O’Hanlon is the first M40 athlete in the Spanish city, while runners impress at the Jingle Bells 5k, Seeley Cup 10k, Waterford Half Marathon and Dublin Intermediate Cross Country Championships.

Gary O’Hanlon ran 2:18:15 to finish 31st overall and also won the M40 category at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday (December 2).

The Clonliffe Harriers’ athlete was back to racing over 26.2 miles little over a month after running a personal best 2:17:11 in Dublin.

It was the 44 year-old’s sixth marathon of the year after runs in London, Cork, Longford and finishing 22nd in September’s Berlin Marathon.

Eoin Everard of Kilkenny City Harriers and Finn Valley’s Teresa Doherty were the winners of a quality – and sell-out – Jingle Bells 5k held in Dublin Phoenix Park on Saturday (December 1).

Everard finished in 14:37, while for second place, Clonliffe junior Efrem Gidey out-sprinted Colin Moore of Ballyfin AC with the pair given times of 14:44 and 14:46. Fourth in 14:50 was William Maunsell of Clonmel AC. First home for the host club Donore Harriers was Ray Hynes in fifth place with a time of 14:52.

Fresh from her win at the British and Irish Masters International, Doherty was a clear winner of the women’s race with a time of 16:13.

In what was perhaps her first official road run, Blackrock junior Sarah Healy warmed up for next weekend’s European Cross Country Championships by finishing second woman in 16:28.

Finishing third woman was Sinead O’Connor of Leevale AC with a time of 16:49; a strong woman’s team from the Cork club had travelled for the race.

Kilcoole’s Una Britton in 16:53 was fourth woman, while Olympic marathon runner Breege Connolly of City of Derry Spartans was fifth woman in 17:02.

Finishing lucky 13th and first M50 was Shane Healy of Metro St Brigid’s, who on Tuesday (November 27) had set a new Irish M50 indoor record of 2:01.37 for the 800m at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.

With the festive season fast approaching, the race attracted a full house of almost 1,200 starters, many dressed as Santas, elves and snowmen.

St Malachy’s Ben Branagh and Letterkenny’s Nakita Burke won the Seeley Cup 10k titles in Belfast on Saturday (December 1).

Branagh won the men’s race in a personal best time of 30:29, while Burke won the women’s race in a PB of 34:57 (CT:34:54).

Photo: Keith McClure

Despite not hosting the NI & Ulster 10k Championships this year, the prestigious road race, once again welcomed the strongest depth of any 10k in Northern Ireland with 23 men finishing under 33 minutes and seven women under 37 minutes.

A full report from the Seeley Cup 10k can be found here.

Freddy Sittuk of Raheny Shamrock and national marathon champion Lizzie Lee of Leevale were the winners of the Waterford Half Marathon held in ideal weather conditions on Saturday (December 1).

Sittuk led home 2,338 finishers in a time of 68:01. Just four seconds behind for second was Tomas Fitzpatrick of Tallaght AC in 68:05, while third was Thomas Hayes of Kilkenny City Harriers AC in 68: 12.

Lee finished best of the women in 78:45, followed by Ruth Fitzgerald of host club, Waterford AC in 78:42 and Kilmore’s Fiona Keogh in 82:01.

Lisa Madden of Sportsworld AC and Rathfarnham WSAF’s Mitchell Byrne were the winners of a well-supported Dublin Intermediate Cross Country Championships held in Tymon Park, Tallaght on Sunday (December 2).

In the women’s 5km race, Madden took the lead after the opening lap and finished comfortably clear of Louise Gaffney from Rathfarnham WSAF and Ciara Brady of Sportsworld. With three finishers in the top 10, Sportsworld finished best of the teams ahead of Rathfarnham WSAF and Clonliffe Harriers.

Mitchell, who has returned to Ireland after three years on scholarship in the USA, was the class of the field in the men’s 8km, although his clubmate Robert Murphy did his best to narrow the gap and finished second. Third was Adam O’Brien of Clonliffe Harriers.

In a closely fought-team competition, Brothers Pearse AC were the winners on countback from Rathfarnham WSAF. Just eight years ago, Brothers Pearse had joined the world of club athletics by entering a team in this very race and finishing last.

Third team was Donore Harriers, with Sportsworld, who had 26 athletes running, finishing fourth.

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