Looking back at 2009...

Considering that its the end of 2009, it might be an idea to look back at the last year and reflect on it.

Numbers.......One of the obvious features of 2009 was the obvious growth in the number of people attending road races. Looking at the Cork BHAA races, they continued the trend of recent years with ever increasing numbers. The same can be said for most of the other local races as well, especially the big local events. The Cork Marathon with it's relay event attracted even more runners in 2009 while races like the Ballycotton '10' closed even sooner compared to previous years.

Why the increase in numbers???......What are the factors that makes more people start running in 2009 compared to 2008 and previous years? Is it because people are becoming more concerned about their health?

I have no doubt that there are probably many factors but one of the main ones I would think is the fact that more and more people are getting online especially with the advent of broadband. A lot of people may at first get attracted by the high profile events like the Cork Marathon, the Ladies Mini-Marathon or the Ballycotton '10'. Once they go online to get some more info.....and especially if they go to Google...then they discover that there is a busy local running scene.

Events of 2009....some of the highlights that I have picked out...

1) The Mallow '10' in January......The numbers have really grown in recent years and it has made the transition from 'just another local road race' to one of the main races on the race calendar.

2) The Ballycotton '10' in March.....As always, one of the main races every year.

3) The Cork Marathon & Relay in June.....This event attracted records numbers....but the heat!!

4) The FOTA race in May.....Just for the novelty of the location and the fact that a local 4 mile race attracted over 650 runners.

5) The Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' race in October...Well organised with a modest entry fee!

Of course, there were plenty of other events as well worthy of mention but the list would be too long!

Looking back at 2009, it would be worth remembering exactly why there is such a vibrant local running scene. We have the likes of the Cork BHAA who have a calendar of races throughout the year that only cost €5 to enter. We have John Walshe, Liam O'Brien and the crew at Ballycotton Running Promotions who are behind so many of the races on the local scene. And finally, we have all of the many members of the various local athletic clubs who give up their time to help organise their own races.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to all of the fine work that they did in 2009.

Comments.........

So what was your highlight in 2009? Maybe it was a particular race? Maybe a race where you got a Personal Best? .....or just enjoyed the buzz of the event? Click on the Comment link below...

Events on New Years Day...Fri 1st Jan 2010

With all of the local races getting cancelled due to the recent cold snap, some of you must be suffering from 'cabin fever' at this stage ;o)

Well, if you are brave enough to venture out into the cold then you have a choice of 2 events next Friday....one in Cork and one in Kerry.

Every year, Mallow AC organise a GOAL Mile event in Doneraile Park on Christmas Day. As expected, it had to be cancelled on the day due to ice on the local roads in the area. However, they are now holding it next Friday instead. The event starts at 10am and finishes at 12 noon so you can turn up at any stage between those times. It's up to you whether to race the mile or just jog it. On a sunny day, Doneraile Park is a lovely spot and between warming up, running the mile and warming down, it will make for a good run on the day.

If you are not sure of where it is then follow these directions.....from Mallow, stay on the Limerick road until you get to New Two Pot House. Turn off right here and take the R581 for Doneraile. Once you get there, just drive slowly through the town and you'll see the entrance on the right.

Elsewhere, there is the annual 10 km road race in Beaufort to the west of Killarney in Kerry. More details on the Running in Munster website.

New Provisional Date for the Belgooly AC 4 mile race...
The big problem when a race is cancelled is trying to find another free date on the calendar. When you examine all of the Sundays in January to March, you soon realise how busy the upcoming season is!

As a result, the provisional date set for the 'Dick Copithorne' 4 mile road race in Belgooly is Sunday, the 4th of April which I believe is Easter Sunday.

First 2,500 entries for the 2010 Ballycotton '10' is now on the net...

With all of this icy cold weather and race cancellations, it's time for some good news!!........at least for some anyway ;o)

The first successful 2,500 entries for the 2010 Ballycotton '10' are now up on the Ballycotton Running Promotions website. As most of you know, the entry forms came out on Monday, the 30th of November and by Thursday morning the 3rd, the 2,500 limit had been reached.

The first 2,500 entries in numberical order can be seen HERE.

The first 2,500 entries in alphabethical order can be seen HERE.

Please note that if you are not listed and you are a club runner / did all 4 of the Summer series or are overeas then you could still be ok. A full list of entries will be published sometime early in the new year.

Update...

I had barely put up this post when I get an update from John Quigley of Eagle AC with the breakdown of club entries...

Eagle-57

West Waterford AC-45

St. Finbarrs AC-38

Midleton AC-37

Mallow AC-32

Waterford AC-27

Gneeveguilla AC-23

Limerick Country Club AC-17

Bandon AC-12

Donoughmore AC-10

West Limerick AC-10

East Cork AC-9

UCC AC-9

Youghal AC-6

Will the clubs be in the same position once all the entries are in? I have my doubts.

The breakdown on a gender basis is 881 women (35%) and 1619 men (65%).

..........and even more stats!!

Unattached Cork runners: Area...Number

Cork...481, Glanmire...79, Carrigaline...67,

Ballincollig...34, Rochestown...28, Douglas...27,

Blarney...22, Passage Wes...21, Kinsale...19,

Ovens...16, Glounthaune...15, Blackrock...14,

Watergrasshill...13, Crosshaven...11, Ballinhassig...6,

Monkstown...6, Dripsey...5, Wilton...5,

Nohoval...4, Waterfall...4, Belgooly...3,

Grenagh...3, Inniscarra...3, Myrtleville...3,

Tower...3, Whitescross...3, Ballintemple...2,

Crookstown...2, Fountainstown...2, Leamlara...2,

Little Island...2, Riverstick...2, Carrigrohane...1,

Grange...1, Knockraha...1, Oysterhaven...1,

Togher...1,

Masters Categories:

F35...182, F40...118, F45...63, F50...35, F55...10, F60...0, F65...2, F70...1

Total 411

M40...276, M45...138, M50...81, M55...50, M60...16, M65...10, M70...2, M75...1

Total 574


Total Masters M&F 985 (39% of total)

Bandon 5 mile road race on Mon 28th Dec cancelled!!

It looks as if the Bandon 5 mile road race is another victim of the current cold snap. During an inspection of the course around mid-day on Sunday, there were still icy patches out along the course. With a hard frost predicted for tonight, there will be no improvement by 11am tomorrow. As a result, the race has been cancelled.

If you know of anyone who might have been planning to go, please let them know.

Preview of the Bandon 5 mile road race - Mon 28th Dec (11am)
The preview this year is based on the assumption that it is going ahead and won't be cancelled. With all of the cold weather recently, the ground temperatures have dropped a lot and ice in sheltered spots is persisting on the roads. I know that in parts of Cork City the roads are clear but outside of the city on untreated roads, the roads are still bad (i.e. Blarney on Saturday night was like a ice rink!). Before you travel, check back here or have a listen to C103 or 96FM for updates.

The race...This year, the sign on for this race is back in the Bandon GAA grounds. Assuming that you are coming from Cork, take the left when you get to the 1st roundabout on the main road as you enter the town. Follow this relief road up the hill........you'll probably see signposts for Clonakilty...follow these. At the end of the relief road as you drop down again, you come to a T-junction. Turn right here and the GAA grounds are just on your left before you get to the next junction. It's very easy to find.

Please note the new start time this year....11am rather than the usual 2pm.

The course...The start is about half a mile away near the top of the relief road. Just follow the other runners to the start. The start and 1st mile is mostly downhill or flat. Then you run through the town until you turn left and go past the GAA club. Here the hard work starts. There is a good climb after the 2 mile mark until you turn off left. Nothing too serious but enough to make you go into oxygen debt if you push too hard. Once you turn off, you are on some nice quiet country roads until the finish. So, overall, it is probably not the fastest of courses but it's not too bad. Just remember to keep something in the tank for the 2nd half after the long hill at 2 miles.

If you want to have a closer look at the course, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website. The link is HERE.

You will find a race flyer HERE.

Belgooly 4 mile road race re-scheduled...
As most of you know by now, the Belgooly 4 mile road race on St.Stephens day had to be cancelled due to ice on the route. Belgooly AC are now looking at holding the race sometime towards the end of January or the start of February. Details to be confirmed...

Belgooly Race Cancelled!!
It looks as if the milder weather that Met Eireann had predicted wasn't that mild after all! With the low overnight temperatures, the roads around Belgooly have some icy spots and the race has been cancelled as a result.

I have no details to hand at the moment as to whether it will be on at a later date.

If you can, please pass the word to friends and colleagues to stop them making an unnecessary trip.

Next big race in Cork....the Belgooly AC 4 Mile - 26th Dec

This 4 mile road race in Belgooly on the way to Kinsale is a bit of a Christmas tradition for a lot of people and is likely to attract well in excess of 500 entries. The race starts at 12 noon and with the big numbers entering, you should try and get there early to avoid the queues.

Note that the entry fee is €10 and 50% of that will be donated to the Bowel Cancer Treatment Fund at Cork University Hospital.

A flyer for the race can be seen HERE.

A rough preview of what the course is like can be found on the Belgooly AC website.

Note that this year, the start and finish points have been moved slightly and the course has been re-measured by John Quigley of Eagle AC.

With the current cold snap, you might be wondering if there is any chance that the roads will be icy and that the race might be cancelled? The current forecast is that the temperatures will rise to about 5 - 7 deg C in the next 48 hours and that should be enough to get rid of any ice.

GOAL Mile Charity Run in various locations...

The traditional GOAL Mile takes place on Christmas Day, the 25th of December at various locations throughout the country. Most of them are during the morning time. You just turn up, make a donation to GOAL and run your mile. At the one in Cork City, there are several 1 mile runs and you can go as fast or as slow as you want to.

In the county of Cork, it takes place at 6 different locations.

Cork...Ballydesmond...Meet in the Church Grounds...25th Dec. 11:30am
Cork...Bantry...The Square...25th Dec. 12.45pm
Cork...Cork IT, Bishopstown...25th Dec. 10am - 12.30pm
Cork...Mallow...Doneraile Park...25th Dec.10am - 12 noon
Cork...Ballynoe near Fermoy...Ballynoe, St Catherine's GAA...25th Dec. 11am - 12.30pm
Cork...Youghal...Tower Park...25th Dec. 11am - 12noon

3 km race in Midleton on Tuesday 22nd Dec cancelled...!!

The East Cork AC 3 km road race in Midleton that was supposed to take place on Tuesday, the 22nd of Dec at 7:30pm has been cancelled. With the low temperatures and weak winter sunshine, there are some dangerous icy spots out along the course.

Here is the information from the organisers...

Due to some icy patches persisting on some sheltered parts of the course, it is considered that the safest option is to cancel the 4th leg of the 3k series. The next race will be the '5th leg' on the 12th of January.
Anyone who now completes 4 of the 6 legs will be entitled to a race tee shirt.......Liam O'Brien, East Cork AC.

Results of the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 Mile road race...Sun 20th Dec 2009
It looks as if they got all kinds of weather for this 5 mile road race in North-West Cork. The overall numbers seemed ti have been down on last year........perhaps it was the cold? In spite of the lower turnout, there were plenty of good times posted but none fast enough to break the existing course records and claim the bonus €200 prize.

Here is a race report by John Dunphy with the results below...

Race report by John Dunphy,Eagle A.C...........All roads led to Newmarket for this eagerly awaited Duhallow Ac 5 mile road race that's fast becoming one of the better 5 mile road races on the road race calendar. This course has the reputation of being one of the fastest course's to compete on and I have to agree with that assessment of it. Not only that but it seems to attract some of the best athletes from many counties in Munster and the setting is there for a competitive road race.

The race itself got off to a false start when the whistle was blown but the lead car and a van in front of us failed to move but I'm sure they were taken by surprise and were not ready to move and the front athletes didn't really have anywhere to go. They only got a few yards before stopping and returning to the start line.

We were then greeted by a heavy downpour of snow which lasted for the first half of the race but did not stay on the ground. It melted almost straight away so the surface was still good for running. When the majority of the athletes had finished the race, it began to snow again and became very heavy. So much so that in no time, the place was covered in a blanket of snow and road conditions became very poor for the athletes that decided to run back to Newmarket for an extra 5 miles for their training for the up and coming Mallow 10 race.

The first three athlete's today managed to break sub 25 averaging 4.49.3, 4.53.5 and 4.56.1 per mile. Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers Dublin City Marathon Irish National Champion 2009 was first man home in 24.07 followed by Cork City Marathon winner 2009 Michael Herlihy in a time of 24.28 with well known Raivis Zakis of West Waterford Ac not to far behind in third place.

Michelle Scott-Murphy of Carraig na bhfear AC took the women's race in an impressive time of 28.11 with Michelle Finn of Duhallow AC second woman home with a solid performance in a time of 29.46 with Mary Dempsey of St Finbarrs Ac 30.56 in third place.

Eagle Ac regular Joe Murphy once again continued his good form after taking second over 50 in the most recent Killarney 5k series with a second place finish in the over 50 category today only 10 seconds separating himself and over 50 winner Philip Withers of Duhallow Ac.

Well done to all at Duhallow Ac and I wish you continued success with this well organised event......John Dunphy, Eagle AC.

Runners returning to Newmarket were welcomed by a blanket of snow.

Joe Murphy and John Dunphy of Eagle AC braving the conditions in shorts!

Results....

DUHALLOW Athletic Club NEWMARKET-KANTURK '5'
Sunday 20 December 2009. 2:00pm
Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile
1 0:24:07 CIOBANU, Sergiu Clonliffe Harriers M 04:49.3 16 1
2 0:24:28 HERLIHY, Michael North Cork AC M 04:53.5 1 2
3 0:24:41 ZAKIS, Raivis West Waterford AC M 04:56.1 66 3
4 0:25:45 O'CONNOR, Tim Riocht AC M 05:08.9 81 4
5 0:26:05 MURPHY, Ed Gneeveguilla AC M 05:12.9 10 5
6 0:26:06 O'LEARY, Ian Dundrum South Dublin AC M40 05:13.1 99 6
7 0:26:11 O'MAHONY, Donnacha East Cork AC M40 05:14.1 15 7
8 0:26:19 SMITH, Danny Ballynonty AC M 05:15.7 57 8
9 0:26:27 LINEHAN, Adrian Duhallow AC M 05:17.3 25 9
10 0:27:00 WAUGH, George Rising Sun AC M 05:23.9 46 10
11 0:27:51 O'BRIEN, Billy Riocht AC M 05:34.1 20 11
12 0:28:00 CUNNINGHAM, Mike Bilboa AC M40 05:35.9 110 12
13 0:28:11 MURPHY-SCOTT, Michelle Carraig na bhFear AC F35 05:38.1 38 13
14 0:28:20 O'SHEA, Patrick Iveragh AC M55 05:39.9 41 14
15 0:28:50 COLLINS, Niall North Cork AC M 05:45.9 86 15
16 0:28:55 KELLEHER, Frances unatt/Millstreet M 05:46.9 125 16
17 0:28:57 O'DONOVAN, Eamonn Rising Sun AC M 05:47.3 47 17
18 0:29:00 MCLOUGHLIN, John unatt/Kanturk M 05:47.9 63 18
19 0:29:27 O'RIORDAN, Niall West Limerick AC M 05:53.3 13 19
20 0:29:36 MURPHY, Humphrey Riocht AC M45 05:55.1 18 20
21 0:29:46 FINN, Michelle Duhallow AC F 05:57.1 78 21
22 0:29:58 O'CALLAGHAN, John Rising Sun AC M45 05:59.5 58 22
23 0:30:15 BARRY, Kenneth unatt/Shanballymore M 06:02.9 73 23
24 0:30:16 HEALY, Tim unatt/Kanturk M45 06:03.1 29 24
25 0:30:29 WITHERS, Philip Duhallow AC M50 06:05.7 36 25
26 0:30:34 BIRMINGHAM, Paudie Mallow AC M 06:06.7 89 26
27 0:30:39 MURPHY, Joe Eagle AC M50 06:07.7 24 27
28 0:30:49 DUNPHY, John Eagle AC M40 06:09.7 60 28
29 0:30:52 O'CALLAGHAN, David Eagle AC M45 06:10.3 108 29
30 0:30:54 MURPHY, Seamus Gneeveguilla AC M40 06:10.7 80 30
31 0:30:56 DEMPSEY, Mary St. Finbarrs AC F45 06:11.1 33 31
32 0:30:59 COSTELLOE, Anna-Marie Gneeveguilla AC F 06:11.7 65 32
33 0:31:05 TOBIN, Maurice Grange-Fermoy AC M60 06:12.9 21 33
34 0:31:18 BARRY, Fergal Gneeveguilla AC M40 06:15.5 11 34
35 0:31:21 MANGAN, Mike Star Of The Laune AC M50 06:16.1 124 35
36 0:31:22 DINEEN, Niall Iveragh AC M 06:16.3 84 36
37 0:31:23 CRONIN, Pat Mallow AC MJ 06:16.5 49 37
38 0:31:25 MCCARTHY, Fergus unatt/Farranfore M 06:16.9 134 38
39 0:31:31 O'SHEA, Ger Iveragh AC M 06:18.1 42 39
40 0:31:33 DALY, Dan unatt/Kiskeam M 06:18.5 72 40
41 0:31:35 BARRETT, Olan Grange-Fermoy AC M 06:18.9 22 41
42 0:32:01 CLANCY, Michael unatt/Castlelyons M 06:24.1 54 42
43 0:32:10 FINN, Carol Duhallow AC F 06:25.9 77 43
44 0:32:16 O'BRIEN, Con unatt/Banteer M55 06:27.1 30 44
45 0:32:21 O'CONNOR, Mary Riocht AC F40 06:28.1 19 45
46 0:32:24 RAHILLY, Patrick St. Finbarrs AC M 06:28.7 26 46
47 0:32:27 CASHMAN, Miriam Duhallow AC F 06:29.3 39 47
48 0:32:30 KELLY, James Liscarroll AC MJ 06:29.9 7 48
49 0:32:40 O'CALLAGHAN, Rachel St. Finbarrs AC F35 06:31.9 91 49
50 0:32:41 MCCARTHY, Jerry Mallow AC M50 06:32.1 101 50
51 0:32:49 COFFEY, Philip Carraig na bhFear AC M 06:33.7 75 51
52 0:32:52 JONES, Daniel unatt/Melin MJ 06:34.3 109 52
53 0:32:55 DALY, Paul Eagle AC M40 06:34.9 114 53
54 0:32:58 ANGLAND, Mattie Gneeveguilla AC M50 06:35.5 31 54
55 0:32:58 SHEEHAN, Mary Grange-Fermoy AC F50 06:35.5 35 55
56 0:33:03 CRONIN, Denis Mallow AC M45 06:36.5 48 56
57 0:33:08 GIBSON, Andy Eagle AC M40 06:37.5 113 57
58 0:33:09 NAGLE, Deirdre unatt/Glanmire F 06:37.7 111 58
59 0:33:26 O'BRIEN, Niall Liscarroll AC MJ 06:41.1 6 59
60 0:33:30 FORREST, Richard unatt/Blarney M 06:41.9 121 60
61 0:33:38 O'DRISCOLL, John Rising Sun AC M50 06:43.5 59 61
62 0:33:46 HEFFERNAN, Maire Liscarroll AC F 06:45.1 40 62
63 0:33:51 MURPHY, Phil Bandon AC M45 06:46.1 37 63
64 0:34:06 BROSNAN, TJ unatt/Newmarket MJ 06:49.1 112 64
65 0:34:09 O'RIORDAN, Pakie West Limerick AC M45 06:49.7 12 65
66 0:34:13 GUINAN, Danny unatt/Newmarket M 06:50.5 96 66
67 0:34:14 KEARNEY, Batt Leevale AC M50 06:50.7 74 67
68 0:34:16 O'DONOVAN, John unatt/Shanballymore M45 06:51.1 82 68
69 0:34:24 WALSHE, John East Cork AC M55 06:52.7 3 69
70 0:34:25 O'RIORDAN, Mark unatt/Croom M 06:52.9 14 70
71 0:34:50 O'CONNELL, John Midleton AC M 06:57.9 130 71
72 0:34:51 BUCKLEY, Aidan Mallow AC M 06:58.1 9 72
73 0:34:52 KIELY, Michael Rising Sun AC M60 06:58.3 34 73
74 0:34:54 GYVES, Paddy Mallow AC M60 06:58.7 95 74
75 0:34:55 O'DONNABHAIN, Donnchadh unatt/Cobh M 06:58.9 120 75
76 0:34:59 MCDERMOTT, Barry unatt/Dromahane M 06:59.7 71 76
77 0:35:04 AHERNE, Brian unatt/Ballinhassig M 07:00.7 132 77
78 0:35:07 CURTIS, Peadar Mallow AC M55 07:01.3 119 78
79 0:35:13 LANGAN, Jim Tullamore Harriers M65 07:02.4 5 79
80 0:35:14 MURPHY, Caroline Gneeveguilla AC F45 07:02.6 116 80
81 0:35:15 O'BRIEN, Jack unatt/Banteer M 07:02.8 55 81
82 0:35:28 O'SHEA, Mick Duhallow AC M45 07:05.4 90 82
83 0:35:45 HIGGINS, Vincent Duhallow AC M45 07:08.8 85 83
84 0:35:47 QUILLIGAN, Kevin Mallow AC M50 07:09.2 43 84
85 0:35:54 TWOMEY, Tadhg Metro-St. Brigids AC M70 07:10.6 23 85
86 0:35:56 O'CONNOR, Diarmuid unatt/Boherbue M 07:11.0 83 86
87 0:36:00 GEANEY, Andrew unatt/Whitechurch M50 07:11.8 100 87
88 0:36:08 MURPHY, Mary St. Finbarrs AC F45 07:13.4 32 88
89 0:36:20 HORGAN, John unatt/Knocknagree M40 07:15.8 70 89
90 0:36:23 BUTLER, Seamus Duhallow AC M40 07:16.4 122 90
91 0:36:32 MURPHY, Tim unatt/Knocknagree M 07:18.2 69 91
92 0:36:58 LINEHAN, Diarmuid unatt/Cork M40 07:23.4 115 92
93 0:36:59 FOLEY, Stephen unatt/Blarney M 07:23.6 105 93
94 0:37:02 QUILLIGAN, Shane Mallow AC M 07:24.2 44 94
95 0:37:08 HAYES, Cormac unatt/Tower M 07:25.4 103 95
96 0:37:09 O'LEARY, Ted West Waterford AC M40 07:25.6 123 96
97 0:37:12 O'DONOGHUE, Donal unatt/Little Island M40 07:26.2 127 97
98 0:37:14 UNKNOWN, NDB 07:26.6 1000 98
99 0:37:17 LAKE, Una unatt/Kanturk F 07:27.2 87 99
100 0:37:23 CARROLL, Aoife Mallow AC F 07:28.4 118 100
101 0:37:30 BREEN, Sarah unatt/Buttevent M 07:29.8 61 101
102 0:37:36 BARRETT, Breeda Gneeveguilla AC F45 07:31.0 76 102
103 0:37:46 TWOHIG, Monica Eagle AC F45 07:33.0 68 103
104 0:37:48 O'CONNOR, Gerry Eagle AC M50 07:33.4 67 104
105 0:37:57 DINEEN, Micheal Gneeveguilla AC M45 07:35.2 52 105
106 0:37:59 DALY, Olan unatt/Kanturk MJ 07:35.6 64 106
107 0:38:01 HEALY, John unatt/Kanturk M 07:36.0 62 107
108 0:38:12 FINN, Mary Millstreet AC F45 07:38.2 79 108
109 0:38:25 MURPHY, Gerard unatt/Newmarket MJ 07:40.8 27 109
110 0:38:34 DALY, Tony St. Abbans AC M60 07:42.6 93 110
111 0:38:50 HARRINGTON, Colm unatt/Glanmire M40 07:45.8 133 111
112 0:38:54 HAYES, Diarmuid unatt/Tower M 07:46.6 104 112
113 0:38:55 FEEHAN, Ted Gneeveguilla AC M65 07:46.8 8 113
114 0:38:55 MULLANE, Michael Duhallow AC M45 07:46.8 28 114
115 0:39:00 O'CONNELL, Pat unatt/Dromahane M40 07:47.8 97 115
116 0:39:03 O'KEEFFE, Sean unatt/Kanturk M 07:48.4 56 116
117 0:39:04 HARVEY, Noreen unatt/Dromahane F35 07:48.6 106 117
118 0:39:12 HARRINGTON-BUCKLEY, Kitty unatt/Inniscarra F45 07:50.2 129 118
119 0:39:14 UI CHONGAILE, Maire Donoughmore AC F50 07:50.6 128 119
120 0:40:26 O'DRISCOLL, Jason unatt/Kanturk M 08:05.0 88 120
121 0:40:33 O'CALLAGHAN, Sharon St. Finbarrs AC F35 08:06.4 92 121
122 0:40:39 O'LEARY, Margaret Gneeveguilla AC F40 08:07.6 117 122
123 0:40:53 WALSH, Anne Ballincollig AC F45 08:10.4 53 123
124 0:41:58 BARRETT, Anne unatt/Dromahane F35 08:23.4 107 124
125 0:42:45 CRONIN, Joseph Mallow AC MJ 08:32.8 50 125
126 0:44:27 SEXTON, John unatt/Rathcoole M45 08:53.2 17 126
127 0:44:29 BROWNE, Shane Duhallow AC M 08:53.6 131 127
128 0:44:30 O'KEEFFE, Marie unatt/Kanturk F 08:53.8 126 128
129 0:45:00 KELLEHER, Frank unatt/Cork M65 08:59.8 94 129
130 0:50:09 O'CONNELL, Ann unatt/Dromahane F35 10:01.6 98 130
131 0:58:12 TOHER, Mary Midleton AC F50 11:38.2 51 131
All proceeds to Marymount Hospice, Cork
Results produced by Ballycotton Running Promotions.

Results of the Shanagarry Christmas 5km road race...Sat 19th Dec 2009

Despite the threat of rain with some light drizzle before the race, the skies cleared nicely and the race was run in cold but dry conditions. A record crowd of 86 turned out for this low key race with all proceeds going towards the Irish charity GOAL.

The full results are available below...

23rd Annual SHANAGARRY CHRISTMAS '5K'
Saturday 19 December 2009. 12:30pm
Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile
1 0:15:32 MCCARTHY, James East Cork AC M 04:59.9 111 1
2 0:15:59 MCGRATH, Sean East Cork AC M 05:08.6 130 2
3 0:16:29 O'CARROLL, Frank East Cork AC M 05:18.2 133 3
4 0:16:36 FAHY, Roy East Cork AC M 05:20.5 109 4
5 0:16:57 MEADE, Eric East Cork AC M40 05:27.2 107 5
6 0:17:01 CASEY, Eoin Midleton AC MJ 05:28.5 122 6
7 0:17:19 O'REILLY, Alan East Cork AC MJ 05:34.3 121 7
8 0:17:33 MAHER, Shane East Cork AC M 05:38.8 104 8
9 0:17:55 MCCARTHY, Denis East Cork AC M45 05:45.9 101 9
10 0:17:57 DUNNE, Denis unatt/Cork M 05:46.5 137 10
11 0:17:58 WALSH, Joe unatt/Ballinacurra M 05:46.9 108 11
12 0:18:10 O'DWYER, David East Cork AC M 05:50.7 110 12
13 0:18:20 ROE, Niamh Eagle AC F 05:53.9 125 13
14 0:18:25 GEARY, Kevin Eagle AC M 05:55.5 136 14
15 0:18:35 KELLY, Norman Eagle AC M 05:58.8 140 15
16 0:18:43 DUNPHY, John Eagle AC M40 06:01.3 124 16
17 0:18:44 TIERNEY, Conor East Cork AC M 06:01.7 131 17
18 0:18:49 DESMOND, John Eagle AC M45 06:03.3 154 18
19 0:18:53 CODY, Tom Midleton AC M55 06:04.6 165 19
20 0:18:58 CURTIN, Joyce East Cork AC F 06:06.2 159 20
21 0:19:03 PRENDERGAST, Gary unatt/Rathcormack M 06:07.8 119 21
22 0:19:07 O'CONNELL, Declan unatt/Cloyne M 06:09.1 146 22
23 0:19:09 O'SULLIVAN, Edmond Midleton AC M45 06:09.7 166 23
24 0:19:15 O'SULLIVAN, Ian East Cork AC M 06:11.6 144 24
25 0:19:19 NOLAN, Michelle Midleton AC F35 06:12.9 116 25
26 0:19:22 WALSH, Niamh Youghal AC F 06:13.9 147 26
27 0:19:27 O'CONNELL, Eoin unatt/Midleton M 06:15.5 161 27
28 0:19:35 CLEARY, Paul East Cork AC M 06:18.1 112 28
29 0:19:39 DOHERTY, David Togher AC M 06:19.4 105 29
30 0:19:41 MAHONEY, Trevor Midleton AC M 06:20.0 129 30
31 0:20:06 O'REILLY, Kevin Midleton AC M45 06:28.0 120 31
32 0:20:23 O'SULLIVAN, Billy Midleton AC M 06:33.5 123 32
33 0:20:32 O'DONOGHUE, Pat unatt/Cloyne M 06:36.4 118 33
34 0:20:42 O'LEARY, Ted West Waterford AC M 06:39.6 143 34
35 0:20:44 O'SULLIVAN, Dermot East Cork AC M45 06:40.3 170 35
36 0:20:47 MCDERMOTT, Barry unatt/Dromahane M 06:41.2 115 36
37 0:20:55 RAMSELL, Ned Midleton AC M 06:43.8 126 37
38 0:21:02 O'CONNELL, John Midleton AC M 06:46.1 160 38
39 0:21:07 CASHMAN, John Midleton AC M45 06:47.7 169 39
40 0:21:09 SCANNELL, John Eagle AC M40 06:48.3 149 40
41 0:21:24 DRENNAN, Sally Midleton AC F40 06:53.1 128 41
42 0:21:25 O'DONOVAN, Leo unatt/Schull M 06:53.5 148 42
43 0:21:30 WALSHE, John East Cork AC M55 06:55.1 102 43
44 0:21:32 O'NEILL, Pierse unatt/Aghada M 06:55.7 182 44
45 0:21:36 GEARY, Caroline Midleton AC F 06:57.0 183 45
46 0:21:47 COOKE, Tony St. Finbarrs AC M45 07:00.5 132 46
47 0:21:49 HOUGH, Joan Midleton AC F50 07:01.2 145 47
48 0:21:53 CLEARY, Eibhlin East Cork AC F 07:02.5 113 48
49 0:21:55 O'REGAN, Padraig unatt/Ladysbridge M 07:03.1 173 49
50 0:21:59 KEARNEY, Batt Leevale AC M50 07:04.4 152 50
51 0:22:04 PERRY, Anne-Marie Midleton AC F35 07:06.0 176 51
52 0:22:07 HENRY, Aidan unatt/Cork M40 07:07.0 178 52
53 0:22:10 HEALY, Brian Midleton AC M45 07:07.9 177 53
54 0:23:19 O'DONOGHUE, Donal unatt/Little Island M40 07:30.2 153 54
55 0:23:25 O'CONNELL, Donie Midleton AC M55 07:32.1 172 55
56 0:23:36 GARVEY, Colette Eagle AC F 07:35.6 174 56
57 0:23:46 KEANE, Pat Midleton AC M45 07:38.8 167 57
58 0:23:48 MCCARTHY, Danny Midleton AC M55 07:39.5 150 58
59 0:23:53 O'KEEFFE, Mary Midleton AC F40 07:41.1 117 59
60 0:24:11 O'SHEA, Louise Grange-Fermoy AC F35 07:46.9 114 60
61 0:24:27 MULCAHY, Mary St. Finbarrs AC F45 07:52.0 168 61
62 0:24:36 PIPER, Claudia Eagle AC F 07:54.9 139 62
63 0:24:51 O'BRIEN, Karen unatt/Cobh F 07:59.8 187 63
64 0:24:52 BARRY, Margaret Midleton AC F60 08:00.1 175 64
65 0:24:53 HENNESSY, Elaine Midleton AC F50 08:00.4 162 65
66 0:25:20 SPILLANE, James unatt/Cork M 08:09.1 184 66
67 0:25:27 MULLANE, Philip Midleton AC M 08:11.3 138 67
68 0:25:36 RYAN, Gillian unatt/Glanmire F35 08:14.2 127 68
69 0:26:01 CURTIN, Jim East Cork AC M60 08:22.3 158 69
70 0:26:20 HICKEY, Aiden unatt/Ballinacurra M 08:28.4 103 70
71 0:27:26 BARRY, Louise unatt/Midleton F 08:49.6 141 71
72 0:27:33 JORDAN, Colm Midleton AC M 08:51.9 106 72
73 0:27:48 PHELAN, Louise Youghal AC F 08:56.7 181 73
74 0:27:56 SHEEHAN, Marc unatt/Coachford M 08:59.3 185 74
75 0:28:56 MCGRATH, Marie Midleton AC F35 09:18.6 164 75
76 0:28:57 MCCARTHY, Joan Midleton AC F50 09:18.9 151 76
77 0:29:15 HALLAHAN, Eimear Leevale AC F 09:24.7 157 77
78 0:29:17 HALLAHAN, Olive Midleton AC F45 09:25.4 155 78
79 0:29:26 O'CONNOR, Barbara Midleton AC F 09:28.3 163 79
80 0:29:27 O'CONNELL, Kathleen Midleton AC F55 09:28.6 171 80
81 0:29:29 HALLAHAN, John Leevale AC M45 09:29.2 156 81
82 0:30:28 PRIOR, Veronica unatt/Glounthaune F 09:48.2 142 82
83 0:31:37 CUMMINS, Kevin unatt/Cork M60 10:10.4 186 83
84 0:34:42 O'REILLY, Deirdre unatt/Youghal F 11:09.9 134 84
85 0:34:43 WALSH, Ina unatt/Youghal F 11:10.3 135 85
86 0:45:29 TOHER, Mary Midleton AC F50 14:38.1 179 86
Happy Christmas - and good running in 2010!
Results produced by Ballycotton Running Promotions

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Turkey Trot' 4 mile road race...Sun 13th Dec 2009

The results for this particular race were a bit delayed but they are available now. A total of 222 runners took part which is up on last year's figure.

The full results can be seen HERE.

Preview of the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 Mile Road Race - Sun 20th Dec (2pm)
This race has a reputation of being one of the fastest 5 mile courses that there is with a slight fall of ground most of the way. Last year, they got almost 200 entries which goes to show how popular this race is. Considering where it is in North-West Cork, it is likely to attract plenty of runners from Limerick and Kerry as well.

Getting there........The hardest part of the race is probably trying to find Newmarket!! The easiest route if you are coming from Cork City is probably to head towards Mallow and go left at the roundabout on the main road and head towards Killarney. Just look for signposts for the turn off right for Kanturk.
Once you get to Kanturk, you come to a main junction and the signpost for Newmarket is about as clear as mud! Don't take the left here! You need to go straight ahead. You pass a garage and you should pass the finish point of the race on your right. 5 miles later, you come to Newmarket.

Entries........Entries will be taken at Hourigans Bar , New Street. This is in the middle of the town. As you come into the town, go straight up a slight hill and take the next right. It's there on the left. Entries for the race cost €10. Prizes for first 10 Women and Men . Also the usual vets prizes...further details from Donie Shine 086 8149970. The organisers are also offering a prize of €200 for anyone breaking the course record....(The course record ( men ) is 22.53 Mark Hanrahan 2008 and the women's record is held by Michelle Scott 25.54).

Course.......You basically start in Newmarket, run the 5 miles to Kanturk and then the organisers provide a bus to take all runners back to Newmarket. Alternatively, you can go for a 5 mile warm down ;o)
As you can see from the map, there is a gentle downhill incline for most of the race. Should be a fast one.

For a closer look, the route is up on the MapMyRun website.

Preview of the Shanagarry Christmas 5km Road Race - Sat 19th Dec (12:30pm)
There are 2 races in Cork this weekend. On Saturday, there is the annual Shanagarry Christmas 5 km road race. On Sunday, there is the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 mile road race. First off, the preview of the Shanagarry race...

This race is usually a pretty low key event with only about 60-80 runners taking part. There are no big prizes or anything like that, it's just a very simple 5k race which is usually held every year on the weekend just before Christmas day. I have to admit that it is probably one of my favourite races in the year. I'm not sure why....maybe it's the small field, the quiet country roads, the scenic area, the tradition of it being a Christmas run or maybe it's just a combination of all of these.

Location...The race starts and finishes in the village of Shanagarry in East Cork. If you are not sure of where that it, it is on the road between Midleton and Ballycotton. See the top map. Cloyne and Ballycotton are shown for reference.

Course...See map below. You start in Shanagarry, just outside the Church (or just next to the finish line in the 5 mile race if you know where that is). You run back towards Cork, passing the garage and the road junction and after a pretty flat 1 km, you take a left. You are now onto real quiet country roads until you re-join the road to Ballycotton at about the 2.5 mile mark. Then it's left, back into Shanagarry, right past the garage and the 3 mile mark and the finish is in the little dip just outside the GAA club. Overall, the course is reasonably flat and there are no real hills to speak of.

If you want to have a closer look at the course, I have put the course up on the MapMyRun website. See HERE.

There is also a flyer for the race available HERE.

A quick look ahead to races in Cork over the Christmas period...

With the Christmas holiday period coming up next week, it might be worth looking ahead to see what is on offer in the Cork area.

Sat 19th.......there is Shanagarry Christmas 5k in East Cork. This is a low key event and is likely to attract less than 100 runners.

Sun 20th......there is the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 mile road race. This one has a reputation of being a fast course and will probably attract a lot of runners from Cork, Limerick and Kerry.

Tues 22nd.....there is a 3k race in Midleton in East Cork at 7:30pm.

Fri 25th......there is the charity GOAL mile at various locations. The event in Cork city is at the CIT track on Christmas morning.

Sat 26th......there is the Belgooly 4 mile race. This is a huge race and running in it is a bit of a Christmas tradition for many people. It will probably attract in excess of 500 people.

Mon 28th........there is Bandon 5 mile road race. This year, the start time has been changed to the morning which should help.

So overall, there are no shortage of events if you any of them take your fancy. Outside of the county, there are other races elsewhere in Munster. More details tomorrow on the Running in Munster website.

Results of the 'Floodlit Colours' Cross Country Race....Fri 11th Dec 2009

The CIT Vs UCC 'Floodlit Colours' Cross Country race took place last Friday evening at the CIT grounds. It would seem as if UCC came off as the better team in both races on this occasion.

The full results are available in PDF format HERE if anyone is interested.

New Running Club in North Cork....

I got an e-mail during the weekend with the news that there is now a new running club in Mitchelstown in North East Cork. They are called the 'Galtee Runners' and the club vests will be black with white chest band and red lettering. They have a 'meet and train' evening every Friday at Brigown cemetary gates.

If you live within the Mitchelstown catchment area and are interested in joining then try the following numbers........ Johnny O'Sullivan 086 - 2759248 or Catherine O'Sullivan 086 - 3817792.

Will we be seeing a new race in the Mitchelstown area soon???

You either ran today or you didn't......

The following article appeared in the Irish Times recently.

As you'll see, it has a bit of a local twist. Read on...

The Irish Times - Saturday, December 5, 2009
'Some are born to go on a running streak'...IAN O'RIORDAN
NOEL CARROLL always said the day you’re too busy to go for a run is the day you’re too busy. Or, may I add, too lazy. In any case, Noel practised what he preached from the heart. He was indeed a busy man, famous, amongst many other things, for helping start up the Dublin marathon. But he was rarely too busy to miss his daily run, until his sudden death 11 years ago. Sadly, yet fittingly, he’d just finished a run.

Anyone fortunate enough to have met Noel, under any circumstances, will tell you he had this uncanny knack of making you feeling guilty if you hadn’t run that day. He didn’t want to hear excuses. You either ran today, or you didn’t. That was his standard, and somehow it always stuck with me. Usually, at the start of every week, I vow to myself there won’t be a day when I’m too busy to go for a run. Inevitably, before the week is out, the day arrives. And it’s not always about being too busy, or too lazy – but simply too cold or too tired or too late.
Truth is the pursuit of a daily run is too idealistic for most. That’s not saying it can’t be done. Around this time every year I’m reminded of Ron Hill, the former European marathon champion, who boasts the incredible daily running streak, which, believe it or not, stretches back to December 1964. December 20th, to be exact – which means he’s coming up on 45 years. Assuming he goes for a run today from his home in Cheshire, then by my calculations, Ron Hill has now run the last 16,415 days in succession. That’s not a misprint. 16,415 consecutive days, almost 45 years – and not one day too busy or too lazy or too late. Ron Hill was clearly born to run, or else led the most contrary life imaginable. To the best of anyone’s knowledge this is the greatest daily running streak in the history of mankind – with the possible exception of some particularly eager hunter-gatherer. But if you’ve ever read his autobiography The Long Hard Road – which comes in two parts – you’ll know Hill was the hardiest of souls, and by all accounts, he still is. He turned 71 in September, yet still competes in races of various distances all around the world. In fact last year he reached his target of racing in 100 different countries, a similarly unrivalled feat of staggering proportions.

What makes Hill’s streak even more impressive is that most of those miles were run at an exceptional pace, particularly in the early years. The man trained very hard. He actually started logging his daily training mileage as far back as September 1956, and two years ago, calculated that he’d run his 150,000th mile – which is the equivalent to running six times around the world. And he’s no intention of stopping: “If you enjoy eating a nice steak, you don’t stop just because you’re getting old,” he once said.

All of which begs the question: What actually qualifies as a daily run? Plus, who’s to say Ron Hill didn’t stay in bed one day and still write a five-mile run into his diary? Obviously there is no strict standard, nor any method of ratification. It’s generally accepted that a daily run is at least one mile of continuous running. But running streaks are purely an achievement of faith. Your word is your only proof – and even though that opens the thing up to abuse, no one has ever suggested Ron Hill is not legit.

Some people, such as the United States Running Streak Association, do try to regulate the business. They define a running streak as “at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one’s own body power, on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill, and without the use of canes, crutches or banisters, or reliance on pools or aquatic devices to create artificial buoyancy.” There is no exception for genuine excuses like being sick, injured or laid up in hospital.

They have 220 runners on record, their leader being Mark Covert, a 58-year-old teacher from California, who claims to have run every day since July 23rd, 1968. (You can read more about him and others at www.runeveryday.com \ ) Unfortunately, there is no Irish Running Streak Association, but in my quest to establish our leader in this crazed pursuit, I tracked down Denis McCarthy in Ballynoe in east Cork, who claims – and no one has ever suggested he’s not legit – to have run every day since June 5th, 1985. That’s over 24 years, or by my calculations, now 8,949 days and counting.

McCarthy, like Ron Hill, didn’t just start running one day, and never stopped. At age 47 he’s still a regular in track and cross country races in the colours of East Cork AC, and has been for years. In 1983, he only missed eight days’ training. In 1984, he only missed two days.

“When it came to June 1985, I was out running one day, and suddenly realised I hadn’t missed a day in the past year,” he told me. “I just kept going after that. Run the cross country season, take a few weeks easy, get ready for the track season, and after another few easy weeks, get ready for the cross country season again. And God willing, and with good health, I’d keep going for another year. It just became an obsession then. I couldn’t stop. The way some people can’t stop lighting up another cigarette.”

McCarthy admits to two near misses: “A few years back I had a minor operation. I went running that morning, and actually got out of the hospital that evening. It involved getting a few stitches but I was still able to run the next day. Another time I had a very bad dose of the flu. I was in bed all day, with my mother looking after me. She went out to the shops for a short while, and I seized the opportunity. I was really knocked out, but said I’d go for it, and skipped out for a run.”

It may be that someone else out there can claim a better running streak than McCarthy, but either way we can only take their word for it. “I certainly haven’t heard of anyone,” says McCarthy,

It’s a simple thing really; you either ran today, or you didn’t. Some of us will always find an excuse.

Calendar of Cork BHAA events for 2010....

The final list of Cork BHAA races for 2010 has just been finalised.

The full list is published below but as far as I can see, here are the changes...

1) On the 7th of March, there will be a new 4 mile road race sponsored by Janssen in Little Island. I presume they will be using the same circuit as the very popular FMC race in January?.....or will it be something new? Either way, considering how close it is to Cork City, it's sure to attract a big crowd.

2) The 5 mile road race which was sponsored last year by Harvey Norman will now be on at the end of May, just before the Cork Marathon rather than just after it.

3) The IPS/Garda 5 km race in Ringaskiddy will now be held in July rather than in May although the date for this race has to be finalised.

4) It's sad to see the loss of the Stryker 4 mile race in Carrigtwohill next year. This was always a popular race along a reasonably quiet route to the North of the town. Possibly the best feature of this race was that it was so close to Cork City. All you had to do was drive a few minutes east from the Jack Lynch tunnel and you were there. Considering how busy the local roads are near Cork, it's dificult for race organisers to find suitable routes like this one.

5) A new race!! It's great to see the inclusion of a brand new 5 km race in Macroom. I know there used to be some race before in Macroom but that was a long long time ago, probably sometime back in the 1980's? There is a distinct lack of road races in the west of the county and any new event is welcome news. If you live near Cork City or East Cork then you have a huge selection of local races to choose from. For anyone living in West Cork, they have to travel long distances to get to any event. Hopefully racess like this might encourage more people to take up the sport in the region. It might be also worth pointing out that since Macroom is roughly half way to Killarney, this race should be of interest to anyone living in the Kingdom as well. There could be a lot of people at this one!

6) And finally, the Inniscarra race which was posponed in 2009 is down again for late November 2010 (...subject to the ESB deciding whether to flood the city or not)

So that's it....20 events compared to the 19 in 2009. The full list is below...

Cork Bhaa 2010...List of Events

Date Distance Venue Contact
Sunday Morning Races @ 11am
Jan 24th FMC 4 miles Little Island Kevin Cummins 4292509
Feb 14th Cross Country Beaumount Park Blackrock 087-9790806
Feb 21st ESB 5k Blackrock Tim Murray 086-1091782
March 7th Janssen 4 miles Little Island Mark Murphy 086-1713786
April 11th UCC 10K Mardyke Aine Murphy 087-6231016
Evening Races @ 8pm
April 26th Stride by the Tide 4 miles Redbarn Noel Curtin024-95483
May 12th Pfizers 6 miles Ringaskiddy Kevin O Driscoll 4328253
May 31st 5 miles Glanmire John Egan 4821134
June 7th Cork City Marathon 9am start www.corkcitymarathon.com
June 15th John Buckley Sports 5k Marina John Buckley 4508830
July 1st A.I.B. Macroom 5K Fiona Kingston 087-9031141
July 7th EMC 5K Ovens Seamus Casey 4281845
July 14th??? IPS/GARDA 5K Marina Mick Dooley 087-9790806 (Subject to change)
Aug 4th Novartis 5K Ringaskiddy Michael Murphy 4862004
Evening Races @7-30pm
Aug 18th Army/Navy 5 miles Naval Base Willie O Riordan 4514117
Sept 1st PTAA 5K Togher Seamus Casey 4885655
Sunday Morning Races @ 11am
Oct 3rd Sports Supplies Cork To Cobh 15 (Not 11am!!) Kevin Cummins 4292509
Oct 31st HSE 4 miles Marina Michael Murphy 4923429
Nov 21st 4 miles Classic Inniscarra Maire Ni Chuinnean 7332124
Dec 12th Cork Simon 4 miles Marina Kevin Cummins 4292509

Preview of the Cork BHAA' Turkey Trot'...Sun 13th Dec

The Cork BHAA are holding their annual 'Turkey Trot' in aid of Cork Simon Community next Sunday, the 13th of Dec at 11am. The race venue is the Lee Rowing Club next to Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the Marina in Cork City. This is the exact same place as the 'HSE' race that took place there back in November.

Race........As with the 'HSE' race, this charity event is also over a 4 mile route and they will possibly / probably use the same route. The one major difference with this one is that no watches are allowed! When you enter, you have to give your estimated finish time. The winner of the race is the person who gets closest to their predicted time.

Overall.......this is a very informal race in aid of a local charity with plenty of spot prizes afterwards. As it is the last Cork BHAA race of the season and it's for a good cause, you can expect a good turnout with between 200-300 runners. The current forecast is for dry conditions. I forgot to mention earlier that the organisers would welcome any additional spots if you would care to bring something along.

Other Cork BHAA News........As most of you will know, the Inniscarra 4 mile race at the end of November was called off due to flooding on the local roads. At the time, it was unclear whether the race was just going to be postponed until a later date. The organisers have since decided that there will be no Inniscarra race in 2009 and it will be held as per normal at the end of 2010.

Talk in CIT by Ray Treacy....Thurs 10th Dec 6pm
For anyone that might be interested in the current state of Irish Athletics...
CIT Athletic Club to host Q & A session with renowned US collegiate coach.
CIT athletic club are delighted to announce that Ray Treacy will be providing answers
to the questions posed by the future of Irish athletics next Thursday evening,
December 10th at 6pm in the Studio Room in CIT’s new GAA stand.
Treacy currently in his 26th season overseeing Track and Cross Country operations at Providence
College, Rhode Island is currently in Ireland to guide his charges, Mary Cullen,
Breffni Twohig and Charlotte Ffrench-O’ Carroll to international success at this
weekends European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.
More details HERE.

Results of the 2nd Ballycotton Poll....How did you get your Ballycotton entry form?

The 3 options given were...

1) Sent off for one of the forms (SAE option)

2) In a local shop

3) Downloaded the form off the website

After putting up this poll, I realised that there might be one serious flaw which might skew the results. The flaw is.......anyone that is taking part in the poll is probably pretty active online. As such, they are much more likely to download the form off the Ballycotton website. So, the 79% answer above is really 79% of those active online rather than 79% of all runners.

However, even allowing for this, the very high percentage still suggests that most people will probably use the downloaded form anyway.

Considering that....

1) Most people have access to the Internet at work or at home or know someone who has and

2) Seeing how most SAE's didn't arrive until the Tuesday

.....Is the SAE option worth it anymore?

Following on from the post yesterday about the other poll about when did people get the SAE back, I noticed later (...much later ;o) that I had uploaded the wrong graphic i.e. the 2008 one.

So just out of interest, here is a comparison between the 2008 poll and 2009 poll about the SAE's.

As you can see, last year a lot of them arrived on the Monday while a good percentage were late. This year, they were nearly all late.

Considering that the Ballycotton '10' race is run purely on a voluntary basis (...not as a business like some other big races!), I wonder if it is really worth all the hassle and work? Will 2009 be the last year of the SAE option?

Reminder for closing date for the next batch of Ballycotton '10' entries....

Now that the 2,500 limit for open entries has been filled, this is a reminder that the special 2 week window for club runners and others closes next Tuesday, the 15th of December. If the return of the SAE envelopes are anything to go by then you should post your entry by next Friday, the 11th of Dec at the latest.

Just as a reminder, the following people can still enter the 2010 Ballycotton '10'...

(a) All bona fide AAI (Athletics Ireland) registered club members.
(b) All runners who completed the 2009 Ballycotton Summer Road Race Series (all four 5-mile events).
(c) All those who were entered but were unable to run the 2009 race AND returned their ChampionChip.
(d) All bona fide overseas entrants accepted by post up and including Friday January 8th.

Just to follow up on the 2,500 batch of entries last week, here are some stats and some points of clarification....

1) On Tues 1st Dec, the organisers got 537 entries compared to 491 last year, an increase of 9%.

2) On Wed 2nd Dec, they got 1680 entries...up 15% on last year figure of 1459.

3) On Thursday, there were less than 300 spaces left and these filled up early in the morning.

4) The organisers had said that they would supply entry forms to two Sports shops on the Monday.......John Buckley Sports in Cork City and Ger Wyley sports in Dungarvan. They never said that they would be supplying other sports shops as had been suggested in a comment to an earlier post.

5) As you can see from the recent short poll, most people that sent off a SAE for a form didn't seem to get it back until the Tuesday. All of the SAE forms were posted on Saturday so if there were any delays then it was due to An Post.

BBC Article....'Arthritis risk' for middle-aged exercise addicts...

The following article appeared recently on the BBC News Website. It asks if too much exercise for those aged 45 to 55 is such a good idea? This kind of follows on from another recent article which asked if running too many Marathons was a good idea.

Can exercise be too much of a good thing?
Middle-aged men and women may be risking arthritis if they overdo their exercise regime, research suggests.
A US study of more than 200 people aged 45 to 55 and of "normal" weight found those doing the most exercise were the most likely to suffer knee damage.
Running and jumping may also do more damage to cartilage and ligaments than swimming and cycling, researchers said.

One arthritis charity said it was important to keep fit and most people would not have any problems.
Osteoarthritis - the most common form of arthritis - is a degenerative joint disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness and affects 8m people in the UK.

People with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities
Dr Christoph StehlingUniversity of California, San Francisco
It is more common in women, and the risk increases with age and weight.
Presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the researchers said their study included people who had not reported any previous knee pain.

Activity
Based on a questionnaire designed to work out how much exercise they do, participants were split into low-, middle- and high-activity groups.
A typical high-activity individual would do several hours of walking, sports or other types of exercise per week, as well as gardening and other household chores.
They then underwent MRI scans of the knee, looking for tears, lesions and other abnormalities in the cartilage and ligaments.
The damage seen was associated solely with activity levels and was not age or gender specific, the researchers said.
And it also seemed to be linked to the type of exercise a person did, although the researchers said this needed to be looked at in other studies.

Study leader Dr Christoph Stehling, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco said: "Our data suggest that people with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities and, thus, at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.

"This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health.
"Conversely, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, may protect diseased cartilage and prevent healthy cartilage from developing disease."

A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said that the gains of exercise far outweighed any potential risks.
"We have known for years that certain high impact sports and jobs are associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee, but for the vast majority of people exercise is good, not only for the cartilage but for total body health.

"Most people can exercise without any problems, but if you have had a joint injury or torn cartilage or ligaments you should be cautious about weight-bearing exercise, and swimming and cycling may provide a better option for you."

Kate Llewelyn, of the charity Arthritis Care, said: "Osteoarthritis used to be considered wear and tear arthritis, but it's now thought that there are many more factors than age and use that contribute to its development.
"Many people wrongly assume that exercising when you already have arthritis is a no no, but in fact appropriate exercise is one of the best ways to help control pain, boost energy, keep you mobile and strengthen your joints." ............BBC News Website

New Poll about the SAE entries for Ballycotton...

Now that the 2,500 entry limit has been reached for next year's Ballycotton '10', it might be interesting to find out how well did the SAE option work. Did most people who opted for the SAE option get their form back on Monday?.......or was it Tuesday in which case they could just as easily have downloaded the form on Monday evening.

So, if you chose the SAE option and you are living in Ireland then you might take the time to click the relevant answer in the poll on the right.

If you are living outside Ireland then you might refrain from voting because it's likely that you were late in getting the SAE back anyway.

What do you think of the SAE option? Did it work for you this year? Leave a comment by clicking on the 'Comment' link below.

Update.......someone suggested that I might ask another question.......how did you get your entry form? Via the SAE route? In a local shop?.........or did you download it off the Ballycotton website and print it out? Select the relevant option in the 2nd poll on the right.

Ballycotton '10' Entry Limit Reached...!!

As predicted, the bulk of the 2,500 entries arrived by post on Wednesday and the local postman is now taking a well deserved break ;o)

So unless you are a club runner, you have done all 4 of the summers series races or are living overseas then there is no point in posting your entry now.

If I'm not mistaken then I think that the limit last year wasn't reached until Thursday evening.

Now the long job of processing the entries begins. For the moment, you have no idea of knowing whether your entry was successful or not. Going on previous years, they will probably publish a list of successful entrants sometime early in the new year.

Here is the official blurb from the organisers regarding the 2,500 limit...

BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ENTRY LIMIT REACHED!
The 2,500 entry limit for next year’s Ballycotton ‘10’ has now been reached.
Unless you qualify under one of the headings below, PLEASE DO NOT send in any further entries – it is pointless and creates extra work and expense to post them back.
We repeat – DO NOT send any further entries unless you qualify as below.
The following will be accepted by post up to and including Tuesday December 15th:
(a) All bona fide AAI (Athletics Ireland) registered club members.
(b) All runners who completed the 2009 Ballycotton Summer Road Race Series (all four 5-mile events).
(c) All those who were entered but were unable to run the 2009 race AND returned their ChampionChip.
(d) All bona fide overseas entrants accepted by post up and including Friday January 8th.

......Ballycotton Running Promotions

Ballycotton '10' entries update....

Word has it that the poor old postman in Ballycotton had a busy day squeezing the 500 or so first entries in through the letterbox. If he thought Tuesday was bad, wait until he sees what's waiting for him in the depot on Wednesday morning!!

When will the 2,500 limit be reached? Without a doubt, the bulk of all Ballycotton entries will arrive on Wednesday the 2nd. By the end of the day, the 2,500 limit might well be reached but I'm guessing that will happen on Thursday.........we'll see.

In the meantime, if you have failed to post your entry in yet then I suppose you could try posting it on Wednesday but the chances of you getting in at this stage are starting to get slim.