HIGHLIGHTS: Robert Murphy posted a 2.25.47 to finish 4^th in the M40 class in the BERLIN MARATHON. Kane Collins ran a PB 1.10.14 for 5^th in the CHARLEVILLE HALF. Eric Keogh 3^rd in the QUEEN’S CITY INVITATIONAL XC at North Carolina. Maura Kearns 3^rd woman in the NAAS 10km, with Sinead O’Reilly 5^th in a new PB time. Rory Burke 15^th in the ECO TRAIL WICKLOW 80km. Ciara Fitzgibbon 4^th woman in her debut WORLD’S END TRY-A-TRIATHLON in Co. Limerick. The cross-country season kicked off with the IRISH UNIVERSITIES at Glasnevin and the first DUBLIN JUVENILE LEAGUE fixture at Ballyboughal.

 

REPORT: Robert Murphy (2.25.47) narrowly failed to make the top 3 in the M40 category in the BERLIN MARATHON on Sunday morning. Finishing 37^th overall he was ranked 4^th in his age class, losing out to the 3^rd placed finisher Eric Herault of France by just 8 seconds. Murphy, who has a personal best of 2.22.10 set at the same venue in 2019, was the 15^th European finisher. He passed the halfway mark in 1.11.11 but struggled over the final 7 kilometres. The race, with more than 14,000 competitors, was won by Guya Adola of Ethiopia in 2.05.45.

Sean Fox was the club’s other representative in the Berlin Marathon. Fox ran an opening half of 1.20.30 and the back half in 1.26.29 to come home 443^rd in 2.46.59. He came 44^th in the M45 age group.

Kane Collins (1.10.14) ran a personal best to secure 5^th stop in the CHARLEVILLE INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON in his native county Cork on Sunday. Collins expressed himself as being “absolutely delighted” with his effort having improved by three and a-half minutes for the distance in the last year. Not too far behind was Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan, who crossed the line in 1.14.42 for 8^th place. The race was won by Yared Derese (1.05.15) of Monaghan Phoenix AC.

Eric Keogh (24.12) placed a brilliant 3^rd in the QUEEN’S CITY INVITATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY RACE at Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday (24.09.2021). Representing Queen’s University (North Carolina) the Donore Harriers man was 2^nd scorer on his college team that placed 2^nd from 34 closing teams. The 8km race was won by Isaac Prather (23.43) from Concord University.

Maura Kearns, Sinead O’Reilly and Treasa Boylan toed the start line in the NAAS TOWN 10km ROAD RACE on Saturday. Kearns (40.44) came home 15^th overall and was 3^rd woman behind Irish international athlete Mary Mulhare from Portlaoise AC. Sinead O’Reilly (42.03) ran a super race to record a new personal best time and finish as 5^th woman (22^nd overall). Also, among the 373 finishers was Treasa Boylan (50.30) in 89^th position.

The ever-consistent Andrew Kinane came 14^th in the AON MULLINGAR HALF-MARATHON on Saturday in a time of 1.19.08. He came 7^th in the M40 age class. There were 536 finishers.

Rory Burke came 15^th from 128 competitors in the ECO WICKLOW 80km TRAIL on Saturday. The actual race distance was 80.7 kilometres, starting at Bray Head and taking in Dublin Bay, Killruddery Gardens, the Little and Great Sugarloaf climbs, Powerscourt, Roundwood, Lough Tay and the Vartry Reservoir. The total altitude gain was 2,660 metres. Burke completed the route in 9 hours, 11 minutes, and 21 seconds.

Ciara Fitzgibbon competed in the 12^th ANNUAL WORLD’S END TRY-A-TRI at Castleconnell village in Co. Limerick on Saturday. This was her maiden triathlon, where she had to do a 175m swim, a 22km cycle, and a 5km run. The swim took place on the Shannon River in front of the local boat club, the cycle took an out and back route to Birdhill in Co. Tipperary, with the run on local Castleconnell roads. Fitzgibbon was consistent over the 3 disciplines, with a 6.19 time for the swim, 47.40 for the cycle, and 26.51 for the run. She placed 18^th overall – 4^th woman – from 60 competitors with a total event time of 1.25.22.

It seems a long time since Oliver Hopkins and Abdel Laadjel blazed to glory in the All-Ireland Schools Cross-Country – in fact, more than 18 months! Thus, a very welcome return to the cross-country scene over the weekend. The IRISH UNIVERSITIES AA CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS took place at the DCU sportsground in Glasnevin on Saturday with three members of the club in action. In the women’s race over 4km Louise Murray (22.57) placed 17^th and Rachel Smyth (26.51) 29^th. In the men’s 8km race Matthieu Proffit (29.44) came 18^th. All were representing Trinity College Dublin. The first fixture in the DUBLIN JUVENILE CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE took place in a new venue at Ballyboughal in north county Dublin on Sunday morning. The course described by Club President Charlie O’Neill as “a very dry bumpy stubble field that caused a few falls” proved a testing experience for the young athletes. A full report and results will follow soon.

Other recent results include Louise Kelly (38.04) 57^th and 15^th woman in the RAS GAELSCOIL EANNA 7km ROAD RACE at Navan on the 19^th of September; and Aideen Burke (1.15.17) 30^th and 3^rd woman in the IRISH MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION LUGGALA RACE over 9km on the 18^th of September.

In the 5km PARKRUN SERIES Maura Kearns came 6^th and 1^st woman at Naas on the 18^th of September in a time of 18.40. Other parkrun results are listed below.

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RAS GAELSCOIL EANNA 7km ROAD RACE at Navan (19.09.2021)

57^th & 15^th woman: Louise Kelly (38.04).

90 finishers.

QUEEN’S CITY INVITATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY at Charlotte, North Carolina (24.09.2021)

MEN’s 8km: 3^rd Eric Keogh (24.12)

313 finishers

AON MULLINGAR HALF-MARATHON (25.09.2021)

14^th & 7^th M40: Andrew Kinane (1.19.08)

536 finishers

BERLIN MARATHON (26.09.2021)

37^th & 4^th M40 Robert Murphy (2.25.47)

443^rd & 44^th M45 Sean Fox (2.46.59)

14,276 finishers

CHARLEVILLE INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON in Co. Cork (26.09.2021)

5^th Kane Collins (1.10.14 PB)

8^th Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan (1.14.42)

327 finishers

DUBLIN JUVENILE CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE FIXTURE 1 at Ballyboughal (26.09.2021)

Results and report to follow

NAAS TOWN 10km ROAD RACE (26.09.2021)

15^th & 3^rd woman Maura Kearns W35 (40.44)

22^nd & 5^th woman Sinead O’Reilly W40 (42.03 PB)

89^th Treasa Boylan (50.30)

373 finishers

IRISH UNIVERSITIES CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at DCU Sportsground, Glasnevin (26.09.2021)

Women’s race: 17^th Louise Murray TCD (22.57), 29^th Rachel Smyth TCD (26.51)

Men’s Race: 18^th Matthieu Proffit TCD (29.44)

12^th ANNUAL WORLD’S END TRY-A-TRI at Castleconnell, Co. Limerick (25.09.2021)

18^th & 4^th woman Ciara Fitzgibbon W45 (1.25.22)

60 competitors

ECO TRAIL WICKLOW 80km (25.09.2021)

15^th Rory Burke (9.11.21)

128 competitors

IMRA MOUNTAIN RACES

LUGGALA 9km (18.09.2021): 30^th & 3^rd woman Aideen Burke W35 (1.15.17)

75 finishers

PARKRUNS 5km

NAAS (18.09.2021): 6^th & 1^st woman Maura Kearns W35 (18.40), 50^th & 8^th woman Mary McDermott (23.45)

ROYAL CANAL, KILCOCK (25.09.2021): 29^th & 6^th woman Sinead O’Reilly W40 (24.23)

MALAHIDE (25.09.2021): 150^th Angela O’Dea W35 (27.36)

POPPINTREE (25.09.2021): 84^th & 31^st woman Eilish Joyce W35 (33.38)