CROSS-COUNTRY
Just a week after their own championships, Dublin clubs dominated the Leinster Masters Cross-Country Championships on a typically arduous course at Avondale House in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow on Sunday (January 15). Dublin champion Kate Purcell of Raheny Shamrock AC led home ninety finishers in the W35 race and helped her club and her county to team victories. For the W45 title, Zoe Quinn of Rahney Shamrock had a narrow victory over ultra runner Sorcha Loughnane of Donore Harriers, with the pair finishing fifth and sixth overall. Raheny Shamrocks AC also finished second of the W50 teams. Winning the M35 title was Peter Arthur of Liffey Valley who was leading Dublin to another county victory. Taking the club team title was Raheny Shamrocks AC, with the team led by Ian Conroy who was first M40. First M45 was Ciaran McCarthy of Raheny Shamrocks, with his clubmate David Kirwin second. Best of the M50 teams was Metro St Brigid’s AC, who had finished third in the Dublin championships. Dublin also took the county title helped by Des Tremble of Donore Harriers. Tremble was first M50 in a tightly contested race with just five seconds separating the top three; Kenny McAndrew of Metro St Brigid's was second.
Final tally for Dublin? Six individual wins, three club team wins and four county team victorires. Not a bad outing!
Also taking place in Avondale was the Leinster intermediate championship races and, with four finishers in the top six, including the winner Cliona Murphy, Dublin City Harriers were comprehensive winners of the women’s title. In a Dublin clean sweep, Liffey Valley AC finished second, Sportsworld RC third and Donore Harriers fourth, with only four complete teams entered. Best of the Dublin athletes in the men’s inter race was Gavin Callery of DSD AC in eighth place, followed by Geoffrey Alexander of Liffey Valley 11th; Liffey Valley finished fourth of the teams and Sportsworld fifth. Picture: MSB team members in Avondale. Pic from MSB Facebook.
Many of these teams will reassemble for the All Ireland Master and Internmediate Championships in Gowran, Co Kilkenny on February 12.
INDOORS
Abbotstown was the venue on Saturday for the All Ireland U20 and U23 Indoors Championships with some impressive performances from Dublin athletes.
At U23 level, UCD AC’s Bori Akinola finished second in the men’s 60m with a time of 6.77 secs. Ciaran Carthy of DSD AC won the 400m in 48.53 secs, while Finn Woodger of MSB AC finished a fighting third in a blanket finish to the 800m. His time was 1:54.59. At U20 level, Louie Woodger of MSB AC won the men’s 1500m in 4:05.95, while taking the women’s 800m title was Saoirse Fitzgerald of Lucan Harriers in 2:11.73. In the men’s 400m, Joe Doody of Cabinnteely AC finished second in 49.28 secs.
OVERSEAS
In Spain, Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers ran a superb time of 27 minds 57 secs to finish 13th in the Valencia 10km on Sunday (January 15), where he took some notable scalps. Race winner was Weldon Langat of Kenya in 26:55.
At the University of Massachusetts Indoors Invitational Running, Abdel Laadjel of Donore Harriers finished third in the mile in 4:10.28.