TRACK AND FIELD
Sarah Healy (UCD AC) made a massive improvement to her 1500m personal best time when running in one of the greatest women’s 1500m races of all time at the Paris Diamond League on Sunday (July 7).Up front, Faith Kipyegon improved on her own world record time when winning in 3:49.04, improving on the 3:49.11 she set last year when becoming the first woman to break 3:50 for the distance. Healy’s time of 3:57.26 for seventh place knocked over two seconds off her previous best of 3:59.58 and puts her second on the all-time list behind Ciara Mageean; Mageean was also racing in Paris, finishing tenth in a season’s best 3:58.69.
Elsewhere in Paris, Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) was running at the ‘Fast Meet’ on Saturday (July 6) where his time of 13:23.83 for 17th place in the 5000m was a personal best. Next up for Gidey is Friday night’s Morton Games.
Locally, Dundrum South Dublin AC finished top of the table in both men and women’s categories at the All-Ireland Track and Field League qualifier held at the TUS track in Athlone on Saturday (July 6). DSD are the defending women’s champions, and will be going for a twelfth title overall when finals day takes place on Sunday July 28 in Tullamore. The Dublin club finished comfortably clear of St Laurence O’Toole AC. Also in the top eight were Clonliffe Harriers and Raheny Shamrock, who will now compete in the premier division final. Into division 1 are Rathfarnham WSAF, LSA, Lucan Harriers and UCD of the Dublin clubs. Winners for DSD Ciara Wilson Bowen walk, Amy O’Donoghue 1500m, Mollie O’Reilly 100m and both 4x100 and 4 x 400 teams. Behind DSD in the men’s classification and making the premier division were many times champions Clonliffe Harriers. Both Donore Harriers and Raheny Shamrock will compete in men’s division 1, with John Travers winning the men’s 1500m for Donore. DSD finished top of the table by collecting solid points across the all the disciplines including a win for Ciaran Carthy in the100m; like many other athletes on the day, Carthy was lining out in unfamiliar events and picked up points in the long jump.
At the BMC Grand Prix, in Birmingham on Saturday (July 6), Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers) won the women’s B 800m in 2:06. 07. In the men’s G 1500m, Kieron Sexton (Crusaders) was the winner in 3:58.60, with Michael McCarthy (DSD AC) second in 3:59.49. In the men’s B 3000m, Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock, M35) finished eighth in 8:19.44.
Finn Woodger (Metro/St Brigid’s AC) produced the fastest men’s time in the 1500m at the sixth Dublin Graded Meet held in Santry on Wednesday (July 3). In the second of two grade A races, Woodger finished in 3:54.9. Liam Donohoe (UCD AC) was second in 3:59.0. Donore junior Rhys Johnson won the B race in 4:09.86. A total of seven men’s 1500m races took place. Winning the women’s grade A 1500m was Fiona Hawkins (Dublin City Harriers) in 4:49.48. Second and first in grade B in 4:2.88 was Aisling Smith (Ballymena and Antrim AC). Over 400m, Róisín Murphy (Bray Runners) proved fastest with a time of 57.69 secs. Alice Sinclair (DSD ) was second in 58:04. Ellen McLoughlin (MSB) won the Graded C/D race in 5:09.57. Winning the mens A grade 400m in 49.54 secs was David Davitt (Clonliffe Harriers). In the field, Eimear McBride (Lusk AC) won the women’s hammer with a throw of 41.09. Grace Casey (Clonliffe Harriers) won the javelin with 40.58m and Ciara Sheehy (Emerald AC) the shot with 13.30m. Of the men, Gerard Kelly (St Abban’s AC) won the hammer with 41.41, Conor O’Reilly (Blackrock AC) the javelin with 39.07m and Conor Quinn (Crusaders AC) the shot with 15.53.
ROADS
James Hyland and Siobhan Eviston, both members of local club Raheny Shamrock AC, were the winners of the Nora Arthur Charity 5km in St Anne’s Park, Raheny on Sunday (July 7). Hyland finished in15:51 and Eviston sixth overall in 18:01.
Wayne Waldron (Donore Harriers) was the winner of the Bear Races organised Clontarf Half Marathon in Dublin leading home an astonishing 3,157 finishers in a time of 74:57. First woman was Clare Talty in 86:44. A further 1,160 completed the 5-mile run, with Eoin Maguire (Clonliffe Harriers) leading them home in 28:19 and Eimear O’Neill first woman in 31:50.
On a busy Friday evening, Aaron Smith (Cilles AC) and David Rooney (Raheny Shamrock) battled it out to the end at the Bettystown B5 5km in Co Meath, with Smith the winner in 15:26 and Rooney two seconds behind for second in 15:28. First woman was Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF AC), W40) in 17:20, with Barbara Cleary (Donore Harriers, W50) second in 17:25. Finishing third and first woman at the Rooskey GAA 5km in Co Roscommon on the same night was Cliona Murphy (Dublin City Harriers) who finished in 17:06.
ULTRA
Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers, W40) finished fourth overall and first woman at the Serpent’s Trail 100km in Hampshsire, England. The off-road (and occasionally muddy) course ran from Haslemere to Petersfield in the South Downs National Park. Loughnane’s time was 9 hrs 38 mins 46 secs.
Captions:
Happy finishers at Nora Arthur Charity 5km. Image www.myrunresult.com
Maura Lynskey (Raheny Shamrock AC) finishing the Nora Arthur Charity 5km. Image www.myrunresult.com
Sorcha Loughnane at Serpent’s Trail 100km
DSD squad
