To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 22nd April).

Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers) proved best of the Irish in the elite race at the London Marathon on Sunday (April 21), finishing 13th in 2:16.0. Scullion had hoped to make the Olympic marathon qualifying mark of  2:08.10.

Also lining out in the elite race was former Irish marathon champion Martin Hoare (Celbridge AC)  who finished 25th in 2:22.59.

Hiko Tonosa

Hiko might not have had the race he wanted, but this picture is too good not to include. Photo: James Rhodes

Hiko Tonosa Haso (Dundrum South Dublin AC), who made his marathon debut in December with 2:15 at Valencia, was looking strong when he went through halfway in 63:39 but dropped out around the 35km mark, as  indeed did  Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC), whose only previous marathon was in Antarctica. He had clocked 65:36  at halfway.

Behind the ‘elites’, William Maunsell  and David Mansfield, both Clonmel AC, started in the club athletes section and finished in commendable  times of 2:16.34 and 2:19.22 respectively.

Other Irish finishers finishers under 2 hrs 30 mins were John Lenehan 2:25.36, Kyle Doherty (City of Derry Spartans) 2:26.18, Karl Nolan (Clonliffe Harriers) 2:28.11, Luke Keogh 2:29.03, Derek Griffin 2:29.30 and Eoin Molloy (Castlegar AC) 2:29.54.

Best of the Irish women was Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC) who finished 11th W40 in 2:46.54.  Breaking three hours were Doireann Hughes (Edinburgh AC) in a personal best 2:54.14, Niamh O’Driscoll 2:54.46 and Catherine O’Shea 2:58.11.

Visually impaired athlete Sinead Kane went inside the Paralympics high performance standard with 3:25:32. Sinead and John O’Regan are holding guide running workshops in partnerships with LuluLemon and the next is on Saturday 11th May in Letterkenny. Click here for more information.

In the men’s wheelchair race, Patrick Monahan (Le Cheile AC) finished 11th in 1:37.06.

Not just racing in London

In Australia, Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) won the Run the Tan 3.837km around Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens on Sunday (April 21) with his time of 10 mins 28.06 secs putting him five seconds clear of the chasers.

Photo: MyRunResults

Winner of the Wexford Half Marathon, a race organised by Bear Events, was Paul Doran (United Striders) in 72:51. First woman was Natalee Heiser in 89:16. A total of 1,335 completed the race. A further 840 completed the 10km, won by Davis Mahon in 32:37. First woman was Grainne Brennan (Carrick-on-Suir AC)  in 41:31.

Stephen Conroy (Clane AC) was the winner of  the Maynooth 10km in a time of 32:34. First woman was Sheila O’Byrne  in 36:52. Winners of the 5km were Adam Foy (Donore Harriers) in 16:02 and Lisa Madden (Sportsworld AC) in 16:52. Second overall in 16:07 was Alex Ainsworth (Crusaders AC). Second woman in 17:51 was Sarah Mulligan (DSD AC).

At the St Andrew’s AC 5km/10km in Ashbourne Co Meath, Mark O’Connor was the winner of the 10km in 36 mins 40 secs, with Raheny veteran Vinnie Mulvey second in 36:54. First woman in 40:41 was Aileen Briody  (Bohermeen AC).

Photo: MyRunResults

Winners of the 5km were Daragh Keegan (Donore Harriers) in 16:51 and Sabrina Keogh in 18:57. Clonliffe Harriers women (most of them masters!) were out in force with six finishers in the top eleven, led by Ciara Peelo third in 20:08.

A huge variety of racing this weekend

Luke Duffy (Tullamore Harriers, U20) led home 340 finishers at the Clara 5km in a time of 15:31. The race was round 3 of the 2024 Offaly 5km Road Races Series. In an exact repeat of the previous round in Banagher, Paul Mitchell (also Tullamore  Harriers) was second and Heather Murphy (St Michael’s AC, U20)  first woman.

At the Great Railway Run 25km,  in Carrigaline, Co Cork, Barry Twohig (St Finbarr’s AC) was first home in  85 mins 38 secs, with his clubmate John Meade second in 86:18 and Donal Coakley (Leevale AC) third in 86:35. Fifth and first M40 was Cillian O’Leary (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 87:53.  Niamh Moore  (Leevale AC)  was first woman  in 96:04, followed by Catherine Murphy (Eagle AC) in 1:40.35. There were 426 finishers.

In County Galway, Marc Augustin (Le Cheile AC, M40) not only led home 1,135 finishers at the Connemarathon Half Marathon in a time of 74 mins 58 secs, but finished over twelve minutes clear of the chasers.  Mark Bennett was second in 87:32 and Aaron Farrell (Crusaders AC, M40) third in 89:00. Eimear O’Leary (Galway City Harriers, W40) was  ninth overall and first woman in 91:12.

Winners of the marathon were Michael Brady from Raheny in 2:42.31 and Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers, W40) in 3:03.56, while first home in the 39.3 mile ultra was Simona Pessina (ASD Bergamo Stars Atletica) in 4 hrs 10 mins 44 secs, followed by Terry Stanley (Clane AC) in 4:22.51 and  Ciaran Doherty (Clonliffe Harriers) 4:25.16. First woman was Simone Durry (TG Neuss, W40) in 5:17.51.

Mark Kearns (Shercock AC, U20) in 16:58 and Adele Gaffney in 19:13 were the winners at the Cootehill 5km in  Co Cavan. In the 10km, Shane Toner (Glenmore) was the winner in 34:06 with Susan Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) first woman in 42:17.

Interesting results in Phoenix Park

Some interesting results at the Belpark Duathlon in Dublin’s Phoenix Park where Emma O’Brien was first woman in 62 minutes exactly and Ian Wiley, like Emma, a member of Wicklow Tri Club, just three seconds behind her and first M55.

Unless we’re very much mistaken, that Ian Wiley is the Olympic slalom canoeist who won the Pre-Worlds Championships and a European title about three decades ago! Emma O’Brien, a strong track athlete who made the Irish U20 team, has been making quite a mark in triathlon and duathlon  circles over the past few years, winning the National Standard Distance Championships last year.

Race winner was James Graham (Peninsula TC, M35) in 57:48. Former Irish mountain running international Majella Diskin (Tralee TC) was first W65.

Winner of the Royal Canal Ultra Marathon in  Glebe, Co Longford on Saturday  (April 20) was Donatas Jocius in 3 hrs 50 mins 43 secs. Third and first woman in 4:01.37 was Deirdre Martin,

Wayne Waldron won the half marathon in 73:18, with Theresa Hughes first woman in 86:59. James Carthy in 35:05 and Fiona Gettings in 37:06 were the 10km winners.

In Co Cork, Tadhg O’Sullivan (Bweeng Trail Blazers) in 16:25 and Kealey Tideswell (Clonmel AC, W40)  in 17:32 were the winners at the Dromahane 5km, also on Saturday.

Earlier in the week

Dermot Gorman (Carrick AC, M40) was a  clear winner of the Ballyneale 5km, in Co Tipperary with a time of  16 mins 30 secs on Friday evening (April 19). The race was the opening round of the 2024  Outfield Sports 3 Counties Challenge. Sixth and first woman was Kealey Tideswell (Clonmel AC, W40)  in 17:37.

Winners at round 3 of the Roscommon Harriers 5km Series Race on Friday (19April 19) were Jordan Walsh (Craughwell AC) in 16:48 and Fionnuala Mulroy  (Athlone AC) in 20.00.

A record 1,166 turned out for the Balllintotis 4-Mile in Co Cork on Thursday evening (April 18) where Sean Doyle (Cork City AC, M35) led them home in 19 mins 23 secs.

Paul Hartnett (East Cork AC) was second in 19:32 and Ryan McCarthy (Riverstick/Kinsale AC, U20) third in 19:40. Six athletes broke 20 minutes. Ninth and second M40 was Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) in 20:12.

Leevale athletes took the top three women’s places. Hanna Steeds was first in 22:22,  while for second place, Nadine Forde in 23:37 just pipped her clubmate Michelle Kenny who finished a second behind in 23:38.

The race incorporated the Cork Athletics County Road Championships, with East Cork winning the a closely-fought men’s team competition ahead of St  Finbarr’s and Leevale; twenty teams finished. Best of the women’s teams  was Midleton. Leevale was second and Watergrasshill third of twenty-two teams entered.

Track and field

Brian Fay  (Raheny Shamrock AC) opened his track season at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China on Saturday (April 20) when finished 12th in the 5000m in 13:14.97.

Fay, aged twenty-five, is the current Irish record holder for the distance having run a time of 13:01.40 in July last year.  He’ s also the current Irish champion over the distance and a month ago, ran a personal best 27:43.45 for 10,000m in California.

In the 800m, Mark English (Finn Valley AC) finished 12th in 1:47.14. English has a personal best of 1:44.71 dating back to 2021. Both Fay and English will compete in the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League on Saturday April 27.

At the Mount Sac Relays in California, Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) finished a close second in the 200m with a time of 22.61 secs; her Irish record, set a year ago, stands at 22.34 secs. Race winner was Julien Alfred in 22.58. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was third in 22.80. These three athletes, along with Lanae-Tava Thomas, then teamed up to win the 4 x 100m in 42.03.

In the men’s 10,000m held on Thursday (April 18), Sean Kay (Clonliffe Harriers) finished eighth in 30:08.01.

Off-road

Winner of the Wicklow Glacier Lakes solo race  (42.7km, 1783m climb) on Saturday (9April 20) was Andy Keeling in a time of 5:30.15. Second in 5:38.01 was John Bell.First woman in 7:01.40 was Avril Challoner. Just ten seconds behind for second was Ivana Kolaric. First relay team  was Peak Fitness in 5:02.05.