Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: 2017

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Results & Photos of the Togher 5k road race...Sun 31st Dec 2017



The Togher 5k road race was the final race of of 2017 and it ended on a high with a record 575 finishers, up a whopping 33% on last year.

As can be seen from the graphic above, this was the 5th year of this race and the growth has been impressive for the last two year.

I kind of noticed that the post I had up on the site for the race got several thousand views over the last month but I certainly didn't expect anything like 33%. What's even more remarkable was that the weather was awful for the race. If it had been a nice sunny dry day then the numbers could have been even higher.

1 David Fox     SM         15:56
2 Eric Curran     SM         16:07
3 Mark Walsh     SM         16:14
17 Aoife Cooke     SF         17:14
23 Anna Reddin     SF         17:27
30 Siobhra O Flaherty     F40         17:47


Full results

Photos...
1) There are several hundred photos up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.
...a) Prizes
...b) Start
...c) Finish Line (Sub 23:30)
...d) Finish Line (23:30 plus)

Nominations for the best 5k and 4m race in Cork in 2017???

Now that 2018 is about to begin, it's time to look back and consider what were the best races of 2017? In this post, we'll look at the best 5 km and 4 mile races. In your opinion, what were the best 5k and 4m races in Cork in 2017 and why?

There were a wide number of races to choose from, be it BHAA, club or charity events.

Leave a comment and we'll start the poll very soon.

Top Cork spinter Phil Healy sets PB to qualify for European Indoor Championships



Phil Healy of Bandon AC ran a new personal best time of 53.15 seconds in an indoor 400m race in Athlone on Saturday to qualify for the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow next March.

She is pictured above with her coach Shane McCormack of Menapians AC.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Results of the Newtownshandrum 5k...Sat 30th Dec 2017

120 runners turned out for this 5k race in North Cork.

1 Jeremiah Sheehan 17:01     SM
2 PJ Carey Kilmallock AC     17:58     SM
3 Maurice Feehan Gneevagullia AC  18:06     SM
4 Karen Costello 18:20     SW     300
7 Ailbhe McDaid Liverpool Harrier 18:36 SW
10 Carol Finn     Leevale AC 19:29 SW


The full results are HERE

Photos...
1) Eamon Doody has a gallery HERE

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 30th Dec 2017



The 30th of December marked the final 5k parkrun of 2017 for the Ballincollig Regional Park with 231 runners taking part.

As can be seen from the chart above, the Ballincollig parkrun started on the 18th of June 2016 and this last one of 2017 is the 80th edition. There has obviously been some variation in the numbers with a large spike in January of 2017 with the Operation Transformation TV programme while it was more settled over the Summer months.

The overall trend however shows that the numbers are increasing. In the weeks from the 18th of June 2016 to the end of that year, there was an average of 219.5 runners. Looking at the equivalent period in 2017, that number has risen to 235 and that includes one week where zero was recorded because of damage to the park due to the Hurricane Ophelia.

If that event hadn't been cancelled then the average figure might have been around 243, something like a 10% rise in numbers on the period in 2016.

1 Colm FITZGERALD    18:25    SM20-24    M1
2 Denis BUCKLEY    18:39    JM15-17    M2
3 Kieran O SULLIVAN    19:06    VM45-49    M3    St Finbarrs AC
17 Anne WOLFE    21:33    VW45-49    F1    St Finbarrs AC
21 Orla CROSBIE    21:59    VW50-54    F2    St Finbarrs AC
28 Maria CORMACK    22:26    VW40-44    F3    Kilkenny City Harriers


Results of the 80th edition

Photos...
1) Joe Murphy has a gallery HERE
2) The organisers have a gallery HERE

Friday, December 29, 2017

Results of the Boherbue 5k...Wed 27th Dec 2017

Another 5k that was on over the Christmas period.

Boherbue 5k Result Winner
Ger Sheahan Lismire 17.15
Michael Casey Barraduff 20.48
James Casey Boherbue 21.51
Caroline Buckley Banteer 23.53
Mary Murphy Newtownshandrum 24.46
Mary Murphy St.Finbar's AC 25.05


Results HERE

Events on over the Christmas Period...Tues 26th to Sun 31st Dec 2017


There is a huge selection of runs over the Christmas period in Cork and elsewhere in Munster. Check out the list below and see if there is one near you.

(Updated 29th Dec...4pm)

5k Parkrun...Sat 30th (9:30am)...€free...various locations...  
Cork...Macroom, Clonakilty, Bere Is, Glengarriff, Castlehaven & Ballincollig...
Waterford...Tramore  Limerick...University of Limerick & Newcastle West  Kerry...Killarney, Tralee & Listowel  Clare...Ennis, Kilrush & Clarisford  Tipperary...Templemore & Clonmel Kilkenny...Kilkenny Castle Wexford...New Ross & Johnstown

Waterford...Sat 30th (11am)...Waterford Greenway 10k... €20...Irish Wheelchair Association...Kilmacthomas...
Cork...Sat 30th (11am)...Newtownshandrum 5k...€12...
Limerick...Sat 30th (1pm)... Mooreabbey Milers One-Mile Dash... €8...Galbally...
Cork...Sat 30th (2:30pm)...Positive Passage People 5km fun run/walk...€10...Passage West...

Kerry...Sun 31st (11am)...Optimal Fitness New Year's Eve 5k & 10k... 5k €10 / 10k €20 ...Tralee...
Clare... Sun 31st (12:30pm)...Kilkee Charity 10k...€10...

Cork...Sun 31st (1pm)... Togher AC 5km road race... €15... chip timed & includes a dry fit top... info...

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Results & Photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 23rd Dec 2017



274 runners turned out for the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig last Saturday.

1 Alan LEHANE    17:32    VM35-39    M1    St Finbarrs AC
2 Tobi GRAB    19:10    VM40-44    M2    Leevale AC
3 Richard MURPHY    19:11    SM25-29    M3
4 Ailbhe MCDAID    19:13    SW30-34    F1
48 Kate MARTIN    21:46    SW30-34    F2    Raheny Shamrock AC
50 Mary SWEENEY    21:49    VW55-59    F3    St Finbarrs AC


Results

Photos...
1) Photos to follow from Mick Dooley HERE

Lizzie Lee from Cork wins Clonmel 4 miler on Stephens Day



One of the biggest races in Munster on St.Stephen's Day was the 4 miler in Clonmel, Tipperary with 454 finishers. Quite a number of runners from Cork made the journey to Tipp with Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC winning the women's race in a time of 21 mins 32 secs. Lizzie's last race was when she represented Ireland in the Slovak Republic at the European Cross Country Championships at the start of December.

Additional info from John Walshe of Ballycotton..."TWO COURSE RECORDS AT CLONMEL...

Lizzie Lee of Leevale improved Siobhan O’Doherty’s course record of 21:50 by 18 seconds to 21:32 at the MSD four-miler in Clonmel as O’Doherty took second place in a time of 22:17.

Sean Tobin of the host club knocked 20 seconds off of the previous men’s record when defeating fellow-internationals Brian Maher (KCH) and Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel).

Tobin, who ran a 3:57.00 mile last summer at the Cork City Sports and who was Ireland’s leading finisher in 15th place at the European cross-country two weeks ago, finished in a time of 18:34 with Maher (18:51) also inside the old record as Maunsell equalled the previous mark of 18:54."


1 Sean Tobin     Clonmel AC     18:34 SM
2 Brian Maher     Kilkenny City Harriers 18:51     SM
3 Kevin Maunsell Clonmel AC     18:54     SM
15 Lizzie Lee     Leevale AC         21:32     SF
20 Siobhan O Doherty Borrisokane AC    22:17     SF
32 Sally Forristal St Josephs AC    23:57     SF


Results & Photos HERE

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Results of the Belgooly 4 mile ... Tues 26th Dec 2017

The annual Belgooly 4 mile run was held on St.Stephen's Day and the numbers this year were down just over 30%. The results are here... https://www.myrunresults.com/events/belgooly_annual_4_mile_road_race/2472/results

Friday, December 22, 2017

Notice...GOAL Mile in Doneraile Park - Mon 25th Dec 2017



This might be of interest to anyone in North Cork. Mallow AC are helping out with the GOAL mile in Doneraile Park on Christmas Day. Just turn up, make a donation and run a mile.

Cork City...There is also a GOAL Mile at the athletics track at CIT in Bishopstown in Cork City.

From John Walshe..... "GOAL MILE. The longest established GOAL MILE outside of Dublin will this year be staged at the Cork IT track in Bishopstown on Christmas Day.

It takes place from 10:30am to 12:30pm and the formula is simple - people just come along and run, jog or walk a mile on the track and give a donation to help GOAL's work in the Third World.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Transfers for the 2018 Dungarvan 10 mile road race


Entries to the 2018 Dungarvan 10 mile road race went on sale a few weeks back and the 2,750 entries sold out in a matter of hours.

West Waterford AC have now put a transfer system in place for anyone who can't make it on the day.

See below...

Thank you for registering for the Dungarvan 10 Mile 2018. If for any reason you cannot participate and wish to transfer your registration to another person, you can do so through the link below.

There is an admin cost of €5. Please be aware that you cannot give your number to another person without the event organiser knowing of the change. There are many reasons for this.

1. Incorrect results including gender, age and team results can be effected by a person giving their number to an another competitor.

2. For insurance purposes, the person taking the number would not be covered if the organiser is not informed.

If a current registered participant gives their number to another person without the consent of the race organiser, that number will be taken out of results.

Thank you and we hope you are looking forward to the event in February

https://register.primoevents.com/ps/event/Dungarvan10Mile2018/entryLink

If anyone wants to get rid of their number, there are plenty of people looking for one. Look at the comments HERE on Facebook and send them a private message.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Notice...Mallow 10 mile road race - Sun 25th March 2018

The annual Mallow 10 mile road race is coming up on Sunday the 25th of March 2018.

Please note that the number of entries is limited to 1,500.

Update : All 1500 entries to the Mallow 10 mile road race are gone! I could see yesterday from the traffic to the website that there was huge interest in this race but little did I think that it would sell out in 36 hours! Last year, there were 1250 places and it didn't sell out until the 8th of January. There should be a transfer facility in the New Year for those who can't make it.


Entries open at 9am on Tuesday 19th Dec 2017.

Update : 
Tues 19th Dec @1pm... Over 750 places gone.
Tues 19th Dec @4pm... Over 1050 places gone. 
Wed 20th Dec @9am ... Over 1300 places gone, fewer than 200 left! 
Wed 20th Dec @1pm... Over 1400 places gone, less than 100 left now! 
Wed 20th Dec @3pm... Over 1440 places gone, less than 60 left now!  
Wed 20th Dec @6pm... 1500 places gone!  

 

Race Entries.....You can enter the race online HERE

Some key points...

1)  The entry fee is €25.
2) A long sleeve race t-shirt is included in the entry fee.

Course preview.......You can see an updated preview HERE

Race website......There is more info about the race on the dedicated race website http://mallowtenmile.wordpress.com/

Training Plan......For anyone hoping to do their first 10 mile race, there is a 12 week 'Get Around' plan HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Simon Trkey Trot 5k...Sun 17th Dec 2017


A total of 282 runners turned out for this years Cork BHAA Simon Turkey Trot on Sunday the 17th of December 2017. As can be seen above, the numbers were down 17% this year which was most likely due to the sheer number of events on this weekend.

Despite the drop in numbers, they still managed to raise €3,600 for Cork Simon.

1 Ciaran Bouse 18:34
2 Stephen Geoghegan 18:38
3 Ger Geary 19:09
16 Bridget Daly 20:52
25 Rachael O'Callaghan 21:35
26 Laura Fitzgerald 21:40


The full results are HERE

This closes off the year now for the Cork BHAA and no doubt, they'll have a full calendar of events next year again.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Results of the Cloyne Commons 4k...Sun 17th Dec 2017

This 4k in Cloyne was held on Sunday the 17th of December 2017.

1    0:12:17    MCCARTHY, James    East Cork AC    M    04:56.4
2    0:12:22    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    04:58.4
3    0:13:28    MCKEOWN, Kieran    Watergrasshill AC    M40    05:25.0
19    0:15:19    O'BRIEN, Claire    Watergrasshill AC    F    06:09.6
33    0:16:41    O'ROURKE, Orla    Ballymore Cobh AC    F50    06:42.6
36    0:16:44    AHERNE, Deirdre    Midleton AC    F35    06:43.8 


Full results & prize list below...


Results & Photos of the Newmarket 5k road race...Sun 17th Dec 2017



Despite the fact there were several races on in Cork today, the Newmarket 5k got a record turnout of 297 runners, up a whopping 34% on last year. The quality of the field was also particularly high with no fewer than 96 runners breaking 20 minutes. There are very few 5k race where a third of the field breaks 20 mins.

1 Emmett Dunleavey     Sligo AC    14:50 SM
2 Thomas Hayes     Kilkenny City Harriers      14:52     SM
3 Alan O Shea     Bantry AC  14:54 SM
13 Michelle Finn Leevale AC     16:32     SF
19 Sinead O Connor Leevale AC     17:00     SF
28 Aoife Cooke     Youghal AC    17:22     SF 


Results on the Duhallow AC website

Results on the Chip Timing website

Photos...
1) There are 3 galleries on the Running in Cork Facebook page
...a) Start of the race
...b) Finish line photos
...c) Prizes

Results & Photos of the National Novice Cross Country Championships in Waterford...Sun 17th Dec 2017



This years National Novice Cross Country Championships were held in Waterford on Sunday the 17th of December 2017.

In the Novice men's competition, there were full teams from 13 counties and 19 clubs. Leevale AC managed to take Bronze in the inter-club competition while the Cork team won Silver.

Novice Men Team Results
1. Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 2. North Belfast Harriers 3. Leevale A.C.

Cork team (6 to score)...20:02 4 Kevin O'Brien East Cork A.C., 20:07 5 Alan O'Brien Eagle A.C., 20:57 24 Conor McCauley Leevale A.C., 20:59 25 Rory O'Sullivan St. Finbarrs A.C., 21:13 32 Brian Kearney Leevale A.C., 21:16 Mitch Rees-Jones U.C.C. A.C. 26 21:16, 34 Donal Coakley Leevale A.C.

In the Novice Women's race, Sinead Keaveny of Midleton AC ran a great race to finish second to win Silver! It's no small feat to win a national medal for any club athlete.

Novice Women – 4000m
1. Nakita Burke (LetterKenny A.C.) 2. Sinead Kevany (Midleton A.C.) 3. Lauren Dermondy (Castlecomer A.C.)


Leevale AC finished second in the team event while the Cork team took Gold in the inter county competition.

There were 15 full club teams and 9 full county teams.

1. Sportsworld A.C. 2. Leevale A.C. 3. Crusaders A.C.

Leevale AC team...16:30 10 Lisa Hegarty, 17:04 32 Andrea Bickerdike, 17:12 38 Jessica Bruton, 17:29 47 Rosaleen MacKeown.
Cork team (4 to score)...15:43 2 Sinéad Kevany Midleton A.C, 16:30 10 Lisa Hegarty, 16:55 25 Sorcha Kearney St. Finbarrs A.C., 16:59 30 Breda Gaffney Mallow A.C

Results...The full results can be seen on the Athletics Ireland website HERE.

Photos...(Updated Tues 19th Dec)
1) James Veale of West Waterford AC has a gallery HERE
2) Gearóid Ó Laoi has 300 pics HERE
3) Kieran Carlin has a gallery HERE

Sinead Kevany (#330) of Midleton AC after winning a Silver medal at the National Novice Cross Country Championships. Photo: Kieran Carlin
 

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Results & Photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 16th Dec 2017


200 people turned out for this weeks 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park, up on the big drop of last week but down a bit on the 260-280 of late.

1 Joe CUNNINGHAM    17:03    VM45-49    M1
2 Lance DOHERTY    18:48    VM40-44    M2
3 Unknown
25 Diane DUFFY    22:01    VW35-39    F1
41 Grainne EGAN    23:07    JW15-17    F2    Leevale AC
42 Eilis MANNION    23:08    VW40-44    F3


Full results

Photos...(Updated Sun 17th Dec)
1) The organisers have a gallery HERE
2) Joe Murphy has a gallery HERE
3) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery HERE 

Friday, December 15, 2017

Notice : Newmarket 5km road race - Sun 17th Dec 2017

This popular 5 km road race is coming up in the town of Newmarket in North-West Cork on Sunday the 17th 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.

The online pre-entry fee is €12.10 or you can pay €15 on the day.

The pre-entry link is https://newmarket5kroadrace.itsyourrace.com/register/

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/

Results, Photos & Video of the European Cross Country Championships...10th Dec 2017



The European Cross Country Championships were held last weekend in the Slovak Republic and there are now plenty of photos and video available.

The Irish senior men’s team finished in a very credible 5th place out of 13 teams, just two points behind France in 4th.

Rank    Team    Points   
1    Turkey    17
2    Spain    20
3    Great Britain & NI    35
4    France    56
5    Ireland    58
6    Denmark    80

The top 3 scoring men on the 10km course were...
15th Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) 30:43, 19th Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC) 30:46, 24th Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel AC) 30:49.

The other members of the team were ...48th Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders AC) 31:35, 51st Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock AC) 31:40 and 72nd John Travers (Donore Harriers AC) 32:50.

There were 76 finishers

Photos...(Updated 17th Dec)
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has photos of the men's race HERE
2) James Veale of West Waterford AC has a gallery HERE

In the women's race over a course just over 8kms, the Irish team finished in 7th place out of 13 and just 1 point behind France.


Rank    Team    Points   
1    Great Britain & NI    23
2    Romania    31
3    Turkey    54
4    Portugal    60
5    Spain    60
6    Germany    70
7    Ireland    84
8    France    85

The top 3 scoring women were...
12th Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) 27:48, 34th Shona Heaslip (An Riocht AC) 28:31 and 38th Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle AC) 28:35

The other members of the team were ...40th Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) 28:39, 47th Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC) 28:53 and 49th Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) 28:54.

There were 77 finishers

Photos... 
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has photos of the women's race HERE

Irish U20 women... 7th out of 20 teams
Irish U20 men... 10th out of 20

Full results


Senior Men


Senior Women



Thursday, December 14, 2017

FREE - Marathon Guide for 2018



Athletics Weekly has just released a free marathon guide for 2018. While it mainly aimed at the UK, there are some other marathons in there as well. It might be of interest to anyone looking for a trip away in 2018.

Click HERE

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Cork athlete Phil Healy sets new national 300m record!



Cork athlete Phil Healy of Bandon AC set a new national 300m record of 37.56 seconds in Athlone on Wednesday evening. The photo above shows Phil with her coach Shane McCormack of Menapians AC.

Results

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Physical Education to be introduced as a Leaving Certificate subject


It was announced recently that Physical Education is to be introduced as a Leaving Certificate subject in Ireland. Initially it will be rolled out in about 50 schools from September of 2018 with the intention that there will be exams for it in the leaving certificate in the future.

The course will cover a number of sports and there is also an athletics module included...


In a world dominated by GAA, Soccer and Rugby, this may well be the first time any teenager has been exposed to athletics.

The course does of course cover a lot of other sports and covers much more than just physical activity.

Strand 1: Towards optimum performance...
Topic 1: Learning and improving skill and technique
Topic 2: Physical and psychological demands of performance
Topic 3: Structures, strategies, roles and conventions
Topic 4: Planning for optimum performance

Strand 2: Contemporary issues in physical activity
Topic 5: Promoting physical activity
Topic 6: Ethics and fair play
Topic 7: Physical activity and inclusion
Topic 8: Technology, media and sport
Topic 9: Gender and physical activity
Topic 10: Business and enterprise in physical activity and sport, Physical activity areas, Adventure activities, Aquatics, Artistic and aesthetic movement, Athletics, Games, Personal exercise and fitness activities

Sport is now a big business and a lot of people work in the industry. It's conceivable that at some future date, this leaving cert course will be a prerequisite to get into certain 3rd level courses and jobs.

More info below...

Links...
1) RTE News...Mon 11th Dec 2017... PE to be introduced as Leaving Cert examination subject
2) RTE News...Mon 11th Dec 2017... How will Leaving Certificate Physical Education work?
3) Curriculum

Monday, December 11, 2017

Photos of the Millstreet Christmas Jumper Run 5k...Sat 9th Dec 2017

This charity 5k in Millstreet was held on Saturday the 9th of December.

Photos...
1)
TMC Photography Cork has a gallery HERE

Killian Devlin from Ballinacurra Villagers AC completes his 100th Marathon!

Well done to Killian Devlin from Ballinacurra who completed his 100th marathon in Clonakilty last Saturday!

Born to Run...Video from Sligo

An nice video from athletics coach Dermott McDermott in Sligo highlighting the benefits of running...


Saturday, December 09, 2017

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 9th Dec 2017

1 Rory O' SULLIVAN    16:50    VM40-44    M1    St Finbarrs AC
2 Denis BUCKLEY    18:54    JM15-17    M2
3 Tobi GRAB    20:02    VM40-44    M3
15 Kate MARTIN    21:43    SW30-34    F1    Raheny Shamrock AC
20 Mary SWEENEY    22:09    VW55-59    F2    St Finbarrs AC
22 Rachel ORMROD    22:14    VW40-44    F3    Raheny Shamrock AC


http://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=77

Results of the Clonakilty Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k...Sat 9th Dec 2017

Marathon...
1 Chris GRAYSON    02:54:59    M (1)    MS (1)    Kerry Crusaders
2 Cathal O'REILLY    02:55:58    M (2)    MS (2)    Loughrea AC
3 Denis KEANE    02:57:59    M (3)    MS (3)    MCI
25 Dolores DUFFY    03:14:35    F (1)    F50 (1)    Watergrasshill AC/ MCI
30 Jean LUCEY    03:18:18    F (2)    FS (1)  
32 Annabelle STEARNS    03:18:43    F (3)    FS (2)


Half-Marathon...
2 Niall SHEIL    01:15:04    M (1)    M40 (1)   
3 Garrett LORDAN    01:18:54    M (2)    MS (1)    Clonakilty Road Runners AC
4 Liam RYAN    01:19:38    M (3)    M40 (2)   
30 Ellen HANLEY    01:31:35    F (2)    F40 (1)   
44 Kana AKIMOTO    01:34:57    F (3)    FS (2)    North East Runners
51 Elaine DEASY    01:35:22    F (4)    FS (3)   


10km...
1 Cathal O'DONNABHAIN    00:34:35    M (1)    (1)   
2 Declan GUINA    00:34:58    M (2)    MS (1)    West Limerick AC
3 Iain WYCHERLEY    00:35:54    M (3)    MS (2)   
9 Carmel CROWLEY    00:39:32    F (1)    F40 (1)   
20 Ronnie BARRY    00:42:54    F (2)    (6)    Bandon AC
26 Anna O'NEILL    00:43:54    F (3)    (7)


The full results can be seen on the MyRunResults website.

Friday, December 08, 2017

Guest Post...An Irish One-Two Over The Country - by John Walshe

AN IRISH ONE-TWO OVER THE COUNTRY (John Walshe)

With the European championships dominating the weekend’s activities, this might be an opportune moment to recall a memorable Irish cross-country one-two that took place exactly 39 years ago, on Saturday December 9th, 1978.

Before the arrival of the Euro Cross, a number of invitational cross-country events highlighted the pre-Christmas period. Two of the most prestigious took place in England, at Gateshead in November and the IAC (International Athletes’ Club) promotion at Crystal Palace in December.

Although the fields were mainly of a domestic nature apart from a sprinkling of Europeans, such was the dominance of British runners at the time that the standard was always of the highest. For the 1978 event, the IAC had secured the appearance of the reigning World Champion, Ireland’s John Treacy who was somewhat of a surprise winner of the title the previous March at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. But on that fine December afternoon Treacy had to settle for second best, not alone to a fellow Irishman but to one from his very own county of Waterford.

Gerry Deegan’s athletics career was somewhat understandably overshadowed by his more famous Deise colleague but it too was of the highest quality. In 1977, at the age of 20, he won the first of his five Irish C-C titles and he followed the route of Treacy by taking up an athletics scholarship at Providence College, although he only spent two years in the US.

While there, he had a number of outstanding performances including a third place finish at the 1977 NCAA C-C in Spokane. On that day, Treacy took the silver medal behind multi-world-record holder Henry Rono from Kenya. Deegan also won the NCAA indoor two-mile title the following spring before claiming a credible 14th place finish at Glasgow in the wake of Treacy’s victory.

Six twisting laps made up the 8580m of firm going around the Crystal Palace venue on that December Saturday and a large group were in contention for the early circuits. It wasn’t until the fourth lap that the first decisive move was made when Deegan, Treacy and Steve Jones opened up a 15m gap on the chasing pack which included Mike McLeod, Tony Simmons, Dave Black, Steve Kenyon and the Belgium Grillaert.

A tremendous scrap ensued among the three leaders before Jones seized the initiative at the start of the final circuit. The Irish pair passed Jones on an uphill stretch but the Welshman wasn’t finished yet and retook the lead. With Deegan losing a few metres, the race looked to be between Jones and Treacy with the latter judging it to perfection by taking Jones at the last turn prior to the run-in.

But he reckoned without Deegan who produced a storming finish to cross the line, arms aloft in delight, ten metres to the good. The closeness of the finish can be seen from the times: Deegan 26:16, Treacy 26:17, Jones 26:18 while Simmons made up considerable ground to take fourth in 26:20.

The significance of that victory can be seen from the pedigree of those left in Deegan’s wake. Steve Jones was already a formidable competitor on all surfaces but his greatest days lay ahead. Six years later he set a world marathon best of 2:08:05 in Chicago, won London the following spring and then reduced his time to 2:07:13 in Chicago which, 32 years later, still remains the British record.

Tony Simmons was after finishing fourth two years before in the 1976 Olympic 10,000m, had a best of 27:43.59 for the distance and that year of 1978 could also claim a marathon time of 2:12:33.

Dave Black was ranked sixth in the world in the 10,000m for 1978 with a time of 27:36.3 while Mike McLeod – who had won the Gateshead cross-country – would go on to be a medallist at the 1984 Olympics in the same event.

Rounding off the top dozen that day at Crystal Palace was another Irishman, one Eamonn Coghlan. Showing that cross-country is no detriment to track success, two months later Coghlan set a world indoor mile record of 3:52.6 at San Diego (which he would later improve to 3:49.78) along with winning the European indoor 1500m title.

Of course that spring of 1979 will forever be associated with John Treacy’s second World C-C victory at a rain soaked Limerick Racecourse before an ecstatic home following. But, while Gerry Deegan had been a second ahead of Treacy at Crystal Palace, this time he was all of a minute-and-a-half in arrears. However, he did have the consolation of being the third scorer on the Irish team who memorably took the silver medals behind England.

For the record, the following are the Irish placings on that never-to-be-forgotten March day in Limerick: John Treacy, 1st; Danny McDaid, 11th; Gerry Deegan, 43rd; Mick O’Shea, 46th; Donie Walsh, 47th; Tony O’Brien, 50th.

Video on the IAU 24HR World Championships in Belfast

The 2017 24 Hour World Championships were held last July in Belfast with teams from all over the world competing.

It also doubled up as the Irish 24 hour championships with Eoin Keith from Cobh setting a new national record to take Gold.

A new video of the event is now available. See below....

Thursday, December 07, 2017

Donie Walsh Receives European Athletics Coaching Award

Leevale AC coach Donie Walsh was presented with an European Athletics Coaching Award recently at the Athletics Ireland Annual Awards.


Donie is one of the top endurance coaches in the country and has been coaching some of the top Irish international athletes for years. At present, he coaches Cork athletes Lizzie Lee and Claire McCarthy amongst others at Leevale AC.


Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Athletics Ireland release club membership stats for the end of Nov 2017

Athletics Ireland have just released the membership stats as of the end of November 2017. As we approach the end of the year, growth in club membership really slows down as most people just wait until January and join for a complete year.

In terms of adult membership in clubs in Cork, Leevale AC are now the largest club in Cork with 244 members jumping ahead of Mallow AC (235) who were the largest club in 2016.

The chart below shows the 15 Cork athletic clubs with 100 or more members, up from 12 at the end of 2016.


The chart below shows the smaller clubs with between 20 and 100 adult members...



As always, numbers aren't everything. Some clubs like East Cork AC are more involved in the serious side of running and their numbers are small as a result. The charts above just show the relative sizes of each club, not how good or bad they are.

The charts also don't show non-AAI clubs like Happy Feet and the Wibbly Wobbly Wonders who are very successful with their own programmes. There are also plenty of other running groups with no affiliation.

While the overall view of adult membership in clubs is positive, there are some areas of concern when you dig into the stats. For example, the number of adults in Cork athletic clubs is up 5% on this time last year. However, the number of Senior members (i.e. adults aged 34 and below) is down 3.1%.

And this isn't a new phenomenon. Every year for the last few years, adult membership has been getting older and older.


The full figures for all the clubs in the country can be seen on the Athletics Ireland website.

Tuesday, December 05, 2017

Mallow 10 mile race next year will be on Sun 25th March 2018


Mallow AC have just announced that their annual Mallow 10 mile road race will be held on Sunday the 25th of March 2018.

With the ending of the Ballycotton '10', a lot of race organisers will be looking to attract runners to their event instead. Currently, the top 10 mile race in Munster is without doubt the Dungarvan 10 which sold out in just 4 hours a few weeks back.

In terms of an established race with a reasonable course for times, the Mallow 10 mile is probably next. It shouldn't sell out as fast as Dungarvan but you need to keep an eye out for the entries when they do open.

Details to be announced soon.

The race website is https://mallowtenmile.wordpress.com/

Monday, December 04, 2017

Advert : Food Trial for anyone with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

A few months back, I had a post up about a probiotic study from a local company in Cork. The same company Atlantia Food Clinical Trials are now looking for anyone who suffers from Osteoarthritis of the Knee. See the details below.....



My name is Niamh Bateman and I am one of the project managers in Atlantia. If you have not heard of us before, Atlantia Food Clinical Trials Ltd is an Independent clinical research organisation that spun out of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) in University College Cork, (http://www.atlantiafoodclinicaltrials.com). All of our studies have been approved by the Cork Research Ethics Committee (UCC) and subjects taking part are reimbursed for their time.

Currently, we are conducting a food trial under Consultant Rheumatologist Michael Molloy. We are focused on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, diagnosed at least one year ago. The product being tested is a raspberry leaf extract, consumed over a 12-week period.

As this health condition is somewhat under-diagnosed, we are finding recruitment challenging. The reason I am writing to you today is to ask if you would consider sharing this information with your club/friends/family. 

The study would involve consuming the raspberry leaf extract over 12 weeks, where each subject would have 3 visits with us in Atlantia. Each visit would involve a health check on each visit, blood tests, questionnaires and exercises to evaluate the degree of pain, stiffness and effect the Osteoarthritis has on daily living. Each subject will receive 200euro plus a Lenovo tablet as compensation for their time and any travel expenses incurred and hopefully the relief symptoms of osteoarthritis.

My number is 0871648153 if you have any more questions or know of someone with Osteoarthritis to pass my number to.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Irish athlete Paul Robinson runs 4:17 mile in Antarctica


Paul Robinson is one of the fastest Irish runners over the mile distance with a personal best of 3min 54.77sec. Recently, he was part of a project to set a new mile record on the continent of Antarctica which he did in 4min 17.9sec in minus 20 deg C!



After the run, he said...“I definitely think I could go faster but it would need a very groomed, hard surface that just didn’t absorb your energy. On the snow, that’s going to be very hard to do.
In perfect conditions, running a sub-four minute mile is still a great achievement. There are very few athletes who have actually done it on a track. I know how hard it is when conditions are ideal so I knew there was no chance running [a sub-four minute mile] on snow. But I gave it my best effort, and I’m proud of getting anywhere close to four minutes, especially as I was slipping and sliding and even thought I was going to fall over at one stage.”

Additional Info...
1) The 42 Article 

Sunday, December 03, 2017

Results & Photos of the Waterford Half-Marathon...Sat 2nd Dec 2017


The big race in Munster this weekend was of course the Waterford Half-Marathon. This was held on Saturday the 2nd of December and attracted a huge field of 2,172 runners.

This race seems to get more popular every year and is now a target race for many runners at the end of the year. What it perhaps surprising is just how many runners from Cork make the journey down to Waterford City.

In terms of local and non-Cork clubs, West Waterford seemed to have been the largest with 56 members. The host club Waterford AC had 47, Slaney Olympic AC in Wexford had 35, Clonmel AC had 37, Kilkenny City Harriers had 27, Carrick on Suir AC had 14 and Ferrybank AC had 12.

If you look at those numbers and then compare them to the one below, you'll see how important it is to attract runners from Cork for any event.

Youghal AC 38, Ballintotis Fit4Life 36, Watergrasshill AC 33, Midleton AC 32, Mallow AC 31, Grange/Fermoy AC 29, Eagle AC 29, Aghada AC 29, Bweeng Trail Blazers 26, Ballymore Cobh AC 26, Carrigtwohill AC 16, St.Nicholas AC 14, Togher AC 12, Galtee Runners AC 12, Wibbly Wobbly Wonders 11, Rosscarbery Steam Runners 8, St.Catherine's AC 8, St.Finbarr's AC 8, Dromahane Road Runners 5,  Leevale AC 5, East Cork AC 2, Bantry AC 1, Cork Mental Health 1, Dulhallow AC 1!

And for every club runner from Cork, there are probably another few Cork runners who aren't members of a club. According to the organisers, nearly 30% of all entrants were from Cork.

Winners...
1 Hamilton     Paddy     1:06:27 5:04/M     Slieve Gullion Runners       
2 Ciobanu     Sergiu     1:06:34 5:05/M     Clonliffe Harriers A.C.       
3 Hayes     Thomas     1:06:43 5:05/M     Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.
31 McCambridge     Maria     1:17:45 5:56/M     Dundrum South Dublin A.C.       
60 Kehoe     Fiona     1:21:16 6:12/M     Kilmore A.C.       
65 Carthy     Jackie     1:21:41 6:14/M     Kilmore A.C.


Full results

Category Results

Teams...Men Raheny Shamrock AC, Women Kilmore AC.

Photos...(Updated 5th Dec)
1) Race Face has 1000+ pics HERE
2) John Troy has a gallery HERE
3) Joe Murphy has a gallery HERE
4) Ger Broderick has a gallery HERE 

Results of the Ballinacurra 4 mile run...Sun 3rd Dec 2017

This 4 miler got a small turnout of just 69 people on Sun 3rd Dec 2017. Unusually for such a small event, it was chip timed as well.

1 Kevin O'BRIEN    20:36  M (1)    MS (1)    East Cork AC
2 Nigel SHEEHAN   22:45 M (2)    MS (2)    Youghal AC
4 Denis KELLEHER    25:07  M (3)    M50 (1)   
3 Fiona SANTRY   23:30 F (1)    FS (1)    East Cork AC
9 Andrea MCNAMARA  27:11   F (2)    FS (2)    Sport World
11 Sheila BUCKLEY  28:05  F (3)    FS (3)    Midleton AC


Full results

Mark Hanrahan from Cork wins 5k race in Phoenix Park in Dublin



The annual Jingle Bells 5k race organised by Donore Harriers in the Phoenix Park in Dublin was held on Saturday the 2nd of Dec 2017 and attracted a large field of 1062 runners. The race was also unusual in that it had a pretty high quality field with 23% of the field running sub 20 minutes and 72 runners under 17 minutes.

The first man home was Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC in Cork with a time of 14m 13s...that's 4:34 per mile!

The first woman home was Fionnuala McCormack who was 11 seconds ahead of Laura Crowe of An Ríocht AC in 2nd place.

1.Mark Hanrahan Senior Male Leevale AC 0:14:13
2. Danny Mooney Senior Male Letterkenny AC 0:14:30
3. Garry Campbell Male U20 Dunleer AC 0:14:31
36. Fionnula McCormack Senior Female Kilcoole AC 0:16:00
40. Laura Crowe Senior Female An Riocht AC 0:16:11
67. Siobhan O'Doherty Senior Female Borrisokane 0:16:52


The full results are HERE

Another performance to note was that of Mark Buckley of North Cork AC who finished in 16th place in a time of 15:24.

Saturday, December 02, 2017

Results & Photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 2nd Dec 2017



A total of 268 turned out for this weeks 5k parkrun in Ballincollig, more or less in line with recent numbers.

1    Eoin O KEEFFE    17:14    SM30-34    M1    St Finbarrs AC
2    Shane COONEY    18:04    VM35-39    M2    Brothers Pearse AC
3    Éanna CREEDON    18:29    SM25-29    M3
53    Olga O'SULLIVAN    23:17    VW40-44    F1    Dell EMC Running Club
55    Eilis MANNION    23:20    VW40-44    F2
56    Louise Lynch O'KEEFFE    23:22    VW50-54    F3


Full results

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

Friday, December 01, 2017

Cork Council Council to put plans for new East Cork Greenway on display soon

In a recent article in the Evening Echo, it was announced that proposed plans for the new Greenway on the former railway line from Youghal to Midleton.



Clare Cronin, project manager for Cork County Council said...“The drawings will go on display in the coming weeks. Anecdotally, we have been getting a lot of support but quite often we don’t hear the positives as part of the consultation process. So we would encourage people in support of the process to make sure their voices are heard. We want this to be a flagship project for east Cork. The greenways have proved very successful and they open up areas along the way that aren’t open now. Villages like Castlemartyr and Mogeely would benefit, the spin-off would be massive for tourism in the area. The Youghal track is owned by Irish Rail and they are agreeable for us to make the application. If we are successful, the intention will be to take a long-term lease or licence from them to develop and manage the greenway. Cork County council are very keen to secure a large-scale greenway project for the county, having seen how successful they have been elsewhere. Initially, a number of options were looked at, including the one to Kinsale but that old railway line is predominantly in private ownership. For that reason, the council has decided to focus on projects where the land is in public ownership.”

The new Greenway in Waterford which opened earlier this year has been a huge success with large numbers of people walking, running and cycling on it. It has also given a welcome boost to existing businesses like hotels and cafes as well as enabling the establishment of some new cycle hire firms.

The one big difference with the new proposed Greenway in East Cork is that the Greater Cork Metropolitan area is on its doorstep with a population of 400,000 people. If the Waterford one is popular, just imagine what the East Cork one will be like.

As you might imagine, the whole process is likely to take some time. Public consultations, planning, getting funding and then eventual construction....it all takes time but at least the ball is rolling.


The Evening Echo article is HERE

Thursday, November 30, 2017

€280k Awarded in Sports Grant for Running & Athletic Projects in Cork

The Government announced a total of €56m in sports grants today with a huge number of clubs and sports around the country benefiting.


Minister Shane Ross said at the announcement: "This is a great day for Irish sport. When we originally invited applications under the scheme, we had just €30m to allocate and the record level of applications would have left a large number of good projects unsupported and many clubs disappointed. Happily, following the conclusion of budget discussions, I was delighted to secure the required additional resources to enable me to allocate €56m in total to local sports clubs and organisations throughout the country. The net result of this is that we are able to provide financial assistance towards over 1,700 different projects all over the country."

The full list of successful applicants for each county is HERE

€280,500 has been allocated to athletic clubs and running related projects in Cork.

These are as follows...

Cork - Leevale Athletic Club - Leevale AC - High Performance Centre - €105,000 (Used for roof repairs to their High Performance Centre and additional equipment)

Cork - Cork Education and Training Board - Carrignafoy Community College & Ballymore-Cobh Athletic Club - €84,500

Cork - Rathcormac Community Council - Rathcormac Walking/Jogging Track - €61,500

Cork - Youghal Athletic Club - Phase One Tower Park Development - €18,000

Cork - Togher Athletic Club - Non Personal Sports Equipment - €11,500

The amounts awarded this year are in contrast to a few years ago when hardly any Cork athletic clubs applied.

One thing to note here is that these are capital grants. Many if not most athletic and running clubs don't have their own grounds or premises and from what I understand, cannot apply for a capital grant as a result.

These are the sports that got more than €100k...

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Notice...Togher 5k road race - Sun 31st Dec 2017

The annual Togher 5k is coming up over the Christmas period on Sunday the 31st of December at 1pm.


This is always a popular race and is one of the biggest in Cork over Christmas. As 5k courses go, this one is pretty fast and it's mostly around quiet housing estates.

Here is a promo video of the race from Togher AC...




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

Entries...The online entry fee is €15 and includes a long sleeve dry fit top. You can enter online HERE

Entries on the day also cost €15. 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.



More info on the Togher AC website... http://www.togherathletics.org/togher-ac-5k-road-race-31st-december-2017/

We look forward to welcoming you all during the festive period on December 31st :-)

The course has been properly measured by Jones Counter.



Cork runners Michelle Finn and Lizzie Lee selected for Irish Cross Country Team



Following on from their 3rd and 4th place finish at the Senior Cross Country Championships in Dublin last Sunday, Cork runners Michelle Finn (#98) and Lizzie Lee (#81) have been selected for the Irish Cross Country Team. The European Cross Country Championships will take place in the Slovak Republic in December.

Announcing the team, Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Paul McNamara said: "The European Cross Country championships are of critical importance to Irish endurance running. We have an outstanding tradition at ‘Euro Cross’ and we are certainly looking to build on that in the 2017 edition of the event. Athletes have been selected based on their preparedness to compete with the best in Europe and this team travels intent on adding to recent successes."

Team Selections
Senior Women
Shona Heaslip (An Riocht A.C.), Kerry O'Flaherty (Newcastle & District A.C.), Michelle Finn (Leevale A.C.), Lizzie Lee (Leevale A.C.), Fionnuala Ross (Armagh A.C), Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole A.C.)

Senior Men 
Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders A.C.), Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock A.C.), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina A.C.), John Travers (Donore Harriers A.C.), Sean Tobin (Clonmel A.C.), Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel A.C.)

Under-20 Women
Laura Nicholson (Bandon A.C.), Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry A.C.), Jodie McCann (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.), Fian Sweeney (Dublin City Harriers A.C.), Sophie Murphy (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.), Fiona Everard (Bandon A.C.)


Under-20 Men
Craig McMeechan (North Down A.C.), Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock A.C.), Charlie O'Donovan (Leevale A.C.), Fearghal Curtin (Youghal A.C.), James Edgar (City of Lisburn A.C.), Darragh McElhinney (Bantry A.C.)

Under-23 Women
Bethanie Murray (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.)


Under-23 Men
Tom O’Keeffe (Kilkenny City Harriers), Eoin Strutt (Raheny Shamrock A.C.)

Photo: Gearóid Ó Laoi

Monday, November 27, 2017

Shona Heaslip wins National Senior Cross Country Title & Leevale AC secure team win

The National Cross Country Championships were held in Abbotstown, Dublin on Sunday the 26th of November.

In the Senior women's race, Shona Heaslip of An Ríocht AC in Kerry broke away from a group of four in the last lap to take the national title.

Great photo from Gearóid Ó Laoi showing Shona Heaslip on her way to winning the 2017 National Senior Cross Country Championship title


In the women's team event, Michelle Finn's 3rd and Lizzie Lee's 4th place finishes helped Leevale AC secure the Gold. Claire McCarthy and Sinead O'Connor were the other scoring members of the team.

28:31 1 Shona  Heaslip An Riocht A.C. An Riocht A.C. (A)
28:38 2 Kerry O'Flaherty  Newcastle & District AC Newcastle & District AC
28:44 3 Michelle Finn Leevale A.C.  Leevale A.C. (A)
28:51 4 Lizzie Lee  Leevale A.C.  Leevale A.C. (A)
29:16 7 Laura  Crowe An Riocht A.C. An Riocht A.C. (A)
29:43 10 Claire McCarthy Leevale A.C. Leevale A.C. (A)
30:25 18 Sinead O'Connor Leevale A.C. Leevale A.C. (A)

Club Team Points Place Club Positions Points
1 Leevale A.C. (A) 3, 4, 10, 18...35 pts
2 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. (A) 9, 11, 12, 14...46 pts
3 An Riocht A.C. (A) 1, 7, 50, 54...112 pts

Photo from Leevale AC of their Gold medal team
The same four Leevale athletes of course also represented Cork in the inter-county competition to take Gold there as well.

Full results of the women's race

In the men's competition, Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC finished 6th while the East Cork AC team finished in 7th place, just ahead of Leevale AC in 8th.

Full results of the men's race

Photos...
1) Kieran Carlin of Finn Valley AC has 529 photos HERE
2) Athletics Ireland have a small gallery HERE
3) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a few photos of the start of the women's race HERE