The road, track and trail action from Ireland and Irish athletes elsewhere, including the Irish Runner 5 mile, Oslo Diamond League and the Juvenile T & F Champs in Dublin.

On the roads

Paul Pollock ran a strong 66:12 to place third at the Olomouc Half Marathon in the Czech Republic. The evening race was still very warm and the winning time of 64:26 was run by Italy’s Yassine Rachik. The women’s event was won by Lilia Fisikovici of Moldova in 73:32.

Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC was the winner of the Irish Runner 5-Mile, incorporating a national 5-mile championships, in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Saturday (June 16)

Clohisey, who aims to defend his title at the Dublin Marathon later this year, proved the class of the field with a time of 24 mins 2 secs. Second was Colin Maher of Ballyfin AC in 24.52 while third was Emmett Jennings of Dundrum South Dublin AC in 25.04. In fourth place Mark McKinstry of North Belfast Harriers was also first M35.

Sally Forristal of St Joseph’s AC was first of the women in 29:27; Aine O’Reilly of Mullingar Harriers was second in 30:21 and Catherine O’Connor of Sli Cualann AC third in 30:40. Raheny Shamrock made it a senior team double winning both men and women’s titles, as well as the W50 team category. Mullingar Harriers proved best of the W35 teams whil Brothers Pearse AC was best M35 team and Rathfarnham WSAF AC first M50 team.

Winning the Grant Thornton Corporate Challenge 5km in Cork last Wednesaday (June 12) was Liam Brady of Punch Consulting Engineers in 15 mins 6 secs. Kevin O’Brien of Avery Dennison was second in 15:40 and Dympna Ryan of AIB first woman in 18:06. There were close to a thousand finishers.

Track and field highlights

Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC finishing second in the 400m hurdles at the Oslo Diamond League (June 13), with a season’s best time of 49.11. Norway’s world champion Karsten Warholm made it a home victory in a European record time of 47.33 . For second place, Barr pipped Kyron McMaster with a late race surge. McMaster’s time was 49.12

“Very happy with tonight’s race, going in the right direction! And cool to be part of a European record breaking race. Looking forward to a few week’s training now, ” Barr tweeted afterwards.

Leon Reid of Menapians AC was in action over 200m at the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday evening (June 16). Running in the inside lane, Reid finished in 20.88 secs – off his season’s best of 20:68 set last month. Qualification mark for the World Championships in Doha in 20.40 secs. Race winner was Andre de Grasse of Canada in 20.03.

Davicia Patterson from the Beechmount Harriers club in Belfast smashed her own Irish U20 400m record with a time of 52.57 for 400m in the B race at the AtletiCAG meet in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday (June 16).

It puts her top of the European U20 rankings for the distance and moves her to fifth on the all-time Irish list behind Joanne Cuddidy of Killkenny City Harriers who ran a time of 50.73 secs in 2007. Paterson competes in next month’s European U20 Championships in Boras, Sweden. She reached the semi-finals of the 400m at last year’s World U20 Championships.

A large Irish squad was competing in Geneva, with Cliodhna Manning of Kilkenny City Harriers also running the 400m finishing in 54.40. In the men’s 400m series, Chris O’Donnell ran 47.1, Cillin Greene 48.17 and Craig Newell 48.26.

Finishing third in the women’s 4 x 100m relay with a time of 44.54 secs which should book their places at the European U23 Championships, was the team of Molly Scott, Ciara Neville, Gina Akpe-Moses and Sarah Quinn.

Neville later ran a wind-assisted time time of 11.47 (+2.1)in the 100m series of races. Scott won the third of five heats in 11.78 (-0.2), with Sarah Quinn second in 11.79. Winning heat 5 in 11.68 (-0.1) was Gina Akpe Moses; Caitlin Maguire from Belfast was equal fourth in 12.26.

Neville was also listed for the 200m which was cancelled along with the men’s 200m, a mixed 4x400m, for which an Irish team was entered, and all but the first men’s 100m race after a violent storm forced a premature end to the day’s programme.

In the men’s 4 x 100m, the Irish U23 team clocked a time of 40.54 secs for sixth place just missing out on the 40.50 qualifying mark for the European U23s.. Making up the team were David McDonald, Tope Adeyeye, Mark Smyth and Joseph Ojewumi of Tallaght AC. Race winners were the Netherlands in 38.39.

Smyth and Ojewumi were listed for the cancelled 100m series, along with Marcus Lawler and Eoin Doherty.

In the 110m hurdles, Ger O’Donnell of Carrick-on-Shannon AC clocked a time of 14.35 (-0.7).

UCD’s Alanna Lally finished second in the 800m with a time of 2:04.96. Sarah Lavin, also UCD,won her 100m hurdles her heat in 13.26. Also in action was Sarah Quinn, with a personal best time of 13.74. The final was cancelled due to the storm

In the 400m hurdles Nessa Millett of Loughborough Students clocked a time of 58.92, while Niamh Fogarty finished fifth in the women’s discus with a 49.43m effort.

Dublin Juvenile Track and Field Championships

Photo: Lindie Naughton

Continuing over the weekend from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (June14-16) was the Dublin Juvenile Track and Field Championships at Santry which takes six days in all to get through.

Highlights included a sprint double for Val Stroganvous of Clonliffe Harriers in the M17 100m and 200m. Winning the M18 200m was Michael Farrelly of Raheny Shamrock in 22.68 – the day’s fastest time. A day later, Sean L’Estrange, also Raheny Shamrock, won the M18 100m.

Taking the W16 200m title in 26.48 was Kate O’Connell of Lucan Harriers.

On Friday evening, Aaron Cullen of Clonliffe Harriers won the M19 1500m. The W17 3000m on Sunday saw a clear sweep of the medals for Clonliffe Harriers: first Aoife Hession, second Katie Halpin and third Alanna Fitzsimons. Winning the M18 javelin with a throw of 40.07 was Aaron Linton of Crusaders AC. One day of competition remains.

At the fourth Dublin Graded Track and Field Meet in Santry on Wednesday (June 12), Stephen Gaffney of Rathfarnham WSAF AC proved fastest over 100m with a time of 10.67 secs. Sophie Becker of St Joseph’s AC won the A 400m in 54.79, with Cillin Greene of Galway City Harries fastest of the men in 49.08.

First home in the women’s A 1500m was Meghan Ryan of Dundrum South Dublin in 4:40.13; Barbara Clearly of Donore Harriers, better known as a road runner, was second in 4:43.53. Niamh Kearney of Sli Cualann AC was a runaway winner of the 2000m steeplechase in 6 mins 55.50 secs.

Winning the women’s hammer with 58.43m was national champion Michaela Walsh of Swinford AC whose best this season is a 61.11 from last month in Loughborough.

Best of the men with 67.30 was 18-year-old Sean Mockler of Moycarkey Coolcroo AC, who was throwing a 6kg hammer. Ciara Sheehy, aged 16, of Emerald AC heaved the 3kg shot out to a personal best 15.44m; multi-eventer Elizabeth Morland of Cushinstown AC was second and first senior with 11.42 – just seven centimetres off her best.

Trail running

Winning the Braveheart Trail 5km in Trim, Co Meath on Friday (June 15) was Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin.

It was a second win over this unique course for Tonosa whose time of 15:13 was well off the course record time of 14:38 he ran last year in more favourable conditions. Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC was second in 15:20, with Eric Keogh of Donore Harriers third in 15:27. First master was Richard Bell of Fr Murphy’s AC in 16:42.

Form athlete Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise ASC was first woman in 17:58, followed by Sinead O’Connor of Leevale AC in 18:22 and Isobel Oakes in 18:42. First W40 was Audrey Gahan of Donore Harriers. The race was a round of the KIA Races Series with 839 finishers and points at stake in senior and masters categories.

Sean Doran and Linda Byrne were the winners of the OPW BHAA Trail 5km in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Wednesday (June 12). Doran, running for C & E Products, just held off the challenge of Eoin Callaghan from the Teachers team to finish in 16 mins 25 secs; Callaghan finished one second adrift. In third place Thomas Sherlock was leading Bank of Ireland to team victory in grade A. Eir was first in grade B, with RTE winning grade C, and Dublin City Council best in grade D.

Linda Byrne of the Gardai finished lucky 13th overall in 18:10. Clare Sullivan running as an individual was second in 18.42 and Alma Hanevy of the Pharmacists group, third in 29.53. First team was Teachers. The Business Houses Athletics Association is a non-profit work-place athletics association run by runners for runners. Next race is the Dublin City Council 5km in Irishtown on Wednesday July 10 (7.30). Newcomers welcome.

Irish International Nicola Duncan was first female home in the Seven Hills of Edinburgh event in Scotland. The event is described as “a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering [with] 14.3 miles in length and with 2200 feet of ascent/descent”. Duncan’s winning time was 2:05:46 and the men’s winner was Sam McCutcheon in 1:37:21.

parkrun

Annette Kealy and John Black are your quickest parkrunners in Ireland this weekend (June 15th). For the full top ten rankings check out our weekly article here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

Lindie Naughton is a journalist and writer based in Dublin who joined the athletics club at her college many many years ago and has never quite escaped. You’ll normally find her jogging around some orienteering course somewhere – or down at the Irishtown track coaching kiddies!

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