Results of the Cork Cty Senior Track & Field Championships...Thurs 3rd July 2014

The Cork County Senior Track & Field Championships were held at the CIT track on Thursday the 3rd of July 2014. The numbers were pretty low in a lot of events, especially the womens track races.

The most contested race was probably the mens 1500m

1500m Men
1st    James Mc Carthy    East Cork    4.00.73
2nd     William Hughes    Thurles Crokes    4.01.02
3rd    Ben Thistlewood    Leevale    4.04..00
4th    Colm Sheehan    Leevale    4.04.44
5th    Tim O'Donoghue    East Cork    4.06.91
6th    Tony Kelleher    Togher    4.08.38
7th    Ml Keane    Ennis Track    4.19.07
8th    Craig Harrington    Togher    4.30.74
9th    Tony O'Brien    St Finbarrs    6.01.82

The full results of the evening can be seen HERE

Results & Photos of the Leevale Track & Field Meet - Sat 5th Apr 2014

The senior races of annual Leevale Track and Field Meet was held at the CIT track on Saturday the 5th of Apr 2014. Conditions were a bit on the damp side for most of the competition.

Some results...
Mens 100m...David Hynes of Menapians AC in Wexford ran a time of 11.22 seconds, just ahead of Marcus Lawler of St.Lawerence O'Toole AC in 11.26.
Womens 100m....Phil Healy of Bandon AC who won a silver medal back in February at the National Senior Indoor Championships was the winner on this occasion over 100m with a time of 12.24 seconds. Kelly Proper of Ferrybank AC in Waterford AC was second with 12.30.

Mens 200m...This time, it was Marcus Lawler who took first with a time of 21.87 seconds.
Womens 200m...Sarah Lavin who is one of the country top hurdlers took the win in the 200m sprint with a time of 24.85 seconds, just ahead of Kelly Proper in 24.98.

Sarah Lavin (R) edging out Kelly Proper in the womens 200m sprint. Pic: Gearóid Ó Laoi

In the 400m races, Paul Murphy of Ferrybank AC won the mens race in 48.65 seconds while Jenna Bromell of Emerald AC in Limerick won the womens race in 56.89.

Mens 800m...In the mens race, Damian Landers of St.Johns AC won in a time of 1:56.95 with Liam Hennessy in second place with 1:57.13.
Womens 800m...In the womens 800m, 17 year old Louise Shanahan of Leevale AC ran a tactical race staying behind her team mate Clare McSweeney for most of the race before putting in a strong kick with about 120m to go to finish well ahead of the rest of the field. Louise's time was 2:11.01 with Nadia Power in second place with 2:13.54.

In the mens 1500m race, Conor Walter of Leevale AC won in 4:01.48 while in the mens 3000m, Ben Thistlewood of Leevale AC won in 8:48.77.
In the womens 3000m, Sinead O'Connor of Leevale AC won in a time of 10:12.53.

Sinead O'Connor and Ben Thistlewood of Leevale AC...respective winners of the womens and mens 3000m race. Pic : Gearoid O'Laoi

In the mens 110m hurdles, Edmond O'Halloran won in 16.48 seconds while in the womens 100m hurdles, Sarah Lavin had her second win of the day with a time of 14.05s, a full second ahead of Shannon Dawkins in seconds place.

Full results can be seen in this PDF document.

Photos...
1) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Doug Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE

New page on the site for track & field events in Munster

A number of people have sent me e-mails recently asking for information about various track and field events as any information that is available on the net seems to be scattered across various websites and Facebook pages.

Recently, I put up a page dedicated to the Graded Track & Field League in Cork so that people could find all of the details in one spot including past results....see tab at the top of the page.

I have now set up another page called Munster Track & Field. I'm a bit reluctant to start up any new page as it almost always requires updating which can be very time consuming. However, considering that there are relatively few meetings and the page is mainly about competitions for adults then I hope that it wont take much to keep it updated. The idea is just to have a page where people can go to and  check out what track competitions are coming up. It's aimed not only at track athletes but also those who normally run on the roads but would like to try out a track race.

I have included as well some reference information which shows where each of the proper 400m tartan tracks are in the country. All visitors have to do is to click on a link and they can see exactly where each track is located.

To have a look, go to the top of the page and click on Munster T&F.

Leevale Track & Field Meet...Sat 5th & Sun 6th Apr 2014

For those of you with an interest in athletics, Leevale AC will be holding their annual Track & Field meet at the CIT track in Cork City on the weekend of the 5th & 6th of April 2014. Entry and fixture details will be available at a later date.

Results of the Cork Cty Masters Track & Field Championships...Sat 13th July 2013

The Cork County Masters Track & Field Championships were held at the CIT track in Bishopstown on Saturday, the 13th of July 2013.

The full results can be seen HERE

Irish results on Day 2 of the European Championships...Thurs 28th June 2012

This is the second day of the European Track and Field Championships. Yesterday, no less than 7 men were disqualified from the 400m heats and the track has come in for some criticism. Apparently because of a football pitch in the centre of the stadium, the corners of the track are very tight and athletes sprinting are having some trouble staying in lane.

Pole Vault....Tori Pena goes out after failing at her third attempt at 4.40 metres having cleared 4.15, 4.25 and 4.35m earlier.

Jessie Barr runs a PB in the 400m hurdles...Qualifies for final as one of the fastest finishers!

Stephanie Reilly (Sli Cualann AC) ran a seasons best time of 9:44.15 in the second semi-finals of the womens 3000m steeplechase. She goes through to the final as one of the fastest finishers. Great result!

19 year old Thomas Barr ran a seasons best time of 50.22 seconds in the first of three semi-final races. Unfortunately, it's wasn't fast enough to go through to the final.

Brian Gregan qualifies for the final by coming second in his semi-final heat of the mens 400m! His time of 45.76 seconds was just slower than his PB time yesterday of 45.63 in the heats.


That concludes another day of athletics from Helsinki. Star performance of the day was yet again from Brian Gregan of Clonliffe Harriers AC. After finishing second in his semi-final heat of the mens 400m, he must have a real prospect of getting into the medals. Jessie Barr continued her fine form by qualifying for womens 400m hurdles. Her chances of getting in the medals are remote but getting into a final with the best runners in rest is a success in itself. After running 55.93 seconds, her real target will be to hit the Olympic qualifying standard of 55.50 in the final. Stephanie Reilly was another Irish Athlete who had a great day after finishing sixth in the womens 3000m steeplechase semi-final and goes through to the final.

Amongst the Irish athletes who went out of the competition today were Thomas Barr. At only just 19 years old, it was a real achievement for him to reach a European 400m hurdles semi-final. After finished in fifth place with a season’s best time of 50.22, his time was the second quickest time of his career, second only to the national junior record of 50.05, which he set at the Woodie’s DIY Irish Senior Track and Field Championships last year.

Also bowing out in the early stages was US based Tori-Pena (Finn Valley AC) in the women’s pole vault. She cleared some of the earlier heights but unfortunately had three failures at 4.40m, a height that would have got her into the final.

Results of the Leevale Track and Field Meet - Sat 14th Apr 2012

The full results of the Leevale Track and Field event on Saturday, the 14th of April 2012 can be seen HERE



Video of the mens mile...


Photos...
1) Sean Power has a gallery of 124 photos HERE
2) Leevale AC have their own gallery of photos HERE

Results of the Munster Universities Track and Field Championships - Fri 6th Apr 2012

The second annual Munster Universities Track and Field Championships were held at the CIT track in Cork city on Frinday, the 6th of April 2012. Waterford Institute of Technology came out on top on the day with a clear lead in points over the University of Limerick.

Position Team Points
1 WIT 88.55
2 UL 83.62
3 CIT 74.32
4 UCC 74.16

The full and individual results can be seen HERE

Event Notice...Leevale Track Meet - Sat 14th Apr 2012

Now for something different! Instead of reading about all of those track events in Europe or the US, this one is at the CIT track in Cork on Saturday the 14th of April 2012. The competition for juveniles is on the Sunday.

There is a flat charge of €5 (adults) and €3 (kids) at the gate, with a family discount also. This applies to everyone, be they athletes, coaches, supporters or just general spectators. This is to keep things as simple as possible at the gate, both to get people in the gate with the minimum delay, and to make things easier for the volunteers. There is no separate entry fee for events; for athletes, once they're in the gate they can enter whatever events they like for free.

This year, they expect to have Ailis McSweeney (holder of the 100m Irish record), Derval O'Rourke in the 100m hurdles as well as Kelly Proper, Marian Heffernan (Andrews) and a host of other national-class athletes.

Other events to watch out for are...
1) The mens mile...
2) The womens 1,500 metres. This year, they hope that Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC) will be taking part with some pacers and aiming to set a fast time. Ciara set a new Irish Junior record last August when she won the IMC Grand Prix Final in Birmingham in a time of 4.07.45. That improved on her own Irish Junior 1500m record  of 4:09.51 which she set last year in Canada when finishing 2nd at the World Junior Championships. Even though Ciara is only 20 years old, she is already close to the A-standard of 4:06.0 to qualify for the London Onlympics. A name to watch out for in the future.
3) Mens and womens 3,000 metres. This might be of interest to some of the faster runners on the road race circuit who might like to try a track event. For guidelines on what kind of times were posted last year, have a look at the 2011 results HERE

The full race flyer can be seen HERE

From the organisers...

Senior athletes, please note the following:

Please get your online entries in this week. This will speed things up at check-in time and avoid an additional €5 entry fee. Entry form

Athlete check-in is on the stand side of the track, near the start\finish area.

When checking in please confirm the events you will be competing in. If you are not competing in one of the events you have entered in, please state this when you are checking in. This will allow your lane\place to be used by another athlete.

Check-in closes one hour before each event i.e. you must collect your number at least one hour before the first event you will be competing in. Otherwise you may not be included in the lane draw!

There will be heats\finals in the 100m. The winner of each heat will qualify for the finals as well as fastest runners-up. There will be an A and a B final.

All other events will be run as finals. Finals will be graded where necessary. Overall results will be based on times.

The programme will get underway, on time, at 11:45 am.

Results of the Track & Field Championships of Ireland...6/7th Aug 2011

The Track & Field Championships of Ireland took place in the Morton stadium in Santry, Dublin on Sat 6th and Sun 7th of August. The results can be seen in this PDF document HERE

Here are some of the quoted highights...
It was business as usual for 17 year old Kate Veale (West Waterford AC) at the Woodie’s DIY national track and field championships at Morton Stadium, Santry today. She was an easy winner of the women’s 5,000m walk in a time of 21:30.18, which was a new Irish junior and U23 record. At junior level she improved her own Irish record time of 21:45.59 from July, and at U23 level she bettered the 21:35.62 of Deirdre Gallagher from 1996. Her time is also a new Youths record.

Paul Hession (Athenry AC) ran a great race to win the 200m in a time of 20.51 which is inside the standard for both the World Championships in Korea and 2012 Olympics in London.

Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) won the women’s 5,000m in a time of 17:25.10.

Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) only decided to compete in the championships on the morning. Injury problems have disrupted his preparations in recent weeks. In the race he sat back in the group before hitting the front just before halfway. From there to the finish it was a little bit like the old Heffernan as he raced to victory.

Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC) tried to lead all the way in the 800m, with Laura Crowe on her shoulder. Mageean never quite broke clear and was challenged in the home straight by Siobhan Eviston (Raheny Shamrock AC) who crossed the line in front of Mageean, who stumbled and fell over the line in second. Eveiston clocked 2:06.69 to Mageean’s 2:06.85. Crowe was third in 2:07.93.

Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) won her ninth senior title when taking the 100m hurdles in 13.24.

In her 2nd race, 19 year old Ciara Mageean entered the home straight leading the 1,500m and then held off a strong challenge from Steph Reilly (Sli Cualann AC ) to win in 4:16.36.

Alistair Cragg (Clonliffe Harriers) took control of the 5,000m from early on, dropping runners as he moved away from his rivals to win in 13:48.03.

Highlights of the event can be seen on this 55 minute clip on the RTE Player website..........click HERE

If you want to look at specific highlights then here is the index...
1:40...Mens 800m
5:25...Womens 800m with 19 year old Ciara Mageean in a dramatic finish
9:40...Commentary on above
12:30...Mens 5k
16:40...Womens 400m
19:15...Mens 400m
21:20...Commentary on above
23:30...Various events...Mens 200m, 10k, Pole vault, Womens 5k racewalk with Kate Veale
27:00...100m Hurdles with Derval O'Rourke dominating the event
31:40...Womens 100m
33:40...Mens 100m
35:15...Commentary on above
36:25...Various events...400m hurdles, mens 10k walk  with Rob Heffernan
38:00...Womens 1500m with Ciara Mageean back in action in her 2nd race
44:00...Mens 1500m
49:40...Final commentary

Photos..........Gearoid O'Laoi has a very large gallery of photos HERE

Upcoming events at the CIT track in Cork City...

For anyone interested in races on the track and associated events, the following events are coming up at the CIT track in Bishopstown in Cork City...
Sunday 3rd July 2011........10:30am
Munster Junior, Under 23 & Senior Track & Field Championships 2011

Friday 8th July 2011......7pm
Cork County Senior Track & Field Championships 2011. Closing date for this is Tuesday 5th July.

Friday 15th July 2011........7pm
Cork County Junior & Masters Track & Field Championships 2011. Closing date for this is Tuesday 12th July.

Tuesday 19th July 2011.......7pm
Graded Track & Field League...Round 4......400m, 2000m Steeplechase, Medly Relay (2x200, 400, 800) & other field events.

Saturday 23rd July...2:30pm
Graded Track & Field League...Round 5......100m, 200m, 800m, 5000m, 4x100 relay & other field events

Thurs 11th August...7pm
Graded Track & Field League.....Round 5........100m, 800m & other field events

Results of Round 1 of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League - Mon 23rd May 2011

Just catching up on a few results...! The 1st round of the John Buckley Sports Graded Track & Field League was held on a very windy track in CIT last Monday, the 23rd of July. There were a number of events on offer.......200m, Long Jump, Shot, 4 x 400m Relay and the 3,000 metres.

The event was organised by St.Finbarr's AC while the sponsor of the event was John Buckley Sports which is one of the longest established running shops in Cork City.

John Buckley Sports

The full results of Round 1 can be found in PDF format HERE

There are 5 more rounds in this series. The next one on the 10th of June has the 100m, a high jump, discuc, 4 x 200m relay and the 800 metre.

Here is some more info from the organisers if you are interested in attending.....
A series of six meetings is planned for Athletes male and female over 17 years on the day of the competition; the Shot, Discus, Hammer and 56lb Weights are limited to athletes over 18. Track events will, if necessary, be divided into separate races on the basis of performance, which could involve mixed races. Admission is €5 per meeting. Each athlete will receive a performance certificate and electronic timing will be used.

John Buckley Sports 5k.........Coming up next Tuesday evening, the 31st of May at 8pm, the Cork

BHAA in conjunction with John Buckley Sports are holding a 5 km road race on the Centre Park Road / Monaghan Road circuit. This is one of the largest, fastest and most popular 5 km races on the local race calendar and is sure to attract a large crowd.

As well as the usual refreshments, prizes, etc, they will also be handing out a 20% discount voucher for John Buckley Sports at the end of the race. I asked John about this by mail and he told me that there is no time limit on it and the 20% is off anything for sale in his shop regardless of price.

More details on this race in a later post.

Belgooly Athletic Club launch new website...
I was asked by John Copithorne of Belgooly AC some time ago to put together a website for their club. I decided to use a blog format as it will be easier for them to maintain and all the information that they requested can be displayed on it.

You can see their new website at... http://belgoolyac.blogspot.com/

Belgooly AC are a small club who concentrate on track and field events mainly for children and teenagers. They have members from both Cork City and County. They train at the CIT track in Bishopstown every Tuesday and Thursday night between 7 and 8 pm and down in Crosshaven on Wednesday nights. So, if you know of anyone in that age group who might be interested in starting athletics, you should contact John Copithorne. His details are listed on the new website.