Touraneena remembers a remarkable lady this Friday evening.

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 18^th 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.