To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Tuesday 25th February).

Runaway wins for Dublin athletes Sarah Healy and Cathal Doyle in the 1500m races were just two highlights of the All Ireland Indoor Championships held at Abbotstown, Dublin, over the weekend.

In the women’s race, Healy won comfortably  in in 4:08.74, which was a championship record although well off the Irish record of 4:01.62 she had run in Birmingham a fortnight earlier.

Lucy Holmes (West Waterford AC) was second in 4:23.10 and Amy O’Donoghue (DSD AC) third in 4:23.10.

Doyle, the defending champion, got himself out of trouble about mid-way through the men’s race by taking over at the front of the pack for the final 600m  and storming home in 3:58.10.  ‘I think I’m getting the hang of indoor racing,’ he said afterwards. Finishing second  was Lughaidh Mallon (UCD AC) in 4:00.61, while a close  third was Brhane Gebrebrhan Annadale Striders) in 4:00.85.

With many times champion Mark English absent, Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen AC) won the men’s 800m in 1:51.11. Louise Shanahan (Leevale) won the women’s 800m title finishing in 2:07.82.

Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley) was a clear  winner of the women’s 3000m in 9:14.02. Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick  AC) was second in 9:21.45 and Niamh Kearney (Raheny Shamrock) third in 9:27.95.

Winning the men’s race in 8:09.18 was Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC). James Gormley (Carmen Runners) was second in 8:09.19 and Callum Morgan (CNDR TC) third in 8:11.27.

Ultra-running

At the Transcanaria Classic 126km Ultra in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, part of the Gran Canaria World Trail Majors, held from Wednesday to Sunday last week, Andrew Keeling led home the eight Irish starters in 20 hrs and 14 secs.  Conor Lucey (Donore Harriers)  finished  in 22:53.54. Cillian Fleming (Togher AC) finished the ‘advanced’ 82km in 11:17.14.

In the 47km marathon, Paddy O’Leary finished 27th  in 4 hrs 17 mins 59 secs. Winner was Francesco Puppi from Italy in 3:23.26.

*At the Seville Marathon  on Sunday (February 23), ultra specialist Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers  finished 27th woman in 2:44.36

Roads

Jake O’Regan (St John’s Clare AC) was a runaway winner of the annual Adare 10km in Co Limerick  on Sunday (February 23) in a time of 31 mins 30 secs. Declan Moore (Bilboa AC) was second in 32:02 and Killian Lynch (West Limerick AC) third in 33:17.

The women’s race was a lot closer with  just six seconds between Amy Murphy (West Limerick AC)  and Shona Keane (Dooneen AC, W40) with the pair given times of 39:01 and 39:07.  Third in 41:19 was Pamela Kirby (Bilboa AC, W40). Team winners were the West Limerick men and the Dooneen women.

Also on Sunday, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) made it two victories in two days  when winning the Duleek 5km in Co Meath in 15 mins 35 secs. Eric Keogh (Donore Harriers) was second  in 15:44 and Liam Mulligan (Drogheda and District AC) third in 15:47.

In a Dublin club double Orla Walsh (Crusaders AC) was first woman in 18:23.Louise Bailey (Na Fianna, W40) was second  in 18:58 and Eimear English  (Dunboyne AC) third in 19:06.

A day earlier, at the Wicklow Hospice Half Marathon over a tough, off-road course in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum, Jason Reilly (Civil Service Harriers, M40) was the winner in 77 mins 08 secs with Julie McGrath (Crusaders AC) first woman in 86: 50.

Ben Kinsella (Parnell AC) won the 10km in 35:27 with Grace Sweeney eight and first woman in 41:24.

In Dundalk, winners at Fitzer’s 5km in Dundalk were Gary Crummy (Newry AC) in 15 mins 50 secs and Kelly Breen (North East Runners) in 18:11.

At the Gorey Night Run 5km on Thursday (February 20), Andrew Connick (Ferrybank AC)  and Robin Mooney (Sli Cualann AC) finished first and second with pair both given a time of 16:05. First woman in 19:04 was Clodagh Kelly (Croghan AC).

Cross-country

As they had done at the Teachers Cross-Country the previous weekend, the aforementioned Sean Doran and Clare Sullivan were the winners at the Central Bank BHAA 6km  Cross-Country held at Jobstown Park, Tallaght on Saturday (February 22)

Doran had a comfortable overall win in 21 mins 29 secs, with Edward O’Connor second in 21:50 and Paul Fleming third in 22.36. Sullivan  finished in 25:41, with Clodagh Dunphy second in  27:02 and Malika Hammani  third in 27:31. ESB were first of the grade 1 teams ahead of Accountants and Gardai, with Teachers winning Grade 2. ‘Stronger with Esther’ proved best of the women’s teams.