Cork Floods...Dec 2015

As most of you are well aware, many areas in Cork City and County have been hit by the recent floods. This includes some of the usual popular running spots.

This is the walkway on the old railway line in Blackrock which has a lot of standing water on it...

This is the Regional Park in Ballincollig...

There is rain forecast every day for the next few days so flooding is never going to be too far away. If you are going for a run then keep it local. If you intend traveling to a race then make sure it's on. A lot of roads have been damaged so don't assume anything.

Updates
31st Dec @11am....Info from Bandon AC on their 5 mile race on New Years Day... "New Year's Day 5 mile road race. A decision will be made later today whether the race will go ahead or not. In the meantime, we me must plan as if it is .. We will let everyone know ASAP as soon as the route is checked there maybe a change to the last mile and half will keep everyone updated thanks"

31st Dec @12:30pm....Passage to Rochestown walkway is closed between Hop Island and Roberts bridge to facilitate flood reduction measures (Update...It's just closed so that several pumps can operate. Perfectly safe to use and a lot safer than the footpath next to the main road).

1st Jan @8am.....The Bandon 5 mile race is going ahead with a slightly modified course. Reg at GAA grounds. Looks likely that it will be wet for the race and most of the day. 

Results & Photos of the Togher 5km road race...Mon 28th Dec 2015

Despite the persistent rain, a total of 288 people turned out for this years Togher AC 5km road race in Cork City.

1 O SULLIVAN MARK    BANDON AC    SM        16:09
2 HORGAN LUKE    LEEVALE AC    SM        16:20
3 COLLINS JOHN    SKIBBEREEN AC    SM        16:26
7 LEE LIZZIE    LEEEVALE AC    SF        16:40
37 ROE NIAMH         SF        18:36
42 BICKERDIKE ANDREA    LEEVALE AC    SF        18:48

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated 3rd Jan)
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery HERE
2) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE
3) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a small gallery HERE

Video from the lead car...

Aljazeera investigates the dark side of doping in Sports

The Aljazeera TV News Channel recently aired a programme which showed just how easy it is to obtain drugs for doping in sports. In countries where there is little out of competition and no biological passport profiling, it's very easy to take illegal supplements while training and be completely clean by the time a major championships comes around.

While much of the programme is focused on American football and baseball, it does show what the anti-doping agencies are up against.

Christmas message...

Events in Cork over Christmas...25th to 28th December

There are plenty of events to choose from over the Christmas period from the GOAL mile to several races. The big one in Cork City is the Togher 5k race on the 28th.

Outside of Cork, there are loads as well to choose from. As always, there is a full calendar of events HERE

Update...Fri 25th @2pm...Flooding in Belgooly, decision on annual road race going ahead to be taken early tomorrow 

Cork...Fri 25th (10:30am-12:30pm)...GOAL Mile...€donation...CIT Athletics track, Bishopstown...
Cork...Fri 25th (12 noon)...GOAL Mile...€donation...SuperValu Car Park, Glanmire...
Cork...Fri 25th (10am-12 noon)...GOAL Mile...€donation...Doneraile Park...
Cork...Fri 25th (10:30am-12 noon)...GOAL Mile...€donation...St.Catherines GAA pitch, Ballynoe...

Cork...Sat 26th (11am)...Bride Rovers GAA Club 5k fun run/walk...€?...Rathcormac...
Cork...Sat 26th (12 noon)...Belgooly 4 mile road race...€10...
Cork...Sat 26th (12 noon)...Kilworth GAA 5k fun run/walk...€10...Deferred to the 2nd of Jan...
Cork...Sat 26th (12 noon)...Clonakilty GAA St.Stephen's Day fun run/walk...€?...
Cork...Sat 26th (12 noon)...Castlehaven GAA 5k Wrenboy fun run/walk...€donation...
Tipperary...Sat 26th (12pm) – Clonmel 4 mile road race…€10..info...

Cork...Sun 27th (11am)...Carrigaline Christmas Fun Run...5k €8 // 10k €10...
Cork...Mon 28th (1pm)...Togher 5k road race...€12...info...

Eddie Gallen runs new unofficial Irish 12 hour record in Barcelona

At an Ultra running race in Barcelona last weekend, Eddie Gallen set a new unofficial Irish 12 hour record of 135kms. The previous best of 131kms was set by Grellan McGrath from Cork in Belfast in 2014.

Eddies time works out as an average pace of 8:36 minute mile pace.

2    134,997m    Gallen    Eddie    M    IRL    11/12/1962    T    19/12/2015    Barcelona, ESP

In the 24 hour race, Susan McCarthy was the first of the Irish and just got over the 100 mile barrier.

26    165,013m    Mccartney    Susan    F    IRL    29/03/1977    T    19/12/2015    Barcelona, ESP

66    120,368m    Brownlie    Tim    M    IRL    28/07/1979    T    19/12/2015    Barcelona, ESP

90    73,096m    Ankers    Brian    M    IRL    21/02/1980    T    19/12/2015    Barcelona, ESP

The full results can be seen HERE

New parkruns for Castlehaven in West Cork & Tramore in Waterford

In addition to the new 5k parkrun in Glengarriff starting on the 2nd of January 2016, it has just been announced that there will be another new parkrun starting near Castlehaven in West Cork.

This new parkrun will the sixth in Cork and has its origins in Castlehaven GAA club. They have recently set up a Fit for Life Society which will encourage members of the local community to get fit by taking part in running, cycling and swimming. The new 5km weekly parkrun is part of this new initiative and they hope to have it up and running at the end of January 2015.

Head of parkrun Ireland Matt Shields and his wife Ruth with Club Running Director Brendan O'Donovan

The head of parkrun Ireland recently traveled to West Cork to meet up with the organisers in early December and gave this interview...

In the earlier stages of parkrun in Ireland, they were usually located in the population centres in cities like Belfast and Dublin and in the larger towns. Some of the newer ones however are in areas where the population density is much lower. What this means in effect is that new parkruns could pop up just about anywhere in Munster in the future.

These will be the parkruns in Cork & Munster as of February 2016...

As you can see, there is also a new one starting in Tramore on the 2nd of January 2016. With a local population of about 10,000 people and its proximity to Waterford City, it should get a decent number every week.

Parkrun in Glengarriff starts on Sat 2nd Jan 2016

It has been recently announced that a new 5km weekly parkrun will start in Glengarriff on Saturday the 2nd of January 2016. This will be the fifth parkrun in Co.Cork and these are the various start dates...
Macroom...18th May 2013
Clonakilty...1st February 2014
Bere Island...30th August 2014
Tramore Valley Park...26th September 2015
Glengarriff...2nd January 2016

It'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers this one gets especially once the initial novelty has worn off. Glengarriff has a population of about 800 people and obviously only a small percentage of them are running. An obvious source of runners is from the town of Bantry (pop 3,300) but will they make a round trip of 20 miles every Saturday for a parkrun?

Once the Summer arrives with the influx of tourists, the weekly parkrun should be a welcome attraction for the area.

Info from the organisers......Glengarriff parkrun off the blocks on January 2nd

Glengarriff Nature Reserve will be the venue for West Cork’s newest parkrun which is launching just in time for Operation Transformation 2016! Glengarriff will join the growing list of Cork locations where people can take part in weekly timed parkruns when its event is launched on January 2nd 2016. Runners, joggers, and walkers are all welcome to participate in the parkruns which will take place each Saturday morning at 9:30am.

The parkrun movement began in London in 2004 and has gained worldwide popularity in recent years. Almost 43,000 runners, joggers, and walkers have taken part in the weekly timed 5k events in Ireland since parkrun was launched here in November 2012. Successful events are already well-established on Bere Island, as well as in Macroom and Clonakilty, and the Glengarriff parkrun’s organisers are confident that the new route will prove attractive to locals and visitors alike.

The Glengarriff run route is located within the village’s nature reserve, and will bring people on a scenic trail through the reserve’s woodlands. “The Glengarriff parkrun will give tourists and locals alike a really fantastic way to meet people and to enjoy Beara’s spectacular scenery. We’ll be helping people to get fit too, and attracting visitors to Glengarriff throughout the year”, explains Áine O’Sullivan, Community Development Worker for the Disability Federation of Ireland.

“When a parkrun comes to a community, it inspires everyone, young and old, to get out and exercise”, explains Nuala Carey, the event director for the Glengarriff parkrun. “There are real potential health benefits that come with having a local parkrun, and there’s a great social side to it all too. Parkruns are very friendly events which quickly become a focal point in a community like ours. With Operation Transformation just around the corner, lots of people are making resolutions to improve their fitness in 2016. We’ve appointed an Operation Transformation ambassador who’s going to be on hand to give support to anyon who wants to use Glengarriff parkrun to become healthier in 2016 and beyond.”
The Glengarriff team have had great support from their Bere Island neighbours who have made a huge success of their run since its launch in August 2014, and the creation of the new parkrun is a sign of the growing interest in running and fitness across West Cork.

Recent meeting between organisers of the Bere Island & Glengarriff parkruns

To participate or to volunteer, register for the parkrun at http://parkrun.ie/glengarriff .  For further information, contact Nuala Carey at 027 63744.

Results of the Newmarket 5km Road Race...Sun 20th Dec 2015

An amazing 43 runners broke the 18 minute mark for this 5k road race in Newmarket in NE Cork. With so many sponsors on board, the race has a tradition of some excellent prizes and this is reflected in the times every year.

The first 5 teams were…1) Leevale AC …2) An Ríocht AC …3) An Brú AC …4) North Cork AC …5) Gneeveguilla AC

1    HANRAHAN MARK    LEEVALE A C        14:24    Senior Men
2    CREECH RYAN    LEEVALE A C        14:30    Senior Men
3    CLOBANU SERBIU    CLONLIFFE HARRIERS        14:34    Senior Men 
4    HARTY MICHAEL    EAST CORK        14:47    Senior Men
5    STEHPENSON PAUL    RATHFARNHAM AC        15:04    Senior Men 
18    CROWE LAURA    RIOCHT A C         16:39    Senior Women
35    O'CONNOR SINEAD    LEEVALE A C        17:34    Senior Women 
37    MURPHY EMMA    ST. FINBARRS AC        17:39    Senior Women
42    FINN CAROL    LEEVALE A C        17:53    Senior Women
44    MOORE NIAMH    CORK VARSITY A C        18:04    Senior Women 

The full results can be seen on the Duhallow AC website HERE

North Cork AC have a video of the finishers under 20 mins below...

Fionnuala McCormack of Ireland wins Cross Country race in Belgium

Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton) was in action today at the Iris Lotto CrossCup in Brussels which sported an international field of athletes. After finishing 2nd in 2012 and 3rd in 2013 & 2014, she finally cracked it this year with an outright victory!

This is just one week after she won a team Bronze with the Irish team at the European Cross Country Championships in France.

SENIORS DAMES - SENIOREN VROUWEN             6000m           
place    number    crosscup number    name    born    country    cat.    club    time
1 29 MCCORMACK-BRITTON FIONNUAL    84    IRL    sen    NA    20:07
2 31    KOSTER MAUREEN    92    NED    sen    NA        20:14
3 230    DELESA DERARTU DEBELA    19    ETH    sen    NA    20:23
4 1    CARTON LOUISE    94    BEL    sen    ACME    20:27
5 2    DEJAEGHERE VEERLE    73    BEL    sen    AVR    20:40
6 224    SMALL LOUISE    19    GBR    sen    NA    20:48
7 21    DEADMAN KATE        GBR    sen    NA    20:49
8 22    ARTER CHARLOTTE    91    GBR    sen    NA    20:50
9 9    BELETE ALMENSH    89    BEL    sen    VAC    20:50
10 37    CHEPKWONY BETTY    95    KEN    sen    NA    21:07

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Castlelyons 5k Turkey Trot...Sun 20th Dec 2015

A total of 73 people turned out for this 5k Turkey Trot in Castlelyons in NE Cork.

1 Frank Hayes 16:57
2 John Murphy 17:34
3 David McCarthy 17:53
10 Joan Ennis 19:46
11 Sarah Morrison 19:52
12 Gillian Sohan 20:00

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Sinéad Hickey has a gallery HERE 

Photos...(Facebook account required to view)
1) Gerard O'Sullivan has 300+ photos HERE
2) Ger Broderick has a gallery HERE

Results of the Cloyne Commons 4k road race...Sun 20th Dec 2015

A total of 224 runners turned out for this 4k race in Cloyne in East Cork.

1    0:13:29    O'S-HOURIHAN, Josh    Leevale AC    M    05:25.4
2    0:13:48    SHEEHAN, Nigel    Youghal AC    M    05:33.0
3    0:13:54    CANAVAN, Darragh    Leevale AC    M    05:35.4
31    0:16:36    LEAHY, Eileen    Midleton AC    F    06:40.6
40    0:17:08    O'CONNOR, Niamh    East Cork AC    F35    06:53.5
42    0:17:12    O'DONNELL, Claire    unatt/Cork    F    06:55.1

The full results can be seen HERE

Results & Photos of the Shanagarry Christmas 5k - Sat 19th Dec 2015

A total of 75 runners turned out for this years annual Shanagarry Christmas 5k in East Cork on Sunday the 19th of December. Despite the earlier showers, it was mostly dry and overcast for the race.

1    0:15:54    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    05:07.0
2    0:16:04    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:10.2
3    0:17:04    O'S-HOURIHAN, Josh    Leevale AC    M    05:29.5
25    0:21:00    KENNEALLY, Julie    Youghal AC    F    06:45.4
27    0:21:27    O'NEILL, Eadaoin    East Cork AC    F    06:54.1
30    0:21:49    O'CONNOR, Niamh    East Cork AC    F35    07:01.2 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There is a gallery of photos up on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE

Results & Photos of the Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun...Sat 19th Dec 2015

The conditions were a lot kinder this time around for the weekly 5k parkrun in Cork City in contrast to the awful wet weather for the last two Saturdays. This was also reflected in the numbers which bounced back to 132, perhaps a sign that 120 to 150 might be the long term average?

1 Bryan CROWLEY    18:14    VM40-44 M    Watergrasshill AC
2 John MORRIN    18:37    SM30-34 M   
3 Kevin BARRY    19:04    SM30-34 M    Leevale AC
6 Andrea BICKERDIKE    19:30    SW25-29 F    Leevale AC
20 Elaine GUINANE    21:43    VW35-39 F    Eagle A.C.
24 Rachel O'CALLAGHAN    22:13    VW40-44 F    

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Derek Costello of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE
2) Conor Dolan has a gallery HERE

Looking ahead to events over the weekend...Sat 19th & Sun 20th Dec

The weather forecast for the weekend looks better than the two previous weekends but the rain will be never too far away. On Saturday, there is a choice between the 5k parkruns, a fun run in Glanmire and a 5k race in Shanagarry in East Cork.

Cork...Sat 19th (9:30am)...5k parkrun...€free...(Tramore Valley Park, Cork City...info...// Castle Demense, Macroom // Showgrounds, Clonakilty // Bere Island, Beara Peninsula)...
Cork...Sat 19th (11:45am)...Glanmire 5k Santa Fun Run/Walk...€20...
Cork...Sat 19th (12 noon)...Shanagarry 5k road race...€3...info...

On Sunday, there is a 4k race in Cloyne in East Cork and a Turkey Trot in Castlelyons. In Newmarket, there is the annual 5k road race organised by Duhallow AC at 1pm. Speaking to the organisers during the week, they have got loads of sponsors onboard for this race and as a result, there are plenty of prizes. There are 5 mixed team prizes and lots of the prizes given out will be Christmas hampers so they are of good value.

Cork...Sun 20th (9:30am)...Cloyne Commons 4k race...€5...Part of 4k series...
Cork...Sun 20th (10am)...Castlelyons 5k Turkey Trot fun run...€15...

Cork...Sun 20th (1pm)...Newmarket 5km road race...€10...info...

More info on the Duhallow AC website.

New training area for runners in Tracton, Co.Cork

While most people in towns and cities have few problems finding areas to run on dark Winter evenings, it's a different story for those in the countryside. Unlit country roads are often too dangerous especially when running in groups. 

Some clubs and communities have built special facilities for walkers and runners so that they can exercise in safety. During the Summer, there was a new pathway opened in Bweeng and now, Tracton AC near Carrigaline have developed one. It is located at the Tracton Community and Arts Centre just to the south on Minane Bridge.

Report from Tracton AC......Having undergone something of a renaissance since 2011, Tracton Athletic club recently added a running path to its arsenal of training facilities at the grounds of Tracton Community and Arts Centre.

Last Saturday the 12th Dec saw the official opening of its latest venture , a new running area for its 90 adult members. The opening was performed by some of the clubs founding members Jimmy O Reilly , Sean Ryan and Pa Fennell.

When asked about the project, Deputy Chairperson Breda Good said that this was a great day for the club...."With the growth in popularity of running country wide, Tracton AC, like many other athletic clubs experienced a regeneration. As a result of this we made the decision to recruit a new coach early in 2012 (Ian Dorgan) and we have never looked back. With Ian’s guidance we focused on meeting the needs of all running levels , running numerous couch to 5 k sessions , and moving up into all race distances."

Over the last few years we have tried to build on this by introducing different activities , Coaching talks , nutrition advice and lately introduced some Strength and conditioning sessions at the Arts centre.
This running area is the next step in our development.

The Running area is 380 m in length and constructed in a figure of 8 shape allowing for members to train on the flat or include some hill-work. The surface is terrain and fine stone and the area is flood lit and is operated through a token system so it can be used by anyone at any time.

Club chairperson Elton Chambers said that this would not have been possible without the support of our local community , the athletic club is partly  funded by the Tracton lotto which is of great assistance to us as a club. When the decision was made to build the running area , it was met with a lot of encouragement. It was important to us that we used the resources available locally when completing this project so we called in the support of local landscaper Kevin Cooney and electrician Killian Ashcroft.

The opening of the training area by its founding members was a great honour , without them we would not have a club today , with 106 juvenile members in the club at present it is exciting to see where the club is going

Elton Chambers

Changing the Game - Irish Women in Sport 2000 - 2015

The Irish Sports Council have just released a publication named Changing the Game - Irish Women in Sport 2000 - 2015 which outlines in photographs some of the prominent Irish women involved in various sports over the period.

From Sports Ireland...Increasing women's participation in sport is a key strategic priority for Sport Ireland. The 2013 Irish Sports Monitor reports that almost 43% of women are regularly taking part in sport; this is the highest recorded participation rate for women since the ISM was introduced in 2007 and has resulted in a significant narrowing of the gender gap. Participation in sport in Ireland continues to grow to an unprecedented level and Sport Ireland will endeavour to see this positive trend continue.

The 118 page PDF document can be seen HERE

Notice - Shanagarry Christmas 5k...Sat 19th Dec 2015

The annual Shanagarry Christmas 5 km road race is coming up next Saturday, the 19th of December at 12 noon. Located just 20 or so miles from Cork City, it might of interest to anyone wanting to try a short local race just before Christmas.

This race is usually a pretty low key event with only about 60-80 runners taking part. There are no big prizes or anything like that, it's just a very simple 5k race which is usually held every year on the weekend just before Christmas day. The entry fee is usually just €3 and any proceeds go towards charity.

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

Great Limerick Run appointed official Munster Marathon & Half-Marathon Championships for 2016-2018

It was announced today that the Great Limerick Run held every May will be the official Munster Athletics Marathon and Half-Marathon Championships for 2016 to 2018.

This is a major change from the last few years when the Charleville Half-Marathon in September was the Munster Half-Marathon Championship.

The entry fee according to the race website is €65 for the full Marathon and €50 for the Half-Marathon. The €50 for the Half is in marked contrast to the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin where club runners get a discounted price. The Munster Marathon Championships are a new development.

Another question that arises is how much is this actually worth to Munster Athletics? Will the money be funneled back into athletics? It's an important consideration as the Limerick race is a commercial event.

The Great Limerick Run takes place on Sunday the 1st of May 2016.

Results of the Charleville CBS 5k...Sun 13th Dec 2015

Just over 100 took part in this 5k run in Charleville organised in aid of Charleville CBS Primary School on Sunday the 13th of December.

Place    Time    Name    Surname    Club/Town    Gender
1    18:20    PJ    Carey    Kilmallock AC    m
3    19:26    Tony    MacMahon    Kilmallock AC    m
4    20:04    Sean    Kelly    athenry ac    m
2    19:18    Lorna    Davey-Fitzgerald    Mallow AC    f
11    21:06    Brigita    Lisuste    0    f
13    21:30    Sinead    Buckley    North Cork AC    f

The full results can be seen HERE

Interview with Caroline Crowley on RTE1 Radio

Last Sunday, the third scoring member of the Irish womens team to win Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships was Caroline Crowley from Dublin. After starting running just 3 years ago, she unexpectedly finished 3rd in the Irish Cross Country Championships in November and then found herself on the Irish team. Last Sunday, she finished an amazing 23rd in Europe helping the Irish team secure Bronze.

Today, she was on RTE1 radio with Sean O'Rourke and the podcast can be heard HERE

Nollaig O'Neill from Cork wins Lanzarote Marathon for the 2nd time

Last Saturday the 12th of December, Nollaig O'Neill from Cork won the Lanzarote marathon for the second time. A member of Leevale AC, Nollaig posted a time of 2h 52m 46s which is just 12 seconds ahead of her 2013 time of 2:52:58.

This caps off an excellent year for Nollaig as she won the Cork City Marathon as well last June in a time of 2:57:45.

Post marathon interview HERE

Photos of the 2015 European Cross Country Championships in France

Following the success of the Irish Women's team winning Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships in France last Sunday, there are now some great photos available.

Gearóid Ó Laoi was over there for the race and now has a gallery of 466 photos HERE

Sportsfile have a gallery HERE

Another small gallery on the Zimbio website HERE 

Results & Photos of the Glantane Community Council 5k run...Sun 13th Dec 2015

This 5k run organised by Glantane Community Council near Mallow attracted a field of 122 runners on Sunday the 13th of December 2015.

1 Anthony Mannix 15:59
2 Con Marshall 16:22
3 Paul Maloney 16:48
11 Joanne McCann 20:38
37 Susan Looney 23:29
39 Orla Nolan 23:37

The results can be seen HERE

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

Results & Photos of the Cork BHAA 4m Turkey Trot...Sun 13th Dec 2015

With the dry weather on Sunday, a total of 340 runners turned out for this years Cork BHAA Turkey Trot in Cork City. A total of €4,300 was raised for Cork Simon.

There were no watches allowed for this one with the winners being those who guessed closest to their times.

Theses are the first 3 men and women home...

1 Eric Curran 19:55
2 Luke Horgan 21:33
3 Chris Murphy 21:39
12 Carmel Parnell 25:28
21 Dolores Duffy 26:41
25 Mary Sweeney 26:54

The full results can be found HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has 320 photos HERE
2) Doug Minihane has 149 photos HERE 

Photos...Facebook account required to view
1) Joe Murphy has a gallery HERE

 

Results of the Kinsale Santa Dash 5k fun run...Sun 13th Dec 2015

This was the second year of this event in Kisale organganised by the local Triathlon club and attracted a mix of runners and walkers. A total of 312 people took part, down about 45% on the 563 last year.

1 David Fox M   0:17:11
2 James Maher M   0:18:16
3 Fergus Wall M   0:18:21
11 Loraine Creane F   0:22:44
26 Liz O'Callaghan F   0:25:38
30 Sarah Fitzgerald FJ   0:25:51 

The full results can be seen HERE

Irish womens team win Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships

The Irish Senior womens team put in a fantastic performance to take Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyere in France.

4    519    Fionnuala McCormack    Ireland     26:00   
13    518    Lizzie Lee    Ireland     26:41   
23    512    Caroline Crowley    Ireland     27:01
43    514    Ciara Durkan    Ireland     27:36   
54    515    Michelle Finn    Ireland     28:05
55    523    Kerry O'Flaherty    Ireland     28:11

4+13+23+43 = 83 points

There were of course a number of excellent personal performances. Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton) finished 4th after moving up through the field.

Lizzie Lee from Cork ran a great race finishing an amazing 13th in Europe! In 2012 when the Irish team won Gold, Lizzie was the 4th scoring member and finished in 23rd place. Fast forward to 2015 and Lizzie is the second scoring member and finished 13th.

Caroline Crowley only started running a few years ago and finished 23rd in Europe! Makes you wonder how much untapped talent is out there?

Ciara Durkan was the 4th scoring member of the Irish team.

Michelle Finn wins her second European XC Bronze

Irish team post race.......Photo: James Veale of West Waterford AC

Outside of the Irish team, there were a few other suprises. Last years winner Gemma Steele of Britain only finished 8th and the 2013 winner Sophie Duarte of France finished way back in 49th.

Looking ahead to the European Cross Country Championships...Sun 13th Dec 2015

The big international race on Sunday is of course the European Cross Country Championships in France.

There is plenty of Cork interest in the event with Lizzie Lee, Michelle Finn and Ryan Creech of Leevale AC being part of the Irish team.

Women's Senior...Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole), Lizzie Lee (Leevale), Caroline Crowley (Crusaders), Kerry O'Flaherty (Newcastle), Ciara Durkan (Skerries), Michelle Finn (Leevale)

Men's Senior...Mick Clohisey  (Raheny Shamrock), John Coghlan (MSB), Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders), Ryan Creech (Leevale), Joe Sweeney (DSD), Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers)

Women’s Under-23 (2 athletes selected)...Shona Heaslip (An Riocht), Emma Mitchell (Banbridge)

Men’s Under-23...Thomas Moran (Dunshaughlin), Brandon Hargreaves (Clonliffe Harriers), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina), Keith Fallon (GCH), Sean Tobin (Clonmel), Aaron Hanlon (Clonliffe Harriers)

Junior Women...Emma O’Brien (Inbhear Dee), Aoibhe Richardson (KCH), Isabel Carron (Skerries), Deirdre Healy (Ratoath), Nadia Power (Templeogue), Sophie Murphy (DSD)

Junior Men...Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track), Peter Lynch (KCH), Jack O’ Leary (Mullingar Harriers), Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) James Edgar (Lisburn), Pierre Murchan (Celtic)

TV...Coverage starts on RTE2 television at 11:45am and lasts until 2:15pm.

The live stream on the net is here... http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/eaa/live.html?id=4

In terms of location, the races take place on a horse racetrack in the town of Hyeres on the south coast of France. As you can see below, it is literally only a few hundred metres from the Mediterranean Sea.

The course uses the race course as well as the area to the side of it which is in under trees. There are a few man made obstacles like the one shown below which was used for a race recently.

Looking at the data from a local weather station, it last rained about 4 days ago and the mid-day temperature seems to get up around 15 deg C so it looks like the weather won't be an issue.

This is the schedule for the races...(Irish time)
Opening Ceremony ...9:15am
Junior Women ...9:35am
Junior Men ...9:59am
U23 Women... 10:42am
U23 Men... 11:26am
Senior Women ...12:30pm
Senior Men... 1:12pm

Checking out the course