WEEKEND RACES
In a weekend packed with road races of varying distances all over the country, Dublin club athletes were very much to the fore with Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin AC best of the Irish at the Antrim Coast International Half Marathon in Larne where he finished eighth overall in 62:46. Other Dublin athletes in action included John Eves (DSD) 46th in 69:35, Pierce Geoghegan (Liffey Valley M40) in 69:37 and David Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock, M45) in 72:11. For Clonliffe Harriers, Meghan O’Keeffe took almost two minutes off her half marathon PB with a time of 1:28.30, while Lee Duddy’s time of 1:25.04 was almost ten minutes quicker than he’s ever run before. Not too far behind were John Torsney 1:28.32, Tom Griffin 1:31.13 and Dave Comiskey 1:36.06.
At the 21st Longford Marathon Anthony Eames (Raheny Shamrock) finished second and first M40 in 2hrs 41 mins 19 secs. Dublin club runners breaking three hours were John Doyle (Portmarnock AC) seventh in 2.53:51 and Kenan Furlong (Crusaders AC) in 2:56.43. James Doran (An Riocht AC, M40) led home almost 500 finishers in the half marathon with a time of 71:58. First woman was Roisin McMahon in 87:20.
Finished 11th in the 39-Mile ultra marathon with a time of 5:53.20 was Gerard Kilbey (Ballymun AC); sixth woman in 7:31.57 was Eleanor O’Neill (Lucan Harriers, W50)
Gary Gaskin of the host club won the GForce Streetforce RC 5km, at Brickfield Park, Drimnagh, in 19 mins 27 secs. First woman was Nathalie Halpin of North Clondalkin RC. Other Dublin clubs represented included Ringsend RC, The Liberties RC, Cherry Orchard RC, Inner City RC, Sheriff Street RC, Up and Out Fitness, Shelters RC, Waterstown Warriors RC, Ballymun AC, Donore Harriers and D15 RC, with 340 finishers in all.
At the Rossin Rovers AFC Heritage 5km, in Co Meath, Garrett Loy (Clonliffe Harriers) finished third in 18:2. In Letterkenny Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock) finished second woman in 81:90 at the Donegal Half Marathon.
EARLIER IN THE WEEK…
At the Celbridge 5km, in Co Kildare, on Thursday evening (August 22), the generous cash prize the attracted an entry of almost 500 including 36 teams, many of them from Dublin clubs. Sean Quinn (Dundrum South Dublin) finished second in 14:36 followed by Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers) third in 14:45, Eanna O Bradaigh (DSD ) fourth I 15:14, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) fifth in 15:19 and Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers) sixth and first W40 in 15.28. DSD pair Meghan Ryan in 17:10 and Marie McCambridge in 17:24 finished second and third of the women with McCambridge was also first W40 and DSD clear winners of a valuable mixed team prize. Picking up age group prizes were Breda Smyth (Lucan Harriers) second and Carol Dempsey (Civil Service Harriers) third W50 and and Fiona Byrne (Civil Service Harriers) first W60.
Fintan Kerins (unatt) clocked a time of 15 mins 34 secs to win the Portmarnock Beach 5km, in Co Dublin, also on Thursday. Sean Heaslip Owens (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 15:40 and Gavin Eccles third in 15:41. Ciara Peelo (Clonliffe Harriers, W40) was first woman in 30:23 followed by Emma Przymusinka (Lusk AC) in 20:31 and Lorraine O’Reilly (Portmarnock AC, W50 ) in 20:47.
Racing machine Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) travelled to Co Westmeath on Wednesday evening (August 1) to win the`Castlepollard 5km/Tullynally Challenge in a time of 15:40. Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers) finished second woman in 17:27 and Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF, W40) third woman in 17:52.
TRACK AND FIELD
As she did at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) finished fourth in the women’s 400m at the Diamond League Silesia meeting in Poland on Sunday (August 25). Coming off the final bend, Adeleke had a slight edge on Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic coming off the final bend, Paulino found an extra gear and went on win in a meet record of 48.66 seconds. Only in the final chase for the line was the Tallaght woman passed by Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser and Natalia Kaczmarek from Poland, with Naser second in 49.23, Kaczmarek third in 49.95 and Adeleke fourth in 50 seconds flat. Sarah Healy (Blackrock AC) finished fifth in the women's’ 1500m in 3:59.65. At the Motonet GP meet in Tampere, Finland, an off-colour Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) finished well down the field in the 1500m placing 14th in 3.42.47.
TRAIL
Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin AC had well over three minutes to spare when winning the Warriors’ Run 15km, at Strandhill, Co Sligo on Saturday (August 24) in 55 mins 27 secs. For a second year, international orienteer of Dublin club Great Eastern Navigators was first woman in 71:10. Sarah Kelly was second in 75:46 and Rosy Temple third in 75:54.
MASTERS
Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock AC) added to her considerable collection of masters’ medals when winning gold and silver medals at the World Masters Championships which concluded in Gothenburg, Sweden on Sunday (August 25). Kealy started her campaign by winning the W55 10km in a time of 39 mins 30 secs, over half a minute clear of the chasers. Towards the end of the week, she finished second in the half marathon in 1:27.33 and also helped the Irish team to gold. Another winner of multiple medals was Edel Maguire of Clonliffe. She started by winning the W65 high jump and finishing third in the 200m on the same day. A few days later, she took silver in the 400m.
