Phil Healy of Bandon AC awarded Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month for June 2014

At an award ceremony in the River Lee Hotel in Cork City today, Phil Healy from Bandon AC was presented with the Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month award for June 2014. Phil is just 19 years old and is already one of the top sprinters in the country having finished joint first in the womens 100m at the recent Irish Senior Track & Field Championships in Dublin.

Tony O'Connell of Cork City Sports presenting the award to Phil Healy

From the Cork City Sports........On the 14th June at the EAP event in Geneva Phil Healy ran a personal best time of 11.53 in the 100m which was a qualified her for selection on the Irish team for the European T&F Championships to be held in Zurich in August.

Also in June Phil ran a very solid final leg for the Irish women’s 4X100m relay team at the European Team competition in Estonia. Subsequently Phil has had a very busy few weeks in July. After winning both the 100m and 200m National Under 23 titles at Cork IT track she ran a lifetime best of 11:36 to finish 2nd after a photo finish in the 100m at the Cork City Sports and after another photo finish at the National Senior Championships in Dublin Phil and Amy Foster could not be separated for the gold medal.

Notice...Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 21st Sept 2014

The Charleville Half-Marathon is coming up on Sunday, the 21st of September and it is widely recognised as being one of the fastest courses in the country.

It is also the final race of 6 in the ongoing Ballyhoura Cork race series.

Proceeds from the race go towards the development of North Cork Athletic Club and St.Josephs Foundation where the race is hosted.

The entry fees are as follows…
€35 up to and including the 14th of August 2014
€40 Individual Entry Fee until September 4th
€45 Late Entry Fee from Sept 5th until Sept. 19th online

No Race Day entry available.

You can enter online for the Half-Marathon here until the 19th September http://www.charlevillehalf.com/registration/

Course Preview......You can see a preview of the course HERE

Munster Half-Marathon Championship.......Please note that this years Charleville Half-Marathon also incorporates the Munster Half-Marathon Championship. Registered members of AAI clubs in Munster just have to tick a box in the online entry box in the online entry form to indicate they want to enter the Munster Half-Marathon Championship. There is no extra cost to do this.

Photos & Results of the Cork BHAA Novartis 5k road race - Wed 31st July 2014

The top 3 men and women are shown below.

1 Mark Hanrahan M1  John Buckley Sports...15:05
2 John Meade M2 Joyce Wolfe Physio...15:58
3 Rory O'Sullivan M3 MUSGRAVE...16:12
17 Emma Murphy 0/35H F1 Aviva...17:27
30 Catriona Jennings Temp Reg...18:22
65 Carmel Parnell 0/55L F2 Cork Shops F-A-1...19:19

The results link is HERE 

Photos...(Updated Thurs 31st @7:30pm)
1) There are some finish line photos HERE
2) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE
3) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE
4) Derek Costello of Eagle AC has 260 photos HERE 
5) Graham Nudds has 201 photos HERE

Rob Heffernan to get another bronze medal due to Russian getting caught?

There is news at the moment that the Russian race walker Stanislav Emelyanov has been caught due to violations to his biological passport. His results since before 2010 will no longer be counted.

In 2010 at the European Championships in Barcelona, Emelyanov won the 20 km walking race. Rob Heffernan finished 4th in that race. If the suspension is confirmed then Rob should be moved up in 3rd place and a bronze medal.

15:45...From Rob Heffernan on Twitter...
Unofficially being told that I  am going to receive the BRONZE medal for Euro Champs 2010 20km after Russian has been done for drugs.

Feidhlim Kelly writing for the Irish Examiner has an interesting article about it HERE

Kilworth Woods Trail Race...Wed 30th July 2014

From the Munster Mountain Running Association...

Kilworth Woods Trail Run

Register from 6:30pm at Car park in Wood.
Kiddies Run 7.00 €0 2km
Junior Run 7.05 €3 2.7km
Adults 7:30pm €5 6.4km

Please Reg for Junior race before 6:45pm. Reg closing at 7:15 sharp

Race signposted from Kilworth Village. Please bring downloaded and filled out membership form from: www.imra.ie if you have NOT run an imra race this year. If you have, you MUST bring your number or KNOW your 2014 number.

Notice...Sonia O'Sullivan 3k road race, Cobh - Mon 25th Aug 2014

This is a brand new race on the calendar and it's unusual in that it is over 3kms instead of the more usual 5k. Back a few years ago, there was a series of evening 3k races in Midleton over the winter months and these were very popular. Since then, there hasn't really been any real 3k road race in Cork.

The 3k race in Cobh is to commemorate a time back in 1994 when Sonia O'Sullivan was the best middle distance runner in Europe. On the 15th of July that year, she set a new European record of 8:21.64 in the 3000m. One month later on the 10th of August in Helsinki, she won the 3000m title at the European Championships with a time of 8:31.64.

Sonia will be taking part in the inaugural 3k race in Cobh on the 25th of August and will be in the Commodore Hotel afterwards where a Q+A session will be hosted by sport journalist and athlete Feidhlim Kelly who writes for the Irish Examiner.

There will be four separate races.....
a) Juvenile Male (7pm)...14 to 17 years old...€5
b) Juvenile Female (7:30pm)...14 to 17 years old...€5
c) Male (8pm)...Aged 18 and above...€10
d) Female (8:30pm)...Aged 18 and above...€10

They are likely to be in the sequence as shown above with roughly 25-30 mins between race. This will be confirmed closer to the date.

As chip timing will be used, the organisers would like if people could register online beforehand so as to take the pressure off entries on the night.

There are a lot of aspects to this event which will be of interest to many different people...
a) The unique 3k distance
b) A race for women only
c) A road race just for juveniles where as normally they take part in cross country or track races.
d) Beginners who might be starting a Couch to 5k programme. That 5k might seem a bit much but 3k or 1.8 miles sounds a lot more manageable.

The course is shown below...

The 3k course itself is relatively flat, runs East-West and avoids the hills in the town. The race starts on Lynch's Quay and then runs west. At about 400m, it passes the finish line and the remaining 2.6kms is an out and back section.

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

Race HQ is the Commodore Hotel where entries will be taken on the night and there will be light refreshments after the races.

A timing mat will also be used at the start line so it's chip timed from start to finish.

From Ballymore Cobh AC......
Ballymore Cobh AC Sonia O'Sullivan 3000m Road Race...Monday, August 25th @ 7pm

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her European Gold Medal and European 3000m record, Ballymore Cobh Athletic Club are delighted to announce that Sonia O' Sullivan will compete in this unique event. Runners can pit themselves against Sonia's 1994 record in juvenile, men's and women's races through Cobh town.

We look forward to seeing you on the night, where you will get a chance to play your part in paying tribute to one of Ireland's greatest sports people.

All races will start beyond the Well House Bar and head west along East Beach and Westbourne Place before turning at the end of the Low Road and returning east bound to the finish line in front of The Titanic Experience.

The course is officially measured and has a race permit granted by the Athletics Association of Ireland. Please note, there will be four separate races - for men, women, boys and
girls. The two juvenile races are open to 14-17yr olds with the adult races open to 18yr olds and over. Entry fees are...Adult - €10, Juvenile - €5

Online entry Link:...http://precisiontiming.primo-solutions.co.uk/ps/event/TheSoniaOSullivanBallymoreCobhAC3000mRoadRace

Facebook - Ballymore Cobh AC Sonia O'Sullivan 3000m Road Race / Twitter - @BallymoreCobhAC / email - ballymorecobhac@gmail.com

The Edge Sports Shop (North Main Street and Kinsale Road, Cork) and staff are proud to be associated with the Ballymore Cobh AC - Sonia O’Sullivan commemorative run taking place August 25th 2014 with 3000m of racing through the streets of Cobh.  

Results of Round 6 of the Cork Graded League...Mon 28th July 2014

The 6th and final round of the Cork Graded Track & Field League sponsored by John Buckley Sports was held at the CIT track on Monday the 28th of July 2014. Looking through the results, there was a good number of athletes taking part with some traveling from Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Tipperary and Kilkenny for some of the events.

The results of round 6 of the graded league can be seen HERE

Some of the previous results can be seen at http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/p/cork-graded-t-league.html

Results of the Shannonvale 10k road race...Fri 25th July 2014

A total of 165 people took part in this years Shannonvale 10k race near Clonakilty, a jump of 21% on last years numbers. From what I hear, conditions were a bit on the muggy side.

1st 34.16 Micheal Dullea  Skibereen AC
2nd 34.23 Alex O Shea      St Finbarrs AC
3rd 36.10 Paul Deane        Clonakilty RR AC
1st 38:20 Carmel Crowley   Bandon AC
2nd 38:40 Yvonne MacAuley Crusaders AC
3rd 41:23 Ronnie Barry    Bandon AC

Over 50 Male...Mark Bickerdyke  Leevale AC...38:30
Over 50 Female...Deirdre O Reilly...55:48
Over 60 Male...Neille Leary Belgooley AC...53:25

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Clonakilty Road Runners have a gallery of photos HERE

Results of the Ballinascarthy 10k road race...Fri 4th July 2014

This 10k race was held at the start of the month and the results are available now. A total of 128 runners took part, up 22% from the 105 of 2013.

1 Tim Twomey M 33:27
2 Michael Dullea M 34:51
3 Jeff Casey M 35:55
11 Carmel Crowley F 39:24
20 Ronnie Barry F 41:48
27 Tara Browne F 42:58

The full results can be seen HERE

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

Track with right angle bends built in China...

This is one of the stories doings the rounds on the net today. It was recently announced that a track with 90 deg bends has been constructed in China.

The track was completed recently as part of a major refurbishment of a stadium in Heilongjiang province. While there is an impressive artificial grass football pitch at its centre, the track seems to have been a bit of an afterthought.

When quizzed, officials admitted that painting right angles was faster than painting curves and that they were rushing to get ready for an official visit from an official of the Communist Party.

It turns out that instead of keeping the visiting dignitary happy, the track is now featured in the world press as an object of ridicule.

Update on entries for the Clonmel Half-Marathon...

The Clonmel Half-Marathon is a very popular race and it gets good reports every year. Just a reminder that there is an entry limit of 750 and it's filling up fast.

The cheaper entry fee of €25 lasts until the 31st of July and that includes a dry fit top. From the 1st of August, the price will go up to €35.

If you are interested in doing this then you should enter as soon as possible. More info here... http://munsterrunning.blogspot.ie/2014/07/noticeclonmel-half-marathon-sun-17th.html

Former Steeplechase national champion Kieran Stack runs 1:03 in the Ballynonty 10m

For those of you who might remember some of the big names in Irish athletics back in the 80's and 90's, this might be of interest.

The Ballynonty 10 mile road race was held in Tipperary last Sunday the 27th of July and one of those taking part was Kieran Stack, one of the top steeplechase runners in his time. Running under North Cork AC, Kiernan was also the 2nd M50 home.
21    1:03:25    STACK, Kieran    North Cork AC    M50    06:20.4

Back in the late 80's, Kieran was one of the top steeplechase runners in the country having won the Irish national 3000m steeplechase title in 1989 and 1990. His PB of 8:29.60 set back in 1985 is still the third fastest on the Irish all time list.

3000 m steeplechase
1 8:24.09    Brendan Quinn 26 Jul 60 Bruxelles 30 Aug 1985
2 8:27.24    Liam O'Brien 11 Oct 54 London 24 Jun 1984
3 8:29.60    Kieran Stack 11 May 63 Austin TX 31 May 1985

He has also ran marathons in New York in 2:36 and in Boston in 2:32.

Lost...Polar Heart Rate Monitor Strap

Someone sent me an e-mail just to say that they left a heart monitor strap from a Polar RCX5 watch on a wall by the boat club on the Marina last Saturday morning.

If anyone reading this has found it then send me an e-mail and I'll put you in contact with the owner.

Results of the Rebel Run4Fun 5k race, Ballincollig...Sun 27th July 2014

This was the first run in the Rebel Run4Fun 5k series in Ballincollig organised by the Cork Sports Partnership. A field of 150 runners took part.

1    BREEN    BARRY 18:35 6:00/M    Top Fin   
2    KELLEHER    TIM 18:42 6:02/M    M   
3    HARTY    BRIAN 19:10 6:11/M    M   
6    MANNING    SANDRA     20:29 6:36/M    Top Fin   
13    HOLLAND    SIOBHAN 22:41 7:19/M    F   
21    MURPHY    AOIFE 23:44 7:39/M    F    

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) The organisers have a gallery of photos HERE

Notice...Conna 5k road race - Thurs 31st July 2014

Organised by St.Catherines Athletic Club, this 5 km road race is coming up in the village of Conna on Thursday, the 31st of July 2014.

The Race HQ is the local community centre which is on the main road through the village. This is one of the few 5 km races in this part of NE Cork and should be of interest to a lot of runners.

Course Preview.....A full preview with maps, directions and photos can be seen HERE 

The club has its own website as well...http://stcatherinesac.org/

Races on Sunday 27th July 2014

There are two races that might be of interest coming up on Sunday.

In Ballincollig, the Rebel Run4Fun 5k race is on with a 10am start. If you didn't avail of the cheaper online entry fee then it costs €15 on the day. More details HERE

In Tipperary, there is the Ballynonty 10 mile road race which starts at 11am. This really is an excellent race and only costs €10 to enter. The course is reasonably flat and they always put on a fine spread afterwards.

There is no chip timing or dry fit tops or all of the usual stuff that goes with some of the other races. Just a quality road race organised by a small athletics club.

With the motorway, it's about an hour from Cork City. Recommended. More details HERE

Notice...Mitchelstown GM8KM road race - Fri 8th Aug 2014

The 5th race of 6 in the Ballyhoura Cork Series is coming up on Friday, the 8th of August with the GR8KM. As the name suggests, it is an 8 km road race on the roads around Mitchelstown in North-East Cork. Considering it's proximity to the several major roads, it is likely to attract runners from North Cork, Limerick and Tipperary.

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


The race is organised by the local athletics club...Galtee Runners AC.

Please note that there is a new race HQ and new course this year. The race will start and finish at the new Mitchelstown Leisure Centre.

A map of the course can be seen HERE

More details to follow.

New Parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork starting 30th August 2014...

As many of you will know, there are currently two Parkruns in Co.Cork at the moment every Saturday, one in Macroom and one in Clonakilty. These are free to participants who run a course that is 5kms long.

On Saturday the 30th of August, a new Parkrun will be starting on Bere Island in West Cork. The 5k course will be the same as the one used for the Bere Island Midsummer Run held back on the 12th of July.

Other than that, there are no more details for the moment. Considering the size of the local population and the cost of getting the ferry across, I'd imagine that the numbers are likely to be very small, especially if it is on during the winter months.

However as a summer/autumn event, it would be great as part of a day or weekend away. Bere Island is a lovely spot on a nice sunny day.

Results of the Churchtown South 5 mile road race...Fri 24th July 2014

A record 588 runners took part in this years Churchtown South 5 mile road race, the third race in the Ballycotton Summer Series. That's up 7.7% on last years numbers and up 37 on the previous record of 551 set back in 2012.


The chart below shows the history of the numbers and times. You'll notice how things have changed in the last decade. In 2004, only a small percentage of the field were over 40 minutes

It was also probably one of the warmest evenings for a road race so far this year. At about 3pm yesterday, the thermometer was hitting 28 deg C and it had gone down to 25 deg C by about 7pm. 

1       25:27    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    05:05.3
2       25:43    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    05:08.5
3       26:41    MEADE, John    St. Finbarrs AC    M    05:20.1
59     31:18    HOLLAND, Ann-Marie    St. Finbarrs AC    F35    06:15.5
99     32:45    CRONIN, Niamh    St. Finbarrs AC    F35    06:32.9
104   32:51    GRANT, Karen    Midleton AC    F    06:34.1

The full results can be seen HERE

Overall positions...John Robinson has compiled the overall positions in the series after 3 races. You can see them HERE

Photos...
1) Paudie Birmingham has a gallery of photos HERE

100 Seconds to Beat the World: The David Rudisha Story

This is the story of the 800m Olympic champion David Rudisha who is coached by Br.Colm O'Connell from Mallow. It was shown recently on BBC4.

Watch it sooner rather than later as it may disappear off YouTube..

Opinions on this years Rock N Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin in August??

Prior to 2013, the National Half-Marathon used to be held in different locations around the country. Last year, it was held in conjunction with the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin in August. Despite misgivings by some people, it seemed on the whole to go pretty well but it was obvious that a lot of people from outside Leinster didn't bother with it.

This year, it is on the 4th of August with an 8:30am start. Race numbers and race packs must be picked up at the RDS the day before, much the same as for the Dublin City Marathon. The net result is that if you are from outside the greater Dublin area then you'll have to stay in the city over night before the race.

The course has changed this year as well with the start near the docklands and the finish in the Phoenix Park. Overall, the course has a net gain in height.

The following message was sent to me by a reader of the blog....
Athletics Ireland are offering clubs a chance to win €1,000 in the up coming national half marathon in August if the club enters 10 athletes.

This tells me that they are really struggling to get club athletes to sign up for this years event and in turn reduced revenue.

The reason I feel club athletes are not supporting this national event this year is because of the totally change of the course from last year. they are taking over half of the race via the Park over very hilly terrain. It makes no since in having such a course as a national championship. Athletics Ireland should pull back from the R and R event and organise the National Half Championship themselves.

I would like a discussion on this John via comments or some kind of poll.

Seamus...sub 73min HM
(NOT RUNNING NATIONAL HALF DUE TO POOR COURSE IN DUBLIN! - A LONG WAY TO TRAVEL FROM MUNSTER FOR A POOR COURSE)

Do you agree with Seamus? Is the course too hilly? Or is it just too expensive a trip for just a half-marathon?

Notice...Shannonvale 10k road race - Fri 25th July 2014

This 10k road race is coming up on Friday evening at 7:30pm near Clonakilty in West Cork. In previous years (pre-2013), it was a fun run but now under the auspices of Clonakilty Road Runners AC, it has been measured properly and has an Athletics Ireland licence.

Shannonvale is located just a few kms to the north of Clonakilty and just 1km to the west of the N71 Bandon to Clonakilty road...

If you are traveling from the direction of Bandon then turn right at the West Cork Business and Technology Park.

From the organisers...Register at Phairs Pub from 6PM for €10.  Race starts at 7:30pm. Mostly flat with a few minor climbs, down hill finish.  Course measured and Athletics Ireland permitted. 

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

Notice...Churchtown South 5 mile road race - Thurs 24th July 2014

The 3rd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series is coming up on Thursday evening with the Churchtown South 5 mile road race at 8pm. As always for these races, a large crowd is expected so try to arrive early if you are going....say between 7 and 7:20pm.

Some info from the organisers.......People who have ran the first two races in the Summer Series (Ballyandreen and Shanagarry) are automatically entered for tonight’s race. The numbers are in alphabetical order and can be seen at THIS LINK  - It would help if people could find their number in advance and ask for it at one of the entry desks. 

Again, it would be appreciated if people had the correct fee of €5 ready to speed up the process. Entries will open from 6pm onwards with the race starting at 8pm. For new people on the night (who haven’t run the two races), there will be a separate entry desk as normal – entry fee again €5.

With the huge increase in participants, the start of races now poses its own problems. For safety reasons, we urge people to line up in accordance with their ability. Unless you are running under 30 minutes you have no business at the front – the race is over five miles and there will be plenty of opportunity to move up after the initial rush, so pace yourself accordingly. It goes without saying that headphones should not be worn at any stage.....Ballycotton Running Promotions

These are the overall positions for men and women after the first two races. Remember, there are top 50 men and top 30 women t-shirts at the end of the series. Click HERE

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

Talk for Beginners in Mahers Sports on Wed 23rd July postponed

From the Cork Sports Partnership......The information evening due to be held in The Runners Loft Mahers Sports tomorrow evening July 23rd has been rescheduled for Wednesday September 10th. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Further details will be posted/emailed closer to the time. Please contact the Sports Partnership with any queries 021 4665083. Thank you!!

Grellan McGrath from Cork wins Belfast 12 hour race

The Energia 12 and 24 hour race was held at the Mary Peters track in Belfast last weekend, the 18th and 19th of July. Starting at 6:45pm on Friday evening, contestants had to run multiple laps of the 400m track with the 12 hour runners finishing at 6:45am on Saturday morning and the 24 hour runners finishing on Saturday evening.

Grellan McGrath of Eagle AC in Cork won the 12 hour race when he completed 315 laps which is equal to 81.25 miles or 130.7kms.

Grellan, who lives in Ballincollig is no stranger to Ultra races having won the Connemara 100 mile back in July 2013.

More details can be seen on the Eagle AC website.

Results & photos of the Run Killarney Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k...Sat 19th July 2014

The Run Killarney Marathon was held last Saturday in Kerry and it was probably the best year yet for the event. Between the full marathon, half-marathon and 10k, over 1500 people took part.

Photos and results are up on the Running in Munster website.

100 Seconds to Beat the World: The David Rudisha Story...BBC4 Tues July 22 10pm

David Rudisha from Kenya is the world record holder at 800m and is the current Olympic champion.

His coach is Brother Colm O'Connell who is originally from Mallow in North Cork. After the Olympics, he visited Mallow with his coach in October of 2012.

The film "100 Seconds to Beat the World: The David Rudisha Story" will be shown on BBC Four on Tuesday, July 22 at 10pm.

More info on the film can be seen on the Irish Examiner website.

Another article on the Independent newspaper website (UK)

Results of the Athletics Ireland Senior Track & Field Chapionships...Sat 19th & Sun 20th July 2014

The national senior track and field championships were held in Santry, Dublin last weekend. These are some of the highlights with an emphasis on athletes from Cork.

Womens 800m....This was more of a tactical race with a slow first lap with the winning time at 2m 09s instead of the more usual 2:03-2:05. This suited Louise Shanahan from Cork who at just 17 years of age managed to get a bronze medal in a  national senior race.
 

17 year old Louise Shanahan #380 from Cork takes bronze in a senior race

800m SEN Women...
1 KIRK Katie Queens Univ 2:09.01
2 GALLIGAN Roseanne Newbridge A.C. 2:09.14
3 SHANAHAN Louise Leevale A.C. 2:11.05   

Video of 800m race...

5K Walk SEN Women...
1 BURKE Sinead        St. Coca's A.C.        25:17.86   
2 WHELAN, Lauren     Leevale A.C.        25:42.73   
3 COLLINS Rebecca     North Down AC        26:36.67    

Michelle Finn from Cork takes silver in the 3000m steeplechase

3000m Steeplechase...
1    1    393    TREACY Sara        Dunboyne A.C.        9:59.75   
2    2    384    FINN Michelle        Leevale A.C.        10:29.62   
3    3    156    COYNE Jessica        Dooneen A.C.        11:08.24    

Barry Healy and Patricia Curtin of Youghal AC

Javelin (600g) SEN Women....
FITZGIBBON Anita        Dundrum South Dublin A.C.     48.62
CURTIN Patricia        Youghal A.C.     41.61
MCDONALD, Olivia    St Peters A.C.     40.22

Weight for Height (35lb) U23 Men...
MC SWEENEY Patrick        Bandon A.C.    4.70
KENNY Michael        Kildare A.C.        4.10    

Weight For Distance (56lb SEN Men)...
HEALY Barry        Youghal A.C.        7.86
BREATHNACH Sean        Galway City Harriers A.C.        7.78
MCEVOY Niall        Crusaders A.C.        7.08

Weight for Height (56lb) SEN Men...
HEALY Barry        Youghal A.C.        4.30
RYAN Peter        Nenagh Olympic A.C.    4.10        
BREATHNACH Sean    Galway City Harriers A.C.    3.50

10K Walk SEN Men...
1    6    529    WRIGHT, Alex        Leevale A.C.        42:09.79   
2    4    370    HICKEY Luke        Leevale A.C.        43:19.52   
3    3    355    TREANOR James        Shercock A.C.        43:23.71

Long Jump SEN Men...
HEALY Sam        Leevale A.C.        7.25
HOWARD Shane        Bandon A.C.        7.16
TOBIN David        Trim A.C.        7.05

Shane Howard of Bandon AC...silver in the long jump

400m Hurdles SEN Women...
1 MC MAHON Christine    Ballymena & Antrim A.C.        57.73   
2 NEVILLE Jess        Leevale A.C.        1:03.91   
3 O'ROURKE Grace    Dundrum South Dublin A.C.        1:10.51

Womens 100m...In this race, there was a dead heat with both Phil Healy of Bandon AC and Amy Foster of City of Lisburn AC finishing in 11.49 seconds. This was an excellent performance by the Bandon athlete who improved on her previous personal best of 11.53 and is now joint 4th on the Irish all time list. Considering that Phil is still only 19 years old, the Irish national record of 11.40 may well be on borrowed time.


100m SEN Women, W=+0.5...
1 FOSTER Amy        City of Lisburn AC        11.49   
1 HEALY Phil        Bandon A.C.        11.49   
3 PROPER Kelly        Ferrybank A.C.        11.62   

Joint first in the womens 100m...Phil Healy of Bandon AC & Amy Foster of City of Lisburn AC

Video of womens 100m...

Womens 1500m........In this race, it really was all about Ciara Mageean. Back in 2011 aged 19, she set a new national junior record in the 1500m of 4m 07.45s which was the 5th fastest time on the all time list. Then she was out of action for a long time with an injury and only started running again in March of this year. Just four months later, she wins a national title. Coached by Jerry Kiernan, she is going to making headlines in the years ahead.

1500m SEN Women
1    7    113    MAGEEAN Ciara        U.C.D. A.C.        4:15.35   
2    4    458    BRITTON Fionnuala        Kilcoole A.C.        4:18.33   
3    6    252    O'FLAHERTY Kerry        Newcastle & District AC        4:18.77    

Womens 1500m race...
 

Mens 1500m....There was an extra edge to this race as only three athletes can be sent to the European Championships in August but four had run the qualifying time. After surgery to his achilles back in 2013, Ciarán Ó Lionáird from Toons Bridge near Macroom showed some of his old sparkle to win a national title.

1500m SEN Men
1    6    369    Ó LIONÁIRD Ciarán    Leevale A.C.        3:43.85   
2    8    272    ROBINSON Paul        St. Coca's A.C.        3:44.16   
3    9    421    TRAVERS John        Donore Harriers        3:45.00   
4    5    151    MCCARTHY David        West Waterford A.C.        3:45.64   
5    7    13    EVERARD Eoin        Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.        3:45.65

Video of 1500m race...
 

4x400m SEN Women
1 LEEVALE A.C.        3:52.74   
2 RAHENY SHAMROCK A.C.    3:56.41   
3 FINGALLIANS A,C,    4:07.58

Video.......The highlights can be seen on the RTE Player service until the 9th of August.

Results......The full results can be seen HERE 

Photos......
1) Kieran Carlin has plenty of photos on the Finn Valley AC Facebook page. Saturday and Sunday.
2) Sportsfile have images HERE

Results of the MMRA Curragh Woods Trail Race...Wed 16th July 2014

This trail race in Curragh Woods on Wed 16th July was organised by the Munster Mountain Running Association.

 1 23.05 Tom Blackburn M40
2 23.31 James McIntyre M40
3 24.36 Kieran Lees M
15 27.53 Mags Dempsey F 1st Female
29 34.23 Miriam Crowley F
34 35.50 Maire O'Sullivan F40

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Dromina 5k fun run/walk...Sun 20th July 2014

218 people took part in this 5k fun run/walk in Dromina, North Cork.

1    18.05    JJ Cremin   
2    19.27    Shane Larkin   
3    19.39    Mike Cremin   
10    21.38    Carol Fahey    1st lady
17    24.16    Mairead Lordan    1st Junior Girl
18    24.30    Silvia Hassett    

The results of this fun run over approx 5 kms can be seen HERE

Results of the Kilmurry 5k fun run...Thurs 17th July 2014

This fun run over approx 5 kms attracted a field of 222 people.

1 Martin Harrington 17:40
2 Chris Murnane 17:42
3 Alan Lehane 18:11
18 Jacinta O’ Connor 20:30
19 Caoimhe Harrington 20:35
36 Sophie Harrington 22:40

The results are shown HERE

Photo credit : Denis Kelleher

Results of the Banteer Show 5k...Sun 20th July 2014

Just 44 runners took part in this 5k race in Banteer

1     Tim    O'CONNOR    M    Riocht AC 15:48
2     Anthony    MANNIX    M    Duhallow AC 15:55
3     Eoin    SUGRUE    M40    unatt/Banteer 17:18
20  Jackie    MCAULIFFE    F    unatt/Newmnarket 22:24
26   Orla    NOLAN    F40    unatt/Lombardson 23:27
30   Emily    LINEHAN    FJ    North Cork AC 26:17

The full results can be seen HERE

Sarah McCormack wins Snowdon Mountain race, Tim O'Donoghue finishes 3rd

The annual Snowdon Mountain race was held last Saturday the 19th of July 2014. This was the 39th running of this prestigious race up and down the highest mountain in Wales.

The womens race was won by Sarah McCormack of Clonliffe Harriers in a time of 55m 21s.

Only one week earlier, Sarah had finished 17th at the European Mountain Running Championships in France. She was also part of the Irish team that won gold at the European Cross Country Championships back in 2012.

In the mens race, Tim O'Donoghue of East Cork AC finished in 3rd place. Tim is a regular on the local road race circuit here in Cork and often features in the top 3 of many races.

At the half way point at the summit of Snowdon, Tim was in 6th place having set off at a more conservative pace...

This obviously paid off in the second half as he moved up the field to finish in 3rd place.

Photo Credit : Paul Tierney

Results of the Keith Whyte Ultra, Half-Ultra & 10k - Sat 19th July 2014

The Keith Whyte 36 mile Ultra-Marathon was held on Saturday the 19th of February in Courtmacsherry, West Cork.

A total of 63 runners took part in the full Ultra distance of 36 miles, up from the 49 in the inaugural event in 2013.

36 Mile Ultra
1 Vasiliy Neumerzhitskiy Ireland Marathon Club M 4:35:56...(7:40 per mile)
2 Brian Ankers  100 Marathon Club    M 4:53:31
3 Stephen Tabb  Defence forces    M 4:54:51
5 Col Conway  F 5:02:00....(8:23 per mile)
9 Mandy Cooke  F 5:39:02
25 Anne Jennings F  6:19:10

In the 18 mile Half-Ultra, there were 80 taking part.
1 Christopher Murnane  St Finbarrs    M 1:55:55...(6:26 per mile)
2 Shane O'Rourke  Bandon AC    M 2:03:12
3 Eric Browne  Eagle AC    M 2:04:02
12 Lucy Darcy  Precision Timing    F  2:16:35...(7:35 per mile)
24 Lynda Fay  St.Abbans    F 2:26:26
26 Sandra Walsh F 2:28:07

10k...
1 Ronan Wogan        Precision Timing    M 36:33
2 Ian Martin,            M 39:06
3 Frank Landy        Clare crusaders    M 41:48
5 Ronnie Barry        Bandon AC    F 42:42
17 Catherine Clancy        St catherine    F 48:42
23 Noreen Crowley,            F 50:29

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Mon 21st July @10am)
1) Martin Kelleher has a small gallery on Facebook HERE
2) The organisers have a gallery of 430 photos HERE and 64 photos HERE

Results of the Donoughmore 7 mile road race...Fri 18th July 2014

A total of 228 runners turned out for this years Donoughmore 7 mile road race, an increase of about 8% on last years numbers.

This was also the 4th race of 6 in the ongoing Ballyhoura Cork Series.

Gavin Sweeney of Togher AC...winner of the 2014 Donoughmore 7

1    Gavin    Sweeney    M    Togher AC     37:46
2    John    Meade    M    St Finbarrs     37:48
3    Brian    Murphy    M    Valentia Island AC     38:58
31    Niamh    Cronin    F35    St Finbarrs 46:50
34    Grainne    O'Callaghan    F     47:38
39    Denise    Twohig    F40    St Finbarrs 48:09

The results can be seen HERE

Team results...men
1. St Finbarrs AC 11...John Meade 2, Cathal O'Connell 4, Alex O'Shea 5
2. Mallow AC 56pts...John Hogan 9, Noel Daly 17, Aidan Buckley 30
3. Youghal AC 79...Paul Curley 24, Brian Landers 27, Denis O Sullivan 28
4. Donoughmore AC 100pts...Declan Murphy 16, Mark Bulman 31, Kieran Crowley 53
5. Eagle AC 134pts...John Scannell 36, Neil MacKay 37, Tim McCarthy 61
6. West Muskerry AC 147pts...John Cronin 20, Michael McSweeney 52, Jerry Muskerry 75
7. CIT 213pts...Liam Lewis 41, Oliver Hearn 55, Brendan Deane 117
8. Navy 230pts...Donal Goulding 48, Michael Daly 63, Aedh McGinn    119
9. Kilmallock AC 299pts...Tony McMahon 32, Ben Begley 123, Jerry Sheedy 144
10. Midleton AC 364 pts...James Hickey 64, Davie O Connell 133, Danny McCarthy 167

First womens team...Midleton AC

Team results...women
1. Midleton AC 25pts...Helen Gilroy, Sheila Buckley, Margaret Jones
2. St Finbarrs AC 26pts...Niamh Cronin 1, Denise Twohig 3, Kitty Harrington-Buckley 22..Photo
3. Mallow AC 42 pts...Noreen Harvey 10, Mary Keating Flynn 14, Lisa Buckley 18
4. Eagle AC 72 pts...Adelle O'Connor 8, Nora Corcoran 26, Fiona O'Riordan 38
5. Donoughmore AC 74pts...Geraldine Walsh 16, Brenda O'Connell 16, Bernie Honohan 42

Photos...(Updated Wed 23rd July)
1) Presentation of prizes....by Mick Dooley of Eagle AC...HERE
2) Don Golden has a gallery of photos HERE 
3) The organisers have their own gallery HERE

Video...
1) Finish line video....note that it is about 35 mins long