The Irish Olympian was the star in Dublin, while Gary O’Hanlon broke the marathon course record in Cork, and on Saturday young athletes lit up the track and field at the schools championships in Tullamore.

Leevale AC’s Lizzie Lee led home 28,000 finishers on the streets of Dublin to win the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on Sunday (June 3).

The 38 year-old crossed the line in 34:18 to finish 12 seconds ahead of Laura Shaughnessy in what was her first victory at the annual Irish capital event.

Dublin South Dublin’s Shaughnessy closely tracked Lee until the 5km turnaround on the Stillorgan Road before she broke away. Shaughnessy did her best to stay in touch but for a second year had to be content with the runner-up spot in 34:30.

RELATED: The alternative route to the top by Ireland’s marathon women

Finishing third was twice previous winner Siobhan O’Doherty of Borrisoleigh AC in 34:55, who had her own battle with Ciara Hickey of Brothers Pearse AC before pulling away in the second half of the race.

Hickey was fourth and Linda Byrne of DSD fifth.

On a good day for Cork athletes, Sinead Kane retained her visually impaired title. First to cross the finish line was junior wheelchair international Shauna Bocquet of Craughwell AC in Co Galway.

National marathon champion Gary O’Hanlon of Clonliffe Harriers was the winner of the Cork City Marathon in a new course record time of 2:21:09.

O’Hanlon, who was first M40 at the London Marathon last April, finished four minutes clear of Mark Kirwan from Raheny Shamrock in 2:25:17. Third was Eoin Callaghan of Star of the Sea AC in 2:26:08. The first woman was Zola Flynn from Sligo in 2:58:54.

Winners of the half marathon were Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers in 67:59 and Claire Gibbons McCarthy of Leevale AC in 76:51. Second of the men n 69:19 was Raheny’s Cillian O’Leary, the 2015 winner of the marathon. More about the Cork City Marathon can be found here.

On the other side of the island, Dan Tanui was a comfortable winner of the Walled City Marathon in Derry in a course record time of 2:19:44.

A distant second was his Project Africa teammate Eric Koech in 2:25:29; Koech won the Belfast Marathon last month. The first woman was Heather Noone in 3:05:38.

Mick Clohisey survived hot and sticky conditions to finish fifth in the České Budějovice Half Marathon in the Czech Republic in a time of 65:40 on Saturday (June 2). “It was 23 degrees and 80% humidity so took its toll, but happy with placing. Good practice for Berlin in August,” he said afterwards.

The race was won by Scottish athlete Luke Traynor and a report can be found here.

Track and field

A new championship best performance for Sarah Healy of Holy Child Killiney in the senior girls’ 1500m proved the highlight of a packed day at the All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships held in Tullamore on Saturday (June 2).

Healy’s time of 4:18.32 knocked almost half a second off the previous best time of 4:19.00 set by Ciara Mageean in 2010.

Another record came in the senior boys’ 100m won by Aaron Sexton of Bangor Grammar after an elbow-to-elbow battle with David McDonald of CBS Wexford. The race came down to hundredths of a second with Sexton given a time of 10.512 and McDonald 10.520.

Sexton had a more clear-cut victory over 200m, again beating McDonald. Their times in this race were 21.12 and 21.26.

In the senior girls’ 400m, Davicia Patterson of Hunterhouse Belfast was another athlete in record-breaking form clocking a time of 53.90 to break Sharon Mawdsley’s time of 53.99 set last year.

In a fitting finale to her schools career, Ciara Neville of Castletroy College won the senior 100m in 11.62, the 200m in 23.79 and then helped her school to victory in the 4x100m.

At inter level, Rhasidat Adeleke of Presentation Terenure was another double winner, beating Patience Jumbo Gula of St Vincent’s Dundalk to win the 100m in 11.68. Jumbo Gula opted out of the 200m which Adeleke duly won in 24.05.

There was some consolation for Jumbo Gula when she helped St Vincent’s to a new championships best of 48.45 in the 4x100m relay.

Over the longer distances, Charlie O’Donovan from Colaiste Chriost Ri edged out Darragh McElhinney to win the senior boys’ 1500m in 3:55.97.

In the field, Nelvin Appiah of Moyne CS improved the inter boys’ high jump record to 2.02. Back competing in the senior girls’ high jump was current record Sommer Lecky of Strabane Academy with a best height of 1.79m.

The most impressive result in the throws came from Niamh Fogarty of St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge who won the senior girls’ discus with a throw of 45.88.

Ballymena and Antrim’s Craig Newell won his 400m heat in a time of 47.72 at the Putbos meet in Belgium on Saturday (June 2).

Ciara Everard of UCD proved she is coming back into form by finishing second in the women’s 800m in 2:04.12. That time lifts her to third on the current rankings behind Siofra Cleirigh Buttner and Ciara Mageean.

In a closely-fought men’s 1500m, Kieran Kelly of Raheny Shamrock finished fourth in a personal best 3:42.46, while in the women’s 1500m, Nadia Power of Templeogue AC was seventh in 2:19.85 and Kelly Neely of City of Lisburn one place behind in 4:20.19

In the 400m hurdles, Jason Harvey of Crusaders recorded a season’s best of 51.94 to finish third. Over 400m, QUB’s Andrew Mellon clocked a time of 47.96.

Mountain running

Gillian Wasson of Ballymena Runners took a bronze medal in the W40 age group at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Zelezniki, Slovenia on Saturday (June 2). Wasson completed the daunting 7.2km course, all uphill, in 56:46.

Fourth in the M60 race was Martin McDonald of Ballyroan Abbeyleix and District.

parkrun

Irish marathon record holder Catherina McKiernan was the fastest woman this week in Ireland at parkrun, while Carmen Runners Martin Cox was the quickest man.

McKiernan ran 17:23 in Malahide and Cox posted a time of 15:49 at the Omagh event. The top 10 fastest runners at parkrun this week can be found here.

Earlier in the week

Conor Bradley of City of Derry AC and Maria McCambridge of Dundrum South Dublin AC were the winners of the Bobby Farren 5km in Eglinton, close to Derry on Friday (June 1).

Bradley smashed the course record to lead the field home 14:46. Second was Keith Shiels of Foyle Valley AC in 15:15 and third was Michael Bennett of Ballymena Runners in 16:38. Finishing fourth and first woman was McCambridge, a frequent visitor to this area.

Her time of 16:54 put her well clear of local athlete Ciara Toner from Springwell RC in 17:26 and Shelagh Murray of City of Derry AC who finished in 21:10.

Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham WSAF, representing Dublin Teachers led home almost 400 finishers at the BHAA-organised Government Services 5-Mile in Dunboyne on Tuesday (May 29).

Hehir proved the class of the field finishing over two minutes clear of the chasers in 24:44. Fergal Whitty of AIB was second in 26:53 and Ciaran McCarthy (guest) third in 26:56.

In a women’s race dominated by local athletes, Jane Bandila was first home in 29:33, followed by Emilia Dan in 31:22 and Claire Ni Fharcheallagh representing Revenue in 32:07.

On the same evening, Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC won the Star of the Sea 5km in Stamullen, Co Meath. His time of 15:06 saw him finishing comfortably clear of Eoin Callaghan from the host club, who was second on 15:37.

Third place was Robert Tully, also Star of the Sea AC in 16:17. Best of the women was Zoe Quinn of Raheny Shamrock in 18:55.