AWESOME EFREM!
While the drama continued at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, club athletes were turning to the roads last week, with the Dublin Marathon at the end of October the next big event on the athletics calendar. Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers produced the road race performance of the weekend - and possibly of the year - when winning the Kilcock 10- Mile from 10 (mile) in Co Kildare on Sunday (August 20). Gidey’s sensational time of 47 mins 11 secs saw him finish over five minutes clear of the chasers, and is the seventh fastest time ever. Gidey could have been even quicker had he not lost up to 20 seconds when he took a wrong turning on the course. John Treacy is still the fastest ever Irishman over the 10-mile distance with his time of 46:25 dating back almost thirty years to October 1993. Gidey will make his half marathon debut at the Great North Run on September 10. In third place with a time of 52:53 Stephen Fay was leading of Raheny Shamrock AC to team victory over Drogheda and District AC, with Blackrock AC, led by Fionn Griffin in 16th place finishing third and Rathfarnham WSAF AC fourth. First woman in 61:39 was Niamh Devlin of Dundrum South Dublin AC. Aoife O’Leary of Sportsworld AC was second and first W40 in 61:50.
A day earlier, over 2,800 runners finished the Dublin Race Series Frank Duffy 10-Mile, held in the Phoenix Park, which incorporated the Dublin Championships. Taking the Dublin individual men’s title was Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC who finished second overall in 53:00 and led Raheny Shamrock AC to team victory ahead of Crusaders AC and Donore Harriers. Kenneth Nugent of Donore Harriers finished second individual and Brendan Murphy of Crusaders AC third. First Dublin woman was Yuliya Tarasova of Clonliffe Harriers, third overall in 64:53, followed by Grace Kennedy Clarke of Donore Harriers and Fiona Stack of Raheny Shamrock AC third.. In the team competition, Donore Harriers finished first ahead of Clonliffe Harriers and Crusaders AC. Winning both over 35 team titles were Crusaders AC. The women’s came home ahead of Brothers Pearse AC and Raheny Shamrock AC, while the men beat Clonliffe Harriers and Dundrum South Dublin AC. In the over 50 age group, Brothers Pearse AC was best of the eight men’s teams entered with Clonliffe Harriers second and Blackrock AC third. Raheny Shamrock AC, the only complete team to finish, took the women’s title
Men’s age group winners were Danny O’Sullivan (Donore Harriers) M40, Peter Gaffney (Donore Harriers) M50, Edwin Keville (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M55, John O’Leary (Portmarnock AC) M60, Michael Walsh (Bros Pearse AC) M65. Máirtín Ó Goibín (Bros Pearse AC) was first junior. Of the women, winners were Ariana Ball (Donore Harriers) W40, Mary Ketterer (Clonliffe Harriers) W45, Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W50, Caroline Murphy (Bros Pearse AC) W55, Grainne Grennan (Blackrock AC) W60, Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock AC) W65.
At the Cork City 10-Mile, which incorporated the final round of this year’s Peugeot Road Races Series on Saturday (August 19), Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin AC, finished second place in 53:27. Dundrum South Dublin AC had already nailed down the top spot in the overall Peugeot team standings. Teams consisted of three men and three women.
EARLIER IN THE WEEK…
Winning the Man O War Round 7km, in Co Dublin on Thursday (August 17) in 23 mins 24 secs was Ian Conroy of Raheny Shamrock AC, with his clubmate Carmel Ward first woman in 28:14.
MASTERS TRACK
At the Northern Ireland Masters’ Track and Field Championships, Mary Peters Track, Belfast on Saturday (August 19), Adina Gheorghiu of Dundrum South Dublin AC was a clear winner of the W45 100m in 12.89 secs, also winning the 200m in 26,57 secs. Edel Maguire of Clonliffe Harriers won the W60 100m in 14.59 and 200m in 29.24. In a good outing for DSD AC, Shane Sheridan won the M60 100m in 13.39 and the 200m in 27.37, while Kevin Byrne won the M50 110m hurdles and was second in the high jump.