A few of our members did the Ballyhoura Trail Half Marathon last Saturday. Bally Williams, Mike Hallahan and Neilus Aherne all took part.
Report From Captain Claire Fitzgerald
First Thursday in May is now firmly owned by Midleton AC in
the running calendar. Despite many emerging races, the ‘Midleton 5 mile’ has
managed not only to maintain numbers but to achieve record numbers year on
year.
And why wouldn’t this happen, isn’t it known as the best ‘5
mile race’ on the Cork circuit as voted by Cork runners. Delivery of a great
running experience doesn’t just happen on the night. It takes six months of planning
under race director Eugene Mc McCarthy and the lead race team of Maire Walsh,
Louise Barry, Siobhan Murphy, Barry O Dwyer, Christine Murphy, Helen Gilroy,
Mark Walsh, Andre Brodkorb, Dan Twohig, Derek Aherne and Claire Fitzgerald and ALL club members.
Final preparations last week culminated in over 30 members,
family and friends down on the waterworks road with shovels, spades and bags
the night before the race to ensure it was in perfect condition for any course
records. Midleton AC collectively made it happen, synergy.
Thank you to all
those friends of the club who also helped out.
The dry cool evening brought over 600 hundred runners to
Midleton. Runners came from as far as Seattle, Spain, Tipp, and Waterford and
of course Cork. Adding to the atmosphere amongst the crowd was our own Cork
Olympian Lizzie Lee and a top quality range of other runners too many to
mention. Thank you all for coming.
Jim Mc Murtry, our esteemed Club president in his own time
kicked off proceedings at 8.00pm and three seconds sharp!
Twenty five minutes later, East Cork’s Sean Mc Grath emerged
from the cattle grid on the pristine Waterwork’s road to emerge for the second
year running as ‘Midleton 5’ winner. Olympian, Lizzie Lee followed as leading
lady and smashed the course record. Lizzie Lee has been a long time friend of
our race and we couldn’t be happier for this talented lady. Midleton AC
athletes were led by Morgan O Regan for the second year in a row as first male
Midleton athlete home with Sinead Keaveney following closely as first Midleton
AC female athlete.
Over the next 25 minutes, the remaining runners crossed the
finish line and the water, protein milk and doughnuts never tasted as good.
What made the race so special was the array of Cork athletic
clubs supporting our race. We welcomed all our own Midleton non-club attached
runners. We hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did.
Well done to all our own athletes who raced and in
particular, to category winners Sinead Keaveney, Marian Ahern, Ann Geary and
Joan Mc Carthy.
But to Eugene Mc Carthy, thank you on behalf of the Midleton
AC for delivering a top quality race. We are lucky to have such a calm talented
race director and we know it.
It was a
night but what a night. The Joe Hourigan Memorial Midleton 5 Mile Race was
another rip roaring success. With around six hundred runners it was no easy
task but our gallant crew ( far too many to mention individuals as I would
surely offend someone by omitting them) under to great stewardship of Eugene
McCarthy Race Director stepped up to the mark once again and carried off the
whole show brilliantly. One of the most memorable times for me was when the
crew of over thirty members undertook the cleaning of the Service Road the
sense of camaraderie and community was palpable. Those of you who know the
state the road was before will appreciate the way it looked for the race.
The food and
catering was once again simply brilliant a big thanks to Louise and Siobhan who
led the whole team.
The race
itself was simply stunning with Sean McGrath once again winning the men’s (he
also won last year) and Lizzie Lee once
again winning but not only that she also broke the course record after doing
the same in Cobh last Sunday. One must say that despite all her success she
still remains one of the nicest ladies on the circuit and we were honoured to
have her participate.
Our own
members also did very well with Sinead Keavney coming 4th Lady and
also got the prize for 1st Midleton Lady. Ann Geary came 5th
lady. Marian Aherne came 1st O/50 and Joan McCarthy came 1st
O/60.
Morgan O’Regan
took 1st Midleton man home and most of our runners had great runs
and a special prize must go to all those who willingly gave up their own races
to help make this a success. The prize giving went off very smoothly (an
example to other races) with the presentations being done by Captain Claire
Fitzgerald, Eugene McCarthy and Mark Walsh being backed up by Christine Murphy
there was not a hitch.
Finally a
big thank you to all the runners without them there would be no race also all
the local and city clubs who came out in such numbers to support as Captain
Claire Fitzgerald said in her opening speech “ clubs must and should support
each other by attending each others races”. A thank you also to the local
community who gave up their streets and roads for the duration of the race and
who came out in huge numbers to support and cheer the runners on. Danny
