Irish Guide Dogs have Dublin Marathon places on offer...

The Irish Guide Dogs have a number of charity places on offer for the 2024 Dublin Marathon to anyone who is willing to fundraise for them. This might be of interest to anyone who missed out on the lottery entry.

Info as follows... "How does it work? You can apply for a place to run for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind through the Dublin Marathon’s Official Charity Programme, in partnership with RealBuzz.

If your application is successful, you’ll get a guaranteed entry into the marathon.

Once accepted, you’ll need to  pay a deposit of €100 to secure your place and agree to reach the minimum fundraising target of €1,500."

If interested, go to https://www.guidedogs.ie/events/dublin-marathon-2024

Irish Guide Dogs Virtual Run around the World - Nov 2020 to Jan 2021

Cork fireman Alex O'Shea is organising a special 80-day virtual running event with the aim of raising much needed funds for the Irish Guide Dogs for the blind.

If you would like to help out then just walk, run or cycle a distance of your choice and make a donation. After that, submit your distance to Alex.

The eventual aim is that the accumulated distance total will be the equivalent of going around the world.

Using the theme from the novel and film Around the World in Eighty Days, the virtual event will last for 80-days. It starts on the 13th of November 2020 and will finish on the 31st of January 2021.

If you like to help out then the link for donations is here... https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/around-the-world-in80days

For updates, see Alex O'Shea's Facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/challengeAlex

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Story

 This is a huge challenge open to all. Simply make a donation  then walk jog run or cycle & let us know your distance so we can move Rover our virtual Guide Dog Puppy on his epic challenge.

For more details and to follow Rovers amazing journey goto www.facebook.com/challengeAlex

If we can raise €5,000 for eg we can sponsor a puppy for their first year of training. If we can raise more we can help more.

Becoming a guide dog is in its own a lenghty challenge for a puppy with over 85,000 hrs of love care training and attention invested. This of course cost money so please if you can make a donation and join in this fun challenge

Thanks Alex

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Sonia O'Sullivan to run Dublin Marathon for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind sent on the following information to me about Sonia O'Sullivan running the Dublin Marathon next Monday. This charity which is based on the Model Farm Road in Cork

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind...Olympic medalist Sonia O’Sullivan has agreed to run the Dublin Marathon on 26th October in aid of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Below Sonia has provided an update on the training she has undertaken to date. If you would like to join the #TeamSonia by volunteering to run the marathon with her, please contact colm@guidedogs.ie.

“With two weeks to go the marathon countdown has really begun. The past two weekends I have had my longest runs - 33km last weekend and 31km yesterday. The main thing I wanted to do with these runs was to practice what breakfast that I would have and what drinks and gels I would try out during the run to maintain energy and boost energy along the way.

I have chosen SIS sports drinks and gels as the ones that work for me. For breakfast I had 500ml of electrolyte lemon and lime flavour along with a coffee and some dry cereal, Paddy’s Granola and some raisins. The new breakfast routine that I have been trying is poached eggs. I never really thought about this before as I used to think porridge was the answer but after speaking with a fellow marathon runner recently while running around Fota Island recently I decided that a protein breakfast might be worth trying.

I had my poached eggs and headed out the door, feeling a bit heavy to start, I was slightly concerned but glad that I had practiced in training when only my watch was recording my effort. I noticed later on in my run that I was feeling much better so maybe the egg was digested and helping me as I got beyond two hours and when I should have been tiring I was actually speeding up and feeling quite good. I tried the egg breakfast again yesterday and again after a sluggish start I finished strongly and felt really good at the end of my run.

It was great to have two weekends back in Teddington, UK and be able to re visit many of my favourite training routes in Bushy Park, Richmond Park and along the River Thames. I also carried a SIS Gel with me and tried the double espresso version yesterday with caffeine boost and this agreed with me so I think this will be my Gel of choice on the 26th.

Back in Cork this week, today is a rest day and later today I will be planning my weeks training but the focus will be on reducing the miles and focusing on nutrition over the next two weeks. I have a plan that I am following thanks to David Carrie at Team Carrie running and the guidance I have taken on this plan has helped me to get in my long runs and also to realise that I can achieve a satisfying result off of 5 days running and realising the importance of resting each week, while also paying attention to good nutrition and feeling after sessions and long runs and also the importance of massage and treatment from Barry my local Osteopath each week in Cobh. I don’t look too far ahead and just check the training plan at the start of each week and focus on a week at a time.

I am confident  that I have put in the miles in training and the key for me will be not to go too fast  during the first 10km or so of the marathon, a couple of poached eggs should slow me down and save the energy for a few hours later when I will need it more. I am really looking forward to joining the Irish Guide Dogs team in Dublin and know that I am running not just for myself but also to help give others greater mobility and independence each day with the assistance of a Guide Dog.”

Their website is http://www.guidedogs.ie/iopen24/index.php

Results & photos of the Kinsale 10m & 10k charity runs...Sun 31st Aug 2014

 A total of 203 people turned out for the Kinsale 10m and 10k charity runs in Garretstown Co.Cork on Sunday 31st Aug 2014. 76 took part in the 10 mile with 127 in the shorter 10k.

10 mile
1    Elton HEFFERNAN 55:38  Senior  (1)    Male  (1)
2    Owen CASEY 55:45  Senior  (2)    Male  (2)
3    Cornelius MARSHALL 57:42   Senior  (3)    Male  (3)
10    Carmel CROWLEY 1:03:42   40-49  (1)    Female  (1)
11    Hannah OLDROYD 1:04:04 Senior  (1)    Female  (2)
18    Mags DEMPSEY 1:07:50  40-49  (2)    Female  (3)

Elton Heffernan of Togher AC winning the Kinsale 10 mile

10k
1    Garrett LORDAN 37:30 Senior  (1)    Male  (1)
2    John LYNCH 38:05 Senior  (2)    Male  (2)
3    Cathal FITZGERALD 38:52  Senior  (3)    Male  (3)
6    Ronnie BARRY 40:56  Senior  (1)    Female  (1)
17    Catherine POWER 46:34  Senior  (2)    Female  (2)
24    Catherine O SULLIVAN 48:51   40-49  (1)    Female  (3)

The results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Mon 1st @10am)
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Anyone who has been running for a number of years will remember the great photos we had before from Jorge Ruiz Villasante. You can see his photos of the Kinsale 10 HERE

Sonia O'Sullivan out supporting this charity event in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

Notice...Kinsale 10k & 10 mile - Sun 31st Aug 2014

This charity event is coming up in Garretown near Kinsale on Sunday the 31st of August 2014 with a 10am start.

There are a choice of two events.....a 10km run/walk or a 10mile run.

The 10km run/walk costs €15 to enter while the 10 mile costs €20
(Both subject to a €1.50 processing fee)

You can enter online HERE

The postal entry form is HERE

Entries on the day cost €20 for the 10k while it's €30 for the 10 miler.

Prizes will be awarded to the first 3 male and female finishers for both distances and there will also be age group prizes.

For more information, go to the race website... http://kinsale10.com/ 

Please note that there are no dry fit tops or anything like that for this event. All proceeds go towards The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.