Ballycotton Entry forms are out now!!

The entry forms for the 2011 Ballycotton '10' Mile Road Race are out now in PDF format.

Click HERE

As of Thursday night, time has run out for those wishing to get in under the 2,500 limit.

Entries are now open only to those who qualify....

1) Members of AAI registered clubs.......until the 16th of Dec
2) Anyone who did all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series in 2010..........until the 16th of Dec
3) Overseas entrants...........until the 10th of January

Ballycotton '10' Entry Forms out Tuesday 30th Nov...

The moment has arrived....It's time for the annual Ballycotton '10' entry derby with everyone in a mad panic to get in before the 2,500 limit is reached!! Why the mad rush? The Ballycotton '10' is the 2nd largest race in Cork and is one of the largest 10 mile road races in the country. It attracts not only local runners but also runners from the rest of Ireland and the UK. Entries open about 3 months before the race in March and the open section with 2,500 entries fills up in about 3 days.

The 2011 Ballycotton '10' race will take place on Sunday, the 6th of March.

First of all, a quick recap...
Just in case you are seeing this for the first time, a quick look to see what group you are in when it comes to entries...

A) Any AAI club member OR anyone who ran in all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series races can avail of a 2 week window to get their entries in (closing date Dec 16th).

B) Anyone living overseas can avail of a 6 week window (closing date 10th Jan)

C) If you do NOT qualify for one of the above conditions then you have to try and be one of the first 2,500 entries!!!

More details in an older post HERE

OK....now for the lowdown...

For those of you who opted for the SAE option then the entry forms should have been posted on Monday, the 29th and with any luck, you should receive it on Tuesday morning, the 30th. Going on a poll last year, quite a number of people didn't get the SAE the following day so I'm not so sure it is the best option to get a form, especially if you want to be one of the first 2,500 entries.

If you did not send off for an entry form then you can pick one up in the following retail outlets on Tuesday evening...John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Ballycotton and Shanagarry that same afternoon.

The best option is if you can download the entry form off the Ballycotton Running Promotions website on Tuesday evening and print it out.

Once you get the entry form, you need to fill it out CAREFULLY and you have to get it in the post straight away. Don't wait......just post it.

If you read my earlier post then you should have a postal order/cheque for €15, an envelope and a stamp ready to go.

If you are one of the category C) runners as listed above (i.e. non-club, non-series, non-overseas) then going on previous years, if you post your entry form on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning or Wednesday afternoon before the last post is collected then I'd be reasonable confident that you'll get in ok.

Post it Wednesday night, Thursday morning or Thursday afternoon and you are in the 'maybe' bracket. Post it on Friday and you are likely to be too late. If you take the approach of 'Ahh sure.....I'll post it next weekend'..........that's fine except the entries will be well closed by next week!!
Don't forget that the fact you are reading this on a Monday or Tuesday means that you are ahead of most. There will be loads of people who will not have checked the details in time and will miss out. That's why if you can follow the instructions here, post it Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning then you're probably as good as in.

Please note that you can only enter by post. There is no online entry and you cannot drop your entry in to someones house. By having postal entries only, everyone has the same chance of getting in.

The entry form....when you get it, cut off the section for entries only. DO NOT RETURN THE WHOLE FORM! I think the organisers have a pretty good idea of what the entry conditions are at this stage and they don't need you sending them the whole form to remind them ;o)

Read the advice given by Ballycotton Running Promotions below on what to do with the entry form. Read it CAREFULLY.....it would be a shame to go to all that trouble in sending off a form early only to be disqualified because you filled out the form incorrectly.

BEFORE YOU FILL OUT THE FORM…...Instructions from Ballycotton Running Promotions


Read all of it carefully – all the information you need is there.


Each person should fill out their own individual form – when people fill a form for someone else, it invariably leads to mistakes in spelling, date of birth, etc which causes problems to the information already on the data base.

Fill out the form in sequence (surname, first name, age on day of race, date of birth, male/female, etc.) Please write in BLOCK CAPITALS



Remember the club is AAI club – Athletics Association of Ireland (not BHAA, soccer club, GAA club).


Telephone/email contact is convenient for checking mistakes!


If you ran in ALL FOUR of this year’s Ballycotton Summer Series 5-mile races, tick the box.
Sign your name on the bottom… by doing this you also agree NOT to transfer your number to another runner in the event of being unable to run.


Please detach (tear, or cut off if form is downloaded) the section of the form with your details and only send this along with the entry fee of €15 to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.


Entry fee is €15. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Ballycotton Running Promotions. Don’t staple cheque to form. Cash is sent at your own risk.


Do not send a stamped addressed envelope - you can also send more than one form in the same envelope if required.

Using registered post won’t make any difference – it either gets there in time or not.

The first 2,500 postal entries opened are automatically accepted. After that, any AAI club member or any runner who ran in all four of the 2010 Ballycotton Summer Series or those who were unable to run last year’s race AND returned the ChampionChip will be accepted up and including Thursday December 16th. Anyone living overseas will be accepted up to and including Monday January 10th.

As soon as the first 2,500 entries have been received, a notice will be posted on this website and on local radio. Unless you qualify under the above headings, please do not continue to send in entries. It only causes extra work and expense to send them back.


Remember, not everyone will get in. If rejected, don’t take it too bad – there is now no shortage of races at a variety of distances in Cork and throughout and country! ...........but there's only one Ballycotton '10' ! ;o)

Results of the Cork BHAA Inniscarra 4 Mile Road Race...Sun 21st Nov 2010

There was a modest turnout of 204 runners for this hilly 4 mile road race in Ballyanley near Inniscarra just to the west of Cork City.

The numbers for some of the previous years were...
2007...249,   2008...229,     2009...cancelled due to floods
The fact the Munster AAI Masters Cross Country Championships in Dungarvan were on the same day will of course have meant that a number of runners were missing. Allowing for that, the numbers would seem to be on par as previous years.
The full results can be found HERE

The next race on the Cork BHAA calendar is the Cork Simon 4 mile race at the Marina in Cork City on the 12th of December. This charity event involves running without your watch and guessing your finish time. Guess right and you win.

Reminder...Ballycotton '10' entry forms out next Tuesday (30th Nov)

Just a quick reminder that the entry forms are coming out on Tuesday the 30th of November. If you are one of those trying to get into the first 2,500 then you will need to post your entry form on Tuesday night or on Wednesday morning.

The cost of entering the 2011 Ballycotton '10' is €15.

If you are going to pay by postal order then you should really think about getting a postal order, envelope and stamp on Monday. As soon as you get the entry form, post it straight away.

More information about entry conditions were covered in a previous post HERE

The 'Coolest' Marathon on Earth...

If you are out running over the next few days and feel frozen with the cold, just remind yourself that there are even colder places!

I came across this unusual Marathon over the last few days.....the Polar Circle Marathon....the Coolest Marathon on Earth.

It takes place in Greenland and is run over trails as well as on a glacier and the hard ice. Temperatures are well below 0 deg C and anything above minus 10 is a bonus.

It is featured on the Guardian website HERE

Long term weather forecast for the next few weeks...Nov/Dec 2010

Most of the time, weather forecasts are only good for 5 days ahead at max. That is especially the case in Ireland where we get so many low pressure weather systems crossing the country.

Recently however, there has been a noticable change in the weather...ie. Its cold! The UK MET office are now saying that we are likely to be in for a prolonged spell of cold weather which may have implications for events on over the next few weeks.

Essentially, what has happened over the last few weeks is that the Jet Stream in the upper atmosphere has been going in a strong West to East direction across the Atlantic dragging all of the low pressure systems underneath it. This has given us wet, reasonably mild and windy conditions. See diagram below...

Now however, the Jet Stream has slowed down and has taken a more Northerly route up over Greenland and this is in turn dragging very cold polar air down over the UK and Ireland.

The forecast is that this type of weather system, once established, can last quite a while. So the weather over the next few weeks is likely to be very cold with the possibility of icy conditions.

This may well have implications for any race coming up in November and the first half of December, especially the further North you go. If there is ice on any of the race routes, some events may well be called off. If you remember, this was the case about 11 months ago when the Belgooly '4', the Bandon '5' and the Mallow '10' were postponed or cancelled.

On a more local level, the main interest for runners over the next few weeks is the weekend of the 11th/12th of December with the Marathon and Half-Marathon in Clonakilty, the Cork BHAA 'Simon' Turkey Trot in Cork City and the Half-Marathon in Waterford taking place. If the weather goes as predicted then it seems likely that we will avoid any of the Winter storms which would have a huge impact on the long distance events, especially in Clonakilty where the Marathon route takes in part of the coast. The big fear however is that in avoiding the mild windy conditions, we get the other extreme where it gets too cold.

Hopefully, conditions on the South coast won't be so harsh and the events in Cork/Waterford will go ahead ok. It might be worth keeping an eye on the weather forecast though over the next week or so, especially if you have to travel a long distance for any of these races.

Results of the East Cork AC 3 km road race (3rd of 7)...Tues 23rd Nov 2010

It looks like there was another fine turnout for this 3 km road race in Midleton in East Cork on what was a dry but cold evening.

The 4th race in the series is on Tuesday, the 14th of December at 7:30pm.

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 3 23/11/10

1 Frank O'Carroll East Cork AC 9.35
2 Aidan Mullins Bantry AC 9.42
3 Conor Tierney East Cork AC 9.52
4 Eamonn Maher CIT AC 9.55
5 John Collins CIT AC 9.56
6 Denis Lyons Cork 9.59
7 Alan O'Reilly CIT AC 10.02
8 Mark Bickerdyke Leevale AC 10.06
9 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.10
10 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.36
11 Craig Harrington CIT AC 10.45
12 Darragh Canavan Midleton AC 10.46
13 Leslie Coughlan Midleton CBS 10.47
14 Jonathan Finn Carrigtwohill 10.51
15 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 10.56
16 John Dunphy Eagle AC 10.57
17 Stan Byczek Midleton AC 10.59
18 Eric Owers Midleton AC 11.02
19 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 11.04
20 Philip O'Neill Midleton 11.08
21 Roy Evans CIT AC 11.10
22 Conor McGrath Midleton AC 11.12
23 Adam Duchnicz Midleton AC 11.14
24 John Griffin Grange Fermoy AC 11.25
25 Martin O'Reilly St Finbarrs AC 11.27
26 Stephen Murphy Midleton CBS 11.30
27 Ronan Power Cork 11.30
28 Eanna Farrell CIT AC 11.32
29 AJ Murphy Ballinacurra 11.33
30 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 11.43
31 Denis O'Sullivan Midleton 11.48
32 Darren Flynn Grange Fermoy AC 11.49
33 Trevor Collins Naas AC 11.51
34 Neilus Ahern Midleton AC 11.53
35 Kevin Fennessy Watergrasshill 11.57
36 Cillian Lynch Midleton CBS 11.58
37 Roger O'Mahony Glounthaune 11.59
38 Paul Twohig Cork 12.01
39 Paul Cleary East Cork AC 12.03
40 Emmet Foley Whitegate 12.08
41 Kevin O'Reilly Midleton AC 12.10
42 Damien Cotter Castlemartyr 12.12
43 Barry Drake Youghal 12.13
44 Michael Hallahan Midleton AC 12.13
45 Owen Coates Midleton AC 12.20
46 Matt Chojan Cork 12.22
47 Dermot Murphy Midleton 12.26
48 Joan Hough Midleton AC 12.27
49 Eibhlin Cleary East Cork AC 12.30
50 Colm Egan Midleton AC 12.36
51 Ted O'Leary West Waterford AC 12.36
52 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 12.37
53 Graham Kelleher Dungourney 12.39
54 Brian Kenneally Midleton AC 12.40
55 Michael Kenneally Crosshaven 12.45
56 Mary Histon de Barra Rising Sun AC 12.46
57 David Fleming Midleton 12.47
58 Declan Kearney Aghada GAA 12.49
59 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 12.50
60 Noreen Mackey CIT AC 12.51
61 Dara Thompson Midleton AC 12.52
62 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.56
63 Aidan O'Herlihy Whitegate 12.57
64 Eadaoin O'Neill East Cork AC 12.59
65 Rebecca McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 13.03
66 Shane Ruddle Ballinacurra 13.04
67 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 13.13
68 Kevin Dunne Ballinacurra 13.14
69 Claire Fitzgerald Midleton AC 13.15
70 John Walshe East Cork AC 13.17
71 Elaine O'Donoghue Riverstick Kinsale AC 13.19
72 Susan Delaney Midleton AC 13.23
73 Angela McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 13.28
74 Simon Fitzgerald Glounthaune 13.30
75 Padraig O'Regan Ladysbridge 13.35
76 Daire Crotty Midleton CBS 13.38
77 Caroline Fletcher Midleton AC 13.39
78 Eleanor Fennessy Watergrasshill 13.42
79 Camilla O'Connor Midleton AC 13.45
80 Vincent Murray Glanmire 13.50
81 Andrew Williams Midleton CBS 13.51
82 Paul Cahill Cloyne 14.05
83 Yvonne Kennedy Midleton AC 14.05
84 Colman Quirke Midleton GAA 14.06
85 Conor O'Callaghan Whitegate 14.16
86 Michael Travers Glounthaune 14.18
87 Don O'Callaghan Whitegate 14.18
88 Padraig Herbert CIT AC 14.19
89 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 14.21
90 Vincent Connolly Midleton AC 14.22
91 Karen O'Brien Cobh 14.29
92 Christine Murphy Midleton AC 14.37
93 Elaine Hennessy Midleton AC 14.40
94 Patrick Cotter Tower 14.43
95 Paul O'Hanlon Carrigtwohill 14.47
96 Rebecca O'Sullivan UCC AC 14.48
97 Michael Cahill Cloyne 14.49
98 Vicki Cleary Midleton AC 14.51
99 Tim O'Sullivan CBC 14.55
100 Philip Mullane Midleton AC 14.57
101 Jack Hallahan Midleton AC 14.59
102 Dermot O'Sullivan East Cork AC 15.01
103 Francis Maunsell Lisgoold 15.02
104 Fiona O'Callaghan Aghada 15.03
105 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 15.09
106 Margaret Twohig Midleton AC 15.10
107 Jim Curtin East Cork AC 15.19
108 Ann Savage Midleton AC 15.23
109 Helena Creedon Midleton 15.25
110 Marie Magan Midleton AC 15.31
111 Denis Manning Cork 15.39
112 Ber Twomey Midleton AC 15.42
113 Aidan Hickey Ballinacurra 15.46
114 Mike Dorney Midleton 15.48
115 Julian Drennan Midleton AC 15.53
116 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 15.53
117 Zac O'S-Hourihan Ballyandreen 15.59
118 Mags Mulcahy Midleton AC 16.01
119 Luke Thompson Midleton AC 16.05
120 Paul O'S-Hourihan East Cork AC 16.06
121 Simon Thompson Midleton AC 16.06
122 Billy Caball Cork 16.13
123 Barry Ahern Midleton AC 16.18
124 Sinead Ivers Midleton AC 16.23
125 Harry Farmer Cloyne 16.28
126 Marian Cotter Midleton AC 16.34
127 Grainne O'Flaherty Midleton AC 16.38
128 Yvonne Savage Midleton AC 16.47
129 Jake Holmes Cloyne 16.49
130 Breda Cahill Cloyne 16.49
131 John Corcoran Ballynoe 16.54
132 Michelle Dorney Midleton 17.03
133 Luke Hales Nally Ballintotis 17.04
134 Alan Kelleher Midleton AC 17.05
135 Aideen Murphy Midleton 17.11
136 Dick O'Brien Castlelyons 17.12
137 Hannah Kierans Carrigtwohill 17.22
138 Lisa O'Lomasney Midleton AC 17.33
139 Gordon Callanan Midleton 17.40
140 Catriona Brennock Midleton AC 17.48
141 Margaret O'Connell Cobh 17.53
142 Sinead Buckley Midleton AC 17.57
143 Helen Gilroy Midleton AC 18.09
144 Colette Barry Midleton AC 18.33
145 Mary Cashman Midleton AC 18.35
146 Sheila Kierans Midleton AC 19.06
147 Debbie McCarthy Midleton AC 19.09
148 John Walsh Ballynoe 19.34
149 Ben Foley Midleton AC 19.42
150 Mary Toher Midleton AC 20.25
151 Darragh Cashman Midleton AC 22.48
152 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 22.49
153 Lisa Collins Cork 23.20

Online entries for the Clonakilty races close on the 27th of November

While many people will be focused on next week for the entries for the 2011 Ballycotton '10' event, it might be worth mentioning that the inaugral Clonakilty Marathon, Half-Marathon & mini-marathon fun run is coming up on the 11th of December.

As of about a week ago, the number of entries for the 3 races were roughly 130 for the full Marathon, 180 for the Half-Marathon and 130 for the mini. By the time we get to the day of the race, the numbers are likely to be something like 150-180 for the full Marathon?.......230-280 for the Half?.......and 150-200 for the mini?

The closing date for online entries is on the 27th of November. The current entry fees are....
Marathon.....€ 55
Half-Marathon......€45
mini-marathon/fun run......€25

After that, entries on the day will cost €65, €55 and €30 respectively.

You can find more details on the race website HERE while you can find more details about Clonakilty HERE.

Perhaps some people will find the prices a bit much but this coastal town in West Cork is in a really nice location. Weather permitting, the Marathon route extends as far south as the coast and the views are great. The key words here however are 'weather permitting'!! Fingers crossed...

Ballycotton 10 entries...1 week to go!

Just a reminder that the entry forms for the 2011 Ballycotton '10' are out next week, Tuesday the 30th of November. All of the entry conditions are covered in a previous post HERE.

All non-club runners really need to get ready for this and to get their entries in as soon as possible. It certainly means that you will need to get your hands on a entry form on that Tuesday and post it that evening or the following morning. The window for getting their entries in is likely to be as short as 3 days. Once the 2,500 limit is reached, that's it for the non-club runners. Get ready!!

Preview of the Cork BHAA Inniscarra 4 mile road race...Sun 21st Nov 2010

This is the 2nd last Cork BHAA race of the year and the last one in which there are team and category prizes. Note that the race starts at 11:30am. Weather permitting, it should attract a big crowd so get there early.

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

A) - At the junction just after the Angler's Rest, take the Right past the Garage. Stay on this road (R579) for several kms, go past the junction and Church in Cloghroe and look for the turn off left at Blair's Pub about 2 kms later. The BHAA usually have stewards on the road at this last turnoff.

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

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

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

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

Joggers who revive through energy drinks 'putting their health at risk'

There was an article recently in the Telegraph about the potential hazards of drinking too many sports drinks which contain caffeine.

Joggers are putting their health at risk by trying to revive themselves after exercise with high-caffeine energy drinks, a study has warned. Researchers found hugely popular energy drinks that are promoted to, and used by, a growing number of athletes for an "extra push", contained more caffeine than an average cup of coffee.



They warned “weekend warriors” and those "seeking an edge in an endurance event" faced potential health risks by using such products as they can seriously dehydrate users.
The study, reported in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, adds weight to previous research that found such energy drinks can affect a person's health such as heart attacks and seizures and in some extreme circumstances lead to death.



Countries including Norway, Denmark and France have banned Red Bull after one study showed rats that "were fed taurine and exhibited bizarre behaviour, including anxiety and self-mutilation". "What we know is that a typical energy drink can have as much as a quarter cup of sugar, and more caffeine than a strong cup of coffee," said John Higgins, who led the study.


"We're not rats but consumption has been shown to be positively associated with high-risk behaviour. "The possibility of dehydration and increased blood pressure make water or lower-octane sports drinks, which contain electrolytes, some minerals and carbohydrates, a better choice."
 
The researchers reviewed medical literature on energy drinks and their ingredients between 1976 and 2010. They found that the caffeine content of energy drinks ranged from 70 to 200 mg per 16-oz serving. By comparison, an 8-oz cup of coffee could contain between 40 to 150 mg of caffeine.


They warned that some ingredients not mentioned on the labels such as herbal stimulant guarana, the amino acid taurine, might produce adverse affects with caffeine.


Dr Higgins said that by not publishing ingredients added to the problem. "Manufacturers can put whatever in them, advertise however and people consume however. Whenever you have a situation like this, you are going to run into problems," he said. Non-athletes should drink no more than one a day, never mix them with alcohol, and drink lots of water after exercising.


People with hypertension should never drink them, and people with health conditions such as heart disease should consult their doctors before using the drinks, he said. Regulation of the drinks could go a long way towards solving potential problems, he added. "Manufacturers can put whatever in them, advertise however and people consume however. Whenever you have a situation like this, you are going to run into problems," he said.


The American Beverage Association said people should consume such products in moderation. A spokesman said: "There is nothing unique about the ingredients found in energy drinks."

Just out of interest, I had a quick look at the caffeine content of some of the gels which are often used in Marathons or long runs by many people.

Here is the info as supplied by Powerbar..."Green Apple, Chocolate and Strawberry Banana deliver 25 mg of caffeine (equivalent to 8 oz. of a cola drink); Double Latte and Tangerine are double-caffeinated to deliver 50 mg caffeine (equal to about one half cup of coffee or 1 ounce of espresso) for the times you need double the boost. Raspberry Cream and Vanilla have no added caffeine."

Perhaps the main issue here is what is consumed post exercise rather than during exercise.

Haile Gebrselassie calls off retirement

From the BBC News...
Marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie has announced he will compete again after reversing his decision to retire from athletics. The 37-year-old initially stated he was quitting after dropping out of his first New York Marathon at the 16-mile mark with a knee injury on 7 November.


However, Gebrselassie revealed on his Twitter page: "Running is in my blood and I decided to continue competing."When my knee is better again I will start focusing on my next race."


Gebrselassie, who won the Olympic 10,000m titles in 1996 and 2000, added: "My announcement in New York was my first reaction after a disappointing race."


He holds the marathon world record of two hours, three minutes, 59 seconds and has said that he wants to compete over the distance at the 2012 London Olympics.

Haile Gebrselaisse - Video - Part 3 of 3

This 3rd and final clip which is just over 7 minutes long covers the build up to the 2007 Berlin Marathon when Haile Gebrselaisse broke the Marathon world record by running 2h 04m 26s. He would return to Berlin one year later in 2008 to set the current record of 2h 03m 59s.

After the New York Marathon on the 7th of November, he announced his retirement from competitive running. The big question now is 'Has he?'. In a recent post on Twitter, he announced that he was considering taking part in the London Olympics in 2012 so he may change his mind yet.



Part 1 of this video can be seen HERE

Part 2 of this video can be seen HERE

Haile Gebrselaisse - Video - Part 2 of 3

This 2nd clip covers his humble origins and his early career.



The first part of this video can be seen in a previous post HERE

Haile Gebrselaisse - Video - Part 1 of 3

After pulling out of the New York City Marathon last Sunday at the 16 mile mark, Haile Gebrselaisse announced his retirement from competitive running.

This 8 minute video clip os the first of 3 clips from CNN as they follow him during his build-up to the Berlin Marathon in 2008 when he ran 2:03:59 to set a new record for the Marathon distance.

Introduction to the world of Ultra-Marathons...

For a lot of runners, the challenge of running in and completing a full Marathon is enough. Some go on to see if they can run the distance faster. Others however look to the challenge of trying to run a longer distance. It's almost like they set themselves the challenge of finding out where their limits are? How far beyond the Marathon distance can they go?

There was a recent article in the Irish Times about Ultra distance running. You can find it HERE

In Ireland, there are a number of Ultra-Marathon events. In Connemara, there is a 39.3 mile event. The Dingle Marathon has a 50 mile race. The Portumna Marathon has a 50 km and 100 km section while the Longford Marathon will be introducing a new 39.3 mile event in 2011.

Sometimes, 26.2 miles isn't enough ;o)

Running Seminar in Clonakilty...Thurs 11th Nov 2010

There will be a free seminar in Clonakilty on Thursday, the 11th November. This might be of interest to runners in the West Cork area. Details below...

"The final free seminar will be held at O'Donovan's Hotel Thursday 11th November at 6.30pm for approx 1hour. Topics will include : A review of previous discussion's on Nutrition, Stretching and Flexibility for feedback Q&A, also a presentation on planning additional home based conditioning exercises to aid with endurance/strength and fat loss.

Finally we will discuss on long distance & race day food preparation. All welcome, presentation provided by Fiona O'Donnell of West Cork Core Fitness and the Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon and Roger Adams of F1 fitness centre. The Seminar includes a sports nutrition products stand."

Chilean Miner completes New York City Marathon

The Chilean miner, Edison Pena completed the New York City Marathon on Sunday in a time of under 6 hours despite a knee injury. It has been an incredible journey for him from being trapped 700 metres underground for 69 days with 32 other miners....to being rescued in mid-October...to running in the New York Marathon on Sunday....all in a space of just over 3 weeks!

Haile Gebrselassie announces his retirement...

One of the true greats of running has just announced his retirement from competitive running.

In the New York City Marathon on Sunday, the great Haile Gebrselassie had to pull out around the 16 mile mark with a knee injury. In the press conference afterwards, he made the suprise announcement that he was retiring from competitive running.


Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Besides his many victories in the Olympics and other races, one of his finest performances was surely in the Berlin Marathon in  September 2008 when he set a new world record for the distance by running in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes and 59 seconds.

That works out as an average of roughly 4m 44s per mile!!

Truly, one of the greatest runners of all time...

Results of the Lisgoold 5 km race - Sun 7th Nov 2010

There was a turnout of about 70-80 for this 5 km race in Lisgoold, East Cork. Conditions were ideal for the race with blue skies and sunshine on what was a beautiful Winter's morning.

The big talking point regarding this race however was the statement from the Cork branch of Athletics Ireland (AAI) advising club runners not to attend. Considering that around 125 took part in this race last year, you can only assume that a considerable number of people did not take part in this year's race as a result.

Whatever the positions of both parties were, there are no winners in a situation like this where runners are in effect advised to boycott an event. A lot of runners, club and non-club, will be wondering why can't two sporting organizations come to some sort of agreement? Boycotts and the like do nothing but generate bad feelings and ill will. There surely has to be a better solution.

The results of the race can be found HERE

Cork AAI issue statement regarding Lisgoold 5 k race...

The Cork branch of the Athletics Association of Ireland have issued a statement regarding the 5 km road race in Lisgoold next Sunday...

This event came up for discussion at the Cork County Board meeting on Wednesday night. It does not have a race Permit from Athletics Ireland. It did not have one last year and despite the best efforts of the Board we have failed to gain the co-operation of Ligoold GAA in acquiring a Permit.


We are asking all Athletics Ireland registered athletes not to participate in this event and most clubs have been e-mailed to this effect.

If athletes do decide to run, we would ask that they do not wear club colours and do not register for the event under the name of an Athletics Ireland club.


Tony Kelleher (Secretary), Cork County Athletics Board


Email: corkaaipro@gmail.com      Mob: 086-1660441

For those of you who may not know, the AAI issue licences for most road races. It would seem as if in this case, Lisgoold GAA have opted not to obtain a licence.
With regards to licences, the way I have heard it explained to me is that most sports have their own national body and if you want to organise an event.....i.e. take paid entries...then you should obtain a licence from the relevant authority. So if it was a boxing match then you go to that authority, if it was a Gaelic game related event then you go to the GAA and if it is running you go to the AAI.
 
There are obviously two different type of runners out there.....members of AAI registered running clubs and a huge number of people who aren't member of any club.
 
Comment.........????
Which type of runner are you and what do you think of the statement? Does it matter to you? Would it stop you going? How important is the licence issue to you? Click on the comment link below to leave a comment...

Preview of the Lisgoold 5 km road race - Sun 7th Nov 2010

This will be the 2nd running of this event and there are a few changes this year. Last year, the race route started up a huge hill which made it very tough, especially when you consider the race is only 5 kms long. This year, they have a new flatter route. The race entry fee was supposed tobe €10 but considering that they have had problems with the t-shirts, the fee is now €7 with no T-shirt.

The race starts at 11am.

Getting there............Basically, it's a few miles north of Midleton. If you are coming from Cork City, take the N25 East and take the turn-off for Midleton. Almost immediately, you'll come accross the new road junction. Take a left here and bypass the town. You'll come out on another wide road junction. Take the left here and you are now on the R626 heading North for Lisgoold, Ballincurrig and Rathcormack. Look for the Community Centre when you get there.

More details from the organisers....
Due to logistical reasons unfortunately we have had to drop the t-shirts advertised this year, The entry fee has been reduced to 7 euro to reflect this.


The new course this year is an out and back course. the race starts about 400m from the village and proceeds north to the village of Ballincurrig. The course takes a right at the crossroads in Ballincurrig and proceeds for about 1/2 mile from the village. The turn around point is here. The course will finish as per last year at the community centre.


Changing facilities and showers are available at the club gaa changing rooms. Refreshments will be served after the event and hopefully the results will be processed a bit quicker this year.

Training Partner Needed for Visually Impaired Runner...

I got a mail recently requesting that I put this up on the blog.

"Amanda Crotty is a visually impaired paralympic athlete. She is looking for training partners to assist her in her preparations for the 2012 London Olympics. She is from Youghal and would appreciate any offers from athletes (male or female) that could accompany her on her training runs. "

All that is required is that someone can run alongside Amanda and is attached by a short lenght of string. I think some of the training longs may be medium runs on the road so it may not be necessarily all track work.

If you think you can help out then you should contact Amanda directly below

Her email is amandacrotty1AThotmail.co.uk (Just replace the AT with @)

There is a piece on Amanda on the Cork Independent website HERE

It's official.....Runners are better looking!!

Well.....maybe ;o)

A recent study in a Scottish University found that "Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can do more to make you good-looking than cosmetic surgery or make-up"

Results of the East Cork AC 3 km road race (2nd of 7)...Tues 2nd Nov 2010

There was a big turn out for this one, the 2nd race in the 3 km series. I'd have to check back through previous results but I think it may well have been a record attendance?

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 2 2/11/10

1 Sean McGrath East Cork AC 9.23
2 Tony Kelleher Togher AC 9.25
3 Aidan Mullins Bantry AC 9.39
4 Andrew Ross CIT AC 9.43
5 Frank O'Carroll East Cork AC 9.44
6 Frank Hayes East Cork AC 9.52
7 Alan O'Reilly CIT AC 10.03
8 Denis Coughlan St Finbarrs AC 10.11
9 John Collins CIT AC 10.12
10 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.20
11 Conor Tierney East Cork AC 10.27
12 Craig Harrington CIT AC 10.29
13 Philip O'Neill East Cork AC 10.36
14 Josh O'S-Hourihan Midleton College 10.37
15 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.42
16 Darragh Canavan Midleton AC 10.46
17 Mark Cummins CIT AC 11.00
18 Eoin O'Connell Midleton AC 11.04
19 Jonathan Finn Carrigtwohill 11.09
20 John Dunphy Eagle AC 11.10
21 Matt Chojan Cork 11.11
22 Eric Owers Midleton AC 11.12
23 John O'Connell Midleton AC 11.13
24 Roy Evans CIT AC 11.14
25 Martin Drake Youghal AC 11.15
26 Philip O'Neill Midleton 11.22
27 Michael Furlong Midleton AC 11.24
28 Stan Byczek Midleton AC 11.29
29 Adam Duchnicz Midleton AC 11.32
30 Brendan Flaherty Aghada 11.36
31 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 11.37
32 Orlagh Farmer Midleton AC 11.37
33 Helen Leonard Rathfarnham WSAF 11.37
34 Andrew Murphy Midleton CBS 11.39
35 Dave Creedon East Cork AC 11.44
36 Stephen Murphy Midleton CBS 11.46
37 Eanna Farrell CIT AC 11.47
38 Martin O'Reilly St Finbarrs AC 11.49
39 Ciaran O'Sullivan CIT AC 11.51
40 Darren Flynn Grange Fermoy AC 11.53
41 Kevin O'Reilly Midleton AC 11.57
42 Pat Fogarty ESB 12.00
43 Denis O'Sullivan Midleton 12.01
44 Emmet Foley Whitegate 12.02
45 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 12.03
46 AJ Murphy Ballinacurra 12.04
47 Damien Cotter Castlemartyr 12.08
48 Chris Beausang Midleton 12.11
49 Roger O'Mahony Glounthaune 12.27
50 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.29
51 Kevin Dunne Ballinacurra 12.39
52 Denise O'Brien Grange Fermoy AC 12.42
53 Brian Healy Midleton AC 12.44
54 Mary Histon de Barra Rising Sun AC 12.45
55 Marian Ahern Midleton AC 12.47
56 Bob McNamara Cork 12.49
57 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 12.50
58 Vincent O'Neill Midleton 12.56
59 Ted O'Leary West Waterford 13.05
60 Dara Thompson Midleton AC 13.06
61 David Fleming Midleton 13.08
62 Eadaoin O'Neill East Cork AC 13.09
63 Noreen Mackey CIT AC 13.10
64 Dermot Cashman Carrigtwohill 13.10
65 Tim McCarthy Carrigtwohill 13.11
66 Brian Kenneally Midleton AC 13.12
67 Shane Ruddle Ballinacurra 13.14
68 Claire Fitzgerald Midleton AC 13.15
69 Colm Egan Midleton AC 13.16
70 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 13.18
71 David O'Sullivan Lisgoold 13.20
72 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 13.21
73 Tadgh O'Connor Killeagh 13.22
74 Susan Delaney Midleton AC 13.23
75 Paula Fogarty Tipperary 13.24
76 Trish Murphy Midleton AC 13.25
77 Marie Murphy Midleton AC 13.26
78 Mike Hallahan Midleton AC 13.27
79 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 13.28
80 John Walshe East Cork AC 13.31
81 Rebecca McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 13.47
82 Kathy Monaghan CIT AC 13.50
83 Eamonn McEvoy St Finbarrs AC 13.53
84 Sinead Sheppard Cobh 13.59
85 Caroline Fletcher Midleton AC 14.01
86 Martin Carr Midleton 14.03
87 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 14.05
88 Tom O'Neill Midleton 14.06
89 Neilus Ahern Midleton AC 14.07
90 Camilla O'Connor Midleton AC 14.07
91 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 14.08
92 Vincent Murray Glanmire 14.11
93 Elga Ryan Midleton AC 14.12
94 Karen O'Brien Cobh 14.14
95 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 14.16
96 Leo O'Donovan Ballinacurra 14.17
97 Yvonne Kennedy Midleton AC 14.22
98 Christine Murphy Midleton AC 14.26
99 Catriona McGregor Midleton AC 14.27
100 Colin McGregor Cloyne 14.28
101 Denise Hickey Leamlara 14.29
102 Vincent Connolly Midleton AC 14.39
103 Padraig Herbert CIT AC 14.42
104 Michael Cahill Cloyne 14.43
105 Breda Cahill Midleton AC 14.43
106 Mary Mulcahy St Finbarrs AC 14.47
107 Trish Macropolis Midleton AC 14.49
108 Elaine Hennessy Midleton AC 14.57
109 John Geary Midleton AC 15.00
110 Máire Burke Carrigtwohill 15.01
111 Shirley Coleman Youghal 15.05
112 Margaret Twohig Midleton AC 15.07
113 Norah O'Brien Carrigtwohill GNS 15.09
114 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 15.11
115 Francis Maunsell Lisgoold 15.12
116 Ann Savage Midleton AC 15.13
117 Deirdre Lane Carrigtwohill 15.15
118 Zac O'S-Hourihan Ballyandreen 15.28
119 Paul O'S-Hourihan East Cork AC 15.29
120 Colm Jordan Midleton AC 15.34
121 Patrick Cotter Tower 15.38
122 Marie Magan Midleton AC 15.40
123 Frank O'Brien Carrigtwohill BNS 15.42
124 Jim Curtin East Cork AC 15.44
125 Helena Creedon Midleton 15.54
126 Aidan Hickey Ballinacurra 15.57
127 Lisa Collins Cork 16.11
128 Sinead Ivers Midleton AC 16.15
129 Belinda Moyo CIT AC 16.33
130 Marion Cotter Midleton AC 16.36
131 Fiona O'Mahony Midleton 16.39
132 Mags Mulcahy Midleton AC 16.53
133 Philip Mullane Midleton AC 16.56
134 Jake Holmes Cloyne 16.57
135 Joy Sexton Ladysbridge 16.58
136 Paul Cahill Cloyne 17.01
137 Margaret Sinclair Midleton AC 17.07
138 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.17
139 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 17.26
140 Grainne Murphy Inniscarra 17.28
141 Michelle Dorney Midleton 17.43
142 John Corcoran Ballynoe 17.57
143 John Tarrant Midleton 18.06
144 Grainne O'Flaherty Midleton AC 18.19
145 Hannah Kierans Carrigtwohill 18.29
146 Kevin Cummins Cork BHAA 18.32
147 Sheila Kierans Carrigtwohill 18.36
148 Paul Kierans Midleton AC 18.37
149 Dick O'Brien Castlelyons 18.40
150 Colette Barry Midleton AC 19.02
151 Catriona Brennock Ballinacurra 19.04
152 Alan Kelleher Midleton AC 19.19
153 Mary Cashman Midleton AC 19.54
154 Mary Toher Midleton AC 21.26
155 Kathleen O'Connell Midleton AC nt

Results of the Cork BHAA 'HSE' 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 30th Oct 2010

This 4 mile road race on the last day of Autumn attracted a field of just over 200 runners. This was well down on the figure of roughly 300 for each of the two previous years. This was no doubt due to the persistent rain in the morning which probably persuaded a lot of people to give it a miss. The fact that it clashed with the county senior cross country championships kept meant that some of the faster runners were missing.

The results of the race can be found HERE

Coming up next Sunday, we have the second running of a 5 km road race in Lisgoold. I hope to have more info on this here later in the week.