
To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 23rd February).
A total of 4,607 Irish club athletes ran over the non-metric distance of ten miles in two exceptional races on Sunday.
In Dungarvan, Co Waterford Fearghal Curtin of Youghal AC produced — arguably — the best road race result seen in this country for some time when winning the 33rd John Treacy Dungarvan 10-Mile in a stunning new course record of 47 mins 42 secs. It was the first sub-48 minute time by an Irish athlete in over sixteen years and puts Curtin equal tenth on the all-time Irish list, with Ray Treacy who ran an identical time in the Ballycotton 10 of 1983.
The Irish record of 46 mins 25 was set by Ray’s brother John Treacy over thirty-one years ago in October 1993.
Curtin, who hadn’t raced in some months, was out on his own for much of the race, enjoying the perfect conditions for a fast race. Jamie Fallon of Craughwell AC finished over two minutes behind him in a still respectable time of 49:56, while third in 50:26 was Sean Doyle of Cork City AC.
Last year the fastest 10-mile time of the year in Ireland was 49:29 run by Hugh Armstrong in the Frank Duffy 10, held in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, a course not known for fast times.
Six athletes broke 52 minutes in Dungarvan — Ger Forde (Kilkenny City Harriers) 50:35, Evan Fitzgerald (West Waterford AC) 50:59 and Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) first M40 in 51:58.
The women’s race also provided an eye-catching result with Niamh Allen (Leevale AC) finishing twelfth overall in 52:51 — another course record. Over three minutes behind in the runners-up spot was Patricia Jackman (Waterford AC) while third in 61:14 was Clara Ryan ( St Finbarr’s AC) .
Leading home the sixty-four men’s teams was Leevale AC, followed by St Finbarr’s and East Cork AC. A total of forty-nine women’s teams had entered and coming out on top was St Finbarr’s AC followed by Togher AC and Leevale AC.

23 September 2023; Peter Somba, Dunboyne AC, Meath on his way to winning the 2023 Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon which took place on Saturday 23rd of September at Phoenix Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Not the only 10 miler around
In Co Meath, Peter Somba of Ratoath AC made a winning return to the roads at the Trim 10-Mile.
Unlike Curtin in Dungarvan, Somba had to fight for his win and his time of 51 mins 51 secs put him just eight seconds clear of the chasers led by Martin Hoare of Celbridge AC in 51:50. Third and first M45 was Alexander Wallaces of St Coca’s AC in Leixlip in 52:49.
Ciara Hickey of Brothers Pearse AC was first woman and first W40 in 56:09. In a race that attracted club athletes from all over the island, Caitlyn Harvey of Belfast Road Runners was second woman in 58:06 while third was Catherine Thornton of Galway City Harriers in 60:27.
One notable finisher in the age categories was the 1990 Dublin Marathon winner Christine Kennedy of Galway City Harriers, who was first W70 in 70:23.
Winning the women’s team prize ahead of eighty other teams was Belfast Roadrunners, who had travelled in force for the race. Mullingar Harriers finished econd and Donore Harriers third.
Belfast Road Runners also finished best of the 103 men’s teams entered, with four finishers in the top thirteen. Celbridge AC was second and the Road Runners second team third; the Belfast club had entered four teams. Best of the Dublin clubs was Civil Service Harriers in ninth place. Clonliffe Harriers had four teams entered, Lucan Harriers and Raheny Shamrock had three teams entered, and Brothers Pearse, Metro St Brigid’s, LSA, Donore Harriers and Esker RC two each.
Of the record 2,200 who signed up for the race, an impressive 1,803 finished. An even larger total of 2, 804 had finished in Dungarvan. Who says ten-mile races are dead?

Photo: James Rhodes
A brace of records in Boston
Two Irish 3000m indoor records were broken at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Boston, USA held on Sunday evening (February 2).
In the men’s 3000m, Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) made the perfect start to the New Year when winning the 3000m in a time of 7 mins 30.75 secs, knocking almost eight seconds off Alistair Cragg’s long-standing record of 7:38.59 set exactly twenty-one years ago.
On a great evening for the Irish, Sarah Healy’s time of 8:35.19 for fourth place in the women’s race broke her own Irish Record of 8:36.06, set in Metz last year. The race was won by British athlete Melissa Courtney-Bryant in a world leading time of 8:28.69. Healy’s time was comfortably inside the qualifying time for the European Indoor Championships next month.
In the men’s 800m, Mark English (Finn Valley AC) finished fifth in 1:46.83.
Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers, who has signed a contract with Nike, opened his indoor season on Friday night (January 31) in the south of France by shaving .09 of his previous best when finishing sixth in the 1500m with a time of 3 mins 39.01 secs at the Meeting Miramas Metropole. His previous best was 3:39.10.
A large group of Irish athletes travelled to the IFAM Gent Indoor, Belgium on Saturday (February 1), where Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) won a closely-fought men’s 1500m in a time of 3 mins 43.85 secs. McElhinney’s best time of 3:39.63 dates back to 2022. In the men’s 800m, Cian McPhilips from Longford won his heat in 1:48.86 while in the same heat, Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock) ran a time of 1:49.51 for fifth place. Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) finished second in her 800m heat in 2:04.30.
In the men’s 3000m, Callum Morgan (CNDR RC) ran a personal best 7:59.63, when finishing eighth in his heat, while in another heat, steeplechase specialist Finley Daly (Sligo AC) finished second in 8:04.95, also a personal best.
McGlynn tops at Euro Clubs
Eight Irish clubs were represnted in the five races at the European Clubs Cross-Country Championships, in sunny Albufeira, Portugal, on Sunday. A record four came from Ulster — and three of those from Belfast.
In the senior women’s 9.1km, the ageless Ann-Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC in Donegal finished a fighting ninth in 33 mins 19 secs. Next to cross the line was Hannah Steeds for Leevale AC who finished 28th in 34. 33. Letterkenny finished ninth of the seventeen teams with Leevale AC 13th.
In the men’s race, North Belfast Harriers finished eleventh, led by Andre Milligan 30th in 29:40, while CNDR TC finished 17th , with Conall McClean 27th in 29:34.
At under 20 level, Emily Bolton finished fifth in the women’s race, leading Clonliffe Harriers to fifth place in the team competition. Lagan Valley from Belfast finished eighth led by Kate Graham in 22nd place. Both those clubs also competed in the men’s U20 race, where Oisin McGlynn of Lagan Valley led the Irish home in 20th place, with his team finishing 15th. Clonliffe packed more effectively to finish seventh team, led by Tom Breslin in 27th place.
Finally in the 4 x 1500m mixed relay, Dublin City Harriers finished fifth and Dundrum South Dublin seventh.