It was a busy weekend for Irish athletics and endurance running and Lindie Naughton has it all covered. A few athletes are gearing up for Nationals at the end of the month, so it could be hotting up. 

Jake O’Regan of St John’s AC had a comfortable win in the Run Kilkee 10km on the Loop Head Peninsula in Co Clare on Saturday (July 8) with a time of 32 mins 42 secs. Second and first M50 in 35:25 was Seamus Somers of Sligo AC, with Cathal O’Reilly of Loughrea AC third and first M45 in 37:25.

Maura Ginty of Sportsworld AC was first woman and first W40 in 43:18. Andrea McNamara of Midleton AC was just four seconds behind for second, with Marie Howard of Leevale AC third in 45 minutes exactly. A total of 703 completed the race.

In the half marathon, Barry Donovan of Cork Track Club was the winner in 74:21, with Gareth Murran of Sportsworld AC second and first M40 in 78:33 and Sinead Lynch sixth and first woman in 83:40; 565 finished the race.

Big numbers for the half

A massive total of 2,669 completed the Clontarf Half Marathon in Dublin also on Saturday with Yared Derese of Carrick Aces the winner and first M40 in a time of 70 mins 27 secs for the tough coastal course, made even more difficult in the warm windy conditions.

Ian Fitzgerald of Donore Harriers was a distant second in 76:41 and Karl Nolan of Clonliffe Harriers third in 77:25. Fourth and first woman in 77:33 was Cliona Costello.

Gemma McDonald from Ballycastle, Co Antrim was second and first W40 in 87:48 and Rachel McFadden of Clontarf Running Group third in 95:28. An impressive first W60 in 1:44.09 was Jean Carr of Clonliffe Harriers. Seventh overall and first M50 was Colm Patton in 78:42; Patton was also first master overall.

In the five-mile race, Anthony of LSA AC led home 1,125 finishers in 28 mins 27 secs. Fifth and first woman was Faye Dervan of Dublin City Harriers in 29:25.

A classic 10 miler

A day later, Michael McMahon of North Cork AC won the Mooreabbey 10-Mile in the village of Galbally in a time of 54 mins 34 secs followed by John Meade of East Cork AC in 54.35 and Leevale AC’s Donal Coakley in 54.42. First woman was Clara Ryan of Sy Finbarr’s AC in 68:21, with Lisa Crowley of Watergrasshill AC second in 70:25 and Mary Louise Ryan of the host club Mooreabbey Milers in 71:38.

Category winners were Karl Lenihan and Ellen Lewis Hanley over 40, Seamus McSweeney and Helen Meehan over 50, Willie O’Donoghue and Mary Cotter over 60. First M70 title in and excpetional time of 69: 56 – just beating his age!- was Joe Gough of West Waterford AC

In Co Tyrone, also on Sunday, Gavin Corey of Strive AC won the half marathon at a well supported Great Rossa Run in Dungannon with a time of 74 mins 42 secs. Louise Smith of North Belfast Harriers was first woman and first W50 in 87:01.

Rickey Johnston of Jog Lisburn in 33.26 and Louise Johnston of Tafelta AC in 43:08 – who may well be related! – won the 10km. In the 5km, Michael Crawley of Strive Running was the winner in 16:10 and Eimear McCarroll of Finn Valley AC first woman in 18:46.

Kelly and Mooney first over 5k

Brian Kelly of St Abban’s AC was the winner of the Mick Murphy Memorial 5km in Ferns, Co Wexford on Friday (July 7) in a time of 15 mins 25 secs. Second in 15:38 was Dermot Gorman of Carrick-on-Suir AC with Robin Mooney of Sli Cualann AC third in 15:46. First M40 was Myles Gibbons of host club Sliabh Bhuide Rovers AC in 16:15; Gibbons was also leading his club to team victory.

Laura Mooney of Tullamore Harriers was first woman in 16:51, followed by Roisin O’Reilly of UCD AC in 17:04 and Katie Wilson in 17:53. United Striders AC, led by Sandra Young, was the winning women’s team.

Also on Friday, Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers was the winner of the Deise College Dungarvan 10km in Co Waterford in 31 mins 8 secs. Evan Fitzgerald of Clonmel AC was second in 31:26 and Noel Murphy of Waterford AC third in 34:49. Niamh O’Donovan of host club West Waterford AC was first woman in 41:29, followed closely by Clonmel AC’s Elaine Horgan who was also first W40 in 41.43. Sarah Mulcahy of St Catherine’s AC was third woman in 42.10.

The best 10k in Ireland?

Kevin Moore of host club Dundrum AC just held off the challenge of Peter Somba from Dunboyne AC to make it a home win in the Coillte 10km in Dundrum, Co Tipperary, on Wednesday night (July 5).

In what many consider the best 10km in Ireland, Moore defied the wet conditions to win in a time of 31 mins 28 secs, with Somba was second in 31:31 and Kane Collins of Donore Harriers a close third in 31:36. Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise AC was first woman in 34:05, followed by Laura Mooney of Tullamore Harriers in 34:45 and Sharon Rynne of Kilmurry Ibrickane North Clare AC in 36:43.

Eighth overall and winning the M50 category was Vivian Foley of Eagle AC in a course record time of 32:58. In the M70 age group, West Waterford AC’s Joe Gough was also setting an age-group record when winning in 41:40.

Winners in the Greyabbey 10km at Newtownards were Chris Hopkins of County Antrim Harriers in 33:57 and Karen Wilton of Jog Lisburn RC in 42:02. Junior athlete Kyle Thompson of Loughview AC won the 5km in 15:57 with Sarah Connolly of North Down AC first woman in 21:37.

At the Corkbeg 4-Mile on Thursday (July 6) James McCarthy of East Cork AC had a narrow victory over Leevale AC’s Nathan O’Leary with the pair timed at 20 mins 36 secs and 20:39 respectively and Donal Coakley of Leevale AC third in 20:50.

Nadine Forde ,also Leevale AC, was first woman in 23:55, followed by Siobhan O’Leary of Midleton AC in 26:16 and Christine Kelly of East Cork AC in 26:36. Conditions were wet and windy.

The BHAA always delivers good racing

Mark Walsh and Lizzie Lee were the winners at the Sterling BHAA 5km (formerly Novartis), at Ringaskiddy, Cork on Wednesday (July 5).

Walsh of the Dept of Ed team was first home in 15 mins 43 secs, followed by Barry Twohig of Emerald Fencing in 15.57 and Duncan Hartwig of Diomac in 15:59. With three finishers in the top 13, Diomac took the team prize.

Lee running for Apple finished tenth overall in 17:25. Hannah Steeds of Eli Lily was second in 17:33 and Michelle Kenny of Dept of Ed third in 18.21. HSE packed well to won the grade A team category. A total of 307 completed the race

Track

Michelle Finn of Leevale AC, who will defend her Irish steeplechase title in Santry this weekend, warmed up by travelling to Barcelona, Spain, where she finished finished seventh in the women’s steeplechase in 9:41.16. Finn won her first national title in 2012 and has accumulated seven more since then, five of them in a row since 2018. Her best time of 9:29.25 was set two years ago.

In Joenseu, Paul Robinson of St Coca’s AC, now aged thirty-two, ran 3:41.18 for eighth place in the men’s 1500m. Robinson’s best of 3:35.22 dates back to 2013. He has entered the 800m at this weekend’s AI Open Games in Santry.

Around 500 athletes have entered this weekend’s AI Open Games, which included an incorporates the National Combined Events Championships and also a number of national championships. Also taking place this weekend are the Morton Games in Santry on Friday evening.

Battle to the line in 800 at Graded Meet between Metro St Brigid’s AC clubmates Traian Rebegea and Finn Woodger Photo: Lindie Naughton

All the way to the line

Locally, Metro St Brigid’s AC clubmates Traian Rebegea and Finn Woodger battled it out all the way to the line in the men’s A grade 800m at the sixth Dublin Graded Track and Field meet held on the DSD track on Tibradden Lane on Wednesday (July 5).

Rebegea just edged it in 1:53.30 with Woodger second 1:53.41. James Gilliland was third in 1:58.38. UCD AC’s Beth Fitzpatrick won the grade A women’s 800m in 2 mins 17.43 secs.

A series of 3000m races also took place and winning men’s A grade in 8:36.38 was Jack Moran of Mullingar Harriers. Louie Woodger of Metro St Brigid’s AC was second in 8:45.51 and James Ledingham of Kilkenny City Harriers third in 8:46.27.

Winning a closely fought women’s A 3000m was 21-year- old Hannah Gilliland of Annadale Striders in 9:45.14. Rachel Gibson of North Down AC was less than a second behind in 9:45.980 for second place with Fiona McKenna of UCD AC third in 9:47.44 and Edel Monaghan of Dublin City Harriers fourth in 9:57.2.

Next graded meet is scheduled for Tallaght on Wednesday July 19, with the final one at Santry on Wednesday August 2.

Truly off-road

Paddy O’Leary finished 22nd in a time of 52 mins 52 secs at the 95th Mount Marathon in Seaward, Alaska on Tuesday, July 4.The event, first held in 1915L is billed as the toughest 5km in the world – a gruelling 2.5km up and back on a treacherous 1,471m high mountain.

Legend has it that the race grew out of a bet to see whether anyone could climb and descend the mountain in under an hour. The bet was lost with the winning racer taking an hour and 2 minutes to negotiate the hill. This year’s winner David Norris took 44 mins 51 secs to complete the challenge.