Results of the Watergrasshill 8km fun run...Sat 30th May 2015

This 8km fun run organised by Watergrasshill AC in aid of a local national school attracted a small crowd of 54 runners.

1 Roy Fahy 28:30
2 Denis Hegarty 29:30
3 Kieran McKeown 30:30
7 Jennifer Goggin Walsh 34:44
11 Colette O'Donoghue 35:43
13 Gwen Conroy 37:16

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Marathon Club Ireland Marathon in Cork...Sat 9th May 2015

Marathon Club Ireland organise a number of events throughout the country and have traditionally been in the West of Ireland and in the Midlands. On Saturday the 9th of May 2015, they held one in Cork City near Blackrock Castle.

The marathon route was a 5 mile loop from the Mahon walkway...up the Railway cutting walkway...Marina...Blackroock Castle. This was done just over 5 times to make up the 26.2 mile distance.

The usual suspects at the start of the marathon in Blackrock with Adolfo Garcia #100 starting his 100th marathon

1    Alex O'Shea    02:43:32
2    David Toomey    03:07:53
3    Denis Keane    03:09:33
4    Alan Gorski    03:18:12
5    Brendan O'Mahony    03:28:00
5    Aidan Hogan    03:28:00
7    Denis O'Brien    03:37:17
8    Mandy Prendergast    03:45:18
9    Don O'Callaghan    03:45:54
10    Tom Enright    03:46:40
11    Derek Mackessy    03:47:49
12    Richard Cronin    03:50:16
12    Col Conway    03:50:16
14    John Cleaver    03:50:53
15    Ian Buckley    03:56:08
16    James Morgan    03:56:13
17    Mark Hillard    03:57:55
18    Tom Foley    03:59:46
19    Adolfo Garcia    04:03:52
20    John Delaney    04:11:20
21    Valerie Fogarty    04:13:23
22    Angela Murphy    04:18:15
23    Michael Haydon    04:31:57
24    Eamon Egan    04:35:34
25    Shane Dunphy    04:40:25
25    David Buggy    04:40:25
27    Dec Mc Donagh    04:42:27
28    Tiger O' Flaherty    04:45:01
29    Brian Ó Sé    04:48:51
29    Randall Wharton    04:48:51
31    Mary Toomey    05:00:38
32    Ann Moloney    05:16:38
33    Jerry Forde    05:19:22
34    Bernice Glavin    06:53:16
35    Mary Toher    07:04:00

Results of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League...Fri 29th May 2015

The second round of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League was held on Friday 29th of May 2015.

The latest results along with previous results can be seen at http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/p/cork-graded-t-league.html

Results of the Doneraile Park 5km race...Fri 29th May 2015

A record 511 runners took part in this years Dan Byrne Memorial 5km race in Doneraile Park on Friday the 29th of May 2015. Organised by Mallow AC, this is an impressive number considering it follows on from roughly 900 at the John Buckley 5k last Tuesday and 500+ at the Ballyandreen 5 mile yesterday.

1 TIM O'CONNOR    BANTEER    M40       15:46
2 FIACHRA MACDOMHNAILL    WEST LIMERICK    SM       16:23
3 PAUL MOLONEY    MALLOW AC    m40       16:58
7 MARTINA KIELY    ST FINBARRS    F35       17:47
24 CAITRIONA FARRELL    AN BRU    F35       19:34
30 CLOTHILDE FITZGIBBON    GRANGE FERMOY AC    w45       20:01

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Klickkapic Photography has a gallery HERE 
2) Ballyhoura Active have a gallery of photos HERE

Video...

Dry fit tops for the 2015 Cork City Marathon...

These are the dry fit tops for the 2015 Cork City Marathon...

Full Marathon, Half & Relay...

Weather Forecast for the Cork City Marathon...Mon 1st June 2015

Updated Mon @7am.....Intermittent rain forecast and increasing in frequency as the morning goes on. The worst weather after 12 noon.

Rain at 6:30am

1) It's going to be windy.
2) That wind will increase in intensity as the morning progresses with possibly very strong winds at about 1-2pm.
3) There will be rain but it's hard to say exactly when it will start in any particular location. 9am might be dry or it may be just starting. It's down to probabilities and the likely hood of it raining later are higher as the morning progresses.

Obviously the longer you are out there then the higher chances you have of getting wet.

1) RAIN.....Morning...Intermittent showers increasing in frequency as the morning goes on. Worst of the rain after 12 noon. The early afternoon will be very wet.

2) TEMPERATURE...The temperate will be in the low teens so fine for running. Not great if you get soaked though.

3) WIND...Note the centre of the low pressure system that will bring in all the rain is just off the west coast of Ireland. It is likely to be very windy with a strong south-westerly breeze. As the morning progresses, this will increase in intensity with possibly gale force winds around 1-2pm.

4) RELAY....For those doing the relay, then there are likely to be very different conditions for the person starting off and the person finishing. The first person may find conditions pretty goo. The last person may find them awful especially as they'll have to wait. Again, the main thing is how long the team os out on the course. The slower then the worse it will be.

The wind is likely to be a factor along these stretches...
a) Coming back from Blackpool...2.5m to 3.5m
b) Coming out of the tunnel and along the South Ring Road...7.8m to 8.7m
c) The walkway after Blackrock Castle...11.3m to 13m
d) From the Elysian out the Link Road.....17m to 18.7m

Other than that, it's going to be a cross wind for most of the course which won't help.

Road closures for the 2015 Cork City Marathon...

The Cork City Marathon next Monday will have an obvious impact on some roads around the city.

You can find some info about the road closures and how they impact on bus routes HERE

Results & photos of the Ballyandreen 5 mile road race...Thurs 28th May 2015

A total of 564 runners turned out for this years Ballyandreen 5 mile road race, the first race of four in the Ballycotton Summer Series. As you can see from the chart below, that is a drop from last years numbers although still well up on a few years ago.

Considering that the weather was dry, there might be two reasons for the drop.
1) It possibly might be a sign of the sheer volume of races on a moment. This week alone, there was the John Buckley 5k on Tuesday, a trail race in Currabinny on Wednesday, the Ballyandreen 5 mile on Thursday and there will be a 5k in Doneraile on Friday.
2) The Cork City Marathon, Half-Marathon & Relay is on next Monday and a lot of people may be saving themselves for that.

1 24:59    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    04:59.7
2 26:24    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:16.7
3 27:12    MOLLOY, Darren    Leevale AC    M    05:26.3
35 30:54    MACKEOWN, Rosaleen    Leevale AC    F40    06:10.7
54 31:37    SANTRY, Fiona    East Cork AC    F    06:19.3
68 32:04    LEONARD, Helen    Leevale AC    F40    06:24.7

The full results can be seen HERE

Winners of the 2015 Ballyandreen 5 mile road race...Michael Harty of East Cork AC, first man to break 25 minutes since 2001. Rosaleen MacKeown of Leevale AC was the first woman home for the biggest win of her running career.

Photos to follow...

Preview of the 2015 Cork City Marathon...

Now with the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon coming up next Monday, have a look at these previews below to see what the various parts of the course are like.

Course Previews...If you want to see what the route for the Cork City Marathon looks like then watch this 13 minute video put together by Rob O'Farrell...



Previews.....
1) Marathon...HERE
2) Half-Marathon (13.1 miles)... A preview of the Half-Marathon course with maps and photos can be seen HERE
3) Marathon Relay...
a) Leg 1 of 5 can be seen HERE
b) Leg 2 of 5 can be seen HERE
c) Leg 3 of 5 can be seen HERE
d) Leg 4 of 5 can be seen HERE
e) Leg 5 of 5 can be seen HERE

Deptartment of Health announce €100,000 grant for parkrun in Ireland

On Wednesday the 27th of May, the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar announced that the Healthy Ireland section of the Department of Health and the HSE have awarded a grant of €100,000 to parkrun Ireland, as part of the new partnership which also involves Athletics Ireland, the Irish Sports Council and Phillip Lee Solicitors.

Every week parkrun organises a free 5k run at 29 venues across Ireland in parkland surroundings. Thanks to this new partnership, up to six new parkrun events are now being planned which will effectively make it a nationwide initiative, with a run starting in Killarney and Dundalk next weekend, and others to follow in Athlone, Limerick city and Cork city. A new run started recently in New Ross, Poppintree, Sligo, Hartstown, Cabbinteely, and a junior parkrun for 4-14 year olds is also planned.

New parkruns for Cork and Limerick City

Minister Varadkar said: “parkrun offers fantastic opportunities for people to take part in a 5k run in a fun and positive environment. It’s a dream initiative for any aspiring runner. You simply log on, download your number, and take part in a 5k run in your local park. Your time is recorded and you can compare your progress from week to week. It couldn’t be easier and it’s all free of charge.

“parkrun is already available in 29 locations around Ireland and up to six new events are now being planned under this new partnership. I’m delighted that parkrun is going to be supported by Healthy Ireland because it’s very effective and has a proven success rate. People who are active are more likely to live healthy and happy lives. I really want to encourage more people to be physically active in Ireland and this is a great way to do just that.”

Almost 37,000 participants have run 1,000,000 km in parkrun events at 29 locations around Ireland since it started here in 2012. Originally launched in the UK, there have been a total of 1.5 million registrations worldwide, with 100,000 participants taking part weekly in 12 (soon 14) countries. It’s now the single biggest running participation event on the planet.  And its growth in Ireland has been the most dramatic of all.

In welcoming the new partnership, Matt Shields, parkrun Ireland country manager said: “There is something about the parkrun ethos of family and community that fits well with the Irish culture and when you add the support we have received at all levels from government to grass roots, it is hardly surprising that parkrun in Ireland has been such a success. In two years, we have established 29 events to date with six more coming soon and the prospect of junior parkrun for 4-14 year olds also close. People of all ages, gender and ability now have a new weekly free friendly pathway to activity. I am sure that with the support of Healthy Ireland, The Irish Sports Council, Athletics Ireland and our latest commercial supporter Philip Lee we will see much more of the same through 2015-16. “

John Foley, the CEO of Athletics Ireland also welcomed today’s announcement saying: “Athletics Ireland is delighted to partner with parkrun as it grows throughout Ireland. We see parkrun as an ideal way for people of all ages to get involved in exercise through running in a friendly non-competitive environment. Many of the Athletics Ireland clubs are volunteering every week to assist with the runs and a number of the participants are joining their club Fit4Life groups which meet regularly. We look forward to a long-term relationship with parkrun as we work together to get people active and healthy”.

John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council said: “The Irish Sports Council are delighted to support the parkrun initiative. Our aim is to encourage participation across Ireland, across all ages and abilities and remove barriers that prevent participation in sport. Through our National Network of Local Sports Partnerships, we have been able to support parkrun events across the Country and provide opportunities for more people to be more active, more often.”

Alice Whittaker, Partner in Philip Lee said: “Philip Lee is delighted to be one of the main supporters of parkrun in Ireland.  We have a strong ethos of encouraging the promotion of sport, health, community and positive initiatives within the firm.  As a fantastic community based initiative, parkrun is the perfect fit for Philip Lee which is full of avid runners and sport fans.”

Dr Cate Hartigan, Assistant National Director Health Promotion and Improvement in the HSE also welcomed today’s announcement saying: “We are delighted to continue to support parkrun in 2015 and to make it part of our Healthy Ireland programme. Encouraging more communities to be active and to see the enormous benefits that this can bring, is one of the most important changes that we all want to see in Ireland. We are really looking forward to continue working with parkrun to support the community participation and volunteering that is an essential element of the initiative and which adds greatly to our overall health and wellbeing in Ireland.”

Minister Varadkar concluded by saying: “I want to pay tribute to this new parkrun partnership between the public service, the corporate sector, the community and voluntary sector and a national sporting organisation. This initiative supports and empowers people to make positive change towards making Ireland a healthier place to live and also to help in action towards realising the vision of a Healthy Ireland.”

The map below shows the current parkruns in Munster. By the end of 2015, there should be 9 up and running in the province.

Closer look at the 2015 Cork City Half-Marathon...

With only a few days to go, it's time to have a closer look at the new route for the Cork City Half-Marathon next Monday the 1st of June.

The route starts near Kennedy Park, about 800m from the City Hall which is a huge improvement on the hassle of getting buses out to Mahon like it was pre-2014.. From Kennedy Park, the runners will take in a small loop by Albert Road before heading down Monahan Road to the Atlantic Pond. Around the 1.9 mile mark, the course will merge with the full marathon course.

Timing.....One important issue is of course the start times and when the two fields will merge. The half starts at 10:45am while the full starts at 9am. The fields will merge at roughly the 2 mile mark for the half and the 15 mile mark for the full.

The times below show the two fields merging. Note that this is based on both races starting exactly on time.

6 min per mile...1:18 half-marathon < > 7:48 min per mile...3:24 full marathon
7 min per mile...1:32 half-marathon < > 7:56 min per mile...3:28 full marathon
8 min per mile...1:45 half-marathon < > 8:04 min per mile...3:31 full marathon
9 min per mile...1:58 half-marathon < > 8:12 min per mile...3:35 full marathon
10 min per mile...2:11 half-marathon < > 8:20 min per mile...3:38 full marathon

Scenarios.......(if the races start on time!)
a) If you are doing a fast half marathon...say sub 1:30...then you are going to come out ahead of most of the marathon runners. You should have a pretty clear route for the rest of the race.
b) If you are doing say a 1:45 half then you will merge with runners in the marathon doing roughly the same pace.
c) If you are doing say a 2 hour plus half then you will be still ahead of most of the marathon field but they will be running much faster than you.
d) If you are doing the full marathon and are targeting say 3:45 or slower then you will have a lot of half-marathon runners ahead of you.

While the Marina itself is narrow enough for the two to merge, there should be plenty of room on the Centre Park Road and the South Link Road for the fields to thin out.

Preview.......The full preview of the Half-Marathon course can be seen HERE

Registration for the 2015 Cork City Marathon...

This year, the organisers have made some changes. See below....

From the organisers.....Two important changes to registration!

1) Location: It's still at City Hall but in the Civic Offices on Anglesea Street. The Expo will be in the usual place - the Concert Hall.

2) Acceptance slips: We've now allocated race numbers for the MARATHON and RELAY. (The half marathon will be next-available number so no change to your original acceptance.) We decided to print first names on marathon bibs rather than leaving a blank or using stickers. There's also confusion about the team relay acceptance slips, so we've allocated team numbers too. For the marathon and relay, you've just been emailed a fresh acceptance slip. Please download and print, or come to information at registration if you can't. More information on where and how to register at http://www.corkcitymarathon.ie/enter/registration/

Notice...MMRA 5k trail race in Currabinny Woods - Wed 27th May 2015

Just a reminder that the MMRA are holding a 5km trail race in Currabinny Woods near Ringaskiddy on Wednesday evening the 27th of May at 8pm.

Kids u10 accomp 7:30 €0
Juniors 7:30 pm €5
Adults 8:00pm €5
Please note last registration 7:45 sharp
Please bring your filled out MMRA membership form if you have not raced this year-membership €10

This is part of the current Munster Wednesday Evening Trail League. More info HERE

Results & photos of the Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5k road race...Tues 26th May 2015

Just over 900 runners turned out for this popular 5k race in Cork City on Tues 26th May 2015.

1 Mark HANRAHAN    John Buckley Sports    M    14:28
2 Colm Sheahan            M        14:58
3 Chris Mintern        Murphys Rock    M    15:14
16 Michelle Finn        UCC    F        16:19
39 Sinead Oconnor        Dept of Ed    F    17:01
43 Martina Kiely        Dept of Ed    F    17:07

The full results from the Cork BHAA can be seen HERE

Photos....(Updated Wed 8:30am)
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery HERE
2) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE
3) Joe Murphy has a gallery up on the Eagle AC Facebook page HERE.
Joe also has a larger number up on a Picasa album HERE

Remember to hang on to your race bib. If you bring that into John Buckley Sports then you'll get a 20% discount.

Notice...Millstreet 5 mile road race - Fri 26th June 2015

The Willie Neenan Memorial 5 mile road race is coming up in the town of Millstreet in NW Cork on Friday, the 26th of June at 8:15pm.
 

It's an area of the county where there isn't a huge number of races so it should be of interest to runners in both Cork and Kerry.

For the last two years, this was a 10k race but this year it changes to a much faster 5 mile course. When it was a 10k race, the race had a height difference of about 60 metres between the highest and lowest points on the course. With the new 5 mile route, that's down to about 25 metres.

The entry fee is €11 if you pre-enter online on the Precision Timing website. You can also enter on the day for €15. Race HQ is the GAA community hall which is directly across from the church at the western end of the town.

Organised by Millstreet AC, the course has been accurately measured by Jones Counter and has an Athletics Ireland licence.

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

Notice...Ballyandreen 5 mile road race - Thurs 28th May 2015

The Ballycotton 5 mile Summer Series starts at 8pm on Thursday evening with the Ballyandreen 5 mile road race in East Cork. This is the first of the 4 races in the series and there is a special plaque for anyone who goes on to complete all 4 races. In addition, there are Top finisher T-shirts for the top 50 men and top 30 women in the series when it concludes in August.

Location / Getting there......this piece is for the new runners. Ballyandreen is located a few kms to the west of Ballycotton. If you don't know that area then follow these directions...

Take the main road to Ballycotton in East Cork. It is well signposted from Midleton. Just as you enter the village, you will see an old church on your right....

Take the right here and drive up the hill. Keep going for about 2 kms and you will get to a crossroads where you will be directed to a parking area by the race stewards. It's very simple, you can't get lost.

Entry.......
1) The entry fee is €5. Try and bring the exact amount as it helps speed things up.
2) If you are new, they will need a few details from you like your age, club or area where you live, etc.
3) The location for entries is in a small yard just off the road. Depending on which field they use for parking, this can be 300-600 metres from the parking area.

Time.......The thing about Ballyandreen is that things are spread out a bit. Depending on which field they use on the night, parking can be 300-600 metres from the registration point and it's about another 200 metres down to the start line.

The best option and the one that would really help the organisers would be to arrive early....say before 7pm. You have loads of time then to wander down to enter...head back up to your car.....get changed.....and then head down to the start line.

Where people get caught every year is that they arrive at say 7:20-7:30......it takes about 8 minutes to walk down to the registration point.......big queue.......then they are in a mad rush to get back up to the car, get changed and get back down to the start on time.

So get there early or if you can't help arriving late, then get changed beforehand and jog down to the registration with the €5 entry fee in your hand.

Course...........The start point is near the registration point. The initial half mile has a good bit of uphill running it with a downhill section near the 1 mile mark. After that it's not too bad although there is a very steep downhill section near the 2 mile mark, almost too steep to really run on properly. Then it's out onto the main road and head west towards the 3 mile mark. The 4th mile is without doubt the hardest. There is a bit of a drag just after the 3 mile mark but you are soon running downhill again.

However, just after 3.5 miles, you take a sharp left and the 'Beast of Ballyandreen' welcomes you!!

Panoramic view from the top of the 'Beast'....high above the valley floor....

...although at this stage, you'll probably be half-dead and unlikely to notice

It basically is a 500 metre slog up a tough 'little' hill. You'll be glad to see the 4 mile mark because after that, the last mile is a complete contrast. After an initial flat stage, you soon start running downhill, through the crossroads, past where the race started and all the ways towards the finish near the coast for what will probably be your fastest mile.

Overall........A 5 mile road race in the quiet countryside of East Cork. If the term classic applies, then this is it.

Details of the Ballycotton Summer Series...May to Aug 2015

The Ballycotton Summer Series is the oldest road race series in the country and it's hugely popular every year. The dates and times are always the same...4th Thursday of every month from May to August....Starts at 8pm except for the last one which is 7:30pm. The top 50 men and top 30 women in the series get finishers t-shirts.

Every race usually gets around 500 runners so it's advisable to get to each one well before the start time. This map shows the locations of each race...

Previews of each course......
1) Ballyandreen 5m...(May)...HERE
2) Shanagarry 5m...(June)...HERE
3) Churchtown South 5m...HERE
4) Ballycotton 5m...HERE

(Ballyandreen 5m........Ballycotton Running Promotions will be taking entries Wed 27th May at Midleton Community Centre from 6-7pm. Also entry on the night)

Notice...Courtmacsherry - Timoleague 10k road race - Fri 26th June 2015

This 10 km road race in West Cork is coming up at the end of the month on Friday the 26th of June 2015 at 8pm. In terms of flat fast 10k courses, this is about as fast as they get.

The race starts in the seaside town of Courtmacsherry, then follows the estuary road to Timoleague before doing a small loop and returning to Courtmacsherry again.

On a nice summers evening, it's a great spot for a race. Located just to the south of Bandon, it's well within the catchment area of a lot of runners including those in Cork City.

The entry fee is €15 and you can enter online HERE. On the Friday evening, entries will be in Courtmacsherry Hotel.

From the organisers......

Annual Courtmacsherry-Timoleague 10km Road Race.....Officially measured, chip timed flat and fast coarse just 45 minutes from Cork city. The course runs along side the beautiful Courtmacsherry Bay and if you want to set a personal best, this is the course to do it on.

Prizes : For first 3 Men & Women, Men & Women Over 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60,
Wheelchair Athlete and Team (4 to count)

Main Prizes : Overall Men & Women 1st Place €100, 2nd Place €50, 3rd Place €30.
€100 bonus to winners if course record is broken.  Men: 31.38 Women: 35.25

Register online at www.sportstiming.ie or on the day at Courtmacsherry Hotel 5.30-7:30pm.

Entry €15...email ct10k@yahoo.com for more info....Followed by refreshments and BBQ.

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

Reminder...Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5k on Tues 26th May 2015

Just a reminder for the Cork BHAA John Buckley Sports 5k in Cork City on Tues 26th May 2015. This is one of the fastest 5k courses in Cork and always attracts a huge crowd. The entry fee will also get you 20% off all products in John Buckley Sports.

More info incl maps, photos, preview in this previous post.

Notice...Grant Thornton 5k Team Challenge, Cork City - Tues 30th June 2015

The Grant Thornton 5k Team Challenge started in Dublin back in 2012 and it got an entry of 1595 in its first year. In 2013, that increased to 2885 and in 2014, it was up to an impressive 3573 runners.

Building on that success, the event is now being rolled out in Cork on Tuesday the 30th of June 2015. Organised by Athletics Ireland, the 5k race is made up of teams of 4 people...see details below...

As you can see, it's €100 per team of four with every entrant getting a dry fit top and a goodie bag. You can enter via the Athletics Ireland website.

Proceeds from the event go to Athletics Ireland and their High Performance Programme.

10% of the proceeds also go to the ISPCC.

The race starts on the South Mall outside the Grant Thornton offices and takes in a loop out by Ballintemple before finishing by Kennedy Park.

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

More info about the event on the race website... http://www.grantthorntoncorporatechallenge.ie/

David Matthews (centre) is the Irish 800m record holder

Results of the Ballyvourney 8km run...Sun 24th May 2015

A small field of 71 runners turned out for this 8km run in Ballyvourney in West Cork.

1    Aidan Thompson    28.37
2    Gearoid O’Leary    29.53
3    John Cronin    30.24
22    Karena McCarthy    36.23
23    Gráinne Ni Luasa    37.26
25    Mary Cotter    38.07

The full results can be seen HERE

First three men home in the Run Ballyvourney 8 km.
From left; Gearoid O'Leary (2nd), Aidan Thompson (1st), and John Cronin (3rd).

Photos...
1) Ballyvourney Tidy Towns have a gallery HERE

Photos of the Ballyvolane 5k fun run/walk...Sun 24th May 2015

A 5k fun run/walk organised by Leeds AFC was held in Ballyvolane in Cork City on Sunday morning the 24th of May 2015. Kieran Minihane was on hand to take some photos which can be seen HERE

Results of the Emer Casey 10k road race in Youghal...Sun 24th May 2015

A total of 411 runners turned out for this years Emer Casey 10k road race in Youghal, Co.Cork. 

1 30:24    CIOBANU, Sergiu    Clonliffe Harriers    M    04:53.4
2 32:00    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:08.9
3 32:26    MANSFIELD, David    Clonliffe Harriers    M    05:13.1
15 37:45    HOLLAND, Ann-Marie    Youghal AC    F40    06:04.4
32 39:31    NOLAN, Kate    unatt/Waterford    F    06:21.4
38 40:25    LEONARD, Helen    Leevale AC    F40    06:30.1

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Tues 26th 8am)
1) Dave O'Brien Photography has a gallery HERE   and on Facebook HERE
2) Graham Nudds has a very nice gallery HERE

Video clip from Youghal Online...

GPS readings for the Cork City Marathon & the Tunnel problem

Someone sent me an e-mail recently about the Cork City Marathon and the GPS readings out along the course. They asked the question..."Do you know if there is there any way to avoid losing the signal on your watch when you go through the Jack Lynch Tunnel?" 

In the Cork City Marathon after passing the 7 mile mark, you run down into the North Bore of the Jack Lynch Tunnel and take a curved route under the River Lee. You do of course lose all the GPS signals once you enter the tunnel and only aquire them again once you exit. No signal, no readings.

Your watch of course has no idea that you took a curved route and just connects the entrance and exit of the tunnel and assumes you took a straight course.


This is just one of the features that causes problems out along the course. If you take sharp corners near tall buildings then your watch can just just record you as having gone through the building. Another issue is the fact that the course is measured by the shortest possible route whereas in a mass of runners, you may well be taking corners wide and not taking the direct route.

The net effect of all factors can be that your GPS watch won't read 26.2 miles and it may seem out by quite a bit.

So my questions are.......
1) What kind of distances have you measured for the Cork City Marathon by GPS?

2) How did you find the loss of signal at the tunnel effected your watch or your race? Was there any issues with the watch going into standby modes when it lost the GPS signal? Any other side effects?

3) With GPS watches that beep every mile, you should find it sounding earlier and earlier as you get near the mile markers. How did the tunnel change this?

Notice...Glanmire 4 mile road race - Wed 10th June 2015

This 4 mile road race is coming up on Wednesday the 10th of June in Glanmire near Cork City.

Located just to the north-east of Cork City, it is within easy access for a lot of people. For anyone coming off the M8 motorway, just take exit 18.

Race entries will be taken at Glanmire GAA club which is right alongside the main road in Sallybrook...

The 4 mile route takes in a loop to the east of Glanmire. Both the start and finish points are only a short distance from the GAA grounds.

From the organisers...Brief Synopsis of Route....The route will begin at, the Brook Inn Glanmire and will continue along the main road west to Riverstown Cross (R639). Runners will then turn left and head towards the Sars pavilion and turn right to follow the old “New Line” road (Marwood Avenue). At the end of  this road they will turn right onto the “New Line road” (Copper Valley Vue) and continue up to “Toby Burkes Cross”. The route will then turn left up the hill where it meets the Knochraha/Blosomgrove road and then turns left and heads back down to meet “New Line” road at the junction with O Connell Transport offices (Caseys Cross).The route turns right and heads to the roundabout at Brooklodge where the runners will keep to the right of said roundabout,(The runners will then keep to the right hand side of the road until the completion of the race). and continue to Hazelwood Cross.

The race is sponsored by Source Fitness who are based in Silversprings in Tivoli.

From the Sponsor....Source Health & Fitness is one of the largest fitness centres in Munster and possesses a vast array of facilities. We have classes & activities to suit each individual need and fitness level. Classes include; Spinning, Aqua, Zumba, Circuits, Bootcamp, Yoga, Pilates, Metafit, BLTP, Sculpt & Tone, Toning, Abs, Line Dancing.

We pride ourselves on having the experience required to deliver top class instruction on all aspects of fitness. We believe we have something for all fitness levels and pride ourselves on being a professional and friendly centre where our member’s needs are our top priority. You will always get a good workout, no matter when you train!
http://www.sourcehealthandfitness.com/

Pre-entry......If you want to pre-enter this race then you can do so at the Precision Timing website.

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

Results of the Kilcredan 5k road race...Fri 22nd May 2015

Another week and another big race in East Cork. A total of 318 runners turned out for the annual Kilcredan 5k road race, up a fraction on the 312 of 2014.

1 Conor MCCAULEY    Leevale    MS    16:48
2 Nigel SHEEHAN        Youghal    MS    17:15
3 Shane HARRINGTON    East Cork AC    MS    17:52
5 Aoife COOKE        Youghal    FS    17:57
23 Evelyn CASHMAN    Youghal    F40    19:10
32 Helen LEONARD    Leevale    F40    19:43

Update Sat 12:15pm.......Please note that there were some problems with the results. For the moment, any positions or times may be wrong. A full set of results will be posted once they have been checked.

Update Sat 10pm...Precision Timing issued the following...."We would like to apologise to participants for this and in no way should the event organisers be blamed for the delay in results."  

It seems as if they were under pressure with the volume of entries before the race and this resulted in problems later.

Update Mon 2pm...Kilcredan 5K committee would like to thank everyone who came out and supported us tonight. There was a great atmosphere and hope you all enjoyed your night. We would like to apologise for the delay in results being returned. This delay was caused by Precision Timing which we will be following up with. We will be delivering category winners prizes to those who did not receive them before they left. Thanks again to all for your support, we look forward to welcoming you all back again next year.

The provisional results are HERE

Photos...Facebook account required to view
1) Denis O'Flynn has a gallery HERE 

Photos...
1) Dave O'Brien Photography has a gallery on Facebook HERE and on his website HERE

Notice...East Ferry 5 mile road race - Fri 5th June 2015

In terms of race courses, this must be one of the nicest in Cork. Located just south of Midleton in East Cork, this is just a short drive from Cork City.

I did this course as a training run recently and it really is a lovely location. I think a lot of people drive south of Midleton on the road to Whitegate unaware of what a stunning spot East Ferry is. On a sunny summers evening, there is no better spot for a race.

The race HQ is at the local national school. It has an Athletics Ireland permit and has been measured properly by Jones Counter. After the race, there will be the usual refreshments.

Preview......Have a look at the preview for the course... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork098.html

You'll get a good idea from the photos of what a nice location it is.