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| Georgie Bruinvels... 1st woman in the 2023 Cork City Marathon |
Blue skies and sunshine was the order of the day for this years Cork City Marathon event with big numbers in the full marathon, half-marathon and new 10k event.
The full marathon was won by Pawel Kosek in a time of 2h 28m 24s. The first woman was Georgie Bruinvels in a time of 2h 49m 59s.
Ryan Creech of Leevale AC was the first man in the half-marathon with a time of 1h 06m 45s while Aoife O'Leary was the first woman in the half with a time of 1h 23m 41s.
In the new 10k event, Denis Hegarty was the first man with a time of 32m 12s while Lizzie Lee of Leevale was the first woman in a time of 35m 15s.
FULL RESULTS are available on the Sports Maniacs website HERE
Photos... ONGOING
1) As you might expect, there are loads of photos for this event and there are the best part of 2000 photos up on the Running in Cork Facebook.
b) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 2 of 8
c) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 3 of 8
d) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 4 of 8
e) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 5 of 8
f) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 6 of 8
g) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 7 of 8
h) Cork City Marathon 10k - Album 8 of 8
j) Cork City Marathon - Album 2 of 18
k) Cork City Marathon & Half-Marathon - Album 3 of 18
l) Cork City Marathon & Half-Marathon - Album 4 of 18
a) Pre-race b) Post race top finishers c) Finish line
a) Fastest runners to the 3-hour pace group
b) Runners from 3:00 to 3:15 pace group
7) The Cork BHAA have 400+ photos of the marathon runners at the Dunkettle Roundabout HERE
VIDEO...
1) John Kissane has a video of the start of the 2023 Cork City Marathon below...
More to follow... Check back every so often
A couple of points to note. Having it in June makes little sense. We are going to be seeing a lot more hot days in the future. Runners were struggling in the heat and this put immense pressure on responder services. Move it to April. The volunteers did a great job but we're under pressure. Also barriers need to be put up on Merchants Quay as stewards found it hard to hold back well meaning supporters. Also while the council do put on a very good event the business model of jacking up prices is very unfair.
ReplyDeleteLol, it could be on again in June and it could be pissing rain and 10 degrees. We don't live in a mediterranean climate and the race organisers aren't psychics. Running in the heat is tough, but I'd wager if someone is serious enough about running to commit to a marathon, they won't let a bit of lovely weather put them off.
DeleteAll excellent points. No water at the finish line for many participants was very disappointing.
DeleteJack
The marathon of 2022 was lashing down with rain. Everyone was huddled in shop doorways before the race started Much easier to run in than this year. One positive of the good weather was the extra supporters lining the streets. There should have been a lot more water. Maybe this is something to be looked at for next year.
DeleteThanks to all the volunteers, the support and everyone who flung/ sprayed water throughout. Great buzz and thankful to get through the run on a tough day.
ReplyDeleteTo the organizers- to come across 3 water stations that had been cleaned out on a scorching day when people were struggling - well. an embarrassment.
Is it really a lot to expect- forecast was nailed down all week- to have sufficient water available at the stations?
When you’re accepting entries right up until the day before you lose all mitigating circumstance excuses. Seeing the amount of people being hauled off the course I just hope no one suffered a serious illness or death.
Won’t be doing it again if Davis Events are involved.
Shocking no water anywhere before the race at city hall in a heat wave competitors would even have bought it and nearby shops closed to get water and control of start of 10 k a disaster poor chaps who won the half marathon weren't even noticed or mentioned by commentators a shambles after all money brought in particularly the water pre races
DeleteI totally agree, having to drink other people’s discarded water was a new low..they put out a warning about the weather and hydration etc yet they are the ones who let us down..I’m extremely disappointed
DeleteNo water at finish line when I got there after half… mountain of dry biscuits but not a drop of water to be seen. Had to go to shop & buy myself.
DeleteThanks for garden hoses, all volunteers and the great support. The sprinkle shower through Togher was great too.
ReplyDeleteAgree that moving it to earlier in the year might be needed if the June weather continues to get hotter and hotter.
Multiple water stations run dry was inexcusable. Especially given the ticket prices. Proper hydration and cooling had never been more important and the organizers let the runners down badly there. I counted 3 stations without water, and not a drop to be had at the finish line either when I got there after the half. Water supply during the race needs to be guaranteed. It's not optional.
Would agree with the suggestion to have this moved to April, giveb that we will see more and more races like this with the warming climate. It could find a really good home if held regularly at Easter perhaps. October-April would see an ideal 6 month gap for those wanting to do the Dublin-Cork double. Summer is a very unsuitable time for marathon running. I was lucky to be towards the the front of the HM field and even shortly after the merge you could see there were Marathon runners struggling at that point. This only got worse over the subsequent miles. Model Farm Road and Farranlea Road had almost as many Marathon runners walking as running.
ReplyDeleteHold it earlier to allow people to get the deserved return on their training. A marathon is hard enough in perfect conditions.
Totally agree, passed at least 3 water stations with no water!!!
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful in this weather...
Also whats with the cheap plywood race medal - really penny pinching here, i'm used to the poor quality t shirts but this is a new low.
I'll have a serious think about before doing another Cork City Marathon.
Your right medal v cheap looking
DeleteI would echo the sentiments above. The volunteers and support were great but there were a few water stations cleaned out by the time I arrived, which was dangerous in the circumstances. Holding the marathon in June just doesn't make sense. The cheap medal and poor quality t-shirt didn't help either. Great atmosphere around the city after though.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it was absurd to run out of water on that scorching day.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with the water, we were told to not take water at first station on the half , leave to those on the marathon, but then to find no water at next two stations was shocking! I saw people picking up degraded bottles
ReplyDelete1 Water stations on 10K not enough especially in that heat, water station at Mardyke and that was it, could have done with another one in Blackpool
ReplyDeleteAgree with
ReplyDeleteFirstly will offer a huge thanks to the army of volunteers who give of their time to put this event on.
ReplyDeleteTo the 'professionals' accepting the very expensive entry fees ,you were borderline negligent today with the severe lack of water at multiple water stations.
The extremely sunny and warm weather was well flagged in advance.
The huge number of runners fainting and collapsing was sadly inevitable but would surely have been largely mitigated with sufficient supplies of water. Allen Cotter.
I'm very disappointed as a slower full marathon runner with the experience I had today. Water stations with no water (caused issues when I was banking on it and then didn't have it resulted in my race falling apart in the end), having to bend down on a still open course to take water from a slab/ pack at ground level while steward looked on - the tables were packed away!, no bananas at the end, having to ask for granola bar and water at the end, cars passing on an open course as clear directions not given to either runners or drivers... Icing on the cake - a discount code that only works for the event you ran today and a wooden low quality (in my opinion) medal that's not even varnished to protect it from sweat/water!
ReplyDeleteWe all pay good money for our entry. We all deserve the same conditions and treatment regardless of being a zoomie at the front or a turtle at the back. Weather can't be changed but EVERYONE knew it would be a warm one today - the race organisers should have had additional water and contingencies in place. At one point eagle ac told people to take the water they were giving out as there were water station issues up further - it shouldn't be in them to do that. The organisers should be doing that. From what I could see too the issue was Joe public taking water as they passed going in opposite direction as stewards all packing and cleaning up - again on an OPEN course where you would still make cut off.
I think a lot of people were put at risk today over poor conditions that could easily have been rectified (ie order more water and bananas, better directions). The push and focus all seemed to be 10k geared (money money money!) to the detriment of marathon, possibly half runners too. The absence of changeovers for relays were felt too. Atmospherically it just seemed dead, not the exciting vibrant course it usually is - and that's taking heat into account. I will be emailing ccm about my experience in the coming days when the body has recovered, I'd suggest others do the same. I do want to say thank you to the volunteers standing in the searing heat today so that I could run too though. I couldn't fault the majority of them.
Your dead right with your money money money comment that's what it was all about for the organisers. The volunteers were brilliant though and rhe medical staff .I saw eight people laying on the floor being attended to
DeleteNo, keep marathon in June. April is heaving with races. 22 degrees is not that hot. Irish People travel to run marathons all over the world in hotter conditions. Ridiculous knee jerk reaction, 2 weeks ago people were still lighting fires it was 12 degrees.
ReplyDeleteIt was ridiculous on such a hot day that a lot of water stations were cleaned out and we were struggling with the heat. The price is cost for me to do this run and not even water en route wasn’t good enough. Also the lack of toilets at the start of the half was nuts, almost missed the start of the run as we queued for 40 mins, things like this need improving going forward!
ReplyDeleteMy biggest disappointment was the finishing gantry was taken down when I was finishing. It's even more important for us slow walk/run marathon runners to see this at the end after 6 plus hours out there. Very disappointed
ReplyDeleteI agree it was so disrespectful to these great runners who run for charity and there there own goals to have the finishing gantry taken down,
DeleteI genuinely think the heat affected me but I would still have it in June last year was lashing down, that said I got water at every station but if I hadn't, I reckon Id have been one of the people on the side of the road passed out, volunteers were unreal thank god for the water showers, atmosphere deffo down a bit though
DeleteAs always, enjoyed it immensely. Incredible volunteer effort, lovely people at the registration, thanks again.
ReplyDelete100% agree re: water stations...not good enough when you see people near passing outat finish linea. I only did 10k and water station at 2.5.k made no sense..also with the volume of participants for 10k.
ReplyDelete, the organisers need to consider waves for starting..got clipped about 4 times in first 2k. And then on North mall after Shakey bridge could not make progress due.to.volume of people. I was excited for 10 K as alwsys did relay in past but found it an under whelming route full of frustrations
Insufficient toilet facilities at the half marathon start, never seen queues like that, or such a lack of portacabins, water at the water stations was very warm, never had that at any race I've attended in even warmer conditions. And to see the race finisher for next year go up €10 is disappointing to say the least.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of water stations on the 10k route was very disappointing. The heat was at an all time high. Difficult conditions not helped by lack of water.
ReplyDeleteSurely 1 water stop on a 10k is more than enough. It was probably located too early in the race but if you need water on a 10k then probably should bring your own.
DeleteTotally agree with the lack of water- I finished the half marathon at a time of two hours which is a busy time over the finish line. I passed three tables with no water and had to go to a nearby shop to buy myself water- was disappointed by this. Thanks to all the volunteers and everyone who sprayed water on us along the way- that was fabulous. For the cost of the event, the heat & not have adequate volumes of water at the end to hand out to ppl who were very obviously struggling with the heat is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteThe goodie bags were shocking, alot of places without water, no bananas at the finish line.seems to me alot of short cuts were taken to save money & its not a cheap run to sign up for. It's my last year doing this as I'm disappointed
DeleteAgree with the majority of this
ReplyDeleteIncredulous in this day and age that water stations do not have water
I passed at least two on the full that had none
That is the most basic thing to get right
Weather was nailed down a week out
Unbelievable that there was no water at the finish line, this paired with poor t shirt , poor bag and shocking medal would certainly be a cause to reconsider taking part again.
ReplyDeleteI have ran in many events and Cork 23 is by the far the worse to date. My thoughts are with all the unfortunate runners who littered the course due to lack of water and facilities
Anyone see race results or times published yet ?
DeleteSeems to be some hold up .....
Have run the HM in Cork for a good few years and was very disappointed this year with a few aspects.
ReplyDelete1. Serious lack of water on the course. 2. Very poor quality medals, especially in comparison to the medal we got for Limerick for roughly the same price.
3. Nothing of use in the race pack and very limited supplies at the end.
I have done clise to 40 marathons and heave never before heard of organisears actually runnign out of water ! The organisers ahd run out of t shirts fot the 10 KM runners late on Satrurday and started giving out marathon t shirts instead so that might have been a hint to them to think if they had enough water available. Interesting to see the comments about the wooden medals - i agree - small point but some runners do place a value on Marathon medals particularly.As for weather, many Irish runners do run marathons in europe in summer and temps of 25 degrees to 30 degrees are common.
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful event organisation. Running out of water is an absolute joke. I was offered a medium relay T-shirt from last years event at registration. The event surely turned a profit this Year with all the penny pinching
ReplyDeleteRe Prize Structure
ReplyDeletePre entry prize structure was given as 1st, 2nd and 3rd in age category 65-74 years.
Results published M60 class 60 - 69 years.
Davis Management please explain.
Knowing the forecast, surely every runner, particularly those doing the full and the half, had their own plan and support crew/club members/friends/family out on the course at strategic points. Each individual runner needs to take responsibility for their own well-being also. I saw several members of Togher AC out in support of their club members, and they helped lots of other people too.
ReplyDeleteYou for real..people were forced to pay 100
DeleteOh come on, this isn't the Olympics... expecting everyone to have their own 'support team' on the route! Get real. The very expensive entry fee is surely supposed to ensure there's a support team in place for all participants.
DeleteNot everyone is in a club or has a support team.
DeleteI didn’t run the race this year, ran the full previously also in warm conditions and suffered badly, I think for athletes sake it needs to move to April, this gives a viable alternative to Dublin where it is becoming increasing difficult to gain entry. As for water / toilet issues, I feel sorry for the athletes. Totally unacceptable and needs to be resolved for next year.
ReplyDeleteWell done everyone who participated. It was especially challenging on such a hot day. I really sympathise with those who arrived at empty water stations, though I suspect some of this would have been due to others taking more than their fair share, and the above comment about members of the public nabbing water- shame on them. I’m mystified about the complaints regarding the medals, however. Surely they are a more sustainable model and not varnished with toxic chemicals? I would encourage the organisers to retain this idea and perhaps explain the rationale to the runners in the race info. It was a great day out with a great atmosphere. Thanks all.
ReplyDeleteOn a hot day runners need to do what they can to cool down and generally will pour bottles of water over themselves and drink another. I don’t think this is runners taking more than their fair share but just not realising that there now wouldn’t be enough for people coming behind. It should have been planned for. Everybody knew what the forecast was going to be over a week beforehand. As for the comment that people should have family and friends on the course to provide assistance or provisions …. Water is a basic requirement in every race that you always expect to be in plentiful supply. Some people travel and do not bring their families or have friends to help and shouldn’t need to.
ReplyDeleteLove to run the Cork Marathon some year but don't want my photo taken so I can't. Not fair and not right.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you allow that to stop you from doing a marathon? Genuine question.
DeleteI don t understand why people are complaining about the medals. I think they are lovely with the course inscription at the back. It s a good green initiative and support a local business. Regarding the water situation, I understand people being upset. The heat was tough and running out of water is bad. Thank you to everyone spraying water along the course, it really helped.
ReplyDeleteThe wooden medals seemed to me to be an effort by the organisers at being green.
DeleteTo address the comment about wooden medals and sustainabilit; any wooden product requires that trees be cut down and in the long run most of the carbon stored in the tree will be released back to the environment as the woooeden products used awear out and are replaced or thrown away and degrade. Plus there are all the emissions used in cuttinbg transport, manufacrturing etc. And then there is the reality that big events such as City marathins depend on a significant number of runners traveliing relatively long distances. Giving wooden rather than metal medals is more a PR gesture than anything else.As for the heat, looking at the pics from races. many if not most runners didnt take the simple precaution of wearing head gear to protect themselves from sun. A cloth cap or running buff can be soaked in water to protect head from heat and a running buff can also worn around the neck and when doused with water will also protect from heat. Small precautions can make a big difference.
ReplyDeleteVery disappointed with the lack of water on the course and at the finish line. I don't care about the quality of the medal but a basic need is water. Will there be any response to this one common complaint from so many?
ReplyDeleteIf you have twitter or Facebook post something there, though they will probably ignore it.
DeleteFailing that, maybe Prenderville!
The volunteers and supporters were fantastic! But as a 4 hour marathon runner and having no water at 2 stations was terrible! Seeing other people pick up discarded water bottles and hearing volunteers offering “non drinking water” to throw over runners was crazy ! Surely water could have been sourced ? Even at that stage Runners were still running 90 mins and over after me !! The medal was disappointing but trying to say it was better for environment. Further saving giving us paper bag to carry our tin can of energy drink and two discount cards that unless you are in the area again never will use ! Fistful of Lindt chocolates ! More benefit getting a happy meal toy !
ReplyDeleteThe chocs were comical..davis organisers should clear off
DeleteA few 1 star ratings on their homepage might stir them into action.
DeleteThere really is no excuse for the organisers not to have enough water throughout the route. I thought there was a major lack of Lucozade sport too. I only saw it at one aid station. Badly needed with the weather. I did the Manchester marathon in April and it cost less to enter than the Cork Half. The extortionate price just compounds everything. Won't be doing it again, will go to Limerick instead.
ReplyDeleteI did the 10k there was only 1 water stop, it was a self service water station. People tripping over each other trying to get it. Not ideal but I continued on. Was running along waiting for the next water stop but there was none . Got water at the end , banana and cereal bar. Had to walk for an age to get the water at the end. Came back to watch the ending of the half omg what a difference, no bananas.. no water.... As we were leaving the half race we saw the army coming in bringing in some water... Appreciate the people are volunteers and let's face it volunteers are hard to get. The volunteers that I met were lovely people.
ReplyDeleteSerious health and safety issues and these need to be addressed before the run can be held again .. was it a club organized event ? Or who organised it ?
I believe a corporate entity (Davis Events - the name even appears on the back of the medal!) ran it on behalf of the Council. Im open to correction on that though.
DeleteI wasn't there yesterday, so can't comment on water stations. I'll stick to the timing. There's definitely a bit of a knee-jerk response with the 'move it to April' calls. That would mean training in Jan/Feb/March which really can be miserable. I would say if they were to move it just a week or two earlier, but then you'd miss the bank holiday advantage. They will have to sort the penny-pinching and other issues but I'd prefer this time of year on the whole.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if an April date would work either....Limerick is usually last week in April/ the Weekend of the May Bank Holiday....might start an inter-county marathon turf war doing that!!!! Patrick's Day weekend would be ideal, maybe? People are already in Cork for the festivities, there's a Bank Holiday so the timing for recovery is similar. I personally don't mind training in colder, rainy weather but it doesn't suit all. Equally, you won't be able to please everyone no matter when you hold it. They'd still need to sort out the organisational issues from this year whenever they hold it.
DeleteI think that the race organisers should offer an official apology for their failure to provide sufficient water yesterday. If they don't, I think people should consider boycotting the event next year.
ReplyDeleteLogic would suggest that each of the events should have an entry cap, that is finalised weeks in advance of the Cork City Marathon. Sufficient water supplies should then be ordered. It would be better to over-order than to under-order water.
I did the 10km event yesterday and echo the sentiments of the other contributors here. I brought my own bottle of water because I was wondering if the organisers had made a provision for the large volume of runners taking part. As mentioned in another post, a pallet containing water bottles was dumped on the side of a road and everyone was left to fend for themselves. There could easily have been an accident here. The course was also way too congested especially in the first 5km. Event over subscribed!!
The orgainsers should look to organise running events that are logistically possible and don't put peoples health at risk. It is obviously an individual decision to run on such a hot day, but everyone running should be receiving a drink at the specified intervals. For runners to have go in to buy water in a shop after running 13.1 miles is truly disgracefully.
The management company who organised yesterday's event, should never be used again by the race organisers.
Profit before health and safety is a recipe for disaster and is disrespectful to those taking part.
There were queues in one of the nearby shops with half marathon runners waiting to pay for their water after many km without any. We had to drink it in the queue and it was empty by the time we got to the till.
DeleteOrganisers of the event really let people down. Will not be running in cork marathon again, water situation and quality of the medal was a pure joke. People should be demanding some money back.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who ran the half last year (in the rain) and ran the 10k yesterday in the scorching sun, the difference in organisation was poles apart. The 10k holding area was basically just everyone out on the road on Merchants Quay which then required clearing in a matter of minutes to allow the marathon runners through. This understandably led to frustration on the part of the volunteers. Personally I felt the 10k should have been divided into waves as it was so congested at parts. How there weren’t more fallers is a miracle. Runners were tripping over each other and getting frustrated. The issue of the water though is by far the worst situation. The organisers (not the volunteers as some suggested) were well aware of the temperatures and extra water should have been sourced. The social media posts about the sponsor for the water were very clear during the week and I’m sure they would have been happy to provide extra water. As someone else mentioned the slab of water at Mardyke for the 10k left everyone scrabbling for the water and was not well organised. I want to acknowledge the volunteers who spent many hours standing in the hot sun, encouraging all runners. I hope the cork city council take on board the feedback that they will no doubt get over the coming weeks. There are a lot of very disappointed runners out there particularly in the marathon.
ReplyDeletePositives : Medical staff, Garda, volunteers & Public support well done to all.
ReplyDeleteNegatives:
1)Poxy T-shirt
2)Poxy goodie bag(paper bag) at least give a string bag that can be used again.
Contents included can of redbull, 4 chocolates & useless vouchers.
3) Medal is a complete disgrace cheap isn't the word for it. If your going "Green" use a proper wood/timber not enginered s**t.
All those medals should be replaced.
4) No water at finish line.
Overall very very poor.
I hope the organizers take note of the above issues and deal with them for next year. We all love having the marathon and half marathon in your city and it would be a shame to lose it but if it is lost it's down to the failure of organisers to take on board the feedback of paying patrons, Don't let this event turn into a clonakilty marathon type shambolic organisation or a grab all event like DCM or a half arsed event like Waterford. it's bad enough the local racing scene in terms of races is being diminished as it is without this marathon adding to it. The goody bag was a insult, the t shirt was dire, the medal was a heap of crap and the water stations was a shambles. The 10k needs a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteI can understand the many frustrations people are feeling. The weather was outrageously hot, water is a requirement. That was definitely an oversight, if it's a coat issue perhaps have paper cups instead of the bottled stuff yesterday, at least as a backup.The medal I wouldn't have an issue with, it will go into the drawer like all my other medals, again I think the vast majority of people would prefer a cheaper marathon entry fee instead of a medal, or incorporate a basic marathon entry fee and add extra options like T-Shirts and medals into the cost if that's what people want.
ReplyDeleteThe June bank holiday may be the traditional weekend but this is one thing I would like to change,have it earlier in the year.Mostbpeople target a spring and fall marathon. Friends of mine did the half and 10k, the start was hampered by having slower runners up the front, I don't know how this could be rectified but it's a major problem. Even in the full it was a bit annoying having slower runners far too close to the start line.
The steward's on the course we're fantastic, the crews from Watergrasshill and Togher AC really stood out, I'm sure I'm missing more.
The issue with the option to buy extras usually leads to the price of the race staying roughly the same and then you end up paying over the top to add those extras. The 10k was good value this year, I see its already gone up next year but the half and full was daylight robbery for what was provided
DeleteSadly, have to agree about the lack of water on the course. Disgraceful and dangerous. Where are Health and Safety on this issue? Its not like organizers etc did not know what the weather forecast was going to be. I thought the medal was a joke until I realised that really was it!!
ReplyDeleteWould suggest having a good rethink about the 10k course. The river walk between from Mardyke Walk to Distillery Fields for the 10k with what ?3754 runners all massing on that narrow pathway is an accident waiting to happen - it was seriously congested - down to barely moving at times - perhaps limit the 10km numbers.
But I must say a big thank you all volunteers, the medical crews, the gardai and public out cheering us on.
As a spectator on the day huge kudos to all the volunteers and medical staff magnificent job done by all, super atmosphere in Cork. An observation on 10k just under €100k taken in entries and a paltry €450 given pack in prizes and no category prizes, cannot comment on course or water but accept comments re congestion n water at 2.5k mark only, the 10k certainly looks a rip off. Congrats to all participants on a real tough day for running.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments here. Attended as a spectator. Very positive atmosphere around the finish line. Great support shown. Was worried that the relay would take away from the atmosphere and it certainly did out on the course, but not at the finish.
Had a good look at the results. The issues with water and bananas at the finish line seem to have occurred after the two hour half mark and four hour full. Approx 9 min per mile. I counted 8717 finishers in total between the three races. With all the 10 k field finished at that stage, you are talking about just over 3000 runners finishing outside this arbitrary time. I would assume that they then had problems out on the course re water. That’s about 35% of the total number of entrants and a much higher percentage of those doing the half and full. (Well over 50% of these entrants finished outside that time).
That’s a lot of unhappy people. I always feel for the slower runners. They are out there longer and have less supporters out cheering them on. The point is, they paid the same entry fee as everyone else (unless you’re one of the ‘invited’), and, if you’re the organiser, that’s where your profit is. They must be catered for. Ok, very hot day and high demand at the finish due to the large 10 k entry, but still, lessons need to be learned. The medal: well good idea bad execution. Couldn’t care less myself about medals or T-shirts, but it means a lot to a lot of people, especially those doing their first marathon, who are usually the slightly slower runners!
So, some people doubly annoyed. I think the comment above re having friends and family put on the course is rather glib, and only works if you are a member of a club or are on home turf.
Once again, though, the clubs came up trumps when it came to support. Well done to all the volunteers and medical staff and a shout out to the poor Guard who was stuck on Boreenmanna Road trying to redirect some rather irate drivers away from the link road. In uniform. In the heat!
Not having the relay was a big loss to the atmosphere. I would venture there was c.100 supporters on the course from mile 3.5 through to mile 15. That is abject for a big city marathon.
ReplyDeleteThe dogs on the street new the forecast. Everyone new it was going to be hot. I brought a soft 500ml water bottle and filled up every water stop. Bur I also took another bottle snd poured over my head. Why weren't their bucked of water for people to use too cool down. Loads of water stops with little or no water. I was very lucky to finish and then bo water. Shambles and badly run. . Pacers burnt me. Bragging about 2 minutes in the bag..I should have known and gone on my own pace. In all likelihood it will be back to rain and cool weather next year. And they will probably have too much water. Missed the relay though
ReplyDelete. For the price I paid..it wasn't value for money and I hate saying that. Not sure I will run it for a while now
It would be standard for any pace group to hold about 2 minutes in the bag, in particular on the full course you'd need 2 minutes going towards the last third.
DeleteCourse knowledge would dictate that 2 mins in Cork is probably needed giving how hard miles 17-22 are. The 3 hour group was around 128.30 about what was expected. That wouldn't be the reason why your race didn't go as planned.
DeleteHave to say I found it the best marathon of the 7 I've done so far. Lovely course the way it was routed taking in a mixture of city running and country running. Found it tough with the heat towards the end but atmosphere coming into the finish was louder than Dublin. Shame about the water for some so defo caps are ready for hot days and they can be wetted to cool even more. Signed up for 65 euros already for 2024 compared to 110 euros for dublin this year
ReplyDeleteThat's what the organisers want you to do. Offer you this so called cheap rate and then treat u badly again. It was 60 euro a few years ago 8 weeks before the June weekend. CCM is turning into DCM
DeleteRan the full a few times over the past 10 year but was out supporting this one with some music at the skehard road rainbow tunnel. There was usually a water station at this spot but nothing this year so I’m guessing they moved it up or back a bit on the route .
ReplyDeleteFeel sorry for any +4hr newcomers as from what I’m reading the water situation was nothing short of a disaster on a day like that .
The whole thing reeks of a non running company corner cutting at every opportunity to the detriment of the standard runner . Shoddy t-shirts which I noticed straight off from the runners wearing them , flimsy wooden medal , no water banana at the end which was standard for cork from the ones I ran , lack of water a disgrace, goodie bag is laughable for the price of a full or half , finish stage getting removed before 6hr runners finished , no clean up done on the Blackrock - Mahon route …. whoever signed off this plan should issue an apology even if its just to acknowledge the water issue.
Cork marathon should be one of the big events of the running calendar so let’s hope this is a one off and lessons are learned
I love the CCM it is my home marathon
ReplyDeleteThe events company let people down with the lack of water. Completely unacceptable.
I ran the full marathon volunteers amazing
Support amazing for me. The Events Company only interested in greed not the runners. I hope CCM has a future I really don’t know? I love my home city marathon
Entered last years half marathon but didnt run due to illness was anxious to run 10k this year as money was there from last year but organizers would not allow this is greed they kept my money.previous organizers would have allowed this.something will have to change for next year.
ReplyDeleteRan the marathon on Sunday and there are a number of positives to highlight;
ReplyDeleteSpectators
Definitely not an aspect to take for granted. All along the route there was endless encouragement with someone never too far away with a few words to keep you going (the gentleman with a walking stick at Dunkettle Roundabout who told everyone 'you are doing great', lady at the Mardyke who was shouting to 'drop the arms to make it easier', the family on college road who you could hear roaring encouragement at each and every runner, the crescendo at the finish line and so many more)
Every one of these supporters gave up their morning to encourage the runners. This is a direct reflection of the people of Cork and definitely not a universal trait of marathons (even of the prestigious ones) The good weather made the morning more enjoyable for these people so we should welcome that fact.
Participation
Impressive turnout across all distances in terms of both volume and quality. It would be very easy for an event like CCM to disappear, so it was great to see it being supported by the local running community.
Last year saw a new course record and this year had multiple runners under 2:30 which, considering the conditions, shows that high quality runners still want to participate.
Route
Whilst not an easy route it is an enjoyable one and gives runners a fantastic tour of Cork. Barring the lower Glanmire road section the route offers plenty of distractions to runners. No doubt you could rejig to make this somewhat flatter, but this could result in a looped course or more time spent on larger, more boring, roads. People do not do CCM for the times but for the experience. With this as the goal I would see it as a great course.
There should be a lot of focus on the organisers who seemed more interested in cheap/sustainable medals than ensuring the safety of runners.
ReplyDeleteThe half marathon joining in the way it did at the páirc made no sense and a number of people were tripped up due to the way that was planned. All the half crowd and the full runners were funnelled through the narrowing path before hitting the marina road. This was particularly tough on the full runners as they were starting to tire and a slight adjustment would have made a big difference.
The water situation really was crazy and the number of people collapsing from model farm road onwards was very worrying. On many occasions even if there was water available it wasn’t ready and it was still packed away. Trying to get anything for the last 10km was difficult at times and this was obviously coming at the peak of the heat. It seems odd that a number of additional hose/shower points for cooling couldn’t have been set up when it was so obvious what was coming.
It was a great atmosphere but it’s a real shame not to cover the basics.
People need to take a step back on about the heat. It was hotter than normal on Sunday BUT still only 21 degrees. It’s back to 17 degrees today. 21 degrees is not that hot if you are used to ruining in hot climates AND even doing long runs in July, august.
ReplyDeleteI finished the half just over 2.hours 30 and there was plenty water at the finish line, but you had to walk down towards the end of Patrick Street, almost near Merchants Quay shopping centre to find it. There were cereal bars there too. Disappointed the water was gone from the water station on Kinsale Road, and had to pick a bottle off the pavement. There was plenty water though after that at the Lough Road, Inchagaggin Lane, and Mardyke Bridge. Agree this hot day was well predicted in advance and there should have been extra water stations.
ReplyDeletethanks to Lord Mayor and Cork Council and the Marathon organisers, Ive run many races and this was one of my highlights, Cork on a beautiful day with crowds cheering us on and seeing the other runners passing in the other direction it was magical.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the comments here, i saw the big truck re stocking the finish line with water and they gave us water off the truck. To be fair there were lads dragging hundreds of cases to re stock.
as some one said the year is busy with races and its amazing to get ti run in Ireland in warm weather. we don't even plan for the rain when we go out in Ireland and it rains a lot here
The entertainment in reading people moan and complain really is hilarious. These are no doubt the same people who blame the Government for every issue in their life and want everything hand-fed to them. I've been part of the marathon for many years and this year was the first year I was a spectator rather than a runner. I for one, thought that the organizers did a fine job and should be commended. Without doubt, they have really tried to put a focus on building the event and pumped money into the marketing of it. Record numbers show that something is working. The buzz around town in the lead up and on the day was fantastic. The people of Cork got behind this as well as all the various athletic clubs as well and I personally hope that the CCM goes from strength to strength in putting Cork on the map as an internally recognized event.
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Moving the date: Absolutely not! Its laughable the people who say that its only going to get hotter every year. Maybe you should work for RTE because we cant predict the weather next week let alone for the next ten years. June bank holiday is traditionally a very mixed bag. It can be hot and it can be wet and windy. But the main thing is that its on a bank holiday. This allow greater numbers of people to travel knowing they are off work on the Monday. This is a huge advantage to have. This year encouraged a huge amount of supporters into the City. I remember past years where it was lashing rain. Its not easy running in wind and rain either.
Medals: Personally couldn't care less about a medal just for participating in an event. If i won or was on a podium, then sure I would keep it and it would be a nice memory to have. But otherwise its just a memento to mark finishing. Some people seem to want a gold crusted medal for walking a 10K. Seriously get a grip! The organisers pitched the idea of the ‘green’ medal before the event and the feedback was positive all around. But now seems to be back lash.
T-Shirt: Poor quality, I agree. But most marathon shirts I have got have been similar quality and get thrown in the wardrobe with the others. Would like to see a better quality shirt if possible.
Water: Mistakes were made. Most likely the organisers didn't allow for people grabbing multiple bottles at every aid station. This is MASSIVE over-sight and MUST be rectified in future years so that it never happens again. What I will add, is that water did seem to arrive at the empty stations but it was too slow and communication to the water stations seemed to be poor. There needs to be a hell of a lot more management and ownership of the water stations. The people running them seemed a bit lost and not really sure what to do. The public should not be able to go up and grab bottles either. Organize the stops properly, have them well stocked, have a person communicating stock levels to a command center and MAKE sure both sides of the road are setup for the tables with signs in advance alerting runners to this.
I accept this error would have upset a lot of people and the organisers should at least acknowledge it.
Finally, I hope people can see that the Cork marathon is growing and trying to evolve as an event. While I have no input or knowledge of how its being run, its seems like its doing a pretty decent job. Could it be better? Yes. But this is the first year that the management company have been involved so its possibly a learning curve for them as well. Next year will need to be perfect. But one thing is for sure at least in my mind…CCM is growing. I hope it can rival Dublin as being Irelands premier marathon. Maybe not in numbers…but at least in quality and atmosphere.
I get the feeling there won't be any issues regarding water at next year's event.
ReplyDeleteI don't think its fair to say the criticisms here are 'moaning and complaining'. People want the CCM to succeed and keep growing so are slow to criticize the overall event but rightfully calling out the company organizing it.
ReplyDeleteDate: Agree it should be be kept as is, great buzz for the bank holiday. I ran last year in the pissing rain and to scorching heat this year. Its not always about the PB and the good weather had the crowds out.
Organization: Number of water stations ran out on the course. I finished about 12.20 and there were a table of cereal bars but no water, this was topped up before 1pm and I got one about 30 mins after finishing. Insufficient toilets at the start of the half marathon. With the numbers involved, I reckon departing in waves would improve things.
Race pack: Might be trivial in the grand scheme of things but its the general vibe that race numbers are up, entry prices are up but everything else seems to be done on the cheap.
'Green medal' is fair enough, wouldn't be too bothered if there was no medal but it undeniably felt cheap.
The t-shirts I got for the Dungarvan 10miler and the 2022 cork city half were both decent quality, this years CCM felt cheaper.
Communication: This is the thing that annoyed me most... absolutely no acknowledgement that there was an issue with water.
Just say it was a logistics issue getting water around the course with added demand due to the hot weather.
Instead I'm getting wall to wall targeted ads on social media trying to get me to sign up. Seems like theres plenty of money in the marketing budget
Growing the event is great. Its small changes required but the first step should be ask for feedback from this years entrants to make 2024 better.
I think we need to do more complaining in Ireland. We are culturally and historically good natured and trusting but these days that is taken advantage of, our good nature is being taken advantage of by companies happy to provide a poor quality service for a very high price. If this was a good value event run by a local club of volunteers then fine we should look at the positives but we should shout about being taken advantage of because it's not good enough. Our good nature deserves better.
ReplyDeleteI entered the full marathon on the basis of the age category 65-74 published prior to entering and paying very dear. Prizes for 1st 2nd and 3rd. Results so far have placed me in the age category 60 -69. I have emailed and the response is pro forma that they are” looking into it”.
ReplyDeleteRunners should not put up with this sort of thing. Otherwise great marathon. No issues. Volunteers and supporters were magnificent. I’m so proud of Cork and hope CCM gets better every year.
For the guy who thinks people ' moaning' is hilarious and who thinks moaners expect everything free...I commented on the water and other issues and spent shifts volunteering in the City hall on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and have a good deal of experience running marathons in Ireland and abroad. It is possible to make constructive criticism of this event without having a go at other posters.
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