To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 7th April).
Just one second separated the top two at the Garristown 10km in Co Dublin on Sunday (April 6) where Jamie Kavanagh Shiels was the winner in a time of 32 mins 58 secs.
The race, with a sold-out entry of over 800, incorporated the Dublin 10km Championships and j. Just t a second behind Shiels in 32:59 was Kieran Regan (Brothers Pearse AC, M35). Third in 33:03 was Pierce Geoghegan (Liffey Valley AC, M40).
First woman – and Dublin champion – was Ciara Brady (Raheny Shamrock AC) in a time of 38:01. It was a first big win for Brady. Patricia O’Hagan (St Peter’s AC) was second in 38:36 and Blathnaid Patton third in 39:59.
Liffey Valley won both men and women’s team titles, with Geoghegan, David Carroll, Paddy Murphy and Cormac Long the scoring quartet and Brigid Long, Shauna Dunne, Lynn Devitt and Orla Gordon the winning women’s team. In the men’s competition, Civil Service Harriers, led by Stephen Mutuku in tenth place, were second and Clonliffe Harriers, led by Anthony Doran in ninth place, third.
Tallaght AC, led by Tara Darcy, were the women’s runners-up with Clonliffe Harriers, led by Ciara Peelo, third.
Course records for Connor and Partridge
In Co Cork, husband and wife team Ben Connor and Lily Partridge from the UK were the winners at the Sonia O’Sullivan 10-Mile, in Cobh, Co Cork, which attracted an entry of just under a thousand.
Connor finished in 48 mins 15 secs and Partridge in 54:44, both course records. Partridge is coached by Alan Storey, one of Sonia O’Sullivan’s former coaches, which is how the pair lined out in Cobh, taking €500 each for their wins, plus an additional €1,500 for the men’s course record and €1,000 for the women’s record. Not a bad day’s work!
Ryan Creech (LeevaleAC) was second overall in 49:35 with Michael Bruton third in 52:23.
Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC) was second woman in 57:42 and Niamh Moore (Leevale AC) third in 61:02.
Over 4,000 in Omagh
Biggest road race of the weekend was without question the 35th Omagh Half Marathon and 5km, which attracted an entry of well over 4,000, among them 78 men’s and 73 women’s teams.
Making it a home win for Omagh Harriers in 67 mins 16 secs was Eoin Mullan, who was also leading Omagh to team victory over Armagh AC and Victoria Park and Connswater AC. Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 70:13 and Allan Bogle (City of Derry Spartans) third in 72:36. All three men were in the over 40 age group.
First woman in 78:33 was Victoria Atkinson (Victoria Park and Connswater AC) , Catherine Whoriskey (City of Derry Spartans, W35) was second in 79: 18 and Clare McGuigan (Letterkenny AC, W40 ) third in 79:34. Tafelta AC proved beat of the teams beating Finn Va;Lye and Galbally Runners.
Winners of the 5km were junior athlete Harry McKenzie (Enniskillen RC) and the veteran Denise Toner (Clones AC) in 17:57.
Peter Somba adding to the win total
Peter Somba (Ratoath AC) was the winner of the Banagher 5km in a time of 15:03. Tullamore Harriers pair Kevin Minnock in 15:13 and Paul Mitchell in 15:16 were second and third. Fiona Gettings (Longford AC,W40) was first woman in 16:37, with Denise Egan (Ferbane AC, W45) second in 17:53 and Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers,W45) third in 18:09. The race was round two of the Healthy Offaly 5km Road Races Series ’25.
At a well-supported Dublin City Council BHAA 4-Mile, in St Anne’s Park, Raheny on Saturday (April 5) , Sean Doran and Laura MMcDonnell contonued their winnign streaks.
Doran finished in 20 mins 54 secs, with Christopher O’Reilly second in 21:19 and Paul Fleming third and first M45 in 21:59. Des Trembler was fourth and first M50 in 22.05.
O’Donnell finished eighth overall in 23:05 with Sarah Mullingan tenth overall in 23.20. Also in action was a large group from the Lor May of Dublin’s Five Alive Challenge who were completing their final race. Also present were peace runners from the Sri Chinmoy organisation, who were greeeted by the Lord Mayor Emma Blaine.
Mid week road running
Jordan Walsh (Craughwell AC) and Anna Dooner were the winners at the opening round of the Roscommon Harriers 5km Series on Friday evening. Their times were 16:43 and 18:36 respectively. Races will continue for the next three Fridays.
Conall McClean (Candour TC) and Hannah Gilliland (Annadale Striders) came otu on top at the Queen’s 5km, in Belfast on Wednesday (April 2).
McClean finished in 14 mins 12 secs, with Craig McMeechan (North Down AC) second in 14:19 and Neil Johnston (Annadale Striders) third in 14:26.
Gilliland finished in 16:07 followed by her Anndale clubmate Lea Adamson in 16:23 and Kirsti Foster (Willowfield Harriers)in 16:38.
In two thrilling team races, with NI and Ulster team titles at stake, Candour beat Annadale Striders by a single second to take the men’s title, while Willowfield had two seconds to spare when beating Annadale for the women’s crown. Lagan Valley was third in both races. D
At the opening round of the Robbie Whelan 6km Series in Clonmel, which was a ‘predictor’ race, Angela McCann was the winner. The race includes five team divisions with Working Well Together Lads winning the green (or top division). Winning the pink division (women only?) were the Clonmel Pastry Pacers, while first in orange was a team called ‘Send Help!’
Berlin Half sees strong Irish runs
Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC) clocked a personal best time of 61 mins 12 secs for fifth place at the Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday (April 6).
Liam Naughton finished 23rd in 67:49, while Sinead Doherty was 17th W40 in 92:51 (88:28).
US running
Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers) set an Irish 10-mile record of 45 mins 59 secs when running in the USA 10-Mile Championships in Washington DC on Sunday (April 6`). His time knocks 26 seconds off John Treasy’s 1993 record. Lynch is in good form – in January he ran a time of 61 mins 15 for the half marathon in Houston.
Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Dublin City Harriers) finished fourth in the 1500m at the Standard Invitational in California on Friday (April 4). His time was 3:41.13. In the same race, Mark Milner (Tullamore Harriers) finished seventh in a personal best 3:41.76, while over 5000m, Oisín Ó Gailín (Finn Valley AC) clocked a personal best time of 13:41.69
In the 10,000m, Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) clocked 28:22.95 and Abdel Laadjel (Donore Harriers) 28:29.17 both of them PBs. Laadjel’s time qualifies him for both the NCAA and European Under 23 championships.
Maebhdh Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) ran a PB 16:10.06 in the women’s 5000m, while in the steeplechase, Ailish Hawkins’ (Dublin City Harriers) time of 10:12.37 was also a personal best.
Ultra-running
Steady running paid off for Jessie O’Connor (Slaney Olympic) who won the Trasna na Bliana 24 hour race at the Le Cheile track in Leixlip over the weekend (April 5-6).
O’Connor ran a total of 230.8 kilometres while negotiating 577 laps of the track.
Also maintaining a steady pace was the veteran Eddie Gallen (Finn Valley AC) , now in his 60s and a mainstay of Irish ultra running for two decades. Gallen’s vast experience continues to serve him well and he finished with a total of 211.6 km. Third with 208.4km was Michel van der Klie (Run Today Louisburgh).
Of the thirteen starters, only five stayed the course for the full twenty-four hours, with the unseasonably warm weather possibly a factor. The remaining two were Mark Conlon (Clondalkin Flyers) who notched up a total of 143.6 km and Collette O’Hagan (North East Runners), who completed 126km and was aiming to set a world W70 record.
Adrian O’Connor (Mayo AC) had looked strong in the early stages of the race but pulled out after after eleven hours with 117.2 km to his credit. Rex Brilliantes (Love 2Love AC) who also started well, managed 114km in 12 hrs..
Tim Brownlie (Willowfield Harriers) was the winner of the six hour race completing 81.8 km, which was an Irish record. Lorraine McMahon (Wexford Marathon Club) was second overall and first woman with a total of 67.2km in 6 hrs 26 mins 45 secs. Third with 65.5km in 6:20.05 was Joey Marrinan (Brothers Pearse AC).
In the 12-hour event, Niamh Fitzpatrick (Irish Mountain Trail Runners) beat all the men to finish first overall with a total of 108.8km. Her clubmate Paddy Doyle was second with 104.8 km, and Arlene Moore (Garristown Flyers) third and second woman with 100.8 km. Seven of the ten starters finished.
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Source: fastrunning.com