To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Tuesday 17th September). 

Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) produced the Irish athletics performance of the weekend when he  set a new Irish half marathon record of 60 mins 51 secs to finish 15th in the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday (September 15).

Gidey’s time knocked six seconds of the previous Irish record  of 60:57  set in 2009 by Martin Fagan in the Hague, Netherlands and over  three minutes off his previous best for the distance.  Gidey pushed hard from the start going through 5km in 14.16, 10km in 28.43, 15km in 43.14 and 20km in 57.43. Race winner in 58:05 was  Kenyan athlete Sabastian Sawe.

Gidey, now aged 24,  fled his native Eritrea in 2016 and arrived in Ireland in 2017 after spending several months at a refugee camp in Calais. He joined Clonliffe Harriers where he came to the attention of the late Joe Cooper,  and as a junior athlete, won several club and schools titles on the track and in cross-country.

He first came to national attention at the 2019 European Cross-Country Championships, where he finished third in the under 20 race. In 2022, he finished sixth in the 10,000m at the European Championships in Munich and  last year clocked 64:03 for a fifth place at the Great North Run.

Photo: James Rhodes

Last January, Gidey  made a solid start to the new year when he ran a personal best 27:56 for 10km in Valencia, Spain.  In May, a t the Night of the 10,000m PBs in London, he ran a time of 27 mins 40.02 secs for 10,000m, putting him top of the current Irish rankings and second on the all-time list behind Alistair Cragg.  His time took over thirteen seconds off his previous best, run only two months earlier in California.

In June he competed in the 10,000m at the European Championships, but  despite a promisng start, faded to finished 12th in 28:16.94. A few weeks later,  at a meet in France,  he ran a personal best 13:23.83 for  5000m, knocking fourteen seconds off  his previous best.  A fortnight ago, in pereparation for Copenhagen, he ran a superb course record time of  22 mins 57 secs to win the Lucan 5-Mile in Dublin.

Away from the track, Gidey is the current Dublin cross-country champion. His form over the next few months will be watched with interest.

Charleville Half Marathon -they’re off! Photo: PopUp Races

Back on home soil

Locally, Hugh Armstrong  (Ballina AC) and Shona Heaslip  (An Riocht AC) were the winners at the Charleville International Half Marathon, also on Sunday, which not only incorporated the national championships but was also the concluding round of the Peugeot Road Races Series.

Armstrong finished in 64 mins 35 secs, with Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) second in 64:54 and Eoghan Totten (Newcastle and District AC) third in 65:56. It was a season’s best for  Armstrong  who  ran 64:54 in Barcelona last  February and  celebrates his 30th birthday next Friday September 20.

Shone Heaslip proved very much the class of the women’s field winning  by over four minutes in 70:57. Grace Lynch (DSD AC) was second in 75:38 and Ciara Wilson third in 77:18. Fifth and first W50 was Kate Purcell (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 79:02. Just one place behind Purcell was Barbara Cleary (Donore Harriers) who finished first W50 in 80:01. Mary Slocum (Ward Park Runners) was first W60 in 88:52.

The team competitions

When it came to the team competition for the national championships titles, Dundrum South Dublin’s trio of Grace Lynch, Lisa Gaughran and Romaine King took the women’s title, with Leevale AC second and Raheny Shamrock third.  Leevale won the men’s title from DSD with Mullingar Harriers third.

Winning the over 35 titles were the Clane men and the Galway City Harriers women. Mayo AC won the over 50 women’s title with Grange/Fermoy best of the men, beating Inishowen, led by the ageless Pauric McKinney, by just nine seconds.

Finally in the Peugeot Races Series team category for mixed teams of six, Leevale beat Dundrum South Dublin  with just three points  between them. Raheny Shamrock finished a distant third with a remarkable forty-four teams entered among them four from Togher AC and three from Mayo AC, as well as second DSD team and two from Brothers Pearse.

A few more half marathons to go

James Doran (An Riocht AC, M40) won the The Medic 3/4 Marathon in Monasterevin, Co Kildare with a time of 1hr 54 mins 41 secs. Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers, W45) was first woman in  2:21.17. Winners of the half marathon were Kacper Czerpak in 76:13 and Erin Rock  (W45) in 91:41. Niall McLoughlin (Newbridge AC, M35) won the 10km in 36:51, with Lisa Sweeney 9St Michael’s AC, W40) second overall and first woman in 38:53.

In Craigavon, Co Armagh, Evan Evans won the Rock the Lough Half Marathon in 79:08. Elaine McGuckin was first woman in 89:01. In the  10km, the winners were Stephen Lunn in 33:27 and Grainne O’Hagan in 38:13, while winning the 5km in 16:23 was David Rutherford with Cadence Hamilton first woman in 20:06. .

At the Rás Gaelscoil Eanna 7km in  Navan, Co Meath,John Carroll (Bohermeen AC, M40) was the winner in 25:07. First woman was Emily Fagan 9Dunshaughlin AC) I 29:42.

Winners at the Enfield Community 5km,  in Co Meath, were Dean Keogh in 20:34 and Aoife Harte in 27:22. Entry was free for this race.

Saturday and a Fairyhouse win for Somba

It’s not  everyday  humans  get to run on a horse race course and Peter Somba of organising club Ratoath AC led home 1,524 finishers at the Ratoath Half Marathon held on the Fairyhouse race course  in Co Meath on Saturday (September 14).

Somba’s time of 70 mins 5 secs put him well over a minute clear of the chasers led by ex-international race walker Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC, M40) in 71:28, with Colm Leonard (Drogheda and District, M40) third in 71.52. Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock, W40) was the first women in 79.39, followed by Rachel Birt in 80:09  with Fiona Roche (Raheny Shamrock, W40) a close third in 80:11.

Raheny Shamrock, led by Ronan Wogan in ninth place, packed well to win the men’s team title  while Dunboyne, led by Jane Bandila,  took the women’s team prize.

In Blessington, Co  Wicklow,  Colm Turner (Brothers Pearse AC)  was the winner of the 15th annual Lakes 10km in 33:12. Caolán Curtain  (Thurles  Crokes)  was second in 443:03 and  Derek Lawlor (Crusaders AC, M40 ) third in 34:54.. Grace Reilly (W40) was first woman in 349:46, with Donna Quinn (W40) second in 42:20 and Lorraine Nolan (Rathfarnham WSAF, W40) third in 44:31

In  the 5km , which attracted a large junior entry,  Conor Farrell in 18:31 and Caoimhe Dempsey (Naas AC , U20) in 21:17 were the winners..

Lakers Reservoir 10km – Donor Harriers out in force. Photo: Lindie Naughton

Donore Harriers was out in force for the annual Lakers Reservoir Run 10km in Roundwood, Co Wicklow,  which  takes place along the rocky trails around the local reservoir.

First home was Charlie White from the Chapelizod-based  club who finished in a time of 35 mins 17 secs. He was followed swiftly by his club mates Harry Cahill  in 35:58 and Dylan Kelly in 36.27. Finishing ninth and first woman in 37:56 was Deirdre Burns.Claire Cassidy was second in 40:10 and Caroline Ayton third in 42:42. A lovely race and a brilliant off-road route!

At the Dromiskin 5km,  in Co Louth, Juan Ignacio Peña (Raheny Shamrock)  was the winner in 14:45, with Gavin Curtain of Donore Harriers second in 14:55. First woman was Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) in 16:06 with junior athlete Dearbhla Allen (St Peter’s AC) second woman.

At the Medieval Half Marathon in  Kilkenny,  David Cullinane (Ferrybank AC) was the winner in 77:17 with Muireann O’Sullivan first woman in 92:09. Winners of the 10km were Oisin Bates 36:02 and Siobhan Heylin (Waterford AC) in 42:20.

Brennan Conway (Westport AC, M40) was the winner of the Clew Bay Half Marathon in Louisburgh, Co Mayo in a time of 81:05. First woman was Vanesse Foley (Sligo AC) in 92:13.

Winner of the 10km was Karol Cronin of Sportworld AC in 35 mins 27 secs.  First woman was Sive Duncan in 42:58.

Matthew McCooke  was the winner in a time of  3 hrs 31 mins 41 secs of the Causeway Coast Marathon  based in  Bushmills, Co Antrim on Saturday (September 14).  Lauren McMillen was first woman in 3:53.54.  Nick Weston was the winner of the ultra race in 5 hrs 27 mins 39 secs. Megan Lucas was first woman in 7:11.50.

In the half marathon, the winners were  Stuart Farmer in 90 mins 43 secs and Catriona McDonald sixth and first woman in 98:51. All times for these races are provisional.

At the Run Fintona  5km, Luke Donnelly (Carmen Runners) was the winner in 16:40 and junior athlete Annaleigh McKenna (Keep ‘Er Lit AC) first woman in 19:45.

Earlier in the week

At the A&L Goodbody 5km Corporate Challenge, Docklands, Dublin on Tuesday (September 10),  Eogahn McElhinny made it a home win  in 15 mins 29 secs for the spoosoring company just outsprinting Eoghan Beary of Cantor Fitzgerald and  Fintan Kerins of Arthur  Cox  who finished in 15:31 and 15:32 respectively.

In a double whammy for A&L Goodbody, Maisy O’Sullivan  finished first woman in 17:50. Aedin Corr of St Vincent’s Hospital  was second in 18:30 and Aislinn Moorehouse  of Fidelity Investments third in 18:47.  Winning the men’s team prize was Sustainable Sprinters.

Solar Spirinters  took the women’s prize  while  Arthur Cox Allez proved best in the mixed category.

Declan Ferry (Rosses AC) was the winner of the Charles McGuinness Memorial 5km, on a damp evening  in Glenties, Co Donegal also on Tuesday with his time of 15 mins 38 secs a course record.

Masters in the mountains

Kealy Tideswell (Clonmel AC) proved the star of the Irish team at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships, in Canfranc, Spain.  Tideswell  finished first W40 race in the classic distance 17km  with a time of 1 hr 45 mins 11.35 secs and finished second in the brutal uphill 6km  in 56:14.24.

Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished third M40 in the 6km uphill with a time of 46:00.24 and fourth in the 17km in 1:36.36.01. Des Kennedy (Rahney Shamrock AC) was  second M55 in both races.

In the 6km uphill, Becky Quinn was third W50  and  Martin McDonald  (Ballyroan Abbeyliex and District AC) third M65, while in the 17km, Joe Gough (West Waterford AC) was second M70 and Conor Nolan third M65. Gough was also second M70 in the 34km race. Ireland also took a number of team medals.

Irish masters women in Canfranc