To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 20th January).
Newly-crowned Dublin masters champion Fiona Roche (Raheny Shamrock, W40) added another title to her collection when winning the women’s race at the Leinster Master Cross-Country Championships, held in Kilcormac, Co Offaly on Saturday (January 18).
Roche won the race in a time of 14 mins 24 secs with Karen Costello (Dunleer AC, W45) second in 14:30, Noreen Brouder (Sportsworld, W45) third in 14:39 and ultra-running specialist Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers W45) fourth in 14:43.
Sportsworld were clear W35 team winners ahead of Donore Harriers and Dunboyne AC. Best of the W50 teams was Raheny Shamrock, with Mullingar Harriers second and Rathfarnham WSAF third, Winning the men’s race in 22 mins 50 secs was Pierce Geoghegan (Liffey Valley AC, M40). Harry Lupton (Ballyskenach AC, M35) was second in 23.08 and Mick Gogarty (Ferbane AC, M45) third in 23:12.
Drogheda and District, led by Colin Leonard in fourth place, was the winning M35 team, with Raheny Shamrock AC second and Ballyskenach AC third. Liffey Valley AC was fourth. Croghan AC won the M50 team title by just three points from Raheny Shamrock, with Metro St Brigid’s third. In the M65 race, Liam Lenehan (Sportsworld AC) was the winner in 14:51, with Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC) a close second in 14:55 and Conor Nolan (Kilcoole AC) third in 15:23. No club teams completed the race.
The winning didn’t end there
Also taking place were the Leinster Intermediate championships, with Evelyn Coughlan (Tullamore Harriers) a comfortable winner of the women’s race in 17:58. Aoife Carroll (Sportsworld AC) was second in 18:30, Susan Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) third in 18:40 and Elaine Kennedy (Sportsworld AC) fourth in 19:01.
With four in the top twelve, Sportsworld won the team title from Mullingar Harriers, with Liffey Valley third.
Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) won the men’s race in 27:03, followed by Mark Naylor (Liffey Valley AC) in 27:15 and James Keegan (Mullingar Harriers) in 27:19. Mullingar Harriers was first team, with Liffey Valley second and Tullamore Harriers third.
Overall, Dublin made a clean sweep of the eight county titles on offer — in the over 35, 50 and 60/65 men and women’s masters age groups and the two inter races.
Liz Arkins showing off her antique 30-year old ’spikes” – which she wore in the Garda St Raphael’s BHAA Cross-Country race! Photo: Lindie Naughton
Even more cross country
Templemore Sports Complex in Co Derry was the venue for the NI and Ulster Masters and Intermediate Cross-Country, also on Saturday.
In the men’s masters race, Eoin Mullan (Omagh Harriers, M40) was the winner in 25 mins 24 secs, followed by John Joe Doherty (Finn Valley, M35) in 25:43 and Conán McCaughey (North Belfast Harriers, M35) third in 25:46. Seventh and first M50 in 27:10 was Declan Reed (City of Derry Spartans).
Finishing 14th and first M55 was the ageless Pauric McKinney (Inishowen) in 28:50. First M60 was Eamonn Monaghan (Enniskillen RC) in 31:55. North Belfast Harriers were clear winer of the M35 team title, ahead of Foyle Valley and City of Derry Spartans. Spartans won the M50 team title with Inishowen AC second and Annadale Striders third.
Winning the M65 race was Norman Mawhinney (Scrabo Striders) in 15:19. Martin Kerr (Milford AC) was first M70 and Michael Smith (Laragh AC) first M75 inn 20:38. North Belfast Harriers was the winning M65 team, with City of Derry Spartans second and Tir Chonaill third.
More age categories than time itself
Sarah McNutt (North Belfast Harriers, W35) won the women’s masters race in 14:22 beating Helen McCready (Rosses AC, W40) second in 14:27 and Leoni Cooke (Finn Valley, W35) third in 14:52. Fourth and first W50 was Karen Wilson (Jog Lisburn) in 15:39. Fifth and first W45 was Fionnuala Diver (Rosses AC) in 15:50. Fiona Prue (Springwell AC) was first W55, Kay Byrne (Finn Valley) first W60 and June McMinn (North Down AC) first W65.
Winning the W35 team title was North Belfast Harriers with Rosses AC just three points behind for second and Finn Valley third. City of Derry Spartans took a closely-fought W50 team title ahead of North Down.
Annadale Striders dominated the women’s inter race with Catriona Edington the winner in 14:55, followed by her clubmate Lucy Backus in 14:58 and Kirsty Downey (Inishowen AC) third in 16:06. With Zoe Trimble fifth and Deborah Gilliland ninth, Annadale were clear winners of the team title. Keep ‘er Lit was second and Inishowen third.
Mark Carberry (North Down AC) raced away for an easy win in the men’s inter race, with a time of 26:40. Hugo Reilly-Stewart (North Belfast Harriers) was second in 27:18 and Ashley Dixon (North Down AC) third in 27:24. With six in the top ten, North Down won the team title. Armagh AC was a distant second and North Belfast Harriers third.
Photo: Lindie Naughton
Last, but not least, BHAA cross country
BHAA ‘regulars’ Laura McDonnell and Sean Doran were the winners at the Garda St Raphael’s BHAA Cross-Country, held on the ‘Munich hills’ course at the Phoenix Park on Sunday (January 19).
First off were the women, with McDonnell pushing the pace from the start despite strong opposition from Caroline Crowley and Julie McGrath. They finished in that order. Revenue took the team prize with Teachers second.
In the men’s race, Doran proved the class of the field winning by over fifty seconds from Thomas Sherlock with Marc Fitzachery finishing third and first M45. ESB was first team in division 1 and Eir the winners in division 2.
Photo: Lindie Naughton
Roads
Leading home 356 finishers at the Cork BHAA IFF 5km at Little Island on Sunday (January 19) was Ben Leen Smith in a time of 15 mins 4 secs. Mark Walsh was second in 15:15 and Tadhg O’Sullivan third in 15:20.
First woman in 17:38 was Michelle Kenny who was also first W45. Linda O’Connor was second and first W50 in 18:17, and Breeda McGinn third and first W40 in 19:04. In the team competition. Department of Education won both grade A men and women’s races. The Eli Lilly men and the HSE women won in grade B , with the Apple men and Fit4Life women best in grade C.
At the Great Heath GAA 10km in Co Laois, also on Sunday, Andrew O’Brien in 34:14 and Sharon Kiely in 41:36 came out on top, while at the Limerick Race Series 5km in Castleconnell, David Meehan in 15 mins 50 and Dee Collins in 17:51 were the winners.
Indoors
At the BMC Sheffield Grand Prix, also on Sunday, Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) finished second the the men’s A grade 3000m with a time of 7:51.39
Jonas Stafford (UCD AC) finished fifth in the 1500m A race with a time of 3:48.73.
Amy O’Donoghue (Dundrum South Dublin) was also fifth in her women’s A graded 1500m, clocking a time of 4:19.19.
Andrew Milligan (North Belfast Harriers) clocked 8:15.44 for second place in the grade C 1500m. In the women’s A grade 3000m, Niamh Kearney (Raheny Shamrock) finished fifth in 9:17.40.
In the NIA, Abbotstown, at Track & Field Live No 4, NIA, Abbotstown, Dublin on Wednesday (January 15), Edel Monaghan (Dublin City Harriers) won the women’s mile in 4:46.37. Master athlete Fiona Gettings (Longford AC) was second in 5:02.00 and Amy Green (Finn Valley AC/DCU) third in 5:08.332. Emma Moore (DCU) won the women’s 800m in a personal best 2:05.94. Cian McPhillips (Longford AC), winner of the 1500m at the European U20 Championships of 2021, won the 600m in 1:17.52.
All flying over the pond
At the Houston Half Marathon, Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers) ran a personal best 61:15 to finished 19th. His previous best time of 63:22 was run in Houston two years ago. Last October. Lynch clocked a time of 2:17.40 at the Chicago Marathon.
Just seven seconds behind Lynch with a time of 61:22 was Barry Keane (Waterford AC), who finished 27th. That time improved on the 62:35 Keane had run in Boston last November. Finishing second M45 was Karl O’Reilly a former senior footballer from Co Meath, with a time of 74:01.
Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) has joined the exclusive sub-4 minute milers club when he clocked 3:58.48 for third place in the mile at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville on Friday (January 17) where he was representing his college, Tulsa Oklahoma. He becomes the third Kilkenny athlete to run a sub 4-minute mile joining Eoin Everard and Cathal O’Reilly in that exclusive club.
At the same meet, McEvoy ran a time of 8:13.46 to finish sixth in the 3000m. Oisin Spillane (Tralee Harriers) also ran 3000m, clocking a personal best 8:34.04, while in the women’s 1,000m, Sarah Hosey (Emeald AC) ran a personal best 2:51.17.
In Seattle, Maebh Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) improved her PB to 9 mins 22.77 secs when finishing 15th in the women’s 3000m at the UW Preview meet held on January 17-18 on an ‘oversized’ track. In the men’s mile, Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Dublin City Harriers) ran a time of 3:51.85 for third place, while in the heats, Mark Milner (Tullamore Harriers) clocked 3:56.90 for seventh place overall. Both times were personal bests.
Finn Boyle (Crusaders) was running in Ithaca, New York on Saturday where he ran a PB 2:27.38 for 1,000m, while in Philadelphia, Charlie O’Donovan (Leevale AC) won a 3000m race in 8:05.85, well off his best of 7:46.57 dating back to 2023.
Also on Saturday, in Iowa City, Roisin Treacy from Co Wicklow ran a personal best of 4:51.45 when finishing sixth in the women’s mile.
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Source: fastrunning.com