Entries for the 2009 Ballycotton 10 mile road race ..... (Updated 1st Dec 10:00pm)

This is it, the waiting is over.....the entry forms for the 2009 Ballycotton 10 are out Monday, the 1st of December.

Updates.......

10:30am.....A sheet outlining what needs to be done when you are entering is now up on the Ballycotton website. By the way, the entry fee is €15 this year so at least you can get part out of the way...ie. Get a postal order before you get the form.

10:00pm.....The entry forms are now online. Click HERE.

Quick recap on Entry Conditions.....

a) The first 2,500 forms that they recieve by post will have automatic entry.

b) Anyone who is a member of a running club (must be AAI registered) OR anyone who did one of the Ballycotton Summer Series 5 mile road races in 2008 (Ballyandreen/Shanagarry/Churchtown South/Ballycotton) have until the 16th of December to enter.

c) Overseas entrants have until the 8th of January to enter.

So basically, if you are not a club runner, you didn't do any of the 2008 Summer series races and you're not an overseas entrant, then you really need to enter ASAP.

For more details, look at my earlier post.

Next......Sequence of Events...

1) Some people will have sent off a SAE for an entry form during November. These should be posted before the weekend and they should arrive to everyone by post on Monday morning (1st Dec), at worst Tuesday morning (2nd Dec). Anyone who took this option should post the entry form back the same day.

2) The entry forms will be distributed to John Buckley Sports (Cork) and Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops (Ballycotton/Shanagarry) on the afternoon of Monday, the 1st of December.

3) An entry form will be put up on the Ballycotton website on the evening of the same day, Monday the 1st of December. I'll put a link up here on this blog to the entry form as well that evening/night.

4) If you qualify under the entry conditions b) and c) above, then you can take your time and just make sure you get your entry back before the dates shown. If however, you do not meet any of these entry conditions, you must make sure that your entry is one of the first 2,500 accepted. You really should post your entry as soon as possible. Don't wait for the weekend or the following week!! If you post it on the Tuesday, you should get in ok. Wait any longer....then, who knows!

Tips on Entering.....(This is based on advice recieved from John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions)....This is especially relevant to those of you who don't take the time to read forms!!

Once you get the entry form, take your time and follow the following instructions...

(1) Read the form!! ....especially where to post to, the actual fee, who to make the cheques out to,

(2) Remember your year of birth (surprising the number of people who put down 2008!).

(3) No need for SAE with entry.

(4) Detach the section on the right-hand side, no need to send back the whole form. You'll be amazed to hear that the organisers actually know all the entry conditions already. They don't need you sending back the full form to remind them.

(5) Not to staple cheque to form! John makes the following point..."The last two points may seem trivial but when you are going through 3,000 forms it can be time consuming. Also, it might be no harm to inform the new people to running that we are entirely a voluntary organisation and don't have a full-time staff to deal with matters! "

Just two final points...

1) The Ballycotton 10 will take place on Sunday, the 8th of March 2009.

2) It is the 3rd race of the 4 in the Munster 10 mile Spring Classic series (more details next week). So, if you want to complete the series, you have to enter Ballycotton now.

So, that's it. Get ready for Monday and good luck!!

Looking ahead to next weekend...Sat 29th Nov to Mon 1st Dec

There are 3 main events coming up over the next few days...

1) For anyone prepared to travel, there is a 10km fun run in Killorglin, Co.Kerry on Saturday morning, the 29th of November. More details on the Running in Munster website.

2) The Munster Masters Cross Country will be held in Killeagh in East Cork on Sunday afternoon (~1:30pm), the 30th of November. Entries are pre-entry only.

3) ........and of course, unless you've been in a coma for the last month, you'll know that the entry forms for the 2009 Ballycotton 10 mile road race are out next Monday, the 1st of December!! I'll go into that in more detail tomorrow.

Results of the Eact Cork AC '3k Winter Series' road race (No.3 of 7) - Tues 25th Nov 2008

Conditions for this race were perfect....nice and cool, dry and little or no wind. Just under 130 turned out for this one, a fraction less than the last one. Next race is in 3 weeks time on the 16th of December.

Results...
East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 3 25/11/08
1 James McCarthy East Cork AC 9.08
2 Sean McGrath East Cork AC 9.29
3 Brian Hegarty East Cork AC 9.43
4 Paudie Healy CIT 9.46
5 James O'Driscoll CIT 9.47
6 Alan O'Reilly CIT 9.52
7 Wesley McNamara St Finbarrs AC 9.53
8 Frank Hayes East Cork AC 9.55
9 Dave Muldowney Eagle AC 10.13
10 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.34
11 Emmet Hennessy Midleton AC 10.51
12 Donal Broderick Midleton AC 10.55
13 John Desmond Eagle AC 10.56
14 Cathal McCarthy Midleton AC 10.59
15 Frank Cashman East Cork AC 11.00
16 Denis O'Carroll Eagle AC 11.01
17 Michael Mulcahy Knockraha 11.08
18 John Dunphy Midleton AC 11.13
19 Tom Cody Midleton AC 11.16
20 Paul Hegarty Cork 11.21
21 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.24
22 Paul Cleary Whitegate 11.26
23 Justin Costigan Midleton 11.29
24 David O'Dwyer East Cork AC 11.33
25 Kevin McSweeney Midleton GAA 11.36
26 Michael Murphy Midleton AC 11.38
27 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.40
28 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 11.41
29 Sean Hennessy Midleton GAA 11.41
30 Philip O'Brien Cork 11.45
31 John O'Connell Midleton 11.47
32 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 11.50
33 Coran Swayne Midleton GAA 11.51
34 Kevin Geary Ladysbridge 11.53
35 James Power Whitegate 11.54
36 Tim Joe Buckley Donoughmore AC 11.57
37 Ken Owens Togher AC 12.03
38 Lesley Coughlan Midleton CBS 12.06
39 Peter Stanley Carrigaline 12.07
40 John O'Riordan Rising Sun AC 12.09
41 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.10
42 Neilus Ahern Midleton AC 12.11
43 Kevin Dunne Ballinacurra 12.11
44 Ned Ramsell Midleton AC 12.13
45 Ann Geary Lisgoold 12.14
46 Sean Kerins Tralee 12.16
47 Rick Prendergast Castlemartyr 12.16
48 Dan Horgan Midleton AC 12.17
49 Eoghan Cotter Whitegate 12.18
50 Michael O'Hanrahan Midleton AC 12.18
51 John Twomey Donoughmore AC 12.19
52 Dean Wilson Midleton 12.20
53 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.22
54 Marc Dalton Midleton AC 12.24
55 Trevor Collins Naas 12.26
56 Liam Walsh Midleton GAA 12.28
57 Kevin Maybury CIT 12.29
58 Mark Ryan Midleton 12.31
59 James McCarthy Cork 12.32
60 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 12.33
61 Mark Walsh Midleton AC 12.37
62 Karen Kenny Grange Fermoy AC 12.43
63 Paul Hourihan East Cork AC 12.44
64 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 12.47
65 Roy Collins Tipperary 12.54
66 John Cotter Cobh 12.55
67 Don O'Hanlon Midleton 12.57
68 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.59
69 Hugh O'Donnell Midleton CBS 13.04
70 Colman Quirke Midleton GAA 13.05
71 Caroline Geary Midleton AC 13.14
72 Mary Histon de Barra Rising Sun AC 13.14
73 Tom O'Neill FMRC 13.18
74 Andy Fitzsimmons Carrigtwohill 13.21
75 Oisin Cotter Midleton GAA 13.22
76 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 13.27
77 Marie Murphy Youghal AC 13.31
78 Mick McCarthy Waterford 13.34
79 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs AC 13.43
80 John Fennell West Waterford AC 13.45

81 Noel Meade East Cork AC 13.46

82 Helen O'Shea CIT 13.49
83 Philip O'Mahony Midleton 13.51
84 Matt Geraghty Cloyne 13.52
85 Rebecca McEvoy Belgooly AC 13.54
86 Eamonn McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 13.55
87 Eibhlin Cleary East Cork AC 14.00
88 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 14.05
89 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 14.17
90 Catherine Sheridan Midleton 14.19
91 Elaine Hennessy Midleton AC 14.34
92 Carrie Higgins Midleton AC 14.35
93 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 14.39
94 Willie O'Mahony Midleton AC 14.41
95 Jim Curtin East Cork AC 14.42
96 Rowan Le Mere Ballinacurra 14.43
97 Pat Meaney Cork 14.48
98 Catriona Reilly Ballymacoda 14.49
99 Vincent Murray Midleton 14.58
100 Marty McCarthy Glanmire 15.01
101 Rose Barrett Midleton AC 15.14
102 Niamh Fleming Grange Fermoy AC 15.34
103 Mary B Walsh Midleton AC 15.34
104 Billy Caball Cork 15.35
105 Karina Erangey Whitegate 15.37
106 Trish Murphy Midleton 15.41
107 Olive Hallahan Cloyne 15.44
108 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 15.47
109 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 15.48
110 John Cashman Midleton AC 15.49
111 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 16.04
112 Aishling Riordan Ballymacoda 16.10
113 Tim Geary Lisgoold 16.14
114 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 16.56
115 Geraldine O'Donovan Cork 16.57
116 Ann Thornborrow Whitegate 17.01
117 Rachel Quaide Midleton 17.03
118 Clare O'Leary Midleton AC 17.23
119 Fionnain O'hAodha Cork 17.26
120 Mary Toher Midleton AC 18.01
121 Hubert Crowe Tipperary 18.23
122 Sean Kerins (again!) Tralee 18.44
123 Tara Murphy Midleton 18.57
124 Daire Healy Ballycotton 19.04
125 Brian Healy Midleton AC 19.06
126 Conor Le Mere Ballinacurra 21.48
127 Colm Egan Midleton AC 21.49

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

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Murphy Memorial' Inniscarra 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 23rd Nov 2008

That was one tough course! I remember that when we on the 1st hill after the start, I could hear someone on a PA system in the lead car saying 'It levels out after the next corner'. Sure enough, the corner came, the road levelled off and I thought 'That wasn't so bad'. I had forgotten though that a few corners later, it goes up again! Looking at a map, there is around 90 metres of ascent in this race which over 4 miles is a fair bit.

Yet for as hard as it was, it must be one of the nicest courses on the Cork BHAA calendar. Nice quiet country roads with no traffic.....a perfect location for a road race.

As always, this was another well organised race by the Cork BHAA. Somewhere in the region of 258 took part which is slightly up on last years figure of 249.

Results.......The full results are available HERE.

Here are the category results....

MURPHY MEMORIAL INNISCARRA COMMUNITY CENTRE 4-Mile Road Race (Cork BHAA).
1 R Zakis (GSK) 21:24; 2 T Murphy (Carrig Court) 22:03; 3 T O’Connor (Duhallow Business) 22:04; 4 S Simcox (Simcox Training) 22:11; 5 C O’Donovan (O’Donovan) 22:14; 6 K Wilmot (Bandon Tyres) 22:44; 7 L Reale (temp) 22:53; 8 B Hegarty (Pfizer-Little Island) 23:02; 9 J Meade (temp-reg) 23:07: 10 G Waugh (FAS) 23:10.

M40: F Wall (Sallyport) 24:13; 2 C McMahon (Phoenix Clinic) 24:48; 3 J Desmond (Horman Elect) 24:58.

M45: 1 M Bickerdike (Blarney School of Motoring) 23:33; 2 D Carroll (Blarney Woollen Mills) 24:54; 3 M Bulman (Army) 26:27.

M50: 1 J O’Driscoll (FAS) 26:18; 2 J Murphy (Cork Co Co) 28:18; 3 D Shine (Duhallow Business) 28:39.

M55: 1 P Twomey (UCC) 26:13; 2 D Kennedy (DMP) 27:01; 3 M Tobin (Carrig Court) 27:13.

M60: 1 P Gyves (ITW-Hi Cone) 29:00; 2 J Murray (HSE) 30:10.

Team: (Grade A) 1 Carrig Court 30; 2 Simcox Training 93; 3 Pfizer-Little Island 189. (Grade B) 1 Army 92; 2 UCC 126; 3 IPS 150. (Grade C) 1 ESB 212; 2 Blarney Woollen Mills 220; 3 Denis Cronin Elect 240.

Women: 1 C McCarthy (Ulster Bank) 25:09; 2 M Sweeney (Private Hospitals, F45) 25:46; 3 F Kirwan (Sensory Labs, F40) 27:03; 4 M Dinan (Leasing Co, F40) 27:04; 5 G Crowley (temp-reg) 28:27; 6 C Leahy (Musgrave) 28:36; 7 G Cotter (UCC) 29:04; 8 B Liston (Leisure World) 29:12; 9 C Buckley (temp-reg) 29:22; 10 N Goulding (temp-reg) 29:23.

F40: 3 G O’Shea (Cork Co Co) 29:29.

F45: 1 A Murphy (UCC) 30:21; 2 M Murphy (HSE) 30:39.

F50: 1 M Lyons (Flextronics) 34:45.

F55: 1 K O’Connell (Midleton News) 39:54.

F60: 1 M Dunne (Carrig Court) 36:12.

Team: (Grade A) 1 Musgrave 12; 2 Sensory Labs 16. (Grade B) 1 BoI 45; 2 Midleton News 51.

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

Preview of the Cork BHAA 4 mile road race in Inniscarra - Sun 23rd Nov 2008 (11:30am)

This is the 2nd last race on the Cork BHAA 2008 calendar and it's the last one in which there are category and team prizes.

How to get there...Let's say you are coming out from Cork on the Straight Road /Carrigrohane Straight. Take the right at the end of the road and cross the bridge over the Lee and go past the Angler's Rest pub (Shown as A above). By the way, if you are coming out via the Ballincollig Bypass, follow the signs for Kanturk / Blarney and you'll arrive at the same spot. After the Angler's Rest, you have a choice of 2 routes...

1) - At the junction just after the Angler's Rest, take the Right past the Garage. Stay on this road (R579) for several kms, go past the junction and Church in Cloghroe and look for the turn off left about 2 kms later.

2) - At the junction just after the Angler's Rest, stay left on the main road and you will bypass Ballincollig which is to your South. Carry on past the junction with the turn off for Ballincolling and the Inniscarra Bar on the corner (Shown as B on the map above). Take the right at the next major junction (If you go as far as the Inniscarra dam, you've gone too far). There should be a sign at the junction for Cloghroe. At the next T-junction, turn left and then look out for the turn off left.

Look for race directions on the day. Proceed up this road and park in the GAA grounds in Ballyanly.

Course Description...This is a hilly 4 mile course. You can forget about fast times, there are too many hills for that. However, despite the hills, the course is run on nice quiet country roads and it's a nice spot for a race.
The race itself starts down the road from the GAA grounds. Initially, you run downhill but soon, you turn off left and then there is a nasty drag uphill. Soon it eases off and then you are running on nice quiet roads.
Around the 2 mile mark, you come to the small village of Berrings. You turn left here at the church and you have another uphill section. It's not so severe but enough to put you into oxygen debt if you push too hard. After that, you're on flat or downhill sections.
Just in case you thought you were getting off lightly, the 3rd hill of note comes at the finish. In the last few hundred metres, you drop downhill and then you have to run about 200m up to the finish line which is just outside the GAA grounds.

Overall...As I said, forget about fast times but don't let the hills put you off. It's a nice area for a race and the country roads are quiet at that time on a Sunday morning. Refreshments are available in the GAA clubhouse after the race. After all those hills, you'll deserve it ;o)

I have put a map of the course up on the MapMyRun website in case you want to check out other ways to get there. The link is http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/ireland/cork/1129301821

Countdown to the 2009 Ballycotton 10 entries...

No need to panic......yet ;o). Just a reminder that the Ballycotton 10 entry forms will be coming out in 2 weeks time on Monday, the 1st of December. If you need to know the entry conditions then have a look at my earlier post.

If you have decided to go for the SAE option, now might be a good time to send it off. Just make sure that the envelope is big enough and you have the proper stamp on it.

I have also put a Countdown Timer on the right hand side of this page just as a 'gentle' reminder :o)

Results of the Cork County Intermediate & Masters Cross Country...16th Nov 2008

These Cross Country races took place in the Clonakilty Showgrounds on what was a mild day. For the men, the course was 8 laps of a roughly 1km loop....i.e. 8 kms, although a few GPS watches later suggested it might have been a little closer to 9kms! ;o)

As you would expect at this time of year, there was a few muddy patches although overall, the ground was pretty firm, even a little bit too stony and hard in places.

Photos.......I have a set of 72 photos of the Mens race up on this website.

Results.......The results are now up on the Cork AAI website.

Be Safe, Be Seen - Wearing reflectors at night...
Now that the clocks have changed and the dark evenings have arrived, it's hard to get out running in the daylight anymore, especially during the week. If you are running under street lights or when it's nearly dark, then it's vital that you wear the correct gear.
While I was out running during the week, it was good to see that some of the other runners that I came accross during my route were wearing some form of reflective jacket. However, there are always some who don't which is a pity. Reflective clothing is cheap and can make a huge difference to whether you are seen or not.

Here are facts that I found on the net...
17 metres...If you are wearing dark Blue clothing, this is how close that a car must be before the driver can see you in the headlights.
24 metres...As above but this time it is for Red clothing.
37 metres...Distance for Yellow clothing.
55 metres...Distance for White clothing.
150 metres...Distance for a reflective vest.

Car - Stopping distance.....
For a car doing 35 mph (55 kph), which is a typical speed around a city, the time it takes for a driver to react and for the car to stop is 41 metres. See the colours above, unless you were wearing White, you'd be in trouble.
For a car doing 45 mph (72 kph), which is typical for a careful driver on a country road, the time it takes to react and stop is 60 metres. So, on country roads, you really need a reflective vest to be seen.
For a car doing 60 mph (100 kph), the stopping distance is 93 metres. Way beyond the limits of bright clothing but still well within the visibility limits of a reflective jacket.

Now that these type of vests are compulsory on building sites, they seem to be everywhere and are pretty cheap. They are loose fitting so you don't sweat inside them and they are very light. You can also get running versions which are a bit thinner but basically do the same thing.

So do yourself a favour...be safe, be seen.

Looking ahead to what races are coming up...

Now that we are in mid-November, it might be an idea just to pause and look ahead and see what is coming up in the near future...

Sun 16th Nov....There is the Cross Country event in Clonakilty. For anyone not attending that race, you might be interested in the Brickey 3 mile and 5 mile road race near Dungarvan in West Waterford. It's an unusual race in that you have a choice of distances and they give out prizes based on your weight! In fairness to West Waterford AC, they go to a lot of trouble to keep their races fun and interesting ;o) When I went to their Ardmore race during the Autumn, they had prizes for each star sign of the zodiac! All good fun. I have more information about the Brickey race on the Running in Munster website.

Sun 23rd Nov...There is a Cork BHAA 4 mile road race in Inniscarra. I'll preview that here next week.

Dec.....We have a selection of 4 and 5 mile races. Not too many but enough to keep you busy!

Jan 09........This is the one I really want to draw your attention to. The Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classic Series will be starting on Sunday, the 11th of January with the Mallow 10 mile road race. The other 3 races in this series are the Dungarvan 10 in February, the Ballycotton 10 in March and the Kilnaboy 10 in April.

If you have been doing short races up to now and you would like to get ready for the Mallow 10, then have a look at this 8 week training schedule. It just so happens that the Mallow 10 should be roughly 8 weeks from next Sunday ;o)

Guest article.....Cross Country, what's the problem?
You may have noticed that from time to time, I have some material written by other people on this blog. So, with that in mind, I hope to publish some articles by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC here on a regular basis. David covers various topics from a personal point of view and if you agree, disagree or would just like to add a comment, click on the Comments link below this post. I would just like to say thanks to David for allowing his articles to be published here on this site. Hope you enjoy them.............John Desmond.


Cross Country, what’s the problem?..............by David O'Dwyer
The cross country season is almost upon us and it will no doubt be the poor relation of the running family again this year. Over the past number of years as the popularity of the road running scene has grown there has been a trend in the opposite direction in relation to cross country races. The road running scene in Munster and in Cork in particular is quite strong, with respect to the numbers competing if not to the quality of times being recorded. In contrast the cross country scene is in serious if not terminal decline. In the 2007 Cork County Cross Country Championships a total of 36 competed in the Senior Mens race. This was once considered to be one of the premier events of the athletics calendar. In the womens equivalent a mere 14 completed the course. If the Junior races are a guide to the future then it does not look good with 11 Junior Men and 6 Junior Women taking part. A sad state of affairs no matter what way you look at it.

The reasons for the decline in the popularity of the cross country races are no doubt numerous and there is surely a link between this decline and the overall dip in the times being recorded on the roads. If the current trends continue not only will we see the end of the cross country scene but a further dumbing down of the road running scene with respect to the times being recorded. The road running scene is in danger of becoming the road jogging scene as people slow down to adjust the volume on their i-pods in preparation for a big sprint in the last 30 yards. The competitiveness that was there in previous generations is by and large non existent today, apart from the last 30 yards I suppose! The average participant these days doesn’t give too hoots about their time or place as long as they get their race T-shirt at the finish. Now I can hear the whingers already complaining that it’s about taking part not about winning, blah-de blah. Sure it is about taking part. There will only be one winner and the chances are it won't be you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as good or as fast as you can be, does it? Where is the famed Celtic Tiger competitive edge? If Joe Blogs could break 30 mins for 5 miles 20 or 30 years ago then why isn’t Joe Blogs doing it now? Why not take the sport a little more seriously and put a bit more effort in? In doing so why not try the cross country races? Sure they’re tough and dirty and usually take place in a field that was recently occupied by a herd of cows (County Boards take note, a change of venue to parkland or somewhere that doesn’t contain cow pats might be worth considering) but the rewards will be worth it.

The likes of Dick Hooper and Jerry Kiernan, two of our most successful and best known names from the past would be strong advocates of a decent cross country season and the benefits to be gained from it. “The strength built up in the winter will stand you in good stead for the summer”, a common mantra from middle and long distance athletics coaches the world over.

Another benefit of running some cross country is that it gets you off the roads for a while and offers some relief to the pounding of the hard surfaces. After a decent season of cross country behind you, you’ll feel re-invigorated and fresh for another Spring and Summer on the roads and no doubt a few PB’s will be in the offing. It also offers something different to the sport of running. This is a welcome change if you feel you are becoming a little stale or even bored with the road running scene. A change is as good as a rest as they say!

There are numerous cross country races held throughout the country and some of them are perfect for the beginner. Most counties host a “County Novice” race and this would be an ideal opportunity for those with no previous experience of the cross country scene. There are also provincial and national events at Novice grade and for the more accomplished athlete there are the Intermediate and Senior equivalents.

If you’ve made the effort to run on the road then why not try the cross country, it will offer a welcome alternative to the roads.
The graph below displays the decline in the numbers participating in the Cork County Cross Country Championships over the past 2 years. (Stats taken from Cork Athletics website).

In addition to David O'Dwyer's articles appering on this website, David also has had some of his articles published in the Irish Runner magazine. This is published every 2 months and is the main magazine for running and athletics in Ireland.

Comments.....???

To send a comment or to read other comments, click on the 'comment' link below.

Upcoming event....Sun 16th Nov...AAI Cork Intermediate & Masters Cross Country
The AAI Cork Intermediate and Masters (O35) Cross Country championships will take place next Sunday, the 16th of November at the Showgrounds in Clonakilty, Co. Cork. I presume it will be signposted from the main road into the town.



The first race takes place at 12 noon. The closing date for entries is Wednesday, the 12th of November so if you are interested and you are a member of an AAI registered club, contact one of the officials in your club asap.

New Poll...Would you like to see an Evening Winter League in or near Cork City?

I'm sure most of you will be aware by now of the Winter 3k Series run by East Cork AC in Midleton every 3rd Tuesday over the Winter months. West Waterford AC run a similiar series of winter evening races and they attract large numbers. It has even featured on the Nationwide programme on RTE1 television. Similiar leagues have started in Waterford City, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. More details on these can be found on the Running in Munster website.

So what is the attraction of these races at night?

1) The days are short and people find it difficult to find safe places to run in the evening time. Areas like walkways that were safe and busy during the Summer are often dark, unlit and very quiet during the winter.

2) For more experienced runners, it is an chance to do a bit of speed work to keep up the fitness levels and speed over the winter months.

3) It is a great way to introduce new people into the sport. This is what West Waterford AC said about their winter series...."At a recent survey of the club’s runners, it was noted that an overwhelming majority of our runners took up running after they started the winter league. Over 80% had no previous running experience before they started the league and now many of them are regulars at all our races and have even represented the club at provincial and national level."

So what about Cork City? The 3k series in Midleton is fine but it is getting crowded and it is in East Cork. Is there a demand for an evening race series in or near Cork City???

There is a new poll on the right hand side and you might take the time to vote. Or leave a comment below and make your opinion known.

Location???...That's the problem.....it would need to be an area that is quiet from a traffic point of view, plenty of street lights, space for parking and have a good road surface. Someone before suggested the Marina or more to the point, the Monaghan Road / Centre Park Road loop. However, that really is not great. The lighting is poor in places, there is a fair bit of traffic and the road surface is awful in places.

My own suggestion is someplace like Eastgate in Little Island. The road is brand new, no traffic, loads of lighting and most of the retail/industrial units down there have closed by 7pm. I have done up a map on the MapMyRun website showing a 2km route. This could be chopped and changed to make up some sort of route down there. Part of the road is currently closed due to building work but I would presume it would be finished sometime next year. It also has the advantage in that it is only a few minutes from the Jack Lynch tunnel so it should be accessible to most people. Perhaps there are other more suitable areas??

The whole idea of the poll is just to get an idea of level of interest in it. Whether any one of the clubs or other organisations would be interested in getting it going is a different issue. It's very easy for me to suggest it here. There would be a fair bit of work for a group to get this up and running.

However, when you see other areas in Munster running their own successful series, surely there is a demand in the largest city in the region???

Comments....?????

"Hi John, I think the selection of a route in the city or environs should be considered carefully. The more experienced/current race goers will consider somewhere like little island to be fine as they will travel reasonable distances already. If the real purpose of the races is to encourage others to 'dip their toe' into the world of the local racing scene then Little Island might as well be East Cork or West Waterford. I don't have an alternative but any suburban 1k loop could be adopted as is the case in East Cork. I know people like John Quigley coach new runners (AAI - Fit4life - I think) and they may be able to give some advice on a location.....Richard"

"The only possible way to organise this would be for different clubs to take responsibility for each night. It would need 4 to 5 clubs to volunteer their services. Also a permit would be needed for insurance purposes.........Anonymous"

"City runs would be a great idea,a suggestion would be part of the ptaa 5 k run in togher. its in an estate and not too busy.and as has been said its in the city. if all the city clubs joined together it would make them some money too.its still early to organise something for jan 2009.....Ken Owens"

"I'm in my 40s and I've been running in the West Waterford Winter League for the past 5 years. Before that I did nothing, was sedentary, no history of sport, last to be picked on any team etc, etc. I've developed a huge amount as a runner and have discovered a fiercely competitive streak in me that has me breaking personal barriers year on year. In the context of a Winter League, all of this is only possible with the support of a large voluntary stewarding staff. The people who stand, night after night, at every busy junction, in the cold and rain, and stop/warn/hassle(!) traffic are a vital element in the effective running of our Winter League. My life has been extended by several years because of it!..........Liam in Dungarvan"

"The mardyke isn't a bad location. The fit 4 life races were held there a year ago but attracted limited numbers. No need for road closures and limited stewarding. Only need someone to keep track of the laps. Good changing facilities and loads of parking. Also can run different distances every week. Either that or CIT. There is also the novelty of running on the track may attract the newbies.......Anonymous"

"Hi John,Last year Eagle AC looked into the feasibility of holding a winter league series, similar to that held by West Waterford AC.
The biggest stumbling block was manpower; stewarding and officials. Unfortunately, as always, the load falls on the same small number of 'officials', aka runners. West Waterford AC had the wonderful bonus of a large pool of officials when several clubs amalgamated to form the current club. Unfortunately other clubs don't have the same backup.
Eagle AC would still consider running one of these series, if we got the manpower to cover the event safely. Eagle is always actively seeking individuals willing to fill admin type roles in the Club, for events such as a Winter League Series. This would particularly suit someone 'retired' from running (or another sport) but who would like to stay involved in sport.
btw, Eastgate was the venue looked at, due to the low traffic volume at night and the small number of stewards required.
Anyone interested in getting involved might mail me at eagle262[at]eircom.net

If enough people are interested getting involved, Eagle might look at the project again.......John Quigley, Eagle AC"

"Just to comment on the Eastgate route.I run this regularly, and there is a nice 1km loop at the western end of the estate. There is very litte traffic on it and you would not need much manpower to steward it. A minor issue is the fact that the road has speed bumps and these may be a slight impedement for runners. The other issue with this site (an probably any other estate type location) is the dreaded "I" word (insurance). Who owns the road, who wil be sued because a runner falls into a drain and breaks an ankle?Unfortunately, in this day and age, we are caught out too many times by insurance, and liability......Rich"

Results of the Poll....'Should there be an Over 35 section for men in all Road Races'

This poll started off some time back when John Dunphy of Midleton AC posed this question and a fair bit of a debate followed. See HERE.

The poll was on the website for just over 1 month and thanks to everyone who took the trouble to vote.The result is that of those who had a preference, 58% voted YES.........and 42% voted NO.

Certainly, 58% is a yes but not a resounding yes. It could probably be said that a 'slight' majority support the idea.

So, with that result in mind, it is now up to race organisers to decide for themselves if they want to introduce a category for men in the Over 35 category or not.

Results of the East Cork AC '3k Winter Series' Road Race (No. 2 of 7) - Tues 4th Nov 2008

Just over 130 runners turned out for this road race in Midleton, East Cork in what were almost perfect conditions.....reasonably mild, no wind and dry.



Results...
East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 2 4/11/08
1 James McCarthy East Cork AC 9.16
2 Frank Hayes East Cork AC 9.47
3 Padraig Healy CIT 9.48
4 James O'Driscoll CIT 9.52
5 Alan O'Reilly CIT 9.53
6 Eric MeadeEast Cork AC 9.56
7 Dave Muldowney Eagle AC 9.58
8 Eoin Casey Glenbower AC 10.07
9 Kevin O'Leary East Cork AC 10.10
10 Frank O'Carroll East Cork AC 10.12
11 Tim Mahoney East Cork AC 10.16
12 Brian O'Connor Grange Fermoy AC 10.17
13 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.22
14 Kevin SmythEast Cork AC 10.25
15 John Collins CIT 10.33
16 Paud Walsh Cork 10.43
17 John Desmond Eagle AC 10.49
18 Shane Cooney Midleton AC 10.53
19 Cathal McCarthy Midleton AC 10.55
20 Emmet Hennessy Midleton AC 10.56
21 Frank Cashman East Cork AC 11.04
22 Denis Carroll Eagle AC 11.04
23 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.06
24 Alan Lane Glenbower AC 11.10
25 Coran Swayne Midleton GAA 11.27
26 Stefan 11.29
27 Justin Costigan Midleton 11.30
28 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 11.33
29 Shane Ryan Midleton GAA 11.34
30 Paul Cleary Whitegate 11.35
31 Tom O'Brien Cork 11.35
32 Brian Healy Midleton AC 11.36
33 Philip O'Brien Cork 11.37
34 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.38
35 Trevor Mahoney Midleton AC 11.42
36 Phil McGrath East Cork AC 11.46
37 Leslie Coghlan Midleton CBS 11.47
38 Alan Kelly Midleton AC 11.49
39 Terri Hennessy Grange Fermoy AC 11.58
40 Ken Owens Togher AC 11.59
41 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 12.00
42 Dermot Murphy Midleton 12.01
43 Paddy Hegarty Cork 12.01
44 Josh O'Sullivan- Hourihan Midleton College 12.03
45 Paudie O'Keeffe Midleton GAA 12.03
46 Rick Prendergast Castlemartyr 12.04
47 Sean Hennessy Midleton GAA 12.06
48 James Power Whitegate 12.07
49 Mick Murphy Midleton AC 12.08
50 Owen O'Connell Midleton 12.10
51 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton 12.11
52 Sean O'Farrell Midleton CBS 12.15
53 Mary O'Keeffe Youghal AC 12.16
54 Peter Stanley Carrigaline 12.20
55 Kevin Dunne Ballinacurra 12.21
56 Ann Geary Lisgoold 12.22
57 Neilus Ahern Midleton AC 12.22
58 Darragh Flynn Grange Fermoy AC 12.27
59 Michael Hanrahan Midleton AC 12.29
60 Colm Egan Midleton AC 12.30
61 Trevor Collins Naas 12.37
62 Mark Walsh Midleton AC 12.38
63 Declan O'Dwyer Ladysbridge 12.38
64 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.39
65 Liam Walsh Midleton GAA 12.41
66 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 12.44
67 Peter Blisset Cork 12.48
68 Padraig Nagle Midleton GAA 12.55
69 Karen Kenny Grange Fermoy AC 12.57
70 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 12.58
71 Paul O'Sullivan HourihanEast Cork AC 12.58
72 Mark O'Keeffe Youghal AC 12.59
73 John Cotter Cobh 13.00
74 Noel Meade East Cork AC 13.02
75 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 13.04
76 Mary Histon de Barra Rising Sun AC 13.05
77 Gary Boyle Midleton 13.07
78 Padraig O'Regan Ladysbridge 13.10
79 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 13.21
80 Finola Nyhan Cork 13.27
81 Marie Murphy Youghal 13.34
82 Hugh O'Donnell Midleton CBS 13.44
83 Mick McCarthy West Waterford AC 13.47
84 Roy Collins Tipperary 13.49
85 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs AC 13.50
86 Kevin Cronin UCC AC 13.51
87 Catherine Sheridan Midleton 13.53
88 Don O'Hanlon Cork 13.58
89 Christine Murphy Midleton AC 13.59
90 Kathleen Madigan CIT 14.02
91 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 14.03
92 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 14.05
93 Rowan le Mere Ballinacurra 14.10
94 Eibhlin Cleary East Cork AC 14.12
95 Maura O'Doherty Midleton AC 14.14
96 Rebecca McEvoy Belgooly 14.14
97 Angela McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 14.15
98 Vincent Murray Midleton1 4.16
99 Martin Carr Midleton 14.35
100 Elaine Hennessy Midleton AC 14.40
101 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 14.44
102 Carrie Higgins Midleton AC 14.44
103 Tim Geary Lisgoold 14.50
104 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.54
105 Yvonne Kennedy Midleton AC 14.58
106 Pat Meaney Cork 14.58
107 Jim CurtinEast Cork AC 15.00
108 Rose Barrett Midleton AC 15.26
109 Margaret Beausang Midleton AC 15.30
110 Willie O'Mahony Midleton AC 15.32
111 Billy Caball Cork 15.47
112 Craig Adamson Moate 15.52
113 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 16.15
114 Olan O'Brien Midleton 16.20
115 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 16.25
116 John Cashman Midleton AC 16.29
117 Colm Jordan Midleton AC 16.31
118 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 16.33
119 Colm Cronin Cork 16.46
120 Mairead Dunne Cork 16.59
121 Aideen Murphy Midleton 17.03
122 Clara O'Shea Castlemartyr 17.13
123 Darragh O'Shea Castlemartyr 17.36
124 Corina Erangey Whitegate 17.36
125 Siobhan Hayes East Cork AC 17.41
126 Mary Toher Midleton AC 17.42
127 Rachel Quaide Midleton 17.45
128 Mary Keane Midleton AC 17.50
129 Kathleen O'Connell Midleton AC 18.01
130 Clare O'Leary Midleton AC 18.01
131 Anne Thornborrow Whitegate 18.45
132 Conor le Mere Ballinacurra 20.28
133 Chuck le Mere Ballinacurra 20.28
(...with thanks to Liam O'Brien of East Cork AC for the above results)

Results of the Cork BHAA 'HSE' 4 Mile Road Race...2nd Nov 2008

There was a slight increase in numbers for this 4 mile race in Cork City with 280 runners taking part. The mens race was won by Mark Hanrahan in a time of 18:50, knocking 17 seconds off of his already-impressive course record. Craig Murphy from Togher second in 19:36.
The ladies race was won by Rhona Lynch in a time of 23:24, Louise Cavanagh came second and Mary Sweeney came third, just 6 days after running the Dublin City Marathon in a time of 3:08!!

Results....The full results are now available at this LINK.

Category Results.....

Men
1 M Hanrahan (John Buckley Sports) 18:50; 2 C Murphy (temp-reg) 19:36; 3 C Merritt (Army) 20:04; 4 J McCarthy (Richard McCarthy) 20:11; 5 J Grufferty (Bio-Pharma) 20:26; 6 E O’Sullivan (An Post/Eircom) 20:30; 7 T Kelleher (CSO) 21:15; 8 S Simcox (Workout Express) 21:18; 9 T Woods (UCC) 21:21; 10 G Boyle (temp-reg) 21:23; 11 D Coffey (Pilz) 21:41; 12 B Murphy (Bank of NY) 22:00.

M40: 1 A Browne (Statsol) 23:08; 2 K Devine (UCC) 24:36; 3 F Wall (Sallyport Con) 24:40.

M45: 1 M Bickerdike (Blarney School of Motoring) 22:49; 2 D Carroll (Blarney Woollen Mills) 24:14; 3 M Bulman (Army) 24:28.

M50: 1 J Collins (Team adidas) 22:54; 2 M Murphy (Novartis) 23:21; 3 P Murphy (UCC) 23:54.

M55: 1 J Gough (Mileeven Foods) 23:30; 2 P Twomey (UCC) 25:07; 3 G Dollard (Pilz) 25:32.

M60: 1 P Gyves (ITW-Hi Cone) 27:24; 2 D Cotter (Cork Painters) 28:35.

M65: 1 J O’Leary (Bookdeal) 28:50; 2 G Webb (Plant Hire) 30:31.

Team: (Grade A) 1 UCC 95; 2 Army 161; 3 Phoenix Clinic 193. (Grade B) 1 Team adidas 202; 2 An Post/Eircom 209; 3 UCC 246. (Grade C) 1 RPS 267; 2 HSE 336; 3 EMC 342.

Women:

1 R Lynch (GE Healthcare) 23:24; 2 L Cavanagh (School Completion Prog, F35) 24:00; 3 M Sweeney (Private Hospitals, F45) 24:54; 4 L Geary (BoI) 25:21; 5 J Hough (Dept of Educ, F50) 25:32; 6 A Murphy (UCC) 26:01; 7 F Kirwan (Sensory Labs, F40) 26:09; 8 M Sheehan (Carrig Court, F50) 26:16; 9 G O’Shea (Cork Co Co, F35) 26:39; 10 V Collins (temp-reg) 26:48.

F35: 2 G Mullaney (Musgrave) 27:06.F40: 2 S Drennan (Midleton News) 26:53.

F45: 1 M Murphy (HSE) 28:18.

Team: (Grade A) 1 UCC 171; 2 Dept of Educ 182. (Grade B) 1 Midleton News 318; 2 Bank of Ireland 356.

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

Update on photos of the 2008 Dublin City Marathon........

For anyone who did the Marathon in Dublin, I have now updated the links to over 20 sets of photos and some video clips as well. Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC has also added a new set of 253 photos. Scroll down the page to see them.

(If you landed on this page and this is the only post, then click HERE.)