Results & photos of the Tramore Valley Park 5km parkrun...Sat 31st Oct 2015

The 5th parkrun in Tramore Valley Park in Cork City saw an increase in numbers again this week with 231 taking part, up 15.5% on the 200 on last week.

1    Cullen LYNCH    16:41    SM20-24    77.32 %    M    1    Togher AC
2    Denis COUGHLAN    16:42    SM30-34    78.54 %    M    2    St Finbarrs AC
3    Unknown                           
28    Louise KEANE    21:23    SW30-34    69.37 %    F    1
35    Mairead MORRISSEY    22:01    VW40-44    69.87 %    F    2
37    Marie O NEILL    22:08    SW30-34    67.17 %    F    3 

The results can be seen HERE

Photos... 
1) There are around 300 photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE

Results of the Ghostbusters 5k race, Doneraile Park...Sat 31st Oct 2015

A total of 185 runners turned out for this charity 5k race in Doneraile Park in North Cork. Proceeds from the event will go to the Anchor Addiction Treatment Centre in Mallow.

1 17:09 SHEEHAN, Nigel YOUGHAL M Snr 05:32
2 18:18 MULCAHY, Thomas N/A M Snr 05:54
3 18:33 BARROW, Donough MALLOW M Snr 05:59
14 20:41 LEAHY, Eileen MIDLETON F Snr 06:40
25 21:52 MULCAHY, Jean N/A F Snr 07:03
31 22:28 O'REILLY, Annette N/A F Snr 07:15

The full results can be seen HERE

Entry Procedure for the 2016 Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race

Ballycotton Running Promotions have just released the entry procedure for the 2016 Ballycotton 10 mile road race. It remains much the same as previous years except that it is now even easier for club runners, Summer Series runners and overseas runners to enter online. They also have the option of posting in their entries in a one week window. See below...

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ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ROAD RACE 2016

The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’ which will take place on Sunday March 6th. Once again, numbers are limited and there will be a combination of online and postal entries, as follows:

1) Online entries will open on Tuesday December 8th at 2pm, when the first 1,000 will be accepted. At 8pm the same evening a further 1,000 will be accepted, making an initial online total of 2,000. 

2) For Athletics Ireland and Athletics Northern Ireland affiliated members plus those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2015, along with those living overseas, an additional online facility will open on Wednesday December 9th at 10am until midnight on Friday December 11th.

3) Postal entries: A PDF copy of the entry form will be published on the Ballycotton website on the evening of Friday December 11th, and will also be available in the usual local outlets.
All club and Summer Series entrants (see above) and overseas will be accepted by post up to and including Thursday December 17th.The first 200 non-club entries to arrive by post will be also be added to the above.

4) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date. 

Entry fee for the 2016 race is again €15 (plus booking fee of €1.05, if entering online).

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So what does that all mean? If you are interested then pay attention to the dates! The online entries will probably fill up in a day.

If you are not a member of an athletics club, did not do the four Ballycotton Summer Series races and are not overseas then you need to make sure you enter online on Tuesday 8th December. Based on previous years then you should get in ok but you need to be online and be prepared to wait so that you can enter your details.

Notice...Ghostbusters 5k, Doneraile Park - Sat 31st Oct 2015

There are two road races coming up over the weekend. On Sunday, the Cork BHAA are holding a 4 mile road race on the Marina. On the Saturday the 31stof October, there is a charity 5k in Doneraile Park in North Cork.

The entry fee is €10 and all proceeds go towards the Anchor Addiction Treatment Centre in Mallow.

More details on the event website... http://www.ghostbusters5k.com/

Details of the route can be seen here... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork015.html

Just 200 places left for the Dungarvan 10 mile next January

There are now less than 200 places left for the 2016 Dungarvan 10 mile road race! If you intend on doing this race then you should enter asap. It's likely the last 200 spots will be gone over the weekend.

More info about the race in this previous post.

This is one of the most popular 10 milers in the country and it's on Sunday the 31st of January 2016. It's amazing that here we are at the end of October with 2,300 entries so far and it's nearly sold out. Just a few years ago, you could drive there and enter on the day.

Update @3pm.....The 2500 limit has now been reached and entries are closed.

The first Dublin Marathon in 1980

The very first Dublin marathon took place in 1980, with 2,000 athletes taking part. The men's race was won by Dick Hooper with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 14 seconds, followed by Neil Cusack from Limerick and John O’Flynn from Cork.

Of the 2,000 participants, only 70 were women. The first woman was Carey May of the Dublin City Harriers with a time of 2 hours, 42 minutes and 11 seconds.


A news report appeared on RTE later that day, You can view it HERE

Provisional Results for the 2015 National Marathon Championships

The annual Dublin City Marathon also doubles up as the National Marathon Championships. The provisional results have been released and you can see the medal positions below. From a Cork point of view, there are several individual category medals as well as team medals for St.Finbarr's AC, Eagle AC and Ballymore Cobh AC.

Just a note of caution! The results are provisional. You can be sure that there will be a few errors in there and it may make a difference to the end results. It's likely the individual results will remain unchanged but some of the team positions might change.

Results updated 30th Oct...(The only major change is in the M50 team category. Tullamore Harriers move up to 2nd pushing St.Finbarr's AC from 3rd to 4th)

The Cork results are in BOLD

1 Sean Hehir MS 02:19:47 Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C.
2 Gary O'Hanlon M40 02:25:23 Clonliffe Harriers A.C.
3 David Mansfield MS 02:30:47 Clonliffe Harriers A.C.

MEN O35
1 Raivis Zakis M35 02:33:21 West Waterford A.C.
2 Richard Gorman M35 02:33:26 Sligo A.C.
3 Ciaran Mc Gonagle M35 02:34:11 Rosses A.C.

MEN O40
1 Colin Merritt M40 02:32:44 Carriag-Na-Bhfear A.C.
2 Fergal Whitty M40 02:35:15 Donore Harriers
3 Michael Morgan M40 02:35:56 St. Finbarrs A.C.

MEN O45
1 Mick Boyle M45 02:35:08 Raheny Shamrock A.C.
2 John Murphy M45 02:46:35 Grange/Fermoy A.C.
3 Pat Dunworth M45 02:46:55 An Riocht A.C.

MEN O50
1 Pauric Mc Kinney M50 02:33:53 Inishowen A.C.
2 Cathal O Connell M50 02:39:04 St. Finbarrs A.C.
3 Paul Moran M50 02:42:25 Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C.

MEN O55
1 Norman Mawhinney M55 03:01:14 Ballydrain Harriers
2 Tom Halpin M55 03:01:23 Ballynonty A.C.
3 James Cottle M55 03:07:14 Crusaders A.C.

MEN O60
1 Martin Kearney M60 03:04:11 Galway City Harriers A.C.
2 Ronan Ward M60 03:04:44 Civil Service A.C.
3 Hugh Boyle M60 03:10:00  Springwell Running Club

MEN O65
1 Sean Whelan M65 03:29:05 Ennis Track A.C.
2 Maurice Tobin M65 03:36:37 Grange/Fermoy A.C.
3 Garry Clarke M65 03:45:12 Tallaght A.C.

MEN O70
1 Sam Hogg M70 04:01:35 Lagan Valley AC
2 Philip Cribbin M70 04:40:02 Clare River Harriers A.C.
3 Martin Keane M70 04:48:06 Athenry A.C.

MEN O75
1 Tom Horkan M75 04:45:33 Ballina A.C.

Senior Team Title
1 Raheny Shamrock A.C....Freddy Sittuk 02:15:20, Mick Boyle 02:35:08, Dermot Gorman 02:39:59...07:30:27
2 Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C...Brian Furey 02:39:16, Sean Hehir 02:19:47, Louis Mc Carthy 02:32:13.....07:31:16
3 Clonliffe Harriers A.C.....Gary O'Hanlon 02:25:23, David Mansfield 02:30:47, Ernie Ramsey 02:51:44....07:47:54

MEN O35 Team
1 St. Finbarrs A.C. ...Michael Morgan 02:35:56, Michael Corbett 02:47:40, Joe Cunningham 02:48:47.....08:12:23
2 Donore Harriers ....Fergal Whitty 02:35:15, Andy Kinane 02:44:38, Patrick Moriarty 02:52:37...... 08:12:30
3 Clonmel A.C. ....David Ryan 02:39:57, Brian Long 02:46:37, Declan Curley 02:48:21..... 08:14:55

MEN O50 Team
1 Eagle A.C. ....Frank Hill M50 02:52:31, Ronan Boland 02:55:03, Martin Leahy 03:02:22...... 08:49:56
2 Tullamore Harriers A.C... Éanna Gowran 02:55:04, Raymond Flanagan 03:04:46, George Webb 03:15:57 ...09:15:47
3 Mullingar Harriers A.C... Eddie Newman 02:46:52, Matthew Glennon 03:06:40, Stephen Naughton 03:25:51..09:19:23

SENIOR WOMEN
1 Pauline Curley 02:49:32 Tullamore Harriers A.C.
2 Jane Ann Healy-Meehan 02:54:51 Athenry A.C.
3 Laura Graham 02:56:46 Moyne A.C.

WOMEN O35
1 Sandra Lynch F35 03:05:59 Kilcoole A.C.
2 Aine O Reilly F35 03:06:04 Mullingar Harriers A.C.
3 Anne marie Needham F35 03:07:53 Westport A.C.

WOMEN O40
1 Helen Barry F40 02:58:34Sli Cualann A.C.
2 Gillian Wasson F40 03:04:00 Springwell Running Club
3 Mags Dempsey F40 03:08:37 Tracton A.C.

WOMEN O45
1 Sonia O Sullivan F45 03:03:39 Ballymore Cobh A.C.
2 Karen Lavelle F45 03:06:08 Star of the Sea A.C.
3 Anna Doris F45 03:11:35 Midleton A.C.

WOMEN O50
1 Joan Ennis F50 02:58:17 Grange/Fermoy A.C.
2 Olivia Sheerin F50 03:29:07 St. Michaels AC
3 Kathryn Carruthers F50 03:30:26 Ballymore Cobh A.C.

WOMEN O55
1 Susan Waterstone F55 03:14:45 Civil Service A.C.
2 Mary Sweeney F55 03:16:22 St. Finbarr s A.C.
3 Bernadette Manley F55 03:47:25 Raheny Shamrock A.C.

WOMEN O60
1 Mary Jennings F60 03:37:50 Waterford A.C.
2 Una Reilly F60 04:10:21 Liffey Valley A.C.
3 Mary Nolan-Hickey F60 04:16:09 Sli Cualann A.C.

WOMEN O65
1 Eileen O Brien F65 04:09:35 Lucan Harriers A.C.
2 Collette O Hagan F65 06:38:39 North East Runners A.C.

WOMEN O70
1 Brigid Quinn F70 04:39:47 Ballymena Runners AC
2 Terri Gough F70 05:32:07 West Waterford A.C.
3 Maggie Dunne F70 05:39:08 Grange/Fermoy A.C

SENIOR WOMEN TEAM
1 Donore Harriers .....Amy Moriarty 03:15:22, Breda Mahony 03:27:12, Sinead Graham 03:29:20 .....10:11:54
2 Brothers Pearse A.C. ........Karen Clarke 03:19:57, Sarah O Meara 03:23:50, Sorcha Mc Cann 03:28:36...... 10:12:23
3 Springwell Running Club ......Gillian Wasson 03:04:00, Linda Gillen 03:31:13, Ciara Mc Sherry 03:38:40 .......10:13:53

Women O35 Team
1 Westport A.C.  .........Anne marie Needham 03:07:53, Marian O Malley 03:18:06, Michelle Needham 03:27:02..... 09:53:01
2 Ballymore Cobh A.C.......Sonia O Sullivan 03:03:39, Orla O Rourke 03:20:34, Kathryn Carruthers 03:30:26......09:54:39
3 Raheny Shamrock A.C......Annmarie Woods 03:07:55, Lorraine Byrne 03:15:29, Elaine Mc Nulty 03:37:26......10:00:50

WOMEN 050 Team
1 Raheny Shamrock A.C......Bernadette Manley 03:47:25, Mary Purdue-Smyth 03:52:38, Fiona Kirwan 03:55:57.... 11:36:00
2 Lucan Harriers A.C. .......Emer Mc Carthy 04:05:51, Eileen O Brien 04:09:35, Ursula Murphy 04:22:38.......12:38:04
3 Sligo A.C........ Mary Furey 03:46:42, Rose Young 04:39:47, Olivia Seery 05:49:18........14:15:47

Updated Results...(30th Oct)
The Men's individual placings can be seen HERE and the team placings HERE

The Women's individual placings can be seen HERE and the team placings HERE 

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Original Provisional Results...
The Men's individual placings can be seen HERE and the team placings HERE

The Women's individual placings can be seen HERE and the team placings HERE 

Results & Photos of the 2015 Dublin City Marathon

 Just under 13,000 runners took part in this years Dublin City Marathon, an increase of about 2.7% on the figure for last year. As you can see from the graph below, the numbers have been creeping upwards for the last few years. With the centenary of the 1916 Rising next year and the introduction of a Sunday fixture, it looks likely next year will be the biggest yet.

The event also doubled up as the National Marathon Championships. From a Cork point of view, Colin Merritt of Carraig na bhFear finished 6th and the 3rd M40. Cathal O'Connell of St.Finbarr's AC finished 2nd M50. These are the top Irish results:
1 Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF) 2:19.47 ...(€1,750 time bonus),
2 Gary O’Hanlon (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) .......2:25.21... (€600 time bonus),
3 David Mansfield (Clonliffe Harriers) .......2:30.45... (€175 time bonus),
4 Eoin Callaghan (Star of the Sea) .......2:31.27... (€150 time bonus),
5 Louis McCarthy (Rathfarnham WSAF) ......2:32.11... (€125 time bonus),
6 Colin Merritt (Carrig na bhFear, M40) .......2:32.42, ...3rd M40 (€75)... (€125 time bonus)

M50: 2 Cathal O’Connell (St Finbarr’s AC) .......2:39.00,

In the women's race, Joan Ennis of Grange Fermoy AC finished 5th while also taking the 1st F50 title. Joan is having a cracking year after finishing 2nd in the Cork City Marathon last June with another sub 3 hour time.

In the W45 category, Sonia O'Sullivan finished 2nd while raising funds for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Mary Sweeney of St.Finbarr's AC took silver in the W55 category.

Women:
Irish results:
1 Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers, W45) ........2:49.32 ... (€300 time bonus),
2 Jane Ann Healy-Meehan (Athenry AC) .......2:54.48... (€150 time bonus),
3 Laura Graham (Moyne) .......2:56.21... (€125 time bonus),
4 Charlotte Kearney (Donadea Runners, W35) .....2:56.48... (€125 time bonus),
5 Joan Ennis (Grange Fermoy AC, W50)........ 2:58.11............1st F50
... (€100 time bonus)
6 Helen Barry (Sli Cualann, W40)....... 2:58.28... (€100 time bonus).

W45: 2nd Sonia O’Sullivan (Ballymore-Cobh AC).... 3:03.32 (€100),
W55: 2nd Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s AC)....... 3:16.22 (€100),

The full results can be seen here... http://www.tdl.ltd.uk/race-results.php?year=2015

Photos.....(Updated Thurs 29th @08:00)
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery of 800 photos HERE with a number on the Eagle AC Facebook
...a)  80 photos HERE
...b) Some Cork runners just after the start HERE
...c) Some Cork runners near the 25 mile mark HERE
2) Peter & Rory Mooney have about 400 pics HERE
3) Paul Cambell has over 300 photos HERE
4) Patrick Fitzpatrick has over 300 photos HERE
5) Nicola Kavanagh has about 140 photos HERE
6) Marie Kenna has about 70 pics HERE
7) The organisers have group photos of the start of each wave. Zoom in and find yourself. Click HERE
8) Eduarantes has 15 photos HERE
9) Niall Collins has almost 1000 photos HERE
10) Lindie Naughton has 14 photos HERE
11) Paddy Parrott has 400+ photos HERE 
12) Andy O'Rourke Photography has two small galleries mostly of Cobh runners HERE and HERE
13) Susan Parker Laste has a gallery HERE
14) Creative Photography has a gallery HERE
15) The organisers have about 300 photos HERE

Photos...(Facebook account required to view)
1) Kieran Carlin has a gallery of about 1000 pics HERE

Commercial Photos
1) FinisherPix has a loads of photos for sale HERE 

Possibly one of the most remarkable stories of the day was how a cardiac nurse who was running the marathon just happened to come across a woman who had collapsed and how he saved her life.

 

Noelle Lenihan & Orla Barry from Cork win medals at the IPC Parlympic Games in Doha

Following on from Niamh McCarthy's recent Bronze medal at the IPC Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Doha, two more athletes from Cork have gotten into the medals as well.

On Monday, 15 year old Noelle Lenihan from Charleville won silver in the F38 discus and also managed to set a new world record. After her throw of 31.64m, Noelle said..."I got a PB, world record and silver medal in my first major championship. I turn 16 in a few days time so naturally I’m going to gain more experience and improve my explosive power which can only result in further improvement. But for today I’m delighted!"

On Tuesday, Orla Barry from Ladysbridge won bronze for Ireland in the F57 discus.

Noelle Lenihan & Orla Barry

Man on fraud charges after cheating in Marathon in Kenya

The Nairobi International Marathon was held over the weekend and wasn't without its share of controversy.  A man identified as 28-year-old Julius Njogu, hid among a group of spectators before joining Sunday's race near the finish.




Njogu was in line to claim around 7,000 US dollars (£4,570) in prize money before being disqualified.Officials said they became suspicious when Njogu showed no signs of fatigue and was not sweating when he had supposedly just run 26 miles (42km). They discovered that he had run barely 1km after emerging from a bunch of onlookers and joining the leading group of runners just outside the stadium.

"I followed the leading team from start to finish and I didn't see him," said race director Ibrahim Hussein, a former Boston and New York Marathon champion. "He will not be recognised and I'm so disappointed that one can cheat in this modern age. He didn't finish second."

He will now face fraud charges for cheating.

Results of the Munster Novice Cross Country Championships, Waterford...Sun 25th Oct 2015

The 2015 Munster Novice Cross Country Championships were held on the outskirts of Waterford City on Sunday the 25th of October.

In the Men's Novice race, Leevale AC took the team title with Cork taking the County honours. In the Women's Novice race, Youghal AC took the title with Cork again taking the county title.

One thing that is very evident from the results is that the number of clubs with full teams was pretty low. There were just 8 men's teams and 7 women's teams.

Novice Men
PositionName Team Name County
1 Karl Fitzmaurice Ennis Track A.C. Clare
2 Patrick Chesser, Ennis Track A.C. Clare
3 Chris Mintern Leevale A.C. Cork

Club Team Points
Place Club Positions Points
1 Leevale A.C. 3, 6, 9, 19 ...37
2 Togher A.C. 5, 7, 17, 24... 53
3 Ennis Track A.C. 1, 2, 30, 31... 64
4 Dundrum A.C. 12, 29, 34, 47 ...122
5 Waterford A.C. 10, 32, 39, 43 ...124
6 West Waterford A.C. 23, 41, 42, 45 ...151
7 Carrick-on-Suir A.C. 22, 37, 54, 55 ...168
8 Youghal A.C. 14, 57, 58, 59 ...188

County Team Points
Place County Positions Points
1 Cork 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17 ...51
2 Tipperary 12, 13, 21, 29, 34, 47 ...156
3 Waterford 10, 18, 23, 32, 41, 42 ...166

Novice Women
PositionName Team Name Team Scoring County
1 Aoife Cooke Youghal A.C. Cork
2 Cushla Hehir Ennis Track A.C. Clare
3 Ruth Millerick Youghal A.C. Cork

Club Team Points Points
Place Club Positions
1 Youghal A.C. 1, 3, 7, 18...29
2 Clonmel A.C. 8, 20, 24, 27 ...79
3 Star of the Laune A.C. 10, 16, 21, 40... 87
4 Waterford A.C. 13, 22, 35, 36... 106
5 An Riocht A.C. 9, 26, 34, 39 ...108
6 West Waterford A.C. 12, 29, 31, 38  ...110
7 Farranfore Maine Valley A.C. 4, 30, 49, 50 ...133

County Team Points Points
Place County Positions
1 Cork 1, 3, 6, 7 ...17
2 Kerry 4, 9, 10, 14 ...37
3 Waterford 12, 13, 22, 29 ... 76
4 Tipperary 8, 20, 24, 27  ...79

The full results can be seen HERE

Live tracking for the 2015 Dublin City Marathon

If you know anyone doing the Dublin City Marathon then you can track them on this link...

http://track.rtrt.me/e/TDL-DUBLINM-2015#/tracker

If want to follow club members then do a search under the club name.

Results & Photos of the Lee Fields 4 mile road race...Sun 25th Oct 2015

There was a turnout of 294 runners for this years Lee Fields 4 mile road race in Cork City, a jump of 13.5% on the figure for 2014. When you consider that there is now a weekly 5k parkrun in the city, it's a good sign.

1    James MCCARTHY (114)    00:20:43    All Ages  (1)    Male  (1)
2    James GRUFFERTY  (63)    00:21:01    All Ages  (2)    Male  (2)
3    Mark CRONIN (302)    00:21:09    All Ages  (3)    Male  (3)
16    Carmel CROWLEY (340)    00:23:57    All Ages  (1)    Female  (1)
33    Denise TWOHIG (317)    00:25:48    All Ages  (2)    Female  (2)
44    Andrea MCNAMARA (119)    00:26:29    All Ages  (3)    Female  (3)

The full results can be seen HERE

James McCarthy & Carmel Crowley...winners of the 2015 Lee Fields 4 mile road race

Photos.....

1) There are 200+ photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) Kieran Minihane has another big batch HERE

The Cork Local & Southern Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force has responsibility for developing a strategic, locally based response to substance misuse in Cork City, Co. Cork and Kerry. Today, the Cork Local & Southern Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force funds 47 projects. These projects are spread across local communities and voluntary agencies throughout the region to support individuals affected by substance misuse. All Drug Task Forces now have the responsibility of Alcohol added to their brief. We in the 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 & incentivizing 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, the County & Kerry regarding substance misuse as part of our drug & alcohol awareness month... http://www.corkdrugsinfo.ie/


A list of awareness events for the month of October 2015 can be seen HERE

Niamh McCarthy from Carrigaline wins Bronze at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha

Niamh McCarthy from Carrigaline in Co.Cork has won a bronze medal in the discus at the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Doha. Competing at her first major championships, Niamh finished third with a best effort of 23.66 metres in the F41 class.

Notice...Valley Rover Camogie Club 7k fun run/walk - Sun 8th Nov 2015

 This 7k fun run/walk is coming up on Sunday the 8th of November 2015 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

2014 Results

Results & photos of the Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun...Sat 24th Oct 2015

The number were up a bit this week with 200 taking part in the 5km parkrun in the Tramore Valley Park in Cork City. It really was a beautiful morning with blue skies and sunshine.

1    Shane SIMCOX    17:08    VM40-44    M    1
2    Kevin BARRY    18:08    SM30-34    M    2    Leevale AC
3    Brian LINEHAN    18:44    VM50-54    M    3
26    Louise KEANE    22:12    SW30-34 F    1
30    Caoimhe DOYLE    22:26    SW30-34    F    2   
31    Deirdre O'CALLAGHAN    22:42    VW45-49    F    3    Eagle A.C. 

The full results can be found HERE

Photos...
1) There are 200+ photos HERE

Tramore Valley Park update.....The last time I was in the park at the start of October, I walked the perimeter of the park along the route of the parkrun. This time around, I took some photos from the highest spot in the park. Although it's not that high, a lot of the usual landmarks around Cork City can be picked out from there. There is a small gallery HERE

As with my previous visit, there is no smell or even a hint that it was the old city dump. The grass was ankle high and no really suitable for running or walking on. While there is a gravel path around the perimeter of the site, it really needs more elevated paths for walkers and runners. With maybe some shrubs on the lower slopes and grass further up, it should be a pretty nice park in years to come.

The one thing though that is ever present is the sound of the South Ring Road. Even though it is now mostly hidden behind tress, it is very noticeable.

I heard that the park is supposed to be open in the Spring / Summer of 2016.

Looking ahead to the 2015 Dublin City Marathon...

The big race nationally this weekend is of course the 2015 Dublin City Marathon next  Monday. Based on the number of club runners, I'd guess there must be somewhere near 800 runners from Cork are making the journey to Dublin.

Elites and Sub 3.50 start at 9.00am, 3.50 to 4.15 start at 9.10am, rest of the competitors start at 9.20am. The race has a cut off of 7 Hours. There are 10 water stations on the route,water will be 250ml plastic bottles. Lucozade will be available at 4 areas on the route in 380Ml Plastic bottles. High5 will be available at 2 stations.

There are minor  changes to the route from last year,at approx 2 miles the race cuts across the Quays and proceeds through Stoneybatter and enters the Phoenix Park through the North Circular Road gate unlike last year when it it went through the Main Gate. As you approach the finish the race take a more direct route to finish at Merrion Square.

There will be pacers for the following times: 3.00, 3.10, 3.20, 3.30, 3.40, 3.50, 4.00, 4.10, 4:20, 4.30 4:40, 4:50 and 5.00.

Peak finishing time is expected around the four hour mark when around 300 runners will cross the finish line per minute.

From a weather point of view, it is expected to be dry with rain arriving later in the day. There is however a strong southerly breeze which might make things a bit difficult in exposed areas.

This is the profile of the route. Note the early hills. For anyone doing their first marathon, the best advice is to pick a conservative target and then run close to even splits. The most common mistake by far is that people run too fast early on. For the first 10 miles, you should find the pace very comfortable. If you're beginning to struggle at mile 10 then you're going way too fast. An easy pace early on will pay dividends at the end of the race.

Reminder...Lee Fields 4 mile road race coming up on Sunday 25th Oct 2015

The Lee Fields 4 mile road race is coming up in Cork City on Sunday the 25th of October 2015. The weather forecast is for dry conditions.

The 4 mile route is the same as last year...County Hall...Carrigrohane Straight...Inchigaggin Lane...Model Farm Rd...Dennehy's Cross...Victoria Cross. You can see a preview of the course HERE

You can pre-enter online HERE for €11.50 and there is a free technical top for the first 200 entrants. You can also enter on the morning of the race for €15 but obviously the tech tops might be gone at that stage.

More info in this previous post.

Dublin Marathon to move to Sunday in 2016

Every year, the Dublin City Marathon takes place on the October Bank Holiday Monday. This year, a record 15,216 people have registered for the event from 62 different countries. 10,800 of those entered are Irish which represents 71% of the total. There are 3,853 club runners entered so the majority of the Irish entry are not members of any club.

While the Monday is a Bank Holiday in Ireland, it is of course just another working day in the UK and Northern Ireland. Roughly 2000 runners have entered the Dublin Marathon this year from the UK and there is of course a large amount of money spent in Dublin in terms of accommodation, food and entertainment.

To encourage more visitors, it has just been announced that as of 2016, the race will be held on Sunday instead. This should make it a lot more appealing to runners from the UK as Dublin is just a short flight away.

The date for the 2016 Dublin City Marathon is Sunday the 30th of October.

This is bound to raise the question about the Cork City Marathon. If Dublin can move to Sunday then why not Cork?? I know in previous polls here, the Sunday option was a lot more popular.

Results of Autumn Cross Country & Irish Teams for British & Irish CC

In October every year, the Gerry Farnan Cross Country was held in Dublin and it was one of the biggest events on the Irish cross country calendar. It was renamed the Autumn Open Cross Country last year and this years event was held in the Phoenix Park last Sunday the 18th of October with 133 in the 8k race and 112 in the 5k race.

One of the big attractions for Masters runners (i.e. those aged 35 and over) is that it is used for selection of a team for the British & Irish Cross Country International which is held every year. With all the different age categories, it is an opportunity for many runners to represent their country and wear an Irish singlet.

What is shown below are the names of runners from clubs in Cork and Munster who were in the results. Those from Cork selected for the Irish team are shown in BOLD

Open 8km
3. 1387 Kevin Mulcaire m JM Ennis Track A.C. 26:02
5. 1219 Kevin Maunsell m SM Clonmell A.C. 26:03
6. 1220 William Maunsell m SM Clonmell A.C. 26:21
8. 2082 Colm Sheehan m SM Leevale A.C. 26:30
10. 1358 Michael Harty m 1st M35 East Cork A.C. 26:33 ...Irish M35 team for British & Irish CC
16. 1231 Stuart Moloney m 2nd M35 Mooreabbey Milers A.C. 27:21 ...Irish M35 team for British & Irish CC
19. 1397 Mark O'Sullivan m SM Bandon A.C. 27:24
20. 1328 Michael Carmody m SM An Brú A.C. 27:25
22. 2049 Tim Twomey m M35 Leevale A.C. 27:28 ...Irish M35 team for British & Irish CC (Reserve)
26. 2083 Eric Curran m SM Leevale A.C. 27:51
28. 1331 Kevin Chesser m SM Ennis Track A.C. 28:00
54. 1243 Frank Hayes m 3rd M45 East Cork A.C. 29:25 ...Irish M45 team for British & Irish CC
63. 2072 Shona Heaslip w 2nd SW An Riocht A.C. 29:39
70. 2050 David Comber m SM Leevale A.C. 29:50
79. 1241 Siobhan O'Doherty w 4th SW Borrisokane A.C. 30:13
80. 1260 Ronan Duggan m SM Bandon A.C. 30:15
113. 2048 Mark Bickerdike m M50 Leevale A.C. 32:52
114. 2051 John Collins m M55 Leevale A.C. 32:58 ...Irish M55 team for British & Irish CC (Reserve)
122. 2021 Eamonn Mc Evoy m 3rd M60 St. Finbars 33:50 ...Irish M60 team for British & Irish CC
133. 2015 Kerry Constant m M60 44:27

5km
13. 949 Maria McCarthy w 2nd W40 Farranfore Maine Valley A.C. 19:34 ...Irish W40 team for British & Irish CC
19. 936 Cushla Hehir w W35 Ennis Track A.C. 19:49
22. 945 Rosaleen MacKeown w W40 Leevale A.C. 19:51 ...Irish W40 team for British & Irish CC
23. 2045 Grace Lynch w SW Iveragh A.C. 19:58
30. 2013 Niamh O'Sullivan w 1st W50 An Riocht A.C. 20:14 ...Irish W50 team for British & Irish CC
34. 902 Caitriona Barry w W40 Farranfore Maine Valley A.C. 20:24 ...Irish W40 team for British & Irish CC (Reserve)
39. 2052 Carmel Parnell w 1st W60 Leevale A.C. 20:45 ...Irish W60 team for British & Irish CC
44. 2024 Sharon Cahill w 2nd W50 An Riocht A.C. 21:03 ...Irish W50 team for British & Irish CC
48. 919 Lorna Davey-Fitzgerald w W35 Mallow A.C. 21:13
59. 2009 Mary Sweeney w 2nd W55 St Finbarrs A.C. 21:48 ...Irish W55 team for British & Irish CC
79. 922 Sally Drennan w W50 Midleton A.C. 23:16
80. 2037 Mary Jennings w 2nd W60 Waterford A.C. 23:19 ...Irish W60 team for British & Irish CC
86. 2026 Grainne Tierney w W35 Farrenfore Maine Valley A.C. 23:59
92. 2056 Carmel MacDomhnall w W60 West Limerick A.C. 24:36 ...Irish W60 team for British & Irish CC
96. 2077 Sandra Ryan w W40 Limerick A.C. 25:02
106. 2019 Marion Lyons w W60 St Finbarrs A.C. 26:45 ...Irish W60 team for British & Irish CC (Reserve)
107. 2016 Kathleen O'Brien w 1st W70 St Catherines A.C. 27:15 ...Irish W70 team for British & Irish CC

M65
4. 1205 Bryan Parkinson m M65 East Cork A.C. 21:48 ...Irish M65 team for British & Irish CC (Reserve)

The full results of the 8km race is HERE and the 5km HERE

Lindie Naughton has a gallery of photos HERE
Sportsfile have a gallery HERE
PJR Photography have a gallery HERE 

The Irish Masters team selected for the British & Irish Masters Championships can be seen HERE (Men) and HERE (Women).

Notice...MMRA Halloween Run in Currabinny Woods - Thurs 29th Oct 2015

The Munster Mountain Running Association are holding a special themed Halloween Run in Currabinny Woods on Thursday the 29th of Oct 2015. This is open to adults and children alike.

The entry fee is €5 for MMRA members. Non-members will have to join before taking part. More info at https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/1315

Currabinny Woods is about 9 miles south-east of Cork City. The approach road is nearly opposite the Novartis near Ringaskiddy.

Woman sets new marathon record of 3h 17m running with a buggy

At the Abingdon Marathon in England recently, 32 year old Jessica Bruce completed the 26.2 mile course in a time of 3 hours 17 minutes and 51 seconds while pushing her 7 month old baby boy in a buggy. This is a new marathon record for doing this, breaking the previous record of 3h 31m 45s which was set in British Columbia in 2012.

Her husband, David, also ran alongside them for the duration of the event. In a post race interview, Jessica said..."Daniel was absolutely brilliant. He slept until about 20 miles and was then just looking around. We had a nappy change and a puncture repair kit with us but we didn’t need it. We didn't stop."

The buggy ,which has a price tag around £600, has a special independent suspension to make sure it's a smooth rode for its passenger.

The race had about 700 runners in it and Jessica's chip time was 3h 17m 26s. To put that into perspective, that's an average pace of 7m 32s per mile for 26.2 miles!

195    715    03:17:51    BRUCE, Jessica    Headington RR    SW    03:17:26

Sonia O'Sullivan to run Dublin Marathon for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind sent on the following information to me about Sonia O'Sullivan running the Dublin Marathon next Monday. This charity which is based on the Model Farm Road in Cork

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind...Olympic medalist Sonia O’Sullivan has agreed to run the Dublin Marathon on 26th October in aid of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Below Sonia has provided an update on the training she has undertaken to date. If you would like to join the #TeamSonia by volunteering to run the marathon with her, please contact colm@guidedogs.ie.

“With two weeks to go the marathon countdown has really begun. The past two weekends I have had my longest runs - 33km last weekend and 31km yesterday. The main thing I wanted to do with these runs was to practice what breakfast that I would have and what drinks and gels I would try out during the run to maintain energy and boost energy along the way.

I have chosen SIS sports drinks and gels as the ones that work for me. For breakfast I had 500ml of electrolyte lemon and lime flavour along with a coffee and some dry cereal, Paddy’s Granola and some raisins. The new breakfast routine that I have been trying is poached eggs. I never really thought about this before as I used to think porridge was the answer but after speaking with a fellow marathon runner recently while running around Fota Island recently I decided that a protein breakfast might be worth trying.

I had my poached eggs and headed out the door, feeling a bit heavy to start, I was slightly concerned but glad that I had practiced in training when only my watch was recording my effort. I noticed later on in my run that I was feeling much better so maybe the egg was digested and helping me as I got beyond two hours and when I should have been tiring I was actually speeding up and feeling quite good. I tried the egg breakfast again yesterday and again after a sluggish start I finished strongly and felt really good at the end of my run.

It was great to have two weekends back in Teddington, UK and be able to re visit many of my favourite training routes in Bushy Park, Richmond Park and along the River Thames. I also carried a SIS Gel with me and tried the double espresso version yesterday with caffeine boost and this agreed with me so I think this will be my Gel of choice on the 26th.

Back in Cork this week, today is a rest day and later today I will be planning my weeks training but the focus will be on reducing the miles and focusing on nutrition over the next two weeks. I have a plan that I am following thanks to David Carrie at Team Carrie running and the guidance I have taken on this plan has helped me to get in my long runs and also to realise that I can achieve a satisfying result off of 5 days running and realising the importance of resting each week, while also paying attention to good nutrition and feeling after sessions and long runs and also the importance of massage and treatment from Barry my local Osteopath each week in Cobh. I don’t look too far ahead and just check the training plan at the start of each week and focus on a week at a time.

I am confident  that I have put in the miles in training and the key for me will be not to go too fast  during the first 10km or so of the marathon, a couple of poached eggs should slow me down and save the energy for a few hours later when I will need it more. I am really looking forward to joining the Irish Guide Dogs team in Dublin and know that I am running not just for myself but also to help give others greater mobility and independence each day with the assistance of a Guide Dog.”

Their website is http://www.guidedogs.ie/iopen24/index.php

Results & Photos of the Cork County Intermediate & Novice B Cross Country Championships...Sun 18th Oct 2015

The Cork County Intermediate & Novice B Cross Country Championships were held near Macroom on Sunday the 18th of October 2015. The numbers taking part were low except for the Men's Novice B race.

In the Intermediate Women's race, there were only 13 runners taking part and that was actually an increase of 2 on the 11 in 2014. After the first third of the race, those taking part were mostly running on their own for the rest of the race. There were only two teams present, the same as last year.

Intermediate Women
1    Niamh Moore    Cork Varsity
2    Carly Cooke    Cork Varsity
3    Aoife Carroll    Mallow

L-R...Carly Cooke, Niamh Moore & Aoife Carroll

Intermediate Womens Teams
1    Cork Varsity     1, 2, 10, 12    25
2    St. Finbarr's     7, 8, 9, 13    37

In the Intermediate Men's race, there were 19 taking part...down from 30 last year. There were 3 teams compared to 4 in 2014.

Intermediate Men
Pos     Name     Team Name
1     Lothar Wyrwoll     Cork Varsity
2     Donal Coakley     Leevale
3     Chris Mintern     Leevale

L-R...Donal Coakley, Lothar Wyroll & Chris Mintern

Intermediate Mens Teams
1     Leevale     2, 3, 6, 10     21
2     Mallow     8, 11, 12, 14     45
3     St. Finbarr's     5, 13, 17, 18     53
In the Women's Novice B race, there were 16 taking part compared to 24 last year. The number of teams was the same...three.

Novice 'B' Women
Pos     Name     Team Name
1     Jessica Bruton     Leevale
2     Joanne McCann     Mallow
3     Debbie Mc Carthy     Riverstick Kinsale

1     St. Finbarr's     4, 6, 8, 14 ...32
2     Midleton     7, 9, 10, 12 ...38
3     Mallow     2, 11, 13, 15...41

The Men's Novice B race had the largest field of the day with 52 taking part (66 in 2014). There was also a modest representation from the clubs with 7 teams taking part (9 in 2015).
1     Alan O'Brien     Eagle
2     Mark Walsh     Leevale
3     Liam Tracey     Watergrasshill

L-R...Liam Tracey, Alan O'Brien & Mark Walsh

Novice 'B' Mens Teams
Pos     Club     Positions     Points
1     Leevale     2, 5, 11, 12     30
2     Eagle     1, 15, 19, 26     61
3     Watergrasshill     3, 4, 27, 31     65
4     Midleton     9, 13, 22, 29     73
5     St. Catherine's     10, 17, 21, 30     78
6     St. Finbarr's     7, 14, 20, 43     84
7     West Muskerry     18, 32, 35, 36     121

The full results of all 4 races can be found HERE.


As for why the numbers were so low? Perhaps it was the Ireland-Argentina Rugby Game in the Quarter Final of the World Cup? Maybe the face there were no Juvenile events meant the parents stayed away? In terms of conditions, it couldn't have got much better as it was overcast and dry.

Photos.....
1) There are 200+ photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE

BBC documentary on Paula Radcliffe and the marathon

I came across this video recently about Paula Radcliffe and her marathon career. It was shown on the BBC last April.

Results of the Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun...Sat Oct 2015

After the cancellation of last week, the new 5km parkrun was back on today in the Tramore Valley Park in Cork City and 178 took part. This was the third event and is down on the 347 and 238 of events 1 and 2. That is to be expected as the parkrun finds it 'normal' weekly level which may be around 100 per week?

1    John FAHY    17:24     M    1    Crusaders Athletic Club
2    Roy FAHY    17:25     M    2
3    Aedan BERMINGHAM    17:42     M    3
10    Eileen O CALLAGHAN    19:45     F    1
29    Brid NORMOYLE    21:34     F    2
30    Siobhan HOLLAND    21:40     F    3 

The results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Derek Costello of Eagle AC has a gallery of photos HERE

Athletics Ireland release entry list by club for the 2015 Dublin City Marathon

Athletics Ireland have just released the entry list by club for the 2015 Dublin City Marathon which also doubles up as the National Marathon Championships. You can see it HERE

These are the Cork clubs entered by size...

Those with 10 or more are....
Eagle AC 38, St.Finbarr's AC 27, Midleton AC 26, Youghal AC 26, Watergrasshill AC 18, Grange Fermoy AC 16, Ballintotis Fit4Life AC 15, Galtee Runners AC 13, Clonakilty Road Runners AC 13, Ballymore Cobh AC 12, Mallow AC 10 & North Cork AC 10.

Other clubs around the country with large entries are...
Marathon Club Ireland 94, Crusaders AC 61, Clonmel AC 52, Slaney Olympic AC 50, Brothers Pearse AC 48, Athenry AC 44, West Waterford AC 44, Mullingar Harriers AC 41, Raheny Shamrock AC 39, Mayo AC 37, Waterford AC 36, Roscommon Harriers AC 35, Newry City Runners AC 34, Dunboyne AC 33, Kilkenny City Harriers AC 33, St.Lawerence O'Toole AC 33, Tallaght AC 33, Clonliffe Harriers AC 32, Sligo AC 31, Drogheda & District AC 31 & Tullamore Harriers AC 30.

REMEMBERING A CHAMPION’S FAREWELL (Guest article by John Walshe)

John Treacy from Waterford is one of the few Irish athletes to win an Olympic medal after finishing second in the Marathon at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. In 1995, a special 5 mile race was held in Waterford City to mark the end of his career.

John Walshe has written an article about that special occasion 20 years ago.
 

REMEMBERING A CHAMPION’S FAREWELL (John Walshe)

Twenty years ago, on Sunday October 15th, 1995, a special and rather unique five-mile road race took place around the streets of Waterford city.

It was to be the final competitive appearance of arguably Ireland’s greatest-ever male distance runner, John Treacy. It brought the curtain down on what had been a roller-coaster international career which had begun for the boy from Villierstown 21 years before when, as a 16-year-old, he finished third in the junior race at the 1974 World Cross-Country Championships in Italy.

Another world junior bronze followed the year after in Morocco and then, in 1978, he took the senior world crown at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. A second world title was added 12 months later in front of an ecstatic home crowd in the mud of Limerick Racecourse.

After collapsing in the qualifying round of the 10,000m due to the heat and humidity of Moscow at the 1980 Olympics, Treacy returned a few days later to take seventh in the 5000m final. Later that year he set an Irish 10,000m record of 27:48.7 in Brussels.

He added the Irish 5000m record with a time of 13:16.81 in 1984 and then – after finishing ninth in the 10,000m at the Los Angeles Olympics – on an unforgettable Sunday evening he attained his greatest honour when taking the silver medal behind Carlos Lopes of Portugal in the marathon.

Treacy’s international career continued for another 10 years and included two third-place finishes in the Boston Marathon – his 1988 time of 2:09:15 is still the fastest by an Irishman – along with marathon victories in Los Angeles (1992) and Dublin (1993). He also won the Great North Run Half-Marathon in a time of 61:00 (1988) and ran 46:25 for 10 miles at the Great South Run in Portsmouth (1993).

And so on to that fine October Sunday afternoon of two decades ago. The event was put together by Frank Quinn, who had been manager to cyclist Sean Kelly and who had organised a similar farewell for Kelly in his home town of Carrick-on-Suir the previous December.

Invitations were sent to Carol Lopes and Charlie Spedding, Treacy’s fellow Olympic medallists, and both were delighted to attend. It was the first time that all three had been together since they stood on the victory podium on that glorious night in Los Angeles.

Photo by Dan Linehan. It shows Coghlan, Cram, Dick Hooper, Richard Mulligan and of course Treacy (wearing No 1 on the long-sleeve T-shirt given to every runner) setting the pace in the early stages.

Joining them was a galaxy of stars including Michael Carruth, Ireland’s 1992 Olympic boxing champion, indoor mile record holder and world champion Eamonn Coghlan, world, European and Commonwealth champion Steve Cram, along with Dick Hooper and Jerry Kiernan who had also represented Ireland in the Olympic marathon. Sean Kelly, like Treacy, a Freeman of Waterford City, was also in attendance and even ran the race, covering the five miles in a creditable 34:39.

Although Lopes (looking distinctly overweight) and Spedding didn’t compete, they, along with Cram, Coughlan and many local dignitaries paid glowing tributes to Treacy on the steps of Waterford City Hall. Also, before the main event got underway, hundreds of schoolchildren took part in a one mile lap of honour. Then, with the formalities over, the action began with over 300 runners setting off on a route comprising of one small and one large lap around the city.

Of course there could only be one winner, and shortly after four miles with the leading group reduced to Treacy, Cram, Kiernan and Richard Mulligan, the local hero moved marginally ahead and crossed the line first to a tumultuous reception in a time of 25:50. Mulligan and Kiernan were credited with similar times in second and third with former world mile record holder Cram a second behind in fourth.

The following day’s Cork Examiner gave Treacy’s farewell race extensive coverage and included a classic picture, taken by Dan Linehan. It shows Coghlan, Cram, Dick Hooper, Richard Mulligan and of course Treacy (wearing No 1 on the long-sleeve T-shirt given to every runner) setting the pace in the early stages.

Also prominent is a man no stranger to the athletics scene in the Cork area and beyond, Martin Drake from Youghal, now Chairman of the East Cork Divisional Board.

As can be seen in the picture, Martin is smiling at some remark passed by the ‘Chairman of the Boards’. But, like that iconic photograph of hurling legends Christy Ring and Mick Mackey from the 1957 Munster Semi-Final, the question must be asked - what DID Eamonn Coghlan say to Martin Drake on that autumn Sunday 20 years ago?

The results of the race can be seen HERE

Tramore Valley Park parkrun is back!!...Sat 17th Oct 2015

As most of you know, the new 5k parkrun at the Tramore Valley Park in Cork City was cancelled last Saturday based on a safety review. The good news for parkrun fans is that is is back!

The main reason for the review was because of parking. The organisers of the parkrun ask runners to consider car pooling or to park on the South Douglas Road and access the park via the Half-Moon lane.

Saturday 17th Oct at 9:30am. Just bring your bar code. More info about the parkrun in this previous post.

Update on the bridge and walkway for the Tramore Valley Park...

Back in February of 2015, I had a post up about how the National Transport Authority had approved funding for the following....

1) The preparing of preliminary design and planning of the overbridge across the N40 (South Ring Road) linking Tramore Valley Park to Grange.

2) Provision of a cycle track from the roundabout on the South Douglas Road to the Tramore Valley Park.


It is envisioned that both projects will link into the Half-Moon Lane which will be another access point.

The latest news is as follows.
a) The RPS Group have been awarded the tender to build the bridge. Work will begin in the coming weeks, with engineers and surveyors carrying out site investigations, topographical surveys and ecological surveys of the site.

b) The pathway from the park to Douglas has now been more or less completed. A smooth tarmac surface has been put down and it is likely to be open once the park is officially open. Photos of the new path HERE

Here is an artists impression of what the bidge might look like from the master plan...

This is based on a design that was built in the US. Whether it ends up looking like that or something scaled down is another issue.

The path from Douglas will give cyclists, walkers and runners more route options once it is in place and the park opens. It's a slow process but at least there is some progress.

Notice...LeisureWorld Rebel Run 10k - Sun 8th Nov 2015

This 10 km road race is coming up in Bishopstown on Sunday, the 8th of November. That is a change from previous years when it was on in October. Another change this year is the inclusion of a 5k race.

This is going to be of interest to a lot of people for a number of reasons.....
1) There aren't that many 10k races really on the calendar. Loads of 5k and 5 mile races but fast 10k courses are a bit thin on the ground.
2) In Bishopstown in Cork City so it is central to a lot of people.
3) Dry-fit top included in the early entry fee of €15.

Features...
Chip Timing
Souviner T-Shirt (10k Participants only)
Goody Bag
AAI Licence & Measured by Jones Counter

Over 18’s only (APPLIES TO 10K)- 5k event open to those 16+.
Early Bird entries for both events
Please Note that it is not permitted to wear headphones while participating in this event.

Note that the race starts at 9:45am.

Entries....Early Bird entry fee until 5th November:
Leisureworld Rebel Run 10K - €15 (includes dry fit t-shirt, goody bag, chip timing, bib number)
Rebel Run 4 Fun 5K - €10 (includes goody bag, chip timing, bib number)
Late entry fees after Nov 5th:
Leisureworld Rebel Run 10K- €20
Rebel Run 4 Fun 5k - €15


You can enter online HERE

Number collection times...
Sign in will take place in Leisureworld Bishopstown during the following times & dates prior to the event on November 8th: Thursday 5th  & Friday 6th between 5pm and 8pm and Saturday 7th  November between 12pm and 2pm.  You will pick up your goody bag, souviner running tshirt (for 10k only) timing chip and race number here.

PLEASE PRINT OFF AND BRING YOUR EMAIL CONFIRMATION you recieve when you register  WITH YOU TO SIGN IN.

THERE WILL BE NO SIGN IN OR REGISTRATION THE MORNING OF THE EVENT. 

Courses......A There are some changes to the 10k course this year. The basic loop of the 10k is still the same although the start and finish are different. Last years course can be seen HERE

The 5k course starts with the 10k, takes in the walkway riverside behind CIT and finishes on the track as well. More info on the 5k course HERE


The race is organised is association with Cork Sports Partnership and their race website is HERE

Results of the Cork County Senior Cross Country Championships...Sun 11th Oct 2015

The numbers were pretty modest again for this years County Senior Cross Country Championships which were held near Macroom on Sunday the 11th of Oct 2015. In the mens 10k race, there were 43 men taking part, down one on the 44 in 2014. There was a big drop however in the number of teams competing with only 4 this year compared to 6 in 2014.

Senior Mens Teams
Place     Club     Positions     Points
1     Leevale A.C.     1, 4, 5, 7....17
2     East Cork A.C.     2, 3, 9, 14....28
3     St. Finbarrs A.C.     6, 10, 13, 15....44
4     Togher A.C.     24, 25, 27, 33....109

In the Senior womens 5k race, there was a field of 21 runners compared to 17 in 2014. The number of teams was 3, the same as last year.

Senior Womens Teams
Place     Club     Positions     Points
1     Leevale A.C.     1, 3, 5, 6 ....15
2     Youghal A.C.     4, 8, 10, 14 ....36
3     St. Finbarrs A.C.     2, 13, 15, 18....48

The full results can be seen HERE

Fionnuala Britton qualifies for Rio Olympics with 2:33 marathon in Chicago

Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton) was in action today in the Chicago Marathon and finished in 13th place in a time of 2h 33m 15s. This was about 90 seconds slower than the 2h 31m 46s which she ran in her first marathon in the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in 2014.

Fionnuala McCormack’s splitsSplit     Time Of Day     Time     Diff     min/mile     miles/h
5K     07:47:29AM     00:17:27     17:27     05:37     10.69
10K     08:05:09AM     00:35:08     17:41     05:42     10.55
15K     08:23:04AM     00:53:02     17:54     05:46     10.41
20K     08:41:07AM     01:11:05     18:03     05:49     10.33
HALF     08:45:10AM     01:15:09     04:04     05:58     10.08
25K     08:59:14AM     01:29:12     14:03     05:48     10.36
30K     09:17:27AM     01:47:25     18:13     05:52     10.23
35K     09:35:59AM     02:05:58     18:33     05:58     10.06
40K     09:54:48AM     02:24:46     18:48     06:04     9.92
Finish     10:03:16AM     02:33:15     08:29     06:13     9.66

Perhaps more crucially, it is well within the 2h 42m required to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Fionnuala is now the second fastest qualifier behind Lizzie Lee from Cork who ran a personal best of 2:32:51 in the Berlin marathon last month. With just three athletes being able to be selected, it's hard to imagine Lizzie or Fionnuala not going at this stage.

The third person to qualify so far is Breege Connolly of North Belfast Harriers who ran 2h 37m 29s in the London marathon last April. That time may well be bettered by another Irish athlete yet with Maria McCambridge (DSD) running in the Frankfurt marathon on the 25th of October.