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
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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