Cinema Coffee Grand Prix to premiere with Jimmy’s 10k
Northern Ireland’s leading series of 10km running races is back after a three-year hiatus. And the 17-race event is boosted by a new title sponsor in fast-growing coffee brand Cinema Coffee.
The Cinema Coffee 10k Grand Prix, which is coordinated by ChampionChip Ireland, will feature an enhanced £10,000 prize fund this year for individuals and teams and will get underway with the Jimmy’s 10k in Downpatrick on March 13th.
The prize structure includes cash prizes for the top two runners in the under-35s category as well as prizes for the overall fastest male and female competitors.
These are in addition to the cash prizes awarded to the top 25 finalists in the series and race-day bonuses awarded to the top three runners across the finish line.
Each race in the Cinema Coffee 10K Grand Prix is timed and ranked using an age-graded scoring system, meaning the series is carefully designed to take account of gender, age and ability. It is open to individual competitors as well as six-person club teams free of charge.
Each runner’s ranking is maintained in an overall leaderboard after each race and individual runners must complete at least six of the 17 races to feature on the official leaderboard. With regard to teams, each of the four team members must complete at least six of the 17 races.
The last Grand Prix series in 2019 was won by Tommy Hughes, who represented Ireland in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and featured more than 1,100 runners across ages and abilities.
Races this year include old favourites such as the Craic 10k and the Seeley Cup 10k. More recent additions that are part of the Grand Prix this year include Larne 10k on July 2nd and Feile 10K in August.
Patrick McAliskey, director of Lurgan-headquartered Cinema Coffee, says: “Runners are mad about coffee, and Cinema Coffee is mad about running. So this is a fantastic partnership that helps Cinema Coffee promote its brand to potential customers and allows us to help the Grand Prix get back to where it should be, as a firm fixture in the running calendar in Northern Ireland. We’re really excited about the Grand Prix this year, which offers a very attractive prize fund and the chance to compete against a wide range of runners across abilities.”
In addition to title sponsor Cinema Coffee, the 2022 Cinema Coffee 10k Grand Prix is supported by associate sponsor Forestside Shopping Centre, Athletics Northern Ireland and Keep Fit Ireland.
To register for the 2023 Cinema Coffee 10K Grand Prix or to view the full race schedule, visit www.cinemacoffee10k.com
CINEMA COFFEE 10K Grand Prix Race Schedule https://www.cinemacoffee10k.com/events/
|
1 |
Jimmy’s 10K |
March 13 |
|
2 |
SPAR Craic 10K |
March 17 |
|
3 |
Titanic Quarter 10K |
April 3 |
|
4 |
Portadown 10K |
May 15 |
|
5 |
Banbridge 10k |
May 25 |
|
6 |
Newry City 10k |
May 29 |
|
7 |
Vitality Membership Lisburn 10K |
June 22 |
|
8 |
Larne AC Coast Road 10K |
July 2 |
|
9 |
Feile 10K |
Aug 7 |
|
10 |
Storming the Castle 10K |
August 21 |
|
11 |
Laganside 10K |
September 4 |
|
12 |
NI and Ulster Championship Bangor 10K |
September 24 |
|
13 |
Crossgar 10K |
Date TBC |
|
14 |
Born2Run, Minnowburn 10K |
Date TBC |
|
15 |
Run in the Dark 10K |
Mid-November 2022 - Date TBC |
|
16 |
Seeley Cup 10K |
December 2022 – Date TBC |
|
17 |
Les Jones Memorial 10K |
Sept 2022 – Date TBC |
About Cinema Coffee
Cinema Coffee is a fast-growing coffee roasting business which was bought by a group of Lurgan people who are passionate about coffee as well as their local area of Lurgan.
Patrick McAliskey, Vernon Fox, and Martin Dummigan - three friends from Lurgan who have gone into business together to pursue their shared passions - have acquired Cinema Coffee from founder Laura Chambers and are set to invest more in the business over the next two years.
Their plans include relocating the roastery – whose customers include Avoca, independent retailers such as Sawers in Belfast, and a range of leading coffee houses – to a purpose-built roastery in Lurgan, increasing its capacity by 600 percent in the process.
Cinema Coffee was founded in 2013 as a micro roastery in an abandoned movie theatre. It sustainably sources the highest quality coffee beans from around the world and roasts them in small batches for customers. In addition to trade customers, it has a loyal base of coffee lovers who buy its beans online.
Patrick McAliskey, a passionate runner who founded and grew tech company Novosco – former sponsor of the 10k Grand Prix – into one of the most innovative tech companies in the UK and Ireland, says that the team are focused on bringing the finest coffees to a wider market.
Earlier this year, Patrick McAliskey, Vernon Fox and Martin Dummigan announced plans to open a brewery and distillery in Lurgan as part of an initial investment of over £2m.
Spadetown brewery, based at Silverwood Industrial Estate began trading recently, and Lough Neagh Distillers is expected to open in 2022.
https://cinemacoffeeproject.com/