To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 10th February).

At the Millrose Games in  New York on Saturday (February 8), all three Irish athletes in action set new national records. The best result came from Sarah Healy who not only finished third in the women’s 3000m, but knocked five seconds off the record she had set a week earlier with her time of in 8:30.79.

In the 800m Mark English, now coached by the Australian Justin Rinaldi, finished fourth in a time of 1:45.15 breaking his own Irish Record.

Finally in the Wanamaker Mile, Andrew Coscoran finished seventh in a time of 3:49.26. That time meant that Coscoran became only the third Irishman to break 3 mins 50 secs for the classic distance after Ray Flynn outdoors Oslo in 1982 and Eamonn Coghlan indoors in the USA in 1983.  Flynn is now race director of the Millrose Games.

Andrew Coscoran, Eamonn Coghlan & Ray Flynn. Photo: Dan Moses

For the record, in the pre-carbon-plate era, Eamonn Coghlan won the Wanamaker Mile seven times from 1977 to 1987, earning the title ‘Chairman of the Boards’.  Marcus O’Sullivan won it six times from 1986 to 1996, Niall Bruton twice in 1994 and 1996 and Mark Carroll once in 2000. Coscoran ran the race for the first time in 2020 finishing tenth (last) in 3:57.83 and has run it twice more since then. He is clearly benefitting from his new training set-up since signing up with Helen Clitheroe at the New Balance Team in Manchester.

Winner of the race for a third consecutive year on Saturday was Yared Nuguse in a sensational world record time of 3:46.63. That is running on another level altogether. Will we ever see another Irish winner?

Lots of overseas action elsewhere too

In the men’s 3000m at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational  in Boston, USA, Cormac Dalton finished 12th overall in 7:50.09 and Shane Brosnan 14th in 7:53.86 after winning his heat.

Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers  improved his best to 3:37.58 when finishing fourth in the 1500m at the INIT Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany on Friday (February 7). That time is inside the B standard for the European Indoors next month.

Finally in the Czech Republic, Jodie McCann (DCH) finished ninth in the women’s 3000m in a personal best 8:55.71 at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava on Tuesday (February 4) .

National Indoor League

Locally, the Clonliffe Harriers men and Ratoath women were the winners of the National Indoor League with the second of two rounds taking place in Athlone on Saturday (February 8).

Dundrum South Dublin finished second in both competitions.

Among the dual winners were Juan Ignacio Pena of Raheny Shamrock AC who won the men’s 3000m in 8:32.67 and the 800m in 1:53.83.

Cross-country

Lizzie Lee of  Leevale AC added yet another title to her large collection when winning the women’s 4km race at the All Ireland Masters Cross-Country Championships in Westport, Co Mayo on Sunday (February 9).

Lee finished  in 14 mins 29 secs, with her clubmate Irene Clements second in 14:36. Kate Purcell of Raheny Shamrock not only finished  third in 14:41but led her team to a  solid victory. Making up the team were Dublin champion Fiona Roche fourth, Annette Kealy 16th and Zoe Quinn 36th. Sportsworld, led by Noreen Brouder in 12th place finished second on 103 points  beating Galway City Harriers by just two points. Dublin won the county team title.

Dublin champion Colm Rooney  of Clonliffe Harriers  was a clear winner of the men’s 7km race in 22 mins 12 secs.  Second  was Eoin Mullan from Omagh Harriers in 22:31 with Conan McCaughey of North Belfast Harriers third in 22:44.

Rooney was also leading Clonliffe to team victory with Sergiu Ciobanu seventh, Cathal McHale 14th and Karl Nolan 16th. On a good day for Dublin clubs. Rathfarnham WSAF finished second  and East Cork third.

In the over 65 race, Liam Lenehan (Sportsworld AC)  was the overall winner in 15 mins 52 secs, with Tom Cuddy of Rathfarnham WSAF second in 16:189 and mountain runner Martin McDonald from Ballyroan Abbeyleix  and District third in 16.30. Finishing fourth and first M70 in 16:43 was. Joe Gough of West Waterford AC.  Other category winners were Martin McEvilly (Galway City Harriers) M75 and Jim Langan (Tullamore Harriers) M80.

Rathfarnham WSAF proved best of the teams  while Dublin  won the county title.

Also taking  place were the All Ireland Intermediate Championships, with Clonliffe Harriers dominating the women’s race with four finishers in the  top nine. Helena Butterly was the winner in 19 mins 44 secs, Niamh Kelly second in 19:55, Jools Hughes fifth in 23:50 and Julie Larkin ninth in 21.15, making Clonliffe clear winners of the team title and also ensuring a county victory for Dublin.  Liffey Valley  packed well to  finish second team  led by with Siobhan Nugent 8th,  and in a Dublin clean sweep, Sportsworld AC finished third, led by Elaine Kennedy in seventh place.  Just four teams competed.

Abaas Adam Edris of Castlegar AC  was the winner of the men’s race with a time of 26 mins 16 secs. For Ennis TC, Barry Conway was second in 26:29 and Jamie Kelly third in 26:42.

Ennis TC, with four in the top twelve,  was the winning team ahead of Clonliffe  with Castlegar third.

Ultra (and another Irish record)

Caitriona Jennings of Letterkenny AC finished sixth overall and first woman in a new Irish record time of 3 hrs 16 mins 33 secs at the Donadea 50km, in Co Kildare, which incorporated the National Championships.

Overall winner of the race in 3:01.50 was Wayne Waldron  of Donore Harriers.  Terry Shanley (Clane AC) was second in 3:04:58  and Ian Fitzgerald (Donore Harriers) third in 3:08.21. Anthony Brady (Coolock RC) finished eighth in 3:22.08, Derek O’Brien (Lusk AC) 19th in 3:39.17

Roads

Aidan Noone and Hannah Steeds were the winners at the Cork BHAA Janssen Pharmaceuticals 5km, held at Little Island,  hich attracted an entry of well over 400  on Sunday (February 9)

Noone  finished in 15 mins 42 secs,  with John Meade second and first M45  in 15:42 and Darren McCann third in 15:46.

Steeds, who was eighth overall,  crossed  the line in 16:13. Sinead O’Connor was second in 16:36 and Michelle Kenny third in 17:30.  Teams from the Department of Education won both  A grade team categories.

In Co Louth, also on Sunday, Ruaidhri Nolan of Drogheda and District AC was the winner of the Clogherhead Seaside 5km in 16 mins 54 secs. First woman in 19:06 was Anne-Marie Cassidy of Dreadnots GFC.

Winner of the Rathcoffey GAA 10km in Co Kildare on Saturday (February 8) was Martin Hoare (Celbridge AC) in 31 mins 21 secs. First woman was Sheila O’Byrne (Sli Cualann AC) in 36:56.. Declan Power (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M50  in 34:16 and Mick Carolan (Brothers Pearse AC) first M70 in 47:44.

In the 5km, the winners were Daragh Keegan (Donore Harriers) in 16:28  and junior athlete Iris McCartan (Clane AC) in 19:07.

Robin Mooney (Sli Cualann AC) in 16 mins 29 secs and  Ciara Wilson (DMP AC) in 17:40 were the winners at the Wexford Credit Union 5km Night Run, on Thursday evening ( February 6) which attracted an impressive entry of 558.