The high profile Great Ireland Run, which incorporated the National 10 kilometres road championships, proved big in organisation and poor in its results service! If Dunboyne AC had set the bar in displaying all results minutes after the finish of their race in the previous week then the AAI fell far short in their showcase road running championship. It is simply not good enough that results are delayed so as to appear first in a national newspaper on the following day – and then we face, yet again, problems with the team scores! This unprofessionalism does nothing to promote our wonderful sport at club level!

The correct team result in the M35-50 category should read: – 1. Donore Harriers 1.43.06; 2. Raheny Shamrocks 1.44.35 and 3. Sligo AC 1.44.52. Please note that this result is yet to be confirmed.

The strong winds and change of temperatures during the race made conditions difficult, not to mention the undulations of the testing Phoenix Park course. The ever consistent John Dunne was first Donore Harriers man home in 33.28, placing 25^th overall and winning the silver medal in the M35 category (also waiting confirmation); Ken Nugent continues his return to form and ran a very fine 33.57 and placed 35^th overall; Aogan MacDomhnaill (34.10), a transfer pending athlete, was 38^th; Niall Lynch 34.19 and Gavin Keogh 34.27 ran stride to stride until the final kilometre before finishing 42^nd and 46^th respectively; Niall came 4^th in the M40 age group. Eoin Durkan (56^th in 34.38) was another with a very encouraging run and a return to form after missing a lot of training due to injury. Graham Hopkins (35.13) completed the scoring trio for the successful Donore Harriers masters team when placing 68^th overall and 9^th in the M40 category.

The other Donore Harriers to finish were: – Andy Kinane 35.27;  Des Tremble 36.14 (14^th in M40); George Brady 37.38; Tony Barry 38.08; Niall O’Reilly 40.38; Tom Fagan 41.02; Ian Redican 42.08; Des Gill 44.20; Jim McNamara 45.38 (1^st in M70) and Terry Mee 48.52 (2^nd in M70)

The race was won by Japhet Korir of Kenya in 28.12, ahead of Andy Vernon (GB) 29.19 and Michael Shelley (Australia) 29.33. The Irish 10km championship result was: – 1^st. Mark Hanrahan (Leevale AC) 30.20; 2^nd Mick Clohissy (Raheny) 30.46 and 3^rd Thomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) 30.47.

The ladies race produced a high quality field where Fionnula Britton fought it out with regular Cross Country rival Sophie Duarte. Fionnula finishe just outside the podium places in 4th but won the National 10K with veteran Catherina McKiernan showing great form to finish second.

First home for Donore ladies producing another fantastic run following injury was Aislinn Nic Dhomhnaill with 39.08, not far behind was Anne Curley (39.16), Florence Curley (41.46), Breda Mahony (42.45), Karen Behan (42.54), Emer Rattigan (43.24), Sinead Graham (43.51), Lorrain O’Shea (46.26),  Sian O’Connor (47.24), Mary Murphy (51.12), Dana Mackey (53.29) and Laura Murray (58.58).

In the Great Ireland Mile Race John Travers (4.04) again proved that he is a class act when finishing second behind Paul Robinson (4.02). From the AAI website: – ‘After an up and down indoor season a resurgent John Travers (Donore Harriers) finished in second place in a time of 4.04, impressive performances by both athletes in wet and windy conditions’.

Britain’s Ross Murray who came third in 4.06

In a very wet and windswept Connemara, two brave Donore runners tackled the half marathon; Bronagh Elliott was 5th lady in a highly impressive 98.09 on what is a very tough course and Liagh Miller ran 1.58.11

The Spring marathon season has started and we had a trio of runners in the Paris Marathon – in her first marathon Rachel Burke finished in 4.04.27, also making her marathon debut Eilish Joyce finished in 4.33.30 and Hilary O’Connor finished in 4.40.34 – well done girls.

Some of our track runners got their outdoor season off to a good start at the Leevale Open Sports at CIT track in Bishopstown Cork – results as follows:

Sean Lawlor 3rd – section 1 200m 23.07

Lynda Ngakam 2nd – section 2 100m 12.96

Lynda Ngakam 4th – section2 200m 27,26

David Campbell 7th – section 1 400m 53.45

Ailise Keating 8th 100m heats – 14.00

In the BHAA Dublin City Council 4 mile race at St. Anne’s Park on Saturday it became a battle of the two Fergals! Fergal Whitty placed 6^th in 21.53 with Fergal Swaine just one second and one place behind.  Frank McNally was 65th in 26.46 and Tommy Halton ran 30.59.