To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 3rd March).
What a final day for Ireland at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn!
Top of the podium was Sarah Healy from Monkstown, whose promise as a young athletes finally shone through when she ran the perfect race for victory in the women’s 3000m. After a chaotic race with one faller, Healy was never far off the pace and on the final lap, sprinted past Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant with two two metres to spare. That’s how you do it!
About ten minutes earlier, 800m specialist Mark English of Finn Valley AC , the senior member of the teams, underlined his consistency at European level at by taking bronze.
Photo: James Rhodes
Meanwhile in the women’s pentathlon Kate O’Connor needed an exceptional run in the 800m if she was to take a medal and this she did, winning the race in a personal best 2:11.42 and taking bronze. Her points total of 4781 broke her own national record.
Indoors at home as well
Locally it was the final weekend of indoor competition with Athlone the venue for the National Junior and U23 Championships on Sunday and the National Masters a day earlier..
In the U20 championship, Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers) won the 1500m in 4:00.42, while Emily Bolton (Clonliffe Harriers), jut a day after running in the All Ireland Schools Cross-Country in Galway, finished a close second in the women’s 1500m in 4:42.41
In the U23 Championships, the 1500m winners were Oisin Murray (An Riocht AC) w in 3:55.30 and Alexandra Joyce (Tuam AC) in 4:33.18.
At the All Ireland Masters Indoor a day earlier, Rachel Murphy and Lea Fulcher, both from Plant-Based AC, were making it a double by winning the W40 and M50 3000m races.
In other 3000m age-groups, Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF) was first M65 and Mick Traynor (Raheny Shamrock) second M60.
Cross country
Noah Harris (ETSS Wicklow) underlined his great promise when winning the senior boys race at the All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships held at Ballybrit Racecourse, Galway on Saturday (March 8) .
Harris was chased hard by Cillian Gleeson (Colaiste Chiarain) who had also finished second behind Harris at the Leinster Championships. Third was Ryan O’Neill (Terenure College) making it a Leinster clean sweep. St Mary’s Diocesan College proved best of the teams ahead of St Malachy’s Belfast and St Michaels Enniskillen.
In a Leinster double Emily Bolton (Institute of Education) won the girls senior race comfortably. Elsa Moore (Royal & Prior Raphoe) was second i and Dearbhla Allen (St Mary’s College) third in 13:19. With Lorraine O’Connors fifth and Laura Nunan 34th, the Institute of Education was the winning team. Sacred Heart Tullamore was second and Abbey CC third.
Inter level racing exciting as well
At inter level, Freya Renton (SHS Westport) was a clear winner also leading her school to team victory. Emma Hickey (St Mary’s Newcross) was second and Ellen Goggin (Crescent CC SJ) third.
Odhran McBrearty (St Columba’s Stranorlar) won the boy’s inter race, with Andrew Hinds (PBC Cork) two two seconds behind for second and Ben O’Reilly (Douglas CS) third. Team winners were St Colman’s Newry ahead of St Columba’s Stranorlar and Belvedere. In the junior age group,, Darragh Whelan (Castletroy College) won the junior boy race with St Malachy’s Belfast best of the teams. On a good day for Ulster schools, Madison Welby (Friends School Lisburn) won the junior girls race. Santa Sabina tDublin was the winning team
At the much-postponed Cork BHAA 5km cross-country on a tough course at Blackrock on Sunday (March 9) , Dermot Ryan was the race winner in 19:03, with Tim O’Connor second and Cathal Prior third. First woman was Siobhan Hoare followed by Anna Hogan and Joan Ennis. Uisce Eireann and UCC were the winning men and women’s teams in the A division.
In Dublin, a day earlier, Laura McDonnell was the runaway winner of the women’s two mile race at the ALSAA BHAA cross-country at Dublin Airport. Second was Clodagh Dunphy, while third was Sinead Tighe. First team was Legal A. In the men’s four mile race, Sean Doran was an equally clear winner. Robert Frewen was second and Paul Fleming third. ESB were the team winners followed by Revenue and Eir.
And so we say farewell to the cross-country season – until next autumn!
Roads
Michael Fox (Armagh AC) was the winner of Bohermeen Half Marathon on Sunday (March 9) in 67 mins 23secs. Not far behind were Aaron Hanlon (Drogheda and District) second in 67:31 and Martin Hoare (Celbridge AC) third in 67:34. Belfast Roadrunners were first team, with Raheny Shamrock second and Rathfarnham WSAF third.
Local athlete Nichola Sheridan was first woman in 76:31 followed by Lea Adamson (Annadale Striders) in 77:42 and Kate Purcell (Raheny Shamrock, W40) in 78:32. Sli Cualann was the winning women’s team followed by Belfast Roadrunners and Raheny Shamrock.
In Dublin, James Kelly was the winner of the Liberties RC 5km, held in the Coombe, with a time of 17:49. Giovanni Salvatore (Raheny Shamrock) was second in 18:40. First woman was Alison Shorten (Cherry Orchard RC) in 22:08.
A clear winner of the Great Gorey 10-Mile in Co Wexford was former Irish marathon champion Sean Hehir (Croghan AC, M40) in a time of 55:41. In a Croghan double, Sonia Redmond was first woman in 69:56.
Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) was a convincing winner of the Tullamore Harriers 5km in a time of 14 mins 48 secs. Finishing fifth and first woman in 16:16 was Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC).The race was the opening round of the Healthy Offaly 5km Road Races Series, with an impressive 402 finishers.
At the Banteer 5-Mile, in Co Cork, Jeremiah Sheehan (North Cork) in 26:58 and Niamh Moore (Leevale) in 28:10 were the winners.
The evergreen Michael Harty (East Cork AC) with a time of 50 mins 16 secs led home 540 finishers at the Midleton Greenway 10-Mile in Co Cork. Sean Doyle (Cork City AC) was second in 50:29 and Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) third in 50:53.
Hannah Steeds was first woman in 57:34 followed by her Leevale clubmates Sharon Rynne in 59:56 and Emma Fitzpatrick in 63:16,
At the Let’s Run Clare Half Marathon in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, Karl Fitzmaurice was the winner in 70:05, with Sinead Oakes -Higgins first woman in 88:53.
Leading home 2,103 finishers at the Walled City 10-Mile, Foyle Arena, St Columb’s Park Track, in Derry on Saturday (March 8) with a time of 52.00 minutes was Kyle Doherty (City of Derry Spartans). His clubmates Paddy O’Donnell in 54:25 and Allan Bogle in 55:10 finished second and third, while Catherine Whoriskey , also from the Spartans, was first woman in 59:11. Pamela Kirk ( Belfast Roadrunners) was second woman in 60:53 and Judith Storm (City of Derry Spartans) third woman in 62:02.
At the Paris Half Marathon on Sunday, Claire Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) finished tenth in 74 mins 36 secs.
Into the hills
Adam Cunningham (Mourne Runners) had over six minutes to spare when winning the 22km Wicklow Way Half from Lough Tay to Crone Woods and back with a time of 1 hr 45 mins 13 secs on Saturday (March 8).
Kacper Czerpak (Slaney Olympic) was second in 1:52.08 and Gavin Kelly (Clane AC, M45) third in 1:53.38. First woman in 1:58.25 was Aine Gosling (Newcastle and District). Catriona Edington from Co Antrim was second in 2:07.07 and Anna Michael (Kilcoole AC) third in 2:09.36.
Ashley Crutchley was the winner of the Glenariffe Spud Run, clocking 45 mins 16 secs for the 9.7km course with 370m climb. First woman in 56:30 was Tanya Cumming who, like Critchely, is a member of Newcastle and District AC. The race was the opening round of the NIMRA Championships.
Catch-up
Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh) opened her season on Saturday March 1 when winning the women’s 1500m in 4:06.74 at the Perth Track Classic in Australia. The time is inside the B standard for the World Indoors.
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Source: fastrunning.com