Charity 7k fun run on Sunday

For anyone interested, the Irish Heart Foundation are holding a 7 km fun run/walk/jog at 3:30pm at the marina in Blackrock next Sunday, the 1st of December. The course will take participants around the estuary and railway line. The Castle Café are sponsoring refreshments afterwards. Registration €15 on the day.

Report on the 2013 Ballyhoura Active Series by Tom Blackburn

It was fantastic to run in Doneraile on the first night back in late May with 459 runners and joggers. It was so well run and a credit to the organising club Mallow AC on the night, the beautiful weather didn’t hurt either.

This was a hard event to follow with only one race in June, the Angelsborough 10k...a brand new race on the calendar. This event was also very well run and the organisers were very professnal in the way they ran
their event, it was a pity it wasn’t better supported. This is where club races seem to do better.

The town of Millstreet in NW Cork and the Willie Neenan 10k was our next event. This also was so well run and for a first time event, it was very well supported. Great credit due to the organisers Millstreet AC.

The next event was Dromcollogher 4 mile in West Limerick. This is a race with a long history and is run in conjunction with the local festival. This was also a beautiful evening...almost too hot to run, a problem we usually don’t have in Ireland.

Back to Cork next one for the Kilworth 5mile road race. The temperatures also soared here and this two circuit course of Kilworth hill was very exposed with not a tree for shade in sight. With another race in Cork the night before, numbers were down a little on last year.

Staying in Cork, the Donoughmore 7 was next up. This was a very well established event with juvenile races and the like going on at the same time. This event has to be so well managed or it could be such a nightmare otherwise. The evening was roasting here also, the following day was the hottest day of the summer.

The last race in July was at the other side of the border in Limerick with the 7k in Kilteely, with a change of route from last year to a new venue. The committee thought they might lose a few with two unlicenced events on the same night so it was great to get the crowd that they did.

August was as busy as July with runs every Friday, the Kilmeedy festival 5 mile was next up. This was another well organised event, which didn’t get a great amount of runners but this is where local running clubs could perhaps attract a better field.

The Galtee runners GR8KM was the next run. Now these guys were very professional and all hands on deck all season long handing out fliers at every race. I was surprised this race didn’t break the 300 mark as it is an event on the rise.

Barely a week later we were back in Pallasgreen, Co.Limerick for a 10k. I thought this was a lovely course butI suppose when you run well on the night it is always a lovely course. The crowd was small enough here also, for such an easy place to find and so close to Limerick City!

The following Saturday night, the Galbally 5 mile race was run. This race in contrast to all the rest had torrential rain from the moment the run started. With the Gathering weekend on, mass in the Church, a Concert in the Community centre, and a race on there were people and cars everywhere, with the light fading and heavy rain as the evening darkened, we were happy with the numbers for a first running of the event.

The last run in the Limerick series in Emly was the 13k. This was a bold decision and even with the early start the light was fading fast but luckily with the aid of a great committee and pretty quite roads everything went off well. The numbers were small but this is a unique distance over a great course.

There were only two races left in Cork and Doneraile park was the venue for another 5k event with the Steeple 5k. It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Doneraile although the numbers were much smaller than the first race, the morning was lovely and the views, were fabulous.

The last run of the series was the Charleville International Half marathon on the Sunday morning with record numbers turning out to run the flattest half Marathon in Ireland. This was a fitting race to the end of the Series, so well organised and run on another beautiful sunny day.

This year’s series wasn’t perfect by any means. It is still a work in progress as road race series go and we will improve the series in 2014. The numbers in the Limerick side of the series were low, and this could be down to the fact that a lot of them were first time events. Another point to remember here is that some of these races were run as community events, and didn’t have clubs involved. I believe this could boost numbers, in the years ahead, clubs will need to get involved with existing races or promote new events. The length of the series I think is also an issue, rather than separate county series, maybe two series, one run in early summer on consecutive weeks, and another series a couple of weeks later with the same theme.

The emergence of unlicenced races is also playing havoc with our races, It is very hard to travel ten or fifteen miles to a race if a local community has an event on next door to you. We all want to support local, everyone wants to make the few euro. But for your own sake make sure the race is insured, as a runner AAI will not cover you if the race is not permitted. As a race organiser if your race is not insured,”YOU” the organiser are liable for any injuries.

The Ballyhoura series is well and truly over for 2013, I would like to thank everyone on behalf of Ballyhoura Active and myself, to everyone who took part in our series over the summer. It was a long series, from the 31st of May to the 22nd of September. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the clubs and community groups who ran races this year. It was a pleasure to work with you during the year, and I hope to be working with you in the new year. Also a big thank you to John Desmond for all his work over the year. His professionalism and for his very interesting blog which added that something special to the series. 

Tom Blackburn...Ballyhoura Series Co-Ordinator

Event notice...CIT Evening Cross Country race - Fri 6th Dec 2013

Most of the cross country races on the calendar are inter club only and are not open to non-club runners. For this unique event on the CIT grounds on Friday evening the 6th of December, anyone can take part.

 As you can see on the photo above, the course is around the perimeter of various GAA pitches and everything is floodlit. The surface as you would imagine is very short grass so it's not the usual type of cross country race with hills and mud. As such, people do not need spikes or any type of special shoes to take part and you can wear your usual runners if you want to.

The race starts at 7pm on Friday 6th of December around the CIT GAA pitches.

5k for the men and 3k for women.

Entry fee of €5 with proceeds to Make a wish Foundation and CIT AC.

Registration will take pace upstairs in the main GAA stand, on the side furthest away from the college.

Refreshments provided afterwards.

Directions can be found HERE

Sonia O'Sullivan is 44 today...

I spotted this on the net today. What a list of achievements.

Happy Birthday to Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL) 28/11/1969

PB 1500m : 3'58"85
PB 5000m : 14'41"02

Olympic Games :
-Silver    (2000 Sydney)    5000 m

World Championships :
-Gold    (1995 Gothenburg)    5000 m
-Silver    (1993 Stuttgart)    1500 m

European Championships :
-Gold    (1994 Helsinki)    3000 m
-Gold    (1998 Budapest)    10000 m
-Gold    (1998 Budapest)    5000 m
-Silver    (2002 Munich)    10000 m
-Silver    (2002 Munich)    5000 m

World Cross-Country Championships :
-Gold    (1998 Marrakesh)    8 km
-Gold    (1998 Marrakesh)    4 km
-Bronze    (1997 Turin)    Team 8km
-Bronze    (2002 Dublin)    Team 4km

World Indoor Championships :
-Silver    (1997 Paris)    3000 m

Incident at the Run in the Dark event reported in the local media

Someone sent on this piece which appeared in the Cork Independent newspaper last week following the Run in the Dark event.

“I was doing a 5k leg of the run but there was also the option of doing a 10k which is what that woman was doing. I had finished up and was walking to collect my pack, that every racer get, when I noticed a drunk man kind of jump at the racer. Next thing I knew she had pinned him to the ground and then she continued on with the race, it was unbeliveable! I would think since I had just finished up with the 5k then that woman was only halfway through her race so to watch her pin that drunk man down and then carry on was very unusual, she was a brave woman! Not only was she standing up for herself but she was also warding him off so that he wouldn't interupt the race for others. I honestly couldn't believe it when I saw her carry on as if nothing had happened, i'd love to know what her time was in the end. The 10k is particularly hard as you are running the same course four times so for that to happen to her halfway through it and too pin the man down and then carry on like nothing happened, you'd have to see it to believe it! Myself and two friends that I was with were wondering if we should go over to help but she had everything taken care of it seems, he didn't go near anyone else after she had dealt with him so fair play to her, she was very hardcore!”

The full article can be seen HERE

New indoor marathon in Cork next February

Ireland's first ever Indoor Marathon will be held in Midleton, Co.Cork on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014 at 9am. The route is approximately 160 laps of the Midleton Community College. Entries are limited to 50 places.

Members of East Cork Rapid Response

The event is open to 18 year olds and over, the entry fee is €50, the majority of which is going directly to 'East Cork Rapid Response'.

Full marathon €50, Relay option €20 per person. Minimum €50 per team

Irish teams announced for the European Cross Country Championships

Athletics Ireland have announced today the athletes that will represent Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on December 8th.

Name Event Club Coach
Senior Women
1 Fionnuala Britton Senior Women Kilcoole AC Chris Jones
2 Sarah McCormack Senior Women Clonliffe Harriers A.C. Gregor Nicholson
3 Sara Treacy Senior Women Moynalvey/kilcloon (Irish), Bud Baldaro
4 Ann-Marie Larkin Senior Women Lifford AC Teresa mcdaid
5 Ciara Durkan Senior Women Skerries A.C. Enda Fitzpatrick
6 * Mary Cullen Senior Women North Sligo AC Ray Treacy
 * Maria McCambridge 1st Reserve Senior Women Dundrum South Dublin AC Dick Hooper
 Sarah Mulligan 2nd Reserve Senior Women Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 
* Update from Athletics Ireland...27th Nov... Mary Cullen (Sligo AC) was named on the team has been replaced by first reserve Maria McCambridge (DSD AC). Cullen’s fitness was being assessed throughout the qualification period however it was confirmed yesterday that she is not 100% fit to compete and unfortunately had to withdraw.

Senior Men
7 Paul Pollock Senior Men Annadale Striders Andy Hobdell
8 Michael Mulhare Senior Men Portlaoise AC Chris Jones
9 Dan Mulhare Senior Men Portlaoise A.C.
10 Stephen Scullion Senior Men Clonliffe Harriers A.C. Andrew Hobdell
11 David McCarthy Senior Men West Waterford A.C. Chris Jones
12 * Joe Sweeney Senior Men Clonliffe Harriers A.C. Jerry Kiernan
* Mick Clohisey 1st Reserve Senior Men Raheny Shamrock A.C.
 Mark Christie 2nd Reserve Senior Men Mullingar Harriers A.C. Jerry Kiernan 
* Update from Athletics Ireland... Joe Sweeney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was named on the team has been replaced by first reserve Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock AC). Sweeney had hoped to recover quicker from his marathon exertions however he has had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the team in order to fully recover.

Feidhlim Kelly has a podcast below about the selection. From the start to 21:00..


Press interview...27th Nov...

GAA in talks with Athletics Ireland about sharing facilities

At a recent press release, GAA president Liam O'Neill said that the association were in talks with Athletics Ireland with a view to providing facilites in exchange for expertise in some areas. In an interview, he said....."We’re just saying that if we have grounds and the Government would like to put a track regionally and strategically, we’re saying we’re open to that. During the day time when school is on our facilities aren’t used to their max so there would be a possible chance of schools using it for athletics. Athletics Ireland and the sport have expertise in fitness, diet, nutrition and all that sort of stuff that we need too so we could very usefully form a link which would be of no great cost to either organisation but of huge benefit. They obviously have to go off and see the feasibility of it and we have to look at it too. It’s just an idea we said we’d put out. If in 20/30 years’ time we had an Olympic medal won by somebody who wouldn’t have been introduced to the sport had we not made the offer, wouldn’t that be a fantastic achievement?”

In the last year, the Cork Hurling team has used the expertise and experience of the Irish 800m record holder David Matthews to help them reach the All Ireland final. Considering that many road races already use GAA facilities and a lot of former GAA player take up running then this has to be a welcome development.

Redevelopment of the London Olympic stadium

This was the view of the London Olympic stadium from last week...

Work has just begun on turning it into a multi-use venue which includes removing the 500 tonne floodlight panels and installing a new roof. At 84 metres at its deepest point it will be the longest cantilevered roof in the world and will cover every seat in the stadium. The lower section will have retractable seating to cater for athletics.

In 2015, the stadium will be used for five matches in the Rugby World Cup and in 2016 will become the permanent home of West Ham United Football Club. It will also become the new national competition stadium for athletics in the UK including an annual IAAF Diamond League meeting. The stadium will also host the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships and will also be used for other sporting, cultural and community events.

Fionnuala Britton finishes 7th at Cross de l'Acier in France

European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton was in action today in the Cross de l'Acier race near Dunkerque in the NE of France. In an international field which included several Africans, she finished in 7th place. Another notable result was that of Sophie Duarte of France who will be another main contender for the European Cross Country title in December.

6650m...Cross de l'Acier 2013
Rang Dossard Nom Prénom Pays Cat Clst/Cat Temps Club
1 52 AYELEW HIWOT ETH 1 SEF 00:22:30 _
2 51 MASAI LINETH KEN 2 SEF 00:22:31 _
3 55 TESFAY HAFTAMNESH ETH 1 ESF 00:22:46 _
4 57 MACHARIA LUCY KEN 3 SEF 00:22:53 _
5 54 DUARTE SOPHIE FRA 4 SEF 00:22:54 _
6 58 KOSGEI CYNTHIA KEN 2 ESF 00:23:00 _
7 53 BRITTON FIONNUALLA IRL 5 SEF 00:23:03 _
8 61 TRABY LEILA FRA 6 SEF 00:23:27 _
9 60 CHEPCHIRCHIR SARAH KEN 7 SEF 00:23:32 _
10 63 PICOCHE LAURANE FRA 8 SEF 00:23:57

Once result of interest in the mens race was that of Michael Mulhare
11 33 MULHARE MICKAEL IRL 5 SEM 00:29:33

Results of the Doneraile Park Fit4Life 5 km...Sat 23rd Nov 2013

Results of the Doneraile Park Fit4Life 5km - Hosted by North Cork AC

Pos Race No. Name Surname Club Gender Age Time
1 John O'Flynn North Cork AC M 10 19:55
2 Ursula Bluett North Cork AC F 12 20:18
3 Eimear Lenihan North Cork AC F 14 20:51
4 Peter Butler Charleville M 28 21:37
5 Tim Finnen Mallow AC M 47 21:52
6 Nicholas Moloney North Cork AC M 33 22:15
7 Patrick Myers N/A M N/A 22:16
8 Aoife Carroll Mallow AC F 33 22:25
9 939 Mark Riordan North Cork AC M 9 22:44
10 905 Cody Kok North Cork AC M 8 22:46
11 946 Grainne Egan North Cork AC F 11 23:16
12 943 Jerry O'Connell Mallow AC M 56 24:37
13 945 Paul Egan Doneraile M 47 25:13
14 909 Chloe Morrissey North Cork AC F 13 25:39
15 931 Lisa Barrow Mallow AC F 34 25:50
16 949 Patrick O'Flynn North Cork AC M 9 27:02
17 926 MaryJane Coughlan North Cork AC F 14 27:03
18 951 Siobhan Coakley N/A F N/A 27:22
19 952 Jerry Mullane N/A F N/A 27:33
20 927 Debbie Moran Freemount F 41 27:36
21 907 Shane Browne Duhallow AC M 40 28:38
22 944 Emer O'Connell Mallow AC F 28 28:50
23 924 Lisa Guerin Mallow AC F 33 28:52
24 911 Megan O'Regan North Cork AC F 14 29:10
25 913 Rowena O'Neill Duhallow AC F 38 29:35
26 941 Michelle O'Donoghue Mallow AC F 29 29:55
27 942 Jamiee Barrow Doneraile F 27 29:56
28 934 Claire Ryan Galtee Runners F 30 29:57
29 906 John Brady North Cork AC M 58 30:03
30 953 Marie Lombard North Cork AC F 30 30:17
31 904 Elaine Maher Charleville F 31 30:18
32 932 Sarah Buddle Mallow AC F 34 30:20
33 935 Lorraine Walsh Mallow AC F 33 30:21
34 950 Anne O'Connor Dromina F 32 30:56
35 921 Susan Walsh Charleville F 17 31:08
36 933 Margaret Ryan Galtee Runners F 58 32:13
37 928 Joan O'Connor Galtee Runners F 51 32:14
38 901 Maighread Finn F 37 32:20
39 902 Norma O'Brien F 35 32:21
40 925 Grace Browne North Cork AC F 14 32:27
41 940 Marjie Riordan North Cork AC F 42 32:48
42 923 Aoife Meade Charleville F 17 33:22
43 947 Catriona O'Mahony Mallow AC F 39 33:36
44 930 Elaine Harold Mallow AC F 31 33:38
45 937 Mary O'Sullivan North Cork AC F 56 34:10
46 936 Una Daly North Cork AC F 33 34:29
47 919 Jack Hogan North Cork AC M 7 34:54
48 918 Liam Hogan North Cork AC M 32 36:05
49 920 Jessica Hogan North Cork AC F 8 36:06
50 929 Rebecca Perrott North Cork AC F 20 37:16
51 922 Michelle Higgins Liscarroll F 17 37:29
52 910 Abbie Moloney North Cork AC F 14 39:40
53 917 Eileen Henrony F 50 40:15

Reminder...Entries to the Clonakilty Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k close Thurs 21st Nov

Just a reminder that entries to the 2013 Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon close at midnight on Thursday the 21st of November.

For those of you hoping to make a day of it or a weekend away, the following might be of interest...

For those of you interested in doing the Half-Marathon, here is a quick look at the course...


More details in this earlier post.

The race website is HERE and you can enter HERE

Irish Athletics Awards...Nov 2013

The

The National Athletics Awards were held last weekend and the following prizes were presented....

World Race Walk Champion Rob Heffernan (Togher AC) was named as the Athlete of the Year and Race Walker of the Year Award for 2013.

The Endurance Athlete Award went to Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) who successfully defended her European Cross Country title in Budapest, Hungary.

The Track and Field Athlete of the Year was awarded to Mark English (UCD AC) after he produced a number of high quality performances on the track including the second fastest time ever by an Irishman over 800m at the diamond league meeting in London when he ran a time of 1.44.84.

Ciaran O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) received the Indoor Track and Field Athlete Award for winning bronze at the European Indoor Track and Field Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Leevale Athletic Club won the Performance Club of the Year Award. Lifford AC were awarded Development Club of the Year.

Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) was named Junior Athlete of the Year. On a special day for Lavin her coach Noelle Morrissey was the winner of the Coach of the Year award.

Inspirational performance of the year went to Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) on the basis of her four gold medals (100m, 200m Long Jump and 4×100m) at the 2013 National Track and Field Championships.

 Ronnie Long was named as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The Outstanding Official Award was presented to Brian Dowling of Naas Athletic Club. The Master of the Year award was presented to Geraldine Finegan (Dunleer AC) after claiming the gold medal in the heptathlon and bronze in the pole vault at the 2013 World Master Championships in Brazil in October. The Mountain Runner of the Year was awarded to the Irish women’s senior team of Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Kate Cronin (Raheny Shamrock AC), Sarah Mulligan (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Sharon Trimble (North Belfast Harriers AC). The team won the bronze medals at the World mountain running championships in Krynica, Poland. The Ultra Running Award was presented to Eoin Keith for setting a new Irish 24 hour record of 152 miles at the Mary Peter’s track in Belfast in July. The AVIVA Tailteann Schools’ Awards were awarded to Marcus Lawler (CBS Carlow) and Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Colaiste Iosagain)

Source...Athletics Ireland

Fitness of children declining worldwide

In a recent study present at the American Heart Association, researchers showed that a decline in running fitness in children may indicate worse health in adulthood.

“If a young person is generally unfit now, then they are more likely to develop conditions like heart disease later in life. The most important type of fitness for good health is cardiovascular fitness, which is the ability to exercise vigorously for a long time, like running multiple laps around an oval track,” said Grant Tomkinson, Ph.D., lead author of the study and senior lecturer in the University of South Australia’s School of Health Sciences.

Researchers analysed 50 studies on running fitness between 1964 and 2010 that involved more than 25 million children from ages 9 to 17 in 28 countries. They gauged cardiovascular endurance by how far children could run in a set time or how long it took to run a set distance. Tests typically lasted five to 15 minutes or covered a half-mile to two miles.

Researchers found that cardiovascular endurance declined significantly within the 46 years. Average changes were similar between boys and girls, younger and older children although they varied country to country.

The study is the first to show that children's cardiovascular fitness has declined around the globe since about 1975:
a) In the United States, childrens cardiovascular endurance fell an average 6 percent per decade between 1970 and 2000.
b) Across countries, endurance has declined by about 5 percent every decade.
c) Children today are roughly 15 percent less fit from a cardiovascular standpoint than their parents were as youngsters.
d) In a mile run, children today are about a minute and a half slower than their peers 30 years ago.
e) Declines in cardiovascular endurance performance are probably caused by social, behavioral, physical, psychosocial and physiological factors.

Country-by-country fitness findings are mirrored in measurements of overweight/obesity and body fat suggesting one factor may cause the other. “In fact, about 30 percent to 60 percent of the declines in endurance running performance can be explained by increases in fat mass,” Tomkinson said.

Children should engage in at least 60 minutes of daily activities that use the body’s big muscles, such as running, swimming or cycling, he said.

“We need to help to inspire children and youth to develop fitness habits that will keep them healthy now and into the future,” Tomkinson said. “They need to choose a range of physical activities they like or think they might like to try, and they need to get moving.”

Results of the British and Irish Masters Cross Country...Sat 16th Nov 2013

The British & Irish Masters International Cross country Championships were held in Cardiff on Saturday 16th Nov. 2013. Here are the Irish team results...

Result of the Ladies Masters W35-39 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
2 0:20:35 Ladies Masters 35-39 ADAMS, Natasha 3513 3
7 0:21:40 Ladies Masters 35-39 QUAID, Annette 3514 16
8 0:21:41 Ladies Masters 35-39 O'DWYER, Martina 3515 17

Result of the Ladies Masters W40-44 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
2 0:21:32 Ladies Masters 40-44 MCCOURT, Kathy 4014 12
4 0:21:40 Ladies Masters 40-44 CARTHY, Jackie 4013 15
7 0:22:07 Ladies Masters 40-44 TOUHY, Colette 4015 24

Result of the Ladies Masters W45-49 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
3 0:22:00 Ladies Masters 45-49 CROWLEY, Carmel 4513 20
8 0:23:09 Ladies Masters 45-49 MOORE, Ann 4514 47
13 0:23:32 Ladies Masters 45-49 GORMLEY, Orla 4515 61

Result of the Ladies Masters W50-54 team competition.
3rd...Republic of Ireland
3 0:21:33 Ladies Masters 50-54 O'SULLIVAN, Niamh 5013 13
7 0:22:55 Ladies Masters 50-54 BYRNE, Kay 5015 39
9 0:23:10 Ladies Masters 50-54 SULLIVAN, Ann 5014 48

Result of the Ladies Masters W55-59 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
1 0:22:33 Ladies Masters 55-59 PARNELL, Carmel 5513 32
4 0:23:54 Ladies Masters 55-59 MORAN, Pauline 5514 72
10 0:25:00 Ladies Masters 55-59 JONES, Shelagh 5516 85

Result of the Ladies Masters W60-64 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
9 0:27:02 Ladies Masters 60-64 BROWNE, Phyllis 6013 101
10 0:27:24 Ladies Masters 60-64 LYNCH, Roisin 6014 104
14 0:29:09 Ladies Masters 60-64 O'BRIEN, Eileen 6016 115

The individual results for the women are HERE and HERE
The womens team results are HERE

Result of the Mens Masters M35-39 team competition.
1st...Republic of Ireland
4 0:25:04 Mens Masters M35-39 O'SULLIVAN, Peter 3543 12
5 0:25:05 Mens Masters M35-39 FLEMING, Paul 3540 13
6 0:25:06 Mens Masters M35-39 SHIEL, Niall 3541 14
7 0:25:09 Mens Masters M35-39 KILGANNON, Phil 3539 15

Result of the Mens Masters M40-44 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
7 0:25:16 Mens Masters M40-44 MCCARTHY, Martin 4041 19
11 0:25:41 Mens Masters M40-44 O'NEILL, Shane 4039 29
12 0:25:46 Mens Masters M40-44 LYNCH, Niall 4040 33
13 0:25:49 Mens Masters M40-44 HARKIN, John 4042 34

Result of the Mens Masters M45-49 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
4 0:25:01 Mens Masters M45-49 BURKE, Colm 4539 11
7 0:25:42 Mens Masters M45-49 TRAYNOR, Mick 4543 30
8 0:25:44 Mens Masters M45-49 MCKINNEY, Pauric 4544 31
13 0:26:14 Mens Masters M45-49 CARLIN, Kieran 4540 47

Result of the Mens Masters M50-54 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
6 0:26:14 Mens Masters M50-54 DOYLE, Gerry 5039 8
8 0:26:41 Mens Masters M50-54 STAFFORD, Jim 5042 12
9 0:26:43 Mens Masters M50-54 O'GRADY, Patrick 5040 13
13 0:26:59 Mens Masters M50-54 MALONEY, Gerard 5041 17

Result of the Mens Masters M55-59 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
Place Time Name Race Age Category
2 0:26:39 PAYNE, Tommy Mens Masters M55-59 5533 10
4 0:27:24 MCDONALD, Martin Mens Masters M55-59 5534 20
11 0:28:50 COLLINS, John Mens Masters M55-59 5535 47

Result of the Mens Masters M60-64 team competition.
4th...Republic of Ireland
9 0:28:47 Mens Masters M60-64 ELLIOTT, Paul 6033 46
10 0:29:46 Mens Masters M60-64 O'SHEA, Pat 6036 53
12 0:30:07 Mens Masters M60-64 TODD, John 6034 57

Result of the Mens Masters M65-69 team competition.
2nd...Republic of Ireland
1 0:22:19 MCEVILLY, Martin Mens Masters M65-69 6533 1
9 0:24:11 O'HARE, Liam Mens Masters M65-69 6534 10
13 0:24:38 SHANNON, Dennis Mens Masters M65-69 6535 15

Result of the Mens Masters M70+ team competition.
4th...Republic of Ireland
5 0:25:18 Mens Masters M70+ MEE, Terry 7033 22
15 0:29:27 Mens Masters M70+ LANGAN, Jim 7035 35
16 0:30:06 Mens Masters M70+ DUGGAN, Mike 7036 36

The mens individual results are HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE

The mens team results are HERE and HERE and HERE

Photos...
1) Tom Morris has a gallery HERE 

Interview with Sonia O'Sullivan on ParkRun Australia

Since starting in the UK in 2004, the Park Run series have spread around the world. In Australia, there are now 52 Park Runs and the series there even has it's own podcast.

In the most recent edition, they caught up with Sonia O'Sullivan who has been taking part in the various Park Runs in the UK, Ireland and Australia since 2005. She talks about how she used them as part of her training back in the early days and even the Macroom event gets a mention ;o)

Sonia can be heard from 12:10 to 22:25

Fionnuala Britton wins Inter Counties Cross Country Championships

At the AAI Inter County Cross Country Championships in Santry on Sunday, Fionnuala Britton won the senior womens race by a minute over her nearest rival.

Senior Women - 8000m - Santry Park, Dublin - 17th November 2013. 
1 Britton, Fionnuala Kilcoole A.C. 26:05
2 McCormack, Sarah Dublin 27:07
3 Treacy, Sara Meath 27:15
6 McCambridge, Maria Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 27:22
8  O'Doherty, Siobhan Borrisokane A.C. (IND) 27:53
11 McCarthy, Claire Cork 28:00
14 Crowe, Laura An Riocht A.C. 28:18
25 O'Connor, Sinead Cork 30:13
29 Kenny, Michelle Cork 30:31
32  Finn, Carol Cork 30:58
34  Costello, Anna Marie Gneeveguilla A.C. 31:11
36 Santry, Fiona Cork 31:15
40 Walsh, Niamh Cork 32:09

The Cork team finished in third place...
Place County Team Total
1 Dublin (A) 20 2 5 6 7
2 Donegal (A) 93 4 17 35 37
3 Cork (A) 97 11 25 29 32

Post race interview with Fionnuala Britton...

Senior Men - 10,000m - Santry Park, Dublin 17th November 2013.
1 Pollock, Paul Antrim 31:02
2 Mulhare, Micheal Laois 31:36
3 Mulhare, Dan Laois 31:40
7 McCarthy, David West Waterford A.C. 32:06
9 Hanrahan, Mark Cork A 32:15
21 Thistlewood, Ben Cork A 32:50
23 McMahon, Brian Cork A 32:57
27 O'Leary, Cillian Cork A 33:10
32 McCarthy, James Cork A 33:28
33 O'Donovan, Cathal Cork B 33:29
38 O'Donoghue, Tim Cork A 33:35
46 Curran, Eric (U.23) Cork A 33:57
53 McGrath, Sean Cork A 34:08
60 Sweeney, Gavin Cork A 34:24
61 Twomey, Tim Cork B 34:26
64 O'Sullivan, Mark (U.23) Cork B 34:30
65 O'Shea, Alan Cork A 34:35
71 O'Sullivan-Hourihane, Josh (U.23) Cork B 34:44
85 Collins, Diarmaid Cork B 35:36
96 Maunsell, Thomas Cork A 36:16
98 Hanrahan, Peter (U.23) Cork B 36:26
130 'Rahilly, Shane (U.23) Cork B 39:08

In the team results, the Cork team finished third
Place County Team Total
 1 Dublin (A) 76 5 6 10 12 19 24
 2 Antrim (A) 104 1 4 11 25 28 35
 3 Cork A 150 9 21 23 27 32 38

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Mount Oval 6 mile road race...Sun 17th Nov 2013

A total of 245 runners turned out for this 6 mile road race in Mount Oval in Rochestown near Cork City.

1 Gavin Sweeney M 31:32 ARMY
2 RORY O'SULLIVAN M 32:06 Clarke Level Construction
3 JOHN MEADE M 32:14 JOYCE WOLFE PHYSIOTHERPY
22 ANN MARIE HOLLAND 0/35 37:29 TRAVEL IRELAND
43 DENISE TWOHIG 0/40 40:23 HEALTH SERVICE EXECUTIVE
50 NIAMH CRONIN 0/35 41:07 SOUTHERN LAW

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE

Mount Oval Bar Facebook competition...

For anyone on Facebook, the Mount Oval Bar have a competition in conjunction with the holding of the 6 mile Cork BHAA race tomorrow.

To enter, just follow the instructions on their Facebook page.

Event notice...Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10k - Sat 7th Dec 2013

This multi-race event is coming up in Clonakilty in West Cork on Saturday the 7th of December 2013.

There are a choice of 3 races.....
a) A full 26.2 mile marathon which takes in some incredible scenery on the west Cork coastline.
b) A 13.1 mile half-marathon
c) A 10 km race.

All three races start and finish in the town of Clonakilty itself which marks a change from last year when the start and finish was in Inchydoney.

All competitors receive a race medal and a long sleeve tech top which makes a welcome change from the multitude of short sleeve tops given out at other races. It may not be an issue during the warmer months but these long sleeve tops come into their own for training on cold winter days.

Please note that entries close at midnight on Thursday the 21st of November.

You can find more details about the event on this PDF document or on the event website.

You can enter directly via the website for the chip timing company.

For those interested in the 10k event, here is a brief overview of the course...


More details to follow in other posts...

Reminder about the Cork BHAA Mount Oval race...Sun 17th Nov 2013

Just a reminder that the Cork BHAA Mount Oval 6 mile race is coming up next Sunday. Located near Rochestown, it should be within easy access for a lot of people in or near Cork City.

The entry fee is just €5 for registered runners and €8 for non-reg. As per usual with this event, there is always a fine spread afterwards for the runners.

More details in this earlier post.

A full preview of the course with maps, photos and directions can be seen HERE

New record for 100m on all fours set in Japan

A new Guinness World record for running on all fours was set today in Japan.


Kenichi Ito completed the 100m in 16.87 seconds at Komazawa Olympic Park Athletic Field, in Setagaya, Tokyo.

Results & Photos of the Run in the Dark in Cork...

The results can be seen HERE

Obviously, some of the positions are wrong as it's obvious some may not have completed the full two laps for the 5k course and four laps for the 10k. Otherwise, for anyone who completed their respective distances then the time is accurate.

Photos...
1) There are some photos from Doug Minihane HERE

Video....
Start of the race on Oliver Plunkett Street...

Results of the Munster AAI Intermediate Cross Country...Sun 10th Nov 2013

The Munster AAI Intermediate Cross Country Championships were held this year in Castlelyons in NE Cork in wet and muddy conditions.

Intermediate Men...1 Gavin Sweeney Togher Cork, 2 Josh O'Sullivan-Hourihan Leevale, 3 Elton Heffernan Togher Cork
Club Team Points...1 Togher 1, 3, 12, 14 30 / 2 Waterford A.C. 5, 6, 17, 30 58 / 3 Dundrum 16, 20, 22, 31 89
County Team Points...1 Cork 1, 3, 4, 12, 15, 27 62 / 2 Tipperary 7, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21 85 / 3 Waterford 5, 6, 13, 17, 30, 32 103

Intermediate Women...1 Sharon Rynne Kilmurry Ibrickane/N. Clare Clare / 2 Karina Teahan St. Finbarr's Kerry / 3 Michelle Kenny Midleton Cork
Club Team Points...1 Ennis Track 10, 11, 23, 34 78 / 2 Mallow 13, 18, 19, 31 81 / 3 St. Finbarr's 2, 12, 26, 41 81
County Team Points...1 Cork 3, 4, 5, 13 25 / 2 Kerry 2, 7, 9, 17 35 / 3 Clare 1, 10, 11, 23 45
Club Team Points...1 Ennis Track 10, 11, 23, 34 78 / 2 Mallow 13, 18, 19, 31 81 / 3 St. Finbarr's 2, 12, 26, 41 81

The full results can be seen HERE

5 year old runs Half-Marathon in 2:22 in USA

Back in October, I had a post up about a six year old girl who had run a half-marathon in Texas in a time of 2:47.

The most recent news is that now, a five year old boy ran the Trenton Half-Marathon in New Jersey last Saturday in a time of 2:22:25. He is now the yougest sub 2:30 half-marathon runner in US history.


After the event. the boy's father Nick Russo said......"He can take this as far as he decides to….We have no reason to push him to do this. He enjoys it and has a gift. If we restrict him that would be doing him a disservice. He was awake at 5:30 a.m. had breakfast, ran. Afterwards, he got his face painted, ate lunch, went to the store, came home, RAN to his friend’s house to invite him to play with his new superman toy.”

The boy's mother said.....“I don’t think he has any idea how much he’s doing. He doesn’t even think about the fact that this isn’t normal and most people can’t do this. We’re all just totally amazed that he could even do it. It was nothing for him at all to do one mile, so we upped it to two miles. Then there was a 5K coming around and he wanted to do it. He did it in about a half-hour and it was like nothing to him, so I just said ‘All right, let’s see how far we can go.’”

The parents said that they were not being reckless about their son’s activity. They’ve consulted sports doctors and pediatricians regarding how far he should run. “We’re not just doing this randomly,” Olivia Russo stresses, adding that her son “doesn’t get knee pain and ankle pain.”

Probably more worrying was the face that the five year old was....'putting in 35 to 40 miles per week for his half marathon debut.'

Review of the Macroom Park Run numbers

Park Runs started off in the UK in 2004 and have since become very popular. The concept is simple enough....a timed 5k course in a local park and people take part for free every week.

In May of this year, a new Park Run started in Macroom which was the first one in Cork. As outlined in this earlier post, there was a question mark about whether a weekly 5k event in an area with a low population density would keep going after the initial interest had worn off.

The event last Saturday was the 26th week and it is now going for six months. As can be seen from the graph below, the numbers have declined slightly of late but they are still getting around 50 people per week.

By the way, that peak at the end of August was due to Sonia O'Sullivan making an appearance.

Obviously as it's a free event, there is a large voluntary effort required to keep it going week after week regardless of the weather. The next challenge that they will probably face is trying to keep the numbers up over the wet and cold winter months.

There was talk a few months ago about other Park Runs starting up in Co.Cork but there has been no news of late. Anyone got any info???

Volunteers required for the Run in the Dark race...

The Run in the Dark charity race is coming up next Wednesday evening the 13th of Nov 2013 at 7:30pm in Cork City. The 5 km / 10 km route will weave it's way through the streets of Cork City in the dark and numerous race stewards will be required on the night.

The person behind organising the stewards for this event is Paul Cotter of Eagle AC and he is looking for additional volunteers to help out on the night. If you are not running and would be willing to help out this charity event on Wednesday evening then please contact Paul at mac.cotter@hotmail.co.uk

Video presentation about barefoot running....

Daniel E. Lieberman is a Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and is a leading advocate of barefoot running. In this video presentation (Mar 2012) lasting about one hour, he outlines his thoughts on modern shoes and comparing it to running barefoot.

Anyone wearing orthotics may find some of the points made of interest.

Results of the Great Railway Run...Sun 10th Nov 2013

The Great Railway Run was held today the 10th of Nov 2013 in somewhat wet conditions.

The 25 km race attracted 87 runners and ran from Cork City to Carrigaline following much of the old railway route.
1 Kevin WILMOT    01:30:25    01:30:25    Open    Male
2 Eric BROWNE    01:35:54    01:35:51    Open    Male
3 Joe WALSH    01:38:17    01:38:15    40-49    Male
1 Maura REGAN    01:43:59    01:43:55    Open    Female
2 Deirdre GRADY    01:48:46    01:48:45    Open    Female
3 Siobhan DEMPSEY    01:50:57    01:50:57    40-49    Female

The 10 km race went from Monkstown to Carrigaline and had a field of 154.
1 Alan O' BRIEN    00:36:23    00:36:20    Open    Male
2 David CRAIG    00:37:08    00:37:06    Open    Male
3 John OCALLAGHAN    00:38:33    00:38:31    40-49    Male
1 Ailbhe MC DAID    00:41:24    00:41:21    Open    Female
2 Stephanie CULLIGAN    00:43:04    00:43:02    40-49    Female
3 Debbie LEE    00:44:44    00:44:41    40-49    Female

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE

(Photo courtesy of Kieran Minihane)

Dungarvan 10 entries now closed...

Entries to the 2014 Dungarvan 10 mile road race have now closed with the 2,000 available places being filled in just under 6 weeks. The only entries left are for elite athletes....(elite entries will be taken by post only after the closing date up to January 17th. The following times apply to elite entry: Men sub 55 minutes. Ladies sub 60 minutes. These times will have to be in the 3 years prior to race day. (Proof of these times may be required).

Just to show the growth in numbers and entries for this race, it's worth having a look at the last two years.

For the Dungarvan 10 race in January 2012, there was an entry limit of 1,500 places. Entries opened on 28th of October and closed on the 28th of December...i.e. two months or just under 9 weeks....an entry rate of about 160 per week.

For the Dungarvan 10 race in January 2013, the entry limit had increased to 1,750 places. Entries opened earlier on the 1st of October 2012 and closed on the 3rd of December....i.e. About the same length of time but with an extra 250 places filled....an entry rate of about 190 per week.

This time, there has been a major change in the level of demand. The entries for the 2014 race opened on the 1st of October with a limit of 2,000 places. All entries went in about five and a half weeks which is roughly a demand of about 360 per week, about double what it was in previous years.

It wasn't that long ago that the organising club West Waterford AC were taking entries to the race on the day and were hoping to grow the event to 1,000 entries. How things have changed.

Lizzie Lee and Claire McCarthy win Cork Sports Award for Sept & Oct

The recent achievements of two of Cork's best athletes were recognised today when they were awarded the Cork City Sports Athletics Award for September and October respectively.

Lizzie Lee and Claire McCarthy

In late September, Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC finished in 9th place in a time of 2:38:09 in the Berlin Marathon, one of the major marathons in the world.

In the recent Dublin Marathon, Claire McCarthy of Leevale AC finished in second place in a time of 2:39:37. This was over three minutes faster than her previous best of 2:43:15 which she set in Rotterdam last April.

Both athletes are coached by Donie Walsh of Leevale AC who represented Ireland in the marathon in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Photo courtesy of Gearóid Ó Laoi

Cork Simon Community Charity looking for unwanted running shoes

Cork Simon Community are currently looking for donations of any unwanted running shoes. See the message below...

"Please donate your unwanted running shoes to support Cork Simon Community....If you have any unwanted running shoes you can donate these to Cork Simon Community, to help support people who are homeless in Cork this winter. Cork Simon would be delighted to take any donations of shoes, however they shouldn't have any holes / damage and be clean. So if you can see your toe sticking out the top then that's a no-no!

For anyone who does a lot of running, you will know that after a while shoes loose their 'bounce' and they should be replaced. By the time that happens the shoes overall can still be in pretty good shape...i.e. not good enough for running but perfectly fine for walking. There is a collection point in John Buckley Sports. The shops is located just across the river from Cork Opera House...."

Thanks to Ruairi O'Mahony for the above info.

Race notice...Cork BHAA Mount Oval 6 mile - Sun 17th Nov 2013

This Cork BHAA 6 mile road race is coming up on Sunday, the 17th of November 2013 at 11am. Organised in conjunction with the Mount Oval Bar, this one is just to the south-east of the city on nice country roads and is very easy to get to.

Mount Oval is just off the N28 road to Carrigaline. It's very easy to get to from the South Ring Road in Cork City...

It certainly wouldn't be described as an easy 6 mile course as there are a number of hills. I use part of this course a lot on my own training runs for the simple reason that it's reasonably quiet and safe and it's in the countryside. Once the early hill is out of the way, the rest is pretty reasonable. Weather permitting, it should make for a good race.

 As with all Cork BHAA races, the entry fee for registered runners is just €5 and €8 for the non-reg. As per usual, there will the usual feast afterwards! ;o)

They are also looking for some race stewards if you can help out? Contact Greg Moore at 012 4898162.

Preview...A full preview of the course with maps, photos and directions can be seen HERE

Entries to the Run in the Dark close 7th Nov

This is another race where entries are closing today, the 7th of November.

Note that the race packs can be picked up in Lifestyle Sports in Patrick Street beforehand...see info above.

The race consists of a 5 km and 10 km course through the streets of Cork City on Wednesday evening the 13th of November.

More details in this earlier post.

Dungarvan 10 entries now down to less than 500 left...

"Go Dungarvans" Johnny Brunnock...associate sponsors of the John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile road race on January 26th 2014. Also pictured are John Treacy and Paschal Proctor, West Waterford athlete club vice chairman with the Go Electric car which will lead out the race leaders come race day.

Updated Fri 8th Nov...There are now less than 300 places left. If you are interested in entering one of the best 10 mile road races in the country then do so asap.

More details in this earlier post.

Online entries to the Great Railway Run close tonight

Just a reminder that online entries for the Great Railway Run closes at midnight tonight. After that, you can still enter on the day but it's more expensive.

Race...Pre-reg...Late reg
5K    €10    €15
10K    €20    €30
25K    €30    €40

The 25 km race goes from Cork City to Carriglaine. The 10 km race goes from Monkstown to Carrigaline and the 5k fun run goes from Shanbally to Carrigaline. All proceeds go towards Carrigaline Lions Club.

More details in this earlier post.

Gardai marathon runners catch jewel thief in Tralee

According to media sources, there was a robbery of a jewelry shop in Tralee during the week. After snatching a tray of ring in the shop, the thief was subsequently chased by four Garda officers who had recently completed the Dublin City Marathon.

A spokesperson for the Gardai said that a 31 year old man had been charged with an offence relating to the robbery of the shop on Dominic Street and all items of jewellery were recovered. According to the store owner Billy Nolan, the "thief did not have a chance".

Entries for the 2014 Dungarvan 10 race passes 1300...

As of last weekend, the number of entries for the Dungarvan 10 mile road race (Sun 26th Jan 2014) has passed the 1,300 mark. There are now less than 700 places left.

This really is an excellent race and it sells out early every year. Many people would put it on a par with the Ballycotton 10.....except that it's a lot easier to get into and there is a lot less hassle on the day.

The entry fee is €20 and that includes a Nike dry-fit top. If you are interested then enter asap.

More details in this earlier post.

Hi-Viz gear from the Road Safety Authority

Now that the clocks have changed and a lot more people are running during the dark evenings, it's important that people wear the correct high visibility gear. It is so easy to get hold of now that there is no excuse.

The Road Safety Authority have a special promotion at the moment and all of the items in the photo can be obtained for free. This should be of interest to any club or group that organise activities in the dark.

Visit their website for more details

Entry procedure for the 2014 Ballycotton 10 mile road race...

The entry procedure for the 2014 Ballycotton 10 mile road race has now been announced and it differs from last year in that there is a lot more emphasis on online entries.

ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ROAD RACE 2014
The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’, to take
place on Sunday March 9th. Numbers are limited as usual and there be will
be a combination of online and postal entries as follows:

1) Online entries will open on Friday December 6th at 2pm and the first 2,300 will be accepted.

2) A PDF copy of the entry form will then be published on the website on Monday December 9th (forms will also be available in John Buckley Sports, Tri n Run in Midleton and Ger Wyley Sports, Dungarvan, the same day). The first 200 non-club entries to arrive by post will be added to the above number, giving a total of 2,500.

3) After that, only AAI club members and those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2013 will be accepted (by post) up until Friday December 20th and for those living overseas up until Tuesday January 7th.

4) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date. This year we are not encouraging people to send in stamped addressed envelopes but anyone who wishes to do so will have the forms posted out on Friday December 6th. Entry fee for the 2014 race is again €15 (plus booking fee if entering online)

******
Note that there are 200 places available for non-club runners who enter by post. In other words, if you are a non-club runner and you did not complete the four races in the 2013 Summer Series then you really need to make sure that you enter online.

Last year, they took postal entries for two days and 1,400 places were filled. The remaining 1,100 places will filled by online entries in 2h 40m. With the additional places this year, it's likely that all 2,300 places for non-club runners will be filled by Tuesday evening.

One obvious implication of this for the organisers is that it should drastically reduce the amount of work that needs to be done processing postal entries.

If you are a club runner or have done the summer series then just print out the form and post it in before the 20th of December.
The link for entering online after 2pm on Fri 6th Dec is HERE

Results of the Cork AAI Senior Cross Country Championships...Sun 3rd Nov 2013

After a lovely sunny start to the day, the weather had changed completely by mid-day for this years Cork AAI Senior Cross Country Championships near Riverstick.

Senior Men 10km
1    0:35:12    THISTLEWOOD, Ben    Leevale AC    M    05:39.8    94    1
2    0:35:19    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    05:40.9    80    2
 3    0:35:20    O'DONOGHUE, Tim    East Cork AC    M    05:41.1    82    3
Teams...1    :  East Cork AC, 2    :  Leevale AC, 3    :  Togher AC

Senior Women 6km
1    0:24:17    LEE, Lizzie    Leevale AC    F    06:30.7
2    0:24:34    KENNY, Michelle    Midleton AC    F    06:35.2
3    0:24:37    CROWLEY, Carmel    Bandon AC    F    06:36.0
Teams...1    :  Leevale AC , 2    :  St. Finbarrs AC

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Wed 6th)
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery HERE 
2) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has 3 galleries HERE 
3) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE

Fionnuala Britton wins Lotto Cross Country Cup in Belgium

The Lotto Cross Country Cup was held in Anwerp, Belgium on Sunday the 3rd of Nov 2013 and a large contingent of Irish athletes were taking part.

In the womens race, the European Cross Country Champion Fionnuala Britton won by a margin of 19 seconds.

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA HSE 4 mile road race - Sun 3rd Nov 2013

A total of 245 turned out for this BHAA race in Cork City, down 17% from last year. It also clashed with the Cork AAI Senior Cross Country Championships which might explain the drop in numbers.

1 JOHN MEADE  21:25 JOYCE WOLFE PHYSIOTHERPY
2 KEVIN WILMOT  21:37 EMC
3 John Collins  21:52 CIT STAFF
35 SHEILA BUCKLEY  25:07 MIDLETON NEWS
66 IRENE EIGHAN  26:40 NOVARTIS
68 JOANNE MAHONY  26:42 STRYKER IRELAND

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Doug Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE

The effects of doping may last up to 10 years

Back in August, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) announced that from 2015, athletes found guilty of using banned substances will be given a four year ban instead of the current two.

A recent study in Norway with mice suggests that taking certain steroids can have a lasting effect on the subjects for a very long time after the doping session. It was found that if the mice had a brief exposure to testosterone then they  found that three months after the drug was withdrawn, their muscles grew by 30% after six days of exercise. A control group of mice saw growth of just 6% in the same time period. It was found that the brief exposure to the drug boosted the number of cell nuclei which help to build muscle. This new research is a follow on from a previous study which suggested that if people exercised when they were young then their muscles grew more easily when they were adults.

Prof Gundersen, the scientist behind the study published in the journal of Physiology says that if a similar effect can be shown in humans, it should lead to a lifetime ban for dopers. He is quoted as saying..."If it is sufficient to build muscle mass, I think it would be sufficient to give you this long term effect. I think it could last 10 years but I don't have the data to back that up. It would be my speculation yes. In science if you cheat, you are out for life, and my personal view is that it should be similar for athletes. It is a harsh treatment but if you really are cheating, I think that's reasonable."

The Norwegian research team now believes that their research calls into question the current proposal from the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) to raise the penalty for dopers from two years to four.