CROSS-COUNTRY
Dublin champion Paul Stephenson of Rathfarnham WSAF AC was a comfortable winner of the Leinster Masters Cross-County Championships held in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow on Sunday (January 21). With gusting winds and an undulating course, conditions were difficult to say the least. Stephen’s time of 24:32 for the 6km course put him over half a minute clear of the field. A close third and first M40 in 25:14 was Mick Fogarty of Ferbane AC, while fourth and first M45 was David Kirwin of Raheny Shamrock AC nn 25:17. Third in the shorter M65 race was Michael Walsh of Brothers Pearse. Rathfarnham WSAF AC was second team. In a closely fought team competition, Raheny Shamrock beat Rathfarnham WSAF by a single point, avenging their defeat at the Dublin Championships a fortnight ago. Raheny Shamrock also took the M50 team title, beating Metro St Brigid’s AC and Sportsworld AC. Dublin was a clear winner of the county team prize, also winning the M50 title.
Kate Purcell of Raheny Shamrock AC, runner-up in the Dublin Championships, won the women’s race ahead of Laura McDonnell of Rathfarnham WSAF AC, who was third in Dublin. Third in 15:56 was Fiona Roche of Raheny Shamrock, with Sorcha Loughnane of Donore Harriers fourth and first W45 in 16:01. Fiona Byrne of Civil Service AC was first W60 ahead of Mary Browne of Lucan Harriers. With Sharon Keilthy making up the scoring trio, Raheny Shamrock took the team title; Donore Harriers was fourth. Rathfarnham WSAF was second W50 team, Dublin, with the minimum possible points, were first county team.
In the intermediate races, Dublin City Harriers pair Aislinn Moorehouse and Cristin Scollard finished second and third in 21:38 and 21.45 respectively. Civil Service Harriers, led by Laura Cullen in fourth place, took the team title, with Dublin City Harriers second and Liffey Valley AC third. Sportsworld AC was fourth. In a closely fought men’s inter race, Oran O’Hare of Dublin City Harriers was just pipped for victory. With Liam Naughton third, Conor Murphy 14th and Mark Gilligan 15th, Dublin City Harriers won the team title by four points from Liffey Valley AC, led by David Carroll in fifth place. Sportsworld AC was seventh.
INDOORS
As is so often the case these days, the Dublin – and Irish – athletics performance of the weekend came from Tallaght AC’s Rhasidat Adeleke who broke her own Irish records for 60m and 200m at the Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday (January 20). Adeleke – a 400m specialist don’t forget –won the 60m in 7.15 secs and then ran a time of 22.49 in the 200m. Her previous best times were 7.17 secs for 60m run in 2022 and 22.52 for 200m run in 2023.
Israel Olatunde of UCD AC was in action at Jablonec, Czech Republic on Saturday (January 20), running a time of 6.76 for 60m, which puts him top of the current Irish rankings. Also in action in Jablonec was Eric Favors of Raheny Shamrock AC who was third in the shot with a 19.99 effort. In the 100m, Mollie O’Reilly of DSD AC ran a personal best 11.93 when finishing second in the race.
In Dortmund, Germany, comeback kid Sophie Becker of Raheny Shamrock AC ran a time of 54.09 for second place in the B final. In Wales, Cillian Kirwan of Raheny Shamrock AC won the men’s 800m A race at the BMC Indoor meet in Cardiff, on Sunday (January 21). Kirwan was a clear winner of the race in 1:51.27. In the women’s A 1500m, Ellie Hartnett of UCD AC finished third in 4:24.52.
Dublin winners at the National Junior Indoors in Athlone on Saturday (January 20) were Saoirse Fitzpatrick (Lucan Harriers in the 800m, with Zoie Richie (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) second; Molly Mullally (DSD AC) won triple jump, Siun Quinn (Bros Pearse AC) high jump and Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) the 60m. In the U23 Championships, Nkemjika Onwmereh (MSB AC) won the 60m, with Michael Farrelly (Raheny Shamrock AC second, while Joe Doody (Cabinteely AC) won the 400m with David Doyle (DSDAC) second. Dara Donoghue (Lucan Harriers) won the 800m and Sam Vines (Cabinteely AC) the shot. Of the women, Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) won the 400m, Susie Nestor (UCD AC) the 800m and Eimear Maher (DSD AC)the 1500m.
Meanwhile the first of five days of action in the Dublin Juvenile Indoors Championships took place at the NIA, Abbotstown on Sunday January 21. Pictures at https://www.flickr.com/photos/
SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY
Schools cross-country moves into top gear this week after a warm-up event hosted and organised by DCU at St Claire’s Glasnevin on Wednesday (January 17), which attracted schools not only from Leinster but also Ulster and Munster. Winning the boy’s senior race was Lorcan Benjacar of Ardscoil Rís (and Clonliffe Harriers), who beat Rory Quill of St Aidan’s CBS (also Clonliffe Harriers) and with its three counting finishers in the top six, St Aidan’s took the team title. Ardscoil Rís was third. Maeve Caffrey of Mount Sackville won the senior girls’ race ahead of Laura Nunan from the Institute of Education and Cliona Ryan of St Dominic’s Cabra, who was also leading her school to team victory. Winning the inter girls race was Emily Bolton of Mount Sackville, with St Dominic’s Cabra best of the teams ahead of Coláiste Íosogáin. Leading home 88 finishers in the boys’ inter race was Conor McGuirk of Lusk Community College. Belvedere College was third of the teams.
Largest numbers of the day came in the minor and junior boys’ races, with 121 finishers in the minor race where St Kieran’s Kilkenny won the team title. St Dominic’s Cabra proved best of the teams in the minor girls race, with Holy Child Killiney taking the junior title.
- Phoenix Park (Papal Cross) is the venue for the East Leinster School Cross-Country on Wednesday January 24 (10am), followed by the West Leinsters on Thursday and the North Leinsters on Friday. The Leinster Championships on Wednesday February 7, also in the Phoenix Park.
- All roads lead to Rahney next Sunday for the 40th Rahney 5 - the first major road race of the year. Taking public transport to get there is advised!
Captions:
Donore Harriers team at Leinster Masters cross-country – Sorcha Loughnane 4th overall Caroline McCarthy, Audrey Gahan, Ariana Ball, Claire Mulligan and Julia Hackett.
Two records for Rhasidat Adeleke.
On their marks at Dublin Juvenile Indoors Day 1
