Photos from Ballymore Cobh A.C. - Adults Section's post

Boston Scientific Clonmel Half Marathon Sunday 25-Aug-2019 A whopper of a field took on the ever-popular Clonmel Half Marathon in testing autumnal heat that rose into the 20s, taking no prisoners along the way. Our Berlin native, the gregarious Heike Von Heyne, finally got a taste of the mainland European temperatures she has been pining for all summer here in Ireland. Not so easy to race in for us most of us fair-skinned freckled Gaels, but Heike took it in her stride like she was ambling up Postdamer Platz. Leilia Pender and Sarah Ahern ran together and finished side by side, too. Talking about shopping lists, fancy paper, the latest Dyson hoover, what to cook for their awesome husbands when they got home, plus the many attributes of male chauvinism, sure the 13.1 miles must've just flew by. (That's what women chat about, right???). We here at Ballymore Cobh Towers must, however, tip our hats in the direction of these two ladies, who, upon noticing a wavering athlete in their line of sight that subsequently collapsed, halted their race and tended to this lady until medical assistance was procured. A selfless and considerate act, ladies. Simmering along very nicely indeed with her training in the run-up to the Dublin Marathon is the wonderful Bernadette Ryan-Rowe. She always appears to be on song, her race on the day being complimented with a couple of extra miles post-finish line for good measure, to be sure, to be sure. He's very kind to sick animals. He just doesn't realise they're sick when he bets on them. Gorgeous Greg McCauley put down his copy of the Racing Post and ran like a thoroughbred. A very healthy one. Katherine Farrell ran extremely well to clock a 2 hour half marathon time. And why wouldn't she, says you? She's been putting in the hard work in at the Aoife Cooke-led Monday night sessions. But that ain't all. Rumour has it that she was in the vicinity of Leilia and Sarah as they spotted that athlete in peril, but, why put all that training she's been doing to waste, right? Head down and jog on, baby, there's a pb to be had! Twas nice to see Kevin O'Keeffe racing again in the club colours. We caught up with him after he'd grabbed a shower and graced us with his suave presence. Declining to respond to our race-related questions he instead launched into a Trump-like onslaught - "Do you like my classic-fitting Hammond chinos? Standard rise, double reverse pleats, straight cuffed leg, on-seam pockets. Indeed, split-besom pockets, you probably can't help but notice. Setting off the whole look are my Dubarry Docksiders. Overall, my look today is classic - but simple. Now, pray excuse me, I must mingle," and with that he was gone. They were very nice chinos, though. Oy, oy, savoy. Stephen Ryan still has it. A fine run by a man who's undoubtedly, absolutely, completely, the wrong side of the M45 age category. Although, you’d be surprised by the power of denial once you put your heart into it. All said, he's a happy buachaill as he reflects on his race and looks forward to watching the Rose of Tralee Festival with Dáithí Ó Sé and a nice packet of Lincoln Creams - not too sweet, not too plain. Practice makes perfect, it is said. Oft seen traversing the many harbour paths, country boreens and multiple inclines and declines of the Great Island that our club domiciles itself within, Margaret O'Regan leaves no stone unturned to garner that edge, that extra something. For someone relatively new to running, she has taken it like a fish to water. An exceptional outing from Margaret on the day. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are her's, now and forever - Orla O'Rourke claimed the top prize of 1st place in the O/50 category. She's in such good form right now, that she would've claimed 3rd in the O/45 and 2nd in the O/40 if they'd permitted her to enter into those categories too! Very well done to all of our members, and indeed all the competitors who ran over what is always a very challenging distance in what were quite tricky conditions. Club member's results in full: Orla O'Rourke 1:33:01 F50 Margaret O'Regan 1:44:07 F40 Stephen Ryan 1:44:45 M45 Kevin O'Keeffe 2:53:19 SM Katherine Farrell 2:00:17 F40 Greg McCauley 2:03:55 M40 Bernadette Ryan-Rowe 2:06:26 F35 Sarah Ahern 2:09:47 F40 Leilia Pender 2:09:48 F40 Heike Von Heyne 2:35:18 F40 Credit to Shane Meyler for a fantastic report and Andy O'Rourke for the brilliant photos.

Musgrave S&S 5k Aug 13 2019 A big shout out to our two flying women, Orla O'Rourke and Margaret O'Regan who both ran fantastic races at this week's BHAA Musgrave 5k. Orla O'Rourke running for Keen on Sport took first prize in her age group in a time of 20:36. Margaret O'Regan running for Biomarin took third prize in her age group in a time of 22:49. Great running ladies 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Ballymore Cobh A.C. club members who took on the new Cork BHAA Depuy Synthes 4 Mile Race on Wednesday all featured in the prize stakes. Orla O'Rourke (Keen On Sport) 2nd placed woman overall in a time of 27:40. Deirdre Meyler (Depuy Synthes) 2nd placed team B category in a time of 32:11, plus 1st woman home for Depuy Synthes got her a company prize! Shane Meyler (Navy) 1st placed team B category in a time of 25:24. Photo credits to Cork BHAA, Mick Dooley and The very, very handsome Andy O'Rourke of Andy O'Rourke Photography.

Cobh Triathlon Club

On August 24th Cobh Tri Club will host the Jailbreak triathlon. This is a sold out national series event and a huge attraction to our town. If you or anyone you know is available to marshal on the 24th it would be greatly appreciated. There are goody bags and drinks vouchers for all volunteers. Please consider giving your time to this great event. If free please contact the club by email - cobhtriclub@gmail.com or on their Facebook page

Our club spy 🕵️, wearing a mac, trilby and false moustache, being the astute fellow that he is, spotted 3 of our finest in deepest, darkest Kerry last weekend. Here's how they got on: Taking on the Brandon Bay 10k on Saturday was Alex Eaton (43:12). A challenging out and back route over the majestic beach that sits along the bay, Alex ran excellently to finish in a brilliant 10th position from 265 athletes. She aims to please, she runs with apparent ease. Just to the south of Brandon Bay, Carol Leahy (1:23:23) navigated the Run Killarney 10k with her customary affability and style. No better cailin for it than our Carol. A great effort put in. Same locale, different distance. Her debut over 13.1 miles at the Run Killarney Half Marathon, Jennifer Andersson (1:46:58) put in a fantastic performance, finishing 59th from 590 female entrants. Holy shmoke, that's some going for your first half!

10th Annual Cloyne 5k Race Thursday 18-Jul-2019 On a warm and pleasant evening, fine performances were put in by one and all over a smashing course, with all roads closed for the athletes as part of a very well organised event by the good folks who volunteer their time at Cloyne Community Council. Thank you from Ballymore Cobh A.C. to these guys for their warm hospitality, goodwill and the very evident care that they put into their community Achtung, baby! Heike Von Heyne (32:39) is back racing, placing and chasing. Always trying, always smiling. It's oh so lovely to see her competing again. Making her debut for the club in no uncertain measure of style was Lisa Cummins (28:35). Lisa, you're very welcome aboard the good ship Ballymore Cobh, toot toot! S.O.S.! Sandra O'Shea (28:02), that most pleasant of ladies with the most unique of initials, took on this race with the minimum of training allied to the maximum of effort, running absolutely splendidly indeed. Foam-rolling one's glutes whilst en route by motorcar to a race is certainly unorthodox, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it, right? Pauline Hannafin (27:02) tried it and ran with much aplomb. 'Atta way to do it. Not having raced since last winter, she felt it high time to come out of hibernation and frolic with abandon like a baby bear in the meadow. Enter into the fray, Angela McCall (23:29). 3rd place in the O/45 category for this lady. Ker-ching! Displaying oodles of athletic skill, adroitness and promptitude that belied the activities of her recent holiday of sun, sea and sangria, Alma Worrall (22:40) proved her mettle with a superb 2nd place podium finish in the O/45 category. Howzabouttha'? He once told us, if you lay out your gear the night before a race in a vaguely human shape, it will come alive as you sleep. We still get nightmares from this. Having anything but a nightmare, though, was Stephen Ryan (21:41), who put in a barnstormer of a performance, proving he ain't just a pretty face. Climbing aboard the pain train, this one hurt. A lot. Nevertheless, an emphatic effort brought on a personal best time for Shane Meyler (18:34). Twas worth the hurt.

Cork BHAA 5k Race Tramore Valley Park Wed 03-Jul-2019 Representating their respective business house employers, our small but not insignificant triumvirate of Orla O'Rourke (Keen On Sport), Deirdre Meyler (Depuy Synthes) and Shane Meyler (Navy) dispensed with their renowned Ballymore Cobh A.C. singlets, donning their employer's athletic apparel for the evening. Those interval sessions at the track in Cobh appear to paying off, as her 5k time was briefer than a Macy Gray gig. Pre-race, she looked quite calm and composed, but under the surface she must have been feeling fly, funky and fresh, as Orla O'Rourke (20:51) romped home in a fantastic time and claimed herself a podium finish as 3rd placed female. How's about that? Rumour has it that Orla is soon to be knighted and given Sonia O'Sullivan's parking space at the Cobh Lidl. We'll let you know more on this when we have it. A slight faux pas in her planned minute per mile pace resulted in Deirdre Meyler (24:49) being a tad off-target by a couple of seconds. No biggie, one might think... "How could something like this have happened?” she kept going – over and over again. “What does this say about me?” It reminded us of the time, at the height of the recession, when she miscalculated her Brown Thomas reward card points and ended up losing her platinum status for a year. She was inconsolable. Superb and industrious running from Mrs M. The glamour, the glory, the fortune, the fame. Popping podium champagne with pretty ladies to much acclaim. Nope. For reasons you don’t need to understand because they make the author's head hurt, he never even came close. What next for Shane Meyler (18:48)? Back in the late 1990s, drunk on their own sense of self-regard, Suede decided to release the title of their album Head Music one letter at a time. Shane is taking a similar approach to drip-drip announcements, informing us “I know what I am going to do,” but declining to specify what that actually is. Well done anyway, pet. Results in full: https://www.corkbhaa.com/2019/07/03/bhaa-5k-results-2019/

Cork BHAA

Cork Business Houses Athletic Association VMWare 5k Ballincollig Wed 26-June-2019 400 souls saddled up for this tasty little 5k that took in a slice of Ballincollig Regional Park and a testing little pull that had to be negotiated twice over. An agreeable, warm, sun-drenched summer's evening was accompanied by a fresh breeze that would put manners on even the most insolent athlete. As nervous as a turtle crossing the M50, it being her first race in some months, a time of 24:35 was enough to abbreviate the sojourn of Deirdre Meyler (Depuy Synthes), a very decent time borne from Deirdre's plenteous effort, with more to come, perhaps? He'll never be mistaken for Jamie Dornan, but he's our Shane Meyler (Navy) and he'll just have to do the way he is, thank you very much. A clocking of 18:48 and a 3rd place prize in the O/40 category were the fruition of Shane's exploits and adventures. If they knew he was a Dub, they could've stuck the mandatory 20 seconds penalty onto his time. Grrrr. Seasoned Trevor Cummins-watchers will know he's been in the form of his life of late. That burning feeling you get in a 5k? He likes to think of it as a hit of happiness. Trevor left a trail of sparks in his wake with a superb finish time of 16:48 and an outstanding 4th place overall. Holy smoke! https://www.facebook.com/CorkBHAA/videos/488329681913499/

Photos from Ballymore Cobh A.C. - Adults Section's post

Mary De Barra. Will Dunne. Stephen Pender. Brendan Ryan. All 4 club members successfully negotiated the monster test that was the IRONMAN Youghal on Sunday. Taking place in positively atrocious weather conditions, it was so bad that the swim leg had to be cancelled. A hiccup, granted, but there was a tough wind, relentless driving rain and a demon of a hill to contend with for their 180 km character-building bike leg, before their 42 km marathon complimented, of course, by the energy-sapping weather front. Yikes! 2,067 had registered to compete, with just over 1,400 successfully completing this gruelling event. A DNF statistic of 23%. That in itself tells its own story. Now known as IronMam, the superb Mary De Barra must be feeling pretty pleased with herself as she completed the event chalking down a fantastic 8th place in her category. But you'd never know it, as she's as modest as a blushing maiden. A humdinger of an effort from this wonderful lady. Mary, with sincere admiration, we tip our hat to you. Sure it's the handsome face and the pretty legs he's got, glory be to God. A phenomenal effort from Will Dunne, our fearless firefighter making it look a cinch, as he ba-dum-tished his way throughout the course. His parole officer will be most pleased. In 12 hours and 35 minutes, this was an absolutely outstanding effort from an all-round good egg. Will Dunne, you're some man. After being informed of the swim leg cancellation, Stephen Pender hadn't been this disappointed since the shutters fell on Guess Menswear. So it was that he took to the course with a despotic sterness of temperament, introducing his angry, yet gorgeous, presence into the cycle leg with a cadence of pedalling that was of such furiosity 'twas ne'er before seen, or likely to be witnessed again. 663rd place overall amongst the very best that Ireland and the international triathlon scene has to offer really is a serious lifetime achievement. Top man you are, Stephen Pender. There's nothing he likes more of a June Sunday than relaxing in his oak-panelled study, in front of a fire that smells unmistakably of apple logs, with a cappuccino, or a Viennese coffee, or even a Caffe Borgia, accompanied by a thick wedge of Seville orange and passion fruit cheesecake or even one of his ginger and blueberry crème brûlées. But not today. Oh, no. Today, the Ryanman cometh. A "hold my beer" response was Brendan Ryan's riposte to the swim news. This athlete, (who for the benefit of our lady readers in the 25 to 35 year old category, is all meat and no preservatives), was 206th home overall in a 'mere' 10 hours and 31 minutes of pure athletic dynamism. An absolutely apocalyptic execution of all he has trained so hard for from Brendan. We here in Ballymore Cobh A.C. are so, so proud of you all. Write up thanks to Shane Meyler.

COACHFORD 5 mile road race 2019 | COACHFORD 5 MILE ROAD RACE

Thursday the 11th July will again see the village of Coachford hosting top athletes and fun runners from all over the Cork and Munster region to take part in this award winning race . Voted best 5 mile road race in 2017 and again in 2018. This year they are supporting local man John Kennedy and his family after he who fell from a ladder on the 8th Oct 2018 and is now paralyzed from the waist down . There are prizes for club with the most competitors walking or running on the night, and also prizes for online registration. https://register.primoevents.com/ps/event/COACHFORD5mileroadrace2019?fbclid=IwAR3B08GnHHQxQpWizR5ZjMLT7Lm_ge8jCikCgeP2bAP86cAbhqkW6IgMDgA

Photos from Ballymore Cobh A.C. - Adults Section's post

Benefits of joining a running club like Ballymore can be wide ranging. Improving fitness and speed - Running Friendship And Camaraderie - Improved health and well being etc.... One perk few of us get from our club is meeting the love of our life. This is exactly what happened when the paths of Claire Holland and Tobi Lehnhoff were crossed at Ballymore AC. Today the happy couple will marry. From all your running friends we are thrilled to wish them a long and happy life together. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🥂🎉💑

Photos from Ballymore Cobh A.C. - Adults Section's post

Cork City Marathon Sunday 02-Jun-2019 May the devil sweep the roof off the house he wouldn't be welcome in. A gentleman to the last, he hails from the land of sheep, horses, more sheep, soldiers and more sheep again. As they say in Kildare, he's a white settler (a blow-in from another part of Ireland) and a sheckin' nice lad (a good man). An avid reader of deh paypur (the Leinster Leader), Damien Whelan (4:41:49) ran his maiden marathon like a veteran of many and we really couldn't be happier for him. He is of vast age, but fair play to him, he still has all his own teeth. Marathon number 38 was conducted with the firmness and fortitude we've come to expect from Michael Daly (4:31:38). Another smashing performance from a smashing guy. "I'm not feeling the pressure," he said, lighting six fresh Benson & Hedges off the still smouldering ends of the six he had just smoked down to the collective butt. Alas, there was nothing to fret about, as another 26.2 mile debut was successfully conducted with much zeal and zest. Meeting Mark Coakley (4:17:29) post-race, he was a much relaxed individual - "everything you see me wearing here you can get in Zara." A magnificent effort on the day from a marvellous man. She has, like Madonna in 1985, got into the groove. A lady who applies herself 100% to the task at hand, she has readily embraced all that Ballymore Cobh A.C. has to offer it's athletes since joining a year or so ago and the proof is in the pudding, as they say - a sublime initial effort at the marathon distance for Margaret O'Regan (3:51:14). Fantastic running, Margaret. "Waitress, a quart of claret! Good, do you hear, for I'm a bit of a judge. I am in the trade. I have connections in Bordeaux." The waitress departed, duly impressed, let us hope. And so it was that we came across this charlatan on a quest to sake his thirst in the Mutton Lane Inn sometime after he crossed the line. We offered him a spin home to Cobh, to which he acquiesced. The short journey made longer by the fact that he clicked his fingers twice every time he thought of something to say to us and referred to us throughout the journey as "my man". Barry Breen (3:23:19), we hope you've a sore head today! Seriously, all of us within the club are very impressed with your first-rate endeavour and excellent finish time. Great stuff, Barry. Huge congratulations to all 5 of our athletes who successfully completed the Cork City Marathon, a course that asked a lot and one ran in not ideal weather conditions either. Take a collective bow, guys. Please give generously to our chosen charity "Breaking the Silence Cobh" on the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/running-the-cork-marathon-for-breaking-the-silence?teamInvite=PULT31EtzDtjJxPzFEOFpa0AK9RBaH9QefS2moH4AdIn8oYtYq0nT53JV24GlQZK&fbclid=IwAR1aQ6N2ajTah7eMF3NNy5jqxkN9_S7bFoGQnHuCLIqkkLBfzhFZdyjRLDs Credit to the one and only Shane Meyler for test another cracking race report (A further report on the Half-Marathon and Relay events to follow). New members are always most welcome within Ballymore Cobh A.C. Check out our website for full details or PM our Facebook page.