Action on the trails and the track, brought to you by Lindie Naughton in this week’s Irish round-up.
Aoife Mundow of Drogheda and District AC set a new women’s record when completing the Kerry Way Ultra 200km held in perfect conditions on the Ivereragh Peninsula at the weekend (Friday/Saturday September 4-5).
Mundow’s time of 25 hours 25 minutes 49 seconds, which was five hours faster than her time of last year, knocked 2 hrs 30 mins off the previous record. She farrived back in Killarrney in fifth place overall.
Earlier this year, Mundow set a new Irish women’s 24-hour record of 231.376km (143.22 miles) at the Athens International Ultramarathon Festival in Greece. Along the way, she also set new Irish 6-hour, 12-hour and 100 mile records.
Overall winner of the race in 23:37.17 was Gavin Byrne. Keith Lane was second in 24:01.18 and Brian Buckley and Remi Delille joint third in 24:32.14. Dropping out about two thirds into the race was Eoin Keith, who with UTMB cancelled for this year, had entered the race for the first time. Fastest relay team was the Dublin Mountain Running Club in 22:51.55.
In the Ultra Nite 96km, Robert Janowski was first home in 9:10.53 followed by Joe O’Leary 10:01.35 and Daniel Page 10:53.47. Claire McCann was first woman in 13:31.59.
More track success for Robinson in Marseille
Irish champion Paul Robinson of St Coca’s AC consolidated his position on top of this year’s Irish 1500m rankings when he ran a time of 3:38.52 in Marseilles, France, on Thursday (September 3). Robinson finished ninth in a race won by Soufiane el Bakkali of Morocco in 3:34.51.
Among the highlights of the Irish Junior Track and Field Championships in Santry on Saturday (September 5) was a solid victory for Aimee Hayde of Newport AC in 4:25.77.
Winning a quality men’s 1500m was Sean Donoghue of Celtic DCH AC, He held off the challenge of Tadhg Donnelly of Drogheda and District AC to win the title in in 3:58.55, with Donnelly a close second in 3:59.20 and Michael Morgan of Sligo AC third in 4:02.50.
In the women’s steeplechase, Cara McNally of Lusk AC made her steeplechase debut when taking the title in 12:11.13. James Hyland of Raheny Shamrock AC won the men’s race in 9:43.95.
Masters athletics thriving
A day later on Sunday (September 6), the masters took over Santry, with a massive 103 entered for the men’s 5000m alone.
Leading home 20 finishers in the M35 race was John Craig of Annadale Striders in 14:56.96, with Brian Conroy of Clane AC just holding off Glenn Donnelly of Acorns AC to finish second in 14:58.23; Donnelly’s time was 14:58.77.
Eamon McAndrew of North Sligo AC won a closely fought M40 race in 15:53.55. Paul Fleming of Rathfarnham WSAF AC took the M45 title in 16:14.56, while Vivian Foley of Eagle AC was the M50 winner in 16:42.14. In the M55 race, Paul Moran of Rathfarnham WSAF AC took the title in 16:52.40, with Paul Cowhie of Civil Service AC second in 17:14.04.
Perhaps the biggest win of the day came in the M60 race where the winner Tommy Hughes of Strive RC had over two minutes to spare on the chasers when finishing in 16:47.59.
A distant second in 19:23.11 was Martin McDonald of Ballyroan Abbeyleix and District, who is no mean competitor himself. Eamon McEvoy of St Finbarr’s was the M65 winner in 19:57.99, Richard Piotrowski of Eagle AC tok the M70 title in 21:36.38, while best in the M75 class was Tom Durcan of Bohermeen AC with Clonliffe’s Pat Bonass a brave second.
Fast times over 3000m
In the women’s 3000m, Ciara Hickey of Brothers Pearse AC was the fastest overall winner and first W40 in 10 mins 05.17 secs. Second was Norah Newcombe Pieterse of Mayo AC in 10:25.07. Mary Leech of Drogheda and District AC was the W45 winner in 10:27.86 , while a clear winner of the W50 title was world and European champion Annette Kealy of Raheny Shamrock AC in 10:28.17.
In the over 55 category, Anne Gilshinan of Slaney Olympic AC was an impressive winner in 10:36.26. Pauline Moran of Mayo AC was first W60 in 11:57.54 and Mary Jennings of Waterford AC first W65 in 14:36.31.
Fastest time of the day in the women’s 1500m,came from Kathryn Casserly of Galway City Harriers who won the W40 race in 4:58.80. Also breaking 5 minues with a time of 5:59.81 was Jackie Carthy of Kilmore AC, the W45 winner. Winner of the M35 1500m in 4:09.94 was Pat Brennan of Finn Valley AC. Another Donegal athlete , Martin Cunninghma of Tir Chonaill AC, won the M40 title in 4:22.78.
Over 800m, Annette Quaid of Leevale AC and Denise Toner of Clones AC battled it out in the W40 category with Quaid the winner in 2:10.96 and Toner second in 2:12.65 – the fastest times of the day. James Ledingham of Kilkenny City Harriers won the M35 1500m in 2:00.47.
Oldest competitor on the day was the remarkable Pat Naughton of Nenagh Olympics AC who, like everyone else, was confined to one event. He picked the shot putt and duly won his umteenth championship medal with a 7.57m effort. Long may he flourish.
Catching up
Finishing a fighting eight in the annaul Challenge Stellian mountain race in Susan Italy on August 24 was Zak Hanna of Newcastel AC. Hanna completed the 14.4km race – most of it uphill – in 1 hrs 25 mins 57 secs. Winner was Cesare Maestri of Italy in 1:20.72
Mountain runner Ian Bailey, 42, from Kilcoo, County Down set a new world record when “Everesting” Slieve Donard in the Mournes on Sunday August 23.
“Everesting” involved running or cycling up and down any mountain until you reach 8,848 metres – the height of Mount Everest.
Braving Storm Ellen, Bailey ran up and down Donard summit 37 times in a record time of 11 hours and 17 minutes, shaving two minutes off the world record. Like Zak Hanna, Bailey had hoped to run at the World Mountain Championships in Lanzarote later in the year, but this is now cancelled.
FKT in Scotland
Another member of the Irish international trail team, Nicola Duncan, set out at 11pm on Friday night on the Fife Coastal Path. The The Edinburgh based athlete wanted to set a FKT (Fastest Known Time) for the 117 mile route to help fundraise for her friend Kat Henderson, who was paralysed after a MTB accident in 2019.
Duncan ran through the night, skirting the high tides, and broke the 24hr barrier with a time of 23:14. Currently the fund-raising is well over £6,500 of the £10,000 total so if you can help, then please do.
RELATED: Preparing for an FKT on the Fife Coastal Path
If you would like to assist Nicola in raising funds for Kat via this FKT attempt then follow the link here.