30th ANNUAL FORDE’S DAYBREAK WINTER LEAGUE STARTS THIS EVENING.
COME ALONG AND TAKE THE CHALLENGE.
We had our traditional number collection last Wednesday evening for the 30th annual Fordes Daybreak Winter league and a great turnout were present which argues well for what will be our biggest and best league to date. It’s hard to believe its 30 years ago this year that a hand full of runners ran the very first winter league and what it has grown into now with hundreds running the streets of Dungarvan and Abbeyside each Wednesday evening. We thank those of you who registered online and collected your number last week its helps no end for our team of entry volunteers having these numbers pre collected before the first night of the league. But of course if you didn’t collect your number last week you can still come along this evening and do so remember you can go online and register for the league at any point you wish .So here we go again for the 30th time as we kicks off tonight Wednesday with round one of the 11 week league with the traditional 2 week break over Christmas. Both the long course and the short course will both remain the same as last year and both will be stewarded. We of course want each and every runner to come along and enjoy the event but of safety for all is paramount to the league success, with this in mind we ask all runners to please obey the organisers and stewards at all times, they are there for our safety and if we can keep each other safe out on the road it will add greatly to our enjoyment at the event. The main aim of the winter league is and has been for all of 30 years is to promote health and fitness through running, especially for those that have never ran before. If it’s your first winter league we are there to help you in any way that we can, indeed the league itself is structured in such a way that it’s ideally set up for all no matter what your standard of fitness is as our league handicap system which is used has the total beginner in mind. The first night of the league will get under way at 6.40 tonight when our great sponsor Kevin Forde of Fordes Daybreak on the Youghal road will fire the starter’s pistol announcing the start of this year’s league sending the large field of runners on their way in the traditional first night mass start.
HAVE YOU REGISTERED ALREADY ?
If you have registered online and have your number collected we thank you, all you need to do is pin your number to your hi viz running bib and be at the start line at Dungarvan Sports centre this evening for the mass starts. Our sponsor Kevin Forde will get the short course runners under way at 6.40 sharp and then 5 minutes later at 6.45 the long course runner’s will set off. If you haven’t collected your number already please be down early to get your number collected.
FORDE’S DAYBREAK WINTER LEAGUE HALL OF FAME LEAGUE WINNERS.
LONG COURSE SHORT COURSE
1994 Johnny Clarke 1998 Ann and Catriona Bennett
1995 Eoin O’Riordan 1999 Eilis Ni hAodha
1996 Philip Harty 2000 Shane Power
1997 Michael Bennett 2001 Geoff Bullen
1998 Gerry Cantwell 2002 Jennifer Ui Dhuibhir
1999 Tony Shalloe 2003 P.J. Curran
2000 Stephen Curran 2004 Cordelia Burke
2001 Dan Dineen 2005 Collette Bannon
2002 Norma Wall 2006 Liam Budds
2003 Pat Dunford 2007 Angeline Drennan
2004 Tony Shalloe 2008 Carolyn Byrne
2005 Pat Dunford 2009 John Foley
2006 Brigid Coffey 2010 Kelly Cantwell
2007 Michael Dunford 2011 Damien Casey
2008 Tom Scanlon 2012 Tony Ferncombe
2009 Bernard Walsh 2013 Eamonn Flavin
2010 Kevin Hickey 2014 Gerry Cummins
2011 Sinead Moore 2015 Jason O’ Riordan
2012 James O Donnell 2016 Tony Hamilton.
2013 James O Donnell 2017 Debra Doherty
2014 Alice Fitzgerald 2018 Kelly Shalloe
2015 Paul Mc Grath 2019 Theresa Curran
2016 Tony Ferncombe 2020 Kim Daly
2017 Paul Lenihan 2021 COVID
2018 Alice Fitzgerald 2022 Stephanie Curran
2019 Joe O’Rourke 2023 Phil Coffey
2020 Christopher Phelan 2024 Grainne Moore
2021 COVID
2022 Ray Hahesy
2023 Tara Ni Reachtagain
2024 Cathal Dwane
SAFETY ON THE ROADS IS PARAMOUNT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE WINTER LEAGUE.
The first rule of safety when running on the road is that all runners must wear their reflective bib at all times. Bibs can be bought at any sports shop or hardware shop. We must obey the stewards at all times. They are there for our own safety and are not to be ignored. Please be wary of traffic at all times but especially when crossing the road or overtaking somebody.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING WATCHES, IPOD’S AND REFLECTIVE BIBS
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY RUNNER BE ALLOWED TO TAKE PART IN THE WINTER LEAGUE WITHOUT A REFLECTIVE BIB. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET GOT A BIB PLEASE DO SO BEFORE THE OFFICIAL START OF THE LEAGUE TONIGHT. WATCHES AND IPOD’S OR ANY MUSIC DEVICES ARE STRICTLY AGAINST CLUB RULES AND PENALTY POINTS WILL APPLY IN ALL CASES.
33rd ANNUAL JOHN TREACY DUNGARVAN 10 ENTRIES OPEN ON DECEMBER 2nd FOR AI MEMBERS.
As and from December 2nd entries will open to Athletics Ireland club members for the 33rd Annual John Treacy Dungarvan 10 which will be held on Sunday February 2nd 2025, with a start time of 11 am. Entries for all others, none club members will open on December 9th at Eventmaster.ie .West Waterford Athletic Club have announced details of the event which has established itself as a must run race on the Irish road running calendar with participants from all four corners of the country and beyond participating. The race has grown year on year and is a pre entry race which will close when 3,750 entries is reached. The John Treacy Dungarvan 10 brings together the ideal race combination of fun runners, joggers, club athletes and top class internationals who compete over a fast flat 10 mile course around the historic town of Dungarvan, we look forward to welcoming you to our town on February 2nd 2025. So remember entries open December 2nd for club AI members and all other entries will open on December 9th.
16th ANNUAL AN SEAN PHOBAL TURKEY TROT.
On Sunday December 8th the 16th Annual Cleanzone Technologies Ltd sponsored Paddy Joe Curran Old Parish Turkey Trot 5 mile run and 4 mile walk will take place at the Marine Bar, Pulla, Dungarvan. All proceeds from this year’s event will go to Track Development Fund. The event is once again kindly sponsored by Cleanzone Technology Ltd of which were most grateful. The 4 mile walk will begin at 11 am, while the 5 mile run will get under way at 11.30. If you would like further information or would like a sponsorship card for the event email oldparishturkeytrot@hotmail.com.
KATE WINS SANOFI 5 MILE ROAD RACE.
The annual Sanofi 5 mile road race was held last Sunday morning from the factory grounds in Waterford city with a field of runner’s 225 runners competing monies raised from the event were donated to Waterford branch of MS. Overall race winner was Mateo Mary Waterford AC in a time of 26.10.With club member Kate Veale taking a break from her race walking training winning the Ladies race in 31.42.Fist club member home on the day was John Coffey who finished 7th overall in a time of 29.14. Also part of the fundraiser this year was a 5k run/walk with 82 registering and here 2 club athletes took part Carol Tobin and Jackie Tobin completing the 5k event in a time of 32.07.Well done to all who ran
John Coffey 29.14
Kate Veale 31.42
Eoin Walsh 33.09
Ray Hahesy 34.44
Gráinne Moore 35.52
Sandra Moore 41.17
Onra Power 43.01
Geraldine Barry 44.51
Linda Bradfield 46.19
Deirdre Daly 47.55
Aisling Cusack 47.32
Susan O’Mahoney 49.07
Niamh Fennell 52.55
RAIVIS 2ND IN STOOK 10.
The Annual Stook 10 mile road race was held today Sunday in Co.Kilkenny and hosted by Gowran AC,a shorter 5k and a 10 k race also were held.Conditions were ideal for the field of 178 athletes who competed in the main event the 10 mile road race with the overall race win going to David Cullinane Ferrybank AC in a time of 58.09, club member Raivis Zakis was shortly in behind in 2nd place with a time of 58.29 and Dean Rowe Kilkenny City Harriers was 3rd in 60.27 the overall Ladies winner was Kealy Tideswell in 4th place overall with a time of 61.16.The club also had two more athletes competing Martin Stephenson ran a time of 1.13.48 and Patrycia Daly was clocked at 1.35.52, well done to our 3 athletes who competed.
THOMAS KENT 10K.
The Thomas Kent 10k road race was held last Sunday in Castlelyons Co.Cork after previously been postponed in September due to a weather alert at that time. A field of 375 ran in ideal conditions in the rescheduled event and the overall race winner was Sergiu Ciobanu Clonliffe Harriers AC in a time of 32.20 and the Ladies victory went to Michelle Kenny Leevale AC in a time of 37.26.Our club had 8 athletes who made the trip and these were lead home by Joe Salmon with a good time of 44.09. Sandra Flynn was our first lady home in a time of 46.44,Brian Walsh 48.47 was next to cross the finish line and he was followed by Brigid Coffey 41.43,Martina Beechinor was next clocking a time of 53.14,Eamonn Curran just broke the 60 minute time with a 59.59 effort. Catriona Crowe was next in 55.42 and Michael Coakley complete the West Waterford AC interest with a time of 63.26. Well done to all.
MICHAEL HENNESSEY.
All in our club and the wider athletics circle were saddened to hear the news of the passing of Michael Hennessy, The Grove, Ardmore, Co. Waterford. Michael was a popular club member over many years, a great character who always brought great humour and fun to those who ran in the earlier days with him and later on at our annual trip each year to Ardmore . Michael was our race director of the Ardmore 5 mile road race for the past 27 unbroken years.The call would come every February, Well what’s the date for this year’s race and once that information was exchanged no more needed to be done from the club’s point of view just for us all to turn up on the night of the event. Michael would have his team of stewards ready for action, road signs collected the week before the event and place in their usual location announcing the oncoming event in the village, and if you could find a better marked out course with state of the art mile markers painted on the road along with start line and finish line it was all done to perfection always, Sponsors sorted, GAA dressing rooms at our disposal, water station organised. The only small impute by the club that Michael joking asked for each year was a round of drinks for the lads, meaning his team of stewards were guaranteed to get involvement next year without fail. We will continue to make that annual trip to Ardmore Michael would want that, he loved his native place like no other and I’m sure his willing team of helpers will be on hand to continue the great work Michael brought to the village of St Declan. West Waterford athletic club extend sincere sympathy to Michael’s family his wife Breda, son Jamie daughter Lorraine, grandchildren, brothers and sisters all his extended family, neighbours and many friends.May your native Ardmore sod lay gently on your soul.REST IN PEACE MIKE.
MATT FAHERTY.
A second Ardmore stalwart has passed within a short few days with the news of the passing of Matt Faherty College Road, Ardmore. Matt was the juvenile clubs regular bus operator since the foundation of the club and many the great trips to almost every county in the country we had with Matt. On the passing of his brother Noel some years ago Matt presented the Ardmore 5 mile road race with a beautiful cup in Noel’s honour and this cup was presented to the first Lady home each year, a presentation which Matt was always proud to be present himself to make. West Waterford athletic club extend sincere sympathy to his wife Noreen, son Martin, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and many friends. REST IN PEACE MATT.
