parkrun Tralee takeover by St.Brendan's AC

 

Full results HERE

Couch to 5K group who made history at Tralee parkrun

parkrun makes a difference

parkrun makes a difference to St Brendan's AC athletes
The Small p That Spells Saturday
By David Kissane, St Brendan's AC
“On the Road Again” Willie Nelson sings this Sunday morning as I head out. Yesterday’s glorious blue sky has passed on. Today is overcast. Ideal morning for a run. It’s (not)parkrun morning for me. Why not do a (not)parkrun! It’s the virtual version of the parkrun during these restricted times and there is a hilly 5K ahead. Bob and Shelly-Lynn Florence Glover spoke in their runners’ book of association and dissociation of the mind during runs. I say good morning to my sore knees and dodgy hammers and dissociate immediately. I explosively exhale and wander off laterally in the mind…
Why parkrun? The small p that spells Saturday and Sunday for hordes of runners, walkers and joggers of all ages and abilities each weekend on five continents. I never heard of the parkrun till 2017. Moira Horgan first mentioned it to me in St Brendan’s AC and Coach Artur Nowak advised me to participate. It would help to get back to regular running, he said, after a twenty year lay-off. “It will help you stop living in the past!” he wisely added with his knowing smile.
So off I went to Tralee’s town park and warmed up around the roses and did the stretching. “You’ve come on the wrong day, Dave!” Pat Sheehy told me. I turned up for my first parkrun on a Sunday, which is of course children’s 2K day. Right intention. Wrong day. He added “anyway, you wouldn’t last the pace with some of these guys!” The following Saturday I made my debut in parkrun. “Right day this time, Dave!” Pat Sheehy affirmed. Overwhelming was the first impression as around 300 people assembled from all parts for the welcoming words and presentations and advice. The bunch of volunteers organising the event was impressive and the gender balance would be the envy of any world organisation. This was different. This could make a difference. This has made a difference. We started on a 3-2-1-whistle and then frantic joy and I don’t think I will ever stop.
The parkrun concept has changed the health and fitness of countless numbers of people of all ages since it was launched in 2004. The person who initiated the movement was Paul Sinton Hewitt who was born in 1960 in Zimbabwe. He was educated in South Africa and was a promising marathoner with a pb of 2-36 until injury ended all his developmental hopes. He had lost his job in marketing and needed a new beginning and so he gathered thirteen people for a run in Bushy Park in London in 2004 with the aim of creating a healthier and happier world. Yes, just thirteen people! Now six million people in twenty two countries have taken to the parks every weekend with Paul Sinton Hewitt’s philosophy in mind. It is possibly the most life-changing 5K trip that anyone can undertake.
I have been fortunate to have experienced 63 parkruns to now. The 48 runs done in Tralee have been a staple diet of participation, motivation and satisfaction. Siobhán Kearney worked her magic bringing the parkrun to Tralee originally and her vision has led to golden harvests. Look at any parkrun Saturday or Sunday. People gather to chat before and regather to chat after. Special events are celebrated there. My son and his now wife got engaged after a parkrun in Tralee. She wanted to run in Tralee again the day of their wedding but her mother wouldn’t let her in case the hairdresser’s appointment might run late. The comments and craic at Billy’s Corner is an experience to be savoured. St Brendan’s AC adult athletes are regulars on Saturdays and the juveniles are especially prominent for their Sundays when Caroline Lynch takes charge. It’s a great place to volunteer as photographer as the participants beam at the camera. There is a spirit in Tralee parkrun and the dividend of its initiative can be collected every weekend.
The St Anne’s parkrun in Dublin holds a special affection as it’s the park where I first practised coaching back in 1976 with my St Paul’s College athletics groups. It’s also the place where I ran the morning after our first child was born. And the second. And the third. It’s two lap parkrun with that fantastic long wide road for the finish stretch. There was a special moment there in my first parkrun in 2018 when our little grandson came to support unannounced. St Anne’s also provided my 23-14 pb last year on the morning of the All Ireland replay. That was to be the best part of that sunny day!
I was a parkrun tourist in Wildflower Park in Sydney in 2018 through bush and hills where Bryan Freer was introduced to the parkrun and is hooked since. Poolsbrook near Chesterfield where my brother is buried in the UK was another special experience, three laps around a gorgeous lake off the M1 where the other O65s sorted me out! And of course there is Listowel which is the most testing parkrun of all. That hill in what we used to call “The Cow’s Lawn” was always a killer, even when we ran it as students in St Michael’s College more than half a century ago for cross country. Jimmy Deenihan has a warm welcome for everyone, although he notes that he is the top O65iver in Listowel until this writer appears.
One feature is common to all these parkruns and to all others…the highly structured organisation, efficiency and sense of inclusiveness. No matter where you finish, no matter in what condition you are at the start or the finish, you are made to feel welcome. Part of this goodwill comes from the fact that the volunteers and participants trade places regularly. It’s a hot-desking situation. Many other sporting organisations are hierarchical and a chasm sometimes develops between participant and officials, leading to an “us and them” scenario. Not so with parkrun. This is why parkrun is spelled with a small p to highlight the egalitarianism or the equality that is central to it. No fees, no medals, no podiums, no numbers. Register once and run, jog or walk. You have the choice to go for a pb every week or slow down and chat all the way through. You can help other runners around or push your baby in the go-car. The parkrun can put the jigsaw of your journey together.
And the efficiency of the parkrun is awesome. You get your result a few hours after the event: time, position, age-graded performance and then a day later photographs on Facebook to relive the moments. And the get-together and the cuppa for all at the end of each parkrun with its filled minutes is fundamental.
For competitive club athletes the parkrun has meant a weekly opportunity to flex the muscles and check progress. Not so long ago a runner would get only the rare championship race or fun run to experience competition. And the parkrun has attracted new athletes into clubs over the years and will continue to do so.
The part played by other supporting bodies is creditable in supporting parkrun. Town councils have risen to the challenge of providing the parks and some have upgraded the parks as a result of the success of the phenomenon.
So now, as I come near the end of the (not)parkrun for this July morning, I eagerly await the announcement of the return of parkrun proper when the time is right. It will be a Saturday morning soon. Where’s my barcode? Don’t tell me I left my runners out in the rain last night? Is that my 50 parkrun top still on the line? Off to town listening to CountryWide on radio. Park the van. Jog slowly to the town park past Castlecountess. Lap of the park to warm up. Stretch. Note how close to the start that Pádraig and Ger will arrive. An irresistible uprising of expectation. A rolling eloquence. The liberation of one foot in front of the other. A new narrative for Saturdays. Beethoven’s third. 3-2-1-whistle, and we will never stop.
Oh what a beautiful day.

parkrun Tralee - 1 year on

It's been a year since Parkrun event arrived in Tralee and we will make a short review of the past year and what effect this event is having on our club members and other participants.
Quick reminder about Parkrun idea you can read in this post from January 2015 HERE.
Some of the statistics from parkrun Tralee for 2015 with our club members:
Number of runners registered: 33
Number of runs by St.Brendan's AC : 211

Most number of runs individual: 
Yvonne Quill (33), Shannon Quill (24), Kirstie Nowak (12)
Zach Walshe (21), Pat Sheehy (21), Peter Jackson (20)

Fastest run:
Derek Griffin - 17:00, Peter Jackson - 18:36, Artur Nowak - 20:44, 
Ursula Barrett - 21:40, Eimear O'Sullivan - 23:17, Ann McGlynn - 23:19

Fastest run by age grade:
Zach Walshe - 82.09%, Derek Griffin - 75.88%, Pat Sheehy - 69.21%
Ann McGlynn - 73.70%, Eimear O'Sullivan - 71.44%, Ursula Barrett - 69.31%

Fastest finisher:
Ursula Barrett (4 times), Peter Jackson (4 times), Derek Griffin (2 times), Ann McGlynn (1 time)

There is a strong presence from St.Brendan's AC members on most of the Saturdays in both capacities - as participants and as volunteers.
What we learn from the past year and what we like:

• Location: it's perfect - middle of the town, in great park, with easy parking access and toilets near by,
• Time: early enough to get there and be done by late morning,
• Organisation: well set up with strong core of people who are friendly and helpful, no registration on the morning, just short briefing,
• Cost: it's free (you may need to laminate your barcode or want to buy parkrun T-shirt but it's optional)
• Inclusion: runners, joggers, walkers along with buggies, small kids and dogs (on leash) are all welcome
• Fast turn over time: for some very fast runners that's literally all done under half an hour
• Social aspect: meeting old friends and making new ones

Some advice for current and future participants:

• Try to arrive 20-30min before the start to warm up - your run/jog will be more consistent using dynamic warm up
• Pace yourself according to ability - be realistic
• Don't try to beat you PB every week - pick the date for PB every 4-5 weeks
• Use pacers if trying for PB
• Bring family and friends with you, if not participating to cheer you on
• Say hello to other runners, walkers and volunteers 
• Smile for the camera
• Not ready to run/walk - start with volunteering
• Have a few barcodes printed and laminated and don't forget to bring it with you or get ID band with barcode for you wrist
• Don't rely 100% on any GPS enable device (GPS watch or smartphone with app) for distance - these devices DO NOT measure the route. They calculate the distance using algorithm based on GPS signal strength (this could be weak under the trees) and frequency of the signal. Better strategy is to split the distance into 3 laps - if aiming for 30min that's 10min per lap, 24min finish it's a 8min per lap and so on. 
• Cool down after the run (light jog for few minutes), some stretches will help as well.

January 2016 results part 2

23.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #51
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Aaron Horgan (3rd in age category), Katie Falvey (2nd in age category & new parkrun Tralee PB), Moira Horgan, Norma O'Dowd (3rd in age category), Kevin Horgan, Kirstie Nowak (2nd in age category), Rebecca Falvey, David Butler 2nd in age category & new parkrun Tralee PB), Seamus Falvey, Nora Falvey
Full results HERE.

23.01.2016 - MCI Lilliput Marathon
Cathy Quilter (4:27)

30.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #52
Zach Walshe (pacer & 1st in age category), Artur Nowak (2nd in age category), Shannon Quill (3rd female overall & 1st in age category), Joe O'Brien, Aaron Horgan (2nd in age category), Moira Horgan (new parkrun PB), Peter Jackson, Yvonne Quill, Kirstie Nowak, Catherine Burke, Pat Sheehy, Paudie Dineen.
Full results HERE.

31.01.2016 - Kerins O'Rahillys 10K
Ursula Barrett, Mags Hussey, Linda O'Sullivan, Ann McGlynn, Norma O'Dowd, Catherine Burke, Pat Sheehy, Gerald Carroll.
Full results HERE

31.01.2016 - AXA Raheny 5 Mile Road Race
Irene Butler, David Butler (new 5mile PB)
Full results HERE.

31.01.2016 - Blue Pool Orienteering, Killarney
Lilly Nowak, Daisy Nowak, Kirstie Nowak, Artur Nowak
Full results HERE.

January 2016 results

02.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #48
Nice result from 2016 Parkrun Tralee when all our club runners placed first in they respective age category. Good start to the year ahead!
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Ursula Barrett (1st in age category), Paudie Dineen (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (1st in age category).
Full results HERE. 

09.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #49
Second Parkrun Tralee in 2016 have a record breaking participation with over 180 people taking part between runners, joggers and walkers and this was also first outing for Operation Transformation.
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Shannon Quill (1st in age category & 5th overall female), Yvonne Quill, Cathy Quilter, Kirstie Nowak, Daisy Nowak (2nd in age category), Artur Nowak
Full results HERE.

16.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #50
Over 250 people took part in this Saturday parkrun with a fair share of Operation Transformation participants from runners to walkers ain all ages.
Shannon Quill (5th female overall &1st in age category), Kirstie Nowak (4th in age category), Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (3rd in age category), Rebecca Falvey (1st in age category), Nora Falvey, Pat Sheehy, Katie Falvey (3rd in age category), Peter Jackson (3rd overall).
Full results HERE.

September 2015 Road Races updates

September was another busy month for St.Brendan's AC members with some of our athletes travelling to such exotic places as Cork & Kildare.

19.09.2015 - Parkrun Tralee no.34
Zach Walshe (1st in age category). Congratulations to Zach on completing his 10th Parkrun Tralee! 
Full results HERE.

19.09.2015 - Killarney Women's Mini Marathon
The promise of ice cream, doughnuts and brownies at the finish line tempted a good few of our club ladies for this well organised and supported event in Killarney. Due to floods in some parts of Killarney National Park, the route was altered with 5K loop for shorter distance and 2 loops (5K each) for 10K.
10K - Cathy Quilter, Margaret Carlin, Yvonne Quill, Catherine Burke, Kirstie Nowak, Ann McGlynn, Norma O'Dowd, Nora Falvey
5K - Shannon Quill (4th overall), Mags Hussey, Ella Brosnan & Brendan O'Sullivan.

Gallery of photos HERE.
Results of 5K HERE and 10K HERE.

20.09.2015 - Charleville Half Marathon (Munster Athletics Championships)
Very difficult weather conditions for this event did not stop St.Brendan's AC trio of Derek, Cathy and Margaret with some impressive results as all our athletes achieved new PB's.
Looks like marathon training is going according to plan - Cathy and Margaret will take part in SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon (AAI National Marathon Championships) in October and Derek will be one of over 50000 participants to run in the TCS New York City Marathon in November.  
Derek Griffin - 15th overall and 4th in Munster Championships with new club record (1:13:11)
Margaret Carlin - 2nd in age category & new PB
Cathy Quilter - new PB

Full results HERE.

26.09.2015 - Killarney 10 Mile
This was the second year of this event organised as a fundraiser to build 200m micro track in Killarney. With lots of other events happening in Kerry over that weekend it was still a well supported event with many club runners from Kerry, Cork & Limerick taking part.
Thanks to Killarney Valley AC (formally Spa Muckross AC) for hosting this event and all volunteers who helped out on the day. 
St.Brendan's AC had Kirstie Nowak, Ann McGlynn & Artur Nowak (90min pacer) taking part.

Full results HERE.

26.09.2015 - Parkrun Tralee no.35
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (2nd female overall & 1st in age category) & Pat Sheehy (pacer).
Well done to Yvonne on steady progress and finishing as a second female overall. 
Full results HERE.

26.09.2015 - Toughathlon (Cork)
Well done to Brian Lucid on completing yet another multi-obstacle event. Once again Brian took on and finished in style Toughathlon in Cork.

26.09.2015 - Seven Frogs Triathlon, Castlegregory
End of season event in Maharees got great weather conditions for this charity triathlon event. Congratulation to Dermot Dillane on finishing in top 20 in sprint category.

Full Results HERE

27.09.2015 - Naas 10K
David Butler moved his training base camp closer to Dublin for the weekend in the hope that this will give him "the edge" when he will enter final stage of his Dublin marathon training. We have no doubt that his first effort in the Dublin marathon will leave him breathless (at some stage).
Fortunately for him, he came with his wife, Irene to this 10K event in Naas to monitor his progress.
David Butler & Irene Butler.

Full results HERE.

27.09.2015 - Cork Women's Mini Marathon
2 Mini Marathons in 2 weeks for these ladies - it was Cork's turn to play host to the blue colours of St.Brendan's AC.
Norma O'Dowd & Mags Hussey

27.09.2015 - Tralee CBS 5K/3K
In its first fundraising event for Tralee CBS School we had a mixture of youth and experience representing St.Brendan's AC. Well done to Shannon Quill, Yvonne Quill, Moira Lynch Horgan, Aaron (2nd in 3K) & Kevin Horgan.

Club updates August/September 2015

Some updates from St.Brendan's AC:

29.08.15 - Parkrun Tralee no.31:
Artur Nowak (2nd in age category), Pat Sheehy (Pacer)
Full results HERE.

29.08.15 - SANDSTORM Challenge:
Ballyheigue beach was the venue for this approx. 5km long obstacle course with over 850 people taking part. Amongst all the thrill and fun seeking participants were St.Brendan's AC members putting all the strength & conditioning training to good use:
Pat Sheehy, Mags Hussey, Yvonne Quill, Ann McGlynn, Cathy Quilter, Ursula Barrett & Brian Lucid.

Gallery of photos on our FB page HERE. 
Some video clips from event HERE.
Full results HERE. 

05.09.15 - Dingle Half & Full Marathon
For the last few years this event has had a traditionally good turn out from our club members and this year was no exception. 

We had Artur Nowak & Kirstie Nowak tackling Full Marathon distance and Cathy Quilter, Catherine Burke, Margaret Carlin, James Daley, David Butler, Seamus Falvey & Pat Sheehy taking part in Half Marathon distance.

Conditions on the day were very good for running for almost 2000 participants.
For Kirstie & Artur it was a second marathon in 2 weeks and there were a few, brand new PB's in Half Marathon distance for James Daley, David Butler & Cathy Quilter. It clearly shows that this course being labelled as "tough", "hilly" & "challenging" are simply fairy stories!
Well done to Pat Sheehy who did half marathon distance in company of Luke Graham.

Gallery of photos HERE.
Full results HERE.

05.09.15 - Parkrun Tralee no.32:
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill.
Full results HERE.

12.09.15 - Parkrun Tralee no.33:
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Shannon Quill (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill.
Full results HERE.

12.09.15 - Asdee GAA Half Marathon & 10K
We had Seamus Falvey & Pat Sheehy taking part in this low key event in Asdee.

Full results HERE.

July 2015 - club updates, part 2

Some more updates from sporting events in Kerry with our club members involved.

11 July - Parkrun Tralee no.24/2015
Derek Griffin (2nd overall), Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (1st in age category), Kirstie Nowak (3rd in age category), Ruairi Walshe (2nd in age category).

Full results HERE.

11 July - Brandon Bay HM & 10K

Second year running of this event on the beach in Castlegregory.

Great running by all St.Brendan's AC athletes and congratulations to Margaret Carlin, winner of Half Marathon race and Ann McGlynn placing second in 10K distance after a hard battle to the finish line where top 3 women were just 3 seconds apart.

Well done to Pat Sheehy and Cathy Quilter (7th woman) for getting another Half Marathon under their belt in not ideal running conditions.

18 July - Parkrun Tralee no.25/2015

Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Pat Sheehy (1st in age category), Daisy Nowak (3rd in age category), Artur Nowak.

Full results HERE.

18 July - Run Killarney Marathon/Half Marathon & 10K

We had 5 club members this year at Run Killarney Half Marathon & 10K.

Half Marathon:

David Butler 1:52:49 (new PB), Tina Curtin 2:25:23.

10K:

Shannon Quill, Yvonne Quill, Mags Hussey.

Full results HERE.

July 2015 - club updates

Run down of a few events in first half of July 2015 where St.Brendan's AC members were present.

4 July 2015 - Parkrun Tralee no.23/2015
Weekly Parkrun in Tralee with Kirstie Nowak, Yvonne Quill, Lilly Nowak, Daisy Nowak and Artur Nowak from St.Brendan's AC.
Results HERE

6 July 2015 - Sea to Summit 5Mile (Ballyheigue)
New event in Ballyheigue Summer Festival got off to a great start with approx. 30 runners and walkers taking part in this inaugural event. Starting at the sea level and climbing over 220m to top of Maulin Mountain with mixture of surfaces, ranging from road to trail.

St.Brendan's AC runners are no strangers to hills and trail running and this was proven as James Daley finished 2nd overall, Margaret Carlin was 1st female and Shannon Quill 3rd female.

We also had Yvonne Quill, Eileen Leen, Joan Reil Burke, Mags Hussey, Katelyn Leen, Pat Sheehy & Artur Nowak running in this event and even former Munster Rugby player John Hayes was so impressed with our runners, he request we take photo with him. We polity oblige his request as you can see above after quick glance at his posture and we decided that refusal was not a (safe) option....

8 July 2015 - King of the Beach (Ballyheigue)
Another annual event in Ballyheigue Summer Festival schedule is well known locally - King of the Beach run. It's approx. 5K distance from Ballyheigue beach in direction of Black Rock and back again to Ballyheigue.

Shannon Quill was once again in fine form when she earned herself "Princess of the Beach" title and award. Unfortunately no tiara this year....

Rest of our club members did very well and we will be back next year. The blue of St.Brendan's AC was represented by Joan Reil Burke, Eileen Leen, Yvonne Quill, Katelyn Leen, Hannah-May & Seamus Lucey, Pat Sheehy & Artur Nowak.

Preparation for our annual running event Banna 10K Road Race & 5K Fun Run progressing on schedule. Runners and walkers can register on-line HERE and receive link to ELIVAR Sports Nutritions product promotion page, specially created for Banna Run participants.

Club updates - end of June 2015

Some more results from around the county from St.Brendan's AC athletes:

27 June 2015 - Parkrun Tralee no.22/2015
Great run by Shannon Quill who was the fastest female in this edition of park run. Well done also to Yvonne Quill and Pat Sheehy who run as a pacer as well on the day.

Full results HERE.

28 June 2015 - Blennerville 10K & 5K
New event on Kerry road running calendar was the Blennerville School fundraising event.
Derek Griffin shown no signs of fatigue from running 10Mile Trail race in Camp the previous day by winning 5K distance in just over 17min. 

Full results HERE. 

February 2015 updates - part 2

February updates and results from events in Kerry where St.Brendan's AC athletes took part:

21 February - Gneeveguilla AC Winter Series 5K, Race no.4
Results HERE.

21 February - Parkrun Tralee no.5 - 2015,
Results HERE.

28 February - Wild West Run Trail Half Marathon 2015, Kenmare
Results HERE.

28 February - Parkrun Tralee no.6 - 2015,
Results HERE.