Road Races - GIDEY - A FINE FIFTH IN GREAT NORTH RUN
Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers travelled to England for Sunday’s Great North Run where he finished fifth - one place behind Mo Farah who was running his final official race. In his debut over the distance, and in sweltering conditions, Gidey finished in a respectable time of 64 mins 3 secs, with almost half a minute to spare over British athlete Andy Bouchard. Gidey’s clubmate Stephen Scullion finished 32nd in 70:19, with another clubmate Liam Roarty running a personal best 76:22.
In Sweden, and also for Clonliffe Harriers, Declan Power braved sweltering conditions at the Stockholm Half Marathon to finish first M50 in 76.42.
Locally, Barbara Cleary of Donore Harriers not only finished first woman at the Charleville Half Marathon on Sunday in 79 mins 20 secs but improved on her own Irish over 50 record. Running a time of 73 mins 15 secs was Graham Aherne of Raheny Shamrock.
At the Ratoath Half Marathon at Fairyhouse, in Co Meath on Saturday, Grace Lynch of Dundrum South Dublin AC in 79:01 was first woman, with her DSDAC clubmate Niamh Devlin third in 84:02. Eoin Taggart was third of the men in 72:01 and also first of a large group from Clonliffe Harriers. An equally large group from Raheny Shamrock AC was also in action led home by Ronan Wogan in 7:13. Kate Purcell and Fiona Stack were first of the women, both given a time of 85:27.
At the Dromiskin 5km in Co Louth, Daniel Stone of Raheny Shamrock AC was the winner in 14 mins 38 secs, beating Yared Derese of Carrick Aces into second place. Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers was third.
In the Mill Hill Mile, held annually on the brutal main street climb from Annsborough to the square at Castlewellan, in Co Down, Lee Maginnis of Clonliffe Harriers was first M45.
Track and Field
Although the season is winding down, it proved an exceptionally busy week for Irish athletes, who were racing at meets all over Europe in last-gasp efforts before the chill of the winter sets in. Among them was Brian Fay of Raheny Shamrock AC who on Wednesday (September 6) was competing over 3000m in Rovereto, Italy, where he finished second in a lifetime best t of 7 mins 36.89 secs. That puts him third on the all-time Irish list. A few days earlier in Padua, Fay had run a personal best 3:36.52 for 1500m.
In Pflungstadt, also on Wednesday, Luke McCann of UCD AC ran an outdoor personal best 3:53.82 when finishing sixth in the mile; McCann ran 3:53.55 indoors last February, so that wasn’t his fastest overall time.
On Friday (September 8), at the Volksbank Trier Flutlichtmeeting in Germany, Clare Mooney of Crusaders AC finished seventh in the 800m with a time of 2:03.82.
Other news.
Entry is still open for the annual Rathfarnham 5km on Sunday September 24 (10am). Registered AI athletes pay €23 including all charges; non-AI runners pay an extra €2. Group entry for clubs is also on offer. Details http://www.rathfarnham5krun.ie/
- Good luck to all in the forthcoming cross-country season which begins with the first juvenile league round at Lusk next Sunday (September 17).
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