Report by Emmet Wardell

Here we go – not counting parkruns – my first 5km race proper. How fast can I go? After all the Sportsworld supervised pain I have put myself through this last 12 months, surely under 20 minutes. Maybe even under 19! Sure I guess all going to plan sub 18.30 might even be possible?!

Before we begin – the Bob Heffernan 5km isn’t one of the fastest 5km races in the country. Apparently, it is THE fastest 5km race in the country! “Why is it so fast?” I ask a fella in even shorter shorts than I as we huddle under a tree to shelter from the rain 30 minutes before the race. “It’s just fekkin fast” he replies, “but ya still have to run the thing” he quickly adds.

Great, that’s that cleared up then.

I have learned that I really do not enjoy the last few hours before a race and in fact, I get overcome with an emotion that can only be described as utter dread. On Tuesday, I developed a crik in my neck, my hamstrings were tight and an hour before the race I started to genuinely doubt whether I could run 5km at all such was the negative mind-set I had adopted! Upon reflection, I guess it was probably worse for my mate who I was running with who had to put up with my incessant moaning.

The event starts and finished around the town of Johnstownbridge, starting on main-ish road but before swinging left onto a more country road. The race was chip timed but with a gun-start, meaning a chaotic start to proceedings. “If yas don’t get back behind that line there’ll be no race at all” the race-starter repeatedly roars – the kind of line you’d more likely hear queueing for a gig or something I thought to myself. The fella was clearly enjoying his time with the microphone. Bless him.

So after plenty of scrumming about and a final bit of moaning on my behalf, we eventually got going. Last year there was about 350 runners and something like 200 ran under 20 minutes with many running it much much faster. As result I was well back from the front when we got going and it was a few seconds before I crossed the start line after the gun went (as a result please feel free to take 3-4 seconds of my official time below!).

Post Race Reporter Emmet

So we were off. The man with the microphone looked almost distraught that his moment was over as we tore by him in a sea of neon. I soon felt similar emotions as after 100 or so metres I looked up and the leaders were already a similar distance ahead of me! Plough on I told myself, sure I had about 8 pints on Saturday evening, how would you be keeping up with them lads (note – feel free to knock a further few seconds off my time to allow for the Saturday night pints here).

In short, the race went a little like as follows:

Km 1, 3:50 – meant to start off faster than that. 3:40 was the plan – must kick on!

Km 2, 3:37 – that’s better, still feel pretty good too.

Km 3, 3.48 – the 3:37 second kilometre had me back on track so despite feeling ok, I was like ‘have a rest for this kilometre Emmet and see can we finish really strong’.

Km 4, 3.48 – Despite my ‘rest’ on the last kilometre was starting to feel it a little here so didn’t wanna push on too much for fear of blowing up. Was determined to finish with a burst.

Km 5, 3:40 – Pushed a little for first 400. Checked myself – all good. Went for it for the next 300. Oh god….where the hell is that finish line! The last 300m were pretty painful but got there eventually.

Official time was 18:44, so was happy enough with that. Pleased with how I managed the race and left knowing I definitely have a faster time in me – a good way to depart I guess. As ever it was great to bump into a few friendly Sportsworld faces before the race even if 50% of us weren’t wearing our club vests (Noel Lynam and Peter Knaggs made me promise I’d keep their secret safe…). Based on the pre-race chats we all came in at, or under our expected times which is great. As ever I doubt this could have been achieved without the time and input of Myles and Emily on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday mornings etc…

Despite still feeling a little aggrieved that my first AGM coincided with the first time in 30 odd years it was decided to update the club’s constitution, it is safe to say joining Sportsworld was one of the best decisions I have made in a long long time – cheers Wesley!

Next up the Ring of Beara (cycle) on Saturday week and after that, the marathon race series including maybe/possibly/probably/oh god not again – the Dublin City Marathon in October. Above all though – it is great to just be feeling fit and healthy.

Sportsworld Results

NAME (#) TIME OVERALL POS

Emmet WARDELL 00:18:44 135
Sean DONEGAN 00:19:27 173
Peter KNAGGS 00:19:47 190
Noel LYNAM 00:20:50 237

Report by Sportsworlds Caribbean Correspondent Trevor Sweeney

Photos by Holiday Trevor

So what’s it like to race in Jamaica, I hear you ask, well it’s like running in a sauna, with someone holding a heater facing towards you in full blast, you guessed it, it’s HOT. Therefore, races are usually organised early in the morning to avoid the burn factor, even though it does get hot early here, so for a white guy from Ireland, not a chance.

I decided to run only my second race in Jamaica since arriving here 7.5 months ago, I know, seems only like yesterday since I left Irish shores, aahhhh. Race starts at 6:30am, yes you read correctly, that’s morning, and for those who know me and how I could never turn up on time for training in the phoenix park at 9:30am, my making it to a race at 6:30am is truly unbelievable. But alas I dragged myself out of bed at 5:30am, not bad considering I only got to bed at 1:30am, after 6 straight days working, I know insane, just to run this 5k…..a race I actually didn’t even register for, so I had to borrow someone else’s number, who just happened to be female (F25), sure who’d have guessed  J. Wrong gender, colour, age…….yup makings of a good race.

Our female under 25 race reporter on her way to bed at 1.30am

Got a lift to the race, parked, but by the time we came back out from the car park, someone had managed to crash right into a massive light post (which to be fair was in the middle of the junction, wasn’t hard to miss, plus the sun was up so nice and bright), but alas someone still managed to cream right into it, completely totalling their brand new car in such spectacular fashion, and right in front of the cop who was actually there to steward the race…..perfect witness. Now seeing as this is 6:10am, one can only summise the driver was DUI, not that the cops mind too much, but when you total your car, it sort of draws a little unwanted attention.

So after the initial drama, we mosied on down to the start line. Not that this initial drama was to be outdone, but then again this is Jamaica. It was the law enforcement torch run, and needless to say in a country where guns are a little easier to come by, a torch was brought out to mark the occasion…..but only after the army decided to do their drills, just before the race chanting something like it was out of platoon (“I don’t know what you’ve been told…….”). Not sure Emily would be encouraging that sort of race prep!!!!

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6:30am arrives and in true Jamaican fashion, there was no sign of the race starting (could have stayed that extra 10mins in bed). The warm ups begin though in earnest and twenty mins later everyone decides to head for the start line. Mindful of the fact that people here think they should be up the front even if they’re only walking the 5km, I was already at the start line, keeping me spot (got caught in my first race having to traverse through 10,000 people in order to get across the start line, even having to avoid one lady who stopped dead, after only running a few feet, so as to take a phone call, WHAT, “ya man, I’m in a race”)

Race finally kicks off, and the initial flurry occurs as people race out through the narrowest of gates onto the main road, with luckily no one getting crushed, miracle. I start off at a steady pace, thinking best to ease into it, but mindful that you need to watch the person in front, cause you’ve got to watch out for the unexpected, like stopping when you’re running directly behind them just so as to straighten their knee support!!!!! Come on, pull over. Plus you get to enjoy watching some of the more unusual running gear people wouldn’t be known to wear in a race back home, like someone running in flip flops for instance, hats off to that lady, she actually finished the race.

I get into the flow and start passing a few, here we go I thought. Moving nicely along but can’t judge how it’s going yet as no km markers to be seen. Came to the first water station and there’s a marker saying 3k to go….now that’s not unusual, but it sort of is when you feel like you’ve run a lot further than 2km, and to be sure, when you check your watch, you have indeed covered more than 2k. In Jamaica they like to stretch out the first few km’s (so you’ve probably done 2.5km) and then shorten the last few, to kind of motivate you into thinking that you’re flying to the finish line…..hmmm, not sure I’m in total agreement with that philosophy. Another thing you’ll notice here is that you’ll see people pulling up, who are actually probably good runners, but they’re just not used to running more than 400mtrs. Ah Asafa.

So there I am getting through the km’s, and yes the last two are more like 1.5k……catching a few people (bet you’re proud of me Emily J) but as I get past this guy, we’re coming up to a corner and the guy pushes on past me. No problem I thought, I know there is about 100mtrs to go after the corner (cause it’s a 5km race, right), so I’m readying myself to blast past him to the finish line once around the bend…..yea right.

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That’s another thing you learn about races in Jamaica, you’ll never actually run a race that covers the true distance it’s supposed to be. Some are shorter, some are longer, but they will never be the distance you entered for. They decided to put the finish line directly around the corner, I mean you turn the corner and there it is…..100mtr dash dream destroyed, he got across the line just ahead of me by 1 second…..ggrrrrr. But no harm, I finished in a respectable 18:17mins, which in this heat here, that’s okay. 14^th overall, F25 category, first lady cross the line (and before you ask, no I didn’t go up to collect my prize).

Holiday Trevor in Lanzarote

Race over, time to chat to the other runners….whom in fairness are the friendliest you’ll meet anywhere. Well, that’s a little flava of what it’s like to run a race in Jamaica, ya man. Home to bed, cause it’s only 7:30am J.

Report by Padraig Moorehouse