Sonia O’Sullivan: Ask not what you can do in the road race, but what it can do for you

The now annual list of challenges faced by the Dublin Marathon organisers made for somewhat familiar reading this week. Trying to agree on some minor changes to the start and finish, then re-measuring the 26.6-mile route, then how to best deal with the 22,500 entries to minimise the drop-off come race day.

These are some of the same challenges faced by every road-running event countrywide. Most of these are on a much smaller scale but still count as a mass participation event when it comes to running the numbers.

I get to experience some of this once every year, and last Sunday was at home in Cobh for the annual 10-mile road race, named in my honour five years ago. And like after the Dublin Marathon, every year we also come away with fresh learning and areas on which to improve.

In all those five years we have been blessed with fine weather. So much so that some people think we have a special way of making sure the day is dry and bright to welcome runners from all over Ireland

The Cobh 10-Mile Road Race has a race entry limit of 1,000 runners and of those, there were 840 finishers on Sunday. That sort of drop-off is normal for any road race and there are plans to up the numbers further for next year, if possible.

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In all those five years we have been blessed with fine weather. So much so that some people think we have a special way of making sure the day is dry and bright to welcome runners from all over Ireland and some international runners to take on the streets and hills of Cobh, where I put in many undulating miles in those early years. The weather is the one thing over which we have no control.

Whenever a race is named after you, you’re also expected to run. This year I walked on a local shortcut route, so I could be at the start and then see the race unfold midway and still arrive in town to see most people finish.

In many ways, the Cobh-10 took over the mantle from the Ballycotton 10-Mile Road Race when they had their final event after 40 years in 2017. The final race around Ballycotton was won by Mick Clohisey in a time of 49:20. Our very first race in 2018 was also won by Clohisey, his time of 49:22 just one sign that we had something to build on and ensure the legacy of Ballycotton lived on in Cobh.

We knew we were always going to need time to convince athletes that you could still produce fast times over an undulating course, and not just the speedy elites at the front of the field

We didn’t just inherit the fine tradition of awarding a race mug for every finisher. We also had a race that could deliver fast times if we could attract the runners to run as fast as they could.

Initially, we needed to ensure the men could get under 50 minutes and the women under an hour. That first year we also got our first sub-60 minutes when Lizzie Lee lined up and finished in 58:28.

We knew we were always going to need time to convince athletes that you could still produce fast times over an undulating course, and not just the speedy elites at the front of the field. Part of the challenge was to get all levels of runners to bypass a pancake flat guaranteed fast course and instead embrace the hills of Cobh.

As our race slogan goes, it may be hilly, but “just get over it”.

People sometimes forget that when you take on a hilly course like Cobh, you are also going to get some downhill. And also enough variety so that the challenging 10-mile distance passes by quickly, especially as you run through the countryside, distracted by the sea views and early spring flowering hedgerows.

Running beside the sea there is also the chance of a blustery wind, but up to this year, we’ve also managed to wake up to a calm and almost balmy day.

In Cobh, we have a vibrant club and we can spread the jobs across many hands. Still every year we see those areas to improve on, to attract more runners of all levels and create that iconic attraction that evolved in Ballycotton

The Ballycotton 10 was also an iconic race, in some ways in advance of its time that set the standard for road racing in Ireland. It was one of those races on the calendar that every runner wanted to sign up for and so popular that when the entries reached their limit of 3,000, the small fishing village in east Cork was struggling to manage the numbers and the logistics that went along with that. From parking to accommodation to traffic management, eventually, it just became too much for the handful of local volunteers that carried the race every year.

On Sunday, Michelle Finn from Leevale was the first woman home, the Olympic steeplechaser running well under the hour, clocking 57:08, with Tim O’Donoghue from east Cork first home in the men’s race in 51:37.

In Cobh, we have a vibrant club and we can spread the jobs across many hands. Still every year we see those areas to improve on, to attract more runners of all levels and create that iconic attraction that evolved in Ballycotton.

The big difference now is that there are so many different road races for runners to sign up for, over various distances. To take on a 10-mile you do need to set your mind to it and take the time to prepare so that you enjoy the event and are not overwhelmed by the distance.

One of the most important things for me is to see that look of satisfaction as the runners cross the finish line, happy with their run but knowing too there might be room for improvement. Because for many runners the finish line is just leading to the next start line.

Some are after a good race experience, others may be chasing some prize money. All this should be collated in an easily accessible format so that there is a sort of catalogue of sanctioned races

For many of these road races around Ireland, it’s also the chance to raise funds for improved facilities or simply extra resources.

One of the problems I see is that there is not really any hierarchy of races. Just like the World Athletics road racing rankings of platinum, gold, silver and bronze labels, we could in Ireland create a similar ranking order so that runners of all levels can make an informed decision when choosing where to race.

Some are after a good race experience, others may be chasing some prize money. All this should be collated in an easily accessible format so that there is a sort of catalogue of sanctioned races.

One of my ideas is to get the National Championships 10-Mile event to Cobh. Sometimes when you take a championship event out of the big city to a small town it is embraced more. That creates more challenges, but Cobh would welcome that. It’s not simply what you can do in the road race, but what can the road race do for you.