Kolade Abiodun has been named as the Leinster Juvenile athlete of the year for 2014 by the Athletics Association of Ireland. The affable 14 years-old Donore Harriers athlete won 8 Dublin titles this year before going on to win the 60m Hurdles All-Ireland indoors championship and the 250m Hurdles All-Ireland outdoors crown. In the latter he set a new national record time of 33.81s where his run was described as “superb” by the Irish Hurdlers website.

Kolade was encouraged to take up athletics a few years ago by his former teacher Tom Clyne of the De La Salle National School. Coached by Ray O’Keeffe and Liam Brennan he has been improving year on year and his sporting ambition is: “… to become a well known Irish athlete”. Kolade is ‘sports mad’ and also represents his St. John’s Secondary School in Ballyfermot in basketball and football.  He lists retired American sprinter and Olympic and World champion Maurice Greene as his favourite all-time athlete.

Kolade Abiodun has a very exciting future in athletics. Heartiest congratulations on his achievements thus far from his many friends and colleagues at Donore Harriers!

Donore Harriers held their traditional pre-Christmas Captain’s Race in the Phoenix Park on Saturday (20/12/14).On a crisp, dry morning more than 20 athletes – including 4 members of the Fit4Youth squad – competing over a 5 kilometres, 3 laps grass course near the Army grounds.

A keenly contested race was won by Garvan Smith (19.55) with Des Tremble (20.10) as runner-up and George Brady (20.24) in third. The first woman home was Anne Curley, who was fourth overall, in a time of 21.31.

After the race club members and siblings Aoife and Michael Rickard raised €350 in a charity collection for the Ebola crisis.

Elsewhere , 18 years-old Hannah Barr was the first female finisher at the Waterstown Parkrun 5 kilometres at Palmerstown in a new PB time of 24.04.

Results in brief:

Captain’s Run in Phoenix Park (20/12/14) : 1^st Garvan Smith M40 (19.55); 2^nd Des Tremble M40 (20.10); 3^rdGeorge Brady M35 (20.24); 4^th Anne Curley F40 (21.31); 5^th Joe Murphy (22.11); 6^th Barry Potts M60 (22.41); 7^thRhona Duane (22.59); 8^th Des Gill M45 (24.03); 9^th Ruth Cavanagh (24.26); 10^th Sian O’Connor F35 (25.05); 11^thCharlie O’Neill M60 (25.28); 12^th Joseph Maguire M75 (27.47); 13^th Angela Eustace F40 (27.58); 14^th Mary Kingston F50 (28.01); 15^th Catherine McKeon (28.18); 16^th  Eilish Joyce (29.02); 17^th Jennifer O’Keeffe F45 (29.21); 18^th Tony Jenkins M70 (29.35); 19^th  Deirdre Brennan (31.52); 20^th Matthew Lynch JUV (35.20); 21^stKate Lynch JUV (37.41); 22^nd Justin Maher JUV (37.41); 23^rd Ben Halpin JUV (NTG)

Other results:

Marlay Parkrun 5km (20/12/14): 6^th Paul Cummins (17.58)

Tymon Parkrun 5km (20/12/14); 13^th / 4^th woman Samantha Conroy F35 (20.59)

Waterstown Parkrun 5km (20/12/14): 6^th Paul O’Neill u/17s (21.04); 16^th / 1^st woman Hannah Barr u/19s (24.04 – PB); 27^th James McDonagh u/14s (26.01); 38^th Shona Smyth u/14s (29.11)