UK - Has parkrun Become a Victim of Its Own Success?

Back in August, a 5k parkrun in Weymouth in England was suspended over 'worrying' overtaking issues.

The BBC article on the subject said... "A parkrun event has been suspended for two weeks following a surge in attendance and safety concerns over runners overtaking on narrow sections of the course."

"Organisers said they made the decision after a rise in numbers and, "more worryingly", an increase in reports of runners overtaking in confined areas, causing some participants to be barged into or tripped."

The BBC article is HERE

The Vegan Runner YouTube channel recently posted this video shown below and he raises plenty of issues to consider. 

I wonder if there are any issues with regular overcrowding at parkruns in Ireland???

Entries for the 2027 Dublin Marathon opens 12th of Nov as the entry fee goes up to €130

The organisers of the Dublin Marathon have announced an increased entry fee of €130, an 18% increase on the previous price of €110. This is the first price increase in five years. Overall race entry for 2027 remains capped at 22,500 runners.

While some may complain at the €130 & fees to enter the  Dublin marathon, the reality is that there is a huge demand and they could easily charge a lot more.

Here are some of the key details...

Race Date: Sunday 24 October 2027
Event Capacity: 22,500 runners
General Entry Places: 17,200 places will be available through the public ballot – the same number as in 2026.
Entry Fee: €130 + platform and payment processing fees

GENERAL ENTRY BALLOT

Ballot Opens: 9am, Thursday 12 November 2026
Ballot Closes: Midnight, Tuesday 17 November 2026
Ballot Fee: €4 + platform and payment processing fees. The €4 ballot fee will be automatically refunded to unsuccessful applicants and offset against the €130 Marathon entry fee for successful applicants. Platform and payment processing fees are separate and are not refundable or offset.
Ballot Results: Applicants will be notified of their ballot result on Wednesday 25 November 2026.
Successful Applicants: Successful applicants will have until midnight on Monday 30th November to complete and pay for their entry.

REFUND

Refund Window: Thursday 1 July – Monday 12 July 2027
Refund Fee: €20 (plus platform and payment processing fees)

TRANSFER

Transfer Window: Wednesday 21 July – Wednesday 22 September 2027
Transfer Fee: €20 (plus platform and payment processing fees)

GOOD FOR AGE

Qualifying Criteria Published: Tuesday 1 December, 2026
Eligible Results: Qualifying performances from eligible races in 2025, 2026 or 2027.
Applications Open: Friday 7 May 2027
Applications Close: Wednesday 26 May 2027
Results: Runners will be notified from Wednesday 2 June 2027. If more applications are received than places available, the fastest qualifying times in each category will be successful.

More information can be found on the Dublin marathon website... https://irishlifedublinmarathon.ie/

Youghal - What happens when a parkrun stops?

The Pobalscoil na Tríonóide 5k parkrun in Youghal started on the 23rd of October 2021 and it came to an  end on Saturday the 15th of August 2026. Post HERE

In total, there were 223 editions over the last five years and the average number of finishers per event was 54.

There were 44 finishers in the last event and I was wondering what has happened in the six weeks since? Did everyone move to the Midleton Greenway parkrun which is 26kms away by car? Did half move? A quarter?

Breakdown... Out of those 44 finishers on the last day, 4 were unknown and 8 were obvious parkrun tourists so that gives us 32.

Out of that 32, just 4 people have taken part in the Midleton parkrun since which is 12.5% or an eight. 

Looking through the remaining 28 or 87.5%, the end of the local parkrun has resulted in them not doing any parkrun since.

Now, some of those 28 might not have done a local parkrun in the meantime regardless but there are plenty in the results that were regulars. While there were only 28 'locals' in the last event, there is probably a multiple of that who didn't make the last event but used to attend on a regular or occasional basis.

The takeaway from this is to show how important having a local parkrun is and it's wrong to assume that most people just move to the nearest parkrun when an event ends. It would seem that once a local parkrun stops, a significant number of the people in that area no longer take part in parkrun events.

Future... As of the end of Sept 2026, a team is working away at finding a new home for a parkrun in Youghal. It's certainly not gone for good and a new event should be up and running in this east Cork town in the next few months.

Addendum: Some of the local parkrunners are now doing an informal 5k on the beach every Saturday morning while they are waiting for the return of an official parkrun.

Guest Post: In Praise... by Pat Walsh

* In praise *

I didn’t get around to my usual Friday post this week as I was busy galavanting around Malaga on a late Summer break just to ensure the body was ready for Autumn.

The weather was beautiful and miles were walked in every direction.

Good to be able to go on holiday, have the health to move around and enjoy it. I tried a run early one morning but it was hot so it turned into a slow jog with stops for pictures.

I’m writing this post Sunday evening in a bad week for mixing politics and sport. I don’t have the answers and I always feel for those caught in a situation like this. Please no comments about this as I will delete them. 

It is ironic that I use Facebook to post my ramblings while the whole world of social media is turning into a toxic cesspit. Would it hurt anyone to just be nice to people.

Isn’t it lovely to be able to just run somewhere nice and actually forget about the world for a while.

Isn’t it great to get up in the morning with the health to be able to move regardless of pace.

Isn’t it marvelous to check the death notices and your name isn’t there.

We passed the Autumnal equinox this week and it can only mean we are heading for cooler weather. We had a fantastic Summer and we need the motivation to keep going, keep running, keep moving, get out and take part. I was home in time for Saturday parkrun and a great morning for running with temperatures a little lower, I sweated the beer out of me. Run, meet people, have a coffee. Keep it simple.

I bore the arse off Pablo Picasso. He knows very little about running and I know nothing about art 😃

#pwr

Results of the Allihies 5-mile - Sat 26th Sep 2026

The 2026 edition of the annual Allihies 5-mile road race was held on Sat 26th of September. This was an uptick in numbers this year with 130 taking part.

Results below...

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 26th Sep 2026

Saturday 26th of September 2026 - Blue skies and sunshine for the parkruns in Co Cork this weekend. Temp at Cork Airport 14 deg C. There was a total of 1124 finishers across the ten events.

Milestones... 

Ballincollig... Sean O'Brien completed his 300th parkrun this weekend!

Colette O'Callaghan completed her 200th parkrun at the same event.

No volunteers, no parkrun. Well done to Donal Fennessy who earned his 300th volunteer credit at the Ballincollig event.

Tramore Valley... The Tramore Valley parkrun celebrated it's 11th birthday! The first event was 26th Sept 2015!

Midleton Greenway... Event director Liagh Miller earned her 100th volunteer credit this weekend!

Mallow Castle... Gillian Groeger completed her 200th 5k parkrun. 153 of these were at the Mallow event.

Results...

Tramore Valley Park - Number of finishers - This week 239, last week 295

Top 3 men & women...

1 Rory O' SULLIVAN Male VM45-49 St Finbarrs AC 18:13
2 Eoin FEHILY Male VM35-39 18:46
3 Donal O SHEA Male SM30-34 18:51
18 Lauren CLARKE Female JW15-17 Westport AC 21:45
19 Pamela BARRY Female VW50-54 Aghada Running Club 21:56
34 Laura MAYE Female VW35-39 23:04

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/221/

Ballincollig - Number of finishers - This week 325, last week 266

Top 3 men & women...

1 Unknown

2 Marcin SWIATKOWSKI Male VM40-44 18:15

3 Aaron HORNIBROOK Male VM35-39 18:54
14 Sorcha MC CARTHY Female SW20-24 21:03
16 Patricia VICARIO Female VW45-49 21:09
28 Siobhan HOLLAND Female VW50-54 Eagle A.C. 22:39

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/443/

Glen River - Number of finishers - This week 65, last week 65

Top 3 men & women...

1 Donal COFFEY Male VM45-49 Leevale AC 19:23
2 Colin MORRISON Male VM50-54 Glanmire A.C 19:25
3 Ken INCE Male VM40-44 Eagle A.C. 19:30
19 Catherine DEENIHAN Female VW55-59 UCC Staff Athletics Club 24:57
20 Niamh SHEEHAN Female VW35-39 Togher AC 25:06
24 Laura CAHILL Female SW20-24 26:02

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/330/

Midleton Greenway - Number of finishers - This week 183, last week 154

Top 3 men & women...
1 Darren MCCANN Male VM40-44 17:10
2 Oisín MURRAY Male JM15-17 18:05
3 Andy GOULDING  Male VM40-44 Leevale AC 18:10
6 Olive KELLY Female VW40-44 18:49
10 Liz O SHEA Female VW45-49 19:44
21 Suzanne ALCOCK Female VW35-39 21:10

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/84/

Mallow Castle - Number of finishers - This week 82, last week 90

Top 3 men & women...

1 Evan FITZGERALD Male SM25-29 West Waterford AC 15:22
2 Unknown
3 Michael WITHERS Male VM45-49 19:34
20 Mary MURPHY Female VW65-69 Mallow AC 25:09
21 Jill O'DONNELL Female SW30-34 25:22
22 Clodagh BENNETT Female VW45-49 25:22

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/248/

Macroom Demesne - Number of finishers - This week 52, last week 50

Top 3 men & women...

1 Jude MURPHY Male SM18-19 18:19
4 David BRADLEY  Male JM15-17 20:43
5 Matt MURPHY Male M20-24 21:10
2 Saoirse TWOMEY Female SW18-19 18:30
3 Aoife LUCEY  Female SW20-24 West Muskerry A.C. 20:01
6 Leah KEATING Female SW25-29 24:42

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/596/

Glengarriff - Number of finishers - This week 64, last week 72

Top 3 men & women...

1 Matt HOULIHAN Male JM15-17 19:48
2 Paul Pio O'CALLAGHAN Male VM45-49 Pulse Triathlon Club 20:35
3 Stephen O'SULLIVAN Male VM55-59 21:28
14 Niamh CASEY Female VW35-39 25:23
15 Pippa O SULLIVAN Female JW15-17 25:30
22 Carol HURLEY Female VW55-59 Beara AC 28:36

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/473/

Bere Island - Number of finishers - This week 35, last week 89

Top 3 men & women...

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 21:03
4 Julia O SULLIVAN Female SW18-19 25:50
5 Aoife COTTER Female SW25-29 26:14
2 Liam COTTER Male SM25-29 21:11
3 Colin GLEESON Male VM70-74 24:53
6 Edward STEL Male VM55-59 26:25

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/564/

Castlehaven - Number of finishers - 19 this week, 12 last week

Top 3 men & women...

1 Julius KETZ Male SM20-24 25:35
3 Peter BUCKLEY Male VM60-64 26:35
4 George BUCKINGHAM Male VM60-64 27:42
2 Sharon LEVIS Female VW45-49 26:11
6 Louise LYNCH Female VW60-64 Sanctuary Runners 29:03
16 Mary HOURIHANE Female VW70-74 38:40

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/484/
 
Clonakilty - Number of finishers - 69 this week, 69 last week

Top 3 men & women...

1 Cian OCONNELL Male SM25-29 18:33
2 Paul DEANE Male VM45-49 Clonakilty Roadrunners AC 19:03
3 Conor HANRAHAN Male SM30-34 20:12
14 Ursula HEDDERMAN Female VW60-64 24:12
25 Niamh LENIHAN Female VW35-39 28:14
27 Mary DILLON Female VW60-64 29:28

Full results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/550/

*************

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

A look at the numbers for the Cork BHAA evening road races for 2026

The Cork BHAA hold some of the most popular road races in Cork and they recently had their last summer evening road race for 2026. I had a look at the numbers to see if there are any trends.

The following 11 evening races were held in both 2025 and 2026... John Buckley Sports 5k, PwC 5k, Gas Networks Ireland 5k, Musgrave 5k, Stryker 4m, Sterling 5k, Apple Employees 5k, Pfizers 6m, J&J MedTech 4m, ThermoFisher 4m &  Carey Tools 5k. 

Out of those, six were up in 2026 while five were down when compared to 2025. Doing the same exercise for 2025 versus 2024, it was five up and five down. This in itself is a rather imperfect method of seeing a trend but it does suggest that not much has changed.

To get a more accurate picture, I worked out the average number of finishers for all eleven events and the figure was about 530. 

Regardless of whether numbers are going up or down, the fact that there were an average of 530 finishers in the Cork BHAA evening races during the summer of 2026 just shows how popular they are.

If we now compare the same eleven races to 2025 then we can see there is a 2% drop in numbers. That's a very small drop and it pretty much says that there is no real change.

The BHAA have seven races which were held every year from 2022 to 2026. These are some of the more popular BHAA events and the average number of finishers in 2026 was 650.

The 2026 numbers were down just 1.5% on the number for 2025 and the averages for these seven races are shown above.

In conclusion... While some of the club races seem to be gradually reducing, the numbers at the Cork BHAA races seem reasonably steady. 

The 2026 numbers suggest that any growth in numbers in 2027 is unlikely and the challenge for the Cork BHAA will be to hold on to the numbers that they have.

At the end of the year, I'll look at the Cork BHAA numbers for the year as a whole.

Parkrun Ambassador Conference in Limerick

Parkrun Ireland held their annual Ambassador Conference in Limerick last weekend with attendees from all over Ireland.

Parkrun Ireland writes... "We had the absolute pleasure of bringing our parkrun Ireland ambassadors together for our annual Ambassador Conference this weekend in Limerick 💚 

Our ambassadors play such an important role in supporting local events and communities, and it was fantastic to see so much passion, energy and enthusiasm in the room!

The conference weekend also provided an opportunity to connect with local parkrun communities, with visits to both Limerick parkrun and Shelbourne junior parkrun. It was a great chance to meet the teams, see the events in action and hear more about the experiences of their local communities.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and to everyone who continues to give their time, energy and expertise to parkrun 🧡 "

Guest Post: A visit to the Chelmsford Central parkrun... by Tom Scriven

Tom Scriven at the 650th edition of the Chelmsford Central 5k parkrun

Being a registered parkrun participant, a little addiction seemingly creeps into your life. Whereas many might check if a particular venue had leisure or swimming facilities, a registered person is now more likely to check if an accessible parkrun is scheduled in the locality. 

Thus, being in the Chelmsford of London area for a family wedding,  the search for a parkrun was very fruitful, an event is held in the city park each week. The course winds it's way through the park, in an approximate figure of eight. The surface is primarily on tarmac paths with a portion on grassland. The recent exceptional Summer weather ensured the grassed section was dry and firm. The attendance numbered in the hundreds, with the usual runners,  walkers, parents with children or buggies and dog owners.

The course was well signposted with the km markers. (Each kilometre equates to 20% of the total course, using this formula to harness any psychological advantage possible). The course is virtually flat, a little undulating but minimally so. 

The volunteers coped adequately with the finishing numbers, despite hundreds taking part. Volunteers were also present at the junctions, one had to resist saying 'Go raibh maith agat' in appreciation in Chelmsford! 

As usual, the customary email arrived with the details (Like the old mobile phone joke, 'how well they knew where to find me'!) Similar to all parkrun events I've experienced,  it was efficiently organised, instructions followed the usual formula. Hopefully, I'll be in Tramore Valley next Saturday, who mentioned a little addiction!

Multiple finishing chutes to handle the 738 finishers

Notice: Churchtown 10-mile road race - Sat 14th Nov 2026

The Churchtown 10-mile road race in north Cork is coming up this year on Saturday 14th November 2026. The race starts at 10am. 

After a successful three years, this will be the fourth edition of this race. Please note that entries close on  Wednesday 11th November at 11:30pm.

Entries HERE

Churchtown is located just 4kms west of the N20 Cork to Limerick road so access couldn't be easier.

There will be a beanie hat and race mug for finishers as well. The 2025 versions are shown below and info on the 2026 versions will be updated soon.

All runners in the race will receive a beanie hat as shown above in time for the winter weather.

In addition to the beanie, there is also a special race mug for all finishers!

Course... The 10-mile route is shown below...

As you can see, the course is a 10-mile loop to the north-east of Churchtown. The road on the right is the N20.

I have a brief preview of the course  here... https://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.com/2013/01/cork127.html

Family day out??... It might be worth mentioning that the Donkey Sanctuary is only 4kms away near Liscarroll if anyone wants to make it a family day out.

From the organisers... "We are delighted to announce that we will also have course record prizes of €300 for male and female also.

Current 10-mile course records - Men: Karl Fitzmaurice Shannon AC 53:43 (2024) // Women: Kealey Tideswell Clonmel AC 59:57 (2024)

(Note that the times for the 2025 race don't count for the course records as two 5-mile loops were used)

Dublin Marathon Number Available

From Shane Mullaney in Tipperary... "I have a number available for this years Dublin Marathon, i was going to run it myself but can't. I thought you might know someone who might be interested. The closing date is tonight September 23rd at 11:59pm. I would just need their first and last name and email and they then would be sent a link and have to pay a fee of €20 to the organizers."

email - shanemullaneythatruns AT gmail DOT com

Results & Photos of the Echo Women's 6km mini-marathon - 20th Sept 2026

First place finish for Niamh O'Mahony

The Echo Women's 6km mini-marathon was held on Sunday 20th of Sept 2026 on a dry and overcast day. There 3280 finishers this year which is down about 18% on last year.

As far as I know, there was no increase in entry fee this year and the weather was fine so there's no obvious reason for the large drop.

The first woman home was Niamh O'Mahony of An Ríocht AC who was clear of the rest of the field by 45-seconds. Niamh was also the first woman home in the Ballydesmond 5k on Friday evening, just two days earlier.

The next four finishers all finished with a three second window.

Top 10 women...
1 Niamh O'Mahony An Ríocht AC 20:29
2 Hannah Smith Leevale AC 21:14
3 Sinead O'Connor Leevale AC 21:16
4 Lizzie Lee Leevale AC 4. F F45 21:17
5 Orla Drumm Cork City AC 21:17
6 Evita Volginaite Glanmire AC 21:33
7 Lucy O' Sullivan Millstreet AC 22:27
8 Emma Fitzpatrick Leevale AC 22:33
9 Grainne Murphy Leevale AC 22:35
10 Linda Kelly Watergrasshill AC 10. F 23:20

Full results HERE

Photos...

1) Derek Costello has the following galleries...

part 1   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658371959625269&type=3
part 2   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658379599624505&type=3
part 3   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658386342957164&type=3
part 4   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658392889623176&type=3
part 5   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658398372955961&type=3
part 6    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658406062955192&type=3
part 7    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658414129621052&type=3
part 8    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658421619620303&type=3
part 9    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658427452953053&type=3
part 10  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1658432649619200&type=3

2) Joe Murphy has the following...

a) Pre-race b) Start 1 c) 

Guest Post: Running ...by Pat Walsh

* Running *

' That is no country for old men '

I realised this week I have been posting under the PWR banner and writing weekly posts for 11 years. Is this enough pain and suffering to inflict on the general running population about slow running?

When do we become irrelevant, repetitive or just boring and I don’t want to do that. I used to be writing at this time of year when I was training for Dublin Marathon about strategies and tips to help performance. I was in that zone and had some perspective.

That life is gone, the ship has sailed and now my life is a few easy runs and parkrun family on Saturday mornings. It is good to be still moving and I do miss those long 20 mile runs early on a Saturday when everything seemed a possibility. 

I am still a runner but a greatly modified version of a previous self. But I am still a runner. Beautiful run this morning in Midleton and just met so many nice people.  There was visitors from Scotland, Bere Island and a few Norries from Cork. Actually the less you run the more time you have to engage, mix, talk, learn about all the people who present themselves at a start line. Maybe a late career as a running journalist talking about butterflies and blackberries is my calling.

Story… 

Last week as I walking in Midleton town a car beeped at me to call me over. It was my friend Billy ( who has been previously mentioned in my posts as a daily 5k man ) . 

He had a book for me about the life of Emil Zatopek. 1952 Olympic champion in 5k, 10k and Marathon. A remarkable life and the story is fascinating account of adversity and resilience. If it was good enough for Billy it was good enough for me. He said to me he found it useful for training tips and he thought I might get something from it to help me. 

Just as I’m easing into a life of old age and easy running this tale of heroic achievement drops into my lap. Will it inspire me or finish me? My friend Billy is 88 and I’m 63. We are both runners but am I a journalist or a bluffer? 

'Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.' Yeats. 

#pwr

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 19th Sep 2026

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 19th September 2026. Approximately 1164  runners and walkers took part in the 10 events in Co Cork.

Windy but dry was the order of business for the parkruns this Saturday.

Youghal... There is no parkrun in Youghal for the foreseeable future so we're back to ten parkruns in Co Cork every week going forward. See this previous post.

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

Upcoming milestones....

Macroom is the oldest parkrun in Co Cork and they will be holding their 600th event on the 24th of October 2026.

***

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/442/

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/220/

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/329/

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/83/

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/247/

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/595/

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/549/

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/472/

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/563/

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/483/

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

Results of the Ballydesmond 5k - Fri 18th Sep 2026

The inaugural Ballydesmond 5k in NW Cork was held on Friday evening the 18th of Sept 2026. This was the last evening race on the calendar in Cork and 344 runners took part.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Kane COLLINS #69 15:22 M MS
2 Killian LYNCH #220 16:19 M MS
3 Daniel MURPHY #276 16:37 M MJ
5 Niamh O'MAHONY #340 16:50 F FS
9 Carol FINN #109 18:15 F FS
12 Martina KIELY #194 18:34 F F40

Full results HERE

Notice: Ballydesmond 5k - Fri 18th Sep 2026

 The inaugural Ballydesmond 5km road race organised by Duhallow AC in north-west Cork is coming up on Friday the 18th of September 2026 at 7pm. This is one of the last evening races on the calendar as the evenings are rapidly getting darker.

Parkrun introduce seven new milestones!

 

Up to now, parkrun had seven milestones that participants could target...  10 (for under 18s), 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 Saturday 5k parkruns.

During the week of parkrun’s 22nd anniversary... the start of October 2026, seven official new milestones will go live across the website, app, results pages, and profile pages!

They are 200, 300, 400, 600, 700, 800 & 900. The colours are shown above.

The same milestones are available for the volunteer credits as well.

While milestones may not be of interest to some, a lot of people like having a target to reach. Up to now, there was a nice progression from 25 to 50 to 100 but there is a gap of 150 to reach the next milestone of 250. 

With one parkrun a week, that's about three years for someone doing a parkrun every week. For someone doing say 30 parkruns a year, it would take about five years to get from 100 to 250.

They are keeping the 250 milestone for now but it may look like an oddball milestone in years to come. It wouldn't be a surprise to see it discontinued at some future date.

While the new milestone t-shirts will be put on sale in the parkrun shop, the most obvious change is that all the new milestones will make an appearance in the weekly results.

British PM Andy Burnham completes Great North Run

The Great North Run in NE England is the largest half-marathon in the world with 63,000 runners taking part.

The 2026 edition was held over the weekend and a surprise finisher was Andy Burnham, the new British prime minister. He finished the 21.1km course in a time of 1h 57m 34s.

Results of the Charleville Half-Marathon - Sun 13th Sep 2026

The 2026 edition of the Charleville Half-Marathon was held on Sun 13th of Sept and there were 1771 finishers, up 12% on last year.

Top 5 men & women...

1 1 John TRAVERS Donore Harriers A.C. 1. M M 1:05:05 
2222 2 Liam NAUGHTON Ennis Track A.C. 2. M M 1:06:23 
2237 3 Kane COLLINS Donore Harriers A.C. 3. M M 1:06:42 
2213 4 Julian MOYNIHAN Cambridge and Coleridge AC (UK) 4.  M M 1:06:58
846 5 David MEEHAN Tulla A.C. 5. M M 1:07:00 
2182 17 Niamh ALLEN Leevale A.C. 1. F F 1:10:47
2169 27 Sorcha NIC DHOMHNAILL West Limerick A.C. 2. F F40 1:13:04
4 46 Ide NIC DHOMHNAILL West Limerick A.C. 3. F F40 1:15:58
2181 56 Brigid DENNEHY Iveragh AC 4. F F 1:17:25
2235 65 Dee GRADY Ennis Track A.C. 5. F F 1:18:02

Full results HERE

Photos... (Updated 15th Sep)

1) Joe Murphy has the following photos... a) Finish 1 b) Finish 2 c) Finish 3 d) Finish 4 e) Finish 5 f) Finish 6 g) Finish 7 

2) Graham Meikle has the following... a) Finish 1 b) Finish 2 c) Finish 3 d) Finish 4 e) Finish 5 f) Finish 6 g) Finish 7 h) Finish 8 i) Finish 9 j) Finish 10 k) Finish 11 

3) Derek Costello has the following... a) Start part 1 b) Start part 2 c) Start part 3
d) Finish part 1 e) Finish part 2 f) Finish part 3 g) Finish part 4 h) Finish part 5 
i) Finish part 6 j) Finish part 7 k) Finish part 8 l) Finish part 9 m) Finish part 10 n) Finish part 11 

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 12th Sep 2026

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 12th September 2026. Approximately 765  runners and walkers took part in the 10 events in Co Cork.

A bit of a damp morning this week.

Glen River... The one and only Mick Dooley reached the 250 milestone! 163 of these were at the Glen.

Ballincollig... Kay Birch completed her 200th parkrun. 

Mallow... Coleman Cronin reaches the 200 mark.

Youghal... There is no parkrun in Youghal for the foreseeable future so we're back to ten parkruns in Co Cork every week going forward. See this previous post.

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

Upcoming milestones....

Macroom is the oldest parkrun in Co Cork and they will be holding their 600th event on the 24th of October 2026.

***

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/441/

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/219/

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/328/

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/82/

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/246/

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/594/

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/548/

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/471/

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/562/

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/482/

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

A look at the 2026 Dingle marathon numbers

The big running event in Munster last weekend was the Dingle marathon with just over 2770 participants between the marathon and half marathon events.

In the half-marathon, there were 2022 finishers which is up 11% on last year. As the chart shows below, the last time there were over 2000 finishers was back in 2018 and 2019.

In 2025, Dingle was the 13th largest half-marathon in Ireland and it looks likely it will close to the top 10 again in 2026.

There were 751 finishers in the full 42.2km marathon and as can be seen from the chart below, it was a record year.

It's not hard to imagine what impact all of these runners have on the local economy in terms of accommodation, food and refreshments at a time when the tourist season is effectively over.

Results... These are the top 3 in each event...

Marathon...

1 Ben MATHEWSON #467 2:47:14 M MS
2 Gary CANTWELL #84 2:47:51 M MS West Waterford A.C.
4 Daniil MIASOEDOV #524 2:49:35 M MS
3 Lillian BRADLEY #938 2:48:37 F FS
11 Gillian CLYNE #105 3:06:43 F F45 Clane A.C.
42 Katy EVANS #1012 3:23:09 F FS

What really stands out here was that the first woman was the 3rd finisher overall with a time of 2h 48m 37s and just 83s behind the first man.

Half-Marathon...
1 Shane COLLINS #4286 1:11:53 M M40 Leevale A.C.
2 Matthew DOHERTY #4018 1:12:23 M MS
3 Karol CRONIN #2297 1:12:46 M M40 Sportsworld A.C.
15 Jette BEERMANN #3922 1:23:32 F FS
27 Leanne BUTLER #2126 1:27:38 F FS Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.
31 Helen MUSSEN #4256 1:29:04 F F50

Full results HERE

Shane Collins of Leevale AC was the first man in the half

Mid-week Jigsaw: Mick Dooley on 249 parkruns

The one and only Mick Dooley completed his 249th 5k parkrun in Ballincollig last weekend. You can put Mick & Co back together in this 180-piece jigsaw HERE

Mick will be doing his 250th parkrun at the Glen River event next Saturday 12th of Sept 2026. 

Guest Post: Glengarriff parkrun report... by Pat Walsh

 * Glengarriff parkrun report *

On the quest to do all 11 parkruns in Cork this year I am pleased to report ‘Mission Accomplished’. Glengarriff on Saturday was the last one on the list and to be honest we saved a peach of a parkrun until last.

Stunning route and if it seems I swallowed a Bord Failte manual then I do apologise. A one loop circuit through the nature reserve on a combination of concrete roads and woodland trails. Running in the dappled shade of the ancient forest and alongside streams that have rocks carved smooth by the last ice-age makes you appreciate the beauty of nature. Few little ups and downs but nothing too serious if you want a good run but I would advise slowing down and taking in all the nature that surrounds you.

The locals who volunteered are not quite as old as the forest but they have the beautiful West Cork way of making you feel welcome. Run Director Cathal Lavin and his team had the usual collection of nationalities at the start line that you wondered was it a parkrun or a meeting of the United Nations. Summer time and visitors from everywhere. 

And before you ask of course there were runners from Kerry. You could go to a marathon at Tierra Del Fuego at the Southern Tip of South America and there will be someone from Kerry there. It was lovely to meet the group from Tralee parkrun who had got a temporary 24hr visa to leave the County.

Sometime I may get around to talking about all the parkruns but today was Glengarriff and thanks to Stephen O’Sullivan who led the group in an enthusiastic and energetic aerobic warm-up pre the run. Lovely ice breaker and many laughs but not much appreciated by our four legged friends who were bursting for the off.

It is a really beautiful part of the country and a quick stop for a coffee and nibble which was enjoyed with a splendid view of Glengarriff Harbour. Life is for getting out there and it really doesn’t get much better than this. 1hr 45min each way in the car to do a 5k run can be equally described as insanity or heaven. Take your pick.

Thanks of course to Danielle and Heike for the company, laughs and your insightful analysis. Why do most parkruns end with a coffee and a sausage roll for me?  What does it say about me and could I rank all the parkruns in preferential order based on the quality of the local sausage roll.

Sin Scéal Eile……

#pwr

Couch to parkrun programme starts this week

The VHI Couch to 5k parkrun programe is starting this week (6th Sept 2026) and here's a description...

"The Vhi Couch to parkrun programme is a FREE six-week journey designed to help people take their first steps towards becoming more active. Whether you’re completely new to walking, jogging or running, returning to exercise after a break, or simply looking for motivation to get moving, this programme is here to support you every step of the way."

The following parkruns in Co Cork are part of the programme...  Ballincollig, Bere Island, Clonakilty, Glengarriff, Macroom Castle Demesne, Mallow Castle & Tramore Valley.

The support website is https://couchtoparkrun.ie/  (Note that registration is closed at this stage)

The programme is six-weeks in duration which would be two weeks shorter than the usual eight weeks. Some people need the full eight weeks before they can run the whole 5kms while others might be be ok with six weeks.

Free Couch to 5k programmes... Even if you failed to register, there's nothing to stop you doing one of the many Couch to 5k programmes online. They all start with lots of walking with very little running and very gradually make the walking parts shorter and the running parts longer.

The NHS in the UK have their own Couch to 5k programme and it lasts 9-weeks.

A free running programme for absolute beginners, Couch to 5K has helped millions of people start and maintain their running journey.

The free app:
▪️sets a plan that builds week by week
▪️has a choice of trainers to help motivate you
▪️works with your music player
▪️connects you with the Couch to 5K community

The link is https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/couch-to-5k-running-plan/

The key thing to remember is that everyone is different and you should go at your own pace.

If you find the week too hard then repeat the previous week until you can complete it comfortably.

If you miss a week or a few runs, don't try to compensate by cramming more into the next week, this is just a shortcut to getting injured. Just repeat the week again. Follow your own schedule and run the full 5k of the parkrun when you're ready.

Results of the Glengarriff 5-mile race - Sat 5th Sept 2026

The Glengarriff 5-mile race was held this year on Saturday September 5th 2026. The race was held in the late afternoon and the rain had arrived at that stage in west Cork.

There were 1612 finishers which is down 13% on last year and the number returned to 2024 levels.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Danny Mullins M Bantry AC 27:12
2 Sean Dinneen M35 Cork Track Club AC 27:44
3 Paul Keville M40 Kenmare AC 27:48
6 Michelle Kenny F45 LEEVALE AC 30:20
14 Julie O'Brien F40 Durrus AC 32:33
18 Ellen Vitting F40 Kenmare AC 33:13

Results below...

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

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 5th September 2026. Approximately 1117  runners and walkers took part in the 10 events in Co Cork.

Tramore Valley Park... Denise Thompson completed her 100th parkrun (67 at TVP). UK visitor Dianne Hutchinson also reached the century mark.

Ballincollig... Emer O'Keeffe completed her 200th 5k parkrun this weekend!

Midleton... Well done to Kerry Constant who earned his 250th volunteer credit this weekend! Kerry has also completed 454 5k parkruns. At the same event, Charlie Halpin from the UK reached the 200 mark.

Glen River... Iola Pearce completed his 250th 5k parkrun and about half were at the Glen River event.

Bere Island... Angela Nelson from Belfast completed her 200th parkrun.

Glengarriff... Derek Whooley visiting from Dublin completed his 300th parkrun.

Clonakilty... Susan Gallagher completed her 250th 5k parkrun and 233 of these were at the Clon event.

Youghal... There is no parkrun in Youghal for the foreseeable future so we're back to ten parkruns in Co Cork every week going forward. See this previous post.

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

Upcoming milestones....

Macroom is the oldest parkrun in Co Cork and they will be holding their 600th event on the 24th of October 2026.

***

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/440/

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/218/

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/327/

Midleton Greenway... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/results/81/

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/245/

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/593/

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/547/

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/470/

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/561/

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/481/

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