Expectations and dreams turned to disappointment in the Santry mud on Sunday last. The Donore Harriers challenge for team medals in the Men’s Inter-Club Senior Championships fell short of the mark as the revamped championship had a much more competitive edge than in recent years. The change of calendar date from spring to late autumn for Ireland’s premier championship cross-country race brought out an array of Ireland’s top distance runners in a keenly contested competition held over 10,000 metres on a testing undulating course. The event also served as a major part of the selection process for the forthcoming European Cross Country championships.

John Travers (32.53) started as one of the pre-race favourites, but he was later to admit to feeling very “flat” after just one of 6 laps. Travers was as high as 5^th position through the first two kilometres and thereafter faded to close in 23^rd place. The next clubman home was Eric Keogh (33.16), who gained several places after a conservative start, in 27^th spot. Mark Dooley was just once place and 2 seconds behind his team-mate. The Donore Harriers scoring team was completed by Ray Hynes (33.29) in 34^th place. The team placed 5^th on 112 points as defending champions Clonliffe Harriers (47) narrowly held off the challenge of Leevale AC (48) and Raheny Shamrocks (51).

The non-scoring team members were – Lee Van Haeften (34.05) in 50^th, Michael McMahon (34.07) in 51^st and John Dunne (34.53) in 68^th. McMahon and Dunne later admitted to feeling tired having competed in the British & Irish International Masters on the previous weekend.

The Donore Harriers ‘B’ team placed 17^th on 400 points. The team included – Niall Lynch (35.15) in 77^th, Ciaran McCarthy (35.39) in 86^th, Fergal Whitty (36.27) in 103^rd and Andrew Wilson (38.10) in 134^th place.

The race was won by defending champion Michael Clohisey (31.11) of Raheny Sharmocks, with John Coghlan (31.27) of Metro St. Bridgids AC in 2^nd and Paul Pollock (31.33) of Annadale Striders in 3^rd.

The women’s race over 8km was won by international star athlete Fionnuala McCormack (formerly Britton) of Kilcoole AC, whilst Donore’s lone representative Karla Doran – running in the first senior national competition – raced admirably to place 42^nd among another strong field of runners.

Niamh O’Neill was the club’s lone athlete in the Junior Women’s race over 4km and placed a creditable 40^th behind winner Hope Saunders of Clonliffe Harriers.

Men’s team manager Ciaran O’Flaherty described Louis O’Loughlin’s performance in the under 16 Boys race over 4km as the “club’s one shining light on a day of disappointments”. Stepping up an age-group and spearheading a Donore Harriers team on the first day of the National Juvenile Cross Country Championships the Moyle Park student again raised his profile as one of the most exciting young talents in Irish athletics. O’Loughlin was in 14^th position at the half-way stage and with a kilometre to go he had gained to 9^th. Any chance of an individual medal seemed remote as the athletes were well spread out in front of him. But he kept gaining ground! Going into the final bend with 80 metres to go O’Loughlin was in 6^th place. He had to check his stride at the turn so as to find a gap on the inside track and then with a great acceleration of speed he gained to 3^rd on the final stride ahead of Donal Devane of Ennis Track. The race was won by Irish juvenile international Daragh McElvenny of Bantry AC with Jamie Battle of Mullingar Harriers in second. O’Loughlin will now start as the favourite when he competes in his own age group (u/15s) at the National Uneven Age Groups at Dungarvan on the 6^th of December.

In the same race Sekeriye Ahmed placed 15^th, whilst Fathi Aden paid the price for an over ambitious start and faded to a disappointing 35^th. The other team members were Jack Raftery in 131^st and Ruairi Fitzgibbon in 132^nd. The team placed 4^thof 16 on 184 points behind Westport AC (81), Mullingar Harriers (115) and Ennis Track (157).

O’Loughlin (1^st scorer), Ahmed (2^nd scorer) and Aden (5^th scorer) won silver team medals as part of the Dublin county team that finished behind Cork.

There were also county medals won by Lucy McCann and Eliza NiThighearnaigh, who were both stepping up an age group to compete in the Girls under 18s race over 4km. McCann placed 28^th overall, whilst NiThighearnaigh came 36^th.  They were the 2^nd and 4^th scorers on the Dublin team than placed 2^nd behind Wicklow.

In the Boys under 18s race over 6km Michael Gibbs (22.29) placed 90^th.

Donore Harriers athletes were to the fore in the Gingerbread 10km road race at Portarlington. New member Anthony Flannery (35.54) placed 2^nd, whilst Shane Russell (36.57) and Alasdair Brown (37.59) recorded personal bests when gaining 3^rd and 5^th positions. There was also a PB for Ken McKeon (1.38.50) in the Gingerbread Half-Marathon.

Results in brief  

National Inter-Clubs Cross Country Championships at Santry Demesne (22/11/15): Senior Men’s 10km: – 1^st M. Clohisey – Raheny Shamrocks (31.11), 2^nd John Coghlan – MSB (31.27), 3^rd Paul Pollock – Annadale Striders (31.33), 23^rdJohn Travers (32.53), 27^th Eric Keogh (33.16), 28^th Mark Dooley (33.18), 34^th Ray Hynes (33.29), 50^th Lee Van Haeften (34.05), 51^st Michael McMahon (34.07), 68^th John Dunne (34.53), 77^th Niall Lynch (35.15), 86^th Ciaran McCarthy (35.39), 103^rd Fergal Whitty (36.27), 134^th Andrew Wilson (38.10), DNF Aogan MacDomhnaill:

TEAM: – 1. Clonliffe Harriers (47), 2. Leevale AC (48), 3. Raheny Shamrocks (51), 5. Donore Harriers ‘A’ <Travers, Keogh, Dooley, Hynes> (112), 17. Donore Harriers ‘B’ <Lynch, McCarthy, Whitty, Wilson> (400)

Senior Women’s 8km: – 1^st Fionnuala McCormack – Kilcoole AC (NTG), 42^nd Karla Doran (NTG)

Junior Women’s 4km: – 40^th Niamh O’Neill

Tymon 5km Parkrun (21/11/15): 2^nd Paul Cummins (18.16)

Porterstown 5km Parkrun (21/11/15): 2^nd Tom Fagan M45 (20.12)

Castletown 5km Parkrun (21/11/15): 4^th Laura Murray (24.28)

Clontarf Half-Marathon (21/11/15): 7^th Rossa Hurley (1.20.00)

Griffeen 5km Parkrun (21/11/15): 3^rd Colin Morrissey M35 (18.07 PB)

Gingerbread 10km road race at Portarlington (22/11/15): 2^nd Anthony Flannery (35.54), 3^rd Shane Russell (36.57 PB), 5^th Alasdair Brown (37.59 PB)

Gingerbread Half-Marathon at Portarlington (22/11/15): Ken McKeon (1.38.50 PB)

Juvenile Results

National Juvenile Even Age Groups XC Championships at Santry Demesne (22/11/15):

Boy’s u/16s 4km: – 3^rd Louis O’Loughlin (step-up), 15^th Sekeriye Ahmed, 35^th Fathi Aden (step-up), 131^st Jack Raftery (step-up) & 132^nd Ruairi Fitzgibbon:

TEAM: – 1. Westport AC (81), 2. Mullingar Harriers (115), 3. Ennis Track (157), 4. Donore Harriers (184) – 16 teams

County Teams: 1. Cork (106), 2. Dublin <inc. O’Loughlin, Ahmed & Aden> (154), 3. Kilkenny (245)

Girl’s u/18s 4km: 28^th Lucy McCann, 36^th Eliza NiThighearnaigh

County Teams: 1. Wicklow (122), 2. Dublin <inc. McCann & NiThighearnaigh> (196), 3. Waterford (203).

Boy’s u/18s 6km: 90^th Michael Gibbs