Cross Country Report by Florence Curley

The Leinster Intermediate and masters cross country championships were held in Dunboyne at the weekend. Cowpark is known for its bumpy ground and tendency to get muddy. Donore did not have the big representation we had the week before at St Anne’s but made our presence felt. This week at the ladies masters, many runners were ill or unavailable so the trio of Karen Behan, Fiona Barrins and Angela Eustace kept the flag flying. Karen improved on her run last week and was 49th in a quality field Fiona Barrins had her best run yet in 59th and Angela Eustace 72nd, they finished 12th team.
In the men’s race, there wasn’t a full M35+ team but it was well worth the trip for Niall Lynch who finished 16th and repeated his feat of the week before where he was again bronze M45. Ian redican was placed 140th. Again it was heartening to see an M50 team out and Tom Fagan finished 134th, Lou McCurtain 147th and Arthur Connick 154th

In the intermediate ladies race over 4K, by which time the course had churned up more, Roisin Harkin came through the field to finish 15th, Niamh O’Neill showed her endurance strength to come in 21st with Audrey Gahan not far behind in 23rd and Ariana ball 25th in her very first cross country race.

Thanks to those who made the trip out to support , well done all

The day before, the BHAA cross country race took place in Tymon Park. Maura Kearns had a fine run finishing as 2nd woman in the 2 mile ladies race. Fergal Whitty finished 3rd in the men’s race and well done too Ian Redican (who went on to compete in the day after) and Tommy Halton

National Indoor League Round 1 Report by David Campbell.

On Saturday January 13th the Donore Harriers Ladies and Men’s teams both kicked off their indoor campaigns in Abbotstown. The Ladies team having came 3rd in the competition last year had high hopes of retaining a podium position and started off in excellent form with Lara O’ Byrne coming 2nd in the 60m hurdles with a new PB of 9.36. Next up was Ailbhe Healy in the pole vault who claimed maximum points as she won the competition with a fine jump of 2.70m. The 60m sprint then followed with International athlete Aoife Lynch showing her class claiming 2nd place in a time of 7.68 which was a new PB while also beating Catherine McManus who is a member of the Irish senior relay squad. Andy McGuire scored valuable points in the long jump with a leap of 4.69m.

The last two events were the 800m and shot putt where Mairead Kirby recorded a time of 2.51.55 and Lara O’Byrne threw 9.44m. The Ladie’s team also had guest competitors on the day with Aoife Lynch backing up her earlier 60m pace with a 7.70 run. Susie O’Farrell competed in the 60m and won her heat in a team of 8.28 with Caoimhe Mackey competing in the same race placing 3rd in a time of 8.53.

The Men started the day with a strong 2nd place finish in the 60m by Eamonn Fahey who ran a swift 7.05. Eamonn was back in action straight after his 60m in the long jump where he claimed another 2nd position with a jump of 6.61m. Our newest member Elliot Slade showed his class in the 800m as he cruised to victory and claimed maximum points with a time of 1.54.53. The men had a handful of athletes guesting on the day and in the 60m Alex Clarkin had an impressive season opener of 7.27. Adam Halpin ran 7.51 and in the same race Ben Iveagh recorded 7.66 which bodes well for both lads with a long indoor season ahead of them. David Campbell opened his 800m campaign with a time of 2.04 and Ryan O’Keefe finished off the day with a big PB in the shot putt throwing 11.65m.

The Ladies team finished in 2nd position overall while the Men finished in 3rd position. Another strong round will see the Ladies qualify for the final on February 3rd in Abbottstown with the Men already automatically through as only 7 teams entered. Full set of results can be accessed online HERE. A big thank you to all athletes, coaches, supporters and everyone who assisted with both squads over the past few months. Both squads have a fantastic chance at bringing home medals in the competition and I would encourage all athletes & club members to support their efforts. The next round will take place on Saturday 27th January in Athlone I.T indoor arena.