Annual fun walk in memory of a Touraneena character this Friday.

This Friday evening, one of Touraneena’s favourite characters will be remembered.

Ann Power was born in Waterford City and after marrying her husband Tony, work took them to Touraneena.

For many years Ann did not have the best of health, but unless her, you did not know it as she always kept the bright side out. She was had great time for everyone even when she was feeling very sick. Ann knew everyone and everyone knew Ann.

Anytime an event was held in the Parish, she would be one of the first to volunteer to help. On the day or night an event would be held, Ann would be one of the first to show up and one of the last to leave.

In the 1996 when the West Waterford Athletic Club began to hold one of their Summer Road Race series of runs in the village, Ann was only too willing a volunteer to help out each year with its organising.

After she died some years back, the local Racquetball Club who were organising the race locally for a number of years at the time, decided to honour Ann by organising a walk before the run later in the evening.

A shield in honour of Ann was put up, and it was decided that it would be presented each year to the person who could predict the time it would take them to walk the course, without going faster than the time you predict. The Person who predicts the exact time it takes them to walk the course or go closest to it is deemed the winner.

The Walk is now in its ninth year and has grown year on year. In recent years in the region of 100 people have set off on the short walk each year.

The walk covers a distance under 5k (about 3 miles) and is usually takes between 25 and 40 minutes for most to complete, but of course there are some that do it much quicker, (mostly younger people) who have a tendency to shall we saw walk very fast when they think they are not watched, but they often end up disqualified for their troubles for finishing the course in a faster time than they predicted.

This year’s walk is set to take place this Friday evening in Touraneena village at 7-30pm with registration taking place from about an hour before hand outside the local Sliabh gCua Community Centre.

While the walk is important to many, for most it is the run on the same evening that really matters.

The race has an 8pm start with registration taking place inside the local community centre before hand. For those taking part (male and female) changing and showering facilities are available in the Sliabh gCua Community Centre.

The race is race number 5 of the Summer Series and is open to all who are over the age of sixteen and starts at the car park at the back of the Church in the village.

The course takes its usual course, heading to the village from the off, taking a sharp right hand turn at Dunford’s Bar before going through the village.

Having gone through the village the race turns right in the direction of Kirwan Park the local G.A.A. Field. On reaching the main Dungarvan to Clonmel road, the race turns right again in the direction of Dungarvan and goes through the next cross roads and turning right at the second cross roads after coming onto the Dungarvan/Clonmel road.

The race again turns right at the end of that road and runners begin to run down hill for a short while and after crossing over O’Keeffe’s Bridge, those taking part are set for a short steep climb back into the village which can prove to be the winning of the race before finishing outside Dunne’s Bar.

On the night, there are the usual seniors and masters prizes for both women and men. The first three senior ladies and men will receive a cash prize. There is prizes also on offer to the first male Junior, Under 40, under 45, under 50 and under 60 as well as the first junior lady, under 34, under 40, under 45 and under 50 to finish.

The entry fee for the run is also five euro. Prizes will be presented in the community centre after the race.

The course record was set by local man David McCarthy back in 2008 when he finished in a time of fourteen minutes and twenty six seconds. The fastest time that a lady has completed the course in was back in the second year of the race when Vanessa Molloy finished in a time of seventeen minutes and forty-one seconds.

Is there anyone out there that thinks they can beat the record? Why not show up in Touraneena this Friday evening if you think you can. Or maybe you can do the walk in an exact time predicted. Many have completed the Ann Power Memorial Walk in a quicker time but have been disqualified for doing so. Many have gone just over the time they predicted, but so far nobody has matched the time guessed. Maybe 2014 will be the year.