Après Cork Half Marathon
St. Finbarr’s A.C. would like to offer sincere thanks to all those who participated in the Cork Half Marathon of 2011. We very much hope that your experience on the Blarney-Grenagh circuit was a memorable one and look forward again to your participation in the 2012 race just four weeks after the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
Well done to all who ran today in an excellently organised event that went off very well. Thanks to all who assisted in the organisation and stewarding of the race. Your support and encouragement was much appreciated by everyone.
Michael Herlihy of North Cork AC won the race in 1.10.09 with Colin Merritt of Carrig na Bhearr second in 1.11.43. Donal O’Callaghan of An Riocht AC was 3rd in 1.14.40. Our own Cathal O Connell was 4th in 1.14.55 which was a fantastic performance after his efforts in the National Half Marathon Championships last week.
In the ladies race Angela MCann of Clonmel AC won in 1.23.10 with Maria Carey of Ennis Track Club second in 1.23.46. Tracey Roche of Doneen AC was 3rd in 1.24.57. Our own Claire McCarthy was 4th in 1.26.59. Full results will be posted on this web site later.
Cork Half Marathon bathed in Autumn Sunshine
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 on Sunday morning September 11th at 11am. Race H.Q. for this event is the Blarney GAA Grounds off Castle Close Road. This race also incorporates the Cork and Munster Half Marathon Championships and follows the traditional looped course from Blarney to Grenagh and back. There will be no separate registration for the Cork and Munster Half Marathon Championships. Cork AAI members will automatically be entered for both championships, while Munster AAI members will be entered for the Munsters.
A large number of entries is expected, so please allow plenty of time for parking, registration and warm-up. To reduce queuing and speed up processing, on-the-day entrants will be required to fill out an entry slip giving Name, Gender, Club, D.O.B, Age Category & Mobile Number details. 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. Post race refreshments and prize giving will take place back at the GAA clubhouse and grounds.
This year’s race will incorporate a number of new features:
Cork Half Marathon Map - Click here
According to Google, the approach road, start road and lead-off road for this race are listed as “Unknown Roads”. I’ll have to check this out and get back to Google Maps. Anyway, 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 on the right. 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 adjacent to the START line. There’ll also be limited parking both inside and outside the GAA Grounds on Castle Close Road, and there’s also parking available in the Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál secondary school just off the R617. To arrive at the school, take the second left hand turn (Route 2) beyond the roundabout.
CHM Route - Click here
CHM SAT - Click here
The heavily wooded back roads just north of Blarney village provide a leafy backdrop for the Cork Half Marathon. At the outset, we’ll have to concede that ours isn’t exactly the flattest Half Marathon around, but it might just be one of the Greenest. If you’re running the course for the first time, you may indeed be a little disorientated at times. In truth, there’s so much woodland and foliage along the route that it can sometimes be hard to see the wood for the trees. On the other hand, all this natural greenery makes for welcome protection in the event of adverse weather conditions. Anyway, foretold is forewarned as they say.
There’ll be four water station locations – one at the FINISH and three on the course. Two of the stations are passed twice along the way giving a total of six water stops. Click on the Route Map above for details. The course itself is like a giant paddle, the handle running 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 distance. At about 4.7M, it loops clockwise around the blade, the tips of which comprise Genagh (6.5M) and Lower Rathduff (7.1M), before heading back down the handle to the FINISH on Waterloo Road. The race starts at a Y-Junction just outside and to the right of the GAA Grounds. You take the right fork up Castle Close Lawn past the secondary school and turn left past the garage with a slight pull up Shamrock Terrace before turning right onto Waterloo Road and the beginning of your hinterland odyssey.
You’ll pass the FINISH at around 1km. There’s a relaxing downhill section about 200m further on, the only one between here and Grenagh. For the next mile, you’ll be running through woodland with the river Martin on your right. At the Waterloo Inn (2M), you’ll go over Putland’s (Waterloo) Bridge and on past the church and the round tower on your right. At the 4.6M (7.5km) mark, you’ll have been climbing steadily at 37ft/M (Av. 0.7% gradient). From 4.6M (7.5km) to 6.3M (10.2km), the climb rate increases to 124ft/M (Av. 2.4% gradient).
When you reach Grenagh at 151m, you’re at the same elevation as Cork Airport. After a right angle turn through the village, there follows a rapid descent at -140ft/M (Av. -2.6% gradient) to Lower Rathduff on the opposite edge of the blade. Now you’re really flying! Another right angle turn and for the next 2M you’re heading along more wooded roads albeit at a more sane rate of descent. At the 9M mark you’re back on the main road heading down the handle for home. About 400m out, there’s a 150m uphill section, which gradually levels off leaving you with a 250m dash for 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 put a lot of time and effort into preparations for the Cork Half Marathon. We greatly appreciate your participation in our race 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. 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 refreshments.
Don’t forget our half marathon tomorrow in Blarney. (As if you could!) If you’re not participating try and come along to support your team mates and to help out with the stewarding and organisation. Help to keep this as one of the premier events on the Cork running calendar. Remember it is also the Munster and Cork half marathon Champonships so there is sure to be excellent competition in both mens and womens and in all the age categories. To all who are running, best of luck and enjoy it. Remember its a tough first half so keep a bit in reserve so you can sprint the second half!
On the same day as the National Half Marathon John Meade returned to Dingle to defend his half marathon title. He did this successfully in a time of 1.16.33 to win well over a very demanding hilly course. Congrats to John who is having a very successful season.
We had a hugely successful National Half Marathon in Waterford last Saturday. In a high quality field our mens over 40 team of Cathal O Connell, Jim Cosgrave and Ken Devine came second, while our womens over 40 team of Mary Sweeney, Geraldine O Shea and Kitty Buckley were 4th an agonising 22 seconds behind the 3rd placed team. Individually Mary Sweeney won F50 in 1.29.04 while Jim Cosgrave was 3rd in M40 in 1.16.12 and Cathal O Connell was 3rd in M45 in 1.12.23. Congrats to them and all else who participated as there were some fine performances by others who ran exceptionally well and achieved pb’s.
Cathal O Connell was 2nd in this race in a time of 16.15 as he used it as a good warm up for yesterday’s National Half Marathon Championship. In the age categories Ken Devine won M45 and Michael Murphy won M50.
In the ladies Martina Kiely kept her fantastic recent form going with a win in 17.43 while Anne Wolfe and Kathleen Kelly were 1st and 2nd respectively in F35 and Orla Crosbie won F40.
So, a very successful evening all round and well done to all who ran.
There were some great performances again in the last of the Ballycotton Summer Series races. The upshot of it all was that in the overall series John Meade finished 2nd which was a fantastic achievement. Also making the top 50 men were Paul Duggan in 6th, Michael Houlihan 7th, Patrick O Rahilly 21st and Stephen Geoghegan 33rd. In the ladies overall Kathleen Kelly was in the top 20 finishing 13th. Fantastic performances all round and well done to everyone who completed all four races. Here are the results from the Ballycotton race.
Ballycotton Summer Road Race Series 2011
35th BALLYCOTTON ‘5’
Thursday 25 August 2011. 7:30pm
Finishers in the St. Finbarrs AC team. Pace Race Race
Place Time Name Team Race Age Category min/mile No Place
1 0:27:23 MEADE, John St. Finbarrs AC M 05:28.5 2 6
2 0:28:27 GALLAGHER, Paul St. Finbarrs AC M 05:41.3 928 12
3 0:28:50 LYONS, Dennis St. Finbarrs AC M 05:45.9 366 17
4 0:29:01 DUGGAN, Paul St. Finbarrs AC M40 05:48.1 7 21
5 0:29:12 DEVINE, Ken St. Finbarrs AC M45 05:50.3 474 25
6 0:29:29 HOULIHAN, Michael St. Finbarrs AC M 05:53.7 5 31
7 0:29:37 DUNNE, Michael St. Finbarrs AC M 05:55.3 475 34
8 0:29:46 RAHILLY, Patrick St. Finbarrs AC M 05:57.1 21 39
9 0:30:19 PATTERSON, Robert St. Finbarrs AC M 06:03.7 936 50
10 0:30:21 O’HERLIHY, Niall St. Finbarrs AC M 06:04.1 325 52
11 0:30:52 O’REILLY, Brendan St. Finbarrs AC M 06:10.3 397 67
12 0:30:55 GEOGHEGAN, Stephen St. Finbarrs AC M 06:10.9 34 69
13 0:31:19 SARGENT, Fergal St. Finbarrs AC M 06:15.7 56 80
14 0:32:17 O’TOOLE, Paul St. Finbarrs AC M45 06:27.3 329 105
15 0:32:18 HAYES, Willie St. Finbarrs AC M55 06:27.5 929 106
16 0:34:08 WOULFE, Anne St. Finbarrs AC F35 06:49.5 440 162
17 0:34:11 KENNEDY, Dan St. Finbarrs AC M55 06:50.1 405 163
18 0:35:14 O’NEILL, Trevor St. Finbarrs AC M 07:02.6 93 202
19 0:35:25 KELLY, Kathleen St. Finbarrs AC F35 07:04.8 215 210
20 0:35:58 COTTER, Gillian St. Finbarrs AC F35 07:11.4 439 236
21 0:36:15 O’MULLAIN, Micheal St. Finbarrs AC M 07:14.8 294 245
22 0:36:45 CARROLL, Chris St. Finbarrs AC M55 07:20.8 454 262
23 0:36:46 EIGHAN, Irene St. Finbarrs AC F 07:21.0 290 265
24 0:36:55 COLEMAN, Barry St. Finbarrs AC M 07:22.8 420 271
25 0:39:54 CURRAN, Barbara St. Finbarrs AC F 07:58.6 242 365
26 0:41:13 STAVROU, Amanda St. Finbarrs AC F50 08:14.4 993 389
27 0:42:18 MULCAHY, Mary St. Finbarrs AC F45 08:27.4 237 406
28 0:42:35 GRIFFIN, Hazel St. Finbarrs AC F 08:30.8 248 411
29 0:42:54 CREEDON, Hilary St. Finbarrs AC F 08:34.6 238 415
30 0:43:07 MANNING, Denis St. Finbarrs AC M40 08:37.2 181 418
31 0:43:34 WALSH, Anne St. Finbarrs AC F45 08:42.6 254 429
There were 31 finishers in the St. Finbarrs AC team.
Hi, just to let you know that we were very successful in the ladies race of the Novartis 5k. Kathleen Kelly won F35 and Orla Crosbie won F40! Also Paul Duggan won M40. Thes are in addition to the previously reported wins at M45, M50, M55 and the overall mens race!
The Togher P.T.A.A 5km Road, or should I say Street Race, takes place on Wednesday evening August 31st at 7:30pm. With the summer nights closing in, this is the last of the evening races. Summer is probably a bit of a misnomer; winter with extended daylight hours would be apt. Life may indeed be like a box of chocolates, but when it comes to an Irish Summer you know exactly what you’re going to get. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, the Togher P.T.A.A. Your race H.Q. for this event is the St. Finbarr’s GAA Club, which is at the Togher end of the Tramore Road. You’ll have changing facilities here and a place to leave your bag during the race. As per usual, the fee is €5 for BHAA members and €8 for non-members. The usual BHAA house rules apply and there’ll be prizes in all the usual categories as well as the odd spot prize. Those nice people at the P.T.A.A make a big effort to ensure that runners are well catered for by way of post race refreshments.
BHAA-Togher P.T.A.A. 5K Route - Click here
To get to St. Finbarr’s GAA Club, townies can head out the Togher Road and turn right at the Tramore Road intersection. People coming from East or West via the South Link Road (N28) will need to take the exit for Pouladuff Road and then get on to the Tramore Road heading West for Togher. This is a straight forward manoeuvre if you’re coming from West to East via the Sarsfield roundabout. Coming from the Kinsale roundabout however, you’ll have to take the same exit, then make a U-turn and drive back over the South Link to get to the Tramore Road roundabout. In this event, you’ll need to follow the road signs carefully to avoid getting lost. The race itself starts in the vicinity of Togher National School. This event is basically a street race through housing estates. There’s no pretty scenery, but this type of environment is bread and butter for us city slickers. Hereabouts is where you’ll find us clocking up the miles in preparation for all those summer evening forays into the Ballys.
BHAA-Togher PTAA 5K Elevation - Click here
Togher is a fast course and the 2010 event attracted a total field of 345 runners. There’s one minor hump near the start as the race heads over the bridge to get across the South Ring Road. After about 800m or so, you turn left onto Clashduv Road/Estate, a sort of mini version of the Carrigrohane straight. Now at 1.7km you take a sharp left onto Glasheen Road. This is the main hump on the 5km course as you head uphill past St. Finbarrs Cemetery. For the next 600m you are climbing. Marathon runners will recall this as the 20M mark back in June. It wasn’t very pleasant then either. Now the race heads off-road into the housing estates. From here on in it’s all downhill and flat. At 3.5km, you are back on Clashduv Road heading for home. The orange bicycle lane that runs along in front of Clashduv Park will make it feel like a track race as you push your pedal to the metal for the final 1.5km.