End of the Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series...

This time, a bit of sad news. There will be no Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series next year. While the individual races will still go ahead, the overall series will not.

Here is a statement from Ballycotton Running Promotions.......
MUNSTER TEN-MILE SPRING CLASSICS SERIES

The Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classic Series, inaugurated by Ballycotton Running Promotions in 2003, will not take place next year.

One of the aims of the Spring Series – which incorporated the Mallow, Dungarvan, Ballycotton and Kilnaboy events - was ‘to promote each race at the classic distance of ten miles’ and nine years later it can certainly be said that this has been achieved.

In 2003, the Mallow race had 215 finishers while Dungarvan had 223. This past year, with Dungarvan now the opening race, over 1,260 took part. The complexities of adding together the times for the four events is therefore more labour intensive and an added difficulty is that the races use separate entry and timing systems so that a name in one may appear different in another.  

When the Spring Series began, the Mallow race was in January, Dungarvan in February, Ballycotton in March and Kilnaboy in April. Now, for various reasons, this sequence has been broken and there are also a number of new ten-milers on the scene.

In 2003 (remember, this was four years before the Cork City Marathon reappeared), there were virtually no races longer than 10km in the Munster area during the first half of the year so therefore it is apparent that the four-race Series has run its course.  

Thanks must go to the four races who enthusiastically embraced the idea of a ‘Spring Classics Series’ and to the individuals in each who contributed to its success.

Much appreciated also was the sponsorship from John Buckley Sports who from the outset provided the commemorative T-shirts which went to every runner who completed the four races.

And if you’re the proud holder of one of these long-sleeve ‘tees’, hang on to it – it might be a collector’s item in the years to come!

Ballycotton Running Promotions...November 2012