Lindie Naughton has all the Irish action, from 200m upwards this week. Catch up on performances from around the globe. 

Irish athletics performance of the weekend came from Tallaght sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke who took silver in the women’s 400m and helped her team to another silver when anchoring the 4 x 400m relay at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 10-11.

In a 400m, run off in two races, Adeleke was a clear winner of the first in 50.45 secs which failed to beat the personal best 49.48 secs recorded by Britton Wilson when winning the second race. Running to pick up points for Washington University was Brian Fay of Raheny Shamrock AC who lined out in both the mile and 3000m.

He finished eighth in the mile with a time of 4:05.07 having run 4:02.92 to qualify a day earlier. In the 3000m, held an hour after the mile final, he clocked 8:17.60 for 15th place. Washington finished fourth in the overall team standings – three points off bronze.

20 July 2022; Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland after finishing fourth in the Women’s 400m Semi-final during day six of the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Roisin Willis, the 18-year-old daughter of Bandon AC Olympian Breda Dennehy Willis, won the 800m in a personal best time of 1:59.93, which was a championships record. Willis is a first year at student at Stanford and an American citizen.

In the Division II Championships at Virginia Beach, Stephanie Cotter of West Muskerry AC took double gold in the mile and 3000m. Her time in the 3000m was a personal best 9:06.03. In the mile she ran a time of 4:49.96. Also running the 3000m was Ava O’Connor of Tullamore Harriers who finished sixth in a personal best 9:16.59. Both athletes were part of the Adams State distance medley team which finished second. Adams State won the overall women’s title.

At the Leinster Indoor Championships held at the NIA, Abbotstown on Saturday (March 11), the stand-out performance came from Mark Smyth of Raheny Shamrock AC who the broke the twenty-year old Irish record when winning the 200m in 20:64 secs.

In the middle distances, Laura Tuite of Clonliffe Harriers won the women’s 1500m in 4:46.76. Taking the men’s title was Aaron Shorten of StLOT AC in 4:01.22.

18 February 2023; Mark Smyth of Raheny Shamrock AC, Dublin, celebrates after winning the senior men’s 200m during day one of the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships at National Indoor Arena in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Road running

Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers was in Spain on Saturday (March 11) where he finished second in the 10km Villa de Laredo with a time of 28 mins 17 secs – not far off the personal best time of 27:57 he ran for the same distance in January, also in Spain. Gidey just held off the challenge of Thomas Mortimer of Stroud AC who finished third in 28:18.

Race winner in 26 mins 33 secs was Berihu Aregawi Teklehaimanot of Ethiopia, who had finished fourth in the 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics.

Locally, the quality race of the weekend was the Bohermeen Half Marathon in Co Meath on Sunday (March 12), where Yared Derese of Carrick Aces was the winner in a time of 65 mins 59 secs – not bad in the windy conditions.

Second in 66:37 was Sean Tobin of Clonmel AC while third was Irish marathon champion Martin Hoare of Celbridge AC in 67:40. Finishing fourth in 67:41 was Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers while fifth was Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC in 69:25.

First woman was Kate Purcell of Raheny Shamrock AC in 78:24. Edel Gaffney of Trim AC was second in 79:29 and Rachel Birt of Annalee AC third in 79:40.

Winning the Garristown Windmill 10km in 31 mins exactly on the same day was David McCarthy of West Waterford AC who was running his first race in some time. The race incorporated the Dublin Men’s 10km Championships.

Finished second and declared Dublin champion was Isak Eriksson of Dundrum South Dublin AC in 31:51, while third in 34:02 was Darren Ryan of Lusk AC. A close fourth and first M40 was David Kirwan of Raheny Shamrock AC in 34:08. First M50 was Steven Rice of LSA AC in 39:22. Ratoath AC took the team title, with Raheny Shamrock AC in second place the Dublin champions.

First woman home was Jill Horan in 39:59. Second was Aisling Andrews of Clonliffe Harriers in 44:09, while third in 46:07 was Laura Knight. Taking the women’s team title was host club Garristown Flyers, with Lusk AC second.

Bringing mountain speed to the roads

In other Sunday races, Irish mountain running international Zak Hanna of Newcastle and District AC proved the class of the field at Jimmy’s ’10’ in Downpatrick.

Hanna completed the 10km distance in 31 mins 14 – almost a minute ahead of the chasers, led by Robbie Hagen, who was second in 32:10. A close third in 32:13 was Owen Carleton of Annadale Striders.

First woman was junior athlete Anna Gardiner of of host club East Down AC in 38:10. Caroline MacNab, also East Down AC, was second in 38:23 and Fiona McQuillan North Down AC third in 38:42. A total of 562 completed the race.

Sean Hehir of Croghan AC was the winner of The Great Gorey Run 10-mile in 53 mins 33 secs. Myles Gibbons of SBR Ferns AC was second in 55:45 and Kate Wilson of Wexford Marathon Club eighth and first woman in 64:51.

Winners of the 5km were Robin Mooney of Sli Cualann AC in 16:41 and Joan Deegan in 18:31.

Jack Hopkins of host club Tullamore Harriers led home 361 finishers at the Tullamore 5km in 14 mins 53 secs. He was chased hard by Eoin Smyth of Tara AC, second in 14:58, while third in 15:10 was Michael Murphy of Tullamore Harriers. Daniel Ryan Ellis of Nenagh Olympic AC was sixth and first junior in 15:32.

First woman was Nadine Donegan of Tullamore Harriers in 17:20 with her clubmate Emily Grennan second in 17:54 and Caroline Donnellan of Edenderry AC third and first W45 in 18.12. The race was the opening round in the 2023 Offaly Road Race Series.

Men’s winner of the NI & Ulster 5k at Coleraine was Nick Griggs of Mid-Ulster AC in a course record of 14:06. The top four men broke the previous course record of 14:46 and women’s Winner was Rebekah Osborne of Dromore AC in 17:24. The competitive race saw 34 people break 16 minutes, with nine running under 15 minutes.

King getting ready to run longer

At the Portadown Running Festival, Gareth King won the marathon in 2 hrs 25 mins 36 secs. King is preparing for the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100k in April and looks in fine form to PB over the ultra-distance too. In the half marathon, the winners were Nick Weston in 75:08 and Gillian McCrory 82:49 while in the 10km, Stephen Lunn was first home in 33:20 and Louise Smith first woman in 40:11.

A day earlier, Scott Rankin of Foyle Valley AC won the Walled City Derry 10-Mile in a time of 52 mins 32 secs on Saturday (March 11). RankRanklinin finished comfortable clear of Allan Bogle who crossed the line in 54:23 and was also first M40. Third and second M40 in 55:09 was Matthew McLaughlin of Foyle Valley AC. Finishing twelfth and first M60 in 57:44 was Tommy Hughes of Strive RC; it was a first race in some time for Hughes who holds numerous world masters’ records.

In a race dominated by masters, Claire McGuigan of Lifford Strabane AC was first woman and first W40 in 58:56. Sarahjane Cooke of Annadale Striders, also a W40, was second in 61:49 and Danielle Logue third in 64:39. First W50 in 65:48 was Cathy McCourt.

Winners of the 10km at the Sandymount Night Run in Dublin on Tuesday (March 7) were Karl Ennis of Brothers Pearse AC in 35:02 and Irene Crawley in 40:30. A number of businesses had entered teams in both the 10km and 5km races.

11 March 2023; The St Michaels Enniskillen team celebrate with the cup after winning the minor boys 2500m team competion during the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships at SETU Sports Campus in Carriganore, Waterford. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Cross-Country- Waterford win for Stafford

Irish junior international Jonas Stafford of East Glendalough in Co Wicklow proved the class of the field in the boy’s senior race at the Irish Schools Cross-Country Championships, at Carrignanore WIT, Waterford on Saturday (March 11).

In challenging weather, Stafford completed the 6km distance in 20 mins 56 secs. Second in 21:39 was Niall Murphy of St Flannan’s Ennis while third in 21:39 was William Verling of St Colman’s Fermoy. Nenagh CBS with Daniel Ryan-Ellis, Cian Hodgins and Luke Purcell finishing sixth, seventh and eighth, backed up by Jamie Moloney 28th, won the team title with 49 points. Rice College Westport was second with 11 points and St Flannan’s Ennis third with 118 points.

11 March 2023; Anna Gardiner of Assumption Grammar School, Down, on her way to winning the senior girls 3500m during the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships at SETU Sports Campus in Carriganore, Waterford. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Winning the senior girls’ 3.5km race was Anna Gardiner of Assumption GS in 13:57. Louise O’Mahoney of Colaiste Mhuire Ennis was second in 14:12 and Avril Millerick of St Mary’s Midleton third in 14.46.

Team winners with 59 points were Loreto Kilkenny, led by Hannah Kehoe 9th, followed by Isabella Burke 17th and Mia Langton 33rd. Colaiste Mhuire Ennis was second on 72 points and the Institute of Education Dublin a close third with 76 points.

Winning the girls’ inter race, also over 3.5km, and leading her school to team victory was Emily Bolton of Mount Sackville Chapelizod in 14:12. Clodagh Gill of St Mary’s Ballina was second in 14:26 and Eimear Cooney of Sacred Heart third in 14:42. Behind Mount Sackville on 70 points came Loreto Letterkenny with 81 points and St Aloysius Carrigtwohill on 85 points.

Francis O’Donoghue of Connacht school Summerhill Sligo won the inter boys 5km race in 18:07. Ten seconds behind for second in 18:17 was Declan O’Connell of Clarin College Athenry – another Connacht school. Third in 18:24 was Finn Diver of St Malachy’s Belfast.

The teams competitions all close

In a tightly contested team competition, St Aidan’s CBS Dublin took the title on count-back from St Michael’s Enniskillen with both teams finishing on 66 points. First home for St Aidan’s was Tom Breslin in 6th place. Third with 108 points was Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar.

Noah Watt of Campbell College Belfast won the junior boy’s race, with Naas CBS the winning team ahead of St Paul’s Raheny and Summerhill College Sligo. Junior girls winner was Sholah Lawrence of Dublin school Our Lady’s Greenhills. Presentation Kilkenny was the winning team from St Angela’s Cork and Ursuline Thurles.

Finally in the minor races, Freya Renton of SH Westport and Rory Armstrong of Aquinas GS Belfast were the individual winners. SH Westport won the girls’ team title, with St Michael’s Enniskillen best of the boys

All Business in Maynooth

George Snee and Laura Buckley were the winners at the AIB BHAA Cross-Country, NUI Maynooth – the final race of the BHAA winter season.

First up was the women’s two-mile, with the two Lauras, Buckley and McDonnell, battling it out all the way. In the end there was just a second in it with Buckley timed at 12 mins 4 secs and McDonnell one second adrift. Third in 13: 41 was Eimear English.

In the men’s race over four miles, Snee was a comfortable winner in 23 mins 19 secs.

Second in 23:36 was John Behan while third in 23:40 was Colm Costello. In the team categories, Teachers, led by Behan, were first in Grade 1 beating Revenue by three points; ESB won Grade 2 from Eir. The BHAA now return to the roads with the Dublin City Council road race in St Anne’s Park on April Fool’s Day – April 1. See www.bhaa.ie

Hills and Dales

In Co Antrim, Joshua McAtee won the Glenariff Mountain Race on Saturday (March 11) – the opening round of the 12-race Northern Ireland Mountain Running Championships.

McAtee completed the 9.7 km distance in 46 mins 36 secs. Two Mourne Runners followed him home – Adam Cunningham in 46:44 and Jonathan Scott in 46.50. First woman and first W40 was Aine Gosling of Newcastle and District AC in 52:37. Esther Dickson of Newry AC was a close second in 52:41 and Sarah Brady third in 57:47.

Next NIMRA races is Slieve Gulllion, organised by Armagh AC, on Saturday March 18.