Twice as many halves – Irish round-up

To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 26th August)

Visiting athletes dominated the Antrim Coast International Half Marathon in Larne with Alex NzIoka Matata the winner in 59.46 and Yalemzerf  Yehualao first woman in 65.31.

Best of the Irish in eighth place was Hiko Tonosa  of Dundrum South Dublin AC in 62.46, followed by David McGlynn (Waterford AC)  in 65:05 and Conor Duffy (Glaslough AC) in 66.54. Entry is already open for next year’s race by the way.

Winning the 21st Longford Marathon  in a time of 2.40:08 — well off the course record  of 2.22:34 — was 51-year old Chris Denton (Springwell RC). Second and first M40 in 2.41:19 was Anthony Eames (Raheny Shamrock) , while third in 2.48:42 was Peter Hughes (Mallusk Harriers), a mere stripling of 39!

First woman  and first W40 was Orla Tuohy in 3:06.29 with Sarah Benton (North Down, W50) second in 3:10.37  and Olivia Martin (Bohermeen, W50) third in 3:15.44. First W60 was previous race winner Mary Jennings (Waterford AC, W65) in 4.24:26.

James Doran (An Riocht AC, M40)  led home almost 500 finishers in the half marathon with a time of  71:58. First woman was Roisin McMahon  in 87:20.

The same, but a little longer

Winning the 39-Mile ultra marathon was Michael Bagnell (Fr Murphy’s AC) in 4.50:46. Aoife Mundow (Drogheda and District AC0 was first woman in 5:06.37.

Finishing 11th in 5:53.20 was Gerard Kilbey (Ballymun AC); sixth woman in 7:31.57 was Eleanor O’Neill (Lucan Harriers, W50)

At the Oylegate Half Marathon and 10km in Co Wexford, Sean Crotty (Slaney Olympic, M40 ) won the half Marathon  76.23, followed by Robin Mooney (Sli CualannAC) in 76.45 and Barry Whelan (Portmarnock AC) in 77.36. Making in a winning double for Slaney Olympic in the women’s race was Catherine Roche who finished in 97:58, with her clubmate Esther O’Leary second in 99:01 and Sinead Kane third in 99:16

Local athlete William Maunsell (Clonmel AC) was the winner of the Boston Scientific Half Marathon in  Clonmel, Co Tipperary in a time of  66 mins 9 secs. Jack O’Regan (St John’s AC) was almost two minutes adrift for second in  68:08, with Sean Doyle (Cork City AC) third in 68:35.

First woman was Noemie Leduc (Grange/Fermoy AC) in 82:44. Catherine Murphy (Eagle AC) was second in 83:22 and Linda Grogan (Dundrum AC) third in 87:35.

In Letterkenny, Gary Slevin  was the winner of the Donegal Half Marathon with a time of  time of 74:13. Ciaran McGonagle (Letterkenny AC) was second in 75:16 and Charlie O’Donnell (Rosses AC) third in 76.)2.  First woman was Clare McGuigan ((Letterkenny AC) in  80:57. Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC) was second  in 81:90 and Maria Ni Mhaolagain (Rosses AC) third in 83:20.

Not all halves and marathons

A shorter distance race entirely was the GForce Streetforce RC 5km, held at Brickfield Park, Drimnagh, Dublin, where Gary Gaskin of  the host club was the winner in 19 mins 27 secs. First woman was Nathalie Halpin of  North Clondalkin  RC. Other new Dublin clubs represented included Ringsend RC, The Liberties RC, Cherry Orchard RC, Inner City RC, Sheriff Street RC, Up and Out Fitness, Shelters RC, Ballymun AC, and D15 RC, with 340 finishers in all.

On Saturday, at the South Kilkenny Run10-Mile and 10km in  Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny, Sean Connery  (King’s River RC) was the winner of the 10-mile  in 61:24 with Kate Veale (West Waterford AC) fifth and first woman in 67:53. First home  in the 10km was Matthew Holland (Gowran AC) with a time of 36:19. Grace Reilly was fourth overall and first woman in 40:19.

Winning the Strangford Festival 10km in Co Down  on Friday (August 23)  was Robert Hagen (Newcastle and District AC) in 33:41. Second and first U20 in 35:24 was Jacob McKittrick (Willowfield Harriers).  First woman was Louise McCourt (Ropewalk Runners, W45)  in 45:29.

Also on Friday, Shane Donnelly (Strive RC, M35) in 27:06  and Kathleen Law (Ballymena Runners, W35) 31:26 were the winners at the Portrush 5-Mile.

Earlier in the week

Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) and Íde Nic Dhomhnaill  (West Limerick ) were the winners of the Celbridge 5km, in  Co Kildare, held on Thursday evening (August 22). With generous cash prizes on offer, the race attracted an entry of almost 500 including 36 teams, 19 of them from the host club alone.

Tobin was a comfortable winner of the race in 14 mins 10 secs, with Sean Quinn (Dundrum South Dublin) second in 14:36 and Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers) third in 14:45. Ex-Irish international Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers) finished sixth and first W40 I 15.28.

Nic Dhomhnaill  finished  in 16:20, followed by DSD pair Meghan Ryan and Marie McCambridge in  times of 17:10 and 17:24; McCambridge was also first W40 and DSD clear winners of a valuable mixed team prize.

Tinryland AC took two of the masters prizes with John Dillon first 50  and Tommy Payne first M60. Mary Stuart (Mullingar Harriers) was first W50 and Fiona Byrne (Civil Service Harriers) first

Fintan Kerins (unatt) clocked a time of 15 mins 34 secs to win the Portmarnock Beach 5km,  in Co Dublin,  also on Thursday. Sean Heaslip Owens (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 15:40 and Gavin Eccles third in 15:41.

Ciara Peelo (Clonliffe Harriers, W40 was first woman in 30:23 followed by Emma Przymusinka (Lusk AC)  in 20:31 and Lorraine O’Reilly (Portmarnock AC, W50 ) in 20:47.

Racing machine Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) travelled to Co Westmeath  on Wednesday evening (August 21) to win the Castlepollard 5km/Tullynally Challenge in a time of 15:40.

Diarmuid Fagan and Ross Killalea, both Mullingar Harriers, finished second and third in times of 15:46 and 16.00 respectively.

Clare Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) was first woman in 17:17, followed by Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers  in 17:27 and Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF, W40) in 17:52.

Winners at the third round of the Longford 5km Trail Series at  Derrycassin Woods were Rian McCaffrey (Longford AC) in 17:54 and Gemma Kenny  (unatt.)in 20:29,

First over the line at the Cork BHAA Stryker 4-Mile, in Carrigtwohill, was guest runnerFrank O’Brien in a time of 20.23. Second and first BHAA runners wasConor McAuley in a time of 20.26. First woman was Hannah Steeds in 23.02.

Trail running

Killian Mooney of  Dundrum South Dublin AC had well over three minutes to spare when winning the Warriors’ Run 15km, at Strandhill, Co Sligo on Saturday (August 24)  in 55 mins 27 secs.

Second in 59:07 was Matthew McMeekin, while third was Seamus Somers (Sligo AC)  winner in both 2022 and 2023. Fourth and first M45 was Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) in 60:41. For a second year, international orienteer of  Dublin club Great Eastern Navigators, was first woman in 71:10. Sarah Kelly was second in 75:46 and Rosy Temple third in 75:54.

Tom Crudington (Newcastle and District AC) proved the class of the field at The Two Towers (12.5km, 900m) mountain race at Happy Valley, Co Down on Saturday (August 24).

Crudington’s time of 71:92 saw him finishing well over three minutes clear of the chasers led by Keith Johnston (Armagh AC) in 77:32, with Adam Cunningham (Mourne Runners) third in 77:58.

First woman in 97:57 was Martsje Hell (North Belfast Harriers). Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn, W50) was second in 1:42.20 and Tanya Cumming (Newcastle AC, W40) third in 1:46.45. The race was  the final round of the NIMRA Championships