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European Masters Indoors 2016

Report and photos by Ann Keenan.

It is a long destination to get to Ancona with a flight of two and half hours to Rome followed by a bus ride for another hour. A train journey for four hours and finally a taxi to our hotel. Needles to say by the time we arrived the hunger had set in along with a quench of been in a desert and of course very tired.

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But I guess while it was hard to get to Italy it was even harder for Martin to make it to the start line. While most runners understand hard work dedication tears and sweat to run a fast road race, cross country or even a marathon; however a 1500 meters is different and seems even harder.

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Race Reporter Ann Keenan with Martin in Italy!

The question “why” might arise in your thoughts when reading this especially to the person who hasn’t run a track race. Well I believe because its running “guts out nonstop “until you reach the finish line. There is no place to hide; you are very exposed to those watching the race. There is no easing up; it requires a special kind of focus determination and to be able to sustain the pain which will test your vo2 max to the limit.

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To be able to do this requires a lot of training, speed work to get muscle memory working in your body and to be fit and fast enough to get you around the track and to be able to stay with the other competitors and if good enough aim to win or be in the top three in the race. Last year Martin wanted to return to the track and only God and himself knows why. As a youth he was well able to compete and ran solid times for the 800 meters his fastest was 2 minutes 2 seconds at age 18 years of age.

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He certainly made an Impression with his fast kick over two hundred meters. My dad always said he had good talent for the track. He could have ran faster times if he had stuck to it. But one day Martin had a new plan and surprised all our family to tell us that he was given up running to play football. He wanted a team sport so joined Rathgar United. While he turned out to be a good footballer and I did go support him even then screaming from the side lines. Today it’s still hard to believe that he has got himself back into shape to compete in the Europeans masters in just a year.

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This new dream arose from finishing third in the national masters indoors and second in the outdoors 1500 meters He then made the decision to go to Ancona. However it wasn’t all plain sailing as he got injured twice and I believe it’s from wear and tear on a body pushed to its limits over the years. But he never gave up on his dream competing in the Europeans and kept going nursing his injuries thankfully made it to Ancona. He was proud to represent club and country and is always happy to give something back to Emily Dowling for all her hard work with sportsworld over the years and who we all know is an inspiration to all athletes.

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Martin was aware of the calibre of athletes that he faced in battle in this Europeans championships and although looking forward to the race he knew he had a tough task ahead of himself. Before the heats he was walking outside the stadium to begin his warm up when he spoke to another Irish athlete who told him that it might be a straight final. Martin then went to the official area to find out if this might be true and it was confirmed that there would be no heats. Martin was disappointed as he was all mentally prepared to race. So we went back to the hotel and the build up began again getting ready for the Final the next day.

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Martin waiting to go with Emilys Nephew Paul Flemming (1478), a regular on the annual Lanzarote Trip

Martin knew he was in good shape thanks to Myles Nugent his mentor and coach and the hard work on those winter cold nights was hopefully going to pay off in the final. The following day we returned to the stadium. There was two races for his 1500 Meters and Martin was in series one and he gave it his all. The first lap the Italian was in front followed closely by the Belgian runner and Martin. As the lap progressed the Belgian runner moved to the lead and again closely followed by the Italian and Martin. When the bell sounded Martin and the Italian battled it out with the Italian edging ahead at the finish line. Martin was happy to finish third in his race series finishing in a time of 4 minutes 42 secs a seasons best (and 1 sec off his indoor PB).

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These races were all about times and how fast could each athlete run in each series. Following Martins race series two blasted out and the winner was from Spain in a time of 4 minutes 17 seconds. The result overall put Martin in 12th place and he felt this was an achievement in a very strong field of athletes.

We all felt happy and proud to be part of something very special. I especially felt proud of my brother who is very dedicated to the sport we all love. I know our Dad, coach Mick Keenan RIP, would have been delighted with Martins performance and no doubt very proud of him as much as everyone is.

Ann, 3rd April 2016

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Wicklow Way Ultra Marathon 2016

Report by Ronan Murray

To see Ronans great GoPro video of the event: Click Here

In Mid February myself and Shay Brady completed the Donadea 50K. Afterwards we decided we wanted another challenge, so we signed up for the Wicklow Way Ultra Marathon. Six weeks later we were back on the start line for a very long days running.

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We lined up to start at about 8.30 on a very cold Saturday morning with another 200 or so runners. The route took us on road for 1 mile before the climbing began. We went up what seemed an endless range of hills and mountains , passing Prince Williams seat and down into Crone carpark to the first water/aid station about 1.5hrs in.

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From there we went over the top of the powerscourt waterfalls , over Maulin and then it was time to tackle Djouce , the biggest climb of the day. From there it was a nice few miles downhill to the halfway point  where the race marshals tried to stop me because I was limping from a sprain I picked up earlier ( No chance).

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After some much needed food we set off back to where we started. This time we had to climb Djouce with 4.5hrs of running on our legs. It seemed endless. On the way down Shay fell while moving fast on a gressy stretch , then he fell again. I thought this was hilarious until I fell , then again , then again.

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Eventually a woman picked me up and I was off again.We got into the last aid station about 5.5hrs into the run and refuelled to the finish , we had 8 tough miles to go and both of us were on dead legs.

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Again the race marshalls suggested I stop due to my limp but then a guy with a bad cut came in and while they focused on him we were off. Before we knew it we were on the final downhill , all that remained was the final road section and eventually the finish line. 

Job done , mug received and it was time for the pub. Big congratulations to Sportsworlds Eoin Keith who also raced and had a fantastic run to finish 7th overall!

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In Summary – It was a well run super tough event and I couldn’t do stairs for three days, but would I do it again——- Damn right I would

Sportsworld Results:

7 Eoin Keith 4:34:19
145 Shay Brady 7:02:42
146 Ronan Murray 7:02:42

Irish mountain running website: IMRA

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Wrightsville Beach Marathon 2016

Report by (marathon winner) Gavin Finlay

Wrightsville Beach Marathon, 20 March 2016.

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

On Monday 21 March, less than 36 hours after the Wrightsville Beach marathon, something terrifying happened. I could not run. Conor, my tyrannical two year old, was edging closer to the main road beside our local playground, Oval Park (Yes, it’s egg shaped).  I hobbled as best I could to catch him, my quads refusing to comply. At that moment I cursed the marathon, distance running, the sacrifices and all the bloody training. The post-race high I’d been surfing since running the marathon in 2:30:58 the previous day, dissolved. I imagined the news headlines: ‘Local Irish man, too stiff after his marathon exertions, fails to rescue his son!’ Fortunately, in the end, he hesitated at the park’s edge and I managed to grab him. Limping, like a wooden marionette marathoner.

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If the art of living is the art of avoiding suffering, why do we run? Why do we run marathons? Let’s not mince words, distance running is hard. Running, let alone racing, a marathon is damn hard. Yet millions of us voluntarily embrace this suffering. We’re strange, us humans. But, of course, it is worth it every time. That meditative ‘flow’ mid-race, resilience in the face of pain, and the sense of achievement are essential to living the good life. Oh, who knows? What I do know is that I’m glad distance running is part of my life, even though I hated the training sometimes. Like doing a brutal 15 miler medium-long run alone on a cold Tuesday night. Or a dreaded 7 mile tempo on my own. But it is worth it every time.

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Race reporter Gavin leading the race!

To the race itself. This was the first marathon I’ve ran outside my native Dublin city. It was also a first for getting a shuttle to the start. At the ungodly hour of 6am I might add. In darkness.  But it was also the first time I truly felt prepared and psyched to really race it. Pre-race prep didn’t really go smoothly. I awoke at 4am to scoff a bagel and jam. Back to sleep until 5am. Up, shower, stretch, beetroot juice, coffee, read my book, last-minute lace revision, and drove a comb across my beard (not my hair). Jogged over to the shuttle from the hotel expecting to board straightaway. Balls. Enormous queue. Panic. At one point I even considered running the few miles to the start line. It worked out fine though.

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It was dark and cold for the 6:40am start which to be honest left me a bit tense. A few strides to stay warm. I downed a caffeine-fueled energy gel (perfomance-enhancer?) at the start line while chatting to a few (sub)elite half-marathoners. They were going out at 5:20-30 pace so I decided I could tuck in around 50m behind them for the first few miles. As all marathoners know, it’s vital to remain disciplined for the first half. I realised early on that I would be racing out front on my own – unchartered waters for me. On the one hand, I thought, ‘wow I could actually win this’. On the other, ‘okay, this is gonna be really tough. Thankfully, I ran with a 1:15 half-marathoner for a few miles which helped me relax. While having a conversation wasn’t part of my race strategy, such that it was, we chatted cordially about goals etc.; and how he had ran and loved the Dublin marathon; and the St. Patrick’s 5k, one of my favourite hometown road races. Serendipity, we never knew thee.

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As we approached the long commercial thoroughfare, the brilliantly named ‘Military Cut Off Road’, (a reference to the Revolutionary War or the US Civil War? No, World War II apparently –  why am I disappointed by that?), I reminisced about home and the British military road that slices through the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains, constructed in the counter-revolutionary aftermath of the 1798 rebellion. That thought quickly evaporated as I refocused on hitting and maintaining 5:40-5 pace in that moment. The only moment. Hard for a wannabe historian I assure you!

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There was fabulous support here from the Wrightsville locals, with endless shouts of ‘awesome job’ (‘awesome’? Awe-inspiring? Really? We’re just running. Calm down. I think this word has been so diluted and has lost all meaning in the United States), ‘good job’ and ‘looking strong’. And then I heard my toddler screaming. My wife and kids were on this stretch which gave a nice boost at around mile 4.

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I became isolated at this point but, it was here where I met the ‘leader cyclist’. Considering the headwind I was facing I tucked in behind him for the remainder, if I could. I even ended up striking up conversation with him, which turned down the volume on any negative thoughts that would surely have arisen otherwise.  I now count him as a friend.

The route took a turn for the swanky and opulent. It snaked its way through an upmarket neighbourhood called Landfall at mile 7 that reminded me of Game of Thrones for some reason.  There was good support from the residents – including families out in their pyjamas, dogs barking their approval, and what appeared to be hungover college wrestler meatheads. Check the watch: 5:40 pace and feeling comfortable.  Ease up and do not hit the halfway mark faster than 1:15, I reminded myself. The plan was to run a 1:15-16 first half, and then a negative split of 1:14-15. Paul Duffy’s Sportsworld marathon record could have fallen and there were moments when I did believe that. It’s funny because when I started the 18 week training plan back in November, I was targeting a 2:34 at best. However, by the time race-day arrived I felt confident I could run a low 2:30s, and perhaps even dip under. Alas, it was not to be this time. Make no mistake, this was a pancake-flat course and so the opportunity was there to clock a fast time. That said, it was relentlessly bendy in parts, and a better runner would have ‘ran the tangents’ with greater economy. Also, running alone from the gun wasn’t ideal for a relative novice like myself. But it was a wonderful experience I will learn from, and a memory I’ll cherish.

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Mercifully, there was no train-wreck in the latter stages. No catastrophic “bonking”. I was confident that my training and approach would inoculate me from those horrors. But of course, no matter how well you’ve trained, anything can happen on race day. I did slow down slightly around mile 18-20 but nothing too damaging overall, as I think I banked a few quick miles earlier on. After I swigged a gel, and knowing I was into the last 10k, I picked it up. The perceived effort was certainly harder, but all those long runs (and squats) paid dividends here and I stayed strong. I did wobble a bit mentally when I realised sub-2:30 was out of reach but the small crowds through the university campus section (UNC-Wilmington) provided much appreciated support. Still, I was happy with how I handled the distance and, more importantly, the pace. Those 5:50-55 miles brought my average pace down and, time doesn’t lie. Well, maybe it does because my watch got me at 2:30:58 while my official chip was 2:31:00. Anyway:) I crossed the line in 1st place, exhausted yet exhilarated.

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Running and training for a marathon can be fundamentally solitary pursuits. Though I do like the solitude and self-responsibility it demands. Nevertheless, I’d like to thank Alan, Gene and Robert for their company and support over the last several months. Friendship and camaraderie helps a great deal.  And Jason and the crew at Bull City Track Club for making me feel welcome here in Durham. My eternal gratitude to Emily and Myles, and the lads back in Sportsworld Terenure. The fitness and endurance to race this marathon was forged not just on the trails of Durham, but also back home on the streets of Dublin with you.

Gavin

Splits (unusual mile splits given on their website!)
Mile 3.3: 00:18:55 00:05:44
Mile 11.8: 01:07:08 00:05:42
Mile 15.8 01:30:54 00:05:46
Mile 20.5 01:58:51 00:05:48
Finish Mile 26.2 02:31:00 00:05:46

Conor Keating

A great meet the runner this week with Conor Keating! Only a recent convert to running, Conor has already amassed a string of impressive PBs, footballs loss is Sportsworld gain!

When did you join Sportsworld?
In January 2014 shortly after I started working in Dublin. I had never really done much running to that point, apart from a bit of shorter distance, as I had played soccer for a number of years with local teams in Tipperary and college teams with UCC. When I came to Dublin, I thought it was a bit late in the soccer season to join a team so I decided I would give running a go just for a few months…

Where do you work?
I work as a trainee accountant with Crowe Horwath in Grand Canal Dock.

What is your favourite club session?
I like the Terenure lap session along with the 6-8 sprints. The lap has a good mix of downhill and uphill and I enjoy the short sprinting.

What is your favorite race distance?
I feel I’m best at either the short distance track races, like 800 metres, or else a half-marathon in terms of longer distance. I feel I have good stamina and sprinting ability but maybe not the speed over a longer distance so I prefer something shorter races. I also like to build into a longer race and I find 5k and 10k is a bit hectic early on.

What is your favorite meal before a big race?
I just make sure to get a good breakfast of cereal and milk and then maybe a ham sandwich an hour or two before the race depending on when the race is on.

My Favourite place to train/compete is?
Bushy Park is a great place to run and I also enjoy the track sessions, with the club, on the track in Tallaght.

I go home to Tipperary a lot of weekends and I don’t mind doing some sessions there by myself as there is a lot of good places to run close by. Our garden is about 60 metres long so if I don’t have much time I can go there to practice a few short sprints or run up and down it a few times. Just up from my house there is a side road, which is a Cul-de-sac. It is about 3k up and back which is perfect for a fartlek session or a 25 min jog if I go up and down a few times. There is a nice 80 metre hill up to the village which is ideal for a good hill session. In the village itself there is a community field where I can get my spikes on and do cross country sessions.

Finally I live just up the road from the ‘old’ road to Dublin (a newer road was built a few years ago) which doesn’t have too much traffic and a big hard shoulder. Naturally you can run as far as you like on this road and I used this for some of my long runs when training for the 2014 Dublin Marathon. All I need now is a running track! I live in Two-Mile-Borris so I might ask them to build one when we get our Super Casino, Replica of the White house and horse race track. [P.S: We don’t think the Casino (Irish legislation forbids Las Vegas style casinos or White House, though we still might get the new race track – the horse race track that is).

What is your target for the next year?
Run Straighter! I have a bit of an awkward running style where I lean off to the left a bit and I can throw my right leg a bit out to the side at times. The legs can feel a bit sore sometimes because of this and I reckon I’m wasting a lot of energy doing this so I am currently trying to correct this with the help of Michael O’Grady and Caitriona O’Kelly who both have given me exercises to work on.

In terms of racing targets I want to focus, for the next couple of months, on the track races so I plan to enter the graded track races on Wednesday nights. You can pay reduced overall fee to enter all 8 of the meetings so I might do that and try to make as many as I can. I would like to have a few goes at the 800 metres and see how close to 2 minutes I can get and also try the 1500 metres.

What is your best Sportsworld memory?
My best Sportsworld memory is running my first track race in June 2014. I had done well in a few Saturday morning track training sessions so I was encouraged by Emily and Myles into coming along to a graded track on in Irishtown stadium on the a Wednesday night to do an 800 metre race. I remember there was a few of us doing the 800 metre that night; Gareth was doing the B race and Michael, Will (and someone else, sorry!) were doing the C race. Emily was also there to encourage us.

I had originally entered the C race on the online registration but when I turned up on the night, in the knowledge that I had ran on a track about 3 times and couldn’t remember the last time I watched an 800 metre race, I decided to take the easier option of doing the D race (basically I didn’t want to trail home in last place. I didn’t realize that you’re supposed to run with spikes on a running track! I ran the race in normal running shoes (about twice as big as what everyone else racing was wearing) but the race went surprisingly well as I finished 2nd in 2 mins 14 secs.

My best overall running memory would have to be when I did my first ever road race, about 2 months after joining the club, in Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny in February 2014. I finished just behind Sonia O’Sullivan in the race, and as there was a big long straight at the end, I managed to catch some of the applause as I crossed the finishing line. I also got the above photo taken with her at the end which was pretty cool.

What international events have you ran?
I haven’t ran any international events yet but I would like to give the Great North Run a go in Newcastle some time.

What do you like doing when you don’t run?
A lot of my time has been taken up going to lectures and studying for accountancy exams recently! Besides that I like going to the movies, watching sport (especially rugby and hurling; not soccer – I like playing soccer but soccer is hard to watch compared to the last two.) and going out for meals etc. with friends and family. I also enjoy travel and I have just returned from a trip to Madrid.

How/When did you start your adventure with running?
As mentioned above I joined Sportsworld when I just moved to Dublin in 2014 and thought I would only do it for a few months before the new soccer season started but after the buzz associated with the race in Mount Juliet I got the sense that running might be for me.

Another funny thing is that I think I joined Sportsworld as it was the first running club I found when browsing the Internet, I’m sure I didn’t put much thought into what club I would join. No actually I definitely didn’t as though Bushy Park is about 30 mins from my office on the bus, I was actually living in Glasnevin (what?!) when I joined. Thankfully, at the time, the number 9 bus goes from Terenure Road West right up to nearly the door of my then accommodation in Glasnevin. Gladly I now live just up the road from Bushy Park these days. I can go home after work on Tuesday and Thursday and then it is only less than a 10 min jog to training.

Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
Most of these are fairly default PBs as I haven’t run any more than 2 of these races apart from the 10k.
My PBs would be;
5K – 18 mins 14 secs
10k – 38 mins 32 secs
5 mile – 30 mins 59 secs
10 mile – 66 mins 10 secs [Frank Duffy 10 Mile 2014 – I’m fairly sure I broke my 10k PB in this race because, for once, I tried to go hard from the start in this race and this lasted until 7.5 miles when I blew up (getting a stitch) before having to trot the rest of the way to the finishing line (a harsh lesson learnt that day).
½ Marathon – 1 hour 27 mins
Marathon – 3 hours 33mins 46 secs (this particularly PB is likely to last for years)

I have only done one race on the track so far – the aforementioned 800 in 2 mins 14 secs.
Plan is to get proper track spikes and try to set some solid track PBs this year.

How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
I try to get out 5/6 days a week between the club sessions, running home from work (It’s about 5.5kms) and running at home at the weekends. I’m not too sure about the mileage, but at the moment it is mostly shorter distance stuff to try to prepare for the track season. I’m not a big fan of keeping track of exact mileage, pace, heart rate at training and prefer just to do it on feel. I don’t generally wear a watch either at training or in races as I find it a bit off-putting.

What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
Being part of a running club is great to meet new people and for your physical and mental wellbeing.

What made you join a Running Club?
Following on from the above I was just looking for something to keep me busy when I came to Dublin, I hadn’t taken running anyway seriously before that – Though I had a half decent level of fitness from the soccer I had played previously.

What was your first day at the Club like?
The first time I came to the Club I wasn’t sure of the way and I didn’t get there in time for training after asking a few people. Everyone was already gone out and I just met Paddy who gave me the run down on the club and I told him I would be back next week.

The following week I did actually make it down for training and Paddy introduced me to Emily who was very welcoming and encouraging in the session itself which I appreciated. The session was my favourite session, (Terenure lap plus sprints) and I got on OK. A few people started talking to me, which was nice, and I have gradually met other people in the club through training, races and the club nights out.

Why is running important to you?
As well as the physical and mental benefits, running helped to keep me sane last year when I successfully completed my final exams in Chartered Accountancy. I was very busy with work, lectures and study but still managed to come down to the club on either Tuesday or Thursday as well as doing some other running which helped to keep me fresh and motivated.
I’ve signed up to do my Tax final exams this summer but I still should have time to do some of the track races and some other training.

Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
I’m looking forward to the new talks after training on stretching etc. I would also like to see more advice re. tailoring your training to prepare for certain types of races like track races, rather than just one general training schedule in the club.

Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
Obviously Emily and Myles are very generous with their time in training us and giving us advice. It’s a very friendly club and I have picked up a lot of tips from other members. It’s great that the club enters a lot of teams in cross country/road races which is great for camaraderie and for pushing you on. Trying to see if I can get closer to the faster lads and girls (It’s definitely necessary to put this in given the results of certain races) in the club also motivates me to improve.

Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I still play 5 a side soccer in Irishtown stadium with the lads in the office after work sometimes; as long as we can get enough people depending on who is out on Audit, has lectures, exams to study for etc. It can get a bit competitive sometimes, as you can imagine, so I hope I don’t end up doing a Rory McIlroy on it!

Leinster 10 mile Championship 2016 – Battle of Clontarf

Race report by Michael Cunningham

Photos by Aoife O’Leary. Full Gallery: Click here

On Bank Holiday Monday 29th of March Sportsworld runners travelled to St Annes Park Raheny to take part in the Leinster 10 mile championship also known as the Battle of Clontarf 10mile.

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Race reporter Michael dreaming of an electronic weighing scale jug – read on 

As people greeted each other at the Red Stable car park, as we got out of our heated cars, we all suddenly realised it was not summer and only March and it was cold, very cold. But the sun was shining and it was not raining and the 1916 rising weekend told us just to suck it up.

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Team photo before the race

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Team photo after the race

St Anne’s Park is huge and if you do go to run there for a cross country race or road race leave a trail of bread crumbs when you are doing your warm up as runners have been known to get lost. Most were found. The 10 mile race is a two lap course which takes you down the main straight, through woods, down beside the coast road, past the country course (still repairing itself) and back to the main straight.

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There is a nasty horrible detour at the end of the second lap which fools you into thinking you are just at the finish line but then takes you on a 500m detour, character building stuff. All the junctions and turns were well stewarded by Raheny and with Lucy on the timing the results were out quick.

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The course was fair enough will only a small climb on each lap but something about the race had everyone in pain. Maybe it was excess Easter eggs at the weekend. I don’t eat chocolate myself much. Maybe it was the unexpected cold weather. One Sportsworld member said he felt like crying at the half way. It was Eoin O’Brien.

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There were a number of medals won by Sportsworld, actually it was just the Sportsworld women who won Leinster medals. Stephen Willoughy says the Mens O/50 got the bronze team prize but its unconfirmed and I only publish facts in my race reports. Naoise suffered on during the race with a hip injury to get the women the 3rd place team medal. Below is an artists impression of the hip surgery she will probably have to have now.

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Sportsworld Awards:

  • 3rd Womens Team – Ruth Kelly, Caoimhe Costigan, Naoise Waldron.
  • Ruth Kelly  4th overall.
  • Eileen Rowland won her age category.
  • Audrai O’Driscoll came third in her age category.
  • Ellen Lavin came third in her age category.
  • The womens O/50 team also won gold.
  • The mens O/50 team won bronze.

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Actually photo of the freezing cold prize giving

On a sad note a number of the women won electronic weighing scale jugs perfect for baking but they were at a loss to know what there function was. They were also oblivious to the looks of envy from myself and Eoin O’Brien already deep in planning for this years cake sale. Sad times. 

Sportsworld results:

Michael CUNNINGHAM 01:03:09
Derek SAVILLE 01:05:12
Ruth KELLY 01:06:03
Caoimhe COSTIGAN 01:09:58
Stephen WILLOUGHBY 01:15:06
Eoin O’BRIEN 01:16:25
Naoise WALDRON 01:17:13
Eileen ROWLAND 01:18:43
Paul CASSIDY 01:19:32
Catherine GILMORE 01:21:59
Emma BARRY 01:22:12
Ellen LAVIN 01:24:06
Audrai O’DRISCOLL 01:30:35
Sean O’BYRNE 01:31:04

Visit myrunresults.com for full results: Click here

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The 5 mile Good Friday Run – Killarney 2016

Race Report by Noreen Brouder

On Good Friday Helen and I decided to go for a 5 mile trot around Killarney. On arrival in Killarney we encountered a couple of familiar faces; Lucy was timing the race and Paul O’ Connell was also running. Myself and Helen completed our warm up and tried to ignore our Garmins telling us we needed 23 hours recovery after the warm up! We lined up at the start line outside the Plaza Hotel with the other 400 + runners and off we went.

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Race reporter Noreen (38) followed by her sister Helen (39)!

We ran up along Missionary Road and then turned left into the National Park. Much of the race was through the Park with marshals at each turn to confirm we were heading in the right direction and offering words of encouragement. The race brought us down by the lake shore and then out on to Ross Road for a bit before back into the park for the final push. The last 700m was on a narrow path with lots of support around to make sure you pushed on through to the finish line.

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The race was very well organized with a very friendly and lively atmosphere. All participants receiving a locally made hand crafted egg cup and a chocolate Easter egg. Afterwards back at race HQ there was copious amounts of tea, coffee with trays of sandwiches and donuts provided by Petit Delice.

The race was won by Stephen Young from Leevale AC and first lady past the post was DSD’s Laura Shaughnessy.

Sportsworld results:
6 Paul O’CONNELL 00:28:28
20 Helen BROUDER 00:30:48 – 2nd Senior Female
22 Noreen BROUDER 00:31:12 – 3rd Senior Female

Full results: myrunresults.com

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The Good Run 5km 2016

Report by Aoife O’Leary
Photos by Gemma White and Dave Clarke.
The Good Run 5km & 2.5Km races took place on Good Friday in the fabulous St Anne’s Park, Raheny.  All proceeds raised from the event goes to the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) and Project MiniE (a research group dedicated to discovering the cause of MND to enable treatment to be developed).
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Race reporter Aoife on pacing duty!
A large group of Sportsworld athletes attended this event on a beautifully sunny and warm morning where running conditions couldn’t have been more perfect.  A huge crowd of almost 1,000 took to the start line at 11am where the feel good atmosphere was infectious with all participants out supporting a really important cause that is close to many Irish people’s hearts. 
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The course we completed will be familiar to anyone who has participated in the St Anne’s parkrun except that it was run in reverse. It’s events like these on a perfect spring morning that makes you appreciate the joy that running and good health brings. 
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Catherine on her way to 2nd place!
Catherine Bambrick had a fantastic run to finish an excellent second to Olympian Maria McCambridge, running close to 18mins.  Other participants included (and apologies if I have missed anyone)
Audrai O’Driscoll
Eileen Rowland
Will Greensmyth
Eoin O’Brien
Jean Wilson
Naoise Waldron
Catherine Mulleady
Crona Brady
Stephen Willoughby
Conor Kenny
Claire Rowley
Sandra Kelly
Derrick Long
Deirdre
Maria Finnegan
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On behalf of the organisers I just want to say thanks so much to everyone who came out to support the race and cause. It was brilliant to see such a great turn out in the red and white! Also special thanks to Margaret Crowley who so generously made a donation to the IMNDA as she couldn’t make the race.  It’s very much appreciated.
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Thanks to the photographers Dave and Gemma who seemed to be at every corner 🙂
Many of the Sportsworld runners will return to the park on Sunday for the Leinster 10mile road race championships so this was a great warm up. Best of luck to all competing!
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Lisbon Mini Marathon 2016

Report by Crona Brady

Aoife and I took a city break to Lisbon for a few days and a break wouldn’t be a break without a race thrown in! So we toed the line with 35,000 others to take part in the Vodafone mini marathon which coincided with the Lisbon half marathon on Sunday 20th March.

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The race started at the start of the 25th of April Bridge and continued across the bridge ending in the popular tourist suburb of Belem. The sun came out, the views were amazing so much so that we took some photographs en route! Running is a great way to get to know a city and taking part in an event so big was extra special.

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Action shot by Aoife of race reporter Crona!

We jogged along side runners of all ages, the atmosphere was electric and added benefit was that we got to see the half marathon runners for the last two k of the course (which split in two with the half marathoners going around for another lap).

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Running into the finish we were greeted with bananas and magnums, a random combination but a very welcome treat after 8ks of running.  In the goody bag was a magazine with a list of international fun races so we spent some time sitting on the grass enjoying the sunshine deciding on our next adventure.

Irish Runner Paced Mile – Third Night

Report by Will Greensmyth

Photos by Eoin O’Brien

The great Emil Zatopek (seriously google him J) once said “if you want to win something run 100 metres, if you want to experience something run a marathon”. I might add, if you want to feel your lungs burst out of your chest, your legs fill with lactic acid, and your eyes blur in a daze in the home straight, run a fast mile on the track.

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Emil Zatopek in action last night

With that said, well done to all ten Sportsworld runners who took part in the trial by fire that was the final Irish Runner Paced Mile event in Alsaa last night.

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I’m presuming it was down to the wonderfully documented reports from myself (from night one in January – click here) and the Editor (from night two – click here) that saw a 1000% increase in SW participation from the previous two events. That, and the outrageous value of a paced chip timed mile for €5.

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The evening commenced with 12/11/10 minute miles, followed by 9 and 8 minute miles (the latter being paced like a metronome by our own Stephen Willoughby). After that, it was time for the first Sportsworld runners to enter the 1609 metre and 34 centimetre fray with Breda Browne and Catherine Gilmore both smashing the seven minute mark.

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Running in the 6.30 and 6 minute mile category, we had Val Power, Declan Brady, Margaret Crowley and Eoin O’Brien. O’Brien smashed under the six minute mark with such ease, that a request has already been lodged with the BHAA race officials to demand his elevation from Grade D to, at a minimum, Grade B for the Trinity Track Extravaganza in June. Margaret, more used to the shorter sprint races in the Gradeds, worked like a Trojan in the last lap and was just outside the six minutes while Declan and Val showed serious strength to pull through.

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In the last run of the night, Jim Browne, Karl Chatterton and myself tackled the 5.30 and 5 minute mile category. Running a mile on the track is not the easiest thing in the world to, particularly when you’re hitting the third lap. However, with lots of support and encouragement, we all came away with a good marker for judging training paces over the next few months.

Video of Karl, Will and Jim finsihing their second lap last night

There’s plans for a summer series to be held in the Phoenix Park during the summer and I think we’d all recommend it. We’re due back on the Tallaght track for Saturday morning sessions from 2 April, which are always great sessions, put a bit of zip in the legs and worth going along to for the breakfast in the cafe afterwards.

Full Results Below:

Karl Chatterton 5’02”
William Greensmyth 5’13”
Jim Browne 5’31”
Declan Brady 5’46”
Eoin O’Brien 5’48”
Margaret Crowley 6’04”
Breda Browne 6’42”
Valerie Power 6’50”
Catherine Gilmore 6’56”

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Sheila Champion

Its a special week this week with a Meet the Runner from Sportsworld legend Sheila Champion! Sheila has a string of national and international masters track and field championships to her name! She is still an active member of the club meeting her clubmates and friends each Sunday at the clubhouse. 

 

When did you join Sportsworld?

April 1983

Where do you work?

Champion Montessori School

What is your favourite club session?

Sprint Sessions

What is your favorite race distance?

Full marathon 26 miles

My Favourite place to train/compete is?

Sportsworlds Bushy Park and Santry stadium

What is your target for the next year?

Keep my feet & body over ground!!!

What is your best Sportsworld memory?

Simply meeting friends.

What international events have you ran?      

I have run the Berlin, Boston and New York marathons.

I came 3rd and 2nd in the Pole vault at the European and World Championships.

I also competed at the Javlin in the World Championships in Finland.                                                                                                        

I finished 3rd in the Steeplechase at the World Championships in Buffalo.

And I came 1st in the race walk at the European Championships in Poland.

What do you like doing when you don’t run?

I like going out for walks

How/When did you start your adventure with running?

It all started with joining Sportsworld in 1983

Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?

Apart from athletics, I was also a Leinster Champion in Tennis, Pitt & Putt and Table Tennis. I also won many Irish Championships in Table Tennis.

How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?

I AM 80!

What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?

Friends

What made you join a Running Club?

I wanted to run with other ladies at the time.

What was your first day at the Club like?

Good!

Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?

Nope!

Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?

Maebh and Jo

Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?

I play pitch & putt, I go walking and I enjoy evenings out at the theatre and dinner.

I also make use of my free bus pass with trips to Belfast, Cork and Galway!

Sportsworld 1988

Sportsworld 1988 – Shiela is in the front row – 4th from right

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