Guest article - Road running still in the doldrums / Ballycotton in decline...by David O’Dwyer

The following article appeared in a recent issue of the Irish Runner magazine and is published here with their kind permission. It was written by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC and it touches on the the decline in times in the Ballycotton '10' and outlines some possible reasons for this...

This year’s Ballycotton ‘10’ was won by Sergiu Ciobanu who completed a 4 in a row with a PB of 48.58mins. Going sub 49mins is no mean feat but it doesn’t even put Sergiu into the all-time top 40 performances in Ballycotton. The womens race was won by Siobhan O’Doherty in a time of 57.32mins. This time is outside of the top 20 performances in Ballycotton for women. Is this a snapshot of where Irish distance running is at the moment?

It is easy to get wrapped up in the nostalgia of how times of 20 and 30 years ago were faster than today. Albeit taken in isolation, the Ballycotton ‘10’ is a window on the standard of Irish distance running, not just for the present but also for the past. As the course has not changed in 37 years it is an accurate barometer when the times of this year are compared with previous times and the stats make for interesting reading.

The popularity of the race is bigger than ever but the elite performances are still some way off the times of yesteryear.

This year was the first time that 49mins was broken since 2005 when Dave Mitchinson (N. & Essex Beagles) won in 48.26mins. Another notable factor of the 2005 race was that the next two finishers were within 10secs of the winner, with Seamus Power in 3rd position. All 3 make the all-time top 40 which has not been updated since the 2005 race.

The glaring question is; Why are the winning times of recent years not challenging those top 40 performances? Is it simply a case of not enough of the elites turning up to mount a challenge? It would have been a fair assumption that Sergiu Ciobanu was going to attempt to retain his title this year. Did this scare away any would be challengers knowing that they would have a proper race on their hands if they turned up? His winning time of 48.58mins was more than 2mins ahead of runner-up and former winner of the race, Alan O’Shea, 51.06mins.

Is the fact that there are so many other races on the calendar now also a factor? Perhaps the standard of athlete is as good as those of the heady days of the 1980’s and 1990’s but there are more races to choose from today and the Ballycotton ’10’ is just another race. It could be argued that the abundance of road races has diluted the competition at the business end.

The winners’ prize of €500 is not insignificant but is it enough to attract the current top Irish distance runners? A 10k in Dublin on the same day had €800 on offer for the winner. John Walshe, the Ballycotton ‘10’ race director doesn’t believe that money is necessarily a factor. Or at least it has never been a factor in Ballycotton. There have never been incentives to attract the big names and even when nike were on board as a main sponsor the prize money was not excessive. John Walshe believes that a more pertinent point is the lack of track races that the top guys are running. This is borne out by taking a closer look at those who are already in the top 40.

Closer examination of those top 40 performances shows that 19 have been set by 5 Irish athletes. 4 each for Liam O’Brien, Robert Costelloe, John Griffin, Noel Berkley and 3 for Jerry Kiernan. All home grown athletes who kept coming back for more. The last of these times was set in 2000 and since then Seamus Power is the only Irish addition to the top 40 from his 2005 performance.

A common denominator of those athletes mentioned above was the fact that they were all competitive on the track. Liam O’Brien was a multiple national champion in the 3,000m steeplechase and former national record holder for the distance with 8.27mins. Noel Berkley has 6 national 10,000m titles with a PB of 27.55mins and a PB of 13.32mins for 5,000m. Jerry Kiernan may be best remembered for his 9th place finish in the marathon in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but he has also notched up a 4min mile plus a national 10,000m title and is a former national record holder for 3,000m. Robert Costelloe also has a national 10,000m title to his name. Seamus Power, also a national 10,000m champion and the most recent addition to the top 40 has PB’s of 28.18mins and 13.31mins for 10,000m & 5,000m respectively, the former set when picking up a AAA title.

Even if the current cream of Irish distance runners were to toe the line would they push one another to break into that top 40? A few of today’s top distance runners are 28.30men for 10,000m but they are not racing each other on the roads. There are too many races and too few athletes at this elite level.

Noel Berkley believes that the decline in times being set is not just an Irish phenomenon. He believes that it is the same in the UK and the US with the odd exception. Noel believes that there are a number of contributing factors from lifestyle changes to the dearth of good coaches, in this country at least. Also over training is as much a problem as under training. “Anyone can put in 100miles a week but it is quality as much as quantity”. Liam O’Brien is of a similar opinion, “How many fellas are training twice a day? How many reps are they doing in sessions? It is probably 12-15 as opposed to 25-30”.

Both men also believe that societal changes are also a factor. Noel Berkley says that “In general terms we are a bit softer. How many guys are cycling to college or work in the morning, training afterwards and then cycling home again?”

Marathon Mission has as one of its entry requirements sub 50mins for 10 miles. Should this be now revised down?

The demise of the National Inter Club Cross Country Championships is also a factor according to John Walshe. In the past the Inter clubs would have been used in the selection criteria for the World Cross Country Championships and competition would have been keen to say the least. The sad demise of this race is a topic for another day but it is fair to say that it has had a knock on effect on the quality of performances in Ballycotton. The Inter Clubs would traditionally have been held towards the end of February with the Ballycotton ‘10’ on the first Sunday in March. If you made the Irish team you might fancy your chances in Ballycotton or if you just missed out then you might still fancy your chances as you would be in the shape to mount a challenge. This year only 3 of the top 10 finishers in the Inter Clubs ran in Ballycotton and two of those were from East Cork AC, the local club. Perhaps Ballycotton is in the same downward spiral as the Inter Clubs?

Sergiu Ciobanu in some respects is battling against the tide and is at least attempting to emulate the previous generation in that he had a real go in the Inter Clubs where he finished 3rd and followed this up with a new PB for 10 miles in Ballycotton. Who wouldn’t bet against 5 in a row next year? It would be interesting to see if anyone will mount a challenge…

Do you agree with David's points? Any thoughts or suggestions as to how standards could be improved at the sharp end of the field?

The next Ballycotton '10' race will be in March 2014. Entry details should be announced sometime in October.

Guest Article - Charity or Farce? ...By David O’Dwyer

Guest Article - Charity or Farce? ...By David O’DwyerRunning and marathon running in particular have long been associated with raising money for charity. The Dublin Marathon has raised hundreds of millions of Punts and Euros since 1980 and the London Marathon has raised some £450 million since 1981. Simply completing a marathon however is no longer deemed enough of a challenge for some fund raisers in their stated aim to raise money for their chosen charity. Some sort of edge is required in order to make their marathon challenge stand out among the other participants. This has usually meant some sort of gimmick in order to give their effort some additional novelty. The imagination is the only limiting factor in choosing something from wheelbarrow pushing to running backwards. I can recall an old news clip from one of the early Dublin marathons, possibly from “Reeling in the Years” where someone ran with a ladder on their shoulder! I’m not sure how they fared.

For many dressing up in some form of costume will ensure they stand out from the crowd and get seen on TV. British media coverage of the London marathon and the Great North run is particularly fond of such gimmicks and they receive plenty of TV coverage. These costumes can range from a Super hero outfit to a deep water dive suit! The dressing up in a costume won’t do much for ones performance though, mind you the record for the fastest marathon time dressed as a superhero was set in the London Marathon in April of this year by David Stone(aka Superman) in a not too shabby 2.42.46. There were apparently 35 new Guinness World Records set in London this year and they ranged from Superman to a Panda and even a snail. There was also some guy juggling a football and another solving 100 rubiks cube puzzles as he made his way round the course.

Consider for a moment the issue of falling standards despite the increase in numbers participating. Is it a stretch to say that all of this pageantry is a contributing factor to the overall fall in standards? It would be crazy to suggest that running in a superhero costume is somehow causing the overall standard to fall however it is not crazy to suggest that David Stone could run even faster without his cape flailing in the wind behind him in the London marathon. Yes the aim of the individual is to raise money for charity and not necessarily to run a fast time but is the quality of the event somehow compromised? Or is it a perfect marrying of the two extremes? On the one hand you have elite athletes clocking 2.05 for the marathon and on the other you have Krusty the Clown cartwheeling around the course.

The money that is raised for charity is all very commendable and very much appreciated by the charities in question but is it appropriate to combine it with the elite marathon running? Big City marathons are unique in that they offer the opportunity for “joe public” to run in the same race as world class athletes. It is one of the few opportunities for mere mortals to toe the line with an Olympic Champion. Is it somehow taking away from the race as an athletic event when Haile Gebrselassie is attempting to set a world record while Postman Pat is taking part in the same race? Is dressing up in a costume somehow disrespecting the elites in the field? This is certainly one point of view but the flip side is that it enhances the whole event. It adds a carnival type atmosphere to the whole day and let’s be honest here it’s going to be easier to run the race without wearing a costume so you could argue that it is even harder to complete the marathon while dressed as Mickey Mouse. 
This is no doubt an emotive subject and the knee jerk reaction will be where is the harm in it? There is nothing wrong with using marathon running as a method for raising money for charity and if anything it can be argued that it has helped to raise the profile of marathon running. However when you compare it with other sports there is no argument. There is no other sport that combines the sublime with the ridiculous. Would a Connemara Pony be allowed run in the Grand National, or how about completing the Tour de France on a BMX?

One idea that has not caught on is aiming to run the marathon in as fast a time as possible and getting the appropriate sponsorship money for that. Has anyone ever raised money by saying that they’ll run the marathon in a particular time and as a sponsor you give extra money if they beat that time? Now that sounds it would be harder to do than complete the marathon dressed in a Batman suit and cape.

Agree or disagree? Put forward your point of view by clicking on the comment link below...

Guest Article - Race Series........by David O'Dwyer

The following article appeared in a recent issue of the Irish Runner magazine and is published here with their kind permission...

Guest Article - Race Series.......by David O'Dwyer
Much has been written about the current “running boom” but it is only when you take a closer look at the grass roots can you see the origins of the boom and more importantly if the boom will last. The “race series” is not a new phenomenon but it is something that has really caught hold in the areas of East Cork and West Waterford. This in part may explain why these two areas are leading the way in terms of road running in Ireland when it comes to attracting people into the sport.

East Cork encapsulates a number of pro-active Senior Athletic Clubs and of course there is the efficient machine that is Ballycotton Running Promotions. Indeed Ballycotton Running Promotions claim to be the promoters of the original road racing series in Ireland. Their Summer Series of four races has mushroomed in popularity over the past couple of years where the average entries for each of the four races are in excess of 400. The series has been on the go for over 30 years and the main reason for the recent upsurge in popularity is that if you complete the series then you gain guaranteed entry in to the famed Ballycotton 10.....(Please note that this was the case. There is no guarantee that it will be correct for 2011...John Desmond)

East Cork AC has held a Winter Series of seven 3k races for the past 12 years. This series started off as an event for members only in an attempt to liven up the Tuesday night speed sessions. Over the past couple of years this series has grown almost too big to handle for a Tuesday night session with the numbers competing now regularly in excess of 150. On a cold wet and windy Tuesday winter night this is quite remarkable. Even more so when you consider there are no prizes given out on the night. The only reward is a long sleeve T-shirt if you complete 5 of the 7 scheduled events.

West Waterford AC also hosts a Winter League and Spring/Summer Series. These events are held on grass and road and offer a variety of events to all standards of runner. The club has shown to be innovative in its approach to hosting events that are attractive to the beginner as well as the more seasoned athlete. Staggered start times and an option to run 3, 4 or 5 laps of the cross country course are just a couple of the ideas that have proved to be so successful. Both the Winter League and Spring/Summer Series have had the same sponsors since 1994 with some events attracting in excess of 300 competitors.

The club also holds members only events and this helps to harbour a real camaraderie among members. In total there are in excess of 50 events organised by the club so there is always something to aim for. According to club chairman Tony Ryan, this is one of the reasons why the club attracts so many members. Tony states that the foundation of the success though is the very strong committee that the club has in place. The committee includes both runners and non runners and this ensures that the needs of the members are being met by the club.

Innovation seems to be the name of the game in Dungarvan where the club is based, a prime example being the latest idea which has become affectionately known among members as the “Breakfast Club”. This is where a group of mainly female members go for a run after dropping off the kids to school. West Waterford AC also has a thriving juvenile section but it is good to see that the adults are also being well catered for.

There are other similar race series around the country, Mayo and Galway spring to mind. Limerick is the latest to catch on to this idea where a series in UL has been taking place this winter. There are probably other series around the country that are just not that well known. The most famous series of course in the Adidas Dublin Marathon Series of 5 mile, 10 mile and Half Marathon races that are held in the lead up to the Dublin Marathon. This has proved to be a great platform for attracting new Marathoners.

Many of the Series’ detailed above have been taking place for a number of years. There has been little or no official input from Athletics Ireland – this is not a criticism but perhaps the governing body could learn some lessons from these organisers. There is no reason why such events cannot take place elsewhere in the country. Some excellent work is being done by the Regional Development Officers with regard to attracting the young kids into the sport but let’s not forget about the adults. There is no point in getting the kids interested if there isn’t a whole lot there for them when they get older.

Guest Article....Race Entries - Value for money?
On a recent post after the Ballycotton '10', I raised the question of why Ballycotton Running Promotions could organise a major 10 mile race race for €15 yet some other Half-Marathon events are charging €40, €50 or even €60!! With that in mind, I am reprinting an article here by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC on the subject of race entry fees. This appeared in a recent issue of the Irish Runner magazine and it is re-printed here on this website by kind permission of Frank Greally, the editor of the magazine. 


Race Entries.......Value for Money?........by David O'Dwyer
A hot topic of late is the price of race entries and how they can vary so much between comparable events around the country. What are the criteria that determine the entry fee for a race? Are competitors being adequately catered for? Are athletes getting value for money? All of this of course depends on what the primary aim of the race organiser is. Is it to provide a quality race or is it to make money?

 

 

This dicotomy is probably responsible for the significant difference in entry fees between comparable events. How else can the entry fee for say a Half Marathon in Cork vary from as little as €20 to as much as €60 for a Half Marathon elsewhere in the country? To add further to the discussion the race with the cheaper entry fee often offer a better deal to the athlete, not just in terms of prize fund but in overall organisation.

 

 

Many of the long standing races are hosted by athletic clubs or organisations with the proceeds of the race going directly back into the sport in some shape or form. Two examples of these would be the Dungarvan 10 hosted by West Waterford AC and the Ballycotton 10 organised by Ballytcotton Running Promotions. The entry fee for these races is €20 and €15 respectively. These are two of the more popular high profile 10 mile races that are well attended and well organised. Despite the relatively modest entry fee there is still a substantial prize fund that caters for the top 10 finishers and also the top 3 in most masters’ categories. Team prizes are also well catered for. It would be hard to argue that these races don’t offer value for money.

 

 

In the past few years many ‘new’ races have appeared on the race calendar. Apart from having impressive looking websites the other common denominator among these new races is the high price of the entry fee in comparison to some of the more established races such as those mentioned above. In many cases the prizes on offer are minimal with only the top 3 finishers catered for and possibly only the first in each masters’ category catered for. The team prize seems to be overlooked in many of these races. 

There are no doubt expenses to be covered by race organisers and in some cases this will be required without a main sponsor on board. The obvious expenses would include the overall prize fund, chip timing, the provision of portable toilets to name a few. The goody bag for all finishers is now almost expected for anything above a 10k with finisher T-shirt, a medal or mug, a drink and other goodies to be included.

According to John Walshe of Ballytcotton Running Promotions the main reason for increasing the entry fee of the Ballycotton 10 race up to €15 is to cover the provision of chip timing as there is no longer a main sponsor on board. An additional cost for the Ballycotton 10 that most other races wouldn’t have is the provision of buses to transport runners to and from the race. If Ballycotton can do all of this and more for as little as €15 then why are other races charging so much more?

Most road races these days will state that they have an official ‘AAI permit’. Does this give them carte blanche to charge what they please? What does the AAI permit mean anyway? It appears to be offering an air of credibility where it may not be deserved.

 

 

The fact that these new races are attracting large fields means that there is an obvious need for them. It could be argued though that the large numbers that are entering some of these races are being charged over the odds are not getting value for money. This may be generalising but the majority of the entry fields are made up of people who are new to the sport and are not members of an athletic club. Unfortunately in many cases they are slow to join an athletics club as they are seen by some to be for ‘serious or competitive runners’ only. They still need an outlet for their training effort and want to complete a race and these races sell themselves as an experience as opposed to a pure race. This is their big selling point. Fair play to the savvy entrepreneurs who have spotted this niche market but are people being taken advantage of? In a time of falling prices in the economy isn’t it time for the price of race entries to follow suit?

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Do you agree with David's article? Have you taken part in any of those events charging high entry fees? Was it worth it? Would you enter again? Click on the 'Comment' link below and give your opinion.

(By the way, the Running in Cork website got in excess of 18,000 hits in the month of March 2010 so your opinion will be seen!!............John Desmond)

Guest article.....When is a Marathon not a Marathon?

You may have noticed that from time to time, I have some material written by other people on this blog. So, with that in mind, I have already published some articles by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC here on a regular basis. David covers various topics from a personal point of view and if you agree, disagree or would just like to add a comment, click on the Comments link below this post. I would just like to say thanks to David for allowing his articles to be published here on this site. Hope you enjoy it.............John Desmond.

The Marathon is currently enjoying somewhat of a revival in this country. The now well established Dublin Marathon attracts in the region of 10,000 participants each year and the recently revived Cork City Marathon is also attracting strong numbers. Marathons are also held in Connemara and Longford annually.

There are many reasons for this revival and the healthy number of participants but one of them is surely the welcome increase in the number of female participants. The womens “Mini Marathon” has no doubt helped in the promotion of the sport and has been hugely successful with huge numbers taking part each year. There is now a number of such events held throughout the country with the main events taking place in Limerick, Cork and Dublin.

The marathon distance of 26.2 miles is steeped in mythology and history as to how the exact distance has been established. Starting with the Greek soldier who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens(a distance of 26 miles) to announce that the Persians had been miraculously defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping, but moments after proclaiming his message "Nenikekamen" ("We were Victorious!") to the city he collapsed dead from exhaustion. The current "official" distance of 26.2 miles for the marathon came from the marathon at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. The race was due to start in Windsor Castle and finish in White City Stadium. In order to facilitate the starting of the race by King Edward VII who had a cold and was under Doctors orders not to venture out the start was moved 385 yards to the courtyard of the Castle. Hence we now have the official race distance of 26.2miles for the marathon.

The term “Mini Marathon” is a relatively recent term and has been used to describe any distance from 4 miles up to a Half Marathon. The term should be banned! To complete a marathon is a significant achievement and as anyone who has done so it is not something that can be described as “easy” or completed without a significant amount of training. It takes hours of dedication and hard work and is not something that can be undertaken lightly or over a short period of time. To say that you have completed a marathon is a claim that should not be diluted in any way. It is a small step to claim to have completed a “Mini Marathon” to dropping the “Mini” when in fact all that has been achieved is a 4 mile event! 4 miles or even 10k is a distance that can be completed with a relatively small amount of training over a short period of time. Anyone who has completed a “Mini Marathon” and claimed to have run a Marathon is not only kidding themselves but they are insulting the millions who have completed the Marathon worldwide. I am not suggesting that this claim is a widespread phenomenon but it is something that does occur.

As I understand it the Womens “Mini Marathon” is some distance between 4 miles and 10k. What’s next 5k? How can one justify using the word marathon with such a short distance? Why not call it what it is? If the use of the term “Womens Mini Marathon” achieves anything it is the implicit suggestion that women are not capable or should not be allowed to complete the full Marathon. In other words leave the full Marathon to the men and let the women have their “Mini” Marathon is the implication. Let me the first to say that I think this is ridiculous. Women were not allowed to run in the Boston Marathon until the early 70’s even though in the few years prior to this some women ran the race but had to hide in the bushes near the start as they were not allowed an official entry. It was only in 1984 that a womens Marathon was added to the Olympic Games.

Why are we regressing to the period before this when it was felt that women wouldn’t be able to manage the full Marathon distance? Women have had to fight for years the right and opportunity to run a Marathon. What was the point if we are now holding women only “Mini Marathons?” By all means hold “women only” races but please call them what they are! Having said that I’m sure there would be a few objections if there were “men only” races, but I digress, this is a topic for another day…………
following spring made her the first official champion
Women have added hugely to the success and status of the Marathon in the past 30 years. Let’s not dilute this by the use of this silly term the “Mini Marathon”.

Well...do you agree or disagree with David O'Dwyer's article?? Click on the comment link below and have your say.

Guest article.....Will the Marathon Relay replace the Marathon itself?

You may have noticed that from time to time, I have some material written by other people on this blog. So, with that in mind, I hope to publish some articles by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC here on a regular basis. (Links to David's previous articles can be found near the bottom on the menu bar on the right). David covers various topics from a personal point of view and if you agree, disagree or would just like to add a comment, click on the Comments link below this post. I would just like to say thanks to David for allowing his articles to be published here on this site. Hope you enjoy it.............John Desmond.

Will the Marathon relay replace the Marathon itself?

The 2007 revival of the Cork Marathon after a gap of 21years was by and large seen to be a huge success. This was despite a relatively modest winning time of over 2 hrs 27 mins a total of 1356 finishers. The 2008 event was won in an even slower time of 2 hrs 34 mins and with a slightly reduced number of finishers at 1338. It must be said that on both occasions the June Bank Holiday sunshine was out in force and this undoubtedly had an impact on the winning times.

There is no doubt that the Marathon generated a great “buzz” in the build up to the race within the running community in Cork and by hosting a Marathon, the Cork BHAA and the Cork branches of the AAI are doing their bit to keep the strong tradition of distance running alive in the south of the Country.

A new feature of the event in its second coming was the introduction of the Marathon relay. This allowed teams of between 2 and 5 to participate in the event, each running a stage or stages of the Marathon course. There are a number of benefits to having the relay as part of the overall Marathon event. Not least is the boost to the overall number of participants. As there is an even greater level of participants on the day and at each relay changeover stage, there are huge crowds that would not normally be present. This gives great encouragement and support to those runners passing through. This adds even more to the build up to the Marathon as more and more people are taking part.

There is a concern though that the relay event takes something from the Marathon event as well as adding to it. For one thing it is almost certain that some of the relay teams will finish ahead of the Marathon winner. This is not a good thing. If you are going to win a Marathon then you want to be the first one to cross the finish line. It must be somewhat deflating to know that someone else has stolen a little bit of the glory. Even as the race progresses, the leaders of the Marathon will probably be behind the leaders of the relay for much of the race.

The thinking behind the Marathon relay is to obviously increase the numbers taking part. This helps with the fundraising too. Take 2008 as an example, with 833 teams at between €80 and €100 per team it is a nice little earner for much needed funds for the race organisers. Also the thinking may well be that if you run the Marathon relay this year then next year you may run the full Marathon. The trend, in so much as it can be called a trend after only two years appears to be going in the opposite direction however. There was a slight decrease in the numbers completing the full Marathon, from 1356 in 2007 to 1338 in 2008. In contrast the number of relay teams taking part increased. In 2007 over 600 teams took part and in 2008 the number of teams grew to 833.

I have never ran a Marathon but I did participate in the 2007 Marathon relay in Cork. Despite the team finishing in third position I must admit to feeling somewhat deflated after the experience. The Marathon is for Marathoners. Anyone who has completed a Marathon will tell you that it’s not easy. Why should it be made easier for this generation of joggers and fun runners?
It will be interesting to see how the numbers stack up in 2009. By including a relay in the Marathon event in its present form, the status and profile of the Cork Marathon will not increase. This can only be harmful to the long term viability of the Cork Marathon. Originally the Marathon spanned a 5 year period from 1982 to 1986. If the Cork Marathon is to span more than 5 years then some changes are required or else it will become known as the “Cork Marathon Relay”. What then happens to the Marathoners?

..........David O'Dwyer

Comments......

Do you agree or disagree with the article above? Why not leave a comment and give reasons for your point of view. Unsupported rants will not be published ;o)

Guest article.....How to attract the shoppers?

You may have noticed that from time to time, I have some material written by other people on this blog. So, with that in mind, I will publish some articles by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC here on a regular basis. (This is David's 2nd article on this blog, his 1st article is here). David covers various topics from a personal point of view and if you agree, disagree or would just like to add a comment, click on the Comments link below this post. I would just like to say thanks to David for allowing his articles to be published here on this site. The following piece was written about a year ago just before the Beijing Olympics but no doubt it is as relevant today. Hope you enjoy it.............John Desmond.



How to attract the shoppers?.......by David O'Dwyer
At the recent Cork City Sports some of Irelands most high profile and best possibilities of a medal in the Beijing Olympics were competing. The performances of Derval O’Rourke, Paul Hession and Alistair Cragg were right up there and compared favourably with the corresponding winning times in the British Olympic trials held over the same weekend. The performance of Hession was particularly impressive, winning both the 100m and 200m. In doing so he set the fastest time ever over 100m on Irish soil of 10.21secs, just outside his Irish record of 10.18secs. Not bad for a white guy from the West of Ireland in an event dominated by athletes from West African or West Indian extraction. In fact right now he’s one of the fastest white guys around.

Unfortunately a second sporting event was also taking place at the same time in Cork on Saturday afternoon between 2.00pm and 4.30pm and consequently only a few hundred people were there to witness the efforts of Hession and co. This rival event didn’t need any promoting but was very well attended none the less. In fact the few hundred who showed up at the Mardyke would be dwarfed by thousands who streamed through the Mahon Point Shopping Centre on the other side of Cork city. Shopping is after all not just the new religion, it is also the new sport and one that we are excelling at.

The main action was obviously not in the world class performances on display in the Mardyke because there was some shopping to be done. This world class indoor arena was built for a reason and by God we are going to use it to its full potential. As for why we haven’t built a world class indoor running arena, well that’s a whole other story but suffice to say there’s more money to be made from shopping centres. There wont be any medals won for shopping in Beijing but rest assured there will be a delegation setting off soon to get the event installed for London in 2012 along with ballroom dancing and karyoke and we’ll surely bring home gold. It will no doubt be the shoppers who will be asking why we sent anyone to the Olympics if we don’t medal in Beijing. Why didn’t we spend the money on more worthwhile pursuits like the Health Service, Education and of course infrastructure, presumably in order to get in and out of the shopping centres quicker? Ignorance is bliss after all.

The Cork City Sports has a rich history of world class performances including a number national and world records that have been set over the years. Many of these were set in the ‘80’s when Ireland produced world class middle distance runners like we now produce world class shopping centres. The 80’s are also synonymous with unemployment, emigration, basket economy etc. You get the picture. Basically you weren’t spending too much time shopping. We still had the Cork City sports though. If you take a look at some of the photographs or archive footage of those meets you’ll notice the huge crowds and great atmosphere at the Mardyke. Another striking feature is that the meet took place in the evening as opposed to the afternoon. This meant that if you were lucky enough to have a job then you could still make it to the Mardyke to see legends such as Eamon Coghlan, John Walker, Sydney Maree……………..the list goes on. I don’t know the reasons for switching to the afternoon from the evening but why not revert back to the evening schedule for next year and maybe we could avoid the clash that is inhibiting the shoppers from attending?

In addition to David O'Dwyer's articles appering on this website, David also has had some of his articles published in the Irish Runner magazine. This is published every 2 months and is the main magazine for running and athletics in Ireland.

Comments.....???

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Guest article.....Cross Country, what's the problem?
You may have noticed that from time to time, I have some material written by other people on this blog. So, with that in mind, I hope to publish some articles by David O'Dwyer of East Cork AC here on a regular basis. David covers various topics from a personal point of view and if you agree, disagree or would just like to add a comment, click on the Comments link below this post. I would just like to say thanks to David for allowing his articles to be published here on this site. Hope you enjoy them.............John Desmond.


Cross Country, what’s the problem?..............by David O'Dwyer
The cross country season is almost upon us and it will no doubt be the poor relation of the running family again this year. Over the past number of years as the popularity of the road running scene has grown there has been a trend in the opposite direction in relation to cross country races. The road running scene in Munster and in Cork in particular is quite strong, with respect to the numbers competing if not to the quality of times being recorded. In contrast the cross country scene is in serious if not terminal decline. In the 2007 Cork County Cross Country Championships a total of 36 competed in the Senior Mens race. This was once considered to be one of the premier events of the athletics calendar. In the womens equivalent a mere 14 completed the course. If the Junior races are a guide to the future then it does not look good with 11 Junior Men and 6 Junior Women taking part. A sad state of affairs no matter what way you look at it.

The reasons for the decline in the popularity of the cross country races are no doubt numerous and there is surely a link between this decline and the overall dip in the times being recorded on the roads. If the current trends continue not only will we see the end of the cross country scene but a further dumbing down of the road running scene with respect to the times being recorded. The road running scene is in danger of becoming the road jogging scene as people slow down to adjust the volume on their i-pods in preparation for a big sprint in the last 30 yards. The competitiveness that was there in previous generations is by and large non existent today, apart from the last 30 yards I suppose! The average participant these days doesn’t give too hoots about their time or place as long as they get their race T-shirt at the finish. Now I can hear the whingers already complaining that it’s about taking part not about winning, blah-de blah. Sure it is about taking part. There will only be one winner and the chances are it won't be you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as good or as fast as you can be, does it? Where is the famed Celtic Tiger competitive edge? If Joe Blogs could break 30 mins for 5 miles 20 or 30 years ago then why isn’t Joe Blogs doing it now? Why not take the sport a little more seriously and put a bit more effort in? In doing so why not try the cross country races? Sure they’re tough and dirty and usually take place in a field that was recently occupied by a herd of cows (County Boards take note, a change of venue to parkland or somewhere that doesn’t contain cow pats might be worth considering) but the rewards will be worth it.

The likes of Dick Hooper and Jerry Kiernan, two of our most successful and best known names from the past would be strong advocates of a decent cross country season and the benefits to be gained from it. “The strength built up in the winter will stand you in good stead for the summer”, a common mantra from middle and long distance athletics coaches the world over.

Another benefit of running some cross country is that it gets you off the roads for a while and offers some relief to the pounding of the hard surfaces. After a decent season of cross country behind you, you’ll feel re-invigorated and fresh for another Spring and Summer on the roads and no doubt a few PB’s will be in the offing. It also offers something different to the sport of running. This is a welcome change if you feel you are becoming a little stale or even bored with the road running scene. A change is as good as a rest as they say!

There are numerous cross country races held throughout the country and some of them are perfect for the beginner. Most counties host a “County Novice” race and this would be an ideal opportunity for those with no previous experience of the cross country scene. There are also provincial and national events at Novice grade and for the more accomplished athlete there are the Intermediate and Senior equivalents.

If you’ve made the effort to run on the road then why not try the cross country, it will offer a welcome alternative to the roads.
The graph below displays the decline in the numbers participating in the Cork County Cross Country Championships over the past 2 years. (Stats taken from Cork Athletics website).

In addition to David O'Dwyer's articles appering on this website, David also has had some of his articles published in the Irish Runner magazine. This is published every 2 months and is the main magazine for running and athletics in Ireland.

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