HIGHLIGHTS: Lara O’Byrne won silver and bronze and ran a 60mH PB at the NATIONAL INDOOR UNDER 23s. DH men’s team won the Fr. Delany Cup (6 to score) and were 2nd team (4 to score) at the BOHERMEEN HALF-MARATHON. Age class top 3s for Eoin Durkan, Fergal Whitty, Sinead O’Reilly and Tony Kynes at the same venue. Emily Bolton 3rd in the Junior Girls at the ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS XC CHAMPIONSHIPS. Liam Morris and Oliver Hopkins selected to Irish squads for the forthcoming SIABs XC in Wales.
REPORT <by Gerry Naughton & Florence Curley>:
The club’s lone competitor in the NATIONAL INDOOR JUNIOR & UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS at the Athlone Arena on Sunday was multi-eventer Lara O’Byrne. O’Byrne ran a new personal best of 8.85 to take the silver medal in the Under 23s 60m Hurdles final behind Niamh O’Neill (8.73) of St. Colman’s Mayo. A first attempt clearance of 1.60m was enough to give O’Byrne the bronze gong in the High Jump. LINK
The BOHERMEEN HALF-MARATHON is one of the most popular road races in Ireland. This year’s version attracted almost 1,500 to the start line in the picturesque village near Navan. Donore Harriers have always made this event a favourite on the fixtures list, so were well represented again this year. Eoin Durkan led the 17 strong contingent home in 14th place with a time of 1.13.20. The long-time club member came 3rd in the M40 category. David McConn, competing for the 2nd time within the space of a few days, reached the finish in 25th spot and 6th in the M40 class. He ran a new personal best time of 1.15.48. Marathon specialist Fergal Whitty (1.16.20) came 34th and 3rd in the Over 45s class – followed by Danny O’Sullivan in 42nd spot and 15th M40. The combined finishing positions of Durkan, McConn, Whitty and O’Sullivan ensured that Donore Harriers (110) were runners-up in the team competition behind Pinanha Tri Club (76) and well clear of 3rd placed Trim AC (135). The men’s team went one better by winning the Fr. Delany Cup – an award given to the first men’s team with six-to-score. The 5th and 6th men home were key to this success. Thus, Alasdair Brown (1.17.34), who has steady improvements in recent weeks, placing 44th with a new PB – and Andy Kinane (1.18.03) in 50th ensured the victory. The Donore Harriers 6-man team scored 200 ahead of Trim AC (276) and Piranha Tri Club (296) to claim the Fr. Delany Cup.
Liam Keane ran a personal best of 1.20.45 for 76th position, followed by Colm Kennedy (1.22.18) in 103rd. Next home was Sinead O’Reilly, 2nd in the W40 category, after running a personal best time of 1.24.00 to place 137th overall.
Declan Lynch (1.29.45) came 262nd. Tony Kynes (1.34.49), fresh after making his Ireland debut in the recent European Masters Athletics Championships in Portugal, came 2nd in the M65 category when placing 359th overall. The next Donore Harriers man to reach the finish line was Ray Armstrong (1.42.55) in 606th spot.
The women’s scoring quartet was completed by Louise Kelly (1.44.03 PB) in 609th, Suzie Henley-Willis (1.48.58 PH) in 747th and Angela Eustace (1.49.17) in 761st. Led home by Sinead O’Reilly the women’s team came 13th out of 37 scoring teams.
These four were supported by Katherine Marsh (1.52.24) who placed 838th out of the 1,226 finishers. Barbara Murray did not complete the race. LINK
The ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS are fiercely competitive. Athletes must qualify via two qualifying championship races to have the right to stand on the start line. The races are high energy, frenetic and exciting. So, it was good to see these highly contested races return after a blank in 2021 due to the Covid-19 lockdowns. Saturday’s venue was the Mallusk Playing Fields near Belfast.
Emily Bolton (9.21), representing Mount Sackville Secondary School, bravely led the 2.5km Junior Girls race until she was passed by race winner Niamh Garvey (9.16) of Killina Secondary School in the closing kilometre. She then lost out on the silver step on the podium when she was overtaken at the finish line by Isa McCarron (9.19) from the Knock School in Belfast. Eva Crowe (10.16) came 43rd in the same race representing the Edmund Rice School Castleknock.
The club had three athletes in the 3.5km Junior Boys race – all in the colours of Colaiste Chilliain Clondalkin. Liam Morris (12.14) ran a well-judged race to move up the field from the mid-20s position to finally place 11th. An improving Sam O’Chrothair (13.10) ran his best race yet to cross the line in 40th position. Aaron O’Callanain (14.05) closed out the scoring 4 in 89th spot. The non-club athlete was Max MacLocklainn (13.26) in 51st. The Colaiste Chilliain team came 8th of 11 closing teams. Julie Cleary had a super race in the Intermediate Girls 3.5km race. Representing Loreta Stephen’s Green she placed 15th in a time of 13.43. Oliver Hopkins (17.16), who won the junior grade race at Santry in 2020, was never in contention this time round. He failed to build on last month’s runner-up spot in the Leinster Schools due to illness. Without his usual strength and sharpness, the St. Declan’s Cabra student had to settle for 11th spot as the keenly contested race was won by Lughaigh Mallon (16.34) of Rathmore Grammar Belfast. In the Senior Boys race over 6.5km James Bolton (Belvedere College) never found his usual rhythm with the soft underfoot conditions. He placed 46th of 73 with a time of 24.53.
Liam Morris and Oliver Hopkins have been selected to the Irish squad to compete in the Schools International Athletics Association international at Pembrey, Cardiff on the 26th of March 2022.
Peter Brennan returned to his native Co. Offaly to compete in the TULLAMORE HARRIERS 5KM ROAD RACE where he ran a personal best time of 18.17 to finish 31st of 334 finishers.
Junior athlete Claudia Redmond (53.13) placed 49th and 14th woman in the GREAT GOREY 10KM RACE on Sunday. There were 131 finishers.
In the DUBLIN NIGHT RUN 10km RACE at Sandymount on Tuesday evening 8th of March David McConn finished 2nd of more than 400 finishers in the time of 35.57.
PARKRUNs. Juvenile member Dylan McKenna (19.39) was 2nd home at Waterstown. Other parkrun results below.
Results in brief:
DUBLIN NIGHT RUN 10km ROAD RACE at Sandymount (08.03.2022)
2nd David McConn M40 (35.57)
425 finishers
ALL IRELAND SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at Mallusk Playing Fields, Co. Antrim (12.03.2022)
JUNIOR GIRLS 2,500m:
3rd Emily Bolton (Mount Sackville) 9.21
43rd Eva Crowe (Edmund Rice) 10.16
93 finishers
JUNIOR BOYS 3,500m
11th Liam Morris (Colaiste Chilliain) 12.14
40th Sam O’Chrothair (Colaiste Chilliain) 13.10
89th Aaron O’Callanain (Colaiste Chilliain) 14.05
94 finishers
TEAM: 8th Colaiste Chillian <inc. Morris, O’Chrothair & O’Callanain>.
11 teams closed
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS 3,500M:
14th Julie Cleary (Loreta Stephen’s Green) 13.43
54 finishers
INTERMEDIATE BOYS 5,000m
11th Oliver Hopkins (St. Declan’s) 17.16
97 finishers
SENIOR BOYS 6,500m:
46th James Bolton (Belvedere College) 24.53
75 finishers
NATIONAL JUNIOR & UNDER 23 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS at Athlone Arena (12.03.2022)
WOMEN’S U/23 60m HURDLES FINAL: 2nd Lara O’Byrne (8.85 PB)
WOMEN’S U/23 HIGH JUMP: 3rd Lara O’Byrne (1.60m)
TULLAMORE HARRIERS 5km ROAD RACE (12.03.2022)
31st Peter Brennan MS (18.17)
334 finishers
BOHERMEEN HALF-MARATHON (13.03.2022)
14th & 3rd M40 Eoin Durkan (1.13.20)
25th & 6th M40 David McConn M40 (1.15.48 PB)
34th & 3rd M45 Fergal Whitty (1.16.20)
42nd & 15th M40 Danny O’Sullivan (1.17.26 PB)
44th Alasdair Brown MS (1.17.34 PB)
50th & 19th M40 Andrew Kinane (1.18.03)
76th Liam Keane M40 (1.20.45 PB)
103rd Colm Kennedy M40 (1.22.18)
137th & 2nd W40 Sinead O’Reilly (1.24.00 PB)
262nd Declan Lynch M40 (1.29.45)
359th & 2nd M65 Tony Kynes (1.34.49)
606th Ray Armstrong M40 (1.42.55)
609th Louise Kelly WS (1.44.03 PB)
747th Suzie Henley-Willis W40 (1.48.58 PB)
761st Angela Eustace W50 (1.49.17)
838th Katherine Marsh WS (1.52.24)
DNF Barbara Murray
1,226 finishers
MEN’S TEAM: 1st Piranha Tri Club 76, 2nd Donore Harriers <Durkan, McConn, Whitty, O’Sullivan> 110, 3rd Trim AC 135. 46 teams closed
MEN’S TEAM FATHER DELANY CUP (6 to score): 1st Donore Harriers <Durkan, McConn, Whitty, O’Sullivan, Brown, Kinane> 200, 2nd Trim AC 276, 3rd Piranha Tri Club 296. 28 teams closed
WOMEN’S TEAM: 1st Brothers Pearse AC 90, 13th Donore Harriers <O’Reilly, Kelly, Henley-Willis, Eustace>. 37 teams closed
GREAT GOREY 10KM RUN (13.03.2022)
49th & 14th woman Claudia Redmond JNR (53.13)
131 finishers
PARKRUNS 5km (12.03.2022)
BUSHY: 133rd Thomas Halton M65 (33.09)
CASTLETOWN: 69th Joan McTernon W60 (28.33)
MALAHIDE: 50th Angela O’Dea W40 (24.25 PB)
WATERSTOWN: 2nd Dylan McKenna M15-17 (19.39)
