Preview of the Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5k road race...Tues 31st May 2011

Coming up next on the road race calendar is the Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5k road race on Tuesday evening at 8pm. In terms of the shorter distance road races, this is certainly one of the most popular around. There are probably several reasons for this.......it's in Cork City so it's central to a lot of people........it's a flat fast course so ideal for PB times......and John Buckley Sports would be one of the main running stores in Cork and a lot of John's regular customers would turn out to support the race..........and there is a 20% off voucher! ;o)

With the Cork City Marathon only a week away, I know a lot of new runners will be finding this blog for the first time as they go looking on the Internet for information. If you are in that category then just a note to say that these races are open to all types of runner. You can enter on the evening.

Now if you are running in the Marathon or Half-Marathon next week, there is no problem running in this race as long as you take it easy! Use it as one of your runs during the week to stay loose, not as a hard speed session.

Registration...The event centre for this race is in the Lee Rowing Club building at the start of the Marina. This is located just alongside the Pairc Ui Chaoimh GAA stadium. There is plenty of parking in the area....outside the club house, along the quayside or outside the GAA stadium. See map below. Considering that the number of entries will be high, there will be BIG queues. You can help the organisers by arriving early....say before 7pm and then take it easy before the race. That way, you'll avoid the queues.

Cost...As usual for BHAA events, it is €5 for registered runners and €8 for non-registered. There will be 2 queues...just make sure you get into the correct one. Just a note for those of you new to the running scene, this race is open to anyone. Just join the non-registered queue and get your race number.

Course...This is probably the flatest and fastest 5 km course in Cork. The start is on the Centre Park Road, about half a mile from the club house. With so many people running, the start will probably be a bit squashed but the road is wide enough that the field will soon thin out. Just one word of warning here...a lot of heavy vehicles use this road and the surface is a bit rough in places. It's not so easy to see what is up ahead when the field is bunched.

So, from the start, you run towards the city centre, left at the roundabout and onto the Monaghan Road. The 1 mile mark is half way down this road. For the 2nd mile, you go left at the next juction, back onto the Centre Park Road, past the start point and on to the 2 mile mark. For the 3 mile, you just retrace your footsteps as you repeat the same route except at the end when you approach the Centre Park Road again, you turn right instead of left.

Here, you enter a tunnel of Green foliage as the mature trees on both sides of the road block out the light. Along here, you pass the 3 mile mark and the finish is about 150 metres later.

20% Off Vouchers.......One of the major attractions of this race will be the 20% off vouchers that will be given out on the night. I asked John Buckley about these by e-mail and he told me that they will be giving them out to people at the end of chute at the finish of the race.

The 20% off voucher can be used on anything purchased in John Buckley Sports, regardless of price. It's not limited to one item. Whatever items you want to buy, you present the voucher and you get 20% off. There is also no time limit on the vouchers, you can use them anytime.

So basically, we enter a race for €5 / €8........get a 20% off voucher......spend €25 / €40 in the shop and you break even.......and I think you'll have noticed that good running shoes cost a lot more than that so the voucher is well worth getting.

You can find John Buckley Sports across the river from the Cork Opera House and his opening hours are Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5.30pm – late opening Friday until 7.00 – closed Sundays. Thay also have a website at http://www.johnbuckleysports.com/

Overall.....Dead flat and as fast a 5 km course as you can get. If you want to try for a personal best, this is the place to try for it. Nice little warm up before the Marathon day proper and with a 20% off voucher on offer, it should attract a huge crowd.

Advice on what to do with 1 week to go to the Marathon...

On UK Runners World, they give the following advice for the last week...

"During the last week of your taper, things can get ugly. Two weeks ago, you ran 20 miles in a single run, but now you shouldn't even be totalling that distance in the whole week before the race. And as your mileage plummets, your worries can skyrocket. But take comfort that thousands of other marathon runners preparing to race this coming weekend are going through exactly the same thing. And take refuge in your final mission: to ensure that your body is sufficiently fuelled, hydrated, refreshed and recovered for the task.

Training Checklist...Beginning on Monday, do no runs longer than four miles. And when you do head out, remember that these jaunts are more for your head than your body, because training has little effect this week. Almost all running should be at one and a half to two minutes per mile slower than marathon goal pace - except a Tuesday two-miler at marathon goal pace, sandwiched by one-mile jogs. Again, if you want, throw in some quick 100-metre strides after one or two of your easy runs. This helps fight off the sluggish feeling that can occur during your taper.
Three days before the race, run just two to three miles easy.
Two days before the race, don't run at all.
On the day before the race, jog two to four miles to take the edge off your pent-up energy so you'll sleep better that night.

Nutritional Needs...“Emphasise carbohydrates more than usual in the last three days before the race,” says Tichenal. About 60 to 70 per cent of your calories should come from carbohydrate sources. Pasta, potatoes, rice, cereals and fruit are healthy choices, but even fizzy drinks and sweets do the job. It all turns into muscle glycogen. Wash all those carbs down with fluids so your energy and water levels are high on race morning. Alcoholic beverages don't count towards your fluid totals, however, and you'll need to make up for their diuretic effect by drinking extra fluids. You know you're adequately hydrated if your urine is clear or pale yellow in colour. Don't restrict the salt in your diet. Low salt intake combined with excessive hydration can lead to hyponatraemia, a rare but dangerous condition that can afflict marathon runners. Drinking energy drinks and snacking on salted pretzels will keep your sodium levels up. Don't look at the scales. Because of your fully stocked fluid and fuel stores, you're likely to gain a couple of pounds. But it's worth the weight. Having your body's energy reserves at full capacity will do more for your race than weighing a little less - and you'll lose those pounds by the finish line anyway.

Don't do anything tiring. Let the kids take the bins out. Let the dog walk himself. Don't try anything new. No new foods, drinks or sports. Don't cross-train, hike or bike.

Remember: during this final week, you can't under-do. You can only over-do.

Looking ahead to the start of the Cork City Half-Marathon...

This will be the first time that a Half-Marathon event has been included in the Cork City Marathon. With a limit this year of 1,000 runners, it was sold out back in April. While the full Marathon and Relay event will start at 9am on Patrick's Street in the centre of Cork City, the Half-Marathon will start about 6 kms to the east in Mahon at 11:30am.

The map above shows the route of the Half-Marathon. From mile 2 onwards, it joins the Marathon route so we'll have a look at those sections in later posts.

From the City Hall, there will be a free bus service taking relay and Half-Marathon runners to the CSO office in Mahon. See map below...(Half in Pink, Full in Green)

From here, it is a short walk to the holding area which is likely to be at the end of the Skehard Road. This will keep the Marathon route free until the runners are moved out to the start of the Half which is just around the corner.
Now, this is roughly the 10.5 mile mark in the Marathon so considering that the Half starts 2.5 hours later, anyone doing on average 14.2 min/mile or faster should have passed....(6h 14m Marathon).

This is the start of the Half-Marathon.....nice wide road. With less than 1,000 runners present, there shouldn't be any major delay in getting over the line at the start.
You then run down the road a few hundred metres, through what should be by then a pretty deserted Relay Changeover point, then take a right head towards Blackrock Castle.

Just before the Castle, the course splits. The Full Marathon and Relay runners turn off right onto the walkway and run alongside the river. The Half-Marathon runners stay on the road and run up a short hill past the Castle.

From what I understand, the split will be well signposted. Needless to say, you can imagine what it might be like if the Half started say an hour earlier......this road would be full of runners trying to decide which route to take.......and you can be sure that some would end up going the wrong way.

For the Half-Marathon runners, once they pass Blackrock Castle they run downhill slightly before tackling this short climb which is about 300 metres long. After that, it's down into Blackrock village, right onto the Marina.....

....and then dead flat for the next mile. You will rejoin the Marathon route around the 2 mile mark.

Acknowledgement......with thanks to John Quigley of Eagle AC who was involved in the accurate measuring of the course and provided background information for this post.

Results of Round 1 of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League - Mon 23rd May 2011

Just catching up on a few results...! The 1st round of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League was held on a very windy track in CIT last Monday, the 23rd of July. There were a number of events on offer.......200m, Long Jump, Shot, 4 x 400m Relay and the 3,000 metres.

The event was organised by St.Finbarr's AC while the sponsor of the event was John Buckley Sports which is one of the longest established running shops in Cork City.

John Buckley Sports

The full results of Round 1 can be found in PDF format HERE

There are 5 more rounds in this series. The next one on the 10th of June has the 100m, a high jump, discuc, 4 x 200m relay and the 800 metre.

Here is some more info from the organisers if you are interested in attending.....
A series of six meetings is planned for Athletes male and female over 17 years on the day of the competition; the Shot, Discus, Hammer and 56lb Weights are limited to athletes over 18. Track events will, if necessary, be divided into separate races on the basis of performance, which could involve mixed races. Admission is €5 per meeting. Each athlete will receive a performance certificate and electronic timing will be used.

John Buckley Sports 5k.........Coming up next Tuesday evening, the 31st of May at 8pm, the Cork

BHAA in conjunction with John Buckley Sports are holding a 5 km road race on the Centre Park Road / Monaghan Road circuit. This is one of the largest, fastest and most popular 5 km races on the local race calendar and is sure to attract a large crowd.

As well as the usual refreshments, prizes, etc, they will also be handing out a 20% discount voucher for John Buckley Sports at the end of the race. I asked John about this by mail and he told me that there is no time limit on it and the 20% is off anything for sale in his shop regardless of price.

More details on this race in a later post.

Cliffs of Moher Half-Marathon in September cancelled...

It has been announced that the Cliffs of Moher Half-Marathon which was supposed to be coming up next September has been cancelled. In the last few years, the number of commercial races has grown and grown and at this stage, there are no shortage to choose from.

Here is a statement from the organisers....
It is with regret to inform you that The Cliffs of Moher Half & Full Marathon that was due to take place on Saturday 24th September 2011 has been cancelled and a full refund will be processed for you within the next 21 days.
The reason for our decision is as follows: The Cliffs of Moher Marathon Team started marketing the event in February 2010 with the introduction of The Half Marathon on 25th September 2010, this event was enjoyed by a total of 677 participants.
Much to our disappointment, since October 2010 when the registration went live for both events, a total number of 104 participants have registered to date. To stage a Full and Half marathon event is a very costly exercise and a minimum amount of participants are required for the event to take place. With just over 3 months remaining we had to look carefully with regards to the interest shown to date and make a decision.
With this in mind, The Cliffs of Moher Marathon Team have decided to cancel the event for 2011 and refund the 104 participants fully via the means of which payment was made when registering.


Kind regards
The Cliffs of Moher Marathon Team

As far as I know, this is the first high profile cancellation of a commercial race, certainly in the southern half of the country. In comparison to say club races, commercial races operate on a different level. Besides the obvious higher entry fees, their costs are a lot higher. They may not have the number of volunteers that an athletic club could muster while they spend a whole lot more on marketing.....it's not a case of just handing out race flyers at some local 5k and hoping that people will turn up.

So, has the commercial race market reached a saturation point? Is just plain old simple market forces of supply and demand? Or is the market shrinking with less people willing to pay the higher entry fees just because they can't afford to?

Now I know some people are opposed to commercial races but there are obviously commercial races out there that get large numbers so not everyone agrees. They are offering a product and people are willing to pay for that product.........so I'm not going to start a debate on the merits or otherwise of commercial races.

But do you have an opinion on the number of races? On the number of say Half-Marathons in particular......Are there too many? Click on the comment link below...

Results of the Ballyandreen 5 Mile Road Race - Thurs 26th May 2011

A total of 480 runners turned out in a very cool and windy Ballyandreen in East Cork for what was the first race of 4 in the Ballycotton 5 Mile Summer Series. While the number of finishers was the second biggest ever, only 19 broke the 30 minute barrier. In 2010, the number was 39 while 21 and 20 broke the 30 minutes in 2008 and 2009. Looking back 20 years to 1991 and 1992, 84 broke the half-hour. The biggest number was 85 in 1994 when 238 finished..........(with thanks to John Walshe for the stats)

 Roy Fahy receiving the Michael Morrison Memorial Trophy from

Paul O'Sullivan-Hourihan, grandson of the late Michael

The winner of the mens race was Roy Fahy of East Cork AC, a former winner of the 2008 Cork City Marathon. Roy's time of 26:53 was around 30 secs ahead of John Meade of St.Finbarr's AC in 2nd place with 27:24. In 3rd place, Liam Slattery finished in 28:42.

Denis McCarthy of East Cork AC and John Hallihan of Leevale AC heading for
the 4 mile mark. Denis has managed to get in a run every day since June 1985
and will have run for 9,500 consecutive days in June 2011

In the ladies event, Claire McCarthy of St.Finbarrs AC was the clear winner finishing in a time of 29:02 and also finshed 8th overall. In 2nd place, Rhona Lynch of Eagle AC ran 30:23 while Niamh Walsh of Leevale AC finished 3rd in 31:10.

In most races that you go to these days, there is always some sort of hub or central location to it. It might be in a village and the local sports hall or community centre is used. Ballyandreen is unusual in that respect in that it essentially started out many years ago as a small race for local runners and became a large race today that attracts almost 500 runners from a wide area. An event like this would be impossible to hold without the help of the local community.....from the parking in the fields........to the house where the entries were taken........to the house of Paul O'Sullivan-Hourihan (pictured above) where the refreshments and prizes were given out.

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

Preview of the Ballyandreen 5 Mile Road Race...

The Ballycotton 5 mile Summer Series starts at 8pm on Thursday evening with the Ballyandreen 5 mile road race in East Cork. This is the first of the 4 races in the series and there is a special plaque for anyone who goes on to complete all 4 races. In addition, there are Top 50 T-Shirts for the top 50 men and Top 20 T-Shirts for the top 20 women in the series when it concludes in August.

Location / Getting there......this piece is for the new runners. Ballyandreen is located a few kms to the west of Ballycotton. If you don't know that area then follow these directions...
Take the main road to Ballycotton in East Cork. It is well signposted from Midleton. Just as you enter the village, you will see an old church on your right....

Take the right here and drive up the hill. Keep going for about 2 kms and you will get to a crossroads where you will be directed to a parking area by the race stewards. It's very simple, you can't get lost.

Entry.......
1) The entry fee is €5. Try and bring the exact amount as it helps speed things up.
2) If you are new, they will need a few details from you like your age, club or area where you live, etc.
3) The location for entries is in a small yard just off the road. Note.........this is about 600 metres from the parking area.

Time.......the thing about Ballyandreen is that things are spread out a bit. The parking is about 600 metres from the registration point and it's about another 200 metres down to the start line.

The best option and the one that would really help the organisers would be to arrive early....say before 7pm. You have loads of time then to wander down to enter...head back up to your car.....get changed.....and then head down to the start line.

Where people get caught every year is that they arrive at say 7:20-7:30......it takes about 8 minutes to walk down to the registration point.......big queue.......then they are in a mad rush to get back up to the car, get changed and get back down to the start on time.

So get there early or if you can't help arriving late, then get changed beforehand and jog down to the registration with the €5 entry fee in your hand.

Course...........The start point is near the registration point. The initial half mile has a good bit of uphill running it with a downhill section near the 1 mile mark. After that it's not too bad although there is a very steep downhill section near the 2 mile mark, almost too steep to really run on properly. Then it's out onto the main road and head west towards the 3 mile mark. The 4th mile is without doubt the hardest. There is a bit of a drag just after the 3 mile mark but you are soon running downhill again.

However, just after 3.5 miles, you take a sharp left and the 'Beast of Ballyandreen' welcomes you!!

Panoramic view from the top of the 'Beast'....high above the valley floor....

...although at this stage, you'll probably be half-dead and unlikely to notice

It basically is a 500 metre slog up a tough 'little' hill. You'll be glad to see the 4 mile mark because after that, the last mile is a complete contrast. After an initial flat stage, you soon start running downhill, through the crossroads, past where the race started and all the ways towards the finish near the coast for what will probably be your fastest mile.

Overall........A 5 mile road race in the quiet countryside of East Cork. If the term classic applies, then this is it.

Belfast 24h Ultra Race...22nd July 2011

First...a quick course preview....dead flat....no hills......incredibly accurate....loop course....plenty of other runners on the route......it sounds perfect........except for a few 'minor' details.

The 'course' is the Mary Peters 400 metre sports track in Belfast......and you basically run around in circles for as long as you can.............and the race is 24 hours long!

This will be the 2nd year of this event. Last year, four athletes went beyond 100 miles with 17 going over 80 miles. The event was won by Fermanagh’s Thomas Maguire with a distance of 127 miles.

If anyone is interested, then for further information or an entry form contact: Ed Smith on 00447740818389 or at ed_n_smith@hotmail.com

WARNING...This video contains images of crazy people ;o)

Free Road Running / Marathon Seminar at Mahers Sports....Wed 25th May

Mahers Sports are holding a second and final Road Running / Marathon Seminar on Wednesday May 25th from 7-9pm in their Oliver Plunkett St Store.
With just two weeks to go to the Cork City Marathon, the seminar will focus on what you should be doing between now and race day, the actual race day itself and the days and weeks after the marathon. The seminar will suit all levels from those doing the Relay to Half Marathon to the Full Marathon.

Guest Speakers include:
Dr. Joanne Fearon: (Food graduate development programme manager, UCC) Joanne is also a marathon, ultra marathon and Ironman triathlete.
Peter Maher: (Former Olympic Marathoner)  Peter is a physical therapist based in Carrigaline.  He has completed 50 marathons with 19 victories and often writes for The Irish Runner.
Shane Simcox Msc: (Masters in Exercise and Nutrition Science)  Shane has  25 years experience in Athletics.  He also is a qualified Fitness Trainer working with Cork Minor hurlers and GAA Underage Development Squads.
Donie Walsh: ( former Irish Olympic marathoner) Head athletic coach for UCC and Leevale athletic club in distance.  Donie coaches anywhere from 800m to marathon distance.


For further information on this seminar, contact Marguerite at 086-8643962

Angela McCann wins Half-Marathon Race at European Masters Championships

On Sunday the 15th of May, Angela McCann of Clonmel AC won the F40 category in the Half-Marathon in the European Masters Road Championships in Thionville in North-East France. Angela, who is a regular at some of longer races in Cork (Finished 2nd in the Cork City Marathon 2009 & 2010) ran the 21.1 km course in a personal best time of 79:36.

More info on the Running in Munster website.

Results of the Emer Casey 10k road race - Sun 22nd May 2011

From what I hear, this race took place in dry but windy conditions in Youghal in East Cork. The winner of the mens race was Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers who ran the 10 km course in a time of 30:36, an average of 4:55 per mile. Sergiu was almost 2 and a half minutes ahead of the 2nd placed man Ruairi O'Donnell of Limerick AC in 33:05. The gap to the 3rd man was a lot smaller with Brian Hegarty of Leevale AC finishing in 33:11.

In the ladies race, Rhona Lynch of Eagle AC won in a time of 38:16. In 2nd place, Niamh Walsh of Leevale AC finished in 39:45 while Mary Sweeney of St.Finbarrs AC took 3rd in 40:54.

The full results can be seen HERE

Blog goes W I D E

The template for this blog has now been changed so hopefully everyone can see it ok. If anyone has to scroll left and right then let me know but unless it is a major issue then I am going to stick with this new format.

For some, it might appear that the blog has hardly changed at all but if you scroll down the main page, you can see the width of the older pictures and how much wider it is now. There is also roughly 30% more text per line so there should be less scrolling up and down.

I might make a few more changes but they should be minor.

Mixed results at the European Cup of Race Walking competition in Portugal

The European Cup of Race Walking competition took place in Portugal on Saturday the 21st of May 2011. With several Irish competitors taking part, it produced a mixed bag of results.

Robert Heffernan started the Senior Mens 20k race well staying with the leaders at the 5km and 10km splits although the overall pace was slow. However by the 15km mark, the pace had picked up and Rob was back in 8th place, 16 seconds off the leader. In the end, he finished in 10th position.

In the Senior Womens 20k race, Olive Loughnane found herself in 7th position and 30 seconds behind the leader at the 5k mark. At 10k, the gap had opened to 1:24 and dropped one position to 8th. In the 3rd quarter, Olive maintained the time difference to the leader but moved up to 3rd position as others faded. In the final stages of the race, she was unfortunately disqualified due to lifting.

The big sucess of the day was in the Junior Womens 10k race with West Waterfords Kate Veale (17) going from strength to strength to finish 3rd in a time of 46:32. More info on the Running in Munster site.

Race Notice - Emer Casey 10k Charity Race...Sun 22nd May 2011

This charity 10km road race and walk takes place on Sunday in the town of Youghal in East Cork at 1:30pm. The is the 5th year of this event and it's purpose is to raise funds for cancer research. You can find out more about the Emer Casey Foundation at this link...http://www.emercaseyfoundation.com/index.php

Registration...If you are coming from Cork and as you approach Youghal, stay on the bypass. At the top of the hill, take the 1st left. You then go left again, cross over the bridge over the bypass and head in towards Youghal. (If you are coming from Waterford, take the bypass and at the highest point, take the slip road left before the bridge. Proceed towards Youghal). As you head towards Youghal, you'll see the Pobalscoil na Trionoide school where you register for the race. Seeing as how this is a charity event, the entry fee is €20 (free t-shirt included in the entry fee).

Results of the Fota Cheetah Run - Thurs 19th May 2011

Despite the threat of showers, the rain held off for this unique 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park. A record 700 plus runners took part in what turned out to be a pre-entry  only event with the limit having been reached on the previous Tuesday.

It was also a unique event in that the number of women actually exceeded the number of men! Someone remarked to me that this was probably because runners had to pre-register in advance and women are generally better organised then men........but surely that can't be the reason ;o)

The winner of the mens race was John Shine of Leevale AC in a time of 20:46. In 2nd place, Shane Coffey finished 2nd in 20:59 while Barry Donovan of Leevale AC finished 3rd in 21:14.

In the womens race, Sinead Ni Chonchuir on the organising club Eagle AC finished in 1st place in a time of 25:12. Karen Prendergast finished 2nd in a time of 25:58 while Annameria Costelloe of Gneeveguilla AC made the long trip up from the Kingdom to take 3rd in 26:02.

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

Photos...
1) Doug Minihane has a very large gallery of photos HERE
2) There is another gallery on the Eagle website HERE
3) Another small gallery by the 1 mile mark HERE

Looking ahead to the Fota Cheetah 4 mile race...Thurs19th May 2011

This 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park reached the quota of 800 runners last Tuesday evening and no entries will be taken on the night.

For those of you who have pre-entered...

Getting there.....For anyone coming from outside Cork then the easiest way to get there is from the M25 Cork to Midleton road and take the road for Cobh. Just before Belvelley Bridge, the entrance to the Fota Wildlife Park is on your right.

Follow the stewards directions for parking.

Numbers.......There will be 4 desks on the night where people can get their race number. Note that with 800 people, it will still be very busy and there will be 4 queues....1-250, 251-500, 501-750 and 751-1000. Make sure you join the correct one!

There is a list of race numbers HERE

Not everyone is listed so if you are not there, don't worry. There will be lists of numbers posted outside the entrance hall so you can get your number then.

It would help if you could arrive as early as possible, say before 7pm so that there isn't a huge bottleneck later around 7:30pm.

Race......please note that headphones are not allowed.

There is a new route this year so people won't be running on the main road outside, everything will be within the park.

The roads as seen above are the typical width. The start is likely to be very crowded so if you are not going for a fast time, stay near the back and just enjoy the occasion. There are a few small hills but really nothing serious. It could be considered to be a reasonably fast course.

Changes to the Blog...

The Running in Cork blog started off way back in late 2006 and in that time, the overall format and appearance has hardly changed. I have kept the same original template even though other options became available.

A few years back, the blog might have appreared like this on the older computer screens...a bit of a grey border on both sides but not too much.

Which is fine except some of the newer screens are now wider and the blog appears like this...

As you can see, there is a lot of wasted space on both sides of the screen. The text looks squashed, I am limited in the width of pictures I can use and some video clips are too wide to fit properly.

So I will be changing the template for the blog and it will then appear wider. However, once I change, I don't have the option of going back to the original if people don't like it.

I will probably change it over the weekend and we'll see how it goes.

Heffernan and Loughnane Target Top Three at European Cup of Race Walking

Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) and Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC) will be targeting top three positions at the European Cup of Race Walking in the Algrave town of Olhao in Portugal on Saturday 21st May. Both will face stiff competition from some of the world’s best walkers including reigning Olympic champion, Valeriy Borchin of Russia.

Heffernan, who is currently training in Granada, Spain, will compete in the 20km walk while Olive
Loughnane will compete in the Senior Women’s 20km Walk.

The Women’s Junior team includes Kate Veale (West Waterford AC), Emma Prendiville (Farranfore Maine Valley AC) and Maeve Curley (Craughwell AC). This talented trio has already achieved the standard for the European Junior Championships, which will be held in Estonia in July....(Sourced from the AAI)

Entries for Fota Cheetah Race now closed...

Entries for the 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park next Thursday, the 19th of May have now closed. The limit of 800 entries was reached this afternoon.

There will be no entries or provision for entries on the evening of the race. The most likely scenario is that those who have pre-registered can turn up, look up a list of entries....see what their race number is....and then join the correct queue to collect it. More details in a later post.

Here is a statement from Eagle AC.......
"Entries for the Cheetah Run have closed. The 800 limit was reached early this afternoon and the entry process was closed automatically.  There will be no entries accepted on the night of the race – no exceptions. Many people will be disappointed, however safety and logistical considerations mean that Eagle AC cannot cater for more than 800 on this occasion......John Quigley, Eagle AC"

Results of the Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 mile race...

The full results are out now. Click HERE (PDF Format)

Category Results and Photos can be seen in an earlier post

Jedward finish 8th in Eurovision Final...

Now, I bet that wasn't a headline you were expecting on the Running in Cork blog!

But appearently, both John and Edward Grimes are pretty good Cross-Country runners.

Jedward in Action

According to Eddie McDonagh, head coach for Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club, the two were... "very good athletes. They finished 1st and 2nd at the Dublin regional indoor finals earlier this year (2009) and then went on to the national finals in Thurles and finished 3rd and 4th over 1,500m. .......I certainly would have seen them on the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships next year, although I think they may be on a different path now."

Cork Marathon / Fota Cheetah Entries...

Cork City Marathon.......Well, this is it...the last day for entries to the Cork City Marathon and Relay. Just in case there are a few undecided out there then the link for entries is HERE

Fota Cheetah 4 mile run......(Updated Tues 8:30am)...As of 8am on Tuesday the 17th, there were approx 770 pre-entered........so that means that there are only 30 or so places remaining. Remember for safety reasons, the limit is 800 for this unique 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park.

To try and reach the limit, the entry closing date has now been extended until 5pm on Tuesday, the 17th of May.

Note from the organisers...."On-line entry has been extended until 5pm Tuesday next (unless the 800 limit has been reached) After on-line entry has closed, postal entries will be accepted up to Thursday morning (again subject to the 800 limit)."
Entry details in an earlier post HERE

Olympic Marathon Champion dies in Kenya

Samuel Wanjiru, the existing Olympic Marathon champion has died in a fall from a balcony in his home town of Nyahururu in Kenya.

In 2008, he set a new record in the Beijing Olympics by winning the Marathon in a time of 2:06:32, taking almost 3 minutes off the old record set by Carlos Lopes in Los Angeles in 1984.

The full story is on the BBC News Website

Another follow up post HERE

Results of the Bandon Half-Marathon & 10k - Sat 14th May 2011

This was the 1st year of this event and no doubt a lot of people were using it as a warm up for the upcoming Cork City Marathon. The Half-Marathon attracted around 345 runners while the 10k got around 312.

I heard that the courses might have been a 'little' hilly...all good training of course ;o)

If you ran it, why not click on the Comment link below and let people know what you thought of it.

The Half-Marathon was won by Colin Merritt in a time 71:35. In 2nd place was Kevin O'Connor in 72:20 and in 3rd was Cathal O'Connell of St.Finbarr's AC who had won the Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 mile race the previous Wednesday.

In the ladies race, local Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC won in a time of 84:14. Ann Marie Holland of Eagle AC finished in 2nd place in a time of 88:55. In 3rd place, Maura Regan of Eagle AC finished in a time of 92:52 who like Cathal above had also finished 1st in the Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 mile last Wednesday.

The results of the Bandon Half-Marathon can be seen HERE

The 10k race was won by Chris Harrington in 34:07 while the womens event was won by Nollaig Hunter of Leevale AC in 40:15.

The results of the 10k can be seen HERE

Results of the Rising Sun AC Straight Mile...Sun 15th May 2011

The 1 mile road race near Ballinhassig in Cork attracted a field of 54 runners. Weather conditions were good with the runners having to battle a stiff westerly breeze.

Ed Murphy won a very close race from John Shine and James Grufferty. The winning time was 4:30 which is just 1 second outside the course record.

The Ladies race was won by Martina Kiely from Elaine Guinnane and Rebecca McEvoy.

"There was a problem with some of the times on the night. If any runner can help fill in the gaps we would be very grateful. Finally thank you to all who gave very generously on the night.
All entries and donations will go to the Enable Ireland.....Thanks...John O'Riordan...Rising Sun AC"
(Or just leave a comment with your time and I'll include it below)

Photos...There is a really nice slideshow of all the finishers from Pat Breen. It really captures the evening.....sunny....out in the countryside....quiet road and dead straight. Click HERE

Pos Name Club Time 
1 Ed Murphy Gneeveguilla 04:30 
2 John Shine Leevale 04:31 
3 James Grufferty Leevale 04:40 
4 James O'Driscoll Skibereen 04:41 
5 Conor Tierney East Cork  04:47
6 Simon Mangan Gneeveguilla 
7 Kevin Wilmot Bandon 
8 John Collins Skibereen 
9 Jeremy Walsh Togher 
10 Eamonn McEvoy St. Finbarrs 05:11 
11 Martina Kiely St. Finbarrs 05:15 1st Lady
12 Aidan Hogan Rising Sun 05:16 
13 John Dunphy  05:31 
14 Aidan Kelleher Riverstick 
15 Colin Condon St. Finbarrs  05:43
16 Denis Carroll Eagle 
17 Paul Scannell Eagle  05:52
18 Michael Brennan  05:55
19 Pat Murphy Ballincollig 06:02 
20 Ned Ramsell Midleton 06:10 
21 Elaine Guinnane Eagle 06:11 2nd Lady
22 Rebecca McEvoy St. Finbarrs 06:22 3rd Lady
23 Orla Crosbie  06:28 
24 Tony Cooney Ballincollig 06:29 
25 John Paul Deasy  06:30 
26 Donal O'Donoughue  06:31 
27 Sean Og Nash Belgooly 06:32 
28 Elaine O'Donoughue  06:33 
29 Emma O'Connor  06:34 
30 Padraig Nash  06:45 
31 Mary Histon deBarra Rising Sun 06:53 
32 Francis O'Connor  06:57 
33 Margaret Twohig Midleton 06:59 
34 Aaron Mackey Belgooly 07:10 
35 Eoghan Nash Belgooly 07:11 
36 Niall Mackey Belgooly 07:12 
37 Riain Brennan  07:18 
38 Austin Murphy St. Finbarrs 07:27 
39 Conor Nash Belgooly 08:02 
40 Collette O'Donoughue  08:07 
41 Darragh Brennan  08:11 
42 Sophie Crosbie  08:54 
43 Michael Crosbie  09:09 
44 Fionn Nash Belgooly 10:19 
45 Eoghan Mackey Belgooly 10:24 
46 Helen O'Donoughue  10:28 
47 Sean Histon  10:33 
48 Joan McCarthy Midleton 10:36 
49 Danny McCarthy Midleton 10:37 
50 Cian Histon  10:54 
51 Joe Hogan Rising Sun 13:40 
52 Ca Guinnan  16:03 
53 M Guinnan  16:06 
54 Jerry Scannel Eagle 19:57 

Potential Irish womens team for the 2012 Olympics...

The Irish Womens 4 x 100m Relay Team are currently training hard in an attempt to become the first Irish team ever to qualify for the Olympic games. The team consists of Derval O'Rourke, Ailis McSweeney, Amy Foster, Claire Brady, Niamh Whelan and Joan Healy.

With the team now getting proper funding and with coaching from Terri Cahill, they are hoping to run 44.5 or faster for this event.

A short video is now up on the RTE website

The talent and brief career of Daniel Komen...

Many of you may be wondering who Daniel Komen is? Growing up in poverty in rural Kenya, he ran everywhere as a child and when he burst upon the athletics world in the late 90's, his training and natural ability saw him produce some remarkable times.

As well as setting several records, he is probably best remembered today for 2 events...

He is the only person ever to have run 2 miles in under 8 minutes. He ran the 1st mile in 3:59.4, exactly the same time that Roger Bannister ran when he broke the first sub 4 minute mile back in 1954. He then however continued and ran the 2nd mile in under 4 minutes as well to set a new record of 7:58.61 for 2 miles.

He also ran a time of 7:20.67 for the 3000 metres in Italy in 1996, beating the previous record by a huge 4.5 seconds. What makes this even more remarkable is that he had run a 5 km race in 13:02 in Berlin just 2 days earlier. That 3000m time still stands to this day.



After the initial flush of success and the wealth that came with it, he eased off on the amount of training believing that natural talent would suffice. Soon however, his times dropped and he faded away from the international athletics scene.

One interesting sidenote is that back in the late 90's, Daniel Komen raced against another noted runner....a certain Haile Gebrselassie. In contrast to Komen, Gebrselassie continued with the arduous training regime year after year to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.

A more comprehensive article on Daniel Komen can be found on this website.

Closing dates for the Cork Marathon / Fota Cheetah Run

You might have noticed from a previous post that the company that hosts this site...Blogger, had some technical issues during a recent maintenance. 2 posts got lost so I have re-posted these rather than wait for Blogger to fix the problem. Time to drive on!

Cork Marathon.....The closing date for the Cork City Marathon and Relay is next Monday, the 16th of May. If you are doing it, get your entries in. Details HERE

Cheetah Run in Fota........the number of pre-entries has now exceeded the 500 mark and there are less than 300 places left. The limit is 800. Entries will close on Tuesday at 5pm. Details in an earlier post.

Category Results of the Cork BHAA Pfizers 6 mile road race - Wed 11th May 2011

The un-official numbers for this race are roughly 340 which are down a bit on last year. Conditions were almost perfect.....a bit of a breeze but otherwise fine.

Gerry Forde gets the proceedings under way

The winner of the mens race was Cathal O'Connell who won it back in 2009 as well. Cathal finished in a time of 32:44, about 30 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

In the ladies race, the winner was Maura Regan who won her first ever race in a time of 38:46. Maura has previously finished 2nd in the Clonakilty Half-Marathon and 5th in the recent Connemara 39.3 mile Ultra-Marathon.

PFIZER 6-MILE ROAD RACE (CORK BHAA)
Cathal O’Connell (UCC, M45) 32:44; 2 Donal Coffey (Pilz) 33:12; 3 S Mangan (temp-reg) 34:33; 4
Kieran O’Sullivan (Cork Garda, M40) 34:44; 5 Tom Laffan (HSE, M40) 34:49; 6 T Mahony (Cork City Co) 35:17; 7 Marc Dalton (Midleton UDC) 35:30; 8 W McNamara (temp-reg) 35:48; 9 D Murphy (DMP) 35:54; 10 Derek O’Keeffe (Digisoft) 36:04.
M40: 3 Colin O’Herlihy (Logitech) 37:12.
M45: 2 Stan Byczek (Midleton News) 38:18.
M50: 1 John Collins (Team adidas) 36:31.
Team: (Grade A) 1 Midleton News 70; 2 UCC 84; 3 Moog 580. (Grade B) 1 Midleton UDC 87; 2 EMC 108; 3 Bord Gais 109. (Grade C) 1 Naval Service 224; 2 Bord Gais 251; 3 UCC 265.

Women: 1 Maura Regan (HSE) 38:46; 2 Karen Prendergast (HSE) 38:48; 3 Deirdre Nagle (temp-reg) 39:08; 4 Mary Sweeney (temp-reg) 40:10; 5 A O’Riordan (temp-reg) 40:43; 6 L Keane (temp-reg) 40:56.
Team: (Grade A) 1 HSE 3; 2 HSE 24. (Grade B) 1 Cork Garda 70; 2 Avondhu Motors 86.

The full results can now be seen HERE (PDF Format)

Photos...Doug Minihane has a slideshow of photos HERE

Cork runner wins the 2011 Sheffield Half-Marathon...

Fergus Meade, a former member of East Cork AC won the Sheffield Half-Marathon in the UK last Sunday in a time of 71:32. Fergus, who is originally from Carrigtwohill finished about a minute ahead of his nearest rival in what were windy conditions. Some 4,500 runners took part in this event.

There is a report HERE in a local newspaper.

Maintenance issues...

Looks as if Blogger, the company that hosts this blog had some major issues on Friday when a planned maintenance went wrong. All blogs reverted back to the way they looked on Wednesday so the last 2 posts have gone missing. Waiting to see if this clears.
http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html

Notice to Blog owners.......I noticed that there is some traffic back to this blog now from the Blogger website. Just a tip for Blog owners.......If you want to recover your lost posts....(assuming that Blogger doesn't restore them).......then they should be stored in Google Reader. If you don't use it then set it up for future outages. Many people including some of your visitors may be using it. Just put up a post on your blog requesting that one of your readers using Google Reader to copy the original text and send it back to you.