Notice: Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 24th Apr 2025

Following on from the success of the inaugural Bandon AC 5k last year, the second edition is coming up this year on Thursday 24th April 2025 at 7:30pm.

Update Mon 21st Apr: Just 50 places left!

Entries HERE

Bandon AC are currently developing a full size 400m athletics track and all proceeds from the race go towards this project.

Latest info from the organisers: "Registration and number collection: Colaiste Na Toirbhirte from 6pm last number collection 7:00pm

Late registrations: This option will not be available if race sells out. it will be €25 on the night and will be accepted up to 7pm.

Visually impaired runner Ross Gallagher completes his 200th 5k parkrun!

A belated congratulations to Ross Gallagher who completed his 200th 5k parkrun in Glengarriff back on the 12th of April 2025!

It's a fair achievement for anyone to rack up 200 5k parkruns but especially so for a visually impaired runner. 

Ross has completed 141 of the 200 at the Tralee parkrun while he has completed 32 in Co Cork.

We should also give credit to all of those volunteers who gave up their time to guide Ross around the various courses.

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 19th Apr 2025

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 19th Apr 2025. Approximately 1051 runners and walkers took part in the 11 events in Co Cork.

Report... Despite the rain, there were still over 1000 participants this week. As expected, there was a drop in numbers at most events due to the weather but it was interesting to see that there was a jump in numbers for the parkruns in west Cork. Maybe due to people returning home for the Easter weekend break?

Midleton... Michael McCarthy, a first time visitor to the Midleton parkrun reached the 400 milestone! 355 of his 400 5k parkruns have been at the Tramore event in Waterford.

Ballincollig... Well done to Marie Murphy who completed her 100th 5k parkrun!

Tramore Valley Park... Well done to Anthony Walsh who completed his 100th 5k parkrun this weekend! Anthony has completed 94 at the Tramore Valley Park event with the remaining 6 in Ballincollig.

Another runner hitting the century mark in Tramore Valley Park this weekend was Chris Hearn.

ONGOING

If I missed anyone who passed a notable milestone like 100, 200, 250 or above parkruns then let me know.

***

Ballincollig Regional Park: 239 this week, 313 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Tiarnan O DONOGHUE Male JM15-17 Togher AC 19:07

2 John Paul PEYTON Male SM25-29 19:20

3 James CALLANAN Male VM55-59 19:31

15 Adil Cahit ANSAROGLU Female VW40-44 21:58

23 Susan O'DONOVAN Female VW40-44 23:00

44 Claire O'SULLIVAN Female SW30-34 24:42

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/371/

Tramore Valley Park: 243 this week, 224 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Aidan BENJACAR Male JM15-17 Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 16:17

2 Alan O'SULLIVAN Male VM40-44 Eagle A.C. 18:20

3 Mark LALLY Male VM40-44 Lucan Harriers 18:29

27 Mari BURKE Female VW45-49 22:50

35 Ruth FORBES Female VW45-49 Carrigaline A.C 23:15

37 Ruth MCCARTHY Female SW25-29 23:32

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/149/

Glen River: 50 this week, 75 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Colin MORRISON Male VM50-54 19:43

2 Diarmuid DEASY Male SM18-19 20:53

3 David WILSON Male VM55-59 21:46

4 Irene EIGHAN Female VW45-49 St Finbarrs AC 22:05

9  Gillian SOHUN Female VW50-54 23:06

13 Deborah O Female VW45-49 24:54

Glen River results...  https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/255/

Midleton Greenway: 143 this week, 162 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Barry WALSH Male VM40-44 St Finbarrs AC 17:49

2 Finn DUCKETT Male JM11-14 Westport AC 18:01

3 Brendan MAGUIRE Male VM45-49 18:06

9 May DUCKETT Female JW11-14 Westport AC 19:48

20 Mary-Jane CASEY Female JW11-14 21:22

25 Bernadette CROWLEY Female VW35-39 21:42

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/12/

Mallow Castle: 56 this week, 66 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Nick COTTERILL Male VM40-44 BERT Squad 18:06

2 Craig ADOLPH Male VM35-39 18:27

3 Alan SKELTON Male VM35-39 19:28

22 Jennifer LYONS Female VW35-39 26:08

23 Lucy SLY Female SW25-29 26:12

25 Helen HEALY Female VW55-59 Mt. Hillary AC 26:34

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/177/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 56 this week, 55 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Christopher CUMMINS Male VM35-39 18:24

2 Unknown  

3 Derek SMYTH Male VM45-49 19:42

5 Emer FINLAY Female SW30-34 21:45

10 Sorcha KILGANNON Female SW18-19 23:38

11 Josephine O SULLIVAN Female VW45-49 23:53

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/155/

Macroom Castle Demense: 45 this week, 50 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Jean LUCEY Female VW40-44 20:02

3 Daire O MAHONY Female JW11-14 21:36

5 Jennifer RING Female VW45-49 22:50

2 Matt MURPHY Male SM18-19 21:24

4 Derry CASEY Male VM50-54 West Muskerry A.C. 22:23

7 Gerald MCCARTHY Male VM45-49 23:41

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/523/

Clonakilty: 36 this week, 56 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Cillian MCGILLYCUDDY Male SM30-34 22:19

2 Lennart LINDENFELD Male JM15-17 22:50

3 Colm O'SULLIVAN Male VM55-59 Bishopstown Orienteering Club 23:01

7 Niamh O'BRIEN Female VW35-39 23:51

8 Sandra WALSH Female VW50-54 23:55

9 Lorna WALSH Female SW25-29 24:23

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/477/

Glengarriff Woods: 124 this week, 55 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Cormac O'REGAN Male VM40-44 Cork Triathlon Club 19:43

2 Sean O LOINGSIGH Male VM40-44 20:26

3 John JORDAN Male VM40-44 20:52

17 Breda LYNCH Female VW35-39 24:10 

18 Em GORDON Female VW35-39 Romsey Road Runners 24:22

24 Marian MINEHANE Female VW40-44 25:24

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/396/

Bere Island: 98 this week, 58 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Daniel SULLIVAN Male VM35-39 18:26

3 Garry HILLIARD Male VM50-54 21:26

4 Cyril MCNAMARA Male VM55-59 22:47

2 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 21:22

17 Nina MURPHY Female VW35-39 26:11

20 Laoise Ann O SULLIVAN Female JW11-14 27:14

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/488/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 38 finishers this week, 20 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Jai CHAUHAN Male JM15-17 Eryri Harriers 20:35

2 Florence FITZGERALD Male VM35-39 22:06

3 Paul CASSIDY Male SM30-34 22:15

5 Amber CHAUHAN Female JW11-14 Eryri Harriers 23:51

6 Helen MORGAN Female VW45-49 Eryri Harriers 24:33

18 Isobel HARGADEN Female SW30-34 30:07

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/408/

For more information about the weekly 5k parkruns in Co Cork, go to this page HERE.

Guest Post: Invincibility ...by Pat Walsh

 * Invincibility *

Yes I’m Pat and I’m indestructible. 

We are in Summer time and races are full on at the moment. Last few months you could race every weekend and at least the weekdays were a break but now we are in a race every day time. Weeknight short races mixed with longer weekend events. It is full on.

I thought I was invincible and could do it all. No major thought was given to strength work, no major variety in training, races were just tackled and finished and I was a happy man. Drive on to the next race. I did look after flexibility and thought that was sufficient for my needs. I never once considered my birth cert and adjusted my training to a more age appropriate plan.

Until it wasn’t. Hindsight is brilliant. You will always be right but maybe if I could have spotted the issues in advance it would have been far better.

One major mistake I made was equating strength with speed. Because I wasn’t really running very fast I thought I didn’t need power in the core, glutes and leg muscles to power me forward.

What I didn’t consider was I needed strength to just maintain good posture while I ran my weekly miles and therefore other things suffered. I got injured and lost 4 months.

As I got older I needed more variety in my overall training to maintain strength and aerobic fitness. This isn’t Olympic qualifying stuff I’m talking about, it is you me and all ordinary runners looking to keep ourselves in good shape, injury free and continuing in a sport we love.

We need variety in running distances and speeds. We needs hills, woods, grass and road. We need regular strength work, either a weekly class or a daily routine at home. Same goes for flexibility.

If time is tight be careful what loses out. Maybe miss a running session but do not neglect the other stuff.

So from now on, I will ask myself:

am I fit enough and strong enough;
am I looking too short term and neglecting something else;
does my weekly / monthly plan contain enough variety of training disciplines.
I can do anything, I can’t do everything.
I want to keep running, I don’t need prizes. I never won them anyway.
I’m not invincible. I now know that. 

This is written by me, for me and it is published here in case it would help anyone else.

Maybe a new career as a volunteer or a lead bike person in a race awaits me..! Joking.. 

Beidh mé ar ais aris.

Have a lovely Easter

#pwr

Results of the Streets of Killarney 5-mile road race - Fri 18th Apr 2025

The 2025 edition of the Streets of Killarney 5-mile was held on Good Friday the 18th of April with 683 runners crossing the finish line. Considering the wet conditions, that's a big turnout for a 5-mile race in Co Kerry and as expected, there was no shortage of runners from Co Cork in the results.

Looking at the race flyer, the entry fee was listed as €28 which was probably well over €30 by the time the additional fees are added on. This is a lot for a 5-mile race although it should be noted that there was a dry fit top included in that price.

Looking at 2024 which was the inaugural year, there were 459 finishers so there is a substantial jump in the numbers this year. The entry fee last year was €25.

Top 3 men & women...
1 Paul MOLONEY Mallow A.C. M M40 671 24:59
2 Kenneth ROGERS St. John's A.C. M MS 786 25:10
3 Gavin SWEENEY Togher A.C. M M40 805 25:26
26 Amy POLLMAN DAAMEN An Ríocht A.C. F FS 768 29:20
29 Carol FINN Leevale A.C. F FS 300 29:30
30 Lily RIORDAN F FJ 785 29:37

Full results HERE

Results & Photos of the Ballintotis 4-mile road race - Wed 16th Apr 2025

As always, there was a big turnout for the annual Ballintotis 4-mile road race with 1200 runners crossing the finish line. 

Top 3 men & women...

1 Ryan CREECH Leevale A.C. M MS 524 19:05
2 Sean DOYLE Cork City A.C. M MS 578 19:21
3 Michael HARTY East Cork A.C. M M40 344 19:30
1 Fiona EVERARD Bandon A.C. F FS 1334 21:41
2 Emma FITZPATRICK Leevale A.C. F FS 113 23:20
3 Sharon RYNNE Leevale A.C. F F35 315 23:43

Full results HERE

As can be seen from the chart above, 2025 was the second highest ever in terms of numbers. It's a credit to the Ballintotis organisers that a small community in east Cork can get such big numbers for an evening road race.

Photos... (Updated 18th Apr 10pm)

1) Mick Dooley has some photos of the start HERE , start group start line photos HERE ,finish line photos HERE and some post race HERE 

2) Joe Murphy has a gallery of the prize winners HERE , pre-race HERE, 

race start 1 HERE, race start 2 HERE, 

finish 1 HERE, finish 2 HERE, finish 3, finish 4, finish 5, finish 6, finish 7, finish 8, finish 9, finish 10, finish 11, finish 12, finish 13, 

Video...

Start of the 2025 Ballintotis race...

***

First 3 men (L-R)... Michael Harty 3rd, Ryan Creech 1st & Sean Doyle 2nd

First 3 women (L-R)... Sharon Rynne 3rd, Fiona Everard 1st & Emma Fitzpatrick 2nd

Final info for the Ballintotis 4-mile road race - Wed 16th Apr 2025

The 2025 Ballintotis 4-mile road race is one of the largest 4-mile road races in Cork & Munster and it's coming up on Wed 16th April. See earlier post HERE

Note the earlier start time this year of 7:45pm! If you're coming from the city then allow plenty of time to get through the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

Here is the latest info from the organisers...

????????? FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS

Car Parks

Arrive early allow time for parking and were possible please car pool.

There are three main Car Parks for participants.

All traffic to be directed to N25 Main road to fill all 3 car parks

Car Park A & B is located at N25 @Ballintotis Turn (Left & Right )

Car Park C is located Back of the lake

Car Park D is located Foy’s Field

Car Park E is located Castle Field

If walkers wish to leave before the race they need park in car park A

Car Parks may be prioritised to cater for traffic flow - please follow the instructions of Gardai and stewards. In relation to the Car Parks on race route – cars will not be allowed exit until all runners have passed. 

Race Entry Desks - Entry Desks are located in Main Hall of Community Centre – Open from 1pm onwards on Wednesday 16th. Entry Fee is 15 euro (Plus €2 for non athletics Ireland members). Please enter via the side door of the hall.

On Line Entries - Those who have entered on line in advance can also collect their number in Community Centre at the aforementioned times at SEPERATE designated desks.

Changing Facilities/ Toilets

A Marquee is located on the green adjacent to Church Car Park.

Toilets only are located in the Church Car Park area.

Walk - The walk begins at 5.45pm sharp. Entries will be taken in the Community Centre from 5.00pm onwards. Refreshments served for all walkers in the Marquee at the front the

Community Centre immediately after the conclusion of the Walk.

Race Start/Finish

The race begins at 7:45pm sharp – the Start Line is approx 200 meters from the Church on way to Main Road. The Finish Line is in front of the Church.

ALL RUNNERS ARE ASKED TO BEGIN THE RACE IN THE TIME ZONE, WHICH REFELCTS THEIR EXPECTED FINISHING TIME. The race is chipped timed with timing mats at the start and finish line.

Water/Refreshments - Bottled water will be available immediately after the race.

Refreshments will be served after the race in the Community Centre. Please enter the Community Centre via the SIDE door after the race for the people who wish to avail of Refreshments – A second marquee has been erected at the front of the Community Centre where runners can mingle after receiving their refreshments.

Prize Giving - Prize giving will take place OUTSIDE THE MAIN HALL after the race at approx 9.00pm.

First Aid - located at the community centre and is provided by the Irish Red Cross

Communication - Key locations around the course will have a 2 way radio to link back to race Comms Centre which can also be contacted on the mobile number below. All instructions regarding changes to traffic flow and cark park changes will come from the Coms Center (Patsy)

Any questions on the night Contact 086- 6079108

Traffic Route - All Midleton/ Cork side traffic use car park A and B

All traffic from Youghal /Waterford side can go to car park C and D

No turn Left off the N25 at the back gates 

Car Park C&D can be accessed down by boats for traffic coming from Castlemartyr (L7721)

All traffic coming from Ballinacurra & Ladysbridge will be directed Down shanahan’s road (which will be against the walk) and into car park E (Castle Field)

Walkers - The walkers leave the hall @ 17:45hrs heading East with a car driving in front and behind the last walker, following the race route in reverse and will be directed over a shorter route (not going to the main road)and Return to the community centre via Shanahan's road 

From 18:30 hrs any car travelling east from Wesley corner will be advised of walkers on the route and be give the option of the Ladysbridge road for non race traffic.

Race - The race starts at 19:45hrs and the back of the race will pass Wesley's corner (L4) @ 20:10hrs All traffic diverted to Ladysbridge road until back of the race passes Foy's (L5). No Cars out of Car park C & D until the back of the race has passed,

New Cork LUAS plans avoids using Greenways

The 'Emerging Preferred Route' for the new Cork LUAS light rail line has just been published and the good news is that it is going to avoid using the established greenways around Blackrock.

The original proposal was to have the Cork LUAS line running along the Marina and then down the greenway to Mahon. The photo above shows an artists impression of it going through the old Blackrock Railway Station and the map for the original proposal is shown below.

This original plan was very car-centric and the aim seemed to be to cause as little disruption to traffic as possible. The new plan goes through areas where more people live.

There will be no doubt a lot of objections from some car owners about the new Cork LUAS plan but from a walking, running & cycling perspective, the greenway in Blackrock remains intact.

You can view the plans at https://www.luascork.ie/

Notice: Ballintotis 4-mile road race - Wed 16th April 2025

As the evenings gradually begin to get brighter, it's good to look forward to the Ballintotis 4-mile road race in east Cork. The race is on Wed 16th April 2025 at 7:45pm.

Note two things... it's on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday and the race will have a new start time of 7:45pm as opposed to the traditional 8pm. This is an important consideration if you're coming from the city and going through the tunnel. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time.

Enter HERE

From the organisers... Ballintotis Road Race - All Set For Year 14

Notice: Cork BHAA Stryker 4 mile race in Carrigtwohill - Wed 30th Apr 2025

This 4 mile race in Carrigtwohill in East Cork is coming up on Wednesday the 30th of April at 7:30pm. This is a change from the last few years when it was held in August and it is now reverting back to its more traditional April date.

As with all Cork BHAA events, the entry fee is €5 for registered runners and €10 for non-registered.

Located just a few minutes drive from the Jack Lynch tunnel, this one is very close to Cork City and is easy to get to.

Results & Photos of the Karen Fenton Memorial 5k - Sun 13th Apr 2025

Even though it was evenly matched at the 3k mark, Tomas Kiely of North Cork AC would use the hills in the last two kms to take the win

There were 311 finishers in this years Karen Fenton Memorial 5k in Ballinora on Sun 13th Apr 2025.

Top 3 men & women...

1. 741 Tomas Kiely m North Cork A.C. 17:10  
2. 2253 John Longan m 17:21  
3. 221 Alan O Sullivan m Eagle A.C. 18:21  
10. 2278 Maggie O'Neill f 20:11  
14. 626 Lily Manning f 20:34  
25. 229 Mairead Perez f    Eagle A.C. 22:05  

Full results HERE

Photos...

1) There are two galleries up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.

a) Album 1 b) Album 2

Maggie O'Neill closed down a substantial gap to take the win

Two races in one day! After helping pace the 2:10 group in the Great Railway Run 25k from Cork City to Carrigaline at 9:30am, Siobhan Holland was back in action again at 12:30pm at the Karen Fenton Memorial 5k in Ballinora

Thumbs up...

Results & Photos of the Great Railway Run 25km - Sun 13th Apr 2025

Evan Fitzgerald of West Waterford AC wins the 2025 Great Railway Run in a new course record time

The Great Railway Run 25km race from Cork City to Carrigaline was held this year on Sun 13th Apr 2025. The race was held in cool but dry and sunny conditions and the runners were finished before the showers arrived.

There were 503 finishers this year which is up about 15% on the 438 of 2024.

Top 5 men & women...

1 Evan Fitzgerald West Waterford AC   1:21:03 MS 581 Course Record
2 Paul Moloney Doneraile AC   1:24:55 MS 586
3 Donal Coakley Leevale AC   1:29:57 MS 585
4 Nathan Ryan O'Hehir St Finbarrs AC   1:30:54 MS 223
5 Ruairi Manning Cork Track Club AC   1:31:46 MS 555
28 Catherine Murphy Eagle AC   1:41:47 F45 396
39 Breda Gaffney Mallow AC   1:46:32 F50 82
47 Kathy-Jean Horgan-Casey Mallow   1:48:34 F45 596
49 Emma Doyle Leevale AC   1:48:57 FS 199
64 Olga O'Loughlin St Finbarrs AC   1:53:42 F45 571

Full results HERE

Catherine Murphy of Eagle AC is the first woman home

Photos to follow... plenty on the way.... Updated Sun 13th Apr 9pm

1) There are five galleries up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.

a) Album 1 b) Album 2 c) Album 3 d) Album 4 e) Album 5

2) Derek Costello has the following galleries...

part 1  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1194766955985774&type=3
part 2  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1194771849318618&type=3
part 3  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1194776382651498&type=3
part 4  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1194780729317730&type=3
part 5  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1194784455984024&type=3

All aboard! The 2-hour pace group...

2:10 or bust...

The pillar in the background was part of the footbridge that used to go over the railway line allowing access to the small quay for boats

Results of the Bantry AC Flying 5-mile - Sun 13th Apr 2025

This was the second year of the Bantry AC Flying 5-mile and it was held on Sunday 13th April 2025. There were 97 finishers this year which is down a bit on the 122 for 2024.

Top 3 men & women...

 148 1 Naoise O FLAITHEARTAIGH Bandon A.C. M 27:24  
137 2 Alan OSHEA Bantry AC M 27:42  
1017 3 Briain MADDEN Togher A.C. M 29:51   
1065 8 Julie O BRIEN Durrus A.C. F 32:17  
1005 13 Sinéad O REGAN Courcey A.C. F 34:37  
1006 17 Deirdre O SULLIVAN Beara A.C. F 35:31

Full results HERE

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 12th Apr 2025

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 12th Apr 2025. Approximately 1,133 runners and walkers took part in the 11 events in Co Cork.

Ballincollig... Well done to both Ian O'Brien and Ted O'Keeffe who completed their 200th 5k parkrun in Ballincollig this week! Next stop 250!

ONGOING

If I missed anyone who passed a notable milestone like 100, 200, 250 or above parkruns then let me know.

***

Ballincollig Regional Park: 313 this week, 348 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Tom LEE Male VM45-49 Westport AC 19:12

2 Ryan NOLAN Male SM20-24 19:18

3 Philip O SULLIVAN Male SM20-24 19:24

7 Aoibhín O'CONNOR Female SW25-29 19:38

21 Patricia VICARIO Female VW45-49 21:41

33 Lorraine O SULLIVAN Female VW45-49 23:02

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/370/

Tramore Valley Park: 243 this week, 224 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Tiarnan O DONOGHUE Male JM15-17 Togher AC 17:45

2 Jack FITZGERALD Male JM15-17 18:11

3 Daire REILLY Male VM35-39 18:13

14 Siobhan HORGAN Female VW45-49 19:44

17 Orlaith MURRAY Female JW15-17 Togher AC 19:54

25 Sophie WOLFE Female JW15-17 Togher AC 20:59

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/148/

Glen River: 75 this week, 61 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Colin MORRISON Male VM50-54 19:56

2 Diarmuid DEASY Male SM18-19 20:54

3 John KELLY Male VM50-54 21:42

7 Deborah O Female VW45-49 23:39

13 Mags HASSETT Female VW50-54 St Finbarrs AC 25:13

19 Catherine DEENIHAN Female VW55-59 UCC Staff Athletics Club 26:15

Glen River results...  https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/254/

Midleton Greenway: 162 this week, 162 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Michael QUIRKE Male VM40-44 16:37

2 Brian HARTY Male VM40-44 16:48

3 Donal GILTINAN Male VM40-44 16:53

22 Lorna SANTRY Female VW35-39 23:22

24 Charlotte EDWARDS Female JW15-17 23:59

27 Rosie STAINTHORP Female SW25-29 24:10

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/11/

Mallow Castle: 66 this week, 68 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Sean LEAHY Male JM15-17 Croydon Harriers 17:30

2 Fanahan MCSWEENEY Male SM30-34 19:16

3 Brian AHERN Male VM45-49 Bweeng Trail Blazers 19:32

10 Orla NOLAN Female VW50-54 Dromahane Roadrunners 22:40

16 Doireann FRAWLEY Female JW11-14 24:15

17 Rebecca MCKEON Female SW30-34 24:27

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/176/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 55 this week, 50 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Gearoid COLEMAN Male SM30-34 18:24

2 Derek SMYTH Male VM45-49 18:30

3 John MURPHY Male VM55-59 18:37

6 Shannon SOTOK Female SW30-34 21:14

14 Josephine O SULLIVAN Female VW45-49 23:32

18 Eva MURPHY Female SW20-24 25:45

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/154/

Macroom Castle Demense: 50 this week, 67 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conor LUCEY Male VM40-44 20:24

2 Unknown

3 James FARRELL Male SM20-24 20:55

10 Ailis CROWLEY Female SW30-34 23:16

16 Mary MCHUGH Female VW40-44 24:53

20 Caitlin BROWN Female SW25-29 25:18

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/522/

Clonakilty: 36 this week, 56 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Niall O'CONNOR Male VM50-54 West Cork Triathlon Club (WCTC) 20:26

2 Josh DELORENZO Male VM35-39 20:51

3 Ciaran BARRY Male VM40-44 21:02

8 Niamh O'BRIEN Female VW35-39 24:38

10 Sophia KINGSTON Female SW25-29 25:31

11 Holly FLEMING Female SW30-34 25:54

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/476/

Glengarriff Woods: 55 this week, 97 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Trevor MCGUIRK Male VM40-44 19:27

2 Luke WINSTANLEY Male VM40-44 21:05

3 Finn CONNER Male JM15-17 21:21

10 Eve PILLEY Female SW25-29 Thame Runners 25:09

12 Ashlinn LOWNEY Female JW11-14 25:43

14 Shauna BUTTIMER Female SW30-34 27:23

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/395/

Bere Island: 58 this week, 41 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Greg RAMSELL Male VM35-39 21:57

3 Cyril MCNAMARA Male VM55-59 23:04

6 Luke BROWNE Male JM10 25:10

2 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 22:24

4 Helen WALSH Female VW50-54 Togher AC 23:09

5 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 23:54

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/487/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 20 finishers this week, 23 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Richard BIGNALL Male SM30-34 25:13

2 Sasha LARIE Male VM35-39 25:35

3 James O'CONNELL Male VM40-44 25:56

5 Liz O'DONOVAN Female VW40-44 Eagle A.C. 27:18

8 Clodagh DOWLING Female VW45-49 Forget The Gym 31:04

12 Celine BUCKLEY Female VW50-54 Castlehaven GAA 34:32

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/407/

For more information about the weekly 5k parkruns in Co Cork, go to this page HERE.

A look at the first 10 editions of the new 5k parkrun in Midleton...

The new Midleton Greenway 5k parkrun recently held it's 10th edition and the numbers per week are shown above.

The average number for the ten events is 272. If we take out the surge for the inaugural event, then the average number for the remaining nine is 231.

When it first started, I expected the long term average to be around 150 to 200 so it looks for now as if it's trending towards the higher figure. We'll have a better idea after a year of events once all the bad weather days and holiday periods are factored in.

The one thing for certain is that the new parkrun in Midleton has been a huge success and it shows that there was a demand for a running event like this in the town.

What other towns in Co Cork could host a new parkrun?

Cobh 10m winner Ben Connor declines to represent GB due to cost

The winner of this years Cobh 10-mile road race was British Olympic marathon runner Ben Connor in a time of 48m 15s. Some may not be aware of the fact that he was in the news recently when he declined a place to represent Great Britain at the European Road Running Championships due to the costs involved.

In its selection policy for events like the half marathon in Leuven, Belgium in April, UK Athletics asks athletes for a fee of up to £1,100 to cover things like travel, accommodation, food, kit and staff.

In response to the costs, Ben Connor wrote.. "Representing GB shouldn't come down to who can or cannot afford to pay for it.

Representing your country is a privilege, and in athletics is earned via a qualifying process, which while not always perfect, gives everyone the same chances to gain selection.

Coming from a working class background I don't like the potential precedent being set where people, especially junior athletes of the future, don't have the same development or competition opportunities because of finances.

I wish there was more transparency and honesty regarding the state of our governing bodies finances and about how our sport is being managed for this to be the position."

You can read more about it in the following links...

a) BBC News website... https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/cly8lrlnxn4o

b) Athletics Weekly... https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/ben-connor-rejects-gb-selection-after-being-asked-to-pay-to-compete-1039998712/

Notice: Karen Fenton Memorial 5k in Ballinora - Sun 13th April 2025

The Karen Fenton 5K Memorial Run is scheduled to take place this year on Sunday 13th of April 2025 @ 12:30pm. The location is for the 5k is in Ballinora which is just to the south of Ballincollig in the western part of Cork City.

Entries...You can enter online HERE

Entries will also be taken on the day for the same price.

From the organisers.....The annual Karen Fenton Memorial Run will be hosted in Ballinora, Waterfall on April 13th, 2025. 

Results & Photos of the Cork BHAA PwC 5k - Wed 9th Apr 2025

There was a record turnout of 963 runners for this year's Cork BHAA PwC Anthony Reidy Memorial 5k road race in Cork City.

Top 3 men & women...

 1 Tadhg O'Sullivan M1 00:14:19 Cork University Hospital M-A-2
2 Barry Twohig 0/45M M2 00:14:21 Emerald Fencing
3 Mark Walsh M3 00:14:23 Dept of Ed M-A-3
50 Ellen Moran F1 00:16:43 CPO
54 Siobhan Hoare 0/45F F2 00:16:47 Bon Secours
61 Armina Golchin 00:16:53 Temp Reg

Full results HERE

Please note that due to the large numbers, the results at the moment are provisional. Let the BHAA know if you spots any errors.

Photos...

1) Derek Costello has the following galleries... part 1 ,  part 2  , part 3  

2) Joe Murphy has several galleries... Album 1 ... Album 2 ... Album 3 ... Album 4 ... Album 5 ... Album 6 ... Album 7 ... Album 8 ... Album 9 

Number of finishers

Results of the 2nd consultation for the proposed Kinsale Greenway - Apr 2025

The second consultation for the proposed Greenway from Cork City to Kinsale was held in September and October of 2024. A number of route corridors were proposed and the public were invited to comment.

A report on that consultation is now available HERE

As can be seen from the image above, 80% of the 317 submissions thought that the new proposed Greenway would have a positive impact.

As for a route choice, the Green option was the most popular first choice at 38.8% closely followed by the Red route at 36.6%.

As you can see, there were multiple options. Besides the Red, Green and Blue options, there wasn't much support for the hilly Pink route to Crossbarry.

What's next??... Once they have chosen a 'preferred route', they will hold a third consultation in mid 2025.

Notice: Cork BHAA PwC Anthony Reidy Memorial 5k in Cork City - Wed 9th Apr 2025

The Cork BHAA PwC 5k in Cork City is coming up on Wednesday the 9th of April 2025 at 7:30pm.

This is always a very popular race and should get a good crowd again as it's centrally located in the heart of Cork City and about as flat a 5k course as you can get. It's also the first evening race of 2025 in Cork!

First off, the race HQ is the PwC building at One Albert Quay. You can enter there on the evening of the race from 6pm. As always, it's €5 for registered BHAA runners and €10 for non-registered.

Cork runner Fearghal Curtin finishes 5th in Berlin Half-Marathon

The Berlin Half-Marathon is one of the largest half-marathons in Europe and this year, it was held on the 6th of April 2025 with a total of 19,443 finsihers.

Cork runner Fearghal Curtin from Youghal had a great race finishing in 5th place overall.

 1 Diriba, Gemechu Dida (ETH) 58:43
2 Lodung, Richard Etir (KEN) 59:30
3 Petros, Amanal (GER) Hannover 59:31
4 Ringer, Richard (GER) Rehlingen 1:00:51
5 Fearghal, Curtin (IRL) 1:01:12
6 Aizawa, Akira (JPN) 1:01:20
7 Diaz, Carlos (CHI) 1:21
8 Kiprotich, Gideon (KEN) 1:01:25
9 Kithuku, Joshua (KEN) 1:41 
10 Koech, Robert Kiprop (KEN) 1:01:49 

Here are his splits for the 5, 10 & 15km marks...

As you can see, his average pace for each 5km splits was well under 15 minutes!

Fearghal's time of 1:01:12 is just 15 seconds outside the Irish Half-Marathon record which was set by Martin Fagan in 2009.

Half Marathon 1:00:57 Martin Fagan The Hague NL 14.03.09

Fearghal was the winner of this years John Treacy Dungarvan 10-mile road race when he set a new course record of 47m 42s.

Results & Photos of the Cobh 10-mile road race - Sun 6th Apr 2025

British long distance runner Lily Partridge wins the 2025 Cobh 10m in a time of 54m 44s

The 2025 edition of the Cobh 10-mile road race was held on what turned out to be a windy but sunny day with a total of 930 runners crossing the finish line.

Top 5 men & women...

1 Ben CONNOR 48:15 2 M MS New Balance
2 Ryan CREECH 49:35 142 M MS Leevale A.C.
3 Michael BRUTON 52:23 346 M MS
4 John DURCAN 52:37 76 M MS Togher A.C.
5 Jake O'REGAN 53:32 547 M MS St. John's A.C.
1 Lily PARTRIDGE 54:44 1 F FS Puma
2 Fionnuala ROSS 57:42 91 F FS Armagh AC
3 Niamh MOORE 1:01:02 5 F FS Leevale A.C.
4 Karen WALSH 1:05:58 267 F F45
5 Sinéad FLANNERY 1:06:15 150 F F40 Ballintotis Fit4Life A.C.

Full results HERE

Photos...Updated Tues 8th Apr 12:40am

1) Joe Murphy has a number of galleries...

a) Pre-race b) Nr finish 1 c) Nr finish 2 d) Nr finish 3 e) Nr finish 4 f) Nr finish 5 g) Nr finish 6 h) Nr finish 7 i) Nr finish 8 j) Nr finish 9 k) Nr finish 10 l) Nr finish 11 m) Nr finish 12 

2) Derek Costello has the following galleries...

a) pre start  

Start b) part 1 b) part 2 c) part 3

Finish d) part 1 e) part 2 f) part 3 g) part 4 h) part 5 i) part 6 j) part 7 k) part 8 l) part 9