Nic Domhnaill does it in Dublin

To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 3rd June).

Íde Nic Domhnaill (West Limerick AC)  made it look easy when winning the 42nd VHI Women’s Mini Marathon yesterday in Dublin.

After crossing the finish line, Nic Domhnaill didn’t even know her time, guessing she’d finished in around 34 minutes.  As it happened, her time was a very respectable 33 mins 22 secs, especially considering  a long lay-off from racing due to stomach problems.

Her only previous experience in the Dublin race had been in 2022, when it poured with rain;  her twin sister Sorcha had finished second and Íde third in times of 33:07 and 33:26.

“A fortnight ago, I ran a four-mile race in Tullamore to test my fitness. That went well, but I still wasn’t sure  how I’d run over 10km. Although I thought I’d feel stressed and should stay with the pack, I felt  quite relaxed and could push the pace.”

By halfway, which Nic Domhnaill went through in 16 mins 29 secs, she was already 44 seconds clear of a  chasing bunch of three — Meghan Ryan of Dundrum South Dublin)  and sisters Maebh Richardson and  Grace Richardson of Kilkenny City Harriers.

They finished in that order, with Ryan clocking 34:53, Maebh Richardson 35:02 and Grace Richardson 35:25.

It was a best ever finish for Ryan who, as a member of the race’s organising club, has run the mini marathon every year since she turned sixteen – and that’s sixteen times!

As for Maebh Richardson, whose oldest sister Aoibhe won the race in 2019, she was running her first ever race over the 10km distance and came  home ahead of sister Grace who was hit with stomach cramps mid-race. Not too far behind was mother Niamh who finished  in  42 mins 59 secs and was third W55.

Other notable performances came from Natasha Adams (Letterkenny AC) seventh overall and first W45 in 36:07  and from Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock),  the 2008 women’s mini marathon winner, who finished 17th overall  and first W55 in 38 mins 46 secs.

Former Irish marathon champion and Olympian Christine Kennedy (Galway City Harriers) was first W65 43.38, while the winner in the W70 category was Eileen Kenny(Athlone AC)  in 47:07.

Winning  the visually impaired  category with a time of 45 mins 40 secs was Sinead Kane (Le Chéile AC) who is hoping to compete in next September’s Paralympics marathon and is also an experienced ultra runner. Guiding her was  her clubmate John O’Regan.

Overseas stars in Cork City

In Munster, Pawel Kosek, a regular visitor to Cork from Poland, was the winner of the Cork City Marathon for a second time in 2 hrs 23 mins 54 secs, followed by David Mansfield (Clonmel AC, M35) in 2:24.33 and Tudor Mircea Moldovan (Clonliffe Harriers, M35)  in  2:25.21.

Former Irish marathon champion Aoife Cooke (Eagle AC, W35) was first woman in 2:56.33. Yuliya Tarasova (Clonliffe Harriers, W35) was second in 3:00:57  and  Andrea Aza Villamor, originally from Spain but living in Co Cork,  third  in 3:05:15.

First home in the half marathon with a time of 68:30 was William Maunsell (Clonmel AC, M35). Peter Somba (Ratoath AC) was second in 69:12 and Gavin Sweeney  (Togher AC, M35) third in 71:57.  Niamh Moore (Leevale AC) was first woman in 81:21, followed by Caroline Lambert (Keswick AC)  in 82:05 and Sally Forristal (St Joseph’s AC) in 83:32.

Winners in the 10km were Michal Wojcik from Poland in 31:22 and Niamh O’Mahoney  (An Riocht AC) in 35:25.

In Tasmania, Mayo woman Sinead Diver was first woman at the Launceston Half Marathon in 72 mins 10 secs on Sunday (June 2). Diver’s personal best of 68:50 for the distance dates back to 2020.

Track and field

Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC)  and Sarah Healy (UCD AC) made it an Irish one-two in the women’s 1500m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava  on Tuesday (May 28). Healy was leading with 150m to go, but was caught by Mageean in the finishing straight. The pair were given times of 4:01.98  and 4:02.12, with Britain’s Revee Walcott-Nolan third in 4:02.42.

In the men’s 1500m Luke McCann (DCH) finished third in a personal best time of 3:34.32, while in the 400m Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock)  clocked 51.82.

McCann later bettered that time when finished second in the 1500m at the Diamond League Stockholm on Sunday (June 2) with a time of 3:33.66 Although selected, he has withdrawn from the Irish team competing at the European Championships starting in Rome on Friday (June 7).

At the Diamond League, Bislett Games, Oslo in Norway, on Thursday evening (May 30), Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished 18th in the men’s 5000m in a time of 13:30.45 in a race where five men broke 12 mins 50 secs six national records were set.

In the 1500m, won in dramatic fashion by local hero Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) finished tenth in a season’s best 3:32.68.  Mark English (Finn Valley AC) finished fourth in the  non-Diamond League men’s 800m,  with his time of 1:44.95 close to his all-time best of 1:44.71 set in 2021. All three will compete in their favoured distances at the  European Championships.

Schools

Eleanor Foot (Loreto Dalkey) proved the star of the opening day of the 106th All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore when she won the senior girls’ 1500m steeplechase in a record time of 5:01.53. Foot was the defending champion in this event.  Winning the senior boys 2000m steeplechase was Noah Harris  (ETSS Wicklow) in 5:49.89.

On the same evening, Cillian Gleeson (Col Chiarain, Leixlip) won the boys’ 5,000m title in 14:57.65. The record for this event, which stands at 14 mins 17 secs  was set by one John Treacy in 1974 – half a century ago.

A day later, Irish schools cross-country champion Cormac Dixon (HCFS Rathcoole) was an impressive winner of the senior boy’s 1500m in 4 mins 02.43 secs.

Winning the senior girls’ 1500m title in 4:27.88 was Nicole Dinan (St Angela’s Cork).

Racing briefs!

John Tumilty (North East Runners) was the winner  in 24 min 23 secs at the Brendan Reilly 4-Mile Memorial Run in Monasterboice, Co Louth,  on Saturday (June 1). Fourth and first woman was Karen Costello (Dunleer AC) in 25:26. Fifth and first M50 was David Carrie (Dunleer AC) in 25:27.

At the Timahoe Festival 5km  in Co Laois, also on Saturday, David McEvoy (St Abban’s AC) was the winner in 17:05, with Liz McWey  (Ballyroan Abbeyleix AC) first woman in 21;51.

Peter Somba (Ratoath AC0) was a comfortable winner in 15:21 at the Ballyskenach 5km on Friday (May 31) –  the fifth and final round of the Offaly 5km Road Races Series. Dymphna Ryan (Dundrum AC, W40) was first woman in 16:48. Tullamore Harriers proved best of the men’s teams ahead of Ferbane AC and Naomh Mhuire AC,  with  Naomh Mhuire beating Ferbane by a single point for the women’s title and Tullamore Harriers third.

At the Michelle McKiernan 5km in Stamullen, Co Meath on Wednesday (May 29), the winners were  Tadhg Donnelly (Drogheda and District AC) in 15 mins 14 secs and Aine Cotter (North East Runners) in 18:01.  A day later on Thursday (May 30), Ronan Dunphy (Skerries AC) was the winner at the Balbriggan Summerfest 5km in 16:43 with Shiela Burke (Lusk AC) first woman in 19:50.

Ieuan Hopkins returned to winning way at the Government Services BHAA 5-Mile in Dunboyne, Co Meath on Tuesday (May 28), winning the race in 25 mins 20 secs. Sean Doran was second in 25:45 and  Robin Mooney third in 26.48 First woman was Glenda Shaw in 30:44, followed by Claire Ní  Fearchallaigh in 32:24 and Mairead Hogan in 32:25.  Women’s team winners  were the Hospital Group; Revenue won men’s Grade 1 A , ESB grade 2 and BMC Global grade 3.

Off-Road Champs and Hills

Best Irish result at the European Off-Road Championships, in Annecy, France was Sarah McCormack (Ambleside AC) who finished an excellent eighth in the women’s uphill  race on Friday  (May 31)  with a time of 54 mins 46 secs.

In the men’s uphill race Zak Hanna (Newcastle and District AC) finished 34th in 48:28.

In the 58km off-road trail race a day later,  which included 3,500m of climb Emma Stuart from Sligo AC led home the women finishing 31st in 6 hrs 53 mins 50 secs, while best of the Irish men was Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic AC) who finished 43rd in 5:58.27.

Finally, in the up and down race on Sunday, Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers) was best of the Irish in the women’s race finishing 40th  in 1 hr 40 mins 54 secs.

Locally,  Tim Johnston (Annadale Striders) was the winner of the Cairncastle Classic Fell Race  in Ballygally, Co Antrim  on Saturday (June 1) clocking a time of  74 mins 44 secs for the ten mile race with around 2,200 ft of climb.  Second in 75:23 was Ryan Stewart (unatt) , while third and first U23 was Ashley Crutchley (Newcastle and District) in 75:58. Fourth and first M45 was Glyn Johnston (BARF) in 79:58.  The race part of  the NIMRA Championships.