Run Skibb Half Marathon 2024
/10 Things I Think About The Run Skibb Half Marathon 2024
1. Agent Graham
I think that as one of Glanmire’s leading running influencers it is about time that I get an agent. I only realised the importance of an agent when I went to try and get an entry for Run Skibb. It was proving an impossible task until agent Graham Miekle got on the case, working closely with Mark Gallagher an entry was quickly found. He hasn’t come looking for commission yet.
2. Bere Island
I think that there is an opportunity for races to team up on the same weekend. There are lots of mad people like me who will happily spend the weekend in West Cork doing races. The Bere Island 10k and Run Skibb combination made a nice little running holiday especially as the weather was cooperative. They could do a package deal, maybe include the hotel and some night time kayaking on Lough Hyne. I should get a job with the tourist board.
3. Ronald Regan
I think that if I became president, Skibbereen would be what Ballyporeen is to Ronald Regan, my true ancestral home. Coakley is possibly the most Skibbereen name you could have and sure enough my grandfather was from Skibbereen so it was nice to run a race in place that I have a connection to. It still wasn’t enough to secure and automatic entry, for that I needed Graham.
4. Danny Mullins
I think that I was both delighted and horrified to see Danny Mullins on the start line. I half expected him to be there it being very close to his homeland. I caught and passed Danny in the last kilometre of the Great Railway 25k but he got revenge in the Cork Marathon where he beat me by over two minutes so we were always going to be well matched over a half marathon.
5. Uisce Beatha
I think that both myself and Danny knowing that first prize was a significant quantity of the finest West Cork Whiskey influenced the race. Neither of us drink whiskey so we were happy enough to run together and leave it to a last mile race. Well, I was anyway and when I said it to Danny he didn’t seem to disagree with my idea. I was happy enough with the pace for the opening few miles to the North of Skibbereen, not too fast and not too slow, just right.
6. Sleepy Streets
I think that it was very nice to run through the sleepy streets of Skibb at 9 o’clock on a Sunday morning. Skibbereen is a very nice town, nicely done up with some nice coffee shops and unusual restaurants. It was very quiet as we passed through the streets past Hourihane’s sports shop which I presume is owned by someone related to the fella that plays for Ireland.
7. Lough Ine
I think that my favourite part of the course was the gradual climb out the road to Lough Ine more commonly known as Lough Hyne. The West Cork people mustn’t like tourists as all the sign posts said Lough Ine which was confusing. The scenery was as you would expect in rural west Cork, better than anything anywhere in the world on a sunny day, the only problem was that Danny was beginning to open a gap so I had to stop looking around and focus on running up the hill.
8. Rowing Club
I think that it wouldn’t be appropriate for a race in Skibbereen to not pass the clubhouse of it’s most famous sport, rowing. We passed it at about 11 miles, I had a quick look in but there were no Olympians spotted. Danny had been doing most of the work up to this point, so I decided to give him a brief break and went to the front for a short period to see if I could drop him which I couldn’t primarily because of the constant little hills.
9. An Droichead Nua
I think that some local knowledge might have proven decisive in the race for first place. It took a sharp left downhill turn over a bridge to create a gap. I must have been looking around at the river or not expecting the bridge but before I knew it the race was on and Danny was a good few meters ahead. I might catch him yet I thought so I tried, I wasn’t helped by the last mile being the only flat mile which made making any difference difficult. At least I wouldn’t be fourth.
10. Podium and Prizes.
I think that second is the new fourth when it comes to half marathons. I was happy enough with the effort I made to catch Danny, I made some inroads into his lead on the run to the finish but there were still a few seconds between us in the end. The race had an excellent commentator who did a great interview with me and Danny. I had time to go back to the hotel for a wash before returning for the prizegiving where I was presented with a hamper containing 2.8L of whiskey and some very nice West Cork Distillers clothing which reminded me of the time I won a couple of litres of the finest olive oil at a race in Spain. I like these types of prizes. I like this type of race, I’ll be back, especially now that I have an agent to get an entry.
