Following on from the success of the Grant Thornton Corporate 5k Team Challenge, we are delighted to announce that a donation of €4,500 was made to the designated charity St. Vincent de Paul. Pictured are (l-r) Colin Feely and Turlough Mullen, Partners in Grant Thornton, Anne McCoy- National Fundraising Co-ordinator, St Vincent de Paul and John Foley, CEO of Athletics Ireland.

A selection of photo’s from the race can be seen in the gallery section of the website.

Business advisors Grant Thornton and Athletics Ireland combined to create this new event in the heart of Dublin’s business district. The concept behind the event was to encourage social running amongst Dublin’s business community in the International Financial Services Centre.

The social and team aspect was the resounding theme behind the race concept, however there was still a healthy rivalry between the competing companies. There were individual prizes up for grabs in the male, female and mixed categories. The Garda Athletic Club team combined to win the men’s event. Irish Olympic Marathon representative Mark Kenneally was a surprise entrant for the Garda team and he won the race outright in a time of 15.18. The next four teams across the line were Irish Life Investment, Bny Mellon, Grant Thornton and Certus.

Leo Pharma were the overall winners of the women’s team category, followed by C &C Group, Bearpoint and Department of Education & Skills.

The mixed category prize went to A+L Goodbody, followed by Irish Bank Resolution, Davy Solicitors, Collins Crowley Solicitors and Conway Institute of Biomechanical Research.

Event ambassador; Olympian and former London Marathon winner Catherina McKiernan, officially started the race, before joining the field herself to run the 5k route. McKiernan was also the first women home overall in a time of 17.14.

Commenting afterwards McKiernan said “The spirit of the event was fantastic. It was a welcoming sight to see so many runners complete the course, while also managing to enjoy themselves at the same time”
The 5k course saw the participants follow a flat, fast route around the Dublin Docklands, which also included two bridge crossings: The Samuel Beckett and the Venerable Matt Talbot structures that span the River Liffey. It was a spectacular sight to see the capacity field flow across the two bridges, signifying that all is well amongst Dublin’s business running community.

Colin Feely, Partner with Grant Thornton said “It was a delight to see so many people getting out there and competing for the basic love of running. The team aspect of the event worked very well and it is apparent that there is a healthy inter firm rivalry amongst Dublin’s business community.”

Athletics Ireland CEO John Foley commented “Athletics Ireland is delighted to have developed this new association with Grant Thornton. We were delighted with the huge numbers that turned out for the event and that it was so well received by all the participants involved. We look forward to providing similar style events in the future.”

All participants received a souvenir technical t-shirt and goody bag for their efforts. There was also tea/coffee and sandwiches provided for all participants after the race. This was well received and added to the social aspect of the occasion. A contribution from entry fees will be made to the designated charity St. Vincent De Paul.

•Race Number Collection: Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th
•Race day Timetable
•Map of CHQ, Warm Up, Start, Finish area.
•Baggage Drop Off
•Warm up
•Getting to the Start
•Assembly
•After your run
•Parking
•Medical
•Water
•Litter
• Refreshments
• Results
• Map of Course
• Acknowledgement

Number Collection

Race numbers will be available for collection at the CHQ building on Custom House Quay during the following times:

Wednesday 5th of September (12.30-7pm)
Thursday 6th of September (12.30-6.30pm)

Participants are invited along to the pre-event warm up at 18.30 with takes place opposite the CHQ. The race starts at 19.30 and there will be light refreshments including tea/coffee and sandwiches available for all participants afterwards. A contribution of each entry fee will be made to the charity St Vincent de Paul.

Where is the event being held?
Docklands, Dublin 2, starting on City Quay.

What time does the event start?
19.30.

What time should I be there?
17.30 at the latest

What distance is the event?
5 kilometres – each kilometre will be clearly marked.

Who can enter this race?
Corporate teams of four. Trophies will be awarded for the first all woman team, the first all men team, and the first mixed team.

Do all team members have to be from the one business?
No. Teams can be made up of personnel from different businesses but they should enter under one business entity.

Can individuals enter?
Unfortunately not. This race is aimed purely at teams.

What should I wear?
A good pair of runners, T-shirt/jumper and shorts/leggings. Come dressed to the event in warm clothing. Remember its September and could possibly be cold and wet.

Where should I pin my Race Number?
Please pin the race number of the front of your top. Please fill in your personal details on the reverse of your race number.

Will the race be timed?
Yes. Chip timing will be in operation. A gantry clock will also be on display.

Will there be a left baggage area?
Yes, at the CHQ building on Customs House Quay. But please do not leave any valuables there. Give them to a colleague for safe keeping.

Where do I go to start the race?
The assembly is adjacent to the start line which will be marked by the start gantry. The assembly area will be divided into sections corresponding to business name. Please enter the correct section.

Will there be a communal Warm-Up?
Yes. At 18.30 an experienced trainer will lead the warm up from elevated position at the open space adjacent to CHQ. We strongly recommend that you also do an individual warm up consisting of light jogging and stretching exercises before the communal warm up.

Will there be medical assistance available?
Yes. Medical cover will be provided by St John’s Ambulance. If you have a medical condition, please contact a member of the medical staff in advance of the race. Please ensure to enter your personal details on the reverse of your race number, in case of an emergency.

Will there be water available?
Bottle water will available immediately after the finish, because the event is only over 5K there will not be water stations on the course. Please bring water with you if you require some refreshment before or during the race.

Is there parking in the available?
There is ample multi-storey and other car parking available in Dublin city centre. Please do not park anywhere along the course

After the finish where should I go?
Please keep moving and follow the instructions of the marshals who will direct you to through the finish system and on to the distribution area where you will receive your finishers pack.

Where do I collect my baggage?
Once you have exited the finish go to the Baggage Area at CHQ – remember you will need to produce your race number in order to collect your baggage. Please cooperate with the marshals at all times.

Will refreshments be provided?
Yes. After the finish you will receive bottled water. After collecting your baggage and having completed your warm down tea/coffee and sandwiches will be available to all participants.

I am an individual and want to enter but I do not have enough people to form a full team, can I still run?
Yes you can, contact marketing@athleticsireland.ie for more information.

For further information go to the www.athleticsireland.ie website. A full participants information booklet willavailable, including a map of the course, in early August.

Business advisors Grant Thornton and Athletics Ireland have announced a new running event to take place in the heart of the Irish business district. The Grant Thornton Corporate 5k Team Challenge will take place through the streets of the Dublin Docklands on the evening of 6 September 2012 and is aimed at encouraging social running amongst Dublin’s business community.

Former European Cross Country champion, Catherina McKiernan, has been enlisted as an event ambassador and has launched an online twelve week beginners’ training programme, ‘From Desk to the Docklands 5k.’ “I think that this new event is a fantastic idea and a great way to attract people into running”, McKiernan said. “The twelve weeks’ training build-up is ideal and beginners can see themselves make real progress during this period.”

The target audience for the Grant Thornton Corporate 5k Team Challenge will be both the regular running community as well as beginners – all are welcome. This is a Team Event and a minimum of four participants will enter, with each scoring; the winning team being determined by combined times.

Athletics Ireland CEO John Foley also welcomed the new Dublin event, which he sees as an exciting new addition to the running fixtures calendar. “This is another big event that Athletics Ireland will manage and we have already delivered some very successful mass-participation events this year including the RTE Operation Transformation 5k, The Run with Ray D’Arcy, 5k Countrywide Series and the Samsung Run Dublin @ Night event.”

Colin Feely, Partner with Grant Thornton, said. “This event offers a challenge to both employers and employees and is an excellent way of involving the entire staff in a fun, healthy and rewarding activity. Grant Thornton is delighted to have developed this new association with Athletics Ireland and we hope to field several teams ourselves.”

Olympic Marathon runner and event ambassador Mark Kenneally said, “I think that the time is right for this type of Corporate Team Challenge to ignite in Dublin and it should be a great opportunity for both seasoned runners and first-timers to join together in a lively team challenge,“.

The Grant Thornton Corporate 5k Team Challenge will follow a flat, fast course around Dublin’s Docklands and will include two bridge crossings: The Samuel Beckett and the Venerable Matt Talbot structures that span the River Liffey.
There will be prizes on offer for the top five teams in the Male, Female and Mixed categories and all entrants will receive a souvenir technical t-shirt and a goody bag.

Entry fee per team will be €100, with a contribution from every entry being made to St. Vincent De Paul. The event will have chip timing – a fast & accurately measured course and a great atmosphere! Enter now and download Catherina McKiernan’s twelve week training programme can at www.grantthorntoncorporatechallenge.ie

• Have a goal! Whether it is a 5k race/10k race or simply getting up to running a specific distance you’ll make things a lot easier for yourself if you have a finish line in sight!
• Make sure you have the appropriate equipment/footwear. Nothing more likely to cause injury/discomfort than this. There are a number of running specialty shops around so any one of these will help you to find appropriate shoes and clothes for you.
• Try training with other people/clubs. This can be a great way to improve your enjoyment of running, as well as acting as a way of trying to improve by testing yourself against other people. Many clubs now cater for all category of runner, from beginner to competitive.
• Mix your running surfaces. Too much running on one surface can lead to repetitive strain injuries so where possible vary between road/grass/trail/path/treadmill.
• Stay well hydrated, and eat plenty of carbs around training time to allow best recovery. Other than this your diet should be sensible! It doesn’t need to be very strict but obviously the poorer it is the worse you recover and perform!
• Try some interval/fartlek/hill training. You’ll see much better improvements in how fast you run if you mix up your paces. If you always run at the same speed you’re just training yourself to run at that speed. You can try simple intervals like 1 minute hard/1 minute easy to start with and make them more difficult as you get the hang of them.
• Supplementary training such as weights/circuits/pilates can be great for injury prevention and can help running itself. Try to incorporate such activities into your weekly schedule. It might be as simple as 15 minutes of Pilates/core type exercises straight after a run or a more structured program if you have the time.
• If you have pain running and you’re unsure about why, STOP! Go see your GP or Physiotherapist, find out why you have a problem and then deal with it. Many running related pains are easily dealt with, but some, if left untreated, can become chronic problems.
• Try making running a part of your work day. Many people use lack of time as an excuse not to run, but it may be possible for you to run into or out of work, or to run at our lunchtime. This allows you most efficient use of your time.
• Finally, enjoy your running! Every session you do doesn’t have to be better than the last one. Schedule easy runs for yourself where you don’t worry about pace and just enjoy a nice easy trot!

The first 6 weeks will start off with walking which will incorporate just a few jogging sections, to get your body up and moving – quickly and easily helping you build a good base level of fitness!

From week 7-12 the programme will continue to build on what you have accomplished so far, but just extending your jogging sections to progress into more continuous running. It may seem impossible at the start, but you will be really amazed to see how quickly your fitness improves.  By week 12 you will be ready for your first 5K race.  And what better way to celebrate all your hard work alongside your friends and colleagues in this fantastic event.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAMME