Training programme for the 2026 Dublin Marathon

The 2026 Dublin Marathon is coming up on Sunday the 25th of October 2026. If anyone would like to optimise their training then I will be starting individualised training programmes soon. 

The marathon programme starts on the 22nd of June. The cost is €144.

The length of programme really depends on where you are as a runner and what your initial endurance fitness is like.

After an initial consultation and we agree on what days you can train, a programme is sent out every week by email and weekly feedback is required. That will determine what the programme is like for the following week.

If interested, send an email to johndesmondrunning AT gmail DOT com

If you have another event in mind like an autumn half-marathon then send an e-mail to the above address.

https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/p/coaching.html

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 6th Jun 2026

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 6th June 2026. Approximately 1188  runners and walkers took part in the 10 events in Co Cork.

Report... With the Cork marathon events out of the way, the numbers recovered quite a bit this week. Conditions this week were mostly dry and very windy with the overnight rain clearing well in time for the parkruns.

There was parkrun in Clonakilty this week due to the Clonakilty Agricultural Show at the Showgrounds.

Most parkruns... The person with the most number of parkruns this weekend in Co Cork was Rosy Ryan from Belfast who completed her 496th parkrun at the Ballincollig event.

First Timers... There's a continuous influx of people trying parkrun for the first time. There were 22 first timers in Tramore Valley this weekend while there were 19 in Ballincollig.

Tramore Valley... The Tramore Valley Park event was the largest parkrun in Co Cork this weekend albeit it was just three finishers ahead of Ballincollig. There was a large contingent of visitors from Essex this weekend and one of those, Fiona Walker completed her 250th parkrun!

Ballincollig... James Long and Pat Daly completed their 100th parkrun this weekend and both have done 82 in Ballincollig.

Mallow... Well done to John Martin who completed his 100th 5k parkrun this weekend. John has 68 of those at the Mallow event.

Macroom... Marie McCarthy completed her 250th 5k parkrun this weekend and 226 of those have been at the Macroom event.

Midleton... Sonia O'Sullivan completed her 199th 5k parkrun and earned her 12th volunteer credit after giving the first timers talk at the Midleton Greenway event this weekend (Photo: Sean McGuill).

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

Upcoming milestones....

***

Ballincollig Regional Park:  322 this week, 244 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Elton HEFFERNAN Male VM40-44 18:37

2 Andrew KANE Male JM15-17 18:50

3 Conor TWOHIG Male SM20-24 19:23

39 Rhea TUMMON Female SW30-34 23:21

56 Polly MOTTERSHEAD Female SW18-19 24:18

57 Kailyn LORDAN Female SW25-29 24:21

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/427/

Tramore Valley Park: 325 this week, 271 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 David CARRASCO COQUILLAT Male SM25-29 17:48

2 Christopher WOOD Male VM50-54 Macclesfield Harriers & AC 19:24

3 Stephen CREEDON Male VM45-49 Mallow AC 19:38

8 Isabelle CROWLEY Female JW11-14 20:11 

19 Shanika OPPERMAN Female SW25-29 21:44

23 Pamela BARRY Female VW50-54 Aghada Running Club 22:05

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/205/

Glen River: 72 this week, 53 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Rian O LUASA Male SM20-24 Carraig na bhFear AC 19:06

2 Ken INCE Male VM40-44 Eagle A.C. 19:43

3 James GIBSON Male SM20-24 21:05

6 Hilary HEDDERMAN Female SW20-24 22:17

7 Denise TWOHIG Female VW50-54 St Finbarrs AC 22:30

13 Elaine O'CALLAGHAN Female VW40-44 23:58

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/314/

Midleton Greenway: 137 this week, 139 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Michael COCKER Male VM35-39 17:50

2 Aaron HARTE Male SM25-29 18:21

3 Daniel ROSS Male SM30-34 18:48

24 Maria COFFEY Female VW40-44 Ballymore Cobh AC 22:59

26 Sonia O'SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 23:00

48 Elaine MOORE Female VW45-49 Togher AC 26:36

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/69/

Mallow Castle: 80 this week, 71 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Matthew COOKE Male JM15-17 19:03

2 Ger CREMINS Male VM50-54 19:44

4 John KELLY Male VM50-54 Mallow AC 20:48

3 Marie Claire HEALY Female VW35-39 20:02

16 Michelle GREANEY Female VW45-49 24:13

18 Kate MCSWEENEY Female SW30-34 24:29

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/232/

Youghal (Pobalscoil na Tríonóide) : 47 this week, 48 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Shane MURPHY Male SM20-24 19:45

2 Noel EARLY Male VM45-49 19:47

3 Ciaran MITCHELL Male VM35-39 20:18

11 Laura BEAUSANG Female JW11-14 23:37

13 Cliona O'KEEFFE Female VW40-44 24:07

15 Susan LYNE Female VW45-49 Togher AC 25:16

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/213/

Macroom Castle Demense: 66 this week, 48 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Henry BROWNE Male VM45-49 18:43

2 Alex O SHEA Male VM50-54 St Finbarrs AC 19:19

3 Conor LUCEY Male VM40-44 19:32

9 Nicole HARRINGTON Female SW20-24 21:45

15 Helen ANDERSON Female VW50-54 23:20

21 Anna ERFURTH Female VW40-44 25:35

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/580/

Clonakilty:  CANCELLED this week, 52 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

Clonakilty results... 

Glengarriff Woods: 68 this week, 64 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Finn CONNER Male JM15-17 19:41

2 Stephen O'SULLIVAN Male VM55-59 21:40

3 Danny MANNING Male VM45-49 23:04

5 Pippa O SULLIVAN Female JW15-17 24:31

9 Stacey O SULLIVAN Female VW35-39 26:11

15 Joanne BROSNAN Female VW35-39 26:54

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/457/

Bere Island: 46 this week, 39 last week. 

First 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 21:00

5 Breeda O SULLIVAN Female VW55-59 Beara AC 24:48

6 Maeve HIGGINS Female VW60-64 26:52

2 Cyril MCNAMARA Male VM60-64 22:28

3 Pat SHEEHAN Male VM60-64 Kenmare Tri Club 23:55

4 Patrick MC MANUS Male VM60-64 24:45

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/548/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 25 finishers this week, 17 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 James LAVERY Male SM30-34 22:56

2 Aaron ROSS Male SM25-29 24:07

3 John MCMANUS Male SM30-34 Raheny Shamrock AC 24:30

7 Hannah COLEMAN Female SW30-34 Raheny Shamrock AC 27:13

12 Sharon LEVIS Female VW45-49 28:56

15 Celine BUCKLEY Female VW55-59 Castlehaven GAA 31:33

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/468/

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

Guest Post: Was it just me ...by Pat Walsh

 * Was it just me *

Taking time to reflect properly on last weekends Cork Marathon I was struck by the friendliness and warmth of the occasion. Us runners are super anyway and good to encourage each other but last Sunday through the 3 events, Full, Half, 10K there was a little extra this year.

I think the energy, sense of celebration, acknowledgement of grief that the family and friends of Ellen Cassidy brought to the day just lifted each and every person there.

Greetings were more open, smiles were larger, encouragement was everywhere. I honestly lost count of the number of people who said some version of ‘ we should be grateful to be able to take part today ’.

Fair play to the organisers who went out of their way to accommodate the family and while the loss of a loved one can never be overcome, then hopefully last Sunday will provide some solace to them for the future. To Eamon Hayes and those in charge of Cork City Marathon I wish to say very well done.

There was some fantastic and quality running at the business end of the field and the local runners Ryan Creech 1.04.51 in the half and Niamh Allen 32.14 in the 10k would feature in any quality race anywhere.

As I watched at the finish, there were many who walked over the line at the end. They cheered, they celebrated, they finished the quest that they started. Where running was once an elite sport, it is now a mass participation event for people of all ages and fitness levels and that is to be applauded. 

I walked last year myself when I was recovering from injury and I like to think I took part the same as everyone else.

The crowds out supporting, the kids with jellies and water, the housing estate that turned it into a sea of yellow, Ellen’s friends in their yellow vests with tears of joy, the cheers on the new finish line on the Grand Parade. 

Was it just me the eternal optimist who felt it or did anyone else feel  that we witnessed and participated in a very unique occasion?

Does it take some tragic event to lift us or should we strive to make every day, every run, every event be a celebration of life and our good fortune to be able to take part. It doesn't take much to be nice, to say thanks, to be supportive.

Not everyone is so lucky. Make every day special. Have a lovely weekend and thanks for supporting my ramblings.

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame.” …Yeats.

#pwr #BeNice

Results of the Farran NS 5k - Fri 4th Jun 2026

 Farran Fun Run 2026 Overall Results

6/5/2026 1

Place Bib Name Gender Eligible Div  Finishing Time Div Place

1 134 Watt Conrad Male Over 18 Male 0:17:19 1
2 71 O Connell Ray Male Over 18 Male 0:17:51 2
3 138 O''Riordan' Sam Male Over 18 Male 0:18:06 3
4 94 Healy Shane Male Over 18 Male 0:18:27 1
5 167 O''Donoghue' Tiarnan Male Over 18 Male 0:18:36 2
6 3 O Brien Jerome Male Over 18 Male 0:19:10 3
7 169 Sheehan Colin Male U-18 Male 0:19:13 1
8 151 Kenny Michelle Female Over 18 Female 0:19:15 1
9 84 Skally Mark Male U-18 Male 0:19:17 2

10 123 O''Mahony' Jason Male Over 18 Male 0:19:19 4
11 137 Collins Donal Male Over 18 Male 0:19:44 5
12 90 Cronin John Male Over 18 Male 0:19:49 6
13 179 Daskauskas Gediminas Male Over 18 Male 0:20:06 7
14 24 Byrne Robert Male Over 18 Male 0:20:40 8
15 83 White Evan James Male Over 18 Male 0:20:49 9
16 99 Mc Cann Gerard-James Male Over 18 Male 0:21:11 10
17 139 Butler David Male Over 18 Male 0:21:21 11
18 15 Mc Carthy Fiona Female Over 18 Female 0:21:23 2
19 172 Burts Gerard Male Over 18 Male 0:21:27 12
20 148 Healy Isla Female U-13 Female 0:21:35 3
21 182 Helleboid Damien Male Over 18 Male 0:21:37 13
22 174 Moore Trevor Male Over 18 Male 0:21:38 14
23 270 Bourke Aidan Male Over 18 Male 0:21:45 15
24 31 Mc Hugh Alex Male U-11 Male 0:21:49 1

Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 30th May 2026

This monthly free timed 5k was held on on the Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway on Saturday 30th of May 2026.

Notice: 2-Million Step Challenge Charity Run in Blarney - Sat 6th June 2026

From Trish at VisionFitness in Blarney...

"On Saturday 6th June, our members and local community will be taking part in a 2 Million Step Challenge, running from 8am to 6pm, to raise funds for the 6year  Darragh O’Sullivan who was diagnosed with with an aggressive cancer.

Participants will spend the day walking, running and exercising to collectively reach the ambitious target of 2 million steps. The event is open to all fitness levels and is focused on bringing the community together to support a local family during an incredibly difficult time.

Darragh’s mom Clare is a member with us here at Visionfitness. Clare’s other  son was born with Down Syndrome and underwent major heart surgery as a baby. To then be told that another child has a life-threatening cancer diagnosis is something no family should have to face alone. We wanted to do something practical as a community to help.

All steps counted must start and finish at the Gaelscoil Mhuscrai in Blarney(this is where Darragh attends school) and is where Visionfitness is located T23EA29

If any of the runners want to do a run Saturday it would be great for them to do it down the school and all the steps counted!"

Donation Link... https://gofund.me/0250d36da