Week Beginning: 10/10/22

News from today’s Dublin XC League is linked here. Well done to all athletes, some very inspirational runs throughout the field.

Wednesday:

Fr Collins 18:15-19:00

Note the earlier start time (18:00) and finish time (19:00) for all athletes as evenings are getting darker. We will be moving to the floodlit venue in Donaghmede on October 26th.

This is general training so focus on all athletics aspects, running, jumping and throwing.

Friday:

Fr Collins 18:00-18:45 (2013 & Older Only).

This is running training for those looking to compete in cross-country but also improve overall health & fitness.

Sunday:

Dubin Even Ages Cross-Country Championships (u10/u12/u14) are on in Abbotstown along with the All-Ireland Boys U11 Cross-Country Relays. Coaches will be in touch regarding details ahead of Sunday and a broader update will also be shared.

No Club Run this Sunday.

The rain held off for most of the day in Tymon Park for Round 2 of the Dublin Cross-Country League.

The day was book ended by great performances from Sarah in the Girls u9 and Marianne in the Girls u14, both with gutsy Top 10 finishes.

In between there was super runs alround in tough windy and hilly terrain. Quinn improved even further on his Round 1 run with a Top 15 finish in the Boys u9. The always energetic Girls u10 had a great turnout in prep for their Dublin Championships next week with Orlaith and Niamh claiming Top 10 places and Lucy, Monika and Amelia all battling well to the finish.

Boys u10 had Joe making his cross-country debut and what a run with Top 10 finish, in contention right from start. The Girls u11 had Vicky and Olivia making their competition debuts. Special mention to Olivia who has been one of our first members since back in June 2019.

The Boys U11 who compete in the All-Ireland Cross-Country Relays next week had a great outing with Max, Oran and Jacques running very gutsy races. The Girls U12 had ever consistent Ella with another Top 10 while Ava with her trademark sprint finish. Keane in the Boys U13 was Top 12 while Ben also came through very strong to close out his race.

Second round of the the Dublin Cross-Country League is Sunday. For those competing, here is what you need to know.

Venue. Tymon Park, image below shows the location including parking options. The exact pin will be in the WhatsApp group.

When To Arrive. The times for each race are listed below. Try to arrive 45mins before your race time. The races do not take long, average time 5 minutes, so it’s a quick day. When you arrive, we will have our Clongriffin AC Flag up so you will be able to see us. We will have the athlete’s numbers for them.

Race Start Times & Distances

Gu9 (2014): 11:00 (500m) (eg arrive at 10:15)

Bu9 (2014): 11:05 (500m)

Gu10 (2013): 11:10 (700m)

Bu10 (2013): 11:15 (700m)

Gu11 (2012): 11:22 (900m)

Bu11 (2012): 11:30 (900m)

Gu12 (2011): 11:38 (1200m)

Bu12 (2011): 11:47 (1200m)

Gu13 (2010): 11:56 (1200m)

Bu13 (2010): 12:05 (1200m)

Gu14 (2009): 12:14 (1500m)

Bu15 (2008): 12:46 (2000m)

Weather & What To Wear: Bring rain coats etc just in case. If athletes have spikes, bring them but the ground should be solid enough to just use runners also. You will need to bring your Clongriffin AC vest or tee. If you don’t have one we should have a tee available when you arrive.

Week Beginning: 03/10/22

Wednesday:

Fr Collins 18:30-19:15

Note the earlier finish time (19:15) for all athletes as evenings are getting darker. We will be moving to the floodlit venue in November but more details on specifics of that later this week.

This is general training so focus on all athletics aspects, running, jumping and throwing.

Friday:

Fr Collins 17:45-18:30 (2013 & Older Only).

This is running training for those looking to compete in cross-country but also improve overall health & fitness.

Entries for the Dublin Even Ages Cross-Country Championships close on this day. These championships take place on 16th October in Abbotstown in the National Sports Campus. They are for 2013 / 2011 / 2009 / 2007 age groups. This is both a team and individual competition.

Expresssion Interest Form is here if you haven’t already submitted.

Sunday:

Round 2 of the Dublin XC League is on in Tymon Park at 11am. Details on the cross-country season are here. This is open to anyone from 2014 and older.

Expression of Interest Form is here.

No Club Run this Sunday.

Coaches Update

Big well done to four of our coaches, Colette, Cliodhna, Marie and Sinead and our Club Secretary Maeve who all competed in the Galway Bay 10km this weekend #Sport4Life.

Also, Coach Dan attended the High Performance Endurance Coach Education Day in DCU on Saturday. This was attended by over 60 coaches from all around Ireland with presentations from some of Ireland’s top endurance coaches.

Week Beginning: 26/09/22

Wednesday: Fr Collins 18:30-19:30 (2016 is 18:30-19:15)

This is general training so focus on all athletics aspects, running, jumping and throwing.

Friday: Fr Collins 17:45-18:30 (2013 & Older Only).

This is running training for those looking to compete in cross-country but also improve overall health & fitness.

Sunday: Fr Collins 10:00-10:45 (2013 & Older Only).

Club Run for all the family.

1.4km or 2.8km or 4.2km or 5.6km

Week Beginning: 19/09/22

Wednesday: Fr Collins 18:30-19:30 (2016 is 18:30-19:15)

This is general training so focus on all athletics aspects, running, jumping and throwing.

Friday: Fr Collins 17:45-18:30 (2013 & Older Only).

This is running training for those looking to compete in cross-country but also improve overall health & fitness.

Sunday: Fr Collins 10:00-11:00 (2013 & Older Only).

This is running training for those looking to compete in cross-country but also improve overall health & fitness.

First round of the the Dublin Cross-Country League is tomorrow. For those competing, here is what you need to know.

Venue. Map below shows the location. Head to Lusk and head out the Skerries Road, there is a right turn just outside the village and there is car parking here. There is ample parking and its €2 per car.

When To Arrive. The times for each race are listed below. Try to arrive 45mins before your race time. The races do not take long, average time 5 minutes, so it’s a quick day. When you arrive, we will have our Clongriffin AC Flag up so you will be able to see us. We will have the athlete’s numbers for them.

Race Times & Distances

Gu9 (2014): 11:00 (400m) (eg arrive at 10:15)

Bu9 (2014): 11:05 (400m)

Gu10 (2013): 11:10 (600m)

Bu10 (2013): 11:15 (600m)

Gu11 (2012): 11:20 (800m)

Bu11 (2012): 11:25 (800m)

Gu12 (2011): 11:30 (1000m)

Bu12 (2011): 11:38 (1000m)

Bu13 (2010): 11:54 (1000m)

Bu15 (2008): 12:32 (1500m)

Weather & What To Wear: Looking like it will be a lovely crisp and sunny autumn morning. Bring rain coats etc just in case. If athletes have spikes, bring them but the ground should be solid enough to just use runners also. You will need to bring your Clongriffin AC vest or tee. If you don’t have one we should have a tee available when you arrive.

Finally, nerves. If you are nervous about competing, that is ok. Means you care and it means something to you. The good news that everyone else is probably nervous too. By stepping to the line and being in the arena, remember, you are already winning….

“.......the credit belongs to the athlete who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends their time in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if they fail, at least fails while daring greatly......”

Week Beginning: 12/09/22

This week sees the return to full training for all athletes.

Wednesday: Fr Collins 18:30-19:30 (2016 is 18:30-19:15)

Friday: Fr Collins 17:30-18:15 (2012 & Older Only). Note, this time may change for future sessions on Friday, so bear with us as may not suit all.

Sunday: Cross-Country League Round 1 in Lusk. Details on the cross-country season are here. This is the first round of the cross-country league and is a great opportunity if athletes want to try it, even just once. Distances are relatively short and the event runs off pretty quickly. The full timetable for Lusk is here. If interested in competing complete this form here.

There is still a lengthy waiting list of athletes looking to join the club. We can only bring in a certain number of new members as we look to maintain an 8:1 athlete/coach ratio. This is to ensure the coaching team can provide the best quality of coaching to the athletes.

However, if parents or guardians of an athlete can commit to being an Assistant Coach, then this can help in getting the athlete into the club,

An Assistant Coach is the starter level coach and primarily involves assisting the Age Group Coaches at training sessions. The committment is just one night a week (Wednesday) but would be more than welcome to attend all sessions. If you are interested please email clongriffinathletics@gmail.com.

We are particularly keen to get Assistant Coaches in the 2015 & 2016 age groups.

Cross Country is running races based on grass as opposed to running tracks. The cross-country season runs from September up to November / December.

Competitions

**Note additional Competition added**

All-Ireland Cross Country Relays

This is a team event of 4 athletes per team, each running 500m before passing the baton to the next athlete. It takes place in Abbotstown on the same day as the Dublin Even Age Championships, October 16th.

Dublin Leagues consist of three rounds of races with shorter than championship distances. They are an opportunity for athletes to try cross-country at race distances that are not as challenging as Dublin championship races.

Round 1: Sunday 18th September Lusk 11am

Round 2: Sunday 9th October Tymon Park 11am

Round 3: Sunday 11th December Tymon Park 11am

Dublin Championships is a once off race with both an individual and team element. The team element involves the finishing places of each athlete being counted towards the team’s score. Athletes can qualify from these races to compete with Dublin or their club at the All-Ireland Championships.

Even Ages Sunday 16th October Abbotstown

Uneven Ages Sunday 6th November Venue TBC

Race Distances

Age Group	Year of Birth	Championship Distance	League Rd 1 Distances	League Rd 2 Distances	League Rd 3 Distances
u9	2014	800m	400m	500m	600m
u10	2013	1000m	600m	700m	800m
u11	2012	1500m	800m	900m	1000m
u12	2011	2000m	1000m	1200m	1000m
u13	2010	2500m	1000m	1300m	1500m
u14	2009	3000m	1200m	1500m	1500m
u15	2008	3500m	1500m	2000m	2000m
u16	2007	4000m	2000m	2500m	2000m
u17	2006	5000m	3000m	3500m	3000m