Results of the Bere Island 5-mile road race - Sat 18th Oct 2025

The annual Bere Island 5-mile was held this year on Sat 18th Oct 2025. There were 96 finishers which is down a bit on last year and most likely due to the rain.

Results below...

Long cycle to the 5k parkrun on Bere Island - Aug 2025

Back in 2024, Grellan McGrath and myself started a project to try and cycle to every 5k parkrun in Co Cork. That summer, we managed the long trip from Cork City down to Castlehaven and back in a day for #7.

In 2025, we went to Midleton for #8 and then in July, we made the long trip to Glengarriff for my 100th 5k parkrun and Cork parkrun #9...  https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2025/07/long-cycle-to-glengarriff-to-do-my.html

That particular cycle was just over 200kms for me so I knew that getting to Bere Island and back would be a two day trip for sure.

On Friday the 16th of August, I left my house at about 12:30pm and began the long cycle to Castletownbere. At about 1:40pm, I met up with Grellan in Ballincollig and then we were on the road. We went the most direct route possible which is via Crookstown and on the 'Bantry Line' to Coppeen and over the Cousane Gap to Ballylickey.

The last time we used this route was for the cycle to the Glengarriff parkrun. On that occasion, we went through Crookstown at dawn on  a cool Saturday morning on quiet roads and we were in fog for most of the journey down.

This time, it was a different proposition. It was a warm busy Friday afternoon with lots of people driving on the same road to west Cork. 

It would have been nicer to have a quieter route but any alternatives are both much hillier and longer. Any substantial delay would risk arriving in Castletownbere well after sunset.

Aided by a strong easterly tailwind, we made good time and arrived at the Cousane Gap in hazy sunshine. As you can see from the photo above, we carried quite a bit of gear this time in marked contrast to the Glengarriff one-day trip when we had very little.

Up and over the Cousane Gap and then down to Ballylickey for the first coffee break, about the 90km mark for me and 67km for Grellan.

Break over, it was back to the unrelenting tempo of pushing westwards to get to our destination before it was too dark... over the hill to Glengarriff and then down the long Beara peninsula.

There was one particular hill at a townland called Coolieragh where it was a struggle not to walk. Coming at 108kms, it was pretty brutal.

Onwards we went, through Adrigole and eventually arrived at the Berehaven Golf Club & Camper Park at about 7:20pm. We had made good time with plenty of daylight left but I was pretty much spent due to the fast pace and the weight of all the gear on the bike. I had cycled 130kms but it felt like 180.

After signing in, we then proceeded to set up the two tents. Why camp? Our aim was to get to each of the parkruns in Cork under our own power. If we had to do an overnight trip then it seemed more appropriate that we should carry our own means of sleeping rather than staying in a B&B or guesthouse. There was going to be no luxury on this trip! 😂

Once the tents were up and safe in the knowledge that we had some place to sleep for the night, we cycled the 5kms or so into Castletownbere for some food and drink.

Considering it was a Friday evening in the middle of August, I was expecting the town to be very busy. In reality, it wasn't or at least it didn't seem to be. There was still plenty of people about but I just thought it would have been busier.

It was still surreal to be sitting in the square in Castletownbere in west Cork considering that we had cycled there under our own power all the way from Cork City.

10pm arrived and it was a case of cycling back the 5kms in the dark to the camp site. Planning for the trip, we brought lights for the bikes just in case and in the end, we actually needed them.

Pressing finish on the Strava app, I had clocked a total of 141.2kms or 88-miles for the day.

The thing about camping is that it's the unforeseen things that can be an issue. I brought an inflatable mattress, an inflatable pillow, a blanket, etc. What I hadn't accounted for was  the noise from the tent flapping in the strong breeze and this meant a night of broken sleep.

The photo above shows the flag on the site horizontal in the strong easterly breeze. Bere Island can be seen in the background.

The next morning, it was a case of packing up the tents and gear and cycling the 300m or so across the golf course to the ferry for the 8:30am crossing. There was about 15-20 other foot passengers there who were also getting on the ferry, most of whom seemed to be going to the parkrun.

On the ferry to Bere Island

The situation with the ferry may not be very clear for anyone going to the parkrun for the first time.

The ferry that we got was Murphys Ferry Service which operates from a pier which is about 5kms to the east of Castletownbere. For 2025, the early 8:30am service on a Saturday morning only operates from the 22nd of June to the 31st of August. It goes directly to Rerrin on the east side of Bere Island and it's a 600m walk from the pier there to the parkrun.

The other ferry is Bere Island Ferries which goes from Castletownbere to the west side of the island. This leaves at 9am every Saturday all year round and you need to book the ferry in advance so that there is a space for you on the shuttle bus for the 7km trip from the west side of the island to the parkrun.

Parkrun finish chute with Hungry Hill in the background

After a choppy crossing, we left the ferry and cycled the 600m up to the GAA grounds which is the HQ for the parkrun. If you're a first time visitor then just follow the other visitors.

We were the first to arrive and there was nobody there. Within 15 mins, people and buses were arriving and the place was a hive of activity as everyone got ready.

The parkrun is one 5k loop around the eastern part of the island as shown in the map below.

After a short warm up on what felt like dead legs, it was time for the start of the parkrun. 

This starts about 100m from the finish line at a small little road junction. There is a memorial here dedicated to the memory of the late John Walsh who was instrumental in establishing the parkrun on the island.

The roads here are really narrow so if you're running at a reasonably fast pace then you need to be near the front. 

The time duly arrived and we were off! The Bere Island parkrun has a reputation as a very hilly parkrun and after an initial flat start, we were straight into a climb in the first km.

I knew in advance that there was an early first hill so I was expecting it but in reality, it wasn't that bad. I was expecting some soul destroying climbs out along the course but I fond them all to be pretty modest. Yes, they slow you down but nothing like you'd feel like you'd be tempted to walk.

The photo above shows just part of the course and the views. It really is a stunning spot with the mountains and Hungry Hill on one side and Bantry Bay and the Sheeps Head peninsula on the other.

Some might wonder why is this parkrun on public roads while virtually all the rest are in public parks or on walkways? The reality is there is virtually no traffic on these roads on a Saturday morning and the whole island is like a giant park. Other than the marshals at the various junctions, the only activity we saw along the course was people sitting outside their houses watching the weekly parkrun pass by.

Grellan finishing the parkrun

In the end, I finished 11th out of 165 finishers in a time of 23m 07s and it was exactly the same time I did for the Tramore Valley Park parkrun in Cork City the previous week. This suggests to me that the Bere Island parkrun isn't as hilly or as hard as some people say it is.

In terms of difficulty, I'd probably put it on a par with the Glen River parkrun on the northside of Cork City with the hill that you have to do twice. The hill in the Glen is certainly steeper but it's also shorter.

Before I did the Bere Island parkrun, I wasn't sure but I think I'd have to give the title of the hardest 5k parkrun in Co Cork to the event in Castlehaven. The title for the most scenic parkrun goes to Bere Island hands down.

After coffee and scones in Rerrin, it was back on the 11am ferry to the mainland.

Then began the long cycle home into an easterly headwind towards Cork City on the same roads we came down the previous day.

Eventually after starting the day with a 5k parkrun on Bere Island, I finally arrived home at about 8pm in the evening... a long long day. 

The Strava app showed I cycled 129.6kms / 81-miles for the day, In total, it was about 271kms / 167-miles for the two days combined.

Final thoughts...

Looking back at it, it still seems surreal that we actually cycled all the way to the Castletownbere and Bere Island for a 5k parkrun. 

If I ever got the notion to do it again, the sheer distance would intimidate me again. It's a long drive from Cork City to Castletownbere let alone doing it on a bike.

It was a great challenge to do but it was certainly a tough one. It probably helped mentally to break the journey up into stages and not think too much about the overall length.

The key though is pace. If the pace is modest, you can go for ages. If anyone ever gets the notion to try a duathlon of sorts to Bere Island then leave early and take your time.

Whatever you do, don't try to keep up with the former winner of the Connemara 100-mile! 😂😂

Guest Post: The 407th Bere Island 5k parkrun ...by Ann Marie Harrington

The 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork has been going since August 2014 and last Saturday was its 407th edition. The numbers taking part varies greatly throughout the year with a surge during the Summer tourist season and then dropping way off during the wet and windy months of Winter.

Regardless of the numbers, it keeps going week after week and this is thanks to the dedication of the team of volunteers who turn out regardless the weather. 

Anne Marie Harrington was a marshal at the event last weekend and she wrote up a nice account of the parkrun. I think it gives a nice flavour of what the event is like.

Run Report - Event no. 407 ...by Ann Marie Harrington

I haven't written a report in a long long time, unfortunately I'm one of the ones who fell out of running, then the pandemic, but I never got the running bug back. 

YET, on Saturday I knew I wasn't going to make it there to walk or volunteer, but I figured I'd get to the village to do the marshal role there. having arrived at the club house late, I ran in to get the hi vis jacket, and ran back to my car, 'tis no wonder I can't run a 5k when I struggled to run 100 meters. 

Anyway back into my car to get to the village before the first runners were due to pass through, I did, but needn't have worried as the first 2 were both well used to Bere Island parkrun. Ray Smith was first to run passed me and in doing so recorded with a new pb of 19.50. Following behind him was Michelagh Murphy, who was 4 seconds off her personal best. Seconds don't mean much in the real world, but within the inner circle of parkrun every second can be torturous, especially so close to your pb, next week Michelagh!

So I was in plenty of time to take on my role as Marshal. While I was standing around, doing nothing, with my mind wondering I took notice of what was around me. All the different sounds but not the usual we would be accustomed to this time of year, there wasn't a puff of air, no waves crashing, no rain pounding, just peace and tranquility. What I took the time to listen to today was the crows "cawing" in the trees, pigeon "cooing" in the distance, the smaller birds chirping all around but not being seen, and the rustling of the leaves, not from the wind (there wasn't any), but the dead leaves falling to the ground. 

Suddenly there was this thumping noise coming from the back road, I was transported back to reality. The first runner was coming, I didn't realise I would hear the runners before seeing them. So Ray ran by me happily knowing the end was in sight. He was followed by Michelagh, a sigh of relief from me as she also knows the route, like the back of her hand. Next up was a first timer, Robert. All I could do since I didn't recognise him or other first timers after him, or indeed regulars but not locals, was ask...

Me: Do you know where you're going?

Them: NO, well kind of

Me: Keep going, right between the purple and yellow buildings, past the piggery, (I wondered after if they knew what I was talking about unless the pigs were out), keep right after piggery, you'll see the volunteers at the finish line......OR

Them: YES

Me: Great, so you know to keep right between the buildings etc imagine telling our new event Directors Joanne and Jim where to go..

So between each passing runner/walker I found myself noticing their different styles of running, some ran light, some ran heavy, some ran on their toes, some hard on their heels, some had short quick steps, some had long slow strides, and everyone breathing was different. And funnily enough some ran around the cars while some ran inside on the footpath, I wonder is it cm's shorter to run inside?

I must say it was quiet interesting to see all the different styles of running, while they all had the same motivation- to get to the finish line, get over the last of the hills, to finish their 5k Bere Island parkrun.

35 runners/ walkers, crawlers or joggers were in attendance today, of them there were 15 first timers, welcome to our parkrun, we hope you enjoyed it and will visit us again. We also had 4 new pb's, well done to Ray, Fionn,, Breeda and Tadhg.

The moral of my story today is by volunteering in different roles you can find different ways of enjoying a sat morning. I will volunteer as Marshal again.

Before finishing I must welcome Joanne and Jim as our new joint event directors, they have big shoes to fill. John Walsh has stood down as Event Director after 9 years at the helm. John had a vision he had to sell to not only us islanders but to neighbours near and far. I don't think he realised his vision would bring people from all around the world to our beautiful island and our unique parkrun. Thank you John for bringing parkrun to Bere Island, Joanne and Jim we welcome ye to you're new roles, thank you both for taking up the reigns, the very best of luck.

As ever thanks to Edel and crew for the post run refreshments, Edel and her crew Michelagh and Breandan do the parkrun every week.

Thanks to Colum and Bere Island Ferries for the extra ferry and the bus to transport our main landers. 

And our volunteers, we couldn't do this without ye, were always looking for more so if you have a sat morning free please take up a role, to let others run or walk.

Annie

Full set of results and volunteers... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/407/

Proinnsias O'Keeffe completes 250 parkruns

Well done to Proinnsias O'Keeffe who recently completed his 250th 5k parkrun! The venue chosen for #250 was at the 5k parkrun on Bere Island.

Looking at the stats, this is a breakdown for the vast majority of parkruns that Proinnsias completed...

Ballincollig parkrun 103
Bere Island parkrun 91
Macroom Castle Demesne parkrun 19
Glen River parkrun 6
Tramore Valley parkrun, Cork 6

Results of the Bere Island 5-mile road race - Sat 16th Oct 2021

A grand total of 72 runners turned out for this 5-mile road race on Bere Island in West Cork. The 2020 edition of this race was cancelled in 2020 and when it was held in October of 2019, it had 94 finishers so it's down around 23% this year.

Top 3 men & women...

1128 1 Conor Murphy Kenmare A.C. M40 0:32:23 0:32:23  
1121 2 Patrick Mc Carthy M50 0:32:43 0:32:43  
269 3 James Murphy Tara A.C. M40 0:33:15 0:33:15
1544 6 Deirdre O'Sullivan Beara A.C. F40 0:35:10 0:35:10  
277 9 Clare O Shea F 0:36:16 0:36:16  
1129 10 Nina Murphy F30 0:36:29 0:36:29

Full results HERE

Photos...

1) Joe & Anne Murphy have a gallery HERE

And they're off!...start of the 2021 Bere Island 5-mile - Photo: Anne Murphy

Results & Photos of the Bere Island 5 mile race - Sat 12th Oct 2019

The main man Jerry Forde on Bere Island in West Cork

From Beara AC.... A sunny and bright October afternoon on Bere Island and where else in the world would you want to be. Bere Islanders were delighted with the turn out of 94 runners on this new tough hilly course that heads deep (and up) into the island.

Andrew Butcher and Kevin Gleeson renewed their rivalry from Allihies three weeks ago but neither could match the pace of Owen Fletcher from Clonsilla, Dublin who covered this hilly course in 30m 33s after running a modest 25 minute in the local parkrun. 

1    0:30:33    FLETCHER, Owen    Clonsilla    MS    06:06.5    265
2    0:32:58    O'SULLIVAN, Andrew    Castletownbere    MS    06:35.5    119
3    0:34:48    GLEESON, Kevin    Castletownbere    MS    06:57.5    122
13    0:38:19    MURPHY, Nina    Beara AC    FS    07:39.6    107

15    0:39:56    ANDERSON, Helen    Clonakilty    F40    07:59.0    268
20    0:41:10    HURLEY, Maria    Bantry AC    F50    08:13.8    134


Photos...
1) Joe and Anne Murphy has two galleries... Start ... near the finish

Full results with prize list below...

1    0:30:33    FLETCHER, Owen    Clonsilla    MS    06:06.5    265
2    0:32:58    O'SULLIVAN, Andrew    Castletownbere    MS    06:35.5    119
3    0:34:48    GLEESON, Kevin    Castletownbere    MS    06:57.5    122
4    0:34:54    CORNFORTH, Anthony    Beara AC    M50    06:58.7    46
5    0:35:01    MURPHY, Conor    Beara AC    M40    07:00.1    57
6    0:35:29    SMITH, Raymond    Kenmare AC    M50    07:05.6    261
7    0:36:54    MCCARTHY, David    Douglas Meet Train    MS    07:22.6    103
8    0:37:04    MURPHY, Ben    Beara AC    M40    07:24.6    138

Notice: Bere Island 5 mile race - Sat 12th Oct 2019

This 5 mile road race on Bere Island in West Cork is coming up on Saturday the 12th of October 2019. In terms of location, it must be one of the most scenic spots in the county.

This is a brand new race on the calendar and takes place in the centre of the island.

Entries... The race starts at 2:30pm and it costs €12 on the day. You can also pre-enter online for €10.60 by going to this LINK

For more info, see below...

Bere Island parkrun celebrates its 5th anniversary

Last weekend, the 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork celebrated its 5th anniversary having started on the 30th of August 2014.

To date, a parkrun has been held there on 271 occasions which includes special days like Christmas and New Years Day as well as of course every Saturday morning. The only Saturday that it actually wasn't held as far as I can tell was during the start of March 2018 when we had the icy blast from the 'Beast from the East'.


The chart above shows the numbers for all 271 events and the average number for all of those events is 48 participants. As you can see, they get a huge influx of runners during July and August due to all the visitors and it then settles down a bit for the rest of the year.

The chart below shows the average numbers for 2014 to 2018.

2014 is a bit lower probably because it started just after the tourist season. For the other years, it has hovered between 43 and 51.

The average so far in 2019 is 62.7 but that is likely to drop as the numbers for the remainder of the year will probably be lower. Still though, it should end the year at a roughly 55 or so.

One of the most amazing stats for the Bere Island parkrun is that they are able to host a successful weekly 5k parkrun despite the fact that there are only just over 200 people living on the island. Obviously people travel over it from the mainland each Saturday but it's still an amazing community effort.

I always think the Bere Island is a great example of what can be achieved. If they can host a parkrun on an island off the coast of West Cork then surely there must be loads of towns all over the country that could host one?

A closer look at the 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork

The 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork started back in August of 2014 and the latest one on Saturday the 26th of January 2019 was its 240th edition.

The numbers for each one are shown above and the one really remarkable thing is that they seem to have only missed one Saturday in all that time. At the start of March 2018, the 'Beast from the East' brought cold icy conditions to all of Ireland and most of the parkruns had to be cancelled that weekend.

Also shown is the start of the Glengarriff 5k parkrun which is the closest event. The dip shown there is actually in December where as Glengarriff started in January of 2016. It's doesn't seem to have had any impact on the Bere Island numbers. 

The one obvious feature of the Bere Island parkrun is that it's in a pretty exposed location. There must have been days when it was wet and miserable but they still ploughed on regardless. It's a credit to the organisers for the obvious amount of work they put into it.

The numbers as you can see fluctuate quite a lot. In the winter months, they're often down to 20-30 where as in the holiday season in August, there are obvious spikes with all the visitors.

The Bere Island parkrun also has the distinct advantage of being the most scenic 5k parkrun in the country... once the sun is shining! :o)

According to the Bere Island parkrun website, a total of 1548 registered runners have taken part to date and that doesn't account for all the unregistered people. That's pretty amazing considering it's on an island and not the mainland.

The average number per week for all 240 events is 45.6 which again is good considering it's on an island.

I have calculated the average number per week for every year since it started and the chart is shown below. As you can seen, the numbers are actually remarkably consistent. 2015 was the peak year but not really by much. It's not really growing or shrinking, it's just pretty much steady. The actual average for 2018 was 46.7 which is very close to the long term average.

If you're down in West Cork in 2019, consider giving the Bere Island 5k parkrun a try.

Link...
1) Website... http://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/

West Cork Island Run Series... July & August 2018

The West Cork Islands Run Series consists of running events on islands in West Cork during the months of July and August 2018. While the first one on Bere Island is a timed event, the remainder are more of a fun run format with the aim of getting people to visit the islands.

If the weather is nice, each one would make for a stunning run.

The details for the four in 2018 are shown below...

Cork... Sat 14th July (1pm)... Bere Island Midsummer Run 5k & 10k ... €20 ... includes t-shirt ... Event # 1 of 4 in the West Cork Islands Run Series 2018... info...

Cork... Sat 4th August (12:30pm)... Cape Clear 5k Run ... €10 ... Event # 2 of 4 in the West Cork Islands Run Series 2018... 

Cork... Sat 11th August (2:30pm)... Sherkin Island 'Do Run Run' 8k / 4k ... €15 ... Event # 3 of 4 in the West Cork Islands Run Series 2018...

Cork... Thurs 16th August (1pm)... Heir Island Run 5k ... €10 ... Event # 4 of 4 in the West Cork Islands Run Series 2018...

Notice…Bere Island Midsummer Run – Sat 14th July 2018

This is quite probably one of the most spectacular spots for a road race in Cork if not the country. Bere Island on a fine day is an amazing spot with the backdrop of Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula.

There are plenty of races that are cheaper to enter but none are in such a scenic location. If you are thinking of going then it would really worth considering making a day of it rather than just going for  the race itself.

The races take place in Rerrin village at the eastern end of the island. There are two car and passenger ferries servicing the island...Bere Island Ferries and Murphy's Ferry.

You can pre-enter online HERE or on the day at the GAA grounds.The entry fee includes a dry fit top.

Full results with times will be available online afterwards.

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

For more infomation, go to the race website...

https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/

This excellent video below shows the 5km loop...

Bere Island parkrun is 3 years old

After starting on the 30th of August 2014, the 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork recently celebrated its third birthday! The chart above shows the weekly numbers for the last three years and it usually gets from 30 to 50 per week. During the Summer holiday season from late July to the end of August, there is a surge in numbers with an influx of tourists and visitors to the area. 

In many ways, the Bere Island 5k parkrun has been an outstanding success and is a model for other parkruns around the country. For any parkrun to survive, there must be a supply of local runners and volunteers to support it. While that's taken as a given for parkruns in large population centres, it's hardly the case with an island off the coast of West Cork. I often look at the numbers taking part in Bere Island and think that if it can be done there then it can be done just about anywhere in the country.

As the chart shows, the numbers turn out even in the middle of Winter when the tourists are long gone. It really is a testament to the energy and effort of the islanders that they've manged to make a success of this event. 

Some stats over the last 3 years...
Number of events: 164 (incl one offs)
Number of runners: 1,157
Number of runs: 7,815
Number of clubs: 104
Average number of runners per week: 47.7
Average number of runs per runner: 6.8
Biggest Attendance: 181

The Bere Island 5k parkrun is of course completely free and is organised by volunteers. It is held at 9:30am every Saturday morning. More info on their website... http://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/

Results & Photos of the Bere Island Midsummer Run...Sat 8th July 2017

The was no shortage of sunshine for this years Bere Island Midsummer Run in West Cork with a 5k and 10k on offer. Looking at the photos, a number of runners from St.Catherines AC, Midleton AC and the Wibbly Wobbly Wonders in Cork City made the long trip west. All of these visitors helped to boost the numbers and this year, the total was up 61% on 2016.

 It really is a magic spot and the Beara makes a lovely location for a weekend away. Add in the weekly 5k parkrun on Saturday morning and it's a good excuse for a trip.

5km...
1 John    O Shaughnessy    00:18:56
2 Billy    Murphy    00:19:08
3 Chris    O'Connell    00:20:32
1 Lorna    Santry    00:20:42
2 Anorea    McNamara    00:21:05
3 Loraine    O'Sullivan    00:22:24

10km...
1 Frank    Hayes    00:37:24
2 Shane    Harrington    00:38:03
3 Vincent    O'Sullivan    00:39:55
1 Alice    Coppinger    00:48:19
2 Kate    O'Brien    00:48:40
3 Sarah    O'Brien    00:50:19

The official results are now up on the race website... https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/results/2017-results/

Photos...(Updated Sun 9th July)
1) Proinnsias O'Keeffe has an album HERE
2) Carol Hurley has a gallery HERE

Photos from the organisers...

Notice…Bere Island Midsummer Run – Sat 8th July 2017

This is quite probably one of the most spectacular spots for a road race in Cork if not the country. Bere Island on a fine day is an amazing spot with the backdrop of Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula.

There are plenty of races that are cheaper to enter but none are in such a scenic location. If you are thinking of going then it would really worth considering making a day of it rather than just going for  the race itself.

The races take place in Rerrin village at the eastern end of the island. There are two car and passenger ferries servicing the island...Bere Island Ferries and Murphy's Ferry.

This year thanks to the Cork Sports Partnership, they have special dry fit tops for the first 100 to register...

You can pre-enter online HERE or on the day at the GAA grounds.

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

For more infomation, go to the race website...

https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/

This excellent video below shows the 5km loop...

Bere Island parkrun celebrates its 2nd Birthday

The 5k parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork celebrated its second birthday last Saturday the 27th of August 2016. When it started two years ago, it seemed like an odd spot for a weekly parkrun...i.e. on an island off the coast of West Cork.

As you can see from the chart above, it's been doing reasonably well. You can see the tourist season for August in both years when the numbers reach their highest. For the rest of the year, the numbers hover between 25 and 50.

Not only does it attract more visitors to the Island but it will have helped local businesses like the ferry and the café.

If you are interested in going to one then their website is here... http://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/

The 5k route for the parkrun is also probably one of the most scenic in the country. You can find more info about it on the Bere Island Midsummer Run website... https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/

Results of the Bere Island Midsummer Run 5k & 10k - Sat 9th July 2016

As luck would have it, conditions were pretty damp for this years 5k & 10k race on Bere Island in West Cork. The 10k race was won by Frank Hayes of East Cork AC in a time of 37:36, the second fastest time ever over the course. The winner of the women's 10k race was Ann Marie Hayes in a time of 41:36, a new course record.

5k
Name    Male / Female    Time
Chris    O'Connell    m    00:19:24
Billy    Murphy    m    00:19:57
Killian    Walsh    m    00:21:04
Joanne    Sullivan    f    00:23:10
Betty    Waslsh    f    00:23:19
Caoimhe    Hayes    f    00:23:32

10k
Name    Male / Female    Time
Frank    Hayes    m    00:37:36
Allan    Carr    m    00:40:13
Connor    Murphy    m    00:40:18
Annmarie    Hayes    f    00:41:36
Siobhan    Reddy    f    00:45:02
Alice    Coppinger    f    00:46:35

The full results can be seen here... https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/results/2016-results/

Photos...
1) The organsers have a gallery of about 160 photos HERE

Notice...Bere Island Midsummer Run 5k & 10k - Sat 9th July 2016

This is quite probably one of the most spectacular spots for a road race in Cork if not the country. Bere Island on a fine day is an amazing spot with the backdrop of Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula.

There are plenty of races that are cheaper to enter but none are in such a scenic location. If you are thinking of going then it would really worth considering making a day of it rather than just going for  the race itself.

The races take place in Rerrin village at the eastern end of the island...

There are two car and passenger ferries servicing the island...Bere Island Ferries and Murphy's Ferry.

You can pre-enter online HERE or on the day at the GAA grounds.

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

For more infomation, go to the race website...

https://bereislandmidsummerrun.wordpress.com/

This excellent video below shows the 5km loop...

Bere Island ParkRun celebrated first anniversary last Saturday

On the 30th of August 2014, the first 5km parkrun on Bere Island in West Cork was held and it attracted a field of 31 runners and walkers. Last Saturday, it celebrated its first anniversary and you can see the weekly numbers below...

For the last few months of 2014, the numbers hovered around the 30-40 mark per week. During the Spring of 2015, the numbers have stayed around the 50 mark with the occasional spike and it has stayed like this for most of the Summer. From mid-July, there has been a surge in numbers which was probably due to more tourists being in the area. The largest peak in early August coincided with the Bere Island Festival which was on for over a week. Last Saturday, 151 took part in the anniversary run.

All 5km parkruns are free to enter and are held every Saturday morning at 9:30am. When you consider that it must be one of the most remote parkruns in the country then the numbers are very impressive. It says a lot about the work and dedication that the volunteers behind the event put into it.

Photos...
1) Prionnsias O'Keeffe has some photos of the run last Saturday HERE (Facebook account required to view)

Some info from the organisers...

"So many people have supported us to make this work," says John Walsh of the Bere Islands Projects Group, "from the ferry operators who make sure our runners get here on time and run a bus service to get people across from the island's west end, to the volunteers who help with the marshaling and the practicalities of recording each runner's time."

“The islands minister Joe McHugh, and Noel Harrington TD, have given us great support too, and we couldn’t have got the project off the ground without fantastic help from the Cork Sports Partnership, the HSE (Healthy Ireland), and Matt Shields, the parkrun Ireland manager.”

The free weekly timed 5k event has attracted some formidable runners over the last 12 months including Irish Olympians Sonia O'Sullivan and John Treacy – CEO of the Irish Sports Council - and parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt. Running groups from Dublin and London have travelled to West Cork to take part, and the parkrun has provided a welcome boost to the island's tourism industry as regular runners from across the world look to add unusual destinations to the list of places where they've completed their weekly run.

"The event is going from strength to strength,” says John, “but we wouldn't be making that progress without the help we get each week from our volunteers."

"The beauty of the parkrun is that everyone can take part", says Carol Murphy who organises the event’s volunteer rota each week. “It brings islanders and non-islanders, young and old, runners and walkers together. There's always a great atmosphere, particularly after the event when everyone rewards themselves with tea and scones at the Bere Island Bakehouse!"

Results of the Bere Island Midsummer Run...Sat 4th July 2015

The annual Bere Island Midsummer Run was held on Saturday the 4th of July 2015 and attracted a field of 117...a slight increase of 5.4% on last years numbers. There were 63 in the 5k race with another 54 in the 10k.

5K
1    Murphy    Billy     20:17
2    Dunning    Steve     21:37
3    O'Shea    Aidan     22:22
1    O Sullivan    Joanne     23:48
2    Hayes    Caoimhe     24:46
3    Murphy    Claire     25:14

10K
1    Beecher    John     38:30
2    Fitzgerald    Shane     39:19
3    Hayes    Kevin     40:03
1    Reddy    Siobhan     45:32
2    Clancy     Catherine      47:05
3    O Sullivan    Lorraine     48:46

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Facebook account required to view)
1) Proinnsias O'Keeffe has a gallery HERE