Report by Michael Cunningham

I have watched the St Patricks day 5K for the last 6 or 7 years but never ran it. Handing out the race flyers, injury or post Cross County blues I never got around to doing it. Watching a 5Km while drinking a cup of coffee is so easy, effortless, even enjoyable. Running it mmmmmm. I ran the Phoenix park 10mile last Sunday with the race organiser of this years race as he did the last part of his 2.5 hour run training for the London marathon. So while running that my mind was made up to enter this years race.

A few of us did our warm up in St Stephens green which you easily forget is so nice, full of history and character and on a Sunday morning runners warming up nearly had the park to themselves. After a few strides it was time to head to the start line were around 20 Sportsworld runners were lining up to do the race. It really is disgraceful how none of us had hangovers or had St Patrick’s day outfits on.

The course is flat with a few twists and turns but because of the wind you were happy of the turns as it meant a change in the wind direction. The course goes through Georgian Dublin so any one visiting Ireland does get to see a nice part of Dublin while doing a 5k race.

There is nothing easy about a 5k and I think the shorter the distance the more you have to concentrate and push yourself along and of course lie to yourself as your running that you are nearly there, your running great and this is the last time I’m doing a 5km.

The men’s team was 4th overall out performing the women’s team for once with great runs from Karol, Stephen and Karl. Val Power organised a brunch after the race but she never said they were going to pick who did the race report at that brunch. Pretty sneaky Val. Below are the race results.

Sportsworld Results:

16th Karol CRONIN 00:16:26
33 Stephen O’DONNELL 00:17:19
40 Karl CHATTERTON 00:17:43
45 Michael CUNNINGHAM 00:18:00
58 David SAUNDERS 00:18:14

68 Martin KEENAN 00:18:31
99 Denis McCaul 00:19.18
146 Johnny DWYER 00:20:09
153 Jean WILSON 00:20:24
165 Jim BROWNE 00:20:38
195 Dermot SULLIVAN 00:21:10

209 Eoin O’BRIEN 00:21:29
267 Ray CARPENTER 00:22:46
270 Valerie POWER 00:22:52
277 Damiano CELESTINI 00:23:08
291 Sandra KELLY 00:23:18

303 Grainne LYNCH 00:23:27
317 Breda BROWNE 00:23:45
351 Conor KENNY 00:24:21
455 Tara MURPHY 00:25:56
481 Phil DALY 00:26:36

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