By Tom Dillon, PRO, Born to Run

If you are looking for a way to put your best foot forward this New Year in terms of fitness, getting active and making new friends, then the Tralee Born to Run Couch-to-5k is just for you.

The hugely popular training programme that transforms people with no running experience into fully-fledged 5k runners is back.

“The Born to Run Couch-to-5k is for the person who has none or literally no running experience, literally straight off the couch,” said Ann O’Shea, who will be one of the mentors leading the programme.

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“It starts off with a gentle one-minute jog, then you walk for two minutes, then run again for another minute and so on. The time running gradually increases each week and by the end of the eight weeks you will be able to run 5k at your own pace without stopping.

“Along with getting active, it’s a great way to get eating healthy, make new friends and spend a half-hour dedicated to yourself so come down, give it a chance!” said Ann.

Friends Kathleen Curtin and Mary Holly, who graduated from last year’s couch-to-5k, said they couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

“I heard about the Born to Run Couch-to-5k so I said I’d go along,” said Kathleen, who had very little experience of running when she signed up last January. “Running the 5k without stopping was a huge achievement for me. The best thing is the friends you meet out running, they are just amazing people and I’d encourage everyone to sign up.”

When Kathleen turned up on the first night of training last January with Mary Holly and another friend, Hilda Jones, it was the start of a memorable year for them.

“Myself, Kathleen and Hilda went down the first night,” said Mary, “everybody made us so welcome, it was unbelievable. I love Born to Run.”

Recalling her best running memory, Mary added: “The day we took part in the Born to Run 40 mile relay in July, the three of us – we got wet, we got sunburned but we had a great day and I could not believe I had run 8 miles after starting from nothing in January.”

While everyone will have their own personal goals, and each runner will take their own enjoyment from running, the first step forward for the new recruits begins next Tuesday, January 14th, at 6.30pm at the Aqua Dome car park.

Training will run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening at the same time over the following eight weeks, with sessions lasting roughly 30 minutes.

The Born to Run Couch-to-5k programme is free but people are asked to register at www.active.com.

Participants must be over 18 and for safety reasons, must wear a high-vis vest. More information, including the link to register, is available from the Born to Run Tralee Marathon Club facebook page or www.borntorun.ie.

YOU’VE demolished the last of the USA biscuits, there’s barely a Bounty left in the box of Celebrations and you don’t want to see another turkey and ham dinner for 12 months.

But despite the best of intentions to get back on the straight and narrow in January, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to putting your best foot forward in fitness in 2019.

But fear not, as Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club is launching its free “Couch to 5k” programme for beginner runners on Tuesday 15 January.

With sessions taking place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings at 6.30pm at the Aquadome carpark, participants will start their training with a gentle walk-jog and gradually work their way up to running 30 minutes without stopping with the help of a team of mentors, who have completed the programme themselves previously.

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By following this schedule, they will be on track to complete their first full 5k in March, and will also have the option to continue to train to 10k, half marathon, marathon and even ultra-marathon level if they wish with the support of the club.

They will also have the opportunity to take part in a number of other events that Born To Run will be supporting throughout the year, including a planned trip to the UK to take part in the Milton Keynes running festival in May, as well as the club’s own sell-out 40 Mile Ultra Marathon in July, with its popular team relay option.

In addition, members can benefit from subsidised fitness classes, such as strength and conditioning and interval training, which are run in collaboration with local gyms throughout the year.

As well as helping people to set new fitness goals, however, Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club is also known for its social side and sense of camaraderie, as is evident by its motto that “nobody gets left behind.”

“I think the fact that most of our members started out on the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme means that we understand what it’s like to be a beginner and how daunting it can be to even turn up to training on the first night,” acknowledges club PRO Maria Moynihan.

“However, it is definitely worth making the effort. It’s not just about running 5k; it’s about making new friends and getting the chance to achieve things you might never have thought possible. Most importantly, we don’t take ourselves too seriously; for instance, we always have tea, coffee and treats every Tuesday evening after our run at the now famous ‘Dashboard Diner’.

“So if you have always thought you might like to run a 5k one day, but did not have a clue where to start, we would love to welcome you to our club and do all that we can to help you achieve your goal.”

New runners are encouraged to come to the Aquadome car park before training commences at 6.30pm on Tuesday 15 January in order to fill in a registration form.

No previous running experience is required, though participants are encouraged to wear a comfortable pair of runners and a high-vis vest for safety.

For further information, you can follow “Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club” on Facebook or visit their website on https://borntorun.ie/

By Maria Moynihan

EVEN the occasional downpour did not dampen the spirits of up to 100 runners who took part in the fourth annual Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club 40 mile ultra marathon and relay event on Saturday.

The ultra marathon – which last year was voted one of the top five running events in Ireland – proved a sell out success, where the mileage was more than matched by the atmosphere.

With proceedings starting at 7am by Mayor of Tralee, Graham Spring, local and visiting athletes tackled the four mile looped course through Ballyard a total of 10 times, with the option of a two person tag team and a four person relay team for those who wished to share the journey.

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The men’s race was won by Cork runner, fireman and Guinness World Record holder, Alex O’Shea, who completed the course in a record-breaking four hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, while the women’s title was won by well-known ultra athlete Catherine Guthrie in six hours, 42 minutes and 34 seconds.

Meanwhile, the tag team title was taken by David Twomey and Catherine Hannon of The Kerry Crusaders, while the relay event was won by local runners Michelle Greaney, Tommy Horan, Pascal Boylan and Frank O’Connor.

This year’s event was extra special as Born To Run partnered with St Ita’s and St Joseph’s school for children with mild learning difficulties, with profits from the event going towards a new vocational training centre that will include amenities like a school cafe, woodwork room and hairdressing training facility.

And to make sure that as much money as possible was raised, local businesses in town were extremely generous in their support, from chief sponsors WeatherMaster Kerry Ltd and Prestige Marketing, to the local hotels and shops who donated everything from sandwiches to pizza for the athletes taking part.

Many people also gave up hours of their time to volunteer to keep the runners safe, fed and hydrated, while local residents living along the route added to the party atmosphere.

“It was a great race on the day, with participants ranging from Irish international athletes who came to Tralee, to our local runners,” said race director, Tom Foley. “The top three men and women battled it out to the end, and everyone got home safe and sound and had a great day, which is the most important thing.

“Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club would like to thank everybody who supported the ultra marathon, from our sponsors to our volunteers, and look forward to many more events to come.”

For further information and results, visit www.borntorunevents.ie Scroll down for photos…

HAVE you ever wished that you could jog or run a 5k, but don’t know where to start?

Well, on Tuesday May 8, Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club will launch its annual “Couch to 5k” programme, which is free to join, friendly and most of all, fun.

Over a number of weeks, beginners will be gently mentored to complete the 5k distance using a walk-jog strategy, gradually increasing the time spent running as their fitness and confidence grows.

Training will take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening from 6.30pm from the Aquadome, with the option to continue to a 10k programme- or beyond- once participants reach the 5k mark.

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And according to those who completed last year’s programme, like Tralee woman Catherine O’Connor, it’s a decision you won’t regret.

“It was the best move I made,” Catherine tells TraleeToday.ie, explaining how the programme was so easy to follow as a beginner.

“The plan by Born To Run- which was a five minute walk, followed by a one minute jog- was easy and no one was pushed to do more. The following nights, it would slowly increase, so that you didn’t realise you were jogging longer than walking.”

Since then, Catherine has gone on to run 10k, but apart from improving her fitness, she says it is the friendship and the “feel-good factor” that is the best thing about the group, where there is a place for every runner, no matter what their speed.

“After a stressful day, I so look forward to my jog,” she says. “I’m nearly always at the back- someone has to be last!- but there is always someone waiting for you to return and you are never left alone. The Born To Run rule is ‘No one gets left behind’.

“I would encourage everyone to try it out. Whether you are looking to get fit, make new friends or just have a laugh, you should join the next ‘Couch to 5k.’”

Fellow member Rita Ryan also joined the group last year and despite the initial nerves, was soon made feel very welcome.

“We were put at ease by the lovely Ann, our mentor,” she says. “It was always great fun and I was thrilled to be part of such a friendly group of people. Meeting new friends was great and we all kept each other going. Reaching 5k was brilliant: I’ll never forget that evening we had reached our goal.”

However, Rita did not stop there, and just five months after joining the programme, completed her first half marathon in Listowel last November.

“I never even dreamt I would ever be able to run that far,” she says. “It has been a completely positive experience for me. There is great support and encouragement from mentors and other longer established Born To Run members. If you want to start running, no matter what age you are, come along and try it. You will meet great people and have lots of fun and feel much better.”

To take part in the new programme, just come along to register on the night or for further information, follow Born To Run on Facebook or visit https://borntorun.ie/

LOCAL running club, Born To Run, are hoping people will take the time to vote for them in an upcoming awards.

The Born to Run 40 Mile Ultra has made the final short list for the Running in Ireland Race Awards 2017.

You can cast your vote for them in the final by clicking here and selecting ‘Tralee Marathon Club Ultra’ from the Ultra Marathon Of The Year category.

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A number of other Kerry events including the Dingle Half Marathon, the Dingle Adventure Race and Quest Killarney are in other categories.

Remember also you will be entered into the draw for a pair of Asics Nimbus 20 when you cast your vote. The Born To Run club has also launched the 40 mile ultra’s new website at www.borntorunevents.ie.