To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 5th May).
Tilahun Nigussie had over thirteen minutes to spare when winning the Belfast City Marathon on Sunday (May 4). His time of 2:13.37 improved the Course Record.
A distant second was Aaron Hanlon (Drogheda and District AC) in 2:27.06. Stephen Connolly (Annadale Striders, M35) was third in 2:29.30. The first woman in 2:38.30 was Kenyan Millicent Kibet. Second and first W35 in 2:38.51 was Lalla Aziza Alaoui Selsouli from Morocco, who also finished second a year earlier. Third and first W45 was Gladys Ganiel (North Belfast Harriers) in 2:45.46. Ganiel, who was completing her sixth Belfast Marathon, won the race in 2022 at the age of 45 and was second a year later. Ganiel has also run the Dublin Marathon four times since 2019.
Also on Sunday, Pawel Kosek from Poland won the Great Limerick Run Marathon in 2:25:54. Karl Fitzmaurice (Shannon AC) was second in 2:25.57 and Tudor Moldovan (Clonliffe Harriers, M35) third in 2:27.55. The first woman in 2:43.39 was Ava Crean. Fiona Molloy was second in 2:57.13 and Neasa De Burca (Galway City Harriers, W45) third in 2:58.50.
First home in the associated half marathon in 68:40 was Chris Jeuken (Derg AC). Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers, M35) was second in 69:14 and Peter Somba (Ballyskanagh AC) third in 69:42. Alex Murphy (Suncroft AC) was first woman in 80.00. Shona Keane (Dooneen AC, W35) was second in 82:55 and Natasha Kelly (Finn Valley AC) third in 83:23.
On the Track
The second of four Grand Slam Track meetings, held in Miami, provided success for Andrew Coscoran on Friday (May 2). Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) won the 3000m after a thrilling chase for the line. He finished in 8:17.56 with a strong final 100m, bettering American Grant Fisher to second (8:17.60) and Brit George Mills third (8:17.77). Two days later he competed over 5000m, finishing third in 13:46.30. The two races combined saw him finish second in the ‘long distance’ category, winning $50,000 in the process.
Photo: Howard Lao / Grand Slam Track
At the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League on Saturday (May 3), Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished tenth in the 5000m with a time of 13:12.10.
Returning to the United States, Tadhg Donnelly (Drogheda and District AC) finished fifth in a 1500m in Princeton with a time of 3:43.97 on Friday (May 2).
Closer to Home
Winning the women’s 3000m in a personal best of 9:22 at the Irish Milers T-F Meet on the newly-opened track at the TUS, Clonmel on Saturday was Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC). Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick) was second in 9:25.05 and Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers) third in 9:29:08.
Emily Bolton (Clonliffe Harriers) was the winner of the women’s ‘a’ 1500m in 4:21.35. In a closely-fought men’s ‘a’ race, Oisin Murray (An Riocht) just held off the challenge of Jonas Stafford (UCD AC) with the pair given times of 3:47.80 and 3:47.91.
At the opening round of the Dublin Graded Track and Field League held in Santry on Saturday (May 3), Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) won the men’s 5000m in 8:19.88. Fastest of the women in the 3000m was Meabh Eakin (Dunleer AC) in 10:17.55. A clear winner of the men’s 2000m steeplechase was Jacob Ciomek (Lucan Harriers) in 6:22.57.
Back to the Roads
Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) was the winner of the Drogheda 10km in Co Louth on Sunday in 32:13. The race was a sell-out with an entry of 2,000.
Paul Smith (Drogheda and District , M40) was second in 33.32 and Eoin Gallagher (Skerries AC) third in 34:05. Aine Cotter (North East Runners) was first woman in 36:03, followed by Fiona Roche (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 36:49 and Molly Ann Rath in 41:20. In the team competition, Drogheda and District won the open men’s title as well as both men and women’s Louth County titles. SKF proved best of the women’s open teams.
Aoife Nolan (Kilkenny City Harriers) and Brendan Dunne (Sliabh Bhuide Rovers AC) were winners of the inaugural Tinryland Village Half Marathon in 93:36 and 77:24 respectively. Gavin Kelly (Clane AC, M45) was second in 77:24, as was Catherine Roche (Slaney Olympic), also the first W50, in 94:19.
At the Leinster Master and Novice Road Championships, held in Gowran, Rachel Murphy (Plant Based AC, W40) won the women’s 3km masters race in 11:09. Karen Costello (Dunleer SC, W45) was second in 11:15 and Emma Furey (St LO’T,W35) third in 11.18. Furey was leading St L O’Toole AC to a comfortable team victory.
Colin Leonard (Drogheda and District, M40) won the men’s 6km masters race in 19:45. James Kelly (Castlecomer AC, M35) was second in 19:48 and Thomas Kelly (Newbridge AC, M40 ) third in 20.01. Newbridge was the winning team followed by St Abban’s AC and Sportsworld AC.
Lorna Sheehan (Sportsworld) won the novice women’s 3km race in 10:46 with Cian McDonald (Ballyroan Abbeyleix and District) first of the novice men in in 19:16.
Earlier in the Week
Evan Fitzgerald (West Waterford) was the winner of the Portlaw 5-Mile in Co Waterford on Friday (May 2) in a time of 23:53. Kate Veale (West Waterford) was first woman in 30:54. The race was the second round of the annual 3 Counties Challenge.
At the Joe Hourigan Midleton 5-Mile in Co Cork on Thursday (May 1), Niamh Allen (Leevale AC) joined the exclusive club of women who have won races outright when she led home 340 finishers in 25:31. Second and first man was her Leevale clubmate Mark Walsh in 25:53. Donal Coakley, also of Leevale, was third in 26:24. Second woman and first W45 was Siobhan Hoare (Togher AC) in 30:19.
A day earlier, in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, guest runner Aidan Connell came home first in the Cork BHAA Stryker 4-Mile, in 21:44. Sean Twohig (Cork CC) was second in 21:58 and Paul Cashman (Elevate CU) third and first M45 in 22.00. Maire Howard (CUH) was the first woman in 24:20. Rebecca McEvoy (Dept of Ed) was second in 24:26 and April Quinn (HSE) third in 24:32.
With a time of 15:58, Evan O’Rourke (Maree AC) was a clear winner of the sold-out Galway 5km Series Round 2 held in Claregalway on Tuesday (April 29). First woman in 18:49 was Grainne Ní Uallacháin (Galway City Harriers).
Longer Distance
The Irish Championships were incorporated into the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km held at Mallory Park near Leicester, England on Saturday. Ciaran McGonigal (Letterkenny AC) won the Irish men’s title with a time of 5:59:44. Matthew Collins (Portmarnock AC, M35) was second with 7:26.44 and Rob Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC) third with 7:41.01.
Team Ireland at the Anglo Celtic Plate
Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn, W50), who was running for the Northern Irish team, was first Irish woman in 9:04.19, followed by Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile AC,W45) in 9:11.39 and Lorraine McMahon (Wexford Marathon Club, W45) in 9:17.27. Both men and women’s Irish teams finished third overall in the Anglo-Celtic Plate.
& Something Different
Special shout out for Dubliner Con Carroll (3ROC) who became Ireland’s first ever M90 orienteering champion when completing the sprint course at the Irish Orienteering Championships in Donegal over the weekend. Long may he flourish!
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Source: fastrunning.com