McCarthy puts finishing touches to preparations for marathon debut

MARTIN McCARTHY (Leevale) put the finishing touches to his preparations for his marathon debut in Berlin in three weeks’ time when he was placed fourth in the Bristol Half Marathon at the weekend.

"Next weekend will be something of a shock to the system when I run the 5k in Rathfarnham, but really it is all about tapering down for the next three weeks," he said yesterday as he reflected on his Bristol experience.

"I was a bit disappointed with my time 65.03 but I did not run what you could describe as a clever race. The Kenyans kept surging and I covered every move. I took the lead at six miles and tried to control the race but then the winner who I mistook for one of the London-based Kenyans threw in a 4:34 mile, I tried to stay with him and I paid dearly for that effort."

He still passed 10 miles in 48:58 and appeared to be on for a sub-54, but the last three miles were over rolling countryside.

He was passed by another Kenyan and then UK international, Ben Noad, in the closing stages.

"But I came away from the race with a lot of positives," he said. "It was my first serious half marathon and I was going to be inexperienced. I learned a lot from it."

He had been training at altitude in Dovos, Switzerland, and arrived down nine days earlier.

Fifteen days is the ideal time and nine days is regarded as possibly the worst time to race.

"I possibly had not recovered enough. I got the whole altitude thing wrong. But, nevertheless, I think it was a good, sustained effort and I have to be pleased with it," he said.

"Another thing I learned from the race is that, with the Kenyans around, you wait. Even when you feel good you wait. And the better you feel the longer you wait. It is a waiting game. I felt very good after the race. I fact I was fully recovered 10 minutes later and that shows that I am benefiting from the work I have done I had been averaging 120 miles a week.

"Berlin will be different. There will be pacemakers there so it will be an even pace with very little surging and I am looking forward to it."

He won't be defending his title at the AVIA Cork Half Marathon on Sunday when there will be a prize fund in excess of €4,000 on offer with a prize of €250 for the first man and the first woman.

Enquiries about the event, which is promoted by St Finbarr's AC, should be directed to John Buckley Sports, Tel [phone] and entries will be taken on the day.

The Munster Schools Multi-Event competition will be staged at the Waterford Track on Wednesday, September 17 commencing at 11am. Entries will be taken on the day.

The Belgooly 10, one of the most popular 10 milers on the calendar, takes place on September 28 with a 12 noon start.

There will be T-shirts for all entrants and an extensive prize list.

Details can be obtained from John Copithorne. Tel [phone], or Rose Copithorne, 086 8411193.