Dublin road runners were spoiled for choice over the week with three major racing taking place over the weekend. First up was the Dublin Pride Run 5km in the Phoenix Park,, where James Moran led home close to 1,200 finishers in 16 mins 44 secs. Second in 16:56 was Christopher O’Reilly in 16:56, while third in 17:18 was Owen Fletcher. First woman was Deirdre Lyons in 19:33, followed by Mie Hoff in 20:32 and Deirdre Ni Chearbhaill in 21:15. Groups from many Dublin clubs and businesses took part in the race.
On Saturday evening, at the Dunshaughlin 10km Dundrum South Dublin won all three team prizes - with the women’s team led by Meghan Ryan in second place and the men’s team led by Killian Mooney who was seventh overall. The race was also round 5 of the Peugeot Race Series 2024 and in the mixed team category (three men, three women), DSD were again the winners. Other Dublin athletes in action included Ciara Hickey (Brothers Pearse AC,W40) third woman, Declan O’Meara (DSD) first junior, Shane O’Neill (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) first M50, Paul Cowhie (Crusaders AC) first M60, and Maria McCambridge (DSD AC) first W45 ahead of Noreen Brouder (Sportsworld AC)
Early the next morning in the Phoenix Park, Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC, M35) led home 1,658 finishers at the Irish Runner 5-Mile Challenge, which doubled up as an Irish championships. Kelly, better known as a track runner, finished in 24 mins 11 secs. Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers) was third in 24:46. In the women’s race, Faye Dervan (DCH) finished fifth, Aedin Corr (Donore Harriers) seventh and Zoe Quinn (Raheny Shamrock) ninth. In the age categories, Corr was first W35, Clare Sullivan (Crusaders AC) first W40, Zoe Quinn (second W45, and Tara Kennedy (Raheny Shamrock) first W50. In the W60 age group, Anne Whelan (Lucan Harriers) was third with her Lucan clubmate Rosemary Gaine third W65. Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock ) was first W70, followed by Una Reilly (Liffey Valley) and Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers), while Judith Lloyd (Sportsworld AC) was first W75. Of the men, Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M35, Ciaran McCarthy (Raheny Shamrock ) second M50, Kevin Thompson (Skerries AC) third M55, Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) second M65 and Michael Walsh (Brothers Pearse) third M65. Joe Cooper (Liffey Valley) was third M70 and his clubmate Pat Collins (Liffey Valley) first M75 ahead of another Liffey Valley clubmate Paddy Reilly and Barry Potts (Donore Harriers). Trevor Lloyd (Sportsworld was first M80.
Raheny Shamrock won the senior men’s team category by just three seconds from Celbridge AC, with Clonliffe Harriers a close third and Liffey Valley fourth. Among the other Dublin clubs entered were Donore Harriers, Skerries AC. Metro St Brigid’s, Tallaght, Blackrock, Rathfarnham WSAF, Sportsworld, Coolock RC, Brothers Pearse, Dublin Front Runners and Ballymun. Finished second of the women’s teams was the Raheny trio of Zoe Quinn, Ciara Brady amd Tara Kennedy second. Among the Dublin clubs represented were Clonliffe Harriers, Donore Harriers, Liffey Valley, Crusaders, Lucan Harriers, Sportsworld, North Clondalkin, Coolock, Artane/Beaumont , Ballymun, D15 RC, Lusk Dublin Front Runners and Garristown Flyers. In the masters’ team categories, Clonliffe Harriers finished second f M35, with Raheny Shamrock third and Donore Harriers fourth. Donore Harriers finished second W35. In the W50 category, Raheny Shamrock’s trio of MaryWalsh, Lorraine Byrne and Mary Lynch came out on top. Lucan Harriers, led by Breda Smyth, was second and RathfarnhamWSAF, led by Donna Mahon, third.
At the The Long Woman’s 5km, in Omeath, Co Louth on Friday (June 21) Patrick O’Grady (Clonliffe Harriers) finished sixth and first M60 in 16:13 . Also for Clonliffe, David Brady finished ninth and Lee Maginnis 13th.
TRACK AND FIELD - HOME
Bori Akinola made it a home win in the men’s 100m at the UCD Athletics Meet, held at the Belfield, track on Wednesday (June 19). Akinola won both 100m races clocking times of 10.29 and 10.28 secs. Second in both was Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) with times of 10.42 and 10.36. Lawler is only recently returned from injury. A thrilling women’s 100m saw Alana Ryan (Sli Cualann AC) chased all the way to the line by Paralympian Orla Comerford (Raheny Shamrock AC). The pair were given times of 11.89 and 11.90 (wind assisted), with Comerford’s time boding well for her appearance at the Paralympic Games in September. Only three days earlier in Troyes, she had run a legal personal best 12.01 for the distance. Fastest over 400m was junior athlete Joe Doody (Cabinteely AC), an Irish relay squad member, in 47.35. Over 800m, Carla Sweeney (Rathfarnham WSAF C) finished second in 2:06.51 and junior athlete Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers), third in 2:06.58. Winning the B 800m in 2:11.62 was Niamh Kelly (Clonliffe Harriers) .In the men’s A 800m Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers ) finished third in 1:54.23, while Liam Donohoe (UCD) won the B race in 1:54.45. The women’s 1,500m turned into a battle between Ellie Hartnett (UCD) and Amy O’Donoghue (DSD), with Hartnett edging it in 4:24.77 and O’Donoghue second in 4:24.84.
Junior athlete Cormac Dixon (Tallaght AC) continued his recent winning streak with victory in the men’s 1500m in 3:47.68. Sean Carrigg (Clonliffe Harriers) narrowly pulled off victory in the B race with a time of 3:59.92. First woman in the mixed 3000m was Emma McEvoy (DSD) in 9:30.52. In the field, Daphni Doulaptsi Teewen (Raheny Shamrock AC) won the women’s long jump with 5.82. Her clubmate Colm Bourke was best of the men with 7.20; both efforts were wind assisted. Mary Hayden (Tallaght AC) won the hammer with 57.31.
Dublin winners at the Tailteann Games in Santry on Saturday included Emily Bolton (Mount Sackville/Donore Harriers) winner of the 3000m in 10:10.2, Leia Ryan (Castleknock CC/MSB AC ) 1500m in 4:38.47 and ,Des O’Neill (St Fintan’s/Mid-Sutton AC) the 100m hurdles in 13.50.
TRACK AND FIELD - AWAY
With the National Championships looming and last-minute Olympic qualification at stake, Dublin athlete were competing all over Europe. Race of the week came in Turku, Finland on Tuesday where Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) and Luke McCann battled it out all the way to the line in the men’s 1500m at the Paavo Nurmi meet. Doyle took the win in a personal best 3:34.09; McCann was second in 3:34.32. The pair could both qualify for the Paris Olympics under the quota system. With 45 places on offer, McCann is currently ranked 37th and Doyle 43rd.
At a Continental Tour silver meet in Madrid on Friday, Sarah Healy (UCD AC) who already had an Olympic qualifying time for 1500m, was second in the 800m in 2:01.30. In the hammer, Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) finished seventh with a 69.33m throw.
Cathal Doyle was racing again in Kuortane, Finland, on Saturday (June 22) when he won the 1500m in a time of 3:35.98. Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) won the women’s 3000m in 8:54.61. In Vienna, Georgie Hartigan (DSD AC) ran 2:03.22 for 800m while in Geneva, Switzerland, Luke McCann won a 1500m race in 3:35.71, with Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock) sixth in the shot with a 19.14 effort.
At the BMC Grand Prix, Loughborough on Saturday (June 22), Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) ran a personal best 7:58.11 when finishing third in the A graded 3000m. In the men’s 2000m steeplechase, Matei Ursachi , also Clonliffe, finished fourth with a personal best time of 6.01.03, which is inside the European U18 Championships qualifying mark. In the graded 800m races, Finn Woodger (Metro St Brigid’s AC) ran a personal best 1:50.51, Jack Kelly (Tallaght AC, U20) 1:54.69 and Lee Byrne (Rathfarnham WSAF) 1:55.11.
Coming up:
Tuesday June 25: Lord Mayor of Raheny 2-Mile Series Rd 3(of 13; Tommy Lynam Cup), Wade’s Avenue/All Saints Road, Dublin 8pm. Entry €7 per race/€50 series. Best eight results to count. www.rahenyshamrock.ie
Saturday June 29 - Sunday June 30: All Ireland T-F Championships, Santry. www.athleticsireland.ie
