Sarah Healy of Blackrock AC was an impressive winner of the women’s A 1500m race at the first British Milers Club Grand Prix of the season in Manchester Saturday (May 12).

The teenager took the lead with around 700m to go in an experienced field and came home in a personal best time of 4:15.53 to just miss out on Ciara Mageean’s Irish youth record of 4:15.46.

Healy, who finished ahead of Mageean’s training partner at Team New Balance Manchester Anna Silvander, has improved with every race this year, breaking the Irish 1500m and 3000m youth and U20 indoor records along the way.

Finishing fourth in 4:18.84 was Amy O’Donoghue of Emerald AC.

Over 800m, Brian Fay of Raheny Shamrock, aged 19, won the D race in a personal best 1:50.20, while Ciara Everard of UCD continued her comeback with a time of 2:06.35 for sixth in the women’s A race.

Junior international athletes in action included Charlie O’Donovan of Leevale ninth in the B 1500m in 3:52.67, Darragh McElhinney of Bantry AC moving up the distances and finishing ninth in the men’s A 5000m in 14.25.38, Keelan Kilrehill of Moy Valley AC winner of the C 5000m in 14:59.86 and Roisin Treacy of Ashford AC third in the women’s 2000m steeplechase in 7:26.08.

You can read more about the first BMC Grand Prix of the season, including teenager Max Burgin clocking the fastest ever 800m time by a 15 year-old, here.

Road

For a third year, Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC outsprinted Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock for victory in the Terenure 5-Mile in Dublin on Sunday (May 13).

Photo: Terenure 5 Mile

Somba finished in 23:57 with Clohisey, in a final burn-up before next Saturday’s European 10,000m Cup in London, just one second behind.

Finishing third in 24:42 was Tomás Fitzpatrick of Tallaght AC. First woman was Ciara Hickey of Bros Pearse, who had won the Tallaght 5km a week earlier.

Hickey finished in 28:00, with last year’s winner, Siobhan O’Doherty of Borrisokane, second in 28:39, Linda Byrne of DSD third in 28:60 and Catherina McKiernan of MSB fourth and first W40.

Photo: Terenure 5 Mile

Host club Sportsworld AC took the men’s team prize, beating Donore Harriers and Rathfarnham WSAF. Donore beat DSD for the women’s team title with Crusaders AC third.

Gerry Gallagher of Finn Valley in 73:41 and Claire McGuigan of Lifford Strabane AC in 82:08 were the winners of the Lifford Strabane Half Marathon on Sunday (May 13).

Keith Shiels of Foyle Valley AC was the winner of the Termoneeny 10km in 32:08 on Friday evening (May 11). First woman was Gemma McDonald of Ballycastle Runners in 39 mins 12 secs.

That same evening, Martin Cox, of Carmen Runners in 16:12 and Niamh Carolan of North Leitrim in 19:12 were the winners at the annual Ballyshannon 5km.

Winners of the Le Cheile 5km in Leixlip on Wednesday (May 9) were Peter Somba in 16:37 and Jane Bandila 18:09; both are Dunboyne AC members.

The fastest parkrun times across Ireland on Saturday were run by St Malachy’s AC Ben Branagh and 50 year-old masters athlete Annette Kealy of Raheny Shamrock. The top 10 times across Ireland can be found here.

Track

At last Wednesday’s Dublin Graded Meet in Tallaght, the quartet of Ciara Deely, Miriam Daly, Ellie O’Toole and Davicia Patterson set a new Irish junior record of 3:44.28 for the women’s 4×400m. Full results here.

In the USA, at the Big East Track and Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio, Siofra Cleirigh Buttner, running for Villanova, retained her women’s 800m title with a time of 2:05.52.

BACK-TO-BACK

Síofra Cléirigh Büttner wins a second-straight #BIGEASTtrack 800m Outdoor for @NovaTrackXC pic.twitter.com/md6pgi31pv

— BIG EAST Champs (@BIGEASTchamps) May 12, 2018

Buttner also anchored the Villanova 4×400m team to third place. In the men’s 400m, Harry Purcell’s time of 48.47 saw him top the list of qualifiers after the preliminary rounds, and in the final, he finished fifth in 48.60.

Sean Tobin of Clonmel AC, in his final year at Ole Miss, finished seventh in the steeplechase with a time of 9:07.04 at the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.

At the Big 12 Championships in Waco Texas, Fellan McGuigan of Finn Valley AC was fourth in the men’s hammer with 60.92m.

Mountain and trail

Seamus Lynch of host club Newcastle was first home in 55:14 at the annual Slieve Donard mountain race in the Mournes on Saturday (May 12). For a second year, William McKee finished second with his Mourne Runners club mate Timothy Johnston third.

Lagan Valley’s Shileen O’Kane was first woman and was taking a record fifth victory in the race. Second was Dublin-based Becky Quinn with Sarah Graham of Mourne Runners third.

Paddy O’Leary finished 26th and best of the Irish at the Trail World Championships in Castellon, Spain on Saturday with a time of 9:40:03 for the 85km course. Winner in 8:38 was Luis Alberto Hernandez of Spain.

The post Sarah Healy just misses another youth record – Irish weekend round-up appeared first on Fast Running.