31st Ballycotton 10 - March 2008
Vinny Mulvey Wins 31st Ballycotton 10
Sunday March 9th 2008
Ballycotton Running Promotion's Report on the 2008 Race
Despite a severe weather warning for later in the day, conditions wereas ideal as onecould hope for as 2,202 runners–the second biggest in history–brought the total finishers toan incredible 31,585. Vinny Mulvey made it two wins in three years as he crossed the line in atime of 50:37 while Rosemary Ryan deprived Pauline Curley of her hat-trick, the winning timeof 56:48 being the 11th fastest on the all-time list.
VINNY MULVEY, Raheny Shamrocks AC, the winner two years ago when he also won the national senior cross-country title, will go to the line as the favourite when the phenomenon that is the “Ballycotton 10” gets under way on Sunday.
This year the event which continues to astonish, has attracted 3,100 entries, a hundred-fold increase on the 31 runners who faced the starter for the inaugural event, on March 12, 1978. Denis Manning, Dan Kennedy, Michael Murphy, John O’Leary, Batt Kearney, Willie O’Mahony and John Walshe — have entered again this year.
Vinny Mulvey should lead the mammoth field back into Ballycotton, at the end of the magical 10 miles that continues to captivate runners from as far away as the United States.
He claimed the title on his first visit two years ago, in 49:03 and, if consistency is the criterium, he is set for his second win.
Last Saturday he finished third in the national inter-club cross-country championships in Belfast. Before that, he won the Leinster title, and he could hardly have been more impressive when he won his own club’s “Raheny 5”, in 23:37, and he has an added incentive this year, when he leads a strong Raheny team hoping to win the team title, 29 years after they last won it.
Included on the team is Cork-born Cillian O’Leary, who was 14th last year, and, since then, has been runner-up in the national novice and intermediate cross-country championships. He won the Belgooly four-mile road race, on St Stephen’s day, and was 14th in the national senior cross-country championships, in Belfast last week. His clubmate is likely to figure at the front.
Last year Alan O’Shea, Bantry AC, became the first Corkman to win the race since Liam O’Brien in 1988, before going on to win the revived Cork City Marathon, and, if he has recovered from injury, will be wearing No 1.
Raivis Zakis (West Waterford) who was eighth last year won a lot of races around Munster since then and, after a bout of ‘flu, was back to his best in Dungarvan last Sunday with a pb of 31:34 for 10k.
Sergiu Turea, Clonliffe Harriers AC, won a 10-miler in Dungarvan, in 50:18, last month, ninth in the national cross-country championships, and won the AAI national half marathon title last year, so he will be a big contender.
Pauline Curley, Tullamore Harriers AC, has won the women’s title for the past two years, and she will be favourite. But Rosemary Ryan, Bilboa AC, former national cross-country champion, is preparing for the San Diego Marathon, in June, where she hopes to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard (2:37), and she will know the course.
2008:Despite a severe weather warning for later in the day, conditions were as ideal as one could hope for, as 2,202 runners – the second biggest in history – brought the total finishers to an incredible 31,585. Vinny Mulvey made it two wins in three years, as he crossed the line in a time of 50:37, while Rosemary Ryan deprived Pauline Curley of her hat-trick, the winning time of 56:48, being the 11th fastest on the all-time list.
Irish Examiner Report: Brendan Mooney
Brendan Mooney reported in the Irish Examiner: Ballycotton win buoys Mulvey (Brendan Mooney, Irish Examiner) VINNY MULVEY, Raheny Shamrocks AC, raced to a solo and very satisfying victory, in yesterday’s Ballycotton ‘10’, and then confirmed what more than 3,000 entrants proclaimed: that this is the best 10-miler in these islands.
The diminutive Dubliner who has national inter-club and inter-counties cross-country titles on his CV and finished third in the nationals in Belfast the previous week, had almost half a minute to spare over Sergiu Turea, the Moldovan who runs for Clonliffe Harriers, with his clubmate Cillian O’Leary, another 15 seconds back in third place.
Alan O’Shea, Bantry AC, who last year became the first Corkman in 19 years to win the title, finished fifth.
This was Mulvey’s day, and, if there was one little disappointment, it was the time of 50:37, which was well outside the 49:03 he ran, when he won the race, on his first attempt, two years ago.
“It was very windy our there, particularly over the first five and a half miles,” he said. “It was just breaking my heart. It was slowing me down.
“Two years ago, I was hitting 4:50 miles, but when I got to five miles, averaging 5:03 today, I knew it was going to be a long day and, added to that, I was very tired from last week’s race in Belfast. The conditions were bad up there. It was the toughest course I have ever run, and I don’t think I have fully recovered from that yet.”
Despite that fact, he applied all the pressure that took himself, Alan O’Shea and John Eves, DSD AC, away from the field, with a 4:50 first mile, and then he swept into an early lead, at the two mile mark.
When he hit half way, at Ballymaloe, in 25:15, with a lead of more than 200m, he was not going to be caught on the run back into Ballycotton.
“The support and the atmosphere along the way is a such a big help. It is a great event,” he said. “I had heard about the tradition, and all that, but when I came down here two years ago and saw the setting, the view, and the people from all over the world, it was even more than I expected. They are chasing personal bests, and running for charities — it is a amazing race.”
He said he may run the Streets of Dublin 5, on St Patrick’s Day, and, after that, it will be the world cross-country championships in Edinburgh, at the end of the month.
Rosemary Ryan, Bilboa AC, broke clear of the field early on, to win the women’s title on her second attempt — she was runner-up to her then training partner, Valerie Vaughan, first time around.
This time she won in 56:48 from two-time winner and champion, Pauline Curley, Tullamore Harriers AC, 58:51, with Louise Cavanagh, UCC AC, third, 60:56.
The former national cross-country champion, who finished 24th overall in yesterday’s race, is currently preparing for an early summer marathon.
“I am very quite fit at the moment, and today I would have liked to have run a very fast time but I thought it better to just race rather than chase a fast time,” she said. “Whenever I have gone for a fast time on the track — looking at the clock — I have always just missed it by a hair’s breadth.
“I am going to do another marathon — probably in June — and there is a race in San Diego about that time, but I have not booked anything yet.
“I am not thinking about the qualifying time for the Olympic Marathon, but if it comes, I will be very happy with it. But if I went out aiming for 2:37, I would probably run 3:37.01. So I will go out to run my best race, improve on my best time, and anything else will be a huge bonus for me.”
Pauline Curley has her sights on another Dublin Marathon victory but yesterday she was just happy to get around the course.
“It has been a bad year for me so far — I have been sick quite a bit — but I hope this is the turning point,” she said.
Midleton News Supplement, March 13th 2008
Download Supplement (PDF Format)
Vinney Mulvey No 2, Leads out the 31st Ballycotton 10 on Sunday
Danny and Joan McCarthy of Midleton Athletics Club | Maura Devaney and Ann O'Brien at the Numbers Desk | Vinny Mulvey, Raheny Shamrocks, Centre, Winner of the 31st Ballycotton 10, pictured with Sergiu Turea, Clonliffe Harriers 2nd, and Cillian O'Leary, Raheny Shamrocks 3rd |
Officials Tommy Hartnett with Paul and Josh O'Sullivan Hourihan | Stewards on duty, Dick O'Brien, Sinead Murray and Ger Foley |
Midleton Ladies Catriona Simms, Sinead and Yvonne Fitzgerald | Team Winners, Raheny Shamrocks from Dublin pictured at the Start Line |
Martin Drake, Sinead Murray and Luke Duggan-Murray | Blathnaid Wiseman and Kate O'Callaghan | John O'Leary competing innthe Mens Over 65 Category. John ran in the first Ballycotton 10 in 1978 | Tim Crowley and Rose Barrett |
Margaret Godfrey, Stella Davis and Fiona Flynn | Maura O'Doherty, Diarmuid Cowhie and Joan McCarthy of Midleton AC | Group of ladies attending the race |
Martin Drake, Albert McGrath, Tom Hartnett and Stephen Lewis | Group of girls pictured at the race |
Ladies warming up for the big race
Ned Ramsell and Michael Hanrahan, Midleton AC | Katie O'Connell and Marie O'Bien | Liam Fleming, Willie Harte, Dan McCarthy and Eoin Corcoran |
Ladies Winners: Pictured L to R: Louise Kavanagh UCC 3rd, Rosemary Ryan Bilboa 1st and Pauline Curley Tullamore 3rd | Berniece Glavin (centre), Author of The Journey, pictured with Fiona O'Regan of Cork Cancer Research Group and Colette Slevin |
Pauline Curley, Tullamore | Alan O'Shea, Bantry | Éibhin an Dáire Helay from Ballycotton promoting Irish Runner Magazine | Midleton AC Athletes Michael Broderick and Tom Cody |
Wheelchair Champion Jerry Forde | Official Starter Dan McCarthy pictured with his Grandson Eoin Corcoran | Stewards Amy Deady & Sean Fleming | The DJ King Mossie Tattan with Sheena McGlone and Stephen Cronin |
East Cork Athlete Frank Cashman pictured with Officials Geraldine Cooney and Mairead Murray | Louise Kavanagh UCC and Rosemary Ryan, Bilboa, Limerick pictured at the start | Lauryn & Linda O'Callaghan from Glanmire | Running Legend Jim McMurtry with Garda Claire Kenealy |
Results - First 100
Pos | Forename | Surname | Cat | Club | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
l | Vinny | MULVEY | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:50:37 |
2 | Sergiu | TUREA | M | Clonliffe Harriers | 00:51:06 |
3 | Cillian | O'LEARY | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:51:21 |
4 | John | EVES | M | Dundrum South Dublin AC | 00:51:58 |
5 | Alan | O'SHEA | M | Bantry AC | 00:52:12 |
6 | Thomas | CAREY | M | Limerick AC | 00:52:29 |
7 | Raivis | ZAKIS | M | West Waterford AC | 00:52:42 |
8 | Bernard | ROE | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:52:54 |
9 | Colm | BURKE | M | St. Abbans AC | 00:53:21 |
10 | Cian | MURPHY | M | Iveragh AC | 00:53:34 |
11 | Brian | LEAHY | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:54:02 |
12 | Sean | MCGRATH | M | East Cork AC | 00:54:11 |
13 | James | MCINTYRE | M | TullaAC | 00:54:18 |
14 | Paul | KILGANNON | M | Sportsworld RC | 00:54:20 |
15 | Martin | DOODY | M | Limerick AC | 00:54:42 |
16 | Cathal | O'CONNELL | M | St. Finbarrs AC | 00:54:45 |
17 | Roy | FAHY | M | East Cork AC | 00:54:47 |
18 | Donal | O'CALLAGHAN | M | RiochtAC | 00:54:56 |
19 | Cormac | CONROY | M | Sli Cualann AC | 00:55:25 |
20 | Glen | GROVES | M | Liverpool Harriers AC | 00:56:08 |
21 | Tom | MCELWAINE | M | Sliabh Buidhe Rovers AC | 00:56:25 |
22 | Con | MARSHALL | M | St. Finbarrs AC | 00:56:37 |
23 | Danny | SMITH | M | Ballynonty AC | 00:56:38 |
24 | Rosemary | RYAN | F | Bilboa AC | 00:56:48 |
25 | Stephen | GRIFFIN | M | Tralee Harriers AC | 00:56:51 |
26 | Ryan | MONTGOMERY | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:57:06 |
27 | Shane | COWLEY | M | Blessington | 00:57:11 |
28 | Patrick | MAHER | M | Grange-Fermoy AC | 00:57:13 |
29 | Peter | DELMER | M | Athenry AC | 00:57:22 |
30 | James | LIDDANE | M | TullaAC | 00:57:24 |
31 | Chris | PHELAN | M | South London Harriers | 00:57:26 |
32 | Paul | CODY | M | Kilkenny City Harriers | 00:57:28 |
33 | Dave | TOWEY | M | Grange-Fermoy AC | 00:57:32 |
34 | Simon | REEDE | M | Raheny Shamrock AC | 00:57:35 |
35 | Mark | DAVIS | M | Athenry | 00:57:37 |
36 | Adriele | PRINA-MELLO | M | Rathfarnham-WSAF AC | 00:57:38 |
37 | Shane | O'ROURKE | M | Crusaders AC | 00:57:40 |
38 | Kevin | WILMOT | M | Bandon AC | 00:57:42 |
39 | Jonathan | LENISTON | M | Gneeveguilla AC | 00:57:50 |
40 | Gary | O'SULLIVAN | M | Grange-Fermoy AC | 00:57:52 |
41 | Mark | MASON | M | Halifax Harriers | 00:58:01 |
42 | John | FARRELLY | M | Rathfarnham-WSAF AC | 00:58:16 |
43 | Conaill | COOPER | M | Slaney Olympic AC | 00:58:19 |
44 | Tony | FOGARTY | M | Thurles Crokes AC | 00:58:24 |
45 | Keith | RYAN | M | Limerick AC | 00:58:26 |
46 | Tom | LAFFAN | M | Bandon AC | 00:58:27 |
47 | Trevor | WOODS | M | St. Finbarrs AC | 00:58:37 |
48 | Eric | MEADE | M | East Cork AC | 00:58:42 |
49 | Paul | GIBBONS | M | Sliabh Buidhe Rovers AC | 00:58:51 |
50 | Pauline | CURLEY | F | Tullamore Harriers | 00:58:51 |
51 | Noel | O'REGAN | M | Midleton AC | 00:58:52 |
52 | Liam | SLATTERY | M | Mallow AC | 00:58:59 |
53 | Paul | HICKEY | M | Eagle AC | 00:59:05 |
54 | Declan | POWER | M | Dublin | 00:59:05 |
55 | Denis | MCCARTHY | M | East Cork AC | 00:59:09 |
56 | Des | COLBERT | M | Waterford AC | 00:59:11 |
57 | Donal | COFFEY | M | Millstreet AC | 00:59:13 |
58 | Michael | O'SHEA | M | Iveragh AC | 00:59:20 |
59 | Kenan | FURLONG | M | Crusaders AC | 00:59:21 |
60 | Larry | KENNEDY | M | Waterford AC | 00:59:23 |
61 | Vasiliy | NEUMERZHITSKIY | M | Clonmel AC | 00:59:25 |
62 | Mick | RICE | M | Athenry AC | 00:59:29 |
63 | Roy | REEDER | M | Surrey | 00:59:30 |
64 | Niall | O'CONNOR | M | Ranalagh Harriers | 00:59:31 |
65 | Patrick | O'SHEA | M | Iveragh AC | 00:59:34 |
66 | Ronan | MERRICK | M | Sportsworld RC | 00:59:37 |
67 | B | O'RIORDAN | M | Eagle AC | 00:59:42 |
68 | Ruaidhri | DEVITT | M | Dundrum AC | 00:59:43 |
69 | Stephen | TYRRELL | M | Slaney Olympic AC | 00:59:47 |
70 | Tom | LEVINGSTON | M | Sliabh Buidhe Rovers AC | 00:59:50 |
71 | David | O'DWYER | M | East Cork AC | 00:59:52 |
72 | Declan | O'SHEA | M | Eagle AC | 00:59:54 |
73 | Trevor | MASON | M | West Waterford AC | 00:59:56 |
74 | Cia ran | DUNNE | M | Midleton | 01:00:00 |
75 | Noel | CURTIN | M | YoughalAC | 01:00:01 |
76 | Jeremy | WALSH | M | Clonliffe Harriers | 01:00:01 |
77 | Frank | O'CARROLL | M | East Cork AC | 01:00:07 |
78 | Niall | O'CEALLAIGH | M | Clonmel AC | 01:00:13 |
79 | Mark | DEMPSEY | M | West Limerick AC | 01:00:23 |
80 | Thomas | HOGAN | M | Slaney Olympic AC | 01:00:25 |
81 | Gerard | DUNLEA | M | Eagle AC | 01:00:26 |
82 | Paul | CURLEY | M | YoughalAC | 01:00:27 |
83 | Tony | O'KEEFFE | M | Glounthaune | 01:00:30 |
84 | Tom | WALSH | M | TullaAC | 01:00:33 |
85 | Bernard | FORTUNE | M | Sliabh Buidhe Rovers AC | 01:00:33 |
86 | Michael | ENRIGHT | M | Limerick | 01:00:34 |
87 | Padraig | O'DUBHGAIN | M | Leevale AC | 01:00:35 |
88 | Matthew | GLENNON | M | Mullingar Harriers | 01:00:36 |
89 | Eoin | DULLEA | M | Waterford AC | 01:00:37 |
90 | Michael | DUNFORD | M | West Waterford AC | 01:00:41 |
91 | Eamonn | CARROLL | M | St. Finbarrs AC | 01:00:43 |
92 | Brendan | HOGAN | M | Rathfarnham-WSAF AC | 01:00:44 |
93 | Mark | CRABTREE | M | Halifax Harriers | 01:00:47 |
94 | John | LYNCH | M | Minane Bridge | 01:00:48 |
95 | Adrian | UNEHAN | M | Duhallow AC | 01:00:48 |
96 | Sean | DOYLE | M | Rathfarnham-WSAF AC | 01:00:52 |
97 | Gerard | CANTWELL | M | West Waterford AC | 01:00:54 |
98 | Louise | CAVANAGH | F | UCC AC | 01:00:56 |
99 | Austin | RYAN | M | Thurles Crakes AC | 01:00:57 |
100 | John | WALSH | M | Waterford AC | 01:01:02 |