Introduction

For years I have been running in the Cobh 10 Mile Road Race. I regard the Cobh 10 or Great Island 10 Mile race as it was known once upon a time as a comprehensive test of a runners fitness. The Cobh 10 has it all. There were (and will be in future) hard hills, awkward drags, long never ending flats, beautiful surroundings, thrilling downhill sprints, enormous cheering crowds and of course a great cause.  

From a personal point of view I have been in the situation where someone close to me has told me that they have Cancer. I watched them go through treatment. It was awful. I felt useless but my concerns paled in comparison to the resilience a cancer survivor must show. Since then I have made this race a main stay in my athletic calendar. Hard as the race is it's got nothing on Cancer.  

Race

Athletically this was a category B race for me. Here is a quick reminder of how I break my races down. 

• Category A: Run as fast as you can and race for a PB - Empty the Tank
• Category B: Intensive race stay approximately 10 seconds below your PB pace
• Category C: Long Run Race - Take it easy and build up endurance

The Cobh 10 route was rearranged this year and I must say the changes were positive. From memory the route felt flatter. I also felt that organizers had been deliberate about the race structure a Hill was followed by a relatively flat surface for a few 100 meters, this to me was vital for recovery between hard hills. I also noticed more downhill sections this offered any racer the chance to make up time if they lost it on a hill. At one point I was running uphill in a group of approximately 10 people and we were breathing hard. I listened carefully for a moment as we all struggled against this hill, tapping our feet and panting more with each step. For a moment the sense of struggling together was reassuring. Overall, I thought the course was perfectly balanced but still a very competitive challenge and it even had that sense of togetherness and community that only the best races have.

I think the balance was reflected well in my pace breakdown. Pacing that reads 4:40-4:50 is on a hill or a drag. Any point where I hit below 4:20 is a downhill section and 4:30-4:40 was my target pace overall. As you can probably see there is room for maneuver here as well. On a Category A day at 13 km I would have let rip all the way to the finish line.

I felt fresh as I came through the Mile 8 mark. In previous years I was hanging on for dear life here my legs sapped from having come through some brutal up hills. I would be begging for the finish line. This year at Mile 8 I was speeding up. I had some time to catch up on and my legs were itching to go fast again. 

Conclusion

At 600 meters to go I heard the shouts 'C'mon Sonia' from the enormous Cobh crowd. The Cobh native and great former World Champion Sonia O' Sullivan was behind me and closing in fast. The group I was battling to finish with were suddenly energized by the presence of one Ireland's greatest runners and pressed for the finish line at top speed. I came over the line just barely in front of Sonia but let's be clear hear Sonia was a world class athlete if she had taken even the slightest interest she would have finished in the top 10 never mind the top 110 where I resided on the day. For this race she was at her charismatic best. Sonia gave a huge amount of her time to the build up in this race and even though she was obviously a little tired after the race she still shook hands with every runner who dared to offer their hand and thanked them for coming out.

Finally, I am upgrading this race to Category A next year on my racing calendar. The previous course held my PB of 68 minutes over the 10 Mile distance and with the modified course, stellar organisation and fast flat finish I think it's time I took a serious interest in this race again. Well Done to all those involved in organizing this event you will do nicely as a replacement for Ballycotton......Thumbs up.