To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 2nd December).

Five times Olympian Fionnuala McCormack  (Kilcoole AC) not only ran a personal best but also finished 11th  in the Valencia Marathon in Spain  on Sunday (December 1).

McCormack’s time of 2 hrs 23 mins 46 secs took twelve seconds off  the personal best 2:23.58 time she ran at the same race in 2021. Catherina McKiernan, with a time of  2:22:23 set in 1998 is the only Irishwoman to have run faster. McCormack, who turned 40 last September, also finished second in that age category.

Last August McCormack competed in her fifth Olympics Games finishing 28th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games with a time of 2:30.12. She has also competed in a record eighteen European Cross-CountryChampionships winning in both 2011 and 2012.

And although busy with three young children, she has no plans of retiring!

Photo: Bjorn Paree

Stateside action

Abdel Laadjel (Donore Harriers) finished a fighting eighth at the 88th annual Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race in  Connecticut, USA , which was held on Thursday (November 27)  in cool, wet conditions.

Running in Donore Harriers colours, Laadjel was part of the leading group of about a dozen runners through the opening two miles and was lying around sixth when the group hit a hilly stretch of the course. He would lose a further two places in the final uphill climb to the finish line, but was delighted to  finish comfortably inside the top 10, clocking a time of  21 mins 39 secs for the unusual 4.737 miles distance.

Photo: Donore Harriers

Laadjel, aged 21, was also the youngest of the top ten  finishers. Race winner was Andrew Colley  in 21mins 09 secs. Over 8,000 completed the race.

Next up for Laadjel is the 5,000m at the Sharon Colyear-Danville season opener indoor meet in  Boston on Saturday, December 7.

Local road running

Annadale Striders swept the board at the annual Seeley Cup 10km held in Ormeau Park, Belfast on Saturday (November 30), winning both men and women’s individual and team titles.

Bhrane Gibrebrhan was the overall winner of the race, just holding off the challenge of  Conall McLean (CNDR TC) with the pair given times of 29:59 and 30.00. Third in 30:32 was Luke Kelly (CNDR TC).

Gibrebrhan was also leading Annadale Striders to team victory over CNDR AC, while its second team finishing third of the 55 teams entered.

Hannah Gilliland shattered her personal best by around twenty seconds when finishing first woman in a new course record of 33:26. Second in 34:15 was Nakita Burke (Letterkenny AC, W35) with Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC, W35)  third in  in 36:05. First W45 was track specialist Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn) in 37:56.

In the team competition, the Annadale women finished well clear of  host club Willowfield Harriers  with North Down third and 41 teams entered.

Caption: Hannah Gilliland. Photo: Paul Lawther

A photo-finish for chip timing?

Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) clocked a time of 66:59 to win the Waterford Half Marathon on Saturday (November 30). A distant second in 68:23 was Stephen Cashin (Clonliffe Harriers) with Tomás Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) third and first M40 in 70:58.

In a closely fought women’s race,  Fiona Kehoe (Kilmore AC) was first woman and first W40 in 83:29, with Emma Furey (St L. O’Toole AC)  given the same time for second place although her chip time of 83:22 was faster than  Kehoe’s time of 83:28. [Races are usually decided on first across the line, rather than chip time – Editor]

Angela McCann (Clonmel AC) was first W50 in 85:32 and Mary Browne (Mayo AC) first W65 in 1:47.47. In the team competition, Sli Cualann proved best of the men, with a massive 48 teams entered. Kilkenny City Harriers were clear winners of the women’s team prize  with 39 teams entered.

Cross country

Abbie Sheridan (St Peter’s AC) was the winner of the women’s race at the All Ireland Novice Cross-Country Championships held at Tramore racecourse in Co Waterford on Sunday (December 1).

Sheridan finished in a time of 14  mins 37 secs for the 4,000m distance. Sadhbh Mohan (Metro St Brigid’s AC) was second in 14:44 and Hannah Kehoe (Kilkenny City Harriers) third in 14:57.

Ennis Track Club was the winning team, with Leevale second and Togher third.

In the men’s 6000m race, Sean McGinley (Finn Valley) stretched away from  the field in the later stages of the race  to win in 18 mins 46 secs. Oisin Murray  (An Ríocht) was second in 19:04 and  Daniel Ryan Ellis (Nenagh Olympic) third in 19.09.

In a double for the Co Clare club, Ennis TC won the men’s team title by just three points from Nenagh Olympic with Lagan Valley third.

BHAA Cross country going strong

At the Revenue BHAA 6km Santa Dash Cross-Country held at  McGee Park, Tallaght,  Jared Murray was the overall winner in 21 mins 34 secs after battling it out for much of the race with  Diarmuid O’Connor (Gardaí) and Kevin O’Connor who finished second and third in 21:54 and 21:59.

Finished seventh and first woman in 22:50 was BHAA ‘regular’ Laura McDonnell running her first race since the Dublin Marathon. Leona O’Reilly (Gardaí) was second in 24:04 and Eimear English third in 24:54. Fourth was Ellen Byrne, whose mother Fiona was also running and indeed finished first W60, beating Mary Watters by a second in this category!

Top women’s’ team was the Health Group, while best of the grade 1 men were the Gardai, followed by the Accountants and then Dublin Bus. Engineering A won grade 1 from ESB and Gardai.

McGee Park, the home of St Mark’s GAC is a welcome new addition to the Dublin cross-country scene.

Laura McDonnell in action. Photo: Lindie Naughton

Laura McDonnell – sticking with the men! Picture Lindie Naughton

Indoors

At the Track & Field Live opening round in the NIA, Abbotstown,  on Wednesday (November 27) Anne Gilshinan (Slaney Olympic)) broke the  W60 indoor mile world record with a time of  5:27.66. The previous best was 5:30.73.

Catch-up

Scottish orienteer and fell runner Sasha Chepelin had almost three minutes to spare when winning the annual Powerscourt Ridge 15.3km with  860m climb in the Wicklow Mountains on Saturday, November 23 Despite the windy conditions, he finished in 72 mins 32 secs.

Irish international athlete Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was second in 75:27, with Alistair Masson just one second adrift for third. First woman in 98:15 was Tilly Hamilton. Rebecca Magee (Newcastle and District) was second in 1:42.28 and Clodagh Moran (3ROC OC) third in 1:42.56.