Dublin Club Activities Round Up, 22nd - 26th January, 2025

ROADS - INTERNATIONAL 

Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin AC equalled Efrem Gidey's Irish half marathon record  when he ran a time of 60 mins 51 secs on a damp morning in Seville on Sunday (January 26). The time knocked  off  32 seconds Tonosa’s previous best of  62:23  run in Larne  in August 2023. Next  major challenge for the Tonosa is the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday April 12, which means he will not be available for the European Road Running Championships in Brussels, Belgium which take place on the same weekend and includes a 10km and marathon as well as the half marathon. 

ROADS - LOCAL 

Clonliffe’s Efrem Gidey defied the wet blustery conditions and a last-minute change of course  to win the AXA 41st Raheny 5-Mile on Sunday (January 26) in  22 mins 47 secs — the fourth fastest time ever. It means that Gidey joins the  select group who have broken 23 minutes in this race since it was first held in 1985. Two years later in 1987, the course record time of 22:39 was set by Gerry Curtis (Donore Harriers) —  thirty-eight years ago. In 1995 Cormac Finnerty (Mullingar Harriers) equalled that time. Fast forward then to 2020 when Hiko Tonosa came within a second of the record when winning the race in 22:40. On Sunday, Gidey proved the class of the field sprinting home over a minute clear of the chasers led by mountain running specialist Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin AC who finished in 23:51. Third and first M40 in 24:05 was Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers), the recently-crowned Dublin Masters cross-country champion. As usual, the race was well supported by Northern Ireland clubs and first woman was Hannah Gilliland of Annadale Striders in 26:34. Fourth and first Dublin athlete was Sorcha McAllister (Dublin City Harriers)  in 27:23. Ciara Hickey (Brothers Pearse) was fifth and first W40 in 27:32 and  Dublin senior cross-country champion Emma McEvoy (DSD AC) sixth in 27:37. Other category winners from Dublin clubs included Lisa Kelleher (The Liberties RC) W45, Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W65,  June Comiskey (Raheny Shamrock) W75,  Cillian O’Leary (Raheny Shamrock) M45,  Ciaran McCarthy (Raheny Shamrock) M50,  Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M65, Eric Delahan (Balbriggan Roadrunners) M70 and Eddie Coyle (Tallaght AC) M80. In the team competition, Clonliffe Harriers with three in the top ten were clear winners of the men’s senior title on just 14 points.  Host club Raheny Shamrock with 22 points was second and Dublin City Harries third on 88 points. Best of the women’s teams with 24 points was Dublin City Harriers, followed by Raheny Shamrock on 32 points and Dundrum South Dublin with 59 points. 

SCHOOLS 

A magnificent total of over 1,600 youngsters, mostly from Dublin schools were in action  at the Leinster East and West cross-country  championships held on Wednesday and Thursday before Storm Eowyn hit forcing the postponement of the North zone decider from last Friday until next Wednesday (January 29). At the East Leinsters, held on Wednesday at the traditional 15 Acres course  in  the Phoenix Park, Lorraine O’Connor and  Emily Bolton ensured team victory for the Institute of Education in the senior girls’ race, with the pair crossing the line almost together. Bolton, now a member of Clonliffe Harriers, won both the Leinster and All Ireland inter titles last year. O’Connor is a member of Donore Harriers. In the senior boys’ race. Charlie White from Blackrock College and Donore Harriers finished second behind Noah Harris  from ETSS Wicklow,  while in third place, Ruairi O’Donoghue was leading Ard Scoil Ris to team victory. At inter level, Aoife Murphy of Loreto Foxrock had a comfortable win in the girls’ race, where Alexandra College were the team winners.  Lucas Ryan  from CBC Monkstown came home first of the boys. St Michael’s took the team title. In the junior age group, Aoife Murphy (Loreto Foxrock) was first home in the girls’ race while  Conn McCluskey (St Benildus and DSD AC) was runner-up  of the boys. Team winners were the Alexandra College girls and the Colaiste Eoin boys. 

A day later, the Phoenix Park was again the venue for the West Leinsters and, in bitterly cold and blustery conditions, Irish junior international Cillian Gleeson of  Coláiste Chiaráin was a confident winner of the senior boy’s race. Ryan O’Neill  from Terenure College and Rathfarnham WSAF AC was second and last year’s inter champion Liam Mac Muiris of Coláiste Chilliain Clondalkin third. Castleknock Community College packed well to take the team prize ahead of Belvedere College  and Terenure College. Charlie O’Neill, last year’s All Ireland and Leinster  junior champion, won the inter boys’ race and led Belvedere to team victory with  three finishers in the top nine for the city centre school. O’Neill is a member of Donore Harriers. Students from Lucan Community Community College took three of the top four places in the girl’s senior race, led by  Saoirse Fitzgerald  the  race winner,  followed by Isabel Cuffe third and Maggie Jez fourth, which ensured team victory for their school. All three are members of Lucan Harriers. Finishing a fighting second was  Cara Mohan of Castleknock Community College and Metro St Brigid’s AC. Alannah Ní Chatháin from Luttrellstown Community College led home the finishers in the girls’ inter race, where  St Joseph’s Lucan were the team winners. At junior level,  Ruby Farrelly of  Our Lady’s Templeogue won the girls’ race, while Mount Sackville was best of the Dublin teams finishing in second place.  Taking the boys’ title was Samuel Redmond  of Templeogue College with Castleknock College clear winners of the team title. Pictures from the West Leinsters Schools CC are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720323354671/ 

All will be in action at the Leinster Championship which take place on Wednesday February 12, again in the Phoenix Park.