INDOORS
Members of Dublin athletics club made quite an impact at the All Ireland Indoor Championships held over two days in Abbotstown (February 18-19). In the 60m, Israel Olatunde of UCD AC smashed the Irish record with a time of 6.57 secs - the performance of the weekend. Paul Hession’s record of 6.61 secs had stood for sixteen years. All eight finalists in the 60m went under seven seconds. Also for UCD AC, Darragh McElhinney won the men’s 3000m, with his time of 7 mins 49.18 sec a championships record, while a new talent emerged when Susie Nestor, UCD AC, finished third in the women’s 800m in 2:08.15.Raheny Shamrock AC was also having a good championships and in a thrilling women’s 800m, Iseult O’Donnell of Raheny Shamrock AC beat pre-race favourite Nadia Power of Dublin City Harriers. The pair were given times of 2:07.06 and 2:07.22. Taking his first 200m title was Mark Smyth with a time of 20.77, which was a championship record. Winning the 400m was Sophie Becker in 53.11, while retaining is shot putt title was Eric Favors with a heave of 19.26. For Donore Harriers, Jack Raftery won the men’s 400m in 46.37 secs, with Ciaran Cathy of Dundrum South Dublin AC second in 47.49 secs. Taking the women’s 1500m title was Carla Sweeney of Rathfarnham WSAF AC in 4:25.62. Amy O‘Donoghue, a new recruit for Dundrum South Dublin AC from the Emerald Club in Limerick, was second in 4:25.62. Eoin Peirce of Clonliffe Harriers had to battle hard to win the men’s 1500m in 3:54.28, with junior athlete Philip Marron of Ratoath AC a close second in 3:54.64.
ROADS
At the Seville Marathon, Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers, who was part of a large Irish groupo group travelling, finished in 2:23.09. Locally, Tudor Moldovan of Clonliffe Harriers, fresh from his victory at the National 50km Championships a week earlier, was a comfortable winner of the Turgeusis Island 10-Mile, Collinstown, Co Westmeath on Sunday (February 19). Moldovan proved the class of the field winning in 52 mins 38 secs.
CROSS-COUNTRY (LOCAL)
With the championships cross-country season now over, club athletes are still turning out for smaller-scale events. Eoin Flynn of Rathfarnham WSAF AC and Sarah Mulligan of Dundrum South Dublin AC were the winners of the Central Bank BHAA 6km Cross-Country, held around the playing fields of Wesley College, Dundrum, Dublin on Saturday (February 18). Flynn, who had finished second in the All Ireland Masters Cross-Country a week earlier, took to the front after two laps of the four lap course finishing in 20 mins 22 secs. Sarah Mulligan, like Flynn an Irish mountain running international, was winner of a quality women’s race in 23:11. Just six seconds behind for second in 23:17 was Edel Gaffney of Trim AC while third was Aoife Byrne of the Teachers team (and DSD AC) in 25:08. Next Dublin BHAA race is the ALSAA Cross-Country at Dublin Airport on March 4. www.bhaa.ie
Pictures from all the races are on Lindie's Flickr website at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720306103132
