Walking the Evening Echo Womens Mini-Marathon 2018?

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Revamped 37th Evening Echo Women's Mini-Marathon Will Suit Walkers

Centre Park Road Cork

1pm, Sunday September 16th 2018

Walkers coming down the hill at Maryville, during the 2011 Women's Mini-Marathon

Enter 37th Evening Echo Cork Women's Mini-Marathon

There are just three weeks left, and entries are streaming in for the 37th Evening Echo Cork Women's Mini-Marathon. This year we have Tesco join the event as one of the main Sponsors, alongside flagship sponsors, Evening Echo, who spearhead the event for the 37th consecutive year. 

Last week, entries passed the 2,000 mark, and are coming from all parts; primarily from Cork City and surrounds, there are also large numbers from throughout the county, but also from further away, with large groups coming from Cashel, Clonmel, Tralee and Tipperary...and many other towns throughout the country.

Race Information - 37th Evening Echo Women's Mini-Marathon 2018

The Course                     FAQ

With the intention of enabling a smooth and fast start for everyone, this year's Mini-Marathon will feature Time Zones. In addition, everyone will start on Centre Park Road, with the Mill Road-Centre Park Road bottleneck eliminated, making for a more enjoyable experience for all, runner and walker alike.  

This year, Time Zones are being introduced to the event for the first time.  The zones will be marked on both sides of the road leading to the Start Line, with 7 zones in all:

 Time Zones for Evening Echo Women's Mini-Marathon

Time Zones

Runners and walkers should enter the Time Zone most appropriate to their own target finish time.  If all participants adhere to this, it should make for a streamlined start and a pleasant experience for everyone, runner and walker alike.   The image above gives an indication of the zones, though the view foreshortens them, making some of the zones appear smaller than they actually will be.  Each zone will be sized to adequately cater for the estimated numbers (based on previous year's Mini-Marathon finish times) in each section. 

There are two primary goals behind the introduction of Time Zones:

• Improved Safety for Everyone, and
  
• A smoother Start for all participants, from the fastest, to those who intend taking their leisure
  
  If everyone starts in a realistic zone for their own individual abilities, we think that the change will prove a major factor in everyone enjoying their 2018 Mini-Marathon experience.

 
So...What do the Time Zones Mean for Walkers?
The aim of time zones is primarily to try to ensure that everyone is pretty well matched with others expecting to go at, more or less, the same pace. In effect this means that the runners will all start together, ahead of the walkers, reducing any pushing and shoving and jumping around the place that may have happened in previous years, making for a pleasant and enjoyable experience for everone taking part.

Everyone, walkers and runners, will start at the same time, but the time zones should go a long way towards ensuring that the start, and early stages of the event will go very smoothly.

But ...If I Start Far Back, Won't My Time Be Slower

No. Your time begins when you pass the sensors in the Start Gantry, where the sensors pick up and identify your unique number chip, and finishes when you pass the Finish Gantry, where your number chip is again detected. For example, the event starts at 1pm sharp, and it takes you 4 minutes and 45 seconds to cross the start line. You then finish in an overall time of 74 minutes and 45 seconds. Your Chip Time will therefore be 70:00 = the actual time you will have taken between the Start Line and the Finish Line.

This is a Race - Isn't It All About Runners?

Far from it. Sure, it's a race, but the vast majority of participants have always been walkers, and they contribute massively to the atmosphere and buzz of the day.

Of those declared so far this year, 49% have ticked themselves as "Over 51 Mins & Walk". In addition, there are bound to be some pretty fast walkers who will do the course in under 51 minutes. Each year we see masses and throngs of walkers coming through, the vast majority wearing T-shirts representing their chosen charity or cause, while some are doing the event in Remembrance of a family member, friend or colleague.

Walkers, including several walking on behalf of Youghal Hospice

Charities

Each year, hundreds of charities benefit massively from funds raised by Mini-marathon participants. The funds raised are a vital 'life-blood' boost for these charities, who, in turn, use it to provide valuable and vital services for a myriad of services throughout Cork, Munster and even far beyond.

Walkers representing The Alzheimer Society and Cork Alzheimer Foundation

I'm Taking Part in the Mini-Marathon - How Do I Sign Up for a Charity

You should contact the charity directly. The procedure is that you enter for the event and then contact your chosen charity, who will provide you with all you need - sponsorship cards, T-Shirt, etc. After the event, when you've collected your sponsorship funds, you then send the funds directly to your designated charity.

Related Article

Time Zones - How These Affect Runners

We are changing - be there to see the impact for yourself.

...We Like It.....We Hope YOU do Too!!

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