To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 1st July).

Without any question, sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) proved the star of the All Ireland Track and Field Championships held in Santry over the weekend.

Adeleke set a new Irish record  of 11.13 secs  when winning the 100m. It means she now has the full collection of  sprint records at her specialist 400m as well as at 200m and 100.

Second in that race was Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) who had set the Irish record of 11.27 a year earlier. Lavin, an enduring star of Irish athletics had won her twelfth Irish 100m hurdles title a day earlier.

Turning to the middle and long distances, and the race of the day was arguably the men’s 1500m, where Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) again underlined his status as one of the smartest racers around when winning his third Irish outdoor title over the distance in a time of 3:44.15. With luck, Doyle’s run will book him a  place on the Irish team for the Paris Olympics next month.

In a tactical race that could not have suited Doyle better, Luke McCann (UCD AC), who also aspires to Olympic  selection,  finished second in 3:44.54. In third place was Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) in 3:44.67 while fourth in 3:44.82 was Shane Bracken (Swinford AC).

Less dramatic was the women’s 1500m which was controlled from the start by eventual winner Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh)  who went to the front, stayed out f trouble and deservedly won her first national senior title in  4:20.45. Coming from behind to finished second was previous champion Carla Sweeney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) in 4:21.13. US-based Madison Mooney (Tullamore Harriers) was third in 4:21.70.

Brian Fay finishing his 2023, but the skies are clearly wonderful in 2024 as well. Photo: James Rhodes

In the men’s 5000m, defending champion Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) ran a perfectly judged race to retain his title in a time of 13 mins 43.61 secs. Having tucked in behind Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) when he took over at the front about halfway through the race, Fay  unleashed a ferocious kick with a lap to go.

Gidey had no answer to Fay’s burst of speed and finished second in 13:52.30. Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers), who has also attempted to stay with Gidey, finished  third in 13:55.01. Over the final lap, James Gormley (Carmen Harrier) moved into fourth place with a time of 13:57.

There was no such drama in the women’s 5000m, with Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) taking her first national title in a virtual solo run.

A pack of four consisting of defending champion Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC), twins Roisin and Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley) and Anika Thompson (Leevale) attempted to pull back McCann, with Nic Dhomhnaill taking up a  solo chase on the final lap. McCann finished in 15:44.52,  Nic Dhomhnaill second in 15:48.58 and Roisín Flanagan third in 15:54.74.

* In the women’s 400m hurdles  at the UK Athletics Championships in Manchester, Jessica Tappin, who won the Irish title last year in a Clonliffe Harriers vest, finished third in a season’s best 56.86. Tappin was running for Thames Valley Harriers.

Roscommon ’10’ – first woman Niamh Moore (Leevale)

Roads

Dundrum South Dublin took five of the top ten places at the Roscommon 10-Mile on Saturday (June 29). The race was round 6 of the Peugeot Race Series 2024 and attracted entries from all over the country.

In the race for the line,  DSD’s Killian Mooney, better known as a mountain runner,  just held off the challenge of John Williamson (Dublin City Harriers), with the pair timed at 52 mins 24 secs and 52:25. Third in 52:42 was Mooney’s DSD clubmate Eanna O Brádaigh in 52.42.

First woman was Niamh Moore (Leevale AC0 in 59:09 followed by Sarah Mulligan (DSD) second in 61:49 and Dee Collins (Ennis TC) third in 62:22. DSD were clear winners of the mixed team prize and picked up valuable points towards the overall result of the series.  Dublin City Harriers was second and Athlone AC third of the  eight teams entered.  Next round in the series is the Edenderry 10-Mile on July 14.

Winner of the St Coca’s Kilcock 5km in Co Kildare on Friday (June 28) was Tadgh Donnelly (Drogheda  and District AC) who finished in 14 mins 34 secs. Second in 14:48 was Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers), while third in 14:58 was Jeremiah Sheehan (North Cork AC). First junior was Rhys Johnson (Donore Harriers, who was sixth in 15:23 and also led his club to team victory over Clonliffe Harriers  and Galway City Harriers.

Michelle Finn (LeevaleAC ), who would go on to  win her tenth national steeplechase title two days later, was first woman in 16:03, followed by Grace Lynch (Dundrum South Dublin AC) in 16:12 and Lisa Madden (Sportsworld AC) in 16:24.  Madden was leading Sportsworld to women’s  team victory over host club St Coca’s AC  and Newbridge AC.

Winning the Ards Half Marathon in Newtownards, Co Down also on Friday, was Craig McMeechan (North Down AC) in 72 mins 55 secs. First woman was Pamela Kirk (Roadrunners AC, W40) in 85:16.

On Thursday evening, Peter Somba (Ratoath AC)  led home over four-hundred finishers at the Clonee 10km,  in Co Meath, in a time of 31 mins 25 secs. Second in 31:55 was Brian Conroy (Clane AC) while third was Igor Radev in 33:00.

First woman was Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers) in 35:40. For second place Laura McDonnell (Rathfarnham WSAF AC, W40)  out-sprinted Niamh O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers) with both women given a time of 36:33.

In the team competition, Dunboyne packed well to finished best of the men ahead of Clonliffe and Raheny Shamrock. Clonliffe went one better in the women’s competition, beating host club Dunboyne AC and Celbridge AC.

James Kelly (Castlecomer AC)  was the winner of the Pink Rock 10km in Glenmore, Kilkenny on Sunday (June 30) in a time of  33:5. Second and first M50  in 34:30 was Myles Gibbons (Sliabh Buidhe AC). First woman  for a second year was Sally Forristal of host club St Joseph’s AC in 38:17.

The race  incorporated the Kilkenny 10km Club Championships, with Kilkenny City Harriers the winning team  ahead of Gowran AC and St Joseph’s AC.

Colin Maher  (Ballyfin AC) in 31:42 and Heather Murphy (St Michael’s AC) were the winners at the the Jack Cox 10km,  in Kilcormac,  which was the second round of the Offaly Endurance League.

Running Munster by John Walshe

Another busy week on the Munster scene kicked-off on Monday night (June 24) with the annual Dromcollogher 4-mile. Not many races take place on a Monday but this is one which has now been on the go for well over 40 years as part of the local carnival.

In its early days it attracted the likes of Liam O’Brien, John Lenihan, Robert Costello and Dessie O’Connor.

Carol Finn, second last year to Leevale clubmate Lizzie Lee, was untroubled in taking the win in 24:18, 23 seconds faster that 2023. Second was Tanya Cox (Dooneen) in 27:54 with Lorraine Kirby, of the promoting West Limerick club, third in 30:35.

There was a West Limerick clean-sweep in the men’s race with Aaron Lynch winning in 21:08 and  turning the tables on last year’s winner Karl Lenihan who finished just three seconds behind in 21:11 with third spot going to Niall O’Callaghan  in 21:20.

The Cork BHAA continued its mid-week programme with the Depuy Synthes four-miler at Ringaskiddy on Wednesday (June 26) . Gavin O’Rourke (Eli Lilly) took the honours here in 20:20 from Donal Coakley (Gilead Sciences), 21:06, with Tadhg Crowley (UCC) third in 22:04.

Michelle Kenny (Dept of Education) won the women’s race in 22:52 from Noemie Leduc (Avondhu MF), 23:26, with third place going to Sharon Rynne (Kepak) in 24:22.

A choice of races for Cork runners on Friday night  (June 28) saw the Willie Neenan Memoral 5-mile at Millstreet won by Mark Walsh  (Leevale )  in 25:56 with Brian Murphy (Iveragh) second in 26:02 and Barry Twohig (St Finbarr’s) third in 26:08.

Riocht AC athlete, Niamh O’Sullivan, home from Providence College, ran a fast time of 28:10 to finish first woman. Two Leevale athletes already mentioned, Michelle Kenny and Carol Finn, finished second and third in respective times of 29:23 and 29:52.

It was Leevale again at at the Courtmacsherry 10km with Nathan O’Leary the winner  in 32:39. Michael McMahon in 32:45 and Michael Herlihy two seconds behind, both North Cork AC, had a close battle for the minor places.

Jennifer Martin, a member of St Finbarr’s , who also runs with the Tafelta club in Derry, was first of the women in 37:21 from Lorna Wolfe (Leevale) in 38:01, and Rhona Dempsey (St Finbarr’s) in 41:06.

Mountain Running

Timothy Johnston (Annadale Striders) was the winner of the Mullaghcarn Giant Race (Gortin Glens)  on Saturday (June 19) in a time of 51 mins 20 secs for the 12km distance with 500m of climb. Ryan Stewart (unatt) was second in 52:02 and Ashley Crutchley (Newcastle AC) third in 52:35.

First woman was Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn RC, W50) in 63:51. Exactly a minute behind for second was Esther Dickson (Newry AC) while third in 66:41 was Nadine McIntye (unatt). The race was the tenth round  of the NIMRA Championships.

Ultra-running

Ed Payne  won the Coast to Coast Bray Head Wicklow to Bray Head Valentia Island in 115 hours 45 mins 59 secs. Payne started the 600km run early on Saturday morning (June 23) and finished on Wednesday June 26 at 19:46.

A relay team  of fifteen from East Cork AC completed the distance in an outstanding time of 54 hours 46 mins 30 secs. The club, with a team of eight, had won the Wicklow Way Relay for a second year in May. Cork Trail Runners finished second in 77:38.45.