Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 1st October 2022

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 1st October 2022. Between the 9 events, there were around 640 participants.

Ballincollig Regional Park: 256 this week, 255 last week. Long term average 291.

First 3 men & women...

1 Nick HOGAN Male VM40-44 Sanctuary Runners 18:02

2 Conor O'NEILL Male VM40-44 18:55

3 Michael O DONOGHUE Male VM40-44 18:57

17 Fiona MCCARTHY Female VW45-49 20:42

19 Meghan MCCARTHY Female SW20-24 21:09

41 Deirbhile O'KEEFFE Female SW25-29 Raheny Shamrock AC 22:30

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/249/

Tramore Valley Park: 97 runners took part in this event. Last week was 89. The long term average is 165 and is likely to drop gradually over the next few weeks.

First 3 men & women...

1 Liam GRAINGER Male SM20-24 18:09

2 Tony MC KEON Male SM30-34 18:54

3 Diarmuid Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN Male VM40-44 Leevale AC 19:00

4 Rhona DEMPSEY Female VW40-44 St Finbarrs AC 20:32

10 Kath CARTY Female VW40-44 Northside Running Group 21:45

17 Lisa MCCARTHY Female VW35-39 Raheny Shamrock AC 22:55

https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/27/

Tramore Valley Park results... 

Glen River: 53 this week, 53 last week. The long term average is 78.

First 3 men & women...

1 Gary CUMMINS Male SM30-34 19:04

2 Willie WALSH Male VM45-49 Carraig na bhFear AC 19:15

3 Seamus LEDDY Male VM40-44 Abbey Runners Leeds 19:25

8 Niamh SHEEHAN Female SW30-34 Togher AC 22:32

16 Aoife O'NEILL Female SW30-34 25:35

20 Yan ZHANG Female VW35-39 Sanctuary Runners 26:22

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/125/

Mallow Castle: 55 finishers this week, 60 last week. The long term average is 69.

First 3 men & women...

1 Andrzej CHOMICZ Male VM40-44 Mallow AC 19:29

2 Tonto KELLY MURPHY Male VM35-39 20:00

3 Nigel ROBERTSON Male VM50-54 21:46

15 Nicole O'CALLAGHAN Female JW11-14 26:24   

21 Niamh BARRETT Female VW55-59 27:46

23 Sandra HOWARD Female VW55-59 28:08

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/54/

Youghal: The Pobalscoil na Tríonóide 5k parkrun in Youghal got 40 this week, 53 for last week. The long term average is 67.

First 3 men & women... This 5k parkrun is cancelled until the end of September 2022 due to building works at the Pobalscoil.

Youghal results... 

Macroom Desmense: 28 this week, 28 last week. Long term average is 52.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conor LUCEY Male VM35-39 19:04

2 Joe COFFEY Male VM50-54 19:29

3 Finbarr KELLEHER Male VM35-39 19:43

9 Annie MCELROY Female JW10 West Muskerry A.C. 25:20

10 Carmel PURCELL Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 25:43

14 Mairead MURPHY Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 27:16

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/394/

Clonakilty: 37 finishers this week, 38 finishers last week. Long term average 37.

First 3 men & women...

1 Sean DINNEEN Male SM30-34 17:38

2 Mícheál Ó SÉ Male VM40-44 19:43

3 John HEFFERNAN Male VM45-49 20:53

10 Niamh O'BRIEN Female SW30-34 24:07

14 Helen O'LEARY Female VW60-64 25:37

16 Amy LYONS Female SW30-34 26:18

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/349/

Glengarriff Woods: There were 58 finishers for this weeks 5k parkrun in Glengarriff Woods. It was 40  last week, long term average is 59.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Darragh COPPINGER Male JM11-14 19:07

2 Ciaran MCELHINNEY Male SM25-29 19:21

3 Cathal MINEHANE Male VM40-44 20:31

7 Alice COPPINGER Female VW40-44 Bantry Athletic Club 22:38

9 Marian MINEHANE Female VW40-44 23:13

13 Sharon LEVIS Female VW40-44 24:31

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/266/

Bere Island: 22 this week, 22 last week, long term average of 46. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW18-19 23:20

2 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:12

3 Laura JACKSON Female SW30-34 25:20

4 Breandan MURPHY Male SM20-24 25:50

5 Ian SLOYAN Male VM40-44 26:04

10 Tadhg HOBBS Male JM15-17 31:40

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/353/

Castlehaven: 30 finishers this week in Rineen Woods. 21 last week. Long term average 29.

First 3 women & men...

Castlehaven results... 

Guest Post: Energy to Run ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Energy to run **

Few questions recently about fuelling for the long run and hope some of this helps or gives you ideas to try out. You have trained hard to date, you still have some miles to go yet, but you want to make sure you have enough fuel on board and on the day have the energy to get you over the finish line.

Before I give any advice, I know the “serious runners” out there will frown at some of this but all I can do is give some tips that worked for me.

We are all different and what works for one, might not work for another runner. Also the length of time we are running has a bearing on this as well, as someone in the 4hr+ category will burn a lot more calories than a sub3hr person.

Equally there will be a difference in calories burnt, depending on your body weight.

Eat well in the days coming up to the long run / race. Good quality food with lots of water to get fully hydrated.

In the 24hrs beforehand eat easily digestible foods that are unlikely to cause cramp or any indigestion issues. Pasta, Rice, potatoes chicken, fish, cooked vegetables. Stay away from any foods that you think will take a while to digest such as red meat, tomatoes, lettuce, any raw vegetables or salads.

What you are trying to do is fill the muscles stores with readily available fuel that can be used on the run.

* Long run trial

Good idea to have 1 decent trial run and work through attire, pre-race food and fuel on the go. Have your usual breakfast beforehand and try to allow the time before the run to compare to race day. I know that means getting up early…!!

Conserve your energy after eating as best you can so the maximum is available for your run.

If you always run in the evening then you should try one early morning long run as that is what is happening on the race day.

* Pre run nibble.

If you find that you can eat something just before you run then you should. That puts more fuel in the system to be converted as you are running and will be used later. I have tried Jaffa Cakes, some Jellies, few spoons of yogurt, or half a banana at different times and these were ok for me. Eat slowly and if the first few miles are easy then these will be digested no bother.

* Early and Often

Most runners do not have enough energy stores to get them over the finish line so you have to take something to help you. There are exceptions I know and older runners who are training for years can get away with little or nothing.

However most people need to take something whether a gel, sweets, and energy drink to keep them going or else they burn out and hit the dreaded wall. This is when the body runs out of available fuel and at this stage you are feeling shite and taking anything is too late. I have ran with a packet of Jelly Babies and ate on at each mile mark…!! Mad stuff

Don’t forget to plant some water and fuel for the training run to match the race day.

* Water

Keep sipping water all through your run. If the body is dehydrated then the whole energy process slows down and can come to a stop. No water – no energy.

* Fat Burn

Most of us (including myself) have little stores of fat stored around the waist and hips (love handles) and if the effort level is low and oxygen is available then the body can burn this and use as fuel. Happy days..!! This is another great reason to go very easy in the early miles and let the body use these reserves as an energy source.

* Kicking the can down the road

Whatever you take onboard will help delay this empty feeling and what you are trying to do is postpone this emptiness until you are finished. The gel at mile 5 is the energy for mile 10. So start early as it will take the body time to convert this. Be disciplined and don’t lose yourself in the occasion. Remind your friends to fuel up, remind yourself when you see others doing it.

** IMPORTANT

For any fuel / energy to digest and get to your muscles you need to be in the right effort level. If you are running hard in the Red zone with almost max Heart Rate then the body is working to keep you moving and doesn’t have the available capacity to digest the food and water and make it available to you. You are few miles from disaster.

Know your Heart, know how your body feels and keep the effort steady but enough that it can be maintained. Leave some processing power for the food to digest and the energy to flow to the muscles.

If you are breathing hard and can’t talk then that is great for a 5K but a recipe for disaster in a Marathon.

Keep the faith, learn from your mistakes and just “BE AWESOME”.

Hope some of this helps and your run this weekend goes well.

#pwr

Three Irish women run 2:38 in the 2022 Berlin Marathon

While much of the media attention was focused on Eliud Kipchoge breaking the marathon record in Berlin last Sunday, there were some fine Irish performances as well.

The one that really stood out for me was the three Irish women that finished in 2h 38. This would have been an Olympic qualifying time not so many years ago.

Place Name Number AC Club Finish
29 Nic Dhomhnaill, Ide (IRL) F54 W35 West Limerick 02:38:11 
30 Lynch, Grace (IRL) F48 WH IVERAGH A.C. 02:38:18 
31 Nic Dhomhnaill, Sorcha (IRL) F46 W35 Donore Harriers 02:38:19

Twins sisters Íde & Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill

As can be seen from the results above, Íde, Grace and Sorcha were the 29th, 30th & 31st women home and all finished within eight seconds of each other.

Grace Lynch finished the 2021 edition of the Berlin Marathon in 2:40:26 so she improved on her marathon time by just over two minutes.

To put those times in perspective, they are the 2nd, 3rd & 4th fastest times for Irish women in the marathon in 2022 and only Fionnuala McCormack has run faster this year (2:29:25).

The three results are also the 28th, 30th & 31st on the all-time Irish marathon list.

Grace Lynch

To close off the post, it would be remiss of me not to mention one other fine performance.

Niamh Clifford from Killorglin in Kerry ran a time of 2:47:36 and was the 53rd woman home. Niamh's chip time was 2:45:54.

Friday Jigsaw: Pat Walsh and Co at the 2022 Charleville Half-Marathon

For this weeks online jigsaw, we have the main man Pat Walsh with company at the 2022 Charleville Half-Marathon.

You can find the 180-piece jigsaw HERE

Approval given for new Greenway route in Carrigaline - Sept 2022

Earlier this week, Cork County Councillors gave the Green light for proposals in the Carrigaline TPREP (Transport & Public Realm Enhancement Plan). While most of these relate to improvements in the centre of Carrigaline, one key element of the plan was the establishment of a new Greenway to the north of the town.

The path of the new Greenway is shown above and it follows the route of the old Cork to Crosshaven railway line which closed back in the early 1930's.

The Greenway proposal faced considerable opposition from local residents but as the satellite image shows above, Cork County Council left a Green corridor for a future walkway when they gave permission for all of the current housing estates. When residents bought their houses, they would have known that a Greenway was proposed for some time in the future.

Green corridor left between houses

When these Greenway projects are announced, they are often framed as being 'cycleways' with media outlets stirring things up giving the impression that the Council are putting some cycleway just for cyclists in the middle of a housing estate.

The reality is that the Greenway will be used by walkers, cyclists and runners. The ironic thing is that once the Greenway is built, the biggest user group is likely to be local residents who will use it for walking and exercise.

From a running point of view, it means that there will be two Greenways to use in Carrigaline. The existing Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway is very popular with runners as it's safe and flat and the new one is likely to be as popular especially for those living on the north side of the town.

The map above shows the final route of the Greenway from Cork City to Carrigaline. The first thing that surprised me was that it's only 17kms from Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork City to Carrigaline.

The new Greenway will not only be used by runners in Carrigaline but it opens up new possibilities for runners in Cork City, Passage West and even Cobh. It's not hard to imagine say some runners from Cobh in the future taking the ferry across and using the new Greenway to run down towards Carrigaline and Crosshaven for a long run.

It's worth noting that while this approval is just for the new Greenway near Carrigaline, it's one of the most important sections. Some parts of the old railway line like say around Raffeen are overgrown and are easy enough to upgrade to a Greenway but it's the sections that are in towns that tend to be tricky so it's good that this piece got approved.

Further info... 

The Carrigdhoun newspaper provides the following... "Councillors in Cork County Council have agreed to support the Chief Executive's recommendations for the Part 8 proposal, which will see an overhaul of Main Street, Carrigaline and the creation of a cycleway through Bridgemount and Herons Wood estate." ... Link HERE

Cork County Council have their plans for this project HERE

These are a few lines I extracted from their documents...

"Another green route is proposed to link Passage West and Monkstown to Carrigaline along the disused railway line commencing at Bothar Guidel up to the R610 and following the coastal road through Monkstown and Passage West."

"The Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway extension and the proposed Carrigaline to Passage West Cycleway meets the Lee to Sea initiative in terms of connecting the harbour area with Cork City via a high-quality safe walking and cycling route."

"The recently granted M28 Motorway has provided for active modes adjacent to an overbridge on the Fernhill Road and due to its proximity to the route of the Carrigaline to Passage West cycleway it was deemed appropriate to use this reservation to connect the cycle way across the proposed M28 Motorway."

In conclusion... I'm not sure what the completion date is for this but these things tend to move at a glacial pace. The new Greenway will cross the new M28 motorway to Ringaskiddy so that will have to be built first. 

I've seen a Government document saying the M28 won't be completed until 2028 so I suspect it will be the end of this decade before the new Greenway is ready.

Dingle Marathon entries open Fri 30th Sept 2022

The Dingle Marathon and Half-Marathon is one of the most popular running events on the running calendar and sells out every year.

The organisers have now released the date for 2023..."The Dingle Full & Half Marathon is back for another year! Join us for the running event of the year on Saturday 2nd September 2023!"

Registration opens on Friday 30th September 2022 at 10am.

I know it seems a bit crazy entering a year in advance for a race but this one is really that popular. If you want to do it then enter asap.

Their website is http://www.dinglemarathon.ie/

Notice: Douglas Credit Union Charity 5k in Tramore Valley Park - Sun 9th Oct 2022

The third Douglas Credit Union Charity 5k is coming up in Tramore Valley Park in Cork City on Sunday the 9th of October 2022 at 11am.

The entry fee is €15 + an online fee of €1.05 and all proceeds from this event go to two deserving charities, Cork Cancer Care Centre and Feileacain. 

ENTER HERE

You can also enter on the morning of the event.

There will be prizes for top 3 men and women along with spot prizes for those taking part.

Runners, joggers, walkers and buggies are all welcome.

This is a chip timed race through popupraces.ie

Please note that there will be a draw for a free pair of NIKE AIR PEGASUS shoes for all those who pre-enter courtesy of John Buckley Sports.

Access by car is of course via the South Link Road. There is a pedestrian entrance from near Douglas Shopping Centre but it's a fair bit away.

The 5k course itself is basically two 2.5km loops...

There is a small hill near the recycling centre but it really doesn't amount to much. The course is a mix of a compact gravel surface and tarmac and I'd consider it a reasonably fast course.

More info about the park at this LINK

Proceeds from this event goes to two charities...

Cork Cancer Care Centre... "Voluntary cancer support centre for all those touched by cancer, their families and friends."

Féileacáin... "Féileacáin is a not for profit organisation that provides support to anyone affected by the death of a baby during or after pregnancy."

New marathon record set in Berlin by Eliud Kipchoge - Sun 25th Sept 2022

Last week, I had a post up about whether Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya could break his own marathon record of 2:01:39 in the 2022 Berlin Marathon?

Sure enough, he duly delivered last Sunday with an amazing time of 2h 01m 09s which was 30 seconds faster than his previous record set in Berlin in 2018.

The new record works out as an average pace of 4:37 per mile (2:52/km) for 26.2 miles which is just crazy.

The problem when reading media reports about new records is that it can often be difficult to know how much of an improvement a new record is. Is a 29-second improvement a lot? How much were the previous records broken by?

With that in mind, I put together a chart showing the progression of the marathon record since the year 2000.

After the 2002 record was set in London, the next six records were broken by these amounts... 43s, 29s, 27s, 21s, 15s & 25s... an average of 27-seconds. In this regard, the improvement by 30-seconds this year is a similar to the amount that the record was broken in previous years.

The major outlier recently though was Kipchoge's record of 2:01:39 in 2018 which was a huge improvement of 78-seconds on Kimetto's record of 2:02:57 set in 2014. 

The one major change in the last few years has been the advances in running shoe technology with inbuilt levers returning more energy to the athlete when the foot hits the ground. It very likely that this accounts for a lot of  the huge improvement of 78-seconds in 2018.

Is a sub 2-hour record possible??? The new marathon record of 2:01:09 is still 69-seconds away from the 2-hour barrier. Without some sort of game changing shoe tech, it's a huge gap to bridge.

On the 12th of October 2019 in Vienna, Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. This involved running 4.4 laps of the Hauptallee, a tree-lined avenue picked as the location because of its long, flat straight sections and its protection from the wind.

The effort did not count as an official new world record under IAAF rules due to several factors...

a) It was not an open event.
b) Kipchoge was handed fluids by his support team throughout.
c) The run featured a pace car.
d) Kipchoge had a team of 41 pacemakers, featuring some of the best middle and long-distance runners. 

It's worth noting that all of the marathon records since 2003 have been set in Berlin. In 2019, two Ethiopian athletes ran 2:02:48 and 2:01:41 in Berlin so it's seem to be the marathon of choice for the fastest times.

In November of this year, Kipchoge will be 38-years old and is probably close to the end of his running career. If someone does eventually break 2-hours then I suspect it will be someone younger and a really exceptional athlete.

It's possible that the marathon record in an open race may never reach two hours. The aerodynamic drag at these speeds is a major factor which may be the ultimate stumbling block.

Berlin Video... This video from Total Running Productions gives an overview of Kipchoge's race last Sunday.

5k parkrun in Youghal restarts on Saturday the 8th October 2022

The Pobalscoil na Tríonóide 5k parkrun in Youghal was put on hold back in June of 2022 due to some building works at the school.

After a break of some 16-weeks, the organisers have announced that it will restart on Saturday the 8th of October 2022!

As with all 5k parkruns, it starts at 9:30am and is completely free.

More info on the event website... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/

Links to all of the 5k parkruns in Cork HERE

Cork BHAA Janssen 6k race rescheduled for Sun 2nd Oct 2022

The Cork BHAA Janssen 6k road race in Little Island was scheduled for the 11th of September 2022 but it had to be cancelled due to an Orange weather warning and heavy rain.

It will now go ahead on Sunday the 2nd of October 2022 at 11am.

 Registration is at the Janssen offices across the road from the Community Hall in Little Island. As per usual, race entry costs €5 for registered runners and €10 for non-registered.

These are the remaining Cork BHAA races for 2022...

Sun 2nd Oct: Janssen 6k @ Little Island
Sun 16th Oct: Defence Forces 5k @ Ringaskiddy
Sun 20th Nov: Cork Mental Health 5k (Martin Lawlor Memorial) @ Little Island
Sun 11th Dec: Cork Simon Turkey Trot @ Blackrock

Results & Photos of the Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 25th Sept 2022

Jonathan Escalante-Phillips wins the 2022 Charleville Half-Marathon in a time of 1h 06m 21s, just ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers

Conditions were pretty much ideal for this years Charleville Half-Marathon with overcast skies, cool temperatures and a light breeze.

Top 10 men & women...

1 Jonathan ESCALANTE-PHILLIPS 01:06:21 01:06:21 6 M MS
2 Sergiu CIOBANU 01:06:24 01:06:24 3 M MS Clonliffe Harriers A.C.
3 Josh O'SULLIVAN-HOURIHAN 01:07:04 01:07:04 730 M MS Donore Harriers
4 Mick CLOHISEY 01:07:57 01:07:57 1 M MS Raheny Shamrock A.C.
5 Sean DOYLE 01:09:26 01:09:26 5 M MS North Cork A.C.
6 John MCKEOGH 01:10:26 01:10:26 513 M MS
7 Jeremy O'DONOVAN 01:10:54 01:10:54 652 M M45 St. Finbarrs A.C.
8 John MEADE 01:11:38 01:11:38 982 M M40 St. Finbarrs A.C.
9 Myles GIBBONS 01:11:52 01:11:52 908 M M45 Sliabh Bhuide Rovers A.C.
10 Dermot GORMAN 01:12:36 01:12:36 909 M M40 Carrick-on-Suir A.C.
21 Shona HEASLIP 01:15:04 01:15:04 8 F FS An Ríocht A.C.
58 Niamh MOORE 01:20:37 01:20:39 551 F FS Leevale A.C.
86 Lorna WOLFE 01:23:26 01:23:26 867 F FS Leevale A.C.
91 Aoife MAHONY 01:24:03 01:24:04 477 F F40 Eagle A.C.
93 Neasa DE BURCA 01:24:10 01:24:11 190 F F45 Galway City Harriers A.C.
94 Niamh CRONIN 01:24:11 01:24:15 167 F F45 St. Finbarrs A.C.
95 Amy POLLMANN-DAAMEN 01:24:20 01:24:20 744 F FS An Ríocht A.C.
106 Caroline HASSETT 01:24:38 01:24:43 310 F F40 Templemore A.C.
108 Joyce WOLFE 01:24:44 01:24:44 868 F F40 Leevale A.C.
122 Deirdre GIBBONS 01:26:08 01:26:08 281 F F40 Galway City Harriers A.C.

Shona Heaslip of An Ríoocht AC in Kerry was the first woman home in a time of 75m 04s

Full results HERE

Photos...

1) There are lots of photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page...

a) Pre-race & Start
b) Finish Album 1 of 8 - Sub 1:22:34

c) Finish Album 2 of 8 - 1:22:34 to 1:29:43

d) Finish Album 3 of 8 - 1:29:43 to 1:35:58

e) Finish Album 4 of 8 - 1:35:58 to 1:42:45

f) Finish Album 5 of 8 - 1:42:45 to 1:49:45

g) Finish Album 6 of 8 - 1:49:45 to 1:56:28

h) Finish Album 7 of 8 - 1:56:28 to 2:11:17

i) Finish Album 8 of 8 - 2:11:17 to 2:24:24

2) Mick Dooley has a nice album HERE

...

Start of the 2022 Charleville Half-Marathon

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 24th September 2022

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 24th September 2022. Between the 9 events, there were around 623 participants.

Ballincollig Regional Park: 255 this week, 195 last week. Long term average 292.

First 3 men & women...

1 Anthony MANNIX Male SM30-34 16:25

2 Seán O CONNELL Male SM20-24 16:34

3 Stephen O' DONOGHUE Male VM45-49 18:44

12 Nollaigh O'NEILL Female VW50-54 Leevale AC 19:57

24 Marjorie O'CONNELL Female VW40-44 21:36

33 Mary SWEENEY Female VW60-64 St Finbarrs AC 22:03

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/248/

Tramore Valley Park: 97 runners took part in this event. Last week was 89. The long term average is 165 and is likely to drop gradually over the next few weeks.

First 3 men & women...

1 Paul CASHMAN Male VM40-44 Watergrasshill AC 17:01

2 John HERLIHY Male VM40-44 17:29

3 Tony MC KEON Male SM30-34 18:45

4 Ailbhe MCDAID Female VW35-39 19:37

27 Elaine SEXTON Female VW35-39 24:18

28 Sheila CAULFIELD Female VW35-39 24:24

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/26/

Glen River: 53 this week, 41 last week. The long term average is 78.

First 3 men & women...

1 Cathal O'CONNELL Male VM55-59 St Finbarrs AC 20:32

2 John KISSANE Male VM55-59 UCC Staff Athletics Club 21:49

3 Jamie SAUNDERS Male SM30-34 St Finbarrs AC 22:00

13 Sandra WALSH Female VW50-54 24:49

15 Yan ZHANG Female VW35-39 Sanctuary Runners 26:05

16 Catherine DEENIHAN Female VW50-54 UCC Staff Athletics Club 26:18

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/124/

Mallow Castle: 60 finishers this week, 54 last week. The long term average is 69.

First 3 men & women...

1 Darren COLEMAN Male SM30-34 16:51

2 Tomás KIELY Male JM11-14 North Cork AC 17:58

3 Kevin CLANCY Male SM18-19 18:18

6 Emma FLYNN Female JW11-14 North Cork AC 19:39

8 Michaela FLYNN Female JW11-14 North Cork AC 21:11

13 Ciara KIELY Female JW11-14 North Cork AC 23:03

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/53/

Youghal: The Pobalscoil na Tríonóide 5k parkrun in Youghal got 40 this week, 53 for last week. The long term average is 67.

First 3 men & women... This 5k parkrun is cancelled until the end of September 2022 due to building works at the Pobalscoil.

Youghal results... 

Macroom Desmense: 28 this week, 43 last week. Long term average is 53.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conor LUCEY Male VM35-39 18:47

2 Jude MURPHY Male JM15-17 19:48

3 Ciaran SLATTERY Male VM35-39 19:53

11 Julie O'SULLIVAN Female SW25-29 24:49

14 Carmel PURCELL Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 26:12

18 Sinead TWOMEY Female VW35-39 29:04

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/393/

Clonakilty: 38 finishers this week, 34 finishers last week. Long term average 37.

First 3 men & women...

1 Sean DINNEEN Male SM30-34 17:55

2 Mícheál Ó SÉ Male VM40-44 18:46

3 Finbarr KELLEHER Male VM35-39 20:00

10 Niamh O'BRIEN Female SW30-34 23:30

16 Helen MCHUGH Female SW30-34 27:12

18 Danielle MCCARTHY Female SW30-34 27:23

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/348/

Glengarriff Woods: There were 40 finishers for this weeks 5k parkrun in Glengarriff Woods. It was 54  last week, long term average is 59.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Michael MCENERY Male VM45-49 Raheny Shamrock AC 19:57

2 Danny MANNING Male VM45-49 21:44

3 Stephen O'SULLIVAN Male VM50-54 22:57

5 Niamh CASEY Female VW35-39 23:46

8 Fleur HINDLEY Female VW55-59 25:21

11 Majella O' MAHONY Female VW35-39 25:57

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/265/

Bere Island: 22 this week, 31 last week, long term average of 46. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW18-19 22:44

3 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:08

5 Joanne SULLIVAN Female VW50-54 26:44

2 Colin GLEESON Male VM70-74 Beara AC 23:08

4 Breandan MURPHY Male SM20-24 26:00

9 John WALSH Male VM50-54 Beara AC 29:32

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/352/

Castlehaven: 30 finishers this week in Rineen Woods. 21 last week. Long term average 29.

First 3 women & men...

1 Florence FITZGERALD Male SM30-34 21:55

2 Brian MCCARTHY Male VM35-39 22:50

3 Kieran SANTRY Male VM45-49 Ealing Eagles Running Club 23:10

7 Deirdre MCCARTHY Female VW40-44 Manchester Tri Club 25:52

11 Siobhan RYAN Female VW40-44 2018 Operation Transformation 29:51

13 Sophie SANTRY Female VW35-39 Ealing Eagles Running Club 32:14

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/273/

Guest Post: The Toughest ...by Pat Walsh

 ** The Toughest ** 

For those training for the Marathon in Dublin or any Autumn Marathon, these are the tough few weeks. Mileage is high so legs are sore, you are feeling tired and energy levels are low. This is the toughest period of the training and please note, you are not alone in your thoughts.

Your non-running family and friends are getting fed up with you. So what you ran 20 miles..! Next time tell them it was 32Km. That will give them something to think about.

Anything good worth achieving in life is never easy. It takes courage, resilience, mental strength and never say die attitude to get over the line. If it was simple and handy everyone would do it. They don’t….It is hard, it is normal to doubt yourself, but you are fantastic. The harder you work the happier you will be when you reach your goal. 

Look where you are:- 16,18, 20 miles done. You could only have dreamed of that a few months ago.This is where the Marathon is won or lost. Putting in the work now and the day itself can be a victory lap.

How do you help yourself?

* Only a few hard weeks left and then you will cut back and taper, This feeling of tiredness won’t go on forever.. (The Taper brings its own unique form of mental madness…!!)

* Rest rest and more rest. Allow your body to recover. Absolutely vital.

* Eat well, your car won’t run on an empty tank why do you think you can run 20 miles without proper fuel. The 2 days before a long run are key to a good run. Don’t forget recovery and drinking eating starts the minute you finish and replace all the lost energy and nutrients.

* Surround yourself with positive people and enforce and “No Moaning” rule on group runs. Yes I can do this.

* Read some books, articles on inspirational people and what motivated them. Dream BIG

* Simple one and we overlook it.—Look at others around you who have successfully done this and ask yourself / tell yourself. Are as good as any of them?  and Yes you can do it as well. 

* Don’t overthink it. Just get the next run done and keep telling yourself you can do another one. 2 to 3 weeks to go is time to focus on the Full, for the moment it is the next day that counts. 

* Don’t kill yourself completing a long run. Slow if you have to, it is more important to complete it than kill yourself and find an energy deficit for the next few weeks.

* Think of those who would love to be with you but for one reason or another they cannot . Do it for them. 

* Don’t go too hard midweek and don’t be afraid to skip a session if you are really tired or sore.

Late September is a tough time but come through this well and you will be so happy with yourself. Have a good long run and a lovely weekend.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going,"

#pwr #keeponrunning

Rob Heffernan establishes new athletics club in Cork City - Sept 2022

World race walking champion and five time Olympian Rob Heffernan has established a new athletics club called Cork City AC.

This is their mission statement...

Cork City Ac Mission Statement: To provide coaching in all athletics disciplines in a positive & nurturing environment to prepare our members for competition. 

Whilst always taking care to look after the whole person & their physical & mental well being through athletics encompassing team spirit & morale in success & adversity.

To inspire and motivate all members, regardless of age or ability, to develop skills of athleticism, whether for fun or to compete to their optimum level . To promote athletics as a fundamental necessity for life, recognizing it as the foundation for all sports.

They are currently active on Instagram if you want to follow them there. 

Rob is today doing some cross country training with students of Beaumont Girls NS. 

Other than that, I have no info. As you can see, the club was only established this month so they will no doubt release more details in due course.

Friday Jigsaw: Winning the 2022 Echo Women's Mini-Marathon

For this weeks online jigsaw, we have a photo I took last Sunday of Sinéad O'Connor winning the 2022 Echo Women's Mini-Marathon.

This one is a bit tougher than usual with 272-pieces.

You can find the jigsaw HERE

Notice: Rebel Run 10k & 5k in Cork City - Sun 23rd Oct 2022

The Rebel Run 5k & 10k is coming up on Sunday 23rd October 2022 at MTU (a.k.a CIT) Bishopstown in Cork City. The 5k starts at 9.30am with the 10k starting at 9.45am. 

Entries HERE

This is a very popular event and is organised by Cork Sports Partnership, MTU Sports Department and Leisureworld. The numbers are limited this year so it is likely to sell out faster than usual. 

From Cork Sports Partnership... "🏃 Cork Rebel Run celebrates its 10th Anniversary 🏃

👏 Cork Sports Partnership, LeisureWorld Bishopstown & Munster Technological University Cork are once again coordinating the Cork Rebel Run which will take place on Sun, 23rd Oct!

👏 Starting at Munster Technological University, both 5k & 10k routes take in the Curraheen Riverwalk & finishing on the state-of-the-art Athletics Track in MTU. Each participant will receive a goody bag which includes a special edition 10th year anniversary t-shirt & water bottle as well as other goodies. You can also expect lots of encouragement and a fun atmosphere throughout the day!

🎟 You can find out more information & register for the event at the link below: www.corksports.ie/cork-rebel-run/

🏃‍♀️ Participants now have the opportunity to receive their race number by post (Deadline for postage 16th Oct)

👇 Alternatively you can pick up your race pack in MTU Athletics Stadium at the following times:

✅ Tues 18th to Fri 21st Oct: 5.30-7.30pm

✅ Sat 22nd Oct: 10am-12pm 

👉 No number pickup on the morning of the race!

Cork Sports Partnership, LeisureWorld Bishopstown & Munster Technological University Cork
are once again coordinating the Cork Rebel Run which will take place on Sun, 23rd Oct 2022
Starting at Munster Technological University, both 5k & 10k routes take in the Curraheen 
Riverwalk & finishing on the state-of-the-art Athletics Track in MTU. 

Each participant will receive a goody bag which includes a special edition 10th year 
anniversary t-shirt & water bottle as well as other goodies.

🎟 You can find out more information & register for the event at the link below: www.corksports.ie/cork-rebel-run/ "  

The event will have chip timing and there is also a special dry fit top and water bottle for all participants.

More info on the event website... https://www.corksports.ie/cork-rebel-run/

Entry Fee > 10k €26.50 // 5k €21.20

Courses...The 10k can be seen HERE

The 5k course starts with the 10k, takes in the walkway riverside behind CIT and finishes on the track as well. Approx 5k course HERE

At the launch of the Cork Rebel Run 2022 were from Left – Right; Ciaran Geaney Leisureworld, Darren Harris & Joe Devlin Boston Scientific, Frank Fitzgerald Cork City Council, Mark McManus Leisureworld, Craig Harrington- Cork Sports Partnership & MTU and Claire Hurley Cork Sports Partnership. Photo: Arnolda Stankaitiene

Notice: Cloyne Commons Winter 4k Series - Nov 2022 to Mar 2023

 

Cloyne Community Council in association with East Cork AC are organising their Cloyne Commons Challenge 4k Winter Series over the next few months.

The five dates are...

Sunday 20th November 2022

Sunday 11th December 2022

Sunday 8th January 2023

Sunday 12th February 2023

Sunday 12th March 2023

Each race starts at 9:30am and you just turn up on the morning and pay the €5 entry fee.

Note that this is a very flat 4km course mostly on quiet country roads.

Will a new marathon record be set in Berlin next Sunday??

Back in September of 2018, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:01:39. This was a new world record for the marathon, breaking the previous world record by 1 minute and 18 seconds (2:02:57).

On the 12th of October 2019 in Vienna, Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. This involved running 4.4 laps of the Hauptallee, a tree-lined avenue picked as the location because of its long, flat straight sections and its protection from the wind.

The effort did not count as an official new world record under IAAF rules due to several factors...

a) It was not an open event.
b) Kipchoge was handed fluids by his support team throughout.
c) The run featured a pace car.
d) Kipchoge had a team of 41 pacemakers, featuring some of the best middle and long-distance runners. 

With the Berlin marathon coming up next Sunday, Kipchoge has given a few hints that he may try to break his marathon record again.

This short 8-minute video below from Total Running Productions gives a good preview of Kipchoge's recent times and history of his records.

Notice: Run 165kms for the Mercy Hospital Foundation in October 2022

If anyone is interested in a challenge for October, the Mercy Hospital Foundation have a 165km running challenge.

Info from Mercy Hospital Foundation Cork...1st October - 31st October 2022

Could you Walk or Run 165Km for The Mercy in October? Help us make a difference for patients under the care of the Mercy.

It’s a tough challenge, but it’ll help The Mercy University Hospital Foundation provide vital care, while keeping you healthy too!

It takes 30 seconds to register. Create your fundraiser with the click of a button. It doesn’t matter how you do it. Whether you are getting your steps in outdoors or running on the spot at home. 

We have set a challenge of walking or running 165km in the month of October. 

By joining the Mercy “Walk or Run 165Km” Challenge, YOU will be making an incredible difference.

 You will be making a difference to the lives of those living with a cancer diagnosis under the care of the Mercy. Why not for fun create some friendly competition with friends, family & other group members? Compete against each other to see who covers the most distance daily.

Website link... https://www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie/event/walk-or-run-165km/

Results of the IMRA Canon Sheehan Loop Trail Race in Glenanaar Forest in N Cork - 18th Sept 2022

This 14km trail race organised by the IMRA was held in Glenanaar Woods at the base of the Ballyhouras on the Cork-Limerick border on Sunday 18th September 2022.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Nick Hogan 272 M40 1:03:47 Cork
2 Seán Quirke 138 M40 1:03:50 Bilboa AC Limerick
3 Ray O Connell 488 M40 1:05:46 Togher AC Cork
7 Kealey Tideswell 307 F35 1:08:41 Clonmel AC Tipperary
20 Mary Louise Ryan 64 F40 1:16:01 Mooreabbey Milers Tipperary
25 Ide Kelleher 400 F50 1:18:11 Mallow AC Cork

Results HERE

Notice: Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 25th Sept 2022

Entries close Tues 20th Sept 2022

The Charleville Half-Marathon is coming up on Sunday, the 25th of September 2022 at 10am and it is widely recognised as being one of the fastest courses in the country.

Entries HERE

Grant Thornton 5k numbers in 2022 - Cork V Galway

In a previous post, I outlined how there was a collapse in the numbers for this year's Grant Thornton 5k in Cork City with a massive drop of 58% on the figure for 2019.

The Galway edition of this race was held last Wednesday and 291 people crossed the finish line which was actually up 2% on the figure for 2019. This is in marked contrast to the 58% drop in Cork.

As outlined in the previous post, the weather for the Cork event was very wet and this no doubt deterred a lot of runners from turning out. I don't believe that factor alone would account for the huge 58% reduction in the numbers for 2022.

One curious stat from the Cork edition of the Grant Thornton 5k was that only 17 runners were under 20 minutes which suggests that most of the faster runners stayed away. Someone suggested that this might be due to the fact that the St Lukes Home 5k was just two days later.

Interestingly, the Galway edition of the Grant Thornton 5k only had 12 runners under 20 minutes which was also very small. It does seem to suggest that the faster runners in Cork and Galway stayed away because of the very high €35 entry fee and not because of other races that were on during the week.

The next edition of the Grant Thornton 5k is in Dublin on the 4th of October 2022 and that's a different event altogether. That one had over 4000 finishers in 2019 which puts it on a completely different scale.

A quick calculation gives a gross figure of about €150k in entries. Even allowing for the higher costs in Dublin, it's likely to generate a large profit.

Results & Photos of the Echo Womens Mini-Marathon - 18th Sept 2022

This year's Echo Women's Mini-Marathon in Cork was won by Sinéad O'Connor, just ahead of her team mate Lizzie Lee who chased her all the way to the finish line.

1 Sinead O'CONNOR
2 Lizzie LEE
3 Hannah STEEDS
4 Fiona SANTRY
5 Lisa HEGARTY

Full results HERE

Photos (Updated 19th Sept 1pm)...

1) There are some photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page...

a) A few start line photos b) Finish - 20:34 (1st) to 30:30 c) Finish - 30:30 to 33:50 d) Finish  - 33:50 to 37:39

2) Joe Murphy has some great photos again... Part 1 ... Part 2 ... Part 3 ...

3) RedFM have a few snaps HERE

4) Mick Dooley has some great photos... Start Line ... Post Race 

Huge Drop in Numbers... One notable feature of this year's mini-marathon was the large drop in numbers. In 2019, there were 6118 finishers, in 2022, it was 2708... a huge drop of 56%.

Before the event started, the person on the PA system was giving the excuse that the numbers were capped due to Covid restrictions and yet, they were still taking entries in Goldbergs pub before the event started which makes a nonsense of that excuse.

Why the huge drop in numbers? It's likely that the increased entry fee was a major factor.

Traditionally, the entry fee for the Echo mini-marathon has been pretty modest and the participants then raise huge amounts of money for local charities in the way of sponsorship.

The Echo mini-marathon is a for profit event and none of the entry fee goes to charity.

With chip timing and a cheap medal from China, the net cost per individual for this race is probably in the region of €7. If the entry fee was €10, the organisers would make a profit. €15 would result in a really good profit.

This year, the organisers hiked the entry fee up to €20 to gouge as much money out of the participants and to make as much money as possible.

Nobody can blame the weather for this one, just the greed of the organisers.

Guest Post: 42 Days to Dublin ...by Pat Walsh

 ** 42 Days to Dublin **

Get the Basics right.

Yes that is all that is left to the 2022 Dublin City Marathon #DCM22. 

So where are you?

Some simple advice. Many have not run a City Marathon for a while and need reminding. Some have never ran one. Here a few items to be discussing and thinking about.

Now is the time to make a mistake, hopefully that doesn’t happen, but as long as you learn from it. 

Now is the time to take note of the good things that work. Be positive.

Have you got a few Long runs done (16ml+) and if so have you an idea of your pace and plan. Dublin has up and down bits but no major hills. So don’t be putting bad hills into your long run and making it harder than it already is. A bad hill early in a run can drain energy that you will need later to keep going. You will feel sh**e and no need for it. Missing an odd short session during the week from your plan will not harm you and the rest might even be of benefit. Domestics need to be sorted to suit YOU. Rest, recovery and re-fuelling are now as important as the training.

Be careful of speed sessions and limit your pace to something suitable to your target. Full on sprinting a few days after a long run has done lots of damage to calves and hamstrings to many runners. It has finished some.

Make one long run an actual practise for the day.  Try to eat the night before and sleep as you hope to do. Get up at the time you need and run somewhere close to your start time. Eat well and drink loads of water in the few days beforehand and wake full of energy and hydrated.

Have breakfast and then run. See what works and what needs changing. 

#NoSurprises

Do you know what fuels you will take during the run?

What are you taking and does it work for you.?

How often will you take something? 

Start early and keep taking fuel on board whatever type it is. Taking anything too late is a waste of time as it takes time to convert to available energy. "Early and often"

How much water should you take on board?

My way is to wake on the morning, fully hydrated from last few days. Only sip a little water before I start but drink away from the very first mile. This means you don’t run with a stomach full of water sloshing around and maybe toilet stops. Sip what you need from the very start and it will be used by the body and no stopping. Minimum 250ml every 5 miles but some will take more and that is good too.

Learn to relax on the run and don’t be a slave to the watch. Start slow and let the body grow into the run. Be positive, think positive. Slow the last 2 miles and finish on a 'high' , thinking you could do a few more. You can do IT.

Have you an idea of what you will wear on the day and will it cause chaffing or blisters or any discomfort. If you are running in fancy dress – lol  BEST OF LUCK. If running in a charity t-shirt, try to get it in advance and wear and wash once.

Are your trainers good enough for the last few weeks and the run itself? Still time to break in a new pair. You can throw the old pair in the Liffey afterwards but you will more than likely keep the new ones for future use. 

Maybe you have another race coming up like a half or ¾ marathon. Use that to try out your race strategy. See what works and what doesn’t. It can be difficult to hold pace in big crowds if you are not used to it, so no harm to try it out.

Make sure to continue stretching, foam-rolling or maybe a massage. Your body will thank you for it. Go for a walk, swim or any easy cycle on the rest days.

Any questions please feel free to ask or msg me. Years of mistakes has helped to generate wisdom. 

Above all else Believe in Yourself.

“Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”………. Winnie the Pooh 😄

#pwr #keeponrunning