Notice...Newmarket 5km road race - Sun 18th Dec 2016

This popular 5 km road race is coming up in the town of Newmarket in North-West Cork on Sunday the 18th of December. This is a fast 5k course and gets a good turnout every year.

The race HQ is at the High Street Bar (see preview). As you can see from the race flyer above, there are lots of generous prizes on offer and the entry fee is €10.

Course Preview...Lots more info including directions, photos, course details, etc can be seen HERE

This race is organised by Duhallow Athletic Club. More info on their website... https://duhallowac.wordpress.com/

Details for the 2017 Ballycotton 10 available Thurs 1st Dec

It's that time of year again! The 2017 Ballycotton 10 mile road race will be held on Sunday the 12th of March at 1:30pm.

The entry procedure(including online details and dates) will be published on the Ballycotton Running Promotions website on Thursday December 1st.

Make sure to make a note of it. Tell any friends that might be interested. You need to keep your eye on the ball with these entries as they sell out fast.

Irish team announced for the European Cross Country Championships

The Irish team was announced yesterday for the European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy on December 11th and includes a number of athletes from Cork.

In the Senior men's section, Mark Hanrahan secured selection with his 3rd place finish in the

Senior Men....Name.............Club..............Coach
1 Mark Christie Mullingar Harriers A.C.  Jerry Kiernan
2 Mick Clohisey Raheny Shamrock A.C.  Dick Hooper
3 Mark Hanrahan  Leevale A.C. Martin McCarthy
4 Liam Brady  Tullamore Harriers A.C.    Paul McNamara
5 Paul Pollock Annadale Striders A.C.    Andy Hobdell
6 Kevin Dooney Raheny Shamrock A.C. Jerry Kiernan

Junior Men....Name.............Club..............Coach
3 Darragh McElhinney    Bantry A.C.    Steve Macklin
4 Fearghal Curtain    Youghal A.C.    Noel Curtin
6 Charlie O'Donovan    Leevale A.C.    Ken Nason/Michelle O'Donovan

In the Senior women's section, Michelle Finn from Cork and Shona Heaslip and Laura Crowe from Kerry were selected.

Senior Women....Name.............Club..............Coach
1 Shona Heaslip    An Riocht A.C.  Niamh O'Sullivan
2 Kerry O'Flaherty    Newcastle & District A.C. Richard Rogers
3 Ciara Mageean    U.C.D. A.C. Jerry Kiernan
4 Fionnuala McCormack  Kilcoole A.C.   
5 Laura Crowe    An Riocht A.C. Donie Walsh
6 Michelle Finn    Leevale A.C.  Donie Walsh

L-R...Kerry O'Flaherty, Shona Heaslip, Ciara Mageean, Laura Crowe and Michelle Finn

Results & photos of the National Cross Country Championships...Sun 27th Nov 2016

This years National Cross Country Championships were held in Dublin on Sunday the 27th of Nov 2016 and a lot of the top runners in the country were there. The performance of the day came from Shona Heaslip of An Ríocht AC in Kerry who won the women's title.

28:13 1 Shona Heaslip An Riocht A.C. An Riocht A.C. (A)
423 28:23 2 Kerry O'Flaherty Newcastle & District AC
279 28:24 3 Ciara Mageean U.C.D. A.C.
319 28:30 4 Laura Crowe An Riocht A.C. An Riocht A.C. (A)
251 28:33 5 Michelle Finn Leevale A.C. Leevale A.C. (A)

Place Club Positions Points
1 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. (A) 9, 11, 13, 21 ... 54
2 Leevale A.C. (A) 5, 14, 29, 36 ...84 (5 Michelle Finn, 14 Sinead O'Connor, 29 Carol Finn, 36 Michelle Kenny)
3 An Riocht A.C. (A) 1, 4, 54, 73 ... 132 (1 Shona Heaslip, 4 Laura Crowe, 54 Niamh O'Sullivan, 73 Sharon Cahill)

County Team Points
Place County Positions Points
1 Dublin (A) 3, 11, 13, 25 ... 52
2 Cork (A) 5, 14, 17, 19 ... 55 (5 Michelle Finn Leevale A.C., 14 Sinead O'Connor Leevale A.C., 17 Martina Kiely St. Finbarrs A.C., 19 Emma Murphy St. Finbarrs A.C.)
3 Kerry (A) 1, 4, 20, 45 ... 70 (1 Shona Heaslip An Riocht A.C., 4 Laura Crowe An Riocht A.C., 20 Grace Lynch Iveragh A.C., 45 Maria McCarthy Farranfore Maine Valley A.C.)

In the men's event, Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC took the Bronze.

220 30:41 1 Mark Christie Mullingar Harriers A.C.
47 30:53 2 Michael Clohisey Raheny Shamrock A.C. Raheny Shamrock A.C. (1) (A)
21 30:57 3 Mark Hanrahan Leevale A.C. Leevale A.C. (A)
83 31:15 4 Liam Brady Tullamore Harriers A.C. Tullamore Harriers A.C. (B)
243 31:18 5 Paul Pollock Annadale Striders

Club Team Points
Place Club Positions
1 Raheny Shamrock A.C. (1) (A) 2, 6, 11, 19 ...
2 Ennis Track A.C. (C) 18, 22, 23, 38 ...
3 Leevale A.C. (A) 3, 17, 32, 52 ... (3 Mark Hanrahan, 17 Ben Thistlewood, 32 Tim Twomey, 52 Barry O'Donovan)

County Team Points
Place County Positions
1 Dublin (A) 2, 6, 11, 15, 19, 28 ...81 pts
2 Clare (A) 14, 18, 21, 22, 23, 38 ...136 pts
3 Cork (A) 3, 12, 17, 20, 32, 52 ...136 pts  (3 Mark Hanrahan Leevale A.C., 12 Sean McGrath East Cork A.C., 17 Ben Thistlewood Leevale A.C., 20 Michael Harty East Cork A.C., 32 Tim Twomey Leevale A.C. 52 Barry O'Donovan Leevale A.C.)

For whatever reason Michael Herlihy who finished in 47th position wasn't counted in the Cork team? This would have moved them into Silver position. (47 Michael Herlihy North Cork A.C.)

The full results of both race can be found here...  http://www.athleticsireland.ie/competition/results/

Photos....
1) West Waterford AC have plenty of photos on their Facebook page. Women's Race ...  Men's Race
2) Keith McClure has a gallery HERE

Fionnuala McCormack wins Cross Country race in Spain

As part of her preparation for the European Cross Country Championships in December, Fionnuala McCormack was in action in a high class cross country race in Spain.  On a course that was just over 8kms in lenght, the Irish athlete finished first.

Report from the IAAF.....

Photos of the RNLI Reindeer Run 5k in Fota...Sun 27th Nov 2016

The RNLI Reindeer Run 5k was held in Fota House and Gardens on Sunday the 27th of November. There are a small number of photos HERE

Frosty conditions last weekend...

This is one photo I came across which really highlights some of the conditions over the weekend. The photo shows some of the runners in the 5k parkrun in Macroom last Saturday morning. While there was no snow, there was a hard frost which turned everything white in this sheltered spot.

On Sunday, the 4 mile race in Glenville had to be cancelled due to ice on the roads.

For the next while, it's a bit milder but there is still high pressure over the country. While it's cloudy in Cork today, expect more frosts if the skies clear.

Alex O'Shea from Cork completes 100k in 7h 37m at World Championships

The World 100km championships were held on Sunday in Spain and Alex O'Shea from Cork was there representing Ireland. This is the first Irish international outing for the St.Finbarr's athlete and no doubt the first of many.

Alex's time for the 100km was 7 hours 37 mins and 16 seconds.

That's works out as 7:21 min mile pace or about 3h 13m for a marathon!

Photos of the Donal Ahern Memorial 5k in Blarney...Sat 26th Nov 2016

The Donal Ahern Memorial Charity 5k was held in Blarney on Saturday the 26th of Nov 2016. It looks like they got a nice sunny morning for it.

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a nice gallery HERE
2) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC also has a small gallery HERE

Results.....They had problems recording the results so there are no times. You can see the list of finishers HERE

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 26th Nov 2016

With the frosty weather and the 5k race in Blarney, the numbers for the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park were down this weekend with 189 taking part. Still though, it's not too far off the 200 mark.

1 Conor DOLAN    16:50    SM30-34    M 1
2 Tiernan MORRISSEY    19:06    JM11-14    M 2    Leevale AC
3 Darren MCCANN    19:31    SM30-34   
38 Aoibhinn FOX    22:41    JW10    1    2017 Operation Transformation
49 Hannah FALVEY    23:34    JW10    2    Belgooly AC
59 Maria MADIGAN    24:09    VW35-39    3   

Results...The full results can be seen HERE

Cork Santa Cycle

Good for a giggle and if you want to do a night time cycle around Cork City...

Book signing with Rob Heffernan in Cork City...Sat 26th Nov 2016

Just a quick note to say that Rob Heffernan will be in Easons in Cork City on Saturday the 26th of November to sign copies of his new book.

Membership stats for athletic clubs in Cork...Oct 2016

Athletics Ireland have recently released the membership stats for all the athletic clubs in Ireland as of the end of October 2016. Mallow AC remains the largest athletic club in Cork in terms of adult membership. These are the athletic clubs in Cork with more than 80 adult members...

Club (Seniors & Masters)...End of October 2016
1. Mallow AC    228
2. Ballymore Cobh AC    217
3. Eagle AC        196
4. Leevale AC    182
5. St.Finbarrs AC    177
6. Midleton AC    176
7. Togher AC    170
8. Ballintotis Fit4Life    163
9. Youghal AC    162
10. Watergrasshill AC    138
11. Bandon AC    135
12. Dromahane Road Runners    104
13. Aghada Running Club    95
14. Tracton AC    91
15. Grange Fermoy AC    89
16. Clonakilty Runners AC    80
17. Rosscarbery Steam Runners AC    77
18. St.Nicholas AC    76
19. North Cork AC    72
20. Bantry AC    60
21. Ballincollig AC 59
22. Bweeng Trailblazers    56
23. Carraig na bhFear AC   50
24. Carrigtwohill AC   50
25. Galtee Runners AC 50
Some points...
1) Clubs with Fit4Life beginner programmes tend to have a large membership. There are plenty of smaller clubs that are more focused on other areas like track and field and the faster end of road running.

2) Adult membership tends to reflect the clubs active in road race. There are plenty of clubs with lots of juvenile members but the number of adults coaching them would be relatively small.

3) These stats are for clubs registered with Athletics Ireland. There are a growing number of small running clubs who are doing their own thing.

You can find the stats for Oct 2016 up on the Athletics Ireland website.

You can find more info about clubs in Cork here... http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/p/clubs-groups.html

Notice...Togher 5k road race - Tues 27th Dec 2016

The annual Togher 5k is coming up over the Christmas period on Tuesday the 27th of December at 1pm.

This is always a popular race and is one of the biggest in Cork over Christmas. After the success of last year, Togher AC have decided to keep the same 5k course.  As 5k courses go, this one is pretty fast and it's mostly around quiet housing estates.

Here is a video of the course from Togher AC (Note the date is for 2015!)...



Course Preview...Full details on the new course with directions, maps, photos, preview, etc can be seen HERE

Entries...The online entry fee is €12 and you can enter online HERE

Entries on the day also cost €12. 

All proceeds from the event go towards Togher AC and Cork Mental Health Foundation.

From the organisers....Following on from the success of our event last year we are back this year with kind sponsorship from Ryans of Togher SuperValu. We are delighted to be running this event again in association with Cork Mental Health Foundation and Housing Association. All funds raised will go to support this great organisation and Togher AC.

This years event has special meaning with Togher AC celebrating 50 years in the community. There will be a sport T-shirt for all entrants and a junior race for younger competitors.

There's also a childrens race on the day at 12 noon for 10-15 year olds...0.5 miles and €2 entry. 

We look forward to welcoming you all during the festive period on December 27th :-)

The course has been properly measured by Jones Counter.

This years Togher 5k was officially launched recently by Liam Ryan of Ryans SuperValu Togher who are the main sponsors of this years event. Also pictured are members of Togher AC with Brendan McCarthy of Cork Mental Health and Niall McCarthy of Togher Community Association. This years event has special meaning with Togher AC celebrating 50 years in the community. There will be a sport T-shirt for all entrants and a junior race for younger competitors.

Guest Article by John Walshe...DONIE WALSH – NCAA CROSS-COUNTRY 1970

Cork native Donie Walsh of Leevale AC is one of the top running coaches in the country and has been involved in athletics all his life. John Walshe recently wrote an article for the Irish Examiner and the extended version appears below with his kind permission.

DONIE WALSH – NCAA CROSS-COUNTRY 1970
By John Walshe (Irish Examiner, 18/11/2016)

Last Saturday saw the culmination of the American collegiate cross-country season when the 79th NCAA championships took place at Terre Haute, hosted by Indiana State University.

Considering the major impact Irishmen on scholarship have made over the years, it may come as a surprise to learn that just three have come away with the coveted individual title – Neil Cusack (1972), Sean Dolman (1991) and Keith Kelly (2000).

Reminder...RNLI Reindeer Run on Sun 27th Nov 2016

The RNLI have asked me just to remind people about their upcoming Reindeer Run 5k in Fota House and Gardens next Sunday the 27th of November.

Last year, this event was cancelled due to the storms and rain. The forecast for next Sunday is for dry conditions so it might be a good one for anyone who wants a day out with the kids.

All proceeds go towards the RNLI who of course look after lifeboat services along the coast.

More info in this previous post.

Iarnród Éireann propose abandoning old Midleton to Youghal railway line

It was announced recently that Iarnród Éireann have proposed to abandon the old Midleton to Youghal railway line so as to reduce costs. They have said that they currently spend in the region of €3 million per year on inspecting bridges, drains, fences and crossings on unused lines around the country.

If this goes ahead then it raises the possibility that the old line could be converted in a Greenway.

 The new Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas walkway in Waterford looks like a great success with loads of people using it for running, walking and cycling.

Is it time for a walkway between Midleton and Youghal?

€75k grant for new running trail in Carrigaline

Various municipal grants for various projects in Cork were announced on Monday the 21st of November.

One of these was a €75,000 grant for a running trail around the Community Park in Carrigaline. The new surface is supposed to be softer than tarmac and concrete and it will be easier on the legs.

It's probably likely that it will mean an upgrade of the existing trail around the perimeter of the park. I measured this and it seems to be around 800m.

While it may not be of interest to people who want to do a long run, it will be of interest to beginners and people doing a Couch to 5k course. The fact that it is safe and lit should be a welcome addition in the dark evenings during the Winter months.

Further afield, these grants were also announced...

Rochestown...€30,000 will be given to protect the pedestrian/cyclepath on the old railway line from Hop Island in Rochestown to Passage West from erosion by the sea.

Rochestown...€50,000 will be used to provide a new outdoor fitness zone on the Rochestown end of the old railway line and to provide landscaping and street furniture in the Community Park/Mangala, Douglas.


Ballincollig...€30,000 will be used to upgrade an additional 1.5km of walking trail in the Regional Park, Ballincollig.

Source: Cllr Marcia Dalton.

Taking care of your Achilles...Q & A by Karina Teahan

Karina Teahan is a Chartered Physiotherapist and a regular participant at the races in Cork. She recently wrote an online article which outlines some of the problems with your Achilles.

Here are some of the questions asked in the article....

Q. Can you tell me about your running experience and your physiotherapy qualifications, and where you live, work and run now?

Q. As a starter for ten – what is the Achilles?

Q. Why does it cause problems for runners?

Q. What are the most common problems for the Achilles?

Q. What should you do for the above?

Q. What precautions should we take to avoid problems in the Achilles?

Q. What are your top three Achilles stretches?

You can find the article and all the answers to the questions HERE

Results & photos of the Munster Masters Cross Country Championships in Dungarvan...Sun 20th Nov 2016

The Munster Masters Cross Country Championships were held in Dungarvan on Sunday the 20th of November and West Waterford AC were the host club.

As is common with these events, the fields for both the men's and women's races were dominated by more local clubs. For example, in the women's race, there was no county team from Limerick or Clare. In the men's event, only Cork, Waterford and Tipperary had enough for a county team.

Overall, the standard for Masters  was pretty high and many fast runners finishing well down the field.

The full results are now up on the Munster Athletics website

Photos...
1) West Waterford AC have two large galleries.... Men ... Women 

The Cork results are highlighted below...

Results & photos of the Cork BHAA 5k in Little Island...Sun 20th Nov 2016

The Cork BHAA held their penultimate race of the year on Sunday the 20th of November with a 5k in Little Island.

1 Anthony Mannix M-1 00:16:00 EMC M-A-2
2 John Collins M-2 00:16:29 Abtran
3 Conor Doilan 00:16:32 Temp Reg
35 Joan Ennis 0/50K F-1 00:19:10 Avondhu MF F-A-1
40 Joyce Wolfe 0/35H F-2 00:19:16 Joyce Wolfe Physiotherapy
54 Niamh Cronin 0/40I F-3 00:20:0 Ronan Daly Jermyn Solicitors

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE

Results of the Cloyne 4k race...Sun 20th Nov 2016

The first race in the Cloyne 4k series was held on Sunday the 20th of Nov 2016 on a cold frosty morning.

1    0:13:02    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:14.5
2    0:13:28    SHEEHAN, Nigel    Youghal AC    M    05:25.0
3    0:13:33    CANAVAN, Darragh    East Cork AC    M    05:27.0
4    0:13:36    COOKE, Aoife    Youghal AC    F    05:28.2
27    0:16:43    MOTHERWAY, Karen    unatt/Ballinacurra    F35    06:43.4
31    0:16:53    O'DONNELL, Claire    unatt/Cork    F    06:47.4  

The full results can be seen below...

Alex O'Shea from Cork is selected to represent Ireland at the World 100km Championship

The latest news is that Alex O'Shea of St.Finbarr's AC has been selected to represent Ireland at the World 100km Championships in Spain.

This follows on from his impressive 5th position finish at the Irish 24 Hour Championships in Belfast during the Summer. While he didn't make the Irish 24 hour team on that occasion, he should be well suited for the 100km event where he can combine his 24 hour endurance with his 'shorter' marathon speed.

This will be the first Irish singlet for the Cork athlete and most likely not the last.

The 100km championships will be held in Spain on Sunday the 27th of November 2016 and will have 357 competitors from 33 countries.

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 19th Nov 2016

 A total of 221 people turned out for this weeks 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park which is a slight drop on last week. The temperature was also certainly well down on last week with a roughly 8 deg C drop.

1 Conor DOLAN    17:39    SM30-34    M1
3 Trevor CUMMINS    18:45    SM30-34    M2    Ballymore Cobh AC
4 Brian LINEHAN    18:54    VM50-54    M3
2 Carol FINN    18:26    SW25-29    F1
7 Siobhan HORGAN    19:23    VW35-39    F2
43 Emma JAGOE    23:22    SW25-29    F3

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE

Races in Cork this weekend...Sat 19th & Sun 20th Nov 2016

It looks as if the weather forecast for Cork is for dry conditions on Saturday and Sunday but the rain will never be too far away.  The temperatures however are likely to be down around 6-7 deg C which is in sharp contrast to the 15 deg or so we had just at the start of the week.

Here are some of the events on in Cork and further afield...

5k Parkrun...Sat 19th (9:30am)...€free...various locations...  
Cork...Castle Demense, Macroom // Showgrounds, Clonakilty // Bere Island, Beara Peninsula) // Glengarriff // Castlehaven // Ballincollig Regional Park...
Waterford...Tramore // Limerick...University of Limerick // Kerry...Killarney & Tralee // Clare...Kilrush & Clarisford

Cork...Sun 20th (9:30am)...Cloyne Commons 4k...€5... (* See below)
Cork...Sun 20th (11am)...Cork BHAA 5k race...€5 reg/€10 non-reg...Little Island...
Kilkenny...Sun 20th (11am)...Alzheimer Society 5k fun run...€10...Kilkenny Castle Park...

Cork...Sun 20th (11am)...RNLI 5k Reindeer Run... €20... info... Liss Ard Estate, Skibbereen...
Cork...Sun 20th (12 noon)...RNLI 10k Reindeer Run... €22... info... Liss Ard Estate, Skibbereen...

Kilkenny...Sun 20th (1pm)...Bet on Colette5k fun run/walk...€10...Paulstown...


* = From the organisers of the Cloyne 4k...."To ease some of the pressure on the morning of the first race, we are taking entries this Friday evening in Market Green Shopping Centre in Midleton from 6-7pm. Entry fee for the 4km is €5."

Results of the Run in the Dark in Cork City...Wed 16th Nov 2016

It looks as if huge numbers turned out for this years Run in the Dark in Cork City. There were 1231 in the 10k with a further 1344 in the 5k making a total of 2575.

5km...
 1    Geoffrey CASEY    00:17:47    Male    1    BNYMELLON2016
2    John RAMSAY    00:18:20    Male    2  
3    Shane LAWLER    00:18:21    Male    3
14    Eimear O'BRIEN    00:20:22    Female    1  
29    Louise LONG    00:21:02    Female    2  
30    Fiona HANRAHAN    00:21:07    Female    3

10km...
34    Kevin O LEARY    00:35:30    Male
51    Daire REILLY    00:37:36    Male
59    Paul GRIFFIN    00:38:28    Male
61    Emma DONLON    00:38:39    Female    38  
93    Avril COONEY    00:41:31    Female    49  
110    Mary KELLEHER    00:42:55    Female    51

The full results can be found at http://results.runinthedark.org/

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


Here is a video clip of the start...

Work continues on the new National Indoor Arena

Up to recently, the only international standard indoor athletics track in Ireland was in AIT in Athlone. Work is now progressing on the new National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, Dublin and the photo above shows the track under construction.

The video clip below is an artists impression of what it will look like.

Results & photos of the Munster Senior Cross Country Championships...Sun 13th Nov 2016

This years Munster Cross Country Championships were held at the Limerick Race Course and a reasonable number of competitors took part.

In the Junior race, there were 12 women and 16 men. While the numbers are low and lots of counties were missing, at least they managed to get into double figures.

In the Senior Men's race, East Cork AC were very much to the fore in flying the flag for Cork with Sean McGrath taking an individual Silver and the club taking a team Silver. A total of 46 men took part with all counties fielding a full team except Kerry.

The Cork mens team also took Silver in the county event and these were the scoring Cork runners...
2 Sean McGrath East Cork A.C. Cork
9 Ben Thistlewood Leevale A.C. Cork
13 James McCarthy East Cork A.C. Cork
18 Fergus Meade East Cork A.C. Cork
19 Anthony Mannix Leevale A.C. Cork

Senior Men
1 Dara Chesser Ennis Track A.C. Clare
2 Sean McGrath East Cork A.C. Cork
3 Sean Hehir Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. Clare

Club Team Points
Place Club Positions...Points
1 Ennis Track A.C. 1, 4, 5, 7...17
2 East Cork A.C. 2, 13, 18, 24...57
3 Clonmel A.C. 6, 16, 36, 38...96

County Team Points
Place County Positions...Points
1 Clare 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10...30
2 Cork 2, 9, 11, 13, 18, 19...72
3 Tipperary 6, 12, 16, 22, 28, 29...113

***********
Senior Women...In the Senior women's race, Martina Kiely of St.Finbarr's AC took an individual Bronze. Other than Martina, there were only two other Cork runners which means that Cork as the largest County in Munster were unable to field a women's team for the Munster Championships.

A total of 38 women took part in the race.


Senior Women
1 Siobhan O'Doherty Borrisokane A.C. Tipperary
2 Rosemary Ryan Dooneen A.C. Limerick
3 Martina Kiely St. Finbarrs A.C. Cork

Club Team Points
Place Club Positions...Points
1 Dooneen A.C. 2, 6, 17, 25...50
2 Ennis Track A.C. 12, 15, 19, 21...67
3 Dundrum A.C. 8, 26, 32, 34...100

County Team Points
Place County Positions...Points
1 Limerick 2, 5, 6, 9...22
2 Tipperary 1, 8, 18, 20...47
3 Clare 12, 13, 14, 15...54

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

Photos...
1) Bilboa AC have a gallery HERE
2) Dooneen AC have a large gallery HERE
3) Dundrum AC have a gallery HERE 

Results & photos of the Cork BHAA HSE 4 mile road race... Sun 13th Nov 2016

This years Cork BHAA HSE 4 mile road race was held in Ballinhassig to the south-west of Cork City and 177 runners took part. As you can see from the chart above, the numbers are down slightly on last year and are back at the level they were back around 2005.

1 Eric Curran M1 00:20:36 Gilead Sciences
2 John Meade M2 00:20:44 Joyce Wolfe Physiotherapy
3 Kieran McKeown 0/40A M3 00:22:01 Simply Suits
16 Joyce Wolfe 0/35H F1 00:25:26 Joyce Wolfe Physiotherapy
37 Rebecca McEvoy F2 00:27:19 Dept of Ed
38 Catherine Murphy 0/40I F3 00:27:22 Janssen


Results....The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy has a gallery of photos HERE

 

Results of the Thomas Kent Memorial 10k in Castlelyons...Sun 13th Nov 2016

A total of 355 people took part in the Thomas Kent Memorial 10k in Castlelyons on Sunday the 13th of November 2016.

1    Danny Smith    M    35:25.8
2    Giovanni Pazzaglia    M    36:16.3
4    Kealan O' Connor    M    36:29.8
3    Sarah Mc Mahon    F    36:24.3
10    Joan Ennis    F    40:14.3
41    Ellen Hanley    F    44:52.3

Photos......(Updated Tues 15th Nov @6:40pm)
1) Gerard O'Sullivan has a huge number of photos split over 3 galleries.. Gallery 1 ... Gallery 2 ... Gallery 3
2) Photos by Sinead has two small galleries... Gallery 1 ... Gallery 2
3) Ger Broderick has a gallery HERE

The full results can be seen below....

Results of the Eyeries 5 mile race...Sat 12th Nov 2016

Just over 200 runners turned out for this year's Eyeries 5 mile road race on Saturday the 12th of Nov 2016. Considering the remoteness of Eyeries near the end of the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, that's an excellent turnout.



From the organisers..."Alan O'Shea of Bantry AC set a new course record of 25:50. Smashing previous winners, Alex O'Shea (28:25) & Michael Harrington.(28:40). The conditions were perfect with a bright November sunshine and light winds from the north west providing a perfect day for the 200 plus competitors. Proceeds for the event were in aid of Cancer Connect."

1 0:25:50 O'SHEA, Alan NDB 175 1
2 0:29:20 FOLEY, Vivian Eagle AC M45 492 2
3 0:30:02 SIEMCKI, Grzegorz MS 495 3
9 0:32:52 DOELLKEN O'SHEA, Shauna Ardgroom FJ 468 9
27 0:35:47 REDDY, Siobhan Serpentine RC F45 472 27
34 0:36:40 COPPINGER, Alice Bantry AC F35 198 34

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE

The full results can be seen below...

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 12th Nov 2016

There was a slight drop in numbers this week with 248 taking part in the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park. Compared to the long term average of 224, the numbers were still up.

1 Rory O' SULLIVAN    16:44    VM35-39    M 1    St Finbarrs AC
2 Conor DOLAN    17:54    SM30-34    M 2
3 Michael BYRNE    18:14    VM35-39    M 3
6 Siobhan HORGAN    19:24    VW35-39    F 1
22 Bernie CONDRON    21:35    VW45-49    F 2
38 Lynda O'GORMAN    22:59    VW40-44    F 3 

The full results of the 22nd edition can be seen HERE

Doctor outlines the health benefits of 5k parkruns

There was an interesting article on the parkrun website this week from a Dr. Simon Tobin in the UK who outlined the benefits of local 5k parkruns there.

Here is a short excerpt...

I have been a GP at the same practice in Southport for 23 years. My interest is cardiovascular disease, diet, exercise and diabetes, and over the past few years I have become increasingly passionate about the benefits of ‘lifestyle medicine’. In other words, what people can do to help themselves before resorting to lifelong medication.

We know that regular exercise reduces the risk of a heart attack or a stroke by a similar amount as being on a statin tablet or taking a blood pressure pill. When I ask my patients whether they would rather take medication for the rest of their lives or alternatively try improvements to their diets and increasing their exercise, they almost always choose the latter.

I’ve seen many, many people exercise themselves back to health. It’s a win-win situation for my patients and the NHS. My patients are healthier, happier and on fewer medications, and the NHS saves a fortune on unnecessary drugs and dealing with their side effects.
There are plenty of examples given in the article about the positive effects the local parkrun has had.

You can read the full article HERE

Remember, there are no shortage of 5k parkruns in Cork and Munster and they are all free. They are held every Saturday morning at 9:30am. See the calendar. 

Notice...RNLI Reindeer Run...Fota 27th Nov 2016

This one might be of interest to anyone with young families or want to take part in a fun event while helping out the RNLI. There is a 5km Reindeer Run in Liss Ard Estate near Skibbereen on Sunday the 20th of November and another one on the grounds of Fota House on Sunday the 27th of November.

Entries......


Sun 27th Nov ...
1k Santa Saunter 10.30am
10K – 11am
5k – noon

...Fota Estate...Click HERE

From the RNLI......All abilities and ages are catered for with participants choosing from a 5km or 10km walk/run or a shorter Santa Saunter.  Registration is now open online at rnli.org/reindeer and costs €20 for the 5K and €22 for the 10K. Children’s tickets are €15. All participants in the 5K and 10K will receive an RNLI Reindeer Run t-shirt and a pair of antlers.

Key facts about the RNLI.....The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the Ireland and the UK. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations with 44 in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of the Coast Guard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland and registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736)

Additional Info...This is the approx route for the event in Fota.

While the route isn't the exact same of the Rebel Run4Fun 5k which was held there last year, much of it is the same. You can see some photos of that route HERE which should give you a good idea of what it's like.

For more info on Liss Ard Estate, go to http://www.lissardestate.com/

Have a look at the 'Directions' tab and also at the photos of the garden in the 'Gallery'.

Reminder...Entries to the Run in the Dark in Cork City close Fri 11th Nov 2016

The annual Run in the Dark 5k & 10k is coming up in Cork City on Wednesday the 16th of November.

Please note that entries for the Cork event will close on Friday the 11th.

More details in this previous post.

West Waterford AC open waiting list for their Dungarvan 10 mile race

The annual John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile road race is coming up on Sunday the 5th of February 2017. This year, there was huge interest in this race and all of the 2500 entries sold out back in October.

Considering that the entries closed three months before the race, circumstances may well change for a lot of runners in terms of injuries or other family or work commitments. In light of this, the organising club West Waterford AC have now opened a waiting list.

If anyone can't make the race then you should contact them asap.

From West Waterford AC....WAITING LIST FOR JOHN TREACY DUNGARVAN 10 NOW IN OPERATION.

We have for this first time ever set up a waiting list for the John Treacy Dungarvan 10. As you now know, the race is full with 2,500 entries now received. Thanks to the MyRunResults chip timing experts, if you didn't manage to get your entry in on time you can register your interest to go on the race waiting list. If a number becomes available it can be transferred to another runner. You need to go to the club web site www.westwaterfordathletics.org and click, on line entries on home page, this will open an entry to you to register for the waiting list.

If you want to be put on the waiting list, look for the link on the West Waterford AC website... http://www.westwaterfordathletics.org/

Reminder...Eyeries 5 mile road race coming up on Sat 12th Nov 2016

Just a reminder that one of the most scenic 5 mile races in Cork is coming up in Eyeries in West Cork on Saturday the 12th of November. On a nice sunny day, it's a lovely spot even if the temperatures are a bit on the cool side.

Cork...Sat 12th (2:30pm)...Eyeries 5 mile road race...€10 online / €12 on the day...info...

This year, the proceeds from the race are going to Cancer Connect which supports cancer patients in the region.

From the organisers...."Each year we pick a local charity, group, organisation who we would like to help. In the last two years we have assited Eyeries Tidy Towns in the purchase of Play equioment for the new playground in the village. Eyeries Communiy Developemt Ltd who run the local meeting rooms and community playing pitch and St.Patricks High School in Ten Kenya.

This year we have picked a group close to all of of hearts, Cancer Connect, who help transport cancer patients to hospitals in Cork for their treatments from Beara and points nearer."

As races go, this is one of the best organised on the Beara Peninsula.

The entry fee is €10 online or €12 on the day.

Darragh McElhinney finishes 2nd at Cross Country race in Blegium

In terms of European Cross Country races, the Lotto Cross Cup in Belgium is a popular and  always attracts a lot of international runners. In previous years, Fionnuala McCormack has competed her and finished on the podium.

One juvenile athlete who got on the podium over the weekend was Darragh McElhinny from Bantry in West Cork. As you can see from the results below, he finished in Silver position.

SCHOLIEREN HEREN - SCOLAIRES GARCONS                    4200m               
                                   
place    number    name    born    country    cat.     time
1 2809    VAN DE VELDE TIM    00    BEL    sch     12:28
2 14    MC ELHINNEY DARRAGH    00    IRE    sch     12:40
3 2146    SENARD ANTOINE        00    BEL    sch     12:41

The full results of all races can be seen HERE

Results of the Vallery Rovers Camogie Club 7k nr Innishannon...Sun 6th Nov 2016

This event organised by Valley Rovers Camogie Club near Innishannon attracted 194 people,,,92 in the 7km race and a further 102 for the 5k fun run.

7k 
1    40    24.48    Alan Ryan
2    31    24.52    Grzegorz Sienicki
3    16    27.07    Elton Chambers
18    30    30.12    Helen White...1st Female
22    54    31.06    Jean Humphries...2nd Female
25    42    31.4    Anne Bamford...3rd Female

The full results can be seen below...