Annacurra 2010: Colm, Paul, Jakub,Liam, Con & Brid On Saturday last (Feb 6th), a good group of Sportsworld members made the trip down to the village of Annacurra near Aughrim, Co.Wicklow for the 2nd instalment of the IMRA Winter League. Although it was fairly miserable leaving Dublin, conditions on arrival in Annacurra were perfect – sunny but not too warm and much more importantly – no wind! The village itself was also perfectly set up for the race with the registration, the start and the pub for prize giving all within a few metres of each other. This led to everybody hanging around the one area which gave us a chance to check out the competition – unfortunately there was a lot of it. At 11am, the race began. 172 competitors in total. The course itself was 10.5km with a 420m climb thrown in for good measure. The first 3.5km were straight up to the summit on nice wide fire roads which gave plenty of opportunities for overtaking, or being passed, if like some of us you ran off like a hero at the start – only for your calves to give in after about 2km! First Sportsworld member to the top was Paul, followed by Jakub, Liam and myself who were running as a group cross country style at this point. From here, there was a 2km fast descent followed by another steep climb back up to the summit again. Paul was only visible at the summit as we reached the peak for the second time. Again, Liam and Jakub were way too close for comfort as I reached the top. A very fast descent of the original climb ensued back to the village [...]
BHAA Pearl Izumi 10k Road Race
Great turnout from the club at last Saturday’s Pearl Izumi sponsored BHAA 10k Road Race which took place around the Firhouse Area of Dublin. Apologies if I forget anybody but following were spotted running : Paul O’Connell, Joe Byrne, Stephanie Bergin, Helen Dixon, Claire Rowley, Trevor Lloyd, Judith Lloyd, Valerie Power, Sandra Armstrong, Tommy Armstrong, Susan McDonnell, Sean O’Byrne, Ray Carpenter. Paul continued his excellent run of form by finishing second and winning his category in the summer league which included 3 individual wins and 3 second places, very consistent running by Paul, well done. Next home was Joe Byrne who jogged around in 39 minutes according to him as he was due to do a long run the next day !! Stephanie kept up her good recent form by finishing third female behind Annette Kealy and Donna Mahon and also was part of the AIB team which were 2nd in their category. Sandra was 1st in her age category. Helen Dixon was 2nd in her age category. Judith was 1st in her age category and Trevor not to be outdone was also 1st in his age category. Susan ran a pb by 3 minutes and Ray looked as fresh at the end as he had at the start of the race. I would highly recommend that you try one of the upcoming races www.bhaa.ie for remaining races in 2009 as all standard of runner is catered for and if you ask any of your colleagues that run in the BHAA races I have no doubt they will agree that their running has improved since taking part in the races. Race Report byStephen Willoughby
Kilmore 10km 2009
Kilmore 10km 2009 “I’ll Just Jog It” The world is creaking and groaning with tales of dread. A quick shuffle through the Sunday Papers will bring rapid personal rain clouds and a deep fog will follow a deep depression. In a turbulent world, there is no better antidote to misery, worry and fear than running and the company of running friends. Theirs is a positive, happy and encouraging outlook. Runners are not gratified by the material. They have long since understood the effort and the reward comes from better feats. They understand achievement, goals and fun better than any company or business. Theirs is an inherently positive outlook and the glass is always half full. A running club is way more important than running; it’s your tribe, your support and your community. It’s a haven for heady headaches and it’s a reminder of what really matters. Then again, at Sportsworld, we are very lucky. Lucky because we have a passionate Coach who is inspiration personified. In a previous note I said “Emily Dowling didn’t just teach us to run, she taught us how to live” How true that is today. The start of the Kilmore 10k is a well disguised hill. It seduces then pulls and bites your heels. Dermot Bates is a wily fox. Local knowledge (witness the amount of Bates at rest in the ‘Grandstand Graveyard’!) knows better. Dermot’s family come from Kilmore and this gentle start is known locally as … you guessed it … ‘the hill’ Yours truly was on an escape weekend in Kilkenny. The lure of a race and the company of friends were too much to miss. Dermot, the inspiration, creator, producer and director of Project Kilmore was [...]
Sportsworld trip to Wexford for Kilmore 10km on 29th August
From Sportsworld Kilmore 10km 2008 As we are getting closer to the Kilmore 10K, places are running out. We had a very successful trip last year.The race this year is again on a Saturday at 5.30PM on 29th August.For those that weren’t there, last years race was just perfect.Flat course, on country roads, very little traffic and beautiful scenery….on a par with Ballycotton.See: www.kilmoreathletics.com This year, we are staying in Wexford town as opposed to Kilmore Quay….Very lively town during the summer, with plenty of good bars, restaurants and nightclubs.We are trying to get everyone going into either the Talbot or Whites Hotel, both of which offer a gym and pool, but depending on numbers and availability, there are also guesthouses close by as alternatives.There are also spots with a choice of staying for 1 or 2 nights. The following are the available rooms…all on a B&B basis:These are once off prices. For 2 nights: Talbot Hotel, €100pps, (2 places) For 1 night: Talbot Hotel, €60pps, (2 places)For 1 night: Whites Hotel, €65pps, (3places) Alternatives are Guesthouses close by also, of which prices can be given.The above rates are on a first come first served basis. These are internet rates and are no longer available. The rates on offer by the hotel are 90 Euro+ PPS/night. Please contact Dermot Bates/Rachel Morgan if you want to book a room. Dermot Bates
Dunshaughlin 10km 2009
Dunshaughlin 10km 2009 Over 10 Sportsworld runners made the trip to county meath for the 30th annual Michael Manning Memorial 10km evening last Saturday evening. When we left Bushy Park at 6 o’clock it felt more like midday in Lanzarote than a June evening in South Dublin. Thankfully by the time we arrived, highly motivated thanks to Paul Duffy’s music choices it had cooled down. With a slight delay to the start there was plenty of time for a good warm up. The atmosphere at the start on the new link road just off the N3 was to be savoured. Very often you’re not too excited before you get going, but you feel good after you’re done. It felt a bit different on Saturday with everyone enjoying the summer sun and great atmosphere. The field headed off at a very fast pace in what was now slightly cooler conditions. If some runners were still feeling the heat, Paul O’Connell wasn’t showing any signs of distress, by the time the leading pack of runners reached the 1 mile mark in a blistering 4mins 41sces, a quartet of Brian Maher, Tommy Evans, Peter Matthews and Paul had emerged from the main field as serious contenders for the event. Paul continued his progress going through the 5K marker in 15:32.56 a time that very few people in the club would get close to in a 5K. By the time the first 5K had been completed it became clear that Clonliffes Noel Cullen course record (29.21) which was set back in 2000 was safe. By now the eventual 1st and 2nd place finishers Brian Maher and Tommy Evans had pulled slightly ahead. Increasing the gap in the second half [...]