Preview of the Bandon 5 mile road race - Sun 2nd Jan (1pm)

It looks as if we will have returned to some colder weather by the time this races comes around but it shouldn't have any impact on it. If there is any frost, it should have cleared by 1pm although the temperature will only get up to around 4 deg C at best at midday.

(Click on the flyer above for a closer look)

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. If you look at the course map then the GAA grounds are near the 2 mile mark.

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.

News & Upcoming events...GOAL, Bandon, Mallow

Weather............Now that the snow and ice has cleared, it might be an idea to made the most of the current mild spell if you are thinking about some training as it looks as if we will be returning to colder conditions pretty soon. The current forecast is that January may well be colder than usual for this time of year. The drop in temperatures may begin as soon as next Sunday, the 2nd of January but there is no indication so far that we will get any of the severe conditions that we got in December.

GOAL Mile...........Due to the ice on the 26th of December, Mallow AC had to cancel their GOAL Mile charity event and it is now on next Saturday, the 1st of January between 10am and 12 noon in Doneraile Park. This is a lovely area for running and is really a gem in the heart of North Cork. To get there, take the N20 Cork to Limerick road..........just North of Mallow, turn off right at New Two Pot House and follow the road for a few miles and you'll arrive in Doneraile.

Bandon 5..........This annual 5 mile road race is coming up next Sunday, the 2nd of January 2011 at 1pm. With the recent lack of races, it seems likely that this one will attract a big turnout. More details later in a separate post.

Mallow 10..........Don't forget that the Mallow '10' Mile Road race is coming up on the 9th of January and you can enter online at http://www.runireland.com/forms/mallow-ac-10-mile-road-race-2011. You can also enter by post.........just click on the entry form HERE, print it out and post it off.

By the way, West Waterford AC will also be taking entries for the Dungarvan '10' at the Mallow race so you can enter then if you would prefer not to go with the online option.

Runner sets new world record by running 408 miles in a week...

This story is a few months old but I only just heard about it when someone kindly sent the link on to me.

Last June in San Diego in the USA, Mike Sheey set a new world record by running 408.04 miles in one week. The previous record was set by England’s Bernie Hollywood in 2008 with 350.2 miles.

The last day of the record breaking run was spent taking part in the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

This is an extract from a local online newspaper....
Sheehy is a U.S. Military Academy graduate and now works for a health care company. He started his record attempt at noon May 30, running 37.7 miles the first day.

The next four days he ran three times daily: from 6 to 11 a.m.; noon to 5 p.m.; and 6 to 8 p.m. He ran a marathon the first two workouts and logged about 11 miles in the evening.

After receiving a framed certificate from Guinness, Sheehy plopped down in a chair beneath a tent, kept bending over to stretch his legs and said: “I am ecstatic to be done. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be done. My body is trashed. Absolutely trashed.”

 The full article can be seen HERE

Belgooly 4 Mile Road Race Cancelled...!!

The Belgooly 4 Mile Road Race that was supposed to be on St.Stephens Day, the 26th of December has been cancelled. It would seem as if the many of the water supplies to the village have frozen and on Health & Safety grounds, the organisers have decided to postpone it until a later date. If you know of anyone thinking of going then you might let them know.

See the statement below from Belgooly AC...
We are forced once again to CANCEL our Annual 4 mile road race due to circumstances beyond our control - Called the weather and freezing conditions. For Health and Safety reasons and the fact that most of Belgooly village is without water we have no option but to postpone......Happy Christmas from all in Belgooly A.C

Results of the Shanagarry Christmas 5k road race - Fri 24th Dec 2010

This 5km road race in Shanagarry, East Cork went ahead today despite the freezing conditions. It was obvious driving down to this race that once you got over the hill between Midleton and Cloyne, there was a lot less snow and ice on the ground. The course for the race had a few slippy patches but it was more of a case of a hard frost rather than anything like the frozen crushed snow that we have closer to Cork city.

Considering that it was Christmas Eve, it probably wasn't the best day for a race and this was reflected in the low numbers. It was still however a lovely day for a race with clear blue skies and bright winter sunshine. It's really great to get out in conditions like this.

Here are the results...
24th Annual SHANAGARRY CHRISTMAS '5K - Friday 24 December 2010. 12:30pm

Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile
1 0:16:52 MCGRATH, Sean East Cork AC M 05:25.6 321 1
2 0:17:06 CASEY, Eoin Midleton AC MJ 05:30.1 351 2
3 0:17:25 MURPHY, David Midleton AC MJ 05:36.2 354 3
4 0:17:30 MEADE, Eric East Cork AC M40 05:37.8 302 4
5 0:17:37 HENNESSY, John Midleton AC M40 05:40.1 334 5
6 0:18:00 MCCARTHY, Denis East Cork AC M45 05:47.5 179 6
7 0:18:52 CAHILL, Maurice Youghal AC M 06:04.2 340 7
8 0:19:42 DESMOND, John Eagle AC M45 06:20.3 364 8
9 0:19:46 O'CONNELL, Owen Midleton AC M 06:21.6 371 9
10 0:19:52 O'CONNELL, John Midleton AC M 06:23.5 312 10
11 0:20:12 CLEARY, Paul East Cork AC M 06:30.0 320 11
12 0:20:35 GUNNING, Peter Midleton AC M50 06:37.4 332 12
13 0:20:48 COONEY, Kevin Midleton AC M45 06:41.6 309 13
14 0:21:13 O'SULLIVAN, Billy Midleton AC M 06:49.6 350 14
15 0:21:56 RAMSELL, Ned Midleton AC M 07:03.4 296 15
16 0:22:05 O'LEARY, Ted West Waterford AC M40 07:06.3 324 16
17 0:22:15 WALSHE, John East Cork AC M55 07:09.6 301 17
18 0:22:55 KIERANS, Paul Midleton AC M45 07:22.4 297 18
19 0:23:14 CLEARY, Eibhlin East Cork AC F 07:28.5 303 19
20 0:23:48 O'DONOGHUE, Donal unatt/Little Island M40 07:39.5 365 20
21 0:26:59 CONNOLLY, Vincent Midleton AC M50 08:40.9 366 21
22 0:27:17 HEALY, Brian Midleton AC M45 08:46.7 367 22
23 0:27:22 O'CONNELL, Donie Midleton AC M60 08:48.4 355 23
24 0:27:39 MULLANE, Philip Midleton AC M 08:53.8 310 24
25 0:27:43 JORDAN, Colm Midleton AC M 08:55.1 293 25
26 0:28:08 KELLEHER, Alan Midleton AC M45 09:03.2 341 26
27 0:28:09 MCCARTHY, Danny Midleton AC M60 09:03.5 344 27


Happy Christmas - and good running in 2011!


Results produced by Ballycotton Running Promotions.

Races in Cork over the Christmas period...

There are a number of road races coming up in Cork over the Christmas period. However, the one big factor with all of these is the weather and the current big freeze that we are having. Before you travel, you should check to see if any of these races have been cancelled. I will put up the most current info that I have here on the blog so check back and do a refresh/reload with your browser to see what is happening.

Weather outlook....the current forcast is that the freezing conditions will continue until the night of Christmas day (Sat 25th) when winds from the south should raise the temperature a bit along the south coast. A cold front is expected to cross the country from the west on Sunday with some rain and the start of the the thaw.

Note!!! Once this rain starts, it will be falling on VERY cold ground. It may well turn to black ice on the roads and they could be like glass. If you remember about 2 weeks back, this is exactly what happened when they had to close the Kinsale Road Roundabout flyover for a few hours because of all the cars crashing!

After Sunday, the thaw continues and the night time frosts should stop for a while.

Friday 24th Dec.....
The Shanagarry Christmas 5km road race was re-scheduled from last Saturday to Friday the 24th at 12:30pm. As of today Thursday, this race is going ahead as planned. There are a few icy spots on the route but not enough to stop it going ahead.

Here is some info from the organisers...
"There are a few icy parts on the course and we would advise people to be aware of this and also that they are taking part at their own risk. Also, to be careful on the road from Midleton via Cloyne road when travelling to and from Shanagarry. You can also remind people to check your site on the morning before travelling in case the situation changes overnight."

I noticed on the weather charts for today, that there was some snow in West Waterford and perhaps might have got as far as East Cork?

I have a preview of the race in an earlier post HERE

10am....Just received confirmation....The Shanagarry 5k race is going ahead!

Sat 25th Dec 2010.......
The GOAL mile is scheduled to go ahead at many venues throughout the country. The basic idea is that you run a mile and make a donation.

Here is a list of the locations in the county of Cork...
Ballydesmond....Meet in the Church Grounds 25th Dec. 11.30am
Bantry........The Square 25th Dec. 12.45pm
Cork IT, Bishopstown 25th Dec. 10am - 12.30pm....??????
Fermoy......Town Hall ...25th Dec. 11.30 am
Mallow Doneraile Park 25th Dec. 10am - 12 noon
Ballynoe near Fermoy Ballynoe, St Catherine's GAA 25th Dec. 11am - 12.30pm
Youghal Tower Park 25th Dec. 11am - 12 noon
Inniscarra...Coachford GAA club...25th Dec. 12 p.m.

As of 6pm Thursday, I have heard that the GOAL mile at the CIT track in Cork City has been cancelled. I don't have any info about the others.

Sun 26th Dec 2010....
The Belgooly 4 mile road race takes place at 12 noon. If you are not sure where Belgooly is then it is on the main road from Cork City to Kinsale. For a preview of the course, I put one up on the Belgooly AC website some time ago and is still current. Click HERE

It would seem as if they got less snow in Belgooly this time around compared to elsewhere. The route is currently dry with no ice. As of today Thursday, this race is going ahead.

Note...!! Just to repeat, check before you travel to this race. If the rain arrives in the morning, check the local radio stations to see what the driving conditions are like. There might be no frost but the ground has lost a lot of heat and black ice forming on the roads is a real possibility.

Sunday 2nd Jan 2011....
There is a 5 mile road race in Bandon at 1pm. This always attracts a reasonable turnout and I'd expect that with runners suffering a bit of 'cabin fever' due to no running on the icy roads, this race might attract a few more than usual. I'll put up a preview later next week.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Turkey Trot' 4 mile race - Sun 12th Dec 2010

This charity 4 mile road race attracted 235 entrants on what was I think a new route! Starting by Pairc Ui Chaoimh.....down the old railway line and right at the end....along the Link road....back behind Bessboro....through the Industrial Estate and back onto the old line and on to the finish.

While the fastest finisher was Mark Hanrahan, the winners were those who got closest to their predicted time.

Winners Predicted Actual

David Healy 30:51 30:51
Orla Crosbie 28:00 27:59
Laura Crowe 24:00 23:59
John Quigley 33:47 33:48
Tadhg Lynch 26:42 26:43
Kieran Noonan 32:00 32:01

The full results can be found HERE

Shanagarry & Newmarket races cancelled...

Due to the heavy snow that fell on Friday evening, the Shanagarry Christmas 5k on Saturday (19th Dec) and the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 Mile road race on Sunday (19th Dec) have been cancelled.

Ballycotton Running Promotions hope to hold their race now on Christmas Eve, Friday the 24th at 12:30pm.

The organisers of the Newmarket to Kanturk race will try and find a suitable date in the Spring of 2011 to hold theirs.

Weather outlook.......Looking at the European Infra-Red satellite photos, you can see that the cold polar winds from the North are currently passing over us and reaching down as far as the North coast of Spain. So, it's obvious that we are in the the middle of this cold air mass rather than on the edge with some mild weather off the coast. Met Eireann said the following....."The bitterly cold conditions will persist for the week and there are no signs of any mild weather."

Preview of the Newmarket to Kanturk 5 Mile Road Race - Sun 19th 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 131 entries which was well down on the almost 200 entries of 2009.

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. Proceeds go to the Motor Neuron Association. A Fun Walk over the same course will commence at 1.30. Usual Prizes in all categories. Further details from Donie Shine 086-8149970, Ger Murphy 029-60719, Jerry Twomey 086-8050821

 
Course.......You basically start in Newmarket, run the 5 miles to Kanturk. Although this can be a busy road, there is a hard shoulder for a large part of it and the road itself is reasonable wide. After you finish, 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.
 
Weather....Note that this course is on high ground and is well inland so ice may be a problem. If in doubt, contact the organisers to confirm before you travel.

Preview of the Shanagarry Christmas 5km Road Race - Sat 18th 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 although they did get 86 runners last year. 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. The entry fee is €3

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 map above. Cloyne and Ballycotton are shown for reference.

Course...See map below. You start in Shanagarry, just outside the Church (or near 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 a race flyer HERE
 
Weather....keep an eye on the weather just in case. If I hear anything, I'll put up a notice here. Just click on the 'Reload' or 'Refresh' button on your browser.

Cheaper entries for the Dungarvan '10' close on the 17th of Dec...

The Dungarvan 10 Mile road race on the 30th of January in West Waterford is the 2nd race in the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series. While that may seem like a bit off yet, I'd just like to remind you that the closing date for cheaper entries is the Friday the 17th of December.

If you enter before the 17th of December, the entry fee is €15. After that date, the entry fee is €20 until the final closing date of the 17th of January OR whenever the limit of 1,500 runners is reached.

You can enter online HERE (...note, there is a small processing fee)

Pictured above is Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist John Treacy receiving his race number from Mel Shanley, sponsor of the Quantum Life Dungarvan '10'. Also pictured on the left is James Veale of West Waterford AC.

Results of the East Cork AC 3 km Road Race (4th of 7)...Tues 14th Dec 2010

There was another fine turnout for this, the 4th race of 7 in the East Cork AC Winter 3 k series in Midleton. 141 took part in dry but cold conditions with the temperature not much above freezing.

The 5th race in the series is on Tuesday, the 4th of January 2011 at 7:30pm.

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 4 14/12/10

1 Noel Berkeley DSD AC 9.30
2 Eoin Casey Midleton AC 9.39
3 Robert Patterson St Finbarrs 9.40
4 David Murphy Midleton AC 9.42
5 Alan O'Reilly CIT AC 9.45
6 Mark Bickerdyke Leevale AC 10.00
7 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.15
8 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.23
9 Marc Dalton Midleton AC 10.29
10 Leslie Coughlan Midleton CBS 10.35
11 John Lynch East Cork AC 10.38
12 Darragh Canavan Midleton AC 10.39
13 Ronan Power Cork 10.43
14 Jonathan Finn Carrigtwohill 10.45
15 Ian O'Sullivan East Cork AC 10.46
16 Brian Kavanagh Little Island 10.48
17 Stan Byczek Midleton AC 10.53
18 Phillip O'Neill Midleton 10.57
19 Brian O'Connor Grange Fermoy AC 10.58
20 David Nyhan Cork 11.04
21 Coran Swayne Midleton GAA 11.07
22 Owen O'Connell Midleton AC 11.09
23 Michael Furlong Midleton AC 11.11
24 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 11.13
25 Justin Costigan Midleton 11.24
26 Stephen Murphy Midleton CBS 11.26
27 Aidan O'Reilly Midleton 11.32
28 Patrick Dunlea Midleton GAA 11.38
29 Cillian Lynch Midleton CBS 11.38
30 Trevor Collins Naas AC 11.39
31 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.41
32 Damien Cotter Castlemartyr 11.42
33 Cian McParland Cobh 11.43
34 Paul Cleary East Cork AC 11.45
35 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.46
36 Denis O'Sullivan Midleton 11.47
37 Emmet Foley Whitegate 11.48
38 Kevin O'Reilly Midleton AC 11.49
39 AJ Murphy Ballinacurra 11.50
40 Helen Leonard Rathfarnham WSAF 11.52
41 Brian Parkinson East Cork AC 11.53
42 Andrew Murphy Midleton CBS 11.55
43 Roger O'Mahony Glounthaune 11.56
44 Aisling Moran UCC AC 11.57
45 Maurice Tobin Grange Fermoy AC 12.05
46 Pat O'Neill Whitegate 12.07
47 Colm Egan Midleton AC 12.07
48 John Cashman Midleton AC 12.08
49 Paul Spiteri Midleton 12.28
50 Joan Hough Midleton AC 12.31
51 Kieran Murphy Cork 12.42
52 Brian Kenneally Midleton AC 12.44
53 Declan Kearney Aghada GAA 12.46
54 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 12.48
55 Dave Barry Midleton 12.54
56 Sean Murphy Ballintotis 12.56
57 Mary Histon-de Barra Rising Sun AC 12.57
58 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.58
59 Aidan O'Herlihy Whitegate 12.59
60 Susan Delaney Midleton AC 12.59
61 Simon Fitzgerald Glounthaune 13.06
62 Tim McCarthy Carrigtwohill 13.11
63 Elaine O'Donoghue Riverstick Kinsale AC 13.12
64 Matt Chojan Cork 13.13
65 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 13.15
66 Deirdre Aherne Midleton AC 13.16
67 David Fleming Midleton 13.17
68 Dermot Cashman Carrigtwohill 13.18
69 Dave Smith Midleton 13.24
70 David O'Sullivan Lisgoold 13.26
71 Caroline Fletcher Midleton AC 13.36
72 Ted O'Leary West Waterford AC 13.36
73 Finbarr Lyons Midleton 13.39
74 Darragh Thompson Midleton AC 13.39
75 Michael Travers Glounthaune 13.46
76 Leo O'Donovan Ballinacurra 13.47
77 Padraig O'Regan Ladysbridge 13.48
78 Mary O'Keeffe Midleton AC 13.49
79 Trish Murphy Midleton AC 14.07
80 Camilla O'Connor Midleton AC 14.08
81 Alison McCarthy St Finbarrs 14.10
82 Shirley Coleman Youghal 14.13
83 Danny McCarthy Midleton AC 14.13
84 Yvonne Kennedy Midleton AC 14.16
85 Elga Ryan Midleton AC 14.17
86 Philip O'Mullane Midleton AC 14.17
87 Liam Morrissey Saleen 14.18
88 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 14.20
89 Francis Maunsell Midleton AC 14.25
90 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 14.26
91 Elaine Hennessy Midleton AC 14.26
92 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 14.29
93 Denise Hickey Midleton AC 14.31
94 Rebecca O'Sullivan UCC AC 14.33
95 Vincent Murray Glanmire 14.49
96 Vicki Cleary Midleton AC 14.52
97 Margaret Twohig Midleton AC 14.52
98 Patrick Cotter Tower 14.57
99 Paul Cahill Cloyne 15.01
100 Ciara McGrath Cloyne 15.06
101 Rachel Carey Youghal AC 15.06
102 Marie Magann Midleton AC 15.08
103 Lisa Collins Cork 15.09
104 Mary Mulcahy St Finbarrs 15.10
105 Helena Creedon Midleton 15.36
106 Michael Cahill Cloyne 15.44
107 Liam Wall Whitegate 15.47
108 Grace Hamilton Midleton 15.53
109 Mags Mulcahy Midleton AC 15.57
110 Eoin Cashman Midleton AC 16.02
111 Sinead Ivers Midleton AC 16.08
112 Therese O'Donovan Cobh 16.11
113 Jim Curtin East Cork AC 16.17
114 Aideen McGrath Cloyne 16.23
115 Aine McGrath Cloyne 16.33
116 John Corcoran Ballynoe 16.37
117 Lochlann McCarthy Midleton 16.40
118 Colin Reilly Whitegate 16.41
119 Billy Caball Cork 16.46
120 Marie McGrath Midleton AC 16.59
121 Katie Nolan Youghal AC 17.02
122 Ben O'Neill Midleton 17.05
123 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 17.06
124 Fiona O'Mahony Midleton 17.09
125 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.12
126 Linda Watson Midleton 17.13
127 Sarah O'Mahony Midleton 17.15
128 Margaret O'Connell Cobh 17.16
129 Dick O'Brien Castlelyons 17.36
130 Jim McMurtry Midleton AC 17.37
131 Catriona Brennock Midleton AC 17.52
132 Jake Holmes Cloyne 17.56
133 Helen Gilroy Midleton AC 17.57
134 Colette Barry Midleton AC 18.15
135 Donna Sexton Midleton 18.30
136 Mary Dixon Midleton AC 18.35
137 Mary Daly Midleton AC 18.46
138 Siobhan Browne Midleton AC 18.49
139 Karen Morrissey Midleton AC 18.53
140 Mary Cashman Midleton AC 19.02
141 Mary Toher Midleton AC 20.29

Photos of the 2010 Clonakilty Half & Full Marathon...

There are 2 galleries of photos now available from Sean Power.

The Half-Marathon gallery is HERE

The Full Marathon gallery is HERE

Photographs of the European Cross Country Championships...

As many of you will have seen or heard on the news, the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal were on last Sunday, the 11th of December and the Irish mens Under 23 team won the gold medal!

In the womens race, Fionnuala Britton from Wicklow (shown above) finished in 4th place, just missing out on the bronze medal by the slimmest of margins.

There was also a Cork connection with the race in that local runner Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC was also taking part. Lizzie has won many of the local races and finished in a very credible 35th position in what you can imagine at this level is a very competitive field.

Photographs...
Lizzies dad, Gearoid O'Laoi was also on hand with his camera and has put together a very large gallery.

His photographs of the European Cross Country Championships can be seen HERE

Links....
There is a race report on the AAI website HERE

The results of all of the races can be seen from this page HERE

Next closing date for Ballycotton '10' entries is 16th Dec...

Just a reminder that the next closing date for Ballycotton '10' entries is Thursday, the 16th of December.

This applies to anyone who is a member of an AAI registered club OR anyone who ran all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series 5 mile races in 2010.

The entry form can be downloaded HERE

More info on the forms can be found in an older post HERE

I would recommend that anyone who qualifies should post their entry on Tuesday, the 14th at the latest to avoid disappointment.

After the 16th, entries will be only open to elite or overseas entrants.

Results of the Clonakilty mini, Half and Full Marathon - Sun 11th Dec 2010

With the recent cold spell, there was always a question mark about whether this event would go ahead or not. The thaw just arrived in time and though there was patches of slush and ice on the roads, it was still safe enough for a road race to go ahead.

Weather conditions for the 3 races were good with a temperature of 5 deg C, cloudy and very light winds.

As an event, it really went remarkably well. There have been several events elsewhere in the country this year where things went pear shaped and lots of mistakes were made. Examples were Limerick Marathon, Galway Half-Marathon, Bogtrotters Marathon in Roscommon, Kinnity Castle in the midlands. If you take that list as a percentage of the total then you would expect that nearly half of new events will have large mistakes in them. The difficulty of organising 3 races on one day, all starting together and going well shouldn't be underestimated.

It was very obvious that a LOT of work went into this event in Clonakilty. There were loads of large signs showing the various routes and an army of marshals / stewards manned the many road junctions. Overall, it had the feel of an event that was running for several years.

Now I'm sure that there must have been a few mishaps. I heard that some of the runners at the front of the mini race may have taken a wrong turn? The directions for the Half-Marathon start could have been better.The dry fit tops at the finish could have been a bit more obvious. I'm sure that any lesson learnt from this year will go into improving the event next year.

Mini-Marathon....
This race was 5.98 miles long, They started with the Marathon runners, did a loop around the town and then out by the estuary before heading across a causeway and returning to Clonakilty.

Half-Marathon...
This race started in a slightly different location but used the same route as the Marathon and mini. Again after a loop around the town, it headed out along the estuary. One interesting feature was the out and back section going to Inchydoney. You could watch the front runners in the Half and Full coming back as you headed out. There were a few hills in it....some of them short and pretty steep but nothing that you would consider a show stopper. I know someone who ran a Half-Marathon PB so it can't have been so bad.

As many of you know, this event was going head to head with the Half-Marathon in Waterford. A lot of people from Cork had planned to do one or the other. How do they compare?
Well, having done both then I would say it depends on what you want. If getting a PB or fast time is your main concern, I'd say Waterford is faster. If price is a major issue for you, then probably Waterford. But in terms of a nice route, Clonakilty wins hands down. Running around by the estuary and around the quiet country roads of west Cork is a lot nicer than along the hard shoulder of the road between Waterford and Tramore.

It would be interesting to hear what the Half-Marathon runners thought of the Clon Half-Marathon route? Hard?

Full Marathon...
This was the race that I took part in. While it followed a lot of the Half-Marathon route, we split away around the 8 mile mark as we headed towards the coast. It was a really nice scenic route, especially down near the coast but the hills!! If you thought the Half-Marathon was hard then it was like a fun run in comparison to the Full Marathon ;o)
I don't know how many times we went up a hill only to drop down on the other side back to sea level. Up we went, down we went....it was almost like whoever designed the route has a grudge against Marathon runners! But you know what? It was great! There is a real sense of satisfaction finishing a Marathon like that.
I don't know what lunatic designed that course but I like his style :o))

I've run a good few Marathon routes in Ireland at this stage and I have to say, I'd rate the Clonakilty Marathon as one of the better ones. It may not have the buzz of Dublin or the scenery of Dingle but if you're not too concerned about times and want a good challenging course on a scenic route, I'd recommend it.

Costs......
One of the issues that some people raised before the event was the entry fee which was higher than other similar events. While the organisers can justify their own costs, I'll just give a quick run down of what you got for your entry.........Accurate course measured by the same person that measured the Cork City Marathon route.......chip timing......safe course with loads of race stewards....dry-fit running top....physio.........tea (before! and after)....sausages and some of that Clonakilty Black Pudding afterwards :o).....medal....goodie bag....vouchers which are useful if you live in the area. It's up to each individual to decide if they think that is value for money or not.

Results.........
The mini marathon results in Excel format can be found HERE

Half-Marathon.......
There were 509 finishers in the Half-Marathon. The mens race was won by Alan O'Shea in a time of 1:08:23 and the first lady home was Joyce Wolfe in a time of 1:30:32.
The results of the Half can be found in Excel format HERE

Full Marathon....
There were 201 runners in the Full Marathon and it was won by George Waugh of Rising Sun AC in an amazing time of 2:34:01. That was an incredible time considering all of the hills in it. George already has a Marathon win under his belt having won the Limerick Marathon back in May of this year and surely on a flat course, breaking 2:30 must be a possibility for him.

The ladies race was won by Valerie Glavin of Athenry AC in a time of 3:19:12. Obviously the long trip was well worth it for the Galway athlete.

The results of the Full Marathon in Excel format can be found HERE

Photos....
A slideshow of the full Marathon can be seen HERE

and of the Half-Marathon HERE

Comments....
So what did you think of the event? Which race did you take part in? Click on the comment link below and let others know what you thought of it...

Last update on the Clonakilty Marathon...

Update....6am.....Temp in Clonakilty is 5 deg C.....Frost very unlikely....Weather for Marathon....Very light winds and overcast....temp 5 to 7 deg C

As of 8pm on Friday evening, the temperature near Clonakilty is roughly 5.5 deg C and there is a large cover of cloud over the country. As long as the cloud stays, it's hard to see any real frost tonight. It's breaking up well to the south as present but it has a long way to go before the cloud cover over the south coast disappears.

The courses......
For those of you who haven't seen them........
6 Mile Mini.........This basically runs around the town, a bit out into the countryside to the south of Clon and finishes back in the town.

Half-Marathon.......See the route below...

Full Marathon........See route below...

While the elevation profile suggests only a few hills, there are in fact a lot of drags which aren't shown. For example near Owenahinca near the coast...there is a really good climb along the coastal section yet the profile shows very little. There are plenty of small drags like this.

A few photos of the Marathon route HERE

Weather.......wrap up!! Seriously, you can lose a lot of body heat running in temperatures down in single figures. Hat / gloves / long sleeved top would all be good ideas.

Overall.........fingers crossed, it's looking good at the moment. The Half and Full Marathons are on realy nice quiet and narrow roads around west Cork and this should be a very special event.

Update on the Clonakilty Half & Full Marathon...

It looks as if this event is going ahead. The thaw started around 12 noon on Thursday evening (9th Dec) as can be seen from the chart below from a local weather station...

Some quick info....
For those of you travelling down from elsewhere in Ireland, the bus timetable for Cork City to Clonakilty can be see HERE . The main bus station in Cork City is at Parnell Place. Location shown HERE

If you live in the area or staying near Clonakilty tonight, you can collect your race numbers between 10am and 10pm.

Weather....Met Eireann are saying "Clearer skies in the south will allow temperatures fall close to zero tonight and frost will again develop there.  "

More info on the race website.....http://www.runclon.ie/

More details later this evening when we'll see what the latest weather forecast is and have a look at the courses.

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Turkey Trot' 4 Mile race...Sun 12th Dec 2010

There is no shortage of races this weekend. There is the Cross Country race in CIT on Friday evening, the Marathon & Half-Marathon in Clonakilty on Saturday and on Sunday, there is a charity Santa run in Mitchelstown as well as the annual Cork BHAA Turkey Trot in Cork City.

The Cork BHAA are holding their annual 'Turkey Trot' in aid of Cork Simon Community next Sunday, the 12th of Dec at 11am. The race venue is the Lee Rowing Club next to Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the Marina in Cork City. The course is very flat so expect some fast times.

Race........Please note that with this race, 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.

More info below...
Venue: Lee Rowing Club.....Distance: 4 Miles.....Predict your own time......Entry Fee: €10.....All proceeds from this event including donation from the BHAA will go to the Simon Community. Runners are asked to bring a spot prize from their companies.

Cross Country Race in Cork on Friday night!

I know this is a bit short notice but I got a mail from Ian O'Sullivan of CIT AC to say that they are organising a night time cross country race under floodlights at the CIT grounds at 6pm on Friday, the 10th of Dec...i.e. today!

Details below...
CIT AC host the second annual Floodlight Cross Country Competition

Following on from the success of last years floodlight cross country competition CITAC are once again organising a festive cross country under lights. The event takes place this Friday night December 3rd with the women’s 3K starting at 6pm and the men’s 5K starting at 6:20pm. Entries (€5) will be taken on the night in the CIT Sports Stadium adjacent to the cross country course. Refreshments will be provided afterwards.

While the event is primarily a mid season face off between rivals CIT and UCC this year the organisers are opening the events to guest runners. It is expected that friends from TCD, DCU, WIT and local cork clubs will add to the numbers toeing the line on the night resulting in an exciting evening of racing.

First 2,500 entry list now available...

Ballycotton Running Promotions has processed the last 1,000 entries so the full list of those who managed to get in under the 2,500 open entry limit is now available.

The numerical list from 51 to 2551 can be seen as a PDF document HERE

The same list in alphabetical order can be seen HERE

Remember that entries are still open for the following catergories of runners...
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

More details in an old post HERE

Waterford Half-Marathon on Sat 11th Dec cancelled...

Waterford AC have decided to cancel the Half-Marathon next Saturday due to the current icy conditions.

Updated 20:30....They will now hold the race on Sat 15th of January at 12 noon.

I know a lot of runners from Cork were travelling to this one so if you know of someone then let them know.

In fairness to Waterford AC, it's not an easy decision to make and by postponing it on Wednesday, they are allowing plenty of time for the word to get out.

See the statement below..."We have decided to postpone the race this Saturday. Looking at the route today there is no way it will be clear even if it was 40 degrees tomorrrow and Friday. The conditions would be too dangerous. We will run the race on Saturday 18th December at 12  Saturday 15th January at 12 noon...........Waterford AC "

Looking ahead to the weather for next weekend...Sat 11th Dec

The big events coming up next weekend are the Marathon & Half-Marathon in Clonakilty in West Cork and the Half-Marathon in Waterford. It's pretty obvious from talking to people that a fair number of runners from Cork will be doing one of these races.

The big question now of course is what will the weather be like for next Saturday and will all of the events go ahead?

The current forecast is that a high pressure system will establish itself near Ireland and will in effect block some of the cold polar winds that we have been getting for the last week to 10 days. It is predicted that a thaw will set in on Thurs and on Friday with temperatures up around 6 to 9 deg C. The weather for Saturday looks pretty good.....no rain....light winds and it may well be bright. The issue however is not the weather, it's really about the condition of the roads. Will there be snow / slush / ice / black ice on the roads?

Waterford.........The Waterford Half-Marathon route basically starts in the Waterford City, runs to Tramore on the coast and back again. This is a photo from RTE News of Tramore on Tuesday afternoon, the 7th of Dec.

Obviously if that gets compacted and freezes, it will take a while to thaw out. Parts of the route are on the hard shoulder of the main road and I presume that won't have been treated by the council?

The organisers Waterford AC have issued the following statement...
"Waterford AC are continuing to monitor the weather and road situation like everyone else in the country. We will make a final decision on Thursday at noon whether the run will go ahead or not on Saturday. We want the run to go ahead but safety is paramount and we will consult with the Guards whether they think it will be safe to proceed with race. Please bear with us. "

Clonakilty......the situation in Clonakilty is more promising in that it is probably an issue of whether there is ice on the roads or not. Met Eireann are forecasting the following for Friday night...."Frost will be confined mainly to southern and southeastern parts on Friday night ". With the race starting at 9am, there will be no time for the roads to thaw if there is ice.

Obviously it is a very difficult situation for the organisers of both events. Do they cancel or don't they? Hopefully the milder temperatures on Thursday and Friday will sort things out.
Keep checking for updates to make sure that these races are going ahead. There is no point wasting a long trip only to find that the race has been cancelled.

Update on the Ballycotton '10' entries...

It looks like the folks at Ballycotton Running Promotions have been busy working away at all of those race applications and the first 1,500 entries are now ready! I think last year, the first list didn't come out until some time around the end of December?

So first off the block was Gerard Cummins from Cork who must have been stalking his postman as he manged to get his entry off straight away, be the first entry and get number 51 (1 to 50 are reserved for elite runners).

There are loads and loads of unnattached runners in the list which is a reminder that most of the people running out there are not members of any club.

Anyway, there are 2 lists....

The first one in numerical order is HERE

The other one in alphabetical order is HERE

Medal prospect for the future?.....RTE interview with Kate Veale

Last week on the RTE Six-One News programme, there was an interview with the 16 year old racewalker Kate Veale from West Waterford. She finished 4th in the Youth Olympic games in Singapore this year in a 5k race and surely has a great future ahead of her.

The interview can be still be seen on the RTE website but only until today, Tuesday the 7th.

More info on the Running in Munster website.

Half-Marathon announced as part of the 2011 Cork City Marathon

Back in October, I mentioned that there were some changes happening to the Cork City Marathon that would be of interest to people.

Now it's official!! For 2011, the organisers are going to introduce a Half-Marathon race as part of the Cork City Marathon. Up to now as most of you will know, it has been the full Marathon and the relay event. This 3rd event is going to be of interest to a lot of people and is sure to swell the numbers even further.

From what I understand, the Half-Marathon will have it's own start and will join the Marathon route at some stage and everyone.....Full Marathon, Half-Marathon and Relay Runners will finish on Patricks Street.

The Cork City Marathon is without doubt the main running event in Cork and a lot of people want to be part of it. For some, the full Marathon might be a bit too much and they're not really that keen on the relay. The Half Marathon is an ideal distance for them.

How many will it attract??? If the full can attract in the region of 1,300 entries, how many will the Half attract???

The closing date for the cheapest entries is the end of March so no need to panic yet :o)

Looking ahead to the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series...

One of the main events in the road race calendar every year is the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series. This consists of four 10 mile road races....The Mallow '10', the Dungarvan '10', the Ballycotton '10' and the Kilnaboy '10' in Co.Clare.

While the open entries for the Ballycotton '10' has now closed and is only open to qualifying runners for a limited time, the Mallow '10' is coming up on the 9th of January.

This time, the organisers Mallow AC are going back to the old course that they used 2 years ago...starting near the garage on the Cork road and finishing in the town near the co-op.

The Mallow '10' has a reputation as a fast accurate course and many people post their fastest time of the races series there.

Other changes are the use of chip timing and the introducton of pacers for 60, 70 and 80 minutes which is a novel feature for a 10 mile road race. I have never heard of pacers before in a race of this distance so it will be interesting to see how that works out.

They are gearing up for big numbers this year and expect close to 1,000 runners to take part. The entry fee is €15 and you can enter online HERE

It really helps the organisers if you can enter ahead of time. If you're not sure whether you can make it then you also have the option of entering on the day for €20.

More info below from Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC...
One of the first races of the 2011 race calendar is the KOSTAL Ireland Mallow 10 Mile Road Race. This year it takes place on the 09th of January at 12:30pm.

This is the first race of the John Buckley Sports/Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series. Details of the series can be found at http://sites.google.com/site/munstertenmileseries/
2011 sees Mallow AC introduce chip timing and online entry for this classic distance. Further details found on www.mallowac.ie. The cost for the race this year will be €20 but you can avail of the cheaper price of €15 by entering online at http://www.runireland.com/events/mallow-ac-10-mile
On the day registration and number collection for those that entered online will be in the Mallow Youth Centre on the morning of the race from 10.30am. The Registration point, start line and the finish area are in 3 different parts of the town. A map of the 3 areas and details how to find us will be published on the event facebook page and mallow AC webpage closer to the date. There will be ample parking in the vicinity of the Mallow Youth Centre.
Mallow AC have also set up an event webpage so runners can get the latest info on the build up to this race. The page can be found on facebook by searching for “Mallow 10 mile road race”
This year will see the introduction of race pacers for the first time. Race pacers will be running 60, 70 & 80 minute times. Details on how to identify the pacers will be published closer to the date.
The 2011 course will be the same as the 2009 course. This will remove the upward rise onto the main road between the 9 and 10 mile mark in 2010 course.
The 2011 course is a relatively flat course with only a few small drags. The course is a mix between an urban and rural route. Basically the first 5.5 miles are around mallow town with the following 3.5 miles on quite country roads before returning to the town of Mallow for the final mile to the finish.
Details of the course can be found on the following map my run link. http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/ie/mallow/752129106457838940
There will be a €500 bonus if the course record is broken.
Time to break for men is 49:40 set by Gerry Ryan and women 58:47 set by Niamh O'Sullivan.
The other prizes line up as follows
Men
First Five (200,150,100, 75, 60 Euro)
1st, 2nd, 3rd, - Over 40 (50,40,30 Euro)
1st, 2nd, 3rd, - Over 45 - as above
1st, 2nd, 3rd, - Over 50 - as above
1st, 2nd, - Over 55 - as above
1st, - Over 60, 65, 70, Junior (50 Euro)
Women
First Five (200,150,100, 75, 60 Euro)
1st, 2nd,3rd - Over 35 (50,40, 30 Euro)
1st, 2nd,3rd - Over 40 - as above
1st, 2nd,3rd - Over 45 - as above
1st, - Over 50, 55, 60, Junior (50 Euro)
Remember for the latest information on this race and all other races in the Cork and Munster region please check out the following pages regularly.
http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/
http://munsterrunning.blogspot.com/
Lastly remember to enter online for the cheapest entry fee and follow us on facebook.
Thank you
Mallow AC

Cork runners at the National Inter-County Cross Country Championships...

For most of the last week, I have kept the post about the Ballycotton '10' entries up at the top of the page so that people wouldn't forget about getting their entries in. Now that limit of 2,500 had been reached, the next closing date is on the 16th of December so it's time to catch up on what else is going on.

Last Sunday (28th Nov 2010), the National Inter-County Cross Country Championships took place in Derry. Conditions at that end of the country were a complete contrast to those in Cork with what looked like almost artic conditions out on the course.

The leading group in the Senior Ladies Race

Martin McCarthy of Cork

James McCarthy of East Cork AC toughing it out in the icy conditions

Here is a description of the race from the Cork AAI...
Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) took individual silver in the senior ladies race, a performance that guaranteed her a place on the Irish team for the European Cross Country championships in a couple of weeks time. The Cork team did well to snatch bronze medals in the intercounty contest behind Dublin and Meath.



The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the senior mens race where the standard was as always of a particularly high calibre. Dublin were not to be denied another title with 4 of their top 6 finishers inside the top 10. The Cork team performed admirably though and finished a clear 2nd, the margin on this occasion much smaller than in previous years. Top Cork finisher was Mark Hanrahan (Leevale AC) in 10th with Fergus Meade (East Cork AC) who made the long trip from Leeds rounding out the top 6 in 43rd place. With a number of last minute injury withdrawals this was a particularly fine performance by the Cork team.

Photos......There is a large selection of photos taken by Gearoid O'Laoi at this photo website.

Breaking News...Ballycotton '10' Entries....Open entries Close

Ballycotton Running Promotions have just released the following statement...

Thursday December 2nd, 11pm


IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Please refrain from sending any more entries for the Ballycotton ‘10’ UNLESS you qualify through the AAI club, Summer Series or overseas system (this procedure is detailed on the entry form and also on the website).