How the 1986 Castleisland Road Race captured the national imagination and was a game changer

ATHLETES and fun runners in Kerry were disappointed this week with the announcement that the eagerly awaited Kingdom Come 10-mile Road Race and 5km Fun Run, organised by Riocht Athletic Club, was cancelled due to the current Covid-19 restrictions on mass gatherings. Due to take place in Castleisland, the runs have been rescheduled for April 18, 2021. With so many fun runs in towns and villages all over Kerry in recent years, it’s hard to imagine a landscape void of this type of event.

Riocht Athletic Club, since its foundation in 1977, has been the pioneers of mass running events in Kerry. They brought mass participation road running to the public using new and innovative methods which were new to the athletic world.

In more recent times they were the first in Kerry to host ‘Couch to 5K’ training resulting in a series of fun run competitions. They hosted numerous annual novelty events including a Halloween Fun Run along a route illuminated by lanterns, and a Christmas Santa Run, with all runners dressed in seasonal attire for the events.

The key to the success of all their events was a team of top volunteers, value for money, good prizes and a carnival atmosphere. Their philosophy was simple, the runner that finished last in an event is as important as the winner.

Back in 1986 a high number of road races in Ireland normally attracted small fields with little or no public interest apart from individual support for specific runners. Publicity surrounding the event was sparse and courses were either shorter or longer that the prescribed race data.

However, all that changed in October 1986 when Castleisland hosted its fourth annual 10km road race. This event captured the public imagination across the country due in part to the international field of runners and the publicity surrounding the race.

The race attracted more than 800 runners from all over Europe with an unequalled prize fund and more than 3,000 people on the streets of Castleisland to witness the event.

Having taken more than six months to organise, race director Jack Culloty from Currow, along with the chief organisers Joe Walsh, Denis Twomey, Jimmy O’Connell, Mick Culloty, Con Dennehy, Mary Browne Edmund Prendeville, Denis Brosnan (Schools co-ordinator), Gerard Walsh, Angela Cahill and John Begley, sourced valuable funding and major sponsorship from Zanussi, the manufacturers of domestic appliances, and Walsh Brothers Electrical (Castleisland) along with invaluable support from the business community in Castleisland.

“In the weeks leading up to the race it was confirmed that two of the top runners in the World, twins Pabol and Peter Klimes from Czechoslavakia, would be running along with the best domestic runners including Boston Marathon winner Neil Cusack, Julian Gates and Tim Knibbs (England) John Lenihan, John Griffin and Irish Internationals Liam O’Brien and Tony O’Leary (Cork) along with a host of other leading distance runners. In the Ladies Race, the European Club champions Dublin City Harriers were also entered,” Jack told the media.

RTE television contacted the club in the weeks prior to the race and said they were keen to televise the event. Four TV crews along with ‘Saturday Sports’ host Brendan O’Reilly arrived the day before and having driven around the 5km route set up camera stations on two locations in addition to a crew at the finish line and a mobile camera crew following the action on the road.

The Riocht officials and a team of volunteers decorated the streets with flags and bunting and on race morning all cars were removed from the Main Street which was corned off. Volunteers worked through the night erecting road markers, sweeping debris from the roads, setting up a team of 20 people to take the entries and sorting the amazing array of prizes and a catering team of more than 25 locals in Castleisland Community Centre.

This was era pre-Garmin and pace watches, Fitbits, chip timing and computer print outs at the end of a race.

However, showing incredible ingenuity, the Riocht club came up with an ingenious plan to record the results with pristine accuracy. This was a vital ingredient to assist RTE with a more professional and informative race commentary.

“It was a simple yet very effective form of administration and added greatly to the event with the results, finishing position and times recorded posted on a finishing board very soon after individual runners crossed the finish line. Basically we got a special duplicate book, used in the laundry trade, from a local laundrette. These were used by the people taking entries to record the individual athlete’s name, club and race number and when completed were pinned on to their race number.

At the finish line the small card was ripped off with the time and finish position marked on the card. They were taken in batches of 20 by a relay of people to the Community Centre and stapled on to a large board. As the runners returned to the Community Centre they were able to see their finish position and time. The system also enabled us to have all the results and team winners completed prior to the arrival of most runners to the post-race celebrations in the Castleisland Community Centre,” said Jimmy O’Connell, chairman of Riocht AC in 1986.

The presence of TV cameras added greatly to the event with some locals also interviewed. The atmosphere in the town was electric for the two lap event. More than 40 volunteers were on duty to ensure the event went off without a hitch.

However, even the best laid plans can sometimes hit the proverbial brick wall, and it usually involves love.

The car leading the race had two functions; it relayed a race commentary back - brilliantly orated by Pat Griffin from Ardfert - to the main street in Castleisland, and also accommodated a TV camera crew. At the finish line this car was allowed drive up the wide 700-metre finishing straight, go under the race finish gantry, and then drive to a parking area away from the finish. However, love played its part a minute later.

When the lead car sped through, followed by the two lead runners, the Klime twins, another car, unaware it was in the race setting, followed the runners to the finish line.

The steward on duty charged with ‘traffic control’ apparently saw his girlfriend and decided on the spur of the moment to give her a peck on the cheek and was unaware of the second car until it passed him. While he frantically sprinted to catch the car his efforts were in vain and the car continued on its way to the finish line. RTE were unaware of the problem thinking the car served some purpose in the race.

The first Kerry runner to finish was John Lenihan in third (29.27) followed by Julian Gates (England), Liam O’Brien (Cork) and Tony O’Leary (Cork).

The winner was Pavel Klimes (29.14) just one second clear of his brother Peter.

The Ladies team from Dublin City Harriers filled the top four positions in the ladies race with Roisin Smith winning from Ann Hillard, Deirdre Nagle and Ann Browne. Josephine Hegarty from Listowel was first Kerry finisher in 7th position. Tim Knibbs from England won the Junior Men’s race from John Hickey (Tipperary) and John McMahon (Riocht).

All the runners were treated to a special commemorative t-shirt at the end of the race, in addition to a wide range of hot refreshments. All the finishers were also included in a special draw for a holiday to the sun, stereo units, electrical appliances and vouchers.

The winning inter-pub team celebrated in style. The team won a barrel of Heineken, 90 pints divided between a team of three, while the inter-schools section, won by St. Brendan’s College from Killarney ahead of Tralee CBS, received track suits and other sporting equipment. The individual winner was Dan O’Leary from St. Brendan’s College.

Frank Fitzgibbon of Tillotson Tralee led his team to victory in the inter-firm section of the race.

The veteran categories were won by Tom Madden (Clare) Over-35, Johnny Cregan (Croom) Over-40, Tom Lenihan (Croom) Over-45 and Flor O’Leary (Cork) Over-50.

The various winners were given generous cash prizes while washing machines and electrical appliances were also on the prize fund.

“We were probably the first race organisers in Ireland to award an equal prize fund to the men and women and to award t-shirts to all finishers. The race was also one of the top races on the Irish Runner League programme. No race up to this point boasted such an array of magnificent prizes across a range of age categories. It definitely was a classic race run over a classic distance,” Joe Walsh said.