Looking ahead to the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race...Sun 6th Oct 2019

The main race in Cork this weekend is the annual Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race on Sunday the 6th of October 2019.

Entries : I am told that the original idea was to take online entries only but they will take some entries on the day.  Cost €20 and the race HQ is at DL Supplies.

If you have already entered and you didn't get your number in the post then go to the help desk there.

There are no changing facilities. There will be a van near the start line to take bags to the community centre in Cobh.

The race starts at 9:00am.

Stewards: As always, they are looking for race stewards. The more, the merrier. Just turn up early on Sunday or contact the BHAA in advance.

In 2019, race HQ is near the fork in the road on the Lower Glanmire Road. This is a change from last year when it was at the rear of Union Chandelry.

Course: Starting at St.Patricks Church, you run past the railway station and towards the Dunkettle roundabout....up over the flyover by the tunnel......then taking a left and onto the old road which passes Glounthaune church.Then onwards towards the main roundabout before Carrigtwohill and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh. Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major, just one pull at 12 miles near the old IFI plant and another smaller one before 14 miles.

Overall, it is pretty flat for the first ten miles or so with the hardest sections coming in the last five.

Transport......Please note that you have to make your own way back to Cork City.

Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...

1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork

2) Train...The train timetable shows it will leave the train station in Cobh for Cork City at 12:30, 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 pm depending on how long you want to stay around after the race. The cost is €3.50.

3) Bus... Please note that Cobh Connect are putting on a special bus at 7:45am from Cobh to Cork. Not sure of cost. Facebook post HERE

Pace......If you are going for a specific time in the Dublin City Marathon in a few weeks time, then it's an ideal chance to test your target marathon pace. Say your target for Dublin is 3h 30m.....then you could run Cork to Cobh at 8 min per mile pace. If you arrive in Cobh and you're comfortable then 3h 30m is a realistic target. If you're exhausted after 15 miles at that pace then you should think about a more realistic target. If you add in a warm up of a few miles beforehand then all the better. It will give you a more accurate appraisal.

Race.....Just remember that the last third is the hardest. Over the years, many people get to the Belvelly Bridge by Fota tired and then struggle over the last 5 miles. Going slightly slower in the early stages will pay off in the later stages in this race. Avoid going off too fast at the start.

Litter: Please aid them by not throwing gel wrappers away except at water stations and by leaving the water plastic cups near the water stations. They will be tidying the route after the race but this is done by volunteers who have better things to be doing with their time.

Water stations are at 4, 8, and 12 mile marks (Cups, not bottles).

T-shirt will be provided after the finish line. Know what size you want to avoid queues backing up.

Weather........Updated Fri 4th Oct 1pm
The weather forecast is looking pretty good. There will be rain on Saturday afternoon and on Monday morning with a spell of bright sunny weather in between on Sunday.

Temp about 12-14 deg C. There will be a breeze from the west which will be behind the runners for most of the race. It might be a factor for the two miles after Belvelly Bridge.

Looking ahead to the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race...Sun 2nd Oct 2016

The main race in Cork this weekend is the annual Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race on Sunday, the 2nd of October. Note that the Montenette Hotel will not be in use for this race.

Entries on the day cost €20 and will be taken at Union Chandlery on Alfred St. There are no changing facilities. They will transport gear bags from there to the finish line in Cobh.

The race starts at 9:30am.

In 2016, race HQ is on Alfred St

Course...Starting at St.Patricks Church, you run past the railway station and towards the Dunkettle roundabout....up over the flyover by the tunnel......then taking a left and onto the old road which passes Glounthaune church.Then onwards towards the main roundabout before Carrigtwohill and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh. Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major, just one pull at 12 miles near the old IFI plant and another smaller one before 14 miles.

Overall, it is pretty flat for the first ten miles or so with the hardest sections coming in the last five.

Transport......Please note that you have to make your own way back to Cork City.
Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...
1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork
2) Train...The train will leave the train station in Cobh for Cork City at 12:30, 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 pm depending on long you want to stay around after the race. The fee is €5.50 (2015 price).

Pace......If you are going for a specific time in the Dublin City Marathon in four weeks time, then it's an ideal chance to test your target marathon pace. Say your target for Dublin is 3h 30m.....then you could run Cork to Cobh at 8 min per mile pace. If you arrive in Cobh and you're comfortable then 3h 30m is a realistic target. If you're exhausted after 15 miles at that pace then you should think about a more realistic target. If you add in a warm up of a few miles beforehand then all the better. It will give you a more accurate appraisal.

Race.....Just remember that the last third is the hardest. Over the years, many people get to the Belvelly Bridge by Fota tired and then struggle over the last 5 miles. Going slightly slower in the early stages will pay off in the later stages in this race. Even effort always gets the best results.

Weather........(Updated Sun 8am).....The forecast is that it will be sunny and dry. Temp in the low teens. Expect a light head wind after Cobh Cross.

Results & Photos of the BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile race - Sun 28th Sept 2014

A huge crowd of 744 runners turned out for this years Cork to Cobh race.That's well up on last year and back in line with other years. I wonder did the fact that today's race was 4 weeks before Dublin rather than the 3 weeks of last year make a difference?

The weather conditions were almost perfect. No real wind. It was raining at about 8am so it looked like it was going to be wet but that soon cleared and it was dry for the race.

Again, it was another well run event. Highlights.....
1) There is a certain novelty of starting a race in Cork City and finishing down in the outer harbour in Cobh
2) Ideal race to test your target marathon pace for Dublin
3) Pre-entry price of €10 and that includes a dry fit top.
4) The only chance in the year that you can run on this road which is otherwise way too busy.

It really has to be one of the best value races in the country. There are no shortage of half-marathons which cost 5 times the price.

One downside which keep coming up every year is the lack of water bottles. The route however is not suitable for bottles. It's a very busy road and you can't expect volunteers to be picking up bottles with cars whizzing past. Plastic cups aren't great but they really are the only practical solution. Everyone drops these within 100m of the water station and it makes it much easier to collect.

Pos Name Cat Prize Time Company Team
1 SERGIU CIOBANU M1 01:18:47 CLONIFFE HARRIERS
2 John Meade M2 01:22:14 Joyce Wolfe Physio
3 Colin Merritt 0/40A M3 01:22:29 ARMY
41 EMMA MURPHY 0/35H F1 01:36:58 INNISHANNON
57 ANGELA MCCANN 0/40I F2 01:40:01 CLONMEL AC
71 ADELE WALSH 0/35H F3 01:41:11 THOMASTOWN

The full results can be seen HERE

This chart shows the numbers of runners and their pace. As you can see, the numbers are back up this year...the 4th highest ever. Besides the obvious growth in numbers over the last 10 years, the most obvious change is the huge growth in those running over 8 minute miles. A lot of this would be accounted for by more women running now and the larger number of slower runners overall. No matter what speed you are running, 15 miles is still 15 miles. It's always a tough race and perhaps even tougher for those who are out the longest.

Photos...(Updated Sun 22:30pm)
1) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE (Check again on Monday for loads of finish line photos from Doug)
2) Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC has 230 photos HERE
3) Colm McDonagh has some photos about 300m before the finish line HERE
4) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has loads of photos HERE

Someone left this top in the hotel this morning. Give the guys in the BHAA a shout if you own it.

Results of the Cork to Cobh 15 mile race...Sun 6th Oct 2013

The results of the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race are now available.

Looking at the results for 2013 and comparing it to previous years, the numbers this year were down around 19%. It's not immediately obvious why this was the case? The Cork county novice cross country championships were on the same day so that may have taken a few. The 'Human Race' over much the same distance in Limerick City may have attracted runners from the north of Munster and beyond so that might have been a major factor?

Looking back through the overall numbers, I had a look at the numbers finishing at different paces as well. I did something similar with the Ballycotton results back in August and it looks pretty much the same.

As can be seen from the graph, the numbers for Cork to Cobh peaked in 2010 with 848 runners and 2013 was down 23% on the peak. Another stat to pick out is the number of people who ran the 15 mile course in under 7 minute per mile pace. The numbers at that pace haven't change much in the last years despite the growth in overall numbers.

As a percentage, the numbers running sub 8 minutes per mile were at a peak back in 2003 at 60.9%. That has reduced to an all time low in 2013 of 40.8%.

Results.......
1 ALAN O'SHEA , 2 JOHN MEADE , 3 Cornelius Marshall , 4 DAVID RYAN , 5 Mike Morgan , 6 KEVIN WILMOT

1 NIAMH DEVLIN , 2 JILL HODGINS, 3 ANN MARIE HOLLAND, 4 ANGELA MCCANN, 5 ANNAMARIE COSTELLO, 6 MARY SWEENEY

The full results can be seen HERE

Links to photos of the 2013 race can be seen in this earlier post.

Photos of the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh race...Sun 6th Oct 2013

The annual Cork BHAA 15 mile Cork to Cobh race was held today Sunday, the 6th of Oct in somewhat misty conditions. Nothing too serious though and conditions were pretty ideal for most of the race.

As a race, it must be one of the best value events in the country. Well organised, plenty of stewards, loads of tea / food afterwards AND a dry fit top courtesy of the race sponsor Mahers Sports........all for just €10 if you pre-entered. I keep a list of races in Munster HERE and as a result, I have a fair idea of who is charging what around the province. There is no other distance race that even gets close to value like this.

It's also worth noting that there was no chip timing on the day nor was there any need for it. Another factor that helped keep the entry fee down.

The results should be ready in a few days. In the meantime, here are some photos...

(Updated 8th Oct @8:30am)
1) Doug Minihane has 400+ photos HERE
2) Mick Dooley has a gallery HERE 
3) Kieran Minihane has a gallery HERE 
4) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a large gallery of photos HERE

Photos of the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 road race...Sun 7th Oct 2012

A big crowd turned out for this year's Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race in what were probably ideal weather conditions....cool and overcast. The forecast earlier in the week looked a bit grim but in the end, the wet and windy weather was missed only by a matter of hours.

This was in effect the showcase race of the year for the Cork BHAA and they didn't disappoint. It was a well organised event with plenty of volunteers out along the course helping out. There were plenty of water stations out along the course albeit in cups. I know some people might prefer small water bottles but personally, I think cups are the better option for this race. It's not fair to expect volunteers to pick up water bottles on what is a very busy road long after the runners have gone. At least with cups, the waste is probably within 100 metres of the water stations. It also helps to keep the overall entry fee down.

If any fault could be found with this race then it is probably the level of traffic out along the course...especially from around 4 to 10 miles With most races, you could suggest that the organisers find a quieter route but that's not possible in this case, it is after all the Cork to Cobh race. It's a traditional route and a lot of the appeal of the race is starting in Cork City and finishing in Cobh in the outer harbour. One possible solution would be to start at an earlier time like 8:30am but that's very early for a race where you can still enter on the day. The 9:30am start is probably the best compromise between traffic levels on the course and a realistic start time.

I'm sure many of you like me pre-entered for €10. For that, you got a...well organised race, t-shirt, water stations, goodie bag with drinks and snacks and a fine spread in the hall afterwards. In fairness, for €10, where else would you get it? It just goes to show what can be done with modest prizes and lots of volunteers helping out without the need to charge high entry fees.

Photos......(Updated 9:30am Tues 9th Oct 2012)
1) Doug Minihane has a very large gallery of photos HERE
2) Paudie Birmingham has a lot of photos near the finish line HERE 
3) Joe Murphy has a slideshow of photos HERE 
4) The Cobh Edition has about 600 photos near the finishing line HERE 
5) Gordon Kinsella has another large gallery HERE 
6) Joe Murphy has a second gallery of photos about 400m before the finish line HERE

Mile markers......?? By the way, did anyone else find the early mile markers a bit out? Some of the splits I was getting seemed a bit strange.

Pos     Name         Time
1     Sandis Bralitis         79:31
2     Ravis Zakis         82:28
3     George Waugh         82:49
4     John Meade         84:01
5     Michael Buckley         86:01
6     Mike Cunningham         86:58
7     John Browne         88:03
8     Shane Coffey         89:00
9     P Gallagher         90:04
10     Don Keohane         90:08
1F     Claire Gibbons-McCarthy         91:02
2F     Angela McCann         94:43
3F     Nollaig Hunter         97:14
4F     Ann-Marie Holland         98:41
5F     Anna-Meria Costello         1:40:01
6F     Mary Sweeney         1:41:10The full results will probably be out in about 3-7 days.

Results of the Great Island 10 mile road race - Sun 15th Apr 2012

There was a huge increase in numbers this year with 604 runners turning out, an increase of 53% on the last year's figure of 394.

The mens race was won by Sandis Bralitis of West Waterford AC in a time of 53:23. The first woman home was Annmarie Holland of Eagle AC in a time of 62:56.

Men: 1 Sandis Bralitis (W Waterford) 53:23; 2 George Waugh (Bandon) 53:51; 3 John Meade (St Finbarr’s) 55:22; 4 Dzintars Klava (W Waterford) 55:44; 5 Danny Smith (Ballynonty) 56:29; 6 Finay Weir (Waterford, M40) 58:30; 7 Don Keohane (Eagle, M45) 58:47; 8 Denis Dunne (Eagle) 59:03; 9 George McCarthy (Farranfore-MC) 59:32; 10 Ivan Slovak 60:46. M40: 2 Colin O’Herlihy (Eagle) 61:35; 3 Michael Lucey 63:28. M45: 2 David Egan 66:26; 3 Brian Linehan 68:32. M50: 1 James Kelliher 67:01; 2 Ken Carey 67:42; 3 Mark Walsh (Midleton) 69:33. M55: 1 Neilus Aherne (Midleton) 65:31; 2 Joe Murphy (Eagle) 65:39; 3 Pat Twomey (Eagle) 67:23.
Women: 1 Ann-Marie Holland (Eagle, W35) 62:56; 2 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s, W50) 65:05; 3 Geraldine O’Shea (St Finbarr’s, W40) 66:58; 4 Esther Murphy (St Finbarr’s, W35) 68:15; 5 Maura Regan (Eagle) 70:06; 6 Ann Cashman (Eagle) 70:16. W35: 3 Niamh Cronin (St Finbarr’s) 71:02. W40: 2 Margo Dinan (St Finbarr’s) 71:39; 3 Ciara Raginel 75:31. W45: 1 Orla O’Rourke 71:16; 2 Eileen Buckley (St Finbarr’s) 80:27; 3 Breda Sheedy (Midleton) 81:01. W50: 2 Frances O’Connor (Eagle) 82:18 3 M Evans (Riverstick-Kinsale) 84:05.


The full results for Great Island 10 mile road race in Cobh can be found HERE 

Photos...
1) Doug Minihane has a large gallery of photos HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh race - Sun 2nd Oct 2011

The results of the annual 15 mile road race between Cork and Cobh are out now. The winner of the mens race was Martin Dunford from Limerick in a time of 1:20:43 while Angela McCann from Clonmel was the first woman home in 1:35:01.

A total of 737 runners took part which is down somewhat on the two previous years which were 800 plus.

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos.....(Updated 14th Oct 2011)
1) Sheldon Kirkwood has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Trevor Collins has 2 photo galleries.....
...a) A slideshow of approx 120 photos mainly around Glounthaune...HERE
...b) A slideshow of approx 130 photos aminly of the finish line ...HERE

Closing date for the MaxiMarathon is next Friday 1st July...

For anyone interested, the closing date for this unique 15 mile road race in Kerry is coming up on Friday, the 1st of July.

Basically, it is a largely downhill course which starts near Molls Gap which looks across at the highest mountians in Ireland and finishes down near Muckross House in Killarney National Park. The route which is part of the Ring of Kerry will be closed to traffic for this event so this is the only time in the year that it is possible to run on this road.

More details on the Running in Munster website or you can enter by visiting the race website......http://www.maximarathonkillarney.com/index.php

Results of the Cork to Cobh 15 Mile Road Race - Sun 3rd Oct 2010

It looks as if roughly 850 runners took part in the 15 Mile Cork to Cobh race this year, up slightly on last years figure of 802. That's a good turnout when you consider that there was another major race in Athlone today (....a three quarter Marathon with a €39/€49 entry fee) which would have attracted a lot of the Dublin runners. That said, there was a large contingent of Dublin runners at the Cork to Cobh race as well which is probably not such a surprise when you consider the cheaper entry fee (€10/€20 late) and the new motorway network.

As always, Cork BHAA put on a fine event with plenty of stewards and water. It's no small feat to organize a successful race over such a busy route. The new venue for the afters and prizes in the Community Hall was a big improvement as well as there was a lot more space this year. Now, if only they could get rid of that walk up that hill! ;o)

For the 3rd year in a row, runners were treated to blue skies and sunshine. Sitting outside after the race, it was almost like a Summers day. Over 15 miles, the weather can have a huge impact. It's worth noting that for some today, 15 miles was their longest run ever and as such, it was almost their 'marathon'. Trying this on a wet and windy day is a totally different story.

So did you run the race? What did you think of it? Was it your first time? Click on the comment link at the bottom of this post.

Results......The mens race was won by the in form Alan O'Shea of Bantry AC in a time 1h 16m, a time many would be delighted to complete a Half-Marathon in let alone a 15 mile road race.

The womens race was won by Angela McCann of Clonmel AC in 1h 33m.

Category Results.......(Subject to correction!!)

1 Alan O’Shea (HSE) 76:51; 2 Sandis Bralitis (West Waterford) 81:19; 3 Colin Merritt (Army) 82:18; 4 C O’Connor (DSD, M40) 84:03; 5 Cathal O’Connell (UCC, M45) 84:06; 6 John Meade (Joyce Woulfe) 84:40.


M40: 3 V Turcan (Clonmel) 89:28; 4 Tom Laffan (HSE) 89:52.


M45: 2 Liam Cotter (Kerry Foods) 89:32; 3 G Daly (Dublin City Co) 92:09.


M50: 1 J Kenny (Kilmurry-Ibrick) 91:14; 2 Tom Shanahan (Riocht) 92:09; 3 J Casey (Galtee Runners) 92:23.


M55: 1 Joe Murphy (Cork Co Co) 1:44:57; 2 Willie O’Riordan (Army) 1:45:37; 3 John Quigley (Statsol) 1:46:03.


M60: 1 Maurice Tobin (Avondhu Motor Factors) 1:45:30; 2 John Holland (An Post/Eircom) 1:54:56; 3 J O’Halloran (ESB) 1:55:22.

Women: 1 Angela McCann (Clonmel, F35) 93:52; 2 Tracey Roche (Dooneen) 98:40; 3 G O’Donovan (unatt) 1:40:41; 4 Mary Sweeney (Private Hospitals, F50) 1:46:18; 5 M Molloy (unatt) 1:46:40; 6 C Buckley (unatt) 1:47:08.


FULL RESULTS....Updated Sun 10th Oct

The full results are now up on the Cork BHAA website

Photos.....In the meantime, here are some photos...
1) There are some photos near the finish line from 12 year old Clara Forrest HERE

Up and Over the bridge at Belvelly

 

Runners passing Fota....some wearing shades....others fast asleep...

Naughty runner with headphones...

Leaving Cork City and heading for Cobh...

One down....Fourteen to go

2) Another great slideshow from Doug Minihane at the 1 mile mark HERE

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 Mile road race - Sun 3rd Oct 2010

At last, one of the highlights on the Cork road racing calendar....the annual Cork BHAA Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race. Last year, 800 runners took part and when you consider that it is a 15 mile road race, that's an exceptional number. In terms of numbers actually running, this is the 3rd largest event in Cork after the Cork City Marathon and the Ballycotton 10.

What's the attraction?.........For some, it's at just the right time....3 weeks before the Dublin Marathon and a great way to see what condition you are in. For others, it's the novelty.....being able to start a race in Cork City and end up in Cobh, way out in the middle of Cork harbour. It is certainly the only time you can run on the Cork to Cobh road safely. This is a race organized by runners for runners and only costs €20 to enter on the day...........while the pre-entry fee was a snip at €10 and that includes a t-shirt! So, on with the preview...

How to enter.......If you have pre-entered then you should have got your race number in the post by now. If you are new to the running scene then all you have to do is to turn up at the start, no need to go to the hotel unless of course you need to get a gear bag taken to Cobh for you.

If you need to enter then you should go to the Montenotte Hotel probably well before 9am. Just pay the €20 and take your number. Don't worry about the race t-shirt, you'll get that in Cobh. If you have a gear bag then look for the desk giving out tags and put your bag in the back of the race van.

The start...........Note that the start has moved!! It is no longer on Summerhill North but down on the Lower Road outside St.Patrick's church. In fact, the start is moving back to it's old location. Keep this in mind if you need to go to the hotel. It's about 800 metres from the hotel to the start so allow plenty of time!

Course...Starting at St.Patricks Church, we run past the railway station and towards the Dunkettle roundabout. From here, there is a change. Last year, we ran inside the hard shoulder for about a mile until the slip for Little Island. This year, we will be taking a left and onto the old road which passes Glounthaune church.

Then onwards towards the main roundabout before Carrigtwohill and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh. Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major, just one small pull near the 12 mile mark and another smaller one before 14 miles.

A big factor on this course can be the wind. You are basically running East for 8 miles and then South for another 6 miles before turning East again for the last mile. I remember running this many years ago when it was wet and there was a very strong Southerly wind. Miles 1 to 8 were fine but as soon as we turned South, the very wet t-shirt that I was wearing was pressed against my chest and I could really begin to feel the body temperature dropping (...by the way, you should never wear a cotton t-shirt in a race! Wear a singlet and/or a thermal vest). So, watch the weather forecast closer to next weekend and keep an eye on the wind direction.

Race Options...For those of you doing the Dublin Marathon, your choice is...do you treat Cork to Cobh as a training run or do you race it like you would a half marathon??? Some have told me that it is too close to the Marathon to race (3 weeks)....other have said it's not. What to do??? My opinion is that the Cork to Cobh race is an ideal opportunity to test out your Marathon pace. If you have a target in the Marathon, you should have a pace in mind. Say your target is 3:30 in the Marathon. That's 8 minute/mile pace. Maybe you would like a little bit of cushion to fall back on so say 7:50 per mile...that's your Marathon pace. Do a 1-2 mile warm up on Sunday and then run to Cobh at your Marathon pace. If you get to Cobh exhausted, then you need to revise your Marathon pace. If you can run the 15 miles to Cobh and you feel like you could carry on ok, then surely that's a good sign for the Marathon. Only another 11 miles to go!! ;o)
 
If 15 miles is the maximum distance you can run then pace yourself. Many people have ran this race before, felt great at Fota/Belvelley Bridge around the 10 mile mark and be completely exhausted by the time they reach Cobh. Keep something in the tank...take it easy until the 10 mile mark and once you cross over the bridge and onto the island, you can push for home.
 

The finish and afters......As in previous years, the finish is in the same spot but the location for the refreshments / prizegiving / bag collection has changed. It has always been at the scount hall behind the Catherderal. This year, it's in the community hall.
From the finish line, walk under the arch and up the hill past the multicoloured Deck of Cards houses. At the top, turn right and you will come to a crossroads. In previous years, you would have walked straight accross and into the scout hall. This year, take a left and continue up the hill. The Community Hall is up there on the left.
 
Other issues....
 

No MP3 players allowed!!!.........Now this is important. This is one busy road and it will NOT be closed for the race. It's not so bad for the first few miles when we are all bunched together and there is a hard shoulder to run in. But, it's a different story when you are passing Fota and get onto Great Island itself. There is no hard shoulder, the road is narrow enough and the field will have thinned out by then. You really need to be able to hear what's going on around you for this race. If you are thinking about wearing them, do everyone a favour....leave them at home.
 
Transport......Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...

1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork
2) Train...The train will leave the train station in Cobh for Cork City at 12:30, 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 pm depending on long you want to stay around after the race. The fee is €4.15. Correction....Note that the first train in the morning from Cobh back up to Cork is leaving at 8:30am and arriving at 8:54am. Probably only an option if you can leave your gear in a car near the start.

Water Stations....They will have a number of water stations spaced out along the course.....supposedly near the 3.5, 7 and 13 mile marks.

...and finally - If you want to have a closer look at the course, click on this LINK

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 Mile Road Race...Sun 4th Oct 2009

Conditions for this race was almost ideal.....nice and cool for the start, bright but not sunny with a very gentle breeze. It was only after the 2 hour mark that the clouds began to part and the slower runners got some warm sunshine to contend with. As for numbers in the race, I hear that it was somewhere around the 800 mark which if true, is a jump up from last year's 673 finishers. How long before they break the 1,000 mark?? In 2 or 3 years time??? Looking back to 2002, they got just 242 finishers. That's a big difference in just 7 years.

Results......the results can be found HERE.

Here are the top 10...

1 S Ciobanu (AIBP) 76:43; 2 S Bralitis (West Waterford) 76:58; 3 B MacMahon (Clonliffe) 77:43; 4 D O’Callaghan (HSE) 82:34; 5 R Zakis (West Waterford) 83:18; 6 D Kerins (West Limerick) 84:01; 7 C O’Connell (UCC, M45) 84:28; 8 M Boyle (unatt) 85:49; 9 D O’Leary (St Finbarrs) 86:46; 10 V Neumerzhitskiy (AIBP, M40) 87:49.

Photos.......(Updated Mon 5th)...there are several people out along the course taking photos so there should be a few galleries available over the next few days.

1) Paudie Birmingham has a gallery of 300 photos of the finishing strait in Cobh.

2) Marc Dalton of Mideton AC has a set of 132 photos at the 8 mile mark near Carrigtwohill.

3) There is another set of 259 photos HERE.

4) On the commercial front, finishline photographs have a set of photos at........well, the finish line!!

5) On the website RacePix365.com, you can search for your photo by bib number (...note...some of these photos are already covered in the albums above)

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 mile Road Race - Sunday 4th Oct (9:30am)

As far as I know, outside of the Marathon, this is one of the longest road races in the country. At 15 miles (24 kms), this is a tough race and a good challenge for many runners. It is often used by people in Cork and Munster as preparation for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of October.

Course...The start is next to York Hill on Summerhill North. We will run down the hill and then left past Patrick's church and then past the railway station and towards the Dunkettle roundabout. We stay on the N25, we run over the Jack Lynch roundabout underneath. (Please note that we will have to run in front of 2 slip roads here....one going down to the roundabout and the other one when it comes back up. Watch the traffic). Then we carry on and run on the hard shoulder for about another mile until we take the turn off left for Glounthaune, just before the bridge. (It was here last year where the nutter in the car was causing a bit of hassle!) Down towwards the main roundabout before Carrigtwohill and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh. Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major. A big factor on this course can be the wind. You are basically running East for 8 miles and then South for another 6 miles before turning East again for the last mile. I remember running this many years ago when it was wet and there was a very strong Southerly wind. Miles 1 to 8 were fine but as soon as we turned South, the very wet t-shirt that I was wearing was pressed against my chest and I could really begin to feel the body temperature dropping (...by the way, you should never wear a cotton t-shirt in a race! Wear a singlet and/or a thermal vest). So, watch the weather forecast closer to next weekend and keep an eye on the wind direction.

Entries.......You can still enter this race on the day at the Montenotte Hotel. Cost is €25 and there is a free t-shirt included in this price. Note the start time is 9:30am so get there early! They will take entries up until 9:00am sharp. Last year, they got 673 for this event after getting 600 the previous year. If the weather is fine, surely they will break the 700 mark this year? That's a lot of runners....give yourself plenty of time if you are entering on the day. Note that you can still enter beforehand by phone and then pay on the day. See the previous post.

For directions on how to get to the Hotel, follow this LINK.

No MP3 players allowed!!!.........Now this is important. This is one busy road and it will NOT be closed for the race. It's not so bad for the first few miles when we are all bunched together and there is a hard shoulder to run in. But, it's a different story when you are passing Fota and get onto Great Island itself. There is no hard shoulder, the road is narrow enough and the field will have thinned out by then. You really need to be able to hear what's going on around you for this race. If you are thinking about wearing them, do everyone a favour....leave them at home.

Gear.......They will have a van/truck AT THE HOTEL to take all of the bags to Cobh. You can re-collect your bag in Cobh in the scout hall which is up behind the car park behind St.Coleman's Catheral. This is also where the refreshments and prizegiving will be.

Transport......Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...

1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork

2) Train...The train will leave the train station in Cobh for Cork City at 12:25, 1:35, 2:50, 4:25 and 5:30pm depending on long you want to stay around after the race. The fee is approx €5. Note that the first train in the morning from Cobh back up to Cork is at 9:15am so this is not an option if you were thinking of leaving your car in Cobh.

Distance...If this is your first time trying 15 miles, then be careful to pace it properly. It's very easy to go off too fast and get to the 10 mile mark near Belvelly bridge / Fota and find that you have run out of steam. Keep something in reserve until you hit the bridge. If you feel fine, then push on. If you are tired, then at least you have kept something to get you through the last 5 miles.

Race Options...For those of you doing the Dublin Marathon, your choice is...do you treat Cork to Cobh as a training run or do you race it like you would a half marathon??? Some have told me that it is too close to the Marathon to race (3 weeks)....other have said it's not. What to do??? My opinion is that the Cork to Cobh race is an ideal opportunity to test out your Marathon pace. If you have a target in the Marathon, you should have a pace in mind. Say your target is 3:30 in the Marathon. That's 8 minute miling. Maybe you would like a little bit of cushion to fall back on so say 7:50 per mile...that's your Marathon pace. Do a 2 mile warm up on Sunday and then run to Cobh at your Marathon pace. If you get to Cobh exhausted, then you need to revise your Marathon pace. If you can run the 15 miles to Cobh and you feel like you could carry on ok, then surely that's a good sign for the Marathon. Only another 11 miles to go!! ;o)

Water Stations....They will have a number of water stations spaced out along the course.

Weather....Met Eireann say..."Sunday will be largely dry with bright or sunny spells, though a few showers are possible."...so it is looking good for Sunday.

...and finally - If you want to have a closer look at the course, click on this LINK

There is a flyer for the race HERE.

If you are not running on Sunday, perhaps you might consider helping out?? See this message from the Cork BHAA...

Appeal for Stewards: Cork BHAA urgently require volunteers to assist with stewarding the race. If you or your family (over 18s) are available to help out on Sunday nextplease contact Chief Steward Timmy Murray at 086 1091782 as soon aspossible.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 mile road race - Sun 5th Oct 2008 (Updated Fri 17th Oct 1pm)

What a perfect day for a road race...Blue skies, sun shining and hardly any wind. It really could not have been any better. It may be only the start of October but I can confidently predict that the 5th will be the best day of the month.
Last year they got exactly 600 finishers for this race. For the 2008 event, they got a record number of roughly 670 finishers. In fairness, the Cork BHAA put on a great race today.....plenty of stewards, plenty of water stations and a very good spread afterwards. No doubt the 300 plus pre-entries helped things go a lot smoother on the day.
It really is a very strange race. Most races take the form of a big loop with the start and finish lines closeby. Looking at all the people finishing yesterday in Cobh, the start line back in Cork City seemed such a long way away. Perhaps the fact it is so unusual is the reason it attracts such a big crowd? Certainly, it is the only day in the year that you could actually safely run on the main road to Cobh!


Mile Markers.......After the race, someone mentioned to me that thought some of the mile markers in the centre of the race were in the wrong place? Did anyone else find this to be the case? I know that in my own case, I was trying to keep track of how much I was inside 6'40" miling. I was fine until around the 9 mile mark when all my times seemed wrong and I got completely confused ;o)
Note to self.......the middle of race is not a good time to do mental arithmetic!!

Cars.........I hear that there might have been a spot of bother with some car/cars out along the road near Little Island/Fota. Some driver doing the maggot??


Photos........If anyone has any photos of the race, they might let me know and we'll see if we can get them up on the net for people to see. I understand that there might be a batch of photos ready sometime on Tuesday night for viewing.
1st Set..........Thanks to Richard Cuddy for this set of 261 photos taken near the 5.5 mile mark near Glounthaune.
2nd Set.........Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC came up trumps again with this set of 252 photos just before the finish line in Cobh.

3rd Set........Joe Murphy of Eagle AC took 294 shots near the 5 mile mark and near the finish in Cobh.

4th & 5th Set..........West Waterford AC have a selection of 56 photos on their website. They are mainly of West Waterford runners but there are a few others in there as well. Click HERE and HERE.

'Nutter in an Escort'

'Nutter stopped in his Escort'

Results...The full results are now available HERE.

Comments......???
"First of all John, I found your blog a very helpful source of information before the race. It actually contained everything I needed and I couldn't find anything elsewhere. Thanks for that great job! ........Radek"
"I agree, a great day and a great race - I must particularly praise the junior water station staff - incredible - Could do with them on other runs! The start on summerhill north was a bit bunched and there were plenty of fun runners too far forward. If the event remains this popular it might be a good idea to have a segregated start like the marathons or Ballycotton........Richard"
"Re: segregation, i would say that Ballycotton is one of the worst examples of this around. If you want to be near the front at the start, then get there early. To segregate a crowd of 600 or even 2500 (Ballycotton) would require serious manpower and effort, that unfortunately BHAA/Ballycotton cannot provide due to the voluntary nature of organisations.
Get there early is the answer. Too many people expect to be near the front as they stroll to the start line with 2-3 minute to spare. Don't complain if you are at the back of the crowd if you come late...(end of rant!)
I do agree that some runners make their way to the front even if they are 10 minute milers. This is a race etiquette thing that should be promoted a bit more.....Rich"
"Don't get me wrong about the segregated start, I know where I fit in and I had no problems yesterday. I did witness a mini-pile-up as someone dropped a mobile phone at the start and nearly got wiped out as they tried to pick it up.
I think your last point about race etiquette is the real point that needs to be brought home to people. If you are a 10 minute miler or it's your first time at a race then maybe a bit more use of the tannoy will prevent these people being pushed about at the start. While it is difficult to get past these people at the start, it must be harder for them being pushed and shoved by people getting up to speed............Richard"
"Hi John. Yep I think miles 9 to 11 were a bit mixed up. I was putting in around 7:08-ish miles but mile 9 to 10 took me 7:29 and 10 to 11 took me 6:55. The rest were fine. Nice race and felt like a summer’s morning. Well done to the BHAA for another well run event. P.S. Should have pictures of the finish later this week. ............Paudie"
"Thanks for the info Paudie. Actually, that make's sense because in my case I was running just inside a certain pace and I had a more or less constant cushion. Around Belvelly bridge, I thought I was actually slowing down and picked up the pace to compensate. In reality, I was probably running at the correct speed and then started to accelerate. No wonder I was knackered in Cobh ;o)
Let me know when those photos are ready and I'll stick up the link.....John Desmond"
"The car incident occurred halfways between the Dunkettle and Glounthaune junctions. I myself was running at the leftmost edge of the tarmac, almost onto the grass. A Ford Focus type car drove very close to the runners, and blew the horn loudly. Some minutes later, as we were making the left turn at the top of the slip road, we could see a Garda taking notes from the driver..........Donal O'Donohue"
"John, I have uploaded my photos of the race. These were taken at about 5.5 miles, just as you were coming into Glounthaune. Note that some of the shots were taken by my 5 year old, and others when I had a two year old in my arms, so might be a bit wonky. Please excuse quality. http://picasaweb.google.com/richard.cuddy/CorkCobh2008# .................Richard Cuddy"
"Excellent shots Richard. Interesting to see who was where ;o) Very hard to judge when you are in the race........John Desmond"
"Hi John, Great event. Well done to all. I've just one issue. Why did they move the start? I think its mad to start a race on a hill and then a sharp left to make it even worse!! I know they wanted to avoid the Dublin road but surely they could have made up the distance somewhere else along the way? Would like to hear if I am alone on this view..........Anonymous"
"Yea I heard about the guy at the start that went back to pick up his phone/walk-man. I heard something went flying off his arm and hit the ground. He ran on for a few seconds then thought better and turned around, ran back to pick it up causing a mini pile up. Sounds crazy.....Anonymous"
"It was only my second race and I thought it was great but Summer Hill was crazy..Perhaps along by the quay would be better and turn right for St.Patricks church and right again for Cobh.Most of the drivers were very courtious but a few were quite rude.Thanks to all who worked on the day......Ian.....(A very stiff 1st time Cork to Cobh entrant.)"
"Not only were a few of the car drivers dangerous (the person in the car with the Littleisland Lunatic was so embarassed she covered her face) but some cyclists dressed as cyclists about to race (not the slow ones supporting runners) were ridiculously dangerous especially on the Cobh road and should be ashamed of themselves.They were a disgrace to their sport.They cycled so close and so quietly that runners were very lucky no to be hit.There are enough roads that they could cycle on that there was no need to be where they were.We as runners do not go out and run in the middle of their races............Anonymous"
"Just to emphasise that the last comment was about cyclists on the Cobh road. Not about the guys near Little Island who were enjoying some good humoured banter with one of their buddies who was in the race. I can't say I noticed anything really on the Cobh road so perhaps it might have been where the road gets narrow. It might be worth pointing out that it is a public road and it was not closed. Any cyclist had as much right to cycle on it as we had to run on it.................John Desmond"
"And the walkers!! Was there a walking race to cobh on the same day? I had to duck and dodge between 4 of them on the bends near belvelly bridge. They were all over the place :-) ............Anonymous"
"One slight criticism, at Belvelly bridge a steward told the group of runners I was in to move to the right hand side of the road, presumably so as to cross the bridge on the footpath? Yet the water station immediately after the bridge was on the left so that either you got no water or had to cross the road again to get it there were a lot of cars passing at the time and it was an extremely dangerous situation.............Anonymous"
"I can't believe you got a photo of the nutter in the car! I was expecting it to be a boy racer though...............Anonymous"

"I was so glad seeing this idiot stopped by Gardi...........Radek"

"Hi JohnGreat race. I enjoyed it immensely. OK the start was a bit rough, it took me until we went around the corner at the bottom of the hill to get up to any kind of speed but i suppose thats what happens when you have such a big crowd. I must say though that the positioning of a water station just at a bad bend at belvelly was a recipe for disaster, people were wandering all over the place on both sides of the road when i passed through. In general it must be hard to race 15 miles on those roads without some incidents with motorists,cyclists,walkers and runners everywhere( still no excuse for the nutter in the escort). Best of luck to you and anyone else doing the Dublin marathon!.......... AJ "
"Did anyone else notice the number of people still wearing headphones in this race? I counted at least six despite all the notices. Even you John had it big and clear on this site. What is it with these people who do not obey the rules of the race organisers? In future their numbers should be taken and they should be banned from BHAA events until they obey the rules...........Anonymous"

"Hi there, I nearly got killed by that looney in the escort. He has done this before, the Gardai should take a closer look. Great event as always and the sponsor was brill..........John"

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 mile Road Race - Sunday 5th Oct (9:30am) (Updated Thurs 2nd 11pm)
As far as I know, outside of the Marathon, this is one of the longest road races in the country. At 15 miles (24 kms), this is a tough race and a good challenge for many runners. It is often used by people in Cork and Munster as preparation for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of October. Note that there are a few changes this year so read on...

Course...(Updated Thurs 11pm) The start is next to York Hill on Summerhill North. We will run down the hill and then left past Patrick's church and then past the railway station and towards the Dunkettle roundabout. Last year, we ran down onto the roundabout and took the slip road for Glounthaune. This year, it's different!! We stay on the N25, we run over the Jack Lynch roundabout underneath. (Please note that we will have to run in front of 2 slip roads here....one going down to the roundabout and the other one when it comes back up. Watch the traffic). Then we carry on and run on the hard shoulder for about another mile until we take the turn off left for Glounthaune, just before the bridge. Then we carry on as before....Down past the old Youghal Carpet plant and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh. Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major. A big factor on this course can be the wind. You are basically running East for 8 miles and then South for another 6 miles before turning East again for the last mile. I remember running this many years ago when it was wet and there was a very strong Southerly wind. Miles 1 to 8 were fine but as soon as we turned South, the very wet t-shirt that I was wearing was pressed against my chest and I could really begin to feel the body temperature dropping (...by the way, you should never wear a cotton t-shirt in a race! Wear a singlet and/or a thermal vest). So, watch the weather forecast closer to next weekend and keep an eye on the wind direction.

Entries.......(Updated Thurs 11pm) You can still enter this race on the day at the Montenotte Hotel. Cost is €20 and there is a free t-shirt included in this price. Note the start time is 9:30am so get there early! They will take entries up until 9:00am sharp. Last year, they got 600 for this event. If the weather is fine, expect to see as many again if not closer to 650-700. That's a lot of runners....give yourself plenty of time if you are entering on the day.

For directions on how to get to the Hotel, follow this LINK.

No MP3 players allowed!!!.........Now this is important. This is one busy road and it will NOT be closed for the race. It's not so bad for the first few miles when we are all bunched together and there is a hard shoulder to run in. But, it's a different story when you are passing Fota and get onto Great Island itself. There is no hard shoulder, the road is narrow enough and the field will have thinned out by then. You really need to be able to hear what's going on around you for this race. If you are thinking about wearing them, do everyone a favour....leave them at home.

Gear.......(Updated Thurs 11pm) For anyone who pre-entered, you should have got a tag with your race number in the post. If you enter on the day, the BHAA will provide tags in the Hotel for your bag. They will have a van/truck AT THE HOTEL to take all of the bags to Cobh. You can re-collect your bag in Cobh in the scout hall which is up behind the car park behind St.Coleman's Catheral. This is also where the refreshments and prizegiving will be.

Transport......Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...
1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork
2) Train...Well, not this year anyway!! They are doing some work on the line and there will be a bus service instead. The bus will leave the train station in Cobh for Cork City at 12:25, 1:35, 2:50, 4:25 and 5:30pm depending on long you want to stay around after the race. The fee is approx €5.

There is a bit more info about the cancelled train service HERE.

Distance...If this is your first time trying 15 miles, then be careful to pace it properly. It's very easy to go off too fast and get to the 10 mile mark near Belvelly bridge / Fota and find that you have run out of steam. Keep something in reserve until you hit the bridge. If you feel fine, then push on. If you are tired, then at least you have kept something to get you through the last 5 miles.

Race Options...For those of you doing the Dublin Marathon, your choice is...do you treat Cork to Cobh as a training run or do you race it like you would a half marathon??? Some have told me that it is too close to the Marathon to race (3 weeks)....other have said it's not. What to do???
My opinion is that the Cork to Cobh race is an ideal opportunity to test out your Marathon pace. If you have a target in the Marathon, you should have a pace in mind. Say your target is 3:30 in the Marathon. That's 8 minute miling. Maybe you would like a little bit of cushion to fall back on so say 7:50 per mile...that's your Marathon pace. Do a 2 mile warm up on Sunday and then run to Cobh at your Marathon pace. If you get to Cobh exhausted, then you need to revise your Marathon pace. If you can run the 15 miles to Cobh and you feel like you could carry on ok, then surely that's a good sign for the Marathon. Only another 11 miles to go!! ;o)

Water Stations....(Updated Thurs 11pm) Last year, this was the info on the water stations...I presume it will be similiar this year...There will be 4 water stations out along the course. The approx locations are........... at 3.2 miles just after the Dunkettle Roundabout, at 7.0 miles by Glounthaune Boat Sales, at 10.3 miles which should be on the Cobh side of Belvelly bridge and at 12.8 miles which is at the Glenbrook/Carrigaloe Car Ferry.

...and finally - If you want to have a closer look at the course, click on this LINK

Here is the message sent out by the BHAA...
Montenotte Hotel - Cork to Cobh Road Race: All of the race numbers for entries received up to today, Tuesday 30th, have been posted. Race numbers for those who enter after today will have to be collected at race headquarters in the Montenotte Hotel on Sunday morning. Late entries (€20) will be accepted on Sunday morning, up to 9:00am (sharp). Changing facilities will be available at the Montenotte Hotel and gear will be transported to Cobh for participants. Please note that parking at Montenotte Hotel is limited. Anyone intending to walk should be at the start line at 8:30am.The race start line has been changed for this years event. The new start is on Summerhill North which is just a short distance from the original location on the Lower Glanmire Road.
In the interest of safety you are advised to run on the left hand side of the road at all times and the use of of headphones is forbidden. Please obey the stewards at all times. Refreshments and prizegiving will be in the Scout Hall in Cobh. As regards the return trip commonly taken by many back to Cork City, the usual rail service will not be in operation on Sunday next. However, a replacement bus service will be in place every 60 minutes on the half hour - fare €3.75.
Finally, an appeal for assistance. If you or any of your colleagues are not participating in the race, we would appreciate it if you could help us with stewarding, water stations etc. Please phone John Mohally at 4541384 or 087 9533798.....CORK BHAA COMMITTEE

Comments...

"John,last year the baggage was collected in the penrose quay car park close to the start line(I was pre-registered so I don't know if this was also the resistration station)and brought from there to Cobh. Do you know if it is the same baggage collection point or will the vans be leaving from the Montenotte hotel?Thanks............Fergus "

"Fergus....I checked this out and the vans for the gear will ONLY be at the Montenotte Hotel. They will not be near the start line.........John Desmond"