Kerry...Tralee ParkRun on Sat 28th MArch 2015 cancelled

Fri 27th March 2015..."As a mark of respect to one of our young parkrunners who died tragically on Thursday, Tralee parkrun will not take place tomorrow. The parents of the deceased are founder organizers of Tralee parkrun and our deepest sympathy is extended to the family. Thank you for your understanding at this time. Siobhan Kearney, Event Director."

Tipperary...Results of the Clonmel 6k road race - Wed 25th Mar 2015

Despite the wet weather, 200 runners turn out for this 6k race in Clonmel on Wed 25th Mar 2015. The primary aim  of the race was to allow runners to gauge their time over 6kms for the upcoming race series where participants have to guess their finish times.

1    Declan Curley    22:20
2    Fergal O Callaghan    23:28
3    Paudie O Keeffe    23:36
9    Dymphna Ryan    24:30
14    Aine Roche    24:58
21    Angela McCann    25:34

The full results can be seen HERE

The 4 races in the series are on Wednesday 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd April 2015

More info about the series in this post.

Clare...Results of the Pakie Ryan 10k & 10m road race - Sat 21st Mar 2015

Roughly 900 people turned out to run, jog and walk in this years Pakie Ryan 10k and 10 mile race in Newmarket on Fergus in Co.Clare

Pakie Ryan Memorial 10k Road Race Results 2015
1st: Colm Turner (00:33:55).
2nd: Brian Murphy (00:34:47).
3rd: Gerald Troy (00:34:47).
1st: Sharon Rynne (00:39:36).
2nd: Mary O Leary (00:43:04).
3rd: Lorna O Neill (00:43:55).

The 10k results can be seen HERE


Pakie Ryan Memorial 10Mile Road Race Results 2015
1st: Barry Minnock (00:53:39).
2nd: James Liddane (00:54:44).
3rd: James McIntyre (00:55:37).
1st: Becky Coughlan (01:05:56).
2nd: Sarah Boland (01:12:23).
3rd: Fiona Kinella (01:12:25).

The 10 mile results can be seen HERE

Notice - Clonmel 6k race series...Wed 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd of April 2015

After a successful 6k race series last Spring, Clonmel Athletic Club are holding another 6k series in April of 2015 with Morrison BMW of Cahir coming on board as the main sponsor.

Morrison BMW Clonmel AC 6k Inter Firm Road Race Series...

From Clonmel AC....The Club is once again promoting the Morrison BMW Clonmel AC 6k Inter Firm Road Race Series. The Club would like to thank Morrison Motors and especially Gary Morrison for their very generous sponsorship.

The races gets under way next Wednesday 25th March at 6.15pm with a practice run over the route while the event itself gets underway on Wednesday 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd of April at 7pm each night. The entry fee for these 5 races is only €15 per person! Reminder Athletes MUST wear a high viz bib/ jacket to take part in the practice run.

This event is ideal for you to get your friends and organise a team, up to 5 members, Men or Women or a combination, with the best three times (closest to their predictions) each night that will count. Each night you will be asked to predict your finishing time and it can be whatever you want to run that night, you set your own target time.

If you can't make up a team of five, just submit your name and we will put you on a team relative to your level of fitness and for this event, it is great fun to be on a team, it adds to the whole event. So anyone who can't form a team, just submit your names to Niall at niallfosullivan1@eircom.net and the organising committee will make up teams for all the individuals that enter, based on their level of fitness. Deadline for team entries is Friday 27th March.
For any queries, contact Niall at 086 1660888

This series of races is all about you, the athlete, predicting what time you can run the 6k in and then go as close as possible to matching that without the aid of a watch or headphones. Here the athlete decides what pace they want to run this distance in and it is not about having to be better than another athlete. Here you can and should run at a pace you are capable of running comfortably with.

The route can be seen at http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/02/tipperary001.html

Notice...Kenmare Bridge Run 5k & 10k road race - Sat 4th Apr 2015

The annual Kenmare Bridge Run 5km & 10 km road race is coming up on Saturday the 4th of April at 2pm. In previous years, this was held in mid-February and this year, it has moved to the start of April.

As always, the race headquarters is at the local community centre...

This is a map of the two courses.....

Transport will be provided for anyone doing the 5k to take them from the Community Centre to the start line at the Sheen Falls Lodge. Most runners would probably use this section as a warm up for the race itself as the distance is only around 1.4 miles / 2kms.

You can enter online HERE    ...or on the day of the race from 12 noon.

Organised by Kenmare AC

Preview...A preview of the 10 km course can be seen HERE

A preview of the 5k course can be seen HERE

Notice...Destination Limerick 5 mile race, Patrickswell - Sun 5th Apr 2015

 This brand new 5 mile race is coming up near Patrickswell, Co.Limerick on Sunday the 5th of April 2015.

Organised by Dooneen AC, the venue for the event is at Limerick Racecourse which is just off the M20 to the south-west of Limerick City.

You can find out more about the venue and course here... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/02/limerick015.html

From the organisers.......With the DOONEEN 5 Mile race fast approaching, here is a sneak peak of what you can expect on the day....

Entry is €15 online at Eventmaster.ie or €20 on the day. 

Dooneen AC are very proud to have Pieta House as our chosen charity. To guarantee your T-Shirt and goody Bag you must register by 18th March

Celia Nolan Cawley will be at the racecourse for the 2 hours after the race offering a 10 minute post race massage. Get in early if you would like to avail of this as I'm sure the Q's could be long!

Race packs and numbers can be collected from Collins Bar, Dooradoyle on Saturday from 10am-12 noon and on Sunday at the racecourse from 9am-11am

The course itself offers a lovely scenic route on a flat course and will finish on the stunning grounds of Limerick racecourse. Hopefully the weather will be on our side

Spot Prizes will be given out randomly after the race and there are some fantastic prizes, all listed below

There is €900 in cash prizes for the top 5 men, top 5 woman and first team home

A raffle will take place and tickets are currently for sale from Tony Fitzgerald and cost €3 for one or, €5 for 2, €10 for 5.

A huge Thanks to our Sponsors, Collins Bar Dooradoyle, BodyRoc Bootcamp, Sketchers, Limerick Sports Store, Mungret Credit Union, Analog Devices, De Courcy O'Dwyer Property Partners and Barrington's Hospital Great Limerick Run.

PRIZES
3 sets of Double Concert tickets from Dolans Warehouse
2 vouchers for €250 from Combat Zone
Swimming lessons at Aura Grove Island
Membership from The Body Building 5 X 3 Months
Two lots of months membership from The Training Room
3 Designer Hats from Olann
A hamper of Coffee delights from Harpers
4 x€50 gift vouchers for Angles Photography
Lunch At Alfies bar and Kitchen
3 Vouches for Andrea Fitzgerald Acupuncture
3 entries for the Great Limerick Run
Custom made Cuff Links from Dapper Chief
€25 voucher for Radiance Body Care
And lots of wine and chocolates too.....

Cahills Cheese, Kelkin Healthy Foods and Temple Dairy have some nice treats in the goody bag, along with a Pedometer and wristband from Sketches.

Collins Bar of Dooradoyle...Regular sponsor of Dooneen AC activities

Notice...Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon - Mon 1st June 2015

The main event on the race calendar in Cork is of course the Cork City Marathon on the June Bank Holiday Monday. With a choice of full marathon (26.2 miles), Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) and the Relay, there is something there to suit everyone.

From the organisers.......Irish Examiner Announced as Title Sponsor for Cork City Marathon
The announcement of the Irish Examiner as title sponsor of the Cork City Marathon brings together two great Cork organisations. The benefit of this partnership to Cork City Marathon is significant as the event continues to reach out to all sectors of society and not just to elite runners. The support of one of Ireland’s leading newspapers will also be a vital tool in promoting the event nationwide and establishing it as a major fundraising vehicle for both local and national charities.

Cork City Marathon is already a major destination event attracting participants from all over the world – the 8,000 runners who took part last year represented 26 countries and the 32 counties of Ireland. Over 9,000 people are expected on the start line of the Half, Full and Relay Marathons  on Bank Holiday Monday – June 1st this year.

Karen O’Donoghue, Marketing Manager of the Irish Examiner, explains, ‘We in the Irish Examiner are delighted to announce our title sponsorship of what is a wonderful event for the city and the greater Munster region.  With this sponsorship, we want to offer our support to the event, the volunteers, its athletes and all the people who participate, from the advanced marathon runner to the novice relay team members. The sponsorship of this prestigious event is a great fit for the Irish Examiner as running attracts a diverse field of participants, volunteers and spectators, which matches the breadth of coverage delivered by the Irish Examiner every day across our print and digital platforms. We hope this sponsorship will encourage our readers to ‘be part of it’, whether it’s a personal goal in terms of sporting achievement, raising money for charity, volunteering, or just a great day out – there is a part to play for everyone in the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon’.

Jim O’Donovan, Race Director, thanked the Irish Examiner for coming on board as title sponsor and for their support over the years in helping to grow the event. ‘The role that our new title sponsor will play in encouraging people from all walks of life to consider taking part in this  event is invaluable. The Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon is ‘the people’s marathon’ and we’re calling on everyone to be part of it. The big attraction of the relay is that ordinary people, who are not regular runners, can take part. With up to 5 people in each team, the most any individual would have to walk or run is 5.8 miles – which is achievable without too much training.’

Jim explained, ‘Many of the relay teams are groups of friends or work colleagues who are taking part in the marathon to raise money for a charity or a cause close to them. Of course there is the competitive side to the relay too and the Inter-Services Championship brings out a friendly rivalry between our uniformed forces. The Fire Service has been hard to beat over the past few years, winning the Inter-Services Championship and two personal Guinness World Record Awards. Two years ago a Youth Challenge relay was introduced for 16 to 18 year olds and this has been a great addition to the overall event experience.'

The event goes right through the city centre, showcasing Cork to many thousands of participants from across all 32 counties of Ireland as well as many overseas visitors. In addition to the 26.2-mile full marathon there are several other distance options, including a half marathon (13.1 miles) and various relays. The slogan this year, be proud of it, be part of it, sums up the general atmosphere as competitive athletes share the course with novice runners, including many people who turn out in fancy dress to raise money for charity.

At the recent event launch at the Irish Examiner offices, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Mary Shields commended Cork City Council on their continuous investment in the event, citing it as ‘one of the biggest days in the city's annual calendar, where Cork embraces visitors from all over Ireland and from overseas.’ Commenting on the financial and social impact on the city, the Lord Mayor said, ‘The boost to Cork’s tourism industry's hotels and restaurants as well as to the retail sector is evident, but just as important is the real sense of community that emerges over the weekend as people volunteer or line the streets to support the runners and walkers, many of whom are raising money for charity.’

Entries......If you would like to take part in the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon, Half Marathon or Relay, you can book online HERE.

Note that the entry fee goes up on March the 31st, April 30th and May 8th. Enter early to get the best rates. 

As you can see above, Cork Marathon offers very reduced prices to people who are not receiving a wage and are in receipt of benefit. This includes persons on disability pension & dependent spouses, carer's allowance, state pension, unemployed, disability benefit and dependent spouses, lone parents, asylum seekers and students over 18 in full-time education

Training....If you want to follow a training plan then they also have those on the Cork Marathon website HERE


Course Previews...If you want to see what the route for the Cork City Marathon looks like then watch this 13 minute video put together by Rob O'Farrell...



Previews.....
1) Marathon...HERE
2) Half-Marathon (13.1 miles)... A preview of the Half-Marathon course with maps and photos can be seen HERE
3) Marathon Relay...
a) Leg 1 of 5 can be seen HERE
b) Leg 2 of 5 can be seen HERE
c) Leg 3 of 5 can be seen HERE
d) Leg 4 of 5 can be seen HERE
e) Leg 5 of 5 can be seen HERE

New Interfirm Race League in Kerry...& comparing it to Cork & Dublin

In Cork and Dublin the Business Houses Athletic Association (BHAA) operate successful inter-firm race leagues which attract a huge number of runners. A new inter-firm series has now been announced for Co.Kerry.

First off, a quick look at the BHAA in Cork and Dublin.
 
Cork BHAA....It costs €10 to register with them for the year and then registered runners pay €5 per race with non-reg runners paying €8. All in all, very good value.

BHAA....The BHAA in Dublin charge €15 to register for the year. Registered runners pay €10 per race while non-reg pay €15. Obviously not as good as the Cork BHAA rates but cheaper than many of the other races in the Dublin area.

Both the BHAA and Cork BHAA are independent of Athletics Ireland although many of the people in the BHAA may well be members of athletic clubs as well.

Kerry...The new inter-firm league in Kerry is different in that it is organised by the Kerry County Athletics Board in partnership with Run the Kingdom, a commercial company which operates the Tralee Marathon as well as as several other races in the North Kerry area.

It will cost €15 to register for this new Kerry league and for each race, registered runners pay €10  while non-reg pay €20. Companies can pay an annual registration fee of €500 that will entitle their employees to avail of a discounted rate of €5 per race.

This is the provisional calendar...
Tralee Inter-Firms 10K - Wed. 22nd April - 7.30pm
Dingle Inter-Firms 5k - Wed – 13th May - 8.00pm
Listowel Inter-Firm 4 miles - Fri. 19th June - 8.00pm
Cahersiveen Inter-Firms 4 miles - Wed. 8th July - 8.00pm
Killarney Inter-Firms 5 miles - Wed. 29th July - 8.00pm
Kenmare Inter-Firms 5K - Wed. 12th August - 8.00pm
Killorglin Inter-Firms 5K - Sun. 27th September - 9.00.am
Tralee Inter-Firms 10K  - Sat. 4th October - 10.30am

Some points......
1) It just goes to show what good value the Cork BHAA races are! €5 for registered runners per race, just half of what it is in Dublin and Kerry. For that you get a proper road race with results and usually refreshments after the race.

2) The Kerry races are on a par with the prices with the Dublin prices although the entry fee for non-reg runners is expensive at €20.

3) It might be worth mentioning that the leagues in Cork and Dublin are in large population centres and hold most of their races near each city. The events in Kerry are spread out over the county and the population density is lower. I'm not sure if there will be many runners traveling from say North Kerry all the way down to Cahersiveen for a race or vice versa?

4) On the plus side, there aren't that many races in South Kerry.....Kenmare, Caherciveen, Killorglin......so it might encourage more activity in that area?

Thoughts....??

Kerry...Results of the Tralee Marathon - Sun 15th Mar 2015

The annual Tralee Marathon was held on Sunday the 15th of March 2015. The top 3 in the marathon and half-marathon are shown below...

Marathon...
1 Senior    Gary OHANLON    02:31:48
2 Senior    Michael OREGAN    02:46:37
3 Senior    Derek GRIFFIN    02:53:19
1 Senior    Anna Meria COSTELLOE    02:58:39
2 Ages 40-44    Ann Marie HOLLAND    03:02:37
3 Senior    Ruthann SHEAHAN    03:09:35

Half-Marathon...

1 Senior    David MANSFIELD    01:10:04
2 Senior    Michael OREGAN    01:13:56
3 Senior    Julio Cesar CASTRO    01:16:06

1 Senior    Sharon WOODS    01:30:36
2 Senior    Alison Kirwan    01:31:41
3 Ages 40-44    Susan MURNANE    01:33:14

 The full results can be found HERE

Photos......(Updated Thurs 9pm)
1) K.Connolly has 1000+ photos HERE 
2) Kerry Eye have some commercial photos HERE

These are some stats for the Tralee event over the last 3 years.....

This was first held in 2013 and attracted a lot of interest. It did very well that year with about 1300 runners between the full marathon and the half.

In 2014, the full numbers dropped off as might be expected as it was no longer a novel event. The Half numbers held up very well. In total, about 1100 runners took part.

In 2015 however, the numbers have really dropped off. The marathon is down about 15% but getting 300 plus people to enter a full marathon is still no mean achievement. The half marathon numbers however dropped just over 30% resulting in about 850 runners overall.

The entry fee for the event was €60 for the full and €50 for the half which is pretty normal for events like this. It's no different from previous years when the price was the same.

As for the exact reason why it dropped so much? There was an adventure race in Killarney the same weekend so maybe that was a factor? Maybe it's because there are so many other races on the calendar?

There's no doubt that 800 plus runners still makes it a pretty large event and it generates welcome  business for the town of Tralee in terms of accommodation, meals and associated spending. Maybe the figures for 2015 represents the natural level for an event like this? Only time will tell.

Thoughts??? Click on the 'Comment' link.

Tipperary...Results of the Borrisokane 5k - Sun 8th Mar 2015

A total of 111 people turned out for this 5k in Borrisokane

1st Man    1 Niall McCormack    Clonmel A C    Senior Men    17:42
2nd Man    2 Paul Buckley    Ferbane A C    Senior Men    18:29
3rd Man    3 Glen Austin    Borrisokane    Senior Men    19:30
1st Lady    8 Margaret Danagher    Templemore A C    Senior Women    21:25
2nd Lady    10 Aine Roche    Clonmel A C    Senior Women    22:12
3rd Lady    17 Lorraine Healy    Moyne A C    Senior Women    24:55

The full results can be seen HERE

Kerry...Results of the Muire Gan Smal 5k fun run, Castleisland - Sun 8th Mar 2015

1st. Sean O Sullivan,
2nd. Robert Purcell Jnr,
3rd. Robert Purcell Snr,
O/40 men.....1st Winston Clapham
O/50 men.....1st George Glover
Ladies:
1st. Siobhan Daly,
2nd. Tara O’Leary,
3rd. Julie Purcell,
O/40 ladies.....1st Eileen Brennan
O/50 ladies ....Ann O Leary

Newspaper report HERE

Clare...Results of the Michael Egan 5 mile in Quilty - Sun 1st Mar 2015

Run Clare Michael Egan 5 mile in Quilty, Co.Clare...Sun 1st Mar 2015

1 Sean HEHIR        Rathfarnham WSAF AC    M 25:03
2 Jake O regan ORegan        St johns     27:13
3 Keith Lynch        BMOH    M 27:58
11 Sharon Rynne        Kilmurry Ibrickane AC    F 30:56
15 Cushla Brid Hehir        Ennis Track    F 31:44
28  Jackie O'Connor        Ennis Track     F35 33:07

Full results HERE

Photos...
1) Photos from James Sexton HERE

Kerry...Results of the Wild West Run Half-Marathon - Sat 28th Feb 2015

 A total of 183 took part in this hilly half-marathon on roads and trails near Kenmare in Co.Kerry.

O’Connell    John    Male    254    1    01:30:38
O’Sullivan    Jerry    Male    263    2    01:34:13
Dineen    Martin    Male    269    3    01:34:47
Schwaiger    Anna    Female    184    14    01:42:26
Duffy    Teresa    Female    55    15    01:43:40
Oakes    Isobel    Female    133    25    01:46:22

The full results can be seen on the Kenmare AC website.

Limerick...Results of the Adare 10k road race - Sun 22nd Feb 2015

This annual 10k race in Adare was organised by West Limerick AC.

Mens:
1 Alan O Shea Bantry AC 31:16
2 Kenneth Rodgers, St.Johns 31:59
3 Mike O Brien , West Limerick AC 33:49
Ladies:
1 Carolyn Maria Hayes , West Limerick AC 37:46
2 Hannah Fothergill 38:55
3 Ann Macphail , Dooneen AC 40:33

The full results can be seen HERE

Adare 10 sponsor Brian Geary Car Sales

Tipperary...County Masters Road Championships - Sun 22nd Feb 2015

Results of the Tipperary Athletics Board County Road Championships held in Fethard

1 Stuart Moloney Moore Abbey Milers A C Men 0/35 19 21
2 David Ryan Clonmel A C Men 0/40 19 54
3 Mark Darmody Clonmel A C Men 0/40 20 59

Men over 35
1 Clonmel A C "A" 2, 3, 5, 7 ...17 points
2 Dundrum A C 6, 8, 9, 16 ...39 points
3 Moore Abbey Milers A C1, 4, 12, 27 ...44 points

Men over 50
1 Clonmel A C "A" 34, 41, 48 ...123 points
2 Coolquill A C 32, 53, 54 ...139 points
3 Clonmel A C "B" 57, 59, 88 ...204 points

1 Phil Ryan Ballynonty A C Women 0/40 24 49
2 Orla Fleming Clonmel A C Women 0/40 24 58
3 Yvonne O Connor Clonmel A C Women 0/40 25 56

Women over 35
1 Clonmel A C "A" 2, 3, 6 ...11 points
2 Moore Abbey Milers A C4, 11, 16 ...31 points
3 Clonmel A C "B" 8, 9, 18...35 points

Over 45
1 Clonmel A C "A" 7, 13, 15 ...35 points
2 Clonmel A C "B" 17, 19, 23 ...59 points
3 Moyne A C 12, 26, 28 ...66 points

The full results can be seen HERE

Waterford...Results of the Dungarvan 10k - Sun 22nd Feb 2015

1st Brian Murphy Carrick AC 33.13
2nd Danny Smith Ballynonty AC 34.13
3rd Darragh Kavanagh Leevale AC 35.18
Over 40 Michael Murphy Carrick AC 38.11
Over 45 Sean O'Sullivan Midleton AC 39.06
Over 50 Martin Hayes WWAC 38.49
Over 55 Gerry Cantwell WWAC 40.44
Team Men Kevin Kenneally WWAC, Brian Byrne WWAC, Mossie Keogh WWAC

1st Anna Doris Midleton AC 39.26
2nd Sally Forristal St Josephs AC 39.46
3rd Siobhan McHugh Clonmel AC 40.24
Over 35 Sharon Keogh United Striders 46.59
Over 40 Corinna Walsh WWAC 40.43
Over 45 Catherine Clancy St Catherines AC 46.59
Over 50 Ger Houlihan Carrick AC 55.31
Team Women Sandra Prendergast WWAC, Brigid Coffey WWAC, Diana Chizikova WWAC

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) West Waterford AC have a gallery HERE

Tipperary...Results of the Clonmel 4k charity race - Wed 18th Feb 2015

1 Declan Curley 14 52
2 Kenny Curran 14 55
4 Mark Corcoran 15 22
3 Clare Annan 15 21
10 Angela McCann 15 53
12 Aine Roche 16 06 

The full results can be seen HERE

From Clonmel AC.... A Big THANK YOU from the Lourdes Pilgrimage Trust
Wednesday 18th February saw the last 4k in this very successful New Years series and keeping with tradition we held our Charity Run on the final night with all donations going to a local charity. This year it was for the Lourdes Pilgrimage Trust who bring sick children to Lourdes at Easter. Thanks to your generosity they raised just under €1000 at the race & want to sincerely thank everyone for their generous donations & for coming out on what they described as a 'miserable' night to support their charity. Indeed 123 runners & walkers embraced the course & had a strong wind to contend with on the Waterford Road but it wasn't enough to deter them!
We'd especially like to thank the volunteers & stewards for their dedication every week, without them this series could not take place. We are indebted to the Brother of Charity for the use of their fine facilities & welcome the sponsorship of this series by Barlo Motor Group, who had many happy runner driving around in style since early January! The introduction of chip timing for this series by Premier Timing Solutions added to the excitement of the series, for many the split lap times went down especially well & the professional prompt results were well received. Thank you again for your support & looking forward to the Morrison BMW 6k Series which is just around the corner....