Jingle Bells 5k 2015

Report by Karol Cronin

After the now famous Teresa Mansion RTE news report, you’d be forgiven for believing this Jingle Bells 5k race would be too treacherous or ‘idiotic’ to compete in.

However, Dublin was spared the brunt of storm Desmond with all the deluge hitting the West. But it still terribly windy and no chance of anyone getting a pb.

One of the first runners I met was Valerie who was in fine form and her usual bubbly self. We did a warm up together wondering if anyone would show up. Slowly but surely many people kitted out as Santa’s and elves gathered towards the starting line.

This 5k race hosted by Donore Harriers always commands a strong field with their own John Travers leading the charge. Many other runners had defected from the cancelled Waterford half marathon to run in this. The race got off to a false start surprisingly and took a few minutes to get going again in the stormy conditions. The first km was going to be the fastest one as the wind was right behind our backs. As soon as we turned left onto Chesterfield Avenue we were hit by strong winds and for the rest of the race it was pretty much a battle against the wind.

I was in the second main group and settled into a good battle with three others which helped push us all on.

With all 5k’s, they’re always finishing by the time you get settled in. The last km is fast one with a downward hill but was hampered by the strong winds. I managed to hold off the other three lads dipping under 16 minutes by one second. I was happy enough with it as conditions like these always makes the fine days so much more nicer. Val ran a brilliant race finishing in 23.19 and took over a minute from her last 5k so she’s getting into good form again. Well done to Phil who finished in a great time of 21.10.

Also a special mention to Damian Kelly and his 11 year old daughter who completed the race in 24 minutes as well as Aodh O’Connor who was pipped by his two sons, 11 and 12 who completed it in under 24 minutes. The overall winner was John Travers in the unbelievable time of 14.41 and Ciara Mageenan in 16.16. A big thanks to Donore for holding a really fun race and a complimentary mug.

Sportsworld Results:
14th Karol Cronin 00:15:59
177th Aidan Curran 00:20:31
220th Phil 00:21:10
308th Valerie Power 00:23:19
337th Aodh O‘Connor00:23:59

Eoin O’Brien

When did you join Sportsworld?
I joined in 2005. My first ever race was the 21st anniversary of the Sportsworld 5 mile classic in 2005 (got a medal and all….ahem, cough, a participation medal). I joined the club and two weeks later Martin Keenan brought me to the BHAA Intel 5 mile where I knocked 3 minutes off my time. I was pretty much hooked then.

Where do you work?
I work for Jacobs, not the biscuit crowd. It’s an American engineering company; I design the plant layouts and piping systems for pharmaceutical plants. Basically I work in the drugs trade.

What is your favourite club session?
Hills and Sprints during the winter. It’s short and sharp and I really feel it puts some much needed zip in my legs.

What is your favorite race distance?
5 miles or 10 miles. They are always the classic distances to me and were all the rage back in 2005! I still gauge my fitness based on those race times. The Rahney 5 mile at the end of January is a solid barometer on the untold damage one does to ones self over Christmas. Ballycotten 10 is a gem of a race to.

What is your favorite meal before a big race?
I usually just have a banana in the car driving to the race. So I suppose that must be my favourite. I’d rather the extra few minutes in bed then get up for a breakfast. I’m one step away from wearing a race singlet to bed these days to get that extra couple of min sleep to be honest. Although before a marathon I’ll get a bowl of cereal but I really don’t like running after eating. Or getting up early at weekends.

My Favourite place to train/compete is?
The Waterworks, I’ve always used the 10 mile loop as my staple for long distance training with the logic that no race is as tough as the waterworks hills. I love running in the Dublin Mountains too, Ticknock & Tibradden mainly just in the summer. And it’s always a great feeling when the club move from the roads back into Bushy Park in Spring.

What is your target for the next year?
I broke 42min and got a PB in the Dunshaughlin 10k this year. So I’d love to break 40min for 10k in 2016…39:59 will do, I’m not greedy. I also want to break 90min for the half marathon next year. Getting the 10k time down will (hopefully) help bring my half marathon time down. I think they are both achievable and realistic goals with a bit more work. I’d also like to beat Crona Brady in a race just once, I’m not sure if that is as realistic. She has won the GDP of a small country off me at this stage making bets on the start line of races.

Oh and out doing Michael Cunningham at next year’s cake sale…actually make that my first goal for next year.

What is your best Sportsworld memory?
Hands down the Lanzarote Running Challenge trip in 2007. I’ve never laughed as much on a week away with that plane load of characters. Got to know some of my best friends in the club on that trip and see Joe Byrne dance.

What international events have you ran?
I’ve been on the club trip to Lanzarote four times now. I was also over to the Edinburgh half and Berlin half marathons on Sportsworld trips although I could only watch in Berlin due to injury. I’ve run the Rome, Barcelona, Munich and Berlin marathons.
I also ran the Calgary, Toronto and Madrid half marathons (FYI Madrid is NOT flat!). I’ve entered and gone to the Liverpool half marathon three times but only managed to run it once…Sunday morning is not a good time for a race in Liverpool.

I once got smoked by a kid from the under 10 age category over the last 400 meters in a 5k race in downtown Toronto. That pitter patter of little feet rapidly approaching to the cheering crowds still gives me nightmares.

What do you like doing when you don’t run?
Chasing people up for race reports for the website. No seriously chasing people up for race reports for the website.

How/When did you start your adventure with running?
I went to Australia in 2001 for a year and lost a good bit of weight and quit smoking. I joined a gym when I came back but wasn’t really into it so started jogging eventually. I liked the idea of being able to go from your door step, do a jog, shower and be done within an hour. Don’t ever ask me to play a round of golf, the thoughts being out there all day!

Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
You might not have heard but I won a race this year. I’m the 2015 BHAA Division D Trinity Track 1200m Champion. I held my nerve for 1000m and smoked the field over the last 200m. I don’t like to talk about it though (commemorative t-shirts printed by Will Greensmyth are still available in the clubhouse).

Biggest achievement was running 3.19 in the Dublin marathon in 2008. I stuck religiously to the clubs 3 month training program and took 20min off my previous marathon PB. I actually broke it by 30 sec this year in Berlin but 2008 was still the standout day. The following Spring in 2009 I took that fitness into the Balycotton 10 and ran 66min for 10 miles which I’m still chuffed with.

How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
I’ve been very hit and miss over the years with training due to working away. I was also back in college in recent years so running took a back seat. But all things being equal I’ll get out 4-5 times a week when I’m running well and hitting 30 to 40 miles. I never run on Fridays and rarely on Mondays now. I make a point now of trying to get to all three of the clubs training sessions each week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

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

The cake sale.
The cake sale
The cake sale.

Also as most say, training with the group and being pushed. As you get fitter and train consistently you can see tangible improvements as your move up through the different groups on training nights. There is also the social side of things being with a club and the Saturday morning well earned post training coffees. Sportsworld is also the best club to be around on race days, there is no craic being had in those other clubs at all!

What made you join a Running Club?
I joined after a year of prompting from Dave Clarke. Like most beginners I thought you needed to be fit enough to run a marathon to join a running club. Whereas once you can jog from one end of the field to another that’s enough, the club will build you into it, that’s why it’s called training I discovered!

What was your first day at the Club like?
I actually genuinely don’t remember, I wish I did. However I do remember in those early days Dave Clarke earnestly introducing me to everyone as the future of Irish Athletics and holding a straight face.

Why is running important to you?
Health, it’s the only sport I like really like doing. It’s a great way to clear the head so it has many benefits on many levels. I never leave the house in the morning without training gear, sure you can run anywhere.

Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
I’d like to see even more people out on Saturday morning training. I’m only a recent convert to this due to being too busy or feeling I wasn’t fit enough for the sessions. This year was the first time I consistently went to the Saturday track sessions and did the three clubs sessions a week. I definitely saw the uplift in race times, the Dunshaughlin 10k this summer was my first PB in 6 years. You’ll really only improve by pushing yourself, trust me I’m 10 years running around Bushy Park like a baby elephant.

Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
Emily without a doubt. Rain, hail or shine she is there every day coaching us. I was going to turn around and go home one night driving to training in torrential rain till I thought ‘sure if Emily is making the effort so should I’. And sure enough she took in the session in the pouring rain with only a handful of us. Myles too has been a great help for advice, particular for the marathons.

The top runners at the club over the years I’ve been there have always had great humility such as Phil, Aoife, Crona, Eanna, Paul, Lucy to name just a very few. Thats not a phrase one would use to describe me after I won that BHAA Division D Trinity Track 1200m this summer, I was ringing the RTE sports department that night. Did I mention commemorative t-shirts still available in the clubhouse?

Also Joe Byrne and Martin Keenan, who while you don’t see down the club to much anymore, continue to push themselves by training hard when they can and clocking impressive race times (regular sub 3 hour marathons & track medals). Although they can both feck off if they think I’ll ever join them for a run in the Waterworks at 7.30am on a Sunday morning.

Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I try and get to the gym at least once or twice a week. I jump in and out of strength and conditioning classes with Mick Dowling too.

Run The Line – Mountain challenge in aid of the Dublin & Wicklow mountain rescue.

Race report by Ronan Murray

Saturday November 28th 10.00am several Sportsworld clubmates stood at the start of the RUN the Line 26km mountain challenge. As we waited for the countdown I couldn’t help wonder what we had let ourselves in for, it was blowing a gale and the rain was hitting us side on. According to the forecast it was 7 degrees but felt more like -7. We hadn’t even started but we were already wet through and freezing cold. But where else would you rather be on a Saturday morning !

After a countdown from 10 we were off, it only took about two minutes for the climbing to start , up the side on 3 rock. After what seemed like an age we reached the top of mountain one, where it was completely exposed. If was virtually impossible to run in a straight line as every time one on the gusts hit you, you changed direction. All we could do was laugh at the sheer madness of it. We soon settled into a rhythm and before we knew it we had climbed 2 rock , Tibradden and we were on our way up cruagh. All we had to do was turn around and do it all over again in the opposite direction, easy …

The route back way just as cold and exposed but before long we had a marshal shouting at us that we only had 2k to go , downhill….Wohooo !!!

He wasn’t joking about the downhill , we could have done with parachutes . It felt like a sheer drop, in some of the photos you can actually see the fear on our faces as we approached big drops unable to stop because of the downhill momentum and no grip, but finally we were home , exhausted , soaked , starving and wondering what the next challenge is.

It was only when we sat down in race HQ and got dry that we noticed all of the people being tended to by medics suffering from hypothermia, it then sunk in how bad it was up there.

That said , I would do it again. Well organised event and beer afterwards, what more could you want.

Sportsworld crew that took on the challenge:
Ronan Murray
Shay Brady
Willie Murphy
Eileen Rowland
Audrai O’Driscoll (13km option)

Dublin Intermediate Cross Country 2015

Reports by Maura Ginty & Brian Conway

Thanks to Lucia Prihodova, Conor Kenny and Gareth Murran for the photos. Full album here: Gallery

Sportsworld results below.

Report by Maura Ginty

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Maura leading the charge

Dublin female intermediate championship is held over a 5k course a week before the national novice. It’s on 3 weeks after the Leinster intermediate which itself is over a 4k course. Ours is not to reason why. [Ok – have checked the rules and these are indeed the prescribed distances by athletics Ireland and athletics Leinster respectively]

Our female team was missing a few speedsters, both through ineligibility and other personal commitments. Caoimhe was racing her first xc race and was remarkably calm beforehand, wondering what it would be like. I muttered something about it “going to be grand” not making eye contact, knowing it was a complete lie, but it was what people had told me when i was racing first. The rest of us had the usual varying issues with injury, holidays, lack of race fitness etc. Mine was the holiday’s one – see Gareth’s report for a full run-down. It was clearly not an ideal preparation week, but I honestly don’t know when is for this level.

The course is a couple of laps around Tymon Park and reasonably flat with a pretty sweet downhill, which you can really make up places on. Ground was fine, not really muddy.

Got to the start and even allowing for the fact that the national novice (which some clubs appear to have been prioritising) was on in a week, there was only 38 runners which is disappointing and not reflective of female participation/level of running in the county. Though I quickly decided that the start line was not the time to be analysing the state of xc running in county Dublin.

And we were off! Caroline was her usual enthusiastic self from the gun and took Gemma with her as they tore off. Rest of us tried to stay with them with lots of jostling for position and people being very polite with lots of “sorrys” which was a bit bizarre.

My aim had been to stick with the girls for as long as possible and match or better my performance in the Leinsters -where i was behind Naoise and just ahead of Margaret and Catherine. After about 1k Caoimhe/Naoise and Catherine/Margaret were whizzing by and i just did not have it in me to keep with them. With hindsight, I’am disappointed with that and feel I should have been able to run for longer in a pack. Though sure what is a race without development points?

Soon after our team became very fragmented; Caoimhe was off in the distance and we were all running individually after Caroline and Gemma came back to us, with Lucia slightly after Gemma. Apart from Emily’s ever present optimism, medal placing didn’t seem to be a probability, and the rest of the race was a real slog. I tried to catch a Bros Pearse runner which kept me occupied and out of trouble from those behind.

Crossing the finish was the usual euphoria that it was all over and the weekend could begin. In particular, the performance of Caoimhe was so impressive and gave us all cause for optimism.

So 4th place overall for the team, which is a significant improvement on 2014’s 9th. And we look forward to a strengthened team (and bodies) for the novice and upcoming seasons.

Big mention for all the support (especially the lads who were racing next) which was absolutely brilliant and despite the grimaces, we were grateful for all the shout outs.

I could not wait around for the tea/biscuits afterwards as my driver had some 20% discount shopping in BT’s to attend to.

Report by Brian Conway

Brian in action Saturday

This year’s Dublin Intermediate 8K cross-country took place in Tymon Park. For cross-country runners this is a familiar place. Over the years it has been the venue for many BHAA cross-country races. And it has a lot to recommend it as a course: it is relatively flat, is solid underfoot, and extends over a large geographical area.

For all that, it is not an easy course. There is little shelter on a windy day. There are stretches where you have to face an uphill battle. There is one steep downslope. 12307491_939457239465410_2194170705451346420_o

The race set off on time – 2.20 – and the first lap of four was fast. I settled into a steady pace on the second lap and tried to keep it up until the finish. I ran most of the course with Eoin O’Brien, who helped to keep me up to the pace. There were strong individual and team performances from Sportsworld (see below for results). Thanks to all the Sportsworld supporters along the course.

Justin McKeever had an outstanding race finishing in 18th overall, completing the 5 mile cross country course in 30min 43sec. He was followed by Damian Kelly, Karl Chatterton and Diarmuid O’Sullivan who all came home within 90sec of each other. Anthony, Conor and Will made up the rest of the mens team.

Afterwards the prize ceremony, with tea and biscuits, took place in the Templelogue soccer club.

Sportsworld Results:

Womens 5k
16 Caoimhe Costigan Sportsworld A.C. 22.59
20 Naoise Waldron Sportsworld A.C. 23.32
23 Catherine Mulleady Sportsworld A.C. 23.47
25 Maura Ginty Sportsworld A.C. 24.24
28 Margaret Crowley Sportsworld A.C. 24.34
29 Caroline Conway Sportsworld A.C. 24.50
32 Gemma White Sportsworld A.C. 25.14
36 Lucia Prihobova Sportsworld A.C. 26.15

Mens 8k
18 Justin McKeever Sportsworld A.C. 30.43
24 Damien Kelly Sportsworld A.C. 31.22
33 Karl Chatterton Sportsworld A.C. 32.02
41 Diarmuid O’Sullivan Sportsworld A.C. 33.00
50 Anthony Gillen Sportsworld A.C. 33.54
52 Conor Keating Sportsworld A.C. 34.17
53 Will Greensymth Sportsworld A.C. 34.25
58 Brian Conway Sportsworld A.C. 36.13
60 Eoin O’Brien Sportsworld A.C. 36.50

Full results: Dublin Athletics

Lanzarote 2015

A small group of just 11 headed to Club La Santa last week for the annual international running challenge. We had 2 lovely apartments in the new part of the complex. With 3 of the lads injured or sick we had just 3 lads and 4 girls running all 4 races.

For anyone that hasn’t heard of it. La Santa is a small village near Tinajo in North Eastern Lanzarote. Club La Santa is a top class sports holiday location sitting high on the hill above the town. It caters for every summer sport imaginable.

Each year 300-400 club runners from Ireland, Denmark and the UK compete over 4 days in 4 races. It’s a tough challenge that will make or break your winter training block.

Day 1 started with 10k on the road.This area of Lanzarote is windy beyond belief. Even with a relatively straight course this year the tough mind made conditions a struggle. The new course went out to the village if La santa and back a couple of times. At home this course would seem easy but the hard surfaces and win adds significantly to the difficulty.

The lads team of Paul Fleming, Kevin Curran and Jim Browne ran very well against some very tough Danes and Tom Hogan from SBR in Ireland. Our girls ran together at first but then spaced out more as the race progressed. Between them Ruth, Shóna, Anna and Maura had very little training done but they held their own against strong Crusaders and UK teams.After day 1 it was clear that the depth of quality was up this year despite some lower race entry numbers.

Day 2 was the 13k ridge run. The Sportsworld supporters headed out in our rented car to drive up the ridge and catch the runners going up and coming down.

Maura after flogging herself half to death on day 1 took it a little easier on day 2. By the time she passed us on the way down she was still smiling. The wind was a killer on the ridge. The course was 700m too long. It all added up to the runners being blown back up the hill rather than being able to lean in and power down it.

Kevin who has been running fantastic all autumn was bounding down the hill and looking fantastic doing it. His smooth stride brining him home well ahead of his rivals. All that work paying off

A nice thing about the races is that you have all levels of races within races,national pride, age group awards and team rivalries. Jim and Ruth were in each others sights all week. On the ridge it was no different, with Ruth pipping Jim on this ocassion . After the race our girls team looked comfortable in 3rd place.

The only thing fast on day 3 was the fashion on the streets of Carmen. You arrive at the beach each year hoping for some hard and compact ground under foot. This year disappointed. The pace was fierce and the beach was almost all puffy soft sand. As the 2nd of two laps came around you could see the heads dropping and race pace slowing. Paul as always had a blinder, he knows how to run that race. Jim also had a fantastic race as did Shóna.

Day 4 is the morning of the half marathon . The 3 lads. Gareth , Michael and Wesley went out on mountain bikes to support, give out some water and gels. Emily at the last kilometer to shout the last words of encouragement.

The runners arrived at the start to hear that the course was slightly changing. It was all a bit confusing with most people expecting a second trip up Lanzarotes own version of heartbreak hill. This didn’t happen in the end with the runners doing just 1.5 laps around Manc Blanca. The diversion was difficult because of the strong winds which again were slowing down the runners.

The nice thing about supporting the half is that you can see the runners in a few spots. I think its appreciated by everyone running. With lots of Irish clubs now taking part the support is like a home race.

By the time the runners had La Santa in their sites, everyone from Sportsworld was still looking strong. Like the ridge run you couldn’t really compare the times with previous years as conditions and courses did vary. This both mixes it up and can be a little frustrating.The running part of the week ended with the annual awards, as introduced by Kenneth a Club La Santa tradition.

Well done to everyone that ran. Jim was under pressure from day 1 with Gareth, Wesley or Michael not able to run. He ran himself really hard each day and was a great addition to the men’s team. Maura was on the comeback trail in a get fit for La Santa pact with Shóna. Ruth, Paul and Kevin all won race awards and some age group prizes.

Congrats to the Crusaders team that won the women’s team event with Orla Drum taking 1st girl. The mens was won by the Danes yet again with Tom Hogan from SBR taking first in the men’s by 4 seconds over 4 races. Impressive running throughout from Tom and Orla. Wednesday night ended with plenty of fun, a few sore heads, lots of bad dancing, new friends and stories over a few glasses of Lanzarotes finest wines. It was late very late.

For anyone thinking of going I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a great way to get to know people in the club better. The food in La Santa village is fantastic and 24 degree days in late November is hard to come by in Dublin. All of this is before I even get to the trips to the beach, long bike rides chasing Shona and picturesque scenery. If your the adventurous type you can try sports like windsurfing or aerial yoga for free every day

Full results below and on the club La Santa site. No doubt we will be back with greater numbers next year and be even more determined to get 2 teams on the podium.

Lanzarote 2015

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Special thanks to Emily for organising the trip. Everyone had a great week. She does an amazing job each year getting the trip planned and the keeping the group together during the week. A few photos below with lots more on Facebook.

7 158 RUTH KELLY 40-44 IRL 00:42:51 01:00:59 00:23:25 01:30:15 03:37:30
8 153 SHONA KEANE 30-34 IRL 00:42:58 01:03:06 00:24:08 01:30:53 03:41:03
18 112 ANNA DELANEY 40-44 IRL 00:46:46 01:07:45 00:26:05 01:41:32 04:02:06
24 159 MAURA GINTY 35-39 IRL 00:47:51 01:08:14 00:26:54 01:47:36 04:10:33

6 4 PAUL FLEMING 40-44 IRL 00:35:05 00:50:34 00:19:15 01:15:36 03:00:28
9 174 KEVIN CURRAN 30-34 IRL 00:36:48 00:51:48 00:21:08 01:18:10 03:07:52
47 162 JIM BROWNE 50-54 IRL 00:42:20 01:02:27 00:22:53 01:37:24 03:45:02

Full Results and age group awards for Sportsworld runners

Ronan Murray

This week we meet up with Ronan who has just wrapped up not one but two marathons over the past 3 weeks…this was a man who once smoked 30 a day!!! Ronan has gone from strength to strength and now has PBs of a 3.30 marathon and 19min 5k for all his efforts!

When did you join Sportsworld?
I think its about 5 years now but feels a lot longer

Where do you work?
I could tell you but I’d have to kill you.

What is your favourite club session?
Fartlek in Bushy – when you get a group working together it’s a great session

What is your favorite race distance?
Currently Half marathon , I think I have done 27/28 now but im leaning more toward Marathon now that im getting old and slow

What is your favorite meal before a big race?
Whatever I can get my hands on. I have a strong stomach so I can eat anything

My Favourite place to train/compete is?
Defo waterworks , love the views and clean air ( and I can run from home)

What is your target for the next year? –
Im strongly thinking about an ultra and possibly a Duathlon

What is your best Sportsworld memory?
The weekend that 18 of us went to Berlin to run a half Marathon proudly sporting club colours and the night on the beer that followed ( No details given – what goes on tour stays on tour )

What international events have you ran?
Half marathon in Torrevieja Spain and half Marathon in Berlin

What do you like doing when you don’t run?
Go on the beer

How/When did you start your adventure with running?
When I realised I was fat and unfit. I was 16st and smoked 30 a day , so I quit the fags and joined a gym. A year later I had lost some weight and was able to run a bit so I came down to the club with Sandra Armstrong , and the rest is history.

Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
PBs 3.30 Marathon , 41min 10K , 19.00 5K . Biggest achievement was last weekend when I ran the extreme trail Marathon in Newry , just a few weeks after Dublin. More climbing that I have ever done in any race , 9 miles uphill and loved every minute.

How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
I usually run 4/5 times per week about 35miles ( unless in Marathon training)

What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
The friends you make and the fact that you run better in a group

What made you join a Running Club?
Damn Sandra Armstrong

What was your first day at the Club like?
– Hell. It was the Terenure lap time trial and I knew nobody so Sandra said just stick with me and don’t let me get away. At the time I had never run faster than a jog and Sandra was running very well , so it nearly killed me to stay with her. I think I might have puked afterwards.

Why is running important to you?
Work is stressful , so running helps clear my head and you generate a great circle of running buddies. Plus you get to work off all the beer calories

Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
More -Vary the Sunday runs , the park is like groundhog day
Less – Giving out to me for not taking enough recovery after races –HaHa.

Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
There is not just one person that offers inspiration , Myles ,Paddy and Emily all inspire me and Emily drives me to run better with her gentle encouraging tone ( That you can hear on the other side of the Tesco lap) Kidding !

Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I go to the gym 4 times a week and cycle a bit when the weather in favourable ( fair weather cyclist)

Clontarf 5 mile & Half Marathon

Report by Emmett Wardell

Photos sourced at Racepix.com taken by Dusan Uhrin . Click here for full album: Clontarf Races

Before I go on to document my own travails, I would like to offer a massive congratulations and well done to Diarmuid O’Suilleabhain for placing third out of over 600 runners in the Clontarf 5 mile on Saturday morning. A fantastic achievement and great reward for all Diarmuid’s improvements and hard work throughout the year – Well Done Diarmuid!

Diarmuid O’Suilleabhain

As for myself, my first year of running recreationally (or competitively depending on you look at it I guess!) was bookended with an awful 5 mile experience in the Phoenix park in June and a bit of a struggle over the same distance in Clontarf on Saturday. June saw untied shoelaces, horrific blistering from my €15 diardora runners and post-race migraines while November witnessed a real (harsh!) lesson in racing in strong winds. In my first race since my marathon debut on bank October bank holiday Monday, my aim was go sub 32 for the 5 mile. Despite not feeling so strong on Saturday morning, given all the training I had put in recent months, it was a goal which I thought was still very achievable.

The course was out and back in nature and reaching half way in about 15:30 and still feeling reasonably strong the sub 32 dream remained alive. However, when I hit 2.5miles and turned at the designated point (i.e. a traffic cone!) …..my word….the wind!! Such was the strength of it, it really felt like turning and running into the proverbial wall.

5 mile course

By circa 2.6miles the sub 32 plan was already in serious doubt and by the 3 mile mark I was eyeing up the Irish sea down to my left and considering a doggy paddle short cut across the bay to get home quicker!! I persevered on land however and struggled my way back ultimately finishing in a time of 33:33. About a minute faster than my time from that painful day in June but alas not quite as fast as I was hoping. On a personal level, the biggest positive I can take from the day was learning (the hard way!) how important it is to have some sort of pre-race strategy in place for running in the wind.

It was great to see the familiar Sposrtsworld faces of Joe Haugh and Diarmuid O’Suilleabhain at the finish line. Joe was there in a supporting capacity however Diarmuid, as I mentioned earlier, after running a cracking race had placed third in a field of over 600 runners, a truly fantastic effort. The way Diarmuid’s times have improved this year has been very impressive, and watching all his hard work pay off has been inspiring!
The race as a whole was very well organised and there was a great atmosphere throughout the morning. The scenery was fabulous and despite the pain of the 33 minutes and 33 seconds it was still a very enjoyable morning – such events really are a fun and brilliant thing to be a part off.

As for the plans for 2016 – master the 5 mile or never run the 5 mile again?! Only time will tell…. Am still none the wiser if I prefer the shorter stuff or the longer stuff. Either way though, something tells me that 2016 may well see me take on marathon number 2. The buzz of completing the 26.2 miles was a truly unforgettable experience and definitely the highlight of my short running career to date.

As always, thanks to all at Sportsworld for all their help along the way.

Sportsworld results from the Clontarf 5 mile
Diarmuid O Suilleabhain 3rd 30:51
Emmet Wardell 11th 33:33
Jim Manning 171st 44:01

Sportsworld results from the Clontarf Half Marthon

William Greensmyth 1:32:53
Noel Tobin 1:34:27
Stephen Willoughby 1:42:18
Aodh O’Connor 1:44:01
Karoline O’Sullivan 1:46:45
Ed Collins 2:00:33
Caroline Lynch 2:03:53
Louise Kearney 2:09:37
Claire Harrington 2:11:41
Pamela Doyle 2:19:05

Half Marathon Course

Races next Weekend!

Double header of racing for Sportsworld athletes next Sunday, 29th November

Race 1: Meet & Train Winter League starts in Swords, race starts at 11am. It is hosted by Fingallians and Paddy Lynch will be putting teams together this week.

Race 2: Dublin intermediate cross country is in Tymon Park. Women start at 14:00 followed by the men at 14:20. Teams are on the noticeboard on the backdoor of the clubhouse.

Post-race food after National Novice Cross Country

For those racing the national novice cross country on Sunday December 6th in Waterford, Tara Rathigan (with the aid of local knowledge) has kindly volunteered to organise somewhere in Dungarvan for the club to rendezvous after the race and get a bite to eat.

There are little options between Dungarvan and Dublin; the plan is to meet up after the race for a chat and some food before the drive home. Due to the large numbers on a Sunday afternoon Tara wants to book a spot in advance.

If you are racing or supporting and want to meet up with your club mates after the races; than put your name on the list in the clubhouse – it’s on the backdoor where the training plan is.

Those racing you know who you are!

If you are interested in racing and a day out, just ask Emily to put your name on the team – entries are through the club and everyone is welcome.

Novice women: 4k race starts at 14:45
Novice men: 6k race starts at 15:00

Catherine Mulleady

This week we meet Catherine who after only a year with the club is now a key member of the senior cross country team. After winning the award for best newcomer at the club awards this year, she has gone from strength to strength!

When did you join Sportsworld?
August 2014

Where do you work?
Glenasmole N.S., Bohernabreena.

What is your favourite club session?
That’s like asking me which form of torture is my favourite but I suppose if I had to choose I’d say fartlek.

What is your favorite race distance?
I’m not really sure but definitely the shorter distances like 5k or 5 mile.

What is your favorite meal before a big race?
It depends on what time the race is at but most races I do are in the morning so I’d usually have scrambled eggs with salmon and maybe some brown bread and a cup of green tea.

My Favourite place to train/compete is?
I’ve really started to enjoy the waterworks. It can be very tough but the scenery is so beautiful it makes it all worth while.

What is your target for the next year?
Survive the cross country season?? Seriously though, I would love to get under 20 minutes for 5k.

What is your best Sportsworld memory?
I’d have to say the weekend we went to Berlin for the half marathon. It was great to have such a big gang going abroad for a race. I enjoyed most of the race and then the post race celebrations were great craic. It’s just a pity I wasn’t able to handle to the German beer so well.:(

What international events have you ran?
Berlin Half Marathon

What do you like doing when you don’t run?
Sitting on my ass recovery from the club sessions and probably watching crap tv 🙂 I also love meeting friends and eating out.

How/When did you start your adventure with running?
Well I originally started running when I was in primary school and kept it up until I was about 16. I took about a 10 year break basically because I got lazy and none of my friends wanted to run. I started running again in my mid twenties but didn’t realise what ‘real’ training was until I joined Sportsworld. It was a shock to the system 🙂

Tell us about your PB’s / What is your biggest achievement?
I don’t really have any brilliant PB’s or major achievements but here are my PB’s. My PB for 5km is 20:37 which I got at the docklands 5k, My PB for 5 mile is 35:10 which I got at the Irish Runner 5 mile this year. My Pb for 10k is 44:22 which I got at the Womens Mini Marathon and my PB for the half Marathon is 1::41

How often do you run / What is your typical weekly mileage?
It all depends on the week in question but I try to train with the club 3 times a week and if I’m having a good week I’ll manage a 4th session.

What would you say is the best thing about being in a Running Club?
Definitely having other people to train with. I love the social side of it even if it’s just catching up with everyone in the clubhouse before we head out for the session. I also love the well earned cup of coffee and a chat after a long run on Sunday. Running with other people also makes you push yourself more than you would if you were just training on your own.

What made you join a Running Club?
I don’t enjoy running on my own. I find it difficult to conjure up the motivation to go out for a run on my own especially in the Winter. It’s so much easier to head down to the club and join a group for a run.

What was your first day at the Club like?
Once I got over the initial fears of not knowing anyone I actually really enjoyed my first session. There were a few other newbies who had just recently joined and I remember Seán and Conor took charge of us and showed us the ropes. I’m pretty sure it was a fartlek session and I remember leaving thinking that I’d definitely be back.

Why is running important to you?
We’re getting to the deep stuff now 🙂 I’m not really sure why it’s important to me. I guess I like the feeling of being fit and trying to better my times. It’s also a great way of clearing your head and just forgetting about any problems and it keeps me away from the aforementioned crap tv 🙂

Is there anything you would like to see more of or less of at the Club?
I’m not sure maybe some more advice on stretching after a session.

Who is the person in the club who inspires/drives to run better?
Well when Eoin starts shouting his motivating words that usually drives me to run faster and of course Emily drives me and encourages me to do better.

Do you do any cross training / other sports on a regular basis?
I’m a bit sporadic with my cross training but I try to swim and cycle a bit and I also practise pilates and hope to teach some time soon.

Sportsworld Running Club

National Masters Track Tullamore 2025

Barry & Johns Backyard Ultra (95km) 10th May 2025

London Marathon 2025

Lisbon Half Marathon March 2025

Meet and Train Race Abbottstown

Jingle Bells 5k 2015

Eoin O’Brien

Run The Line – Mountain challenge in aid of the Dublin & Wicklow mountain rescue.

Dublin Intermediate Cross Country 2015

Lanzarote 2015

Ronan Murray

Clontarf 5 mile & Half Marathon

Races next Weekend!

Post-race food after National Novice Cross Country

Catherine Mulleady

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