Mallow 10 Mile 2026 - 10 Years Later
Introduction
Before I begin congratulating the Mallow AC 10 mile team on a blissful 10 mile I need to go back ten years. Ten years ago I was at the Mallow 10 mile road race when about three miles in we(by which I mean the racing group) came upon a horrific road traffic accident. The race was immediately abandoned and several of the runners amongst them Doctors, Firefighters and first aiders leapt into action to treat the casualties. I have this memory of a motorcycle riding back towards the oncoming runners yelling that the race had to stop. I was close enough to the front of race that as I slowed to take in what the motorcyclist was saying that I seen people slowing, spreading out and gazing in complete astonishment at what they came upon. There was a moment where runners stopped dead completely awestruck. A truck cab was lodged against a wall tipped forward. A small car with a passenger visibly conscious though in some distress from having what I could see was the front of his car sat on his lap. A horsebox seemed to have been cut in half in some way. I could hear yelling from the truck cab. The yelling was that of someone in desperate distress. A good sign if you are first aider but that truck was in a ditch and tilted precariously. Had the race been 10 minutes earlier the likelihood of runner being hit and killed was a certainty. I have a vague memory of a helicopter arriving with more medical personnel and asking us to step back. I was able to do little more than talk to casualties and encourage them not to move until further help arrived. When that help arrived I left hearing the news that one man was dead and at least three others were injured.
The incident is not the only reason I remember that day in March of 2016. Later that night I met my wife for the first time. The Mallow 10 mile road race of 2026 would be my first time racing in Mallow since 2016.
Race
The race commenced precisely on time (10.30am) from Mallow Castle. One of the reasons I hadn’t got back to Mallow for over ten years was that the 12.30 starts of previous years didn’t suit me. To me the day was gone by the time I got home to Cork City. That and I felt I was hanging around for the morning waiting to do something. It especially didn’t work for me once Edward was born. I felt I couldn’t be gone in the middle of a Sunday afternoon when he was at his most active. Most importantly who wants to miss that fun with a toddler. There was wrestling to be had and Edward has mastered pinning me. The timing is now fixed for me if anything Mallow AC could consider going off earlier if they wanted too. The buzz was immediately there when I got out of the car at 9.30am to find a coffee. Circa 1,100 racers were to finish that day and at half nine they were everywhere warming up or getting togged out for action. The excitement was infectious. I sensed a lot of dedicated athletes had come to town to race.
The plan I had in mind for myself that morning was run steady between 4:40 - 4:50 per km. I set myself a three year goal in 2026, I want to run a sub three hour marathon by 2028. 2026 will largely be about building a wide base aerobic base. Essentially I am building the capacity to suffer. The immediate concern is my weight at the time of writing I’m 14 kg away from my racing weight. When I started training in February I was 17kg away. I’ve done large performance weight changes before;
UCC Boxing 2008 75kg to 67kg
Dublin Marathon 2017 81kg to 74kg
Loop De Haag 2018 81kg to 73kg
Wedding 2022 87kg to 80kg
Dublin Marathon 2023 91kg to 84kg
Dublin Marathon 2024 87kg to 79kg
but when I pull this off it will be the largest change and I will need to stabilise it over a number of years to deepen my capacity and challenge for a sub three hour marathon pace. Even with this change in body composition the result isn’t guarnteed. It could be as uncontrollable as the weather or as controllable I have a bad day at the marathon office but if I don’t try I’ll never know.
Finally before I leave the weightloss discussion to one side in favour extolling Mallows virtues it isn’t the physical weight I’m worried about I focus on fat mass and lean mass. In 2017 I hit 74 kg on the scales and 12% body fat and took home a PB. 7 years later I was 79kg and 15.1% body fat and beat that PB. That was one tangible component of the PB. The other tangibles such hard training, nutrition, gear and mental toughness all had to be addressed. The intangibles such as the weather went in my favour in 2024 and an unexpected huge level of support coming from the Raheny Shamrocks singlet I was wearing all contributed to my marathon PB. I hadn’t realised that at every cheering point and corner of the Dublin Marathon someone would be yelling “C’mon Raheny”. This added 10% to my performance all by itself on race day not to mind that Dick Hooper former Dublin Champion and Raheny Shamrocks Chairman had been in touch with each member racing that day encouraging us to give our best. Dick along with other club members was then present at mile 24 urging you to be tough. And just to show you how far the Raheny support reaches in Mallow that I heard the cry ‘C’mon Raheny’ followed to my horror with ‘Up the Dubs’. I suppose I can’t really be triggered by that both my children were born in Dublin.
Course
The Mallow 10 mile course was incredibly generous with few inclines and plenty of smooth flat stretches in a straight line to help you keep a rhythm. It was ideal for a personal best. I can’t emphasise enough the serenity of running through the race course. I reset myself there got back into my race plan and finished strong. A late change to the route must surely be considered a unique selling point next year. I heard one runner joke that “all we’re missing is saddles to make us go faster”. Thank god he didn’t say whips because the various marshals might get ideas next year.
Strangely my personal best over a 10 mile is about 68 minutes in Cobh a notoriously hilly course with little forgiveness. I would encourage anyone in need of a 10 mile personal best to strongly consider Mallow.
Conclusion
I am building up to a long term goal. This race was a good solid start for me. For anyone out there in need of a fast flat 10 mile this is the race you have been looking for.