Cork City Marathon entry fees go up on the 1st of May...

Just a  reminder that the entry fees for the Cork City Marathon go up on Wednesday, the 1st of May. If you are planning to do the full Marathon, the Half-Marathon or the relay then enter today to avail of the cheaper fee.

If you want to post the entry form in then they will accept entries until the end of this week.

Here is a statement from the organisers....."Entries are flying in with the impending fee increase Tuesday night. We'll accept hard-copy entry forms for the rest of the week at the April prices but the online fee will increase at midnight Tuesday."

More info about prices and how to enter in this earlier post.

Race notice...Cheetah Run 4 mile race - Thurs 16th May 2013

It's that time of year again! The Cheetah Run is coming up in Fota Wildlife Park on Thursday, the 16th of May. This is a 4 mile race which has been properly measured by Jones Counter and has an Athletics Ireland licence.

This was voted the most popular 4 mile race in Cork in 2012 and it's easy to see why. Not only is the race unique in that it is through a wildlife park but anyone entering can also bring family members along.

Last year, the field was limited to 800 runners and entries sold out in just two days. It's very likely that there will be a similar level of demand this year.

What's different this year is that the number of entries has been increased from 800 to 850. The second change will be the introduction of chip timing.

One of the problems with any race is that once it gets over a certain size, the traditional way of doing results manually becomes problematic. With manual timing, the clock starts once the gun goes and it always take people at the back of the field a certain time to get to the start line. With chip timing, it doesn't matter as your time starts once you cross the start mat. The other problem with manual timing are the sheer logistics of it. It works ok up to several hundred but once you go over 500 or so, it starts to get messy. Because of these reasons, chip timing has been introduced and it should make for a much smoother event. It does however introduce an additional cost which is reflected in the entry fee this year of €12.

Please note.....No buggies/baby strollers...no headphones....no transfers....and no late entries.
They cannot cater for walkers, due to the overlap nature of the course.  Minimum age is 16.

So what do you get for your €12?
1) As well as entry to the race, you can also bring some family members into the park. This normally costs €14.30 per adult, or €44 for a family of two adults and two children.

2) Usual prize structure for individuals and categories.

3) Post race refreshments.

4) Lots of spots for down the field runners.

5) Discount from John Buckley Sports...see below.

Note that online entries open at 10am on Thursday, the 2nd of May.

I would seriously advise people that have an interest in doing this race to enter as soon as it opens. It really will sell out early. You can enter online from Thursday HERE

Eagle AC member Annemarie Power with Olympic legend Sonia O'Sullivan at the recent launch of the 2013 Cheetah Run

One of the race sponsors is John Buckley Sports in Cork City. They will give 20% discount, on production of your Cheetah Run Race numbers, from Friday May 17th until Sat May 25th, i.e. for one week after the race. This discount applies to any item in the shop. So for example, you could buy a number of items and you will get 20% off the lot. Spend €60 and you will have saved the entry fee of the race.


John Buckley Sports is one of the main specialist running shops in Cork City and have a wide stock of gear in the shop and on their website....www.johnbuckleysports.com

They have been in business since 1981 and it's fair to say that the shop is highly regarded by many of the runners on the local road race scene.

Cork Racewalking News...

Some items of news from the world racewalking...

1) Over the weekend, the Irish Independent had an interesting interview with Irish Olympian Rob Heffernan. The piece which was written by John O'Brien looks back at his career, how he had to go abroad to get specialised coaching and how he now coches other race walkers here in Cork. You can read the interview HERE

2)Two of those athletes that Rob is coaching are Brendan Boyce from Donegal and Luke Hickey from Cork. Both were in action over the weekend at a race walking event in Naumberg, Germany.

Brendan Boyce was fifth in the 20k race in a time of 1:24:38, improving on his previous best time of 1:25:57 achieved in 2011 by over a minute. His time is inside the B standard for the World championships in Moscow in August.

Internationales Straßengehen - Naumburg GER
20 km Gehen Männer /5 km 10 km 15 km
1. Rew, Quentin 1984 New Zealand 1:22:16 /20:44 41:25 1:01:52
2. Linke, Christopher 1988 SC Potsdam 1:23:37 /20:45 41:25 1:02:23
3. Dohmann, Carl 1990 SCL-Heel Baden-Baden 1:23:55 /21:12 42:17 1:03:15
4. Gloger, Nils Christopher 1990 SC Potsdam 1:24:01 /21:12 42:18 1:03:15
5. Boyce, Brendan 1986 Ireland 1:24:38 /20:46 41:55 1:03:06
6. Gomez Cruz, Cristian 1992 Mexico 1:25:02

In the Junior 10k race, Luke Hickey of Leevale AC set a new personal best time of 43:52 when he won his age category. This was way ahead of his previous best time of 46:31. His time is also well inside the standard of 44:30 for the European junior championships to be held in Italy in July.

10 km Gehen Männl. Jugend U20
1. Hickey, Luke 1994 Ireland 43:52

Entries now open for the 2014 London Marathon...

The entry ballot for the 2014 London Marathon is now open.

Your entry...Once you've entered the overseas ballot through these pages, we will let you know in early October whether you've secured a place in the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon taking place on Sunday 13th April. Please don't enter the overseas ballot more than once as this could result in your entry being cancelled.

Entry fee
Everyone who runs in the Virgin Money London Marathon is required to pay an entry fee to help cover the cost of the race. The overseas race entry fee for the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon is £80.

As you can see, it is very much a lottery system.

Details here...https://www.virginlondonmarathonballot.com/overseas/1/

You may also be able to enter if you qualify under the 'good for age' category...(The good for ages entries are for UK residents only so if you want to apply for that your going to have to have a UK postal address that you can use.)
If you've already run a full marathon in a particularly fast time, you might qualify for an automatic 'good for age' entry into the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Do I qualify?....You can apply for a good for age entry if you've run a full marathon in the same time, or faster than, the times listed below:

Men    Time (in hours)    Women    Time (in hours)
Age 18 - 40    sub 3:05    Age 18 - 40    sub 3:45
Age 41 - 49    sub 3:15    Age 41 - 49    sub 3:50
Age 50 -59    sub 3:20    Age 50 -59    sub 4:00
Age 60 - 64    sub 3:45    Age 60 - 64    sub 4:30
Age 65 - 69    sub 4:00    Age 65 - 69    sub 5:00
Age 70 - 75    sub 5:00    Age 70 - 75    sub 6:00
76+    sub 5:30    76+    sub 6.30

Please refer back to the website at the end of May for details on how to apply.

Results of the Cork City Marathon 5k...Sat 27th Apr 2013

There was a great turnout for the Cork City Marathon 5k race in Tramore Valley Park with 283 people taking part.

Pos    Name    Time
1    John Meade   16:10
2    Rory O'Sullivan    16:14
3    Patrick Roache    16:31
14    Niamh Roe    18:37
18    Ann-Marie Holland    18:53
32    Eadaoin O'Neill    20:02

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Mick Dooley of the BHAA has some photos HERE

Irish Team place 5th at 2013 Penn Relays

Report by Athletics Ireland......The Irish team finished in fifth place in the 2013 edition of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, USA on Saturday, 27th of April. Paul Robinson (St Coca’s AC), Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Mark English (UCD AC) and Ciaran O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) combined to record a time of 9:24.10 for the Distance Medley Relay (DMR) event. The Irish quartet was up against teams from Kenya, Ethiopia, USA, Canada, UK, Morocco and Australia.
Robinson was on the opening 1200m leg for Ireland and he showed tremendous form to hold fourth position throughout the three laps. Robinson moved up to third position at the changeover as 400m specialist Brian Gregan took over. Gregan maintained his position and managed to avoid the bumping and barging which resulted in the British athlete Martin Rooney tumble to the track. Gregan continued to power down the finishing straight and handed over to Mark English in fourth place.

USA red team, Kenya, Ethiopia, USA blue team and the Irish team were all battling it out for the top positions at this stage. English showed excellent form to hold the Irish team’s position as he ran against athletes of the caliber of Mohammed Aman (Eth), the 2012 World Indoor 800m Gold medallist on the 800m leg. English handed over the baton in fifth place to Ciaran O’Lionaird who ran the anchor 1 mile leg.

O’Lionaird began the leg in fifth position chasing the USA blue team who were been anchored by legendary middle-distance runner Bernard Lagat. On the third lap O’Lionaird passed Lagat to move Ireland into fourth position. However Lagat responded and moved the USA blue team back into fourth over the final circuit. O’Lionaird stuck to his task and crossed the line in fifth place in a time of 9:24.10, to cap off a fine performance by all four Irish athletes. The event was won by the Ethiopian team in a time of 9:16.34.

Results of the Rosscarbery Charity 10k...Sun 21st Apr 2013

This 10k run for charity was held in Rosscarbery, West Cork on Sunday, the 21st of Apr 2013. Some 87 people took part with just eight running under 50 minutes.

No Pos. Name Club/Area Cat. Time
1 Stephen O Mahony Rosscarbery M 41:14
2 Wayne Brennan Ardfield M 44:30
3 Thomas Neville Clonakilty M 45:21
7 Imelda Neville Clonakilty F 48:12
8 Rachel O Callaghan Cork F 48:29
11 Sinead O Regan Rosscarbery F 51:02

The full results can be seen HERE

Looking ahead to the Cork City Marathon 5k race...Sat 27th Apr 2013

This main event coming up in Cork this weekend is the Cork City Marathon 5k race which takes place in the Tramore Valley Park on Saturday at 11am. This is the same route as the Operation Transformation 5k which took place in the park back in February and attracted a huge number of people.

 This race is organised by Cork City Council in conjunction with the Cork BHAA.

Tramore Valley Park is located on the southside of Cork City near the Ring Road

The main access to the park is via the South Link Road. If you are coming south on the link road then you can take a left into the park. Please note that there is no right hand turn into the park from the South Link Road if you are traveling north. You must go via the Kinsale road and pass the entrance to the Black Ash car park.

The will also be pedestrian access via Half Moon Lane from the South Douglas Road if anyone wishes to avail of it.

The entry fee is €10 and you enter on the morning of the race.

Note that this race is open to anyone...from the seasoned runner to say someone who just wants to jog/walk around the course.

Course...The course is basically two laps of a 2.5 km course. There are a few small pulls along the course but nothing serious. Most of the route would be regarded as pretty flat and fast.

On this particular occasion, the race will be run in a clockwise direction. That means the start is slightly downhill...then flat...and a slight hill around the 2 km mark. The course is 2.5 kms in length so you must complete two loops.

After the race, there will be refreshments in a marquee with lots of spot prizes for down the field runners.

This race is aimed at those people who might be putting together relay teams for the Cork City Marathon which is coming up on the 3rd of June. Details about entries to that event can be found at http://www.corkcitymarathon.ie/entry/

Results of the East Cork Road Championships...Thurs 25th Apr 2013

The East Cork Road Championships were held in Ballynoe near Dungourney on Thursday evening, the 25th of April. For the previous two years, the number of women have outnumbered the men at this event but this year, a record number of men took part.

The mens race was over 5 miles.

Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile 
1 26:19 MCCARTHY, James East Cork AC M  5:15.7
2 26:38 MCGRATH, Sean East Cork AC M  5:19.5
3 26:56 O'DONOGHUE, Tim East Cork AC M  5:23.1

Team: (outside first three ind)  1 East Cork AC 32; 2 St Catherines AC 61; 3 Carraig na bhFear AC 61.

The womens race was over 2 kms
1  7:20 KENNY, Michelle Midleton AC F  5:53.9
2  7:26 BUCKLEY, Sheila Midleton AC F  5:58.8
3  7:32 GRANT, Karen Midleton AC F 6:03.6
    
Team: (outside first three ind) 1 Midleton AC 22; 2 Youghal AC 30.

The full results can be found HERE

Video of the 2013 Ballintotis 4 mile road race...

The official race video of the Ballintotis 4 mile can now be seen below. As always, great commentary by John Cashman.



Links to results and photos in this earlier post.

The Top 20 Marathons in Europe by size...

Back on the 11th of April, I had a post up about the Dublin City Marathon and how they were cutting the top prizes and elite field as a result of not being able to find a sponsor.

Afterwards, it got me thinking about just how big is the Dublin City Marathon really? How big is it in comparison to say the other European Marathons?

The answer for me was a real suprise in that the Dublin Marathon is in fact the seventh largest in Europe. Just to put Dublin into context, it is on an island off the north-west of Europe and the immediate catchment area are those living on the island itself. Otherwise, anyone else taking part has to travel to Dublin by air or sea. Taken as a whole, the population of the island of Ireland is about 6.4 million making it only the 17th largest when compared to other countries in the European Union.

These were the top 20 Marathons in Europe in 2012 by size...

Looking at the list above, there are many other Marathons in major cities around Europe which are smaller than Dublin. Some of those not shown are.....Athens (6,376), Munich (6,084), Vienna (5,892), Prague (5,624), Helsinki (4,261), Budapest (3,585), Zurich (3,046).

The list of the top 50 European Marathons by size in 2012 can be seen HERE

It's obvious that Dublin punches way above it's weight. Going on the figures above, Dublin's 'natural' level might be down around the 6,000 mark. Instead it's almost double that. Why??

Obviously a lot of it is due to a lot of hard work over the years building up the 'brand'. Things like going to expos at other Marathons overseas and advertising the event. Some will argue that it's because of the presence of elite fields with East African athletes posting times down around the 2:10 mark which suggests in turn that it is a fast course thereby encouraging more people to come. Personally, I don't believe that argument. I think overseas visitors are much more likely to come because of cultural reasons...i.e. because it's in Ireland and all they associate with that.

Whatever the reason is, being one of the top 10 Marathons in Europe is a major selling point. Yet when I looked at the Dublin website this morning, I could see no obvious mention of how popular the Marathon was. There is no mention of it being one of the top ten European Marathons. Their 'general info' page doesn't exactly impress either with just a few lines of text.

Surely being the 7th most popular Marathon in Europe is something that the Dublin Marathon organisers should be shouting about? After all, that fact alone will catch a lot of peoples attention and attract even more. In terms of sponsorship, are the Irish tourist board even aware that Dublin is the seventh largest?.....and that it is something unique and not something that can be taken for granted? Is it not worth supporting the Dublin Marathon to help keep it in the top 10? There are no shortage of Marathons on the continent with many cities trying to attract those extra visitors. I'm sure that there are a lot of tourist boards supporting those other Marathons that would gladly take it's place.

Thoughts???

Helpers wanted for the Cork City Marathon 5k next Saturday...

The Cork City Marathon 5k race is coming up next Saturday. the 27th of April. Organised by Cork City Council in conjunction with the Cork BHAA, it is aimed at prospective relay teams for the Cork City Marathon in June as well as being a 5k race for anyone else wanting to take part.


They have put out a call for volunteers to help steward the event on the day. Here is the statement that they issued below...

We're looking for volunteers to help steward the CCM 5k in Tramore Valley Park (the old Landfill Site or City Dump) on Saturday 27th April. We'd really appreciate you joining us for this fun run.

The race begins at 11am but help is needed from 10am to 1pm.

If you've volunteered with us before and you'd be willing to help out, please send a brief email to tony_power@corkcity.ie giving your name and contact details.

If you haven't volunteered with us before, we'd ask you to complete a volunteers form...  CCM 5k Volunteers form 2013 PDF  ...and return to us as soon as possible. You can email a copy to Tony_Power@corkcity.ie

Please note that there is no need to pre-enter this event. You just turn up on the morning and enter then. More info in this earlier post.

Controversy in London Marathon as wheelchair athlete collides with elite runners...

The London Marathon was held last Sunday, the 21st of April in glorious sunny conditions with a record crowd watching along the route.

In the men's race, Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede won in a time of 2:06:04, beating the 2011 champion Emmanuel Mutai into second place.

The womens race was however a lot more controversial. When the elite women approached a water station at about the 15 kms mark, the Olympic champion Tiki Gelana collided with one of the wheelchair athletes, Canadian Josh Cassidy. Even though Gelana managed to rejoin the race, the collision obviously had it's toll as she finally finished in 16th place in a time of 2:36:55. The 2012 Olympic silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo from Kenya who avoided the incident went on to win in a time of 2:20:15.

In a statement after the race, the organisers put up this statement which basically said that no-one was to blame. In a post race interview however, the wheelchair athlete said this in an interview..."It's something I have mentioned before. I don't know who's responsible but every year we come to overtake the women, there's 10 chairs going at 20mph and the poor women are scrambling to find their feet. I have a brand new $2,000 pair of wheels that are damaged, who's going to pay for them? Things have to change. The safest thing would be to have the chairs start first because one of these years a woman is going to have a leg broken, a career ruined. It's just not worth having this programme if the races are going to suffer.". Others have also called for an earlier separate start for the wheelchair athletes.

Entries for the 2014 London Marathon open on the 29th of April.

Coverage of the collision below...

Ras an Ghoirt Álainn 5km in Mayfield cancelled...Mon 22nd Apr 2013

Please note that the Ras an Ghoirt Álainn 5km race which was to take place this evening in Mayfield has been cancelled.

Please tell anyone that you know of who might have been planning to go.

Results of the Ballineen Kinneigh 10k race...Sun 21st Apr 2013

#    Runner's Name    Placing    Time
1    Alex O'Shea    1    36.26
2    Tom Laffan    2    39.29
4    Paul Deane    3    40.15
3    Carmel Crowley    1    39.39
24    Meabh Walsh    2    54.32
25    Grainne Caulfield    3    54.55

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There is a slideshow of photos from Clonakilty Road Runners Athletic Club HERE

Results of the Great Island 10 mile road race...Sun 21st Apr 2013

The Great Island 10 mile road race in Cobh was held in almost perfect conditions on Sunday, the 21st of April....mild but not too warm, sunny but with some cloud. The provisional results have 611 finishers, up slightly on last year.

I missed out on this race last year but managed to make it this time around. Having done Dungarvan and Ballycotton this year, I'd put it on a par with them. Sure, the course isn't easy and there are no shortage of hills but maybe that's part of the attraction of it...a tough challenging course.

All proceeds from this race went towards the Irish Cancer Society and I think they're up around the €100k mark now in terms of what has been collected since this race was first held.

Provisional results...

Pos Name Time Net Time Category Gender Gen Pos Club
1 Philip HARTY    00:51:32    00:51:31    SMen    Male    1    WestWaterford
2 Sandis BRALITIS    00:53:02    00:53:00    SMen    Male    2    
3 John MEADE    00:54:48    00:54:44    SMen    Male    3    St. Finbarrs
4 Danny SMYTH    00:55:38    00:55:34    SMen    Male    4    
5 Cornelius MARSHALL    00:56:28    00:56:25    SMen    Male    5    St. Finbarrs
6 Michael LYONS    00:56:46    00:56:43    SMen    Male    6    
7 Owen CASEY    00:59:32    00:59:28    SMen    Male    7    carrigaline road runners
8 Elton HEFFERNAN    01:00:26    01:00:26    SMen    Male    8    
9 Michael MURPHY    01:01:17    01:01:14    SMen    Male    9    Carrick Ac
10 Jeff CASEY    01:01:38    01:01:35    SMen    Male    10    Tougher
17 Anne Marie HOLLAND    01:03:08    01:03:05    SWomen    Female    1    
22 Joyce WOLFE    01:04:53    01:04:50    SWomen    Female    2    Leevale
29 Mary SWEENEY    01:06:03    01:05:59    50+    Female    3    
30 Jennifer LINEHAN    01:06:17    01:06:13    35-39    Female    4    
51 Margo DINAN    01:08:30    01:08:24    45-49    Female    5    St Finbarrs
65 Sonya O' SULLIVAN    01:09:17    01:09:14    40-44    Female    6    
71 Gillian COTTER    01:09:57    01:09:52    35-39    Female    7    St. Finbarrs
72 Orla CROSBIE    01:10:01    01:09:57    45-49    Female    8    St. Finbarrs
85 Sheila BUCKLEY    01:11:25    01:11:18    SWomen    Female    9    Midleton AC
90 Ann CASHMAN    01:11:50    01:11:42    SWomen    Female    10   Eagle AC 

The provisional results can be found....HERE

Olympic Silver Medalist Sonia O'Sullivan cruising home at the end of the 2013 Great Island 10 mile road race in Cobh

Photos...(Updated 9:45pm)
1) The organisers have hundreds of photos on their Facebook page HERE 
....and their second album is HERE 
2) The online newspaper The Cobh Edition have a huge number of photos on their Facebook page. Album 1 is HERE and Album 2 is HERE

Latest info for the Great Island 10 mile road race on Sunday, 21st of Apr 2013

The next big race close to Cork City next weekend is of course the Great Island 10 mile road race next Sunday.

Where to go?.......The race HQ is the Great Island Community Centre is normally located up high in the town of Cobh. They will have areas for car parking in this general area so follow the stewards instructions on the day and they will direct you to the closest car park.

The easiest way to describe where the Community Centre is to follow the road straight up from the St.Coleman's Catheral. As you can see from the photo below, it's a large building and easy to find.

Here is the latest info from the organisers of the Great Island 10 mile road race next Sunday.......

1) Online entry is staying open until Friday at 8.30 (€18) and entry on Sunday morning (€20) is from 8am to 10am

2) Coral Leisure Centre Cobh have kindly offered their Leisure Centre to anyone wishing to avail of a Shower, Swim and Steam after the event for €2. All money raised or donated by competitors in the Leisure Centre on the day will be donated back to the Charity. So make sure and pack your swim gear what could be more enjoyable after a run.

3) After crossing the finish line please take heed of the official’s instructions at the end of the funnel. There will be water and snack bars available for all competitors, and if you finish in the top 100 you will receive a T-shirt, kindly sponsored by Eamonn Crotty of Acorn Life. A Shuttle Bus will be available if required to bring runners back to Head Quarters after the run. Refreshments will be served followed by the presentation of prizes at 12.30 pm.

4) Unless you are running under 55mins you should not be in the front at the start line. Time zones will be displayed so please go to your appropriate zone. Anyone intending on walking please take your position at the rear of the field. There will be water stations at 3.5m, 6m, 7m and 8miles plus a few friendly residents set up there own along the route which a big thanks must go out to. Each mile will be marked with a mileage marker.

5) The Community Centre can be used as changing facilities and gear bags can be left here during the race. Toilet facilities will be available at head quarters and also at the finish line. All competitors should be at the start line no later then 10.10am as the race will start at 10.30am on time. Anyone registering on the day would need to come to HQ early. Registration desks will be open from 8.00am

6) It's official the one and only Sonia O' Sullivan is running in The Great Island 10 Mile Road Race on Sunday, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. What an honour and privilege it is to have one of Irelands greatest athletes with us on the day. Thank you so much. 

More details about the race can be found in the race notice HERE

A full preview of the course with photos can be seen HERE

Results of the Ballintotis 4 mile road race...Thurs 18th Apr 2013

A record entry of 835 people turned out for this years Ballintotis 4 mile road race in East Cork, up 13% on last year. That's an incredible number and it shows just how strong running is in the general Cork area.

Olympic Silver medalist Sonia O'Sullivan being interviewed before the race

This was the 4th year of this particular race, having replaced the old 4 mile race in Castlemartyr back in 2010. Every year since, the numbers have grown...

    Place    Time    Name    Team    Race Age Category    min/mile       
    1     19:43    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    04:55.7
    2     20:08    O'DONOGHUE, Tim    East Cork AC    M    05:01.9
    3     20:25    SWEENEY, Gavin    unatt/Cork    M    05:06.2
    46   24:45    LYNCH, Rhona    Eagle AC    F35    06:11.1
    52   24:58    KENNY, Michelle    Midleton AC    F    06:14.4
    55   25:02    LEONARD, Helen    Leevale AC    F40    06:15.4 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated 20th Apr 4:50am!)
1) Tim Troy has a gallery on the Ballintotis Community homepage HERE
2) More photos from Denis O'Flynn HERE

Looking ahead to the Ballintotis 4 mile road race...Thurs 18th Apr 2013

After a long wait, the unofficial start of the summer racing season begins with the Ballintotis 4 mile road race on Thursday, the 18th of April. Ballintotis is just to the west of the town of Castlemartyr and is just a 15 minute drive from the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

...

Here is the latest info from the organisers....
A few slight changes from last year
1 Car parks exact location uncertain yet due to weather - see comment below
2 Refreshments and prizes inside in Community Centre this year - not in Car Park
3 Spot prizes - can be claimed afterwards inside - spot prizes winners identified on back of numbers - no roll call afterwards!

Entry Desks...BALLINTOTIS ENTRIES As mentioned already, you can enter for the Ballintotis 4-mile race at Ballintotis Community Centre on Wednesday evening between 5:30pm and 7pm and on the day of the race, next Thursday, from 1pm onwards. Just a few points to speed up the process:

1) Entry fee is €10, try and have the correct amount ready
2) There will be a number of entry desks in the hall, it doesn’t matter which one you go to. Remember – this is NOT a BHAA race so there is no need to give company name, etc.
 3) Just provide the following information: first and second name; AAI club, if applicable. If not a member of a club just give you area (i.e. Cork/Blarney/Youghal); your age category (see below).
 4) If entering more than one person, write the names on the back of the numbers to avoid mixing them up.
 5) Wear the number on the FRONT of your clothing, attached with four safety pins. Age categories are as follows: senior men and women (M/F); age categories in five-year groups from M40 (over 40) to M70 (over 70) and F35 (over 35) to F65 (over 65). Also junior men and women (MJ/FJ) which is under 20 on December 31st next.

Start Line...Please note we will have zoned time areas at the start line - we will be encouraging all runners to please take up their correct position.  Runners will be advised to approach the start line early and follow the directions of the stewards.  We will have a separate public address system in operation at the start line. With another big entry expected it is in the interests of all runners that they begin the race in the correct zone.  This will help runners in all sectors of the field. By co-operating you will add to the enjoyment of the race for everybody.

Parking...The advice regarding parking is simple - please follow the directions of the Gardai and Stewards at all times.  There will be a number of car parks again in operation this year, but with such mixed weather recently these may vary depending on rainfall.

Race Information...More details of the race are available by calling 086-8778182.

Finally, wishing you all a pleasant visit to Ballintotis, where incidentally a camera crew from Setanta Sports will be on duty to capture the occasion and follow the fortunes of local Ballintotis Fit4Life Club member MaryAnne Murphy who is taking part in the "Get Off The Couch" Series which will be aired later this year.

LATEST NEWS.......Irish Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan has also confirmed that she will be running in the race.

More info on the race in an earlier post.

Details about the T-Shirts HERE

Preview of the course HERE

Race notice...Kinneigh 10k - Sun 21st Apr 2013

This might be of interest to anyone in West Cork who is not traveling to the Great Island 10 mile race on Sunday. The Kinneigh  Round Tower 10k takes place in Ballineen, just a few miles to the west of Bandon.

Info from the organisers.......On Sunday 21st April 2013 the local Fit4Fun group are hosting their 2nd annual Kinneigh Round Tower 10k event. Last years event saw a great turnout of runners/joggers/walkers of all ages and speeds. Funds from this years challenge are going towards the local BEDA Playground Project. Entry is €12. There is lots of parking near the start. Plenty of refreshments afterwards and a prize for a new course record (male and female)!

Ballineen / Enniskeane are in the heart of West Cork, located on the R586 road between Bandon and Dunmanway....

The route takes in the countryside to the NW of Ballineen....

More details to follow....

Fionnuala Britton voted European Athlete of the Month for March 2013

The European Athletics website have just announced that Fionnuala Britton has been voted the European athlete of the month for March 2013.

The website said..."Britton was first European home in the senior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on 24 March and was an overwhelming favourite among voters for the female European Athlete of the Month."

Fionnuala also won a bronze medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships at the start of March.

This is the third time that Fionnuala Britton has been named European Athlete of the Month. She has previously won it in December 2012 and December 2011 for her winning the European Cross Country titles.

Results of the Coláiste na Toirbhirte 5k charity fun run...Sun 14th Apr 2013

The Coláiste na Toirbhirte 5k charity fun run was held in Bandon on Sunday, the 14th of April 2013. It was mainly organised by the students of the school. While there were no times recorded, these are the prizewinners..

1st Man - Michael Dullea, Drimoleague - 16min 16 sec
2nd Man - Emmet Callan, Bandon - 21min 31 sec

1st woman - Margaret Callanan, Innishannon - 21min 23 sec
2nd woman - Rachel O' Callaghan, Mahon - 21min 42 sec

1st Male Student - Andrew O' Leary, Gurteenomahon - 22 min 24 sec
1st Female student - Sarah Burke, Kilbrittain - 23min 32 sec

Former winner Neil Cusack plans to run 2014 Boston Marathon ...

Neil Cusack, the only Irish man to win the Boston Marathon has announced that he plans to run the 2014 race as a gesture "to those who died and were injured, their families, and all the great people of Boston".

The 61 year old Limerick man won the Boston Marathon back in 1974 in a time of 2:13:39, the only Irish man to win the race. 2014 would also be the 40th anniversary of his win.

In an interview, he said....."I'd make a prediction that next year's event will be absolutely unblieveable, and I'm glad I'm going to be back there, because they'll want to show a total good feeling about the event, and the Americans will be behind it 1000%. I think it would be an idea for other champions to do as well. Imagine 10 or 12 of us, running together, and just get through it, together - it'd be a nice gesture. I am in good shape and go for a run every weekend. The Boston Marathon is a national treasure and I was devastated to see the horrific scenes on the TV. I remember the day of my win like yesterday — I was attending the University of East Tennessee. When I got to Boston I took a shamrock emblem from an old vest and put it onto the one I was wearing in the race to show I was Irish. I was cheered all the way along the route. What a day. They are a great people and a great city. To run next year would be a gesture to show how all our thoughts are with them. I think there will be a massive surge of support for the city when the race is held in 2014 and I plan to be there at the start with all the other athletes. Boston has given so much to me and I want to give something back.”

Neil Cusack represented Ireland in the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also won the Dublin marathon in 1981.

Neil Cusack winning the 1974 Boston Marathon

Results of the Old Head of Kinsale 7k fun run...Sun 14th Apr 2013

The 7 km fun run was held on the Old Head of Kinsale on Sunday, the 14th of April 2013.

#    Last Name    First Name    Cat    Time
1    Bouse    Ciaran    Mens    27:09.1
2    Murphy    Paddy    Mens    28:50.9
3    Sheehan    Andrew    Mens    29:13.8
6    Curley    Carol    Ladies    30:44.8
15    Gould    Aisling    Ladies    33:13.2
21    McCarthy    Debbie    Ladies    33:48.4

The full results can be found HERE

Contact number for people concerned for Irish Nationals at Boston Marathon

Ref explosions at Boston Marathon...The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin says people with concerns for Irish nationals should call 01 408 2000

Race notice...Cork City Marathon 5k race - Sat 27th Apr 2013

Even though the new Tramore Valley Park is not yet open to the public, we can see that a number of events are going to be held there this year. Considering it's central location, ease of access and the fact that there is no traffic to be concerned about then it's likely to become even more popular.

Back in February, there was the Operation Transformation 5k in the park and it attracted a huge number of people who ran, jogged and walked the route.

As part of the build up to the 2013 Cork City Marathon, the city council are holding a 5k race in the park on Saturday, the 27th of April at 11am.

 The 5k is organised in conjunction with the Cork BHAA. This event is geared towards anyone who is preparing to do the relay event in the Cork City Marathon. It might be an ideal chance for teams to see what their fitness level is like before the big day itself on the 3rd of June.

The entrance fee is €10 and there will be plenty of spot prizes given out on the day.

As you can see from the map above, access to the park is from the South Link Link. The rough outline of the course is shown in green and is basically two 2.5 km loops.

More details closer to the event...

Results of the Ballincollig 5k fun run...Sun 14th Apr 2013

This 5k run took place in Ballincollig Regional Park on the 14th of April 2013.

1     16.24    Michael Harty
2     17.02    Kevin O'Brien
3     18.57    David Butler
5     19.19    Orla Hayes
6     19.35    Mary Sweeney
26   21.35    Aine Murphy

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy has a gallery of photos HERE

Early entries for the Ballintotis 4 mile road race...Thurs 18th Apr 2013

The organisers of the Ballintotis 4 mile road race would like to remind people that they will be taking early entries for their road race. You can enter at Ballintotis Communtiy Centre on Wednesday evening between 5:30pm and 7pm and on the day of the race, next Thursday from 1pm onwards.

People who enter early will avoid any queues on the night and it's a big help to the organisers.

Ballintotis Community Centre is located, adjacent to Loughaderra Lake, just off  the N25 Road, between Midleton and Castlemartyr.

More details about the race in this earlier post.

Irish international race walker Laura Reynold finishes 5th in Czech meet...Sat 13th Apr 2013

In the Podebrady EAA International Race Walking competition in the Czech Republic on Saturday, Irish international Laura Reynolds finished 5th in a field of 32 competitors in the womens 20k.

Womens 20k
5  Reynolds Laura 1989 Ireland IRL 1:34:07 (Time behind winner 2:12)

Other Irish competitors were...

Mens 20k (55 participants)
28th  Doyle Michael 1987 Ireland IRL 1:29:46 (10:01 behind winner)
36th  Treanor James 1993 Ireland IRL 1:33:18 (13:33 behind winner)

Junior Mens 10k (30 participants)
14th Lynch Evan 1995 Ireland IRL 45:43 (4:17)

Full results HERE

The great Haile Gebrselassie wins the Vienna Half-Marathon in 61:14...

The great Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie has won his third consecutive Vienna half marathon on Sunday, timing one hour one minute and 14 seconds. This was his third consecutive Vienna half marathon win.

Gebrselassie, a double Olympic 10,000 metres champion who turns 40 next week, took control of the race at the midway point. After crossing the line ahead of Kenya's Hosea Kipkemboi (1hr02.21) and Ethiopian Mekuant Ayenew (1hr02.21) he reflected: "It was a magnificent festival, with a golden public who didn't stop encouraging me."

In March, Gebrselassie stated he was still in love with running and had no intention of retiring. "As long as I enjoy it so much I will keep running and I don't know how and when this will finish," he said.

He is scheduled to take part in a race in Bern on May 18 before defending his Great Manchester 10km Run title on May 26.

Sonia O'Sullivan re-opens UCC track renamed in her honour...Sat 13th Apr 2013

At a ceremony at the UCC Mardkye Sports Complex in Cork City this afternoon, Sonia O'Sullivan re-opened the refurbished track which has been renamed in her honour.

 

As one of Irelands most successful athletes, Sonia spoke of her fond memories of competing on the track and how when she was younger, she used to have to get the train up from Cobh to train there. As we all know, those many years of training resulted in some outstanding performances which included a silver medal in the 5000m at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, a Gold medal in the 1995 World Championships, a Silver medal in the 1500m at the 1993 World Championships as well as three European Championship Gold medals and two World Cross-Country Championship Gold medals.

"It is a great honour. I can’t believe it, to be honest,” she said. "It is a tremendous privilege to have the track in my name and I want to thank everyone at UCC for this great honour.”

In his speech, UCC President Dr Michael Murphy said “Sonia is an inspiration to athletes everywhere and particularly for those who will train and compete on this track in the future. We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of one of the world’s greatest athletes, by naming our world class athletics track after Sonia.

Photos of this event were taken on behalf of the Running in Cork blog by Joe Murphy. You can see a slideshow of photos HERE

Ger Wyley Summer Series of races in Waterford...Apr-Aug 2013

This might be of interest to anyone in East Cork, Waterford or South Tipperary. The 2013 Ger Wyley Sport Summer Series starts on Friday, the 12th of April and runs until the 9th of August. There are 10 races in the series and most only cost €5 to enter.

The series kicks off with the Marine Climb 6 mile which is on this evening at 7pm. More info and course previews HERE

You find plenty of info about the overall series on the Running in Munster site.

Lack of sponsorship forces more cutbacks for the Dublin City Marathon...

In a recent Irish Times article written by Ian O'Riodan, it was reported that the Dublin City Marathon were unable to find sponsorship for their 2013 event at the end of October. In a statement, the race director Jim Aughney said........"Things are pretty bleak. It just happened that most of our contracts expired around the same time. We lost a title sponsor last year when the National Lottery withdrew, and while we have talked with a large number of companies and feel we have a very strong package to offer, unfortunately everyone we’ve spoken to so far has opted for nothing. We certainly haven’t thrown in the towel just yet, but right now we’ve had to cut our elite athlete budget completely. For the past number of years we’ve invited up to 30 runners, many Kenyans and Ethiopians, paid their way here, and put them up for a couple of days. That’s gone. We’ve had to reduce our prize fund quite considerably too, the top prize of €15,000 down to €10,000. And we have had to increase our marathon entry, from €70 to €75".

The full article can be seen HERE

The Dublin City Marathon in 2012 attracted a field of over 14,000 runners, many of them from overseas. It is by far the largest Marathon in the country and obviously brings in a lot of money to the local economy every October Bank Holiday weekend.

Back in May of last year, I had a post up about how they had lost their main sponsor and how they could no longer afford TV coverage.

Putting on a Marathon in any city in Ireland is an expensive business and the costs associated with staging the Dublin event must be huge. Yet for all that, there are some things that I honestly don't understand about it.

Q 1. What was the point in having an elite field of 30 Kenyans and Ethiopians anyway? Honestly, does anyone really care that there is an elite field in the race? The vast majority of people who take part are doing so for themselves. They are interested in their own times and the times of their friends.

Q 2. Why was the top prize at €15,000 anyway? Who actually wins the race is of little concern to most people. Ask yourself this.....who won the mens and womens race in the 2012 Dublin City Marathon? Off the top of my head, I haven't a clue, I'd have to look it up. What was the value of paying so much to just one individual?

I've seen the argument that you have to give large prizes if you want elite athletes to posts times around the 2:10 mark. This then looks good in press and news reports and it's supposed to attract more people as they think it's a fast course. I really don't buy this argument. If runners are from Ireland then they are taking part because Dublin is the national Marathon, it's size makes it unique and gives it a great atmosphere. It's as close to people will get to a big city Marathon without traveling overseas. For those coming from abroad, are they coming because they think it's a flat fast course or is it because they want to visit Ireland and experience all that they associate with that?

Would it not be better if there was a much flatter prize structure where smaller amounts of money were given out to more people? Would it not benefit the Marathon Mission and the top Irish runners if they were able to compete for more modest prizes rather than just a few individuals taking the lions share?

When I look at that €15,000 prize money, I can't help thinking of Tatyana Aryasova of Russia who won the Dublin Marathon in 2010 and tested positive for a banned substance just a few months later. Does it really benefit paying individuals so much when they are often on the plane home while there are runners still out on the course?

So what's your opinion? Am I wrong? Should there be an elite field and big prize money? If so, then why? I'd be curious to know.

Click on the comment link below.