Friday Jigsaw: Dungarvan 10m 2024 Group

For this weeks online jigsaw, we have a photo of a group of  runners taken just after the start of the 2024 Dungarvan  10-mile road race.

You can find the 176-piece jigsaw HERE

Guest Post: Report on the Great Island Cross Cup... by Trevor Cummins

The inaugural Great Island Cross Cup got off to a flying start when held in Cuskinny Court, Cobh, on Wednesday, February 7th 2024.

All six of the Cork Harbour island based primary schools were represented on a day where many of the 250 participants were enjoying their first experience of cross country running. 

Notice: IMRA Rahan Woods 9km trail race nr Mallow -- Sun 18th Feb 2024

IMRA are holding a 9.2km trail race at Rahan Woods near Mallow on Sunday 18th Feb 2024 at 11am.

Rahan Woods is about 6kms east of the town of Mallow in N Cork.

As IMRA trail events go, this one is pretty reasonable and would suit anyone who can comfortably run 10-miles on the road.

Event entry... https://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/2420

 Rahan Woods

DESCRIPTION: Mallow AC Trail

COUNTY: Cork
DATE: Sunday 18th February, 2024
TIME: 11:00
CLIMB (M): 250
DISTANCE (KM): 9.20
RACE MARKING: Only major junctions marked - Only major junctions marked
GPS ALLOWED: Yes
LEAGUES: Coillte Winter/Spring Trail League, Munster 
MANDATORY KIT: Level A - Basic - Showerproof, windproof jacket
ENTRY CLOSES: Saturday 17th February 2024, 18:00
ENTRY COST:€7 for seniors, €5 for over 65s and under 18s

Results & Photos of the IMRA Slí Chorcaí Ultra Trail Race - Sat 10th Feb 2024

One of the more unusual running events last weekend was the IMRA Slí Chorcaí Trail Ultra and Half-Marathon. The full Ultra was an incredible 71.5km from Ballyvourney to Drimoleague in West Cork. It sounds like a long distance to drive let alone run on mountain & forest trails and country roads across West Cork.

The were a few refuelling stops along the way and the photo above shows some Ultra runners at Gougane Barra.

In the ultra, there were 77 finishers... 70 men & 7 women. As you can see from the finish times below, this was a real endurance event.

Top 3 men & women...
1 Enda Cloake 231 M 1 6:14:00 Slaney Olym... Wexford
2 Barry McEvoy 1255 M35 1 6:33:30 Laois
3 Gavin Byrne 283 M35 2 6:53:17 Dublin
1 Lianne van Dijk 1386 F 1 7:45:00 Kerry
2 Deirdre O Gorman 274 F35 1 7:56:30 Tipperary
3 Kristen O'Sullivan 943 F35 2 8:05:30 Beara AC Cork

Full results... https://www.imra.ie/events/results/id/2423/category/O/

The Half-Marathon option was 23.5kms in length and went from Kealkill to Drimoleague and crossed some mountainous terrain. There were 88 finishers... 61 men & 27 women.

First 3 women in the Half (L-R)... Irene Eighan (2nd), Anita Locke (1st) & Sorcha Kearney (3rd)

Top 3 men & women...
1 Nick Hogan 838 M40 1 1:58:45 Cork
2 Henry Browne 616 M40 2 1:59:43 West Musker... Cork
3 Paul Kennedy 1524 M35 1 2:03:46 West Waterf... Waterford
1 Anita Locke 364 F40 1 2:20:33 St. Finbar'... Kerry
2 Irene Eighan 1834 F45 1 2:20:52 St. Finbar'... Cork
3 Sorcha Kearney 229 F45 2 2:24:18 St. Finbar'... Cork

Full results... https://www.imra.ie/events/results/id/2424/category/O/

Photos...

1) Graham Meikle has a gallery HERE

2) IMRA have a gallery HERE

Results of the Cork BHAA Janssen 5k - Sun 11th Feb 2024

First 3 men (L-R)... John Shine 3rd, Conor McCauley 1st & Anthony Mannix 2nd

Weather conditions  were almost perfect for this years Cork BHAA Janssen 5k road race in Little Island with blue skies and a gentle breeze. The numbers recovered to roughly 2011/2019 levels with 358 runners crossing the finish line.

Top 3 men & women...

Pos Name Cat Prize Time Company Team
1 Conor McCauley 0/40M M1 00:15:10 Apple M-A-1
2 Anthony Mannix M2 00:15:14 Dell Technologies M-A-2

3 John Shine M3 00:15:17 Dept of Ed
19 Carol Finn 0/35F F1 00:17:13 Carol Finn Physical Therapy
31 Noemie Leduc F2 00:17:46 Avondhu MF F-A-1
33 Nadine Forde 0/40F F3 00:17:48 HSE F-A-2

Full results HERE

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 10th Feb 2024

Results of the 5k parkruns around the county on Saturday 10th February 2024. Approximately 1027  runners and walkers took part in the 10 events in Co Cork.

Report... Despite all of the rain showers, the numbers for the ten 5k parkruns in Cork this week were pretty  good with about 1000 taking part.

Bere Island... Well done to Tadhg Hobbs who completed his 100th 5k parkrun today! 98 of these have been on Bere Island and Tadhg did his first parkrun on the island on the 13th of June 2015.

Glengarriff... Well done to Pippa O'Sullivan who also completed her 100th 5k parkrun today! 92 of these were at the Glengarriff event and Pippa did her first parkrun on the 10th of August 2019.

Ballincollig... Another runner hitting the century mark this week was Anthony Creed! Anthony has done 95 of the 100 events at Ballincollig and his first 5k parkrun was on the 30th of September 2017.

If I missed anyone who passed a notable milestone like 100, 200, 250 or above parkruns then let me know.

***

Ballincollig Regional Park: 327 this week, 304 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Liam RYAN Male VM45-49 18:13

2 Alan O'SULLIVAN Male VM40-44 18:35

3 Anthony CREED Male SM25-29 18:37

4 Aoife COOKE Female VW35-39 18:55

9 Nollaigh O'NEILL Female VW50-54 19:48

20 Deirbhile O'KEEFFE Female SW25-29 Raheny Shamrock AC 21:46

Ballincollig results... https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/312/

Tramore Valley Park: 204 this week, 247 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Andy GOULDING Male VM35-39 Leevale AC 17:13

2 Conrad WATT Male VM35-39 Magnolia RR 17:16

3 Ken INCE Male VM40-44 Eagle A.C. 17:30

5 Orla BYRNE Female SW30-34 St Finbarrs AC 18:50

8 Ann MOORE Female VW60-64 Leevale AC 20:38

12 Siobhan WALSH Female VW40-44 Carraig na bhFear AC 21:21

Tramore Valley Park results... https://www.parkrun.ie/tramorevalley/results/92/

Glen River: 76 this week, 72 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Tadhg CROWLEY Male VM40-44 Sanctuary Runners 18:44

2 Brendan MAGUIRE Male VM40-44 19:53

3 Neil MURPHY Male VM40-44 St Finbarrs AC 21:13

12 Charlotte BISHOP Female VW35-39 23:28

22 Alannah O'CALLAGHAN Female SW25-29 25:33

29 Cherie TURNER Female VW50-54 St Finbarrs AC 26:34

Glen River results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glenriver/results/194/

Mallow Castle: 95 finishers this week, 70 last week. The long term average is 63.

First 3 men & women...

1 Noel EARLY Male VM40-44 St Catherines AC 19:33

2 Liam AHERNE Male VM40-44 Mallow Tri Club 20:10

3 Dan HENWOOD Male VM35-39 20:13

15 Alice HYNES Female SW20-24 23:53

17 Siobhan NOONAN Female VW40-44 24:10

19 Martina LYONS Female VW45-49 24:17

Mallow results... https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/results/121/

Youghal (Pobalscoil ne Tríonóide) : 72 this week, 66 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Keith KELLY Male VM45-49 16:50

2 Cormac WHOOLEY Male SM30-34 20:40

4 Eoin COYNE Male VM35-39 22:02

3 Eadaoin O NEILL Female VW35-39 20:49

5 Izabella CHIDLOW Female JW15-17 22:15

6 Susan DINEEN Female VW40-44 22:37

Youghal results... https://www.parkrun.ie/pobalscoilnatrionoide/results/98/

Macroom Castle Demense: 46 this week, 50 last week. Long term average is 51.

First 3 men & women...

1 Conor LUCEY Male VM35-39 18:21

3 Jude MURPHY Male JM15-17 20:06

4 Colm O MAHONY Male SM20-24 20:47

2 Martina KIELY Female VW40-44 St Finbarrs AC 19:13

15 Noreen STEWART Female VW40-44 25:12

16 Sarah CUDDIHY Female JW15-17 25:26

Macroom results... https://www.parkrun.ie/macroomcastledemesne/results/463/

Clonakilty: 37 this week, 81 last week.

First 3 men & women...

1 Edward AHERN Male SM25-29 19:38

2 Niall O'CONNOR Male VM45-49 Ranelagh Harriers 21:51

3 Bryan GALLWEY Male VM40-44 22:03

7 Niamh O'BRIEN Female VW35-39 24:06

8 Grainne MULCAHY Female SW20-24 24:22

9 Alannah KELLY Female SW20-24 25:20

Clonakilty results... https://www.parkrun.ie/clonakilty/results/419/

Glengarriff Woods: 92 this week, 79 last week.

Top 3 men & women...

1 Trevor MCGUIRK Male VM40-44 19:47

2 Stephen O'SULLIVAN Male VM50-54 21:39

3 Michael MINEHANE Male VM45-49 Marathon Club Ireland 21:48

9 Sharon LEVIS Female VW40-44 25:51

10 Fleur HINDLEY Female VW55-59 26:04

16 Shauna BUTTIMER Female SW30-34 27:31

Glengarriff results... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/results/335/

Bere Island: 26 this week, 24 last week. 

First 3 men & women... 

1 Michelagh MURPHY Female SW20-24 22:28

3 Marie POWER Female VW40-44 27:41

4 Fiona O'DWYER Female VW40-44 28:09

2 Breandan MURPHY Male SM20-24 24:42

7 Unknown 

8 Michael M O'SULLIVAN Male VM70-74 29:05

Bere Island results... https://www.parkrun.ie/bereisland/results/426/

Castlehaven (Rineen Woods): 16 finishers this week, 15 last week.

First 3 women & men...

1 Florence FITZGERALD Male SM30-34 21:30

2 Timon SEIBEL Male SM20-24 25:26

3 Luke CONNOLLY Male JM10 29:18

7 Sharon POULTER Female VW40-44 29:47

8 Celine BUCKLEY Female VW50-54 Castlehaven GAA 31:28

11 Spah MBALI Female VW35-39 33:36

Castlehaven results... https://www.parkrun.ie/castlehaven/results/347/

For more information about the weekly 5k parkruns in Co Cork, go to this page HERE.

Guest Post: February ...by Pat Walsh

 * February *

" If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change. 
January is for dreamers… February is for doers.”

So as we enter the month of February there is a lot to ponder on. The resolve of January is being tested while the weather and daylight has not improved enormously. We were fuelled by the excesses of Christmas and had a clear path to glory based on New Year Plans.

Now 6 weeks into the Year how are they holding up?

Don’t  despair, you are not the only one who might be finding it difficult. Short evening races and extended daylight may seem some distance away yet, BUT, they are on the way.

This is the month to dig in and keep to the plan. This is character building, stamina building and will strengthen you for the future every time you go out and train.

Maybe there may have to be some adaptations. A long run on a bad weather day may become a shorter faster effort to just get it over with and that is OK.

The main thing is to get out there. 
You will always be glad you did.
Living with the thought that we chickened out is a horrible feeling.

Who knows what the weather for future races will be anyway. We have all run in monsoon rain in Summer and the occasional time we have been roasted in March or October.

The seasons are changing, global warming is playing havoc. 
Pic below was taken 8/2/2024 and those daffodils are blooming with 3 weeks.
If they are brave enough to put out their heads then maybe you should be too.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot

#pwr

Running in Cork Newsletter - 9th February 2024

Running in Cork Newsletter - 9th February 2024

The big event last weekend was of course the John Treacy 10-mile in Dungarvan and it didn't disappoint. The weather was pretty much ideal and runners from Cork and Munster descended on the west Waterford town. This weekend is pretty quiet by comparison but there are loads of events over the next few weeks.

One of the additional features going out to paid subscribers today is a list of all the 10-mile races in Ireland over the next four months. It's surprising just how there are. The chip timing websites only list events that they are doing timing for while Athletics Ireland list only the ones with permits and even at that, there are mistakes and omissions. After doing a deep search, I came up with nineteen 10-mile events in just 4 months. There's plenty of choice out there.

If anyone would like to get the Running in Cork Newsletter delivered by email every week then I have also put it up on the Substack platform where you can subscribe for free... https://runningincork.substack.com/

If you want to support the blog and getting additional content then you might consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Weekend Weather: This weekend, we have two contrasting days. On Saturday, the weather for Cork is dominated by a low pressure system off the south coast and the rain is never very far away. Expect to get showers. If you're thinking of doing a 5k parkrun then check for cancellations as some courses may be flooded with the recent rain. On Sunday, a ridge of high pressure is becoming established and it should be the best of the two days with some sunshine and dry conditions.

Looking further ahead, computer models show high pressure becoming dominant next week and it looks like we might be in for a dry spell of weather if it's correct.

Weekend events: On Saturday, IMRA have their Slí Chorcaí endurance event in West Cork and it's likely to be extra tough with the wet conditions. It just shows what a difference 24 hours can make. On Sunday, there is a half-marathon in the Gap of Dunloe, a 10k in UL Limerick and the Cork BHAA have a 5k in Little Island.

There is a selection of events on offer elsewhere as well. As always, see the event calendar... https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

Parkrun News:

Last weekend... Last week at parkrun in Ireland, there were...143 events & 15,434 walkers, joggers, runners and volunteers.

Tramore parkrun in Waterford cancelled... Due to a local duathlon, there will be no 5k parkrun on Sat 10th Feb.

Ballinlough Junior parkrun cancelled... Due to ongoing works by Uisce Eireann, the Nursery Drive junior parkrun in Ballinlough is cancelled. It originally looked like it might be for 6 weeks but it might be for a shorter time period now.

Major change to parkrun stats... One of the core tenets of the parkrun organisation is that the events are all about participation and they are not 5k races. It's all about taking part and finishing times are secondary.

After a major review, they have decided to remove stats like course records, the maximum number of first finishes and age related performance tables from their website.

Race News:

Running event at Mallow racecourse... The Grocers Run is a charity event usually held every year at Leopardstown race course in Dublin. This year, they're holding a 5k & 10k charity fun run at Mallow race course in Cork on Saturday 20th April at 11am.

IMRA Nagles Marathon change of date... IMRA are holding a trail marathon & half-marathon near Mallow in March. The original date was Saturday 23rd but they have brought the date forward now to Saturday 9th March 2024.

Youghal 10k in March gone... One of the chip timing websites had been listing a new 10k race in Youghal for March 2024. It has since been removed.

Ardmore to Mt Mellary trail race... I was updating the calendar yesterday and I noticed what I think is a new event from the IMRA. It's a 55km ultra trail race starting in Ardmore in Waterford and then going north along St Declan's Way to Mount Mellary on the southern slopes of the Knockmealdowns. There's a lot of history associated with this ancient road between Ardmore and Cashel.

Haulbowline to Pairc Ui Chaoimh Half... Down Syndrome Ireland have announced that they will be holding their Challenge 21 half-marathon this year on Sunday 16th of June. The run will start at Haulbowline park and finish at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, a distance of 21.1kms.

Naas 10-mile... This popular 10-miler in Co Kildare is coming up on Sun 3rd of March 2024 and it has an entry limit of 600 places. At the time of writing, there are only about 30 places left.

Calendar update... I added a number of events to the calendar over the last few days. There's plenty to choose from if you're willing to travel. See https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html

In Other News:

Midleton Greenway to open... A local councillor has announced that the first section of the Midleton to Youghal Greenway will open on Thursday 7th of March 2024! The section is question goes from Midleton to Mogeely and is about 8kms in length which is pretty significant.

Training Programmes: I'll have training programmes for the Cork Half-Marathon starting soon. Options are 16-weeks from the 12th of February and 14-weeks from the 26th of February. More info ...

https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/01/training-programme-for-2024-cork-city.html

Couch to 5k... I'll be introducing an easy online Couch to 5k programme soon for anyone who wants to start off and get running for the Summer.

Training Programmes: I'll have training programmes for the Cork Half-Marathon starting soon. Options are 16-weeks from the 12th of February and 14-weeks from the 26th of February. More info ...

https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/01/training-programme-for-2024-cork-city.html

If you're doing your own thing for the marathon, you'd really want to start planning now. If you're doing the half then you have some time yet.

Couch to 5k... I'll be introducing an easy online Couch to 5k programme soon for anyone who wants to start off and get running for the Summer.

Countdown Timer...

Limerick Marathon - 5th May 2024 - 12 weeks

Cork Marathon - 2nd June 2024 - 16 weeks

Waterford Marathon - 23rd June 2024 - 19 weeks

Some of the posts on the Running in Cork blog over the last week:

Friday Jigsaw: Mick Dooley at the 2024 Dungarvan 10m
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/friday-jigsaw-mick-dooley-at-2024.html

NTA announce 2024 Grant Allocations...Feb 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/nta-announce-2024-grant-allocationsfeb.html

North Cork AC to host the 2024 National Half-Marathon Championships - What difference is it likely to make?
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/north-cork-ac-to-host-2024-national.html

Notice: IMRA Beara Way Ultra - Fri 17th May 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/notice-imra-beara-way-ultra-fri-17th.html

Guest Post: 2024 Dungarvan 10 mile ...by Pat Walsh
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/guest-post-2024-dungarvan-10-mile-by.html

Results & Photos of the John Tracey Dungarvan 10-mile road race - Sun 4th Feb 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/results-photos-of-john-tracey-dungarvan.html

Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 3rd Feb 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/results-of-run-line-5k-in-carrigaline.html

Results of the 5k parkruns in Cork - Sat 3rd Feb 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/results-of-5k-parkruns-in-cork-sat-3rd.html

Running in Cork Newsletter - 2nd February 2024
https://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2024/02/running-in-cork-newsletter-2nd-february.html

Paid Subscribers & Additional Content: A list of all the 10-mile races in Ireland for the next four months is going out to the paid subscribers on Substack today.

And finally...

If anyone wants to get the Running in Cork Newsletter by email, you can subscribe for free on Substack... https://runningincork.substack.com/

If you want to support the blog and get additional content then you might consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Friday Jigsaw: Mick Dooley at the 2024 Dungarvan 10m

For this weeks online jigsaw, we have photo of the one and only Mick Dooley at the other side of the lens for a change! The photo shows Mick just after the start of the 2024 John Treacy Dungarvan 10-mile road race.

This one has 247-pieces and you can find it HERE

NTA announce 2024 Grant Allocations...Feb 2024

Earlier this week, the National Transport Authority announced a slew of allocations for 'Active Travel' schemes throughout the country. I have listed some of the ones for Cork City and County below.

Some of the grants seem to be for projects that are already in existence but there are a few interesting ones in the pipeline as well. Some of these 'Active Travel' schemes are for cyclists but many include pedestrians and of course runners.

Active Travel Investment Grants: 2024 Allocations

Cork City...

Project Code Project Name 2024 Allocation

CCC/19/0009 Grange Road to Tramore Valley Park 800,000 €
CCC/19/0010 Ballybrack Valley Pedestrian & Cycle Track (Phase 4) 700,000 €
CCC/20/0006 Glanmire Cycle and pedestrian improvements 200,000 €
CCC/20/0009 Passage Greenway (Ph. 2 from Mahon to Passage-west) 100,000 €
CCC/20/0025 Dunkettle Road - Active Travel Scheme - Phase 1 100,000 €
CCC/21/0005 Marina Promenade Pedestrian and Cycle facilities 4,200,000 €
CCC/21/0007 Lee to Sea Cycle Route Study 100,000 €
CCC/21/0008 Viaduct to City Cycle Route Phase 1 (Viaduct to Kinsale Road) 200,000 €
CCC/21/0021 Douglas to Grange Bridge Cycle Route 50,000
CCC/21/0022 Kilcully & Upper Glanmire Pedestrian Improvement Scheme 1,200,000 €
CCC/21/0024 Ringmahon Active Travel Infrastructure 4,500,000 €
CCC/22/0006 Maglin Greenway Phase 1 50,000 €
CCC/22/0008 Sarsfield Road to MTU Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme 70,000 €
CCC/22/0007 Glanmire to City Centre Phase 2 Cycle Scheme (Dunkettle to City) 400,000 €
CCC/22/0009 Sarsfield Rd to Clashduv Rd Cycle link 50,000 €
CCC/22/0011 Bessboro to Mahon - Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme 50,000 €
CCC/22/0012 Kinsale Rd to Tramore Valley Park - Pedestrian and Cycle Connection 50,000 €
CCC/22/0016 Model Farm Road Bridge 100,000 €
CCC/23/0021 Nashs Boreen ATS 50,000 €
CCC/23/0027 Curaheen Road Pedestrian and Cycle scheme 100,000 €

Some notes... 

The project to widen the Greenway from Mahon to Passage West should hopefully be starting this year? Planning documents and public notices for this project were announced some time back.

€4.2 million is to be spent on the 'Marina Promenade' which should transform the area. Once this is completed, there is potential for a new parkrun here be it a 5k for adults or a 2km one for kids.

A 'Lee to Sea' route going to Inniscarra dam to Cork harbour has long been talked about. The €100k here is probably for a study and route selection.

€50k is allocated for the a link from the Tramore Valley Park to the Kinsale road. This is likely to be a study and how feasible is it.

€200k has been allocated for the new greenway from the Chetwynd Viaduct to the Kinsale Road roundabout. It's not clear whether this is for the section from the Chetwynd reservoir to the roundabout which has planning or whether it's for the remaining stretch to the viaduct?

Cork County...

CCO/20/0004 Dunkettle - Carrigtwohill (old N25) - Phase 2 - Dunkettle to Glanmire 110,000 €
CCO/21/0001 Cobh Ferry to Train Station Cycle Route 70,000 €
CCO/22/0002 Dunkettle - Carrigtwohill (old N25) - Phase 3 - Dunkettle to Fitzpatricks (Active Travel Pathfinder) € 450,000
CCO/22/0004 Ballinacurra - Midleton Pedestrian and Cycle Route (Phase 1 Ballyanne woods Car Park to Broderick St) € 600,000
CCO/22/0005 Carrigaline - Ringaskiddy and Passage (Phase 1 Rafeen to Passage) 2,010,000 €
CCO/22/0006 Little Island - Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge 30,000 €
CCO/22/0011 Bóthar Guidel Bridge 1,130,000 €
CCO/22/0012 Dunkettle - Carrigtwohill (old N25) - Phase 4 - Railway Crossing to Carrigtwohill Station € 2,270,000
CCO/23/0009 Carrigtwohill to Midleton - Phase 2 (Active Travel Pathfinder) 150,000 €
CCO/23/0011 Carrigtwohill to Midleton - Phase 1 (Active Travel Pathfinder) 2,390,000 €
CCO/23/0014 Carrigaline - Ringaskiddy and Passage (Phase 2 Raffeen to Carrigaline) 150,000 €
CCO/23/0032 Ballinacurra to Midleton (Phase 2-5) 2,780,000

Some notes...

One major announcement here seems to  be €2 million for the greenway from Passage West to Raffeen.  This is a significant step and the next step after this will be to complete the greenway all of the way to Carrigaline. €150k is going to be spent on this second phase and is likely to come after the M28 is built.

The other big ones are the various grants for the proposed greenway from Carrigtwohill to Midleton. Once the docklands in Cork City are redeveloped, there should be a greenway all of the way from Cork City to Youghal.

Link...

1) NTA Active Travel Grants 2024

North Cork AC to host the 2024 National Half-Marathon Championships - What difference is it likely to make?

North Cork AC recently announced that they would be hosting the 2024 National Half-Marathon Championships. They write... "We are delighted to officially announce that the Charleville International Half Marathon has been awarded the hosting of the Irish National Half Marathon Championships for 2024. A proud moment for North Cork AC and one we very much look forward to."

In this post, we'll look at the recent history of the championships and what the impact of hosting the 2024 might be.

From 2013 to 2019, the National Half-Marathon was associated with the commercial Rock n Roll Half-Marathon which was held in Dublin every August.

This was a big event with bands playing music out along the course and it attracted large crowds with all of its razzmatazz. Athletics Ireland reportedly made a lot of money out of it as well every year.

When the Rock 'n' Roll event came to an end in 2019, it meant that Athletics Ireland had to find another race in 2020. As things turned out with the lockdown, there was no championships in 2020 or 2021.

In 2022, the Ratoath Half-Marathon in Co Meath was picked as the National Championships. In 2023, it was the Tullamore Half-Marathon in Co Offaly.

What difference does it make??? ... When North Cork AC that they were going to host the 2024 event then I was wondering what difference does hosting a national championship make?

As Tullamore was the most recent one, I had a look at the numbers taking part and I got this chart...

In 2023, there were a total of 1177 finishers in the Tullamore Half-Marathon. This is up nearly 40% on the figure of 842 for 2022.

As can be seen from the chart, the big jump stands out from all of the previous years and certainly suggests that hosting the national half-marathon championships probably attracted an additional 300 or so runners.

It suggests that Charleville is likely to get a similar boost of maybe 300 runners next September.

It's also worth noting that Charleville is the third venue in as many years. It's likely that the 2025 event will be hosted by another club.

Notice: IMRA Beara Way Ultra - Fri 17th May 2024

IMRA are holding the Beara Way Ultra this year on Friday 17th May 2024. In terms of difficulty, this one is at the extreme end with a distance of 161kms (100 miles) and a total ascent of 5,550m.

In terms of difficulty, challenge & scenery, the Beara Way Ultra is on a par with the more famous Kerry Way Ultra but it's just not as well known.

Entry here... https://www.imra.ie/events/details/id/2434/

From the organisers...

DESCRIPTION: Beara Way Ultra
COUNTY: Cork
DATE: Friday 17th May, 2024
TIME:09:00
CLIMB (M):5550
DISTANCE (KM):161.00
RACE MARKING: Only major junctions marked - Only major junctions marked
GPS ALLOWED: Yes
LEAGUES: Irish Ultra Championships 
MANDATORY KIT: Level C - Advanced - See entry page.
ENTRY CLOSES: Friday 26th April 2024, 23:59
ENTRY COST:€70
ENTRY LIMIT:100
Start/finish - Castletownbere, Co.Cork

The event starts in Castletownbere and heads up into the hills and south-west to the cable car opposite Dursey Island. It then proceeds up the peninsula taking in Allihies and Eyeries. The route gets to within a few kms of Kenmare before heading south-east over the mountains to Glengarriff. The route then takes the Beara Way route back to Castletownbere.

A 100-mile ultra on the road is an extreme event but a lot of this one is off road with plenty of ascent which takes the difficulty level to a completely different level.

It looks amazing though and it would be nice to see this one grow in popularity. 

Entries for a shorter half-marathon version will open closer to the date.

Guest Post: 2024 Dungarvan 10 mile ...by Pat Walsh

 ** Dungarvan 10 mile **

Kipling once wrote in a great poem: ' If you can keep your head when all about you, 

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, '

My answer would be: If you can have a great crack and enjoy yourself when all around you are being far too serious'

Thanks @Andy O Rourke photography for spotting me.

Not sure about your comment 'Nearly there' when we were only just past Mile 1 😃

Great day out. Thanks

To West Waterford AC for the superb event as always. The only way to start a new year of Running.

To global warming for giving us 14 degrees on a Sunday at the start of February. There probably will be payback but I will take today.

To my running partners Anita and Deirdre for the company on the road.

To the many runners who said hello today and thanked me for my honest running page. If I can make a difference to one person it is worth it.

To everyone who ran and made this a good day out. The atmosphere, the fun, the laughs and comments, the encouragement of fellow runners makes these big races such a special occasion.

For another lovely t-shirt to add to my t-shirt mountain. Not sure about the white colour. It will be dirty on someone like me in about 10 minutes 😃

.......

Food for thought and absolutely nothing to say about today's race and organisers

How can 3750 enter a race that sold out 5 weeks ago and 2850 approx finish? Where did nearly a 1000 go

Half of todays runners were non AI. Athletics Ireland picked up 3.5K approx for doing absolutely nothing. How is this benefitting running. Answers on a postcard and sent to Minister for Sport.

Have a good week. The Year has started

#pwr See less

Results & Photos of the John Tracey Dungarvan 10-mile road race - Sun 4th Feb 2024

Conditions were pretty much ideal for this years 10-mile road race in Dungarvan with mild dry weather. A total of 2835 runners crossed the finish line.

Loads of photos to follow but in the meantime, here are the results.

Top 10 men & women...

1 Oisín SPILLANE 51:57 2066 M MS Ennis Track Club
2 John KINSELLA 52:01 2077 M M40 Bilboa A.C.
3 Ieuan HOPKINS 52:32 30 M MS Brothers Pearse A.C.
4 Eddie O'CONNOR 52:44 255 M MS Brothers Pearse A.C.
5 Pat FITZGERALD 52:56 579 M MS Waterford A.C.
6 Mossy BRACKEN 53:27 232 M MS Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C.
7 Dermot GORMAN 54:22 554 M M40 Carrick-On-Suir A.C.
8 Trevor POWER 55:02 757 M M40 Waterford A.C.
9 John MEADE 55:14 1318 M M45 St. Finbarrs A.C.
10 Vivian FOLEY 55:16 462 M M50 Eagle A.C.
1 Ciara WILSON 59:15 4400 F FS DMP A.C.
2 Sally FORRISTAL 1:00:11 3388 F FS St. Joseph's A.C.
3 Cristin SCOLLARD 1:00:14 4018 F FS Dublin City Harriers A.C.
4 Dee GRADY 1:01:19 4351 F F35 Ennis Track A.C.
5 Noémie LEDUC 1:02:10 3582 F FS Grange Fermoy A.C.
6 Catherine MURPHY 1:02:39 3192 F F45 Eagle A.C.
7 Emma FUREY 1:02:45 3575 F F35 St. L. O'Toole A.C.
8 Evelyn TWOMEY 1:02:46 4376 F FS
9 Adele WALSH 1:02:46 3518 F F45 St. Senans A.C.
10 Nollaigh O'NEILL 1:03:37 4225 F F50

Full results HERE

Photos... Updated 6th Feb at 16:30

1) I took just under 1500 photos and they're up on the Running in Cork Facebook page. 

a) Pre-race 

b) Just after start 1 of 3 c) Just after start 2 of 3 d) Just after start 3 of 3

e) 400m to go 52:00 to 60:30 f) 400m to go 60:30 to 64:00 g) 400m to go 64:00 to 67:00

h) 400m to go 67:00 to 70:00 i) 400m to go 70:00 to 72:00 j) 400m to go 72:00 to 74:00

k) 400m to go 74:00 to 76:00 l) 400m to go 76:00 to 78:00 m) 400m to go 78:00 to 80:00

n) 400m to go 80:00 to 82:00 o) 400m to go 82:00 to 84:00 p) 400m to go 84:00 to 87:00

q) 400m to go 87:00 to 89:00 r) 400m to go 89:00 to 91:00 s) 400m to go 91:00 to 94:00

t) 400m to go 94:00 to 96:00 - That's the end of the photos as the card in the camera was full.

2) Sportsphoto Ireland has some great finishing photos in this album.

3) Maurice Cronin Photography has a nice album HERE

4) Mick Dooley has some pre-race photos HERE and some post race photos HERE 

5) Eddie Dee has one great aerial photo of the start HERE

6) DC Images as always has some great photos HERE

7) Adam Bending has 3 nice galleries... Album 1 ... Album 2 ... Album 3 

8) John Troy has a nice album HERE

9) Andy O'Rourke Photography has several albums... Pre-race 1 ... Pre-race 2 ... Early in race ... Finish 1 ... Finish 2 ...

Anthony Foley has an excellent video with an aerial view of the start of the race...

Results of the Run the Line 5k in Carrigaline - Sat 3rd Feb 2024

This month's Run the Line 5k on the Carrigaline to Crosshaven walkway was held on Sat 3rd Feb 2024 and attracted 18 runners.