Cork runner Aoife Cooke wins the 2022 Streets of Portlaoise 5k - 17th Mar 2022

With a lull in events locally, a contingent of the faster runners from Cork traveled up the M8 to take part in this year's Streets of Portlaoise 5k on St.Patrick's Day.

Top 5 women in the Streets of Portlaoise 5k (L-R)... Ann-Marie Mc Glynn 2nd, Aoife Kilgallon 3rd, Aoife Cooke 1st, Sinead O Connor 4th & Lizzie Lee 5th

This was a big race with a total of 553 finishers with Aoife Cooke from Eagle AC in Cork taking the women's title in a time of 15m 54s and broke the women's course record in the process!

Top 3 & Cork runners under 19m...

27 Aoife Cooke Eagle A.C. F 0:15:54 0:15:56  
30 Ann-Marie Mc Glynn Letterkenny A.C. F40 0:16:00 0:16:02  
38 Aoife Kilgallon Sligo A.C. F 0:16:18 0:16:19  
44 Sinead O Connor Leevale A.C. F 0:16:30 0:16:32  
46 Lizzie Lee Leevale A.C. F40 0:16:35 0:16:37  
56 Jessica Coyne Leevale A.C. F 0:16:45 0:16:47  
96 Michelle Kenny Leevale A.C. F40 0:18:05 0:18:05  
102 Carol Finn Leevale A.C. F 0:18:20 0:18:23

In the men's race, Sean Tobin of Clonmel AC also set a new course record to win with a time of 14m 14s.

Top 3 men & Cork runners under 16 minutes... 

1 Sean Tobin Clonmel A.C. M 0:14:13 0:14:14  
2 Paul O Donnell Dundrum South Dublin A.C. M 0:14:17 0:14:17  
3 William Maunsell Clonmel A.C. M 0:14:35 0:14:35  
4 Kieran Jackson Ferrybank A.C. M 0:14:41 0:14:43  
5 Michael Harty East Cork A.C. M40 0:14:48 0:14:49  
6 Rory O Connor North Cork AC M 0:14:50 0:14:51  
10 Shane Collins Leevale A.C. M 0:15:10 0:15:12  
11 Mark Walsh Leevale A.C. M 0:15:17 0:15:18  
13 John Shine Leevale A.C. M 0:15:26 0:15:27  
16 John Durcan Togher A.C. M 0:15:37 0:15:37  
20 Bernard O Hanlon Leevale A.C. M 0:15:44 0:15:46  
25 Donal Coakley Leevale A.C. M 0:15:51 0:15:52

Full results HERE

Sweaty Snaps has 370+ photos HERE

Friday Jigsaw: Pat & Aoife at the 2021 Charleville Half

 

For this weeks online jigsaw, it only seemed appropriate that we go with the photo of Pat Walsh and Aoife Cooke at the 2021 Charleville Half-Marathon last weekend. This was Aoife's first race since returning from the Olympics in Japan and she finished first in Charleville with a time of just over 80 minutes.

You can find the 176-piece jigsaw HERE

Guest Post: For Aoife... by Pat Walsh

** For Aoife ** 🥰😘

The best of my friends have failed.

The very best have failed spectacularly.

All have got off their ar*e and tried again.

Not easy but we dream and go again.🤩🤩

If you never get off the couch of course you never fail

If you don't dare to dream you can never achieve f*ck all.👌

Please read the message in the picture. It sums up every runner who has ever toed the line at the start of a race.

All of Cork is proud of Aoife Cooke and what she has achieved.

My friend the Olympian and happy to know her.

We will put the great Cork Comfort blanket around her and no doubt she will be back, faster and stronger than ever.

All of Ireland is proud of Aoife and Fionnuala Mc Cormack and her heroic 25th place

2 Countries  (Ireland and Australia) are proud of Sinead Diver, fine daughter of Belmullet for her 10th pace finish.

Lads drive on, do the best you can. Thankfully sport can lift us out of the mediocrity and give us a purpose.

"but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

#pwr

Guest Post: Interview with Cork Runner Aoife Cooke at the Tokyo Olympics... by Pat Walsh

Cork runner Aoife Cooke is representing Ireland in the marathon at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Pat Walsh caught up with Aoife for this interview...

 ** Tokyo Olympics ** 

🏅🥈🥉

As the Olympics have started and the excitement is building to see our Irish Olympians in action, I went behind the scenes to interview our very own  Aoife Cooke. 

The object of the exercise was to show that behind all the obvious talent of all our chosen participants, there is a normal decent person that deserves our utmost support.

So whether it is ‘pulling like a dog’ for the rowers, ‘gloves on’ for the boxers, ‘ready set go’ for the runners or any of the other Olympians that pull on the Green singlet, get behind them and shout them on.

The time and commitment to get to this level is unreal and they do themselves, their families, their Clubs and the Nation of ours proud. So whether they get a medal, make a final or go out in Round 1, they are still heroes that get a chance to put one word on their CV. ‘Olympian’

🏃

Thanks Aoife for this opportunity and best of luck on the 7th August when the Ladies Marathon will be held. You know all of Cork will be behind you and I will make sure we get the rest of the Country as well.

☘️☘️☘️

PWR: Who was your favourite sporting hero growing up?

AC: Sonia O Sullivan and Mary Sweeney (Aunt of Aoife and a pure legend of Cork Running added by pwr)

*

PWR: First medal ever won?

AC: I was 8th in the Munster cross country championships when I was 13. There were medals for the top 12. I had won some team medals before that but that was the first I won individually 

*

PWR: Except for the PWR Mug you got for running a sub 2.30 Marathon what was the weirdest, quirkiest prize you have won in Athletics?

AC: Probably the vouchers for the Army Surplus Store in Midleton. Those were the prizes for winning the Ballcotton 5 mile races. Turns out I was going on a hiking trip to Peru that September so I was able to get most of my gear there 🙂

*

PWR: Favourite other sport you would love to be good at?

AC: Probably some sort of dance. 

*

PWR: Free flight anywhere to go on a holiday what is your destination?

AC: Hawaii 

*

PWR: Favourite musical band / group / individual?

AC: The Cranberries 

*

PWR: Favourite Album?

AC: Stars: the best of the Cranberries 1992-2002

*

PWR: Free ticket to a Live, Full crowd, Open-Air concert... Who is the Headlining the Gig?

AC: Queen 

*

PWR: Party Piece when cornered to perform?

AC: I know all the words to Coolios Gangstas Paradise 😁 

*

PWR: You are not on a strict diet for the Olympics what is your Treat Dinner?

AC: Burger and chips from Son of a Bun when I’m at home!

*

PWR: Are you a good Cook in the kitchen as opposed to a VERY GOOD COOKE on the Roads?

AC: I'm a decent cook in the kitchen but I wouldn’t make it to the Olympics for it!

*

PWR: What is your favorite movie about sports?

AC: Million Dollar Baby 

*

PWR: Pick? - Magnum or Cornetto

AC: Magnum 

*

PWR: What do you do to calm your butterflies before / while you compete?

AC: Breathing exercises. Listen to my running playlist 

*

PWR: Any superstitions or things you must do before you compete?

AC: Get a haircut! 

*

PWR: Would you beat me in a race if you were running and I was cycling?

(please be kind)

AC: I think it would be close, but I know you’ve been training a lot on the bike so you would probably win 😅

*

PWR: Favourite TV Comedy?

AC: Probably Schitts Creek

*

PWR: Are you an early or late person? What would your friends say?

AC: I'm an early person. My friends would say the same

*

PWR: If Disney turned you into a Superhero who would you be?

AC: Elsa from Frozen, or Elphaba from Wicked (their names are even similar to mine!)

*

PWR: When I write the story of this Olympics and Christopher Nolan makes a movie of it, who is playing your role?

AC: Charlize Theron

*

PWR: A motto to live by?

AC: ‘Life is only worth a damn because it’s short. It’s designed to be consumed, used, spent, lived, felt. We’re supposed to fill it with every mistake and miracle we can manage, and then we’re supposed to let go’

🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️

Now we know some more of the real person and I dare say there are many more like her on the team.

Feel free to give a shout out to anyone from your locality that is competing in any of the events and we will put the full weight of our love and support behind them.

Special shout out to Brendan Boyce (Athlete) in the 50K Walk. Although a Donegal native he resides in this area and we have often seen him in training. He walks faster than we run...!!

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity

To seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment"🎤🎼

#pwr #daretodream #Tokyo2020 ☘☘ Aoife Cooke Fitness

Cork runner Aoife Cooke qualifies for the Tokyo Olympics by winning Cheshire Marathon

Well done to Cork runner Aoife Cooke who won the Cheshire Elite Marathon in the UK in an impressive time of 2 hour 28 minutes and 36 seconds.

This was a qualifying time for the Tokyo Olympics! Well done Aoife!

A time of 2h 28m 36 seconds works out as an average pace of 5:40 per mile! (3:31 per km).

The Olympic qualifying standard for women in the marathon is 2h 29m 30s which is a lot tougher than it was in the past.

First 5 women...

Pos Gun time No. Name Club Chip Time Gender Pos Chip Category 

36 02:28:36 164 Aoife Cooke Eagle AC 02:28:36 Female 1 Senior Female 

40 02:29:04 419 Maor Tiyouri 02:29:03 40 Female 2 Senior Female 

42 02:29:34 313 Ann-Marie McGlynn Letterkenny ac 02:29:34 42 Female 3 Vet 40 

57 02:31:14 236 Rose Harvey Clapham Chasers 02:30:58 56 Female 4 Senior Female 

62 02:31:40 186 Beatie Deutsch 02:31:39 62 Female 5 Senior Female 

First two women...

Friday Jigsaw: Aoife Cooke in the 2019 Cork City 10-Miler

 

Best of luck to Cork runner Aoife Cooke as she travels to the UK this weekend to take part in the Cheshire Elite Marathon and chases a qualifying time for the Tokyo Olympics.

With that in mind, it seemed appropriate that this weeks 96-piece online jigsaw should be of Aoife back in the 2019 Cork City 10-miler.

You can solve the online jigsaw HERE

Guest Post : AOIFE COOKE’S 55:17 AT MALLOW...by John Walshe

Following on from the Mallow 10 mile road race last Sunday, John Walshe reflects on Aoife Cooke's remarkable winning time of  55m 17s.

AOIFE COOKE’S 55:17 AT MALLOW

Regarding Aoife Cooke’s time of 55:17 for 10 miles at Mallow last Sunday, this makes her the second fastest Cork woman (after Sonia O’Sullivan) on the all-time list.

The fastest time in the country in 2018 was 56:47, which Aoife equalled in tough conditions at Duhallow on March 10th. So to run a minute-and-half faster two weeks later amounts to a superb performance.

Lizzie Lee’s average pace in her half-marathon best of 73:19 in Barcelona last year equates to a time of around 55:55 for 10 miles, although in the National Half-Marathon of 2015 in the Phoenix Park – which she won in 73:27 – Lee went though 10 miles 55:40.

In the history of the Ballycotton ‘10’, just one woman – Maria McCambridge – ran faster than 55:17. It should be noted, however, that she did it on three occasions - 54:20 (2015), 54:48 (2012), and 55:01 (2013).

Although the 10-mile distance is not as prevalent in the UK as in the past, only three women (Eilish McColgan, Alyson Dixon and Steph Twell) ran faster than Cooke’s time in all of last year.

And finally to put it all into perspective – the fastest Irish woman over 10 miles is Sonia O’Sullivan who ran 51:00 at the Great South Run back in 2002. This was a world best at the time and still remains as the tenth fastest on the world all-time list.

Cork runners take top spots at the Clonmel Half-Marathon

Well done to Cork runners Michael Herlihy of North Cork AC and Aoife Cooke of Youghal AC who were the first man and woman home in this years Clonmel Half-Marathon on Sun 20th Aug 2017.

As you can see from the numbers in the chart above, this race is going from strength to strength and is testament to all the work that Clonmel AC put into it.

1 Michael Herlihy    North Cork AC      1:11:31 SM
2 Conor Mccauley    Leevale AC      1:11:45 SM
3 William Stephens    Coolquill ac      1:12:08 SM
11 Aoife Cooke    Youghal  AC        1:16:55    SW
56 Linda Grogan    Dundrum AC      1:27:58 SW
65 Joan Ennis    Grange Fermoy A C      1:28:30 SW

Results... http://www.premiertimingsystems.ie/2017-Race-Results/Boston-Scientific-Half-Marathon-Results

Michael Herlihy of North Cork AC putting his recent altitude training in the French Pyrenees to good effect to won the 2017 Clonmel Half-Marathon

Aoife Cooke continues her impressive 2017 season to add the Clonmel Half-Marathon to her list of race wins this year

Small section of the racers at this years Boston Scientific half marathon in #Clonmel @clonmelac pic.twitter.com/umWDXnzn6t

— Jonathan Ryan (@Tipperaryphotos) August 20, 2017

Aoife Cooke of Youghal AC wins National Intermediate Cross Country title

The National Intermediate Cross Country Championships were held in Galway last weekend and Aoife Cooke of Youghal AC won the women's title. This adds to the National Novice title that she won in December of 2015 in Dungarvan.

Aoife Cooke's victory came almost 39 years after her aunt, Mary Dempsey (now Sweeney), won the same race over a snow-covered course at Rockwell College in February of 1978.

Aoife also led the Cork team to Gold with a score of 27 points, two points ahead of Dublin on 29.

As you can see below, East Cork AC and Youghal AC turned out in numbers for this race and Youghal managed to take a team Silver.

ID Time PositionName Club Name Club Team County Team
274 20:01 1 Aoife Cooke Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork

207 21:10 5 Fiona Santry East Cork A.C. Cork
276 21:43 9 Ruth Millerick Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork
273 22:33 12 Evelyn Cashman Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork

272 22:50 15 Deirdre Ansbro Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork
206 22:57 16 Eadaoin O'Neill East Cork A.C. Cork
278 23:18 18 Louise O'Brien Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork

275 23:50 23 Julie Keneally Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C. Cork

211 24:20 26 Michelle Ahern East Cork A.C.

279 25:18 33 Margaret O'Mahony Youghal A.C. Youghal A.C

Club Team Points
Place Club Positions Points
2 Youghal A.C. 1, 9, 12, 15 37

County Team ...Points
1 Cork 1, 5, 9, 12 ...27

In the men's race, East Cork AC were in action and managed to field a full team to take a very respectable 5th place.

43 29:41 14 Kenneth Kelleher East Cork A.C. East Cork A.C.
59 31:17 26 Andrew Sheehan Leevale A.C.
38 31:19 27 Shane Harrington East Cork A.C. East Cork A.C
39 31:39 33 Brian Harty East Cork A.C. East Cork A.C
44 32:26 44 Kevin O'Leary East Cork A.C. East Cork A.C.

5 East Cork A.C. 14, 27, 33, 44 ...118

As you can see above, there were 5 men from Cork taking part. As six were required for a county team, Cork were not presented in the inter county competition.

Full results as always on the Athletics Ireland website.

Aoife Cooke, Youghal AC and the Cork team win at the National Novice Cross Country Championships

The National Novice Cross County Championships were held this year in Dungarvan with West Waterford AC being the host club. It was a particularly good day for the clubs in East Cork with Aoife Cooke of Youghal AC winning a national title. Aoife also led Youghal AC to a national team Gold and the Cork team to Gold as well. A remarkable performance especially when you consider there were teams from all over the country.

Club Team
Points Place Club Positions Points
1 Youghal A.C. 1, 11, 27, 48 ...87 pts
(1st Aoife Cooke, 11th Ruth Mellerick, 27th Evelyn Cashman, 48th Julie Keneally)
2 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. ...5, 6, 24, 54... 89 pts
3 Galway City Harriers A.C. ... 9, 14, 39, 42... 104 pts

County Team Points
Place County Positions Points
1 Cork 1, 10, 11, 16... 38 pts
(1st Aoife Cooke - Youghal AC, 10th Niamh Moore - Cork Varsity AC, 11th Ruth Mellerick - Youghal AC, 16th Fiona Santry - East Cork AC)
2 Dublin 7, 21, 23, 25 ... 76 pts
3 Meath 15, 17, 19, 32... 83 pts

The only other team from Cork was East Cork AC who finished 9th.

In the mens novice race, the Cork team finished in 4th place.

The links to the results can be found HERE

In a interesting twist, it turns out that Aoife Cooke is coached by her aunt Mary Sweeney who is a well figure on the local race circuit. Athletics Ireland have the story HERE

In terms of numbers, it was interesting to compare this year to last year when the National Novice XC Championships were held in Santry, Dublin.

In 2014, there were 133 women taking part with 16 teams from clubs and 10 counties being represented. This year, it was down to 89 women with 11 club teams and 9 counties.

By contrast, the mens numbers were up. 211 men this year compared to 197 in 2014. 24 teams from clubs this year compared to 23 last year. The number of counties represented remained the same...12.

Photos.......
1) James Veale of West Waterford AC has loads of photos of the mens and womens race HERE
2) Kieran Carlin of Finn Valley AC has a gallery HERE

Mary Sweeney of St.Finbarr's AC...Aunt & Coach of the womens winner Aoife Cooke