Kerry...Jack and Jill 10km Race Report - Sat 18th

It looks as if there was a huge turnout for this race in Kenmare, Co.Kerry with in excess of 1,000 runners, joggers and walkers taking part.

Results........HERE

Race Report from Donal O'Donoughue...

"This is one seriously tough course.The race was organised in conjunction with Kenmare Triathlon Club.
Entry was steep at EUR30.00 for runners, but all proceeds went to Charity. Registration on the day this year was at JR McCarthy's Hardware shop, next to Quills. All entrants received a green Jack+Jill tee-shirt, which many entrants wore. There were more than 1,120 participants, including both runners and walkers. Several people walked with dogs, and there were a few prams setting out too. They ran out of bibs and late entrants received a handwritten sticker. This fell off somewhere on route!
The start was just after 15:00. There was no separate start for the walking category leading to a rather congested first kilometre. Road junctions on the route were closed by the Gardai, and we were soon onto narrow country roads, with a bit of grass growing down the middle. There was only one traffic incursion by a slow car - possibly lost tourists!
This course should be compared with Friday's Marine Climb 6 in Dungarvan. Both start near sea level. In Dungarvan, after a relatively flat start, you rise to 600ft over 3.5 miles. In Kenmare, you rise to 665ft over 1.5 miles! Maybe this should be on the IMRA calendar?!?! This is so steep that most people, including myself, slowed to a fast walking pace at the steepest sections. Organizers had put up a humorous sign "500m Pale of Water". In my oxygen deprived state, I wondered for a few seconds what this meant? There were three water stations, with cups of water, bottles of water, bananas, orange slices, and even crisps and lollipops. Normally, like Ron Hill ;-) I would rarely stop for water on a short race, but here I fully availed of water, a banana, and two orange slices, even stopping for 20s to consume these.
Every kilometre was painted in red on the road surface.
The hill is somewhat deceptive, with many false horizons. When you think you're about to reach the top, you find it just levels off fractionally, and a new horizon appears. You get there and another Horizon appears!
I thought after climbing that hill, that I'd have a horrendous finishing time, but I was only one minute off my Dungarvan time, for a higher course, with only 0.02 miles more to cover.
You go downhill rather steeply after 2.0 miles, and one has to be careful to avoid going too fast. There is a rise again at 2.7 miles. From the midway point, it's all downhill. However one is still in recovery for a while.
Unlike the Marine Climb 6, this is a circuit, with identical start and finish lines.This may have been a short course ?It was advertised as 10k, but my Garmin recorded only 9.72km, and that was starting from several metres behind the back of the pack.
All finishers received a Gold Medal on a green shoulder strap. Nice :-)

Having lost my sticker, I had to give my number verbally at the line.There was a large selection of water, orange juice, apple juice, etc, plus Snickers, Mars bars, Taytos, Bananas, Orange slices on a table behind the finish line.
A well organized event, but from an Athletics point of view, it's perhaps too steep for continuous running for most athletes.
Tip: If you ever get a sticker as a bib, secure it with safety pins.

Donal O'Donoghue, Cork"