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Bray Runners League

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Charlotte Stevens

A flyer through my door for circuit training in Shanganagh Park encouraged me to start running. I went along to the first session and it was three days before I could walk again, I was so unfit. It was suggested that swimming or jogging a few days a week would complement the training. For years I walked the dogs in the park and would see Sean. Noelle and many of the other regular runners and it often crossed my mind that it would be lovely to be fit enough to go out for a twenty minute run after work to clear the mind. So I started alternating jogging the length of a field and walking a length and was thrilled when after months of slogging I could finally jog 5k without stopping.

The regular runners in the park were very encouraging, all offering completely different advice and tips! It was with a degree of nervousness that I joined Bray Runners in the Spring of 2011 but I was made feel very welcome and encouraged to enter races and join in the training sessions. That year I entered the Dublin Race Series as I wanted to complete race distances up to half marathon distance. I was delighted to have started running building up to completing a half marathon days before I reached 50.

I had great hopes of improving my running and entering more races in 2012. However after some Spring races I had to go back to the beginning again as I became anemic and even walking a kilometer became difficult. For a month I could only manage a mile at a very slow jog, and gradually built it up to four mile runs. Getting back to the Thursday training sessions in the park last Summer helped me return to racing and complete the Fit4Life Race series. I had learnt the hard way the importance of nutrition to a runner.

This year my goal is to try and improve my times at 5K and 5 miles and maybe build up to a ten mile race later in the Summer but most important to me is to keep on running and enjoying it. While racing is fun and improving my times is great, I really just love running and get so much enjoyment out of putting on my runners and going for that run after a long day. Improving times are just the icing on the cake!

2011, Pb for 5k, 24.34.

2012, Pb for 5k, 23.32.

2013, Pb for 5k, 22.26 

Joseph Cawley

My first memory of a running race was at an U-10 community games meet in Sligo. It was the 200m. Early in the race I fell on the grassy track but still managed to easily win that first ever race.

I have very fond memories of attending various sports days during these years.

It seemed it was every Sunday in summer Mum and Dad would pack us all (6 of us then) into the car and head off somewhere in Mayo or Sligo.  We would attend as many as we could. 

Two other noticeable athletics achievements stand out from back then.

It was probably U14 community games in Sligo again. I had just won the 600m event, and I had also had entered the shot putt. I was still small then but I had been secretly training for this at home with a concrete ball. As soon as the race finished I ran over to the area where the shot putt competition was almost finished. I was given one trial throw and then with the one throw I was allowed I managed to win by only cm's from a lad twice my size

The other win that stands out was in St Muredach's college 2nd level where I won the senior 800m event. That was a noticeable success in the boy’s college then. 

However Gaelic football would form most of my sports activity after this whether with schools, club or underage county.

Fast forward to 2007 and living in Wicklow (now aged 35). Loosing speed over the first 10 meters to younger green horns and with "home" Gaelic football games now 185 miles away, I decided to try something else

I had been given a Polar sports watch for my birthday by her good self and this gadget provided the excuse to take up running. I had always good discipline at GAA training on my own so I had no motivational issues with it.

But I hadn't a clue how to train correctly then. All my runs were lung busters but before you I knew it I had run my first race in almost 20 years in the Connemara half marathon. A respectable 1:42 and I was hooked.

I moved up to the marathon distance straight away and loved the Dublin Marathon day in 2007 where I finished in 3:14.

Even though been self coached I continued to make good progress back then when I mostly ran the HM's and had 6 - 7 PB's of these in a row .

In 2008 I ran the Connemara marathon (3:22), Berlin 3:01, Dub 3:03.

I got my big break in 2009 when I managed to break 3hrs in Dub - 2:47 and the following year 2:41 putting it down to consistent training for the Connemara ultra twice in 2009 & 10. I also had my first marathon win albeit not a huge field in Cyprus in 2010, a day I will never forget.

I failed to make marathon time improvements during 2011, both 2:43 in London and Dublin again but I had my most memorable day in London in 2012 where I finished in the top 100 with a time of 2:36.

My other love is triathlons. I remember watching this in Sligo in the early 1980's and was fascinated.

I decided to give this a go during the summers and started doing Sprint and Olympic race distances in 2008 and moving up to half Ironman distances in 2010. I found the swim / cycle were great for cross training during my running off season. The races were interesting too. Because of my less than average swim (thankfully much better now) I enjoyed moving up the field in the bike and run sections.

2012 saw me complete my other life long ambition of completing a full Ironman. I almost performed to my very best in Barcelona that day well until 28k into the run and with better nutrition management will be key on my next attempt. (10hr 08 mins)

2013 targets? An annoying groin injury had hampered my running this spring (sorry winter) but the plan is still to run well in the Boston marathon on this 15th April and then some unfinished business in another Ironman in Almere Holland in Sept         

Marathon total = 15 incl. 3 ultras

PB's –

5k - 16:37. Wicklow 5k Road '12

5 mile - 26:35 Kildalkey '12

10k - 34:20 - Dunshaughlin '12

10 mile - 56:05. Dungarvan '12

HM - 76:28 - Kinvara '12

26.2 mile - 2:36:21 - London '12

 

Leanne Geraghty

 

I joined Bray Runners in August 2008. Up until then I ran about 3 times a week but never more than 5k. Richard met me at the gate on my first morning and ran with me the entire time at my really slow pace. I credit himself and Dermot with kick starting my running career. They both encouraged me out of my comfort zone and before long I was running for an hour comfortably.

I only ever planned to run for exercise. I had no interest in competing but it’s funny how it rubs off on you as you listen to others chatting about upcoming races. Soon I was signing up too.

I completed my first marathon in 2010 with huge support from the club. I ran it in 4h 5m while not a great time I loved the experience. I found that long slow running suited me. I have completed a few half marathons and lots of 10k races since but no standout times yet!

This year I am hoping to clock up some PBs. So far I have run Enniscorthy 10k in 47m 32s and Ballycotton 10m in 78m 48s.

I want to complete a half marathon in 1h 45m and a sub 4h marathon. Now that I have put it down on paper there is no backing out!

Bill Stanley

I first discovered a love of running in my early teens, competing at middle distance and cross country events, with dreams of becoming the next Coe, Ovett or Coughlin. The highlight of my early running was winning the U16 Dublin cross country league and going on to represent Dublin against Liverpool. Following a period of illness which saw me miss most of the following season, I eased back on my ambitions of earning a US athletics scholarship and turned my attention to playing rugby.

Roll the clock forward a couple of decades, to one sunny day, when displaying the early signs of a mid life crisis, I pulled on an old pair of runners and headed for Shanganah Park. It didn’t take long for the bug to take hold, and within a couple of months I had joined Bray Runners and was signing up for my first race in about 25 years.

I spent a couple of years running between various injuries and niggles, always struggling to train consistently and with my running constantly competing for increasingly precious time. 2012 was a key year for me however. I made a conscious effort to run consistently and to follow a programme focussed on specific goals. I set myself three target milestones - sub 19 5k; sub 40 10k; and sub 90 half marathon. I finished the year with 3 new PB’s - 18:25 5k (Rathfarnham), 38:58 10k (Parkwest) and 1:29:14 half marathon (Longford).

The question for me now is where to next. Should I set new targets in the same events, should I go longer, or even shorter? For now my immediate focus is Ballycotton, and a sub 18 5k before year end would be good. Who knows then?

I love running for a whole host of reasons. I love what it teaches me about myself, about others, about setting targets and achieving goals, but most of all I love running because it is the part of my life where I feel most in control – injuries permitting of course!

Sean Clifford

Having done little more than run for the bus for my first 36 years and mid-life thoughts starting to accumulate I started sneaking out under cover of darkness in June 1982 to jog along the Prom having somewhat foolhardily entered the Dublin Marathon the following October .Toed the line in Stephens Green in those days and 3 14 later was truly hooked and even more so a year later with 2 51

Got in with a great crowd of guys of which Pat is the main survivor and we formed Bray Runners in 1984 . Got 10 k 10 m 1/2 m times down to 33 56 and 74 respectively during the late 80 s with the year following May 1988 being the top of the graph with 2 40 in Belfast 2 38 in Dublin and a repeat 2 40 again in Belfast

All downhill since then but with national age-group medals and with a European Vets medal in 2006 easing the pain

What goes around comes around and great to be still involved in Club which for the first time since the 80 s bears a remarkable similarity both in terms of numbers and quality to those early days

Ill health in 2010 makes every run a bonus but no intention of hanging up my socks ---happy to remain a target for the few who have not got past me yet ........

Grainne Cunningham

I am running proof that even those of us who will never be true sprinters can still get huge enjoyment and satisfaction from the sport. And despite having no innate talent, with training and some sheer dogged determination, we too can see our finishing times come down.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

I had “dabbled” in running for a few years, making a stab at getting into shape just before the women’s mini-marathon every year and then falling out of practice again. In 2002, with what in hindsight seems like woefully inadequate training, I ran the Dublin Marathon in 4:24 and was absolutely delighted with myself. I joined Bray Runners in 2006 when I was doing sporadic training for my second marathon. I took a few minutes off my time that year, running 4:17 but was still pretty disappointed with the result. But by then I was hooked on regular training and loving the craic and chat that came with running in groups. And the competition.

I learned so much in those first few years from those in the club - about speed sessions, fartlek and the value of the long slow run. And I eventually broke the magical four hour marathon barrier in 2008, knocking 23 mins off my previous time. In 2010, my fitness peaked and I ran my best times in most distances - nothing to write home about but satisfying for me. And my marathon time was 3.47.

Over the years with the club, I have had great times, from weekends away in Wicklow and Ballycotton to philosophising over countless cups of coffee. And of course, there’s the running - great gallops over the muddy hills in Djouce, battles again the clock around the paths of Shanganagh and the camaraderie of a friendly Sunday run.

Life has been too hectic of late to give much time to running but watching the marathon runners pour past me down Fosters a few weeks ago has renewed my appetite. Time to lace on those shoes again

Highlights include:

2010 Ballycotton 10m road race: 80m 54s

2010 AA Wicklow Road Championships: 22.47 2nd O/40. Team Gold

2010 Lakes 10k: 48m 05

2010 AdidasDublinCityMarathon 3h 47m.

2011 Raheny 5M: 37m 22

2011 Ballybunion Half Marathon: 1h 49m

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About Us

Our Club was founded in 1983 primarily as a marathon running club, however over the years we have introduced a juvenile section and cover a wide range of athletic disciplines.


Bray Runners Athletics Club
Bray Head Terrace, Vevay Rd, Oldcourt, Bray, Co. Wicklow 
brayrunnershs@gmail.com

 

 

Committee Members

Richard Hourihan Chairperson

Cyril J. Smith Hon. Treasurer

Orla Phillips Hon. Secretary

Collette Mason Child Welfare Officer

Jackie O'Neill Social Secretary

Emma Craxton Juvenile Representative

Kieron O'Leary Club Captain

Ashling Smith Committee Member

Maureen O'Rourke Committee Member

 

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Well done to all our athletes!

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