DCC WINS FOR HOPKINS AND EVISTON
Ieuan Hopkins of Brothers Pearse AC was the winner of the Dublin City Council BHAA 4-Mile Road Race, held in St Anne’s Park, Raheny, Dublin on Saturday - April Fools’ Day! Hopkins showed that he was far from foolish when clocking a time of 20 mins 14 secs, which put him twenty seconds clear of George Snee from Fidelity Investments Ireland who finished in 20:34. Third in 21:31 was Tom Sherlock of Clonliffe Harriers who was leading Bank of Ireland to a Grade 1 team victory. Brian McMahon from Clonliffe Harriers was fourth and first M40 in 21:46 and Declan Power, also Clonliffe Harriers, fifth and first M50. First woman was Siobhan Eviston of Raheny Shamrock AC in 23:04, with DSD AC’s Sarah Mulligan second in 23:16 and Sinead Lambe of Donore Harriers third in 23:33.
At theTitanic 10km in Belfast, Oran O’Hare of DCH AC finished 11th in 32:51.
In Co Offaly, Ray Hynes of Donore Harriers won the Lough Boora Half Marathon in 69 mins 54 secs. At the Ennis 10km, in Co Clare, Annette Kelly of Dublin club Love 2 Run finished third in 40:29.
Abroad, Cliona Murphy of Dublin City Harriers finished in 76 mins 43 secs (76 :13 chip time). Making her half marathon debut was Kate Hawkshaw of Clonliffe Harriers who was second of the Irish women, crossing the line in 87:59 (83:20 chip time). A total of 27,067 completed the race.
In Canada, Ian Guiden of Clonliffe Harriers finished fourth in the Spring Run Off 8km in Toronto with a solid time of 24 mins 37 secs for the hilly course.
DUBS SHINE AT MASTERS INDOORS
Ireland ended up a highly creditable seventh on the medals table at the World Masters Indoors in Torún, Poland which concluded on Saturday. After Anne Woodlock of Donore Harriers, who took W80 gold in the 3000m, a number of other Dublin club athletes were in the medals. Taking double gold was Zoe Quinn of Raheny Shamrock AC in the W45 cross-country and 10km which, along with the half marathon, were included in the championship programme. Quinn’s Raheny clubmate Annette Kealy managed to combine racing outdoors and indoors, following up her second place in the W55 3000m with victory in the cross-county. Kealy also helped the W50 team to gold.From Clonliffe Harriers, Edel Maguire won both the W60 high jump and long jump, while Carol Kearney of Lucan Harriers finished third in the W55 400m. In the women’s 4 x 200m, Snezina Bechtina of Clonliffe Harriers helped the team to bronze.Of the men, Philip O’Doherty of Clonliffe Harriers and Tom O’Connor of Liffey Valley AC were on the second placed M60 cross-country team. Taking bronze medals in the mixed over 55 mixed 4 x 200m relay were Shane Sheridan of Dundrum South Dublin AC and Carol Kearney of Lucan Harriers, while Matt Slattery of Clonliffe Harriers helped the over 65 team to another bronze medal.
TRIPLE WHAMMY FOR RHASIDAT
Tallaght AC’s Rhasidat Adeleke was named joint Athlete of the Meet for an epic performance at the Texas Relays in Austin, where she was part of four winning runs for her Texas University team, three of them in record times. She started out with the sprint medley on Friday evening, followed by the 4x200m, 4x100m, and finally the 4x400m on Saturday, where despite running on tired legs, she recorded a lightning fast 49.2 secs for her anchor leg. Cheering on the younger Dubliner was a crowd of 17,000.
ULTRA RUNNING
At the 28th Anglo Celtic Plate and Open 100km held in Craigavon, Co Armagh, on Sunday (April 2) Wayne Waldron, of Donore Harriers and the the Ireland B team, finished eleventh with a time of 7:11.59. Ian Fitzgerald, also of Donore Harriers, was 19th in 7:28.36, In the 50km, Sean Meehan of Cherry Orchard RC finished second in 3:38.
JUVENILES
Athlone was the venue for the final days of the All Ireland Juvenile Indoor Championships. Congrats to the Dublin juveniles who were in action and represented their clubs with distinction.
COMING UP …
St Anne’s Park, Raheny is the venue on Easter Monday April 10 fro the Battle of Clontarf 10-Mile, which for the first time will include a BHAA element, with prizes for the first two women’s and six men’s teams. The initiative recalls the support of the late Pat Hooper, race founder and chairman of the Dublin board who was also a staunch supporter of the BHAA See https://rahenyshamrock.ie/?p=
Starting at the ALSAA on April 13 with the Frank White 5-Mile is the Clonliffe Grand Prix series for 2023. Round 2, the McDonald Cup is scheduled April 27, also at the ALSAA.
REST IN PEACE HARRY GORMAN
For many, many years, Harry Gorman, with his white hair and gentle wit, was a mainstay at every road race and cross-country in the greater Dublin area. Harry often acted as official starter for races and clearly loved every minute of his time in athletics. In his younger days, Harry won - among other things - an Irish marathon title and, of course, there was his travelling as one of the ‘Three Amigos’ along with his great friends Sean Callan and the late Matt Rudden. Since 1960 in Rome, Harry had never missed an Olympic Games, making fifteen of them in all, and also travelling the world in support Irish athletes at other championship events.He had slowed down in recent years but right to the end, at the mighty age of 94, Harry was a true friend to everyone in Irish athletics. His club Donore Harriers has issued the following statement:
‘A great athlete and former national marathon champion, a tireless athletics volunteer, and someone who travelled all over the world to suport the Irish athletics team. ‘Heartfelt sympathies to Harry’s family and wide circle of friends in the athletics community. May he rest in peace.’
