Down Syndrome Ireland Purple Run 5k

Report by Nuala O’Connor

Photos from the DSI Facebook page: Click here

For some people the start of their working day might be when they lack motivation or really need coffee. Imagine this instead…the first person you deal with every weekday morning can just about reach your door handle, he knows you’re in there because you are looking straight at him but he still knocks on the glass panel, with a big smile on his face he waves in at you and shouts “hellooo!” and waves again. Only when you call out with equal enthusiasm to say good morning and tell him to come on in do he and his classmate bundle in and sit in their favourite seats.

With this in my heart and mind everyday, I happened to see online that Down Syndrome Ireland were hosting their inaugural Purple Run in the Phoenix Park on Sunday the 20th March as part of celebrations for World Down Syndrome Day. I knew what race I would like to support. Conor had kindly sent me a message to invite me along with the Sportsworld group doing the St Patrick’s Fetsival run in the city centre but I decided my race was to be elsewhere that day.

Race Reporter Nuala O’Connor in action for Sportsworld

There was no chip timing so only my Garmin holds my time and pace data. Likewise only thanks to a marshal about half way round and the finish line announcer do I know that I was 3rd female home. There were no race prizes but I got invited to a DSI carnival the following day where my little girl and I had lots of fun. The organisation was perfect; race numbers, t-shirts, secure bag drop, first aid, toilets…everything a runner would expect but in addition there was a relaxed, friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I think I’ll do it again next year in aid of a great cause.

St Patrick’s Festival 5k 2016

Report by Sandra Kelly

Photos by Sandra Kelly, Conor Kenny and Eoin O’Brien. Full facebook album (Click here)

Full Sportsworld results below.

As I was very politely volunteered to write today’s report here goes ……

Race Reporter Sandra in action

There was a great Sportsworld turnout for the Annual St. Paddys Festival 5k race 2016. The conditions couldn’t have been better, dry, crisp, bright, little wind.

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Karol on his way to finishing 11th overall and Helen was the 5th Senior Female!

There was a real buzz in the round room of the mansion house at registration with lots of club runners coming and going! My attendance has been pretty poor in the race events this year so I decided this would be a good one to get me going and so it proved to be. I’d heard it was a relatively flat course and a good one to get a PB on so that was the aim.

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A couple of us warmed up with a lap of the outer Stephens Green loop and then more of us got together for a few obligatory strides alongside the ducks.

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The route took in Stephen’s Green, Merrion Row, Baggot St., Fitzwilliam Square, Leeson St. Bridge, Adelaide Road, Earlsfort Terrace and back to Stephen’s Green.

In my short race going career I’ve usually started conservatively, so decided to give it a bit of welly this time and as I started off relatively fast I saw Conor and Gemma up ahead and thought I’d follow them. I felt it by the 3k mark. I continued on as best I could but they were moving further away until I could just about see them in the distance.

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Eileen stopped to tie her lace at one stage and rub her leg another time yet always seemed to be ahead of me again! It was great to run around the city streets for a change rather than trekking out to the Phoenix Park and there was a great buzz around the place despite the roadwork’s on Dawson Street.

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It’s a great race to do, not too big or small and I did manage a PB of 23:45 (despite what the official results say). I’m going by my Garmin ………. Everyone did really well and there were several PBs achieved, most notably Gemma’s 22:58 which she Whats App’d me a photo of in case I got it wrong …..

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Some of us headed to Captain Americas afterwards for cheap cocktails (No alcohol was involved I promise), although I’m swigging on a glass of well deserved Red Wine as I write this …….

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We had 22 or so club runners today with fantastic results! Well done everyone ! Oh and thanks to Eoin for taking the time to come by and snap us in mid race looking the worse for wear to say the least ….. (us I mean not Eoin)

Full Sportsworld results:

11 Karol CRONIN 00:15:41
40 Karl CHATTERTON 00:16:46
51 Kevin CURRAN 00:17:07
89 Paul O’BEIRNE 00:17:58
96 Helen BROUDER 00:18:08 – 5th Senior Female
103 Conor KEATING 00:18:14
125 Will GREENSMYTH 00:18:43
130 Noel TOBIN 00:18:49 – 3rd in age category
132 Jim BROWNE 00:18:52
151 Declan BRADY 00:19:37
156 John FLAHERTY 00:19:50
214 Stephen WILLOUGHBY 00:20:46
287 Enda MCMORROW 00:22:10
288 Killian MCMORROW 00:22:11 – 2nd in age category
302 Breda BROWNE 00:22:23 – 3rd in age category
320 Claire ROWLEY 00:22:38
340 Conor KENNY 00:23:06
341 Gemma WHITE 00:23:07
360 Eileen ROWLAND 00:23:29
386 Sandra KELLY 00:23:47
459 Padraig MOOREHOUSE 00:24:46
482 Audrai O’DRISCOLL 00:25:04
609 Denis MC 00:26:52
666 Siobhan O’DRISCOLL 00:27:06

Full results: myrunresults.com

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Tralee and Larne Half Marathons 2016

Reports by Aidan Curran

I didn’t fancy doing a spring marathon this year. I had settled for doing my hometown half marathon in Tralee. Then some of my other half’s family asked if I wanted to do the Larne Half Marathon with them – and that’s how I ended up doing two half marathons in a week, at opposite ends of Ireland.

12 March – Tralee Half Marathon

Kerry is synonymous with Gaelic football, but Tralee is a town in the midst of a running boom. In just a few years, the local Run The Kingdom group have established a busy calendar of well-supported and well-organised races, with the featured event being the Tralee Marathon and Half Marathon every March.

I did the full marathon last year and really enjoyed it. Kicking down the main street of your home town, as your family cheer you on, is a thrill I’d recommend to every runner. Wanting more of the same, I decided this year to do the half.

Both the half and the full take in the scenic Tralee Bay area to the north of the town – quite a hilly area that’s subject to strong sea breezes. While the wind held off for this year’s race, the hills hadn’t magically flattened themselves. The half, like the full, starts with a steady four-mile drag out of town before rolling into the village of Ardfert, home of Irish Olympian Tom O’Riordan (father of Irish Times athletics correspondent Ian).

I had hoped to sit in on the 1:30 pace bus, but in mile 1 I found that pace a bit too much hard work, so I decided to ease off to a steady 7:15 per mile for the first section to Ardfert.

The half marathon route then turned west to take in a steep one-mile climb through the townland of Churchill around mile seven. I was still travelling steadily, and the stunning view of Tralee Bay from the summit gave me a great boost for the short downhill to follow.

Turning for home in the village of Spa (pronounced like the mineral spring) I heard a shout of ‘Up Sportsworld! which gave me another boost. Alas, the final hill just outside Tralee took its toll. My push for home in the final mile, in which I absolutely had to hold off a runner from a Cork club, was a struggle.

But I did enough to have plenty of space to enjoy the finishing straight on a park path called Neil Armstrong Way (yes, that Neil Armstrong; he visited Tralee once). Sub-90 proved to be a giant leap too far on the day, but my finishing time of 1:35:30 was a small step towards getting in proper shape for summer.

19 March – Larne Half Marathon

Despite looking forward to the flatness of the south Antrim coastline, I could still feel the rolling hills of Tralee in my legs a week later as I headed north for Larne A.C.’s annual race. My aim was to match my Tralee finishing time of 1:35 or even beat it.

Race HQ at the Larne Leisure Centre was buzzing with plenty of those northern vests we see occasionally in races down here in the Free State. Larne A.C. members and volunteers managed a half marathon of almost 2,000 runners with great skill and community co-operation – householders along the route came out with support and good spirits, which is still a novelty for me from the sour pusses of Parisians during races when I lived in Paris.

I was a bit concerned that the first 100 metres of the Larne route seemed like it would take us straight out to sea. Luckily we swung a hard right and did an uphill tour of the town centre before heading north along the coast.

Needless to say, the coastal scenery was stunning and there’s always a special feeling when you run near the sea. I had settled into the same 7:15 pace as in Tralee and was motoring along comfortably.

The halfway turn took us around the townland of Ballygally and many runners started to fade here – we left the sweeping coastal vista for a drab rural backroad that climbed steadily with no promise of a summit. Eventually we crested the hill and I eased my legs on the descent.

Back in along the same road, tired minds and legs were revitalized by the sight of oncoming runners – they still had that dreary Ballygally loop ahead of them, whereas we were sailing in for the finish.

The half-mile run-in to the finish is only nit I could pick with the Larne Half Marathon route – first you drop down a steep hillside path, taking care not to turn your quads into pulled pork, and then it’s concrete all the way to the line. Ouch.

All my aches disappeared when I realized I had just snuck in under 1:35 for a time of 1:34:57. This and my previous weekend’s home town run in Tralee were causes for celebration, in the form of Five Guys burgers in nearby Belfast. (One to note for a post race meal if you do the Belfast Marathon.)

I didn’t see any other southern vests in Larne but I’m sure that will change in future; it’s an excellent race and definitely worth the trip north.

St Patricks Day Mullingar Half Marathon 2016

Report by Will Greensmyth (narrowly missing the deadline to be excommunicated)

Race Photos available at the Mullingar Half Facebook Page: Click here

For fear of excommunication by our esteemed web editor (baker of dubious caramel slices and BHAA flat track bully), the following is a short race report on the Mullingar Half Marathon:

Mullingar is only an hour from Dublin and there’s not much traffic on the road on a St Patricks morning. Entering the race was a spur of the moment decision after a couple of pints during the Ireland v Italy rugby match last Saturday – in Zebo veritas.

Race reporter Will in the thick of it

The race was in aid of Childline and was really well organised. Great atmosphere around the start. Lucy Darcy was running the chip timing show. The weather was class. It was never like this when we were young on St Patricks Day and getting hypothermia at the parades.

Not knowing Mullingar, it helped that the Real Paul O’Connell and his wife, Aoife were running the race for the second time and were able to fill me on the route. Summary: this course is designed for a PB – There’s only one tough climb, about 200m over the N4 fly over – From there to the end, it’s a stunning run along the Royal Canal (Note to Eoin: Insert Auld Triangle Jingle Jangle pun here).

As for my own performanace, well, running three times in the space of three weeks is probably not consistent training for a 5k, let alone a half marathon. I managed 1’27” for the run. Bravado got the better of me after 15k when I decided to push on from the group of four I was running with and tip under 1’24”. A mile later, the gauge in the petrol tank was flashing red, and the four lads breezed by me, probably thinking “what a tool”. After that, I slogged the last few km home to the finish, where a mighty spread of soup, sandwiches and sun awaited at the finish line, as well as a voucher for a free 99 cone.

Paul O’C ran 1’22 and Aoife O’C ran 1’30 – both will do great in the Rotterdam marathon next month

I would heartily recommend this race for next year. Good cause, fast route, well organised and will keep you all out of the boozer and bookies on St Patricks Day for a few hours.

Up next on the kaleidoscope of races for 2016 – The paced Mile in ALSAA next Wednesday (Enter Here) and then the Good Friday 5k in Raheny (Enter here). Maybe a bit of training as well.

Full half marathon results: Myrunresults

Debra Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge Half Marathon

Report by Lucia Prihodova

The Wicklow Mountains Challenge, organized by Debra Ireland, has started in 2009 as a fundraiser for the charity with around 50 runners. As a part of the challenge, now up to 800 runners can either do half-marathon and 10k trail race. One of the taglines on the website states: “Unlike road races, participants will be running through the wild terrain of the Wicklow Mountains so it’s going to be more challenging. We promise you will have painful muscles by the end of it, but we can also promise amazing scenery along the way.” Wholeheartedly agreed.

I have been considering doing the race for the last two years, and each time missed out on the fast selling registration. Hence this year, I signed up as soon as the registration opened in early December. That means 15 weeks of going through stages of excitement and worries if I trained enough.

The race itself starts in Brockagh center in Laragh. The final route map shows 6 caution signs, warning the runners about dodgy sections, some of which need to be walked (relief!). The growing group of co-runners ranges from the seasoned minimalists in worn out runners through those with amo belt of energy gels and full hydration backpacks. Myself and Emmett, the only other Sportsworld co-runners have a chat about our training & desired time (apparently the rule of thumb is to add 20% to your usual half-marathon time in order to guesstimate of your trail results. No pressure so!) After a photo-op for the report, we get hauled up on the buses to bring us to the start line.

Sportsworlds Emmet & Lucia

At the start line, (in midst of all the nature) after blasted out ACDC song, we get last instructions, thanks from the charity & we’re off. The route starts gently enough on forest track. As the music fades, the smells of the forest kick in. The weather is perfect. Gentle breeze, slightly overcast. Just right. Although you are aware of runners near you, at times you feel like the only one running through the mountains. The terrain and the views are constantly changing, revealing itself a little more with each step. Crossing gates & roads and attempting to jog up the walkways takes a little longer than I expected at first but proves to be a welcome respite. We hit the bog, knee-deep at times and I thank myself for tying my shoes so tightly.

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I wash some of the mud by running through the stream, rehydrate and refuel on jellies. Crossing the road, we are in on the steep rocky descent, at times more parkour than running. Loosening the legs again for the last 5k stretch, we tackle the steepest climb of the race. Most runners are walking at this point, but with Dave’s voice ‘lean into the hill’ I somehow manage to persuade myself to keep jogging up and up and still up. The path flattens and leads us along our last hill before turning into a stunning gradual downhill. Below us, you can already hear the cheers from finish line. I sprint for the finish line, my tired legs finally stretching full strides and next thing, it’s over. And in spite of the tiredness & much, I honestly don’t think I have ever enjoyed any other race as much! And yes, the tagline was correct. The guesstimation, almost as well.

Emmet Wardell: 76th place, 1:58:31
Lucia Prihodova: 225th place, 2:20:48

Trans Gran Canaria 83km Race 2016

Report by Damian Kelly

Trans Gran Canaria 83km race + 4000mm Of Climbing

Well after a hard winters training Race the morning arrives and we all hope we have put enough mileage in. It is hard to believe that Oliver Ken and myself had signed up for the race back in July.

In bed at 8.30 the night before with the alarm set for 2.30 am, got about 5 hours sleep so happy enough with that. Up we get while the wives and our other mate John are fast asleep from a night out in Playa De Ingles. Being so early I just had a Pretzel and Cliff Bar for breakfast and then a final check on our Kit Requirements. Head Lamp, Rear Light, Rain Jacket, 2.5 Litres of water, Space Blanket, ID, Gels, Salt Tablets (For Cramp) BUFF 2 No and Sun Cream. I know it sounds like I am going camping instead of running.

We get a taxi down to the Finish and hop on the Bus at 4.10am for a 1 ½ hr journey to the Starting Line in the mountains.

We arrived at the Starting Line at 5.45am so that gave us 1hr or so to wait. While we were waiting the runners from the 125KM Race pass by.

Around 6.30am they start to blast out some music and some ACDC and we are on the Highway to hell, a very funny moment as all 600 + runners start to sing at the top of their voices. Horns blasted and off we go at 7.10am as it is just starting to get bright.

The first 30km of the race is on the part of the island that is really green, the weather is cloudy and there is some light rain. The plan was not to go off too fast as I had never run 83km before the furthest being 52KM.

Myself and Oliver ran more or less together for the first 35km. There was 8 Aid Stations on the course serving anything from Pasta, Potatoes, oranges, Meringues, Crisps, Nuts, Bananas, Jelly, sweets, Pepsi, water and Sports Drinks. My plan was to spend less than a couple of minutes at each Station so no Pasta or Spuds for me.

When we got to around 30km the weather and landscape changed and we are into a more Rocky and Wild West Terrain, all the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns were filmed around this location.

Race reporter Damian after 30km

On the last climb to the Half Way Point I was feeling strong and I pushed on.

Campsite Half Way Point.

Quick turn around as I pulled off Oliver arrives in and I gave him a nod but I don’t think he saw me.

If you look at the Profile of the Race the second half should be nearly all downhill, that’s what I thought but I was wrong, straight into a walking climb after the Campsite to the top, then a Downhill Rocky Sections start. We can start to run 5 to 6KM pace but you have to be careful not to trip on a rock.

50km mark trickier descending then bang I clipped a rock and took a fall, lucky enough there was a Spanish runner beside me. I got up brushed myself off said I was grand but with an open gash on my right arm, blood running down my knee and my left hand. He asked me did I want to finish, I said yes, well then my friend take your time and gave me a pain killer and off I went.

When I got to the next Aid Station they wanted to clean me up and I said no as I had a Sub 10 Hour time in my head and I didn’t want to waste any time.

2^nd last Aid Station Ayagaures was at a Dam, again a small piece of orange and Banana, refill the Water Bottles then off up the last climb.

Moved up the climb well which was around 2km then another rocky descent, then grand I thought a flat section, but oh no a dried river bed with boulders and rocks and no proper runnable trail. This went on and on around 9km in the end. I hit rock after rock then wacked a boulder let out a f…k and a few more curses, saying there is another toe nail gone. I was then left with 5km which was a mix of tarmacadam and this time a dried out canal.

Race reporter Damian Kelly

I came out of the Canal with 1 1/2km to go on the road and there was our Mate John waiting with the Tricolour which Ken had brought along.

The finish was brilliant 1km loop around the crowd where my wife Carol was in tears, with Karen, Helen and John. I ran up to the finish with the Tri Colour in the air the MC says Irlanda and asks me with the MIC in my face when is St Patrick’s Day. After 83km it took me forever to work out it was the 17^th March.

Over the Finish Line got my Medal then I was whisked off to First Aid, which was more painful than the fall. I was cleaned up got a couple of Paper Stitches in the arm and knee and bandaged up by two brilliant nurses who for some reason and me singing Bob Marley “No Women No Pride”. I was moaning about the pain, so that was probably to take my mind of it.

Back out to the Finish to collect my beer, Top and Wrist Band for doing a Sub 12 Hr Race. Delighted with my run 47^th overall and 19^th in the 40 to 49 age category.

Then over to the girls and John to wait for Oliver and Ken. Oliver arrived in a brilliant time of 11.37 but he didn’t look great after the finish and needed 3 lots of the Drip to bring him back. Well done Oliver Sub 12 and top 100. We then waited for Ken who did brilliant to finish in 15.33 and 343 overall. He looked the freshest out of all of us at the Finish well done Ken.

To sum up would I do it all again next year no but maybe back for the Trans GC 125km in 2018.

I know I am a glutton for punishment, now back to 5 and 10km for a while.

Cheers Damian

Sportsworld Hellfire Club Relay

Report by Naoise Waldron

Thanks to Nick, Emily and Sandra for the photos.

24 Sportsworld members took part in a club relay up at the Hellfire Club on Saturday to round off the cross country season. As we gathered in the car park below, it was reminiscent of being back in PE class in school as Emily sorted us in to teams of 4.

The teams were fairly evenly matched, with Ruth being the captain of my team along with team mates Eimear and Brian. We all jogged up to the starting point. For those who have never been up to the Hellfire Club, it’s a decent uphill climb. The weather was glorious and there was finally a feeling of Spring being in the air!

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The course was a bit over a mile with a series of ups and downs. We jogged the lap as a group to get our bearings and then we were off. As the first runners took off the rest of us, with Emily’s guidance, decided who would be running the subsequent legs.

Karol was first home and passed over the (imaginary) baton to Breda. For my team Ruth had a really strong run and handed over to Eimear. I was to run the 3rd leg so I waited with anticipation for Eimear to come in to view, along with Aileen, Anna Carrigan, Catherine, Noel and Sandra against whom I would be running.

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Anna was first off on the 3rd leg and I didn’t see her again until the finish. She had a spectacular run. Anna was followed by Aileen who had a good head start on Sandra, myself and Noel, who all began running within a few seconds of each other. Soon enough I was trying my best to hold on to Sandra.

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With a few hundred metres to go, the finish line came in to sight and with shouts of encouragement from team captain Ruth I pushed up the final drag, however not before Catherine came speeding by me. I handed over to Brian, thankful that my lap was over.

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It was a tense few minutes while we waited for the leader of the final leg to come in to sight. Michael was first home, followed by José in 2nd and Anna Delaney in 3rd. Brian followed closely in 4th, putting in a great performance for our team. If Eoin had been running it would have been the final showdown for himself and Brian in this cross country season, however instead he set his sights on Dave and went charging past him to take 4th place.

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After a few obligatory team photos and confirmation of the winners, Stephanie, Michael, Noel and Val, we jogged up to the Hellfire club to take in the view of the city. It was spectacular. A quick run down to the car park, dodging a few dogs and walkers in the process, and off we went to Timbertrove for tea, scones and medal presentations in the sunshine.

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Special mention was given to Eimear and Caroline for their fantastic performances, while standout run of the day went to Anna Carrigan who was in top form. All of the cross country training has certainly paid off!

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Thanks to Emily for organising the relay. It was really enjoyable and I’ll look forward to the next one. Also thanks to Nick for coming along to support and take photos.

Results as follows:
Gold
Michael, Stephanie, Val and Noel
Silver
Karol, Breda, Anna Carrigan and José
Bronze
Kevin, Eileen, Aileen and Anna Delaney

Stretching and Strength & Conditioning Demonstration

On Tuesday 15th March 2016 – Stretching and Strength & Conditioning Demonstration

Straight after training in the clubhouse – 20 – 30 min – Tea, coffee, hot chocolate & biscuits

Particularly important with the track season coming up.

Demonstration by Sportsworlds Breda Browne who:

– Won All Ireland school’s medals in High Jump, 100m Hurdles and Heptaplon.
– Won the All Ireland Senior High Jump in 1996.
– Won the Massachusetts State Championships in both High Jump & 100m Hurdles in ’92 & ’93.
– Holds the Munster Senior High Jump record (5ft 11in) from 1993 and still stands 23 years later.
– Represented as a senior athlete Ireland, Middlesex County and Massachusetts State.
– Qualified as a pilates instructor and has been teaching since 2010.

Naoise Waldron

This week we meet Naoise who was an integral part if the cross country team this winter just gone. She has come a long way since starting out as a couch to 5k runner, with a string of impressive PBs and plans to run the marathon (again) this year!

When did you join Sportsworld?

January 2013

Where do you work?

I am a social worker in an adult mental health service

What is your favourite club session?

Fartlek and the occasional hellfire club session, the views of the city are just stunning and are a welcome distraction.

What is your favorite race distance?

I prefer longer distances so maybe half marathon

What is your favorite meal before a big race?

Porridge with berries and seeds

My Favourite place to train/compete is?

I love the Waterworks and the Phoenix Park

What is your target for the next year?

To stay injury free and if I can do that then I would like to train for the Dublin marathon in October.

What is your best Sportsworld memory?

I have a lot of good memories from my few years at Sportsworld but I think the cross country season this winter is something that will stick with me. It was great to experience running with a team. The camaraderie and support from the other girls on the team and the lads who were also racing was just fantastic.

What international events have you ran?

I ran a 10k in Bogota, Colombia in 2014. It was quite the experience as there were 30,000+ runners taking part and running at an altitude of 2,600ft was challenging. It was a great way to see the city and really enjoyable.

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

Spending time with my family and friends, reading, baking, practicing Spanish, planning holidays

How/When did you start your adventure with running?

In January 2012, following a suggestion from a work colleague, I started the couch 2 5k plan. I used to get up early in the morning to do it before work, partly so no one could see me attempting to run for a minute and dying at the end! I hadn’t exercised for years so it was really challenging for me to get to the 5k point. I got through the plan and then I then decided to keep going beyond the 5k and signed up for the Great Ireland Run that April. It helped that around the time I was comfortable running 5k, my sister Sibeal was starting back running after having a baby so we would occasionally run together.

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

Over the last year I have gotten a few PBs which have been a real boost to my running confidence such as 5 mile 35:54 and half marathon 1.40.39. I think my biggest achievement has been completing the Dublin marathon in 2013. I hit the wall after Milltown and really struggled to the finish line but with some fantastic support from family, friends and clubmates I eventually got to the finish line. It took me a while to appreciate that even though it hadn’t gone how I had wanted, I had actually achieved my goal.

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

I try to run 4 times a week and attend as many of the Tuesday/Thursday and Saturday sessions as I can as well as the Sunday long run so I think that’s somewhere between 25-30 miles per week.

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

The support from other club members and coaches.

What made you join a Running Club?

My mum Nessa and sister Sibéal are members of the club and when I started to run in 2012 they were both encouraging me to join. In winter 2012 I was running in the Phoenix park on Sunday morning and I came across Tony McGann out with a group and he also gave me a little push to come down to the club.

What was your first day at the Club like?

I remember being a bit anxious about joining but it helped that I knew Emily and a few other members through my mum and Sibéal. The session that night was down at Mount Carmel. I think I just did laps with a few of the other new members. It was a few weeks before I attempted a session.

Why is running important to you?

It helps to clear my head. Working in a mental health service I am very conscious of the role exercise can play in maintaining good mental health.

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

Advice around nutrition and injury prevention.

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

Our coaches are great and other club members really inspire me and push me at training sessions. However, I would have to say that my mum and my sister are both really inspirational. They both have years of experiencing of running between them and understand what it’s like when you are having good and bad days. I’m grateful to share my interest in running with them. Some of my PB targets have been based on catching up with Sibéal’s PBs so we have a bit of healthy competition between us!

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

I try to swim twice a week and I have also recently started Pilates.

Ballycotton 10 mile 2016

Report by Adrian Lanigan

Race photos sourced on the Facebook page of ‘Running in Cork’. For full albums: click here.

Cover photo from the chip timing company myrunresults.com. Sportsworld results at the bottom of page.

Unfortunately the group photo didn’t come out folks 🙁

Ballycotton is one of the more famous races on the calendar, a highlight of the year for many runners. Over 3,000 runners gather to take on the famous course and bring back a Ballycotton mug, hopefully a PB and maybe even a T-shirt for anyone lucky enough to slip into the top 100.

Race reporter Adrian Lanigan in action Sunday

Eoin O’Brien was on top of things early, organising a luxury coach for a bargain basement price to bring the runners down in style. Things looked good early, as the day was dry and we set off shortly after 8.30am.

View from the bar on the luxury bus

14 Sportsworld runners (and one Tri-Athlete) made their way down with race scheduled to get under way at 1:30pm. To help pass the time there was a competition to guess the time of a random sportsworld runner. Pick a name out of a hat and guess that person’s time. The winner would get to write the race report while whoever was furthest away in their prediction would get a €10 consolation prize. (or maybe the other way around, I can’t quite remember).

Race reporter Adrian realising he lost the betting sweep and has to do the race report

Saturdays weather in Ballycotton. The race was on Sunday unfortunately.

Anyway, we arrived down in plenty of time but unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Rain was now the order of the day. After a brief warm-up and bag drop it was down to a crowded start line. As ever in Ballycotton the start is congested so it is important to get a good starting spot.

A video of the 2011 race start to give you an idea – the town or music hasn’t changed since

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The first 2 miles are downhill so a good opportunity to set a good pace. The rain continued throughout most of the race but there was thankfully little wind. After 3 miles we go right to commence a 4 mile loop, which is mainly flat, on good country roads.

Sandra Gowran racing to a 75min finish and doing her best to ensure Michael Cunningham writes the race report

After this loop we rejoin the course and the last 3 miles are a reverse of the first 3, which means a punishing climb from 1.5 miles out.Those who were smart enough to leave something in the tank for this section can really make up some ground while those who don’t tend to struggle. While the last mile is difficult we are helped through it by the helpful announcer and good support from the sidelines.

Checking the chip times against the predicted times

And the winner is: Like the cat who got the cream; Diarmuid guessed Kevin Curran’s finishing time to within 11 seconds. Michael came a close 2nd last after an outrageous prediction for Sandra Gowran. Outrageous I tell you, he should have been made do the race report anyway.

After finishing the honour of collecting the famous mug and for one Sportswolrd runner the coveted T-shirt (although several sizes too big) A great day for Sportsworld as 22 runners in all completed the race.

Kevin Curran came home in 59th position while Noreen Brouder was the top female sportsworld athlete in 11th place.

With all the PB’s floating around the post race meal was a great occasion. Thanks to Eoin for organising the bus and Andrea for organising the restaurant.

Sportworld results:
59 Kevin Curran 58:11:00
87 Paul O’Connell 59:38:00
121 Conor McCarthy 01:00:42
131 Michael Cunningham 1:01:17
214 Diarmuid Ó’Súilleabháin 1:04:05
220 Brian McCartan 01:04:20
234 Noreen Brouder 01:04:14
277 Ruth Kelly 01:05:37
367 Will Greensmyth 01:08:31
470 Caoimhe Costigan 01:10:07
489 Stephen Willoughby 01:10:37
614 Phillip Kerr 01:13:21
624 Anna Delaney 01:13:14
739 Ann Higgins 01:15:23
760 Sandra Gowran 01:15:36
830 Eoin O’Brien 01:16:09
864 Naoise Waldron 01:16:45
942 Enda McMorrow 01:18:38
1076 Patrick McMorrow 01:18:26
1121 Adrian Lanigan 01:21:38
1164 Peter Duggan 01:21:09
1650 Kathryn Potterton 01:27:33

Full results: myrunresults.com

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