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.