To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 30th September). 

Juan Ignacio Peña (Raheny Shamrock AC) raced away from the chasers in the later stages of the race to win the  Rathfarnham 5km in Dublin on Sunday (September 29) which, as something of an ‘Autumn Classic’, was well supported not just by the Dublin clubs  but by runners from all over the country.

The Chilean athlete’s time of 14 mins 34 secs saw him win by five seconds from Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) who was second in 14:39. Third in 14:41 was Shane Spring (Raheny Shamrock AC), which assured Raheny of victory in the open team category.

Coming down to the wire was the women’s race with Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC) passing Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) just before the finish  line. Their times were 16:02 and 16:03. Third in 16:23 was Claire Fagan (Mullingar Harriers).  Incidentally, winning the W70 category was Carmel Mac Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) — Íde’s mother!

Despite Raheny nailing down to of the top three places,  the open team category was close enough with Clonliffe Harriers finishing  just 14 seconds behind Raheny for second place in a north Dublin  double.

Host club Rathfarnham WSAF AC, led by Dáire Sullivan, finished third. Those three clubs also finished top three in the Dublin Championships.  Raheny Shamrock, led by Niamh Kearney,  won the women’s open team title with Crusaders second and  Dundrum South Dublin third. Winning the Dublin title was Crusaders ahead of Clonliffe Harriers and Raheny Shamrock.

A couple seconds the difference

Just two seconds separated Brhane Gebrebrhan (Annadale Striders)  and Finn McNally (North Belfast Harriers) at the Bangor 10km which incorporated the NI and Ulster Championships  on Saturday (September 28) and like the Rathfarnham 5km, attracted an entry of  close to 1,500.

The top pair were locked together for much of the race with Gebrebrhan nicking it in a time of 30:17 and McNally two seconds behind in 30:19 Third in 31:31 was Cameron Stewart (Annadale Striders).

On a good day for Annadale Striders,  Hannah Gilliland was first woman in 35:19.  A close second in 35:234 was Ivana Anderson, while third in 36:20 was Robyn McGee, another  Annadale Striders member.

At the Glengarriff 5-Mile,  in Co Cork, which was race  2 in the Beara Autumn 5-Mile Series,  Julie O’Brien and  Eoghan McElhinney (Bantry AC) came out on top.

Winners Glengarriff 5-Mile. Photo Glengarriff AC

Abroad

Fastest Irish finisher at the Berlin Marathon was Kane Collins (Donore Harriers) who finished 39th in 2:24.19 followed by John Kinsella (Bilboa AC) 16th M40 in 2:28.49 and Kevin Mooney (Craughwell AC, M35) in 2:28:57.

Fastest of the Irish women was Clara Ryan (St Finbarr’s AC0 in 2:49.43, followed by Catherine Murphy (Eagle AC, W45) in 2:59.43. Finishing first W60 was Mary Slocum (Ward Park Runners) in 3:09.27 – her fourth marathon this year and a personal best time. Not bad for a woman who became a regular parkrunner in 2015 and only began racing two years later.

Cross-country

Lauren Tinkler (Dublin City Harriers) made a winning return to racing with impressive victory  in the women’s 4,000m race at  the Castlegar Open Cross-Country at the  Galway Race Course on Saturday (September 28)

Tinkler’s time of 21:47 put her almost a minute clear of Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC) who finished second in 22.46. A close third in 22:48 was Evelyn Coghlan, while fourth was junior athlete Caitlin Hughes (Swinford AC) in 23:11. Fourth and first W40 was Michelle Kenny (Leevale AC) in 23:19

Winning the men’s 6000m in 23 mins 50 secs was Keelen Kilrehill (Moy Valley SC). Junior athlete Niall Murphy (Ennis TC) was second in 23:56 and British visitor Jame Crowe third in 24:03. Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC) was first M40  in 26:23 and   Mark Davis (Craughwell AC) first M50 in 28:08.

The race incorporated the Galway County Senior championships with Eimear O’Leary  and Thomas McStay  making it a Galway City Harriers double and GCH also taking both team titles.

Eimear English (Dunboyne AC)  was a comfortable winner  of the women’s race at the Meath Novice Cross-Country Championships at Navan Adventure Centre on Sunday (September 29. She also led the Dunboyne to team victory over Fr Murphy AC and Trim AC. Winning the men’s race was Allan Clarke (St Brigid’s AC), with Bohermeen AC the team winners ahead of  two Trim AC teams.

Trail running 

Latvian athlete Andris Ronimoiss was the winner of the 80km at Eco Trail Wicklow, held in Bray, Co Wicklow on Saturday (September 28).

Ronimoiss, who finished in 6 hrs 47 mins 25 secs was followed home by Aneta Svilpe, also from Latvia,  who was second overall and first woman in 7:16.16. Third and first local was Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchard AC) in 7:46.18 while fourth and first Irish woman was Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers, W40) in  7:51.55 Alastair Higgins (Dublin Bay Running Club) was fifth and first M50 in 8:13.13.

Asher Cook  from New Zealand won the 46km in 3:30.20  with previous winner Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic) second in 3:45.02. First woman was Lisa Byrne (W40) in 4:57.34. Second was Jade Harbron in 5:07.19.

Luke Weldon won the 30km in 2:28.47 with  Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers, M40) second in 2:30.02  and Lauren Spohn from the USA first woman in 3:05.52.

In the 19km, which attracted the largest numbers on the day,  Matthew McConnell was the winner in 1:26.14 , with Irish mountain running international Zak Hanna (Newcastle and District AC) second in 1:31.23 and Aoife Cleary  (Innerfight Ireland) fifth and first woman in 1:41.49.

At the Annaghmore Running Festival, in  Co Armagh,  also on Saturday, Gordon Graham won the 18-mile race in 1 hr 44 mins 43 secs, with Colette McCourt (Belfast Roadrunners AC, W35) the first woman in 2:02.21.