To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Wednesday 21st August, a little late due to Editor Robbie racing the Leadville 100 in Colorado).

In his second race in four days, Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC)  was the winner of the Cork City 10km  at Lee Road  on Sunday (August 18) with a time of 29:49. Tobin was chased hard by Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) who finished second in 29:53.Third in 31:09 was Gavin O’Rourke (Leevale AC) . Finishing sixth in 31:45 was Eanna Ó Bradaigh of Dundrum South Dublin.

Finishing ninth and first woman was Shona Heaslip (An Ríocht AC) in a brilliant time of 32:27. Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) was second woman in 33:34  and Grace Lynch (Dundrum South Dublin) third in 34:22.

Hannah Steeds (Leevale AC) who has already  done enough to win the women’s prise in the series  finished fourth in 34.54. First W50 was Barbara Cleary (Donore Harriers) in 36:34.

In the Peugeot Race Series team category, Leevale, led by Hannah Steeds, who is already confirmed as women’s winner this year,  were clear winners ahead of  Eagle AC and Togher AC. 2024. A total of 18 mixed teams, most of them local, had signed up. Dundrum South Dublin have already nailed down the overall team prize for the Peugeot Series, with one more race to go. The series concludes with the Charleville International Half Marathon on September 15.

A day earlier for Armstrong & Harvey

A day earlier, Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC) was the runaway winner of the Frank Duffy 10-Mile held in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

Armstrong completed the course in 49 mins 29 secs. By halfway, which he went through  in 24:38, he already had over a minute to spare on the chasers, led by Peter Somba (Ratoath AC) who finished  in 52:03. A close third in 52:09 was David Glynn.

First woman in 56:32 was Caitlyn Harvey of the Belfast-based Roadrunners club.  Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock, W40) was second in 61:46 and Caroline Hassett (Templemore AC, W40) third in 62:05.

The race, round 3 of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon Race Series, incorporated the Dublin 10-Mile Championships, with Liam Naughton (Dublin City Harriers) who had finished fourth overall  in 53:03 taking the men’s Dublin title and Fiona Stack first woman.

Winning the men’s senior team title was  Brothers Pearse, followed by Raheny Shamrock and Donore Harriers, with twenty-three teams entered. Best of the twenty senior women’s teams was Raheny Shamrock, followed by Dundrum South Dublin and Tallaght.

Liffey Valley out in force

Members of Liffey Valley AC headed north in force for the Dromore 5km/10km in rural Tyrone on Saturday and did quite well for themselves, with Conor Gavin winning the 5km in 16:47 followed by his clubmate Mark Naylor just a second adrift. With over twenty travelling, the club took six of the top nine places in the race — and eight of the top twenty places!

In the women’s race, won by juvenile athlete Annabelle McKenzie of Enniskillen RC in 20:38,  Liffey Valley’s Anne-Marie Gittens finished third  in 21:29, followed by Aoife Brady first W40 — and quite a few more Liffey Valley women.

The Dublin visitors left the 10km (mostly!) to more locally-based athletes, with Danny Mooney of Letterkenny AC  the winner in 33 :18  and Grainne O’Hagan  (Knockmanny RC) first woman in 38:48.  For Liffey Valley, Rebecca McLoughlin and Sergey Doehl finished together in 47:55.

Vinny Connolly (Mullingar Harriers) was the winner of the St Coca’s Kilcock 10 from 10,  in Kilcock, Co Kildare on Sunday (August 18) in a time of 53:13. Cillian O’Leary (Raheny Shamrock AC, M40) was second in 54:19, Karl Nolan (Clonliffe Harriers, M40) third in 55:14 and Stephen Butler (Raheny  Shamrock) fourth in 55:20. First woman in 60:10 was Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers). Sheila O’Byrne (Sli Cualann AC) was almost a minute behind second in 61:09 and Caroline Donnellan (Edenderry AC,W40) third in 64:16.

In the team competition,  Raheny Shamrock’s quartet of O’Leary, Butler, Ronan Wogan and Graham Ahearne were comfortable winners of the men’s prize. Blackrock AC, led by Fergus Collis  in 14th place, finished fourth.  Host club  St Coca’s, as the only women’s team entered, duly won the women’s team prize.

In a thrilling finish to the Rathkenny 5km in Co Meath on Friday (August 16), Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers)  out-sprinted Eoin Flynn (Rathfarnham WSAF, M40) for victory  with the pair both given times of 15:37.  Third in 16:35 was Dunleer junior Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Aoife Parrella (Star of the Sea, W40)  was first woman in 20:09; Teresa Gibney (North Westmeath AC, W40) was  second in 20:40 and Karen Lavelle (Star of the Sea AC, W50) third in 20:43.  Clonliffe’s trio of Doran, Patrick O’Grady and David Brady took the men’s team prize. Star of the Sea proved best of the women.

Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) and Kevin Moore (Mullingar Harriers) battled it out all the way to the line at the Streets of  Thurles 5km, Co Tipperary, on Thursday (August 15). The pair were given times of 14:58 and 14:59. A close third in 15:03 was Mossy Bracken (Moycarkey Coolcroo AC).

Dymphna Ryan (Dundrum AC, W40) was first woman in  17:13, followed by international race walker Kate Veale (West Waterford AC) in 18:28 and Sharon Cantwell (Moyne AC) third in 18:46.

Daniel O’Brien of host club Lusk AC made it a home win a in 25 mins 16 secs the Man O’ War Round 7km, in north Co Dublin. Second in 25:50 was Nigel Roy (Skerries AC) with Graeme O’Flaherty third in 26:33. Carmel Ward (Raheny Shamrock AC) was first woman in 29:35, with Emma Przymusinska (Lusk AC) second in 29:23 and Frances Joyce third in 30:33.

A Leevale double at the West Muskerry AC 40th Anniversary 5km Macroom, Co Cork on Tuesday (August 13) saw wins for Mark Walsh and Hannah Steeds.

Walsh, a son of  legendary Leevale Olympian and long-time coach Donie Walsh, finished in 15:56, with Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) second in 16:34  and Darren Coleman third in 17:05. Steeds finished in 17:49, followed by  two junior athletes — Saoirse Twomey (West Muskerry AC) in 18:55 and Hannah Smith (Leevale ) in 19:07.

They’re off! Run the Ridge 10k – Glendalough AC runners to the fore

Off the roads

Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers M45),  a former Irish mountain running international, who had warmed up by racing in Macroom four days earlier,  recoded an emphatic victory at  the Run the Ridge 10km on the Derrybawn woodland trail in Laragh, Co Wicklow on Saturday (August 18) The race incorporated he Wicklow Athletics Trail Championships.

On a perfect morning for running. Minnock, finished well clear of the chasers in 39 mins 34 secs. Second in 39:59 was  Matthew Walker (unatt) while third and winner of the Wicklow Trail Championships title was Liam Mooney (Lakeshore Striders, M40) in 41:17.  An impressive seventh and first M60 was Jeffrey Walker in 45:34.

First woman and also Wicklow champion was Sheila O’Byrne (Parnell AC) in 47:17. Niamh Brophy (Lakeshore Striders, W35) was second in 47:22 and Catherine Devitt (Glendalough AC, W40) third in 48:17.  In the men’s team competition, Parnell AC, led by brothers Ben and Patrick Kinsella, backed up by Tim Ivers, came out on top of the senior rankings, ahead of host club Glendalough AC,  with St Benedict’s winning  the  M35 title and  Glendlough best  in the M50 age group.

Making it a senior double, Parnell also won the women’s title ahead of Glendalough and Lakeshore Striders, with Lakeshore first W35 team and  Parnell AC first W50 team.

Paul McKenna (Bray Runners) second and Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchard RC) third in the Run the Ridge 20km

In the 20km race which was restricted to a hundred runners, Gavin Kelly (Clane AC, M45) was the winner in 89 mins 40 secs. Paul McKenna (Bray Runners, M35) was second in 93:09  and  ultra runner Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchard AC, M35) third in 94:14.

Finishing seventh overall and first woman in  99:39 was Louise Murray, which was a new record time for the course by two minutes.  Clare Lyons (St Coca’s AC,  W45) was second in 1:48.52 followed closely by Muireann McDonnell  third in 1:48.54.

Winners of the juvenile 3km were  Scott Hannon and Lara Buck, both Parnell AC.

Jared Martin (Ballydrain Harriers) was the winner of the Scrabo hill race at Scrabo Country Park, Newtownards,  on Thursday (August 15). Martin completed the 7.2km course with 356m of climb in 27 mins 28 secs. Almost a minute behind for second was  in 28:21  was Ashley Crutchley (Newcastle and District) , while third in 29:17 was Keith Johnston (Armagh AC) .

First junior and fourth overall was  Rudy Maine (Loughview AC)  in 30:33.  Prolific racer Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn RC, W50)  was first woman in 35:15 followed by Louise Jones  (W40) in 37:33 and Sarah Brady in 37:53.

Rian McCaffrey was the winner of the Longford 5km Trail Series Day 2 at Corlea Bog  on Wednesday (August 14) with his time of 17 min 26 secs putting him over a minute clear of the chasers. Fifth and first woman in 19:33 was Gemma Kenny.

Ultra running

Dylan Kehoe  (Marathon Club of Ireland was a clear winner of the Connemara ‘100’  clocking a time of 16 hrs 22 mins 22 secs.  Last May, Kehoe won the Burren Marathon in 3:13.35.

Barry Drohan (Carrick-on-Suir Roadrunners), a Connemara regular,  was second in 17:39.50 and Richie Power third in 19:24.55. Entry for the race this year was restricted to 25. No women entered.