A Lap of the Gap and more – Irish round-up

To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 20th May).

Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers) was the winner of the Aisling Murphy 4-Mile,  held in Tullamore, Co Offaly on Sunday (May 19),  which was the third round of the 2024  Peugeot Race Series— and Murchan’s third win.

The Dubliner had a minute to spare when winning in a superb time of 18 mins 30 secs, which knocked 52 seconds of Eoin Everard’s course record set last year.

Second in 19:30 was Colin Maher (Ballyfin AC,  who had finished fourth in both previous rounds, while third was junior athlete Jamie Byrne (DSD AC) in 19:51.

Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) finished first woman, with her time of 21:15 also a course record.  Second was Lauren Tinkler (DSC AC)  in 21:42 , with  junior athlete Heather Murphy  (St Michael’s AC) in 22:27.

In the Peugeot team category for mixed teams of six, DSD continued their winning streak, with DCH second  and Tullamore Harriers third.

With three finishers in the top nine, DSD also proved best of the men’s teams ahead of Tullamore Harriers, with Naomh Mhuire AC a distant third.

Top three women’s teams were Mullingar Harriers, Tullamore Harriers and Naomh Mhuire AC.

Next round in the Peugeot Series in Tuesday’s Bob Heffernan 5km in Enfield. There’s then a few week’s break until the Dunshaughlin 10km on Saturday June 22, which is the final race in the first phase of the series, which covers races at distances of  up to 10km.

Doherty and McCready take the wins

Kyle Doherty (M35) led home 818 finishers at the Strabane Lifford Half Marathon  in a time of 71:56. Marty Lynch (Milford AC, M40) was second in 73:10 and Helen McCready (Rosses AC, W35) first woman in 84:14.

On Saturday, Kieran Kelly  (Raheny Shamrock,M35) was the winner of the Irish Runner 5km Challenge in Dublin ’s Phoenix Park in a time of 14 mins 30 secs. Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) was second in 14:34 and William Fitzgerald (Craughwell AC) third in 14:39. In a closely-fought race, which incorporated a national championships. Aaron Hanlon (Drogheda and District AC) finished fourth and Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers) fifth.

First woman was junior athlete Amy Green (Finn Valley AC) in 16:43. Hannah Steeds (Leevale AC) was second in 16: 48 and Roisin O’Reilly (UCD AC) third in 16:54.

In the team competition, Clonliffe  beat Letterkenny AC for the men’s senior title, with Galway City Harriers third; twenty-three teams entered. DMP AC, Dunboyne AC and Clonliffe Harriers were the top three women’s teams, with twenty-five entered. Raheny Shamrock, Armagh AC and Rathfarnham WAF were the top three teams in the M35 categories, while Dunboyne, Newbridge and Liffey Valley were the top three W35 teams.

In the over 50 category, Grange Fermoy won the men’s title ahead of Inishowen AC and Metro St Brigid’s  AC.  Raheny Shamrock, led by Annette Kealy, took the women’s title ahead of Mullingar Harriers and Lucan Harriers.

 A lap of the Sally Gap

After winning the half marathon last year, Marc Augustin (Le Chéile AC, M40) went on to win the marathon races this year at the Lap of the Gap Marathon and Half Marathon, in Laragh, Co Wicklow on Saturday (May 18).

In misty cool conditions, Augustin pushed the pace from the start and by the 16km point, near the Sally Gap, had already built up a five minutes lead. He finished in 2 hrs 46 mins 47 secs for the tough, hilly course. Also breaking three hours were Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchard RC)  who finished second in 2:56.09  and Tiernan Swan third in 2:59.39.

First woman for a fourth time was Aisling O’Connor (Edenderry AC) in 3:13.10; O’Connor had set the women’s course record of 3:09.25 in 2019. Second for a second year was the 2022 winner Julie McNamee, who finished in 3:24.34 and was also first W50, while  third for a second year was Jade Harbron, whose time of 3:42.45 knocked a minute off her 2023 time.

Last year’s marathon winner Tudor Mircea Moldovan (Clonliffe Harriers) opted for the half marathon this time  and was aiming to set a course record.  With his victory at the Limerick Marathon a fortnight earlier still in his legs, he failed in that aim but was still a clear race winner in 71 mins 13 secs.

Second in 74:08 was Gavin Kelly (Clane AC, M40), while third  was Michael Bagnall (Fr Murphy’s AC) in 81:38. Next up for Moldovan is the Cork Marathon.

On a great day for the O’Connor clan, Niamh O’Connor, Aisling’s younger sister, finished fourth overall and first woman in 83:55 and Ciara, another O’Connor sister, third in  91:59.

Separating the two sisters was Lucy O’Malley second woman  and first W50 in 90:46.

Among the many overseas visitors was Jacques Cochet from France who finished first M80  in 2:11.51 – a new age group record.

Visitors on the day came not only from France but also from South Africa, Spain, Britain, the USA, Mexico, Poland, Czech Republic, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, India, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, Finland, Argentina, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Romania,  and Italy.

Not bad for a small (-ish!) race in the rolling hills of  Wicklow!

Track

At the Night of the 10,000m PBs  in London on Saturday night (May 18), Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers  ran a superb time of 27 mins 40.02 secs to finish seventh in the  top level championships race. The time was just half a second off Alistair Cragg’s Irish record.

Best of the Irish women was Ann Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) who finished sixth in  the second of three women’s races in 33 mins 17.50 secs – not far off her personal best 33:16.73 set in 2017.

Behind her came Clare Fagan 25th in 34:21.54, Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC)  28th in 34:34.66 and Cliona Murphy (DCH AC) 31st in 35:50.01. Meghan Ryan (DSD) won the  first of the three women’s races in 34:49.77.

Of the men, Keelan Kilrehill (Sligo AC) ran 29:04.67  for 17th in  the fifth of the six men’s races while junior athlete  Shane Spring (Raheny Shamrock AC), won  the first of  the men’s races in  30:22.83.

In Chorzóv, Poland, Nick Griggs (CNDR AC) ran a personal best 3:35.90 for fifth in the 1500m. at At a meet in Andujar, Spain on Friday (May 17), Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers)  finished second in the 1500m with a time of  3:36.32.  Mark English  (Finn Valley AC) ran 1:46.29 for fourth in the 800m;  Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock AC) was sixth in 1:46.93. In the women’s 800m, Georgie Hartigan (DSD AC) ran 2:05.57 for ninth place.

Stoneyford 5km & 10km (written by John Walshe)

Kealy Tidewell kept up her amazing winning sequence when taking the honours at the Stoneyford 10km in Kilkenny, her third victory in four days. After a first at the Cheetah Run 5km on Thursday, the Clonmel athlete then turned out at her local Poulmuckla 8km the following evening where she finished third overall in 28:23.

She went one better at the Kilkenny venue, finishing second of the 135 finishers. Despite the warm conditions, Tideswell’s time of 36:23 was 48 second quicker than her winning effort from last year. Grainne Brennan (Carrick-on-Suir) took second in 41:52 with third place going to Siobhan Burke (St Abban’s) in 43:22.

Dean Rowe (KCH) was first across the line in 35:45 and Sean Connery (King’s River) – third overall – second man in 36:34 with David Ryan (KTC) taking third spot in 38:38.

Paul Nolan from Thomastown was first of the 5km runners in 19:48 with a familiar name from the past, Niamh Richardson (KCH), the first woman (and third overall) in 20:30.

Once again, this was a real community effort with all proceeds going to the local Scoil Náisiúnta Chiaráin Naofa. Joint organisers Adele Walsh and Paul Moran – both well known on the running scene runners themselves – can certainly be well pleased with their efforts.

Back in March, St Senan’s athlete Walsh ran a PB of 2:52:49 at the Barcelona Marathon which gave her first F45 prize and also places her 11th on this year’s Irish rankings. Moving up a category in 2025, Boston is the next goal where doubt further age-group success awaits.

Trail

East Cork AC came, saw and conquered at the Wicklow Way Relay on Saturday (May 18). The Munster squad led from the start of the 104km race from Kilmashogue in Dublin to Shillelagh in Co Wicklow, which is split into eight legs of varying length and difficulty. All teams must include  at least one woman and one master (over 40) .

East Cork finished in a time of  7 hrs 14 mins 32 secs with Graham Swords, Anthony Forristal, Annelise Hutch , Donal Giltinan, Kevin O’Brien, Nick O’Donoghue, Tim O’Donoghue and Tamzin Muldowney making up the team.

In the battle for second place, Rathfarnham Runners were leading old rivals TT Races until the fifth leg into Glenmalure.  Around thsi point, TT Racers took over in second place and pulled away, reaching the finish in 7:28.34. Rathfarnham was third in 7:43.24, followed  by Kilcoole AC in 7:56.24 and Parnell AC in 8:10.34.

An all female team  that included ultra runners Aoife Mundow and Ellen Vitting finished seventh in 8:40.01.

In the Mournes, Adam Cunningham (Mourne Runners) was a clear winner of the Annalong Horseshoe recording a time of 2 hrs 25 mins 21 secs for the 20km distance with 2,000m of climb.

Ashley Crutchley (Newcastle  and District AC, U23)  finished fourteen minutes behind  for second place in 2:39.35 with David Hicks (Newcastle and District AC, M40) third in 2:40.46. First woman in 3:0.24 was Esther Dickson. Shirley Farnan (BARF, W55) was second in 3:52.59 and Sinead-Marie McAllister (Larne AC) third in 3:54.30.

In a busy period for trail and mountain running, a clear winner of the Leinster Evening League round at the Sugar Bowl (7.5km, 450m climb), Co Wicklow on Wednesday (May 16), was Saire Finn in a time of 43 mins 51 secs for the 7.6km distance. First woman in 52:15 was Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers W45).

On the same evening, there was a double again  for Mullingar Harriers at the second round of Pat Finnerty 5km Woodland Trail League  around the Belvedere House grounds near Mullingar  – but a different pair this week.

Winner this time was James Keegan in 16 mins 17 and first woman in 18:46 was Sinead Whitelaw. One round to go!