Notice: Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 30th Apr 2026

Update: The Bandon 5k is now sold out with six days to go.

Official opening of the Bandon AC athletics track - 11th Apr 2026

The official opening of the Bandon AC athletics track took place on Saturday 11th of April 2026.

The new track is located about 2kms to the south of the town of Bandon on the R603 road to Kilbrittain.

The photo above shows the new track during a club training session just after sunset. If you look carefully, you'll notice that it has six lanes rather than the usual eight.

The home strait that is shown below has eight lanes and that's used for events like 100m sprint or the 110m hurdles.

You'll notice that it's not just a track, it has the full facilities for the infield disciplines as well. You can see the throwing cage above for the hammer and discus and the runway for the pole vault above.

They have two sand pits and 3 lanes for the long jump so they can have 6 jumping at the same time. You can imagine the advantage of this when there are lots of juveniles competing at the event.

The first track image shows the space for the shot put, javelin and the high jump. The only thing that is missing is a water pit for the steeplechase.

The home strait is running towards the west-south-west which is in the direction of the prevailing wind so there might be an issue with headwinds at times for sprinters although there is higher ground to the west, south-west and south shielding the site.

The site is about 90m above sea level and the local hills to the west and south-west are about 20-30m higher.

It's interesting to note that the orientation of the athletics track is almost identical to the new one in Clonmel, Tipperary... see this post.

The Clonmel track is located on high ground on the north side of the town and is wide open to the elements to the south, south-west and west whereas the Bandon track seems to have more protection.

Testing out the new track

In conclusion... The new Bandon AC athletics track is the third such facility in Co Cork and it offers more options for training and competitions not only for locals but for the whole west Cork area.

Bandon AC are holding their annual 5k road race on the 30th of April 2026. See this previous post.

Training session on the new Bandon AC athletics track - Tues 17th Feb 2026

Tues 17th Feb 2026: - Just a quick post to note that Bandon AC are holding their first training session this evening at the new 400m athletics track to the south of the town.

Work is still ongoing on its development but the track itself is finished and ready for use.

A higher resolution version of the image above can be seen on the Running in Cork Facebook page.

Some photos of the track can also be seen in this previous post from January 2026... Work continues on the new athletics track in Bandon

The Bandon AC 5k is coming up on Thurs 30th of Apr 2026 and the proceeds from the race go towards the development of the athletics track.

Endurance cyclist raises over €1400 for new athletics track in Bandon

Declan Fitzgerald is an endurance cyclist from west Cork and he recently presented a cheque of €1438 to Bandon AC for their new athletics track fund.

Declan who is known as the 'Pedalling Postie' on social media channels competed in the Mondello 24-hour race last June which involves doing multiple laps of the 3.5km racing circuit.

The sponsorship that Declan raised went to the new athletics track and Kilbrittain national school.

Work continues on the new athletics track in Bandon - Jan 2026

Bandon AC have been contracting a new 400m athletics track to the south of the town for the last two years or so and it is now approaching completion. The photo above shows members testing out the new surface recently.

The most recent update from Bandon AC was as follows...

"The final pieces still need to be completed, including:

🔹 Fencing for safety and protection

🔹 Infield lighting for evening training and field events

🔹 Essential equipment like mats and cages

Once we have approval to spend the Sports Capital Grant and complete the fencing, we’ll begin a phased move to training on the new track — starting with older athletes first, and expanding to our younger groups in the new year, once everything is in place and fully safe."

As can be seen from the photos, the track is pretty much complete. The infrastructure for the throwing cage is in place as is the runway track and pit for the long jump.

I presume it will be open to club members sometime in the spring of 2026 and it should be in full swing for the summer outdoor athletics season. It should be a major boon for juveniles and athletic clubs in the west Cork region when Bandon AC host competitions there.

Notice: Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 24th Apr 2025

Following on from the success of the inaugural Bandon AC 5k last year, the second edition is coming up this year on Thursday 24th April 2025 at 7:30pm.

Update Mon 21st Apr: Just 50 places left!

Entries HERE

Bandon AC are currently developing a full size 400m athletics track and all proceeds from the race go towards this project.

Latest info from the organisers: "Registration and number collection: Colaiste Na Toirbhirte from 6pm last number collection 7:00pm

Late registrations: This option will not be available if race sells out. it will be €25 on the night and will be accepted up to 7pm.

Work continues on new athletics track in Bandon - Aug 2024

Bandon AC are currently building a new 400m athletics track which will no doubt be used by locals as well as many of the clubs in the west Cork region. An artists impression of the facility is shown above.

The photo above shows what it looked like in the spring of 2024. Proceeds from the club's 5k road race last April went towards this project.

The latest photo taken in August of 2024 shows that a lot of the ground work is now completed. 

The club has a fundraising goal of €550k for the first phase of the development.

The new track is located about 3kms to the south of Bandon on the R603 road to Kilbrittain.

Results & Photos of the Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 25th Apr 2024

First place finish for Gavin Kenny of Bandon AC

The inaugural Bandon AC 5k road race was held on Thursday 25th April 2024 with 327 runners crossing the finish line. For a new race on a wet evening, that's a very good turnout.

Proceeds from this race goes towards the development of a new 400m athletics track which will be great not only for juveniles in Bandon but the whole West Cork region.

Top 3 men & women...
 Pl. Name YOB Club/City/Country Cat. Subcat. # Gross
1 Gavin KENNY Bandon A.C. M MS 159 15:34
2 Finn YORE West Muskerry A.C. M MU18 446 15:47
3 John LONGAN St. Finbarrs A.C. M MS 169 16:01
10 Hannah STEEDS Leevale A.C. F FS 344 16:38
23 Catherine MURPHY Eagle A.C. F F40 230 17:49
26 Jen MARTIN F FS 190 17:57

Full results HERE

First 3 women (L-R)... Jan Martin 3rd, Hannah Steeds 1st & Catherine Murphy 2nd.

Some members of the host club... Bandon AC

Photos...
1) Mick Dooley has some pre-race photos HERE and some finish line photos HERE

Notice: Bandon AC 5k road race - Thurs 25th Apr 2024

The Bandon AC 5k is a brand new road race on the calendar and it's coming up on Thursday 25th April 2024 at 7:30pm.

Entries HERE

Latest info from the organisers: "The registration will be in the secondary school Colaiste na Toirbhirte, Presentation College, Bandon, Co.Cork. The school is located on the bypass and is right next to where the race will start from.

Registration on the night will be open from 18:00. Online entries will be closed at 7:30pm on the 24th April. We will accept Late Entries on the night (€ 20 to enter then), this will be closed strictly at 18:30.

Parking: There will be limited parking around registration, there is plenty of parking in the town of Bandon (GAA club should have some parking available), but please do not park in any housing estates near the startline. There will also be parking in the church grounds- St Patrick’s on the night

We have been delighted to get sponsorship from Supervalu, Lilly Kinsale, The Edge Sports, Callan Kitchens, B Fit and Wild Side Sports.

We have been overwhelmed with the support locally and this has been a huge help for us in organising prizes and paying for the event."

Bandon Athletic Club are currently building a new 400m athletics track and as you might imagine, it's an expensive project. Proceeds from the race will go towards their track development fund.

Artists impression of the new athletics track

Course... The 5k course uses a lot of the old course that was used for the 5-miler on New Years Day some years ago.

Cork runners win Gold & Bronze at the World Masters Athletics Championships in France...

The World Masters Atheltics Championships are currently being held in Lyon, France between the 4th and 16th of August. On the opening day, two athletes from Cork were on the podium.

In the womens F45 category, Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC won Bronze in the 8000m race.

W45 8000 Meter Run
Results - Women 45
 1 Graziani, Zohra    W49 France    28:44
 2 Loubele, Nathalie  W48 Belgium  29:10
 3 Crowley, Carmel    W47 Ireland   29:41


In the F60 category, Carmel Parnell of Leevale AC took Gold in the 8000m.

W60 8000 Meter Run
Results - Women 60
  1 Parnell Carmel, Ca W60 Ireland         32:10
  2 Ryan, Anne         W60 Australia         33:44
  3 Pospeshina, Lubov  W61 Sweden      34:28

The full results can be seen HERE

(L) Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC (Bronze) with (R) Carmel Parnell of Leevale AC (Gold). Photo: Anne Gormley

Phil Healy of Bandon AC opens indoor season with win in Manchester

Top Irish sprinter Phil Healy of Bandon AC opened her indoor season last weekend with a win in the womens 60m race in Manchester. This was part of the Sale Harriers Open Series in Manchester held on Sunday the 4th of January.

What was even more impressive was Phil's winning time of 7.46 seconds, just a mere ten one-hundredths of a second off her PB of 7.36 and this was her first race of the season.

60 SX 1.12
Pos Perf Name  AG Age Club    SB    PB   
1 7.46 Phil Healy SB U23 W  Bandon/Ireland 7.46 7.43   
2 7.61 Rebekah Wilson SEN W    23 Sale Harriers Manchester    7.60 7.50   
3 7.71 Megan Hoult PB SEN    W 23 Kingston upon Hull/Hull Uni 7.71    7.71   
4 7.80 Alexandra Russell SB SEN W 24 Wigan & District/Liverpool John Moores Uni 7.80    7.67   
5 8.04 Abigayle Fitzpatrick  SB U23 W 21 Sale Harriers Manchester/Liverpool John Moores Uni 8.04    7.84

2nd race of the day...
60 SX 2.5
Pos Perf Name AG     Age Club    SB    PB    
1 7.47 i Phil Healy U23 W Bandon/Ireland 7.46 7.43

Notice...Bandon 5 mile road race - Thurs 1st Jan 2015

This is another race which might be of interest to people over the Christmas period...the Bandon 5 mile on New Year's Day.

This popular race always gets a good turnout from both West Cork and Cork City alike. The course is a mixture of town and country running with only one real hill of note. The race is being organised by Bandon Athletic Club, one of the major clubs in Co.Cork.

Preview......A full preview with maps, directions, photos, etc can be seen HERE

More info from Bandon AC......The next big event for the club will be on New Years day with the annual Donnough Coughlan Memorial 5 Mile race. There is also a non-competitive walk, will all proceeds from the walk going to the “Friends of Jamie Wall” trust fund.

Race starts at 1pm with registration taken on the morning in the Bandon GAA pavilion with registration opening at 11am. The walk sets off at 12.30pm and the run at 1pm.
Entry is €10 for the run and €5 for the walk.

There is a large prize fund of over €1,000 with prizes across a range of categories. Also, there is a €150 prize for a new course record!
The current course records are:
23.41 by David McCarthy (West Waterford) on 1st Jan 2014
27:53 by Lizzie Lee (Leevale A.C.) on Mon 2nd Jan 2012

Both the run and walk start on the bypass, go through the town and out the Kilbrittain Road looping around to finish at the Old Still Bar near the Mart. Prizes will be presented at the GAA Pavilion afterwards where there will also be a draw for spot prizes for the walkers.
Refreshments will also be served.

Scott Gibson of Bandon AC is the Cork City Sports Athlete of the month for Sept 2014

Scott Gibson of Bandon AC has been awarded the Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Month for September 2014. 17 year old Scott was part of the Bandon AC team that traveled to the Group B European Champion Clubs Cup Track & Field juniors competition in Leiria in Portugal back in September. Bandon AC were the only Irish team taking part and Scott won the 400m race.

Notice...Deirdre OReilly 5k run, Bandon - Sun 26th Oct 2014

 This new 5k is coming up in Bandon on Sunday the 26th of October 2014 at 2pm. The purpose of the event is to raise funds for the treatment of Deirdre O'Reilly who had a severe stroke at the end of 2013.

 The 5k is being organised by Bandon AC.

Here is some more info...Deirdre O Reilly is the mother of two young girls and is herself the youngest child of Michael and the late Margaret O Reilly, 14 Convent Hill, Bandon. On December 22nd 2013 tragedy struck when Deirdre suffered a most severe stroke. She has since been in the care of the wonderful staff at Cork University Hospital.  The stroke has left her with paralysis on her right side and with an inability to communicate her feelings and needs. But through it all, 43-year-old Deirdre’s passion for life and her special character is still beaming through. Throughout her life she has displayed a generosity and an empathy for those she comes in contact with. This is demonstrated by the fact that she has been involved in raising over one million euro for most deserving causes. Her infectious laughter and sense of humour is still shining in spite of her inability to articulate her emotions and feelings. One can observe, when visiting her, that she wants to make people at ease. A smile and an attempted wink to break the ice. The goodwill and support which Deirdre and the family have received is heart-warming and encourages everyone to continue with the long road of rehabilitation.

You can find out more about the charity HERE

Please note that the number of prizes are restricted as the purpose of the race is to raise as much as possible.

Course Preview......A full preview of the course with maps, photos and directions can be seen HERE

Bandon AC take part in European Clubs Track & Field Cup in Portugal

Over the weekend, there were two competitions held on the Iberian Peninsula for junior club athletes from all over Europe. In Castellon in Spain, the European Champion Clubs Cup Track & Field juniors Group A was held. The Group B competition was held in Leiria in Portugal and Bandon AC were the only Irish team taking part.

Scott Gibson won the 400m, Laura McSweeney won the Shot Put and placed 3rd in the hammer, Fiona Everard was 3rd in the 800m and 4th in the 1500m, boys 4x100m relay team were 3rd, Thomas McCarthy was 3rd in the Steeplechase.

The full results can be seen HERE

Excerpt From the Bandon AC website.....On Sat 20th of Sept a number of Bandon AC athletes, coaches and officials will be on a journey into the history books. The club have two teams competing in the European Junior Track & Field Championships in Portugal, not only is this the first time Bandon AC will be competing in this event, its the first time both boys and girls team from the same club have qualified to represent Ireland in this event. This is truly a fantastic achievement for the club and the people involved. 

Full report on the Bandon AC website

Bandon AC Open Sports...Sun 7th Sept 2014

Bandon Athletic Club were formed back in 1964 and in 2014, they celebrate their 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the club is holding an Open Sports Day in Bandon Town Park.

From Bandon AC......The Open Sports Day is being hosted to celebrate our 50th birthday and to coincide with the first open sports held in Bandon back in 1964. 

We are hoping for a competitive and fun day for both juvenile and senior athletes. Admission is €5 for adults, €3 for juvenilles/juniors and €10 for a family which covers entry to any of the events. Junior and Senior pre-entry is available which will help the organisers but athletes can simply enter on the day if necessary. The full order of events and pre-entry can be found on www.bandonac.org

The day starts with juvenile events at 12 pm with the first senior events starting at 2pm. Linking back to a tradition when cycling was a core part of many athletic events, there are 3 cycle events included on the programme which should make for an interesting change.

Please note that this was originally due to be held on the 24th of August but had to postponed due to wet weather.

Further info...(note the times are the same as originally planned for the 24th)
a) List of events
b) Order of events
c) Entry Form

The Open Sports will be held in Bandon Town Park....see map below. This is located on the Macroom Road.

From the Cork road...Drive in as far as the T-junction and turn right and cross over the river. Then left and a right up the hill at the next junction. Just keep driving and the Town Park will be on your left.

The Bandon AC website can be seen at http://www.bandonac.org/

Notice...Bandon Open Sports - Sun 24th Aug 2014

Bandon Athletic Club were formed back in 1964 and in 2014, they celebrate their 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the club is holding an Open Sports Day in Bandon Town Park.

From Bandon AC......The Open Sports Day is being hosted to celebrate our 50th birthday and to coincide with the first open sports held in Bandon back in 1964. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HAS BEEN CANCELLED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO THE WEATHER.


We are hoping for a competitive and fun day for both juvenile and senior athletes. Admission is €5 for adults, €3 for juvenilles/juniors and €10 for a family which covers entry to any of the events. Junior and Senior pre-entry is available which will help the organisers but athletes can simply enter on the day if necessary. The full order of events and pre-entry can be found on www.bandonac.org

The day starts with juvenile events at 12 pm with the first senior events starting at 2pm. Linking back to a tradition when cycling was a core part of many athletic events, there are 3 cycle events included on the programme which should make for an interesting change.

Further info...
a) List of events
b) Order of events
c) Entry Form

The Open Sports will be held in Bandon Town Park....see map below. This is located on the Macroom Road.

From the Cork road...Drive in as far as the T-junction and turn right and cross over the river. Then left and a right up the hill at the next junction. Just keep driving and the Town Park will be on your left.

The Bandon AC website can be seen at http://www.bandonac.org/

Results of the Celtic Games in Dublin and the Masters T&F Championships in Tullamore

There were two athletic competitions in Ireland over the weekend.

On Saturday 9th of August, the Celtic Games took place in the Morton Stadium in Santry with Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the Athletics Ireland Development Team taking part. Athletes from each team competed in the U16 and U18 age groups over a range of track and field events. The Irish team came out on top with a combined score of 184 points. Wales finished second on 160 points with Scotland third on 136 points.

One performance to note from this was that of Scott Gibson of Bandon AC in Cork who won the U18 400m race in an impressive 48.44 seconds.

Full results HERE

On Sunday the 10th of August, the Masters Track and Field Championships took place in Tullamore, Co.Offaly. With so many ago categories, there were multiple medals up for grabs with many being won by athletes from Cork and Munster.

Womens results ....... Mens results (Pt.1 mostly track) ........ Mens results (Pt.2 mostly field)

Phil Healy of Bandon AC awarded Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month for June 2014

At an award ceremony in the River Lee Hotel in Cork City today, Phil Healy from Bandon AC was presented with the Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month award for June 2014. Phil is just 19 years old and is already one of the top sprinters in the country having finished joint first in the womens 100m at the recent Irish Senior Track & Field Championships in Dublin.

Tony O'Connell of Cork City Sports presenting the award to Phil Healy

From the Cork City Sports........On the 14th June at the EAP event in Geneva Phil Healy ran a personal best time of 11.53 in the 100m which was a qualified her for selection on the Irish team for the European T&F Championships to be held in Zurich in August.

Also in June Phil ran a very solid final leg for the Irish women’s 4X100m relay team at the European Team competition in Estonia. Subsequently Phil has had a very busy few weeks in July. After winning both the 100m and 200m National Under 23 titles at Cork IT track she ran a lifetime best of 11:36 to finish 2nd after a photo finish in the 100m at the Cork City Sports and after another photo finish at the National Senior Championships in Dublin Phil and Amy Foster could not be separated for the gold medal.

Phil Healy of Bandon AC sets a new PB in Geneva...

There was a large Irish contingent of athletes at the competition in Geneva last Switzerland. One of those who set a personal best was Phil Healy of Bandon AC. In the womens 100m, the 19 year old Cork woman set a new personal best time of 11.53 seconds, improving on her previous best of 11.63. That moves her up to 7th place on the Irish all time list.

The criteria for qualifying for the European Athletics Championships this summer are...

a) An athlete must achieve an “A” Performance Standard within the Qualification Period for the particular event  on, at least, one occasion. 
b) Development Athlete Selections will consist of individuals who are identified/carded by Athletics Ireland as ‘Development’ athletes and have minimally achieved two (2) “B” standards within the Qualification Period.

The 'A' standard for womens 100m is 11.4s while the 'B' standard is 11.6s.

Phil actually ran inside the 'B' standard twice last Saturday. In the heats, she ran 11.53 and ran 11.56 in the final.

I presume this may be enough to see her getting selected for the European Championships?

Irish 4 x 100m relay team...(L-R...Phil Healy, Catherine McManus, Niamh Whelan & Sarah Lavin)

Phil Healy was also part of the Irish 4 x 100m relay team that finished second last Saturday...
Rang Nom Société Performance Beme
1. Suisse Swiss Athletics 44.14 (Kambundji Mujinga 92 / Humair Fanette 91 / Golay Joëlle 87 / Sprunger Léa 90)
2. Irlande Irlande 44.45 (Lavin Sarah 94 / Whelan Niamh 90 / McManus Catherine 92 / Healy Phil 94 )
3. Pays de Galles Pays de Galles 44.66 (Brier Hannah 98 / Thomas Hannah 93 / Moore Mica 92 / Johncock Rachel 93 )
4. Suisse U23 Swiss Athletics 45.68 (Kora Salomé 94 / Keller Charlène 94 / Keller Melanie 94 / Dagry Samantha 94 )
5. Suisse U20 Swiss Athletics 46.12 (Strebel Irina 96 / Del Ponte Ajla 96 / Kambundji Muswama 96 / Blatty Inola 98 )

In the womens 100m hurdle race, 20 year old Sarah Lavin from Limerick finished 3rd in a new personal best time of 13.23 seconds. Her previous best was 13.34 when she won silver at the European Youth Championships in Italy last summer.

A full list of all the results can be seen HERE