EUROPEAN INDOORS What a final day it was for Ireland at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn! Star of the show was Sarah Healy from Monkstown, who ran the perfect race for victory in the women’s 3000m. In a chaotic race with one faller, Healy was never far off the pace and sprinted past Britain’s Melissa CourtneyBryant — the pre-race favourite —with just two metres to spare. ‘I knew I had an opportunity today to win a medal, and to win gold, but I didn’t want to put too much expectation on it. I had to wait until the last 100m, but I’m so glad it worked out,’ she said afterwards. Healy, who won double gold in the 1500m and 300m at the European U18 Championships in 2018 while a member of Blackrock AC, struggled to make the transition to the senior ranks and in 2023, after finishing a law degree at UCD, made the tough decision to move to England. There she joined the M11 training group rbased in Wigan run by husband and wife team Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows. Other members of the group include Paris Olympics 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Bell, who took bronze in the 1500m, also at the Paris Olympics. After the race on Sunday, Meadows confirmed that Healy will be concentrating on the 1500m after this, although for the World Indoors, starting on March 21, she has qualifying times for both 1500m and 3000m. Taking double bronze in Apeldoorn were Mark English from Donegal in the 800m — his fourth bronze at European level — and multi-eventer Kate O’Connor from Co Louth in the pentathlon where her points total of 4781 broke her own national record. INDOORS - LOCAL 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, Mathdenzel Mugri (Cabinteely AC) and Gloria Oigbochie (Tallaght AC) made it a Dublin double in the 60m sprint, with winning times of 7.08 secs and 7.80 secs respectively. There was a Dublin hat-trick in the men’s 200m, with Donal Martin (Blackrock AC) the winner in 21.67 followed by Luke Timlin (Crusaders AC) in 21.93 and Dubem Amah (Tallaght AC) in 22.19. Winning the 60m hurdles in a time of 8.05 secs was Sean Owens (Crusaders AC). Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers) won the 1500m in 4:00.42, while his clubmate Emily Bolton, just 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. Other Dublin medal winners were Des O’Neill (Raheny Shamrock AC) a fighting second in the men’s 400m, Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers) third in the women’s 400m iand Lauren Healy second in the high jump. In the U23 Championships, Aisling Kelly (UCD AC) won the women’s 60m in 7.57, Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) the 400m, and Renee Crotty (UCD AC) the women’s 800m. In the men’s 800m, Finn Woodger (Metro St Brigid’s AC) finished clear of of his clubmate Traian Rebegea, with the pair timed at 1:53.71 and 1:54.86. Another Woodger — Louie this time — finished second in the men’s 1500m in 3:56.70. In the field, Sam Vines (Cabinteely AC) finished second in the men’s shot, while Molly Mullally (DSD AC) was second in the triple jump and third in the long jump. At the All Ireland Masters, Snezana Bechtina (Clonliffe Harriers) was just one of many Dublin club winners, taking the women’s W40 sprint title. A close second was Sinead O’Connor (Metro St Brigid’s AC). Making it a double for Plant-Based AC were Rachel Murphy and Lea Fulcher in the W40 and M50 3000m races respectively. Alison Beck (Dundrum South Dublin AC) won both the W45 high jump and pole vault and was second in the triple jump. In the 60m, Dublin winners were Sarah Doyle (Tallaght) W35, Dara Carr (LSA AC) W55, Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Harriers) W65, Shane Sheridan (DSD AC) M65 and David Leech (Blackrock) M75 60m. Andrej Dmitrenko (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M55 and Kevin Byrne (DSD AC) second M50 in the 60m hurdles. Byrne was also second in the high jump. Richard Phelan (Donore Harriers) won the M60 long jump. In the men’s 3000m, Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF) was first M65 and Mick Traynor (Raheny Shamrock) second M60. Niall Allen (Clonliffe Harriers) won both the M50 shot and weight for distance., with his clubmate Vivian Okafor second W40 in the shot. Finally in the 4x200 relays, winning teams from Dublin were LSA W40, Lucan Harriers W60 and DSD mixed. ALL IRELAND SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY At the All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships held at Ballybrit Racecourse, Galway on Saturday (March 8), Cillian Gleeson (Colaiste Chiarain) finished second behind Noah Harris (ETSS Wicklow) — just as he had done at the Leinster Championships. In a Leinster clean sweep, Ryan O’Neill (Terenure College) finished third. Emily Bolton won the girls’ senior race comfortably and with Lorraine O’Connors fifth and Laura Nunan 34th, also took team gold with the Institute of Education. At inter level, Megan Brunt (Loreto Dalkey) was fifth and Tara Rose Smith (Sutton Park) sixth. Leinster champion Charlie O’Neill (Belvedere) finished sixth in the boys’ inter race, helping Belvedere to third place in the team competition, with St Paul’s Raheny, led by Conrad Latham in 13th place, fourth. Santa Sabina, led by Beth Reamsbottom in fourth place, was the winning team in the girls’ junior race, where Ruby Farrelly (Our Lady’s Templeogue) was third. LAST BHAA CROSS-COUNTRY OF THE SEASON! Laura McDonnell was the runaway winner of the women’s two mile race at the ALSAA BHAA cross-country held at Dublin Airport on Saturday (March 8). Second was Clodagh Dunphy, while third was Sinead Tighe in 12.24. First team was Legal A. In the men’s four mile race, Sean Doran was an equally clear winner ahead of Robert Frewen and Paul Fleming. ESB were the team winners followed by Revenue and Eir. And so we say farewell to the cross-country season - until next autumn! ROADS A large number of Dublin club athletes headed to Co Meath for the Bohermeen Half Marathon on Sunday (March 9) where Kate Purcell (Raheny Shamrock, W40) finished third woman in 76:50. In Dublin city, also on Sunday, James Kelly was the winner of The Liberties RC 5km, held in the Coombe, with Giovanni Salvatore (Raheny Shamrock) second. First woman was Alison Shorten (Cherry Orchard RC). Shauna O’Callaghan (Sportsworld) finished third. First for the local Liberties Running club were Paul McGrath and Leanne Kelly who came in together. At the Great Gorey 10-Mile in Co Wexford Barry Whelan (Portmarnock AC) finished second, while at the Midleton 10-Mile in Co Cork, Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) finsihed third overall and first M40.

ROADS John Travers (Donore Harriers) and Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) were the winners at the Lusk 4-Mile road races held on Sunday (March 2) and attacted an antry of close to a thousand with 869 finishers. Travers’ time of 18 mins 43 sec saw him finish comfortably clear of Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers) second in 19:05 and Conor Duffy (Glaslough Harriers) third in 19:28. McGlynn finished in 20:30 with Dublin-based Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) second in 20:43. Helena Butterly (Clonliffe Harriers) was fourth in 21:59. Sixth and first W40 was Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based AC) in 23:18, with Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers) seventh and second W40 24.12. First W50 was Catherine Brogan (Portmarnock AC) in 25:33 while first W70 was Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 30:24. Of the men, Lea Fulcher (Pant-Based AC) was first M50 in 20:54, and Ken Doyle (Raheny Shamrock AC) first M60 in 27:30. At the Naas 10-Mile, also on Sunday, Karl Nolan (Clonliffe Harriers) and Sonya McConnon (DSD) made it a Dublin double victory by winning the over 40 men and women’s races. Declan Power (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M50. A day earlier, Eddie O’Connor (Brothers Pearse AC) was the winner of the Moneystown 4-Mile Garden Run in Ballinacoola, Co Wicklow, with a time of 20 mins 31 secs. Racing machine Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 20:39. Fourth and first M40 was Aidan Murphy (Dundrum South Dublin AC) in 21:34. In Co Donegal at the Bundoran 10-Mile in Co Donegal also on Saturday (March 1), Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished second overall and first W40 at the Bundoran 10-Mile with a time of 61:29. CROSS-COUNTRY - BHAA AND WOMEN’S MEET AND TRAIN TEAM UP! Paul Fleming (Ornua/RathfarnhamWSAF AC) ran a typically canny race to win the Business Houses Athletic Association AIB men’s 4-mile race held at the National Cross-County Course, Abbotstown, on Sunday (March 2). In the women’s 2-mile race, run in conjunction with Women’s Meet and Train for the first time ever, Lisa Gaughan (DSD AC) was not only first overall but won her third race from four outings in the Meet and Train Winter League. Second was her club mate Ruth Wilson, while third was Rachel Calvey (Sportsworld AC). As they had done in previous races, Jane Leonard (DSD) and Dee Lyons (Dublin Front Runners) battled it out all the way to the line for fourth place with Leonard the winner. The Meet and Train league will end with a fun run and prize-giving hosted by Crusaders AC at Irishtown on Sunday April 6 (11am). Next for BHAA runners is the final cross-country of the season hosted by the ALSAA at its Dublin Airport grounds on Saturday next March 8 (11am). Details www.bhaa.ie INDOORS Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) finished fifth in the men’s 1500m in a time of 3:39.62 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold final round in Madrid Spain on Friday, (February 28). His season’s best indoors time was 3:37.39 run in Liévin, France, on February 13. His outdoor best for 1500m is 3:33.15. Doyle now heads for Apeldoorn in the Netherlands where he will compete in the European Indoor Championships for the first time. At the Leinster Indoor Championships held at the NIA, Abbotstown on Saturday (March 1), Dundrum South Dublin made it a double in the 800m, with Charlotte Burke winning the women’s race in 2 mins 15.15 secs and Joe Hastings first home in the men’s race in 1:54.85. Dublin athletes took the top six places in the men’s race, with Hastings followed by George Warrne, Oren Kenny, and Fintan Kerins, all Clonliffe Harriers, Jared Murray of Rathfarnham WSAF and Cormac Whelan of Donore Harriers. Winning the U20 women’s race in 2:17.94 was Robyn Carey (Lusk AC) with Rachel Jez (Lucan Harriers) third in 2:21.34. In the masters categories, Breda Smyth (Lucan Harriers) was first W50. Dublin winners in the men’s master categories, were Stephen Brett (Metro St Brigid’s C) M45 and David Dunwoody (Clonliffe Harriers) M55. A solid winner of the senior men’s 1500m title was Juan Ignacio Peña (Raheny Shamrock) in 3:49.32. His clubmate Brian Sexton was first M35 in 4:25.28, while in the M40 class, Niall Sherlock (Clonliffe Harriers) won the 1500m and was also second in the 800m. Winning the U20 1500m was Aisling Fitzpatrick (Lucan Harriers) with her clubmate Ana Jones third. Winning the W35 title was Brigid Long (Liffey Valley). Over 3000m, Rachel Murphy (Plant Based AC) won the W35 title in 10:07.53. Her clubmate Lea Fulcher won the M50 title with Arnaud Benjacar (Liffey Valley) second. Mark Ryan (Rathfarnham WSAF) was a clear overall winner of the masters’ race and also first M45 in 9:09.57. In the sprints, Sinead O’Connor (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) won the W40 60m with Snezana Bechtina (Clonliffe Harriers) second. Bechtina also won her specialist 400m in 60.59. Closest race of the day was the senior men’s 60m which went to a photo-finish when Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) and Lorcan Murphy (DSD AC) were both given a time of 6.87 secs. Aigboboh just scraped it. Third was Leo Morgan (Clonliffe Harriers) timed at 6.88. Cillian Doherty (Crusaders) set a championships record when winning the U20 60m in 6.96 secs. His clubmate Luke Timlin was second in 7.00. Ballymun AC took a first ever medal at this level when Colm Keogh won the M50 60m in 8.14 secs, beating Kevin Leahy (DSD AC) on 8.19. In the 200m, whose placings were reversed with Leahy getting the better of Keogh. At the sixth and final Track and Field Live meet of the season held at the NIA Abbotstown on Wednesday (February 26), Juan Ignacio Peña (Raheny Shamrock) finished third in the men’s mile with a time of 4:04.09.

Shirley Murray, Tallaght Athletic Club coach, Dublin and National official was presented with an outstanding service award by Leinster Athletics officials Majella McGrath and Andrew Lynham in the National Indoors Athletic Arena, Abbotstown on Sunday 23rd February 2025. Shirley is ever present at all Dublin Juvenile athletic events and has been so for over 20 years. Well done Shirley.

HEALY AND DOYLE MAKE IT A DUBLIN DOUBLE AT NATIONAL INDOORS Runaway wins for Dublin athletes Sarah Healy and Cathal Doyle in the 1500m races were among the highlights of the All Ireland Indoor Championships held at Abbotstown, Dublin, over the weekend. In the women’s race, Healy was out on her own from the start, winning comfortably in 4:08.74. It was her first national indoors title over the 1500m distance. Doyle, the defending champion, got himself out of trouble about mid-way through the men’s race before storming home on the final lap to finish in 3:58.10. ‘I think I’m getting the hang of indoor racing,’ he said afterwards. Finishing second was Lughaidh Mallon (UCD AC) in 4:00.61. A keenly awaited race was the men’s 60m final which would feature a show-down between UCD’s Bori Akinola and Irish record holder and three times champion Israel Olatunde of Tallaght AC. Akinola has been the form man indoors this winter and he duly won the race and his first national title in 6.61 secs — a season’s best. Olatunde finished third in 6.72. Almost sixty athletes had entered the men’s 60m. A day earlier, Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers AC) was a clear winner of the men’s 200m in 20.74, while in the women’s 200m, Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) finished second, with Molly Hourihan (UCD AC) third. Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock) proved the class of the field in the men’s shot, winning his third indoor title with his opening heave of 19.450m. Favors’ Raheny clubmate Colm Bourke won the long jump with a 7.15 leap and was also second in the triple jump. On a good day in the field for Raheny, Daphni Doulaptsi Teeuwen finished second inn the women’s triple jump. Other Dublin club athletes to win medals over the weekend included Amy O’Donoghue (Dundrum South Dublin AC) third in the women’s 1500m, Finn Woodger (Metro St Brigid’s ) second in the men’s 800m, Niamh Kearney (Raheny Shamrock AC) third women’s 3000m, David Bosch (UCD AC) second behind the phenomenal Conor Kelly in the men’s 400m, Ciara Wilson Bowen (DSD AC) third in the women’s 3000m walk and Lorcan Murphy (DSD AC) second in the men’s high jump. In a thrilling women’s 4 x 200m relay on Saturday, Dundrum South Dublin held off Leevale AC to win in 1:40.96, with Metro St Brigid’s third in 1:42.25. The DSD quartet finished third in the men’s 4 x200m. A day later, UCD won the women’s 4 x 400m, with DSD third. In the men’s 4 x 400m, which concluded a memorable championships, DSD finished second behind Ratoath AC. ROADS At the Seville Marathon on Sunday (February 23), ultra specialist Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers) finished 27th woman in 2:44.36. Also on Sunday, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) made it two wins in two days when winning the Duleek 5km in Co Meath in 15 mins 35 secs. Eric Keogh (Donore Harriers) was second in 15:44. In a Dublin double, Orla Walsh (Crusaders AC) was first woman in 18:23. At the Wicklow Hospice Half Marathon over a tough off-road course in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum on Saturday, Jason Reilly (Civil Service Harriers, M40) was the winner in 77 mins 8 secs with Julie McGrath (Crusaders AC) first woman in 86:50. BHHA CROSS COUNTRY As they had done at the Teachers Cross-Country the previous weekend, Sean Doran and Clare Sullivan were the winners at the Central Bank BHAA 6km Cross-Country held at Jobstown Park, Tallaght on Saturday (February 22). Doran had a comfortable overall win in 21 mins 29 secs, with Edward O’Connor second in 21:50 and Paul Fleming third in 22.36. Sullivan finished in 25:41, with Clodagh Dunphy second in 27:02 and Malika Hammani third in 27:31. ESB were first of the grade 1 teams ahead of Accountants and Gardai, with Teachers winning Grade 2. Stronger with Esther proved best of the women’s teams. * The National Cross-Country course at Abbotstown gets a rare outing next Sunday (11am) when the BHAA and Women’s Meet and Train combine to put on a women’s 2-mile as well as a men’s 4-mile race. Register at www.bhaa.ie

INDOORS Sarah Healy (UCD AC) again produced the athletics performance of the weekend when she finished second in the 1500m at the Keely Klassic indoors competition held in Birmingham on Saturday (February 15). Almost incidentally, Healy’s time of 4:01.62 was her third Irish record in as many weeks and beat her own Irish record of 4:03.83 set in France last year. She has also broken the Irish 3000m twice, running 8:35.19 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix a fortnight ago in Boston and then 8:30.79 at the Millrose Games in New York last weekend. In the USA, Rhasidat Adeleke got her 2025 season off to a good start when coming third in a 600m race in Clemson, South Caroline on Friday (February 14) with a time of 1min 30.30 secs. Unlike Healy, Adeleke has no plans to race indoors this season and will not appear at next weekend’s National Indoors in Abbotstown. A large Irish contingent was racing in Boston, also on Friday and in the 800m, Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) ran a PB of 1:45.33, which is inside the qualifying mark for the European Indoors. In Lievin on Thursday (February 13) Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) improved his indoors 1500m time to 3:37 39 while running the mile where he finished third in 3:53.18. That’s just off the European Indoors qualifying mark for 1500m of 3:37.00. A day later, in France, Jodie McCann (DCH AC)) clocked a time of 9:09.44 when finishing tenth in the women’s 3000m at the Meeting Indoor de Lyon. In the B 800m, Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock) clocked a time of 1:50.30. ROADS Irish clubs won both team competitions at the annual Armagh International Road Races held on Thursday evening (February 13) despite large overseas international entry, mostly from British clubs. Efrem Gidey, who finished eighth and best of the Irish in 13:51was leading Clonliffe Harriers to team victory, backed up by Colm Rooney 29th in 14:04, Stephen Scullion 46th in 14:13, and Stephen Cashin 97th in 14:40. Morpeth Harriers, led by James Young, finished second and Cambuslang third. In the women’s 3km, Niamh Kearney (Raheny Shamrock) finished 11th in 9:24 and Amy O’Donoghue (Dundrum South Dublin) 15th in 9:26. With Grace Lynch 21st in 9:38, and Emma McEvoy (34th in 9:51. FDSD finished second team behind Finn Valley. Making a welcome return to racing at the the Enniscorthy 10km on Sunday (February 16) after a long injury break was Kevin Dooney (Raheny ShamrockAC) who finished second in 33:04. CROSS-COUNTY Winning the women’s 4km race at the annual Rás na hEireann in Dunleer, Co Louth on Sunday was Sorcha McAllister (Dublin City Harriers) in 14 mins 46 secs. Dunleer beat Dublin City Harriers by a single point in the team competition. BHAA CROSS-COUNTRY Sean Doran notched up another BHAA victory at the Teachers 5km Cross-Country held at St Columba’s College in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains, also on Sunday (February 16). Doran was part of the leading group from the start and only took over in front on the fourth and final lap, crossing the finish line in 17 mins 31 secs. Second in 17:43 was Edward O’Connor, while third was Paul Fleming in 17:52. First woman was Clare Sullivan in 20:24, followed by Susan Glennon in 20:57 and Orna Dignam in 21:07. Large groups from Dublin clubs turned out for their workplace teams, among them Ramune Zolbiene, one of seven members of Balbriggan and District in action, who was first W40. Clonliffe Harriers, Rathfarnham WSAF, Donore Harriers, Tallaght AC, Civil Service Harriers, Crusaders, Liffey Valley. Lucan Harriers, and Brothers Pearse were also represented. ESB was the winning team in Grade 1, ahead of the Gardai and the Teachers. Revenue won Grade 2, with Eir second and Bank of Ireland third. Best of the women’s teams was Stronger with Esther, with Legal A second and Health A third. Pictures from the BHAA Cross Country are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720323861852/. In a busy month for the BHAA, the Central Bank 6km cross-country takes place next Saturday, February 22 (11am) at the new venue of Jobstown Park. Details www.bhaa.ie DUBLIN SCHOOLS SCORE AT LEINSTER CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Charlie O’Neill of Belvedere College and Donore Harriers was an impressive winner of the boys’ inter race at the Leinster Schools Cross-Country Championships held at the 15 Acres, Phoenix Park, on Wednesday (February 12). O’Neill was also leading Belvedere to team victory. A team from the Institute of Education, Leeson Street, dominated the girls’ senior race, with Emily Bolton a clear winner of the race, ahead of her team- mate Lorraine O’Connor second. With Sinead Farrell 14th and Laura Nunan 15th the Institute took the team title. Other good runs included a fighting second for Cillian Gleeson (Colaiste Chiarain) in the boy’s senior race, where Ard Scoil Rís finished third team led by Lorcan Benjacar in fourth place. In the girls’ inter race, Megan Brunt of Loreto Dalkey finished second. In the younger age group, Samuel Redmond of Templeogue College finished third and Conn McCluskey of St Benildus fourth in the boys’ junior race where Castleknock College was second of the teams. Beth Reamsbottom in second place was leading Santa Sabina to team victory in the girls’ junior race, while in the minor boys’ race, Danny Davis of St Fintan’s Sutton was the winner and Belvedere best of the teams ahead of Willow Park. Mount Anville finished second team in the minor girls’ race. Pictures from the Schools Cross Country are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720323797971/

INDOORS - AWAY Dublin track performance of the week came from Sarah Healy of UCD AC who not only finished a fighting third in the women’s 3000m at the Millrose Games in New York on Saturday (February 8), but also knocked five seconds off the Irish indoor record she had set a week earlier when finishing in a superb time of 8 mins 30.79 secs. In Germany a day earlier, Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers) improved his best to 3 mins 37.58 secs when finishing fourth in the 1500m at the INIT Meeting in Karlsruhe, while in Ostrava, Czechia, on Tuesday evening (February 4), Jodie McCann of DCH finished ninth in the women’s 3000m in a personal best 8:55.71. All three are expected to compete in the National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown on February 22 - 23, when places on the Irish team for the European Indoors and World Indoors are at stake. INDOORS - HOME Clonliffe Harriers were declared winners of the men’s National Indoor League title after the second of two rounds took place in Athlone on Saturday (February 8) on the date originally fixed for the final. No final was possible this year after the second round was cancelled because of Storm Eowyn. For Clonliffe, who had to battle hard for the title with Dundrum South Dublin, consistency over the two rounds paid off. On Saturday, Niall Allen won the weight, Sean Cronin was second in the 3000m, Rolus Olusa was third in both the pole vault and hurdles, Craig Duffy third in the 200m, Sean Carrigg fifth in the 800m, Eamon Fahey sixth in the triple jump while the the relay team finished fourth. That proved enough. Of the other Dublin clubs in the men’s competition, Raheny Shamrock finished sixth and Donore Harriers 12th. An impressive double winner of the 800m and 3000m was Juan Ignacio Pena for Raheny. DSD also finished second in the women’s competition where Ratoath AC were the winners. Clonliffe Harriers finished fifth, with Raheny Shamrock 10th and Donore Harriers 12th. Highlight of the competition was a thrilling women’s triple jump where Daphni Doulapssi Teeuwen (Raheny Shamrock) was the winner with her 12.22 effort putting her just two centimetres clear of many times Irish champion Saragh Buggy (St Abban’s AC). Colm Burke made it a Raheny triple jump double with a winning leap of 13.77m. A number of open races were part of the programme and in the men’s open 60m, Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) clocked a time of 6.80 secs for second place, while Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC), still aged only nineteen, was third in 6.88. Aigboboh ran a faster time of 6.86 secs in a second race, when he also finishing second. Lawler proved the class of the field in the 200m, winning in an personal best 20.80 secs, which puts him top of the national indoor rankings. Junior athlete Donal Martin (Blackrock AC) was second in 21.79. Kate Nurse (UCD AC) won the women’s open 800m in 2:16.57 and her clubmate Molly Hourihan the open 400m in 56.39 CROSS-COUNTRY At the at the All Ireland Masters Cross-Country Championships in Westport, Co Mayo on Sunday (February 9), Dublin champion Colm Rooney was not only a clear winner of the men’s 7km race but also led Clonliffe Harriers to team victory. Making up the team were Sergiu Ciobanu 7th, Cathal McHale 14th and Karl Nolan 16th. On a good day for Dublin clubs, Rathfarnham WSAF finished second with a team made up of Mark Ryan 5th and first M45, Mathew Kane 8th, Louis McCarthy 15th and David Power 21st. In the over 65 4km race, Liam Lenehan of Sportsworld AC was the overall winner, with Tom Cuddy of Rathfarnham WSAF second. Rathfarnham WSAF proved best of the teams with Cuddy backed up by Donal Murphy 12th and John McHugh 13th. Dublin won the county title. In the women’s 4km race, Raheny Shamrock won team title and helped Dublin to county team victory. Leading Raheny home in third place was Kate Purcell, followed closely by Dublin champion Fiona Roche in fourth place. Annette Kealy, who was also first W55 was 16th and Zoe Quinn 36th. Sportsworld, led by Noreen Brouder in 12th place beat Galway City Harriers by just two points for second place. Making up the team were Aoife O’Leary 22nd Lorna Quinn 23rd and Crona Clohisey 46th. Dublin won the county team title with Purcell, Roche, Brouder and Caoimhe Kilroy of Metro St Brigid’s AC the counting four. In the over 50 team category, RathfarnhamWSAF finished fourth with Dublin runners-up behind Clare in the county category. In all, that Dublin won three of the four county team titles on offer. Also taking place were national intermediate races, and in the women’s 5km race Clonliffe Harriers had four finishers in the top nine. Helena Butterly was the winner, Niamh Kelly second, Jools Hughes fifth and Julie Larkin ninth, making Clonliffe clear winners of the team title and also ensuring county victory for Dublin. Liffey Valley packed well to finish second team with Siobhan Nugent 8th, Ciara Broderick Farrell 10th, Cliodhna Tutty Bardon 11th and Mollie O’Donnell 14th. In a Dublin clean sweep, Sportsworld finished third, led by Elaine Kennedy in seventh place. Just four teams competed. In the the men’s 8km race, Ben Guiden of Clonliffe Harriers in sixth place was best of the Dublin athletes with his clubmate Sean Doran 9th, Christopher McLoughlin of Dublin City Harriers 13th and Cian Charlton of Raheny Shamrock 16th. Clonliffe finished runners-up in the team category, with Liffey Valley fourth and Raheny Shamrock fifth of the six teams entered. MEET AND TRAIN Lisa Gaughran of Dundrum South Dublin AC made it a second win in the series at the third round of the Women’s Meet and Train Winter League hosted by Dublin Front Runners on a new course at the Marino Institute of Education in Dublin on Sunday (February 9). Gaughran finished the 3km course in 12 mins 45 secs with her clubmate Ruth Wilson just two seconds adrift for second place. Third in 13:13 was Sophie McGovern of Brothers Pearse. For fourth place, Dee Lyons of host club DFR held off DSD’s Jane Leonard for fourth place with the pair both given a time of 13:25. New to the event — and to cross-country! — was a team from Sanctuary Runners. The final round of the league take place at the National Cross-Country Course in Abbotstown on Sunday March 2 (11am). More pictures are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/. ULTRA Donore Harriers had a good day out at the Donadea 50km in Co Kildare, with Wayne Waldron the race winner in 3 hrs 1 min 50 secs and Ian Fitzgerald third in 3:08.21. Anthony Brady (Coolock RC) finished eighth in 3:22.08, Derek O’Brien (Lusk AC) 19th in 3:39.17 , Trevor Lehane (Clondalkin Flyers) 20th in 3:42.18 andDerek Boland (Crusaders AC) 21st in 3:44.27. First W50 in 4:27.44 was Olwyn Dunne (Crusaders) while first W60 was Grainne Grennan (Blackrock AC) in 4:31.05. The race incorporated the National Championships. ROADS At the Rathcoffey GAA 10km in Co Kildare on Saturday (February 8) Declan Power (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M50 in 34:16 and Mick Carolan (Brothers Pearse AC) first M70 in 47:44. Winning the associated 5km was Daragh Keegan (Donore Harriers) in 16:28.

ROADS Two major 10-mile roads races dominated the weekend road running schedule, with Dublin club runners featuring in both. At the John Treacy Dungarvan 10-Mile where Fearghal Curtin of Youghal AC won in a course record time of 47 mins 42 secs, Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M40 in 51:58. Closer to Dublin at the Trim 10-Mile, Ciara Hickey of Brothers Pearse AC was first woman and first W40 in 56:09. Diarmuid Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M65 in 75:03. The race was well supported by Dublin clubs - among the eighty women’s teams entered were six teams from Lucan Harriers, four each from Raheny Shamrock and Brothers Pearse, three from , Clonliffe Harries and two from both Esker RC and D15 RC two, with most other Dublin clubs also represented. Finishing third of the teams was Donore Harriers, led by Grace Kennedy. Of the 103 men’s teams entered, Civil Service Harriers proved best of the Dublin clubs finishing ninth. Clonliffe Harriers had four teams entered, Lucan Harriers and Raheny Shamrock three, and Brothers Pearse, Metro St Brigid’s, LSA, Donore Harriers and Esker RC two each. In Tullow Co Carlow and over the shorter distance of 5km, Kevin Donaher (Rathfarnham WSAF AC, M40) was the winner of the Mark Mahon 5km in time of 17 mins 19 secs. INDOORS Sarah Healy (UCD AC) set a new Irish indoors record of 8:35.19 in the women’s300m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Boston, USA on Sunday night (Februrary 2). Healy finished fourth in a quality race. Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers opened his indoor season on Friday night (January 31) by finishing sixth in the 1500m with a time of 3 mins 39.01 secs at the Meeting Miramas Metropole, France. The times shaved shaving .09 of his previous best of 3:39.10. At the IFAM Gent Indoor, Belgium on Saturday (February 1) , Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock) ran a time of 1:49.51 for fifth place in the second of four heats. CROSS-COUNTRY Clonliffe Harriers finished a fighting fifth team in the women’s U20 race at the European Clubs Cross-Country Championships in, Albufeira, Portugal on Sunday (February 2). Emily Bolton led the team home finished fifth in a time of 20:14 for the 5.53km distance. Lorraine O’Connor was eighth in 20:41, Hazel Kenny 31st in 23:07 and Goda Buivydyte 40th in 25:23. Clonliffe had also qualifed for the men’s U20 race where they finished seventh. First home was Tom Breslin 27th in 18:37, followed by Sean Cronin 29th in 18:38 Lorcan Benjacar 33rd in 18:48 and Marti Ursachi 60th in 20.00. Two Dublin clubs had qualified for the 4 x 1500m mixed relay where the Dublin City Harriers’ quartet of Pierre Murchan, Niamh Carr, Philip Marron and Edel Monaghan finished fifth in 18:47 and Dundrum South Dublin’s team of Joe Hastings, Emma McEvoy, Jamie Byrne and Eimear Maher seventh in 19:08 SCHOOLS In the North Leinsters, postponed until last Wednesday (January 29) and held in the the Phoenix Park, Conrad Lathan of St Paul’s Raheny took a clear victory in the boys’ inter race with St Paul’s also proving best of the teams. Tara Rose Smith of Sutton Park and Mid-Sutton AC made it a Dublin individual double by winning the girls’ inter race, with St Dominic’s Cabra finishing second team.