This Friday evening, the
Annual Touraneena 5K Road race takes place in Touraneena. This is part of the
Ger Wyley Summer Series of races held at different venues around Co Waterford.
At just 5k or just over 3
miles, the race in Touraneena is the shortest in the series. For a number of
years when the Annual Race started (now in its 18th year), the race
was held on a Sunday evening. However, this was to move to the Bank Holiday
Monday in June and has with the past few years now taken part on the Friday
before the Bank Holiday Monday and continues to draw good attendances to the
small village off the Main Dungarvan to Clonmel as well as the main Youghal to
Clonmel roads.
When the race began it was a
fundraiser for the Naomh Brid Juvenile G.A.A. Club but was then organized by
the local Racquetball Club.
When the race began, one of
the first people that could be called on to help out with whatever had to be
done was local lady Ann Power.
Ann was a Waterford City
woman. However after she married and came to live in the area, she became a
fully fledged Touraneena Person. No matter what group or club needed a hand
with something they were organizing, one person they could always depend upon
was Ann.
In later life she did not enjoy
the best of times – health wise. For a long number of years she battled with
Cancer. But despite all her suffering, she lived life to the full.
After Ann died, a lot of
thought went into how best to remember an extraordinary woman. It was
eventually decided to put a plaque up in her name and each year before the
Touraneena 5k as many people as wanted were asked to walk a designated course
before the road race began.
The walk quickly came established
and numbers taking part each year have grown. In the last few years, in the region
of one hundred people have taken part. With the weather expected to be good on
Friday evening, it is hoped that this year the walk might attract a record
number of competitors.
Each participant is asked to
pay €5. They are asked to estimate the time it will take them to walk the course.
The winner of the shield each year is not necessary the person that finishes
first. It’s possible that the last person to come home could be the winner.
The winner is the person that
comes closest to the time they predicted without completing the course in a
faster time. Those that finish the course in a faster time than they predicted
are eliminated.
Ideally, people should do the
run without wearing a watch, but this is not enforced. Of course, some of the
younger people taking part, once they get outside the village break into a run
or a jog, but again nothing is said to them as the competition is a fun one,
but those that usually run or jog come in ahead of the time that they predict
and are eliminated, meaning their efforts to ensure that they come home in a
quick as possible time are all in vein.
This years Ann Power Memorial
Walk on Friday evening has a 7-30pm start outside the Community Centre.
The Touraneena 5K Road Race
gets under way at 8pm with registration taking place in the community centre from
7-15pm.
This year’s follow’s its usual
course. Beginning at the Car Park at the back of the Church, the race turns
right on entering the village and continues for just over half a mile before turning
right.
On entering the Main Dungarvan
to Clonmel Road the race turns right and after a further 2k, it turns right
once more and then another right before coming into the village.
The race is often very close
inside the last Km with little separating the leaders, but having run down hill
hitting a very short flat area before beginning a short steep climb, its often
in this section the ‘Men from the Boys, and even the Women from the Girls’ are
sorted.
A full array of the usual Senior and Masters prizes
will be on offer for both men and women on the night.
The first three senior ladies and men will be
awarded cash prizes.1st Male finishers in Junior-40-45-50-60 and Ladies in
Junior-35-40-45-50.
The presentation of prizes will take place after the
race at the community centre. The current course records are held by David
McCarthy of West Waterford AC (14.26) and Vanessa Molloy (17.41).
The Touraneena 5k Run is open to all that are open
to all that are over the age of 16, while for the Ann Power Memorial Walk, there
are no age restrictions. Both events are open to both the able bodied and the
disabled, and even in the past have attracted participants that have taken part
in international events, most notably International race walker Kate Veale and
International runner – local man David McCarthy.
