Padraig Mullins from Cork completes the Badwater 135 mile Ultra-Marathon in Death Valley

Back in 2012, I had a guest post up on the site about Padraig Mullins who is a regular in Ultra events in the USA. Originally from Rathpeacon in Cork, Padraig has lived in Boston in the US since 2004 and started running in 2006.

Over the last few days, Padraig has been taking part in the Badwater 135 in California, one of the most famous Ultra events in the world. This starts in Death Valley which is 85m below sea level and finishes on the slopes of Mount Whitney at 2530 metres. In total, a distance of 135 miles and a cumulative ascent of 4450 metres. Add in the oven like temperatures and you can imagine how tough it must be.

Here is a description....."Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA, the Nutrimatix Badwater® 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280’ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300’ (2530m). The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600’ (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100’ (1859m) of cumulative descent."

Padraig started the race at 7am Irish time on Wednesday morning and finished around 9pm Irish time on Thursday...roughly 38 hours. He is the third Irish person to have ever completed this event.

Notice...GR8KM race in Mitchelstown, NE Cork - Fri 7th Aug 2015

The GR8KM organised by Galtee Runners AC coming up on Friday, the 7th of August. 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 will start and finish at the new Mitchelstown Leisure Centre.
A preview of the course with maps, photos and directions can be seen HERE

Results & Photos of the Conna 5k road race...Thurs 30th July 2015

A total of 243 runners turned out for this years Conna 5k road race on Thurs 30th July 2015. Organised by local club St.Catherine's AC, this was up 8.5% on the figure for 2014.


1    0:16:04    MERRITT, Colin    Carraig na bhFear AC    M40    05:10.2
2    0:17:02    HAYES, Frank    East Cork AC    M45    05:28.8
3    0:17:03    FAHY, Roy    East Cork AC    M40    05:29.2
14    0:18:38    HOLLAND, Ann-Marie    Youghal AC    F40    05:59.7
23    0:19:35    CASHMAN, Evelyn    Youghal AC    F40    06:18.1
24    0:19:42    RYNNE, Sharon    Kilmurry-Ibrickane NC AC    F    06:20.3 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There are 130+ photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE

St.Catherines AC are based in Conna and have a large number of adult and juvenile members. FOr more info on the club, go to http://stcatherinesac.org/

Members of St.Nicholas AC who are based in Castlelyons

 

Members of Youghal AC including Ann Marie Holland who was first woman

 

Members of St.Catherines AC who are based in Conna

Athletics Ireland release entry list for the National Half-Marahton in Dublin next Sunday...

The National Half Marathon Championships will take place in conjunction with the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon in Dublin next Sunday, the 2nd of August. From the thousands present, roughly 740 club runners will be taking part.

The entry list for the National Championships can be seen http://www.athleticsireland.ie/downloads/other/National_Half_Marathon_Entry_List.pdf

Just like the Great Ireland Run and the National 10k Championships last April, there are relatively few entries from Cork and Munster.

For example based on the latest Athletics Ireland membership stats, 13.3% of all adult members of clubs in Ireland are from Cork. Despite that, they only represent 3.2% of the National Half-Marathon Championship entries.

There are probably a number of reasons for this. An obvious one is that the there are plenty of other races closer to home without having to travel to Dublin. I suspect another reason however may be the cost. It's one thing to travel to Dublin for say the Marathon in October, going to the Expo the day beforehand and having to stay some place overnight. I'm not so sure a lot of people would bother for a half-marathon.

Considering Dublin is only about two and a half hours by road from Dublin, it might be more attractive if the race numbers could be posted out instead of having the expense of going up on Saturday to an Expo?

Lizzie Lee from Cork features on Competitor website.....The Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Series are organised by the Competitor Group. They have an article on Lizzie Lee from Cork up now on their website.

Reminder...Cheaper 'Early Bird' entries for the Cork City 10 Miler End 31st July

The John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler is coming up on Sunday the 13th of September 2015 and entries are coming in at a nice rate. This is just a reminder that the closing date for the cheapest 'early bird' entries is Friday the 31st of July. From the 1st of August, the entry fee increases from €20 to €25.

If you have made up your mind to do this race then you may as well enter asap. Considering that the entry fee includes a dry fit top then it's pretty good value.

More details in this previous post.

Results & Photos of the Cork BHAA Novartis 5k...Wed 29th July 2015

The conditions were almost ideal for this years Cork BHAA Novartis 5k with plenty of sunshine. There are loads of photos for this one :o) ....check out the links below.

1 John Meade M1 15:52 Joyce Wolfe Physio M-A-1
2 David Fox  16:05
3 Darren Molloy M2  16:10 Navy M-A-2
33 Karina Teehan 0/35H F1 19:03 Joyce Wolfe Physio
48 Jennifer Goggin F2  19:40 Novartis F-A-2
62 DENISE TWOHIG 0/40I F3 19:58 HSE F-A-1

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihabe has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Photos from Aoife & Majella Costello HERE
3) There are just over 200 photos from the roundabout at Shanbally up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.

15 Year Old Ciara Neville wins Gold for Ireland in 100m sprint

Back in February of 2015, 15 year old Ciara Neville of Emerald AC in Limerick caused an upset when she won a Silver medal in the Senior womens race in the Irish National Indoor Championships.

This week, she was part of the Irish team at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. On Monday, Ciara won her heat and semi-final in the Girls 100m with times of 11.90 and 11.92 seconds respectively. On Tuesday, she won the final in 12.01 seconds to take Gold for Ireland.

Race video. Ciara is in lane 6.


Medal ceremony...

Notice...MMRA Trail race, Corrin Hill...Wed 29th July 2015

For those who are interested in trail running, there is a race in Corrin Woods near Fermoy this evening Wednesday 29th of July. The distance is about 5kms.

From the MMRA...Corrin Hill Wednesday night. Reg between 7-7:45pm Race 8pm. Please bring your 2015 imra number. If you do not have one, it is €10 for membership & €5 for race. 

You'll find directions HERE

This video clip gives a flavour of what it's like...

Notice...Coachford 5 mile road race - Fri 14th Aug 2015

This 5 mile road race to the west of Cork City is coming up on Friday the 14th of August 2015. Note the 7pm start.

This should be particular interest to anyone west of the city as there aren't that many races in this particular area.

The entry fee is €10 and proceeds from the race go towards local charities and Suicide Aware.

Preview......More info about the course including maps and photos can be seen HERE

Notice...Cobh 4 mile road race - Fri 14th Aug 2015

Ballymore Cobh AC are one of the fastest growing clubs in Cork and they have seen a huge increase in their membership over the last year or two. In 2014, they held a 3km road race in Cobh which is an unusual distance. This year, they are changing to a 4 mile course which should prove a lot more popular. The race is on Friday the 14th of August during the Cobh Regatta Weekend.

The race costs €10 to enter. You can enter on Thurs 13th in the local Community Centre between 7pm and 9pm. On the day, the race HQ will be in the local scout hall and entries will be taken from 5:30pm. You can also enter online beforehand HERE

The 4 mile route is pretty fast as it starts on high ground just to the north of the town and finishes near the square which is just above sea level.

From the organisers....Taking centre stage on the opening night of the Cobh People's Regatta Weekend, the Ballymore Cobh AC 4mile Road Race offers runners of all abilities the opportunity to get out and get active across a flat and fair course whilst soaking in the picturesque surroundings of the Great Island before being roared home by a hugely supportive crowd as you reach the finish line positioned in Cobh's busy town centre.

Entries for The Edge Sports Shop event are already proving very popular and registration can be completed by visiting www.precisiontiming.net

The club would like to put on record it's gratitude to the following businesses who continue to support our efforts of promoting athletics for all in Cobh and the surrounding areas.

The Edge Sports Shop
Cobh Peoples Regatta
Cork International Hotel
Credit Union Cobh
Doyle Group
Lidl
Precision Timing
Vit-Hit 

Preview......You can get more info about the course including maps, directions, photos, etc HERE

Winners of the Dripsey 5k Challenge...Sun 26th July 2015

1st Eric Curran in 18:54s
2nd Rory Maguire in 21:40
3rd John Dunphy in 22.45

1st Female Amy Looney in 27:16

Winner Eric Curran & Amy Looney...Winners of the Dripsey 5k Challenge...Sun 26th July 2015

Website... http://dripsey.com/

Results of Round 6 of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League..Wed 22nd July 2015

The 6th round of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field was held at the CIT track on Wednesday the 22nd of July 2015.

The results of this and previous rounds can be seen athttp://corkrunning.blogspot.com/p/cork-graded-t-league.html

Some other news items from the week...Sun 26th July 2015

Some other news items from the week...

1) Athletics Ireland back Seb Coe for IAAF President...Athletics Ireland

2) More than 1 in 10 athletes could be doping...BBC News

3) Interview with US athlete Bernard Lagat... The Guardian

Results of the Rebel Run4Fun 5k in Ballincollig...Sun 26th July 2015

A total of 123 runners turned out for the Rebel Run4Fun 5k Series in Ballincollig on Sunday 26th July 2015.

1    BUTLER    DAVID        18:59    6:07/M
2    HOBBS    ANDREW    19:14    6:12/M
3    O'DONOVAN    JOHN    19:45    6:22/M
9    SWEENEY    MARY    21:00    6:46/M
18    HOLLAND    SIOBHAN    22:24    7:13/M
24    VERLING    FIONA    23:20    7:31/M 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There is an album from Mick Dooley of Eagle AC HERE
2) Graham Nudds has a gallery HERE 

Paul Tierney from Cork wins 100 mile Ultra Mountain Race in England

Paul Tierney from Cork has just won the Lakeland 100 mile race in the UK. The route which covers a total of 105 miles (169kms) and has a total ascent of 6,856 metres (22,493ft) was won by Paul in a time of 20h 42m 07s. Just over 300 prople started the race.

Paul who was a former member of Eagle AC is now based in UK and represents Ambleside AC.

Results of the Courtmacsherry Ultra, Marathon, Half & 10k...Sat 25th July 2015

In 2014, the options for this event were a 10k, 18 miles and a 36 mile Ultra. The format was changed this year and a marathon and half-Marathon were included which had the effect that the 18 and 36 mile distances were down.

In the 36 mile event, the numbers dropped from 63 in 2014 to 49 this year. 69 runners opted to do the marathon.

The 18 mile event dropped to just 5 after 80 took part last year. 82 runners opted for the half instead.

101 took part in the 10k.

The full results can be seen HERE

Usain Bolt runs 9.87s in London Diamond League...

In the 100m final of the Diamond League Meet in London on Friday, Usain Bolt won in a time of 9.87 seconds.

In the heats, he recorded the exact same time but with a faster reaction time of 0.153 seconds. In the end, he had to work hard at the end to take the win with 5 athletes getting under 10 seconds.

The big question now is if he can beat Justin Gatlin in the World Championships in Beijing in August? Gatlin who has been banned twice for doping has run 9.74, 9.75, 9.75, 9.78 this year already.

Results of the Churchtown South 5 mile road race...Thurs 23rd July 2015

A total of 535 runners turned out for this years Churchtown South 5 mile road race, the 3rd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series. As you can see from the chart above, it is down on last year but is still more in line with the two proceeding years.

A notable feature of the results this year was that the first two men broke 25 minutes which is sub 5 minute mile pace. The last time the 25 minute barrier was broken on this course was way back in 1997.

1 24:27    CREECH, Ryan    Leevale AC    M    04:53.3
2 24:54    O'SHEA, Alan    Bantry AC    M    04:58.7
3 25:02    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    05:00.3
33 30:04    MACKEOWN, Rosaleen    Leevale AC    F40    06:00.7
57 31:39    SANTRY, Fiona    East Cork AC    F    06:19.7
65 31:57    CARROLL, Aoife    Mallow AC    F    06:23.3 

The full results can be seen HERE

John Robinson has compiled a list of the overall positions for those that did the first 3 races in the series. It can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery of photos HERE

Visually impaired athlete Sinead Kane from Cork finishes 2nd in Belfast 12 hour Ultra

Last weekend (Fri 17th & Sat 18th July 2015), the Energia 12 and 24 Hour Race was held at the Mary Peter's track in Belfast. Both races started at 6:45pm on Friday evening with the 12 hour contestants finishing at 6:45am on Saturday morning. The 24 hour runners finished at 6:45pm on Saturday evening.

Sinead Kane with her guide runner John O'Regan

In the 12 hour race, Sinead Kane from Youghal, Co.Cork finished in second place with an hugely impressive total of 68.3 miles. That works out as 10m 32s minute mile pace which includes any stops.

To put that into context, it's the same as starting from Patrick Street in Cork City and running to O'Connell Street in Limerick City and then adding on another 8 miles.

Pace wise, it's the same as doing two 4:36 marathons back to back without a rest and then doing an extra 16 miles!

Apart from the physical fitness, it's obvious that to complete such a distance requires a huge amount of determination and mental discipline. You need to be able to run to what feels like the point of exhaustion and then beyond into the unknown.

These are some of the notable dates in Sinead's running career so far...
1) 2012...Starts running and completes first 10k
2) June 2014...Completes the Cork City Half-Marathon in 1h 49m
3) Oct 2014...Completes the Dublin City Marathon in 4h 01m. First visually impaired female runner to complete the Dublin City Marathon.
4) Feb 2015...Completes the Donadea 50k in 4h 52m. First Irish visually impaired runner to complete an Ultra-Marathon.
5) Mar 2015...Completes the Tralee Marathon in 3h 55m.
6) July 2015...2nd woman in the Belfast 12 hour. First visually impaired runner to take part in event.

Sinead's guide for the 12 hour race was John O'Regan who has represented Ireland on several occasions in International 24 hour races.

As locations go, it is a stunning location with the track hemmed in on two sides by a large embankment and surrounded by woodland.

As well as Sinead, there were a number of other runners from Cork in action there as well.

In the 12 hour race, John Hallahan of Leevale AC completed 53.7 miles.

In the 24 hours race, Eoin Keith who is originally from Cork finished in first place with 141.9 miles covered (228.4kms). Eddie Gallen was second with 222.566kms. Both Eoin and Eddie achieved the IAAF B standard of 220kms for a 24 hour race.

Other Cork runners in the results were Grellan McGrath of Eagle AC who completed 103.1 miles, his second time breaking the 100 mile barrier after winning the Connemara 100 mile back in 2013.

And finally but certainly not least, Jerry Forde completed 55.6 miles. He was the first wheelchair athlete to take part in the Belfast 24 hour race.

Photos...
1) NI Running have 2 albums...#1 & #2

Notice...Conna 5km road race - Thurs 30th July 2015

Organised by St.Catherines Athletic Club, this 5 km road race is coming up in the village of Conna on Thursday, the 30th of July 2015.

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. One thing to note is the number of prizes on offer with the top 6 men and women getting something as opposed to the more usual 3.   


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/

Notice...Rebel Run4Fun 5k in Ballincollig - Sun 26th July 2015

The second race in the Rebel Run4Fun 5k Series is coming up on Sunday the 26th of July with a 5k in Ballincollig Regional Park. The race starts at 10am. It costs €10 to pre-enter online or €15 on the day.

From the organisers.........INDIVIDUAL ENTRY TO EVENT 1 IS €10, EVENT 2 €10 AND EVENT 3 €5. (PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 16YRS+ TO TAKE PART IN THE CHIP TIMED EVENTS (EVENTS 1 & 2)  EVENT 3 IS OPEN TO ALL AGES AND IS NOT CHIP TIMED (CHILDREN UNDER 16 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT)

On the day registration will cost €15  for chip-timed events (July 26th) and €10 for non chip timed event (Aug 23rd).

Signing In for the Events : Pre-Registered Partipants will collect their timing chip and event number at each venue on the morning of the event from 8.45am. Sign in will be open from 8.45am until 9.30am with the events starting at 10am Sharp. Participants that are registering on the morning are asked to arrive in plenty time to register their details and get their timing chip/event number.


Entries.....You can find more info about registration HERE

Ballincollig 5k Course Preview.....A preview of the course in Blarney with maps and video can be seen HERE

Notice...Milford 4 mile race, N.Cork - Sun 2nd Aug 2015

This is a new 4 mile road race in the village of Milford in North Cork. The course has been accurately measured by Jones Counter and has an Athletics Ireland permit.

Proceeds from the event go towards the Shane Fitzgibbon Rehab Fund. Shane is a local GAA who had to have a brain tumor removed in January of 2015. You can find out more about Shane and fundraising efforts for his recovery at http://www.shanefitzgibbonrehabfund.com/

You can enter online HERE or on the day of the race for €15.

Prizes.......There are prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd for men and women. It's €75 for 1st, €50 for 2nd and €25 for 3rd. There will also be €20 each for the first junior boy and girl home.

There are also prizes for the top 3 mixed (male and female) teams. 5 runners to score.

The organisers are keen to stress that this race is open to all types of runners and walkers.

The village of Milford is located 8 miles west of Charleville and 2 miles from Dromcollogher.

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

Notice...Churchtown South 5 mile road race - Thurs 23rd July 2015

The 3rd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series is coming up on Thursday evening the 23rd of July 2015 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

Overall Series...The overall positions in the Ballycotton Summer Series after 2 races can be seen HERE  (courtesy of John Robinson). Remember, there are top 50 men and top 30 women t-shirts at the end of the series. 

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

Notice...John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler - Sun 13th Sept 2015

Here is another one for the diaries. The John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler race is coming up on Sunday the 13th of September 2015. This is the second year of this particular event and this year, it will double up as the Cork County 10 mile championships which is something new.

Located in the heart of Cork City, this is going to be popular with a lot of runners. 10 miles is a favourite distance for a lot of people as can be seen by the huge numbers doing the various 10 milers like Dungarvan and Ballycotton in the Spring.

As 10 mile courses go, this is up there with the fastest of them and takes in the flat walkways around Mahon and Blackrock.

Preview.......A full preview of the course can be seen here.. http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork085.html

The early bird entry of €20 closes on the 31st of July and that includes a dry-fit top.

Here is how to enter.....

1) John Buckley Sports.......Just call into the shop and enter. It is just across the river from the Opera House in the heart of Cork City.

2) By mail.......Download the entry form HERE.

3) Online via Precision Timing....Click HERE

More info on the race website... http://corkcity10miler.com/

The race is being organised by St,Finbarr's AC. Their website is http://www.stfinbarrsac.com/

Results of the Kilmurry 5k fun run...Thurs 16th July 2015

Just over 100 turned out for this 5k fun run near Lissarda.

1    Harringtion    Michael    m    17:20
2    O'Mahony    John    m     17:58
3    Cronin    John    m    18:50
7    O'Connor   Jacinta    f    20:39
15    Harringtion    Deidre    f    21:58
32    Murphy    Aine    f    24:56

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Dessie Fitzgerald 5k trail run in Doneraile Park...Sun 19th July 2015

Results of the Dessie Fizgerald Injury Fund 5k Trail Run in Doneraile Park...Sun 19th July 2015

1    Sean    Doyle    M    North Cork AC 17:13
2    Dave    Lyons    M    Mallow AC  17:51
3    Rory    O’Connor    M    North Cork AC  18:29
8    Grainne    Egan    F    North Cork AC  19:18
19    Aoife    Carroll    F    Mallow AC  20:08
27    Sarah    Corbertt    F    North Cork AC  20:31

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) North Cork AC have a gallery of photos HERE 

Video of the start...

Results of the Donoughmore 7 mile race...Fri 17th July 2015

A bit of a delay in the results with this one. 213 runners turned out for this years Donoughmore 7 mile road race, a drop of 7% on the numbers for 2014.

1 MARK HANRAHAN LEEVALE AC 00:34:40
2 COLIN MERRITT CARRIG NA BHFEAR AC 00:37:27
3 JOHN MEADE ST FINBARRS AC 00:37:37
34 MAGGIE KANAK BUCKS COUNTY ROAD RUNNERS 00:47:50
37 CIARA MURPHY COACHFORD 00:48:00
38 DENISE TWOHIG ST FINBARRS AC 00:48:05

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a small number of photos HERE

Results of the Shannonvale 10km road race...Fri 17th July 2015

Shannonvale 10k Results 2015

1 Brian Hegarty  Lee Vale  M Open 33:55
2 Shane Healy Tracton AC M Open 34:30
3 Ciarán Reilly  Liffey Valley AC M Open 35:18
26 Anna O'Neill Doheny AC F Open 41:36
42 Eleanor Griffin West Cork Tri Club F Open 43:56
47 Mags Murphy F F40 44:33

The full results can be seen HERE

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

Results of Round 5 of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League...Thurs 16th July 2015

The 5th round of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field was held at the CIT track on Thursday the 16th of July 2015.

The results of this and previous rounds can be seen athttp://corkrunning.blogspot.com/p/cork-graded-t-league.html

Notice...Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 20th Sept 2015

The Charleville Half-Marathon is coming up on Sunday, the 20th of September and it is widely recognised as being one of the fastest courses in the country.

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…
Normal Early Bird Entry Fee Rate from Monday April 20th 12 pm: 31.50 €
Standard Entry Fee Rate from Monday July 20th 12 pm: 37 €
Late Entry Fee Rate from Monday Sept 7th 12 pm: 42 €
No Race Day entry available.

Late online entry will close on Saturday 19th September at 6 pm.
Entry fee includes all processing fees.

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