Cork Intermediate, Masters Cross-Country Championships 2025

A massive well done to all our St Finbarrs AC athletes who took to the cross-country course in North Cork and delivered outstanding performances across Intermediate and Masters categories.

The Barrs singlet was well represented from first finisher to last, showing real depth, grit and club spirit in horrendous conditions in Bweeng.

πŸ”₯ Top Highlights

πŸ₯‡ Abby Ring stormed to 1st place in the Intermediate Women, with fantastic support from Jane Prendergast (3rd) and Rachel McEvoy (5th).

πŸ’ͺ Barry Twohig led the way for the men, taking 1st place overall, backed up by strong runs from Con Marshall and Cian McParland to take the M+35 Team silver

πŸ‘Ÿ Shane Buckley and Luke McCormack delivered big performances to place 3rd and 5th in the Intermediate Men.

πŸ† Team Success

πŸ₯ˆ 2nd place – M35+ Men’s Team, Barry, Con & Cian

πŸ₯ˆ 2nd place – M65+ Men’s Team, Eamonn Eddie & John

πŸ‘ 5th place – Masters Women F45+ Team

🌟 Masters Medal Performances

πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆπŸ₯‰Eamonn McEvoy, Eddie Barry, John Quigley – M70

πŸ₯‡ Billy Caball – M80

πŸ₯‡πŸ₯ˆ Mary Sweeney & Kitty Harrington-Buckley – F60 (1st & 2nd)

πŸ₯‡ Jo Martin – F65

πŸ₯‰ Joanna Klejbuk – F40

Women

Abby Ring

Jane Prendergast

Rachel McEvoy

Joanna Klejbuk

Anne Wolfe

Imelda Marshall

Catherine Kerrigan

Sinead Noonan

Margaret Twohig

Jo Martin

Mary Sweeney

Kitty Harrington-Buckley

Men

Barry Twohig

Shane Buckley

Luke McCormack

Con Marshall

Cian McParland

John Cronin

Johnny Hurley

Kieran Ruby

David Leonard

Brendan Hallissey

Eamonn O’Mahony

Tom Downes

Neil Murphy

Oleksii Zatsarynskyi

Donal Murray

Eamonn McEvoy

Eddie Barry

John Quigley

Billy Caball

From Intermediate newcomers to our incredible veteran athletes, this was a proud day for St Finbarrs AC.

Well done to every runner who wore the singlet, and gave it their all for the Barrs

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Thank you to all our members for a great 2025!

Thank you to all our members for their contribution to the Barrs in 2025.

We have grown the club to near amazing 300 members this year.

We have had many highlights throughout the year, with successes in Cross Country, Track, Mountain, Marathon and more!.

We look forward to another great year in 2026, where the club will celebrate it’s 75th Anniversary.

It will be a year to remember for the Barrs.

Nollaig Shona to all out members, and we look forward to a great 2026.

#barrsabΓΊ

πŸŽ„βœ¨ St. Finbarr’s AC Christmas Party 2025! βœ¨πŸŽ„

It’s that time of year again β€” time to swap the running shoes for dancing shoes! πŸ•ΊπŸ’ƒ

Join us on Saturday, 20th December at 7pm in The Courtyard, Sober Lane, Cork for a festive night of food, fun, and fantastic company. 🎁🍻

Let’s celebrate another great year of running, racing, and friendship β€” all members welcome! πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸ’™

πŸ“… Date: Saturday, 20th December 2025
πŸ•– Time: 7:00 PM
πŸ“ Venue: The Courtyard, Sober Lane, Cork

Spread the word and get ready for a great night out with the Barrs family! πŸŽ…πŸ₯‚

#StFinbarrsAC #ChristmasParty2025 #BarrsFamily #FestiveFun #CorkEvents

St.Finbarr’s Club man Jason Nichol represents Ireland as he takes on World 24hr Championships in Albi France on 18 &Β 19 October.

The objective is to run as far as possible in 24hrs around a 1500m track. The race brings together some of the best ultra runners in the world and Jason takes his well earned place amongst a tough field. .

Jason gives us an insight on his journey to the start line :

How were you selected? 

Athletics Ireland selected a team in May. In order to qualify for selection athletes had to meet specific criteria to be considered for selection. One of those criteria was a minimum of 220km in 24hrs. I won the National 24hr championships in 2024 in Belfast with a distance of 231km and I was also a finisher in the Spartathlon Ultra event in Greece a non-stop 246km run from Athens to Sparta. My results in both these races led to my selection.

How many on the Irish team? Do you know your team mates?

There are 5 people on the Irish team, 3 men and two women. Many of the team are highly experienced endurance runners having represented Ireland at international level in previous years. The team includes: Jessie O Connor, Dave Andrews, Anne Jennings & Lorraine McMahon

When did you start your training programme? 

After I found out in May I had been in selected for the world championships the hard training started then.

Give us some insight into your training plan? 

Im self-coached so I created the training programme myself based on my experience. The structure of my plan is not very different to a marathon training plan. Ive been running consistent 160km+ mileage weeks for the last two months. I spent a lot of time training on hilly trail routes to build leg strength. The world championships is around a 1500m circuit so Ive had to do a lot of my training running around looped tracks to build some new mental resilience. My long runs have been ranging from 4 to 6 hours ( 40km – 70km ) including a lot of back-to-back long runs on tired legs. A big focus has been on eating and digesting food while running. How you fuel and when you fuel your body in these types of races is one of the most important things to get right so practicing your race day nutrition on training runs has been important.

What was your highest mileage week?? 

My peak mileage weak at the end of Sept was 253km / 157miles

How do you find time with work to train for this event while building this incredible mileage?? 

Its hard, you have work and family commitments, but you can always find a way if you really want something badly enough.

Being disciplined with your time has been super important.

Give us some insights into the nutrition you will need on race day??

I am aiming for around 80g of carbs per hour for 24 hours. This will come from a variety of sources – SiS Carbohydrate Drink, SiS Beta 40g Gel, Bananas, Coke Cola, Flapjacks

Electrolytes and salt tabs will be important. Im hoping to consume around 500-600ml per hour.

How has the training gone ?? Have you had any injuries/setbacks?

Training has gone well overall with no major injuries. Ive had a few niggles which I’ve managed through good sleep, massage & physio sessions, sauna / ice baths and good pre & post training nutrition.

What is the goal?

I want to put in as big of a performance as I can while wearing the green jersey and representing St Finbarrs AC. It will be a tremendously proud day for me and my family. If I manage to come away with a PB for 24hrs I will be delighted.

Is there race tracking available ?

Yeah, the event is being streamed live on YouTube and a tracker will also be available.

National Half Marathon Championships 2025

Held in conjunction with theTullamore Half Marathon on 30th August 2025

The Wednesday night session with Coach Dan Kennedy will be focusing on specific training for this event over the summer months.

Location

Tullamore Harriers Stadium, County Offaly, Ireland.

Start Time

10:00 AM

Course Highlights
  • Scenic route through Mucklagh, Killurin, and Cloonagh.
  • A mix of flat stretches and gently rolling hills, offering a challenge yet remaining accessible.
  • Closed roads ensure a safe and comfortable environment for runners.
  • Finishes with a memorable lap on the stadium track.

Ideal for those preparing for the Dublin City Marathon.

Welcoming all levels, from seasoned runners to first-time challengers.

Participants consistently praise the race for its seamless organisation, scenic course, and superb atmosphere. Tullamore Harriers AC takes pride in organising a top-class event.

The club may organise a bus to the event depending on numbers.

Cork Athletics Graded Leagues 2025

April 25th – July 14th 2025

Cork Athletics Graded Leagues returns after an enforced absence of almost six years.

The Series will be held over five meets, over the months April to July. Each of the evening sessions will include County Senior Championship events, with the remaining Championship events being held on Sunday June 22nd

The club is encouraging all members to try the event in a no pressure enviroment. Club Coaches will be at the events, and can provide advice and guidance.

Join us for the Christmas Mile Challenge!

St. Finbarr’s A.C. is hosting a fun and festive members mile race on Tuesday, 17th December at the MTU Track!

Get kitted out in your festive reds, whites and greens. Let’s make a colorful night of it πŸŽ…β›„πŸŽ„!

Race times:

πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ 18:10 – Sub 6 Minute Mile

πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ 18:20 – Sub 7 Minute Mile

πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ 18:35 – 7+ Minute Mile

We are excited to support Penny Dinners Cork with a charity collection on the night. Bring your festive spirit to help raise funds for this fantastic local cause!

Come run with us, spread some holiday cheer, and make a difference! πŸŽ…βœ¨

If you can’t make it but would like to donate please do so here: https://www.corkpennydinners.ie/get-involved-l

Thank you!

Cross Country Wednesdays

Update to training: We have introduced a Wednesday session on the grass at the Farm, Curraheen.

Weekly Training Sessions

Tuesdays at 18:00 – MTU Track

  • Interval and speed work session with Marion Lyons and Eamonn McEvoy.
  • Examples: 400m, 800m, 1km, 1 mile repeats at current 5km pace. 

Wednesdays at 18:00 – The Farm, Curraheen 

  • Cross Country Specific Training
  • These sessions will focus on running on grass, and if you have spikes, we recommend bringing them.
  • Training on grass with spikes is highly beneficial, as it improves traction and agility on uneven terrain, while strengthening stabilizing muscles. 
  • Learn more about the Cross Country Season

Fridays at 18:00 – MTU Track 

  • Tempo sessions with Eamonn McEvoy and Marion Lyons.
  • Examples: 3 x 7 minutes,  4 x 8 minutes at tempo pace (about 25 second per mile slower than current 5km pace). 

MTU Track 

  • πŸšͺ Entrance: Only use the back entrance to the track (i.e., the one behind the stand).
  • ⏰ Timing: Other groups will be using the track before and after us. Please do not go on the track before 6 PM and leave promptly at 7 PM.
  • πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Warm Up/Down: This could be done outside the track, e.g., on the pathway behind MTU by the river.
  • 🀝 Sharing Space: On Tuesdays, Togher juveniles will be using the field events and equipment. On Fridays, we will be sharing the track with Old Abbey. Please be mindful that there will be others, including juveniles, around the facility during training times

New Members Welcome We usually split into 3 different groups at sessions, including an introductory group, so you will always find a pace to suit your current ability & challenge you at the same time. If you are interested in joining, why not come along for a test drive! We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and offer advice on your training too.