Results of the Skibbereen 10 mile & 5 mile race - Sun 18th Nov 2018

This was the first year of this new 10 mile road race in Skibbereen and the numbers were pretty modest. In the 10 mile race, there were just 92 finishers which is low enough while there were 85 finishers in the 5 mile.

Going back a few years, the number of finishers in races in West Cork was pretty good but it really seems to have dropped off of late.

10 mile
1 Denis Lyons     St Finbarrs AC       1:00:06     SM
2 John Collins     Drinagh   1:01:08     Sm
3 Pavel Hensirouski     Clonakilty       1:01:31 sm
25 Deirdre McCarthy     Rosscarbery       1:15:17 sf
28 Dympna McSweeney     Dunmanway       1:16:43 sf
29 Julie O'Brien     Ballydehob       1:16:56 sf

Skibbereen 10 mile results... http://www.premiertimingsystems.ie/2018-Race-Results/Skibbereen-AC-10-Mile-Results

Skibbereen 5 mile results... http://www.premiertimingsystems.ie/2018-Race-Results/Skibbereen-AC-5-Mile-Results

Looks like there was a bit of a mix up in the 5 mile. See message below from Denis McCaul.

Denis McCaul......... The reason the 5 mile times were that slow bar the hills and wind is halfway through the race the lead car turned left up a cul de sac where there was no Marshall standing so it would seem obvious that it was not a turn on the course and while myself and the other lead guy (John) beside me had our doubts we followed and quarter of a mile up the road the driver must have realised it was a dead end and turned the car around and waved us to go back. When we got back to the main road much of the field was now ahead of us. 

The results and times were changed after the race as different runners had run different distances. I finished second but only because a runner stopped and waited to run over the line with me as he realised what had happened. An incredibly sporting gesture and my thanks to him whoever he was. The guy who crossed the line first spoke with the organisers and he also selflessly agreed to demote himself from first to third. In truth while he was in third maybe 50 metres behind us when it all happened he probably would have beaten us over the whole race as he pulled away in the final mile. And he was then off to play a gaa match! 

There was also confusion over the 5 mile start time and the final distance marker on the road implied half half a mile to go instead of 1.3. They divided the 1st place prize money between myself and John, made us joint first with faster times than we actually finished the 5.5 miles in ( I finished in 34.10) and the guy who won who I am guessing probably would have caught us got third! Also the results list our home towns as our clubs and not our actual clubs. All a bit father ted but these things happen and the kind gestures from the runners who could have finished first and second reminds you what a great community of people we have running in Ireland. So it says I won a race. That I didn't win. I just wanted to clarify what actually happened. 

Also I acknowledge that people who organise club races are volunteers and give of their time for the love of the sport. This was the first year of the new distance and courses for them and I am sure the teething problems as they described them will be looked at and corrected next year. On the upside it might have been hilly and windy but it was dry so any day you run in November and it doesn't rain you have to be grateful!