Entry procedure for the 2026 Dublin City Marathon

The 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon will take place on Sunday, the 25th of October and there are a number of ways to enter.

1) Ballot System - The ballot system is open from Wed 12th  to Mon 17th Nov 2025. Ballot entry LINK

A €5 administration fee will apply to ballot entries to cover processing and verification costs. This fee will be redeemable against the full €110 entry fee if you are successful, or non-refundable if you are unsuccessful. Only one ballot entry is permitted per person.

More places will be made available for first-time runners, as approximately 70% of entries in recent years have been claimed by previous participants. Additionally, efforts will focus on increasing female representation, as women currently comprise only 36% of the field.

Runners who have participated in the Dublin Marathon before will still be well represented, as those entering the ballot can indicate if they have previously participated in the Dublin Marathon since 2016.

Ballot results will be communicated to applicants on Tuesday, 25th November, and Wednesday, 26th November, with notifications released in batches over both days.

If runners are unsuccessful in the ballot, they will have additional chances to gain entry through charity places and via the transfer window and refund system.

The refund window will be open from Wednesday, July 1st, to Sunday, July 12th, 2026. The transfer window for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon will open on Wednesday, July 22nd, and close on Sunday, August 30th.

2) Good for Age - Entries will also be reserved for Elite athletes & Good for Age qualifiers.

The qualifying events are the 2024 and 2025 Dublin Marathon. Info HERE

3) Charity places - You can also opt to enter and raise funds for one of the 150 or so charities from Ireland and around the world. See LINK .

Dublin Marathon Changes Entry System for 2026 event

The Dublin Marathon is the largest marathon in the country with the 2024 event getting almost 18,000 finishers. The demand for places is huge and it sells out about a year in advance.

The organisers have just announced a major change in the entry system for the 2026 event.

In the past, there was a 48-hour window for previous participants to enter the race which gave them an advantage over potential first timers. This had the result that approximately 70% of entries in recent years have been claimed by previous participants.

That will be changed for the 2026 event and the 48 hour window for past participants will be scrapped. It will be replaced with a ballot which stays open for six days and more first timers will be allowed through.

Is it fair???... No matter what the organisers of the Dublin Marathon do, some people are going to be disappointed.

Previous participants who want to do the event again will now find it harder to get through. Some might feel that they should get preferential treatment on the basis that they supported the event over the years.

Some members of athletic clubs might feel they should be entitled to do it because it doubles up as the national marathon but unless they can get through under the 'Good for Age' category then many will be disappointed.

It will get easier for first timers to enter but even then, many won't get through.

Many will complain about the high entry fee but the reality is that the organisers could easily put the prices way up and let market forces control the demand.

2026 Entries... Applications for entry to the 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon via the ballot system will open for six days at 7 am on Wednesday, 12th November, and close at midnight on Monday, 17th November, at www.irishlifedublinmarathon.ie. Ballot results will be communicated to applicants on Tuesday, 25th November, and Wednesday, 26th November, with notifications released in batches over both days.

More info HERE

Entry procedure for the 2025 Dublin City Marathon

The next Dublin Marathon is coming up on the 26th of October 2025. The organisers have recently released the details on how to enter.

Note the key entry dates... Mon 18th Nov 2024 & Thurs 21st Nov 2024.

Irish Life Dublin Marathon 2025 entries... "The Irish Life Dublin Marathon 2025 entries will open to the 2024 participants for 72 hours from Monday 18th of November to Wednesday 20th of November. It will also open for the same time frame for all women who entered the 2024 Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon, this is to encourage and support more female entrants to the marathon.

Applications for entries for the 2025 Irish Life Dublin Marathon via the lottery system will go live on the event website (https://irishlifedublinmarathon.ie/) on Thursday 21st of November 2024 and will close midnight on Wednesday 27th of November.

There is an administration charge of €5 per lottery entry which is redeemable against an entry fee of €110 if successful and non-redeemable if unsuccessful.

Registrants will learn their entry status from the lottery via email / SMS on Monday 2nd of December. One entry per person is permitted."

Entry procedure for the 2024 Dublin Marathon

While many runners are still recovering from the 2023 event, entries for the 2024 Dublin Marathon next October are about to open.

The conditions are shown above. The key point is that 2023 registered participants will be given priority access for 2024 and should enter straight away. 

The lottery for everyone else opens on the 2nd of November and closes on the 19th.

The website for the Dublin Marathon is... https://irishlifedublinmarathon.ie/

If you've never done the Dublin marathon before then it really is a special event. It's at the right time of year for good times as it's cool and there are always large crowds of runners and spectators. 

There are lots of other regional marathons like Cork, Waterford, Galway, Belfast & Limerick but Dublin really is the national marathon.

Update: Just a quick note on the €5 lottery fee. Last year, they charged €10 and refunded €7 if the applicant was unsuccessful. i.e. the cost was €3. This year, the cost is €5.

Entry Procedure for the 2017 Ballycotton 10

Update...Wed 7th Dec...The entry link is HERE

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ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ 2017

The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’ which will take
place on Sunday March 12th. Once again, numbers are limited and there will be a
combination of online and postal entries, as follows:

1) Online entries will open on Wednesday December 7th at 2pm, when the first 1,000
will be accepted. At 8pm the same evening a further 1,000 will be accepted, making
an initial online total of 2,000.

2) For Athletics Ireland and Athletics Northern Ireland affiliated members plus those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2016, along with those
living overseas, an additional online facility will open on Thursday December 8th at
10am until midnight on Friday December 9th.

3) Postal entries: A PDF copy of the entry form will be published on the Ballycotton
website on the evening of Friday December 9th, and will also be available in the usual
local outlets.

All club and Summer Series entrants (see above) and overseas will be accepted by
post up to and including Friday December 16th.The first 200 non-club entries to
arrive by post will be also be added to the above. (All postal entries close on Friday
December 16th).

4) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date.
Entry fee for the 2017 race is again €15 (plus booking fee of €1.05, if entering online).
No refunds (this also applies for duplicate entries) or no transfers.

Entry Procedure for the 2016 Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race

Ballycotton Running Promotions have just released the entry procedure for the 2016 Ballycotton 10 mile road race. It remains much the same as previous years except that it is now even easier for club runners, Summer Series runners and overseas runners to enter online. They also have the option of posting in their entries in a one week window. See below...

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ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ROAD RACE 2016

The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’ which will take place on Sunday March 6th. Once again, numbers are limited and there will be a combination of online and postal entries, as follows:

1) Online entries will open on Tuesday December 8th at 2pm, when the first 1,000 will be accepted. At 8pm the same evening a further 1,000 will be accepted, making an initial online total of 2,000. 

2) For Athletics Ireland and Athletics Northern Ireland affiliated members plus those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2015, along with those living overseas, an additional online facility will open on Wednesday December 9th at 10am until midnight on Friday December 11th.

3) Postal entries: A PDF copy of the entry form will be published on the Ballycotton website on the evening of Friday December 11th, and will also be available in the usual local outlets.
All club and Summer Series entrants (see above) and overseas will be accepted by post up to and including Thursday December 17th.The first 200 non-club entries to arrive by post will be also be added to the above.

4) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date. 

Entry fee for the 2016 race is again €15 (plus booking fee of €1.05, if entering online).

**********

So what does that all mean? If you are interested then pay attention to the dates! The online entries will probably fill up in a day.

If you are not a member of an athletics club, did not do the four Ballycotton Summer Series races and are not overseas then you need to make sure you enter online on Tuesday 8th December. Based on previous years then you should get in ok but you need to be online and be prepared to wait so that you can enter your details.

Reminder...Ballycotton 10 entries open Fri 5th Dec 2014

Just a reminder....Online entries for the 2015 Ballycotton 10 mile road race open on Friday the 5th of December at 2pm. If you are not a member of an athletics club or you didn't do the four Ballycotton Summer Series 5 mile races then you need to take note of this. The 2,300 available online spots are likely to sell out within hours.

More info in this previous post.

Entry procedure for the 2015 Ballycotton 10 mile road race

The entry procedure for the 2014 Ballycotton 10 mile road race has now been announced and it is pretty similar to last year.

ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ROAD RACE 2015

The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’, to take place on Sunday March 8th. Numbers are limited as usual and there be will be a combination of online and postal entries as follows:

1) Online entries will open on Friday December 5th at 2pm when the first 1,300 will be accepted. At 8pm on the same evening, a further 1,000 will be accepted, making an online total of 2,300.

2) A PDF copy of the entry form will be published on the website on Monday December 8th (forms will also be available in John Buckley Sports, Tri n Run in Midleton and Ger Wyley Sports, Dungarvan, the same day). Also, those who have sent in stamped addressed envelopes will have the forms posted out on Friday December 5th. The first 200 non-club entries to arrive by post will be added to the above number, giving a total of 2,500.

3) After that, only AAI club members and those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2014 will be accepted (by post) up until Friday December 19th and for those living overseas up until Tuesday January 6th.

4) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date.
Entry fee for the 2015 race is again €15 (plus booking fee of €1.05 if entering online).

******
The main difference to last year is that entries will open twice on Friday the 5th of December.

Note that there are 200 places available for non-club runners who enter by post. In other words, if you are a non-club runner and you did not complete the four races in the 2014 Summer Series then you really need to make sure that you enter online.

Please note that it is highly likely that all the 2300 online entries will sell out on Friday the 5th of December. There is also a good chance that the online system may well crash so allow for delays.

If you are a club runner or have done the summer series then just print out the form and post it in before the 19th of December.

The race website is http://www.ballycottonrunning.com/

It's also worth noting that despite the huge demand for places and the fact they could easily charge twice the price, the organisers have kept the entry fee at €15.

Entry Procedure for the 2013 Ballycotton '10' Road Race...

ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ROAD RACE 2013

The following is the entry procedure for next year’s Ballycotton ’10’, to take place on Sunday March 3rd. Numbers are limited as usual but for 2013 there will a combination of postal and online entries as follows:

1) As in previous years, anyone wishing to obtain an entry form can do so by sending an SAE anytime during the month of November to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co. Cork (don’t forget to enclose a large envelope with the correct postage).

2) All such forms applied for will be posted out on Friday November 30th, to arrive by Monday December 3rd/Tuesday December 4th. All returned postal entries (on official forms only – no photocopies) will be accepted up to and including Wednesday December 5th.

 3) These will then be processed and put up on the website, hopefully in a day or two. Then, at a specific time which will be announced in advance, online entries will open and remain open until the figure of 2,500 has been reached – this will be a combination of postal and online entries.

4) After the limit has been reached, a PDF copy of the entry form will go up on the website and also in the usual shops and outlets – this is only for AAI club members and those who ran the four races in the Ballycotton Summer Series 2012. All these postal entries will be accepted up until Tuesday December 18th and for those living overseas up until Tuesday January 8th.

5) As usual, a limited number of elite entries will be available nearer the date. 

So, to sum up –
(a) If you want to enter in the traditional way, send an SAE during this month of November.
(b) If you wish to enter online, check the website on December 6th.
(c) If you’re an AAI club member (or ran Summer Series) you may ignore the above two methods and just post in an entry to arrive by December 18th.

For comments, questions and answers.......see this post. 

Update...Thurs 6th Dec 2012...Online entries will open at 2pm on Friday, the 7th of December....More details HERE

New Entry Guidelines Announced for New York City Marathon

For anyone interested in doing the New York City Marathon in 2012 or in future years then this might be of interest. In order to increase the number of places available for their lottery system, they have had to reduce the number of guaranteed entries. These are the changes...

Qualifying by cancelling entry: In the past, applicants to the marathon who canceled their entry according to cancellation guidelines were eligible for guaranteed entry to the following year's race, and could continue to cancel and receive guaranteed entry in subsequent years. The new policy preserves the guaranteed entry following cancellation but prohibits guaranteed entry by this method following a second consecutive cancellation.

Qualifying by being denied entry three consecutive times: In the past, applicants to the marathon have been eligible for guaranteed entry if they have been denied entry three years in a row. This policy will be eliminated; however, applicants denied entry for the three years 2009-11 will be eligible for guaranteed entry in 2012.

Qualifying by finishing 15 previous New York City Marathons: The ING New York City Marathon offers eligibility for guaranteed entry to runners who have finished 15 or more New York City Marathons, including the previous year. NYRR will discontinue this policy, though all runners who have already accumulated 15 or more finishes as of 2015 will be grandfathered in.

Qualifying with a fast marathon or half-marathon time: The ING New York City Marathon has always had time qualifying standards. The time qualifying standards will be tightened to 75-percent age-graded times in five-year increments; for details, go to: www.INGnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/Guaranteed_Entry_Guidelines.htm

The 2012 New York City Marathon will be on Sunday, the 4th of November. The official website is HERE

Changes to the New York City Marathon...

With the New York City Marathon coming up next weekend on Sunday the 6th of November, there are several news items on online running websites about it. One of the most amazing aspects of the event is the just the sheer scale of it. This year, some 47,000 runners are expected to start the New York Marathon, an increase over the record 45,350 starters in 2010.
The current limit for registered runners is 60,000 and amazingly enough, approx 13,000 are not expected to be at the start line due to injuries and a whole host of other reasons. Fewer than 2,000 people who start the race won't finish.
Even with a limit of 60,000 entrants, there was still a lottery system to get in. They had a system whereby after 3 failed attempts, you got a guaranteed entry the next time. The problem however was that too many people were qualifying for the guaranteed entry.
One proposed radical solution is to hold the event over 2 days! i.e. One Marathon on the Saturday and one Marathon on the Sunday. Mary Wittenberg, race director and president of New York Road Runners said.."The demand is there. When I started (in 1998), there was a feeling that the marathon absolutely can't grow anymore. But I don't think growth is capped. People desperately want to run this race. The Road Runners and city advisors have had initial discussions about this idea, along with other plans for expansion. We can grow until we run out of hotel capacity, there's no rush. We won't ever have more than we can handle. We want to put on the best possible race. This is a joint venture with the city, and it is always a cooperative decision."

While the 2 day option might be some time in the future, the organisers have decided to implement the following changes...

•No more guaranteed entries after being denied in the lottery three times. Now, in theory, you could enter the lottery every year for the rest of your life and possibly never get in. However, if 2011 was your second or third year of being denied, you will be eligible for the 2012 or 2013 (if you're denied next year) races.

•No more guaranteed entries for 15+ time NYC Marathoners, except for those who've run the race 15+ times before the 2016 race. They're discontinuing the policy, but they're grandfathering in all runners who've completed the race 15 times up to and including the 2015 race. In other words, if you've already run the race 15 times, you'll always have guaranteed entry. If this year's race will be your 11th NYC Marathon, and you run in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, you'll always have guaranteed entry. If this year's race will be your 10th (or less) NYC Marathon, you're out of luck.

•Standards for guaranteed entry based on previous race times will be stricter.The open marathon qualifying time for men, which had been 2:55, will become 2:45, and for women, the time will drop from 3:23 to 3:00. The complete chart of time changes can be seen below. Since qualifying has already begun for 2012, these changes will take effect in 2013.

•You can only cancel entry and defer to the following year once. Previously, if a person were injured, they could defer to the following year as many times as needed.

A complete breakdown of the new policy can be seen HERE

Ballycotton '10' 2012 Entry Procedure...

Here we go......the Ballycotton '10' entry procedure for 2012. If you are new to the road running scene then read on. For the regulars, the conditions are the same as previous years.

Ballycotton '10'....What is it?........After the Cork City Marathon, this is the biggest running event in the Cork region. It is a 10 mile road race in Ballycotton, East Cork and the numbers are limited to about 3,000 entries. The race is usually on at the start of March and entries usually close in early December.

If you are a non-club runner or didn't complete the Ballycottom Summer Series then you need to get that entry off as soon as the entry forms come out. There are loads of people every year that go looking for info on the race in January and February so if you are reading this then you are already ahead.

UPDATED...29th Nov2011...The Entry Form is now HERE
BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ 2012 ENTRY PROCEDURE

The entry procedure for the 2012 race (to take place on Sunday March 4th) is as follows:
1) People can apply for entry forms anytime during November (up to Friday 25th) by sending a SAE to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co Cork (see note below). Forms will then be posted out on Monday November 28th - ideally to arrive with applicants by the following day (Tuesday).

2) The form will also be put up on the website www.ballycottonrunning.com on Tuesday evening (Tuesday November 29th) in pdf format where it can be downloaded and posted. There will also be forms in John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Ballycotton and Shanagarry that same afternoon.

3) The first 2,500 postal entries opened will be automatically accepted. (Updated 2nd Dec...The 2,500 limit is now FULL. Only qualifying entrants from now on. See below)

4) Entries for the following will then be accepted by post up to and including Thursday December 15th:
(a) All bona fide AAI (Athletics Ireland) registered club members.
(b) All runners who completed the 2011 Ballycotton Summer Road Race Series (all four 5-mile events).

5) Bona fide overseas entrants will also be accepted by post up to and including Monday January 9th.

6) As usual, a limited number of elite athletes will be accepted up to near race day.
REMEMBER - When applying for forms, please enclose a large (A4) SAE with the correct postage, stating the number of forms required. If more than one form is going to the same address (two or three members of the same family, etc) one envelope is sufficient.
If the correct postage is not on the envelope we cannot be held responsible for postal delays. Also, we prefer people to enter on the official form, so ask for enough of forms – there is no need to photo-copy.

If you are a club member or have ran the 2011 Summer Series (see 4 above), there is no need to panic – you have over two weeks to get your entry in. In the interest of fairness and equality, we do not have online entry – and finally the entry fee is again €15 for the 2012 race.

Ballycotton '10' Entry Forms out Tuesday 30th Nov...

The moment has arrived....It's time for the annual Ballycotton '10' entry derby with everyone in a mad panic to get in before the 2,500 limit is reached!! Why the mad rush? The Ballycotton '10' is the 2nd largest race in Cork and is one of the largest 10 mile road races in the country. It attracts not only local runners but also runners from the rest of Ireland and the UK. Entries open about 3 months before the race in March and the open section with 2,500 entries fills up in about 3 days.

The 2011 Ballycotton '10' race will take place on Sunday, the 6th of March.

First of all, a quick recap...
Just in case you are seeing this for the first time, a quick look to see what group you are in when it comes to entries...

A) Any AAI club member OR anyone who ran in all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series races can avail of a 2 week window to get their entries in (closing date Dec 16th).

B) Anyone living overseas can avail of a 6 week window (closing date 10th Jan)

C) If you do NOT qualify for one of the above conditions then you have to try and be one of the first 2,500 entries!!!

More details in an older post HERE

OK....now for the lowdown...

For those of you who opted for the SAE option then the entry forms should have been posted on Monday, the 29th and with any luck, you should receive it on Tuesday morning, the 30th. Going on a poll last year, quite a number of people didn't get the SAE the following day so I'm not so sure it is the best option to get a form, especially if you want to be one of the first 2,500 entries.

If you did not send off for an entry form then you can pick one up in the following retail outlets on Tuesday evening...John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Ballycotton and Shanagarry that same afternoon.

The best option is if you can download the entry form off the Ballycotton Running Promotions website on Tuesday evening and print it out.

Once you get the entry form, you need to fill it out CAREFULLY and you have to get it in the post straight away. Don't wait......just post it.

If you read my earlier post then you should have a postal order/cheque for €15, an envelope and a stamp ready to go.

If you are one of the category C) runners as listed above (i.e. non-club, non-series, non-overseas) then going on previous years, if you post your entry form on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning or Wednesday afternoon before the last post is collected then I'd be reasonable confident that you'll get in ok.

Post it Wednesday night, Thursday morning or Thursday afternoon and you are in the 'maybe' bracket. Post it on Friday and you are likely to be too late. If you take the approach of 'Ahh sure.....I'll post it next weekend'..........that's fine except the entries will be well closed by next week!!
Don't forget that the fact you are reading this on a Monday or Tuesday means that you are ahead of most. There will be loads of people who will not have checked the details in time and will miss out. That's why if you can follow the instructions here, post it Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning then you're probably as good as in.

Please note that you can only enter by post. There is no online entry and you cannot drop your entry in to someones house. By having postal entries only, everyone has the same chance of getting in.

The entry form....when you get it, cut off the section for entries only. DO NOT RETURN THE WHOLE FORM! I think the organisers have a pretty good idea of what the entry conditions are at this stage and they don't need you sending them the whole form to remind them ;o)

Read the advice given by Ballycotton Running Promotions below on what to do with the entry form. Read it CAREFULLY.....it would be a shame to go to all that trouble in sending off a form early only to be disqualified because you filled out the form incorrectly.

BEFORE YOU FILL OUT THE FORM…...Instructions from Ballycotton Running Promotions


Read all of it carefully – all the information you need is there.


Each person should fill out their own individual form – when people fill a form for someone else, it invariably leads to mistakes in spelling, date of birth, etc which causes problems to the information already on the data base.

Fill out the form in sequence (surname, first name, age on day of race, date of birth, male/female, etc.) Please write in BLOCK CAPITALS



Remember the club is AAI club – Athletics Association of Ireland (not BHAA, soccer club, GAA club).


Telephone/email contact is convenient for checking mistakes!


If you ran in ALL FOUR of this year’s Ballycotton Summer Series 5-mile races, tick the box.
Sign your name on the bottom… by doing this you also agree NOT to transfer your number to another runner in the event of being unable to run.


Please detach (tear, or cut off if form is downloaded) the section of the form with your details and only send this along with the entry fee of €15 to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.


Entry fee is €15. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Ballycotton Running Promotions. Don’t staple cheque to form. Cash is sent at your own risk.


Do not send a stamped addressed envelope - you can also send more than one form in the same envelope if required.

Using registered post won’t make any difference – it either gets there in time or not.

The first 2,500 postal entries opened are automatically accepted. After that, any AAI club member or any runner who ran in all four of the 2010 Ballycotton Summer Series or those who were unable to run last year’s race AND returned the ChampionChip will be accepted up and including Thursday December 16th. Anyone living overseas will be accepted up to and including Monday January 10th.

As soon as the first 2,500 entries have been received, a notice will be posted on this website and on local radio. Unless you qualify under the above headings, please do not continue to send in entries. It only causes extra work and expense to send them back.


Remember, not everyone will get in. If rejected, don’t take it too bad – there is now no shortage of races at a variety of distances in Cork and throughout and country! ...........but there's only one Ballycotton '10' ! ;o)

Entry conditions for the 2011 Ballycotton '10'...

Just in!! .......The entry conditions for the 2011 Ballycotton 10 Mile road race.

First things first...a quick explanation of the Ballycotton '10' for any new runners.

Ballycotton '10'....What is it?........After the Cork City Marathon, this is the biggest running event in the Cork region. It is a 10 mile road race in Ballycotton, East Cork and the numbers are limited to about 3,000 entries. The race is usually on at the start of March and entries usually close in early December.

Now the race info & entry conditions.......!!

The Ballycotton '10' Mile road race will take place on Sunday, the 6th of March 2011.

The entry conditions are much the same as the last 2 years. The only real change is that the forms will be coming out on a Tuesday instead of Monday.

The details........You have a choice of ways to get an entry form...
1) You can send off a SAE with adequate postage to Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co.Cork. They will then post the entry form back to you on Monday, the 29th of November and all going well, you should get it the next day in Tuesday's post.

2) They will be distributing entry forms to the following shops on Tuesday evening (30th Nov).....John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Shanagarry & Ballycotton in the afternoon.

3) The entry form will be available for download from the Ballycotton website on Tuesday evening (30th Nov).

Getting the entry form is the easy part. Now for the hard part....getting your entry in!

They will accept the first 2,500 entries regardless of whether they are club runners or not. In reality, this limit is reached in a matter of days.

After that limit has been reached, they will only accept the following entries until Thursday, the 16th of December....
a) Members of AAI registered athletic clubs.......for example....Eagle AC, St.Finbarr's AC, Leevale AC, etc. It does not include BHAA teams, clubs from other sports or informal running groups.
b) Anyone who ran in all 4 of the Ballycotton 5 Mile Summer Series races in 2010. These were Ballyandreen, Shanagarry, Churchtown South & Ballycotton.

After the 16th of December, they will only accept genuine overseas entries. The closing date for these is Monday, the 10th of January 2011.

After that, they will only accept elite athletes.

By the way, there is no special category for anyone returning their 2010 timing chip if they didn't run. Those chips were disposable and they don't want them back.

So what does all that mean.........
If you are a club runner, then you have a 2 week window for your entry. You just need to get it off in time so there should be no real problem. If however you are not a club runner and you didn't do the 4 races in the Summer series then you need to get your act together. You have to get that entry form on the Tuesday and you have to post it asap. You will probably have a window of about 72 hours to fill out the form, post it and hope it arrives on time. If you follow the instructions above and don't hang about then you should get in ok.

Entry conditions can also be seen HERE

Entries for the 2010 Ballycotton '10' are out on Monday!

It's that time of year again with the mad rush to get into next year's Ballycotton '10' road race in March. I think it's safe to say that this will be the busiest year ever with several thousand people trying to get one of the first 2,500 places.

A quick recap...

Any AAI club member OR anyone who ran in all 4 of the Ballycotton Summer Series races OR anyone who couldn't run in the 2009 race but returned the timing chip can avail of a 2 week window to get their entries in (closing date Dec 15th).

Anyone living overseas can avail of a 6 week window (closing date 8th Jan)

If you do NOT qualify for one of the above conditions then you have to try and be one of the first 2,500 entries.

This is what happens next.....

1) Anyone who sent off a SAE for an entry form should be getting them back in the post on Monday. If you are one of these, you should fill out the form and post it on Monday afternoon before your local post is collected. If you do this, you should almost certainly get in.

2) If you did not send off for an entry form then you can pick one up in the following retail outlets on Monday evening...

John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops in Ballycotton and Shanagarry that same afternoon.

Or you can download it off the Ballycotton Running Promotions website on Monday evening and print it out.

You can now download the ENTRY FORM

If you do it this way then you'll need to post the entry as soon as possible i.e. Tuesday morning / afternoon.

Make sure you post it early enough so that it is collected on Tuesday evening. If you do this then you will PROBABLY get in ok but maybe not! Every year, the closing date for entries gets earlier and earlier. Last year, the 2500 limit was reached on Thursday evening and it will probably be earlier this year.

Whatever you do, don't delay in sending off the form. If you take the approach of 'Ahh sure.....I'll post it next weekend'..........that's fine except the entries will be well closed at that stage!!

Get the form as soon as you can and post it as soon as you can.

Please note that you can only enter by post. There is no online entry and you cannot drop your entry in to someones house. By having postal entries only, everyone has the same chance of getting in.

Note also that the entry fee is €15.

The form.........when you get it, cut off the section for entries only. DO NOT RETURN THE WHOLE FORM! I think the organisers have a pretty good idea of what the entry conditions are at this stage and they don't need you sending them the whole form to remind them ;o)

Read the advice given by Ballycotton Running Promotions below on what to do with the entry form. Read it CAREFULLY.....it would be a shame to go to all that trouble in sending off a form early only to be disqualified because you filled out the form incorrectly.

BEFORE YOU FILL OUT THE FORM…...Instructions from Ballycotton Running Promotions
Read all of it carefully – all the information you need is there.
Each person should fill out their own individual form – when people fill a form for someone else, it invariably leads to mistakes in spelling, date of birth, etc which causes problems to the information already on the data base.

Fill out the form in sequence (surname, first name, age on day of race, date of birth, male/female, etc.) Please write in BLOCK CAPITALS

Remember the club is AAI club – Athletics Association of Ireland (not BHAA, soccer club, GAA club).
Telephone/email contact is convenient for checking mistakes!

If you ran in ALL FOUR of this year’s Ballycotton Summer Series 5-mile races, tick the box.

If you were unable to run in the 2009 Ballycotton ‘10’ AND returned the ChampionChip, tick the box.

Sign your name on the bottom… by doing this you also agree NOT to transfer your number to another runner in the event of being unable to run.

Please detach (tear, or cut off if form is downloaded) the section of the form with your details and only send this along with the entry fee of €15 to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.
Entry fee is €15. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Ballycotton Running Promotions. Don’t staple cheque to form. Cash is sent at your own risk.
Do not send a stamped addressed envelope - you can also send more than one form in the same envelope if required.

Using registered post won’t make any difference – it either gets there in time or not.

The first 2,500 postal entries opened are automatically accepted. After that, any AAI club member or any runner who ran in all four of the 2009 Ballycotton Summer Series or those who were unable to run last year’s race AND returned the ChampionChip will be accepted up and including Tuesday December 15th. Anyone living overseas will be accepted up to and including Friday January 8th.

As soon as the first 2,500 entries have been received, a notice will be posted on this website and on local radio. Unless you qualify under the above headings, please do not continue to send in entries. It only causes extra work and expense to send them back.

Remember, not everyone will get in. If rejected, don’t take it too bad – there is now no shortage of races at a variety of distances in Cork and throughout and country! ...........but there's only one Ballycotton '10' ! ;o)

Ballycotton 10 entry reminder........Just a reminder that the entry forms will be out in just under 2 weeks time on Monday week. If you want to go for the 'Stamped Addressed Envelope' option then you should be sending off for it this week.

Details of the entry conditions for the 2010 Ballycotton 10 mile road race can be found in this earlier post.

Non-club entries for the 2010 Ballycotton 10...

Yes, it's not a misprint......this post is about entries for the 2010 Ballycotton 10 Mile road race! Ballycotton Running Promotions have made a change to the entry conditions for the race next year. Before, if you are a non-club runner you could do just one of the Ballycotton Summer Series races and avail of the 2 week window in December in which to get your entry in for the Ballycotton 10. For next year, that will be changed. For non-club runners to avail of this 2 week window, they will have to complete all 4 races in the Ballycotton Summer Series.....Ballyandreen, Shanagarry, Churchtown South and Ballycotton.

Note that anyone who had entered for the 2009 race, didn't run it and handed back their timing chip to Ballycotton Running Promotions will be able to avail of the 2 week window also.

The final entry conditions for the 2010 event still have to be finalised so we'll have to wait and see what the other numbers and limits will be like.

It's that time of year again.......the Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race Entry Derby!!

Here we go again....it's Ballycotton 10 entry time and it has been revealed that the entry conditions are the same again as last year! So, here's the low down.......

Entry Forms.......here is how you get them.

a) You can send the organisers an SAE during the month of November and they will post an entry form back to you on the weekend of Friday Nov 28th/Sunday Nov 30th

b) The entry form will be put up on website www.ballycottonrunning.com on Monday evening, the 1st of December, also in John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops (Ballycotton and Shanagarry) that same afternoon.

Type of entrant...

a) Elite runners.......that is, very fast. Doesn't concern us mere mortals.

b) Members of AAI registered athletic clubs OR any person who did one of the 4 Ballycotton Summer Series races.......Ballyandreen 5m (May), Shanagarry 5m (June), Churchtown South 5m (July) or the Ballycotton 5m (Aug). They have until Tuesday the 16th of December to get their entries in.

c) Genuine Overseas Runners........They have until Thursday, the 8th of Jan 2009 to get their entries (No Icelandic bank drafts please!! ;o)

d) Anyone who does not qualify under any of the above. For them, it will be a mad scamble to get their entries in on time. The organisers will set a limit of 2,500 entries. Once that limit is reached, it is only open to a), b) and c) above.

If you are in the d) camp above, you really need to be on the ball for this one. Last year, they reached the quota of 2,500 in just 5 days!!! That's right....the forms came out on the Monday and it was closed by the Friday. You really need to post that entry as soon as you can.....i.e. on Monday evening or on Tuesday morning. Considering the increase in the numbers of people running, it is very likely that the 2,500 limit will be reached earlier this year.

Last year at this time when this website was getting 2,000 hits per month, I could be pretty confident in saying that if you followed the guidelines that I had set out about posting early, you would be ahead of the pack and get in 100%. This year?? ..with 8,000 hits, a lot more people are going to see this. All I would say is that this year, if you post on Monday or Tuesday, you are LIKELY to get in, no guarantees. Certainly, if you wait until Wednesday or Thursday, it's less likely and if it's Friday, forget it!

Suggestion.........what about joining an athletic club?? Maybe you have been thinking about it and putting it off. I know if you are a beginner, you might think that clubs are only for 'serious' runners' but it's not like that at all. Most clubs have a wide mix of runners, men and women, fast and not so fast ;o) I'm sure most of them would be delighted to hear from you. Why not go to the Cork AAI website and see if there is a club in your area. If you join a club in November, the closing date for you will be the 16th of December.

Other than that, there is no panic for the moment. You just need to decide if you are going to send off a SAE or will you wait for the forms to come out. Over the next month, I'll be putting reminders up here anyway so keep checking.

Here is the official entry procedure from the Ballycotton Running Promotions Website......

BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ 2009 ENTRY PROCEDURE
The following is the entry procedure (similar to 2008) for next year’s race:

1) People apply for forms anytime during November (up to Friday 28th) by sending a SAE to: Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co Cork (see note below).
2) All forms will then be posted out on the weekend of Friday Nov 28th/Sunday Nov 30th - ideally to arrive with applicants by Mon/Tue, Dec 1st/2nd.
3) Entry form will be put up on website www.ballycottonrunning.com on Monday evening (Dec 1st), also in John Buckley Sports (Cork), Ger Wyley Sports (Dungarvan) and local shops (Ballycotton and Shanagarry) that same afternoon.
4) The first 2,500 postal entries opened will be accepted.
5) All bona fide AAI (Athletics Ireland) registered club members will be accepted (by post) up to Tuesday December 16th along with any runner who has competed in one of the four 2008 Ballycotton Summer Series 5-mile races.
6) All bona fide overseas entrants (by post) accepted up to Thursday January 8th.
7) As usual, a limited number of elite athletes will be accepted up to near race day.

PLEASE NOTE: When applying for forms, please enclose a large (A4) SAE with the correct postage, stating the number of forms required (if more than one form is going to the same address, one envelope is sufficient). However, if the correct postage is not on the envelope we cannot be held responsible for postal delays. Also, we prefer people to enter on the official form, so ask for enough – there is no need to photo-copy!

Comments.....

"Hi John, just to say thanks for this information on Ballycotton race 2009. I entered last year but did not get in so I found your information really helpful. Many thanks .........Chrissie Gaffney"

"Hi John, have you any idea what the entrance fee will be this year for ballycottton 10??.......Anonymous"

"On the guide to entries for next years race, Ballycotton Running Promotions make no mention of the actual entry fee for next years race. I presume they may not make it public until the forms are actually released.....John Desmond"