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Berlin Marathon 2022

Schadenfreude

noun

pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune

Or so it felt like.

The Berlin Marathon is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best marathons in the world. Held annually on the last Sunday in September it is one of the 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors and has been home to multiple world records including the current record, set this weekend, by the greatest marathon runner of all time, Eliud Kipchoge. The renowned flat course, with its long wide streets and professional pacers attracts all the top athletes. This results in world best times. Notwithstanding this the course is still very much a full marathon which needs to be respected and duly trained for. It would be egregious for anyone to assume that they will come away with a personal best simply because Berlin is a “fast” course. Underestimate it at your peril.

Having been lucky enough to secure a guaranteed entry to the event I didn’t have to concern myself with the lottery system. This meant the race was effectively marked in the diary since the qualifying time was achieved last October. I wasn’t entirely sure how happy my wife, Michelle, was going to be with me firstly training for another marathon and subsequently travelling to Berlin alone for a weekend, considering our children are still far too young to be able to bring them to these events so a family affair was out of the question. Thankfully Michelle acquiesced to the idea so flights and accommodation were booked as soon as official confirmation of entry was received in January.

Back then I would have been fairly confident that a good, consistent run of training could have yielded a sub 2.40 time however these things rarely work out as desired and from February I had a torrid run of injuries & illnesses. This meant that I didn’t get an opportunity to build a good base level of fitness prior to properly beginning marathon training, which is not ideal as it is very difficult to build fitness and endurance at the same time. Ideally the fitness would be there prior leaving you free to focus on building up your endurance. By mid-July I was convinced that the most recent bout of sickness that had swept through our household had completely jeopardised any chance I had of obtaining a PB, let alone a sub 2.40 effort. Thankfully, however, from the end of July onwards I managed to string together 8 consecutive strong training weeks which had me feeling confident that I could perhaps still put in a decent performance. I used the Tullamore half marathon as a time trial where I ran it at 2.40 marathon pace and then collated the data (nerd alert) to assess my fitness. It was blindingly obvious from my heart rate that I would not be able to sustain that pace for an additional 21 kilometres so a revised target was hatched which was to avoid the cavalier approach and to attempt to manage myself to a PB.

The race itself is an enormous event with 45,000 entrants in addition to the wheelchair event which runs alongside it. Organising an event of this magnitude involves huge planning and cooperation and the committee deserves huge respect for consistently pulling it off. My only complaint would be the sole entry point which all participants were funnelled through. Having a few separate entrances would have made life a lot easier on the morning of the race. My accommodation was only 2km from the start line however it might as well have been 10km as there was no direct access route so walking was out of the question. The underground appeared to be the best option so off I went but somehow I managed to get on the train going in the wrong direction. Engrossed in my own thoughts I didn’t notice this for a couple of stops at which point a benevolent Berliner advised me of the quickest route to the entrance. Thankfully I had given myself plenty of time and I was in my starting coral with 15 minutes to spare.

There are 8 starting blocks and I was assigned to Block B which meant no faffing at the start and pretty much straight out of the blocks. A virtuoso performance was never going to be on the cards but I did feel confident that a PB was possible as long as I was disciplined in the early stages and didn’t leave myself with an insurmountable challenge in the latter stages. The plan was to go out at 3.50 p/km for the opening 16 kilometres and then see how my body reacted and whether a pick up would be possible.

I’m not going to lie and say that from here on I enjoyed the race and really appreciated the experience. The opposite is true. It took me a long time to settle into the race, way longer than it should have and mentally I found the whole race very draining. In fairness to the Berliners, they came out in force and the entire course was really well supported. Maybe it’s the German accent but I felt like they were giving out to me the whole way around. Being shouted at in German whilst suffering was an unusual experience. It felt like they were enjoying my pain, hence the schadenfreude gambit at the beginning. I know this wasn’t the case at all but it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Anyway, I definitely found this marathon a lot more challenging than others. My legs were hurting from early on and I was cramping badly for the last few kilometres. It was a case of mind over matter to get through it. My slowest kilometre was between 40-41 when I really thought the cramp was going to win but thankfully I battled through and picked it up for the last 1,200 metres with a strong finish. Going through the Brandenburg Gate was a brilliant experience, which I actually did enjoy, and I even attempted a sprint finish for the last 200 metres. Bad idea. The cramp in my leg came back with a vengeance resulting in me bordering on the precipice of becoming a YouTube meme “marathoner hobbles last 100 metres”. The thought of this embarrassment and endless gifs helped me somehow compose myself and make it to the finish line.

It was only then that I realised that I had achieved a PB, finishing in 2.42.51, which was a PB by almost a minute. My usual marathon approach is to focus on 5km splits so I never know my total elapsed time until I finish. If you manage the splits correctly the time will look after itself. The chute after the finish line was something else. There was such a juxtaposition of emotions & reactions. There were people joyously elated with their times beside people who were inconsolable surrounded by people who were in absolute bits and barely able to walk. I’ll let you decide which category I fell into but honestly the overriding emotion that I felt at the time was relief. I did manage to meet a friend afterwards for some much needed beers & a pizza before the flight home which helped me recalibrate.

On reflection it’s mildly irritating that I didn’t enjoy the experience at the time as much as I should have. I think being over there on my own and not having somebody to talk with and bounce things off meant that I probably overthought everything instead of being more relaxed. Throughout the race all my thoughts were negative. My legs are sore. The finish line is ages away. The crowd don’t like me. These plastic cups are impossible to drink from.

I failed to look at all the positives. My legs might be sore but my pace isn’t dropping. The finish line is getting closer with each step. All these people are out to cheer you on. I’m not coming last like Emmet Wardell did that time in Tymon Park.

It’s with hindsight that I can realise that it was a really good day but I just didn’t appreciate it at the time. That’s a learning point to take forward.

Unsurprisingly the race was dominated by Eliud, whose image was adorned on this year’s medal. Despite the dogma of some members of the running community who insist that his achievements are purely down to the “super shoes” the reality is that he is an incredible athlete who is at the pinnacle of his career. I feel that we are blessed to be able to witness an epoch of marathon running which is bringing so much attention and focus on the sport that we love. It was thrilling to compete alongside him and a privilege to take part in this record breaking event.

Dublin City Race Series – Half Marathon September 17 2022

 

Dublin City Half Marathon September 17 2022

report by Olive Fogarty with photos by Eoin O’Brien and Paddy Lynch.

 

2022 sees the resumption of the Dublin City Marathon and associated race series and it seems that half the club are finding roll forward entries down the back of the couch.  With 6 weeks to go the last big test is Saturdays Half around the Phoenix Park.   While I have no plans to do this or any other marathon, after 6 years in the club I thought I might finally try to drag myself to 21kms.  This vague aim was spurred on by witnessing the inspirational camradarie and commitment amongst the group of Sunday morning marathoneers that I’m currently trying to hang around with.

The 9am start line means a 7.45 start from home, picking up Mary en route.  Our last race together was the Dublin 5 mile 2018.  I feel there’s less nervous tension for this one, both of us on last minute entries.  It’s testament to our growth as people and athletes that we are more interested in finding parking than talking tactics today.   But I’m happy to share my masterplan to any captive audience  – it is this: to get around in 2 hours or so without stopping and without creating any new niggles.  I don’t want some pesky race to jeopardise the Sunday morning Phoenix Park coffees.  My concern is that running 21kms for the first time and on a hard surface, without the usual chat and company of those long runs will be as mentally draining as it is physical.   A warm up is out of the question, the thing will be long enough.    In the park we find familiar faces Eileen, Padraic & Siobhan, Padraig and Nicola.

After the heat of late summer it’s strange to feel hands cold, to have to consider running with a layer, to feel the cool dew of the grass slipping through the runners as we traipse across to the starting corrals.  I dread road races – the noise, the crowds, the unnecessarily loud music, doing oneself and injury with safety pins, queuing for toilets ….but today is good. There are portaloos as far as the eye can see, no wind, a bit of gentle sun through cloud and best of all, it seems someone has unplugged the mic so there’s less of that pumping music than usual.

 

Siobhan, Eileen, Mary & myself assemble somewhere around the 1.50 corral, giving ourselves space to settle back to 2 hours.  And then we are off, setting out on a northward course along Chesterfield Avenue and quickly taking a left onto Ordnance Survey Road.  Myself and Eileen drift along a little ahead of the 5.40 per km target pace, pulled along by the foot rhythm of the 1.50 pacers and their congregation.   But thankfully Eileen isn’t in true race mode today, we steady it down for the pleasant decline of upper glen road.  It’s a course of loops and there’s some muttering as we pass the 10 mile signpost (at about 1k).  My feet feel a bit sore already but I’m a brave soldier and stay strong as we enter the 2nd  kilometre.  Past chapelizod gate, up the s bends, the next feature that stands out is the steep rise from Island bridge gate beneath the magazine fort up Wellington Road and then we are back on Chesterfield Avenue, the first 5km “module” done under the target 30mins and feeling ok.

Module 2 takes us onto Acres road and we can see the runners ahead of us come up on the other side of the road.  It’s a nice diversion to shout at the Sportsworlders we can spot – Garry, Padraig, Nicola, Deirdre and Adam all looking strong.  Then it’s open path turning before the Magazine Fort to go down around the pitches, I head for the grass to get some space and a softer landing but find the only slight breeze in the park and seeing Eileen drift ahead, return to the path, reluctant to lose company at less than half way.  Back up then to the Phoenix Monument and running northwards on Chesterfield again.  Loops can be  tough but as each repeated segment is approached from a new angle, my poor sense of direction is sufficient to make me think it’s a completely new part each time and so avoid the psychological crush.  Back up on the wide even surface of Chesterfield it’s somehow easier to settle into a rhythm and I finally lose myself in the running for two or three kms to Castleknock gate and back down onto Ordnance Survey Road again.  I also somehow lose Eileen at this point.  I’m not sure if she is ahead or behind.  Another loop of Upper Glen Road, the 10 mile sign for real this time, feeling decent, but in the final incline up Acres Road, at 17.5k  despite my best efforts to moderate my pace all through and stay going –  I have to stop to avoid reviewing breakfast  I resume but can’t risk pushing on for the last 5k and my pace feels like it drops.  The last 1km should be the fun bit, given all the careful pacing, but a few attempts to stride out leave me heaving again so I settle for the shuffle.  With 500 metres to go I hear a familiar “hello” behind me and Eileen glides by, light and fresh as if she’s just started.  I’ve got nothing so just have to wish her heels well.

On the far side of the gantry I’m a bit dazed walking along with my medal and a banana.  It’s great to see more Sportsworld faces gathered – Nevan, Eoin, Anne, David, Tara…we pose up for a photo, myself and Anne creaking so loudly we are afraid we’ll never be able to get back out of the crouch position…but shur you’d put it all on the line for the race photo.

During the afterchats my “lifetime achievement” of getting around the course is put in perspective;   Anne saw the race going on as she was doing her weekly long run and just worked it into the 30k, Eoin was just fitting it in on his way to Ikea to buy a new cabinet, in the carpark we meet Martina and her sister (also doing her first half?) who have knocked it out in  1.44 and 1.45 respectively.  We hear later that Nicola has stormed home in 1.28 to take 4 minutes off her PB, neck and neck with Aoife CArrol and  Aine O’Leary is first SW lady home, first in category and 5th lady overall  in 1.23.  In the mens, top SW finishers were Brian O Murchu (1.22) Garry Hobbert (1.25), Padraig Looby & Brendan Keogh (1.28)

Great performances all round on another beautiful day out in the park.

https://www.tdleventservices.co.uk/event-results/events

Results

Race Number Name Gun Time Chip Time
5556 Brian Omurchu 1:22:27 1:22:16
4704 Aoife O Leary 1:23:17 1:23:14
1124 Garry Hobbert 1:25:40 1:25:08
4964 Brendan Keogh 1:28:30 1:28:21
👀 Padraig Looby* 1:29:00 1:28:00
6667 Nicola Lenehan 1:29:16 1:28:31
5953 Aoife Carroll 1:29:17 1:28:55
5495 Deirdre O Connell 1:32:37 1:32:08
5467 Adam Furlong 1:33:10 1:32:41
1629 Cian Buckley 1:35:56 1:34:16
8003 Fergal Oshaughnessy 1:42:22 1:40:11
232 David Culhane 1:42:14 1:40:48
1152 Nevan King 1:41:59 1:40:50
4400 Andrew Murphy 1:43:28 1:41:55
1255 Rory Murphy 1:49:53 1:44:12
6465 Martina Nolan-Jones 1:46:46 1:44:30
4321 Emma Meade 1:51:44 1:46:33
1655 Padraic Moran 1:51:55 1:50:12
6521 Eoin O Brien 2:02:31 1:54:15
2838 Eileen Rowland 2:00:43 1:55:15
6891 Olive Fogarty* 2:01:05 1:55:36
7162 Tara Burke 2:06:46 1:56:57
3618 Paul Cassidy 2:06:01 1:58:18
1654 Siobhan Clarke 2:04:05 1:58:36
6672 Mary Colclough* 2:04:05 1:58:37
4848 Aine Kelly 2:05:56 1:58:44
2030 Anne Sweeney* 2:02:52 2:00:37
7888 Adrian Lanigan 2:18:12 2:09:55
4377 Edward De Burca 2:27:11 2:17:51

*edited from TDL results to correct name

 

Special thanks to Paddy Lynch for getting  these great shots of the action.

 

Staying injury free

Are you moving poorly because you are in pain or are you in pain because you are moving poorly?

 

If there’s been an identifiable incident that has caused the injury or pain, a sprain or a muscle tear for example, this would initiate a protective response to the area bringing on a form of compensation linked to the injury. In other words moving poorly because you’re in pain.

 

The flip side of this however are those chronic and recurring injuries or those that just came on and have worsened over time. Many of these are similar to overuse type injuries and possibly could be pain caused by moving poorly. Two key considerations with overuse & overuse type injuries is workload and biomechanics. In this case workload means -mileage volume, intensities and frequency and biomechanics means-kinetic chain, movement patterns and strength & stability. The better the biomechanics the greater the capacity for workload. It’s worth noting that the workload and biomechanics are interlinked in that as the body fatigues the biomechanics decrease in effectiveness. With weakness in the kinetic chain and/or with inefficient movement patterns the body could have a reduced workload capacity and will fatigue and become compromised more quickly.

In terms of the actual ‘workload’ the training stimulus should be sufficient and appropriate considering current fitness levels. Training sessions should be more like ‘building blocks’ than like ‘wrecking balls’. The increases should be progressive and avoid any drastic changes in overall workload, the components of volume, intensities and frequency should be managed accordingly. Recovery also plays an important role in the training cycle as this facilitates the adaptation which brings on increased fitness levels. An active recovery is often regarded as more beneficial than complete rest. Forms of active recovery would include Sport massage, yoga, Pilates, even an easy jog/run (relative to workload) can be thought of as active recovery. Adequate sleep is also vital for recovery.

 

Biomechanically the core is vital in providing stability during movement. In fact research shows there to be a co-contraction of the  Transversus Abdominis and Multifidis deep trunk muscles on initiation of any movement of the limbs. This early activation and involvement in movement sets the tone as the kinetic chain and movement patterns unfold. For running a key clog in the kinetic chain is Glute Medius which provides important stability during stance phase. Typical of weakness here would be the dropping at the hip and the inward dropping of the knee during the ground contact phase. With the repetitive nature and over time the movement pattern moves towards inefficiency. Following the kinetic chain, weakness in the group of core muscles effects the hips, knees and ultimately down to the calf’s/Achilles, ankle joint mobility and plantar flexion during push off phase. Examples of exercises for strengthening glute medius would be resistance band ‘claim shells’ and ‘crab walks’. In way of ‘strength & stability’, good stability is hugely beneficial in improving biomechanics and improved movement patterns. Focusing solely on strength without addressing underlying biomechanical issues could act only to strengthen and reinforce the inefficiency.

 

Lucan Harriers 5mile Sunday 4th September

Before Covid became a horrible reality, I had the pleasure of running the last running of this race back in 2019 (3 years – yikes!). A lot has happened since then as we know but somethings still haven’t changed, the England men’s football team still can’t win a penalty shoot out, Mayo (not surprisingly) have not won Sam and the route for this race is was the same as before but none of these are necessarily a bad thing. I bumped into Trevor at the start but I didn’t realise that Timothy and Deirdre were further up. Not that it mattered as I wouldn’t have stayed with them anyway. Ann Higgins also made an appearance and off we went.

The course is quite rolling at the start due to the bridges over the canal. The second 2k or so was a lovely run along the canal which I would have been more than happy to continue on but we turned back on to the main road to head back towards Lucan Harrier’s very impressive track. I personally think it is a good challenging course due to the wind, the long straits and the rolling nature of the course. The field was well spaced out so there wasn’t much shelter in groups either. I left the 40 minute pacer after 1km and could see the 35 minute pacer at various points ahead but I knew I wouldn’t get across as I knew I started to slow. You do need to keep something in reserve as it is in the second part of the course were you can claw back time. I actually ran close to my best 5k time over the last 5k of the race. My time was 38.36 which I was happy with to some degree but as I hadn’t done many races this year, I felt I wasn’t race sharp which probably explained the slow start. Special shout out to Timothy who ran an absolute blinder and his time was just over 30 minutes. Trevor also won his age category.

As always Lucan Harriers put on a really well organized race with the marshals doing a great job in ensuring the 5 mile stayed a 5 mile and nobody went off course. Plenty of nice food and refreshments too at the end and the club hosted some children’s races before the race which gave a real family feel to the whole thing. I caught up with Deirdre, Timothy and Trevor at the finish line. Trevor found the last bit of the course hard work as the hills and straights had taken their toll. Over to you Trevor – My view of the course was not coloured of course by the fact that the wheels came off after 4 miles! I had nothing left in the legs for the last 1/2 mile which was my slowest km. Despite this I managed to win my category so I shouldn’t complain!

Overall a great morning out and would strongly urge Sportsworlders to do this race next year. It’s easy to get to on a Sunday morning and there is plenty of parking at the Super Valu close to the club house. It’s a cracking Super Valu by they way with the biggest cake counter I’ve ever seen in a Super Valu. Worth the trip alone for that

 

Dingle Half Marathon 2022

The postponed 2020 Dingle Half Marathon and Marathon took place on a wet and blustery Saturday, September 3rd 2022. This was one event in which I had always wanted to run but had never had the chance.

From the sky, the Dingle Peninsula points to the sea like an outstretched finger. At the very edge of Europe, it extends from Tralee to Dunquin at its western tip for around 55km and is around 21km wide at its broadest. Voted among the Top 100 destinations in the world by TripAdvisor and referred to as ‘the most beautiful place on earth by National Geographic, its landscape is composed of soaring mountaintops, scenic hillsides, secluded lakes, sweeping valleys, ancient ruins, dramatic sea cliffs, charming sea coves and long, sandy beaches. The best way to get to know the Peninsula is to run its byroads, walking trails, beaches, woodlands, valleys, coastline, clifftops, islands, hillsides and mountains.

Having had a brilliant Dingle weekend with the Sportsworld gang back in March I was expecting great things from Dingle.  I had Martin Doyle, Adrian Lanigan, Neil Purdy, Tom Kinsella and Paul Hamilton for company on this occasion.

We set out from Dublin in the early afternoon, delayed somewhat by the partygoers headed to EP in Laois. On arriving in Dingle we headed straight for the nearest hardware store  (bar) to carb load and watch the incredible Ciara Mageean smash Sonia’s national 1500M record in the Brussels Diamon league.

I’m not a good sleeper the night before a race but the early 9 AM start meant there was no time to have second thoughts. The love for Trident Holiday Homes is strong in this group so we were only about a five-minute walk from the start. Unfortunately, Adrian had picked up a niggle and, not wanting to mess up his Chicago Marathon prep, decided not to race, so we were down to 5 on race morning. The weather was pretty miserable at the start but luckily the heavy wind and rain were mostly at our backs.

Having struggled to get the body in one piece for much of the year I had only gone over 21K a couple of times since February, but the great thing about having years of running behind you is that the endurance drops off a lot slower than the top-end speed. I set out planning to run at a steady pace of 4 minutes per kilometre.

After the initial sprinters had receded backwards I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were only about 10 runners ahead of me.  Knowing that some of them were running the full Marathon I thought that there may be a chance of a top 3 finish here. I let the race settle a bit further and started chatting with a fellow Dublin 2019 runner who was doing the full and wanted to break 2.50. It was therefore decided that we would run together up until 18K at which point I would kick on a bit toward the finish. We picked up another lad along the way and had a nice group and some banter along the way.

As we left Dingle over the bridge and past the Distillery we hit the first of many hills.  The already hilly course was made all the more difficult because of the weather,  which was pretty bad for the first 12-13K of the race. One uphill stretch near Páidí Ó Sé’s Pub in Ventry comes to mind where the rain was in our faces, lightening flashing and thunder getting ever closer. A lesser man would have been tempted to go get a pint at 9.30 AM.

As the more experienced runner in the group, it was my job to manage the pace. As can be seen from my splits it was important to slow down on the uphills and make up some time on the downs.

By the time we reached Slea Head at around 17K the views were spectacular. I’d ran the stretch from Coumeenole beach to Ballyferriter probably a dozen times before but none compared to the race environment and having the open road to ourselves. As we got to Dunmore Head I wished the lads well and put the foot down for the last 3K. Starting out it was one of the tougher parts of the course but the last kilometre was almost all downhill.

The race finishes at the famous Krueger’s bar. My time was 1.24.03 (3.59 Per / KM). Job done, time for a pint. I can’t recommend this race enough, very few compare. It has great views, enjoyable routes, organisation, excellent finish and decent support in all the small villages on the route.

The lads all adopted a similar strategy with everyone running a solid but not exhausting race pace effort. We had a few beers in the now beautiful sunny weather and enjoyed the rest of the night in Dick Mack’s and Kennedys, somewhat missing the March gang at times.

For those who race every time they go out, I would really recommend treating a few races as a tempo or helping pace a friend. It’s a really enjoyable experience and really brings home why running is such a great pursuit in the first place. I was super happy to get back on the wagon and not give into any excuses about the weather or the hills, even attarcting a few compliments on my post race positivity for once.

A big congrats to ther other Sportsworld runners who took part in the Half Marathon and extra special credit to David Trimble who ran a very tough full Marathon. Go do this next year, its brilliant craic.

 

 

 

 

Antrim Coast Half Marathon 2022

For the second year in a row, I made my way up the M1 for a long weekend in the North. It wouldn’t be a holiday without incorporating a race of course and so we found ourselves once again in Larne for the Antrim Coast Half Marathon. I did try to convince my other half to sign up for it, but he decided to stick with the role of bag carrier and photographer.

 

After spending Saturday sightseeing, we were up and out early on the Sunday for the race. In keeping with last year, the elite race went off first at 9am followed by the mass race at 11am. I did hear a rumour that they will merge the two races next year which would be better. The early start for the elites meant that road closures were in place from the early morning. We parked the car on the outskirts of Larne just after 9am. It had been impossible to find a map of the course before the event, only a video of the route had been made readily available which was helpful in one way but didn’t allow us to clearly pinpoint KM markers or even be sure of the exact direction of the route. From a quick check of the live stream, I figured we might catch a glance of the elites on the main street so off we went. They were already quite strung out when they passed us despite only being 3km into the race. After cheering on most of the elites as they went past, we continued our way towards the Sandy Bay Playing Fields down by seafront which was the designated race hub for the day. The hub backed onto the finishing straight, so we were able to watch the elites finish. The first male, Jemal Yimer, finished in an impressive time of 59:03, with the lead female, Yalemzerf Yehualaw, finishing in 1:04:22. Both Yimer & Yehualaw set UK all-comers’ records. Feeling suitably inspired by watching the pros in action, we headed back into the playing fields and awaited the call to go to the start line. While waiting there, I saw Paul Hamilton making his way up to the front of the holding pens. Paul seemed relaxed and informed us that after a recent holiday he was aiming for sub 1:30. Oh to be so fast…]

Last year, there were a few issues with the start, but a change to the start line and pre-race hub location meant that the event was much better organised this time and we promptly got going at 11am sharp. This was my fourth half marathon of the year after completing Bohermeen, Wexford & Salzburg before the summer so you would think by now that I would know what I was doing. However, like a complete novice, I took off like lightening. A quick check of the watch after 1km said I was going too fast. I wasn’t worried though at that point – plenty of time to reign it in. No such luck though as I went through 2km just as quickly and clocked 22:30 for 5km. For context, that would be in my top 5 parkrun performances. There was no way I would keep that up for 21km and sure enough, slowly the wheels started to come off. I got through 10km in 48 mins, so I was still OK timewise but starting to really feel it. There was no water until almost 9km which didn’t help as it was a warm day. By the time we passed the water station I was gasping and inhaled far too much in one go. The route takes in the town & harbour areas before heading out onto the coast road, up to the lovely village of Ballygally where we did a loop and turned around to head back to Larne, again passing through the town centre, and finishing on the promenade. The coast road is relatively flat with most of the hills featuring in the town sections. As I approached Ballygally, I decided to chance taking on a gel hoping it would give me a second wind and take me flying back in to the finish line. At this point, I could see the 1hr 30 min group on the other side of the road with Paul nicely settled into the group. There was a good crowd and buzz around the village which was lovely. Sure enough, I did get a second wind and started to pick up the pace a bit before a stitch struck me down. At this point, I could feel the 1 hr 45 pacers coming up behind me and while I would have liked to have held onto them, I was just didn’t have it in me. After the stitch passed, I got into an OK rhythm and just focused on getting to the finish line. The lead in to the finish line on the promenade was packed with people cheering and despite the disappointment with my time I could still smile as I crossed over the timing mat.

Overall, the race was well organised & it’s an event I would really recommend. On a good day, the coast road is beautiful and the support along the route was brilliant. I might even go back for a third go next year as I feel I have unfinished business there. My time & performance was way off where I feel I am. I have set PBs at 10km, 10 miles, and half marathon already this year and only the day before had set a new Parkrun PB at Belfast Victoria when I finally broke the 22minute barrier (21:29). My focus this year has always been on the marathon though and with less than 4 weeks to Berlin I’ve learnt a valuable lesson about pacing. My training has gone well and once I start off slowly then I should be OK.

We met Paul in the race hub afterwards for a debrief. He executed his race plan perfectly and was able to pull away from the pacing group and beat his pre-race target. This is only the start for Paul as he is running three half-marathons back-to-back as he gears up for the Valencia Marathon later this year.

Results below:

 

Frank Duffy 10 mile 2022

The infamous Frank Duffy 10 mile took place on a windy, yet mild late August morning. The third race in the series, one characterised by demanding hills and luscious park land, it is a great test for anyone wishing to compete in the Dublin City marathon. This was my first 10 mile race (contrary to my claims on Strava that this was a PB) and I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better.

I had been debating the week leading up to the race whether or not I was actually going to run it as I had been feeling off and a bit unmotivated recently. This was somewhat disappointing since I have been looking forward to the race series since I started back running earlier this year in Colombia after a near 2 year hiatus due to a niggly hip injury. Saturday morning came and I decided, against my gut feeling, to don the red and white singlet and head for the Phoenix Park. I arrived around 20 minutes before the start of the race and was met by some friendly familiar Sportsworld faces ( Cian Buckley, Padriac Moran and Siobhan Clarke to name a few) and felt a bit more at ease with what was to come.

The wheelchair race took off slightly before 9 am and then we were baited forward to the start line by the organisers. The race began quite fast, and I was being overtaken by the world and its mother, but I knew I had to be prudent through the first hilly 8km of the race and stick to a sustainable pace. The rolling hills began as we turned off Knockmaroon Road heading down to the Furry Glen, onward to Upper Glen Road and eventually making our way up Military Road. I decided to stick and sit at the back of a pack of Raheny runners until we made our way back to Chesterfield Avenue. The pack somewhat dispersed and I found myself fighting against a cross field wind in the exposed area near the Magazine Fort until Acres Road. Coming back onto Chesterfield Avenue, there was a random spectator counting us as we went by “71, 72, 73” and at this point I knew I had clawed my way back up the field and was feeling relatively strong. I decided to push the pace for the last 3km, managing to overtake a few people on the way and finishing strongly on Furze Road in 1.01.23. The men’s race was won by Peter Somba in 51 minutes and 15 seconds. Speaking with him briefly he said that he was relatively happy but bemoaned the wind saying it had cost him a minute or two. The winning female, Kate Purcell made it home under the hour mark in 59.36. The results for the 18 Sportsworlders are below.

All in all I’m delighted I went against my gut feeling and ran, as racing always gives you feedback, good or bad, about how your training is going. The Dublin City Marathon is the next race on the calendar for me and one I’ve been looking forward to ever since I headed down to Sportsworld early 2018.

Race Number First Name Surname Gender Halfway Gun Time Overall Position Chip Time Chip Position
3096 Stephen Kinsella Male 0:30:59 1:01:23 65 1:01:21 69
3401 Eoin Fitzpatrick Male 0:29:47 1:01:32 68 1:01:20 68
2432 Joey Marrinan Male 0:31:43 1:03:55 117 1:03:44 117
2436 Adam Furlong Male 0:36:19 1:12:15 396 1:11:39 393
232 David Culhane Male 0:37:49 1:16:51 575 1:16:14 598
3017 Tim Murphy Male 0:38:24 1:16:55 584 1:16:06 588
1773 Sinead Staunton Female 0:38:12 1:17:38 610 1:17:12 645
3367 Amanda Hassett Female 0:39:49 1:20:14 795 1:18:59 790
1152 Nevan King Male 0:40:37 1:23:30 981 1:20:41 897
1655 Padraic Moran Male 0:42:15 1:25:35 1092 1:24:21 1123
2838 Eileen Rowland Female 0:41:44 1:25:43 1106 1:24:28 1127
1654 Siobhan Clarke Female 0:43:07 1:27:33 1226 1:26:18 1263
3728 Mary Colclough Female 0:44:58 1:30:37 1435 1:28:50 1459
3209 Catherine Gilmore Female 0:44:26 1:33:19 1598 1:30:42 1587
1800 Sandra Telford Female 0:45:03 1:34:31 1656 1:31:47 1627
3396 Audrai O Driscoll Female 0:47:33 1:40:08 1925 1:38:53 1984
2268 Sean O Byrne Male 0:48:05 1:41:43 2005 1:39:26 2005

 

 

Newsflash: Cork Woman praises Kerry Race. Killarney 10k August 2022

by Marie Bradley

Saturday 6th August 2022 seemed so far away when I decided to enter Run Killarney earlier this year.  I knew we were going to be in our usual West Cork holiday destination so a 75km trip to Killarney for an early morning race seemed like a good plan and an excuse for a family day out to visit Killarney National Park.

There were two races organised – a half marathon and 10K and I signed up for the 10K challenge.  Everybody that knows me is aware of my aversion to hills – when I reviewed the elevation profile and saw this I said ……

However, as I approached the start line it was clear that the race was going to be a relaxed affair as participants with various levels of running experience were heading in the same direction – some were members of running clubs while others were meeting friends and family.  The event was very well organised with ample parking, toilets and changing facilities.

I met Siobhan and Padraic in the Gleneagles Hotel before the race and we had a good pre-race natter in the beautiful sunshine.  The music added to the atmosphere.  There was no rain and a mild breeze so running conditions were perfect.  The race start time was 9.30am and after a short race briefing, we were off.

 

The race started at the Gleneagle Hotel and we ran for about 4km along Muckross Road.  Just before Torc Waterfall we entered into Killarney National Park and ran another 4.5km through the woods and gardens and past Muckross House.  Once we exited the park there was an upward slope towards the finish line at The Gleneagle Hotel.  Along the route there were two water stops and lots of support from the locals.

There was plenty of space along the course – despite this a gentleman from behind clipped my shoes as I was running through the trail in the park.  Thankfully I didn’t fall and he did say “sorry”…..But there was no apology from the Galway lassie who came from behind at the 8km mark to pass me out…she told me that there was plenty of space on the left hand side so I should run there….cheeky or what….I have her name and will be watching out for her.

I ran a steady race and tried to keep an average pace of 5 min/km.  It all worked out well with a finish time of 49.45 – I was delighted to achieve a sub 50 min time on my second attempt at this race distance.  Now I can retire!

Siobhan and Padraic are seasoned runners who were fitting the 10km run into their marathon preparation plans. They rang a further 23km the following day – I take a more steady approach to my running and haven’t ran since…..!

The race was followed by a beautiful lunch and some shopping.  I’ll make an effort to fit this race into the yearly calendar if we continue to holiday in West Cork – maybe we can organise a Sportsworld weekend away some time in Killarney to show off the red and white singlets – it’s a great destination!

 

Dublin Nightrun Parkwest 5k 10k 2022

Report by Deirdre O’Connell
Tuesday 26 th July 2022

A lovely mild, bright summer evening, for the Night run, with a fine SW bunch for the West Dublin race.

I did the 10k here a few years ago when I worked in Parkwest. Back then it had a September date on the diary so it was actually a Nightrun. Parkwest has changed since and a pandemic hasn’t helped, plenty of businesses are long gone including my old gym and the cafe. Parkwest looks nicer before dark too, so a new July date suited everyone.

I was back this time for the 5k, which is the full race route; the 10k does it twice. There were some club runners about, but mostly it was groups of work colleagues and fun runners, and a big, lively gang from nearby Cherry Orchard.

Overall it’s a moderately fast course, long flats through the business park and along the lovely Canal banks, with a couple of slight uphills, footpath links, and some twists and a dead turn, along the way. I like the Canal part, it’s pretty and scenic, and it’s nice to see the same delinquent, swimming, teenagers under the bridge supporting as only they can!

Paul, Anthony and Declan finished with strong runs and we were all pleased. Stephan too, he was running/pacing a couple of work colleagues who were very happy with their times. I was the second lady home, a nice surprise on the home straight when I saw the lady in front of me go for the second loop! Despite an ever so slightly long course, I was very happy with my PB time which edges me ever closer to my lie goal of subbing 20 minutes for 5k.

The same organisers are running the “3/4 Marathon / Half / 10k” in Clondalkin on Sunday 9 th October and the Sandymount Nightrun 5K / 10k on Tuesday 25 th October.

10K
14 Paul HAMILTON 00:39:12 00:39:13 143 M M40
28 Anthony GILLEN 00:41:34 00:41:35 460 M MS

5K
18 Deirdre O’CONNELL 00:20:29 00:20:30 5180 F F40
23 Declan BRADY 00:20:59 00:21:01 5466 M MS
27 Stephan DE VRIES 00:21:04 00:22:01 5057 M MS

Results here

Final 10Km July 2022

The second event in the Dublin Marathon Race series took place in Fingal on Sunday morning in hot conditions with a great club presence at the event. The race started on Swords Main St before a turn down the Swords Bypass roundabouts. The first half was downhill before we turned off the bypass and around through the country lanes at Balhery with a gradual climb back to Main Street Swords for the finish on a lovely route.

The race was extremely well organised. It was very clear to all concerned that the weather conditions would be a factor on the day and there was a bit of nervousness that was palpable both in the warm up areas and the pen prior to the start.

News began to spread that a second water station had been added. In addition, the Dublin Fire Brigade had no less than 3 engines out with hoses to spray us down along the route. The good people of Swords were also inspired by the Fire Brigade with a garden hose or two being sprayed out of front gardens onto the route for runners to run through. The hydration stations were also help, although the vessel for consumption was a cup instead of a bottle – which is great for sustainability but bad for hydration as we all know about 95% of each cup ends up on your face. I did think at one point during the race that there might be a market for someone to travel around running clubs to teach runners how to drink out of paper cups while running. Any club entrepreneurs can have that idea for free Terms and conditions apply.

I was happy with my own run and I got around the time I was hoping to run – I was unsure about the approach  as a 10k race is relatively new territory for me aside from the Leinster Senior Cross Country race last autumn. I met my pal Ciaran in the start area prior to the gun and we decided to run together. However, after about 6k he dropped me and I spent the rest of the race trying not to let his group out of my sights.  Once again my pacing was all over the shop; heading out far too quick as usual and having to hang on for the last few km. “A masterclass in how not to pace” Ciaran described my run to me afterwards. I think learning to pace my races is something high up my list of priorities.

There were some fantastic runs from Sportsworlders with 4 club members getting top 5 finishes in their categories and several PBs also clocked despite the conditions. There was a good gang gathering in the shade afterwards for the post-mortem before we all went our separate ways into the sun to enjoy the rest of our Sundays. Full list of club times below.