To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 14th October).

In the women’s 6km race at the Autumn Open Cross-Country held on the National Cross-Country Course at Abbotstown on Sunday (October 14) English visitor Sophie Tarver pushed the pace from the start and was the winner in 20:12.

Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) was second in 20:25, with Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) third in 20:32. Fourth and first W35 in 20:43 was Nakita Burke (Letterkenny AC); the race incorporated a trial for the  British and Irish Masters International in Belfast on November 16.

That’s the day before the All Ireland Senior Cross-Country Championships, which means a hard choice for many eligible athletes.

Photo: Lindie Naughton

Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley AC)  was the winner of the men’s race. In contrast to the women’s winner Kilrehill ran a tactical race tucking in behind Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) who pushed the pace from the start of the 8km race.

On the fourth and final 2km lap Kilrehill made a decisive move pulling away to win in 23 mins 51 secs. Tobin was second in 24:16 and Spanish visitor Isaac Hirshman Chandler  third in 24:24.

First M40 was Michael Harty (East Cork AC) in 25:03 while in the the M60, class ex-Olympic marathon man Tommy Hughes (Strive RC) was the winner in 30:01.

Tommy Hughes. Photo: Lindie Naughton

Over the shorter 6km distance, Joe Gough (West Waterford AC) was first M70. Joseph Stewart (Jog Lisburn) was first M80.

Pierce Geoghegan (Liffey Valley ) was third M40 in 26:22, Mark Ryan Rathfarnham WSAF AC) Winner of the junior men’s 6km race in 17:56 was Sean Quinn (Dundrum South Dublin) with Noah Harris (Parnell AC) second in 18:18 and Lughaidh Mallon (Lagan Valley AC) third in 18:28.

Winner of the junior women’s 4.5km race was Emily Bolton, who has recently transferred to  Clonliffe Harriers, in 15:23.

First race on the programme at Abbotstown was the National cross country 1500m mixed relay, which attracted five entries, all of them from Dublin clubs. Dublin City Harriers were the winners  ahead of Dundrum South Dublin and Raheny Shamrock, with Clonliffe Harriers fourth and Lucan Harriers fifth.

Winning the ‘Autumn Experience’ 4km race which concluded the day’s events was Sam Curtis in 15:27. Fourth and first woman in 17:33 was Renee Letz.

Cross-country across the country

In Co Cork, Aoibheann Lawton (Durrus AC) led home 51 finishers in the Cork Novice Cross-Country Championships, finishing in a  time of 15:24.  William Verling (St Nicholas AC) won the men’s race with the race attracting an entry of 89.

A day earlier (October 12), Stephen Scullion (Aldershot Farnham and District AC/Clonliffe Harriers)  made his first appearance as an official masters athlete with a clear victory in the men’s race at the Northern Ireland Masters Cross-Country Championships and Trials, held at the Queen’s Playing Fields, Belfast.

Scullion’s time of 25 mins 55 secs for the 7.73km put him well over a minute clear of the chasers led by Stephen Connolly (Annadale Striders)  in 27:24 and  John Black (North Belfast Harriers) in 27:42. Fourth and first M40 was  Alan Bogle (City of Derry Spartans AC).

Beating athletes up to twenty years younger was Eamon White (North Belfast Harriers) who was 13th and first M55. Over  a shorter 6km distance, Laurence Johnston (North Belfast Harriers) was first M65 and Terry Eakin (North Down AC) first M75.

Judith Storm (City of Derry Spartans) was the winner of the women’s 6km race in 22:35. Second and third were Sarah McNutt (North Belfast Harriers) and Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC).  Fifth and first W40 was Tanya Cumming (Newcastle and District AC). Other winners were Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn AC) W45,  Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn) W50 and Shileen O’Kane (Lagan Valley AC), W55.

Schools Cross Country

At the Geraldine Dolan Memorial Schools Cross-Country, at Ballinacree, Oldcastle, Co Meath on Tuesday (October 8), Olivia Ryan of Ratoath College won the girls’ inter race, with her clubmate Lily Flood not only first in  the junior race but  leading her school to team victory.

Loreto Mullingar was the winning team in the senior race,  led by Grace Byrne  the individual winner  and Jessica Cunningham in second place.

Roads

Best of the Irish at Sunday’s Chicago Marathon was Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers)  with a time of 2:17.40  in his debut over the distance. Lynch, currently resident in North Carolina, ran a controlled race for the first twenty miles, passing the half-way mark in 65.16, which hinted at a sub- 2 hrs 10 mins finish.  Unfortunately, he slowly down drastically in the final six miles.

Emmet Jennings (Dundrum South Dublin) finished fifth in the Manchester Half Marathon also on Sunday with time of 65 mins 32 secs. Jennings ran a personal best of 64:52 in Valencia in October 2023.

At the FASN Charity 5km  in Dundalk, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) was the clear winner in 15:56. Third and first woman in 18:37 was Kelly Breen.

Army athlete Nathan O’Leary was  an appropriate winner of the Cork BHAA Defence Forces 5km,  held in Tramore Valley Park, On Sunday (October 13) – his second race in five days.  O’Leary proved the class of the field  when finishing in 15 mins 41 secs. Second in 16:33 was guest runner Andrew Sheehan in 16:33, while a close third and first M45 was Tim O’Connor in 16:37.

First woman was Linda O’Connor in 18:49; Gwen Conroy was second in 20:03 and Mairead Perez third in 20:48. All three women were over 45.

In Co Cork on Saturday (October 12), Karl Fitzmaurice (Shannon AC) was the winner of the Ballagran John Brady 5-Mile, with a time of 25 mins 34 secs. Damien Madigan (North Cork AC) was second in 26:29 and Niall O’Riordan (An Bru AC)  third in 27:45.

First woman in 34:18 was Sophie Moroney (Emerald AC). Fiona Boyce (North Cork AC) was second in 36:06 and Katie Murphy (Churchtown Roadrunners AC) third in 36:14.

Local athlete Cian McPhilips  was the winner of the Ray Flynn Mile on Friday evening  (October 11) in Longford, just holding off Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen AC) to finish in 4 mins 9 secs; McGarth finished in 4:10. Third in 4:12 was Istvan Szogi, while fourth in 4:27 was John Travers (Donore Harriers).

An all-Dublin top three in the women’s race saw Amy O’Donoghue (Dundrum South Dublin AC) the winner in 4:51, followed by Dublin City Harriers pair Niamh Carr in 4:54 and Edel Monaghan 4:55. Local woman Fiona Gettings was fourth in 4:57.

Winner of the associated 5km night run was Kevin Moore (Mullingar Harriers) in 15:56. Enda Clarke (Crusaders AC) was second in 16:51. First woman was Treasa Gibney (North Westmeath AC)  in 19:53.

Josh O’Sullivan Hourihan of Donore Harriers (and the army) was the winner of the An Cosantoir 10km in the Phoenix Park,  on Wednesday (October 9) in a time of 32 mins 15 secs. Conor Tiernan of the Air Corps was second in 32:31 and Nathan O’Leary of the Army third in 33:27.

First woman  was Elizabeth Carr of Army HQ in 38:09  Winning the super-tough ‘Block’ race for  teams of twelve running  in unison was 100th Cadet Class Team 1 in 41:51.

Off-road

Irish international mountain runners Zak Hanna (Newcastle and District AC) proved the class of the field at the annual GR8 Dundrum race in Co Down  on Saturday (October 12) completing the 8.4 mile distance in 45 mins 24 secs. Second in 47:10 was Jordan Heron (Larne AC) , while third  and first master was Colin James (East Antrim Harriers, M45) in 49:21.

Finishing seventh and first woman was Breege Connolly in 51:21. Laura Wylie (Jog Moira) was second woman in 56:15 and and Louise Carson third  and first master in 57:47. The course, from Dundrum’s main street, took in road, beach and boardwalk.

Charlie Wilson (Lagan Valley AG) won the 3.5 mile road race in 21:44, with Willow Farrington (Scrabo Striders) first woman in 24:46. Both winners are  still juniors.  Lee Maginnis (Clonliffe Harriers) finished third and first M45 in 21:53.

Photo: Skyrun

Winner of the tenth anniversary Mournes Skyline 35km  (with 2,700m of climb) at Newcastle , Co Down,  also on Saturday, in 4 hrs 1 min 38 was the U23 Scottish phenomenon Caleb Nonhebel, who had finished second at the Seven Sisters Skyrace last month.

Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic AC) was second in 4:06.40 and Craig Lowe from England third in 4:10.25. First woman was Isobel Oakes (Sligo AC)  in 5:52.07.  Polish Skyrunner Kasia Osipowicz was second in 5:24.16 and English athlete Kerry Munn third  and first W60 in 5:30.02

Photo: Skyrun