Run under BHAA rules and sponsored by AIB, this is a new race to the BHAA calendar. The Daniel Kingston memorial 5km road race, takes place in Macroom on Thursday 1st July at 8pm.
On the 10th of February 2009 Daniel Kingston sadly passed away after a long battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma aged only 25 years. Daniel grew up with his family in Macroom. Throughout his life he had a keen interest in participating and watching sports. He was a great fighter and always believed in the cure. His attitude remained positive throughout all his treatment. He used the facilities in ARC Cork Cancer Support House for support and guidance. Last year over 700 of Daniel's family, friends and extended friends took part in Cork City Marathon on 1st of June and others took part in a cycle from Malin to Mizen Head at the end of July raising €155,000 for ARC Cancer Support House here in Cork.
Being the inaugural race, huge effort went into getting some spectacular prizes for this race making the race even more inviting. These include:
1st Prize Male - Weekend for two in the five star Killarney Park Hotel
1st Prize Female....Weekend for two in the five star Aghadoe Heights Hotel, Killarney.
Spot Prizes (based on lottery selection and open to all competitors on the night) include the following four star hotels :
Weekend for two in the International Hotel Killarney
Weekend for two in the Malton Hotel Killarney
Weekend for two in the Castle Hotel Macroom
Weekend for two in the Randles Court Hotel, Killarney.
There will also be prizes for the different categories as usual for BHAA races.
Registration for the race (€5 for BHAA registered and €8 for non BHAA registered), refreshments and prize giving afterwards will take place at Macroom sports complex, which is located through the castle gates in the centre of the town.
The race itself is run through the town and also over country roads with some slight inclines/declines but if run well should produce some fast times.
The race start is on the Eastern side of the town at Toyota Garage. The 1st miles is run in a westerly direction through the centre of the town, with a fairly sharp downhill from the Castle, over the main bridge and take a right turn; a further right brings you onto a country road where the 1st mile finishes.
Mile 1 to 2 is predominantly on a slight decline and so should not pose too many problems. Mile 2 finishes on a small bridge beside an old mill.
After mile two, you take a further right and approach the only uphill section of the race. This hill can actually be seen on the right hand side by those driving into the town from the city side. It is a short hill and should not cause too much problems if you are pacing yourself well. This then brings you back again through the start and up through the town for the second time. At the 3 mile mark you will take a slight left to the finish of the race.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Chocolate Milk may be better than Sports drink according to study...
Chocolate milk may be better for athletes recovering from a strenous a work-out than traditional sports drinks, a recent study showed.
In a series of four studies, researchers found that chocolate milk replaired and rebuilt muscles more effectively than the specially designed carbohydrate fluids according to the American College of Sports Medicine conference, in Seattle.
Researchers believe drinking low fat chocolate milk after a strenuous workout could even help prep muscles to perform better in a subsequent bout of exercise.
The combination of carbs and protein already in chocolate milk matched the ratio found to be most beneficial for recovery.
Studies suggest that chocolate milk has the right mix of carbs and protein to help refuel exhausted muscles, and the protein in milk helps build lean muscle
Milk also provides fluids for rehydration and electrolytes, including potassium, calcium and magnesium lost in sweat, that both recreational exercisers and elite athletes need to replace after strenuous activity.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Cork Runner wins the Portumna Marathon - Sat 26th June 2010
From time to time, I put up a post if I hear about any Cork based runner winning races elsewhere in the country.
Well this time, it's going to be a very strange post indeed because I happen to be that Cork based runner!! ;o)
About 2 months ago, I heard about this new event in Portumna comprising 3 races.....a 100 km race, a 50 km race and a full Marathon. About 2 weeks ago just after running in the Cork Marathon as a pacer, I got a notion to give this one a try. My intention was to use it as a long training run and see what it was like rather than try for any special time.
First of all however, there was the Shanagarry 5 mile race on Thursday evening to get out of the way.......well, it is one of the Ballycotton Summer Series.....it's a 'must do' race! :o)
So I ran the race, 'sorted out' a few club mates ;o) , tried to hydrate as best I could on Friday evening and headed for Portumna in Galway at 6:30am on Saturday morning.
I arrived around 8:45am and the 50 km and 100 km race were well underway at that stage having both started at 6am. The course consisted of a 5 km loop within the confines of Portumna forest and the Marathon would be just over 8 full loops. Looking around, it was obvious that the Marathon field would be modest and that most of the runners had completed several Marathons before. No fun runners here!
My first problem was trying to decide what pace to run? All of the markers were in kms and I didn't have a GPS watch. The best solution I could think of before the start was that a 3:30 Marathon is roughly 8 minute/mile pace..........which is roughly 5 minutes per km. Stick to those 5 minute splits as best I could and I'll see how I'll go.......Plan A.....a Master plan!
At the start line, I met up with another Cork Marathon pacer, Frank McDermott from Dublin. He was planning 3:20 and he had tapered for a full week! Excellent....that sounds a lot better than my 36 hours ;o)
So, plan B was hatched.........run with Frank, see how I get on and let him off when I get tired.
10am and the Marathon started. Frank took off like he trying to catch the last bus home and he was leading the Marathon after about 100 metres. Mmmmm....maybe I should forget about Frank and plan B......back to plan A ;o)
Soon, I settled into 5th position, the pace felt ok and it stayed like that for the first few miles. After about a lap, some of those in front settled down into a more relaxed pace and I found myself in 3rd place behind 2 runners from Galway.
The kms were now passing with times in the low 4 minutes. Not exactly the 5 minutes according to plan A but I thought....'what harm, I'll build up a bit of a cushion before the fatigue sets in'.
Another lap and I went through the 10 km mark in 43:45. I had no idea of what pace that was. I knew the pace seemed a bit fast but I felt ok for the moment. Keep going........stay with the Galway lads.......build that cushion!
About an hour into the race, the cloud cover broke up and the sunshine appeared. The temperature was now around 20-22 deg C...not great conditions for running a Marathon but in fairness to the organisers, the water stations were excellent. They had small 250 ml bottles of water on offer as well as coke in plastic cups. I remembered that a fellow club mate had told me about drinking coke during a Marathon and found that the sugar and caffeine gave him a boost. So every lap, I stopped at the water station for about 5 seconds, drank all of the coke, took a bottle of water while the runners in front opened up a gap.
Another lap and a bit and soon I was at the half-way mark........92 minutes! That's 3:04 Marathon pace.........way too fast!! I had no intention of running this pace........this was supposed to be a training run. Yet, there didn't seem any point in slowing down. I was in 3rd place and I thought that maybe if I could keep up a reasonable pace, I could hold 3rd?
One km later, one of the 2 front runners pulled out and by roughly the 15 mile mark, I had caught the leader and I was in front. For the next 11 miles, I was essentially on my own. No-one out ahead to concentrate on. I was running on my own and it was just a matter of trying to keep up the pace as best I could. I kept waiting for the fatigue to hit, for my pace to drop dramatically....but it never did.
The remaining few laps were all about counting down the kms and lapping some of the slower Marathon runners. The last lap was just one long push!...get to the finish....don't get caught!
I finally finished in a time of roughly 3:06 having run the 2nd half in about 94 minutes, just 2 minutes slower than my first half. Not the fastest of Marathon times but fast enough on the day to win this particular Marathon.
As an event, it is certainly different from other long distance races. I was expecting to find the laps really boring and difficult to keep track of. However, that didn't turn out to be the case. The race was very well organised and the km markers were well signposted. The course is roughly in the shape of a spoon.........a loop on the western end with an out and back section on the eastern end. In a way, you almost ended up as a spectator in the race as you could see who was running well and who was suffering in the 3 races.
Perhaps running loops in a forest might not appeal to everyone but the trees certainly made things a lot more comfortable once the sun came out. At times along the course, there were open sections where we had no shade and we got a reminder of just how difficult the race would have been without shelter.
In the 100 km race, Niall O'Crualaoich from Cobh (shown above) completed the course. Niall, who is a fireman in Cork recently ran the Cork City Marathon for charity.........in his fireman's outfit complete with jacket and boots in a time of 4:45!
In the 50 km race, Gerry Forde from Blarney took part with his wheelchair.
Also in the Marathon, Michael Haydon of UCC who completed his 100th Marathon recently in Cork added one more to make it 101!
Well this time, it's going to be a very strange post indeed because I happen to be that Cork based runner!! ;o)
About 2 months ago, I heard about this new event in Portumna comprising 3 races.....a 100 km race, a 50 km race and a full Marathon. About 2 weeks ago just after running in the Cork Marathon as a pacer, I got a notion to give this one a try. My intention was to use it as a long training run and see what it was like rather than try for any special time.
First of all however, there was the Shanagarry 5 mile race on Thursday evening to get out of the way.......well, it is one of the Ballycotton Summer Series.....it's a 'must do' race! :o)
So I ran the race, 'sorted out' a few club mates ;o) , tried to hydrate as best I could on Friday evening and headed for Portumna in Galway at 6:30am on Saturday morning.
I arrived around 8:45am and the 50 km and 100 km race were well underway at that stage having both started at 6am. The course consisted of a 5 km loop within the confines of Portumna forest and the Marathon would be just over 8 full loops. Looking around, it was obvious that the Marathon field would be modest and that most of the runners had completed several Marathons before. No fun runners here!
My first problem was trying to decide what pace to run? All of the markers were in kms and I didn't have a GPS watch. The best solution I could think of before the start was that a 3:30 Marathon is roughly 8 minute/mile pace..........which is roughly 5 minutes per km. Stick to those 5 minute splits as best I could and I'll see how I'll go.......Plan A.....a Master plan!
At the start line, I met up with another Cork Marathon pacer, Frank McDermott from Dublin. He was planning 3:20 and he had tapered for a full week! Excellent....that sounds a lot better than my 36 hours ;o)
So, plan B was hatched.........run with Frank, see how I get on and let him off when I get tired.
10am and the Marathon started. Frank took off like he trying to catch the last bus home and he was leading the Marathon after about 100 metres. Mmmmm....maybe I should forget about Frank and plan B......back to plan A ;o)
Soon, I settled into 5th position, the pace felt ok and it stayed like that for the first few miles. After about a lap, some of those in front settled down into a more relaxed pace and I found myself in 3rd place behind 2 runners from Galway.
The kms were now passing with times in the low 4 minutes. Not exactly the 5 minutes according to plan A but I thought....'what harm, I'll build up a bit of a cushion before the fatigue sets in'.
Another lap and I went through the 10 km mark in 43:45. I had no idea of what pace that was. I knew the pace seemed a bit fast but I felt ok for the moment. Keep going........stay with the Galway lads.......build that cushion!
About an hour into the race, the cloud cover broke up and the sunshine appeared. The temperature was now around 20-22 deg C...not great conditions for running a Marathon but in fairness to the organisers, the water stations were excellent. They had small 250 ml bottles of water on offer as well as coke in plastic cups. I remembered that a fellow club mate had told me about drinking coke during a Marathon and found that the sugar and caffeine gave him a boost. So every lap, I stopped at the water station for about 5 seconds, drank all of the coke, took a bottle of water while the runners in front opened up a gap.
Another lap and a bit and soon I was at the half-way mark........92 minutes! That's 3:04 Marathon pace.........way too fast!! I had no intention of running this pace........this was supposed to be a training run. Yet, there didn't seem any point in slowing down. I was in 3rd place and I thought that maybe if I could keep up a reasonable pace, I could hold 3rd?
One km later, one of the 2 front runners pulled out and by roughly the 15 mile mark, I had caught the leader and I was in front. For the next 11 miles, I was essentially on my own. No-one out ahead to concentrate on. I was running on my own and it was just a matter of trying to keep up the pace as best I could. I kept waiting for the fatigue to hit, for my pace to drop dramatically....but it never did.
The remaining few laps were all about counting down the kms and lapping some of the slower Marathon runners. The last lap was just one long push!...get to the finish....don't get caught!
I finally finished in a time of roughly 3:06 having run the 2nd half in about 94 minutes, just 2 minutes slower than my first half. Not the fastest of Marathon times but fast enough on the day to win this particular Marathon.
As an event, it is certainly different from other long distance races. I was expecting to find the laps really boring and difficult to keep track of. However, that didn't turn out to be the case. The race was very well organised and the km markers were well signposted. The course is roughly in the shape of a spoon.........a loop on the western end with an out and back section on the eastern end. In a way, you almost ended up as a spectator in the race as you could see who was running well and who was suffering in the 3 races.
Perhaps running loops in a forest might not appeal to everyone but the trees certainly made things a lot more comfortable once the sun came out. At times along the course, there were open sections where we had no shade and we got a reminder of just how difficult the race would have been without shelter.
In the 100 km race, Niall O'Crualaoich from Cobh (shown above) completed the course. Niall, who is a fireman in Cork recently ran the Cork City Marathon for charity.........in his fireman's outfit complete with jacket and boots in a time of 4:45!
In the 50 km race, Gerry Forde from Blarney took part with his wheelchair.
Also in the Marathon, Michael Haydon of UCC who completed his 100th Marathon recently in Cork added one more to make it 101!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Results of the Courtmacsherry 10 km road race - Fri 25th June 2010
The numbers weren't the only records being broken however as there were new course records in the mens and ladies race. George Waugh of Rising Sun AC won the mens race in a time of 33:35 while Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC won the ladies race in 37:42.
The full results are now available HERE (Updated)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Preview of the Courtmacsherry 10 km road race - Fri 25th June 2010
Preview of the Courtmacsherry 10km Charity Run - Fri 25th June (8:00pm)
This 10km event takes place in Courtmacsherry in West Cork on Friday evening at 8pm. This is the 3rd year of this event and there is a slight route change from last year. The start is in Courtmacsherry and the route goes around 3 miles to Timoleague, does 1 loop clockwise of the town and then back towards Courtmacsherry and the finish.
Courtmacsherry/Timoleague 10Km Road Race...Friday June 25th at 8.00pm
Race Categories: 1st & 2nd Prizes in Men, Women, Junior (U16 boys and girls), Vets Over 35, 40, 45, 50,55, 60 & Wheelchair Athlete
EUR100.00 bonus to winners if course record is broken: Men (34.51) and Women (38.43)
Register on the day between 5pm and 7.30pm at Courtmacsherry Community Centre.
Entry Fee: EUR10
This 10km event takes place in Courtmacsherry in West Cork on Friday evening at 8pm. This is the 3rd year of this event and there is a slight route change from last year. The start is in Courtmacsherry and the route goes around 3 miles to Timoleague, does 1 loop clockwise of the town and then back towards Courtmacsherry and the finish.
Courtmacsherry/Timoleague 10Km Road Race...Friday June 25th at 8.00pm
Race Categories: 1st & 2nd Prizes in Men, Women, Junior (U16 boys and girls), Vets Over 35, 40, 45, 50,55, 60 & Wheelchair Athlete
EUR100.00 bonus to winners if course record is broken: Men (34.51) and Women (38.43)
Register on the day between 5pm and 7.30pm at Courtmacsherry Community Centre.
Entry Fee: EUR10
Results of the Shanagarry 5 Mile road race - Thurs 24th June 2010
There was a record turnout of 503 runners for this, the 2nd race in the Ballycotton Summer Series. To put that into context, here are the finishing numbers for the last few years...
2007 = 279, 2008 = 281, 2009 = 471
That's almost a doubling of numbers in the space of 2 years.
Results.....
The results are now available HERE (updated)
Photos....
To follow...
2007 = 279, 2008 = 281, 2009 = 471
That's almost a doubling of numbers in the space of 2 years.
Results.....
The results are now available HERE (updated)
Photos....
To follow...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Preview of the Shanagarry 5 Mile Road Race - Thurs 24th June 2010
The 2nd race in the Ballycotton 5 Mile Road Race Summer Series takes place in the small village of Shanagarry in East Cork on Thursday evening at 8pm. Going on the numbers at recent races, it looks likely that there might be another record number. Considering that they got 520 for the first race in the series and they got 481 for this race last year, will the 500 barrier will be broken this year?
Directions...
If you are coming from Cork, take the N25 East and from the roundabout on the Midleton bypass, take the 3rd exit and follow the main R629 Midleton to Ballycotton road. Shanagarry is located on the main road between Cloyne and Ballycotton. If you are coming from Waterford, take a left at Castlemartyr for Ladysbridge and Garryvoe and follow the road on towards Shanagarry.
Parking...
Note that due to the large number of cars, there will be new parking arrangements this year. If you are approaching from Cork, you will be directed to a car park which is about 800 metres from the registration point. This is roughly a 10 minute walk so allow for this.
Entries...
Entries will be taken in a marquee at the GAA grounds in the centre of the village. Here is some advice from the organisers...
All those who ran the first race at Ballyandreen last month are automatically entered for the Shanagarry ‘5’. Numbers are listed on the Ballycotton website in alphabetical order. On the night, there will be two queues – one for those with numbers from 1 to 300, the other for people with numbers over 300.
It would help greatly if you would note your number and join the correct queue and ask for the number at the entry desk. A similar list of names and numbers will also be displayed outside the marquee. Also, it saves a lot of time if you have the correct entry fee (which is just €5) at the ready.
Runners who did not run in Ballyandreen can enter in the normal way at a separate table (entry fee again €5).
The race starts at 8pm and people are requested to arrive early in view of the large numbers expected and due to parking facilities this year being some distance away from the race headquarters.
Course...
The race starts just outside the petrol station at the main road junction on the Ballycotton road. It then drops slightly into the hollow by the GAA entrance, up past the road junction where the finish will be, past the church, down again into another slight hollow and up a bit of a pull until the road flattens out as you head towards the 1 mile mark. A pretty fast mile with no major drags.
The 2nd mile is pretty flat. You run down to Garryvoe next to the beach, around a sharp bend and head inland again. A flat fast mile.
The 3rd mile is not so easy. It is basically a long gentle uphill section until you turn off left onto a quiet country road and the 3 mile mark. You can expect to lose some time on the long climb.
The 4th mile starts easy. The first half mile is along a flat road with a great view to the left over the East Cork countryside. At the next road junction, you take a very sharp left and then the road drops rapidly. It's almost too steep to really run on comfortably. Then it flattens out for a short section and then, you hit the hill! Not as bad as the 'Beast of Ballyandreen' but a nasty one all the same. After the initial shock, the gradient reduces as you hit the 4 mile mark. A tough mile.
For the start of the 5th and final mile, there is still a gradual climb for about 300 metres after the 4 mile mark. Then it flattens out as you negotiate a series of bends with matures trees on either side of the road providing plenty of cover. The last half mile is very fast as it is slightly downhill all the way to the finish.
Note from the organisers...."Regarding the course, we would like to remind runners to keep on the left after passing Garryvoe, there is no advantage to be gained by crossing over to the right and it can also be very dangerous."
Directions...
If you are coming from Cork, take the N25 East and from the roundabout on the Midleton bypass, take the 3rd exit and follow the main R629 Midleton to Ballycotton road. Shanagarry is located on the main road between Cloyne and Ballycotton. If you are coming from Waterford, take a left at Castlemartyr for Ladysbridge and Garryvoe and follow the road on towards Shanagarry.
Note that due to the large number of cars, there will be new parking arrangements this year. If you are approaching from Cork, you will be directed to a car park which is about 800 metres from the registration point. This is roughly a 10 minute walk so allow for this.
Entries...
Entries will be taken in a marquee at the GAA grounds in the centre of the village. Here is some advice from the organisers...
All those who ran the first race at Ballyandreen last month are automatically entered for the Shanagarry ‘5’. Numbers are listed on the Ballycotton website in alphabetical order. On the night, there will be two queues – one for those with numbers from 1 to 300, the other for people with numbers over 300.
It would help greatly if you would note your number and join the correct queue and ask for the number at the entry desk. A similar list of names and numbers will also be displayed outside the marquee. Also, it saves a lot of time if you have the correct entry fee (which is just €5) at the ready.
Runners who did not run in Ballyandreen can enter in the normal way at a separate table (entry fee again €5).
The race starts at 8pm and people are requested to arrive early in view of the large numbers expected and due to parking facilities this year being some distance away from the race headquarters.
The race starts just outside the petrol station at the main road junction on the Ballycotton road. It then drops slightly into the hollow by the GAA entrance, up past the road junction where the finish will be, past the church, down again into another slight hollow and up a bit of a pull until the road flattens out as you head towards the 1 mile mark. A pretty fast mile with no major drags.
The 2nd mile is pretty flat. You run down to Garryvoe next to the beach, around a sharp bend and head inland again. A flat fast mile.
The 3rd mile is not so easy. It is basically a long gentle uphill section until you turn off left onto a quiet country road and the 3 mile mark. You can expect to lose some time on the long climb.
The 4th mile starts easy. The first half mile is along a flat road with a great view to the left over the East Cork countryside. At the next road junction, you take a very sharp left and then the road drops rapidly. It's almost too steep to really run on comfortably. Then it flattens out for a short section and then, you hit the hill! Not as bad as the 'Beast of Ballyandreen' but a nasty one all the same. After the initial shock, the gradient reduces as you hit the 4 mile mark. A tough mile.
For the start of the 5th and final mile, there is still a gradual climb for about 300 metres after the 4 mile mark. Then it flattens out as you negotiate a series of bends with matures trees on either side of the road providing plenty of cover. The last half mile is very fast as it is slightly downhill all the way to the finish.
Note from the organisers...."Regarding the course, we would like to remind runners to keep on the left after passing Garryvoe, there is no advantage to be gained by crossing over to the right and it can also be very dangerous."
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Guest Article - Race Series........by David O'Dwyer
The following article appeared in a recent issue of the Irish Runner magazine and is published here with their kind permission...
Guest Article - Race Series.......by David O'Dwyer
Much has been written about the current “running boom” but it is only when you take a closer look at the grass roots can you see the origins of the boom and more importantly if the boom will last. The “race series” is not a new phenomenon but it is something that has really caught hold in the areas of East Cork and West Waterford. This in part may explain why these two areas are leading the way in terms of road running in Ireland when it comes to attracting people into the sport.
East Cork encapsulates a number of pro-active Senior Athletic Clubs and of course there is the efficient machine that is Ballycotton Running Promotions. Indeed Ballycotton Running Promotions claim to be the promoters of the original road racing series in Ireland. Their Summer Series of four races has mushroomed in popularity over the past couple of years where the average entries for each of the four races are in excess of 400. The series has been on the go for over 30 years and the main reason for the recent upsurge in popularity is that if you complete the series then you gain guaranteed entry in to the famed Ballycotton 10.....(Please note that this was the case. There is no guarantee that it will be correct for 2011...John Desmond)
East Cork AC has held a Winter Series of seven 3k races for the past 12 years. This series started off as an event for members only in an attempt to liven up the Tuesday night speed sessions. Over the past couple of years this series has grown almost too big to handle for a Tuesday night session with the numbers competing now regularly in excess of 150. On a cold wet and windy Tuesday winter night this is quite remarkable. Even more so when you consider there are no prizes given out on the night. The only reward is a long sleeve T-shirt if you complete 5 of the 7 scheduled events.
West Waterford AC also hosts a Winter League and Spring/Summer Series. These events are held on grass and road and offer a variety of events to all standards of runner. The club has shown to be innovative in its approach to hosting events that are attractive to the beginner as well as the more seasoned athlete. Staggered start times and an option to run 3, 4 or 5 laps of the cross country course are just a couple of the ideas that have proved to be so successful. Both the Winter League and Spring/Summer Series have had the same sponsors since 1994 with some events attracting in excess of 300 competitors.
The club also holds members only events and this helps to harbour a real camaraderie among members. In total there are in excess of 50 events organised by the club so there is always something to aim for. According to club chairman Tony Ryan, this is one of the reasons why the club attracts so many members. Tony states that the foundation of the success though is the very strong committee that the club has in place. The committee includes both runners and non runners and this ensures that the needs of the members are being met by the club.
Innovation seems to be the name of the game in Dungarvan where the club is based, a prime example being the latest idea which has become affectionately known among members as the “Breakfast Club”. This is where a group of mainly female members go for a run after dropping off the kids to school. West Waterford AC also has a thriving juvenile section but it is good to see that the adults are also being well catered for.
There are other similar race series around the country, Mayo and Galway spring to mind. Limerick is the latest to catch on to this idea where a series in UL has been taking place this winter. There are probably other series around the country that are just not that well known. The most famous series of course in the Adidas Dublin Marathon Series of 5 mile, 10 mile and Half Marathon races that are held in the lead up to the Dublin Marathon. This has proved to be a great platform for attracting new Marathoners.
Many of the Series’ detailed above have been taking place for a number of years. There has been little or no official input from Athletics Ireland – this is not a criticism but perhaps the governing body could learn some lessons from these organisers. There is no reason why such events cannot take place elsewhere in the country. Some excellent work is being done by the Regional Development Officers with regard to attracting the young kids into the sport but let’s not forget about the adults. There is no point in getting the kids interested if there isn’t a whole lot there for them when they get older.
Guest Article - Race Series.......by David O'DwyerMuch has been written about the current “running boom” but it is only when you take a closer look at the grass roots can you see the origins of the boom and more importantly if the boom will last. The “race series” is not a new phenomenon but it is something that has really caught hold in the areas of East Cork and West Waterford. This in part may explain why these two areas are leading the way in terms of road running in Ireland when it comes to attracting people into the sport.
East Cork encapsulates a number of pro-active Senior Athletic Clubs and of course there is the efficient machine that is Ballycotton Running Promotions. Indeed Ballycotton Running Promotions claim to be the promoters of the original road racing series in Ireland. Their Summer Series of four races has mushroomed in popularity over the past couple of years where the average entries for each of the four races are in excess of 400. The series has been on the go for over 30 years and the main reason for the recent upsurge in popularity is that if you complete the series then you gain guaranteed entry in to the famed Ballycotton 10.....(Please note that this was the case. There is no guarantee that it will be correct for 2011...John Desmond)
East Cork AC has held a Winter Series of seven 3k races for the past 12 years. This series started off as an event for members only in an attempt to liven up the Tuesday night speed sessions. Over the past couple of years this series has grown almost too big to handle for a Tuesday night session with the numbers competing now regularly in excess of 150. On a cold wet and windy Tuesday winter night this is quite remarkable. Even more so when you consider there are no prizes given out on the night. The only reward is a long sleeve T-shirt if you complete 5 of the 7 scheduled events.
West Waterford AC also hosts a Winter League and Spring/Summer Series. These events are held on grass and road and offer a variety of events to all standards of runner. The club has shown to be innovative in its approach to hosting events that are attractive to the beginner as well as the more seasoned athlete. Staggered start times and an option to run 3, 4 or 5 laps of the cross country course are just a couple of the ideas that have proved to be so successful. Both the Winter League and Spring/Summer Series have had the same sponsors since 1994 with some events attracting in excess of 300 competitors.
The club also holds members only events and this helps to harbour a real camaraderie among members. In total there are in excess of 50 events organised by the club so there is always something to aim for. According to club chairman Tony Ryan, this is one of the reasons why the club attracts so many members. Tony states that the foundation of the success though is the very strong committee that the club has in place. The committee includes both runners and non runners and this ensures that the needs of the members are being met by the club.
Innovation seems to be the name of the game in Dungarvan where the club is based, a prime example being the latest idea which has become affectionately known among members as the “Breakfast Club”. This is where a group of mainly female members go for a run after dropping off the kids to school. West Waterford AC also has a thriving juvenile section but it is good to see that the adults are also being well catered for.
There are other similar race series around the country, Mayo and Galway spring to mind. Limerick is the latest to catch on to this idea where a series in UL has been taking place this winter. There are probably other series around the country that are just not that well known. The most famous series of course in the Adidas Dublin Marathon Series of 5 mile, 10 mile and Half Marathon races that are held in the lead up to the Dublin Marathon. This has proved to be a great platform for attracting new Marathoners.
Many of the Series’ detailed above have been taking place for a number of years. There has been little or no official input from Athletics Ireland – this is not a criticism but perhaps the governing body could learn some lessons from these organisers. There is no reason why such events cannot take place elsewhere in the country. Some excellent work is being done by the Regional Development Officers with regard to attracting the young kids into the sport but let’s not forget about the adults. There is no point in getting the kids interested if there isn’t a whole lot there for them when they get older.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Results of the Dunmanway 10 km road race - Sun 20th June 2010
With clear skies and a start time in mid-afternoon, the temperature was well into the twenties for the race and this no doubt was a big factor in the race!
The gents races was won by Alan O'Shea of Bantry AC in a time of 33:12.
The ladies race was won in a time of 40:39 by in-form Mary Sweeney who recently finished 5th on the Cork City Marathon. In 2nd place was local runner Liz Barry in 41:35 followed by Gillian Cotter in 42:39 in 3rd place.
Results.......
The provisional results can be seen HERE
Photos....(Updated Wed 23rd)
There is an alum of 140 photos by John O'Driscoll HERE
There is a gallery of 94 photos by Joe Murphy of Eagle AC HERE
Comments......
Considering it was a new race, what was you opinion of it? The organisation? The route? The heat!? Prizes? Overall...??...........click on the comment link below and give your opinion.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Preview of the Dunmanway 10 km road race - Sun 20th June 2010
Coming up this weekend, we have a number of road races. On Friday evening, there is the 4th race in the Ballyhoura Active Summer Series with a 10 km race in Cappamore in East Limerick at 8pm. In Ring in West Waterford at 8pm, there is a 6 mile race with roughly 4 miles on the road and 2 miles off-road.
The main race in Cork this weekend however is the new 10 km road race in Dunmanway in West Cork.
Here is some info from the organisers......
Dunmanway10k 2010 Preview
If you are coming from the Cork City direction, the easiest way to get to Dunmanway is to take the N71 heading west for Bandon. Go straight through the roundabout in Bandon and at the next T junction take a right onto the R586, signposted for Dunmanway. Drive over the bridge and take a left after the bridge, also signposted for Dunmanway. Follow this road all the way to Dunmanway.
The main race in Cork this weekend however is the new 10 km road race in Dunmanway in West Cork.
Here is some info from the organisers......
Dunmanway10k 2010 Preview
Directions:
As you drive through Dunmanway, pass the Topaz filling station on your left. Take the next left and bypass the town. Keep driving along the bypass until you come to a junction. Take a left at this junction. As you drive along this street, the Parkway Hotel is located on your left as the main road turns sharply to the left. The race HQ at the GAA grounds is located close to here and you will be directed to parking. Further directions and maps are on the Dunmanway10k website. Look out for the fluorescent green signs on the day to help direct you to the race HQ!
Entries:
The entry fee on the day is €10 but you can pre-register online for the reduced entry fee of €8. You can pay either entry fee on the day at the designated table. Proceeds from the race are going towards CoAction West Cork. The race will start at 2:00pm sharp with entries being taken from 12:00 at the GAA pavilion.
Course:
The race itself is mainly on quiet country roads and follows a scenic route, which crosses the Bandon River at “Ballabuidhe Bridge” close to the original site of the famous Ballabuidhe annual horse fair, approaching the halfway point. It is a relatively fast course with no major hills until the very end of the race which will result in a tough but interesting finish! There will be a water station around the halfway point. Further details are on the Dunmanway10k website.
Refreshments & Prizes:
Refreshments will be served in the GAA pavilion after the race. There will be prizes for the first 5 men and women home, the top 2 in the usual veteran categories for men and women along with prizes for the first wheelchair athlete, junior male & female and local male & female home.
Overall:
The race is aimed at both the novice runner and the seasoned athlete. With a large number of local runners already pre-registered, we hope to introduce these runners to the booming road running scene in Cork and get everybody’s pulse racing in the heart of West Cork on the 20th of June!
For a better look at the location and course, have a look at the MapMyRun website.
For a closer look at the course, have a look at the race website
For a better look at the location and course, have a look at the MapMyRun website.
For a closer look at the course, have a look at the race website
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Cork runner hits the 100 Marathon mark!
I heard recently that a local Cork runner Michael Haydon has been clocking up the Marathons with an aim to achieve the magic 100 mark. Michael, who lives in Ballygarvan and works in UCC finally achieved his final target by running in the Cork City Marathon on the 7th of June despite carrying an injury. Having started on this path in 1999, it took 11 years to complete this journey.
Here is part of his journey....
My name is Michael Haydon, also known as Micheal O’hAodain. I live in Ballygarvan, Co. Cork and I am involved in teaching youth and community work at the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork. I ran my first Marathon in October 1999 in Dublin. I had been doing a bit of running since 1993 when I had been forced to quit playing soccer due to injuries and had got ‘brave’ and thought I could take on the ‘marathon’, that is, an organised run over a measured distance of at least 26.2 miles or 42.195 km.
That first marathon was tough and no amount of training could have prepared me for the actual experience of ‘going the distance’. I was completely drained, physically and emotionally, at the end, and as I recovered over the weeks following the marathon I promised myself ‘never again’. However, come October 2000 and the Dublin Marathon, there I was at the start line again, a bit better prepared and again involved in doing some fundraising. This time I was left feeling less devastated by the marathon experience and the physical and emotional fallout was much less severe – so much so that I entertained the thought of maybe running another marathon.
And so I ended up at the start line of the Belfast Marathon on the May Bank Holiday 2001 and I suppose that was the real start of this journey that culminated with my 100th marathon completed in Cork on June 7th 2010.
Since that May Holiday in 2001 I have completed another 96 marathons in various places across Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, France and Spain. While most of the marathons have been on the road, a significant number have also been multi-terrain, off-road orienteering, and even a couple of mountain runs. The common thing is that they have all fulfilled the distance requirement of being at least 26.2 miles in length. While every run has been tough, I think that the toughest run I have done was the Mont Blanc marathon in 2008. It is difficult to say which was the easiest, although Dublin in 2004, when I was reasonably fit and ran a personal best time, was tremendously satisfying.
As I realised that it was a real possibility that I could manage to make Cork the one hundredth, I thought about something or anything that I could do to mark this event in my life. Thinking back to my first couple of marathons when we managed to raise some funds in conjunction with the running, I again decided that it might be possible to have a fundraising effort connected with the marathon. When it came to deciding on a beneficiary for any funds raised there was no contest as I have had a long involvement with the Bishopstown Senior Social Centre, a voluntary organisation that provides a centre and a range of social activities, supports, opportunities and services for older people in the wider Bishopstown area. Opened in 2001, they are a non-profit organisation depending on a mixture of statutory funding received mainly from the HSE, and voluntary fundraising in order to keep providing their services.
Where and when is the 101st???
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Results of the Cork BHAA 'John Buckley Sports' 5 km road race - Tues 15th June 2010
In the meantime, here are the category results...
John Buckley Sports 5km Road Race (Cork BHAA), Marina, Cork
1 J McCarthy (McCarthy) 14:42; 2 M Hanrahan (JB Sports) 14:50; 3 S McGrath (McGrath Landscaping) 15:24; 4 C Murphy (temp-reg) 15:30; 5 T Kelleher (CSO, M40) 15:48; 6 E Murphy (Murphy) 15:53; 7 B Murphy (Chris Harrington) 15:56; 8 T Murphy (Avondhu Motor Factors) 15:57; 9 R Fahy (Bio-Pharma) 15:57; 10 M Nolan (temp-reg) 15:58.
M40: 2 D Keohane (IPS) 16:49; 3 E Meade (Conoco Philips) 17:07.
M45: 1 C O’Connell (UCC) 16:27; 2 K Devine (UCC) 17:24; 3 V Keane (Keanes Shop) 18:01.
M50: 1 M Murphy (Novartis) 17:59; 2 N Aherne (Midleton UDC) 18:33; 3 P Murphy (UCC) 18:36.
M55: 1 E McEvoy (Dept of Educ) 17:29; 2 W O’Riordan (Army) 19:08; 3 T Huff (Team adidas) 19:21.
M60: 1 M Dunne (UCC) 20:37; 2 J Holland (An Post/Eircom) 20:52; 3 L O’Leary (Cork City Co) 21:21.
M65: 1 M Kiely (M&E Kiely) 22:23.
M70: 1 J O’Leary (Bookdeal) 22:39.
Team: (Grade A) 1 UCC 94; 2 Solvit Foods 131; 3 Chris Harrington Construction 132. (Grade B) 1 IPS 203; 2 EMC 272; 3 Cork Garda 297.
Women: 1 L Lee (Wolfe Physio) 17:17; 2 N Roe (Dept of Educ) 17:54; 3 E Murphy (Cork Shops) 17:58; 4 M Finn (temp-reg) 18:02; 5 N Walsh (Quality Hotel) 18:23; 6 M Nolan (Midleton News, F35) 18:49.
F35: 2 N Hunter (Leisure World) 19:49; 3 A-M Power (Mens Weaver) 19:57.
F40: 1 M Dinan (Leasing Co) 19:09; 2 S Drennan (Dept of Educ) 20:57; 3 K Neiland (Neiland) 21:58.
F45: 1 A Donnelly (Donnelly Bakery) 19:23.
F50: 1 C Parnell (Cork Shops) 18:54.
F55: 1 M Lyons (Fit4Life).
Team: (Grade A) 1 Cork Shops 16; 2 Quality Hotel 20; 3 Dept of Education 21. (Grade B) 1 Dept of Education 48; 2 Ballincollig Runners 64; 3 Dept of Education 73.
Photos.......
The photo above shows the large field at the start of the race. If you click on it, you should be able to zoom in and see it in greater detail.
Elsewhere, there is a gallery of 167 photos by Irene Hartigan of UCC AC to browse through. They were taken at the last corner, about 200 metres from the finish.
Jorge Ruiz Villasante was also there and has taken some excellent photos.
Jorge has a slideshow of his photos available HERE
Updated Wed 23rd June...
There is a small gallery of 26 photos by Joe Murphy of Eagle AC HERE
Monday, June 14, 2010
Preview of the Cork BHAA 'John Buckley Sports' 5 km road race - Tues 15th June 2010...
Why the big numbers last year? I'd guess a lot of them were Relay runners from the Cork City Marathon who decided to give one of the shorter races a blast. No doubt there will be a huge turnout of relay runners again this year.
NEW RUNNERS........READ THIS!!
Yes You! If you are new to the local running scene or just took part in the Relay in the Cork Marathon, you might be wondering what the local races are like? A lot of new people get the wrong idea and think the local road races are only for 'serious' or 'fast' runners. They are afraid to take part because they might come last!
The truth is that all different types of people take part in the local road races.....some fast....some slow. If you can do a leg of roughly 5 miles in the relay of the Cork Marathon then you can certainly take on any of the shorter road races.
So...on to the preview!
Registration...The event centre for this race is in the Lee Rowing Club building on the Marina. This is located just alongside the Pairc Ui Chaoimh GAA stadium. There is plenty of parking in the area....outside the club house, along the quayside or outside the GAA stadium. See map below. Considering that the number of entries will be high, there will be BIG queues. Try and arrive early (7:00-7:20) and avoid the crush.
Remember, the race starts at 8pm!
Cost...As usual for BHAA events, it is €5 for registered runners and €8 for non-registered. There will be 2 queues...just make sure you get into the correct one. Just a note for those of you new to the running scene, this race is open to anyone. Just join the non-registered queue and get your race number.
Course...This is probably the flatest and fastest 5 km course in Cork. The start is on the Centre Park Road, about half a mile from the club house. With so many people running, the start will probably be a bit squashed but the road is wide enough that the field will soon thin out. Just one word of warning here...a lot of heavy vehicles use this road and the surface is a bit rough in places. It's not so easy to see what is up ahead when the field is bunched.
So, from the start, you run towards the city centre, left at the roundabout and onto the Monaghan Road. The 1 mile mark is half way down this road. For the 2nd mile, you go left at the next juction, back onto the Centre Park Road, past the start point and on to the 2 mile mark. For the 3 mile, you just retrace your footsteps as you repeat the same route except at the end when you approach the Centre Park Road again, you turn right instead of left. Here, you enter a tunnel of Green foliage as the mature trees on both sides of the road block out the light. Along here, you pass the 3 mile mark and the finish is about 150 metres later.
Overall.....Dead flat and as fast a 5 km course as you can get. If you want to try for a personal best, this is the place to try for it.
If you want to have a closer look at the course or get your bearings, I have put the route up on the MapMyRun website.
Later in the week...
Coming up next Sunday, there is a brand new 10 km race in Dunmanway in West Cork. The organisers have put a lot of work into promoting this race and it's a welcome addition to the race calendar. That race will be previewed here late on Thursday evening.
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