To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 17th June).

At the Castleknock Charity 5km, Dublin on Sunday (June 16), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC ) was the winner in 14 mins 29 secs, with Tadhg Donnelly (Drogheda and District AC) second in 14:59 and Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) third in 15:35.

First woman was Nicola Sheridan (Bohermeen AC) in 17:20. Emily Bolton (Donore Harriers) was second in 17:52 and Ellen McLoughlin third in 18:11. David McConn (Donore Harriers) was first male master and Grainne Hickey (Celbridge AC) first female master.

Winners of the Dick Whelan Caragh GFC Memorial 10km in Downings North, Co Kildare were Gavin Kelly (Clane AC, M40) 33:22 and Jane Ann Healy (W40) in 38:12.

At the Thoroughbred Run over four distances in Kildare Town, Munster runners dominated the marathon with John O’Brien  (Ballymore Cobh AC, M50) the overall winner in 2:48.39 and Dolores Duffy (Watergrasshill AC, W55) first woman in 3:28.37.

Dermot O’Brien led home 520 finishers in the half marathon; his time was 76:48.  First woman with a time of 91:03 was Sinead Rigney.  J.B. Paulin (Sanctuary Runners) won the 10km in 35:49 with Kealey Tideswell (Clonmel AC, W40) third overall and first woman in 36:06. Paulin and Tideswell also won the Memory Mile.

Winners of the Half on the Head Half Marathon on Saturday (June 15) were Denis Hegarty in 75:39 and Sarah Leahy in 97:12. Jake O’Regan won the 10km in 34 mins 30 secs, with Mairead de Faoite first woman in 47:13.

A key to a good 5k is to not get ahead of yourself in the early stages.

A busy Friday evening

On a busy Friday evening,  Drogheda and District athletes took the top three places at the Boyne 5km in Drogheda, Co Louth, on Friday (June 14), with Tadgh Donnelly the winner in 14:41, Aaron Hanlon second in14:48, and Colin Leonard third  and first M40 in 16:26. Fourth and second M40 was Ronan Wogan (Raheny Shamrock AC) In 16:44. Ronan was also on timekeeping duties at the race.

Clare Smyth was first woman and first W40 in 20:134, with Ciara Shaw (Kells AC) a close second in 20:16 and Molly Ann Rath  third in 20:40.

Winning the Braveheart Trail 5km in Trim, Co Meath, was Peter Somba (Ratoath AC) in 15:50. Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 16:08 and Alexander Wallace third and first M40 in 16:17. Susan Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) was first woman in 19:22, followed by Louise Bailey (W40) in 19:35 and Edel Carberry (Garristown Flyers AC) in 20.00.

At the Naomh Mhuire Daingean 5km, which was the sixth round of the Offaly 5km Road Race Series, Paul Mitchell (Tullamore Harriers) was the winner in 15:35, holding off Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC, M45), who finished a fighting second in 15:38.

Third in 15:50 was Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers).  Junior athlete Heather Murphy (St Michael’s AC) finished first woman in 17:29. Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers, W45) was second in18:11. In third place with a time of 18:30, Glenda Shaw (W40) was leading Mullingar Harriers to team victory over Tullamore Harriers and Naomh Mhuire AC. In the men’s team category,  Tullamore Harriers, with four in the top six,  had a comfortable victory  over Naomh Mhuire AC and Mullingar Harriers, with fourteen teams entered. Two more rounds remain in the series, with the best five results counting.

Catherine Murphy, third last year behind her Eagle clubmate Aoife Cooke and Hannah Steeds, took the honours at the Dunmanway 10km which took place in warm conditions over an undulating course.

Although a minute slower than 2023, Murphy just did enough to win, her time of 40:07 giving her a comfortable margin over Aoife Mahony (40:56), also Eagle, with Heather Dunlea of Leevale finishing third in 41:31.

Murphy, who ran 2:56:49 for fourth in her F45 category at last year’s Dublin Marathon, now hopes to run Berlin this autumn. Also targeting Berlin is Dunlea, 27, a native of Boston who has been working in Cork for the past few years and is coached at Leevale by Donie Walsh.

It was Donie’s son, Mark, who claimed the men’s title as he led from 3km onwards. He finished in 33:03 with Leevale colleague Donal Coakley – usually just missing out on the prizes – making no mistake this time when taking second in 34:28.

Two West Cork runners, Garrett Lordan (Clonakilty RR) and Kevin Wilmot (Bandon, M40), took third and fourth places in respective times of 35:30 and 35:46.

Moycarkey-Coolcroo 5km

The Tipperary village of Littleton staged its 5km on Friday night, organised by the local Moycarkey-Coolcroo club. In a close finish, it was Mossy Bracken of the promoting club who prevailed, his time of 15:15 giving him five second to spare over Niall Shanahan. Clonmel native Evan Fitzgerald, now with West Waterford, was third in 15:25.

The Clonmel club provided the women’s winner in Ciara O’Neill who ran 17:41, with Sharon Kilely (Thurles Crokes) second in 17:56 and Lauren Dermody (Castlecomer) third 18:03.

Earlier in the week

Jeremiah Sheehan and Hannah Steeds were the winners at the Cork BHAA Musgrave S&S 5km on Wednesday (June 12), held on a new route at the Marina because of the ongoing road works.

Sheehan led home; 674 finishers in a time of 15 mins 4 secs and was also helping the Department of Education to victory in grade A. Eoghan O’Connor was second in 15:11 and Anthony Mannix third in 15:14.  The Department of Education also won women’s Grade A.

Steeds finished in 16:43, followed by Michelle Kenny in 17:37 and Lorna Wolfe in 18:04.  Among the age group winners were Mary Sweeney W60,  comeback kid Carmel ParnellbW65 and John Holland M75.

Track

Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) travelled to Nice, France,  for the Nikaïa Meet on Saturday  (June 15) where he finished third in the 1500m  in a personal best time of 3:34.31. That time is only 0.8 of a second off the automatic Olympic qualifying mark of 3:33.50. Nicholas Griggs (CNDR TC)  finished ninth in 3:35.40, also a PB.

Highlight of a packed schedule at the British Milers Club and Senior Open Track  Meet at the Mary Peters Track,  in Belfast on Saturday was the men’s 3000m, which was won by junior athlete Cormac Dixon (Tallaght AC) in 8:10.39.

The time was a personal best for the 18-year-old, who is the current All-Ireland  Schools senior champion in both cross-country and the 1500m. Conall McClean (St Malachy’s AC) was second in 8:11.55 and Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) third in 8:12.00.

Winning the women’s A 3000m was Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) in 9:31.37. Aoife McGreevy (Lagan Valley AC) was second in 9:38.50 and Roise Roberts (CNDR TC) third in 9:41.09.

In the men’s mile,  three Irish athletes (and five overall) broke the four minute barrier, while a fourth narrowly missed out. Winner was Max Wharton (Sale Harriers) in 3:58:02 followed by Thomas Moran (Dunshaughlin AC/Sale Harriers) 3:58.57, Callum Morgan (CNDR TC) 3:59.26  and Cathal O’Reilly (Kilkenny City Harriers) 3:59.26.

Philip Marron (Dublin City Harriers) missed out on breaking four minutes by an agonising two seconds, finishing sixth in a personal best 4:00.01.

Other notable performances came from Jenna Brommell (Emerald AC) winner of the women’s A 800m in 2:02.72.  In the men’s 800m, Harry Purcell (Trim AC) finished second in 1:48.69.Winning the women’s A 1500m was Rebekah Osborne (Dromore AC)  in 4:21.55. Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC) was second in 4:22.19.

At the track in Dublin

At the fifth Dublin Graded Track and Field meet of the season held at the DSD track on Tibradden Lane,  also on Saturday, Maria McCambridge (DSD AC, W45) won the 3000m in 10:07.24. In second place with a time of 10:09.02 was Barbara Cleary (Donore Harriers, W50), another doughty master athlete who was making a rare appearance on the track. Third in 10:19.76 was Edel McCreary (Rathfarnham WSAF AC).

Winning the men’s 3000m in 8:29.09 was Eoghan McElhinney (Bantry AC) . John Durcan (Togher AC) was second in 8:44.12 and Dylan Wright (Lucan Harriers) third in 8:47.09,

Over 800m, Sean Carrigg (Clonliffe Harriers) won the men’s A race in a personal best 1:56.21, and. Lucy Holmes (WestWaterford AC)  the women’s A race in 2:09.68.

Mountain Running

Irish mountain running international Zak Hanna (Newcastle and District AC) was in the Wicklow Mountains last Wednesday (June 12) winning the Leinster League round at Djouce from ultra trail  specialist Paddy O’Leary. The pair finished in times of 51:36 and 52:35. Daire Finn was third in 53:19. First woman was Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers, W45) in 67 mins 52 secs.

Hanna and Sarah McCormack will lead the Irish team at the annual Snowdon International in Wales on July 20. McCormack is a three times previous winner at Snowdon.

On Saturday, Keith Johnston (Armagh AC) won a closely-fought Flagstaff to Carlingford mountain race from just outside Newry, Co Down, to the end of the Cooley peninsula in Co Louth.

Just 19 seconds separated the top three in the race with Johnston clocking a time of 1 hr 47 mins 38 secs for the 11-mile distance with 3,000 ft of climb. Ashley Crutchley (Newcastle and District AC) was second in 1:47.46 and Paul McAnespie  (Armagh AC, M50) third in 1:47.57.

First woman in 2:05.58 was Esther Dickson (Newry RC) with Martsje Hall (North Belfast Harriers) just one place behind in 2:06.40 and Tanya Cumming (Newcastle and District AC, W40) third in 2:12.14.

In Leinster, Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic) won the Bike and Bus Low Carbon 7.7km hill race at Ticknock  Co Dublin, on Friday evening in a time of 35 mins 127secs. First woman in 46:05 was Imogen McGuinness (St Benedict’s AC, W45), who had finished second at the Djouce race earlier in the week.

Trail

Robert Frewen and Karla Doran were the winners at the annual OPW BHAA Trail 5km held in  the Phoenix Park, Dublin on Tuesday (June 11).

Frewen, representing Bank of Ireland completed the course in 16 mins 59 secs with Daniel O’Brien (ESB) second in 17:14 and Greg Devereux third in 18:08.

Doran was fourteenth overall in 19:57, followed by Ciara Brady 20:16 and Deirdre Lyons 20:50.

ESB finished best of the Grade A teams, with Central Bank best in Grade 2.

Ultra

Stephen Murphy (Tullamore Harriers) set an new Irish 100 mile record at the Belfast 24 Hour Ultra held in Victoria Park  from Saturday at 12 noon to Sunday at 12 noon (June 16-17).

His time broke Ed McGroarty’s  record of 13:47.37 from January 2023.

Murphy, winner of the Connemara 100 Mile last August in 13:32.42 had trained specifically for the event, regularly running hundred mile weeks after recovering from a stress fracture earlier this year.

A clear winner of the 24 hour race with a total distance of 229.536km/142.63 miles was Jason Nichol (St Finbarr’s AC). Second with 214.674km/133.4 miles was Niall McGuigan (Atlas Running), while third was the ageless Eddie Gallen  (Finn Valley AC) with 201.463km/125.19 miles.

Fourth and first woman was Bernie Kellett (Kells AC) 175.042km/108.77 miles, followed by Colleen Keogh  (unatt)171.739 km/106.72 miles and Amy Masner  (Parnell AC) 163.482 km/101.59 miles.

Winners of the 12 hour were Rex Brilliante (Dublin Mountain RC) with 122.99/75.93 miles and Amena Madden from Liverpool with 97.429 km/60.54. In the 50km, Geoff Eakins (Flying Machines RC)  was the winner in 5 hrs 33 mins 24 secs, with Deirdre Martin (Carrick AC) first woman in 3:54.10.