Irish Times article on Irelands Olympic hopefuls...

There was a piece in the Irish Times on Sat 30th July about some of the Irish Olympic medal hopes as they prepare for the 2012 games in London. They include the top Irish racewalker Rob Heffernan from Cork.

It starts with this little gem...

SEB COE TELLS a story about Christmas day, 1979. He’d already gone for a 12-mile morning run but once his dinner was over, he got fidgety. The Moscow Olympics would begin in seven months’ time and the fear that his great rival Steve Ovett was probably out doing a second run gnawed away at him. So he went out and put in another five miles in the afternoon.

It’s a semi-famous story among running folk. What’s maybe not as well known is the follow-up that was winkled out of Coe by the Irish sportswriter David Walsh in an interview in 2008. Twenty years after that Christmas day, Coe and Ovett had put away childish things and were friends now. Over a beer, Coe told Ovett of that day and of the paranoia he felt that made him go for a second run. “Can you believe that?” he asked. Ovett looked back at him and said, “Did you only run twice that day?”

The full article can be seen HERE

Results of the recent poll on the Cork City Sports

Back at the start of July, the 2011 Cork City Sports at the CIT track attracted what could be considered at best, a very modest crowd. Just after the event, I put up a post asking peoples opinions as to why they didn't go. I also put up a poll asking two questions and I left it open for one week.

The first question was simple.......Did you go to the Cork City Sports?

The answer was 70% No and 30% Yes.

Some points...
1) Thanks to the 102 people who took part in this poll. That number is probably large enough to get an accurate answer.
2) As you might expect, the vast majority of visitors to this blog are probably runners and are probably based in the Cork region. It raises a serious issue for the organsiers of the Cork City Sports...if they are failing to attract local runners to the event then what hope have they of getting the general public to attend? Remember that in it's heyday back in the early 80's, in excess of 10,000 people would fill the Mardyke grounds to watch.

The second question was Why didn't you go to the Cork City Sports? and 61 people answered this.

A...39% said that no-one of interest was taking part.
B...25% said they had no interest overall. Taken together, that's 64% of those that didn't go found there was nothing there to attract them.

C...20% of those that didn't go said that they didn't know it was on. If that is taken as a pecentage of the whole then it might suggest that 14% of all runners didn't know that the Cork City Sports was on. If this is supposed to be one of the main sporting events in Cork and some runners don't know about it, then a very high percentage of the general public must be unaware of it.

D...16% thought it was too expensive. It was €15 to get into the stand and €10 to get into the grounds.

So after all that, what conclusions can we draw?

It's obvious that money and sponsorship is a big issue. It is supposed to cost €120k to organise the Cork City Sports. Without the money, they can't attract the big names which in turn won't attract the crowds which in turn won't bring in the money. It's a bit of a catch 22 situation.

Possibly the list of events could be improved? Personally, I'd have no interest in watching a 1500 or 3,000 metre race but I think it would be great to watch someone attempt a sub 4 minute mile. Despite the fact that everything has gone metric, runners still think in minutes per mile and there is a certain mystique and history to the mile distance.

I'm not sure how the organisers advertised the event but obviously they are not getting their message out there. I only really noticed it when I came across a poster on a website about 1 week before the event. Again, if the message isn't getting to all of the running community then what hope have they of attracting the wider public?

A lot of interesting comments and suggestions were left under the earlier post if you want to have a look. You can leave a comment there or under this post if you want to. Click on the link below.

Results of the Kinsale 5 mile road race - Fri 29th July 2011

A total of 174 turned out for this road race in Kinsale on what was a lovely summer evening. That is 14% down on last years figure.

The winner of the mens race was Alan O'Shea of Bantry AC in a time of 24:40, just 24 hours after winning the Churchtown South 5 mile race in 25:08.

The first woman home was Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC in a time of 29:13.

From the organisers......"Some prizes have been unclaimed, so just give us a ring and we will facilitate you in the best possible way, 086-8411193. Over €850 was raised for the Kinsale Branch of the Irish Disabled Sailing Association."

The full results can be seen HERE

Positions in the Ballycotton Summer Series after 3 races...

Now that the third race of the Ballycotton Summer Series is over, the overall standings have been calculated by John Robinson of Mallow AC.

They are split into the 2 groups....one for men, one for women.

After the 4th and final race in Ballycotton village itself at the end of August, the top 50 men and top 20 women will receive their top finishers t-shirt.

The list can be seen HERE

Races this weekend...Fri 29th July-Mon 1st Aug

Fri 29th July......there is a 5 mile race in Kinsale. Starts 7:30pm. €10 entry.

Sun 31st July.....there is a 10 mile race up in Ballynonty. Co.Tipp. More details at http://munsterrunning.blogspot.com/2011/07/tipperaryrace-notice-for-ballynonty-10.html

Mon 1st Aug..........there is a 4 mile run at 1:30pm in Bantry in aid of the local hospice. Entry €20.

Upcoming Race Notice...Cloyne 5k - Wed 10th Aug 2011

Another notice for a race coming up in east Cork. The Cloyne 5k takes place on Wednesday, the 10th of August at 8pm. Last year, this race was held in early September on a wet evening and attracted 280 runners. It is likely to attract another big turnout this year again.

As courses go, it is pretty flat and fast. There are no real hills as such, just a few short sections where the road rises by a few metres at most. Outside of the Marina course, it doesn't get much flatter. If you want to try for a fast 5k time, this is the one to do.

If you are coming from the Cork city, then Cloyne is just a 22-25 minute drive from the Jack Lynch tunnel.


Race flyer below...

Results of the Churchtown South 5 mile road race - Thurs 29th July 2011

A total of 485 runners turned out for the 3rd race in the Ballycotton Summer Series. Remarkably enough, that exactly equals the record number that turned out last year. As you can see from the graph above, the number only 4 short years ago was down at 269, a number considered pretty normal now for most of the smaller races in the Cork region. You'd have to wonder if we are the peak now? Will it flatten out or decrease over the next few years?

The winner of the mens race in Churchtown South was Alan O'Shea of Bantry AC in a time of 25:08 (5:01 per mile), almost a full minute clear of his nearest rival. Cillian O'Leary of Raheeny Shamrock ran 26:02 to finish 2nd while Roy Fahy od East Cork AC ran 26:17 to finish 3rd.

In the womens race, Eagle AC made a clean sweep of it by winning the top 3 positions. Rhona Lynch won the race in 30:19 and now leads the Ballycotton Summer Series overall. Ann-Marie Holland ran 30:44 to finish 2nd while Maura Regan ran 31:42 to finish 3rd.

In the prize giving after the race, a special plaque was awarded to John O'Leary of Leevale AC. John  has won his age-category a total of 100 times (from M40 up to M70) in the Ballycotton Summer Road Race Series. Of the 131 Summer 5-Mile Races that have taken place, John has ran in 129 and has finished first in his category on 100 occasions. Now aged 72, he ran his first race at Shanagarry in 1978 and hasn't missed a Summer 5-miler since! Pictured above is Seamus Hartnett presenting John with a plaque in honour of his achievement.


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

Preview of the Churchtown South 5 mile road race - Thurs 28th July 2011

This is the 3rd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series and is sure to attract a very large crowd.

Directions...If you are new to the local race scene, try the following route. From Cork, take the usual route to Ballycotton (R629...shown above in Orange). When you get to the crossroads in the centre of Cloyne...

.......the main road takes a 90 degree left. You need to take the turn off which is straight ahead past the old round tower. Just stay on this road (...shown above in red dots). At one stage, you will come to what appears like a fork but you will see that the main road is to the left. Keep on the main route and  you will end up in Churchtown South. Once you get there, follow the stewards instructions regarding parking.......(The parking this year will be in a large field just before the community hall)

Entries...The event centre for this race is the small community hall which is located next to the road junction as shown above.

All those who ran the first two races in the Summer Series (Ballyandreen and Shanagarry) are automatically entered for the Churchtown South ‘5’. If you look at the overall results after the first two races HERE, you should see what your race number will be.

On the night, a list of the names and numbers will also be displayed outside and inside the hall. Also, it saves a lot of time if you have the correct entry fee (which is again just €5) at the ready.

Runners who have not run both races (non-Series) can enter in the normal way at a separate table (fee again €5).

The race starts at 8pm and people are requested to arrive early in view of the large numbers expected.   

Course...It is essentially 2 laps of a 2.5 mile course. When you run the course, you would think that it should be a fast course as there seems to be very few hills. However, while there are no obvious steep hills like Ballyandreen or Shanagarry, there are some long drags in it which have the same net effect. For my money, it is as tough a course as either of the first two in the series.

As always, try to get there early (~7pm) to allow plenty of time for entering, warming up and getting to the start line.

Upcoming Race...Charleville Half-Marathon & Relay - Sun 18th Sept 2011

This is a notice for another race coming up in September...the Charleville Half-Marathon in north Cork on Sunday, the 18th of September 2011 (10am start).

This is a brand new race on the calendar which is organised by North Cork AC. Located roughly halfway between Cork and Limerick, it will most likely attract plenty of runners from both cities. Charleville is approx 40 kms or a 35-40 minute drive from Limerick city and approx 60 kms and a 50-55 minute drive from Cork city.

Besides the central location, one of the main attractions of this race is the fact that it is a reasonably flat and fast course. Ideal for anyone wanting to try for a personal best time or wants to get a good indication of their fitness level heading into the Dublin City Marathon at the end of October.

I have seen other races promoting themselves as being 'fast' only for runners to turn up and find plenty of hills and drags. The clue to how flat this course is can be seen in the course map above. You can see the grey and white line which shows the route of the Cork to Dublin railway line. Laid in the mid 19th century, these routes were chosen to allow steam powered trains to run on...i.e. no steep hills. Looking at the Ordnance Survey map of the area, the few contour lines that are present are well spaced out so it would certainly seem to fit the bill as a fast course.

Relay....Another feature of this Half-Marathon is that it also incorporates a relay event, similar to the one for the Cork City Marathon. There are 4 legs which are approx 5 km each and relay teams can be made up of 2,3 or 4 runners. The course is laid out so that the 1st and 3rd relay points are in the same place at the start of a ~10 km loop. The 2nd relay point at the 10 km mark beside the church in Kilmallock. People can choose to break up the relay whatever way they want and even do the first and last 5km leg if they so wish while their team mate(s) do the other two ~5.25km legs.

There are also Technical T-shirts for first 300 entries so enter early! The organisers are also making a donation towards St. Josephs Foundation, Charleville. They are hosting the race at their facility and they have built a 200m running track which local athletic clubs use and is to be resurfaced soon. It will also be the warm-up area for the Half marathon and changing rooms will be in GAA Hall next door.

They will be using Chip timing from Champion chip with a 10km split.

Entries.........The entry fees are as follows...
€25 Individual Entry Fee until Sept 4th
€30 Late Individual Entry Fee from Sept. 5th - 18th
€40 Relay Team Entry Fee until Sept 4th
€50 Late Relay Team Entry Fee from Sept. 5th - 18th

The website for the race with contact details can be found HERE

You can enter online for the Half-Marathon HERE and the Relay event HERE

Entry Forms....
Individual entry forms for the Half-Marathon in PDF format can be found HERE

Entry forms for the Team Relay event can be found HERE

More info from the organisers...
Genuinely Flat Course all the way with just one bridge. Designed to yield fast times and personal bests in response to lack of fast courses in Ireland.
AAI Permit approved and accurately measured course.
Final race of 9 races in the Ballyhoura ACTIVE Summer Series of Road Races in North Cork/ East Limerick Region.
Race Information at: www.BallyhouraActive.com
Organised by: North Cork AC in conjunction with St. Josephs Foundation
Special Elite Athlete places available with accomodation and meals
Top six cash prizes for Senior Men and Women
First prize in all categories including special Under 23 category
For any queries - Contact Michael Herlihy (086) 3168954
Email: CharlevilleHalf@gmail.com
Race accommodation deals from www.CharlevilleParkHotel.com

Race notice for the GR8KM in Mitchelstown - Fri 5th August

This is a notice for a race coming up on Friday, the 5th of August. The GR8KM as the name suggests is an 8 km road race on the roads around Mitchelstown. As the 5th race in the Ballyhoura Active series, it is likely to attract runners from N Cork, Limerick and Tipperary.

With the M8 motorway, Mitchelstown is now only 50 kms or a 35-40 minute drive from Cork City so it's an option for city based runners as well.

The race is organised by Galtee Runners which is a relatively new club and who have really helped to promote running in this general area. The race last year got some great reports so it is one well worth supporting this year again.

Results of the Ballinrostig 4 mile race - Sat 24th July 2011

A total of 78 runners turned out for this 4 mile road race in East Cork. The full results can now be found HERE

Results of the Donoughmore 7 mile race - Fri 23rd July 2011

The full results can be seen HERE

Upcoming races...Fri 22nd & Sat 23rd July 2011

There is a selection of races this weekend...

Friday 22nd.....There is a 7 mile road race in Donoughmore. Entry fee €10. Route description from the organisers....."The route starts on a hill and the first two miles are up and down on a country road. Just at the two mile mark the route starts its drop and you will descend about 300ft over the next 3 miles. 500m after the 2 mile mark, you join the main road turning left and continuing on this road back to Crean';s Cross at the 5 mile mark. In the final 2 miles, you will climb 200ft. Initially after you turn at Crean's Cross, there is quite a steep pull but this levels out and between 5.5 and 6.25 miles the incline is quite gradual. The last 0.75 miles are challenging as you approach Donoughnore Cross and turn left for Stuake with 0.5 miles to go. The final 800 meters are tough with the hill at the bend by the School the hardest. Once you round this bend, the road levels off somewhat for the final 150 meters."

Saturday 23rd July...2:30pm......CIT Track, Bishopstown.......€5........Graded Track & Field League...Round 5......100m, 200m, 800m, 5000m, 4x100 relay & other field events

Saturday 23rd....There is a 4 mile road race in Ballinrostig in East Cork at 7:30pm. This is the 2nd year of this race. I had to look up a map to find this one! Ballinrostig is located a few kms to the east of Whitegate. Directions from the organiers......."Ballinrostig is situated quite close to Whitegate and Upper Aghada. From Midleton, take main road to Whitegate and follow the signs for ‘Ballinrostig Annual Field Day’." The race aims to raise funds for Midleton Hospital, Marymount Hospice & Local Charities

Saturday 23rd.......For anyone in Kerry or prepared to travel, there is a 5k race for the Summerfest in Killarney at 7pm. Entry €12. Entries taken at the Old Monastry on the western side of the town.

Looking ahead to the autumn...Dingle Half & Full Marathon Sept 2011

This post is a reminder of an event that is coming up in September which might involve a bit of planning ahead.

The Dingle Half-Marathon and Full Marathon is on Saturday the 3rd of September. The closing date for entries is Wednesday, the 24th of August. That gives you over a month to enter, get accommodation organised, etc.

As a race, it is different from a lot of other events in that many people will use it as part of their weekend away. They will spend a few days in Dingle and the race will be part of that break rather than just travelling down just for the race alone.

In comparison to other races, it is probably one of the most scenic in the country. The main feature is the fact that the roads are closed. I ran this back in 2009 and the route is nothing short of spectacular. Starting in Dingle town, the route goes through Ventry and then out the coastal road to Slea Head with views to the south across Dingle Bay and the Skelligs in the distance. At the end of the peninsula, you are looking across at the Blasket Islands with the open ocean beyond which stretches all the ways to North America. Someone said you can see Boston on a clear day but I have my doubts ;o)

If you are interested, you can find more info on the Running in Munster site or directly on the Dingle Marathon website.

Results of the Carrigtwohill 5k road race - Wed 20th July 2011

There was a huge turnout for this 5 km road race in Carrigtwohill in east Cork with 553 runners and over 100 walkers taking part. This was only the 2nd year of this event and the number of runners was up 59% on last year's figure of 348.

The mens race was won by Chris Harrington of Leevale AC in a time of 15:53. In 2nd place with a 7 second gap, George Waugh from Bandon finished in 16:00 while Chris Mintern of Leevale AC was just another 8 seconds behind in 3rd place in a time of 16:08.

In the womens race, it was another 1st and 3rd for Leevale athletes. Michelle Finn of Leevale AC won in a time of 18:07. Rhona Lynch of Eagle AC finished 2nd in a time of 18:25 while Niamh Walsh of Leevale AC finished 3rd in 18:41.

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

Preview of the Carrigtwohill 5k road race - Wed 20th July 2011

The main event this week is the 5k road race in Carrigtwohill in East Cork. Located just off the N25 Cork to Midleton/Waterford road, it couldn't be easier to find or get to. If you are coming from Cork City, it is less than 10 minutes from the Jack Lynch tunnel.

Registration for the race is at Barryscourt Castle which is well signposted from the N25 road. Just take the slip roads if you are coming from the east or west and the castle is just 300 metres to the south of the main road. There is no need to go into Carrigtwohill itself.

Parking.......there will be a field adjacent to the castle that will be used for parking.

Entries......The entry fee is €7. All proceeds from the race go to 3 local charities.............Carrigtwohill Community Care, Meals on Wheels and CASA (Caring and Sharing Association). Please note that entries will be taken from 6pm so try and get there early.

Prizes........€100 for the 1st man and woman with the usual category prizes as well. Spot prizes and refreshments after the race in the grounds of the castle.

A flyer for the race can be seen in an earlier post.

The race is sponsored by Carrigtwohill Pharmacy and Tri-n-Run in Midleton.

Course...The race starts and finishes just outside the castle.

Essentially, you run south on a very quiet road......do the triangular loop twice......and then back to the finish.

If you look at the map, the green arrows show the initial loop. At approx 0.4 miles, there is a small climb before you join the  triangular section. From here, it's pretty flat until there is another small pull by the 1 mile mark. Then north..up to the next junction (top of the triangle)...left and repeat the loop again.

The 2nd loop is shown in orange. There will be some downhill running once you restart the loop with the slight pull coming this time at 2.2 miles.

Once you complete the loop this time, you take a right...see red arrows. From here, there is a slight downhill to the finish line by the castle.

Overall....a reasonably fast course. The hills are pretty small with the worst one coming early at 0.4 miles while the other one at 1/2.2 miles is a pretty minor affair.

The magnificent 16th century Barrycourt Castle just to the south of Carrigtwohill

Just after the start......narrow quiet road. Bends around to the right at the end and the start of the small uphill section which is about 300 metres long. Luckily, it comes early in the race and you only have to do it once.

The south-western corner of the triangular loop. You run past this spot twice...at approx 0.7 and 1.9 miles.

The hill at 1 mile and 2.2 miles. Pretty short with some downhill running after it.

The north-east corner of the triangle. Nice fast section. First time round, you turn left and start the loop again (Orange arrows). Second time around, you continue straight on towards the finish (red arrows).

Last corner before the finish...mostly downhill and fast....

Recent results...BHAA IPS/Garda 5k and MaxiMarathon...

Time to catch up on some recent results.......

The full results for the Cork BHAA 5k which took place in Cork City on Wednesday the 13th of July are out now. Click HERE

The MaxiMarathon 15 mile race took place in Killarney last Saturday, the 16th of July. Looking at the results, there are plenty of names there from Cork and elsewhere in Munster. Links to results and photos on the Running in Munster website.

Results of the Banteer 5k road race - Sun 17th July 2011

There was a small turnout of just 50 runners for this 5k road race in north-west Cork. Desite the low numbers, it was still a relatively fast field with approx quarter of the field running at sub 6 min/mile pace.

The mens race was won by George Waugh from Bandon in a time of 16:07, some 25 seconds clear of his nearest rival.

The womens race was won by Martina Kiely of St.Finbarrs AC in a time of 18:17 with a margin of 2 minutes in hand.

The full results can be seen HERE

Race Notice...Banteer 5k - Sun 17th July 2011

Banteer 5km Road Race.....Sunday July 17th at 3.30pm........Organised by Duhallow AC in conjunction with Banteer Show Day....Entries in gym from 2.30pm..........Entry Fee...........5 euro.....Contact   Donie Shine .....086-8149970......Usual Prizes  & Category Prizes....Two Mixed Team Prizes

Category Results of the Cork BHAA IPS/Garda 5k

Men
1) Alan O'Shea, HSE 15:00, 2) Ed Murphy 15:43, 3) George Waugh, FAS 15:49, 4) Tony Kelleher, CSO 16:05
M40 1) Don Keohane, IPS, 2) Mark McMahon, Solvit Food Solutions, 3) Johnny O'Riordan, Solvit Food Solutions
M45 1) Cathal O'Connell, UCC, 2) Edmond O'Sullivan, Midleton UDC, 3) Mark Bulman, Army
M50 1) John Collins, CIT, 2) Michael Murphy, Novartis, 3) JJ Murphy, Phoenix Clinic
M55 1) Willie Hayes, An Post Eircom, 2) Neilus Ahern, 3) Tom Cody, Midleton UDC
M60 1) Pat Twomey, UCC, 2) Phil McGrath, McGrath Landscapes,
M65 1) Paddy Daly, Army,
M70 1) John O'Leary, Bookdeal

Mens Teams
Grade A...1) 30 UCC, 2) 102 Edge Sports, 3) 130 UCC
Grade B...1) 107 IPS, 2) 110 EMC, 3) 126 Midleton UDC
Grade C...1) 187 Midleton UDC, 2) 193 Southern Law, 3) 195 Army

Ladies
1st Michelle Finn 17:39 (non-reg)
1) Sinead Ni Chonchuir, Colour is Magic 17:43
2) Helen Leonard, Shournagh Childcare
3) Kathleen Kelly, Pfizers
F35...1) Gillian Murphy, BOI, 2) Eileen Collins, 3) Rhona Campell, Cork Garda
F40...1) Edel O'Connor, 2) Mary Histon De Barra, HSE, 3) Leonie Merrick, Dept Ed
F45...1) Eileen Buckley, Cork Shops, 2) Monica Twohig, Eolas, 3) Mary Mulcahy, BOI
F50...1) Joan Haugh, Dept Ed, 2) Josephine Barry, HSE,
F55...1) Kathleen O'Connell, Midleton News,
F60...1) Mary Linehan, Linehans

Ladies Teams
Grade A...1)  26 HSE, 2)  29 BOI,
Grade B...1)  53 HSE, 2)  67 BOI

Category results supplied by Donal O'Donoghue

Recent Cork BHAA results & notice...

Just to catch up on some of the recent results....

The results of the 5k race in Macroom are HERE

The results of the EMC 5k race are HERE

The next race is the IPS/Garda 5k at the Marina in Cork City this evening (Wed 13th July) at 8pm.

Early entries for the Dublin City Marathon...

The Dublin City Marathon is coming up on the 31st of October. This is the largest Marathon in the country which will most likely attract in excess of 10,000 runners from all over the country and overseas.

At the end of July, the entry fees increase so if you are thinking of entering then you should do so asap. The Dublin Marathon is 15 weeks from next Monday so there is plenty of time to train and get ready.

Results of the Kilworth Camp 5 mile road race - Sun 10th July 2011

A total of 113 runners turned out for this new race in Kilworth Camp between Fermoy and Mitchelstown in NE Cork. This was the 4th race of 8 in the Ballyhoura Active series.

The winner of the mens race was Eric Meade of East Cork AC in a time of 29:24. In 2nd place, Johnny O'Sullivan ran 29:29 while Don Lehane of Eagle AC took 3rd place in 29:36.

In the womens race, the winner was Sinead O'Connor of Leevale AC in a time of 32:15. Maura Regan of Eagle AC finished 2nd in 33:22 while Karen Kenny of Grange Fermoy AC finished 3rd in 34:46.

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos........a large gallery of photos can now be seen HERE

The 5th race in the Ballyhoura Active series is the GR8 KM in Mitchelstown on Friday, the 5th of August.

Results of the 3rd Graded Track & Field event at CIT - Wed 22nd July 2011

This was the 3rd event in the graded league series at CIT track.

The full results can be seen HERE

The 4th Meet at the same venue is on Tuesday, July 19th at 7pm.  The events for round 4 are 400m, 2000m steeplechase, High Jump, Hammer and Medley Relay (2x200,400,800) (electronic timing provided).

Preview of the Kilworth Camp 5 mile road race - Sun 10th July 2011

This is the 4th race of 8 on the Ballyhoura Active road race series and a brand new event on the Cork  calendar. Organised by Grange Fermoy AC, the race takes place inside the Army grounds on private roads. The race starts at 12 noon.

Getting there......Sign on for this race is at the Glocca Maura Inn which is situated at the top of the hill on the old main Cork - Dublin road. If you are coming out from the Cork city, then the easiest way is to leave the M8 motorway just after Fermoy and take the old road. If you see any signs for Corbett Court then follow those....the Glocca Maura Inn is about 2 kms up the road from there.

Entries......The entry fee is €10. There are prizes for the top 3 men and women and the top 3 in each of the usual age categories.
Course.......The race is inside the Army grounds about 1 km or so from the sign on point so you have a short jog to get to the start point. Just run down the road for 300 metres or so and take the small little road to the left and that will take you down to the start line.

Essentially, the course is roughly in the shape of a triangle and consists of 2 loops. See map up top. The roads are like narrow country roads and there will be little or no traffic.
You start at the north-west corner and you run south east...slightly uphill at first and then gradually downhill...a fast 1st mile.

Just after  the turn, you are at the lowest point of the course and you are approx 30 metres or 100 feet below the highest point which is roughly at 2.3 miles. That might sound a lot but that is spaced out over roughly 1.2 miles......so in essence for the whole race, you have 2 long downhill sections and 2 long uphill sections.

Corner near the 2 mile mark

Overall.......it should be a reasonable course with no steep hills. There are some really nice views from the top out to the west over the Blackwater valley with the Ballyhoura Mountains and the Galtee Mountains to the North.........but perhaps you should leave that for the warm down ;o)

Seems like a lovely spot for a race.

Prizes and refreshments later back in the Glocca Maura Inn.

Results of the Corkbeg 5 mile road race - Thurs 7th July 2011

This 5 mile road race near Whitegate in East Cork attracted a field of 114 runners, down somewhat on last years figure of 165. The winner of the mens race was Roy Fahy of East Cork AC in a time of 27:00 while the ladies race was won by Annmarie Holland of Eagle AC in a time of 31:52.

The full results can be seen HERE

Joyce Wolfe from Cork sets new Irish Triathlon record...

It's not too often I venture into the the world of Triathlons here on the blog but this is a truly remarkable performance. Last Sunday the 3rd of July, Joyce Wolfe from Cork set a new Irish record in the Ironman Austria 2011 Triathlon. This was a full distance triathlon consisting of a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride and a full 42.2 km Marathon to finish.
Joyce completed the course in a time of 9 hours 15 mins, taking a full 30 minutes off the previous Irish record. This breaks down as follows.......58 mins for the 3.8 km swim, 5 hours 3 mins for the 180 km bike ride and then 3 hours 7 minutes for the final full Marathon.

There is a brief article in the Irish Examiner HERE and Joyce has her own race report HERE

Race Notice....Corkbeg 5 mile road race - Thurs 7th July 2011

The Corkbeg 5 mile road race starts at 8pm this evening in Corkbeg near Whitegate. Entry €5. They will be using a new route this year to avoid the main road.

MaxiMarathon in Kerry...a few places remaining

I got a mail this morning to say that there are still a handful of places left for the 15 mile MaxiMarathon in Killarney on Saturday, the 16th of July.

If you are interested then get in contact with the organisers straight away.

Event website......http://www.maximarathonkillarney.com/

More info with pictures and videos HERE

Category results of the Cork BHAA EMC 5k...Wed 6th July 2011

Men
0) 16:00 Ed Murphy, non-reg / Gneeveguilla AC, 1) 16:02 George Waugh, FAS, 2) 16:11 Cian Murphy, 3) Colm O'Donovan, O'Donovan, 4) Kevin Wilmot, EMC
M40 1) Don Keohane, IPS, 2) Paul Duggan, 3) Mark McMahon, Solvit Food Solutions
M45 1) Edmund O'Sullivan, Midleton UDC, 2) Mick Dooley, IPS, 3) Tom O'Regan, Irish Rail
M50 1) John Healy, Army, 2) John O'Driscoll, Fas, 3) Nick Bent, Army
M55 1) Willie Hayes. An Post Eircom, 2) Tom Cody, Midleton UDC, 3) Joe Murphy, Cork County Council
M60 1) Pat Twomey, UCC, 2) Phil McGrath
M65 1) John Cotter, ESB
M701) John O'Leary, Bookdeal
Mens Teams
Grade A...1) 29 EMC, 2) 60 FAS, 3) 67 Edge Sports
Grade B...1) 52 Cork Garda, 2) 66 IPS, 3) 68 Cork City Council
Grade C...1) 93 EMC, 2) 143 UCC, 3) 165 EMC

Ladies
1) 18:23 Sinead Ni Chonchuir, Colour is Magic, 2) Carmel Crowley, 3) Karina Teahan, HSE, 4) Maura Regan, HSE
F35 1) Gillian Cotter, UCC, 2) Kathleen Kelly, Pfizers, 3) Denise Hickey, Janssen
F40 1) Edel O'Connor, 2) Orla Crosbie, HSE, 3) Mary Histon de Barra
F45 1) Eileen Buckley, Cork Shops, 2) Mary Buckley, Buckley, 3) Monica Twohig, Eolas
F50 1) Frances O'Connor, Dept Ed, 2) Rosaleen Kelly, BOI,
F55 1) Marion Lyons, Fit 4 Life,
F60 1) Mary Linehan, Linehans

Ladies Teams
Grade A...1)  12 HSE, 2)  14 Pfizers,
Grade B...1)  42 Cork Garda, 2)  47 HSE

BBC interview Ultra-Marathon runner Dean Karnazes

When you look around the Internet or on Amazon in particular, you'll come across books about running. In the overall scheme of things, there probably isn't that many really especially if you compare it to more popular sports.

One of those books is Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. Possibly a name that isn't known so well on this side of the water but considering that he has just run across the United States, he is better known over there. Indeed, every time I visit the MapMyRun website, there is a big banner advert across the top about that trip.

This time he is in London and Evan Davis of the BBC conducted a short interview with him.

You can see it HERE

Race Notice...Cork BHAA EMC 5k - Wed 6th July 2011

The Cork BHAA EMC 5k starts this evening at 8pm in Ovens. Entry €5 for registered runners and €8 for non-reg.

Carrigtwohill 5k road race...coming up on the 20th of July

Just a notice to say that this 5k road race is coming up on Wednesday, the 20th of July. Located just east of Cork city, the race is based in Barrycourt Castle which is just 300 metres or so south of the N25 Cork-Waterford road and the town of Carrigtwohill.

All proceeds from the race go to two local charities and this year, it is sponsored by Tri n Run...a running and triathlon specialist shop based in Midleton.

Ballyhoura Active Series......2011

This road race series is now well under way with the 3rd race taking place on Monday evening in Dromcollogher in Co.Limerick.

Results on the Running in Munster website.

The 4th race in the series is coming up at 12 noon next Sunday, the 12th of July. It is a new 5 mile race organised by Grange-Fermoy AC and will be held in the Army grounds at Kilworth Camp. Considering how easy it is to reach with the new motorway from Cork, it should get a big turnout.

More details in a race preview closer to the weekend.

In the meantime, here are some of the other races in series so you can make a note of them...

Sleeping longer 'helps athletes reach peak performance'...

According to a recent study done in Stanford University, sleeping longer can markedly improve physical performance. The university's male basketball team was asked to sleep for 10 hours a night for around six weeks and the results was that their shooting accuracy improved by 9%.

According to an article on the BBC News website.....The study found that "getting enough sleep and rest was as important as training and diet for elite athletes. The researchers asked the players to maintain their normal night-time schedule (sleeping for six to nine hours) for two-to-four weeks and then aim to sleep 10 hours each night for the next five-to-seven weeks. The study found that the players ran faster timed sprints (16.2 seconds at the start of the study compared with 15.5 seconds at the end), their shooting accuracy improved by 9% and their fatigue levels decreased. The athletes also reported improved performance during competitive basketball games.

The findings suggest that it is important for sleep to be prioritised over a long period of time, not just the night before match-day. The findings may be applicable to recreational athletes as well as those performing at school or at a higher level."

So you heard it here first.......forget about those tempo sessions....just sleep your way to that next PB!! ;o)

The original article on the BBC News website can be found HERE and the original study is HERE