Thursday 29 September 2011

Hi All



Just a few brief updates following our Open Night on Wednesday.



Contact Links

Firstly, thanks to all who attended and all who helped organise the evening. A special welcome is extended again to our new members. If you receive an e mail from us for the first time, please drop a reply in order to confirm your contact details. Also to all new and indeed existing members, if you wish to be added to our club text line service, please forward you name and details to our club mobile number 086-1931338.



Re Club Night Rosters

We are still looking for volunteers to collect the subscription of 2 euro at training. The hope is that somebody different can commit to the collection for one month. If you can fill the blanks below, please reply.



Monday - Training Collection – 5.55pm to 6.10pm at Midleton College

October –

November – John Cashman

December -



Wednesday - Training At Community Centre

Beginners Group – 5.55pm – 6.10pm

October -

November -

December -



Regular Group – 6.55pm – 7.10pm

October – Mary Keane

November -

December –



RE Cork To Cobh Race

Don’t forget entries will be taken from 7.30am Sunday morning at The Montenotte Hotel



Please drop my colleague Peter Gunning an e mail on Sunday evening to let him know how the race went for you in order to help compile a race review for Monday morning. – petegunning@eircom.net - Best luck to one and all.



If you are not running but would like to help, please call Michael Dooley 087-9790806.



Re Pre Race/After Race/Regular Massage

The contact details for our club colleague Neilus Aherne sports massage therapist, who was present at our Open Night is 086-8438355



Best Regards

John Cashman

Joint P.R.O – Midleton A.C

Tuesday 27 September 2011

A Big Congratulations to all our ladies who took part in the Evening Echo Womens Mini Marathon on their great runs and especially to Sinead Kevany who finished 7th in a time of 23.54 our highest finishing member in manys the year.

Monday 26 September 2011

Social Get Together

Please note we will hold our ANNUAL PRE WINTER GET TOGETHER on this Wednesday evening SEPTEMBER 28TH FROM 7PM TO 8PM AT Midleton Community Centre. This is NOT a training session, so leave the gear at home. It is merely a social chat where all members are encouraged to attend and meet club colleagues. Light refreshments will be served. Club officers will also confirm training arrangements for the new season, whilst current members are invited to bring along a potential new member. Our Clothing Officer Claire Fitzgerald will be on hand with a full range of club merchandise whilst Sports Injury Therapist Neilus Aherne will also be present to lend advice on injury prevention.



Most of all it’s an opportunity for all of us to get together and enjoy one another’s company.



Annual Dinner

Still, on the social scene the Midleton AC Annual Christmas Dinner will be held on Saturday December 10th at Midleton Park Hotel. More details to follow in the near future.



Club Night Roster



Next week will see training revert to Mondays and Wednesday for approx the next 6 months and the usual winter venues.

Just like last year, we need club members to assist with the collection of the nightly subscription. If you are willing to do so for one month in any of the time slots below please drop me back an e mail with your preference(s) and we will then circulate a roster to all.



Collection Times



Mondays from 5.55pm to 6.15pm approx at Midleton College All Weather

Wednesdays (Beginner’s Group) from 5.55pm to 6.10pm approx at Community Centre

Wednesdays from 6.50pm to 7.10pm approx at Community Centre



Captain’s Run



Our captains have organised a 4 mile Handicap Challenge Run for all members as a new addition to the Midleton AC calendar. Please note the date for this event has now been changed to Saturday 12th November 3pm. More details to follow.



Cork to Cobh



Next Sunday sees the annual Cork to Cobh 15 Mile Race take place under BHAA rules. Many runners are already entered from our club. It’s 20 euro on the day and 10 euro pre entry – the closing date is upon us, but it might be worth an early call on this Monday morning to Kevin Cummins on 021-4292509 if you wish to avail of the pre entry price.



If you are not running, please consider helping the organisers with stewarding etc – call Mick Dooley on 087-9790806 if you can assist on the route.



Valentia Half Marathon



- Finally a note from our club colleague Denis Kelleher who is on the Half Marathon trail again on Saturday next across the county bounds in Kerry. He is wondering if anybody is following a similar road ?



“I would like to know if there are any club members travelling to this event and willing to share travelling / expenses. It's there and back on same day. Online entry is €20:00 and closes soon. Race start @ 12:00 noon and number pickup is 09:00 to 11:30am.”



Reply on e mail to

waverider710@hotmail.com

Thursday 22 September 2011

HELP NEEDED


We are appealing for people to make themselves available as stewards for the
Cork to Cobh road race on Sunday 2nd October.
We would be obliged if anyone willing to volunteer would contact Kevin @ 087
9144765 or Mick @ 087 9790806


Come on Midleton AC its on your doorstep

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Cross Country-

Just a few updates -firstly Sally has an update on the cross country season.

Upcoming Cross Country Dates


Sunday, 9 October - County novice and masters (over 40) in Conna at 12.00 pm


Sunday, 23 October - Munster Novice in Clare


Sunday 6 November - County Senior in Bandon at 12.00 pm


Sunday, 20 November - Munster Masters in Limerick


Of these dates, the one which will be of most interest to the majority of cross country runners in the club is the county novice and masters. For those of you who don't know how it works, county novice competition is open to anyone who has not been placed in a novice (or higher) competition at county level and masters is open to all over the age of 40. Entries have to be taken in advance (about a week ahead). Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to take part. I have had some enquiries already and we have potential to field a couple of teams which would be great.


Sally Drennan
thedrennans@eircom.net
087 2265857 or 021 4883960
=======================================================

Tuesday 20 September 2011

EXTRA EXTRA
This Weekend 24/09/11
Chi Running
It is short notice, but if anyone is interested, Catherina McKiernan
is holding another workshop this coming Saturday, 24 September in
Midleton. There are some places still available on this workshop. It
is not being organised by Midleton AC, so if you would like further
information please contact chirunning@eircom.net

Monday 19 September 2011

Chi Running

Group who attended the Chi Running course organised by the club last Saturday in the CBS







Midleton Athletic Club Senior Section Mon 19th September 2011-09-18

By Peter Gunning
Having taken silver in the National Half Marathon O-55 category it was somewhat inevitable that a gold in the Cork event in Blarney on the 4th September would follow for arguably, pound for pound, our best 13.1 miler, Neilus Aherne. Neilus hardly broke a sweat in finishing in 1:25:32 to the delight of all his fellow team members. Neilus is surely on course to cap a magnificent season with an improvement on his 2:59 2010 Dublin Marathon. No pressure there, Neilus!
It was indeed a great day in Blarney for Midleton AC with numerous pbs recorded. Brian McGuire and Owen O’Connell finished strongly in 1:33 and 1:25 respectively. Breda Cahill 1:36, Claire Fitzgerald, 1:41:and Deirdre Aherne, 1:43 continued their marathon preparations with fine runs. We had twenty five runners taking part including both Mark Walsh and John Carey with respective 1: 37 and 1:41 pbs. Also running well on this demandingly hilly course were Barry Aherne, Paul Kierans, Simon Thompson, Vincent O’Neill, Danny McCarthy, Vincent Connolly, Marie Murphy, Helen Gilroy, Margaret Rohan. Mary O’Mahony and Sinead Buckley. Seasoned marathoners Denis Kelleher and Mary Toher also enjoyed their runs in Blarney in the good company of Marion Carroll and Rosari Griffin.
Yesterday in Charleville our half-marathoners continued their autumn tour at the final event in the Ballyhoura series. Kevin Smith broke the magic 80 minute mark to finish 13th overall in a hugely impressive 1:19:06. That headline-grabbing, master half-marathoner, Neilus Aherne completed a fine three in a row in as many weeks to finish as a category winner in 1:26. Adam Duchnicz in 1:28 and Seán O’Sullivan in 1:30 made sure that we had top performances at the business end of things. Denis Kelleher preferred the company here too and his very impressive 1:32 ensured another Midleton AC vest hit the finish line amongst the front-runners. Anna Doris and John Carey knocked four minutes off their Blarney times with positive performances too from Marie Murphy, Trish Murphy, Chris Murphy, Margaret Rohan, Elaine Hennessy, Colette Barry, Sinéad Ivers, Claire O’Leary, Danny McCarthy and Francis Maunsell. Meanwhile at the Kilkenny Half-Marathon, Margaret Jones was the only Midleton AC entrant. Her impressive 1:50 augers well for her sub 4 hour aspirations in Dublin next month. (SEE FULL CHARLEVILLE RESULTS ATTACHED)
On Saturday last Olympian, Caitriona McKernan was our guest as she gave an outstanding Chi-running workshop to thirteen club members. The former London marathon champion passed on invaluable words of advice on technique and running posture. This is the second time Caitriona has visited our club to work with members and we hope to have her back to host another workshop in the coming season. Many thanks to Sally Drennan for organising the workshop.
Well done to Maggie Chojan on winning the East Cork Cross Country Championship and to John Carey on winning a category prize at the North Mon 5k. Full results were not available before this publication deadline but both events will be covered in the next column.
Next up on the calendar is the Cork to Cobh 15 mile road race on Sunday 2nd October. This BHAA event has a 9.30am start.
Other dates to look out for:
Thursday 22nd September at 8pm. Committee meeting in O’Meara’s, Ballinacurra.
Wednesday 28th 7pm Open Night in Midleton Community Centre
Monday 3rd October @ 6pm Training Midleton College all-weather pitch
Wednesday 5th October @7pm (beginners @6pm) Indoor training Midleton Community Centre
Until the next time... keep on running!




Message From Sally Drennan - Ladies Captain
re East Cork Cross Country Championships

CoNGRATULATIONS!


Very successful first cross country outing of the season in Youghal
at the East Cork cross country championships.
The Midleton men's novice team of John Hennessy, Stanislaw Byczek,
Mike Hallahan and Simon Thompson won first place. The over 45 team
of Stan, Kevin O'Reilly, Mike Hallahan and Simon Thomson were also in
the medals. Individually John Hennessy was 1st in the novice and 2nd over
35. I think there were more individual medals (BUT AWAITING FULL RESULTS)
The Midleton ladies team of Maggie Chojan, Susan Delaney and Nicola
McPherson won gold in the novice. (SEE PICTURE ATTACHED OF SUSAN, NICOLA AND MAGGIE) Maggie was in fact first lady across the line) and Susan was second novice.
Congratulations to all our runners and thank you for turning up and
running for the club!

Friday 16 September 2011

Top Distance Runners Converge on Charleville

Some of the best distance runners in the country are to compete at the Cavanaghs Charleville Half Marathon this Sunday 18th of September at 10am over a course between Charleville and Kilmallock. North Cork AC, the organising club are getting great assistance from the communities in both towns and their neighbouring club Kilmallock AC to put on an event which will do the area proud. The event overall looks like it will be very popular with runners of all levels of ability due to the flat nature of the course which allows runners to set fast times. This flat characteristic is very important for some of the top runners competing as some of them are putting the finishing touches to their preparations for the National Half Marathon next month in Dublin. The performances of these runners in Dublin will influence whether they will be selected for next years London Olympics so there is a lot weighing on the next couple of weeks and their result at this event.

Top Ranked Men

Alan O’Shea, former Cork Marathon champion and recently third in the national half marathon is one of the favourites along with Vinny Mulvey of Dublin who is a multiple national title holder over the long distances on the track, road and cross country. Both athletes are rounding into good shape after spells away from normal training due to injury and work commitments. There are also a number of other top male distance runners such as Gary O Hanlon from Clonliffe Harriers in Dublin and Rory McDonnell of Dunboyne AC who both finished in the top ten of the national half marathon recently. Philip Harty from Waterford now running for Donore Harriers is another one who is coming back into shape and improving week by week, therefore with all these runners on the upward curve, we could have some really impressive times if the weather holds out. Feidhlim Kelly of Raheny Shamrocks who normally competes over 1500m is stepping up in distance to the Half marathon for the first time and could be the surprise package on the day of the race and upset some of the other invaders from the Dublin area. Cillian O Leary, also from Raheny Shamrocks AC but originally from Ballincollig in Cork has been struggling with injury recently but hopefully running in his own county will help motivate him to be able to pick up his form on the day. If all runners are healthy on the day we could have at least six or seven of the men under the 70 minute mark.

High Number of Entries

Despite the fact that there has been three popular half marathons held in Munster over the past two weeks, the number of entries for this race, in its first year of existence are impressive and are set to exceed 400 entries on the day if normal entry trends are anything to go by. The number of relay team entrants will also swell the field with over 40 teams expected to compete on the day. The relay teams are made up of 2, 3 and 4 person teams of male and female runners. There are a number of prize categories for Corporate, Sports teams, Family teams and other mixed teams of people. Overall it should be a fun day out for everyone and very satisfying for individual runners looking for a good course on country roads. Entries can still be completed online at www.runireland.com until Saturday and registration for individual runners will be available on Sunday morning. Details about the race and a map of the course can be found on www.ballyhouraActive.com or on the Cork Running Blog. For further details contact race director Michael Herlihy on 086 3168954 or email charlevillehalf@gmail.com


DIARY DATES –
Club Members are asked to note the following dates


Thursday September 22nd
Committee Meeting at O Meara’s Bar – 8.30pm

Wednesday September 28th
Open Night at Midleton Community Centre – 7pm to 8pm

Monday October 3rd
First Training Session of Autumn Season at Midleton College – 6pm

Wednesday October 5th
First Indoor Training Session of Autumn at Midleton Community Centre
Beginners 6pm
Regular Training 7pm

Saturday November 5th
Captain’s 4 Mile Handicap Run at Walshtown Wood 4pm

(Confined to registered Club members )

Regards
John Cashman

Tuesday 13 September 2011

CROSS COUNTRY SEASON

MESSAGE FROM OUR LADIES CAPTAIN - SALLY DRENNAN
>
> The cross country season is starting this weekend. On Sunday, 18
> September the East Cork Cross Country Championships will be held at
> Tower Park, Youghal.
>
> During the year I have had a few queries from people who have
> expressed an interest in cross country running. I am sorry that it
> is such short notice, but that seems to be the nature of this event!
> For anyone who has never tried cross country running and would like
> to give it a go this is an ideal starting point. It is a relatively
> easy course (3000m for women and 6000m for men). Generally very few
> people run in this event so it is not too daunting. The categories
> are novice and masters (over 35 and over 45). Teams are made up of
> three women or four men.
>
> Unfortunately I won't be running as I am injured, but I will be there
> and would love to see a Midleton AC team in action!
>
> The county championships will be held in early October and as soon as
> the dates are available I will circulate them.
>
> If you are interested or have any further questions please give me a
> call on 021 4883960 or 087 2265857
>
> Regards,
> Sally
>
Hi All

Well done to all our runners in last Sunday's Cork Half Marathon in Blarney - there were some great performances by both experienced runners and newcomers. Peter will have a reflective review on results in next club update.
Please note the Charleville Half Marathon will start at 10am on Sunday next. It's the last race in the Ballyhoura Series and a big entry is expected. A relay event 4 x 5K is also taking place.

Meantime before that there is yet another new race in Cork - the North Mon 5K takes place this Wednesday evening. The HQ is St Vincent's GAA Club in the north side of the city. Entry fee is 5 euro.

Finally in response to a number of enquiries, our autumn/winter training season will resume on the first week in October - at Midleton College on Monday and at Midleton Community Centre on Wednesday. Full details to follow shortly.

Regards
John Cashman

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Hi All

There are 2 Half Marathons coming up in Cork over the 2 next weeeknds - Below are reminders and details of both events.

Regards
John Cashman
========================
Cork Half Marathon – Sunday Next 11am

Chip timing will be in use for the first time, whilst the race will also see the introduction of highly visible pacers who will target athletes hoping to break 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours. Meanwhile each runner who completes the course will receive a race souvenir along with a money-off voucher for John Buckley Sports. As an extra touch, runners’ individual race time will be forwarded by text on the day of the race.

Race headquarters will again be based at Blarney GAA Club where entries will be taken on the day up until 10.30am at a cost of 25 euro. However, it’s a policy that St Finbarr’s AC Race Director Ken Devine and his committee hope that not a huge number of people will follow. Instead there is the attractive option of entering on line at www.stfinbarrsaccom for 20 euro up until September 3rd. Alternatively postal entries may also be sent up until the same date to John Buckley Sports Mulgrave Road, Cork. Enquiries should also be directed to John at 021-4508830.
To avoid the hassle of entering on the day, it might be still worth following up the pre entry as the organisers usually take entries until mid week.

Give John Buckley a shout on the above number.



Charleville Half Marathon and Relay Sunday week 10am

Date/Time: Sunday September 18th at 10am

Start/Finish Location: St. Josephs Foundation, Bakers Rd., Charleville

Entries: Online at www.runireland.com/events or forms can be downloaded at Cork Running Blog. Forms and entry available at Dicks Newsagent on Main St. Charleville or from the Charleville Park Hotel reception.

Course: Flat and straight course run on a loop between Charleville and Kilmallock. See map on race flyers and website. Only 20m difference between the highest and lowest points. Ideal for beginners or first timers over the distance.

Team Relay: Divided up into 4 legs of approximately 5km. A team can be made up of 2, 3 or 4 people covering the whole 21.1km distance.

Contact details/Website: www.BallyhouraActive.com or email Michael Herlihy at CharlevilleHalf@gmail.com or phone him on 086 3168954



Race director Michael Herlihy (2009 Cork Marathon Champion) explains that all the raw potential is there for this race to be something special. “The flat and straight course to yield fast times is a major selling point as it is rare to find a course in Ireland which is designed to meet the requirements of runners of all levels. No matter whether you are an elite looking for a fast time to gain a sponsors attention or a beginner runner looking for a time that is a true reflection of your fitness level, this course provides the opportunity for runners to get the most from themselves against the clock.”



Elite athlete co-ordinator John Downes is aiming to develop the field at the head of affairs with a number of top male and female athletes from Munster and nationally already signed up to race on the day for a generous range of cash prizes. Downes, a former British national cross country champion himself and currently a coach to some of Irelands top distance runners, got involved due to seeing the potential this event had to allow some of his own athletes achieve competitive times and see’s the event as having huge potential for the future. He hopes that the times set by some of the top athletes on this course this year will help to draw some more top athletes in future years. He explains, “While there are a number of other half marathons on at this time of year, which will traditionally draw the best of the elites, this race in future years has the basic characteristics to be better than all of them because of the superiority of the course and the clubs willingness to host elite level runners as well as the recreational runners.”

The club has offered special packages to Irish runners to help them to reduce their costs in attending the race which were kindly sponsored by the Charleville Park Hotel, who are also offering special cheap accomodation deals for runners in the race.



The club will also be making a donation to St. Josephs foundation from the proceeds of the race so runners will be contributing towards a very good cause by participating.

The race will see a team relay challenge being run over the 13.1mile distance alongside the main race for individuals where teams of 2,3 or 4 people can compete together. There are four legs of approximately 5km and relay participants will be taken by bus to specific changeover points along the course. There are a variety of categories which relay teams can enter whether they are an athletics club, Corporate team, Sports club or a group of Family/friends, all will be eligible for prizes.

The main aim of the low entry fee and the team relay is to make the event accessible and inclusive of as many people in the community as possible. The organising committee’s main aim is to ensure that this is an event that all adults can get involved in whether they are trying to improve their personal best or just improve their health and enjoy themselves.



The final countdown

It is less than 2 weeks to go to the start on Sunday September 18th at 10am so prospective entrants are asked to get their entries in before race day to reduce the rush. Also the first 300 entrants will receive a technical t-shirt. Those who want to enter online can go to the events page of www.runireland.com and paper entry forms can be sourced on the articles posted on the Cork Running Blog or on Athletics Ireland.

. Any queries should be diverted to race organiser Michael Herlihy on 086 3168954 or email charlevillehalf@gmail.com Further details about the race can be found on the Ballyhoura Series of road races website www.ballyhouraActive.com The Charleville Half Marathon is the 9th and final race of the Ballyhoura series which has been a huge success in the North Cork/East Limerick area. The Half marathon is intended as the grande finale of the series so runners are in for a treat if any of the previous races in the series are anything to go by!



Team Relay Challenge

Calling all teams of all backgrounds for the Charleville Team Relay Challenge! This is a great opportunity to get together with friends, colleagues, clubmates or team-mates for those interested in being involved in a challenging yet enjoyable running event The team relay event is being run as part of the Charleville Half Marathon on Sunday September 18th. Teams from a variety of backgrounds whether they are athletic clubs, sports clubs, corporate teams, friends or family are invited to compete for a large variety of prizes in each category. The whole event is being organised by North Cork AC to bring a large enjoyable event to the Ballyhoura region while at the same time trying to raise funds to make a donation to St. Josephs Foundation in Charleville. So go and get your friends together and ask them if they are up for the challenge!

5km – A manageable distance for beginners

Monday 5 September 2011

Midleton Athletic Club Senior Section

by Peter Gunning

Pride of place this fortnight must go to Neilus Aherne for his outstanding performance in the National Half Marathon in Waterford last Saturday. Neilus clocked a most impressive 1:22:20 to take silver in the O-55 category. After a frustrating injury-plagued season which saw his eleventh hour withdrawal from the Rotterdam marathon, this was a wonderful consolation for one of our finest athletes. Joining Neilus in Waterford was Darragh Canavan whose 1:23:58 finish augers well for his future plans to run a sub 3 hour marathon. The ever-impressive, Anna Doris ran a very satisfying 1:37:20 with Philp Kierans and Danny McCarthy also impressing in 1:46:23 and 1:48:36 respectively.

Denis Kelleher made the long journey to Longford last weekend and was pleased with his 1:49:30 half marathon run. Further west on the same weekend our never-say-die quartet, Trish Murphy, Marion Carroll, Shirley Garde and Rosarie Griffin took part in the gruelling multi-discipline Gaelforce event. Kayaking, bog-trotting, hiking, biking and running up and down Croagh Patrick certainly tested both the physical and mental resolve of all competitors. Our foursome did us proud. Next up a 26 miler in Dublin, ladies and you can leave the canoes behind.

Closer to home and a little less gruelling saw the final event in the Ballycotton 5 miler series in the picturesque fishing village on 25th August. On the night there was some superb running from several of our athletes. Kevin Smith’s 28:28 marked his fastest time of the series smashing his finish in Churchtown South by 22 seconds. Marc Dalton and Darragh Canavan both comfortably broke the 30 minute barrier with Adam Duchnicz, John O’Connell, Tom Cody and Fergal OMeara finishing in their slipstream. The aggregate scores for all four races in the series determined the presentation of the much-coveted top-50 finisher T-Shirts for the men and Top-20 for the women. Take a bow and give us a twirl, Kevin (9th overall) Marc (15th), Adam (26th) Tom (39th ) Michael Furlong (41st) and John Cashman (45th). Looking equally resplendent over on the ladies catwalk were Ann Geary (7th), Breda Cahill (9th), Club Captain Sally Drennan (10th), Anna Doris (14th), Mary O’Keeffe (17th) and Marie Murphy (18th). Well done to all our members who completed all four races in this wonderful series.

Last Friday night the team bus headed to Liscaroll for the final race in the Ballyhoura Summer Eight Race Series. This 10k took place on an excellent course. Tom Cody again won first prize in the O-55 category. His time of 39:30 would have also won him a prize in the 0-45 and0-50 categories. Fergal O’Meara is determined to ensure he has a PB mentioned in every edition of this column and with a 40:13 he is bang up to date. Sean O’Sullivan ran his first race in six weeks after recovering from a back injury and recorded an impressive 41:24. Peter Gunning and John Carey completed a great night’s running for the club, coming home comfortably in 44:28 and 45:01 respectively.

Well done to Sally and the social committee for organising the recent barbeque in the Rugby club. Great fun was had by all on the afternoon and much later into the night and early morning according to the circulating rumours.

As the countdown for the Dublin Marathon begins in earnest our athletes are stepping up their preparations with long weekend runs, stockpiling of gels, Vaseline, and dioralite sachets and abstinence from marathon-unfriendly vices. Top of the must-do list for these endurance runners, will be entry in the forthcoming half-marathon events. The Annual Cork Half-Marathon takes place in Blarney next Sunday 11th September at 11 am while in Charleville the following Sunday sees a 10am start for the same distance. If you are entering Dublin please email Peter at petegunning@eircom.net with your estimated finishing time, marathon history and any other information and we will profile you as part of the Midleton AC Marathon team before and after the race.

Until next time keep running....