To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 23rd September). 

In Dublin’s Phoenix Park , Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC)  has  well over two minutes to spare when winning the Irish Life Half Marathon on Saturday (September  22).

Armstrong finished in 66 mins 25 secs, with Peter Somba (Ratoath AC) second in 69:08 and David Glynn (M35) third in 69:42in an exact repeat of the result from the Frank Duffy ’10’ last month.  Armstrong and Somba went through halfway together before Armstrong pulled away.  Michael Brady (Raheny Shamrock) was fourth in 70:17,  and Tomás Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) fifth   and first M40 in 71:18.

It was a fourth win from the four races in the Irish Life Dublin Series for Armstrong, who aims to run in next month’s Dublin Marathon,  and a third runners-up position for Somba, along with a third place finish.

Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) was first woman in 75:45, with Caitlyn Harvey (Belfast Road Runners AC),  second in 77:55 and Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock) third and first W40 in 80:24. Finn had also won the the Fingal 10km in the series, while Harvey,  a ‘regular’ in the race series  since 2022, was first in the Frank Duffy ’10’ and second in both the Fingal 10km rand Corkagh 5-mile.

All aboard for fast miling

Fastest run of the day at the Griffith Avenue Mile, in Dublin’s Marino, also on Sunday, was  the 4 mins 4 secs recorded  by Juan Ignacio Pena  (Raheny Shamrock) who finished three seconds ahead of Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen AC) in 4:07. Third in 4:13 was Lorcan Benjacar (Clonliffe Harriers) with Benjamin Caullier (Lucan Harriers) clocking the same time for fourth place.  First wheelchair racer in 4:298 was Libaan Ahmed Mohammed (Sanctuary Runners) in 4:28. First junior was Declan Byrne  in 4:31.

Cheryl Nolan  (St Abban’s AC) with a time of 4:48 was the only  woman to break five minutes for the course although  Charlotte Myers (Crusaders AC)  came close with a time of 5:03. Third and first W40 was Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based AC) in 5:05.. Both Aine Burke (St Coca’s) and Lucy Barrett (Rahney Shamrock) were also given a time of 5:05.,

Fast half marathoning all over the place

Fastest half marathon time of the weekend came at the Belfast City Half Marathon on Sunday (September 22) where Kenya’s Barnaba Kipkoech was the runaway winner in a course record time of 63 mins 48.  Kipkoech, aged 31, has a half marathon best of  61:54,  run in Portugal a year ago.

Brighton-based Finn McNally (North Belfast Harriers ) was second in 67:04 and Brhane Grebrebrhan  (Annadale Striders) third in 68:24. Eighth and first M35 was Shane Donnelly (Strive RC) in 72:23.

Tenth and first woman was British international athlete, Natasha Cockram, who forced the pace from the start, and won in a time of 72:47.

Last year’s winner Anne Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC, W40) was second in 73:45 and Monica Silva  from Portugal third in 74:59.  Fourth and first W45 was Gladys Ganiel (North Belfast Harriers) in 78:12, who had finished second a year earlier.  First wheelchair was Jayne Bleakley in 75:56. The race attracted a large entry from the UK, with well over 6,500 finishers, making it not only the fastest but also the largest road race of  the weekend.

An emphatic winner of the Athlone Half Marathon in 67:57 was Chris Jeuken (Derg AC). His closest rival was Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC) who finished second and first M40 in 72.00. Third and second M40 was Jonathan Dunne in 74:25.  Finishing fifth and first woman in 77:24 was Nicola Sheridan (Bohermeen AC).  New Zealand-based Sarah Grace Breen was second in 82:55 and local athlete Theresa Hughes (Athlone AC, W40) third in 86.12.

Kevin Moore (Mullingar Harriers) had over five minutes to spare when winning the 10km in 32:27.  First woman in 41:18 was Monike De Almeida (Athlone AC,W40).

Nearly four thousand at the not so mini marathon in Cork

Sinead O’Connor (Leevale W35)  made a winning return to racing when leading home 3,828 finishers at the Cork Women’s Mini Marathon with a time of 17 mins 18  secs. The top three places all went to Leevale AC athletes, with many times previous winner Lizzie Lee, wearing the No 1 bib, finishing second in 17:28,  and Lisa Hegarty third in 17:32.

Age group winners were Michelle Kenny (Leevale AC) W45, Linda O’Connor (Watergrasshill AC) W50, Breda McElhinney (CP Bheantrai) W55, Mary Ita O’Connor (West Limerick AC) W60, Mary Healy (West Limerick ) W65, Marian Kavanagh W70, Cathy Curley W75 and Mary Hoare W80.

Irish finishers at the Vitality 10,000m in London included  Killian Lynch (Brighton Phoenix) 28th in 32:45, Barry Kelly (London Heathside) 32:53,  Michael O’Sullivan (Harrow AC)33:17, Niall Elliott 33:40. John Gilfedder (Highgate Harriers, M35) 33:41 , Stephen McCarroll (Victoria Park, M40) 33:45 and Cat O’Shea (Victoria Park) 39:35.

Saturday at the races

James Frizzell was the winner of the Céide Coast Atlantic Run Half Marathon in Ballycastle, Co Mayo on Saturday (September 21)in  79:13. Not too far behind was John Byrne (Mayo AC, M40) in 79:37 while third in 81:37 was John Patrick Burke (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 81:37.

First woman was Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile AC, W40)  in 92:19. Colette Tuohy (Mayo AC, W50) was second in 94:11 and Katie Kellett (W40) third in 1:43.17. Michael Conway (Galway City Harriers) was the winner of the 10km in 36:35, with Fionnuala Mulroy (Athlone AC) first woman in 45:44.

In Co Donegal, Alan Dunne was the winner of the Dune Run Bundoran 10km on Tulla Strand beach,  in 44 min 43 secs. Shane McGowan was second in 45:11 and Caolan Gilbride third in 47:59.  Liz O’Brien was first woman in 57:51, followed by Sabrina McKelvey in 65:41 and Alaine [sic] McPartland in 65:51. Winners of the 5km were  Bradlee McGowan in 22:01  and Ciara Rooney in 25:55.

Cross-country

At the TJ McEmeel Cross-Country held at the Palace Demesne in Armagh, Robyn McKee (Annadale Striders) led home almost a hundred starters in the women’s open race finishing in a time of 18 mins 57 secs. Aine Cotter (North East Runners) was second in 19:24 and Jennifer Martin (Tafelta) third in 19:56.  Fifth and first master was Denise Toner (Clones AC, W45).

Winning the men’s open race in 25 mins 17 secs was Jimmy Sloane (Annadale Striders). Tom Fleming (Loughview AC)  was second in 25:23 and Stephen Connolly (Annadale Striders, M35) third in 25:41.  The race was the opening round of the ANI Cross-Country League. Next round is the Comber Cup at Billy Neil Playing Fields on Sunday October 13.

Junior athlete Dearbhla Allen (St Peter’s AC) was the winner of the women’s  open 3km race in a time of 11 mins 8 secs at the 34th  annual Star of the Sea Cross-Country races held at Stamullen in  Co Meath  on Sunday (September 22) — a traditional pipe opener for the cross-country season in the area.

Eimear Cooney (Ace AC) finished  second  in 11:29 and Karen Hayes (Ratoath AC) third in 111:46. Navan AC was the winning team with Mullingar Harriers and Bohermeen AC second and third.

Winning the men’s open 6km was Mindaugas Balciauskis (Monaghan Town Runners) . His time of 20 mins 2 secs put him over a minute clear of the chasers led by junior athlete Conor Sherwin (Mullingar Harriers)  in 21:15 and Paul Smith Carbery (Bohermeen AC) in 221:34. Monaghan Town Runners proved best of the teams with North East Runners second and Bohermeen AC third.

Seven Sisters – Local man Declan Gallagher leading the charge after 6km.

Mountains and trail

Winner of the Seven Sisters Sky 55km Challenge  which takes in all of Donegal’s highest peaks from Errigal to Muckish in the Derryveagh  mountains in Co Donegal was Niall Farquharson in a time of 7 hrs 58 mins 21 secs. Second in 8:16.48 was Declan Gallagher while third in 8:21.41 was Maciej Dzieledziak.

First woman was British ultra-running legend Nicky Spinks, now aged 57, who finished seventh overall in 9:07.40. Local woman Rosy Temple was second in 9:43.04 and Bernadette Quinn third in  9:58.34

Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic) was the winner of the 30km in 3:31.20. Victoria Thompson was first woman in 4:15.41

Winners of the 16km race were Ciaran Goss (Roadrunners AC)  in 1:50.57 and Karen Wilson in 2:09.22

Prizes for team names or fast times?

A team called ‘Lugging a Cross to Fentons’ (Gareth Little, Rob Tobin, Mike Jordan)  won the annual Lug relay with a time of 7 hours  20 mins 8 secs on Saturday (September 21).

Second in 7:34:38 was mixed team,  the Space Jam Monsters (Theo Mooney, Darren Keogh, Kathryn Fitzpatrick), while third in 9:08.47 was another mixed team called  the Bog-Naked Warrior Dancers (Brendan Lawlor, Stuart Scott, Alice Clancy) in 9:08.47. Finishing  in 10:25:51 was the all-woman team of Niamh Kelly, Ruth Lynam and Niamh O Ceallaigh.

The  54km race for teams of three starts from Stone Cross Ballinascorney in Co Dublin  and finished at Lugnaquilla, Leinster’s highest mountain in Co Wicklow.

Ahead of them all was solo runner Rory Campbell with a time of 7:17:49. Raghnall O’Donoghue was second solo runner in 7:54.11 and Andre van Barneveld third in 8:21.33. First woman in 9:34.59 was Avril Challoner in 9:34.59, with Nicola Cleary a close second in 9:35.43 and Joan Flanagan third in 9:52:37.

In the Mourne Mountains in Co Down,  Paul Pruzina and Philip Vokes were the decisive winners of the elite class at the at the 45th annual Mourne Mountain Marathon for teams of two. They clocked a time  of 7 hrs 47 mins 53 secs for the 55km race held over two days and including an overnight camp.

Keith Johnston and Tom Crudgington finished second  in 10:29.55 and Simon Hodge and Jonathan Gibson third in 10:50.11.  First mixed team was Pippa Dakin and Dom Dakin, who finished fifth overall in 11:11.50.

Best of the women’s teams were Heather Corden and Helen Ockenden in 12:07.29 with the veteran pairing of Moire O’Sullivan and Elizabeth Wheeler second in 12:30.52.