Busy Christmas week coming up -
Or at least, as busy as you want it to be. There are 4 events coming up in the week over Christmas and I'll do previews on each one over the next few days.
1) Sunday 23rd Dec.....5 km race in Shanagarry
2) Tuesday 25th Dec....GOAL charity mile at the CIT track, Doneraile Forest Park and other locations
3) Wednesday 26th Dec....Belgooly 4 mile Road Race
4) Sunday 30th Dec........Bandon 5 mile Road Race
Details to follow...........

Looking ahead to the next Spring and the 2008 Munster 10 mile Classic series -
See text below from the official press release announcing the start of the Munster 10 mile classic series. I'll be covering each one of these as we get closer to each each race. By the way, if you are thinking about doing the Cork City Marathon next year, these will give you an excellent foundation on which to build your training.

**************************************************
Announcing! The 2008 John Buckley Sports/Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics!
For the sixth successive year runners have the opportunity to partake in the John Buckley Sports/Munster Ten-Mile Spring Classics Series as the four races in the area from January to April combine forces in this unique Series.
In the cycling world, the 'Spring Classics' are an integral part of the competitive year and seen as instrumental in the build-up to the more arduous Tours later in the season.
The aim of this ten-mile Series is to promote each race at the classic distance of ten miles, while rewarding the runners who complete all four races with a specially commissioned long-sleeve T-shirt. As well, there will be prizes for the leading male and female runners, which will be decided on the cumulative times over the four races.
Once again, John Buckley Sports has agreed to be overall sponsor of the Spring Series and if you wish to view their excellent website go to: www.johnbuckleysports.com
There is no additional entry fee for the Series - just run the four races (however - your entry must have been accepted for Ballycotton). Further details (including contacts) on the three races other than Ballycotton can be found below.
Marathon Deliveries/MALLOW '10' - Sunday January 6th, 12.30pm.
Dunphy’s-Vivas Health/DUNGARVAN '10' - Sunday February 3rd, 1.00pm
BALLYCOTTON '10' - Sunday March 9th, 1.30pm.
Sonny Murphy Memorial KINABOY '10' - Sunday April 13th, 2.00pm.
.......................
Sunday January 6th: - Marathon Deliveries/Mallow '10', 12.30pm. Contact: John Holland 022-21280.
Mallow AC have been promoting a 10-mile race for a number of years, although this course has only been used since 2001. A nice flat loop, comprising of town and country roads, it has met with unanimous approval. Mallow is also well served with a good roads network, making the venue very central for people travelling from any part of the country.
Last year saw a record turnout of 386 runners and the message this year is to arrive in plenty of time so that the organisers can cater for the even-larger expected entry.
Since the closure of Irish Sugar, last year saw a new sponsor in Marathon Deliveries, a company fronted by well-known Mallow runner Peadar Curtis and once again they will be the overall backers for 2008.
...........................
Sunday February 3rd: - Dunphy’s-Vivas Health/Dungarvan '10', 2.00pm. Contact: James Veale 058-42059.
Formally a 10km race, the move to ten miles a few years ago proved to be a very successful one. A new course was introduced in 2004 and last year saw a huge turnout with a total of 516 finishers. With a new sponsor this year in the shape of Dunphy’s-Visas Health, the energetic West Waterford club have big plans for this race which is now their flagship event.
Starting and finishing near the excellent facilities of the Dungarvan Crystal Sports Centre, the course uses mainly country roads and also has a potential for fast times.
One of many races held in the area, the event is also part of the Michael Roche Carpets Spring Series. Please note that the race starts at 1pm and pre-entries are also welcome – details on www.westwaterfordathletics.org
..........................
Sunday April 13th:- Sonny Murphy Memorial Kilnaboy '10' (Co. Clare), 2.00pm.Contact: Vincent McCarthy 065-6837875.
One of the oldest 'tens' in the country, outside of Ballycotton. Usually held on Easter Sunday, it now has settled on the second Sunday in April. The introduction of the Spring Series has also benefited this ‘Clare Classic’ which also attracted a record 260 finishers last year.
The slightly undulating circuit on the outskirts of The Burren contains some stunning early spring scenery, passing through the tourist village of Corrofin. The race is also an idea opportunity to enjoy an early-season break in ideal outdoor surroundings. Also, like Mallow, there is a 10km walk which starts at 1.30pm.
The three races featured above are all organised by enthusiastic runners themselves, so you can be sure of a warm welcome and a well-organised race, with free refreshments and free results afterwards. Give them your support, they deserve it - and we also need to keep these races going at the classic distance of 10 miles on the road!

Ballycotton 10 entries closed for all Irish entries -
Yesterday, the 18th of December was the closing date for all entries from Ireland for the 2008 Ballycotton 10 mile road race. The only people who can enter now are oversea's runners. They have until Tuesday, the 8th of of January to do so. The entry form and entry details can be found up on the Ballycotton website.

Results of the East Cork 3k Road Race (No.4 of 7) - Tues 18th Dec 2007

A crowd of 100 turned out for the 4th race in the series on what was a dry but very cold night. I'd guess that the temperature was only about 5 deg C but the Eastery wind made it feel colder. Despite the cold, conditions were still good for running with some very good times being recorded.

In keeping with the Christmas spirit, there was also a team of Santa's running! I'm not sure if it was cold enough for running in a red suit though! If anyone from that team reads this, please send on a photo and I'll put it up here. I was going to ask you but you had gone by the time I had changed.

So, on to the results...

East Cork AC 3Km Winter Series Race 4 18/12/07
1 Roy Fahy East Cork AC 9.32
2 Wieslaw Sosnowski Eagle AC 9.38
3 Noel Curtin Youghal AC 9.43
4 Noel Berkeley DSD AC 9.54
5 George Boyle UCC AC 9.57
6 Eric Meade East Cork AC 10.04
7 Denis McCarthy East Cork AC 10.06
8 Kevin O'Leary Glenbower AC 10.12
9 Ciaran Dunne Eagle AC 10.13
10 Marty O'Keeffe Youghal AC 10.16
11 Shane Maher Grange Fermoy AC 10.22
12 Tony Lilley Togher AC 10.27
13 Eoin Casey Glenbower AC 10.30
14 Brian O'Connor Grange Fermoy AC 10.32
15 Norman Kelly Eagle AC 10.39
16 John Desmond Eagle AC 10.46
17 Denis Carroll Eagle AC 10.51
18 Frank Cashman East Cork AC 10.54
19 Alan Lane Glenbower AC 11.07
20 Tom Cody Midleton AC 11.11
21 Edmond O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.15
22 Phil McGrath East Cork AC 11.17
23 Daniel Walsh Glenbower AC 11.18
24 Kevin Cooney Midleton AC 11.19
25 Coran Swayne Midleton CBS 11.25
26 Niall O'Neill Midleton AC 11.27
27 Pat Fogarty ESB 11.28
28 Paudie O'Keeffe Midleton GAA 11.30
29 Matthew Boonaert Cork 11.34
30 Billy O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.36
31 Laurence Courtney Eagle AC 11.39
32 Ned Ramsell Midleton AC 11.42
33 John O'Callaghan Rising Sun AC 11.46
34 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton AC 11.48
35 Trevor Mahoney Midleton 11.49
36 Pat Dunlea Midleton GAA 11.50
37 John O'Riordan Rising Sun AC 11.51
38 Mick Walsh Midleton AC 11.55
39 Peter Stanley Carrigaline 11.58
40 Brian Healy Dunboyne AC 12.00
41 Sally Drennan Midleton AC 12.01
42 Kevin McSweeney Midleton GAA 12.03
43 Liam Callanan Whitechurch 12.05
44 Paul Cleary Whitegate 12.08
45 Leslie Coughlan Midleton CBS 12.09
46 Dermot O'Sullivan East Cork AC 12.10
47 Paul Cotter Eagle AC 12.11
48 John Walshe East Cork AC 12.14
49 Eoghan Cotter Aghada 12.17
50 Gary Boyle Donegal 12.18
51 Joan Hough Midleton AC 12.22
52 Pat Walsh Midleton GAA 12.24
53 David O'Leary Midleton 12.25
54 James Cleary Whitegate 12.26
55 Niamh Walsh Youghal AC 12.27
56 Colman Quirke Midleton GAA 12.28
57 Trevor Collins Naas AC 12.29
58 Anthony Barry Glanmire 12.35
59 Kieran Rohan Midleton AC 12.37
60 Thomas Ryan Cloyne 12.42
61 Vincent O'Neill Midleton AC 12.45
62 Adrian Walsh Midleton 12.46
63 Vincent Hurley Midleton AC 12.46
64 John O'Halloran Glounthaune 12.48
65 Batt Kearney Leevale AC 12.50
66 Mark O'Keeffe Youghal AC 12.53
67 James Power Whitegate 12.57
68 Mary O'Keeffe Youghal AC 13.10
69 Vincent Connelly Midleton AC 13.11
70 Austin Murphy St Finbarrs AC 13.11
71 Joseph McCarthy Midleton AC 13.12
72 Caroline Geary Midleton AC 13.13
73 Peter O'Brien Glenbower AC 13.18
74 Liam Walsh Midleton GAA 13.20
75 John J Cotter Cobh 13.24
76 Mick McCarthy West Waterford AC 13.39
77 Elga Ryan Midleton AC 13.40
78 Donie O'Connell Midleton AC 13.42
79 Donal O'Donoghue Little Island 13.52
80 Maura O'Doherty Midleton AC 13.53
81 Keith O'Mahony Cork 13.56
82 Mark Copley Cork 13.57
83 Finbarr McCarthy Cloyne 13.58
84 Patricia Curtin Youghal AC 14.05
85 Willie O'Mahony Youghal AC 14.15
86 Pat Organ Midleton 14.16
87 Jimmy Murray Rising Sun AC 14.25
88 Marie Murphy Youghal AC 14.43
89 Carrie Higgins Carrigtwohill AC 14.44
90 Tim Geary Lisgoold 14.47
91 Billy Caball Cork 14.50
92 Catherine Halpin Dublin 14.58
93 Vincent Murray Midleton 15.10
94 Olive Hallinan Cloyne 15.19
95 Joan McCarthy Midleton AC 17.26
96 Mary Toher Midleton AC 17.42
97 Claire O'Leary Midleton AC 18.05
98 Daire Healy Ballycotton 19.25
99 Orla Kelleher Dungourney 19.56
100 Paula Morgan Midleton 19.57

(...with thanks to the Liam O'Brien of East Cork AC for the results. Liam sent them out very soon after the race so they were up here on the blog at 10:00pm, just 2.5 hours after the race)

Turkey Trot...Extra photos -
A load of extra photo's have now been added to the Eagle AC website. Originally, it was about 30 but now they have 190 up covering the start and finish of the race. Here is the LINK.

Preview of the East Cork AC 3km Road Race - Tuesday 18th of December (7:30pm).

It's hard to believe that this will be number 4 of 7 in the East Cork 3k series. Only 3 more after this and we'll be in mid-February and the evenings will really be starting to get longer.
By the way, the forecast for Tuesday is for it to be dry but very cold. Don't forget the hats and gloves for the warm-up / warm down.

Intro...The 4th race of 7 in the East Cork AC 3k series takes place in Midleton on Tuesday, the 18th of Dec at 7:30 pm. It is open to all club and non-club athletes. If you do 5 out of the 7 races in the series, you will recieve a special T-Shirt.

Directions...See the image on the left. The circle shown at the top is the roundabout that is on the Midleton Bypass.So, if you are coming from Cork, you need to take the 3rd exit and take the road South towards Whitegate. Almost immediately, you will pass a SHELL garage on the right. What you are looking for then is the 2nd turn right. The 1st one is a housing estate. Take the 2nd one and it will bring you down onto the 'Dark Road' which ends in a T-junction. Registration will be near here.

Course description...The course is basically 3 laps of a 1 km course. See the map...the start point, the 1km, 2km and finish points are shown. It can be a bit crowded at the start but it thins out after about 500 metres. By the way, you need to be carefull when you join the main road (bottom right hand corner on map). Even though you are running inside the hard shoulder, it is narrow at this point and it is easy to end up out on the main road.Overall, the course is pretty flat. There is a short little uphill section when you join the main road (bottom right on map) but otherwise there's nothing.

Reasons to do it...
a) It's a good speed session and should help you improve your breathing, fitness levels and speed.
b) Good excuse to get in a run on a dark Winter evening!!
c) It is a very good way to test your fitness level. As the course is identical every 3 weeks, you can see how your training is going. For example, if you are training for the Ballycotton 10 in March, then you should see your times improve by the time of the last one in February.

Additional info...
a) Entry fee is €3
b) If you are still not sure of where it is, then try this link and zoom in and out to get your bearings.
c) If you did this race last year then you might be interested in the following. I have put together a chart showing the finishing times for everyone in alphabethical order. The link is HERE.
d) Last year, 240 runners took part in the series with 11 people doing all 7 races. I'd expect the numbers this year to be up a good bit.
e) You can see the results from the 1st race in the series at this link...http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2007/10/results-of-1st-east-cork-3km-winter.html
The results of the 2nd race can be seen at this link...http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2007/11/east-cork-ac-3km-winter-series-race-2.html
The results of the 3rd race can be seen at this link...http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2007/11/results-of-east-cork-3km-road-race-no-3.html
f) Don't forget to wear a reflective bib/vest, it's compulsory!!
and finally
g) And this is in large letters because it's important!

Please remember that the race organisers depend on the goodwill of local residents so that this race can be held here. There was an incident at the 2nd race which did a lot of damage to this goodwill. Remember when parking not to cause an obstruction and don't do anything that would cause an offence to them.

Cork Harbour Cycle - Sun 6th of January 2008

Ok...not exactly running related ;o) but this is a cycle I have done a few times. Unfortunately, the Mallow 10 mile road race is on the same day but if you are not doing that race, you might consider this cycle. It's on a very flat 25 mile route around the inner habour.

Africa Direct is a Cork based charity and their aim is to help street children in Africa.

If you want more info and want a sponsorship card, try their website...http://www.africadirect.ie/

Ballycotton 10 entries...Last call -
Next Tuesday, the 18th of December, is the closing date for entries for the following people....
a) Members of AAI registered running clubs
b) Anyone who did one of the one of the Ballycotton Summer series races in the Summer of 2007 - (Ballyandreen / Shanagarry / Churchtown South / Ballycotton)

Considering the busy Christmas post, you should really post your entry by Friday, the 14th of December at the latest. You can find the entry form at this LINK.

If you live outside Ireland, you have until January the 8th to get your entry in.

If you're not a member of a running club / didn't do any of the Ballycotton Summer series or live outside Ireland, then sorry, you're too late. The quota of 2,500 was filled at the end of last week (Fri 7th Dec).

Cork BHAA Leagues for 2007 -

About 12 months ago, I was asked by Mick Dooley of the Cork BHAA to put together a league based on the results of the BHAA races during 2007. I won't go into the rules here but basically, the higher a team finished in any of the A, B or C categories, then the more points they got.

Mens League...
In total, 45 teams took part during the year. Not suprisingly, those teams that were present at most of the races topped the table. There were 18 races during the year that had team competitions and the league results were...
1st - Midleton News with 80 pts. They had a team entered for 16 races.
2nd - UCC with 73 pts. (15 races)
3rd - Army with 71 pts. (15 races)
4th & 5th - There was a tie here with both the HSE and the Irish Prison Service both on 53 pts. (Both attended 14 races)

The full Mens league can be seen at this LINK

Womens League...
29 teams took part. The league winners were...
1st - Bank of Ireland with 73 pts. They attended 16 races.
2nd - HSE with 61 pts. (14 races)
3rd - Midleton News with 50 pts. (12 races)
4th - UCC with 46 pts. (12 races)
5th - Musgraves with 44 pts. (8 races)

And a special mention for Pfizer (Ringaskiddy) who finished in 6th place with 42 pts although they managed to attend 10 races, 2 more than Musgraves.

The full Womens league can be see at this LINK.

Note however that this league was just an experiment for 2007. It was just to see how it would work out. There were no prizes for the winners. Any queries about the leagues or feedback on whether you think it is a good idea or not should go to Mick Dooley of the Cork BHAA. You can post a comment on the link below if you want to and I'll let Mick know that they are there.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Turkey Trot' - Sun 9th Dec 2007 (Updated Mon 16th Dec)

Looks like yet another record crowd turned out for this charity race last Sunday. Last year, they got 198 entries and donated a cheque for €1,600 to Cork Simon Community. This year, 253 runners turned out and the amount raised was €3,000, a big jump up from last year.

I was kind of suprised that so many turned out. Before I left for the race on Sunday morning, the wind was howling and the rain was pelting off the window. However, most runners still turned up and by the time the race started, there was no rain and the walkway, which was used for most of the race, was well sheltered from the worst of the elements. The only bad spot as such, weather wise, was the section between Mahon Point and the turn off by the CSO office / garage. It was about a mile long and there was a very strong headwind here. However, once we got back down onto the walkway, it was pretty sheltered again.

The stewarding was excellent this year, a big improvement on last year with 2 stewards present at the busy Mahon Point / B&Q traffic junction. We even had a Santa with a bright yellow safety jacket standing on a big rock to make sure we didn't run into it !! ;o)

The results are now up on their website. The link is HERE.

They have a few photo's as well up on their site, the link is HERE.

(Updated Mon 16th Dec) There are about 190 photo's up on the Eagle AC website. There are plenty of shot's of the start and finish of the race. The link is HERE.

Entries for the 2008 Ballycotton 10 reach 2,500 quota - Fri 7th of Dec

It's hard to believe but Ballycotton Running Promotions have reached their quota of 2,500 entries despite the fact that the entry forms only came out last Monday. So, they recieved the 2,500 entries in just 4 days!!

Entries are now open ONLY to the following people....

1) If you are a member of an AAI registered running club OR you ran one of the four 5 mile races in the Ballycotton Summer series (Ballyandreen, Shanagarry, Churchtown South, Ballycotton). If you qualify under these conditions, you have until Tuesday, the 18th of Dec to get your entry in.

2) If you are an overseas entrant, you have until the Tuesday, the 8th of Jan 2008.

So, if you don't qualify under conditions 1) or 2) above, then don't send your entry. By the way, there are no cancellations. They know that a percentage of the 2,500 will not make it on the day and they take this into account when estimating the number of people who will be there for the race.

The full statement from Ballycotton Running Promotions is shown below...

BALLYCOTTON ‘10’ ENTRY LIMIT REACHED!
In just four days, the 2,500 race entry limit for the Ballycotton ‘10’ has been reached. This means the we cannot accept any more entries unless you are a member of an Athletics Association of Ireland club or have run one of our 2007 Summer 5-mile races or you live overseas.
Please DO NOT continue to send in entries if you don’t qualify as above. It only causes extra work and expense as all late entries will have to be returned.
It’s quite simple. You should know if you a member of an AAI club – the four Summer Series races were Ballyandreen, Shanagarry, Churchtown South, Ballycotton – and overseas means anyone living outside of the island of Ireland.
The closing date for club runners/Summer Series applicants is Tuesday December 18th and for overseas Tuesday January 8th (both by post only). Entries received after those dates will be sent back. Take into account Christmas delays when posting.
www.ballycottonrunning.com
Ballycotton Running Promotions............07/12/2007

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Turkey Trot' 4 mile Road Race - Sun 9th of Dec 2007 (11am)

This is the last race of the year in the Cork BHAA calendar. This race is in aid of charity and there are none of the usual prize categories. When you enter, you must guess what your finishing time will be. The person who finishes closest to their estimated time wins. Needless to say, you cannot wear a watch.
Entries are taken at the Rowing Club clubhouse (shown as an X in the map above) which is right next to the 'Pairc Ui Chaoimh' GAA stadium.

Course...
The race takes part mostly along the old railway line footpath. You start on the Marina and after a short run, you cross onto the walkway. Just a word of caution here...the walkway can be busy with walkers, cyclists, kids, dogs, etc. Just remember that the runners don't have an exclusive right of way!
The race carries on out almost in a dead straight line along the path with a very gentle incline. At the end of the straight section, about the 1.8 mile mark, you go left and underneath the pedestrian footbridge. There is a short climb here up to the junction by the Mahon Point shopping centre. A sharp left here (by the Webprint building) and then downhill to the major road junction outside the entrance to Mahon Point and B&Q accross the road. You need to be very careful at this juction. There were no stewards at this junction last year and there were plenty of cars crossing this junction in every direction...just keep your wits about you here!
Then there is a slow uphill section until you reach the junction by the CSO office. Left here, left again just at the Texaco garage, run back down on to the walkway, sharp left then (almost stopping!) and then under the bridge and you run back towards the Marina on the walkway. The last mile is more or less flat with the finish close to Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Guessing your time...
There are no real hills but there are enough drags to slow you down a bit. If you have done the last two BHAA 4 mile races then I would say that your time will be slower than the Marina 4 mile course in early November and faster than Inniscarra 4 mile course at the end of November.

...and finally...
I think the entry fee for this one is €10. They are also looking for any spare gloves and hats that you could donate. Prizes and refreshments are in the Rowing Club clubhouse.

If you want to check out the course in more detail, go to this link http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/ireland/cork/1194302466 and zoom in.

CPR & Defibrillator Training - Wed 5th Dec 2007

Wednesday turned out to be a strange day for me. At 7am, I was packing my gear bag for a run later on Wednesday evening. Little did I know then that eleven hours later at 6pm, I would be sitting down doing a CPR & Difibrillator course! All thanks to an e-mail from John Quigley at lunchtime ;o)

Overall, the course was very good. Took only 4 hours and it was very well run. Some of the local clubs were represented...Eagle AC, St.Finbarrs, Leevale AC, Belgooly AC, Bandon AC, Midleton AC, Cork BHAA and Cork AAI. Full credit to John Quigley of Eagle AC and Terry Higgins of Pfizer for arranging it. I should also mention that Pfizers hosted the event and credit is due to them for doing so.

I understand that another training session is due to happen sometime in the Spring. If you would like to enquire about it then you should contact John Quigley of Eagle AC or send me an e-mail and I'll pass on your details (my e-mail adress is shown on the right hand side of this page).

Cork BHAA announce their calendar of races for 2008 -

Cork BHAA have just finalised their list of races for 2008 and it looks like the eyar will be packed full of races, just like 2007. Of course, the main event in 2008 will be the Cork City Marathon and Relay on the 2nd of June in which they hope to attract around 8,000 runners.

Here is the calendar for 2008...

CORK BHAA 2008 LIST 0F EVENTS

Date Distance Venue

Sunday Morning Races @ 11am

Jan 13th Cross Country Beaumount Park Blackrock

Jan 27th FMC 4 miles Little Island

Feb 10th ESB 5k Blackrock

Mar 16th St Vincents 5k Holyhill

April 6th UCC 10K Mardyke

Evening Races @ 8pm

April 29th Stride by the Tide 4 miles Redbarn

May 7th Pfizers 6 miles Ringaskiddy

May 15th IPS/GARDA Ringaskiddy

June 2th Cork City Marathon 9am start www.corkcitymarathon.com

June 11th Grandons 5 miles Glanmire

June 19st John Buckley Sports 5k Marina

July 2nd Stryker 4 miles Carrigtohill

July 9th EMC 5K Ovens

Aug 6th Novartis 5K Ringaskiddy

Aug 20th Army/Navy 5 miles Naval Base

Sept 3rd PTAA 5K @7-30pm Togher

Sunday Morning Races @ 11am

Oct 5th Cork To Cobh 15mls

Nov 2nd HSE 4 miles Marina

Nov 23rd 4 miles Classic Inniscarra

Dec 7th Cork Simon 4 miles Marina

Entry form for the 2008 Ballycotton 10 mile Road Race -

The entry forms for next year's Ballycotton 10 are now up on their website.
The link is HERE.

See my last post for details on how to enter.