Medals for Cork runners at National Half-Marathon

The annual Rock n Roll Half-Marathon was held in Dublin last Sunday the 13th of August 2017 with several thousand runners taking part. The overall results are HERE

This also doubles up as the National Half-Marathon Championships and a number of club runners from Cork and Munster made the trip to Dublin.

In the team competition, Eagle AC from Cork managed to secure a team Bronze in the M35 masters category.

L-R... Alan O'Brien, Vivian Foley & Frank Hill of Eagle AC

3 EAGLE A.C. M35 03:49:02 > Alan O'BRIEN 01:11:09.19, Vivian FOLEY 01:15:32.92, Frank HILL 01:22:19.56

In the individual categories, these were the medal winners from Cork and Munster...

1st M45...Vivian FOLEY EAGLE A.C. M45 Male ...01:15:32.92
1st M70...Tony DUNNE GRANGE/FERMOY A.C. M75 ...02:17:33.77
3rd F40...Mags DEMPSEY TRACTON A.C. F40 ...01:27:14.51
1st F70...Maggie DUNNE GRANGE/FERMOY A.C. F70 ...02:37:52.84

It's also worth mentioning that Tim O'Donoghue of East Cork AC finished in 4th place overall.

4 Tim ODONOGHUE 2543 EAST CORK SEN Male 01:08:22.84

Complete results

Cork & Munster Results below.......

Michael Harty of East Cork AC wins Rock n Roll 5k in Dublin

While the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin was held on Sunday, the associated 5k race with 2,302 finishers was on the previous day, Saturday the 12th of August.  The winner of the race was Michael Harty of East Cork AC in a time of 15m 17s.

1    Michael HARTY    00:15:17.43
2    Eoin FLYNN    00:15:49.96
3    Efrem GIDEY    00:16:33.17

Results of the National Half-Marathon in Dublin...Sun 7th Aug 2016

The annual Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Dublin was held this year on Sunday the 7th of August. This also doubled up as the National Half-Marathon Championships and around 20 club athletes from Cork took part, about the same as last year.

The provisional results show that there were  6 individual medal winners from Cork.

3rd M35....Alan O'Brien, Eagle AC...1:14:55
3rd M55....Colm Murphy, Leevale AC...1:35:17
1st M60.....Neilus Aherne, Midleton AC ...1:29:10
3rd M70....Tony Dunne, Grange-Fermoy AC...2:10:29

2nd F50....Joan Ennis, Grange-Fermoy AC...1:29:29
3rd F70....Maggie Dunne, Grange-Fermoy AC...2:33::48

Teams.....In the M35 category, Eagle AC finished in 3rd place to take Bronze.

1st...North Sligo AC...03:53:07
2nd...Inishowen AC...03:57:25
3rd...Eagle AC...04:00:39
4th...An Riocht AC...04:04:44

3 Alan O'BRIEN 1133 Eagle A.C. 35 - 39 M35 01:14:55 04:00:39
6 Ronan BOLAND 1032 Eagle A.C. 50 - 54 M35 01:22:07 04:00:39
10 Frank HILL 1102 Eagle A.C. 50 - 54 M35 01:23:37 04:00:39

The breakdown of numbers from Cork clubs was Grange-Fermoy AC 7, Eagle AC 4, Midleton AC 4, Abbey Striders AC 1, Leevale AC 1, Clonakilty Road Runners AC 1, Bandon AC 1 & Carrigtwohill AC 1.

Links..
a) The results for all runners in the Rock n Roll Marathon can be found HERE
b) Individual men
c) Individual women
d) Men's teams
e) Women's teams

Athletics Ireland release entry list for the National Half-Marahton in Dublin next Sunday...

The National Half Marathon Championships will take place in conjunction with the Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon in Dublin next Sunday, the 2nd of August. From the thousands present, roughly 740 club runners will be taking part.

The entry list for the National Championships can be seen http://www.athleticsireland.ie/downloads/other/National_Half_Marathon_Entry_List.pdf

Just like the Great Ireland Run and the National 10k Championships last April, there are relatively few entries from Cork and Munster.

For example based on the latest Athletics Ireland membership stats, 13.3% of all adult members of clubs in Ireland are from Cork. Despite that, they only represent 3.2% of the National Half-Marathon Championship entries.

There are probably a number of reasons for this. An obvious one is that the there are plenty of other races closer to home without having to travel to Dublin. I suspect another reason however may be the cost. It's one thing to travel to Dublin for say the Marathon in October, going to the Expo the day beforehand and having to stay some place overnight. I'm not so sure a lot of people would bother for a half-marathon.

Considering Dublin is only about two and a half hours by road from Dublin, it might be more attractive if the race numbers could be posted out instead of having the expense of going up on Saturday to an Expo?

Lizzie Lee from Cork features on Competitor website.....The Rock n Roll Half-Marathon Series are organised by the Competitor Group. They have an article on Lizzie Lee from Cork up now on their website.

Highlights of the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon - Mon 4th Aug 2014

The Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin on the 4th of August also doubled up as the Athletics Ireland Half-Marathon Championships this year again. Some 6,500 or so runners took part.

Listed below are the various athletes from clubs in Cork who took part and their respective category position.
8 15090 01:12:23 Michael Herlihy North Cork A.C. Sen Men
9 15093 01:13:27 Tim Twomey Leevale A.C. Sen Men
12 15092 01:13:56 Chris Harrington Leevale A.C. Sen Men
13 15096 01:14:26 Owen Casey Leevale A.C. Sen Men
24 1027 01:17:39 Geoffrey Casey Togher A.C. Sen Men
41 1082 01:24:15 David O'Keeffe Togher A.C. Sen Men
47 1070 01:25:23 David Butler St. Finbarrs A.C. Sen Men
58 2020 01:30:36 Eoin O'Sullivan Togher A.C. Sen Men

4 15102 01:15:05 John O'Connell Leevale A.C. MM 35-39

59 2090 01:43:57 Patrick Buckley Mallow A.C. MM 35-39
67 3051 01:53:43 Tom O Riordan Ballymore Cobh A.C. MM 35-39

3 15105 01:19:25 Finbarre O'Dwyer Leevale A.C. MM40-44

5 1048 01:21:37 Liam Cotter St. Finbarrs A.C. MM45-49

21 1121 01:37:31 Keith Sexton Eagle A.C. MM45-49

3rd Team in Senior Men...Leevale AC...3:41:49...Tim Twomey, Chris Harrington, Owen Casey
9th Team in Senior Men...Togher AC...4:12:30...Geoffrey Casey, David O'Keeffe, Eoin O'Sullivan
3rd Team in M35...3:58:38...John O'Connell, Finbarre O'Dwyer, Colm Murphy

4 2022 01:33:37 Sharon Woods Mallow A.C. MW35-39
94 13005 02:36:37 Trish Hayes Mallow A.C. MW35-39

40 3003 01:56:42 Dolores Gibbons Bandon A.C. MW40-44
 
30 6047 02:00:14 Mary-Clare Healy Grange/Fermoy A.C. MW45-49

6 15073 01:55:39 Mary Mulcahy St. Finbarrs A.C. MW50-54

2 9005 02:26:25 Maggie Dunne Grange/Fermoy A.C. MW65-69

Full club results......Indiv Men.......Indiv Women.......Mens Team.......Womens Team

Munster club results.....HERE

Video highlights from Irish SportsNet. It follows mostly the frontrunners but it gives a feel for what the event is like..

Opinions on this years Rock N Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin in August??

Prior to 2013, the National Half-Marathon used to be held in different locations around the country. Last year, it was held in conjunction with the Rock n Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin in August. Despite misgivings by some people, it seemed on the whole to go pretty well but it was obvious that a lot of people from outside Leinster didn't bother with it.

This year, it is on the 4th of August with an 8:30am start. Race numbers and race packs must be picked up at the RDS the day before, much the same as for the Dublin City Marathon. The net result is that if you are from outside the greater Dublin area then you'll have to stay in the city over night before the race.

The course has changed this year as well with the start near the docklands and the finish in the Phoenix Park. Overall, the course has a net gain in height.

The following message was sent to me by a reader of the blog....
Athletics Ireland are offering clubs a chance to win €1,000 in the up coming national half marathon in August if the club enters 10 athletes.

This tells me that they are really struggling to get club athletes to sign up for this years event and in turn reduced revenue.

The reason I feel club athletes are not supporting this national event this year is because of the totally change of the course from last year. they are taking over half of the race via the Park over very hilly terrain. It makes no since in having such a course as a national championship. Athletics Ireland should pull back from the R and R event and organise the National Half Championship themselves.

I would like a discussion on this John via comments or some kind of poll.

Seamus...sub 73min HM
(NOT RUNNING NATIONAL HALF DUE TO POOR COURSE IN DUBLIN! - A LONG WAY TO TRAVEL FROM MUNSTER FOR A POOR COURSE)

Do you agree with Seamus? Is the course too hilly? Or is it just too expensive a trip for just a half-marathon?

Should the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin be the National Championships???

The Rock 'n' Roll Dublin Half-Marathon is coming up on Bank Holiday Monday, the 5th of August. This is a new event in Ireland and differs from the usual Half-Marathon in that it has live music every mile and at the finish line.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is organised by an American commercial company which organises events in 26 North American cities and in various European cities each year.

This year, Athletics Ireland have decided to make the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon the National Half-Marathon Championships. Up until the 1st of July, the entry fee for members of Athletic Clubs was €25 while non-members had to pay €49 up until the 29th of July. Anyone wishing to enter now can do so at the Expo for €55.

Background to the National Half-Marathon.....This has been organised with varying degrees of success over the last 15 years...

As you can see over the last decade, the events that are near population centres tend to be the ones that have attracted the largest crowds which is probably no great suprise.

In 2011 and 2012, the entry fee for the National Half-Marathon was €20 and both started at 1pm. This allowed plenty of time for people to travel to the event.


Rock 'n' Roll Dublin Half-Marathon.....It's likely that this event is sure to attract a very large field, almost certainly well up in the thousands. According to Athletics Ireland, there have been approximately 6,000 entries of which 700 were club runners. Considering it's international branding, there should be a large number of overseas visitors as well which is probably no bad thing as it brings tourists into the country. No doubt for many, this type of Half-Marathon with music at every mile will be major reason for entering.

Considering that the race starts at 8:30am then it will most likely mean that most people taking part from around the country will have to stay in Dublin overnight. Add in the traveling expenses and it soon becomes a very expensive Half-Marathon.

It would be fair to say that some club runners do not agree with the decision of Athletics Ireland to use the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon as the National Championships.

Opinion.....This was sent to me by e-mail by a visitor to the site from the West of Ireland...

In my opinion the National half should be a stand-alone event. Surely it is not impossible for Athletics Ireland to organise a half marathon themselves---with the help of the many clubs and individuals who are well able to organise decent races and keep ALL the profits here for the promotion of the sport at both elite and grassroots level.

I am not at all happy with this as I feel that Athletics Ireland has sold out to a commercial group. I have no problem with some group organising a race and charging high entry fees---people have the choice to take part if they wish. But this is a step too far!!

I have a number of issues with the decision:
1) The winners of a national champion event should get their moment of glory by being first across the line.
2) All the profits should be ploughed back into the sport.
3) Why wasn't an Irish club asked to take on the event?
4) It is claimed that the event lost money in the past. The answer to that is to market it better---a field of 700 with no prize money (just medals)---profit could be €10,000.
5) Originally the entry fee started at €46 (rising to €55) with a derisory €2 discount for AI members. This has now been changed to €25 for AI members.

If it stays this way then the three National Championship road-racing events (10k, Half-Marathon and Marathon) will all be held in Dublin and be part of bigger races.

Last year, I had a post on the blog about how hardly any club athletes from Cork and most of Munster took part in the 2012 Half-Marathon Championships in Athenry in Galway. The main reasons for this were probably....1) Too far to travel..i.e. time and expense..... 2) Plenty of other Half-Marathons locally to choose from..... 3) The National Half is mainly of interest to elite athletes...for everyone else, it's just a local race.

With the Rock 'n' Roll race now becoming the National Half-Marathon, will it mainly attract club athletes in or near the capital in years to come?...a bit like the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park.

Some questions...
1) Do you think the National Half-Marathon should stay in Dublin or move around the country like it did in the past?
2) Do you agree with the person from the West of Ireland that a commercial Half-Marathon should not be the National Half-Marathon Championships?
3) If you are from Cork or Munster, are you going to this event and why?

Comments? Click on the link below...

Las Vegas Marathon drops 14,000 entries this year...

Following last years record entry of 44,000 entries for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon and Marathon, there is a drop of 14,000 this year. With an entry fee of roughly $160, that's a loss of $2.24 million in income.

In 2010, there were 28,000 entries and this mushroomed to 44,000 in 2011 but it resulted in huge criticism of the event. Some people complained of severe overcrowding while hundreds felt ill after drinking the water which was dispensed in plastic cups scooped from large open bins of water.

Just a year ago, some were calling for the race to be expanded to 60,000 entries but the 14,000 drop suggests that most people thought otherwise. Last year, the race was run at night and the organisers explained the drop by saying..."We couldn’t replicate the novelty again"........as if last years problems had nothing to do with it ;o)

There's probably a lesson in there for all races organisers...commercial or otherwise. Grow the event carefully and look after the people that enter.

The Las Vegas race is among 27 in the national Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, operated by Competitor Group. Last year, the Las Vegas marathon reportedly brought more than $100 million into the local economy. A spokeman for MGM Resorts International, said the event is one of the 10 most profitable of the year for Las Vegas businesses and the event allows the tourism and hospitality industries to extend the weekend by an extra day helping to pull revenue in a month that typically lags in profitability.

The Competitor Group are due to hold a Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in Dublin on the 5th of August, 2013.

Tour de France to buy Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series..?

It was recently announced that the Competitor Group in the USA has put the hugely popular Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon and Marathon series up for sale. Competitor Group was formed in 2008 when Falconhead Capital, an equity fund firm, bought the Rock 'n' Roll series, other races and some media properties. In the last four years, Competitor Group has grown from 16 to 75 races, including some triathlons and non-US road races. In terms of races in the USA, this commercial operation is huge and they will be bringing a Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon to Dublin in August 2013.


A number of off-the-record running-industry sources are reporting the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series will be sold to the owners of the world-famous Tour de France bicycle race. Several of the sources have referenced a column published a week ago at RunTex.com by Bob Wischnia, a former Runner’s World editor who now works for Mizuno.

The Tour de France is owned by the French company, Amaury Sports Organization, which also owns the Paris and Barcelona Marathons, as well as other bike races and L’equipe, the daily French-language sports newspaper. On its web site, the company says: “One of A.S.O.’s priority areas for growth is the organization of mass events open to the general public."

Is the Dublin Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon cancelled?

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon Series are a collection of road running events owned and operated by Competitor Group, Inc. in the USA. In November, they announced that they intended to hold a Half-Marathon in Dublin in August 2012 as part of their European series of races.

Now it seems, there are unconfirmed reports that this event may have been cancelled. This appeared on on their Facebook page a few days ago from someone who was interested in taking part....
"I confirmed the cancellation yesterday with a Competitor Group official via phone. The e-mail I received at midnight on Wed/Thu did not explain the reasons behind the cancellation. Simply that it was being postponed until 2013 and that refunds would be processed for those registered. The rep I spoke with yesterday said that Competitor Group would be releasing a statement in due time when appropriate."

Update......This official statement was posted on the 4th of January....
"Competitor Group, organizer of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, has decided to postpone the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon until 2013. We realized with great regret a need for more time to create an entirely new event to meet the high standards established by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and expected by our local community partners.

Initial support for the race has been tremendous and reinforces our belief that it will be a great event for the City of Dublin in 2013. We look forward to opening registration for the 2013 event this summer."

Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2 Marathon flops

Some time back, I had a post about a new Half-Marathon coming to Dublin next summer as part of the European Rock 'n' Roll race series. These are commercially organised events which are very popular in the USA. On Sunday the 4th of December, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half-Marathon turned out to be a bit of a flop.

Just to give you some idea of how expensive it is to enter, the Half-Marathon costs $130 (~€95) with a late entry fee of $155 (~€115). The full Marathon costs $140 (~€104) with a late entry fee of $175 (~€130). With some 44,000 people taking part, that would mean that they took in some $6 to $7 million on entries alone.

As it turned out, things didn't quite go to plan as they were obviously way too many runners and it was badly organised. Here are some of the media reports...
....water was pumped from a nearby fire hydrant with hoses into a plastic lined garbage cans. Event volunteers then wearing plastic gloves would dip cups into the cans and pass them off to runners.The water tasted metallic and stale.
.....The photos, snapped with cell phones, show thousands of people pouring into Mandalay Bay hallways unable to move. People report being stuck for nearly an hour with numerous people vomiting and passing out.
....."We had heard that lots of people collapsed, Inside the hotel was horrible."
......It was the capstone to a race with 44 thousand people that runners say was too large with too little planning.

Video report from a US TV channel  in this LINK

Let's hope the Dublin Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon goes better!

Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon coming to Dublin in 2012...

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon Series are a collection of road running events owned and operated by Competitor Group, Inc. in the USA. They operate a multitude of races in the US and they now seem to be expanding their presence in Europe. They have just announced that they will be holding a Half-Marathon in Dublin in August 2012 as part of their European series of races.

Here is the press statement......
Competitor Group, Inc. has reached a partnership with Athletics Ireland to launch the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon, which is expected to attract 10,000 participants and is currently scheduled for Monday, August 6, 2012.
“Ireland and its capital city of Dublin are a perfect fit to host a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series event,” said Peter Englehart, CEO of CGI.  “Dublin is a bustling city with a great love of sports, outdoor entertainment and world-class cultural offerings. We are extremely happy and pleased to bring an event of this caliber to the city and we know there will be a lot of excitement around this race every year.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon is now part of an international series of musically themed marathons and half-marathons, uniquely combining entertainment with a scenic 13.1-mile road course. The event features live bands performing at every mile along the route, cheerleaders encouraging runners, themed water stations and a finish line concert headlined by a major act.
Race weekend in Dublin will begin with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo where all participants go to pick up their race number. The expo will feature several running and fitness retailers, exhibits with free nutritional samples and a series of interactive clinics.
“This event provides a perfect stage to grow local participation in athletics and it also comes at a time when we are increasing our focus on sports tourism,” said John Foley, CEO of Athletics Ireland. “Competitor Group is a worldwide leader in the endurance sports sector and it has an international presence that will help bring runners to Dublin from around the world. We want people to come to Dublin for our beauty and our culture and leave with an unforgettable running experience.”

Is this a good or bad development? In terms of publicity and attracting overseas runners and tourists to the country, it may have great potential. Or will it be just mainly locals? In terms of the existing race calendar, it seems as if the market just got a whole lot more crowded.

Good or bad? Are you interested in doing it? Leave your opinion by clicking on the Comment link below...
Half Marathon Registration Fees
€ 33 – Promotional price when online registration opens
€ 40 – December 1 – February 28
€ 45 – March 1 – April 30
€ 50 – May 1 – July 31
€ 60 – Expo Registration (if available)