The switch to winter time brings down the curtain on the Friday evening sessions at the Farm. As of Friday 02-Nov-2012, the Tempo sessions will be held at the CIT Track, Bishopstown starting at 6pm.

The Cork County Novice B & Juvenile B Cross Country Championships will take place on Sunday 28th October in Conna, Co. Cork commencing at 12 noon. The schedule of events will be the same as the recent County Novice XC in Carrignavar, Novice Women at 12pm, Novice Men at 12.30pm and Juveniles at 1pm. With all the big guns and the boy racers ineligible, the Novice B is an ideal opportunity for new club members and L-plate runners to experience cross country on more level terms. I was going to say level playing pitch, but in truth the organisers of cross country events do their level best (sorry for all the puns) to ensure there are few if any level running surfaces at cross country. Remember, the objective is to hinder, not facilitate smooth running.

If you’re not planning on going to the Dublin Marathon 2012 and you’d like to have a go at Cross Country, please reply to compsec@stfinbarrsac.com before Wednesday 24th October 2012. You’ll need a club top, a pair of spikes and have a washing machine and packet of Bold or Persil on standby when you get back home.

Novice B Eligibility
Any athlete who has not won a medal at Novice, Intermediate or Senior Cross Country Championships at either County, Provincial or AAI National level.

Conna Map - click here

To get to Conna, make your way to the Dunkettle roundabout via the Tunnel or the Lower Glanmire Road and head north for Dublin. Exit the motorway at Watergrasshill before you reach the Toll Plaza. Go through the village and head north for Rathcormac on the old Dublin (N8/R639) Road. About 1km before you enter Rathcormac, turn right onto the R628 heading east for Tallow. Conna is about 12.5km down the road or 20km from Watergrasshill. The turnoff for the Cross Country venue will be signposted before you get to Conna village.

The Novice B is held under AAI rules; therefore participating athletes must be registered club members and wear the club Singlet. If you need it, transport will be available leaving the UCC Farm in Curraheen at 10am. The Novice Women are off first followed by the Men. If you are not running, please come along anyway and cheer on the club. Best of luck to everybody.

Beaufort GAA Grounds (Páirc Uí Chocláin)

The Munster Juvenile Even Age, U/23 & Novice Cross Country Championships will take place on Sunday 21st October in Beaufort, Co. Kerry commencing at 12 noon. The schedule of events on Sunday is in reverse order to that of the recent Cork County Novice in Carrignavar, Juveniles at noon, Novice Men at 2pm and Novice Women at 2.30pm.

Beaufort (Lios an Phúca) Community Centre

All race numbers can be collected from the Community Centre which is located opposite the Beaufort GAA Grounds (Páirc Uí Chocláin). If you are coming from the Cork direction, take the relief road around Killarney and take the N72 for Killorglin. After Fossa, pass the turn off left for Gap of Dunloe and take the next left. Cross the River Laune and from there it’s about 600m to Beaufort village. Turn right at the village and the Beaufort Community Centre is 500m down the road of the left, opposite the GAA Grounds.

Google Maps Coordinates: 52.068661,-9.640235

(Open Google Maps, copy the above numbers exactly, paste into the search box and hit enter)

Beaufort (Lios an Phúca) Parish is situated in picturesque Mid-Kerry. It is surrounded by the majestic McGillycuddy Reeks which boasts Ireland highest mountain Carrauntoohil (3414 feet). McGillycuddy Reeks has many more notable peaks over 3000 feet high, makes this a mecca for Mountain climbers and hill walkers. The main river of our Parish is the River Laune, famous for it’s brown trout and salmon fishing. This beautiful clean slow flowing river drains the Killarney Lakes and after a 14 mile course empties itself into Dingle Bay.

The AAI National Marathon Championships will be run in conjunction with the Dublin Marathon on Monday 29th October 2012. If you wish to declare for the National Marathon as an Individual and, or Team member, please forward your Marathon Race Number to compsec@stfinbarrsac.com before Friday 19th October 2012.

This information is required by the AAI to speed up category and team results. It does not entitle you to entry in the Dublin Marathon itself as you must have already done so. Declaration of your intention to compete in the Championships element of the Marathon is essential as it will not be possible to add any undeclared club athletes post event. Note that there is no extra charge for entering the AAI Championships.

Regulations

Team placing shall be decided on the cumulative time of scoring members of the team.

1. Three to score Men & Women
2. Master teams two categories only (35+ & 50+)
3. Championship medals will only be awarded to registered CLUB athletes
4. Athletes must be 18 years of age to compete in events of 10,000m and over
5. A female athlete becomes a Master on her 35th birthday
6. A male athlete becomes a Master on his 35th birthday
7. Registration numbers and date of birth must be shown on all forms
8. In team events athletes may only score in the category for which they declare.

Medals

Senior Men:
1st, 2nd, 3rd individuals
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams – 3 to score

Senior Women:
1st, 2nd, 3rd individuals
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams – 3 to score

Master Men:
1st, 2nd, 3rd individuals at M35, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60, M65, M70, M75 & M80
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams, M35+  – 3 to score
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams, M50+  – 3 to score

Master Women:
1st, 2nd, 3rd individuals at W35,W40, W45, W50, W55, W60, W65 & W70
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams, W35+ – 3 to score
1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Teams, W50+ – 3 to score

The County Novice & U23 Cross Country Championships take place on Sunday 14th October 2012 in Carrignavar (Carraig na bhFear). The BARRS Men came 2nd and the ladies 4th when the County Novice was last held in the bhFear back in 2010. That day’s race also incorporated the County Masters. Well, the Masters have the day off this Sunday, so the field won’t be as crowded. We hope this year’s crop of Novice athletes can at least emulate and hopefully go better than those of 2010.

The Novice is held under AAI rules, therefore participating athletes must be registered club members and wear the club Singlet. If you need it, transport will be available leaving the UCC Farm in Curraheen at 10.15 am. The Novice Women are off first followed by the Men. If you are not running, please come along anyway and cheer on the club. Best of luck everybody!

WOMEN’S NOVICE & U23  3000m @ 12:00pm

MEN’S NOVICE & U23 6000m @ 12:30pm

Holy Cowpie! I forgot the entries.

Best of luck to everyone running in the Cork County Novice and U23 Cross Country Championships in Carrignavar on Sunday. Enjoy!!!

There will be a trial race held on Friday 5th October, 2012 at the Farm in order to select teams for the upcoming Cross Country Championships. The trial race, which is for men and women will take place at 6.00pm so get there around 5.30pm in order to warm up. All eligible runners who want to run Cross Country can do so but there are maximum numbers allowed on each team so the trial race will assist in deciding who is on each team that is entered. There will be more than one team entered in each race. The dates of the upcoming races are as follows:
14th October – County Novice and U23 Championships in Carrignavar.
21st October – Munster Novice Championship in Beaufort, Killarney.
4th November – County Senior Championship.
11th November – Munster Intermediate Championship in a Waterford venue.
18th November – Cork County Intermediate and Masters Championships.
9th December – National Novice Championship in Adamstown, Co Wexford.

John Buckley presents Michael Herlihy (North Cork AC) and Emma Murphy (St. Finbarr’s AC) with their prizes after the St. Finbarr’s Half Marathon on Sunday 9th September, 2012.

Cork Half Marathon - Enjoying the fruits of one’s labours

St. Finbarr’s A.C. is pleased to announce that this year’s John Buckley / St. Finbarr’s A.C. Cork Half Marathon will take place at 11am on Sunday the 9^th of September 2012. Race H.Q. for the event is the Blarney GAA Club off Castle Close Road. This race also incorporates the Munster Half Marathon Championships and follows a new out-and-back course between Blarney and Lower Rathduff. On-the-day entrants will be required to fill out an entry slip giving details of Name, Gender, Club, D.O.B, and Mobile. Just present the completed slip with the €25 entry fee at the desk and you will receive your race number and race chip pre-packed. A large number of entries is anticipated, so please allow plenty of time for parking, registration and warm-up. Post race refreshments and prize giving will take place back at the GAA clubhouse.

This year’s race will incorporate:

• Chip Timing by Precision Timing.  The chip will allow for timely and accurate collation of results. Late online entries can pick up the timing chip at the clubhouse on the day.
• In conjunction with our sponsor John Buckley Sports, highly visible Race Pacers (1:30, 1:45 and 2:00hrs) will be used to help participants reach the finish line while maintaining pace, staying safe and most importantly, having fun! The race pacers will be equipped with balloons, brightly coloured tee-shirts and a target time on their backs.
• A Goody Bag with a race souvenir and a 20% money-off voucher from John Buckley Sports.
• Munster Half Marathon Championships. No separate registration required. Individual prize categories are 1st, 2nd & 3rd Men (Senior, O/35 & O/50) and Women (Senior, O/35 & O/45). Athletes must be AAI registered members of a Munster based club. There are no team prizes!

Cork Half Marathon Map 2012 - Click here

To get to the Blarney GAA Grounds, head out of Cork on the N20 (Mallow Road) and exit at the Blarney (R617) slip road at (A). Take the first left turn (Route 1) after the roundabout and follow the Clogheen-Milcon Walkway on your left. There’s a car park for users of the walkway about half way down this road at the START line. At the next junction turn right and then left to arrive outside the GAA Grounds at (B). There’s a small lay-by with limited parking facilities between these two junctions near the Scout Hall. There’ll also be limited parking inside and outside the GAA Grounds on Castle Close Road. There’s also plenty of parking in the Secondary School just off the R617. To arrive at the School, take the second left turn (Route 2) beyond the roundabout.

Cork Half Marathon Route 2012 - Click here

The beautiful wooded countryside just north of Blarney village provides a leafy backdrop for the Cork Half Marathon. No matter what the weather conditions, all this natural greenery makes for a very pleasant running experience. There’ll be five water stations in total – one at the FINISH and four out on the course. Two stations are passed twice en route for a total of seven water stops. Click on the Route Map above for details. The course itself runs northwards from Blarney past Waterloo, Monacnappa Estate and Lower Kilmona. For the most part, the route runs parallel to the N20 Cork-Mallow road, whose traffic can be heard in the background.

Cork Half Marathon Elevation 2012- Click here

This year’s race is an out-and-back course, which incorporates a looped start in Blarney before heading northwards on the Waterloo Road. The race turns around at Cheese Factory entrance in Lower Rathduff and heads back to the traditional finish on the Waterloo Road. The new course takes out the hill up to Grenagh village removing over 50m of elevation and making the course significantly flatter and faster.

Cork Half Marathon Start 2012

The race starts at the Amenity Car Park opposite the entrance to the Clogheen-Milcon walkway. When you exit the GAA Grounds, turn right, cross the road at the Yield sign, go past the Children’s Playground and turn left at the Mallow/N20 road sign. You’ll do one lap coming back to the Amenity Car Park. On the second lap, you’ll go straight ahead at the Garage, past another Garage and right onto Waterloo Road and the beginning of your hinterland odyssey.

Cork Half Marathon Turnabout 2012

You’ll pass the FINISH line just short of the 2M mark. There’s a relaxing downhill section beyond the 2M mark. For the next mile, you’ll be running through woodland with the river Martin on your right. At the Waterloo Inn (3M), you’ll go over Putland’s (Waterloo) Bridge passing the church and the round tower on your right. From here, it’s a nice steady rise all the way to the 7.5M mark and the Turn’about at the Cheese Factory. From there, you’ll be running slightly downhill and retracing your steps all the way back to the FINISH. Don’t forget to pick up your water bottle and goody bag before heading back to the GAA Grounds.

St. Finbarr’s A.C. members have expended a lot of time and effort in preparing for the Cork Half Marathon. We greatly appreciate your participation and will do everything possible to ensure that yours is both a pleasant and rewarding experience. Please note that the public roads will remain open to traffic during the race. Therefore, runners must run on the left hand side whilst exercising due care and caution. Also, participants are strongly advised not to use headphones during the race. In the event of an emergency, all stewards will be issued with an emergency contact number. We wish all of you the very best of luck on Sunday and look forward to seeing you back at the GAA Grounds for some Tea, Sandwiches and Cakes.