1,400 hardy souls at Clon’s inaugural races

BUILD it, and they’ll come, organise it and they’ll run — and run it they did, more than 1,400 hardy souls and hardened soles turning up for a trinity of inaugural races, in the fortnight run-up to Christmas.

The hospitable west Cork town of Clonakilty, was the weekend focus for mini, half and full marathons, devised by fledgling organisers to huge acclaim — in a town that doesn’t even have a running club.

Winner, by a 10-minute margin, of the 26-mile race honour was Bandon man George Waugh, a former soccer player who only took up running three years ago. His 2hr 34 minute race was not only his second-ever marathon, he also won his first outing, in Limerick, earlier this year. The cash prize, and first honours will come as some sweet recompense to the 30-year- old who lost his job with Fás three weeks ago.

Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon’s organisers beat the blues, and the weather, getting a welcome window by Saturday, aided and abetted by days of true stamina — spreading salt and grit on roads, using heavy machinery and scrapers courtesy of local dynamo Killian Deasy and a pick-wielding chain-gang of volunteers to hack through three inches of ice in one or two wet spots, racing against the clock, on Friday.

Then, Clon’s running numbers were boosted by up to a couple of hundred, as a half marathon planned for Waterford on Saturday was called off due to even colder and icier conditions. When Clonakilty’s race was mooted in July, the organisers Maria and Bobby Hilliard, Mark Hilliard and Brian and Fiona O’Donnell hoped for 300 to 500 runners for their first outing and mix of races. That grew to 1,000, and swelled further on Saturday morning to 1,400-plus.

Red Cross volunteers came to the aid, gardaí covered every inch of the beat, and the County Council’s John Conroy and John O’Reilly kept everyone up to speed and on track with traffic cones, barriers, and 4.5 tonnes of salt and manpower to spread it to get the course open and ready after two weeks of sub-zero temperatures.

Runners came from near, and as far as the US, and Russia, some novices, other veterans. Running in a Santa suit was Eimear Hurley from Wicklow, doing her 29th long race in the company of similarly clothed Colette O’Hagan, who has 201 marathons under her slender Santa belt. “A spectacular course, great scenery,” judged Eimear.

Clon’s mayor Cllr Kevin O’Regan ran in the race, which was started at the Waterfront Plaza by County Mayor Cllr Jim Daly, after a minute’s silence and the release of 42 white balloons to mark the death that week of young local Clonakilty mother, and secondary school teacher, Pauline Hicks.