Preview of the Shanagarry 5 Mile Road Race - Thurs 25th June (8pm)
The 2nd race in the Ballycotton 5 Mile Road Race Summer Series takes place in the small village of Shanagarry in East Cork on Thursday evening at 8pm. Going on the numbers at recent races and the fine weather, it looks likely that there might be another record number. Considering that they got 411 for the first race in the series and they got 281 for this race last year, surely the 300 barrier will be broken?

Directions...
If you are coming from Cork, take the N25 East and from the roundabout on the Midleton bypass, take the 3rd exit and follow the main R629 Midleton to Ballycotton road. Shanagarry is located on the main road between Cloyne and Ballycotton. If you are coming from Waterford, take a left at Castlemartyr for Ladysbridge and Garryvoe and follow the road on towards Shanagarry. Parking should be available at the GAA grounds in the centre of the village and next to the church. Just follow the stewards directions. See map above.

Entries...
The event centre for this race is NOT in the usual small boxing hall which is located between the GAA grounds and the petrol station. Instead, it is inside a marquee in the GAA grounds.

Inside, there will be 3 queues....
Queues 1 & 2).....All those who ran in Race 1 will have numbers allocated corresponding to their finishing positions in Ballyandreen (winner will wear no. 1, second no. 2, etc). For women, the race numbers start with 301 (winner wears 301, etc).
There will be two desks in the marquee for the above pre-entered. The first will be for numbers 1 - 200, the second for numbers 201 - 425. This second desk will include all the women. People are asked to check for their numbers on the lists displayed at the entrance (in race number and alphabetical order) and ask for same at the desk.
Queue 3)...There will be a seperate entry desk for anyone who did not run the 1st race in Ballyandreen last month. This is not a BHAA race, so if you are not a member of an athletics club just say where you are from (Cork, Charleville, Cloyne, etc).

The entry fee is €5 and having the correct amount ready helps to speed up the process. It also helps if you can try and get there early so they have plenty of time to get everyones details onto the laptop.
Course...
The race starts just outside the petrol station at the main road junction on the Ballycotton road. It then drops slightly into the hollow by the GAA entrance, up past the road junction where the finish will be, past the church, down again into another slight hollow and up a bit of a pull until the road flattens out as you head towards the 1 mile mark. A pretty fast mile with no major drags.
The 2nd mile is pretty flat. You run down to Garryvoe next to the beach, around a sharp bend and head inland again. A flat fast mile.
To get a flavour of it...a video!! Here is a clip from the 2006 race at Garryvoe...



The 3rd mile is not so easy. It is basically a long gentle uphill section until you turn off left onto a quiet country road and the 3 mile mark. You can expect to lose some time on the long climb.
The 4th mile starts easy. The first half mile is along a flat road with a great view to the left over the East Cork countryside. At the next road junction, you take a very sharp left and then the road drops rapidly. It's almost too steep to really run on comfortably. Then it flattens out for a short section and then, you hit the hill! Not as bad as the 'Beast of Ballyandreen' but a nasty one all the same. After the initial shock, the gradient reduces as you hit the 4 mile mark. A tough mile.
For the start of the 5th and final mile, there is still a gradual climb for about 300 metres after the 4 mile mark. Then it flattens out as you negotiate a series of bends with matures trees on either side of the road providing plenty of cover. The last half mile is very fast as it is slightly downhill all the way to the finish.

Note from the organisers...."Regarding the course, we would like to remind runners to keep on the left after passing Garryvoe, there is no advantage to be gained by crossing over to the right and it can also be very dangerous. Also, in view of the fine weather (!) traffic to the beach, etc will be heavy and to allow for this when travelling to the race."

Notes...Ballycotton 10
Just a reminder that for non-club runners to avail of the special 2 week window for entry to the 2010 Ballycotton 10 mile road race, all 4 races in the summer series must be completed. More details in a previous post.

Results of the poll...What was your longest race in 2008?

This poll has been up for quite a while so it's about time it was taken down and a new put up in it's place.

The poll question was "What was your longest race in 2008?" and a variety of distances on offer to be selected and 364 people took the time to take part.

Results........I kind of expected that the majority would be in the 5 kms / 4 miles / 5 miles category but it only accounted for 8%. Another suprise was that 41% answered that they had done a full Marathon in 2008! It seems very high. I presume that any of the relay runners in the 2008 Cork City Marathon or Ladies mini-marathon runners would not have ticked the Full Marathon box?

Leaving the Marathon results aside, an impressive 39% selected the 10 mile to 15 mile category. Even if there are errors in the Marathon numbers, the final figure for races of 10 miles or above is still at least 60% . It's great to see the majority of people testing themselves over the medium distances and not confining themselves to the shorter races. There are not so many of these medium distance races around and they deserve to be supported.

Comments......???

Record traffic for blog...Record numbers at races....a connection???

I'm a bit behind putting up this post but better late than never ;o)

With all of the interest in the Cork City Marathon, the Running in Cork blog received a record number of hits in the month of May. The new record of 15,631 hits exceeded the old record set last March around the time of the Ballycotton 10. That's a 25% increase in traffic which is a huge amount. Already with around a week to go, it looks as if June will be even higher. Just to put that in context, 15k hits per month would almost certainly make it the biggest running related website in Munster and probably in the top 5-10 on a national basis.

It also raises the question if the blog is partly responsible for the record numbers at the recent road races? Take for example the record turnout of nearly 700 runners for the John Buckley Sports 5 km road race. At the end of the day, this is just another local 5 km road race in a busy summer season. Why so many? No doubt, there is a big influx from the Marathon relay runners but how did they find out about the race?........and about the Glanmire race with another record number?

Of course, it's impossible to tell. It's a bit like the 'chicken and egg conundrum'....which came first! Looking at the age profile of all the new runners, it's probably fair to say that the majority are under 40 and as such, would be more 'Internet savvy'. As time goes on, more people are using the Internet to source information. Interested in local running..........go to Google....type in Cork running....and hey presto, up pops this blog on the 1st page of listings.

Chicken or Egg??....looking at the blog traffic and considering the following...

1) If there is a record level of traffic to the blog, this might well result in record numbers at the local races....

2) Record numbers at the races would not necessarily result in record traffic to the blog....after all, how would they know the blog even exists?

Perhaps it's a little bit more Chicken than Egg ;o)

Comments....???

Races this weekend in Munster....

There are no races in Cork this weekend but for anyone prepared to travel, there are 2 road races on Friday evening, the 19th of June.

Limerick...The Bilboa AC 'Ger Mullane' 10km starts at 8pm at Cappamore in East Limerick.

Waterford...The Ras na Rinne 6 mile race takes place over a road/beach circuit in Ring just to the south of Dungarvan in West Waterford. This race starts at 8pm.

More details on the Running in Munster website.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'John Buckley Sports' 5 km road race - Tues 16th June 2009

Last year in 2008, there were 486 finishers in this race and that was a record crowd. This year, there were about 695 runners taking part....a 43% increase on last year. If you look at the results for 5 years ago, the same race attracted 326 runners so when you compare the 2009 figure to it, you get some idea of the scale of the increase. Getting almost 700 entries for what is just a local 5k road race is pretty amazing.

The big numbers however bring some unique problems such as the finishing chutes filling up too quickly. That happened in the 2008 race and was even worse tonight with slower runners forced to stop well short of the finishing line.

This problem isn't so bad at long distance races where the field is spread out but in a 5km race, the race isn't long enough for the big gaps to appear. The usual solution is to have multiple parallel finishing chutes and as soon as one fills, another one is opened. Whether that was an option on a public road tonight, I'm not sure. Someone suggested to me that a viable option would be to revert to the old 4 mile route....put the start up near Pairc Ui Chaoimh and put the finish down on the quite cul de sac to the power station.

Another suggestion is to push the start for the existing 5 km route up around 300 metres and then have the finish around the corner again on the cul de sac to the power station.

Whatever solution is found, something will have to be done as it's not fair or right to have slower runners not being able to reach the finish line and get an accurate finish time.

Results.......the full results are now available HERE.

Photos...(Updated Wed 17th June)

1) Donal O'Donoughue has an album of 163 photos on a gallery website. Select the photo and click on it. Then click on the magnifying glass logo to zoom in.

2) Denis Kelliher of Midleton AC has sent me a few photos as well. They are now up on a photo website here.

3) Jorge Ruiz Villasante very kindly put up a set of some excellent looking photos on this photo gallery.

Comments.......??

Any opinions on the race? Did you get caught up in the backlog in the finishing chute? Click on the Comment link below...

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'John Buckley Sports' 5 km Road Race - Tues 16th June (8pm)

This is one of the most popular races on the Cork road race calendar and last year, it attracted a record crowd of 483 runners (2006 - 382, 2007 - 406). If the weather is kind on Tuesday evening, it should attract well over 500 runners. Considering that it comes only 2 weeks after the Cork Marathon, I'm sure some of the new runners from the Relay event might be on hand to give the relatively short distance of 5 kms a blast.




Registration...The event centre for this race is in the Lee Rowing Club building on the Marina. This is located just alongside the Pairc Ui Chaoimh GAA stadium. There is plenty of parking in the area....outside the club house, along the quayside or outside the GAA stadium. See map below. Considering that the number of entries will be high, it might be no harm to get there early.




Cost...As usual for BHAA events, it is €5 for registered runners and €7 for non-registered. There will be 2 queues...just make sure you get into the correct one. Just a note for those of you new to the running scene, this race is open to anyone. Just join the non-registered queue and get your race number.


Course...This is probably the flatest and fastest 5 km course in Cork. The start is on the Centre Park Road, about half a mile from the club house. With so many people running, the start will probably be a bit squashed but the road is wide enough that the field will soon thin out. Just one word of warning here...a lot of heavy vehicles use this road and the surface is a bit rough in places. It's not so easy to see what is up ahead when the field is bunched.
So, from the start, you run towards the city centre, left at the roundabout and onto the Monaghan Road. The 1 mile mark is half way down this road. For the 2nd mile, you go left at the next juction, back onto the Centre Park Road, past the start point and on to the 2 mile mark. For the 3 mile, you just retrace your footsteps as you repeat the same route except at the end when you approach the Centre Park Road again, you turn right instead of left. Here, you enter a tunnel of Green foliage as the mature trees on both sides of the road block out the light. Along here, you pass the 3 mile mark and the finish is about 150 metres later.

Overall.....Dead flat and as fast a 5 km course as you can get. If you want to try for a personal best, this is the place to try for it.


If you want to have a closer look at the course or get your bearings, I have put the route up on the

MapMyRun website.

There is also a flyer for the race HERE.

Results of the Cork BHAA 'Harvey Norman' 5 Mile Road Race - Wed 17th June 2009
This was the first local road race after the Cork City Marathon on what was a fine summers evening. It looks like there was a huge turnout, perhaps as a result of the influx of Marathon relay runners trying out another race?? Update...There were 460 runners in this race! I know people keep saying the numbers are big but getting 460 runners for what is only just a 5 mile road race is pretty amazing. If you look back a few years or look at other races throughout the country, a race of this type would normally attract about 150 entrants.

The full results are now available HERE

There are loads of photos to look at for this race.

Paudie Birmingham of Mallow AC has a gallery of 55 photos here.

Irene Hartigan has a set of 155 photos here.

Donal O'Donoughue has 113 photos on this gallery.

(By the way, for anyone who missed that programme on Setanta Sports about the Cork City Marathon last Monday night, it can be now seen on the Eircom website. See the earlier post)

Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Harvey Norman' 5 Mile Road Race - Wed 10th June (8pm)
The first race in Cork since the Cork City Marathon & Relay takes place next Wednesday, the 10th of June at 8pm in Glanmire, just East of the City. Just to clear up any confusion, this is the same as the Gransons race....same route, different sponsor. The event centre for the race is the GAA club house right alongside the main road in Glanmire.

Directions...
From Cork, just go to Glanmire village and continue on towards Riverstown. After the major crossroads with traffic lights, you'll see the GAA clubhouse with pitches on the right (shown as X in the map below). There is a limited amount of parking at the club house while you should be able to park between there and Grandons garage which is about 800 metres further on.

If you wish to get your bearings, check this link......http://pininthemap.com/df8f7258ca2d1cd45

Course...
The start is up the road near Grandons garage. From the start, you run slightly downhill and past the GAA club house where you signed on. Through the next traffic lights, past the 1 mile mark and then left. Now you are on to pretty quiet residental roads. There are a few small falls and climbs as you go, up a little hill to a road junction and then right. Past the 2 mile mark and under a bridge for the main Cork-Dublin road. From here, you go around the next loop. I know there is a bit of a hill there, you pass the 3 mile mark and you come back under the bridge again. Now from the bridge, you have a 1 mile run through a residental area as the road climbs and falls. Around 4.5 miles, you are back onto the main road again as you take a right. Watch for the stewards here as this can be a busy road and you need to cross it. Once on the left side, it's about 800 metres from here to the finish beyond the GAA grounds.
Overall, a 5 mile course with lots of little pulls and drags. Probably not the fastest of courses.

If you would like to have a look at the course in more detail, I have put it up on the MapMyRun website.

New Runners...
For anyone new to the running scene (maybe some of the Marathon Relay runners???), this race like other local races is open to everyone. You do not need to be registered or a member of a club. There should be in excess of 300 runners in this race, from the very fast to the not so fast. Don't worry, you'll almost certainly find someone near your own standard to run with. The entry fee for non-registered runners is €7.

2008 Event...

Just a quick reminder of last year...

I know..........the music is rubbish but it's the only video of the 2008 race that exists!

Video Clips of the Start of the 2009 Cork City Marathon...
Here is a clip of the start of the 2009 Cork City Marathon and Relay. It's easy to forget about exactly how many runners were at the start of the Marathon on Patrick's Street. It's amazing how long it takes for the whole field to pass through the start line.



The clip has a restricted view and the runners seen side on look a bit blurred.

By the way, the official photos are now out. Link is on the main Marathon results post.

What a difference a week makes....

Just one week later on the 8th of June, the weather conditions for a Marathon were a lot more favourable.

The graph above shows the temperature recorded on an elevated site near Cork city one week apart. The actual temperature in the city may have been a bit higher, especially in sheltered spots.

On Marathon day, the temperature was already 16 degrees by the time of the start of the race and just 2 hours later had climbed above 21 degrees C. In all likelyhood, there were spots along the course that were close to 25 deg C especially in the afternoon.

Compare that to the weather 1 week later when it was overcast all day with a wind from the North-East. At 9am, it was only 12 deg C and it struggled to get to 15 deg C in the afternoon.

For the last 3 years, 2007 and 2009 were above 20 deg C and 2008 was not too far behind. The Cork Marathon seems to be getting a reputation as a Marathon at the wrong time of year. However, what if the Marathon had been on the 8th?........imagine the difference that 10 deg C would make.

2010...???

Cork City Marathon Coverage on TV......

The marathon is being covered on Setanta Ireland on this evening, Monday 7th of June at 20:00.
If you haven't got Setanta, you might check out www.myp2p.eu Click on Live Sports and you'll probably have to search under Other Sports. It might be available there as well.

(....with thanks to John Quigley for the above info)

Update Wed 18th June....I tried the link above on the night but considering that the webpage required me to download some software to watch the programme, I gave it a skip. Someone has left a comment however that it can be seen on the Eircom website at the moment...

http://setanta-video.eircom.net/eircom/channels/C5MoreSports.aspx

Just click on that link and the programme appears on webpage....no extra software required.

Reminder for Mahers Sports 20% discount....

Just a short reminder that the special 20% discount on running products for readers of this blog ends next Sunday, the 14th of June. Have a look at an earlier post for the details.

Every Picture tells a Story....a selection of photos from the 2009 Cork City Marathon...

The winner of the mens race Michael Herlihy approaching the finish line....photo by James Veale of West Waterford AC.
Local runner Lucy Brennan wins the Cork Marathon again in a time of 2:51........photo by James Veale of West Waterford AC.

The anonymous runner........this photo sums up the experience for a lot of the Marathon runners on the day....the sheer exhaustion after running 26.2 miles on a hot Summers day......photo by David Bradshaw.

A family finish......for the size of the event, Cork is still a low key event with lots of kids finishing the last 100 metres or so with their dads.......something almost impossible to imagine in other big City Marathons..........photo by David Bradshaw.

Supporters in Patricks Street waiting on family and friends to finish........photo by David Bradshaw.

Sheer delight after finishing the 26.2 mile course.........photo by David Bradshaw.

........and the finishers medal for the Marathon Runners.

Cork City Marathon..........the day after....
For the Marathon runners out there (especially those not living in bungalows!), this might seem a bit familiar ;o)

Results of the 2009 Cork City Marathon & Relay...

Having run the Cork Marathon for the last 3 years, I think I can honestly say that this one was the warmest so far. Even before the start, it seemed very mild which was a contrast to last year when it seemed to be pretty cool before the race started.

Needless to say, in these warm conditions most target times were unrealsitic and a lot of people, both Mararthon runners and Relay runners struggled today in the heat. The temperature for the 2nd half of the Marathon was up around 23 deg C and nearly all of us are not used to running in these conditions. The photo above shows some runners at around the 3 mile mark and you can see that the heat is beginning to have an impact already.

Some observations....

1) Water stations.........those little 250ml bottles of water were excellent. Just big enough to get a decent amount of water and light enough to carry. Best of all, you could drink on the move, something that is almost impossible with cups. I wonder if there were enough bottles left for the slower runners?....I hope so.

2) Lucozade Sport......I thought we were going to get the foil pack version but at the time I was going through, they were giving out 500ml bottles. Considering the heat, I decided to drink everything so I ended up drink a litre of the stuff ;o)

I reckon that overall, I must have drank about 2.5 litres of liquid. A huge amount compared to what I needed to drink for the Dublin City Marathon last October (7 deg C).

3) Sponges........I ususally don't bother but they were a godsend on a hot day like today.

4) Relay Runners......As most of you know, there has been been a bit of a debate going on here about the merits or otherwise of having a Relay stage in the Cork City Marathon. During the race today, I was glad that there were so many Relay runners around. I found myself running on my own a lot with large gaps between the Marathon runners. When I ran the Dublin Marathon, there were loads of groups and you could find somebody running at your own pace. Without the Relay runners today, it would have been like doing a Marathon on my own. The Cork Marathon without the Relay runners would be pointless.

5) Stewards and Volunteers.......Excellent as always. It's great to see people giving up their time to help out for the day and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.

Overall.........it seems that it was another successful Cork Marathon & Relay.........but why did it have to be so hot!! ;o)

Comments??? Click on the 'Comment' link below and let others know what you thought of it.

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Results........The Results of the Full Marathon are HERE.

The Results of the Relay Team are HERE.

The list of prizes given out are HERE.

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Photos........ (Updated Tues 9th @ 10:00pm)
1) Paudie Birmingham was quick off the mark with a nice series of photos.........Pre-Race, near the 1 Mile Mark, the 3 Mile Mark and near the middle of the race.
2) Eagle AC have a set of 80 photos on their website.
3) David Bradshaw has a set of 458 photos on this Flickr photo gallery.
4) Eagle AC have another set of 214 photos by Pat O'Driscoll.
5) A series of shots mainly on the Grand Parade after the start by Doug M.
6) A set of 473 photos on Flickr.
7) A searchable gallery HERE. Just enter your bib number.
8) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has 2 galleries of photos mostly near the 26 mile mark up on the Eagle AC website........451 here and 317 here
9) Some commercial photos are now available HERE. Just enter your bib number or surname if you are a Marathon runner. For Relay runners, you have to put a letter (A-E) before your number. Doesn't matter which letter, all photos from that team will show up. (Note that there seems to be a problem with the search facility at the moment.