Half-Marathon Entries for Cork nearly full...

It looks as if there will be a limit on numbers entering the Half-Marathon event. The limit is 1,000 entries and it's nearly full!!

This has just been released...."The number of participants in the half marathon has been capped at 1,000 and we are likely to be at capacity over the coming weekend. Please enter now to avoid disappointment."

If you are interested in the Half then enter asap.....Click HERE

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'UCC' 10 km road race - Sun 3rd Apr 2011

The next road race in Cork is the Cork BHAA 'UCC' 10 km road race next Sunday, the 3rd of April 2011 at 11am. This race takes in the Lee Road / Straight Rd circuit and is likely to attract around 400 runners.

This year however there are some major changes!...The pavillion in the Mardyke WILL NOT be used......and the Lee Maltings WILL NOT be used.

The UCC Western Gateway building on the Western Road will be used for registration, refreshments and prizegiving. This is on the site of the old dog track and it's impossible to miss it considering it's size. There are 120 car spaces in the Western Gateway but extra parking will be available at the Áras na Laoi car park (near Gaol Cross). There is a large carpark there and not too far from the Gateway. Just follow the stewards directions on the day.

Registration....as per usual with Cork BHAA races, the cost of entries is €8 for non-registered runners and €5 for registered runners.

Considering the large entry expected, the Cork BHAA are asking that all runners should try to arrive early and enter by 10am. This helps to avoid the large bottleneck that builds up around 10:30am and lets them start the race on time at 11am.

Getting to the start.....as you can see from the map above, the start line is only a few hundred metres away. As you leave the Western Gateway, turn left and then right. You cross over Wellington Bridge and the start line is just a bit up the road in Sundays Well.

Course.........the start is on a hill and you run downhill for about 200 metres...

...and then as it flattens out, you run alongside the river with the bridge ahead and you'll see the County Hall off to the left which is near the finish of the race....

You carry straight on and out the Lee Road. The first 2 miles are reasonable although there are a few short pulls. After 2 miles, you will have gained some height and the most serious hill is just ahead...

It's not really steep but it's a long drag. Once you hit the top, there is a steep descent to the 3 mile mark as you head back towards the river. As you approach the bridge, there is a bit of a pull as you go over it....

...but after that, it's more or less flat all the ways to the finish line about 3 miles away. You pass the Anglers Rest pub...

....and then join the Straight Road and at roughly 4 miles, you can see how it gets it's name...

Dead straight and flat for 2 miles. From time to time, you will see the County Hall way off in the distance and the finish line is just beyond it....

Please note that this is a busy road and there will be plenty of traffic on it. As you can see from the photos, at the start of the Straight Road, runners have to use the footpath or stay very close to it. As you get closer to the finish, there is a lot more room with the bus lane available.

Once the County Hall looms overhead, you'll know that the finish is just beyond it...

...and the finish point is just at the side of the road near a small car park....

From here, it is a short walk back to the Western Gateway building.

You can find the course up on the MapMyRun website if you want a closer look.

Prizes....The organisers want runners to put their race numbers into a box at the prizegiving in the canteen (markers available). They will then pull out the spots from this (including the Hayfield Manor prize).

Sonia O'Sullivan launches 'Team Sonia' for the 2011 Cork City Marathon

Irish Olympian, Sonia O’Sullivan has announced that she will be running her first marathon in three years when she lines out at the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon on 6 June 2011. Sonia will be competing to raise funds for the Children’s Leukaemia Association, which supports and assists families during the course of their child’s treatment at the Mercy Hospital, Cork.


Sonia is seeking participants to sign up to be a member of ‘Team Sonia’ and run with her on 6 June, to raise funds for the charity. Runners on ‘Team Sonia’ will have access to advice and tips direct from Sonia and will be invited to an exclusive training session with Sonia in Cork on 2 April 2011.

On announcing her participating, Sonia O’Sullivan said “I will head up a team of runners aiming to complete the full marathon running for the Children’s Leukaemia Association . I haven't run a marathon since Boston in 2008 when I ran 2:52. This time around I will once again be aiming to break 3 hours, but feel that the challenge will be more difficult as I get further away from my more competitive days.

This will be my second marathon in Ireland, having run Dublin in 2000 shortly after winning the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. I am really looking forward to sharing my experiences with my team and gaining inspiration from so many people who take on the marathon challenge while also working full time and squeezing in the miles whenever they can. I have started to pencil in some runs and sessions for the coming weeks and I look forward to really getting the marathon bug and getting fitter and faster as the weeks progress.”

Rosarie O’Donovan of the Children’s Leukaemia Association said “We are a local, Cork-based charity and are thrilled that one of Cork’s finest athletes knows about the work we do. A diagnosis of Leukaemia, cancer and other blood disorders has a profound effect on a child, their families, friends and schools. The CLA supports and assists families from the Munster area in any way possible during and after the child’s treatment. Our services range from providing financial support to families, purchasing essential medical equipment, funding ongoing education for staff, providing for the exceptional needs of the child and their family such as family counselling and play therapy; to providing a home-from-home apartment for use by those families that have to travel distances while their child receives treatment. We are a registered charity and we rely entirely on voluntary donations from the public to maintain and develop the services we provide to the children and their families.”

Each participant of ‘Team Sonia’ must commit to raise at least €500 for the Children’s Leukaemia Association. To sign up to Team Sonia, email your name, address and phone number along with four lines on why you are running the Bord Gáis Energy Cork Marathon to teamsonia@omfpublicity.ie

Reduced entry fee for the Cork Marathon ends 31st of March...

Just a reminder for those of you interested in doing the Cork City Marathon, Half-Marathon or Relay event on the 6th of June. The cheapest entries end on the 31st of March.

After that, entries for each event increase by €10.

Entry details HERE

Wicklow Way Ultra & Trail Running in Ireland...

The Wicklow Way Ultra took place last Saturday, the 26th of March and was won by Paul Tierney from Cork. It took Paul 4 hrs 11m to complete the 51 km course through the Wicklow Mountains. This event was organised by the Irish Mountain Running Association and the full results can be found HERE.

The IMRA organise a number of events as well in Cork and Munster and they are usually on trails on various hills and mountains. A list of all off-road races can be found in the Munster Race Calendar in Green Italics.

In a recent issue of Runners World, there was an article about Trail Running in Ireland. Written by Lisa Jhung, it gives a unique view of the sport as seen from an American point of view. The piece can be seen HERE.

Olga Kotelko...91 years old....600 Gold medals and counting...

This piece appeared on the BBC News website today. There is a short video telling the story of Canadian Olga Kotelko who at 91 years old is setting plenty of world records. You can see it HERE

Results & Photos of the Mallow 10 Mile Road Race...Sun 27th March 2011

There was a record entry of 749 runners for the Mallow 10 Mile road race today in what were almost perfect conditions.This race has seen a huge increase in numbers compared to just a few years ago. Back in 2002/2003, it was just another road race and the numbers were no better than a lot of other shorter local races at the time.

Fast forward to 2011 and a lot of hard work put in by Mallow AC over the years and you have a race that is attracting over 700 runners. As you can see from the graph above, there was a big jump this year. How long before it breaks the 1,000 mark???

Another new feature this year was the introduction of pacers for 70, 80 and 90 minutes. While they are now a common feature in Marathons and some Half-Marathons, this is the first time that I have heard of pacers in a 10 mile event.

Now that the race is over, did you think the pacers were a good idea? Did you find them useful?

Any other comments regarding the race itself? Click on the comment link below...
Results...
Without further ado, the full results can be found HERE

....while the category results can be found HERE

Photos...
1) A small gallery by Paudie Birmingham of the start HERE
2) Paudie has another larger gallery of photos just before the finish line HERE

Next road race in Cork....the Mallow 10 mile on Sun 27th Mar 2011

The Mallow 10 mile road race on Sunday the 27th of March is the next big race in Cork and is likely to attract in excess of 700 runners. Most of the regulars will know that this race was supposed to be on at the start of January but had to be cancelled due to icy conditions at the time. This will be the 3rd race of 4 in the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series.

Entries....You can enter on the day for €20 at the race HQ at Mallow Youth Centre between 10:00am and 11:30 am. If however, you enter online before 1pm on Friday the 25th, you will only pay €15.

You can enter online HERE. All on-line entrants can pick up their numbers at the Race HQ (Mallow Youth Centre) before 12:00 noon on Sunday.

The race starts at 12:30pm

More info.....In preparation for the race in January, I have already put up all the info required in earlier postings so there isn't much point in putting them up again. Just click on the links below...

Race HQ....How to get there....and more race details in this previous post.

Race Course.....See this previous post which should give you a good idea of what the course is like.

Changes from the January details.....

1) 60 Min pacers.......it looks like the 60 minute pacer picked up an injury so there won't be one on Sunday. If anyone would like to pace 60 minutes on Sunday then they should contact Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC asap. Needless to say, to pace 60 minutes, your recent 10 mile time should probably be 58 minutes or below!

Updated....Sat 6pm
2) Pacing Balloons.....Balloon colours for tomorrow.

70 minutes will have a red balloon. / 80minutes will have a yellow balloon. / 90 minutes will have a green balloon.

Results of the recent Cork BHAA races...

The results of the Cork BHAA 'Fota Is Hotel / ESB' 5 km road race which took place near Carrigtwohill on Sunday, the 13th of March are now available HERE .

The results of the Cork BHAA 'Janssen' 4 Mile road race which took place in Little Island on Sunday, the 20th of March are available HERE

Results of the Cork AAI Novice & Masters Road Championships...

The race in Ballinhassig on St.Patrick's Day also doubled up as the Cork AAI County Novice & Masters Road Championships. The results of that competition are now available in PDF format HERE.

The overall results of the race with links to photos can be found in an earlier post.

Alistair Cragg breaks the Irish Half Marathon record in New York Half Marathon...Sat 19th Mar 2011

Alistair Cragg finished 6th in the New York Half-Marathon last Saturday in a time of 60:49 setting a new Irish Record....(Avg pace 4:38/mile). It was also a personal best by more than a minute.
When interviewed, he said..."I felt good the whole way and it was only in the last mile or two that the leaders managed to get away from me, but it’s good feeling to get another Irish record and I‘m excited about where this can take me".

Cragg’s time of 60 minutes 49 seconds knocked eight seconds off the old mark of 60:57 set two years ago in Holland by Martin Fagan of Mullingar, as well as being a personal best by more than a full minute, with victory going to Britain’s Mo Farah in an impressive 60:23 after a sprint finish.

This race was Cragg’s pre-trial prior to making his marathon debut in Boston next month.

“I’ve been packing in the miles in preparation for Boston and I think those miles were in my legs when it came to speeding up in the last few miles here” he said.

“But I never felt the distance or did I feel tired at any stage. I finished very strong and really enjoyed it. Running this event is a bit strange for me after all my races on the track but I’m now entering a new stage of my career and I’m excited about it and will now use the next few weeks wisely to prepare for Boston.”

Cragg will be looking to get the standard of 2:16 in Boston next month which will put him in line for selection for the World Championships next August in Korea and also for the Olympics in London next year.

Race Video of the 2011 New York City Half-Marathon...

Watch live streaming video from nyrr at livestream.com

This video clip is over 1 hour long and gives a good feel for what the New York Half-Marathon is like with over 10,000 runners taking part.

The first 16 minutes are pre-race commentary. Amongst the front runners, Alistair Cragg is wearing a green top with black cap. Pull the bar across if you want to fast forward. He is at the front of the group ~41:00.

Robert Heffernan finishes 5th in Swiss 20km race-walking event - Sun 20th Mar 2011

Rob Heffernan of Togher AC got his season off to a solid start by finishing 5th in a high class 20 kms race in Lugano, Switzerland last Sunday. The race was won by Chinese athlete Wang Chin with Rob finishing as the top European in a very impressive 80 minutes 53 seconds, his fastest ever opening to a season over the 20kms distance.

When interviewed after the race, Rob commented...."Initially I was quite disappointed to get beaten, but on reflection its a good opening to the season, and of course its an Olympic qualifying time, so its handy to have that out of the way"

Men
1 Zhen Wang (China) 1:18:36
2 Yafei Zhu (China) 1:18:37
3 Ding Chen (China) 1:19:38
4 Hassanine Sebei (Tunisia) 1:20:19
5 Robert Heffernan (Ireland) 1:20:53
6 Nazar Kovalenko (Ukraine) 1:21:33
7 Petr Trofimov (Russia) 1:21:47
8 Bertrand Moulinet (France) 1:21:49

The full results can be seen HERE

Category Results & Photos of the Cork BHAA 'Janssen' 4 mile road race - Sun 20th Mar 2011

This Cork BHAA 4 mile road race in Little Island attracted a good turnout in what were mild and sunny conditions. The mens race was won by Wieslaw Sosnowski in a time of 20:52 having won the 4 mile road race in Ballinhassig just 3 days earlier on St.Patricks Day. Just 6 seconds behind was John Meade in 20:58 with Danny Smith in 3rd place...a mere second behind in 20:59.

In the ladies section, Rhona Lynch was back in winning form taking 1st place in 23:56. Niamh Walsh was 2nd in 25:17 while Aisling Moran was 3rd in 26:05.

Category Results....
JANSSEN 4-Mile Road Race, Little Island

Men...
1 Wieslaw Sosnowski (Olympic Landscapes) 20:52; 2 John Meade (Joyce Wolfe Physio) 20:58; 3 Danny Smith (Team adidas) 20:59; 4 Cathal O’Connell (UCC, M45) 21:08; 5 Willie Walsh (Army) 21:27; 6 Denis Dunne (Army) 22:15; 7 D Murphy (temp-reg) 22:21; 8 Noel Curtin (Quality Hotel, M45) 22:32; 9 J Twoma (temp-reg) 22:40; 10 J Hennessy (Janssen, M40) 22:54.
M40: 2 A O’Brien (IPS) 23:13.
M50: 1 M Murphy (Novartis) 24:07.
Team: (Grade A) 1 Quality Hotel 34; 2 Army 35; 3 Janssen 46. (Grade B) 1 Midleton UDC 55; 2 Midleton News 70; 3 IPS 75. (Grade C) 1 EMC 90; 2 Janssen 170; 3 An Post/Eircom 240.

Women...
1 Rhona Lynch (GE-Healthcare, F35) 23:56; 2 Niamh Walsh (Dept of Educ) 25:17; 3 Aisling Moran (UCC) 26:05; 4 Lucy Brennan (temp-reg) 26:15; 5 Maggie Chojan (Private Hospitals) 27:22; 6 Joan Hough (Dept of Educ, F50) 27:26.
F40: 1 M Histon-De Barra (HSE) 28:32.
Team: (Grade A) 1 Dept of Education 7; 2 HSE 19. (Grade B) 1 Novartis 19; 2 Ballincollig Runners 35.
(...with thanks to John Walshe of Ballycotton Running Promotions for the above results)

Full results....At this stage, there is a backlog in the results. Hopefully this should be sorted out soon.

Photos....
Doug Minihane has another great gallery of photos again this week HERE

Results of the Ballydehob 10k road race - Thurs 17th Mar 2011

This 10 km road race in West Cork had an entry of 205 runners on what was supposed to be a challenging course with some serious hills in it. One competitor described it as..."Over all a very nice scenic run but not one for a personal best."

The mens race was won by Michael Dullea in 36:14 while the ladies race was won by Liz Barry in 42:01.

The results in PDF format can be found HERE

There is a large photo gallery by a John Walsh HERE

West Cork Series / Race in Dunmanway...Sun 20th March 2011

West Cork Series...
In an effort to attract more members, some the athletic clubs in West Cork have come together and started a race series for club runners. While each race is open to anyone to run in, the scoring system will apply only to west Cork club runners.

1st , 2nd , 3rd prizes can only be won by a member of a west cork athletics team in the March Dunmanway road race and the Cross Country Race in September. Dunmanway 10k, Courtmacsherry 10k and Bantry prizes can be claimed by any runner.

For more info on the series, click HERE

Dunmanway 2m & 4m road race - Sun 20th March 2011...
There will be a race in Dunmanway on Sunday the 20th of March at 12 noon. The race will be a 2 mile distance for women (1 lap), and 4 miles for men – 2 laps. Note that the distances are approximate. Race start will take place at the Kilbarry Road, Dunmanway.

This is mainly a race between members of West Cork clubs and 1st , 2nd , 3rd prizes can only be won by a member of a west cork athletics team. Note however that anyone can run in the races and all are welcome. The entry fee is only a few Euro.

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Janssen' 4 Mile Road Race - Sun 20th Mar 2011

There are 2 majors points to note for this race....

1) Route....They usually use the same route as the BHAA 'FMC' race which was on last January. This time however, there are road works in the industrial estate so a new route will be used.

2) Entries.........The BHAA are having some trouble getting everyone registered on time before the races start. It would make a big difference if more people could turn up early ...i.e. before 10am and get the registration out of the way. This would take the pressure off the peak time which is around 10:30am.

The race itself will start at 11am.

Other than that, the details for the race remain the same as the FMC race.

Directions...If you are coming out of the city, the best way to get there is probably to enter Little Island from the Tunnel roundabout on the North side of the Jack Lynch tunnel. The Little Island/ Tunnel Management road is just to the left of the tunnel entrance, so one needs to be in the left-most lane, when approaching the tunnel....

At the top of this short road, there is a small roundabout. Take the exit marked "Little Island Ind Estate". Keep going for about one mile.You will pass Pfizer's, Henkel/Cognis, and Punch Industries (all on the left). You will see a small ruined castle and a mobile phone mast on the left. The Little Island Sports Complex is next.

The advantage of this route is that you will pass over both the Start and Finish lines, and you should have less difficulty finding that Start line, after registering.

Parking.....There is ample parking in front of and behind the Sport Complex, so there is no need to park on the main road. There is plenty of space across the road in the industrial estate as well.

Registration....Inside the hall, there will be 2 queues....one for registered runners (€5) and one for non-registered (€8). With the big crowd expected, it might be no harm to get there early especially if you are a registered runner.

Alternative Course...Due to some roadworks in the industrial estate that is normally used, the route has been modified...

The route next Sunday is basically an 'out & back' type of course. The start and finish will be roughly in the same area which is outside the old red-bricked Pfizers building...

This is a little bit closer to the sports hall but you still need to allow some time to get to the start line. The first mile pretty flat with the only real pull of the race coming around 1.4 miles. After that, it's right into an industrial area and down to the end of the road where you turn around a cone.

It's important that you follow the stewards instructions here and stay on the left hand side of the road so as not to obstruct the other runners coming in the opposite direction.

After 2 miles, you just retrace your steps back to the finish line which is a bit further away from the sports hall compared to the old finish on the usual route.

Overall...The new alternative course is very similar to the old course so you can expect the same sort of time. There is only 1 small hill so it's a pretty fast course. The proximity of the race to Cork City is sure to attract a large crowd. Allow time for getting registered and getting down to the start line. Get there early!!

If you want to take a closer look at the route, I have it up on the MapMyRun website...just click +/- to zoom in and out.

Results of the Ballinhassig 4 Mile Road Race - Thurs 17th March 2011

A record crowd turned out for this 4 mile road race in Ballinhassig on St.Patricks Day. No doubt the fact that the event also doubled up as the Cork AAI County Road Championships helped to swell the numbers but this race has grown year on year. Back in 2007, it attracted just 87 runners and today, that figure was 257 (2008-99, 2009-189, 2010-194).

The mens race was won by Wieslaw Sosnowski of Eagle AC in a time of 20:56 while Chris Harrington of Leevale AC was just 7 seconds behind in 2nd place in 21:03. Just 6 seconds behind Chris was Danny Smith of Ballynonty AC in 21:09 after making the trip down from Tipperary to claim 3rd place.

(L to R...Emma Murphy, Ann-Marie Holland and Michelle Nolan just after the 1 mile mark)

In the ladies section, Emma Murphy of St.Finbarrs AC was first woman home in a time of 24:12, winning her 2nd road race in 5 days. In 2nd place was Ann-Marie Holland of Eagle AC in 24:41 while Michelle Nolan of Midleton AC was just 9 seconds behind in 3rd place in a time of 24:50.

Results......the full results can now be seen HERE

Photos.......

1) John Dunphy has a slideshow of photos just after the 1 mile mark HERE

2) Doug Minihane has a very large gallery of 331 photos. Some are near the start while the majority are of the last corner before the finish. Click HERE

Running...You're never too old to start

Interview with Derval O'Rourke on RTE Television...16th March 2011

For anyone interested, there was a short interview with Derval  O'Rourke on the kids programme The Rumour Room on RTE 2 television on Wednesday afternoon, the 16th of March.

The link for the RTE Player is HERE

The interview starts at 6:25 and lasts until 11:40...just click on the white slider and pull it forward to the relevant time

Other races in Cork on the 17th of March...Ballydehob 10k

The main race in the county of Cork on St.Patricks Day is the 4 mile road race in Ballinhassig organised by Rising Sun AC at 11am. With it's proximity to Cork City and the fact that it is doubling as the Cork AAI County Road Championships, it is sure to attract a big crowd.

However for anyone living further west, there is a 10 km race in Ballydehob. Some details below...
Entry is €13.00 and all proceeds will go to local schools and Co-Action West Cork.
Registration: 8.30 AM - 10.30 AM
10K Race: 11.00 AM
The course will start in Ballydehob, heading out along the coast run to Rossbrin beside Roaringwater Bay with its many islands, and then returning to the village again.
St Patrick's Day Parade starting at 12.30 followed by live music performed by local bands and musicians.
Children's activities throughout the day

Elsewhere in Munster...There are a number of other races in counties Limerick and Clare......and Wexford ;o) ........More details on the Running in Munster website.

Preview of the Rising Sun AC 4 mile Road Race (Ballinhassig) - Thurs 17th Mar (11am)

Rising Sun Athletic Club are holding their annual 4 mile road race next Thursday, the 17th of March at 11am in the village of Ballinhassig. If you are not sure of where that is then from Cork City, just take the N71 Cork / Bandon road south from the roundabout on the South Ring Road and look for the signposts on the other side of the hill. Ballinhassig is only a few hundred metres off the main road.

The registration point is the Marian Hall in the middle of Ballinhassig. There is plenty of parking alongside the hall itself.

Race info...Rising Sun A.C. 7th ANNUAL Paddy Desmond Memorial 4 Mile Road Race....Thursday March 17th 2011th at 11.00am...In Ballinhassig....Race H.Q. Marian Hall (lower Ballinhassig)...Prizes 1st 2nd and 3rd Senior Men and Senior Ladies...1st 3 Men O40,45,50,55,60,65 and 70...1st 3 Women O 35,40,45,50,55,60 and 65...1st Wheelchair Athlete....Spots and refreshments in Marion Hall after race...Entry Fee 9 Euro...Entry is open to all runners...Enquiries to 086 3320461

The course...The race starts and finishes about 300 metres away from the Marian Hall.

The first section of the race is a tough uphill drag as you gain height and pass underneath the N71 Cork to Bandon road.

On your right, you can see the road where you'll come back for the finish but for now, you stay on the road and continue to climb until roughly 0.7 miles when you reach the top of the hill...

As you can see on the left of the road, you are now well above the valley floor. A tough start.

From here, it flattens out and you begin a gradual descent. You pass the 1 mile mark and this is by far the fastest part of the course. The road from here it pretty reasonable and soon you will enter the village of Halfway.

From here you turn left, out onto the main N71 road and head back. From about the 2 mile mark to about 3.5 miles, the course is flat and going slightly uphill at the end as you run inside a very wide hard shoulder on the road....(see above)

After about 3.5 miles, the road begins to climb and the hard shoulder begins to narrow. Soon, you reach a bridge and you can see the road you passed under at the start of the race.

Just after this, you turn left and left again...

...and you now have a downhill run all the way to the finish line.

Overall...Due to the hill at the start, it's probably not the fastest of 4 mile road races. However considering that it is on St.Patricks Day and how easy it is to get to from Cork City, it always attracts a good crowd.

If you want to have a look at the course, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website. Here is the LINK.

Category Results & Photos of the Cork BHAA 'ESB/Fota Island Hotel' 5 km road race - Sun 13th Mar 2011

There was a big turnout of just over 400 runners for this Cork BHAA 5 km road race near Carrigtwohill. This was the first time the race was run over this route and considering the numbers, it would seem to be more popular than the race route in Mahon which attracted 272 in 2010 and 288 in 2009.

The first man home was George Waugh in a time of 15:54 while the first registered man was Wieslaw Sosnowski. In the womens race, Emma Murphy was the first woman in 18:12 while the first registered woman was Sinead Ni Chonchuir.

ESB/FOTA ISLAND HOTEL 5km
Men: George Waugh (non-reg) 15:54; 2 Wieslaw Sosnowski (Olympic Landscapes) 16:05; 3 John Meade (Joyce Wolfe Physio) 16:14; 4 P Gallagher (UCC) 16:15; 5 W Walsh (Army) 16:25; 6 Kevin Wilmot (EMC) 16:38; 7 Donal Coffey (Pilz Ireland) 16:45; 8 E O’Donovan (non-reg) 16:57; 9 Conor Tierney (McGrath Landscaping) 17:07; 10 Paul Tierney (Cork Garda) 17:13.


Team: (Grade A) 1 Cork Garda 27; 2 Army 46; 3 Bord Gais Eireann 87. (Grade B) 1 EMC 39; 2 Naval Service 61; 3 Midleton News 86. (Grade C) 1 IPS 100; 2 Flexible Connectors 128; 3 EMC 177.

Women: 1 Emma Murphy (non-reg) 18:12; 2 Sinead Ni Chonchuir (Colour is Magic, F40) 18:47; 3 Niamh Walsh (non-reg) 18:54; 4 Louise Cavanagh (SCP, F40) 19:39; 5 M Crowley (non-reg) 20:06; 6 Jessica Vonhatten (non-reg) 20:11.


Team: 1 (Grade A) Dept of Education 239; 2 HSE 280. (Grade B) Novartis 377; 2 Bank of Ireland 429.
 
(...with thanks to John Walshe for the above results)

The full results are likely to be out sometime later in the week.
 
Photos...
Thanks to Doug Minihane, there is a large gallery of 455 photos HERE

New Marathon Club in Ireland launched...

A new club has been formed in Ireland for those with an interest in running Marathons. A similar club already exists in the UK called the 100 Marathon Club which has several Irish members. Some of you may remember a post I had on the blog last June when local Corkman Michael Haydn successfully completed his 100th Marathon in the Cork City Marathon.

I should also mention that Jerry Forde from Blarney who many of you will have seen in the wheelchair section at many races is also a member and currently has completed in excess of 170 Marathons.

There was a time when there were very few Marathons in the country and you could count them on one hand. Recently however, there has been an explosion in the number of medium and long distance races as you can see from this up to date calendar HERE

With this new level of interest in Marathons now in Ireland, this new club has been set up. The entry requirements are that you must have run at least one Marathon and they offer awards for those completing 25, 50 and 100 Marathons. The website for the new club can be found HERE

Other races in Munster this weekend...Sat 12th / Sun 13th Mar 2011

The main race in Cork this weekend is the Cork BHAA 5 km road race on the roads near Fota / Carrigtwohill on Sunday, the 13th. More info is an earlier post.

Elsewhere however, there are a number of events elsewher in Munster. On Saturday, there is a 5 km race in Killarney. On Sunday, the Munster AAI Senior & Novice Road Championships takes place in Beaufort, Co.Kerry while there is a 10 km road race in Adare, Co.Limerick.

More info up on the Running in Munster website.

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'ESB / Fota Island Hotel' 5 km road race - Sun 13th March 2011

For the last few years, the Cork BHAA 'ESB' 5k was held in Mahon near Cork City. This year, it moves to a new location and will be held in conjunction with the Fota Island hotel. Registration /  Prizegiving / Refreshments will be in the hotel while the 5 km race is on the roads nearby.

Getting there...Coming from Cork City, take the N25 east (Midleton Rd). Follow the signposts for Cobh and take the turn off at Cobh Cross near Carrigtwohill. The entrance for the hotel is on the main road to Cobh.

Note that the entrance for the hotel is on the right while the race will take place on the roads to the left.

Hotel entrance...hard to miss!

Follow the stewards instructions / direction and follow the roads inside to the parking area.

Registration.........as per usual with Cork BHAA events, the entry fee for non-registered runners is €8 and for registered runners, it's €5. There will be seperate entry desks for each.

Time.........Please note that the hotel is located about 1 km from the main road. Allow plenty of time for the queues at registration and for time to get back to the start line.

The race starts at 11am

Race route.......Basically, it is an 'out and back' course with a small loop at the end. The photo above shows the start / finish area as seen from the main road.

The first mile is reasonably flat. At around 0.7 miles, you take the left at the large sweeping bend. On past the 1 mile mark and you'll see the small road junction ahead...

This is the start / finish of the small loop. On the way out, you carry on straight ahead and up the small hill. After this, you just keep turning left. First a long straight section and then you turn left and down a small narrow road and past Barrycourt Castle...

Continue on the narrow road....up a short sharp hill...turn right and back onto the larger road....pass the 2 mile mark and retrace your steps back towards the finish.

Overall...a reasonable course with a 2 small climbs but nothing too serious. Please note that there are some potholes near the start / finish so watch out for these. As you can imagine with an 'out and back' course, you  may meet runners going in the opposite direction so follow the stewards instructions.

Cork BHAA are also looking for helpers so if you are not running on the day, why not turn up early on the day and lend a hand?

If you want to see a map of the route, I have it up on the MapMyRun website. Click on the + / - there to zoom in and out.