Introduction to running in Cork & Ireland...

This post is for any beginners who have found this website for the first time. This basically shows what kind of running events take place in Cork and in Ireland in general. Note the triangle to the left.......(roughly but not exactly to scale)

A - Track Events.......This would include anything from say 100 metres up to say 5,000 metres. The numbers taking part are generally very small....say 10-20 per race. Usually club athletes only at a high standard. Not suitable for beginners.

B - Inter Club.....Cross Country / Road Championships.......These would be competitions between members of athletic clubs only. The numbers in each race would be reasonably low.....say 30-70.

C - Club Races / BHAA Races......These are by far the most common type of race. Distances can vary from say 5 kms up to say 15 miles (~24 kms). For most races, anyone can enter and you can enter on the day. Some are members of athletic clubs but many are not. Numbers taking part can be anything from say 70 up to 400. A typical entry fee might be say €5 to €20 depending on the type of event it is. Information on these type of races can be found on websites like this one here but in general, they are not really advertised on mainstream media like newspapers, radio, etc.

D - Mass Participation Events....Examples might be the Cork City Marathon, the Dublin City Marathon, Womens mini-marathon, etc. Thousands take part and with advertising in the mainstream media, a lot of the  general public would be aware of the event.

If you are a new runner and you have just completed your first race...say the Cork City Marathon.....then there are plenty of other local races to choose from. One common concern is that beginners think they will be too slow or that they don't want to finish last. All different types of runners take part in the local road races shown as 'C' above....from the very fast to those going at a slow jogging pace. For most races, you just turn up, pay the entry fee and run in the race. You do not need to be a member of a club or anything like that...they are open to anyone. Afterwards, there is ususally water, tea, sandwiches, etc before the prize giving.

If you are interested then why not come along on the day and try one. You will find regular updates on what is happening locally on this website.

(No comments on this post please as I am going to use it as a permanent introduction for beginners coming here for the first time)