Road running is experiencing tremendous popularity at the moment, with plenty of races taking part within The Avondhu catchment.

One such event took place in Clondulane last Sunday with the first ever staging of the Blackwater 10 Mile Road Race. The main sponsors were Cavanagh's of Fermoy, with proceeds going to Breakthrough Cancer Research and Clondulane National School (Scoil Mhuire gan Smál).

Organisers promoted the race well and were rewarded with almost 400 runners. The gender balance was about 50/50 with participants ranging from novices to veterans. 10 miles is a good trek and while a few were struggling towards the end, we understand that nearly all of those who started out completed the course - some were looking for personal bests, while for others, finishing was an achievement in itself.

WELL ORGANISED

Clondulane was a hive of activity from early morning with traffic restrictions in place to facilitate athletes. A nearby field acted as a temporary car park - as a result, there was little or no congestion in and around the village. Dozens of volunteer stewards were mobilised and the presence of several squad cars and a garda motorcycle was very reassuring.

A large crowd gathered in the vicinity of the finish line to offer support and on completion, runners received their goodie bags which contained fruit and energy bars to help replace lost fluids and replenish those aching muscles.

Weather conditions were excellent and the post race mood was upbeat as runners compared notes and times. Those responsible for making the event possible wish to thank everyone who took part and all those who helped out. The role of sponsors is vital and during the course of the day, Cavanagh's of Fermoy, Laya Healthcare, Tesco and VTN were all acknowledged.

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