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"