Results of the Allihies 5-mile road race - Sat 27th Sept 2025

The annual Allihies 5-mile road race was held on Saturday 27th Sept 2025 on what turned out to be a lovely sunny day. There were 110 finishers. Results below...

Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 27th Sept 2025

The September  2025 edition of the timed Run the Line 5k was held on the last Saturday of the month and the results are shown below...

This is always a low key event and this time was no exception with just 19 finishers.

The format of the event is pretty simple, you just turn up before the event and sign a waiver form. You're given a yellow armband with a number on it and that is used instead of a race bib.

You start at 9am, run 2.5kms on the narrow greenway towards Crosshaven, go around a cone and then run back to the finish line.

The timed 5k is organised by Carrigaline AC and is completely free. It's a nice place for a run if someone wanted to try it instead of a parkrun on a Saturday morning.

The club plans to hold this on an ongoing basis on the last Saturday of every Saturday going forward.

2026 Dingle Half-Marathon sells out in two hours

Entries for the 2026 Dingle Marathon & Half-Marathon went on sale on Tues 30th Sept 2025 and both events sold out in two hours. The 2025 event on the 6th of September had a total of 2558 finishers across the two events.

The entry fees for this event certainly weren't cheap...

Half Marathon price €74 + 7% booking fee = €79.18

Full Marathon €84 + 7% booking fee = €89.88

There are however some exceptional costs for this event like organising coaches to transport the half-marathon finishers from Dún Chaoin back to Dingles as well as the various road closures including Slea Head.

For many people, the trip to Dingle is a weekend away with family and friends and once the costs of accommodation, traveling, food and refreshments are factored in, the entry fee for the race itself may not be an issue.

The 2026 Dingle Marathon will be held on Saturday 5th September.

Do parkrun numbers in Cork City drop during the summer holidays???

I have heard it said more than once that if the numbers were down at a 5k parkrun in Cork City during the summer months then it was because people were away on holidays.

At first, it seems plausible. A lot of people go on holidays in July and August so the numbers might drop.

Is it true though? Let's have a look, I plotted the numbers for the Ballincollig, Tramore Valley and Glen River events from the start of March to the end of September 2025. 

If the theory was true then we should see a noticeable dip during July and August.

First up, here's Ballincollig...

There is some variation in numbers from week to week and this is often due to the weather like the very wet Saturday on the 30th of August. If there's a dip in numbers due to the summer holidays then it's very small.

Tramore Valley Park is the second largest event in Cork City...

There is no big drop in July and August. If anything, the numbers in August are up a bit and this may be due to an influx of tourists visiting the city.

The Glen River parkrun is the smallest of the city parkruns...

Again, there's no summer dip and there is a bit of a peak in July which again may be due to tourists.

It's probably likely that visitors to the city are more likely to do Tramore Valley Park and the Glen River events which are closer to the city centre. Ballincollig by contrast is on the western outskirts of Cork City and a bit harder for tourists to get to.

Conclusion... There is no evidence to support the theory that numbers in Cork City drop during the summer months. If anything, there might be a small boost due to tourists visiting the city.

Numbers for the Cork Senior Cross Country Championships - Sun 28th Sept 2025

The 2025 Cork Senior Cross Country Championships were held near Coachford on Sunday 29th Sept 2025. In the Senior Men's race, there were 46 finishers while there were 17 finishers in the Senior Women's race.

The chart above shows the number of finishers over the last 10-years.

There were 6 full men's teams while there were 3 full women's teams which meant at least this year, the podium places were filled. In 2024, there was no women's team in 3rd place due to the low numbers.

For context, there are about 55 athletic clubs in Co Cork with 10 or more adult members.

Results on the MyRunResults website HERE

Photos of the Ballincollig 5k fun run - Sun 28th Sept 2025

This 5k run in Ballincollig Regional Park was held on Sun 28th Sept 2025 with about 100 runners and walkers taking part.

All proceeds from this event go to CUH/CUMH and to further develop the facilities at Ballincollig GAA club.

Joe Murphy was on hand to take some photos...

a) Album 1 b)  Album 2

Results & Photos of the Kyle School King of the Hill 5k nr Youghal - Sun 28th Sep 2025

First place finish for Paul Kearney

The annual Kyle School 5k was held this year on Sunday 28th of September 2025 and 61 runners took part. This is a fundraiser for this small primary school near Killeagh and Youghal.

Top 3 men & women...
 Place Athletes name Club Location Time Category Bib
1 Paul Kearney Aghada RC 18:04 M35 134
2 Stephen Chambers Youghal AC 18:16 M35 361
3 Thomas O'Neill Youghal AC 18:19 M35 330
14 Amo De-Klerk Blackrock 22:35 FS 71
17 Ava Keane Midleton 22:50 FJ 348
24 Marcia Salvador Coachfoard 26:05 F35 320

Full results HERE

Photos...
1) Barry Drake has some photos HERE

First woman - Amo De-Klerk

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 27th Sep 2025

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 27th September 2025. Approximately 1156  runners and walkers took part in the 11 events in Co Cork.

After the rain overnight, it was a nice sunny morning for the 5k parkruns this weekend.

Mallow... The Mallow Castle event celebrated their 200th event this weekend.

Midleton... Olympic Silver medallist Sona O'Sullivan was a visitor to the Midleton Greenway this morning for her 183rd 5k parkrun.

 

Ballincollig... Well done to Aideen Coleman who completed her 50th parkrun in Ballincollig this morning.

Caoga!

Also in Ballincollig, Sandie Rumley completed her 100th parkrun! 96 of these have been at the Ballincollig event.

Tramore Valley Park... The Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun started in September of 2015 and they celebrated their 10th birthday this weekend!

At the same event, Gerard Oakes completed his 100th parkrun! 78 of Gerard's parkruns have been at the Ballincollig event.

Elsewhere... Well done to Mary O'Halloran of Togher AC and the Glen River parkrun who completed her 200th parkrun at Russborough House Co. Wicklow this morning!

Bere Island... Well done to Garry Hilliard who completed his 250th this weekend!

Garry who is originally from Bere Island but now living in Kildare decided to do #250 on home turf. 52 of the 250 have been on Bere Island, 58 were in Co Cork with the majority up the country.

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

Upcoming milestones....

a) Clonakilty will be holding their 400th event on the 4th of October.

b) Ballincollig will be holding their 400th event on the 8th of November.

***

Ballincollig Regional Park: 304 this week, 289 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Alan O'SULLIVAN Male VM40-44 Eagle A.C. 19:06

2 David BUTLER Male VM35-39 St Finbarrs AC 19:58

3 Cathal O LEARY Male JM11-14 20:02

15 Fiona KAVANAGH Female SW25-29 21:44

18 Clodagh CREEDON Female VW45-49 St Finbarrs AC 21:56

43 Deirdre DUFF Female VW35-39 24:32

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/394/

Tramore Valley Park: 280 this week, 216 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Aaron KELLY Male SM30-34 St. Mary's AC 18:12

2 Brendan MAGUIRE Male VM45-49 18:19

3 Unknown

7 Aoife QUIGLEY Female VW40-44 Crusaders Athletic Club 19:41

18 Isabelle CROWLEY Female JW11-14 21:26

35 Siobhan WALSH Female VW40-44 Carraig na bhFear AC 23:07

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/172/

Glen River: 64 this week, 57 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Diarmuid DEASY Male SM20-24 21:09

2 Glen HOARE Male VM45-49 21:13

4 Edward BARRY Male VM40-44 21:46

3 Nollaigh O'NEILL Female VW50-54 21:31

17 Suzanna MELINN Female VW35-39 24:55

19 Maura FITZGERALD Female VW35-39 25:38

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/278/

Midleton Greenway: 157 this week, 117 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Daniel DOLLARD Male JM15-17 16:48

2 Seán RUSSELL Male SM25-29 St Finbarrs AC 17:35

3 James 0 MAHONY Male VM35-39 18:35

24 Rebecca LEANE Female SW20-24 22:34

27 Nicola COMER Female VW35-39 23:06

28 Sonia O'SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 23:14

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/35/

Mallow Castle: 100 this week, 76 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Ken O' MAHONY Male VM35-39 Togher AC 19:01

2 John COSGRAVE Male SM30-34 19:24

3 Vinny GRIMES Male SM30-34 19:30

10 Kate O'CONNELL Female SW20-24 22:32

11 Maeve O'CONNOR Female SW20-24 22:35

19 Elaine O'CALLAGHAN Female VW40-44 23:48

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/200/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 33 this week, 48 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Derek SMYTH Male VM45-49 18:58

2 Adam BULMAN Male SM25-29 20:00

3 John MASON Male VM40-44 21:58

6 Claire MURPHY Female VW50-54 24:36

9 Marie O ROURKE Female VW40-44 25:02

13 Leona HENNESSY Female VW45-49 27:12

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/178/

Macroom Castle Demense: 44 this week, 51 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conor LUCEY Male VM40-44 20:18

2 Sean O'DONOGHUE Male SM30-34 21:21

3 Damien O'MAHONY Male SM30-34 21:27

16 Margaret LUCEY Female VW45-49 25:23

19 Carmel PURCELL Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 26:55

20 Mairead MURPHY Female VW50-54 West Muskerry A.C. 27:33

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/545/

Clonakilty: 55 this week, 44 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Kevin O'BYRNE Male VM35-39 19:41

2 Barry CRONIN Male VM45-49 21:02

3 John HEFFERNAN Male VM50-54 21:07

10 Joan COLLINS Female VW55-59 23:28

11 Niamh O'BRIEN Female VW35-39 23:47

12 Karina JONINA Female SW30-34 24:19

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/499/

Glengarriff Woods: 69 this week, 66 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Joe HOLT Male VM35-39 LSA 19:35

2 Jack HENEBERRY Male SM20-24 20:16

3 Sean O LOINGSIGH Male VM40-44 21:53

6 Lorraine O SULLIVAN Female VW45-49 22:41

7 Pippa O SULLIVAN Female JW11-14 23:21

8 Emma BURKE Female SW20-24 23:59

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/419/

Bere Island: 39 this week, 51 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 21:01

3 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:04

4 Mags O NEILL Female VW45-49 Beara AC 26:20

2 Garry HILLIARD Male VM50-54 St Michael's AC 23:09

5 Edward STEL Male VM55-59 26:32

7 Dean HEGARTY Male SM30-34 27:30

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/511/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 17 finishers this week, 18 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Patrick O'DRISCOLL Male VM35-39 18:32

2 Florence FITZGERALD Male VM35-39 22:30

3 James GAFFNEY Male VM40-44 Civil Service Hrs and A.C. 25:17

6 Kate CROWLEY Female VW40-44 26:45

8 Caroline SHEARY Female VW45-49 28:14

11 Frances LYNCH Female VW60-64 Sanctuary Runners 32:33

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/431/

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

Guest Post: Per Amore ...by Pat Walsh

 * Per Amore *

Last Saturday was fantastic and Kate O’Connor and Cian McPhillips brought so much joy to the country. One of our best Athletic days in years. So, so proud of each Irish athlete who represented us. Inspiring the next generation. Helped by the previous generation of greats. We have a duty to pass it on.

How do I help as an ordinary runner?

Keep on running: The more people that run the higher profile it gets in the media and that helps everyone.

Keep on running: I may be old, but maybe we set an example for others that age does not matter. We are still moving. Be a visible inspiration yourself. Encourage others.

Keep on running: Watch the social media posts and articles and be supportive of all things athletic. Our Internationals are fantastic and need praise. If mistakes are made they know it themselves. No-one knows better than the athlete and the coach. Keyboard warriors don’t help.

Keep on running: By participating you are supporting the people who help athletics. Hopefully money collected goes to the right places.

Keep on running: Be supportive of races. Easy to be critical and a keyboard warrior. Better to be a supporter and if there is an issue that affects you then a private email with your points will honestly have a far greater effect.

Keep on running: Every day we put on our shoes to run needs to be appreciated and respected. Speed is for traffic cameras and young 100 metre athletes. Maybe the odd Sandra Bullock movie..! If ultimately what we do helps others, it is a bonus. Life is for living and enjoying.

This is where the post gets frivolous. Hoping to qualify for the next games I have taken myself off to do some warm weather training in Sardinia. Bit of running, some swimming but sadly the odd beer is playing havoc with the plan. Still I’m storing some Vitamin D to help for winter and a bit of Vitamin Sea. Loving the odd sounding tenor who thinks he is Andre Bocelli and sings in the square in the evening. If I could run like McPhillips and sing like Bocelli I could be President of Ireland. Dream on.

Per amore, hai mai corso senza flato
Per amore, perso e ricominciato?

Have a lovely weekend 🥰

#pwr

New 5k parkrun for Carrigaline???

Deirdre Murphy put a post up on the Carrigaline Notice Board on Facebook looking for volunteers for a new 5k parkrun.

If interested, you can DM Deirdre there... POST LINK

The proposed new parkrun is supposed to be on the existing greenway like Midleton although the walkway to Crosshaven is a lot narrower.

Note that putting a team of volunteers together is one of many steps to get a new parkrun up and running. It's probably going to take some time yet to see if an event in Carrigaline is viable and before we see a potential start date.

Focus on the Midleton 5k parkrun - Sept 2025

The 11th and most recent 5k parkrun to start up in Co Cork was in Midleton and it started on the 1st of February 2025.

After a huge crowd of 636 runners & walkers turned out for the inaugural event, I thought at the time that the it might settle down to a long term average of about 150 to 200.

The 34th edition was held on the 20th of September 2025 and this is a graph of the numbers since the beginning.

You can see that for the first few weeks, there is a 'novelty factor' as people try out the new event but eventually it settles down.

The average for the 34 events is just under 177 finishers.

If say we ignore the first 5 events to try and get rid of the 'novelty factor' then the average for events 6 to 34 is just under 147 finishers.

You'll notice from the chart that there is a very gradual decline in numbers over the summer months. I checked the numbers for Glen River and Tramore Valley Park parkruns and they don't have this summer decline.

As for why the summer decline? Maybe the 'novelty factor' lasts for a few months instead of a few weeks as new people try it? Other reasons?

Looking ahead, the new long term numbers might be in the region of 90 to 120 per week. We still have all those wet and cold Saturday mornings over the winter to contend with which could lower the current average.

Do the numbers matter???... At the end of the day, it's a free event and it doesn't really matter if 50 or 150 turn up. It's not like a road race where they need a certain number to turn up to pay for all the costs.

For the parkuns, it's probably more important in terms of having a larger pool from which an event can draw their volunteers.

Links...
Event website... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/
My page for all the parkruns in Co Cork... Cork parkruns

Notice: Elevate Credit Union Charity 5k in Tramore Valley Park - Sun 5th Oct 2025

The sixth Elevate Credit Union Charity 5k is coming up in Tramore Valley Park in Cork City on Sunday the 5th of October 2025 at 11am.

The entry fee is €13 (€12 + €1 online fee) and all proceeds from this event go to two charities. 

ENTER HERE

(€7 for U16's... must be accompanied by an adult)(€6 + €1 online fee) 

You can also enter on the morning of the event (cash only).

Recent Athletics Appointments - Michelle Finn & Kate Veale

UCD Athletics Club recently announced that Michelle Finn from Cork joined their coaching team as the new Distance Coach.

UCD Athletics Club write... "🏃‍♀️ Exciting News for UCD Athletics!

We’re thrilled to welcome Olympian Michelle Finn to our coaching team as our new Distance Coach! ✨

Michelle brings a wealth of experience from the world stage, including representing Ireland at the Olympic Games and multiple international championships. Her passion, dedication, and elite-level knowledge across a range of track events & cross country will be a huge asset to our distance athletes."

Kate Veale is one of the top racewalkers in the country and she has just announced that she will be starting a new role at SETU in Waterford.

Kate writes... "Excited to announce my new role as Athletics Development Officer at SETU Waterford. Grateful for the opportunity to support and guide others in reaching their goals, and looking forward to sharing my passion for athletics both on and off the track 🏃‍♂️⚡"

The largest half-marathons in Ireland continue to grow - Sept 2025

Caitlyn Harvey was the Women’s Race Winner of the 2025 Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park with a time of 78m.42s.

In 2024, the two largest half-marathons in Ireland were the Dublin and Belfast half-marathons and both were held on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of September.

The 2025 editions were held last weekend and the results show that both events grew. The Belfast half was up a very strong 15.3%. The Dublin half was up a more modest 6.2% but that would certainly have been much higher if the event hadn't sold out. 

This follows the pattern of other large half-marathons around the country, they seem to be very popular regardless of the entry fee and extra costs.

We seem to have some way to go yet before we hit the peak of the running boom.

The Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun will be 10-years old next Saturday - 27th Sept 2025

The very first 5k parkrun in Tramore Valley Park in Cork City was held on Saturday 26th of September 2015. Next Saturday the 27th of September 2025 will be it's 10th anniversary!

It's been a rocky road since with it being shut down in January 2016 when 533 turned out for its 15th edition. Eventually after extensive works to improve access issues, it restarted in July 2022. Next Saturday will be the 1762nd event.

You can see the results and photos of the very first edition in this old post... https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2015/09/results-photos-of-tramore-valley-park.html

Cork runner Kieran McKeown wins Na Piarsaigh GAA 10k in Limerick

First place finish for Kieran McKeown #4445

The annual Na Piarsaigh GAA 10k race was held in Caherdavin, Limerick on Sunday 21st Sept 2025 with 184 finishers.

The first man across the finish line was Cork runner Kieran McKeown. 

After the win, Kieran wrote... 

This one was special for another reason. I’d set myself the goal of winning a road race in my teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s — and now that’s all ticked off. A nice record to have! Next up will be in nine years’ time, when I’ll give it a go again in my 60s.

Full results HERE

Aidan Ryan has some photos up on the Na Piarsaigh GAA page HERE 

Results & Photos of the Echo Women's mini-marathon - Sun 21st Sept 2025

Niamh Allen with a lead of about 20 seconds at about the 3.5k mark on the Blackrock Road

The 2025 edition of the Echo Women's 6km mini-marathon in Cork City was held on Sunday 21st of September on what was a cool but sunny day.

As can be seen from the photo below, the winner Niamh Allen had a commanding lead with about 250m to go...

and finished with a time of 19:09.

Just behind, there was a great battle for second place. With some 200m to go, Fiona Everard #1086 was in third place with a roughly 10m gap to Jessica Coyne #1321 in second place.

In the closing strait, she put in a magnificent burst of speed to finish in second place.

First 5 women...

1 Niamh Allen Leevale AC 19:09 
2 Fiona Everard Bandon AC 19:55 
3 Jessica Coyne Leevale AC 20:03 
4 Hannah Steeds Leevale AC 20:31 
5 Sinead O'Connor Leevale AC 20:43

Full results HERE

The numbers this year were about 4.7% up on last year but are still down about a third on the pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. This is most likely because of the very high entry fee of almost €30 for an event where the proceeds don't go to charity.

It's likely that many women are now opting to do the Very Pink Run in Bishopstown instead where all of the entry fee goes to charity.

The Echo is claiming that "more than 4,500" took part but the chip timing results clearly show that it was about 4000.

Photos...

1) There are 7 albums up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.
a) Album 1 of 7
b) Album 2 of 7
c) Album 3 of 7
d) Album 4 of 7
e) Album 5 of 7
f) Album 6 of 7
g) Album 7 of 7

2) Joe Murphy has the following...

a) 1k mark - Album 1 b) 1k mark - Album 2 c) 1k mark - Album 3

d) 5k mark - Album 1 e) 5k mark - Album 2 f) 5k mark - Album 3 g) 5k mark - Album 4 h) 5k mark - Album 5

3) Derek Costello has the following...

part 1   / part 2   / part 3   / part 4   / part 5   / part 6   / part 7   / part 8   / part 9   / part 10   / part 11   / part 12   / part 13   / part 14   / part 15  

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 20th Sep 2025

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 20th September 2025. Approximately 1033  runners and walkers took part in the 11 events in Co Cork.

Despite the gloomy forecast all week, it turned out to be a nice dry Saturday morning after all.

Ballincollig... Well done to Niall O'Leary who hit the 200 mark this weekend! 194 were at Ballincollig.

Well done to Anne Smith who completed her 100th 5k parkrun with 89 in Ballincollig. 

A shout out also to Livia Habermayer who has now completed 100 5k pakruns after graduating from the junior parkrun ranks.

Well done to Mairead Perez and Don Fitzgerald who celebrated their 150 volunteer credits in Ballincollig this weekend.

Midleton... Well done to Trevor Collins who completed his 100th parkrun this weekend! 33 of these were at the Midleton event, 46 were in Ballincollig and the balance were spread over a number of other events.

Castlehaven... Well done to John Hutchens who has earned his 250th volunteer credit this weekend!

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide).. Well done to Michael Coakley from the Déise who completed his 200th parkrun in Youghal this weekend...

Michael has done 88 of the 200 at the Youghal event.

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

Upcoming milestones....

a) Mallow Castle will be holding their 200th event on the 27th of September.

b) Tramore Valley Park will be celebrating their 10th anniversary on the 27th of September.

c) Clonakilty will be holding their 400th event on the 4th of October.

***

Ballincollig Regional Park: 289 this week, 309 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Aoibhín O'CONNOR Female SW25-29 19:10

4 Katy HARRRINGTON Female VW40-44 19:37

19 Patricia VICARIO Female VW45-49 21:36

2 Dan RUDDY Male SM25-29 19:27

3 Jose Antonio NARANJO SANTANA Male SM30-34 19:33

5 James CALLANAN Male VM55-59 19:55

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/393/

Tramore Valley Park: 216 this week, 240 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Matthew CASTLE Male VM35-39 Dewsbury Road Runners 17:25

2 Shane WINTERS Male JM11-14 18:07

3 Michael KERRIN Male VM45-49 Maree AC 18:50

40 Esther REYNOLDS Female VW35-39 22:55

53 Paula MULCAHY Female VW50-54 23:55

56 Jacqueline O MEARA Female VW45-49 24:03

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/171/

Glen River: 57 this week, 75 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Anthony MANNIX Male VM35-39 Cork Track Club 17:39

2 Conor O'NEILL Male VM45-49 19:03

3 Richard BOURKE Male VM45-49 St Finbarrs AC 19:58

11 Deirdre DUFF Female VW35-39 24:20

13 Ciara HOARE Female JW15-17 25:07

16 Mary O'HALLORAN Female VW50-54 Togher AC 25:28

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/277/

Midleton Greenway: 107 this week, 120 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Brendan MAGUIRE Male VM45-49 18:32

2 Michael BYRNE Male VM40-44 19:24

3 Noel CONROY Male VM35-39 19:37

9 Sophie O CONNOR Female JW11-14 21:28

23 Victoria WARD Female SW25-29 23:21

30 Catherine REIDY Female VW40-44 24:53

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/34/

Mallow Castle: 76 this week, 61 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Vinny GRIMES Male SM30-34 20:18

2 Unknown  

3 Mike O MAHONY Male VM50-54 21:35

5 Orla NOLAN Female VW50-54 Dromahane Roadrunners 22:39

7 Elaine O'CALLAGHAN Female VW40-44 23:04

15 Kate MCSWEENEY Female SW30-34 24:26

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/199/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 48 this week, 52 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 James MAHER Male VM35-39 18:55

2 Derek SMYTH Male VM45-49 18:57

3 Ciaran MITCHELL Male VM35-39 20:25

5 Shannon SOTOK Female SW30-34 21:10

11 Niamh CALLANAN Female SW25-29 22:46

12 Maggie OMAHONY Female JW10 22:48

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/177/

Macroom Castle Demense: 51 this week, 51 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conrad WATT Male VM35-39 Cork Track Club 18:44

2 David BRADLEY Male JM11-14 20:30

3 Jude MURPHY Male SM18-19 20:47

21 Caroline O DONNELL Female VW55-59 24:53

23 Margaret LUCEY Female VW45-49 25:46

24 Carmel PURCELL Female VW45-49 West Muskerry A.C. 27:04

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/544/

Clonakilty: 44 this week, 42 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Kevin O'BYRNE 19:21

2 Alan YOUNG Male VM40-44 Border Harriers & AC 19:36

3 Niall O'CONNOR Male VM50-54 West Cork Triathlon Club (WCTC) 20:09

11 Sandra WALSH Female VW55-59 23:30

13 Niamh O'BRIEN Female VW35-39 23:54 

16 Kamila JAKUBOWSKA-SWITAJ Female VW45-49 Fota Island Running Club 25:51

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/498/

Glengarriff Woods: 66 this week, 62 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Liam OCONNOR Male VM45-49 21:15

2 Danny MANNING Male VM45-49 22:46

3 Cathal MINEHANE Male VM45-49 23:01

6 Pippa O SULLIVAN Female JW11-14 24:16

8 Niamh CASEY Female VW35-39 24:44

12 Alannah BERKELEY Female SW18-19 26:03

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/418/

Bere Island: 51 this week, 48 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 20:33

3 Sinead O MALLEY Female VW40-44 Hunters Bog Trotters 22:49

7 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:30

2 Cyril MCNAMARA Male VM60-64 22:36

4 Tom DICKINSON Male VM35-39 23:08

5 Mike BRODERICK Male VM55-59 23:50

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/510/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 18 finishers this week, 17 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Florence FITZGERALD Male VM35-39 21:59

2 Christopher GRANAGHAN Male JM11-14 26:41

3 James O'CONNELL Male VM40-44 27:56

5 Henebry IRENE Female VW55-59 Kilkenny City Harriers 28:41

7 Frances LYNCH Female VW60-64 Sanctuary Runners 30:12

9 Kate CROWLEY Female VW40-44 31:20

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/430/

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

Guest Post: World Athletics ...by Pat Walsh

 * World Athletics *

Fantastic week watching the World Athletics on TV and marvelling at the feats that unfold daily with some superb performances. I feel proud of all of our Irish Competitors and how they are competing. In a small country like ours of 5 million+ people and limited facilities, to have a team of 28 at these games when qualifying standards are so high is fantastic. 

Ciara Mageean and Rhasidat Adeleke who are proven World Quality missed through injury. Fearghal Curtin who barely missed out making the Marathon team by a few seconds broke the Irish record last Sunday for the Half Marathon in 1.00.22 and he didn’t make the team. That is how high qualification is for these games.

That some have made it through to the Finals, even at the time of writing we have no medals, is amazing. They are in the Top section of World sport and can rightly hold their heads high. Some might be disappointed with where they finished and could have done better maybe, but that is haggling over fine detail. They did us proud. 

As a runner to have male and female (Sarah and Andrew) in the 1500M finals, one time the Blue Riband event of the overall games is massive. As I write we await Cian McPhillips in the 800M on Saturday and Kate O’Connor in Hepthatlon. Nicola Tuthill at 21 years of age in the hammer final, the list goes on of our World ranking performers.

What is that to do with you and me, you might well ask? 

Can we learn from them?

Of course we can. ‘Is feidir linn’.

While we haven’t a fraction of their talent we can follow their dedication to some degree to get the best out of ourselves.

Make a goal. Make it realistic, feasible to do with the amount you can train.

Create a plan and stick to it.

Don’t try to conquer everything from 5K to marathon. Ask yourself why do the elites stick to one event that is deemed their best. You don’t see the 400M winner in the 5000 final.

Believe in yourself and get people around you who believe in you as well. 

Dump the naysayers and the negative people. They drain you.

Don’t moan about facilities and weather, just get on with it.

Don’t neglect stretching and strength training.

Get your warm up and cool downs before and after runs.

Don’t race too much, get the balance between training and racing.

Rejoice for our elite and take heart, inspiration and confidence from them. They are not overnight successes. They are years of training, dedication, recovering from setbacks, driving on again and again in the pursuit of excellence. 

We may not achieve the same heights but we can certainly dream and better ourselves. 

As I watched Cian McPhillips win the 800 semi-final and break the Irish Record on a windy and wet  Thursday I had 3 thoughts. 

1. What a phenomenal race and a historic performance. YES

2.  When will my heart settle again and my voice recover

3.  When am I going for my next run 

May we never grow too old to stop dreaming or to lose hope. Be the best you that you can be. If you run Saturday, wear Green.

#pwr

Ray O’Connor Returns as Race Director for the 2026 Connemarathon

The Connemarathon is one of the most popular running events in Co Galway and it has a half-marathon, marathon and ultra-marathon. The routes taking in Maam Cross and Leenane are some of the most scenic in the country.

I did the 63km ultra there several times and the start times of the events were staggered so that the ultra runners could catch the marathon runners and then the slower half-marathon runners. It meant that there was always company on the road.

The race was founded by Ray O’Connor about 20-years ago and he built it from humble beginnings to a huge event. In more recent years, Ray has been involved in other races but this year he returns as Race Director for the 2026 Connemarathon.

Ray himself is no stranger to ultra running having competed in several 24-hour races and has more than 100 marathons to his credit.

In a press release, Ray O’Connor said... “I’m absolutely delighted to be back, Connemara holds a special kind of magic, and I’m looking forward to working with the team once again to deliver another unforgettable race day.”

The 2026 Connemarathon will take place on April 19th 2026. For more information and to register, visit www.connemarathon.com

PopUpRaces Instagram account hacked - Sep 2025

PopUpRaces is one of the main chip timing companies in Ireland and they have announced that their Instagram account has been hacked.

They have now set up a new account and you can see the new name in the image above. 

Guest post about the ever increasing cost of road races...

A long time runner and follower of the blog sent on the following message about the ever increasing cost of road races...

It was with interest I read your comments in your recent post on the ever-increasing cost of races. It was something I was going to contact you about some time ago, especially when I saw the prices of two new races that took place recently.

One was a half-marathon which states a fee of €55, click on that it’s €58.58 and then if you have to add the levy it comes to over €60. The other, a 10-miler (a ‘must do’ event, according to the organisers!) had an entry of €47 which amounts to €50.06, plus the levy.

As one of the comments on your site states, if you turned up on the day with €50/60 in your hand, you might think twice about it but online nowadays makes it all so painless. Also, no doubt, a lot of the new people to running think these prices are the norm and have no knowledge of what it was like in the past.

I recently came across a copy of the Irish Runner from September 2000. It may be 25 years ago but its interesting see how prices compare. Virtually for all the races advertised, the entry fee was five Irish pounds. These include the BLE National Half-Marathon at Rathkeale, along with such high-profile races of the time like the Rathfarnham 5km and Tinryland four-miler. There was a T-shirt for all entrants in the half-marathon and a thermos flask (!) for the first 1,000 at Rathfarnham – all for that fee.

There is an Irish Inflation Calculator (hargaden.com) which compares prices from any year in the past to today. According to it, five pounds in 2000 would be in region of €11 today (the figure it gives is €10.49). Therefore, going on that, I feel that the entry fee for any race in the 5km/10km region should be, at the most, in the range of €12-€15, a ten-miler €15-€20 and a half-marathon around €20.

Athletics Ireland (along with Eventmaster) don’t seem to care, as long as they’re making money. Charging €50 for the National Half-Marathon at Tullamore a couple of weeks ago is just one example.

It’s not that local races are short of money – look at the Facebook page of any event in the weeks leading up to it and you see a list of different sponsors being announced on a daily basis.

Another thing nowadays is that some races announce no entries on the day/night. Obviously, you have to have this for the major events but for a small local race what’s the problem in accepting a certain number on the night. With chip timing it’s a lot less easier than back in the day when a lot more people were required for duties such as recording and timing manually.

Notice: Rebel Run 10k & 5k in Cork City - Sun 19th Oct 2025

The ever popular Rebel Run 5k & 10k is coming up this year on Sunday 19th October 2025.

This is the 13th edition of this event and it takes place as per usual at the Munster Technological University (MTU) in Bishopstown.

The 5k starts at 9.30am with the 10k starting at 9.45am. The start line for both events is the tiered carpark at the rear of the MTU Athletics Track Stand. 

Update 18th Sept 2025: Now just 50 places left!

Update 29th Sept 2025: The event sold out in the last 10 days.

Entries HERE

From the organisers... 13th Annual Cork Rebel Run – Registration Now Open!

Nicola Tuthill... From Kilbrittain to 11th in the world

 

How about this for a journey! The photo above shows 21-year old Nicola Tuthill from Kilbrittain in Co Cork in action at the Women’s Hammer Throw at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. 

Going into the competition ranked 20th in terms of season's bests, she threw the hammer 69.49 metres to finish 11th in the world.

The photo below from a few years ago shows Nicola aged 15 with her dad Norman building a throwing circle at their farm in Kilbrittain.