Blistering pace expected at next week's iconic 10K in Tipperary

On Wednesday next, July 3 at 8pm the Coillte 10k Road Race in Dundrum will be run for the 39th consecutive year by the local club.

This year’s official race starter is Liam O’Dwyer who has been involved with the club since 1965 both as an athlete and volunteer. Liam excelled in all the throwing events, winning many County, Munster, and National medals over the years.
Race HQ is Dundrum Community Hall ( E34 EY28) just 200m from the start and finish lines. Race numbers and souvenir towel can be collected there on the evening of the race.

For an excellent guided tour of the course road by road Google the Running in Munster Ireland Website.

The race also incorporates a 5K for juniors (age between 13 years old on day of race and 19 years or under on 31/12/2024). There are prizes in every category from Senior to over 70 years for both men and women. With the Master categories at the standard five-year intervals from Over 40 years plus. There will be the usual specially Embroidered Souvenir Hand Towel for all online entrants to be collected on the night.

For Tipperary athletes there is the added incentive of Tim Crowe Memorial trophy (kindly donated by Dominic Moore) for the first Tipperary athlete to finish the 10k.The present holder is Kevin Moore Dundrum who won the overall race for the third time last year and Tim Crowe for the fourth time.

The club is delighted to have Coillte once again as our main sponsor. Dundrum is surrounded by trees and forest trails for running and walking developed by Coillte over the years. It is appropriate that Coillte are involved with us in the healthy sport of running. The semi-state company has been involved in this race every year since it was set up.

This year the club has once again linked up with Niall O’Sullivan’s Premier Timing Systems for entries and result data to manage the ever-increasing numbers of runners every year. Entries are online. The club would appreciate it if participants could enter at least a week or two before the race date. Early entry gives the organisers an idea of the number of embroidered dated towels required, plus the food requirements for the big spread afterwards.

The planned village of Dundrum from the old Estate era and the two-lap course make it ideal for spectators to view the race and encourage the athletes as the race progresses. One section of the course in the village allows viewing of the race at four different stages by moving about one hundred metres.

The race will be run over the usual flat two lap circuit with the lap consisting of a series of five straights where one or two records are broken every year. Tanzanian international Daniel Gidumbanda incredible time of 29:45 course record for the 10k has stood since 1997 which is now well over a quarter of a century ago. Irish Olympian Lizzie Lee Leevale smashed the women’s course record in 2021 when running a super 33:45 for the classic distance.

Indeed, Lizzie’s great run that year and Angela McCann Clonmel super run and time of 37:21 in the same race set two National Irish Records for Over 40 and Over 50 women respectively. They have now been joined by Joe Gough West Waterford who last year ran a super 41:10 to set a National Irish Record for Over 70 men. A tremendous achievement by all three and confirmation of the circuit being a fast course.

COURSE RECORDS
For the record, the following are the course record holders over the Dundrum course.
Senior Men Daniel Gidumbanda Tanzania 1997 29:45, O/40 Men Michael Harty East Cork 30:13 2022. O/45 Men Kieran McKeown Watergrasshill 33:39 2021, O/50 Men Vivian Foley Eagle 2023 32: 58, O/55 Men Michael Hassett St Catherine’s 2015 35:51, O/60 Men John Collins Leevale 2019 39:38, O/65 Men Joe Gough West Waterford 2022 39:12, O/70 Men Joe Gough West Waterford 2023 41:10, Junior Men 5k Luke Purcell Nenagh Olympic 2023 14:53, Wheelchair Cillian Dunne Borrisokane 2019 28:20.

Senior Women Lizzie Lee, Leevale 2021 33:45, O/40 Women Lizzie Lee, Leevale 2021 33:45, O/45 Women Rosaleen Mackeown Leevale 2021 38:56, O/50 Women Angela McCann Clonmel 2021 37:21, O/55 Women Dorothy Ryan Country Club 2016 45:01,O/60 Women Kathleen Cronin Mallow 2022 47:06,O/65 Women Sally Jeyes 2018 Ivanhoe 56:47, Junior Women 5k Niamh Cunneen Nenagh Olympic 2022 18:28.