Mick Clohisey retained his Dublin Cross Country title and Emma Mitchell set a new Northern Irish record at the Leeds Abbey Dash.
Elsewhere this weekend across the island of Ireland, Gideon Kipsang and Laura Bickerstaff won McConnell Shield Cross Country titles in Ballyclare.
Leeds Abbey Dash – Leeds, Sunday, November 5
Emma Mitchell of QUB set a new Northern Ireland record of 32 mins 51 secs when finishing second behind Eilish McColgan at the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km. The time is almost identical to the 32:51.78 Mitchell ran on the track last May, which tops the Irish rankings for the year.
Paul Pollock of Annadale Striders, running his first race in six months, was second in the men’s race, clocking 29 mins 20 secs.
A full race report from the Leeds Abbey Dash can be found here.
Dublin Cross Country Championships – Santry, Dublin, Sunday, November 5
Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock won his third consecutive title at Dublin Cross Country Championships.
Marathon man Clohisey proved the class of the field, completing the 10km course in 30 mins 4 secs. In second was his Raheny club-mate Conor Dooney in 30.15; brother Kevin was sidelined through injury but hopes to run in next months national championships.
For third place, mountain running international Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin caught and passed the Dublin novice champion Eoin Strutt of Raheny in 30:31. With Strutt fourth, Mark Kirwan fifth, and Ian Conroy 16th, Raheny Shamrock were comfortable winners of the Padraig Keane Trophy with 36 points. A distant second was DSD on 108 points; third was Donore Harriers with 139 points.
In the women’s 6km race, pre-race favourite Ciara Durkan of Skerries AC pushed to the front from early on, leaving a posse of DSD runners to battle it out for the minor places.
Durkan finished in 20 mins 27 secs, with Meghan Ryan of DSD running the race of her career to date to finish second ahead of teammate Maria McCambridge. The pair were timed at 20:40 and 20.59.
Breaking up the sea of DSD vests to finish fourth was Ide Nic Dhomhnaill of Donore Harriers. With international mountain runner Sarah Mulligan battling her way into fifth place closely followed by Fiona Clinton, DSD took the Jim McNamara Trophy with just 16 points.
Crusaders, led by former champion Caroline Crowley in 10th place, finished second with 50 points and Raheny Shamrock third with 72 points.
Winners of the junior titles were Paul O’Donnell of DSD and Nadia Power of Templeogue. Team titles went to the DSD women and the Clonliffe men.
McConnell Shield Cross Country – Ballyclare, Saturday, November 4
Gideon Kipsang of Derry Track Club and Dromore’s Laura Bickerstaff were the winners of the 83rd annual McConnell Shield Cross Country at Sixmilewater Park, Ballyclare.
Kipsang clocked a time of 26 mins 40 secs to win the five-mile men’s race, chased home by Glaslough Harriers’ Conor Duffy, who finished in 26:48.
Mark McKinstry of North Belfast Harriers was third in 27:27 and helped his club lift the McConnell Shield as the best team. Making up the team were John Black, Eamon White and Nat Glenn.
In the women’s 3-mile race, Bickerstaff went one better than last week when she finished second in the Bobby Rea Cross Country. Her time of 18:19 saw her finish comfortably clear of North Down’s Sarah Lindsay who crossed the line in 18:34. Paula Worthington of Ballymena Runners was third in 19:03.
Winning the over 60 men’s race which was run as part of the women’s 3 mile was Matt Shields of North Belfast Harriers, who is “Mr Parkrun Ireland”. He finished second overall and first M60 in 18:29.
Brickey 5km – Waterford, Sunday, November 5
Four-and-a-months after the birth of her second daughter Alison, Leevale’s Lizzie Lee returned to action in style when winning the Brickey 5km at Dungarvan in a time of 16:51.
Finishing fifth overall, Lee was happy with her performance and now looks forward to the Irish Life Health/National Cross-Country at Abbottstown on November 26.
“As this was my first race in almost a year, I was hoping to run under 17 minutes so I’m happy enough with the time. I’ll be running the Nationals for the team as we have a very strong squad this year,” said the 2016 Olympic marathoner.
Finishing second to Lee in a personal best of 18:39 was Kate Veale of the promoting West Waterford club.
Better known for her race walking exploits, Veale, now aged 23, won the 2011 World Youths title over 5000m and is now moving up to the 20km distance and will contest the national race over that distance in Raheny on December 9.
The overall winner of the Brickey race was Andrew Connick of the Ferrybank club in a time of 15:46. Second was Niall Sheil (St Killians) in 16:02 with Raivis Zakis (West Waterford) finishing third in 16:16.