Guest Post: Cobh 10 mile ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Cobh 10 mile **

‘ It’s hilly, get over it ’  was the message on the finishers mug and never was a truer word spoken.

It was also wild and windy. 

Passing Ballymore Church mile 4 at the top of the hill heading into a gale of wind it is a prayer and a miraculous medal I needed.

When I arrived in Cobh and parked neared the Heritage Centre the Annie Moore statue was pointing in the direction of home and not the start line. The waves were choppy in the Harbour and not a bit appealing to be running. Was it a subliminal message that I ignored?

Is stubbornness a bigger part of my make up rather than common sense?

Big Jessie or a Tough Man? Serious decision

I do jest. 

From the time we got to the start line the buzz started and the race was super. Brilliant organisation with hugs and welcomes. 

Sonia herself was there to smile and bless us all as we headed off into the hills. We couldn’t go wrong after that.

Thanks to everyone who said hello and shared a few miles with me.

We need perspective on these races. Every race cannot be flat and a PB. Sometimes a challenge completed can have its own sense of satisfaction.

There is a shared camaraderie in suffering on a hill together but getting over it. 

The smile, the sense of it didn’t beat us can be great. You do get to sense the most caring and sharing of runners as we are all in this together just to finish.

At least it didn’t rain today here, some minor God was minding us.

Please please don’t let this put anyone off from running the Cobh 10mile. It is a fantastic race on a scenic route that you will always be glad to have finished. The organisers are superb and some amount of work put into the preparation. I will be back Shane Meyler 😃

It does finish with a downhill last 400 metres.

The little touch for the late Aisling Murphy on Mile 4 is always a beautiful and poignant moment in the run.

#pwr