Cork County Council announce timeline for Midleton to Youghal Greenway

Cork County Council have just announced the timeline of their plan to to build the new 23km Greenway from Midleton to Youghal. This will follow the route of the old railway line and will cost in the region of €8 million.

November 2019 to February 2020 - Clearance of vegetation on the line to allow more detailed investigation.

Late Spring 2020 - Start of construction.

End of 2022 - Completion of project. i.e. Two and half years.

Hopefully they might complete it in sections allowing parts of the route to open earlier. The busiest section is likely to be between Midleton and Mogeely so ideally that section might be completed first.

Cork County Council website... https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/news/midleton-youghal-greenway-construction-get-underway

Top Irish results from the 2019 Berlin Marathon

An impressive finish time of 2h 45m for Siobhan O'Doherty in the 2019 Berlin Marathon

The big international marathon this weekend was of course the Berlin Marathon and as always, a big Irish contingent traveled to the German capital.

For the Irish women, Siobhan O'Doherty from Tipperary finished the race in a net time of 2h 45m and 36 seconds.

These are the Irish women under 3h 30m chip time....

48 9 O'Doherty, Siobhan (IRL) 64528 W35 Borrisokane 02:45:36 02:44:54
59 15 Ross, Fionnuala (IRL) 34687 WH Armagh AC 02:47:49 02:47:19
89 7 Dr. Nic Fhogartaigh, Caoimhe (IRL) 31084 W40 London City Athletics Club 02:56:15 02:54:33
143 35 Murtagh, Sinead (IRL) 30673 W35 Newcastle AC 03:01:55 03:00:03
199 18 Hanevy, Alma (IRL) 21651 W40 Crusaders AC 03:10:01 03:05:44
251 70 Hughes, Aine (IRL) 58713 W30 Beechmount Harriers 03:10:21 03:08:50
270 34 Curley, Anne (IRL) 16807 W45 Donore Harriers AC 03:13:54 03:09:40
398 52 Deegan, Yvonne (IRL) 17237 W45– 03:26:29 03:15:55
399 109 O'Connor, Breda (IRL) 64510 W30 Dunshaughlin Athletic Club 03:19:21 03:15:56
605 82 Hanratty, Siobhan (IRL) 21686 W45– 03:27:35 03:23:28
647 87 Phelan, Sinead (IRL) 32755 W45 Longford ac 03:28:03 03:24:29
843 137 Edwards, Petrina (IRL) 55109 W40 Trim ac 03:33:12 03:28:39
870 213 O`Regan, Sinéad (IRL) 64738 W30– 03:40:56 03:28:59
882 119 Trunk, Kathleen (IRL) 39539 W45– 03:33:44 03:29:12
931 153 Mcguinness, Andrea (IRL) 62896 W40– 03:31:49 03:29:56

The best of the Irish men was Kevin Seaward in a time of 2h 13m 39s.

Top 3 Irish men...
21 4 Seaward, Kevin (IRL) 40 M35 St Malachy's AC 02:13:39 02:13:39
65 29 Faherty, Ciaran (IRL) 140 M30 Galway City Harriers 02:19:06 02:19:06
88 14 Murphy, Robert (IRL) 30657 M35 Rathfarnham Wsaf A C 02:22:10 02:22:05

2h 25m finish for Kevin O'Leary of East Cork

Irish men from clubs in Munster (Kilkenny & Wexord) under 3 hours...(Cork in Bold)
110 41 O'Leary, Kevin (IRL) 31658 MH East Cork AC 02:25:32 02:25:20
151 12 Dr. Smith, Mark (GBR) 68658 M40 Eagle AC 02:28:13 02:28:07
260 59 Mtinsi, Trust (IRL) 30413 M35 Kilkenny City Harriers 02:33:18 02:33:09
270 61 Kinsella, John (IRL) 25181 M35 BILBOA AC 02:33:50 02:33:45
323 78 Power, Trevor (IRL) 33183 M35 Waterford Ac 02:35:34 02:35:25
347 118 Coakley, Donal (IRL) 16439 M30 Leevale A.C 02:36:28 02:36:18
408 104 Cummins, Trevor (IRL) 16785 M35 Ballymore Cobh AC 02:38:28 02:38:23
530 36 Ryan, Dermot (IRL) 35013 M45 West Waterford AC 02:41:23 02:40:53
873 91 Madden, Peter (IRL) 28539 M45 templemore a.c 02:48:38 02:47:16
989 105 Dr. Smyth, David (IRL) 37483 M45 Waterford AC 02:49:08 02:48:49
1040 251 Byrne, Michael (IRL) 15503 M35 St Catherines A.C. 02:49:51 02:49:25
1249 161 Clerkin, Gary (IRL) 16427 M45 Grange Fermoy AC 02:52:51 02:52:10
1326 318 Byrne, Gary (IRL) 15500 M35 WITC 02:54:10 02:53:08
1874 446 Kavanagh, Tomas (IRL) 24803 M30 Sliabh Bhuidhe Rovers
1948 371 Dowling, Donal (IRL) 17857 M40 Eagle AC 02:58:45 02:58:11
2258 436 Killen, Hugh James (IRL) 25118 M40 Watergrasshill AC 03:02:12 02:59:39

The full results are here... https://berlin.r.mikatiming.com/2019/

Cork runner Niamh Moore wins Limerick Women's mini-marathon!

 

Congratulations to Cork runner Niamh Moore who won this years Limerick Women's mini-marathon!

This was a big win for the Cork athlete finishing first out of thousands of women in this 10k race.

Lauren Dermody of Castlecomer AC finished in second place with Ann McPhail from Dooneen AC finishing third.

Results of the East Cork XC Championships - Sun 29th Sept 2019

Results of East Cork XC Championships Day 1 2019  Sunday September 29th 2019           
See results below courtesy of Liam O'Brien...

Results & Photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun... Sat 28th Sept 2019

The numbers for this weeks 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park dipped just below the 300 mark with 298 taking part.

The chart above shows the numbers since the start of 2018. As you can see, the numbers at the moment are up on the same period last year.

1 Joe BOSONNET    17:38    JM15-17  M1 Sanctuary Runners
2 Nick HOGAN    17:44    VM35-39   M2 Sanctuary Runners
3 Owen FLETCHER    18:29    VM35-39   M3 Dunboyne AC
10 Rachel SMITH    19:43    SW20-24  F1
13 Fiona MCCARTHY    19:56    VW40-44  F2
15 Rosaleen MACKEOWN    20:19    VW40-44   F3 Leevale AC

Full results

Photos...
1) Colette Ryan has a gallery HERE

Help keep local running routes clean...

I spent 2 hours this morning helping out the local Tidy Towns group in cleaning up the walkway and coastline between Passage West and Hop Island in Rochestown. We collected about 30 bags of rubbish in total and as expected, there were loads of people out running and walking on the walkway.

Just a thought: If you have a popular running or walking route near you, why not help out in keeping it clean?

Sports First Aid Courses in Cork...

Cork Sports Partnership are running a number of Sports First Aid Courses during the Autumn of 2019.

You can book online HERE

More info on the course content HERE

Cork runner Claire O'Brien heads to San Francisco...

Claire O'Brien...3rd in the 2019 Echo Women's mini-marathon (Photo: Joe Murphy)

If you look through the results of any of the local road races in Cork, you'll often find Claire O'Brien of Watergrasshill AC listed in the top three female finishers.

Claire has made great improvements in recent years under the watchful eye of coach and fellow running partner Kieran McKeown.

Claire is now San Franciso bound with her husband John and she will no doubt be doing plenty of races over there. The race times in the US tend to be slower than Ireland so she can expect to be even more competitive.

There's probably some young wan over there at the moment winning loads of races and is in for a rude awakening once Claire arrives! 😂😂

Whatever happens, it should be a good experience to see what the race scene is like over there and how it differs to here. Who knows, we might even persuade Claire to pen a guest post in the future! 😉

Claire helping to refuel the main man Jerry Forde... a full time job in itself

And for an idea of what a race in San Francisco looks like, check out this great photo below showing the marathon going over the Golden Gate bridge...

Best of luck to Claire on a new adventure!

Sport Ireland release Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study 2018

Sport Ireland released a report today titled 'The Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study 2018'.

Anyone with an interest in juveniles participating in sports should find it of interest, especially anyone in the education sector.

One of the key findings was that 87% of children in the Republic of Ireland failed to meet meet the National Physical Activity Guideline.

It also went on to say that 2018 was worse than 2010.

KEY FINDINGS (REPUBLIC OF IRELAND)
National Physical Activity Guidelines

• 13% of children met the National Physical Activity Guidelines of at least 60 minutes of
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day (17% primary school pupils and 10%
post primary school pupils). These figures are lower than the 19% and 12% recorded in
primary and post primary schools respectively in 2010.

• While boys were more likely to meet the Guidelines than girls at all ages, the most
significant change since 2010 was the decline in the proportion of primary school boys
reporting meeting the Guidelines from 27% to 23%. However, this is still significantly
more than the 13% of primary school girls who met the Guidelines. At post primary
school 14% of boys and 7% of girls met the Guidelines.

Full report HERE

Sobering story about an English race director

 

There is a sobering story about the pressures of organising a major running event and its impact on individuals. It also gives an insight into dealing with an American 'for profit' company.

Rob Griffiths was the race director of the English Half-Marathon in Warrington and his story was covered in the Warrington Worldwide website on Wednesday.

Here are a few key extracts...

"The last few years of delivering the event has taken its toll on me and the awful year with the American company had left me with nothing. I had not admitted to myself that I have been suffering with depression for some time.

I believed the most honourable solution to this situation was to end my own life – which I was moments away from doing, before being stopped by a friend. My justification was knowing what the response would be if the event did not go ahead.

My perspective had been lost. I had put the race ahead of my children, partner and family – which is something that I know they are struggling with. And so am I."

---


"Not many people know that the event was actually owned by an American company based out of Denver in 2017 and 2018. Myself and the team were retained to deliver the event. That relationship broke down prior to the 2018 event and it was clear that they did see the event as part of their global portfolio of events, however I had the opportunity to take back the event which I did from November of last year.

The event came back to us, not in the same shape as it previously left us. Not all suppliers had been paid, entries were down, we were without a website to market ourselves – but I believed in the event and I wanted to make sure my team still had a job.

This event has never been a big money earner for anyone, it has always been subsidised by other parts of our business such as delivering Rock n Roll Liverpool and Dublin for third parties. Entry fees alone have never been able to cover the cost of delivering the event but that has always been managed as part of a bigger business."

You can read the full article HERE

All 5k parkruns in Ireland now have a defibrillator

Over the last few years, many of the 5k parkruns in Ireland have used fundraising to purchase their own defibrillator. Parkrun Ireland have now acquired 17 more AEDs (Automatic Emergency Defibrillator) thanks to a grant from the Sports Capital Programme.

The parkruns in Mallow town and the Glen in Cork City picked up their AED recently thanks to this grant.

It was also mentioned that all new parkruns in the future will have to have an AED.

Togher AC Couch to 5k programme for beginners...Starts Tues 15th Oct 2019

This might be of interest to any beginners out there. Togher AC are holding a 9 week Couch to 5k programme in Cork City and it starts on Tuesday the 15th of October 2019.

As you can see from the flyer above, it cost €30 and they train 3 times a week. The main evening will be on Tuesdays. If interested, contact Claire Dunne by email... togherathleticsclub AT gmail DOT com

Notice: Cloyne Commons 4k Series - Nov 2019 to Mar 2020

This 4k series in Cloyne in East Cork will be held every month from November 2019 to March 2020.

Each one only costs €5 to enter.

4k is a bit of an odd distance but it's a good distance to gauge your fitness. As you train over the Winter months, you can do a comparison between your times to see how you are progressing.

Entries on the morning of each race.

Results of the Glenahulla NS 6k run - Fri 20th Sept 2019

This low key fundraiser for Glenahulla National School near Mitchelstown was held on Friday the 20th of Sept 2019.

Results & Photos of the Echo Women's Mini-Marathon in Cork City - Sun 22nd Sept 2019

The big event this weekend in Cork was of course the Echo Women's mini-marathon. The numbers were up 4.5% this year which more or less matches the figure for 2017.

First place finish for Sinéad O'Connor

Top 10...
1 Sinead O'CONNOR
2 Lisa HEGARTY
3 Claire O'BRIEN
4 Breda GAFFNEY
5 Emmie GOCKE
6 Noreen MACKEY
7 Vicki SPITERI
8 Rachel SMITH
9 Jennifer GOGGIN WALSH
10 Linda O'SULLIVAN

The full results are up on the MyRunResults website

If you did this event for charity then make sure you return your sponsorship card asap. Your entry fee does not go to charity.

Photos... (Updated Wed 25th Sept @ 12:40pm)
1) There are 4 albums up on the Running in Cork Facebook page
...a) Near the finish - 21 to 33 mins
...b) Near the finish - 33 to 38 mins
...c) Near the finish  - 38 to 45 mins
...d) Near the finish - 45 to 51 mins

2) Red FM have an album HERE

3) The Echo have a small selection HERE

4) Joe Murphy has two galleries... Album 1 and Album 2 

Jim Coughlan has a video below...

 

Results & Photos of the Heart of Allihies 5 mile race - Sat 21st Sept 2019

Wind and rain did not deter the 88 competitors who braved the elements this afternoon and there was a real Beara flavour to the winners podium, with Andrew 'Butcher' O'Sullivan of Castletownbere and Dee O'Sullivan of Beara A.C. taking first spots for mens and ladies with times of 32:17 and 36:46 respectively.

The race is the first of a three race series that Beara A.C. are putting together with local groups in Allihies, Bere Island and Eyeries. The next race in the 5 mile series goes to Bere Island three weeks time, Saturday 12th October, starting at 2:30pm.

Results updated 22nd Sept 10am

1 0:32:17 O SULLIVAN, Andrew Castletownbere 06:27.3    41
2    0:33:43 GLEESON, Kevin    Castletownbere 06:44.5    78
3    0:34:09 O SULLIVAN, Darragh Cork 06:49.7    42
11 0:36:46 O SULLIVAN, Dee Beara A.C. F40 07:21.0    13
18 0:38:52 O SULLIVAN, Aine  Allihies  07:46.2  45
19 0:39:16 ANDERSON, Helen  Clonakilty Road Runners A.C. F40  07:51.0    43

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

Full results below...
1    0:32:17 O SULLIVAN, Andrew Castletownbere 06:27.3    41
2    0:33:43 GLEESON, Kevin    Castletownbere 06:44.5    78
3    0:34:09 O SULLIVAN, Darragh Cork 06:49.7    42
4    0:34:52    KELLY, Norman    Eagle A.C.  M40    06:58.3    88
5    0:34:53    SMITH, Raymond    Kenmare A.C.    M50    06:58.5    17
6    0:35:18    GEDEN, Matthew    Kinsale    M50    07:03.4    54
7    0:35:34    HANLEY, Aaron    Bere Island       07:06.6    84
8    0:35:44    MURPHY, Conor    Beara A.C.    M40    07:08.6    101
9    0:36:15    MURPHY, Ben    Bere Island    M40    07:14.8    68
10    0:36:28    LIMRICK, Liam    Rosscarbery Steam Runners A.C.    M40    07:17.4    98
11    0:36:46    O SULLIVAN, Dee    Beara A.C.    F40    07:21.0    13
12    0:37:04    O SULLIVAN, Colm    Clonakilty Road Runners A.C.    M50    07:24.6    81
13    0:37:34    COLEMAN, Michael    Bantry A.C.    M40    07:30.6    50
14    0:38:00    O CONNOR, Rory    Allihies        07:35.8    59
15    0:38:07    MURPHY, Nina    Beara A.C.        07:37.2    89
16    0:38:19    HAYES, Willy    St.Finbarr's A.C.    M60    07:39.6    90
17    0:38:30    DUNPHY, John    Eagle A.C.    M50    07:41.8    71
18    0:38:52    O SULLIVAN, Aine    Allihies        07:46.2    45
19    0:39:16    ANDERSON, Helen    Clonakilty Road Runners A.C.    F40    07:51.0    43
20    0:39:51    KELLY, Sean    Ballincollig    MJ    07:58.0    95
21    0:40:02    O SHEA, Claire    Coulagh        08:00.2    73
22    0:40:41    FENTON, Dave    Castletownbere        08:08.0    33
23    0:40:43    WILSON, Michael    Drimoleague    M40    08:08.4    12
24    0:40:53    DUFETEL, Jocelyn    Beara A.C.    M40    08:10.4    5
25    0:41:06    HURLEY, Maria    Bantry A.C.    F50    08:13.0    80
26    0:41:15    O SULLIVAN, Breeda    Beara A.C.    F50    08:14.8    74
27    0:41:23    HARRINGTON, Anthony    Clonakilty Road Runners A.C.    M40    08:16.4    44
28    0:42:26    LEVIS, Sharon    Skibbereen A.C.        08:29.0    47
29    0:43:12    COLLINS, Genevieve    Castletownbere        08:38.2    32
30    0:43:20    COFFEE, Maria    COBH        08:39.8    38
31    0:43:36    MURPHY, Joe    Eagle A.C.    M60    08:43.0    56
32    0:43:37    HURLEY, Patrick J    Army A C    M50    08:43.2    53
33    0:43:41    O DRISCOLL, David    Beara A.C.    M50    08:44.0    10
34    0:44:03    O HANLON, Will    COBH    M50    08:48.4    37
35    0:44:12    O SULLIVAN, Padraig    Bantry A.C.    M50    08:50.2    92
36    0:44:23    O CONNOR, Orla    Allihies        08:52.4    60
37    0:44:26    O SHEA, John    Beara A.C.    M40    08:53.0    69
38    0:44:27    HENSEL, Alfred    Kenmare A.C.    M60    08:53.2    85
39    0:44:29    WALSH, John    Road Runner Club    M60    08:53.6    55
40    0:44:59    HURLEY, Carol    Beara A.C.    F40    08:59.6    3
41    0:45:00    O SHEA, Helen    Coulagh        08:59.8    40
42    0:45:02    HARRINGTON, Claire    Coulagh        09:00.2    39
43    0:45:03    O SULLIVAN, Suzanne    Beara A.C.        09:00.4    4
44    0:45:03    O SULLIVAN, Jean    DOUGLAS MEET & TRAIN    F60    09:00.4    67
45    0:45:04    HARRINGTON, Angela    Beara A.C.    F50    09:00.6    9
46    0:45:09    O NEILL, Mags    Beara A.C.    F40    09:01.6    21
47    0:45:14    DOWNEY, Lorraine    Beara A.C.    F40    09:02.6    19
48    0:46:05    COLLINS, Laura    Castletownbere        09:12.8    87
49    0:46:34    HUIS IN 'T VELD, Elsie    Bere Island        09:18.6    63
50    0:46:47    FALVEY, Mary    Templenoe    F50    09:21.2    28
51    0:47:34    O SULLIVAN, Aoife    Clonakilty Road Runners A.C.    FJ    09:30.6    82
52    0:48:06    O SULLIVAN, Fiona    Beara A.C.    F40    09:37.0    2
53    0:48:14    ROSALES HARRINGTON, Sinead    Beara A.C.    F40    09:38.6    25
54    0:48:33    YOUNG, Gavin    Ballincollig    MJ    09:42.4    22
55    0:48:52    YOUNG, Paul    Ballincollig    M40    09:46.2    23
56    0:49:02    HURLEY, Diarmuid    Bantry A.C.    M60    09:48.2    79
57    0:49:34    O SULLIVAN, Brigid    Tuosist        09:54.6    29
58    0:49:37    NI CHARRA, Una    Eyeries    F50    09:55.2    48
59    0:49:46    DWYER, Mags    Urhan    F40    09:57.0    91
60    0:50:40    SOUNDY, Mary    Kenmare A.C.    F60    10:07.8    86
61    0:51:11    O SULLIVAN, Brian    Eyeries    M50    10:14.0    49
62    0:51:32    SHEEHAN, Rachel    Allihies        10:18.2    52
63    0:51:34    O SULLIVAN, Breeda    Beara A.C.    F50    10:18.6    7
64    0:51:53    DENNISON, Jacinta    Beara A.C.    F50    10:22.4    34
65    0:52:27    HARRINGTON, Derek    Bere Island        10:29.2    51
66    0:52:58    KELLY, Eimear    Blessington    F40    10:35.4    94
67    0:53:07    CROWLEY, Finola    Beara A.C.    F60+    10:37.2    31
68    0:53:17    O SULLIVAN, Geraldine    Beara A.C.    F40    10:39.2    58
69    0:53:18    O SULLIVAN, Ciaran    Beara A.C.    M40    10:39.4    8
70    0:53:19    UI SHUILLEABHAIN, Rose    Bantry A.C.    F50    10:39.6    93
71    0:55:35    HARRINGTON, Anne Marie    Beara A.C.    F40    11:06.8    20
72    0:57:07    O SULLIVAN, Ber    Clonakilty Road Runners A.C.    F50    11:25.2    83
73    0:58:43    ELPHICK, Claire    Beara A.C.    F40    11:44.4    27
74    1:03:01    O SULLIVAN, Colleen    Ahabrock    F40    12:36.0    24
75    1:05:58    O DRISCOLL, Caroline    Castletownbere    F40    13:11.4    72
76    1:05:59    MCCARTHY, Grace    Castletownbere    F40    13:11.6    35
77    1:08:49    FORDE, Noel    Castletownbere    M50    13:45.5    36
78    1:12:56    SHEEHAN, Sheila    Allihies    F50    14:34.9    64
79    1:12:57    O BRIEN, Patsy    Allihies    F60    14:35.1    65
80    1:13:11    HARRINGTON, Ina    Castletownbere    F40    14:37.9    97
81    1:16:45    SHEEHAN, Tara    Kilmaly AC        15:20.7    76
82    1:18:49    O NEILL, Noreen    Castletownbere    F50    15:45.5    14
83    1:23:47    O CONNOR, Sheila    Allihies    F60    16:45.1    61
84    1:24:51    MORTIMER, Andrea    Allihies    F60    16:57.9    66
85    1:24:52    FORDE, Jerry    Blarney    M60    16:58.1    96
86    1:24:52    O KEEFFE, Proinnsias    Bere Island    M50    16:58.1    11
87    1:32:35    SHEEHAN, Annie    Cork        18:30.7    77
88    1:32:45    TERRY, Deirdre    Allihies        18:32.7    70

Prize list...

Results & Photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun - Sat 21st Sept 2019

Just over 300 people turned out for this weeks 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park on Sat 21st Sept 2019.

1 Joe BOSONNET 17:41 JM15-17 M1 Sanctuary Runners
2 Trevor WOODS 18:00 VM45-49 M2 Cork Triathlon Club
3 Paul KEARNEY 18:29 VM35-39 M3 Aghada Running Club
29 Mairead PEREZ    21:27 VW45-49    F1   
61 Carrie DESMOND    23:20  VW35-39    F2
69 Regina COMBER 23:54 SW30-34 F3 Leevale AC

Full results

Photos...
1) Colette Ryan has a gallery HERE

Results & Photos of the Glen River 5k parkrun - Sat 21st Sept 2019

68 turned out for this weeks 5k parkrun in the Glen in Cork City on what might be described as a soft morning.

1 Don KEOHANE    18:58    VM50-54    M1 Eagle A.C.
2 Arlen AHERNE    19:57    SM30-34    M2
4 Brian LINEHAN    20:42    VM55-59    M3
3 Franziska SKOGSHOLM    20:07    SW20-24    F1
23 Niamh SHEEHAN    25:59    SW30-34    F2 Togher AC
25 Ursula KILKELLY    26:23    VW45-49    F3

Full results

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

Mallow Town 5k parkrun gets a new defibrillator!

The Mallow Town 5k parkrun was presented with a new AED (Automated External Defibrillator) this morning. This is part of a project to make sure that every parkrun event in the country has one.

This free 5k parkrun is held in Mallow Town Park every Saturday morning at 9:30pm. It's suitable for runners, joggers and walkers.

(Photo: Steve Murphy)

Notice : Heart of Allihies 5 mile run – Sat 21st September 2019

This 5 mile road race on the Wild Atlantic Way is coming up in the village of Allihies on the Beara Peninsula on Saturday the 21st of September 2019. In terms of location, it must be one of the most scenic spots in the county.

The race starts at 2:30pm and it costs €12 on the day.

You can also pre-enter online for €10.60 by going to this LINK

Beara Race Series....... The Allihies race is also part of a new Beara AC 5 mile road race series as shown below.

The Allihies is the first of three races in the series with a race in September, October and November.

There is a special commemorative medal for anyone completing all three races...

The race series website is https://www.beara5mileseries.com/

****

More on the Allihies race below...

The village of Allihies with its multi-coloured houses is located in one of the most scenic parts of the country and for anyone traveling some distance, this would be an excellent excuse for a weekend away.

This video below gives an idea of what the course is like...




Course preview......You'll find a preview of the course with maps, directions and photos HERE

For more information, go to the dedicated race website... https://allihies5mile.wordpress.com/
 

BBC Podcast on Eamonn Coghlan being the first man over 40 to break the 4 min mile

Back in 1994, Eamonn Coghlan became the first man aged over 40 to run a sub 4 minute mile.

A recent Sporting Witness podcast from the BBC World Service recounted that event.

You can hear it here... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csym6r

Results of the Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour NS 10k - Sun 15th Sept 2019

This low key 10k race in Ringaskiddy attracted a field of just 35 runners. It had chip timing as well which seems crazy for so few runners.

1 Cronelius Marshall M50    0:36:22    0:36:23   
2 Kevin Corbett Sen M    0:40:08    0:40:10   
3 Jp O Shea M35    0:41:49    0:41:51
4 Nollaigh O Neill     F40    0:42:10    0:42:11   
7 Linda Oconnor         F40    0:44:21    0:44:23   
11 Siobhan Holland    F40    0:45:23    0:45:26     

Results

Approval given for running track in Carrigaline

At a Cork County Council meeting on Monday (15th of September 2019), a Green light was given to construct a running track near the Community Centre in Carrigaline.

The location is shown in the map above and as can be seen, it should be roughly 430 metres in length.

The plan is for the path to be 1.2 metres in width and it will have a special surface that is softer than tarmac or concrete but will be tough and resistant to wear and tear.

The project is expected to be put out to tender soon.

The initial plan does not include public lighting but it is hoped to add this at a later stage.

Possible junior parkrun??? ... Once the new track is up and running, it does raise the question of whether a weekly 2km junior parkrun would be viable in Carraline? These are for 4 to 14 year olds and are held on Sundays at 9:30am in various locations around the country.

New Defibrillator for the Glen River 5k parkrun

Some good news! The 5k parkrun in the Glen in Cork City now has its very own AED or Automated External Defibrillator.

The photo on the left shows Andrew Burns picking up the unit at the recent parkrun annual conference.

The Glen River 5k parkrun takes place every Saturday morning at 9:30am on the north side of Cork City and it's FREE!

They are always looking for more people to support the event by taking part or by volunteering.

The event website is here... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/

Results & Photos of the Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 15th Sept 2019

Conditions were dry for this years Charleville Half-Marathon in North Cork although with temperatures up around 16 deg C, it did feel pretty humid. 

Top 10 men & women
1 David FLYNN (#3)    Clonliffe harriers    01:03:48 Elite (1)    Male  (1)   
2 Mick CLOHISEY (#1)    Raheny shamrocks    01:04:16 Elite (2)    Male  (2)   
3 Hugh ARMSTRONG (#4)    BALLINA AC    01:04:29 Elite (3)    Male  (3)   
4 Freddy KERON-SITTUK (#6)    Raheny shamrocks    01:08:30 Elite (4)    Male  (4)   
5 Tim O'DONOGHUE (#35)    EAST CORK AC    01:08:31 Elite (5)    Male  (5)   
6 Sean HEHIR (#2)    unattached    01:08:41 Elite (6)    Male  (6)   
7 Colin GRIFFIN (#19)    Ballinamore AC    01:08:52 Elite (7)    Male  (7)   
8 Alan O'BRIEN (#18)    EAGLE AC    01:09:11 Elite (8)    Male  (8)   
9 Cillian O'LEARY (#32)    Raheny Shamrock    01:09:26 Elite (9)    Male  (9)   
10 Michael MCMAHON (#727)        01:09:54 Open (1)    Male  (10)
1 Aoife COOKE (#20)    unattached    01:14:41 26    Elite (1)   
2 Una BRITTON (#24)    Kilcoole AC    01:20:10 73    Elite (2)   
3 Jill HODGINS (#31)    LEEVALE AC    01:22:04 90    Elite (3)   
4 Aislinn NIC DHOMHNAILL (#609)        01:22:22 94    O40 (1)   
5 Alicia HUDELSON (#625)        01:23:32 108    Open (1)   
6 Linda GROGAN (#107)        01:24:28 126    Open (2)   
7 Shona Keane (#732)        01:24:43 137    Open (3)   
8 Katie HICKSON (#243)        01:26:35 164    O40 (2)   
9 Colette TUOHY (#893)        01:27:58 183    O50 (1)   
10 Niamh CRONIN (#561)        01:28:05 185    O40 (3)

Full results

Photos... (Updated Mon 16th Sept 12:20pm)

1) There will be loads of photos going up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.
...a) A few pre-race photos
...b) Start
...c) Finish - Approx 1h 03m to 1h 22m
...d) Finish - Approx 1h 22m to 1h 29m
...e) Finish - Approx 1h 29m to 1h 37m
...f) Finish - Approx 1h 37m to 1h 45m
...g) Finish - Approx 1h 45m to 1h 54m
...h) Finish - Approx 1h 54m to 2h 02m
...i) Finish - Approx 2h 02m to 2h 14m
...j) Finish - Approx 2h 14m to 2h 42m 

2) Derek Costello has 4 galleries below...
...a) Start
...b) finish part 1 of 3
...c) finish part 2 of 3
...d) finish part 3 of 3
 
3) Kevin O'Connor has a few galleries up on the race Facebook page
...a) Pre-race and start
...b) Finish line photos 1
...c) Finish line photos 2 

Results & Photos of the Waterford Greenway Half-Marathon - Sat 14th Sept 2019

There were a grand total of 635 finishers in this years Waterford Greenway Half-Marathon on what turned out to be a lovely sunny day. Considering its location, there are a lot of runners from Cork in the results.

Top 10...
1 Pat HENNESSY    01:10:20 615    M (1)    MS (1)    West Waterford A.C.
2 Philip HARTY    01:12:47 782    M (2)    M40 (1)    Ferrbank A.C.
3 Raivis ZAKIS    01:13:54 783    M (3)    MS (2)    West Waterford A.C.
4 Adam PORTER    01:14:17 766    M (4)    MS (3)    Waterford A.C.
5 Joe LILLIS    01:14:30 224    M (5)    MS (4)    United Striders A.C.
6 Noel MURPHY    01:16:25 786    M (6)    MS (5)    Waterford A.C.
7 Warren FLAVIN    01:17:11 349    M (7)    M40 (2)   
8 Trevor SWIFT    01:18:06 767    M (8)    M40 (3)    Waterford A.C.
9 Noel EARLY    01:18:11 784    M (9)    MS (6)    St Catherines A.C.
10 David GREENE    01:18:26 636    M (10)    M40 (4)    Grange Fermoy A.C.
49 Liz NYHAN    01:27:58 55    F (1)    F45 (1)    West Waterford A.C.
59 Mags DEMPSEY    01:29:29 732    F (2)    F45 (2)    Tracton A.C.
68 Angela TOBIN    01:31:22 167    F (3)    FS (1)    West Waterford A.C.
69 Deirdre MURPHY    01:31:27 281    F (4)    F45 (3)   
91 Susan MCGRATH    01:33:44 453    F (5)    F50 (1)   
104 Esther MURPHY    01:34:48 311    F (6)    F45 (4)    Midleton A.C.
109 Kelly FITZGERALD    01:36:15 34    F (7)    FS (2)    West Waterford A.C.
112 Mary MOLLOY    01:36:41 720    F (8)    F40 (1)    Carrick-on-Suir A.C.
120 Elaine HORGAN    01:37:51 699    F (9)    F40 (2)    Clonmel A.C.
128 Ciara BURKE    01:38:25 617    F (10)    FS (3)    West Waterford A.C.

Full results

Photos ...
1) There are 3 galleries up on the Running in Munster Facebook page
...a) Album 1 
...b) Album 2
...c) Album 3

2) West Waterford AC have three galleries...
...a) Pre-race, Early stages & Faster finishers
...b) Finish 1
...c) Finish 2

3) DC Images has an album HERE

Results & Photos of the Glen River 5k parkrun - Sat 14th Sept 2019

There was a reasonable turn out of 70 for this weeks 5k parkrun in the Glen on what was a lovely sunny morning.

1 Joe FITZGERALD    19:06    SM30-34  M1    Sutton Runners
2 Shane CROWE    19:19    SM20-24  M2
4 Fergal BRENNAN    20:37    VM40-44  M3
3 Franziska SKOGSHOLM    20:28    SW20-24 F1 
16 Aoife O'NEILL    25:24    SW30-34   F2 
18 Olive MCCARTHY    25:59    VW45-49  F3 Togher AC
Full Results

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

50th 5k parkrun for Mick Dooley

Notice : MMRA Glen of Aherlow Trail Half-Marathon, Marathon & Ultra - Sat 21st Sept 2019

This years MMRA Glen of Aherlow Trail Half-Marathon is coming up on Saturday the 21st of September 2019 at 12 noon. There is also a 26.2 mile marathon (10am) and 39.3 mile Ultra (8am) option.

The course is a 13.1 mile loop with marathon and ultra runners doing it two and three times respectively.

Entries close at 11pm on Sat 14th Sept. Entry includes a dry fit top.

More info here... https://www.imra.ie/events

Weather Forecast for the Waterford Greenway & Charleville Half-Marathon

There are two big half-marathons coming up in Munster over the weekend. On Saturday the 14th of September, there is the Waterford Greenway Half-Marathon and on Sunday the 15th, there is the Charleville Half.

This is the forecast for the weekend...

Saturday 14th Sept - Waterford... Essentially, high pressure is dominating the weather and it's likely to be sunny and dry. The temperature should be in the low teens with light winds. It's pretty much ideal for the race from Kilmacthomas to Dungarvan.

Sunday 15th Sept - Charleville... There is some uncertainty about the weather on Sunday.


The forecast is for a weather front to cross the country on Sunday and the time of its exact arrival may determine if there is rain in Charleville or not. As you can see from the prediction above, it's shows the rain to the north. It it arrives earlier then rain is more likely. If it arrives later then it should be dry.

From 48 hours out, any prediction is only a guess. The forecast should be more exact on Saturday.

Regardless of whether it's raining or not, the temperate should be in the mid teens. There will be a modest westerly breeze which will be a headwind for the second half of the Charleville Half.

Update Sun 6am : It now looks as if the rain will be well to the north on Sunday. Forecast is for overcast and dry conditions.15 deg C. Light westerly wind. Behind the runners int he first half and a headwind in the second half.

Video : Heavy as Lead - A journey from being obese to completing an 100 mile race

I came across this video which follows the story of a runner named Jason Cohen who went from weighing 21 stone or 136 kgs to running the Leadville 100 mile trail race in Colorado in just a few years.

UK's top doctors advise doing muscle strengthening exercises twice a week

New guidance from the UK's top doctors says that adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week, as well as aerobic exercise. This comes on back of a warning that most children and adults are not active enough.

Prof Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, said ..."We need more active travel, we need people to get off the bus or the tube a stop early. We need people to climb stairs instead of getting in a lift. We need to be more active."

The following guidelines recommend that adults build strength and balance to help stave off the natural decline in muscle mass and bone density that starts around the age of 50.

For 19-64 year olds
... aim to be physically active every day
... develop or maintain strength of muscles by doing heavy gardening, carrying heavy shopping or resistance exercise - 2 days a week
... at least 150 minutes of activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running each week
... minimise time spent being sedentary - break up long periods of inactivity

For over-65s
... some physical activity is better than none
... on two days a week, activity to improve muscle strength, balance and flexibility, including Tai Chi, dance, bowls and aqua-aerobics
... each week, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, building up gradually
... break up prolonged periods of being sedentary with light activity when possible, at least with standing

More info in this news item from the BBC News website.

Pedestrian access to Tramore Valley Park remains restricted

Update 10th Sept 2019 : It looks as if the Half Moon Lane entrance will be closed for at least another 9 months.

This was the answer given to Cllr. Mick Finn at a Cork City Council Meeting on the 9th of Sept 2019...

The key point in there is 'vehicular access' from the Half Moon Lane entrance. Access for pedestrians, runners and cyclists could be done straight away.

****

Back at the end of May of 2019, the Tramore Valley Park in Cork City finally opened to the public after many years of delay. Despite this, there is still only one pedestrian access three months later.

The only pedestrian access point as of August 2019 is a walkway from Douglas shown in purple above. This is 1.2 kms in length. The only other way to access the park is to actually drive there.

The northern access point via the Half Moon Lane shown in red above is still closed to the public.

This means that some of the people that actually live closest to the park have to drive there to get access.

I understand that it remains closed due to concerns of some 'state bodies' and 'a lack of parking'.

So far, there has been three months of inaction by Cork City Council and the risk is that this will drag on for ages like the opening of the park.

Priority should be given to people that want to walk, run and cycle in the park. There shouldn't be a presumption that everyone wants to drive there.

Coroner finds that death of female runner was due to misdiagnosis of injury

In 2018, mother of two Sarah-Jayne Roche suffered a fracture to her femur during the Cardiff Half-Marathon. This was was misdiagnosed as a pulled hamstring in the hospital which she visited on three occasions.

At the inquest recently, a coroner found that the failure to x-ray the injured leg on three separate occasions led to an incorrect diagnosis and contributed to her eventual death 12 days after the Half-Marathon due to "developing deep vein thrombosis".

The story was covered recently in the Guardian newspaper HERE

It is perhaps a reminder that we should always err on the side of caution when it comes to injuries.

Cork runner Brian Buckley wins Kerry Way Ultra

Congratulations to Cork runner Brian Buckley who won the 200km Kerry Way Ultra race over the weekend in an amazing time of 25 hours and 23 minutes.

Brian who is a member of Watergrasshill AC is pictured above with his support crew of David Carr, David Yelverton and Maria Dorgan.

The race started in the early hours of Friday morning the 6th of September and finished on Saturday.

The route for the 200km Kerry Way Ultra is shown below...

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun - Sat 7th Sept 2019

Another big turn out this week with 351 taking part in the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park.

1 Diarmaid NOLAN    18:34    SM30-34    M1
2 Trevor WOODS    18:54    VM45-49    M2 Cork Triathlon Club
3 Kevin GLEESON    18:58    VM35-39    M3
6 Rachel SMITH    19:36    SW20-24    F1
19 Joanne TOGHER    20:46    SW30-34    F2
31 Mary SWEENEY    21:18    VW55-59    F3 St Finbarrs AC

Full results

Results of the Elaine Lehane Memorial 5k in Doneraile Park - Sat 7th Septt 2019

This 5k race in Doneraile Park was organised by Mallow AC

1 413 00:16:43 GARY, Scully NENAGH OLYMPIC m 00:05:24
2 589 00:17:15 LUKE, Hever NORTH CORK AC m 00:05:34
3 649 00:19:00 DONOUGH, Barrow MALLOW AC m 00:06:08
5 425 00:19:23 SHARON, Cleere NA f 00:06:15
9 577 00:20:44 ISOBEL, Kelleher LISCARROLL AC f 00:06:41
12 578 00:20:58 SHEILA, Buckley MIDLETON AC f 00:06:46

Full results....
Elaine Lehane Memorial 07/09/2019
Pos No. Time Name Club G Cat Pace
1 413 00:16:43 GARY, Scully NENAGH OLYMPIC m 00:05:24
2 589 00:17:15 LUKE, Hever NORTH CORK AC m 00:05:34
3 649 00:19:00 DONOUGH, Barrow MALLOW AC m 00:06:08
4 433 00:19:20 ADRIAN, O'Connor NA m 00:06:14
5 425 00:19:23 SHARON, Cleere NA f 00:06:15
6 648 00:19:45 SEAN, Spratt NA m 00:06:22
7 411 00:19:58 BILLY, Lane KANTURK ROAD RUNNERS m 00:06:26
8 447 00:20:39 MAURICE, O'Brien NA m 00:06:40
9 577 00:20:44 ISOBEL, Kelleher LISCARROLL AC f 00:06:41
10 494 00:20:46 MARTIN, Lynch BALLINCOLLIG AC m 00:06:42
11 444 00:20:49 CIARAN, Twomey NA m 00:06:43
12 578 00:20:58 SHEILA, Buckley MIDLETON AC f 00:06:46
13 409 00:21:07 ADRIAN, O'Sullivan NA m 00:06:49
14 404 00:21:08 NIALL, Lehane MALLOW AC m 00:06:49
15 620 00:21:32 DAVID, Duane NA m 00:06:57
16 694 00:21:36 DERRICK, O'Flynn MALLOW AC m 00:06:58
17 802 00:21:50 WILLIAM, Thompson NA m 00:07:03
18 803 00:21:55 MAX, O'Brien NA m 00:07:04
19 426 00:21:58 EIMEAR, Lavery NA f 00:07:05
20 647 00:22:01 MAURICE, O'Connell NA m 00:07:06

Cork runners take top 3 places in Dingle Half-Marathon

The top three finishers in the 2019 Dingle Half-Marathon were all from Cork with John Meade taking the title.

1 John Meade (#4492)     01:12:10
2 Vivian Foley (#2591)     01:15:41
3 Donal Coakley (#4503) 01:15:51

In the full marathon, Dolores Duffy of Watergrasshill AC finished third in a time of 3h 22m.

Full results

Results & Photos of the Glen River 5k parkrun - Sat 7th Sept 2019

78 turned out for this years 5k parkrun in the Glen in Cork City.

1 Brian SEXTON    18:21    SM30-34    M1    Raheny Shamrock AC
2 Don KEOHANE    19:04    VM50-54    M2    Eagle A.C.
3 Fergal BRENNAN    19:19    VM40-44    M3
24 Clare KEAVENEY JIMENEZ    25:50    SW20-24    F1
26 Olive MCCARTHY    26:23    VW45-49    F2    Togher AC
27 Olwyn DUNNE    26:27    VW50-54    F3 Crusaders Athletic Club

Results

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

Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 7th Sept 2019

A free timed 5k is held on the Carrigaline to Crosshaven walkway on the first Saturday of every months.

The results here are for the 7th of Sept 2019.

Proposal for new Greenway from Kanturk to Newmarket

There was a article in an online newspaper recently about a proposal to establish an 8km Greenway between the towns of Kanturk and Newmarket in NW Cork.

The article based on a press release from local politician Cllr John Paul O'Shea said that the new Greenway would follow the route of the old railway line which closed in 1963. As can be seen from the map above, the railway was adjacent to the main road between the two towns.

The estimated cost of this project is in the region of 2.3 to 3.0 million Euro.

In the press release, Cllr O'Shea said...“A Duhallow Greenway would be similar to the greenway in Waterford in that it would follow the old railway line. With regard to the Kanturk-Newmarket Railway Line, it has been closed since 1963 and there is undoubtedly the potential to create a fantastic public amenity, something that would be of great value to local and tourists alike.”

According to the article, a feasibility study from 2016 said that from an engineering and social viewpoint, the Kanturk to Newmarket Greenway would be viable.

Following on from the success of Greenways in Mayo and Waterford, there are public funds available for establishing more Greenway routes.

In the case of Waterford for example, the new Greenway has resulted in people spending more money in the area in terms of accommodation, refreshments, etc. and this extra economic activity of course results in more taxes being paid. As such, suitable Greenway projects can be seen as sound economic investments and that's not even looking at the social benefits to the local community.

Parts of the old Kanturk to Newmarket railway route are still visible in aerial photos

Looking at the proposed 8km Kanturk to Newmarket route, it might have its own challenges.

a) Low population density... While Kanturk is listed as having a population of 2350, Newmarket has just 976.
b) Scenery... While the Waterford Greenway has mountain, ocean and river views, viaducts and a tunnel, the proposed Kanturk to Newmarket Greenway just runs along the back of farmers fields. It's unlikely to be much of a draw in terms of tourism.
c) Isolated... One obvious drawback is that this Greenway would exist in isolation. It does not connect to any other Greenways or walkways in the general area.

Having said all that, it would be a very good facility for the local population in terms of walking, cycling and running. People in North-West Cork are as entitled as anyone else to local facilities even if the population density is low.

As an aside, there used to be a 5 mile road race from Newmarket to Kanturk a few years ago on the main road between the two towns. If this project does go ahead, it does the raise the possibility of it being used for some future races.

We'll have to wait and see what comes of it.

More info on the proposal in the links below...

Links...
1) North Cork wants a slice of the ‘Greenway’ action for #LocalTourism (Cork.ie)
2) O’Shea Cites Enormous Tourism Potential in Call for Duhallow Greenway (Cllr O'Sheas website)