DUBS AT DUNBOYNE 10KM
Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers AC), winner of the the Portlaoise 5km a week earlier, and Emmet Jennings (Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished second and third at Sunday’s Dunboyne 10km, which incorporated the All Ireland 10km Championships and was held in perfect conditions for good times. Race winner was Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) in 29:187; Murchan chased him to the line and finished in 29:21, with Jennings third in 29:44. Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) finished fourth and first M40 in 30:16. In sixth place, Mitchell Byrne, last year’s winner, was leading Rathfarnham WSAF to team victory in both the open and senior men’s championship categories, with Clonliffe Harriers second. Making up the team were David Scanlon, Louis McCarthy and Kevin Donagher.
The top six women all broke 34 minutes, led home by Shona Heaslip (An Riocht AC) in a stunning personal best time of 32:49. Grace Lynch (DSD AC) fifth in 33:51 was the first Dublin club finisher. Metro St Brigid’s, led by Catherina Mullen were the winner of the women’s team title, with four results to count. Raheny Shamrock was third and Donore Harriers fourth. In the senior team competition for a national title, with three to count, Dublin City Harriers and Metro St Brigid’s finished second and third teams behind Tullamore Harriers.
Also contested were over 35 and over 50 team championships. In the over 35 class, Raheny Shamrock’s trio of Fiona Roche, Kate Purcell and Zoe Quinn won the women’s title, while the men’s team of Ian Conroy, Cillian O’Leary and John Dunne finished runners-up behind Clane AC. Raheny, led by Ciaran McCarthy, was also second team in the M50 class; MSB was fourth. The Lucan Harriers team of Breda Smith, Mary Browne and Lorraine Heffernan, finished second W50 behind perennial winners Mayo AC. Brothers Pearse were fourth. A total of 1,260 completed the race. Some pictures are at www.flickr.com/lindie and now also the full album at www.lindie.zenfolio.com.
SCHOOLS
Ireland hosted the SIAB Schools Cross-Country International at the National Cross-Country course in Abbotstown on Saturday, where the home nation finished second in three of the four races contested. Best of the Irish in the inter girls’ race was Emily Bolton (Mount Sackville Chapelizod and Donore Harriers) in eighth place.England won all four races and also the two mixed relays.
CROSS-COUNTRY
Daniel O’Brien (ESB and Lusk AC) and Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) were the winners at a new look Irish Life BHAA cross-country held at the Meath Eco Park, Rathbeggan Lakes, a venue known to many from the Ireland’s Fittest Family TV show. On an undulating and mucky 2km lap navigated three times, O’Brien, a welcome new addition to the Business Houses Athletic Association, pushed the pace from the start and finished in 21 min 57 secs. Third in 23:15 was Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers. McDonnell finished seventh overall and first woman in 25:04. Sarah Hade (Brothers Pearse AC) was second ESB, led by O’Brien, won both the the grade 1 and grade 2 team categories. Completing the race was the remarkable June Comiskey (Raheny Shamrock) who was first W75, finishing in just over 40 minutes. And by the way, she beat four other younger runners!
BHAA races now leave the mud behind and heads for the roads , with the Dublin City Council 4-Mile taking place in St Anne’s Park on Saturday April 6. Newcomers to BHAA running are always welcome. Entry fee for any of its races is just €10 once you register. Bargain!
MASTERS
Ireland finished seventh on the medals table at the European Masters Indoors in Torún Poland, with three Dublin club athletes doing us proud with two individual golds apiece. Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock) won both the W55 3000m and the cross-country in her age group and also helped the W55 team to victory. Ann Woodlock (Donore Harriers), not only won the W85 3000m but beat younger athletes on her way to victory in the 1500m. A busy woman was Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Harriers) who won both the W65 60m and 400m, finished third in the 300m and helped the W60 mixed 4 x 200m relay team to silver. In the M35 1500m, Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) took silver, while taking a bronze medal in the M65 60m and team silver in the M60 mixed relay was Shane Sheridan (DSD AC). Matt Slattery (Clonliffe Harriers) was a member of the M70 4x200m that took silver.
THROWS
Clonliffe Harriers athletes had a good day at t the National Spring Throws in Tullamore over the weekend. Grace Casey won the javelin with a throw of 39.49m, Simon Galligan threw 59.05 for victory in the men’s hammer, while Frances Mansfield (almost 80!) won the W75 hammer with a 17.91 effort. Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) won the women’s hammer with a throw of 66.25, while a 43.88m effort assured Anna Gavigan (LSA AC) of victory in the discus.
TRAIL
Finishing second woman at the annual Maurice Mullins Memorial 50km, held in the Wicklow Mountains on Saturday (March 23) was Donore ultra runner Sorcha Loughnane. In wet and windy conditions, Loughnane completed the 51.1km course with 2,500m of climb in 5 hrs 23 mins 11 secs. Race winner was England-based Emma Stuart, originally from Sligo, in 5 hrs 5 mins 11.
