Orna Dilworth...Running for 4 years and now representing Ireland

The World 50km and 100k championships take place today in Doha in the Middle East and one of those representing Ireland is Orna Dilworth.

Orna is a 29 year old solicitor from Dublin and just took up running four years ago. Her first half-marathon was 2:05. In 2011, she ran the Connemara marathon in 4:28. From then on, she started training properly and she ran Dublin in 2011 in 3:53, Berlin in Sept 2012 in 3:12 and then Boston in April 2013 in 3:06. In Dublin in October of 2013, she broke the 3 hour barrier with a time of 2:57.

In February of 2014, she won the Irish 50k championships in a time of 3:43, inside the 3:50 standard for women for the world championships.

And now four years after she started out, she is today wearing an Irish singlet in Doha.

There is an interview with Orna up on the Score website.

Screening of Unbreakable : The Mark Pollock story...Nov 2014...Cork, Limerick, Dingle, Ennis

No doubt many of you may be aware of Mark Pollock and the Run in the Dark events which are held throughout Ireland every November. Earlier in October, there were a number of screenings of the documentary Unbroken : The Mark Pollock Story. These are the screenings for November which includes a week in the Gate cinema in Douglas.

4 November 2014 – ENNIS – Glór with Q&A
4 November 2014 – LIMERICK – Omniplex with Q&A
11 November 2014 – DINGLE – Phoenix Cinema
17 November 2014 – DUBLIN – Lighthouse Cinema Smithfield FINAL SCREENING with Q&A 
14th - 26th November 2014 – CORK – Gate Cinema, Douglas, Cork. 6:30pm

Info here: www.markpollockfilm.com/screenings
Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story...The film follows the almost unbelievable tragedies that life has thrown at Mark and his resolve to move beyond them. Unbroken by blindness at 22, Mark was a Commonwealth Games medal winner and competed in ultra endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps and ten years after losing his sight he became the first blind person to race to the South Pole, a race that allowed him to finally put the demons of blindness behind him. But then, just four weeks from the day of his planned wedding to fiancée Simone, a fall 25 feet from a second story window left Mark near death and paralysed from the waist down.

Directed by Ross Whitaker (When Ali Came to Ireland; Saviours), this moving, fascinating film brings the audience to Mark’s bedside in the acute ward of a spinal hospital; blind, now paralysed and broken. The close friendship between Mark and the filmmaker has produced a delicate, deeply personal, intimate film. Six years in the making it tells the story of Mark’s eventual rehabilitation and his mission to find and connect people worldwide to fast track a cure for paralysis, a mission which gives the audience a glimpse of the frontiers of robotics and medical science.

Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story was produced with the participation of the Irish Film Board / Bord Scannán na hÉireann, RTÉ and Rehab.

 

Jogger runs into British Prime Minister

Athletics Ireland announce National Marathon Championship results...

The Dublin Marathon last Monday was also the national marathon championships and Athletics Ireland have just released the results.

Individual men ... Mens teams

Individual women ... Womens teams

There are some of the notable positions from a Cork point of view...

Individual men...
3rd M40 37 Colin Merritt Carraig-Na-Bhfear A.C. 02:34:44
3rd M45 52 Ken Devine St. Finbarrs A.C. 02:46:30
2nd M50 3003 Cathal O' Connell St. Finbarrs A.C. 02:37:06
3rd M70 15664 Tony Dunne Grange/Fermoy A.C. 04:46:51

1st M50 team
3003 Cathal O' Connell St. Finbarrs A.C. 02:37:06 M50
2344 Paul Dinan St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:23:22 M50
2266 Tony O' Brien St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:34:15 M50

Individual women...
1st W40 142 Nollaigh O' Neill Leevale A.C. 02:52:27

1st W45 1211 Margo Dinan St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:11:51
2nd W45 1970 Joan Ennis Grange/Fermoy A.C. 03:14:26
3rd W45 5566 Clotilde Fitzgibbon Grange/Fermoy A.C. 03:15:32 

1st W50 140 Mary Sweeney St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:16:55
 
1st W65 15663 Maggie Dunne Grange/Fermoy A.C. 05:43:50

2nd F35 team
1211 Margo Dinan St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:11:51 W35
140 Mary Sweeney St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:16:55 W35
5391 Gillian Cotter St. Finbarrs A.C. 03:24:33 W35

Results & Photos of the 2014 Dublin City Marathon

Just over 12,000 runners took part in this years Dublin Marathon on what were overcast but windy conditions. 

66 Eliud    Too Male MS    1 2:14:47    5...1st €10000
5 Paul Koech Kimutai MS    2 02:14:56 ...2nd €7000
2 Dmitry    Safronov MS    3 02:15:12 ...3rd €5000
3 Aleksei    Sokolov MS    4 02:20:19 ...4th €3500
13 Sergiu    Ciobanu MS    5 Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 02:21:01 ...5th €3000
11 Ayele    Bekele MS    6 02:21:43 ...6th €2500
10 Berhanu Kassa     MS    7 02:21:53 ...7th €2000
6 Lezan    Kimutai M40     1 02:22:33 ...8th €1500
15 Barry    Minnock M35    1 Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. 02:22:42 ...9th €1000 + Time bonus of €1000 for breaking 2:23
22 Thomas Cornthwaite MS    8 02:24:13 ...10th €500
23 Eoin    Flynn MS    9 02:25:01
16 Eddie    Mc Ginley MS    10 02:25:04
19 Paddy    Hamilton MS    11 02:25:55
18 Gary    O' Hanlon M40    2 Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 02:26:13 ...Time bonus of €500 for breaking 2:27
27 Declan Reed M40    3 City Of Derry Spartans 02:26:44 ...Time bonus of €500 for breaking 2:27
1133 Liam Feely MS    12 North Leitrim A.C. 02:29:59 ...Time bonus of €200 for breaking 2:30
32 Pauric    Mc Kinney M45    1 02:33:14
7 Peter Brandon Somba MS    13 02:33:26
12 Fikru    Teshager MS    14 02:33:31
6002 Richard Gorman M35    2 Sligo A.C. 02:34:18 ...Time bonus of €100 for breaking 2:35
30 Peter    Mooney M35    3 02:34:25
410 John    Buttelman MS 02:34:26
37 Colin    Merritt M40 Carriag-Na-Bhfear A.C. 02:34:43 ...Time bonus of €100 for breaking 2:35

Irish National Championships - Men
1 M Sen 13 Sergiu Ciobanu Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 02:21:01
2 M Sen 15 Barry Minnock Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. 02:22:42
3 M Sen 23 Eoin Flynn Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. 02:25:01

Top Women...
109 Esther Wanjiru    Macharia FS    1 02:34:15 ...1st €10,000
101 Maria Mc Cambridge F35    1 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 02:34:19 ...2nd €7000 + €4000 time bonus for breaking 2:35
106 Meseret Godana FS        2 02:38:53 ...3rd €5000
110 Annelie Johansson F35        2 02:41:09 ...4th €3500
105 Gemma Rankin FS        3 02:41:54 ...5th €3000
107 Marina Kovaleva FS        4 02:44:05 ...6th €2500
108 Scola jepkemoi Kiptoo FS    5 02:44:13 ...7th €2000
104 Pauline Curley F45        1 02:48:02 ...8th €1500
111 Ailish    Malone FS        6 Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 02:48:48 ...9th €1000 + €400 time bonus for breaking 2:49
103 Breege V Connolly F35        3 North Belfast Harriers 02:49:37 ...10th €500 + €300 time bonus for breaking 2:50
112 Norah Newcombe FS        7 Ballina A.C. 02:50:59 ... €200 time bonus for breaking 2:52
113 Fiona Stack FS        8 Raheny Shamrock A.C. 02:51:36 ... €200 time bonus for breaking 2:52
142 Nollaigh O' Neill F40        1 Leevale A.C. 02:52:26  ... €175 time bonus for breaking 2:54
6678 Priscilla Schultz F35        4 02:53:49
2751 Hannah Oldroyd FS        9 02:56:55
117 Mary    Laverty F35        5 North East Runners A.C. 02:57:29  ... €125 time bonus for breaking 2:58

Irish National Championships - Women
1. Maria McCambridge - DSD – 02:34:19
2. Pauline Curley – Tullamore – 2:48:04
3. Ailish Malone – Clonliffe Harriers 2:48:50

The results can be seen HERE

Photos....Updated Thurs 4pm
1) Peter & Rory Mooney have a number of galleries...Start...Start...Kilmainham 11 miles...Near the finish...
2) William Murphy has a small number of photos in his Flickr photostream HERE
3) Helen Mulvey has 19 photos HERE
4) Raymond Lonergan has 67 photos HERE
5) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has some photos....sub 3 hours...3-3:30...3:30 plus ...
6) Loads on the Jumping the Gun Facebook page HERE 
7) David Bradshaw has 751 photos HERE 
8) Action Photography have two galleries....HERE and HERE
9) West Waterford AC have an album HERE 
10) Finisher Pix has some commercial photos HERE

Photos on Facebook...Account required to view...
1) Andrew Talbot has a gallery HERE
2) Finn Valley AC have a gallery HERE
3) John Coleman has a gallery of photos with an emphasis on runners from Waterford HERE 

Video...
1) From the organisers...



More to follow....

Notice...Valley Rover Camogie Club 7k fun run/walk - Sun 9th Nov 2014

This 7k fun run/walk is coming up on Sunday the 9th of November 2014 at 12 noon.

The race HQ is at the Valley Rover GAA grounds which are to the north-west of Inishannon. Coming from Cork City, the easiest way to get there is to turn off at Halfway for Crossbarry. Keep going straight and at the crossroads where the Schering Plough plant is located, take a left. The GAA grounds are up this road.

The organisers have said it will be timed and a full list of results will be published afterwards.

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

Cork clubs to the fore in the Munster Novice Cross Country Championships...Sun 26th Oct 2014

The Munster Juvenile Even Age, U/23 & Novice Cross Country Championships were held in Two Mile Boris on Sunday the 26th of October 2014.

In the Novice Mens competition, Michael Harty of East Cork AC was the winner to make it three wins in a row. Michael had previously won the Novice and Intermediate county titles in Cork earlier in the month.

In the club competition, Leevale AC were the first club and Cork won the Inter-County competition....
1 Michael Harty East Cork Cork,  2 Kevin Cheser Enis Track Clare, 3 Damien Burke Kilmihil Clare

1 Leevale 9, 12, 13, 14...48
2 Enis Track 2, 16, 20, 30...68
3 Kilmury Ibrickane/N.Clare 5, 2, 25, 57...109

1 Cork 1, 6, 9, 1, 12, 13...52
2 Clare 2, 3, 5, 16, 20, 22...68
3 Tiperary 7, 10, 19, 23, 27, 34...120

In the Munster Womens Novice Cross Country Championships, Shona Heaslip of An Ríocht AC was the winner. Ennis Track AC won the team competition and Cork won the Inter-County competition....
1 Shona Heaslip An Riocht Kery...2 ANNA CROOKS Ennis Track Clare...3 Niamh Allen U.C.C.

1 Ennis Track 2, 1, 18, 31...62
2 Leevale 6, 13, 17, 35...71
3 Mallow 16, 21, 24, 27...88

1 Cork 4, 6, 7, 9...26
2 Kerry 1, 8, 14, 22...45
3 Clare 2, 1, 18, 19...50

The full results can be seen on the Munster Athletics website HERE

Photos...
1) The Tipperary Athletics Board have a small number of photos HERE

Tracking runners doing the Dublin City Marathon...

If you want to follow someone doing the Dublin City Marathon then you can track them here... http://track.rtrt.me/e/TDL-DUBLINM-2014 . You will have to sign in via Facebook or Twitter and you can follow a maximum of 12 runners. The splits are for 10k, half, 30k and finish.

Results of the Deirdre O'Reilly 5k race, Bandon - Sun 26th Oct 2014

Despite the wet conditions, 129 turned out for this charity 5k road race in Bandon on Sunday afternoon.

1 Kevin Wilmot Bandon AC M 17.34
2 Michael Dunne St.Finbarr's AC M 17.42
3 Paul Holland - M 18.21
10 Elaine Guinane Eagle AC F 21:07
12 Eleanor Griffin F 21:35
13 Rachel O'Callaghan F 21:36

Bandon AC have the full results HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of 152 photos HERE

Results of the Lee Fields 4 mile road race...Sun 26th Oct 2014

The race was part of the HSE Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force initiative to encourage people to take part in Sunday morning activities. 

1 Thomas Hayes M 19:28
2 John Meade M 19:49
3 Elton Heffernan M 20:35
52  Margaret Lillis F 27:54
58 Mary O'KEEFFE F 28:19
62 Siobhan HOLLAND F 28:27

The results can be seen HERE

Note that the results are very much provisional. If your name isn't shown then contact the chip time company...  info AT precisiontiming.net

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of 253 photos HERE
2) Graham Nudds has a gallery of 266 photos HERE

First 3 men in the 2014 Lee Fields 4 mile race...(L-R) Elton Heffernan of Togher AC 3rd, Thomas Hayes of Kilkenny City Harriers 1st & John Meade of St.Finbarr's AC 2nd.

Reminder...Race in Cork this weekend - Lee Fields 4m and Bandon 5k

Just a reminder that there are two races in Cork this weekend.

First off on Sunday morning, there is the Lee Fields 4 mile race by the county hall in Cork City. This starts at 10:30am and all the details including a course preview can be seen in this earlier post.

Then on Sunday afternoon at 2pm, there is the Dierdre O'Reilly 5k race in Bandon. Full details including maps, directions and a course preview can be seen in this earlier post.

Final thoughts for the 2014 Dublin Marathon.....

Thousands of runners from all over Ireland will be descending on the capital next Monday for the Dublin City Marathon. As you go around the various running websites, there is no shortage of advice and tips like these below...

This year, the course has changed due to some road works. I had a video of the course in this earlier post. Another good video appeared on the Irish Times website during the week. Ian O'Riordan is a sports journalist who writes an athletics article for the Irish Times every Saturday and in the video, he explains the key points of this years course in three and a half minutes.

The current weather forecast looks pretty reasonable. This is the forecast from Met Eireann...."There's likely to be a lot of dry weather and just a few showers with some brighter spells coming through. South to Southwest winds will remain fresh to strong and blustery and it will be mild with highest temperatures between 14 and 17 degrees."

As you can see from the chart above, there is a weather front out in the Atlantic but it shouldn't arrive until Monday evening/night. In the morning, the temperature is likely to be in the low teens so that's fine. The only issue might be the winds which are from the west.

I've paced loads of marathons at this stage and there is a common theme to all of them...a lot of people run too fast too early. It's 26.2 miles. Respect the distance and set yourself a realistic target and stick to that target. If you are working hard at 10 miles then there is a pretty good chance you'll be walking by 20. The best times are achieved by running at a steady consistent pace for the whole race. Going easy early on will pay off after the 20 mile mark when the legs start to get tired.

After the marathon, I'll stick up some links for photo galleries here so hopefully you might spot yourself. Enjoy!

Notice...CIT Floodlit Cross Country, Bishopstown - Fri 12th Dec 2014

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 12th of December 2014, anyone can take part.

 As you can see on the photo above, the course is on 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 12th 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

Notice...Eyeries 5 mile road race, West Cork - Sat 8th Nov 2014

The Beara Peninsula in West Cork is one of those areas that has been until recently completely devoid of road races. Perhaps it's not so suprising considering the low population density but it is in stark contrast to other areas of the county where there seems to be a glut of events.

This particular one is brand new on the race calendar and it looks pretty stunning.

As courses go, it probably isn't the fastest as there are a number of hills but what a location for a race! On a nice sunny day, it would be absolutely stunning.

From the organisers.....Eyeries, on the Beara Peninsula, will host its first five mile road race on Saturday 8th 2014. The race will start at 2:30pm. This is the inaugural running of this event and the organisers are hoping for a good turnout for their first race. The event is sponsored by Murphys SuperValu Castletownbere and The Edge. The entry fee for the race is €10 and registration is available on www.eyeries.ie. All profits from the race will be donated to the construction of the new Eyeries Playground.

Eyeries Hall in the village is Race HQ where registration and collection of race numbers will take place as well as post-race refreshments and prizes. Parking will be available within walking distance of Race HQ and the village. 

Eyeries Running Promotions are organising this race to bring quality road racing to Beara. Following the example set by neighbours in Bere Island, it is hoped that this will be the first of many more races in the area. The committee have engaged with Bantry AC and Athletics Association of Ireland to organise this race. The course has been measured and certified to AAI & IAAF standards and the AAI Race Permit has been granted. It is open to all levels of runners and walkers.

The Prizes are: €100 - 1st, , €75 – 2nd  and €50 - 3rd  (Male and Female)
€40 voucher for The Edge Sports – 1st  Male & Female in the following categories: over-40, over 50 and over 60. Lots of other prizes on the day.
Please support this worthwhile event.

In terms of location, Eyeries is of course quite a distance for a lot of people. It might make a good excuse for some to make a weekend of it in the area. In November, this stunning part of West Cork can be very quiet and I'm sure they would appreciate all the support that they can get.

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

Facebook.....The organisers also have their own Facebook account. Just send them a 'friend' request if you are on Facebook already.

Notice...Run in the Dark 5k/10k...Wed 12th Nov 2014

Following the success of last years Run in the Dark charity events, they will be repeated again this year in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Belfast, London and Manchester.

The Cork event last year attracted around 1,900 people and it looks likely that a similar number will want to take part in this unique event around the streets of the city at night this year as well.

You can enter this race on the event website... http://www.runinthedark.org/

The only big change this year is that the runners will be avoiding Paul Street and will be using a section of the quays instead.

More details in later posts..

Notice...Deirdre OReilly 5k run, Bandon - Sun 26th Oct 2014

 This new 5k is coming up in Bandon on Sunday the 26th of October 2014 at 2pm. The purpose of the event is to raise funds for the treatment of Deirdre O'Reilly who had a severe stroke at the end of 2013.

 The 5k is being organised by Bandon AC.

Here is some more info...Deirdre O Reilly is the mother of two young girls and is herself the youngest child of Michael and the late Margaret O Reilly, 14 Convent Hill, Bandon. On December 22nd 2013 tragedy struck when Deirdre suffered a most severe stroke. She has since been in the care of the wonderful staff at Cork University Hospital.  The stroke has left her with paralysis on her right side and with an inability to communicate her feelings and needs. But through it all, 43-year-old Deirdre’s passion for life and her special character is still beaming through. Throughout her life she has displayed a generosity and an empathy for those she comes in contact with. This is demonstrated by the fact that she has been involved in raising over one million euro for most deserving causes. Her infectious laughter and sense of humour is still shining in spite of her inability to articulate her emotions and feelings. One can observe, when visiting her, that she wants to make people at ease. A smile and an attempted wink to break the ice. The goodwill and support which Deirdre and the family have received is heart-warming and encourages everyone to continue with the long road of rehabilitation.

You can find out more about the charity HERE

Please note that the number of prizes are restricted as the purpose of the race is to raise as much as possible.

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

Results of the Cork AAI Intermediate & Novice B Cross Country Championships...Sun 19th Oct 2014

Cork Athletics Board Cork  Cross Country Championship in Castlelyons, NE Cork

Top 3 mens in the Cork Intermediate Cross Country...Michael Dullea 2nd, Michael Harty 1st & Owen Casey 3rd

Intermediate  Men...1 Michael Harty, East Cork AC), 2 Michael Dullea, Skibbreen AC, 3 Owen Casey, Leevale AC
Team...Leevale AC (Owen Casey, Anthony Mannix, Andrew Sheehan, Conor McKaulley)  22pts, 2nd St.Finbarrs AC 45pts, 3rd Mallow 51pts

Top 3 women in the Intermediate XC...L-R Fiona Santry 2nd, Niamh Allen 1st & Ronnie Barry 3rd

Intermediate Women 1 Niamh Allen, UCC AC, 2 Fiona Santry, East Cork AC, 3 Ronnie Barry,   Bandon AC

Mallow AC ladies team retain their Intermediate title

Teams...1st Mallow AC (Lorna Davy, Noreen Hurley ,Aoifa Carroll, Mairead Mulcahy) 22pts, 2nd East Cork AC 34 pts  

Novice “B” Men...1 Ian Dorgan (St.Finbarrs), 2 Dennis O’Driscoll (St Finbarrs AC), 3 Paul Deane, Clonakilty Road Runners AC
Teams....1st St. Finbarr's AC 64pts, 2nd Eagle AC  68pts, 3rd Leevale AC 71pts

Novice “B” Women...1st Ruth Mellerick, Youghal AC, 2nd Mary FitzGerald, Carrig Na bhFear AC, 3rd Edel O.Connell, Carrig na Bhfearr AC
Teams...1st Carrig Na BhFearr AC 22pts, 2 Midleton AC 47pts, 3rd St.Catherine's AC 73pts

The full results are available on the Cork AAI website

Photos...
1) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has some team photos HERE

Some other running news items from the week...Sat 11th - Sat 18th Oct 2014

Some news stories from the net over the last week...Sat 11th - Sat 18th Oct 2014

Landing on the forefoot or your heel? the debate continues...Guardian...
Gatlin doesn't make last 3 for IAAF awards :o) ...Guardian...
Drugs cheat Justin Gatlin defends award nomination...Guardian...
Winner of marathon in Argentina nearly thrown off course...Guardian...
Euro 10000m champion Jo Pavey on the role of volunteers in sport...Guardian...
Winter Coaching Series returns to CIT in Cork...Athletics Ireland...
Sensitivity to gluten could be affecting your performance...Athletics Weekly...
National doping agencies need more funding...Guardian...
New study shows high-load strength training helps short term treatment of plantar fasciitis...Running Physio... 

Results of the Rebel Run 10k...Sun 19th Oct 2014

A total of 484 runners turned out for this years Rebel Run 10k road race in Bishopstown in Cork City.

1    THISTLEWOOD    BEN 32:07    5:10/M    Top Fin   
2    MEADE    JOHN 32:21    5:13/M    Top Fin   
3    O' DONOVAN    CATHAL 32:22    5:13/M    Top Fin   
15 O'DONNELL    GRAINNE 39:00    6:17/M    Top Fin   
19  NI THUAMA    LAOISE 39:35     6:22/M    Top Fin   
33  CROSBIE    ORLA 41:22 6:40/M    Top Fin   

The full results can be seen HERE

(Please Note: Results were withheld for the following bib numbers: 225, 258, 495, 513, 578, 618, 734, 743 due to the wearing of headphones. Please contact info@corksports.ie for queries )

Photos...(Updated 21st Oct @2pm)
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC as a gallery of photos HERE
2) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a gallery of some groups HERE
3) Jorge Ruiz Villasante has a gallery HERE 

Sponsored post...Katie Taylor and Paul O’Connell appear in first of What Drives You video series for Toyota

Sponsored post...Toyota Ireland has released the first in a series of videos featuring exclusive footage of Ireland’s leading sports personalities and Toyota ambassadors exploring what drives them. It offers the viewer an intimate glimpse into a day with Olympic boxer Katie Taylor and Ireland rugby captain Paul O’Connell.



The two sporting legends try to spend a day in each others boots, with Paul sparring with some promising young boxers from Katie’s gym, and Katie learning how to kick and pass on the pitch with Paul and a team of talented youth rugby players. The pair ask each other searching questions about their respective disciplines, their training regimes and about what drives them. To experience more of what drives you, head over to the microsite at whatdrivesyou.toyota.ie

Route for the 2014 Dublin City Marathon...

The route for this years Dublin City Marathon seems to have changed again from previous years. Have a look at the video below....



Additional info from Brian Healy...The course is pretty similar to that run over the last few years. The major change is at the start and finish. The start will be familiar to those that have run the race recently the change being that it will not travel down O'Connell Street due to Luas work but head up towards Christchurch and then head down the Quays towards Heuston Station before entering the Phoenix Park.The finish is completely new,with the race not heading up towards Trinity College but taking a left at Shelbourne Road and heading up Haddington Road before finishing at Merrion Square North. Anyone doing the race should familiarize themselves with these areas particularly with the meeting point locations if they intend to meet anyone after the race as one way systems will operate for runners and spectators. The organisers are advising anyone that wishes to collect a race number for someone else that they must have a letter giving them permission to do so. You will also require photo id to collect your own number. On the day you will be allowed join a later wave start but not an earlier one. The organisers say that only offical vehicles and bikes will be allowed on the course and my information is that this will be strictly enforced.

What’s Your Fitness Age???

There was an article in the New York Times yesterday that asked the question...What's your fitness age? It was in response to a recent study that suggested that a persons 'fitness age' may predict risk of early death better than some traditional risk factors like being overweight, having high cholesterol levels or blood pressure, and smoking.

The study which was published in June in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise was based on questionnaires given to 55,000 Norwegian adults in the 1980s which were then correlated more recently with death records.

According to the article. your 'fitness age' can be determined primarily by your VO2max...a measure of your body's ability to take in and utilize oxygen.

You can find the article on the New York Times website.

An online calculator to estimate your fitness age can be found at https://www.worldfitnesslevel.org

Training advice from Sean Kelly...

Cycling or running, the advice is the same :o)

Half-Marathon Entry Fees...How much is too much???

Over the last few days, I came across this article about the price of half-marathons in the US. The author was praising the face that a low key local half-marathon cost only $35 (~€28) to enter. She made a comparison to the local Philadelphia Half-Marathon which cost $125 (~€99).

There is of course a huge difference between some half-marathons. In the ones shown in the article, one was low key and staffed by volunteers. The other one was in a major city and a huge number of people needed to be paid for their services.

In an Irish context, there is a similar difference. You can't compare the cost of organising a half-marathon on quiet country roads to say one in a city where you need to close roads and have an army of volunteers at all the road junctions.

In general, the upper price of half marathons in Ireland has tended to be about €50 max. Recently however, it seems to be on the move upwards.

Over the last few days, I noticed that the Connemara marathon has a new website. This is a very successful event which comprises a half-marathon (13.1m), full marathon (26.2) and an ultra marathon (39.3m), is held in early April every year and seems to sell out well in advance.

I noticed however that the entry fee for the half-marathon is €70! I know that it includes a bus transfer to take people to the start line and all the usual things like dry fit tops, etc but €70?!?!

I have done the ultra up there twice and it certainly is a scenic and quiet course. I can understand why an ultra might cost €70.....the numbers are small and the course is a very big loop. But €70 for a half does sound excessive.

So my question is........how much are you prepared to pay to enter a half-marathon? What is the maximum? Is it a case that say the €70 entry fee for a half is just part of a good weekend away? What is acceptable and what is too much?

How long is it before people start paying US prices of €100 to enter a half-marathon?

Video...Mountain Running with Anton Krupicka

I came across this video today...one for the trail runners out there. It's 7 minutes long and as far as I can see, it was shot during the UTMB race around Mont Blanc. Most of the scenes are from Chamonix in the French Alps.

Round the World runner Tony Mangan arrives in Cork City

Tony Mangan is an Ultra-Marathon runner from Dublin who has spent the last four years running 50,000kms around the world. After starting the journey at the Dublin City Marathon in October of 2010, he is currently running 1600kms around Ireland and will finish his journey at the Dublin City Marathon on the 27th of October 2014.

Tony Mangan (L) with John Buckley (R)

He is currently in Cork City and called into John Buckley Sports this morning across the river from the Opera House. He is due to resume his journey tomorrow with a run to Castlemartyr.

Tues 14th...Rest
Wed 15th...Cork to Castlemartyr
Thurs 16th...Castlemartyr to Dungarvan
Fri 17th...Dungarvan to Waterford
Sat 18th...Waterford to Kilkenny
Sun 19th...Rest
Mon 20th...Kilkenny to New Ross
Tues 21st...New Ross to Wexford
Wed 22nd...Wexford to Gorey
Thurs 23rd...Gorey to Rathdrum via Arklow
Fri 24th...Wicklow to Bray
Sat 25th...Bray via Dun Laoghaire / Blackrock to Dublin City Marathon start
Sun 26th...Rest
Mon 27th...Dublin City Marathon

More info about Tony and his route around Ireland in this earlier post.

Bay Run Half-Marathon...€3000 donation to Bantry Hospice & post race interview

The Bay Run Half-Marathon takes place at the start of May every year on the Bank Holiday weekend. It was run by a commercial company for several years until they announced that the 2013 would be the last one. In 2014, it was taken over by the Maritime Hotel in Bantry from the old owners with the intention that any profits made would go to the local Bantry Hospice.

Back in late April of 2014 before the race, I had an interview on the website with James Cleary, race director of the Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k in Bantry in West Cork.

In this follow up interview, I asked James some follow up questions about the 2014 race, the donation and some of the issues raised in the original interview.

1) ok James, first off lets look back at the 2014 Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k. Some people complained afterwards about the car rally and the reckless antics of some of those drivers. Would you like to elaborate on that?..........Hi John, Thanks very much for the opportunity to chat again. We had a very successful year 1 but as with all events there is always room to improve – we did have a few comments mentioning the rally- in our defence we were informed by the rally director months in advance of the Bay Run events that the 10Km race would not be affected in anyway, yet their drivers and crew came booming towards runners and our event team. Some of them were very abusive towards our water station crews and we addressed this with them after the races. Having contacted the local rally representative we have been assured that the rally will not be using our route for the 10Km and we have assurances from them that their drivers will be more courteous towards other road users.

2) Now that you essentially have what is the first Bay Run Half for you under your belt as race director, what changes would you like to see happen? Is there anything that didn't work so well in 2014 and what will you change?...........I think we as a team pulled off a very enjoyable event and we have some phenomenally positive comments, feedback around Cork City and County was tremendous and we feel we have done enough to grow the event.

Some feedback given was on the below topics:
Water- there were comments on running out of water but we reviewed this and found it to be a minor issue- we didn’t run out; we did however have Powerbar branded cups available with both water and Powerbar energy drinks but people assumed that it was just energy drink and that we ran out of water we will have clear plastic cups as well as the bottled water for 2015.

Post event- We are investigating the cost of throwing on a spread of tea/ coffee, biscuits for after the race so there’s always room for improvement and we will always take on board people’s suggestions for due consideration.

Measurements: There were some comments about the course length; we have looked into this and after consultation with other event directors we will have all courses measured for next years event. This of course will be fully registered and measured with a Jones counter.

James Cleary (R) of the Maritime Hotel presenting a cheque for €3000 to the Bantry Hospice

3) In the previous interview, you mentioned that the Bay Run would raise funds for Bantry Hospice. I understand that a donation was made recently. Can you give me some details of that?...........Yes we were very pleased to be able to donate €3,000 to the hospice- see picture attached with Chairman Damien Moloney Bantry Hospice Receiving our cheque. It was a testament to all runners that took part and helped us raise valuable money for the Bantry Hospice but not only that; other charities benefited as well, Bru Colmbanus received cheques for various amounts all raised from runners on the Half Marathon & The Bay10Km; the Donal Walsh Live Life Foundation received donations and many more benefited from our events.

4) You also mentioned that you would publish a profit and loss account for the race so as to show where the funds are going. Can you show this?..........Absolutely - I’ve attached the P&L for the event year 1, the sole aim of the Bay Run events is to be as transparent as possible and hopefully people will recognise this gesture. Many other events throughout the country should provide a P&L for their events so people can see where the charity goes after covering the costs to run the events.

5) Now that the 2015 Bay Run Half-Marathon is just over 6 months away, what are your plans for it? Any big changes?..........Yes John, we announced our first ever Bay Marathon last month and we have 30 entries already so its going to be great to have Bantry’s first ever Marathon; there is a really good atmosphere around the town about the first marathon and it will allow us to raise more money for the Hospice thus providing a very good platform for other charities to benefit from people taking up the marathon challenge and helping their own charity that might be personal to them. I'd like to especially thank our sponsors Rowa Pharm., PowerBar, Red FM, O’Keeffe’s SuperValu Bantry and of course The Maritime Hotel & Leisure Club Maritime. Without their support the event wouldn’t exist.

Pleasure chatting with you as always John.

Results of the Charleville Marathon...Sun 12th Oct 2014

A brand new marathon was held in the town of Charleville last Sunday the 12th of October 2014. This was organised by Marathon Club Ireland so that some of their members in Cork could avail of a marathon closer to home.

The course consisted of two loops of the Charleville Half-Marathon course and 50 runners took part.

Charleville Marathon Results 2014
1 M Keith Whyte 02:50:11
2 M Mike Cunningham  02:53:40
3 M Dipak Vala 03:12:31
47 F Delores Duffy 03:35:44
21 F Mandy Prendergast 03:58:24
23  F Angela Murphy 03:58:30

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kevin O'Connor has 98 photos HERE

Results & photos of the Cork AAI Masters Cross Country Championships - Sun 12th Oct 2014

The Cork AAI Masters Cross Country Championships were held in Conna on Sunday the 12th of October 2014. The event was hosted by St.Catherines AC on what was a challenging but fair course with a nice mixture of uphill and downhill running.

Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC leads from the gun to take the win in the womens masters race

 
The category winners are shown below...

Masters Men
M35...1st Michael Dullea West Cork, 2nd Rory O'Sullivan St. Finbarr's AC, 3rd Kenneth Kelleher    East Cork AC
M40...1st Michael Harrington    West Cork, 2nd John Hogan Mallow AC, 3rd Liam Slattery Mallow AC
M45...1st Frank Hayes East Cork AC, 2nd Donncha O'Mahony East Cork AC, 3rd Eric Meade East Cork AC
M50...1st Mark Bickerdike, Leevale AC, 2nd John Collins Leevale AC, 3rd Colm Murphy Leevale AC
M55...1st Eddie O'Regan Youghal AC, 2nd Joe Murphy Eagle AC, 3rd Pat Maloney North Cork AC
M60...1st Eamonn McEvoy St. Finbarr's AC, 2nd Pat Twomey Eagle AC, 3rd Maurice Tobin Grange Fermoy AC
M35 Teams...1st East Cork AC 36pts, 2nd Mallow AC 51pts, 3rd Leevale AC 60pts
M50 Teams...1st Leevale AC 56pts, 2nd Eagle 159pts

Masters Women
F35...1st Mags Dempsey Tracton AC, 2nd Ruth Millerick Youghal AC, 3rd Deirdre Nagle Eagle AC
F40...1st Ronnie Barry Bandon AC, 2nd Evelyn Cashman Youghal AC, 3rd Gillian Cotter St. Finbarr's AC
F45...1st Carmel Crowley Bandon AC, 2nd Anna O'Neill Doheny AC, 3rd Sally Drennan Midleton AC
F50...1st Maria Hurley Bantry AC, 2nd Angela McEvoy St.Finbarr's AC, 3rd Meg Murphy Mallow AC
F55...1st Joan Hough Midleton AC
F35 Teams...1st Mallow AC 66pts, 2nd Youghal AC 76pts, 3rd Eagle AC 78pts
F45 Team...1st Midleton AC 40pts

The Cork Athletics Board have the full results of the masters and juvenile races HERE

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE
2) The Cork AAI has some photos HERE
3) Bandon AC have a few photos of their own athletes HERE

Rebel Run 10k looking for volunteers

As of last Friday, the number of entries to the Rebel Run 10k coming up on Sunday the 19th of October had passed the 500 mark.

You can still enter for €20 until noon on Thursday the 16th of October.

In the meantime, the organisers are looking for volunteers to help out on the day. As you can see from the poster on the left, you get a free dry fit top as well as getting a free entry to next years race.

More info about the race in this earlier post.

Results of the Ardfield 5km & 10km road races...Sun 12th Oct 2014

Over 200 runners turned out for the two races in Ardfield on Sunday 12th Oct 2014. In the 5km race, 128 took part while there were 88 in the longer 10k.

5KM
1 John Collins Skibbereen MS 17:41
2 Garrett Lordan     Clon Road Runners MS 18:09
3  Neilus Harold     MS 19:27
11 Marie Condan     FS 22:47
13 Roni Crowley     Jog 4 All FS 22:58
19 Bernie Leaonar     F    F50 24:54

10KM
1 Alex O'Shea            M    M40    644    35:48
2 Patrick McCarthy            M    M40    641    39:37
3 Padraig Sheenan        Clon Road Runners    M    MS    674    40:11
14 Eleanor Griffin            F    FS    636    45:48
18 Sandra Walsh            F    F40    604    46:23
25 Martha Hickey            F    F40    678    49:08

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) A selection of photos from the organisers can be seen HERE

All funds raised from these races go towards the development of a childrens playground for the local community.

Alex Wright of Leevale AC wins 50km race walk in Germany

At a 50km race walk in Germany on Saturday (11th of Oct 2014), Alex Wright of Leevale AC won in a time of 3h 51m 28s which equates to 7:27 per mile pace.

32. Gleinaer Schleife am 11.10.2014...Deutsche Gehermeisterschaften (DM)...Ergebnisliste mit Rahmenwettbewerben   
50 km Gehen Männer
1. Wright, Alex    1990    Leevale Athletic Club (Irland)    3:51:28 h   
2. Brembach, Nils    1993    SC Potsdam    3:54:47 h   
3. Janker, Andreas    1983    LG Röthenbach/Pegnitz    4:28:47 h   
4. Maier, Joachim    1970    SV Breitenbrunn    5:26:18 h
   
Alex Wright is very much one of the up and coming stars in Irish athletics. At the end of 2013, he declared for Ireland having competed for Great Britain previously. At the Cork City Sports last July, he set a new Irish record in the 3000m walk. Now in this 50km walk...which by the way is around 31 miles, his winning time puts him in third spot on the Irish all time list.

1 3:37:54    Robert Heffernan    1978 London    11 Aug 2012
2 3:50:51 Jamie Costin 1977 Dudince    28 Mar 2009
3 3:51:28 Alex Wright 1990 Germany 11 Oct 2014
4 3:51:32     Colin Griffin 1982 Dudince 24 Mar 2007
5 3:51:34     Brendan Boyce 1986  Zürich 15 Aug 2014

It's interesting to see that for a small country, Ireland out competes Britain in race walking. According to the UK athletics website, the current British record for the 50km walk is 3:51:37 and that was set way back in 1990. If Alex was still competing for Britain then it would have new UK record.

Alex is part of the race walking group in Cork that is being coached by the current world 50km champion Rob Heffernan.

Photo : Gearóid Ó Laoi

Some other running news items from the week...Sun 5th - Fri 10th Oct 2014

Some news stories from the net over the last week...Sun 5th - Fri 10th Oct 2014

Mo Farah makes $3.5 million in 2013...Runners World...
Leevale AC win Cork City Sports Award...Leevale AC...
Strength & Conditioning workshop in CIT on Wed 22nd Oct...Athletics Ireland...
Round the world runner Tony Mangan visits Charleville...North Cork AC...
Nominations for Irish National Athletics Awards...Athletics Ireland...
Athletic clubs and county stats at the end of Sept...Athletics Ireland...
Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom under the spotlight...Jumping The Gun...

Evening Echo supplement for Cork womens mini-marathon now online

Last Saturday, the Evening Echo carried a supplement for the womens mini-marathon which was on the previous Sunday.

This supplement is now online and you can view it at http://www.eveningecho.ie/mini-marathon-results-2014/

It gives the times for the first 100 across the line as well as the names of everyone who took part.

If you missed it, you can see links to various galleries of photos in this previous post.

Notice...Lee Fields 4 mile race - Sun 26th Oct 2014

This is a brand new race on the calendar...the Lee Fields 4 mile on Sunday the 26th of October 2014.

The 4 mile route takes in the Carrigrohane Straight...Inchigaggin Lace...Model Farm Rd...Dennehy's Cross...Victoria Cross. You can see a preview of the course HERE

You can pre-enter online HERE and there is a free technical top for the first 200 entrants. You can also enter on the morning of the race but obviously the tech tops might be gone at that stage.

As you can see in the flyer above, the race HQ is at the Kingsley Hotel.

The race is part of the HSE Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force initiative to encourage people to take part in Sunday morning activities. This is their message...The Cork Local Drugs Task Force has responsibility for  developing a strategic, locally based response to  substance misuse  in Cork. Today, the Cork Local Drugs Task Force funds twenty five projects. These projects are spread across local communities and voluntary agencies throughout Cork city to support individuals affected by substance misuse. All Drug Task Forces now have the  responsibility  of Alcohol  added to their brief. We in the Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force are highlighting this addition of alcohol by creating an event to support the “Hello Sunday Morning” initiative.

“Hello Sunday Morning” encourages individuals to look at changing the pattern of their drinking by taking a break from alcohol & incentivising that break with goals e.g taking up running/exercise – further details www.hellosundaymorning.org

We are also aiming to  highlight to the general public all the services available across cork city regarding substance misuse as part of our drug & alcohol awareness month (poster attached)
We are hoping you will support the upcoming not for profit event for the Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force.

Largest clubs in Cork by size...End Sept 2014

Athletics Ireland have just released some stats for the membership of the various athletic clubs in the country. They tend to do this every month but the stats towards the end of the year give a better picture of the relative size of each club.

I have broken the numbers down in adult members of whom a lot would be running road races and juvenile/junior members who would be more involved in athletics on the track and cross country.

It should be noted however that not all clubs are the same. Some will have large numbers of Fit4Life members who are more interested in just keeping fit while others like Leevale AC will have a lot of members more involved in track athletics.

Another point is that more informal running groups and clubs are not shown....only athletic clubs that are registered with Athletics Ireland.

Adult members in athletic clubs in Cork...(50+ members)

St.Finbarr's AC are currently the largest club in terms of adult members with 213, up from the 199 of 12 months ago.
Midleton AC are in second place down from 272 in Sept 2013 to 202 now.
Eagle AC are 3rd with 189, up from 148 a year ago.
Bandon AC are another club experiencing strong growth going from 141 to 179 in the last 12 months. Leevale AC are in 5th with 165 adult members, up slightly from 159 of Sept 2013.

It's worth noting that 3 of the top 5 clubs are also based in Cork City where there is obviously a large population base to draw on.

From the rest...Youghal AC down to 134 from 203. Watergrasshill AC are a brand new club and come in at 107. Mallow AC drop to 106 from 122. Ballintotis AC are up slightly to 102 from 95. North Cork AC are really growing strongly going from 46 to 102.

Togher AC are nother club with a strong track base and they go from 77 to 93. Clonakilty Road Runners go from 74 to 86. Ballymore Cobh AC underwent a revamp this year and now include a lot more adult members. They go from 10 to 76.

These are the largest clubs in Cork based on the number of Juvenile and Junior athletes (50+ members)...

 As you can see, there are really two big clubs for juveniles in Cork...Leevale AC and Bandon AC. The number of juvenile/junior athletes in Bandon AC has gone from 377 to 455 and have overtaken Leevale to become the largest juvenile club in Cork.

It's interesting to look at the size of Bandon AC and what the local population is. Surely there is plenty of scope for a lot of other clubs to do what Bandon AC has done?

1    Cork    199,230
2    Ballincollig    17,368
3    Carrigaline    14,775
4    Cobh    12,347
5    Midleton    12,001
6    Mallow    11,605
7    Youghal    7,800
8    Bandon    6,640
9    Fermoy    6,489
10    Passage West    5,790
11    Blarney& Tower    5,743

You can see the stats for all the clubs in Cork and the rest of Ireland at http://46.22.133.116/downloads/other/Membership_30th_September_2014_(Club).pdf

Early bird entries extended until Fri 10th Oct for Rebel Run 10k

Just a reminder that the early bird entry of €15 for the Rebel Run 10k race in Bishopstown has been extended until noon on Friday the 10th of October. After that, the entry fee will be €20.

The race website is HERE

More info about the race in this earlier post.

2015 Donal Walsh School Marathon Challenge

Donal Walsh Schools Marathon Challenge....Entries taken from Monday 29th September 2014 right through to May 10th 2015.

Description from the organisers...This event is an initiative of the Midleton Monday Night Club borne out of their hosting Irelands First ever Indoor Marathon in St. Colmans Community College in Midleton February last. During this marathon, with about 50 people running the marathon, a team of students also undertook the challenge running together all 165 laps of the school corridors, to complete the full 26.2 miles.

Now the challenge they issue to every school in the country is to also hold a marathon to match or better their time of 3hrs 53mins.

This marathon can be held inside, outside in the school field/track or wherever is most suitable – but it must be a marathon distance completed by the school team, e.g. if your lap is 200mts, then 211 laps are required, if your lap is bigger or smaller than this - then you do the maths! A maximum of 42 students per team only is allowed, (each running 1km each, which can be broken down into two 500mt stints or similar if preferred).

All times will be recorded by the teacher in charge and entered on the Donal Walsh Schools Marathon facebook page, with a picture included if you'd like. The winner at the end of the school year will be given a custom-made trophy one each per Primary school and Secondary school winner.

That’s the fun side – but of course we’re hoping the initiative will generate money for the really worthwhile charity of the Donal Walsh #LiveLife foundation. As we know this is a charity close to young peoples hearts – and what better way to “Live Life” than being a proud team member of a full marathon. Not only that, this event ticks all the boxes for students and curriculum; promoting physical health, a sense of accomplishment leading to positive mental health, teamwork and also generosity of spirit.

The idea would be that each participating child would contribute €2.00 each. The teacher in charge can then send their money directly to the Donal Walsh Live Life Foundation.

There are 8000 schools in Ireland, if only 1000 of these entered, with a team maximum of 42 children, (each to run a km) – that would mean 42, 000 children having run for Donal – that’s more than the London City Marathon event – imagine that!

The launch was on 29th September in St. Colmans Community College with Donals father, Fionnbar Walsh, the Cork City Marathon Fireman World record holder Alexander O’ Shea, Crystal Swing, along with the original team members themselves and their Principal Mr. Gerry Kelly, who so kindly allowed us to run our indoor marathon in the school in the first place.