Cork AC 15.03
88 Oonagh Mee Grange Fermoy AC 15.19
89 Olive Hallinan Cloyne 15.22
90 Jim Flynn Innishannon 15.28
91 John O'Riordan Cork 16.22
92 Dick O'Brien Castlelyons 16.26
93 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 17.10
94 Michael Zimny Poland 17.10
95 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.24
96 Daire Healy Ballycotton 17.37
97 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 18.10
98 John Cashman Midleton AC 18.16
????????????????????????????????18.26

(...with thanks to Liam O'Brien for the above results)

Preview of the East Cork 3km Road Race (No. 7 of 7) - Tues 19th Jan (7:30pm)

The 7th and final race in the series takes place in Midleton on Tuesday, the 19th of February at 7:30 pm. The current weather forecast is that it will be cool but dry on Tuesday. With the fine weather, they should easily break the 100 mark again. If you have never done any of these races, why not consider doing the last one? It only costs €3 and if you like it, you can return to do the complete series next Winter. A 3km race is over pretty fast and you'll be heading home before you know it.

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 County Road Championships - Sun 17th Feb 2008
This was a race that I did not preview because it was inter-club only and was a closed race as such (i.e. not open to everyone). If anyone is looking for the results, there are now up on the Cork AAI website. Looks like Grange-Fermoy AC, Eagle AC, Midleton AC and Youghal AC came away with all the team honours ;o)

"Sean McGrath of East cork won the novice mens race with Grange Fermoy winning the inter club competition....
Host club Eagle Athletic club had a double in the master mens race winning both the over 35 and over 50 inter club competition. Rhona Lynch of Eagle Athletic Club won the novice womens race with Youghal Athletic Club winning the novice inter club title for the first time. Carmel Crowley of Bandon won the master womens race with Midleton Athletic Club winning the master womens inter club title for the first time....Cork AAI website"

......and Pat T, the cup of coffee was lovely...thanks ;o)

Photos...
There are a set of 123 photos up on the Eagle AC website. Click HERE.

Training for the Cork City Marathon - 2nd of June 2008
If you look around the Internet, you will notice that many training schedules for running a Marathon are 16 weeks long. Well, it just so happens that last Monday, the 11th of February was exactly 16 weeks away from the date of the 2008 Cork City Marathon on the 2nd of June. So, it might be a good time to start looking at schedules.

There are many different ones out there but most of them involve doing long slow runs with a certain amount of fast running as well. They vary from the just get around type to those ones where people are trying to beat a specific time.

If you are interested in doing the Marathon and you have only just started running, then perhaps you should select the just get around option. Running 26 miles is no joke and you really need to be prepared for it. In my own opinion, your target for your first Marathon should be to just finish it. You can worry about targets for your 2nd or 3rd one.

The Runners World website in the UK is a mine of info for runners and they have a selection of training programmes available. Click on this LINK to see them.

Entries for the Cork City Marathon are now open although you still have a few weeks before you need to send it in. The link for their website is HERE. While you can hold off on your entry for a bit, you cannot put off the training and you really need to start now. Just remember the golden rule....increase your weekly milage by at most 10% per week. Doing too much too soon is a sure way of getting injured. Build it up slowly and you'll be fine for Cork.

So, 16 weeks and counting...

Cork BHAA Safety Statement....Feb 2008
The following is a safety statement that was released by the Cork Business House Athletic Association in Feb 2008....

Health & Safety Issues : As you are all aware, the numbers taking part in Cork BHAA races has increased significantly over the past few years.The Committee of Cork BHAA are concerned about the health and safety of all participants in our races and other users of the public roads on which our events take place. In light of this we are taking a couple of measures to improve the safety aspect of our events.

Emergency Telephone Number : The race bibs in all future events will have an emergency telephone number printed on them.If during a race you become aware of a participant (or a spectator) in trouble due to illness, accident etc. please ring this number.This may entail flagging down a motorist to use their mobile phone, knocking on the door of a nearby house etc. The person answering the dedicated emergency number will ensure that help is sent immediately to the scene of the emergency.


Headphones : From now on participants in Cork BHAA events will not be permitted to use headphones during races.Our insurers point out that runners listening to music etc. are not giving full attention to the conditions around them and may be a source of danger to themselves and to others. With big numbers starting races and runners in close proximity to one another during races it is essential that participants' attention to their surroundings is not unduly distracted. Most of our races take place on open roads, many of which have heavy vehicular traffic, and we feel that this measure has now become necessary.We hope that these measures will be seen by those taking part in our events as a positive step to ensure the safety of all and we anticipateyour full co-operation....Cork BHAA Committee

This safety statement was released by the Cork BHAA in Feb 2008...

Running in Cork blog nominated for Irish Blog Award...
I came across this about 2 weeks ago when I noticed that this blog had somehow got nominated for Best Blog in the Sports and Recreation section along with 21 others. I didn't mention anything at the time because things were kind of busy on the blog with the Dungarvan 10 and the Cork BHAA 5 km races.

Well, it looks like the first round of judging is over and this blog is now on the shortlist of 11. I can see visitors coming here from the awards website so perhaps we might get a few more converts!!


Looking at the the number of hits that this blogs is getting, it just keeps going up! It seemed to have reached a plateau back at the end of 2007 with around 2,200 to 2,400 hits per month. I thought at the time that maybe I had reached the saturation point with regard to the level of interest in running in Cork? However, along came January and the blog hit a new record of 4,452 hits for the month. Here we are halfways through February and it looks like it will be as busy again.

At a recent race with a record crowd, someone asked me... ' Are you responsible for this? '...as a joke ;o) Is it a coincidence that as the blog traffic grows, so do the numbers attending the local races? Or is it the blog traffic gets bigger because there are more people at the races!! (Kind of a chicken or egg question...which came first ;o)
Looking back at some of the race numbers for the BHAA races, here are the figures for % changes on the previous years...
Little Island 4 mile...2006 = +17%, 2007 = +13%, 2008 = +29%
Feb 5 km...2006 = -6%, 2007 = +16%, 2008 = +31%

All we can be really sure of, is that in 2008, we are getting a big jump up in numbers participating in the local races. I guess we'll never know for sure what the exact reason is. The main thing is that it is going in the right direction and that can only be good for the sport.

Comments...
"Congratulations John. The blog is going from strength to strength. Your stats will keep going up, as you are improving your output each month. I think the regular updates (weather, numbers etc) on upcoming races are a real plus. Personally I think you deserve some credit for the increase in runners at each race. Your information is very useful, and probably helps some people to get to a race they might otherwise not do. Well done again, and keep up the good work. Where can we vote for you?...Rich"

"Rich...As far as I know, it's a panel of judges rather than a public vote that decides who wins...John Desmond"

Entries for the 2008 Ballycotton 10 mile road race...
The full list of those entered for this year's Ballycotton 10 mile road race is now up on the Ballycotton website. The link is HERE. For anyone new to the running scene here in Cork, entries for this race closed back in December.
The race is on the 9th of March and I'll do a preview of it here on this blog the week before it. Just under 4 weeks to go..!!

Perhap's there is just one thing you might consider over the next few weeks....car pooling! Parking is always a problem at the Ballycotton 10 and the fewer cars that turn up, the better. Maybe you could have a chat with some of the other runners at the races coming up and see if you could share a car. Just keep it in mind...

Comments recieved...
"John, I believe that in past years, the organisers have provided a shuttle bus from Kent Station to Ballycotton on the morning of the run for runners arriving by train, and a shuttle bus back to the station post-race. Do you know if they will be doing this again this year?....Thanks RH"

"From what I understand, they will provide this service for one of the trains coming from Dublin. Note that there will be plenty of additional information published in the race programme that will be posted to all runners and there will also be a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section on the Ballycotton website well before the race....John Desmond"

"John....Another idea is to bring a bike with you, park in designated car park areas, and cycle over to the start. This will give you a nice little warm up before the race, and a warm down afterwards. I know that waiting around for a bus before, and especially after the race, can be a bit miserable, even more so if it is cold and wet (which, even in sunny Ballycotton, can happen!!)....Rich"

"Rich... I passed on your idea about the bikes and maybe having a special area set aside for parking them at the race. I think they would welcome any idea which will take some of the pressure off the shuttle buses.
I also hear that the race booklet is going to the printers this week and should be posted out along with the race numbers in the next 2 weeks or so.....John Desmond"

Results of the Cork BHAA 'ESB' 5 km race - 10th Feb 2008 (Updated Tues 12th...9pm)
There was a fine turnout of over 300 runners for this race in Mahon. This is a big jump up from last year's figure of 239 so it seems as if it was another record entry for a local race. Conditions were ideal...dry, cool with a light South-Easterly wind, exactly as predicted. The course was slightly changed from last years one. By using the entrance to the new car park by Blackrock Castle, the BHAA were able to eliminate the corner at the start and that very sharp dangerous bend by the start of the walkway. A nice improvement!! This year, the race was started by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Donal Counihan and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD.

In fairness to the Cork BHAA, you would easily know that they have been at this for years...a fine big hall, clearly marked registered and non-registered queue's, loads of stewards, a nice long chute at the end to seperate the finishers from the finishing runners and loads of refreshments. They're like a well oiled machine!
So overall, another very well organised race by the Cork BHAA.

Anyone who entered this race will have noticed that they had a special emergency number stamped on their bib. At first, you'd think..."but, none of us have phones when we're running!!" ...(Well, most of us anyway ;o) . But of course, there are plenty of spectators out along any course and having an emergency number to contact is an excellent idea.
At many races, the first aid facilites are near the start or finish of the race. There was an incident last year, in Limerick I believe, where someone collapsed and died out along the course. There are an increasing number of race officials doing CPR and Defibrillator courses and it makes sense that they should be on hand as soon as possible in case something happens. Perhaps the organisers of other local races could take note of this excellent idea.

Anyway, waffle over, here are the category results...

Men :
1 S McGrath (McGrath Landscaping) 15:45; 2 W Sosnowski (temp-reg) 15:49; 3 J Grufferty (Bio-Pharma) 16:15; 4 R Fahy (Bio-Pharma) 16:16; 5 C O’Donovan (O’Donovan) 16:21; 6 G Murray (Murray Coaches) 16:30; 7 O LeGaul (temp-reg) 16:54; 8 M Dunne (Garda) 16:57; 9 S Simcox (Workout Express) 17:01.
M40: 1 N O’Regan (Army) 17:33; 2 J Desmond (Hormann Elec) 17:46; 3 L Cotter (Kerry Foods) 17:58.
M45: 1 S By (Dairypower) 18:03; 2 D Carroll (Blarney Woolen Mills) 18:23; 3 S Cahill (IPS) 19:53.
M50: 1 M Murphy (Novartis) 17:27; 2 J Collins (Team adidas) 17:30; 3 W O’Riordan (Army) 19:21.
M55: 1 T Huff (Team adidas) 18:55; 2 D Cotter (Cork Painters) 20:32; 3 P Gyves (ITW Hi-Cone) 20:43.
M60: 1 J Murray (HSE) 23:21; 2 S Cotter (ESB) 23:21.
M65: 1 J O’Leary (Bookdeal) 23:04; 2 G Webb (Plant Hire) 23:24.
Team:
(Grade A) 1 Joyce Wolfe 55; 2 EMC 150; 3 Pfizer-Little Island 150.
(Grade B) 1 Army 73; 2 Proscon 81; 3 Phoenix Clinic 91.
(Grade C) 1 Cork Co Co 131; 2 An Post/Eircom 154; 3 RPS 173.
Women:
1 A Cooke (UCC) 18:35; 2 M Sheehan (Carraig Court, F50) 19:32; 3 J Vonhatten (temp-reg) 19:47; 4 F Kirwan (Sensory Labs, F40) 19:51; 5 M Nolan (Midleton News, F35) 20:01; 6 G O’Shea (Cork Co Co, F35) 20:34.
F40: 2 H Keleher (HSE) 20:51.
F45: 1 A Murphy (UCC) 22:04; 2 R Kelly (BoI).
F50: 1 M Lyons (Flextronics-Core) 25:00.
F55: 1 M Barry (Midleton News).
Team:
(Grade A) 1 Sensory Labs 12; 2 UCC 15; 3 Midleton News 18.
(Grade B) 1 Cork Co Co 22; 2 BoI 24; 3 Midleton News 35.
(....with thanks to John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions for providing these)

Click on this link for the full results.

Photos...

Pat O'Driscoll of Eagle AC was out and about with his camera at the race and took some fine shots near the finish line. They are now up on the Eagle AC website.

The Cork BHAA have a few shots up on their website as well. The link is HERE.

Comments recieved...

"Hi John, Just out of curiosity, can you explain how the points system works for men's and ladies' teams in the BHAA races? What do the different grades mean and how are the points calculated? Great site by the way! Super source of info!...Anonymous"

"I had to laugh when I saw your question because I tried myself to work it out before and I gave up after trying loads of combinations! As far as I know, once you do a race, you are given a handicap or grade depending on what your time was...a bit like Golf ;o) The faster you are, the lower your handicap. They add up the handicaps of the 3 people in say the mens team and that determines what group you are in..A, B or C. I have no idea though as to exactly how they calculate the scores after each race. I'll try to get a better description...I'm sure others would be curious as well...John Desmond"

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'ESB' 5 km race in Mahon - Sun 10th Feb 2008 (11am)

This is the 2nd road race of the year in the Cork BHAA calendar. There is a 2 month gap until the next BHAA race in early April so if you are a regular at the BHAA events, this is one to do. So, lets have a look at it in more detail.

Registration...

This is in the Mahon Community centre, shown as a X on the map. It's very easy to find. If you are travelling down into Mahon on the Skehard road, just turn left at the church and the Community centre is in about 300 metres on the left. To get your bearings, click on this LINK. Use the + and - to zoom IN and OUT and try MAP and SATELLITE to get a clearer view.

Course...

It's a short run of few hundred metres down to the start. See the map above. The race starts on a sharp corner...in other words, you start, run about 20 metres and then you need to take a sharp left with everyone else. It can be a bit chaotic here but once you're around, you have about 500 metres of straight running as the field begins to thin out. Then you need to follow the stewards instructions and veer off right into the car park and accross it. Now you need to be careful. Just as you get onto the walkway, you need to take a very sharp right. It's not so easy when the runners are still bunched, running fast and then have to brake and change direction. I saw one person nearly going down here last year as he tried to take a short cut on the wet grass and found it hard to stop.

Once you get onto the walkway, you are on the nicest part of the route. You are running on a smooth tarmac surface along the water's edge with scenic views over the inner harbour. It's pretty straight and dead flat for the next 1.5 miles.

Just one word of caution here. This walkway is not closed off for the race. It is a very popular amenity with plenty of people out walking with their kid's and dog's. Just keep it in mind.

After the 2 mile mark, you are heading back past the large radio mast on your right. You run accross the weir, up a small ramp and then out and right onto another walkway. Here's the tough part. You need to run up and over the pedistrian bridge that goes over the South link road. It's probably a good 50 metres of uphill running and more than enough to leave you panting. The bridge is wide enough for about 2 people so if there are walkers there, runners will need to run in single file.

Once you run down the other side of the bridge, you have a flat and dead straight run into the finish. The thing to remember here is that the finish is just beyond the tunnel under the main road. Once you see it, you know you're almost there.

Apres Race...

That tunnel you just ran through was in fact under the Skehard road. To get back to the Community centre, just follow the road down and turn left at the church, a jog of about 1 km.

If you want a closer look at the course, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website. I plotted the course in the SATELLITE view so it should be the more accurate option to look at.

Overall...

A flat and fast course with one blip. The sections by the water are scenic and the path surface is good. Just watch out for those walkers!

Weather Forecast...

(Fri 8am) The current forecast is that it will be dry and settled. Temp will be about 10 deg C. A light South-Easterly is forecast which might be an issue around the 1 mile mark where the path is exposed to the harbour but it probably won't be too strong.

Extra...

I have added a link to some more photos from the Little Island race on the BHAA website. Look back a few posts and you'll see the Results for the Little Island race.

Ballycotton 10 entries for 2008...
Up to now, the first 2,400 entries for this years Ballycotton 10 have been up on the Ballycotton website. Well, I have just heard on the grapevine that the complete list of entries will be published in a few days time, possibly over next weekend. This list will contain the original 2,400 runners as well as all of the eligible club, summer series and overseas runners who got their entries in on time.

The Ballycotton 10 is on the 9th of March, only 4 weeks from next Sunday. The entry pack with the numbers will be posted out in about 2 weeks time.

For any new people looking at this post, this 10 mile road race is pre-entry only and the entry quota was filled back in early December last year.

New Poll on the Dungarvan 10 mile road race...
Considering that I ran a poll on the blog for the Mallow race, I asked the guy's in West Waterford AC if there was any question that they would like to ask in a poll for their race. The question that they wanted an answer to was whether people thought the race was value for money. So, here is the question that I put together...

" This year for the Dungarvan 10, they gave a goody bag, special T-shirt and a very nice glass momento out at the race. Do you think the entry fee was worth it? "

You can select Yes, it was worth it ...OR... No, it was not worth it

The poll is over on the right hand side of this page so give them some feedback and get clicking!

Results of the Mallow 10 poll...
Thanks to everyone who took time to vote in this poll. With 113 votes, it was the largest poll so far on this blog.
The question asked was whether people would prefer a T-shirt for doing the race or be entered in a draw for 2 widescreen TV's. Approx 57% chose the T-shirt option with the balance of 43% choosing the TV draw option. Not a huge majority but a slight preference all the same.

I assume that some may have selected the T-shirt for a number of reasons. Maybe they had a widescreen TV already? Maybe they preferred to have got something instead of a 1:250 chance of getting a prize? If there were more prizes of a smaller value, would the result have changed? Anyway, I have passed on the poll results to Mallow AC and they can use it to plan next year's race.

Results of the Dungarvan 10 Mile Road Race - Sun 3rd Feb 2008
Looks like the weather forecast was spot on for this one with an awful wet morning followed by some dry clear cold weather. The race started in dry conditions and the weather was probably ideal for a 10 mile race.
Things were a bit chaotic at the registration with a queue going way out the door and some runners not getting their goody bags and t-shirt. Perhaps they would have been better off giving out these at the finish line as they had advertised on the entry form. It seems a pity considering they were charging €20 to enter on the day. (It was only €10 for the Mallow 10 race).
Just 2 shy of 700 runners turned out for this race, about 35% up on last years figure of 516. Yet again, another record crowd at a race. It would make you wonder what kind of crowd would the Ballycotton 10 race get if they didn't have to restrict the numbers due to safety reasons. As for todays race, the West Waterford guys had plenty of stewards out along the course so it was very safe at all of the road junctions. Due to the wet morning, there was a lot of suface water but nothing too serious. I did however hear of 1 runner who came a cropper after standing on some loose stones out along the course. Maybe that is something that could be checked for the day before next year?
Anyway, enough waffle! ...onto the results.

The link for the results is HERE.

The Category Results are shown below... (Note. Prizes were for the 1st 6 men, 1st two O40, O45, O50, O55, 1st O60 & O65) (1st 4 women, 1st two O35, O40, O45, O50, 1st O55 & O60)

DUNPHY INSURANCES VIVAS HEALTH/DUNGARVAN 10-mile Road Race, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
MEN
1 Sergiu Turea (Clonliffe Harriers) 50:18; 2 Ryan Montgomery (Raheny Shamrocks) 54:22; 3 Donal O’Callaghan (Riocht) 54:23; 4 Gerard Guina (West Limerick) 54:25; 5 Con Marshall (St Finbarrs) 55:14; 6 Martin Doody (Limerick) 55:16; 7 Cathal O’Connell (St Finbars, 1st M40) 55:23; 8 S Mullaney (Moycarley-Coolcroo) 55:27; 9 C Conroy (Sli Culainn) 56:01; 10 P Cody (KCH) 56:05.
M40: 2 P O’Sullivan (Carrick) 57:54; 3 Noel O’Regan (Midleton) 59:10.
M45: 1 M McCarthy (West Waterford) 58:57; 2 Joe O’Sullivan (Bandon) 60:14; 3 L Kennedy (Waterford) 60:42. M50: 1 L Lacey (St Josephs) 59:00; 2 G Cantwell (West Waterford) 61:39; 3 PJ Dwyer (St Senans) 62:33.
M55: 1 Pat Twomey (Eagle) 63:04; 2 Maurice Tobin (Grange-Fermoy) 64:38; 3
M60: 1 P O’Brien (unatt) 76:24.
M65: 1 P Doran (Limerick) 79:59.
Mens Teams
1st - West Waterford AC (Raivis Zakis 13, Sean Stilwell 16, Padraig Healy 20) 49 pts
2nd - Eagle AC (Declan O'Shea 33, Ciaran Dunne 38, John Desmond 62) 133 pts
3rd - West Waterford AC (Philip Harty 34, Trevor Mason 50, Pat O'Riordan 52) 136 pts

Women
1 M-M Meade (North Belfast) 58:59; 2 P Curley (Tullamore, F35) 59:02; 3 M Dorney (Thurles Crokes) 62:35; 4 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarrs, F45) 63:46; 5 T Roche (Dooneen) 63:55; 6 L O’Connor (Eagle) 64:28; 7 T Guilfoyle (Kilnaboy, 1st F40) 65:20; 8 A McCann (Clonmel) 65:26; 9 A Walsh (St Senans) 65:29.
F35: 1 D Behan (West Waterford) 65:09; 2 K O’Callaghan (Sportsworld) 66:27.
F40: 2 Angela McEcoy (St Finbarrs) 69:14.
F50: 1 Mary Sheehan (Grange-Fermoy) 68:05; 2 A Fitzgerald (Waterford) 69:57.
F55: 1 M Barry (Midleton) 86:05.
F60: 1 Maggie Dunne (Grange-Fermoy) 84:52.
Womens Team
1st - West Waterford AC (Brea Cooke 153, Mary Burke 179, Sylvia Malone 226) 558 pts.
And they're off...all 698 of them!!

Comments on the race...
"All comments welcome good or bad. We had 700 goodie bags and t shirts with two goodie bags and two t shirt left over after regristration, John don't know what happened but you seem to be the only runner who got no T shirt or goodie bag. You also forgot to mention the glass gift to all participants who finished the race. I would have considered the runners got very good value in Dungarvan for their 15 euro, especially those who pre regristered.We gave out the goodie bags and t shirts before the race due to the bad weather conditions,which as you said later thankfully cleared up....James Veale, West Waterford AC "

"James...I hope I didn't sound too critical of the race but I was told by some of the race officials by the finish after the race that anyone who arrived late didn't get anything. €15 is fine but in my own personal opinion, €20 on the day is a bit much when you consider that the entry fee for the very successful 'Mallow 10' was only €10 and only €12.50 for the Ballycotton 10. Overall though, I thought it was a very good race, nice course, well organised (with a few blips!!) and I'm sure we'll all be back to help you break that 700 mark next year.....John Desmond"

"Great race. I made the trip down from Dublin on the day and was not disappointed. I thought that the organisation was superb, the marshalling on the course was faultless. Granted, I had pre-registered, so avoided having to queue up to collect number and goodie-bag. €15 entry fee was good value in my opinion, and I will likely return next year. Well done to the organising team at West Waterford!...anonymous "

"I thought it was a great event really well organised and the glass gift is a lovely reminder of the day. The atmosphere and comraderie was great in spite of the bitter cold. The marshalls support en route was much appreciated. Had to elbow my way through supporters and some runners on their cool down jog to get to the finishing line which was a bit frustrating, but apart from that, was really impressed. Thanks to all involved for the obvious effort that went into the day...anonymous"

"The race was excellent, really enjoyed it and will be back again. Excellent web site .... Victor"

"It would be hard to find fault with this race. My experience of West Waterford AC is that they are a club that do their best to ensure their events go as well as possible. Runners also have a responsibility to ensure they arrive in plenty of time before races, given the increasing numbers races are now attracting. As runners, we should recognise that in a way we have the easier task. We arrive, run the race, drink tea and head home...HB"

"John, firstly - well done on the blog, it has become my first point of reference for running news around Cork! Second - I think that the race organisation on Sunday was fantastic when you take account of the dramatic increase in numbers participating. There was a late arrival of runners and yet we were off withun five minutes of the published start time. I know of no-one who had a bad word to say on the event, the hot drink after and the weather management, well done West Waterford! ....Eamonn"

"Thanks to all at West Waterford AC. Great day out, fantastic turn out. I struggled to cross the finishing line with so many people in the way, but fair play to the stewards, they were shouting their heads off to get people out of the way. It was understandable as I almost finished last. People probably thought it was all over before I came around the bend. Bring on Ballycotton, looking forward to this one...John Dunphy, Rising Sun AC"

"I thought the race was very well organised. I didn't have a problem with queues or lack of goodie bags bags, having pre-registered. Anybody who has been running long enough, should know well enough at this stage to turn up early for events!! The course marshalling was excellent with sufficient water stops. The gift at the end was a very nice suprise! The run in to the finish line could have been managed a little better, maybe by actually taping off the last 100 meters, after you round the corner. I'm not sure if this is possible but it would have made it a little easier for runners and spectators alike. All in all, a great day and well worth €15....anonymous"

"In response to this last comment, the problems that I saw happened 30 minutes before the start of the race and the person who was last to enter should be treated the exact same as the first person through the door...John Desmond"

"As one of the people to turn up on the day having not pre-registered, I must say that I thought the whole day was very well organised. The queue was quickly dealt with and I thought the €20 was good value for money. The glass momento was a very nice touch. All in all, a great day. The one suggestion I would have is taping off the finishing area more. I stayed on to cheer others to the finish after I was done but I noticed a lot of people walking across the finishing area. As someone said previously, we should respect those who come in last as much as those in first. Otherwise great day and thanks to West Waterford AC for the hospitality....Terry H."

"Lovely run. They said it was a fast course and I have to agree. Blessed with the weather considering the weekend that had preceded it. The only problem I saw was the parking which in fairness wasn't that bad. Did they make the numbers out of old bullet proof vests?.....Dave H."

Anymore comments on the race...???

Other Reviews...
There is another review of this race up on the Eagle AC website.