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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Updates on entries to the Cheetah Run in Fota Wildlife Park

The Cheetah Run is a 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park on Thursday the 15th of May. A total of 900 places are available. 450 entries are available at 10am today the 30th of April. If they sell out, the remaining 450 will be available at 7pm this evening.

You can enter online at... http://precisiontiming.primo-solutions.co.uk/ps/event/CheetahRun2014

Updates....Entries open at 10am
10:05...116 in!
10:08...275 gone
10:10...369!!!!
10:12am.....The first batch of 450 entries are now gone. The next batch open at 7pm this evening.
7pm...Entries are open again!!
7:05pm...Timing chip website crashed! Back again after a few mins. Too many people trying to enter.

11:30pm...There were a lot of problems with the second batch of entries. A total of 50 ended up not being sold. These are now available....first come, first served!

Thurs 6:45am.....Still 24 places left for any early birds!
7:35am...15 left
Entries are now closed.

Reminder...Cork City Marathon entry fees go up tomorrow


Just a reminder that the 30th of April is the last day to avail of the cheaper entry fees for the Cork City Marathon, Half-Marathon and Relay. As of tomorrow, all the prices go up by €10.

For more details, check out this earlier post.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Winner of 2010 London Marathon gets a drugs ban...

Today Tuesday the 29th of April 2014, the Russian Athletics Federation announced that Liliya Shobukhova has been handed a two-year ban for doping, with her results from October 9, 2009 to be annulled. This was as a result of having found abnormalities in her biological passport.

This means she is set to lose her 2010 London Marathon title, as well as Chicago Marathon titles from 2009, 2010 and 2011, with her ban backdated to January 24, 2013. It will run until January 23, 2015.

If the ban is confirmed following any appeal, her two World Marathon Major (WMM) series wins of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 would also be annulled. The WMM series comprises the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, Bank of America Chicago and TCS New York City marathons. Just for the Major Series alone, she would have earned $1 million over the two years while for the 2010 London title alone, she would have won $55,000.

In a statement for the World Marathon Majors, a spokesman confirmed that any athlete found guilty of a doping offence is required to repay any prize or appearance money earned at WMM events including WMM series prize money. The statement continued..."WMM will continue to hold a stern line and supports all measures to ensure the integrity of the athletes competing in their races. Cheats need to understand that they are not welcome in our sport and that they will be caught.”

The 36-year-old Shobukhova's time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 20 seconds in Chicago in 2011 made her the second-fastest women's marathon runner behind record holder Paula Radcliffe of Britain. In response to the news of the drugs ban, Paula Radcliffe put this on her Twitter account..."Lilya Shobukhova finally exposed as a drug cheat. Action needs to be taken to show cheating not acceptable. Monies won should be returned and rightful winners recognized."

If this sounds familiar, remember Tatyana Aryasova of Russia who won the Dublin Marathon in 2010, got €15,000 in prize money and then tested positive for a banned substance just a few months later.

Seriously...if someone is caught, is the prize money ever returned???

Reminder...Crosshaven 8 km road race...Wed 30th Apr 2014


This is a new road race coming up in Crosshaven on Wednesday the 30th of April at 7:30pm. All those intending on taking part or viewing the Crosshaven 8km Road Race are asked to park in the RCYC car park which is at the entrance to the village. It will be signposted and stewards will be on hand. The car park is approx 800m from the start line.


The entry fee is €10 and the cut-off time for entries is 7:15pm sharp. Race HQ is at Pipers Amusement grounds where you can enter. Tea and refreshments after the race as well as a paid BBQ outside Cronins after the race.

You will find a preview of the course HERE

The race website is http://www.crosshaven8km.com/


Reminder....Entries for the Fota Wildlife Park Cheetah Run open on Wed 30th Apr

Just a reminder that the entries for the Cheetah Run (4 miles) open on Wednesday the 30th of April. There are 900 places available. Entries will open in two batches....450 at 10am and 450 at 7pm.

Last year, all the entries sold out in under 3 hours.

The link for online entries is... http://precisiontiming.primo-solutions.co.uk/ps/event/CheetahRun2014

More info in this earlier post and on the race page on the Eagle AC website.

The Cheetah Run is on Thursday the 15th of May.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Results of the MMRA Claragh Mountain Trail Race...Sun 20th Apr 2014

A total of 50 runners turned out for this race up Claragh Mountain near Millstreet in NW Cork on Sunday the 20th of April. This is up 35% on last years numbers.

1 28.18 Tim O'Donoghue M
2 30.15 Paul Tierney
3 30.27 Tim O'Connor M
23 39.45 Carol Finn F
25 39.52 Laura Schwirz F
30 41.24 Noreen Harvey F40


The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There are a set of nice photos up on the Millstreet Community Website

Report on the 2014 Boston Marathon from Ronan Boland of Eagle AC...


I've just put a report on the 2014 Boston Marathon by Ronan Boland up on the Eagle AC website. I think anyone who plans to do this event in the future should find it of interest... http://eagleac.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/28th-apr-report-on-the-eagle-ac-trip-to-the-2014-boston-marathon/    

Reminder...Bandon Half-Marathon & 10k is coming up next Sat 3rd May 2014

Another event coming up next weekend is the Bandon Half-Marathon and 10k on Saturday the 3rd of May 2014. One of the main aims of this particular event is to raise funds to build a proper 400m tartan track which will be of benefit to all clubs in the West Cork region.


Update from the organisers...Bandon AC...The Bandon Half Marathon and 10k takes place on Saturday May 3rd. This is the 4th year running this event and the profits raised are feeding into the Bandon AC all weather tartan track development fund. Bandon AC have recently marked it's 50th anniversary since its founding in 1964 and the club continues to promote athletics and sporting activity across all age ranges in the wider Bandon area and the provision of an all weather facility would be a great addition to the West Cork region.

Online race entry for the Bandon Half and 10k at http://precisiontiming.primo-solutions.co.uk/ps/event/BandonHalfMarathonand10k2014 will remain open until Thursday night with an all inclusive on-line pre-entry fee of €25 for the Half and €15 for the 10k. Entries will also be taken on morning of the race and on Friday evening from 17:00 in the race head quarters at the Rugby Club. There is also a 6 mile walk starting at 9am and entries for that event are been taken on the morning of the race.

The race committee is also offering €100 bonus prizes if course records are broken in either events. Colin Merritt of Carrig na bhFear holds the men’s record for the half at 1.11.35. Bandon AC’s Carmel Crowley is the holder of the women’s record over the half distance at 1.24.14. In the 10K, Michael Harty from East Cork AC set the 10k course record last year in 33.55 with the women’s top time being 40.16 held by Nollaig Hunter.


Links...
Race website... http://www.bandonhalfmarathon.com/
Race launch... http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/2014/04/recent-launch-of-bandon-half-marathon.html
Preview of the 10k course... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork008.html 
Preview of the Half-Marathon course... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork007.html

Results and photos of the Samsung 10k Night Run in Cork...Sun 27th Apr 2014


There was a huge turnout of 1019 runners for the first Samsung 10k Night Run in Cork...Sun 27th Apr 2014. As for which was the fastest city? It was of course Cork with an average time over a minute faster than Dublin :o)


For large high profile events like this, the gender split tends to be 50:50. In this case, it was roughly 58:42 which perhaps suggests that maybe 10 kms might have been a bit too far for some?...especially those who have done a 'couch to 5k programme'.


The winners of the race were Sergiu Ciobanu and Orla Drumm.

1 Sergiu Ciobanu     0:30:40  Male     1
2  Cathal O'Donovan     0:31:40  Male     2
3  Alan Oshea     0:32:12  Male     3
4 Orla Drumm     0:35:30  Female     1
48 Mary Dennehy     0:42:09  Female     2
80 Clodagh McMorrow  0:43:21  Female     3


The race results for Cork can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Mon 10am)
1) Kieran Minihane has some photos HERE
2) Grahan Nudds has a gallery HERE

Video...
1) Runners on South Terrace...

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Online entries for the Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k close Mon 28th Apr...


Just a final reminder that online entries for the 2014 Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k in Bantry, West Cork close on Monday the 28th of April. Both events are on Sunday the 4th of May 2014.

Once registration closes online then race entry can only be made in person through registration evening or on race day in Glengarriff or Snave.

Links & previous posts...
Tech tops..... HERE

Course previews.......Half.....10k.....
Interview with the organisers on how they intend to raise funds for the Bantry Hospice...HERE

Event website...http://bayrun.ie/

Results of the Churchtown 5k fun run...Sun 27th Apr 2014

This charity 5k fun run was held in Churchtown in North Cork to raise funds for the Slí Eile Foundation.

The results can be seen HERE

Cross Country in Dublin in 1921...

In the first half of the 20th century in an era before television, the only way people got to see video footage of popular news stories was at the pictures. This was often shown preceding the main movie and was provided by a firm called British Pathé.

In this silent video dated from 1921, it shows a cross country race in Dublin which included roads and the scaling of walls.

Title...Dublin County Harriers - Invitation Cross Country Race. Dublin, Ireland.

Watch out for the dog ;o)

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Results of the Passage West Community 10k road race...Fri 25th Apr 2014

The weather conditions for this particular race can only be described as pretty awful. After being fry for most of the day, the rain started around 6:30pm and was in pelting down in time for the race. Full credit to the 162 hardy souls that took part in the race and helped raise funds for the Cork City Hospitals Childrens Club. Looking through the photos, it's obvious that a small army of volunteers from the local community were also standing out in the driving rain for the duration of the race so full credit to them as well. It's just such a pity that after all the months of preparation and work for this race, the weather should end up being so bad. Fingers crossed for next year!

1    John Meade    St Finbarrs    O30    34:49
2    Alex O'Shea    St Finbarrs    O40    35:01
3    Cornelius Marshall    St Finbarrs    O30    35:59
13    Deirdre Nagle    Eagle AC        41:24
22    Anna Doris    Midleton AC    43:14
40    Elaine Guinane    Eagle AC    O30    46:32


The full results can be seen HERE

Local volunteers helping out at the finish line
Photos...(Updated Sat 26th @10pm)
1) Kieran Minihane has 141 photos HERE 
2) Derek Costello has a gallery of 147 photos HERE 
3) Another small gallery and a video of the start from the organisers HERE 
4) Kelly McEveney has a number of photos HERE

(Photos in post courtesy of Kieran Minihane)

Friday, April 25, 2014

Bandits at the 2014 Boston Marathon

In the US, a number of people run in races without numbers and they are generally named 'Bandits'. This most of happens when entries are restricted or when there entry fee is very expensive.

The Boston Marathon attracts a fair number of these runners every year but with the heightened security following last years bombing, running without a race number this year was going to be very difficult.

After the marathon last Monday, one runner got a bit of a shock where she found that there were multiple photos of her 'number' up on a commercial photo website. As you can see in the photo above, all five runners have the number 14285.

The woman in orange on the left is Kara Bonneau and the legitimate owner. The other 4 are so called 'bandits'. It is suspected that her race bib was copied and reprinted after she put it up on the social media website Instagram last week.

This story has been doing the rounds on running sites over the last few days and the organisers said that it happens every year and strongly discourages it...."It's not a security issue–it's just that someone has a fake bib, and they get onto the course and run the race,. We're looking more into the situation. The race was just a couple days ago, and we're still managing the event itself and the 36,000 official runners in the race."

Wonder if it happens on this side of the water?

Athletics Ireland release syllabus for upcoming congress in Cork

The Athletics Ireland Congress is due to be held on the 26th and 27th of April in Cork. In advance of this, Athletics Ireland released the syllabus for the event and it can be seen HERE.

One of the topics covered was the membership of Athletics Ireland which is of course made up from the various clubs around the country.

As you can see from the chart above, the total membership at the end of 2013 stood at just under 50,000. This is an increase of 67% in the last 5 years.

The number of Juveniles has grown by 52% in the last 5 years and this can only be good for the sport. From what I understand, the definition of a 'Juvenile' are those aged under 18 but I'm open to correction on that.

As far as I know, Juniors are those between the ages of 18 and 20. Compared to the other groupings, their numbers are very small but that's probably mainly due to the fact it's only a narrow age range.

Masters are those who are aged 35 and above. The growth in numbers here is due to those people who run road races joining clubs.In the last 5 years, the number of masters has grown by 116%, the strongest growth of any of the groups.

As for senior members (aged 21 to 34), there was a jump in numbers in 2010 and has remained more or less steady since. Note how this contrasts to the growth in masters. If you were to look at the membership of athletic clubs that have most of their members involved in road running, you would find that roughly 75% are masters...i.e. age 35 and above.

Finances......On the subject of the finances of Athletics Ireland, they had a loss of €6,657 last year on a turnover of roughly €4.4 million. The plan for the current year is that they will have a profit of about €2k. Obviously as a percentage, that is wafer thin. A profit of €40k would be 1% on turnover so €2k represents just 0.05%. It wouldn't take a whole lot to throw the final figure astray.

Looking at their income for the year, grants from the Irish Sports Council make up almost half. As almost all sports grants have been cut over the last few years then it has an obvious impact on Athletics Ireland. For all that though, I can't help wondering why an organisation that is enjoying record membership isn't in the black?

Motions.......There are 79 motions and these are listed on pages 69 to 80. Most are to do with competition and organisational issues but some would have a direct impact on the finances of Athletics Ireland.

Motions 21 and 22 deal with the various county boards retaining a percentage of the permit fees.

21. THAT: a 10% portion of the annual AAI permit fees be returned to the relevant County Boards
at the end of the calendar year.....TIPPERARY /  MUNSTER
22. THAT: 25% of Permit fees be returned to the relevant County Board.....CORK

Another motion is to move the various national championships around the country...

36. THAT: the venues for all National Championships shall rotate around the Provinces, with the
sole exception of the National Marathon..... CORK


At present, the national 10k championships are held in conjunction with the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. About 600 club runners and thousands of non-club runners take part and Athletics Ireland benefit financially from all of those entries. If the race were to move to say some place like Donegal then the numbers would obviously tumble. Would Athletics Ireland be still part of the Great Ireland run then or would it be run exclusively by a commercial company?

The national half-marathon championships have traditionally moved around the country but the numbers taking part have been patchy as can be seen from this old post. One obvious fact from previous events is that it's most locals that take part. In 2012, about 400 people took part in the National Half-Marathon in Athenry, Co.Galway. Hardly anyone from Cork and neighbouring counties traveled to it as outlined is this post. In 2013, the National Half was run in conjunction with the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin. This decision wasn't without controversy however as a lot of club members have misgivings about having a national championships as part of such a commercial event as outlined in this post.

Despite the misgivings however, thousands took part in this event and word has it that Athletics Ireland made something in the region of €50k from their involvement. Compare that to previous years when the event broke even or the host clubs made a loss.

On the face of it, the motion to move national events around the country might seem like a good idea but it could well have serious consequences. Would moving events around country result in a serious financial loss to Athletics Ireland? At a time when a national body is trying to balance the books, is it the right time to propose such a motion?

Dave Hooper who presents a programme called Inside Sport on Dublin City FM said this about it on his Twitter account...
Dave Hooper ‏@AthleticDJ  Mar 31...Proposal to rotate all National championships around the country except the marathon! will cause huge loss of revenue to #irishathletics

Thoughts???

Results of the East Cork Road Championships...Thurs 24th Apr 2014

The East Cork Road Championships were held in the village of Ballynoe to the NE of Midleton on Thursday evening, the 24th of April 2014. In the mens 5 mile race, there were 44 finishers while in the shorter womens 2 kms race, 31 took part.

This is how the numbers compare to previous years...

Imokilly Oil/East Cork Road Championship, Ballynoe

WOMEN 2000m
#    Time    Name    Team    Race Age Category    min/mile       
1    7:34    GRANT, Karen    Midleton AC    F    06:05.2
2    7:38    DORIS, Anna    Midleton AC    F40    06:08.4
3    7:47    SANTRY, Fiona    East Cork AC    F    06:15.7

TEAM (3 to score, outside first 3)
1  Midleton AC 22...//...2  Youghal AC 36...//...3  St Catherines AC  48

MEN 5-Mile
#    Time    Name    Team    Race Age Category    min/mile       
1   26:45    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    05:20.9
2   27:22    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:28.3
3   28:10    O'BRIEN, Kevin    East Cork AC    M    05:37.9

TEAM (4 to score outside first 3)
1  Youghal AC 42...//...2  East Cork AC 42...//...3  Midleton AC 51

The full results can be seen HERE

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Results of the Ring Rowing Club 5k fun run...Fri 11th Apr 2014

Ladies - 1st Eleanor Griffin - 21.51; 2nd Tracy Fleming-22.07; 3rd Grace Sheehan - 23.58; MENS - Alex O'Shea - 16.39; Paul Deane - 17.51; Garrett Lordan - 18.28; U16s girls - 1st Ciara Mae Deasy; 2nd Orla Deasy, 3rd Lizzie Kingston; U16s boys - Ruairi Couglan, Noel Creedon and Jack Conway;

Reminder...Passage West 10k race is on Fri 25th Apr

Just a reminder that the Passage West Community 10k road race is coming up on Friday evening the 25th of April at 7:30pm.

It's easy to think these 'races' just happen but behind the scenes there are weeks and months of preparation for just one evening. The various sporting clubs in the town have come together to host this race with the aim of raising funds for the Cork City Hospitals Children's Club.


Even groups that would not normally have no involvement in road races are helping out. For example only last night, the local tidy towns group were out cleaning up parts of the route that run through the town. The only thing that is needed now are for the runners to turn up and support this worthy cause.

The race has an Athletics Ireland permit and has been properly measured by Jones Counter.

More info in this earlier post.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Entries for the Samsung 10k Night Run extended until Friday 25th Apr

The organisers of the Sansung 10k Night Run in Cork City have extended the closing date for entries until Friday April 25th at 3pm.


This is a unique event in that the course is on closed roads on a Sunday evening in the heart of Cork City. The entry also includes a dry fit top as shown in the photo below of the race launch...

Cork Lord Mayor Catherine Clancy, Irish athlete Derval O'Rourke and Cork footballer Eoin Cadogan at the launch of the 2014 Samsung 10k Night Run in Cork

More info about the course in this previous post.

In comparison to most races, the entry fee is more expensive but most 10k races don't give out a long sleeved dry-fit top or have the associated costs of having a course through the heart of Cork City at night.

For more info and to enter, go to the race website... http://samsungnightrun.com/

This race has been run in Dublin for a number of years. This is the race video from 2013 which gives a taste of what it's like...

Notice...Midleton 5 mile road race - Thurs 1st May 2014

The start of May every year is associated with one of the most popular road races on the calendar...the Midleton 5 mile. The date for the race is Thursday, the 1st of May 2014 at 8pm.



Directions and Instructions...see the map below of Midleton.
a) Entries on the night will be taken at the GAA hall (€10). Entry desks will open at 5:30pm.

The GAA hall is located opposite the local train station. If you are coming from Cork City, then take the slip road for Midleton....

 ...then first left and onto the relief road going around to the west of the town...and at the next junction, turn right...over the rail lines....and then first left at The Session Bar. The GAA grounds are up this narrow road on the right.



b) Pre-entries...On Wednesday evening (30th Apr), you can pre-enter at the local Community Centre between 6pm and 7:15pm. This will allow you to collect your race number and avoid the entry queue on Thursday evening.
c) No Headphones!!... Due to insurance reasons, anyone found wearing them will be disqualified. Out of all the local races, you can expect it to be enforced here.
d) Travel to Midleton by Train....Considering that the GAA grounds are just across the road from the train station, this might be an option for anyone in Cork City wishing to travel down.
Depart Cork...Arrive Midleton (D 17:15...A 17:38), (D 17:45...A 18:09), (D 18:15...A 18:39)
Depart Midleton...Arrive Cork (D 21:45...A 22:08), (D 22:45...A 23:08).
e) Parking...As well as parking near the GAA grounds, they also have use of Hurleys Super Valu Overflow Car Park located just behind the Mill Wheel Bar on the Mill Road. This is just a few minutes walk from the GAA Pavilion.
f) Start.....The start line for the race is about 1km from the GAA hall. The finish line is about 1.5 kms.

From the organisers.....Like last year, we will have the use of the main hall in the GAA grounds which gives a lot more space for pre and post race activities. Please follow the advice of gardai and stewards at all times who will direct people to and from the Race HQ and the start. Allow plenty of time to get the start line, which is located approx 1 mile from HQ. As well this year Midleton Fitness Centre, situated just next to the start line have kindly offered us use of toilet facilities prior to the race.



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

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Notice...Emer Casey 10 km road race, Youghal - Sun 18th May 2014

This popular 10k road race in Youghal in East Cork is coming up on Sunday, the 18th of May 2014 at 1:30pm.



Here is some more info from the organisers...
Entry €20.........Entry €30 for family of 2........Free Entry on completion of a Sponsorship Card.........Free T-Shirt at registration.........Prizes galore - top 6 men and women, Category Prizes for O40-065 for the men and O35-O50 for the ladies........Spot prizes........Superb after race refreshments
AAI Permit and Course properly measured by Jones Counter.........Abundant support on route - great race, professionally organised and lots of fun.


All proceeds go towards the Emer Casey Foundation, a charity which helps fund cancer research.

Here is a small extract from their website which describes what the race and the fundraising is all about...
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignancy in the western world. The poor survival of ovarian cancer patients can be attributed to 1) lack of standardised screening test 2) late presentation of disease 3) high rate of recurrence 4) development of chemoresistance and 5) poorly understood disease biology.  

The Emer Casey Foundation is dedicated to providing funding to the DISCOVARY consortium to secure the best independent research to detect the early signs of Uterine/Ovarian cancer. It is also currently sponsoring three Phd Fellowship students, whose focus is in the areas of chemoresistance, cancer stem cells, circulating tumour cells and the body's immune response to cancer. The scientists have already identified a panel of proteins that can be identified in the blood of ovarian cancer patients. They have developed a near patient testing device to assess a patient's response to chemotherapy and are currently working on new ways to isolate circulating tumour cells in a patient's blood.

Pictured is Emer Casey Gynaecological Oncology Nurse Specialist Vickie Cleary with Sonia O'Sullivan at the recent Great Island 10 mile road race in Cobh. Sonia is the patron of the charity and Vickie is the nurse based on CUMH and being funded by the Emer Casey Foundation.

Race HQ on the day will be at Pobalscoil Na Trionóide which is just off the Youghal By-Pass so access won't be an issue. Considering the potential catchment area, it should attract a good sized crowd...

You can enter online HERE

If you want to post your entry in then you can print out this form.

You can also enter on the day.

Please note that there is a new course for 2014. Details to follow in later posts...

Monday, April 21, 2014

Results of the Boherbue to Kiskeam 4 mile road race - Mon 21st Apr 2014


A total of 120 runners turned out for this years Jack O'Keeffe 4 mile road race from Boherbue to Kiskeam in NW Cork.

1 19:43    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    04:55.7
2 19:58    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    04:59.4
3 20:59    O'CONNELL, John    Leevale AC    M35    05:14.7
14 23:17    MCCARTHY, Maria    Farranfore-Maine Valley AC    F35    05:49.2
17 24:04    KIELY, Martina    St. Finbarrs AC    F    06:00.9
24 24:33    FINN, Carol    Leevale AC    F    06:08.1


The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) A slideshow of photos are linked from the Gneeveguilla AC website.

Results of the Clonakilty 4m & 10m road race...Mon 21st Apr 2014

The inaugural Clonakilty 4 mile and 10 mile road races were held on Easter Monday, the 21st of April 2014.

4 Mile
1 Rory O Sullivan        St Finbarrs     M 21:42
2 John COLLINS        Skibbereen AC     M 22:43
3  Ian Dorgan        St Finbarrs     M  23:22
6 Margaret Murphy             F 25:07
8 Anna O Neill        Doheny     F 25:57
9 Ronnie Barry        Bandon AC     F 26:10


10 Mile
1  Kevin Wilmot        Bandon AC  MS      1:00:35
2  Don Keohane        Eagle AC     M40  1:01:46
3 Ciaran Bouse        Eagle AC      MS  1:02:12
5 Carmel Crowley        Bandon AC  F     F40  1:03:52
30 Sandra WALSH          F40      1:14:43
34 Mags Murphy          F40  1:16:02


The full results can be seen HERE

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

Laura Crowe and Paul Robinson at Boston Mile Race...

As part of the build-up to the Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association held an invitational mile for elite athletes last Saturday. In the womens race, Laura Crowe of An Ríocht AC finished in 5th place in a time of 4:46.1


1. Morgan Uceny (USA) 4:44.0
2. Heather Kampf (USA) 4:44.3
3. Brie Felnagle (USA) 4:44.8
4. Sara Hall (USA) 4:45.9
5. Laura Crowe (IRL) 4:46.1
6. Chelsea Reilly (USA) 4:46.6
7. Violah Lagat (KEN) 4:48.0


In the mens event, Paul Robinson of St.Coca's AC finished an impressive second place only to be out-kicked by the 2008 Olympic 1500m Silver medalist Nick Willis from New Zealand in what was a tactical race.

1. Nick Willis (NZL) 4:11.3
2. Paul Robinson (IRL) 4:12.0
3. Leo Manzano (USA) 4:13.3
4. Chris O’Hare (GBR) 4:13.6
5. De’Sean Turner (USA) 4:14.5
6. Rob Finnerty (USA) 4:15.2
7. Criag Miller (USA) 4:22.2

Irishman Neil Cusack won the Boston Marathon 40 years ago this weekend...

On this weekend 40 years ago in 1974, Neil Cusack from Limerick won the Boston Marathon, the  oldest and one of the most famous city marathons in the world in a time of 2:13:39.

With the 2014 Boston Marathon taking place on Monday the 21st of April, a number of publications have been looking back at that win 40 years ago.

In the Irish Examiner, Kieran Shannon has a very good interview with Neil Cusack and it can be seen HERE

In the Johnson City Press in Tennessee, Tony Casey has an article HERE

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Results of the Sheeps Head 10k race...Sat 19th Apr 2014

1 O'SHEA    ALEX     33:36     5:23/M
2 HARRINGTON    MICHAEL     36:10     5:47/M
3 COUGHLAN    DENIS     36:57     5:55/M
14 CLARKE    IMELDA     42:31     6:48/M
18 HARRINGTON    DEIRDRE     43:21     6:56/M
19 BARRY    LIZ     43:33     6:58/M


The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Old Head of Kinsale 7km fun run...Sun 13th Apr 2014

This fun run & walk over approx 7 kms was held on the Old Head of Kinsale last Sunday. Results HERE

Friday, April 18, 2014

Runners life saved at Half Million Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park

The Half Million Half Marathon For Laura Lynn was held today in the Phoenix Park in Dublin and attracted a field of over 1400 runners. One of the runners...a 39 year old man with 3 children...however collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest after finishing the race. Two Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics (one retired...Gerry Hilliard, one off-duty) who were also taking part in the race came to the man’s aid, and administered CPR. Members of the St. John’s Ambulance arrived and also provided assistance. The man’s pulse returned after he was treated with a defibrillator, and he was then taken to hospital.

A witness said..."Seen the man collapse after just finishing before him and the runner who tended to him definitely saved his life, the poor guy was going grey and Gerry (?) started CPR immediately and got him back, scarily close to a tragedy but well done to all who helped save him! "

He is currently being treated at St James’s Hospital, and is said to be making a good recovery this evening.

Video interview with Irish Ultra-Marathon runner Eoin Keith

Eoin Keith from Dublin is one of the leading Irish Ultra-Marathon runners. In this 11 minute clip, he talks about a year in which he became only the 4th person in history to run 300 miles in 3 days; and setting a new Irish 24-hr track record of 152 miles(245kms).

Interview with the organisers of the 2014 Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k

The Bay Run Half-Marathon from Glengarriff to Bantry started in 2007 and has attracted a large number of runners to West Cork every year. In 2013, the previous organisers announced their intention to end the event but the Maritime Hotel in Bantry have now taken it over. To clarify what the current situation is with the Bay Run and what changes are being implemented, I asked the new organisers a series of questions. This is especially pertinent as it has now gone from being a commercial event to one raising funds for the local Bantry hospice.

Q. Hi James, as an introduction to the readers of the Running in Cork blog, can you tell them a small bit about yourself?
Certainly John but I hope this won't put them to sleep - well I’m 33 years of age, father of 2 girls and husband to beautiful wife Laura. I have worked in Leisure and hospitality for the past 10 years starting out in the Kingsley Hotel and working in other 4 / 5 star properties around Cork City and County. As a keen runner, I have run 2 marathons both sub 4hours; I have also run the Bay Run twice over the last number of years but due to knee injuries I've have had to change my focus of training to cycling / adventure racing and would be a competitive cyclist completing events like the Rebel Tour, Tour de Cure & Malin to Mizen in 3days as well as numerous other events such as Gaelforce West and Connemara Adventure races.

Q. The Bay Run Half-Marathon started in 2007 and has been held on the May Bank Holiday weekend ever since. Last year the original owners announced that the 2013 event was going to be the last one. Why did the Maritime Hotel take on the organising of the 2014 event?
Last year as pointed out by yourself John the event was finishing up and I felt having worked in Bantry for the last 7 years seeing what happens on a May Bank Holiday Weekend; I felt it would be an awful shame to see such a prolific event disappear. I took it upon myself to approach the owners of the event and see could a deal be brokered to take over the Bay Run and make it into something better and more transparent. In The Maritime Hotel we believe that having as many events on as possible it vital to the local economy and really losing an event as big as The Bay Run would have a negative impact on not just Bantry / Glengarriff but the entire West Cork hinterland. 

The deal was brokered with the previous owners Edge of Europe ltd. and The Maritime Hotel took over the running of the event. Once this deal was completed we then set about making the event clear in its planning; we set up a limited charitable company called Bantry Bay Run Ltd and this company is a not for profit company raising money solely for charity. The Bantry Hospice was the first charity to mind as the previous July myself and a group of local cyclists took on Malin to Mizen in 3days and we raised €14,000 for the hospice; equally I had the honour of training and working with my bosses son Donal Walsh in 2012/2013; before Donal died he was cared for by the staff at Kerry Hospice; both hospices are run by the same doctors that looked after Donal before he passed away. Both Fionnbar & I felt that the true charity to drive for would be the Bantry Hospice. I approached the committee and explained that I wanted to run the event for them and with they’re support they were delighted to come on board.

Q. What does an event like the Bay Run mean to the towns of Bantry and Glengarriff? In terms of hotels, B&B's, pubs, restaurants, etc, what impact does it have on the towns during the first weekend in May every year? 
The Bay Run typically is a big event here in Bantry and Glengarriff, it is a route that is challenging and a lot of people take it on for personal challenges as well as for raising money for an organisation that is close in hearts. The event itself can have an impact on the local economy as well bringing approx €40,000-€50,000 euro to the hotels, B&B’s pubs, supermarkets and local traders over the course of a weekend.

Q. The Bay Run has usually been associated with just the half-marathon. What's the idea behind the introduction of the 10k event?
You're correct the Bay Run has always been a half marathon and nothing more; but as an experienced coach I have trained people over the last number of years throughout Cork and West Cork I found that sometimes injuries get in the way; a shorter course can still be achievable for people. I did some market research into a 10Km event; I spoke with locals as well as athletic clubs around Cork which all ended with the same theme that a 10Km would be very well received. Some of the feedback from people was that the distance of a half marathon can really be off putting to some people who are only starting out so a 10Km is more achievable and leads to the possibility of them targeting their first half marathon the next year.

Q. The day before, you have a family 3k fun run. What's the idea behind it?
I have been working with different organisations over the last number of years and I also teach swim lessons; as a parent I cannot understand how children are becoming as big as they are getting. I see children these days around Bantry town, in Cork and they are getting significantly bigger and bigger. My nephew last summer ran off a pitch to be handed lucozade sport drinks, I was horrified and ultimately I feel the responsibility is on us as adults to lead from the front. The family fun run is just to show children how much fun and enjoyment is out there in the clear air. You throw Mum and Dad into the equation and you have the makings for a really great quality time as a family.  We have taken a lot of time to organise this event and we will be running it complete with Start / Finish blow up banner, marshals, barriers to give them the full race theme while keeping it fun and jovial. Each child will receive a High Vis vest to run in as well as a high vis back pack cover. There will be trampolines, and amusements plus face painters at the finish line as well as music to entertain everyone. 


Q. In a lot of half-marathon and other events around the country, they have 'charity partners' which often just means that sponsorship cards are given out to participants. The charity partner for the 2014 Bay Run Half-Marathon is the Bantry Hospice. How exactly will they benefit from the proceeds of the Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k?
Correct again John and given the article in social & print media recently I think it's only right that we have the chance now to fully show transparency. The Bay Run is a charity event, we are aiming to raise money for the Bantry Hospice. Should we make a profit year 1 then this will go to The Hospice. Obviously in order to maintain the limited charitable company set up a certain amount of funds have to be kept to maintain solvency but the lions share of profits will go to charity i.e. Bantry Hospice.
We lent a hand with regard to the sponsorship cards and will try to help the hospice generate as much revenue for their operations as is possible but once the event is finished we would be hoping to add to the sponsorship cards themselves.  This is obviously subject to numbers turning up for either the Half Marathon or 10 Km or 3Km Family Fun Run.
Once we have completed the events successfully then it is our aim to publish the profit and loss account into social media, print media and everywhere else. Should someone want a copy they need only ask. As it stands we have given copies of the current projected P&L complete with expenses to the hospice committee. I know having reviewed previous facebook comments, other media over the years; there has been serious negativity towards this event regarding price.
Price these days is so sensitive but we are basing our price on our costs and equally on what this event provides as well. In terms of the goodie bag we have worked tirelessly on putting together the best possible goodie bag so people feel that they are getting value for money, other events locally and throughout the country charge €30 for a half marathon and give nothing. We will be providing a Technical T-Shirt, full size moisturisers, food supplements, discount vouchers, spa samples along with many more. We have put a huge effort into the making the finish an experience as well where we have recruited the Angsana Spa therapists from The Brehon 4star hotel, Killarney to do the cool down massages which hasn’t been on the programme for the last number of years. We will have PowerBar at the finish line handing out recovery  protein shakes, there will be a BBQ for the spectators, music thanks to RED FM, we will have the bouncy castles, trampolines, merry go rounds etc available as well as the DJ from RED FM will have a box of spot prizes dedicated to the athletes families waiting at the finish line, prizes range from dinner vouchers, to spa vouchers and many more.
Having run the Bay Run myself I always felt that there wasn’t enough water stations as well so this year the Bay Run events will have an additional water station which is to be operated by PowerBar, this water station will give runners & walkers alike free gels, energy drinks to help them on their way.

Q. Looking ahead, what are your plans for the Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k?
Looking ahead of year 1 - should we succeed in operating a profit to ensure the charitable company’s survival we will then push on and look to improve on year 1. We haven’t ruled anything out, a full marathon, those routes have been explored already by myself as well as the possibility of making it more fun & interesting like the last man standing concept hopefully we will do enough this year to make this event as good as we can; we can only be the best if we strive to be the best.

Thanks for your time John.

Running Seminar...An audience with Sonia O'Sullivan - Wed 26th Apr 2014

Maher Sports in Cork City are hosting a running seminar with Sonia O'Sullivan on Wednesday the 23rd of April.
Tickets can be purchased at their store on Oliver Plunkett St. / Maylor St. or online HERE

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Race notice...Crosshaven 8 km road race - Wed 30th Apr 2014

This a brand new race on the calendar and should be of interest to a lot of people. First off, Crosshaven is only a short drive from Cork City and Carrigaline and secondly, it's a lovely spot for a race.

The entry fee is €10 and you can pre-register if you want to. You can also of course enter on the day. The race has an Athletics Ireland licence and has been properly measured by Jones Counter. The race starts at 7:30pm.

As for the race course, it is a little different in that it's 8 kms as opposed to 5 miles so it's like the GR8KM in Mitchelstown in that respect. The race starts in the square...up to Camden....back down....out past the Yacht Club and back to the finish in the square.

If it's a sunny evening then it should be a great spot for a race. More info on...
http://www.crosshaven8km.com/

More info in later posts...

Results of the Ballintotis 4 mile road race...Wed 16th Apr 2014

An amazing 1,010 runners turned out for this year's Ballintotis 4 mile road race in East Cork on Wed 16th Apr. Last year, the figure was a record 835 so to increase a further 21% is very impressive.

1 19:31    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    04:52.7
2 19:46    SHEAHAN, Colm    Leevale AC    M    04:56.4
3 19:52    O'DONOGHUE, Tim    East Cork AC    M    04:57.9
48 24:07    HOLLAND, Ann-Marie    St. Finbarrs AC    F35    06:01.6
55 24:33    NAGLE, Deirdre    Eagle AC    F35    06:08.1
56 24:36    CASHMAN, Evelyn    Youghal AC    F40    06:08.9

Results.....The full results can be seen HERE 
(52% male, 48% female)

Photos...
1) Birthday boy Doug Minihane has great set of 400+ photos HERE 
2) Kieran Minihane has a gallery HERE 
3) The organisers have a gallery by Tim Troy on their own community website 

Update from The Organisers...Thanks to all who took part in last evening's Ballintotis 4 Mile Road Race - hope you all enjoyed the event. Just a note to those who entered later in the evening and did not receive their t shirt - we have contact details for you and will distribute the extra t shirts at the Midleton 5 Mile Road Race on Thursday May 1st - and at a further upcoming event if necessary. Again many thanks to all....John Cashman/Sean Murphy

Event notice...MMRA Claragh Mountain, Millstreet...Sun 20th Apr 2014

The next race organised by the Munster Mountain Running Association is in Millstreet on Easter Sunday the 20th of April 2014. The 7 km race will start in the town at 7pm and run to the summit of Claragh Mountain and back.


The race HQ is at the town hall which is opposite the church near the western end of Millstreet. As shown above on the map, it is near the GAA grounds. The yellow dots show the approx route...a mixture of road...trails through the woods and across the peat on the mountain.

Registration opens at 6pm. €10. Race time 7pm. Refreshments available afterwards

Please bring a filled out 2014 Membership form from www.imra.ie if you haven't raced this year or bring your RACE NUMBER 2014 if you have one.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

World's coldest Marathon held last Monday 14th Apr 2014


The world's coldest marathon was held at Russia's Barneo ice station at the geographic North Pole last Monday the 14th of April 2014. The 26.2-mile (42.2km) race, in temperatures as low as -30C attracted 47 competitors from 20 countries. American Mike Wardian was first home in four hours, seven minutes and 40 seconds. Germany's Anne-Marie Flammersfeld won the women's event in a time of 4:52.45.

Video report from the BBC...

Blog extract #4 from Sonia O'Sullivan after running the Great Island 10 mile race last Sunday


The Great Island 10 mile road race was held in Cobh last Sunday the 13th of April and all proceeds from the race will go towards the Irish Cancer Society. One of those that took part in the race this year was the former World champion and Olympic silver medalist Sonia O'Sullivan. She has written a series of blog extracts for the organisers as she prepared for the race and now this is her post race report...

Blog extract from Sonia O'Sullivan..Pt 4...
Great Island 10 2014...The Great Island 10 didn't disappoint on Sunday, it was the perfect day for running and great to see so many loyal supporters of this Great event in Cobh, return to try to go better over the hills in Cobh.

It's not always about running fast times and setting Pb's, sometimes we need to run on country roads over rolling hills alongside beautiful scenery to get a different racing experience. There are so many races to choose from these days often in very close proximation. This requires the race to have something special or a cause close to people hearts to help make the decision where to race.


For me it is a little easier, the Great island run is in my home town and if I am home then I have no choice but to lace up the shoes and race around the streets. Though nowadays I don't always view it as racing just getting out and challenging myself and pushing myself a little just to remind me of those competitive days when the clock and anyone in the race was there to be beaten. I knew I was a little fitter this year than last so my main aim was to improve on last years time which was just under 70minutes. Last year it was such a challenge to break 70minutes I never dreamt that I wold enjoy the run as much as I did on Sunday.


I stood on the start line with the familiar faces from the local road racing scene, the ever present Mary Sweeney always a pleasure to meet on the road, always enjoying her running and so encouraging of others we wished each other well, with the most important message to each other, to enjoy the run and not be under any pressure. It would be very easy for me to feel like I should try to win the race in Cobh, but I have to be realistic and also I want to pace myself so I am less likely to take risks these days as I need to be smiling and happy when I get to the finish line. PB's are beyond me but running faster than my normal day to day running is satisfaction enough that I am not just jogging around but testing myself enough to feel like I have run a race and got something from it.

So I was very pleasantly surprised when I crossed the finish line, 6 minutes faster than last year. I couldn't believe it smiling and waving as we ran through the town made me wonder what made me so slow last year, maybe too much cycling and swimming.....this year I just keep the swimming and cycling topped up each week enough to allow me a rest from running everyday and enough to help strengthen my weaker muscles and allow me to run better and stronger and feel in control of my running.


I set my watch to record every mile so that I had little checkpoints along the way and the further I went and was able to maintain a steady pace just under 6:30 per mile the more confident I felt that I was going to post a good time, but what surprised me the most was the ease which I was able to do this as all my memories were of last year and really struggling in the final 2 miles and finding the hills so much harder.


As I was running along I was thinking of that Samuel Beckett quote which has been talked about recently talking of failure and trying again to fail better and to continue to try and try again. It wasn't that I failed last year but I set myself a benchmark, a target to aim for this year and all I wanted to do was to come back and run better .



So for all those first timers, don't say never again, but think I know I can do that better next year, you will know what to expect and you will know what to do to help prepare better . It will be very hard for me to improve again, but I am not afraid to try and hopefully it will be the Great Island Run again next year, it's nice to come home and race around the familiar roads from my youthful training days.
It was always Wednesday hills on that very loop, run along but try harder on the hills and each week improve and get up the hills better while relaxing in between and taking control of the run.


Well done to everyone that came and supported the Great Island 10, the Irish Cancer Society and all the sponsors without whom the race would be an even greater challenge to stage so successfully. To all the volunteers, friends and family who make this such a special day for the people of Cobh and particularly Rosslyn and Eamonn Crotty who dedicate their time to this race each year to ensure that research continues in the fight against Cancer.