Results of the Kilworth Festival 5k fun run...Sun 11th Aug 2013

There was a total of 222 finishers for the second running of the Kilworth Festival 5 km fun run on Sunday 11th August.  First man home was Michael Harty of East Cork AC and the first woman was Lorna Davey-Fitzgearld of Mallow AC.

1 - Michael Harty, East Cork AC (15:50)
2 - Tom Bennett (17:47)
3 - Darren O' Brien (18:00)
12 - Lorna Davey-Fitzgearld, Mallow AC (20:33)
17- Elaine Guinane (21:34)
27- Charlene Wiley (22:26)

The full results of the 5k fun run can be seen HERE

Usain Bolt wins 100m title at World Championships in Moscow

At the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, the Olympic champion added the World Championship title to his crown. After being eliminated in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea due to a false start, there was no mistake this time as Bolt went on to win the title in 9.77 seconds.

Justin Gatlin of the USA finished in second which will no doubt be of relief to a lot of people. As someone who has failed a drugs test in the past, many would prefer if he didn't win any major titles.

The results also show up the dominance of Jamican sprinters with them taking 4 out of the top 5 places.

Results of the John Hartnett 10 km road race, Ballyhooly - Sun 11th Aug 2013

The annual John Hartnett 10 km road race in Ballyhooly was held on Sunday, the 11th of August. 

1    32:38    SWEENEY, Gavin    unatt/Cork    M   5:15.0
2    33:17    MEADE, John    St. Finbarrs AC    M  5:21.3
3    34:38    SMITH, Danny    Ballynonty AC    M  5:34.3
17    40:47    O'NEILL, Anne    Doheny AC    F40  6:33.7
18    40:53    O'LEARY, Mary    unatt/Castletownroche    F40  6:34.6
26    42:58    FITZGIBBON, Clotilde    Grange-Fermoy AC    F40  6:54.8

The full results are HERE

Results of the GR8KM Road Race, Michelstown...Fri 9th Aug 2013

A record 280 runners took part in this years GR8KM road race in Mitchelstown in NE Cork. Organised by Galtee Runners, this was up 15% on last years figure of 244. It was also the 5th race of 7 in the ongoing Ballyhoura Cork Series.

1 26:37    FOGARTY, Tony    Thurles Crokes AC    M 05:21.2
2 26:51    RYAN, David    Clonmel AC    M40 05:24.0
3 27:02    MOORE, Declan    Bilboa AC    M 05:26.2
17 30:58    MCCANN, Angela    Clonmel AC    F40 06:13.6
23 31:43    O'CALLAGHAN, Grainne    Riocht AC F 06:22.7
25 32:06    ROCHE, Aine    Clonmel AC    F 06:27.3


The full results can be seen HERE

Notice...World Mini-Games 5 km road race - Sat 24th Aug 2013

As part of the World Mini-Games coming up in Cork City, there will be a 5 km road race as part of the activities.

From the organisers.........Race will start on the UCC Mardyke end of the Mardyke Walk and will finish on the track in UCC.  The route will involve 2 looped circuits, around the length of the Mardyke Walk and the Western Road.  The race will be chipped. It is open to all levels. Those that register online, post their previous PB and then if that PB is broken on the morning, they will be sent a t-shirt acknowledging that 'I Beat my PB at the WMG'.

There will be full use of the changing rooms in the Clubhouse in UCC.  Registration will be at the Dalys Bridge entrance, and a bag drop will also be in place.  Refreshments will be provided for racers and runners.  Prizes for all categories, Men and Womens, value TBC. We also welcome runners to register for the World Record Attempt for Largest Barefoot Race over 100 metres, which will take place after the 5k, and is being organised to support the Irish Heart Foundation.

The number is limited and registration is available now online at www.WorldMiniGames2013.com

The entry fee for the 5k race is €15.

There is also a barefoot charity run (~100m) with the proceeds going to the Irish Heart Foundation. The combined entry for the 5k and the charity run is €21.25 while the entry fee for the barefoot run alone is €13.05.

For details and entries, visit http://www.worldminigames2013.com

More info to follow in later posts.

Races this weekend...Fri 9th to Sun 11th Aug 2013

There are a number of races to choose from this weekend.

Fri 9th (7:30pm)...Mitchelstown GR8KM road race...€10...Race No.5 of 7 in the Ballyhoura Cork Road Race Series...
This 8 km race in Mitchelstown in NE Cork always attracts a large crowd and is a well organised event. You can see the race flyer HERE and a full preview of the course with directions HERE

Fri 9th (7:30pm)...Ardmore 5 mile road race...€5...10th race of 10 in the Ger Wyley Sports Summer Series...
The Ardmore 5 mile road race is organised by West Waterford AC and should be of interest to anyone in East Cork or Waterford. You can see the race flyer HERE and a full preview of the course with directions HERE

Sun 11th (12:30pm)...John Hartnett 10k road race...€10...Ballyhooley...
This 10 km race in Ballyhooly near Fermoy in NE Cork is reasonably close to the M8 motorway and the fast course should be of interest to runners. You can see the race flyer HERE and a full preview of the course with directions HERE

All of the above races have an Athletics Ireland licence and have all been accurately measured by Jones Counter.

Timetable for Irish athletes at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow

Irish Athletes Schedule - World Championships Moscow 2013 - (Irish Time)
 
Sat 10th Day 1
8:20am 800m Heats Men...Mark English & Paul Robinson
11:00am Marathon Final Women...Maria McCambridge
15:05pm 400m Heats Women...Jennifer Carey
 
Sun 11th Day 2
8:05am 400m Heats Men...Brian Gregan
16:10pm Pole Vault Q Women...Tori Pena
16:35pm 800m SF Men...Mark English & Paul Robinson?
17:05pm 400m SF Women...Jennifer Carey?
 
Mon 12th Day 3
17:05pm 400m SF Men...Brian Gregan?
18:15pm 400m Final Women...Jennifer Carey?
 
Tues 13th Day 4
06:35am 20K Walk Women...Laura Reynolds
16:35pm Pole Vault Final Women...Tori Pena?
18:10pm 800m Final Men...Mark English & Paul Robinson?
18:50pm 400m Final Men...Brian Gregan?
 
Wed 14th Day 5
05:30am 50K Walk Men...Rob Heffernan & Brendan Boyce
 
Thurs 15th Day 6
6:55am 800m Heats Women...Roseanne Galligan
 
Fri 16th Day 7
17:15pm 800m SF Women...Roseanne Galligan?
 
Sat 18th Day 8
12:30pm Marathon Final Men...Paul Pollock
 
Sun 19th Day 9
 14:50pm 800m Final Women...Roseanne Galligan?

Olympic silver medalist Sonia O'Sullivan bemoans lack of commitment from some Irish athletes

In a recent interview in Australia with Conor George of the Irish Independent, Sonia O'Sullivan didn't mince her words when she outlined her thoughts on the lack of commitment and competitive drive from some Irish athletes. She was particularly critical on their lack of interest in taking part in top meets around Europe prior to major championships to sharpen their performance.

In the interview, she said this about the recent Grand Prix athletics meet in England..."As one of the main meets in Europe and being so close to Ireland, I was absolutely astonished at the lack of Irish involved. You hear and read about Irish athletes doing well, but are they really? Surely if you're at a certain level, you'll do everything you can to get into a meet like that? Then when you go to the World Championships it's not such a jump up in standard."

She was particularly scathing about the lack of ambition and drive from some Irish athletes...."I never before heard so many (Irish) athletes refer to themselves as 'Olympians' – as if that was the greatest thing ever. It didn't seem to matter how you performed there, just getting there was good enough.....Once they got the standard there was a bit of relief and people start to relax.....There seems to be something of an acceptance of mediocrity....You're investing all this money and you're getting no medal or even the satisfaction of the athlete going out there and running well. Where is the accountability?"

Coming from someone who was one of the best athletes in the world, it's sure to ruffle a few feathers.

The full interview and article can be seen on the Irish Independent website

Results of the Shanagarry Autumn 5k road race...Thurs 8th Aug 2013

This low key 5 km road race in Shanagarry near Balycotton attracted a field of 66 runners, up from the 47 of 2012.

1 16:07    GRUFFERTY, James    Leevale AC    M    05:11.1
2 16:44    HAYES, Frank    East Cork AC    M40    05:23.0
3 17:40    CANAVAN, Darragh    Leevale AC    M    05:41.1
10 18:49    HOLLAND, Ann-Marie    St. Finbarrs AC    F35    06:03.3
13 18:57    LEONARD, Helen    Leevale AC    F40    06:05.8
38 22:59    NYHAN, Finola    unatt/Ballycotton    F35    07:23.7

The full results can be seen HERE

Interview with top Irish 800m athlete Mark English

Mark English is one of the best athletes in the country and currently is the second fastest Irish man ever over 800 metres. His best time of 1:44.84 seconds which he set last month in London is just two one-hundredths of a second behind the current Irish record of 1:44.82. Considering that Mark is just 20 years old, it is surely only a matter of time before he breaks that record.

His performance last month was also inside the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Moscow which start next Saturday. He is due to race in the heats of the 800m at 8:20am that morning.

In the interview below with the Second Captains sports programme, Mark discusses his career, his realistic chances in the World Championships and his plans for the future.

Just click on the sound display and go forward to the start of the interview which starts at 56:30 and lasts until 1:09.00

IAAF to reintroduce 4 year bans for doping...

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced that from 2015, athletes found guilty of using banned substances will be given a four year ban instead of the current two. It was cut to two years in 1997 to bring it in line with other international sports bodies but it has meant that some athletes could cheat and still be ready for the next Olympics.

In a statement, the IAAF said..."The IAAF has an ethical obligation to the overwhelming majority of athletes and officials who believe in clean sport. The new Wada code, which will come into force on 1 January, 2015, will reflect our firm commitment to have tougher penalties and the IAAF will return to four-year sanctions for serious doping offences. As a leader in this fight, the IAAF has built and delivers a programme that is well resourced, far reaching, sophisticated and increasingly able to detect and remove from the sport those who breach our anti-doping rules."

IAAF vice-president Sergey Bubka said..."It's the only way to succeed - we must be harsh, we must be strong. Clearly today it's unpleasant to see some positive cases but we can see systems start to work, and really well. We will continue to fight. We understand it is tough but we are getting stronger and we will continue to do our best."

This new move from the IAAF will be welcomed by most people involved in athletics. A four year ban is a good part of any athletes career and considering that the Olympic cycle is every four years then this is a real deterrent.

Race notice...John Hartnett 10k road race, Ballyhooly - Sun 11th Aug 2013

This 10k road race is coming up in Ballyhooly near Fermoy on Sunday, the 11th of August at 12:30pm.

Features...

Accurate course measured by Jones Counter
Athletics Ireland licence
10km flat fast course...marked at each km point.
Entry fee €10
Showers available at the GAA grounds.
Registration and Parking at GAA pitch, approx 200m from start line. Refreshments and presentation of prizes in the Community Hall after the race.

Ballyhooly is located just 9 kms west of Fermoy on the N72 road to Mallow. Considering that it's reasonably close to the M8 motorway and it's a fast 10k course, it might be of interest to people wishing to try for a personal best time.

Preview...A full preview of the course with maps, directions and photos can be seen HERE

John Hartnett.......
John Harnett is a former Irish International runner who held several Irish records back in the 1970's. He also represented Ireland at the 1972 Munich Games. He grew up near Ballyhooly and ran with Grange Fermoy AC before taking up a scholarship in the US with Villanova.

Notable races...
1970 : International Junior Cross Country Champion
1972 : Ran the 5,000 metres in a time of 13m 43.4s to set a new Irish record
1972 : Represented Ireland in the 5,000 metres in the Munich Olympic games
1973 : June - Ran the mile in a time of 3m 54.7s setting a new Irish record which at the time was faster than the British record!
1974 : Set a new Irish record for the 1,500 metres with a time of 3m 38.1s

John Hartnett currently resides in Marleton, New Jersey, USA.

1) Background on John Harnett's athletic career.....HERE
2) Unveiling of the John Harnett plaque in Ballyhooly in Sept 2008.......HERE

Results of the Cloyne 5 km road race...Wed 7th Aug 2013

A record 559 runners took part in this years Cloyne 5 km road race in East Cork. As you can see from the graph, it's up 13.4% on last years figure of 493 and has established itself as one of the favourite 5k races in the Cork region.

The mens race was won by Sean McGrath of East Cork AC in a time of 15 minutes flat, just 7 seconds of Kenneth Rodgers of St.Johns AC in Co.Clare. The race was perhaps a little unusual in that there was only 11 seconds between the top 5 men at the finish.

The womens race was won by Emma Murphy of St.Finbarrs AC in a time of 17:21 with Jackie Carthy making the long trip from Co.Wexford to take second.

1 15:00 MCGRATH, Sean East Cork AC M 04:49.6
2 15:07 RODGERS, Kenneth St. Johns AC M 04:51.8
3 15:09 LEDINGHAM, James West Waterford AC M 04:52.5
17 17:21 MURPHY, Emma St. Finbarrs AC F  05:34.9
28 18:01 CARTHY, Jackie Kilmore AC    F40 05:47.8
36 18:28 HOLLAND, Ann-Marie St. Finbarrs AC F35 05:56.5 

Race for the finish line...

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated Thurs 8th @2pm)
1) Doug Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Kieran Minhane has a gallery HERE

Race notice...Shanagarry 5 km road race - Thurs 8th Aug 2013

This low key 5 km road race is coming up in the village of Shanagarry in East Cork on Thursday evening, the 8th of August.

As you can see from the race flyer above, the entry fee is only €3! The course has been accurately measured by Jones Counter and has an Athletics Ireland licence.

For maps and directions, see the preview HERE

Results of the Kilbrittain 5 km fun run / walk...Mon 5th Aug 2013

The Kilbrittain 5 km fun run / walk in West Cork was held on Easter Monday, the 5th of August 2013. A total of 126 runners and a similar number of walkers took part. Over €1,000 raised for Bandon Area Special Children (BASC).

1.    Tim Twomey       16.07           
2.    Alex O’Shea         16.31
3.    Vincent O’Brien  17.06
1.    Ronnie Barry        20:03
2.    Priscilla French     20:22
3.    Eleanor Griffin     21:02

The full results can be seen HERE