Welcome to the Running in Cork blog, home of the Cork running community. This is the largest website in Cork & Munster for news on road races and general running news. Included are a current race calendar, race previews, photos, results as well as some local, national and international news items.
Some welcome news! Cork City Council have put in a new car park for the Marina. This will be great for anyone wanting to walk, run or cycle out along the Marina and up the Greenway towards Mahon.
There is a real lack on nice routes in the centre of Cork City and the Mahon/Blackrock loop is probably one of the few nice ones. This new car park will be of benefit to those not living near this excellent public facility.
The map above shows the location of the new car park. Anyone familiar with this area will know that this used to a narrow road with a rough surface and the grass area was liable to turn to mud in wet weather.
With the COVID-19 restrictions, the plan is for the Marina to stay pedestranised until at least the end of December 2020. Hopefully it will stay like that and won't revert back to a rat run for cars.
At the moment, the path to the west ends at the Shandon Boat Club. It's my understanding that the eventual plan is to have a walkway all of the way along the river into the centre of Cork City.
Video about the new car park from Cllr. Des Cahill...
Positive works continue on the Marina with new greenway & cycleway almost complete & parking spaces near the pedestrianised marina This is at the city end of the marina adjacent to @ShandonBoatClub & @LeeRowingClubpic.twitter.com/P7Q7i22iOh
After turning up in the meeting point in Carrigaline bright and early at 9am, there was of course no sign of the main man Jerry Forde. As you can see from the photo above, he can't go outside the door unless he has matching clothing and he was frantically searching his house this morning for a bright Yellow-Green hat to go with his top.
He eventually arrived and we got underway at 9:15am on the cycle path/footpath to the Kilnagleary car park and from there on the Greenway to Crosshaven.
Once you take the time to notice, it really is a lovely stretch to walk, run or cycle on especially near Drakes Pool and the approach into Crosshaven. There are some great views out over the Owenabue Estuary and the path is right next to the water all of the time. I know for Jerry that it was a welcome contrast to the busy roads around Blarney.
After Crosshaven, we continued out past the boat yard and up Point Road to the end of the Cul-de-Sac. From there, there were lovely views across to Spike Island in the outer harbour and the town of Cobh beyond. The view at the top of this post shows the view from Point Road across to Currabinny Woods and the estuary by Crosshaven which was full of boats.
For the return trip, the main decision was where to get some coffees so we stopped off at Lulu's at the Kilnagleary car park. After getting the 'I left my wallet at home / Me dog ate me wallet' routine from the main man, it was left to me to get the coffees.
As you can see from the photo, the tour guide had to buy two coffees for Mr. Forde after he gave himself an impromptu 'Americano' shower with the first one after a 'wheelchair malfunction'. The only saving grace was that Lulu's weren't selling creamie cakes or I'd be completely broke. 😂
After our 50 minute '10-minute' break, we headed back to Carrigaline where we were welcomed by no less than Jimmy Murray, another well know face on the Cork running scene.
I think we clocked up just over 11 miles in total although with all the stops, it turned into a 4 hour training session! 😂
All in all, it was a lovely route for training and I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it before. This morning, we had blue skies and sunshine for most of it and it really does make a huge difference in terms of the scenery. After all the recent rain and gloomy clouds, it was good to feel the heat of the sun again.
Like many of the regulars out there, Jerry is missing the road race scene and is tipping away with training on his own but it's not the same. With the running scene, there is a whole social scene to the road races and that is almost more important than the run itself.
As for our next outing, I'm not sure where we're going yet. All I know for sure is that I'm leaving my wallet at home! 😂😂
Car free Marina on a nice Summers day...Photo: Cllr. Kieran McCarthy
The Marina is one of the most popular spots in Cork City for runners, walkers and cyclists alike and it was pedestrianised at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to accommodate people that wanted to exercise.
Cork City Council have now announced that the Marina will remain pedestrianised as a temporary measure linked to Covid public health response until the 31st Dec 2020. It was due to reopen to traffic at the end on August 31st, but to facilitate social distancing measures and to create enhanced pedestrian facilities, these measures will remain in place for a further four months.
#corkcc After lots of emails, huge public pressure & great practical support from Council operations it is very good formal news from Operations this morning that The Marina will remain pedestrianised as a temporary measure linked to Covid public health response until 31 Dec 2020 pic.twitter.com/GnnUWQpzL1
The East Cork road championships were held on Thursday the 20th of August 2020 in Ballynoe in East Cork. Below is a report from John Walshe with the full results further down the page.
EAST CORK ATHLETICS DIVISION ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS ...by John Walshe
Normally held in April, the unbroken sequence which has seen the East Cork road championships taking place every year since 1980 was maintained at the traditional venue of Ballynoe.
After the initial postponement four months ago, hopes for the new date seemed dashed earlier this week when the updated Covid-19 strategy was announced but, after getting the go-ahead from Athletics Ireland, both races went ahead while adhering to the recommended guidelines.
The aftermath of Storm Ellen made the testing course even tougher with gusting winds and hail showers adding to the discomfort of the long hill which the women had to climb twice and the men four times.
A minutes silence was observed before both events in memory of local man Dan McCarthy who passed away earlier this year. Dan was instrumental in getting these championships established on the athletics calendar with the first event taking place on St Patrick’s Day 1980 when Pat Whyte led home just 18 finishers.
Kevin O’Leary (East Cork) became the 15th different winner over the years of the men’s five-mile race, improving one place and 59 seconds from last year when coming home an impressive first in a time of 26:11. Two Midleton junior athletes, Paul Hartnett and Frank O’Brien, took the silver and bronze medals in respective times of 26:39 and 27:13.
With the individual medal-winners not scoring in the teams, East Cork came out best on a total of 30 points ahead of Watergrasshill (45 points) and Midleton (74 points).
Fiona Santry made it an East Cork club double when winning the women’s 3000m in 11:22. Second was Jennifer Goggin-Walsh (Carraig na bhFear) in 11:56 with Linda O’Sullivan (Watergrasshill) third in 12:04.
Midleton, with 34 points, were the winners of the team contest from Ballymore-Cobh who finished on 42 with St Catherine’s third on 45 points.
She may have won medals at Olympic, World and European level but one award which had eluded Sonia O’Sullivan over her long glittering career was an East Cork senior medal.
However, an eight-place finish was enough for Ireland’s greatest-ever athlete to finally set the record straight as she led her Ballymore-Cobh club to silver.
(L) Kevin O'Leary, second last year but number one on this occasion / (R) Fiona Santry, winner of the women's 3000m race
East Cork Road Championships Thursday August 20th 2020 Men's Result
Place Race # Name Club Category Time 1 72 Kevin O'Leary East Cork AC M 26.11 2 99 Paul Hartnett Midleton AC MJ 26.39 3 50 Frank O'Brien Midleton AC MJ 27.13 4 71 Kevin O'Brien East Cork AC M 27.37 5 74 Kieran McKeown Watergrasshill AC M 27.56 6 65 James McCarthy East Cork AC M 28.05 7 140 Sean McGrath East Cork AC M35 28.10 8 31 Daire O’Sullivan Carraig na bhFear AC MJ 28.14 9 159 Tony Forristal Midleton AC M 28.16 10 66 John Hennessy Midleton AC M50 28.37 11 157 Stephen Crowley Watergrasshill AC M 28.44 12 77 Kristaps Liepins Watergrasshill AC M 28.45 13 57 Graham Swords East Cork AC M35 28.46 14 160 Trevor Cummins Ballymore/Cobh AC M 28.59 15 100 Paul Kearney Aghada RC M 29.14 17 6 Aidan Noone Watergrasshill AC M 29.19 18 35 Dave McCarthy St Nicholas AC M 29.23 19 139 Sean Ahern Youghal AC M 29.27 20 25 Chris Kelly East Cork AC M 29.41 21 161 Willie Walsh Carraig na bhFear AC M45 30.04 22 70 Keith Kelly Youghal AC M 30.37 23 149 Shane Meyler Ballymore Cobh AC M45 30.44 24 40 David Maher Carraig na bhFear AC MJ 31.08 25 69 Joseph Daly Carraig na bhFear AC MJ 31.15 26 162 Ger O'Regan Midleton AC M50 31.23 27 91 Mick Mulcahy Carraig na bhFear AC M40 32.27 28 68 Jonathon Kenneally St Catherines AC M 32.37 29 34 Daniel Bloom Midleton AC M 32.46 30 129 Séamus McSweeny St Nicholas AC M45 32.46 31 29 Chris O Connell St Catherines AC M 33.13 32 42 Declan Dorgan Midleton AC M40 33.53 33 45 Don Sheehan Carraig na bhFear AC M45 34.02 34 67 John Mulcahy St Catherines AC M 34.03 35 86 Matthew Browne Watergrasshill AC M 34.17 36 8 Andre Brodkorb Midleton AC M50 34.27 37 155 Stephen Collins St Catherines AC M 34.49 38 150 St John O'Connor St Nicholas AC M45 35.02 39 24 Brendan Hickey St Catherines AC M 35.14 40 158 Tom O Riordan Watergrasshill AC M 35.27 41 44 Denis O’Leary Aghada RC M 35.31 42 123 Richard Hawkins Carraig na bhFear AC M50 35.41 43 126 DonMurray Aghada RC M 36.32 44 47 Ed Kinane St Nicholas AC M50 36.45 45 73 Kieran Harte St Catherines AC M 37.36 46 144 Sean Norris Aghada RC M 38.04 47 43 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC M55 38.28 48 119 Paul O Flynn St Catherines AC M 38.38 49 124 Richard Morrison St Nicholas AC M45 39.28 50 46 Donal O'Donoghue Watergrasshill AC M50 40.16
Team Results (outside the first three finishers) 1 East Cork AC 30 pts 2 Watergrasshill AC 45 pts 3 Midleton AC 74 pts 4 Carraig na bhFear AC 78 pts 5 St Catherines AC 130 pts 6 St Nicholas AC 130 pts 7 Aghada RC 145 pts
Women's Result
Place Race Number Name Club Category Time 1 250 Fiona Santry East Cork AC F 11.22 2 295 Jennifer Goggin Walsh Carraig na bhFear AC F35 11.56 3 305 Linda O’Sullivan Watergrasshill AC F 12.04 4 300 Laura Rooney Watergrasshill AC F 12.22 5 318 Natalie Nicholson St Catherines AC F 12.30 6 330 Sarah Morrisson St Nicholas AC FJ 12.50 7 249 Eileen Leahy Midleton AC F 13.01 8 348 Sonia O’Sullivan Ballymore/Cobh AC F 13.05 9 322 Rhona Lynch Carraig na bhFear AC F45 13.16 10 293 Gwen Conroy Watergrasshill AC F 13.24 11 318 Niamh O'Connor East Cork AC F40 13.33 12 242 Caroline Geary Midleton AC F40 13.35 13 320 Norah O'Brien East Cork AC F 13.45 14 342 Sarah Mulcahy St Catherines AC F 13.47 15 325 Sally Drennan Midleton AC F55 13.51 16 294 Jennifer Andersson Ballymore/Cobh AC F 14.06 17 345 Sinead Kearney Carraig na bhFear AC FJ 14.07 18 315 Margaret O’Regan Ballymore/Cobh AC F 14.08 19 200 Alanna Drennan Midleton AC FJ 14.10 20 296 Jennifer Kearney Carraig na bhFear AC FJ 14.25 21 306 Louise Barry Midleton AC F40 14.40 22 241 Breeda Sheedy Midleton AC F50 14.49 23 316 Mary De Barra Ballymore/Cobh AC F 14.57 24 246 Claire Fitzgerald Midleton AC F45 14.59 25 297 Joan Hough Midleton AC F60 15.00 26 299 Laura O Flynn St Catherines AC F 15.05 27 277 Gillian Bransfield Midleton AC F40 15.22 28 245 Christine Murphy Midleton AC F50 15.33 29 347 Siobhan Murphy Midleton AC F45 15.39 30 304 Linda Curtin Midleton AC F45 16.05 31 314 Mags Twohig Midleton AC F50 16.39 32 240 Astrid Micheel Midleton AC F50 16.53 33 298 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC F60 20.42
Midleton, with 34 points, were the winners of the team contest from Ballymore-Cobh who finished on 42 with St Catherine’s third on 45 points
Team Results (outside the first three finishers) 1 Midleton AC 34 pts 2 Ballymore/Cobh AC 42 pts 3 St Catherines AC 45 pts 4 Carraig na bhFear AC 46 pts
Sonia O'Sullivan (who finished eight) leading Niamh O'Connor up the hill
The organisers of the Run Killarney Half-Marathon & 10k have announced that their 2020 event will be postponed until 2021.
From the organisers... Event Update* It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we have reluctantly taken the decision to cancel Run Killarney 2020.
All registered participants will be automatically transferred to Run Killarney 2021 and have been emailed today with further details.
We are very sorry for the disruption and disappointment this may cause you; we will continue to work hard to give you an even better experience in 2021
In the meantime, we want to thank our entire Run Killarney community for their patience and ongoing support, you are what makes the event special and memorable. Keep safe and keep running we look forward to sharing the world’s most beautiful road race with you again in 2021.
The Run Killarney event is held in July every year and was postponed until November of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It now joins the long list of events postponed this year.
Top Irish athlete Ciara Mageaan set a new national record with a time of 2m 31s 06s in a 1000-metre race at the Diamond League meet on Friday evening the 14th of August 2020. This was over three and a half seconds faster than the previous record set by Sonia O'Sullivan back in 1993.
On Twitter, Sonia O'Sullivan said...“It lasted 27 years, a lifetime for some. Well done Ciara Mageean on smashing Irish Athletics
1000m record.”
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won the 1000m race in 2:29.15 with Scotland’s Laura Muir second in
2:30.82. Ciara Mageean from Portaferry finished in third.
Ciara Mageean’s time was also the ninth-fastest ever run over 1,000m by any woman.
In July of 2020, Ciara Mageean also ran a new 800m national record.
While most running events are cancelled at the moment, the Connemara 100 mile went ahead last weekend with 37 runners completing the spectacular looped course.
The runners set off from Clifden at 6am with the winner finishing later that evening.
Back at the end of July 2020, I had a post up about how the Government had granted €80,000 to Cork County Council to investigate the route for a new proposed Greenway from Mallow to Dungarvan.
While Cork County Council will be looking at the route from Mallow to the county border near Ballyduff, Waterford County Council also got a matching €80,000 to investigate the route from Dungarvan to Ballyduff.
In this post, we'll look at the Waterford section...
While the old railway line from Mallow to the county border by Ballyduff is 39.6 kms in length, the section from Dungarvan to Ballyduff is slightly shorter at 35.4 kms.
When I looked at the Cork section of the line, I could see from Google Maps that roughly 44% of the route was still intact. The Waterford section however is in a much worse state and I could only see roughly 18% of the old route remaining.
On the section between Dungarvan and Cappoquin, the old route has largely disappeared into farmers fields and looking at a satellite view, it's hard in places to see where the old line might have been.
In terms of attractiveness, the western section of the old line is probably the nicest as it passes Cappoquin, Lismore and follows the River Blackwater west.
The remains of the old railway bridge over the Blackwater is still there near Cappoquin and would make for a nice feature on the Greenway.
This is a satellite view near Cappoquin showing the location of the railway bridge and the route of the old line to the west.
It's worth pointing out that the new Greenway that is being developed from Midleton to Youghal is on the old railway line that is still in state ownership. I'm not sure what the status is of the old line from Mallow to Dungarvan but it looks a lot more complicated.
If the overall project gets the go ahead, I suspect the Cork section may well start from the Mallow end as it's a large town and it can be put to immediate use while the remaining sections are completed.
From a Waterford perspective, it probably makes sense to start with the section nearest to Dungarvan first. There are already bike rental companies there and a new section from Dungarvan to Cappoquin would be immediate extension to the existing 46km Greenway to Waterford City.
The London Marathon which was originally due to have been held in April of 2020 was postponed until October of this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The organisers have now announced that there will be no marathon in 2020.
They also announced that the next event will be held in October of 2021 instead of April.
From the London Marathon... "It’s with a heavy heart that we can confirm, for the first time since 1981, the Virgin Money London Marathon will not be taking place in its usual format. Despite the disappointment, the Virgin Money London Marathon team are working hard on creating the first-ever virtual London Marathon, which will take place on Sunday 4 October. We’ve also ensured everyone who had a place for the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon has the chance to rollover their place to a future race in 2021, 2022 or 2023.
In 2021, the London Marathon will move from its usual April date to Sunday 3 October to give the best chance for the mass race to return in 2021.
“We have been working for months on a number of different scenarios with the health and safety of our runners, our charities, our sponsors, our volunteers, our medics, our communities and our city always our priority,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon. “We had detailed plans to deliver a socially distanced mass participation event – either a run or a walk – and we were planning to utilise new technology to do this. We were looking to use a revolutionary technology using Bluetooth and ultra wideband ranging, which is about to be launched worldwide.
“This would have enabled us to accurately monitor every participant’s distance from each other, work out if the participant spent more than 15 minutes within 1.5 metres (or any distance we set) of anyone else and then contact them post-event if anyone had informed us that they had contracted Covid-19 in the two weeks after the event.
“Despite all our efforts, the fantastic support from all of our partners and the progress that has been made on planning for the return of smaller mass participation events that are not on the roads, it has not been possible to go ahead with a mass socially distanced walk or run.
“In parallel with the work on the plans for the socially distanced mass event, we had a team working on planning the elite races for men, women and wheelchair athletes in a biosphere environment in St James’s Park and another team creating a truly inspiring Virgin Money London Marathon which means participants across the UK and abroad can still be part of The 40th Race from their home or wherever they might be on 4 October.”
Participants in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon will have 24 hours to complete the 26.2 miles, from 00:00 to 23:59 on Sunday 4 October. They can run, walk, take breaks and log their race on a new London Marathon app being developed by event partner TCS. Runners can also use their time, with appropriate supporting evidence, to apply for a Good for Age or Championship place in 2021.
“We know how disappointing it is that the Covid-19 pandemic means that it’s not possible this year to run the famous course on the streets of London,” said Brasher. “But we’re offering everyone who has a place this year, or who had already deferred to April 2021, the chance to participate in The 40th Race and every eligible runner also has the chance to run on the streets of London in 2021, 2022 or 2023. If existing runners do not want to take part in The 40th Race, we will be offering their places to other runners who would like to raise vital funds for charity.”
In 2019, the Virgin Money London Marathon raised a world record £66.4 million for good causes. Current estimates are that the charity sector is facing a funding shortfall of £10 billion at a time when services are needed more than ever (source: probonoeconomics.com).
“The London Marathon is far more than just a marathon,” said Brasher. “It brings society together in a moment of celebration of all that is good about humanity. We believe that Sunday 4 October will be a London Marathon like no other, and The 40th Race will take the spirit of the world’s greatest marathon to every corner of the globe, with runners raising vital funds for the charities that have been so severely affected by the economic effects of the pandemic.”
London Marathon Events would like to acknowledge the fantastic support for the London Marathon from the Mayor of London’s office, Transport for London, the emergency services, BBC Sport, The Royal Parks, City of Westminster, the City of London, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Canary Wharf and many other partners and stakeholders.
Runners with a place in The 40th Race, or who had already deferred to April 2021, will be able to confirm they still wish to run the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon from Wednesday 12 August.
While road races are currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mountain and trail races are beginning to make a welcome return. The numbers involved are smaller and participants are spread across a wide open space as opposed to next to each other on a crowded road.
On Saturday the 22nd of August 2020, the Munster branch of the Irish Mountain Running Association are organising a Half-Marathon on the Galtee Mountains in SE Limerick.
Details....
Galtee Half Marathon OPEN RACE: Sat 22nd Aug 11am Kings Yard, Galty Castle Woods.
Cost €30 - Max 100 runners
Refreshments & Race Hat for all entrants. No transfers or refunds.
Dring Dring.... Dring Dring.... Dring Dring.... Dring Dring.... When my mobile phone starts buzzing after 10pm at night, it usually means only one thing... a phone call from the main man Jerry Forde!
Without the regular road races, I'm sure a lot of you may not have seen Jerry for some time.
Well, he's as busy as ever and training away all the time. He's out most days on the same loop around Blarney and ends up doing roughly a half-marathon in terms of distance.
I suggested to Jerry that he try some other routes as a change, something like the walkway near Blackrock Castle where there are no cars to worry about. No sooner had I said it that I remembered that the chance of the main man getting from A to B without getting lost is pretty much zero 😂. So I had inadvertently volunteered myself for the job as a guide!
Last Thursday, I cycled to Blackrock Castle to meet Jerry and showed him the way to the pontoon in Passage West and back, a total of about 11 miles. If any of you want to try it then it's a lovely route. It's dead flat, there are no cars to worry about and you are looking out over the water for most of it.
No good training session with Jerry is complete without a cuppa so we ended up going to Blackrock Village for a coffee. Going there and back brought the days total for Jerry up to about 12 miles.
Our next outing will be from Carrigaline to Crosshaven during the month of August. So be warned if you're out training on the line early some morning and you hear a 'Beep, Beep, Beep', it'll be the main man on tour.
Some good news!! For a long while, we've speculated on the blog about the possibility of a Greenway from Mallow to Dungarvan. It now looks as if that might become a real possibility.
(Updates below)
On Wednesday the 29th of July 2020, Minister Eamon Ryan, T.D. Minister for Climate Change, Communications Networks and Transport, announced funding of €4.5m to 26 Greenway Projects. The funding was allocated under the Carbon Tax Fund 2020 and provides support for feasibility, planning and design for Greenways around the country.
As part of this funding, the Government have allocated €80,000 to Cork County Council to "Scope, Pre- Appraisal, Concept, Feasibility and Options Selection for a
39.15km section from Mallow / Youghal to Ballyduff / on the Waterford
border."
The announcement refers to this as the "Mallow to Dungarvan Greenway". In a separate statement, Cork County Council refer to it as the North Cork Greenway and say that it will be.... "running along the former Mallow to Dungarvan Railway line and passing through a number of towns and villages."
The Cork Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley commented, “We recently had a very productive meeting with Minister Eamon Ryan looking specifically at a number of Cork County Council’s active travel measures across the county; urban pedestrianisation, cycle paths, projects such as the Youghal Eco Boardwalk and our grenways, Midleton to Youghal, the Cork Harbour Greenway, the Carrigaline to Crosshaven greenway and now a potential new greenway for North Cork. This funding is exciting news for the North Cork area. Greenways are a fantastic resource and the examination of options in North Cork has the potential to open up significant opportunities for the broader Cork region.”
The Government is also allocating a matching €80,000 to Waterford County Council to investigate a route from Dungarvan to Ballyduff.
The map above shows the old railway line from Mallow to Dungarvan. This follows stays north of the River Blackwater from Mallow to Fermoy and then south of it from Fermoy to Ballyduff. Considering the cost of building a cross river bridge, it seems likely that it will follow parts of the old railway route.
Looking at Google Maps, fragments of the old railway line from Mallow to Ballyduff still remain including this spectacular viaduct over the River Blackwater near Fermoy.
Update...
Mallow to Ballyduff - I had a closer look at the old railway line from Mallow to the Co.Cork / Co.Waterford border near Ballyduff. I measured it to be 39.6 kms in length.
44% of the old route is still there. An example near Fermoy is shown below...
Other sections of the line have been built on as seen below...
Other sections of the old line have disappeared completely as farmers removed ditches to make larger fields.
With the Waterford Greenway, they put up fencing and screening to protect the privacy of houses where it passes so something similar would probably happen with the new Greenway. Going across open fields might be more of a challenge.
The old railway near Mallow still seems reasonably intact and this would probably the easiest to develop first. This section also includes the Kilcummer Viaduct over the River Awbeg to the south of Castletownroche.
Video showing Kilcummer Viaduct...
A lot of the old rail line around Fermoy has largely disappeared so it may well divert off the old route there.
* * * * *
It was also announced a route from Rosslare port to Waterford was also being investigated. It's not hard to see how at some future date, tourists will get off a ferry in Rosslare and cycle safely from there to Mallow.
It's not hard to see how this Dungarvan to Mallow Greenway could eventually be extended west out along the valley to reach Killarney eventually. In the short term, there is a rail link there to transport the tourists to Killarney to continue their holidays there.
Youghal...As for the Youghal section??? We'll have to wait and see what they come up with. There is the old St.Declan's Way from Ardmore to Cashel so perhaps it might link in with that?
We're still a long way from the first sod being turned but at least we're going in the right direction. If this latest COVID pandemic has taught up anything then it's that there is a huge demand for safe public spaces for walking, running and cycling.
Back in January of 2020, I had a post up about how the pedestrian entrance at the north-west corner of Tramore Valley Park was likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Gate at the Half-Moon Lane entrance in Dec 2019
This has led to the ironic situation whereby the people that are living closest to the park like in Turners Cross can't get access to it.
The reasons cited were...
a) The volume of traffic going to Christ King Girls Secondary School, a number of commercial premises, including the ESB, a pitch & putt club, one residential property and a large City Council Depot.
b) There is also no public footpath on the laneway, while the junction at the end of the 250m stretch is completely blind in both directions when exiting and does not have traffic lights.
The latest news is that the plans to facilitate the opening of the Half Moon Lane entrance to Tramore Valley Park are set to go on public display in the second week in August.
The new layout when completed will see changes to the junction with the South Douglas Road, changes on the lane itself, and will enable the entrance to the park to be opened to pedestrians and cyclists. The public will be asked for their submissions on the proposals once they go on display.
South Douglas Road / Half-Moon Lane junction
New traffic lights, and a relocation of public lights are also included in the plans, while the laneway itself has to be reconfigured also. There have been repeated calls for the Half Moon Lane entrance to Tramore Valley Park to be opened to the public while hundreds of people signed a petition calling on City Hall to open the gate in May.
Narrow exit for Half-Moon Lane
It’s expected the plans for Half Moon Lane and the junction with the South Douglas road will cost upwards of €200,000.
For decades, the top female Irish middle distance athletes have been trying to break the two minute barrier for 800m. On Friday the 23rd of July 2020, Ciara Mageean became the first Irish woman to run under two minutes at a race in Bern, Switzerland.
The City of Lisburn AC athlete and Portaferry native broke the time barrier in 1:59.69 to claim first place in the 800m final, a full second ahead of Norway’s Hynne Hedda.
Ciara also broke her own previous time of 2:00.79, set in Dublin in 2016 and the Irish record of 2:00.58 which was set in 2013 by Rose-Anne Galligan at the London Anniversary Games.
In a recent interview before the event Ciara stated “It’s my first competition in five months and I can’t wait. I think this is the fittest I’ve ever been. The past few months have made me hungry again for the thrill of racing. In the past I often got so nervous and put so much pressure on myself that I didn’t enjoy racing very much. I’d step on the line with fear, worried how it might go. But now I have a different mindset: I’m excited to see what I can do.”
Top 10 Irish Female 800m Times...
1 NR 1:59.69 Ciara Mageean, Bern 23 Jul 2020 2 2:00.58 NR Rose-Anne Galligan, London 26 Jul 2013 3 2:00.69 NR Sonia O'Sullivan, Sankt Peterburg 28 Jul 1994 4 2:00.70 Caroline O'Shea, Cork 3 Jul 1984 5 2:00.93 Laura Crowe, Rieti 8 Sep 2013 6 2:01.14 Aisling Molloy, EC Split 27 Aug 1990 7 2:01.21 Ciara Everard, Oordegem 23 May 2015 8 2:01.61 Claire Mooney, Heusden 21 Jul 2018 9 2:01.67 Síofra Cléirigh, Büttner Watford 29 Jun 2019 10 2:01.89 NU23R Aoife Byrne, Namur 17 Aug 20
Video of the race...
Esto es histórico. Primer sub 2 minutos en los 800m hecho por una mujer irlandesa. La hazaña la ha hecho Ciara Mageean @ciaramageean esta noche. Enhorabuena 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/59LC20Pfo0
FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY – WHEN RON HILL STRUCK GOLD (John Walshe)
Fifty years ago this month the track and field events of the Commonwealth Games took place at the newly-built Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. It had been the first time the Games had taken place in Scotland and they provided a feast of athletics, especially in the distance running events.
Amongst the large Irish contingent who travelled to Scotland and who marvelled at the superb performances witnessed at the Games were St Finbarr’s enthusiasts, Fergus O’Donovan, Flor O’Leary and Jack O’Leary.
Flor O'Leary and Fergus O'Donovan - who witnessed Ron Hill’s Edinburgh victory 50 years ago - pictured with the great man at John Buckley Sports during Ron's trip to the Ballycotton '10' in 2009.
Thursday July 23rd 1970 saw once such performance which still ranks amongst the all-time great championship victories when Ron Hill took the marathon title in a time of 2:09:28. At that point, it was the second fastest marathon in history, behind Derek Clayton’s 2:08:34 set the previous year in Antwerp.
Ron Hill had been a dominant force over all surfaces since the early 1960s and although having competed in both the 1962 European Championships and 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he had failed to perform to his own high standards. Part of his problem may have been his relentless racing schedule and high training mileage which led to burnout when it mattered most.
An example of his obsession with races was a hectic treble over the Easter weekend of 1965. On Good Friday – despite running in bare feet after forgetting his racing shoes – he won the Salford 7½ road race in a course record of 35:01. The following day, in cold wind and rain, he was 100 yards behind the leader at the summit of the classic Rivington Pike fell race but descended rapidly to win in 17:08. Two days later, on Easter Monday, he travelled across to Yorkshire where in high winds, hail, sleet and snow showers, he added another first at the Beverley Marathon in a time of 2:26:33.
By 1968, after including specified rest periods into his demanding schedule, Hill was finally perfecting the art of peaking. At that October’s high altitude Mexico Olympics, he claimed a brilliant seventh place in the 10,000m. A few weeks later, on a cold November Saturday, he set a world best of 46:44 for 10 miles on the track, improving on his previous time of 47:02.2.
Then came a purple period which saw him win the European Marathon in Athens (2:16:48) in September 1969, followed by victory at Boston (2:10:30) in April 1970 and then, three months later, came the crowning glory of his career in Edinburgh.
In that Boston victory - a course record by three minutes - on a wet, cold and windy day Hill was attired in just a string vest, minimalist Freedom Shorts (which he designed himself) and a pair of Reebok shoes. He didn’t even wear a watch, not that it would have been of any benefit as Boston back then didn’t have actual distance markers at each mile.
Compared to the $150,000 in prize money, plus bonuses and expenses, the winner in Boston now receives, all Hill got was a medal, a laurel wreath and a bowl of stew. “My airfare wasn’t even paid,” he recalled at the time, “the money for the flight came from a fund set up by the Road Runners Club, just ordinary runners putting in their few shillings.”
After a short break, he then began his build-up to Edinburgh which consisted of 100 to 140 miles a week for the 10 weeks. Unusually, the race was on a Thursday and in his acclaimed and incredibly detailed autobiography ‘The Long Hard Road’, Hill states: “The night before I went to bed at 10pm, read a book until 11pm, then slept well. I got up at 8am. Looked through the curtains, it was raining. I got my kit and tracksuit on and ran two miles.”
By the time of the race start at 3.50pm, the rain was starting to clear with the corresponding rise in temperature. As the 30 runners lined up on track, Hill recalled: “There was no time to dwell on the effort ahead. It was like the start of a 1500m track race, no leisurely jog which sometimes precedes the serious part of a marathon but a fast drive for the inside lane of the track.”
Derek Clayton, representing Australia, immediately set a fast pace, along with Jerome Drayton from Canada. The time at five miles was 23:31 and shortly after, not surprisingly, Clayton was dropped. Around eight miles, Hill decided to make his effort and slowly began to pull away. Ten miles was called in 47:45. “That wasn’t bad, I felt all right but I didn’t look back.”
As he turned for home on the out-back-course, Hill was able to gauge the extent of his lead. “Drayton looked fairly close; I gave him the thumbs-up as we went past and said ‘Keep it going, Jerry’. Now I knew the real race was ahead.”
The roads had now dried, the clouds were breaking and summer sun was shining through. Fifteen miles came up in 72:18 and shortly after 17 miles, Hill took his first sponge. The time at 20 miles was still phenomenally fast, 1:37:30, but as Hill said: “It didn’t frighten me, I’d been there before, faster in fact with my 1:36:28 Pembroke ‘20’. There was a feed station at 20½ miles, I ran straight past; I took nothing, my eyes down, searching the road ahead.”
He took a plastic cup of water after 23 miles and poured it over his head. “There were crowds of people about now but I don’t remember hearing them, my concentration was so intense on moving my limbs and getting myself to the finish.” Finally, came the relief of the soft red track and the packed stadium with just a full lap to run.
“There was such a loud cheer that I looked around a couple of times to make sure that I was still safe, then on the back straight I risked a couple of waves at the crowd; down the home straight and on to the tape with my fist raised high.”
The time of 2:09:28 gave him a winning margin of two minutes and 36 seconds over defending champion Jim Alder. Fifty years later, it still places Hill in the top dozen on the British all-time list.
Special 50th anniversary T-shirt
Many years later, Derek Clayton’s world record time was brought into question with doubts raised about the accuracy of the Antwerp course, with Hill claiming that his time that day in Edinburgh was the real world best.
This year, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both the Boston and Commonwealth victories, Mike Deegan, owner of the Yorkshire Runner store and a business partner of Hill’s in the 1980s, produced a limited edition of two commemorative T-shirts.
The logo on the Edinburgh T-shirt shows the classic pose of Hill crossing the finish line in a packed Meadowbank Stadium, number 108 pinned to his string vest, and underneath ‘World record 2:09:28’.
Beyond doubt, it aptly sums up Ron Hill’s perfect day of days.
Q&A session with Ron Hill from UKFast in 2016...
A list of John Walshes previous guest posts can be viewed HERE
