Save Ryan & Ethan Appeal...Waterford Marathon

From Tom O'Brien of Waterford AC......

Ryan and Ethan Caulfield McCormack from Tramore, Co.Waterford, were recently diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). ALD, is a deadly genetic disease that affects 1 in 18,000 people. It most severely affects boys and men. This brain disorder destroys myelin, the protective sheath that surrounds the brain's neurons -- the nerve cells that allow us to think and to control our muscles. ALD causes relentless progressive deterioration to a vegetative state or death, usually within five years. It knows no racial, ethnic or geographic barriers.
Prognosis for patients with childhood cerebral X-ALD is generally poor due to progressive neurological deterioration unless bone marrow transplantation is performed early.
Ryan is currently in the US undergoing the process for a bone marrow transplant which he had on the 26th December last. Ethan is currently asymptomatic due to his age (childhood ALD only becomes symptomatic from age 5 generally) and will become a candidate for a bone marrow transplant when his meylin sheath begins to deteriorate. There is presently no cure for ALD.
The community in Tramore are currently raising funds to cover the remaining costs of the transplants (€1.5 million a head, some of which is being paid by medical insurance). Tramore, as a community have vowed not to have either boy denied treatment due to lack of funds.
To help with the mammoth fundraising process Michael McGrath GAA Tramore, Tramore athletic club and Waterford athletic club are aiming to recruit 500 runners, walkers and joggers to take part in the Viking Marathon on June 29th 2013. We want as many people to do the full, half or run part of the marathon in a relay team.  We are organising training sessions for those who are putting on a pair of runners for the first time and are aiming to take part. Training is on a Monday at 7pm from Tescos in Tramore and on a Wednesday at 7pm from the Majestic in Tramore and as the time goes by more training will be incorporated to ensure everyone will reach their goal. A training plan will be given weekly and Davy Wade will be holding running clinics for all those interested in taking part.
We are asking everyone to take part to raise €125 each. This will cover your entry fee and a specially commissioned Ryan & Ethan Viking Marathon Challenge teeshirt to wear on the day.

Tipperary...Results of the Clonmel Evening 4k race - Wed 30th Jan 2013

Place    Athlete's Name    MINS    Secs
1    Fintan Rice    14:36
2    Dick O Gorman    15:00
3    Ian Purcell    15:14
31    Marianne Kennedy    17:43
32    Suzanne Shine    17:45
45    Sheena Mullins    19:16

The full results can be seen HERE

Limerick...Results of the Kilmallock 5m fun run - Sat 26th Jan 2013

Male..1st John Shanahan 28:01, 2nd Ruaidhrí Devitt 30:30, 3rd Mike Cunningham 30:38
Female..1st Claire Devitt 37:20, 2nd Deirdre McCarthy 37:28, 3rd Antoinette Coleman 37:32

The full results can be seen HERE

Kerry...Results of the Killarney Lions Club 5k - Mon 28th Jan 2013

Last weeks race was cancelled due to the icy conditions. These are the results of the event on Monday, the 28th of Jan.

Click HERE

Limerick...Results of the Cty 4 mile road championships - Sun 27th Jan 2013

The category results that were released can be seen HERE

Update...Tues 1am...The full individual results can now be found HERE

Photos...
1) West Limerick AC have a batch HERE

Kerry...Results of the Killarney 5k (1 of 4) - Sat 26th Jan 2013

In what was a busy weekend for races in Munster, the first race of four in the Killarney 5k Spring Series was held on Saturday, the 26th of January 2013.

Pos    Name    Club    Category    Time
1    Donal O'Callaghan    An Riocht AC    SnrM    16:22
2    John Barrett    Gneeveguilla AC    SnrM    16:41
3    Ed Murphy    Gneeveguilla AC    SnrM    17:07
12    Maria McCarthy    Farranfore Maine Valley AC    SnrF    18:25
23    Catriona De Barra    Farranfore Maine Valley AC    SnrF    19:40
25    Siobhan Daly    An Riocht AC    SnrF    19:51

The full results can be found HERE

Photos...
1) to follow

The next 5k race is on Saturday, the 2nd of February. More info in this earlier post.

Results of the Dungarvan 10 mile road race - Sun 27th Jan 2013

What a race! The 2013 John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile road race was another great success with over 1,400 finishers, a record number. There was a threat of some rain at one stage but it didn't amount to much. A little bit cold but fine once you got going.

The three big positives I take from this race are....
1) Fast course
2) Fine spread afterwards.......always an important consideration ;o)
3) The excellent dry-fit top. At this stage, I probably have more tops than I know what to do with them but there is very obvious differences in quality. Some races promise 'tech tops' or 'dry-fit' tops but they are obviously cheap and of poor quality. The one given out in Dungarvan is a very good short sleeve Nike top which you would pay roughly €23 for in a sports shop. Remember, this race cost €20 to enter.

Results...(Updated Mon 28th @12:05pm)
The category results are shown below.

The full results are now available HERE.

Photos...Tues (8:15am)
1) Large slideshow of photos by Paudie Birmingham HERE
2) Gearoid O'Laoi has a huge gallery HERE 
3) Large slideshow of photos by Joe Murphy HERE
 
JOHN TREACY DUNGARVAN 10 MILE 2013 RESULTS

L to R...Philip Harty, Gary O'Hanlon, Andrew Connick

 MEN
1ST Gary O Hanlon Clonliffe Harriers 51.21
2nd Philip Harty West Waterford 51.29
3rd Andrew Connick Ferrybank 51.49
4th Robbie Matthews Dunshaughlin 51.52
5th Chris Harrington Leevale 52.03
6th Sandis Bralitis West Waterford 53.42
7th Raivis Zakis West Waterford 54.17
8th Tommy Evans Gowran A.C.54.20
9th Colm Sheehan Leevale 54.22
10th John Meade St Finbarrs 54.37
Junior Male Colin Walsh 74.41

L to R...Niamh Devlin, Lizzie Lee, Claire Gibbons McCarthy

LADIES
1st Lizzie Lee Leevale 57.35
2nd Claire Gibbons McCarthy St Finbarrs 57.57
3rd Niamh Devlin D.S.D. 59.10
4th Ann Curley Donore Harriers 60.15
5th Catherine Conway Mayo A.C. 60.22
6th Angela Mc Cann Clonmel A.C. 61.13
Junior Female Kate Nolan Waterford A.C. 69.30

MENS CATEGORIES
1ST O/40 Maurice Looby Mullingar Harriers 57.02
2nd O/40 Finbarr Kirwan Sli Cualann 57.16
1st O/45 Cathal O Connell St Finbarrs 55.08
2nd O/45 Jerry Daly Liffey Valley 58.49
1st O/50 John Dalton IND 60.19
2nd O/50 Martin Mc Carthy West Waterford 61.03
1st O/55 James Kenny Kilmurray Ibrickane 64.32
2nd O/55 Ken Carey IND 66.54
1st O/60 Joe Gough West Waterford 63.09

LADIES CATEGORIES
1ST O/35 Ann Marie Holland Eagle A.C.61.46
2nd O/35 Martina O Dwyer Carrick On Suir A.C. 63.26
1st O/40 Anna Doris Midleton A.C. 65.21
2nd O/40 Helen Leonard Leevale 66.03
1st O/45 Ann Moore Leevale 65.48
2nd O/45 Paula Morgan IND 69.07
1st O/50 Mary Sweeney St Finbarrs 67.03
2nd O/50 Siobhain Kennedy Waterford Tri Club 67.22
1st O/55 Anne Bolger Sliabh Buide Rovers 80.06
1st O/60 Padraigín Riggs U.C.C.89.13

JOHN TREACY TEAM CHALLENGE WINNERS
MENS...1ST CLUB...West Waterford AC...Philip Harty 51.29, Sandis Bralitis 53.42, Raivis Zakis 54.17, Combined Time 2:39:28

LADIES...1ST CLUB...LeevaleAC...Lizzy Lee 57.35, Anne Moore 65.48, Helen Leonard 66.03, Combined Time 3:09:26

TEAM PRIZES (Outside Of Prize Winners)
MENS...(Updated Mon 11pm)
1st...Leevale...16th Donal Coffey 55.26, 18th Colm Moore 55.39, 23rd  John O'Connell 56.54
2nd...St Finbarrs A.C....15th Con Marshall 55.23, 19th Rory O'Sullivan 55.45, 26th Eoin O'Keeffe 57.17
3rd...Carrick On Suir A.C....44th Tommy Falconer, 45th Patrick Roche, 72nd Michael Murphy

LADIES
1ST St Finbarrs A.C...23rd Katie Cooke 67.52, 24th Denise Twohig 67.54, 27th Michelle Foley 68.09

HANDBIKE...Seamus Wall IND 60.30 / WHEELCHAIR...Gerry Forde Blarney 91.11

Anyone who ran the course today will have noticed that there were a large number of pools of water on the road. What may not be so obvious was the huge amount of work that West Waterford AC put into getting the course ready for the race. With the high winds and torrential rain the previous day, fallen branches had to be cleared and water diverted...

 It's hard to imagine that we ran past this point less than 24 hours later.

If you are looking for a 'must do' race for 2014, keep this one in mind.

Athletics Ireland Workshops & Courses in Munster in Feb 2013

The courses and workshops below will be held in Munster during the month of February 2013. For all workshops you simply turn up on the day and pay €5. All workshops are open to athletes and coaches aged 11+.

Tipperary - Wed 6th Feb Sports Psychology Workshop at LIT Tipperary on racecourse road in Thurles from 7-9pm.

Tipperary - Wed 13th Feb Hurdles Workshop at Moyne AC Clubhouse, Moyne Co Tipperary from 7-9pm.

Cork - Thurs 14th Feb Road Running/Endurance Workshop at Cork IT 7-9pm. It takes place upstairs in the red brick building next to the track stand.

Cork - Wed 20th Feb Strength & Conditioning Workshop at Cork IT 7-9pm. It takes place upstairs in the red brick building next to the track stand. It will focus on Functional Screening for Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention.

Cork - Sat 23rd Feb Athletics Leader Course at Cork IT Track 9am-5pm. Anyone interested must register/pay online at this link .

Tipperary - Wed 27th Feb Sprints Workshop at Moyne AC Clubhouse, Moyne Co Tipperary.

For further information contact RDO Steven Macklin at steven@athleticsireland.ie or 0876335565

Waterford...Results of the Dungarvan Evening Race- Wed 16th & 23rd Jan 2013

The full results for the last 2 weeks can be found at these links.....

16th Jan...Short Course and Long Course

23rd Jan...Short Course and Long Course

Tipperary...Results of the Clonmel Evening 4k - Wed 23rd Jan 2013

A total of 86 runners turned out for this evening 6k race in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.

# Athlete's Name   Time
1    Fintan Rice    14:38
2    Conor Morkan    14:47
3    Dick O Gorman    14:53
5    Angela McCann    15:23
13    Aine Roche    16:36
23    Marianne Kennedy    17:51

The full results can be seen HERE

Reminder....Killarney 5k Series starts Sat 26th Jan 2013

Just a quick reminder that the 1st race of 4 in the Killarney 5k Spring Series starts on Saturday, the 26th of January. It only costs €5 to enter each race and the other 3 races are in February.

More details HERE

Preview of the Dungarvan 10 Mile Road Race - Sun 27th Jan 2013

The big race in Munster next weekend is of course the Dungarvan 10 mile in Waterford. There was a limit of 1,750 entries for this race and it was full at the start of last December, about 3 weeks earlier than last year which had only 1500 places available. There will be no entries taken on the day.

Pictured...(L) Gerry O'Connor, manager Dungarvan Shopping center associate sponsors of the John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile road race. Dungarvan Shopping centre have kindly sponsored both the men's and Ladies course record bonus payments., also pictured (R) is James Veale, chairman of West Waterford athletic club.

Only a few years ago, this race only attracted a few hundred runners. The organisers, West Waterford AC have built on it year after year until it is now one of the main 10 mile road races in the country. This of course didn't happen by accident. They put on a well organised event every year and this is reflected in the fact that people keep going back.

At this stage, all entrants should have received their race packs by post. The main item in this is the race number which has a timing chip on the back.

Info...
1) Entries...A full list of entries can be found HERE. Any important details such as, Race No, Category, Club which are incorrect please inform Ann Dunford - adunford262@gmail.com

2) Pacers...They will have 2 pacers for each of the following times...60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85 & 90 mins.

3) Transfer of Numbers...West Waterford AC appeal to those with race numbers who might not be taking part in the race Sunday to please refrain from transferring your number to another runner.

4) Headphones / MP3 players...From the organisers..."We do not under any circumstances allow our runners to use I-pods or Mp3 players. We have found out over the years that headphone wearers do not hear instructions from our stewards/Gardai and so are safety hazards. With the numbers we have in this race we must look after everyone's safety and so to stop this we do not give headphone wearers any finish time. We will have someone assigned to take note of their race number and 'headphone wearer' will appear on the race results instead of their name. We take this very seriously, we have to, your safety is important to us."

For more info, refer to the FAQ page on the race website.

Location...What I am going to concentrate on here are additional details that may not be so obvious on the race website.

Directions...If you are coming from the Cork direction on the main N25 road, you will need to turn right at the first roundabout at the entrance to the town. As you drive through Dungarvan, you will see a church on the right.....

Take the right just after the church and the Sports Centre is just down this road...

Please note that unless you arrive early, parking in this area may be full. There are plenty of other areas to park in the town.

Distances...Sports Hall to Start Line...1 km, Finish Line to Sports Hall...1.5 kms
Course...The Dungarvan 10 mile road race has a reputation of being a fast course. If your target is trying out for a PB then this is the one to run. The route takes in a small loop through the town before leaving Dungarvan to take in a bigger loop in the countryside.

The start point is approximately 1 km from the Sports Centre. The road here is very wide and there is plenty of space. Please note that your time starts with the gun. Even with 1000+ runners taking part, there is no major delay in everyone starting at more or less the same time.

As you can see from the image below, the road rises just after the start. Coming at the start of the race, it's a lot easier than later when you're tired.

After an initial steep section, the going gets easier as you begin the loop around the town. As you can see from the image below, you keep running straight.....take in a short loop.....and then run downhill and re-join the main road and turn right.

You then run back down towards the start line....passing the 1 mile mark....and then on towards the roundabout at the entrance to the town, you take a left and out the main road to the south....

The course here is now very fast. You will be running inside the hard shoulder, the road is flat up to the 2 mile mark before going gradually downhill......then it's time to turn off right...

Now you are onto a quiet narrow country road and the road rises again gently...

Eventually, the road widens as it approaches the town and an industrial area. The road here is pretty fast and flat. Not long after the 3 mile mark, you rejoin the main road...

However, you're only on this short section of main road for about 100 metres. Then it's straight through the roundabout and take the 2nd left...

.....and then it's onto a reasonly flat road as you leave the town...

The next mile or so is reasonably flat. There are a few very small drags but certainly nothing worth noting. Just after the 5 mile mark, you reach the most westerly point as the course takes a sharp left. As you approach the corner, you will see other faster runners at the other side of the field...

This section is narrow but dead flat until you turn right at the next junction...

Just around the corner, you soon pass the 6 mile mark. This is followed by a gentle uphill section.....

Nothing too serious but coming at 6 miles, it can have an impact. Eventually, the road flattens out and this is followed by a steep downhill section...

At the end of the hill, you cross a small bridge over the River Brickey and take a sharp left...

The road now follows the river so it's dead flat............(well, slightly downhill but nothing that you would notice ;o)

It's like this for about 1.3 miles as you pass the 7 and 8 mile mark along the way. At around 8.2 miles, you rejoin the main N25 (pic above) and you run inside the hard shoulder as you head back towards Dungarvan. Initially the road is flat but soon begins to climb. It never gets too serious but coming at 8.3 miles, it can have a huge impact if you are tired. This is arguably the hardest part of the course.

Soon, you pass the 9 mile mark and you are now back on familar ground as you are on the same section of road that you were running on earlier. The road begins to flatten out and it stays like this until you reach the roundabout at the entrance to the town. At this stage, you are getting very close to the finish....

Just after the roundabout, you'll see the sign for the turn off to the left...

Once you turn left, it's only a short run of about 100 metres to the finish.

At the finish line, there will be a timing mat which will record your time as you cross it. The sports hall is 1.5 kms from the finish.

Clare...Indoor Championships instructions

Programme of EVENTS for CLARE  AAI Indoor Championships in NENAGH and it all starts at 11 . 00am.

All Clubs are Requested to have there athletes there at 10. 30am.
1.    HELP REQUIRED to run this Programme and Clubs please notify Vincent Mc Carthy before FRIDAY on what area you will help out.
2.  Check in Area  for Sprints all athletes will have to go to the warm up area.
3.  Check in Area  for outside Track, Walks and all other Races will have to go to the  Back Door Area beside the SHOP.
4.  Shot and Long Jump go to your EVENT when Called.
5.  No Parents or Coaches allow on the Inside of the Arena (Athletes only)
6.  5mm Spikes in Nenagh Track

James Sexton

Clare...AAI Club Membership as of Dec 2012

AAI Club membership in Co.Clare as of Dec 2012. Includes Juniors, Juveniles, Seniors and Masters...

Kerry...Strength & Conditioning Workshop - Sat 26th Jan 2013

Saturday 26th January...Strength & Conditioning Workshop at Castleisland Track Co Kerry 2-4pm. This workshop run by Joe O'Connor will be tailored towards those in attendance with opportunities to ask questions and see demonstrations of certain exercises. The cost is just €5.

For further details, contact RDO Steven Macklin at steven@athleticsireland.ie or 0876335565.

Limerick - Results of the Milford Hospice 10k Charity Run...Sun 20th Jan 2013

There was a large turnout of 1257 runners and walkers for this charity 10k in Limerick.

Pos Cat Pos Race No Name Time Category Gender Gen Pos
1    1    2295    John Shanahan    00:34:55    Runners    Male    1
2    2    1095    Rory SEXTON    00:35:11    Runners    Male    2
3    3    1439    Declan MOORE    00:35:14    Runners    Male    3
12    12    2059    Angela MCCANN    00:37:45    Runners    Female    1
35    1    1395    Breeda LYNCH    00:40:55    Runners    Female    2
43    2    1360    Laura COLLINS    00:41:29    Runners    Female    3


 The results for the first 900 (those who ran 12 minute miles or faster) can be found HERE

Photos...
1) Some photos by David Woodford can be found HERE

Clare...Results of the Clare AAI 4 mile road championships - Sun 20th Jan 2013

Clare AAI 4 Mile Road Championships at Ballyea 20-01-2013

Photos...
1) A slideshow of photos by James Sexton HERE

Provisional Results for All Competitors in finish order. Pace Race Race
1 0:20:10 MICHAEL SHANNON ,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:07.9 201 1
2 0:20:17 KENNETH RODGERS,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:09.0 203 2
3 0:20:24 JAKE O REGAN,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:10.1 204 3
4 0:20:30 MICHAEL MAHER,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:11.0 22 4
5 0:21:05 DERMOT GALVIN,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:16.5 205 5
6 0:21:12 JAMES LIDDANE,  BMOH M35 03:17.6 108 6
7 0:21:15 JULIO CESAR F CASTRO,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M35 03:18.0 61 7
8 0:21:36 KEITH LYNCH   NOV,  BMOH All Men 03:21.3 110 8
9 0:21:45 DAMIAN LANDERS,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:22.7 202 9
10 0:22:21 MICHAEL KEANE,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:28.3 40 10
11 0:22:25 BRIAN MURPHY,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:28.9 21 11
12 0:22:37 JOE MOONEY,  BMOH All Men 03:30.8 111 12
13 0:22:40 DAVID BREW   NOV,  St Johns (Clare) All Men 03:31.2 206 13
14 0:22:43 WILLIE DEVITT,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M35 03:31.7 62 14
15 0:22:45 FINBAR O GRADY    NOV,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare All Men 03:32.0 71 15
16 0:22:46 DONAL HOWLEY,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare All Men 03:32.2 74 16
17 0:22:52 KENNETH HICKEY     NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 03:33.1 23 17
18 0:23:31 KEVIN CHESSER,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:39.2 24 18
19 0:23:37 LIAM MCGUANE,  Ennis Track Club M40 03:40.1 28 19
20 0:23:46 FERGAL GROGAN  NOV,  St Marys (Clare) M35 03:41.5 91 20
21 0:23:48 EUGENE MOYNIHAN,  Marian A. C. M55 03:41.8 1 21
22 0:23:55 PAT HOGAN ,  Ennis Track Club M45 03:42.9 25 22
23 0:24:12 JOHN O BRIEN       NOV,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:45.5 26 23
24 0:24:22 FRANK LANDY  NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 03:47.1 27 24
25 0:24:26 KEVIN SHALLOO  NOV,  St Johns (Clare) M40 03:47.7 207 25
26 0:24:42 KIERAN O DWYER    NOV,  Ennis Track Club All Men 03:50.2 30 26
27 0:24:43 PAT MORRISSEY  NOV,  Ennis Track Club M50 03:50.3 34 27
28 0:24:50 JOHN MURPHY  NOV,  Ennis Track Club M45 03:51.4 29 28
29 0:24:51 TOM MACKEY,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M55 03:51.6 63 29
30 0:24:59 TOM MICKS        NOV,  Ennis Track Club M40 03:52.8 32 30
31 0:25:03 CUSHLA BRID HEHIR,  Ennis Track Club  White Team All Ladies 03:53.4 229 31
32 0:25:13 MICHAEL HARVEY,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M55 03:55.0 65 32
33 0:25:19 DAVID GHILARDI,  clare crusaders M40 03:55.9 119 33
34 0:25:25 MARIA CAREY,  Ennis Track Club Red Team F35 03:56.9 221 34
35 0:25:30 TOMMY MADDEN,  Marian A. C. M60 03:57.6 2 35
36 0:25:31 MICHAEL GALVIN  NOV,  St Johns (Clare) M35 03:57.8 209 36
37 0:25:32 LIAM GRAY    NOV,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare All Men 03:58.0 72 37
38 0:25:35 TREVOR WHITE,  St Cronans A. C. M45 03:58.4 161 38
39 0:25:43 THOMAS WALSH   NOV,  BMOH M45 03:59.7 109 39
40 0:25:57 JASON MOLONEY NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 04:01.8 31 40
41 0:25:59 BRENDAN POTTER  NOV,  BMOH M35 04:02.1 117 41
42 0:26:21 JAMES SEXTON   NOV,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M50 04:05.6 76 42
43 0:26:22 BECKY COUGHLAN,  Ennis Track Club  White Team All Ladies 04:05.7 230 43
44 0:26:24 MICHAEL QUINLIVAN,  Tulla A. C. M55 04:06.0 44 44
45 0:26:25 MICHAEL MC BRIDE      NOV,  Ennis Track Club M45 04:06.2 36 45
46 0:26:33 JOHN CAHILL   NOV,  St Johns (Clare) M45 04:07.4 208 46
47 0:26:36 MARTIN CURLEY     NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 04:07.9 35 47
48 0:26:37 AISHLING POWER,  Ennis Track Club  White Team F40 04:08.1 236 48
49 0:27:05 FERGAL MC GRATH  NOV,  Ennis Track Club M40 04:12.4 33 49
50 0:27:07 ZELMA POWER,  Ennis Track Club Red Team All Ladies 04:12.7 223 50
51 0:27:09 AIDAN CABEY    NOV,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M50 04:13.0 75 51
52 0:27:27 PAUL CONWAY,  BMOH All Men 04:15.8 112 52
53 0:27:27 MICHELLE TIMONEY-REEVES,  Ennis Track Club Red Team F35 04:15.8 224 53
54 0:27:52 IMOGAN COTTER,  Ennis Track Club Red Team All Ladies 04:19.7 222 54
55 0:27:58 SUE GARRAHY,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare F45 04:20.6 70 55
56 0:28:03 ROISIN CONSIDINE,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare All Ladies 04:21.4 79 56
57 0:28:07 RITA KIERCE,  St Marys (Clare) F50 04:22.0 100 57
58 0:28:10 ITA HANRAHAN,  Ennis Track Club  White Team F45 04:22.5 231 58
59 0:28:13 BRIAN SPRING     NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 04:23.0 37 59
60 0:28:17 LIAM DALY    NOV,  Ennis Track Club M35 04:23.6 38 60
61 0:28:19 MICHAEL KIRRANE  NOV,  St Marys (Clare) All Men 04:23.9 94 61
62 0:28:24 DECLAN POWER,  St Marys (Clare) M35 04:24.7 96 62
63 0:28:56 KEITH RANALOW  NOV,  St Marys (Clare) All Men 04:29.6 92 63
64 0:29:16 DENIS MEANEY   NOV,  St Marys (Clare) M60 04:32.8 90 64
65 0:29:27 LORRAINE HAYES,  Ennis Track Club Red Team F35 04:34.5 228 65
66 0:29:41 OLLIE GALLAGHER    NOV,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare M50 04:36.6 66 66
67 0:29:48 HILDA O CONNOR,  Ennis Track Club  White Team F40 04:37.7 232 67
68 0:29:54 MAGS MALONE,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare F40 04:38.7 77 68
69 0:30:11 MAURA FALSEY,  Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare F50 04:41.3 78 69
70 0:30:13 AILBHE MORRISSEY,  Ennis Track Club Red Team All Ladies 04:41.6 227 70
71 0:30:18 JOHN O CONNELL  NOV,  St Marys (Clare) M50 04:42.4 95 71
72 0:30:40 JOHN MC SWEENEY,  Ind M45 04:45.8 115 72
73 0:30:42 CLARE CAHIR,  Ennis Track Club Red Team All Ladies 04:46.1 225 73
74 0:30:42 BERNIE FLAHERTY,  Ennis Track Club Red Team F40 04:46.1 226 74
75 0:31:22 PATRICK MC MAHON  NOV,  St Marys (Clare) M35 04:52.3 93 75
76 0:31:27 SEAN WHELAN,  Ennis Track Club M60 04:53.1 39 76
77 0:31:36 MARY CAHILL,  Ennis Track Club  White Team F35 04:54.5 233 77
78 0:32:34 ANGELA BEHAN,  Ind F40 05:03.5 114 78
79 0:33:27 SHARON KING,  Ind F45 05:11.7 118 79
80 0:33:58 ORLA COLNANE,  Ennis Track Club  White Team F45 05:16.6 234 80
81 0:36:32 LORNA WHELAN,  Ennis F45 05:40.5 116 81

How many races were there in Munster in 2012???

Back at the end of December, I had a post up on the Running in Cork site which looked back at the year and I had mentioned that were approximately 88 events in Cork in 2012. This basically included everything from cross-country to road races to charity races to fun runs.

In addition to putting up the results of every race on the Running in Cork site, I also updated the Running in Munster site with results for all of the races in Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Waterford. In 2012, I had as far as I know links or results up for practically every race. Between the two sites, it came to a total of 239 events!

The graph below shows the number of events broken down by county...

As you might expect with it's population, Cork County has the largest number but some of the other counties aren't far behind.

Using the same order, lets have a look at the population of each county in Munster based on the 2011 census...

As you can see, the population of Cork is way bigger than the rest. Notice how Limerick has the second largest population yet it has the lowest number of races.

To get a proper picture, I put together a graph showing the ratio between the number of events and the population of each county....

In this case, the lower number, the better. Based on the stats above and having followed every race in the province, here are my observations...

Waterford........Waterford has the highest number of events per available population....in other words...for 2012, there was one race in Waterford for every 2,200 people in the county. Considering the relatively small local population then it might suggest that there isn't much scope for holding too many more short races in the county?

Tipperary.......For 2012, there was one race in Tipperary for every 2,500 people. Possibly the number of races in the south of the county is enough but there is probably scope for more short races in the north of the county.

Kerry.......One race per 2,750 people. Essentially there are two main population centres, Tralee and Killarney. Despite the fact that Tralee is bigger, Killarney has a lot more races. There is probably room for more short races in the north of the county. There also seems to be almost a complete lack of any race in the far south-west of the county. Anyone living in say Cahersiveen / Waterville / Sneem has a long drive to get to races on a regular basis.

Clare.......One race per 2,800 people. There are no shortage of events in Co.Clare although a lot of them tend to be of the fun run / charity run variety rather than a proper road race over an accurately measured distance. There is probably room for more short races in the south east of the county especially near Limerick city.

Limerick........One race per 4,700 people. Despite the fact that the county has the lowest number of races, it's actually an improvement over a few years ago! I know when I first started to look at the races around Munster back in 2008, the one obvious thing was how quiet Limerick was compared to Cork. The Limerick Sports Partnership then introduced their Feet on the Street series in 2011 which has helped a lot but there is probably scope for a lot more races in or near Limerick City.

Cork.........Despite the fact that it had the highest number of races in 2012, it also had the lowest number of races compared to the available population....i.e.....one race per 5,900 people. When compared to other counties, there are no shortage of people available for races especially in or near Cork City. This is borne out in the race numbers as well. In a typical short race in Cork, some 300+ people might turn out. Elsewhere in Munster, 150 or so might seem more common.


While it might initially suggest that Cork City itself might support a lot more short races, the problem of a limited number of suitable free dates on the calendar might however be another issue?

Overall........Whatever about last year, it was certainly pretty hectic in terms of the number of races on offer. As to how does Munster compare to the other provinces? I don't really have any hard facts but I'd imagine it must be one of the most active in Ireland. When I look at 237 events in 2012, I think back to an old article here about an Australian who came to Ireland and was amazed at the number of races available. That was a few years ago and it's got busier since! Looking forward, 2013 looks likely to be another bumper year for races in Munster.

Tipperary...Results of the Clonmel Evening 4k - Wed 16th Jan 2013

Place    Athlete's Name    Mins    Secs
1    Fintan Rice    14    34
2    Larry Martin    14    54
3    Conor Morkan    14    58
4    Dick O Gorman    15    3
5    Ian Purcell    15    27
6    Noel Ryan    15    32
7    Liam Casey    15    34
8    Gary Grant    15    58
9    Brian Carroll    16    8
10    Peter Kiely    16    11
11    Alan O Shea    16    28
12    Dave Johnson    16    29
13    James Denn    16    30
14    William Larkin    16    39
15    Paul Shanahan    16    40
16    Pat O Connor    16    48
17    Tadgh Vaughan    16    55
18    Ciaran O Flaherty    16    59
19    Donal Casey    17    0
20    Noel Prendergast    17    5
21    Tom Duggan    17    6
22    Niall McCarthy    17    8
23    Tom Butler    17    15
24    Aidan Cremin    17    15
25    Anthony Landers    17    18
26    Ritchie Meehan    17    19
27    Cyril Fogarty    17    28
28    Fran Mulcahy    17    33
29    Martin Walsh    17    49
30    Ivan Barlow    17    49
31    Maurice Boland    17    52
32    David Hogan    17    54
33    Adrian Lonergan    17    54
34    Nicola Maunsell    17    55
35    Suzanne Shine    17    58
36    Marianne Kennedy    18    1
37    Brian Slattery    18    3
38    Gary Morrison    18    13
39    Donna Nagle    18    16
40    Billy O Grady    18    18
41    Keith Robinson    18    35
42    Gints Plaudits    18    37
43    Brian Tyrell    18    42
44    Michael Murphy    18    43
45    Ronan Power    18    44
46    Mark Foley    19    2
47    Joe Grinsell    19    3
48    Tom Barry    19    7
49    Sheila Perry    19    25
50    Deirdre Healy    19    30
51    Jennifer Rice    19    58
52    Mark King    20    10
53    Sheena Mullins    20    12
54    Anne Maher    20    15
55    Marie Holohan    20    24
56    John Conneally    20    32
57    Tracey Weight    20    45
58    Eamon Crowley    21    2
59    Michael Sweetman    21    6
60    Linda Egan    21    14
61    Siobhain Ryan    21    15
62    Angela Walsh    21    29
63    Joe McNamara    21    31
64    Elaine Williamson    21    35
65    Anna Byrne    21    59
66    Roseanne Kiely    22    0
67    David McCarthy    22    2
68    Ger Phelan    22    15
69    Trish Browne    22    50
70    Judy Newman    22    57
71    Pieter Vos    22    58
72    Caroline Phelan    23    0
73    Dan O Keeffe    23    2
74    Moira Molloy    23    26
75    Anne Ryan    23    42
76    James Whelan    23    43
77    Regina Corbett    23    44
78    Yvonne O Connor    23    45
79    Michael Maunsell    23    49
80    Geraldine Flynn    23    58
81    Dearbhla Kerr    24    14
82    Jeanne Phelan    24    29
83    John Joy    24    34
84    Susan Laste    25    3
85    Sabrina Guide    25    35
86    Anne McGarry    25    48
87    Catriona Nugent    26    52
88    Rory Sheehan    26    56
89    Amanda Williams    27    19
90    Aoife O Brien    27    54
91    Oliver McGee    29    44

Killarney Spring 5k Series...26th Jan to 23rd Feb 2013

The largest athletics club in Kerry, Gneeveguilla AC are holding their annual 5k series of races in Killarney in January and February. The first race starts on Saturday, the 23rd of January while the remaining three are on Saturday, the 2nd, 16th and 23rd of February 2013.

Each 5k race is on the same route and has been accurately measured by Jones Counter. The series also has an athletics Ireland permit.

Each race starts at 11am sharp and costs just €5 to enter.

Prizes...To qualify for a prize, you must complete at least three out of the four races. After the 4th and final race, there will be refreshments and the series prizes will be given out.

There are a substantial number of prizes which take the form of vouchers for local retail outlets in Killarney. The prize structure is as follows...
Top 10 men and women....prizes ranging from €20 to €100 in value.
First 2 men and women in the following categories...O35, O40, O45, O50, O55 and O60....prizes are €30 and €20 in value.
First 2 Junior Boys and Girls...U15, U17 and U19....again, the prizes are €20 and €30 in value.
Fit4Life...First 5 ladies and first 2 men.

One prize per person. In the event that someone wins a top 10 prize and a category prize then they will win the prize of greater value.

Directions...Each race in held in the Demesne at the western side of Killarney...

If you're not sure of the exact location then the easiest way to get there is from the Bypass which runs to the north of the town itself. The most westerly junction on the Bypass is the Ballydowney Roundabout. Take the 2nd left here and head south...

After 600 metres on the Port Road, the Old Monastery is on the left just after the next junction...

If you are coming from the other direction i.e. the South...then the Old Monastery is about 200m after the Cathedral. See course map below for a clearer view.

Registration at the Old Monastery

The start / finish line is about 800m from the Old Monastery. The entrance to the Demesne / National Park is just across the road from the Cathedral...

You'll pass Deenagh Lodge on the way to the start line and also during the race...

The course....Essentially it's an out and back course. The start has an uphill pull but this also means that the finish is downhill and fast. The section parallel to the Port Road is flat while there are very modest inclines around the 1 mile mark on the way out and the 2 mile mark on the way back. It could be considered as a fast course.

The start and finish line is near this junction

Past Deenagh Lodge and then left

New pathway through the woods

Overall........A stunning location for a race series. Nice fast accurate 5 km course in a park that most towns in Ireland would love to have. It costs just €5 to enter each race and is suitable for runners of all abilities...from serious to joggers. People come from all over the world to visit this location. If it's on your doorstep then make the most of it.