HIGHLIGHTS: Jack Raftery (46.44) blitzed the 400m in the IRISH MILERS CLUB MEET in Belfast to top the Irish rankings and set a new club record. Sorcha & Ide NicDhomhnaill go 1st & 4th on the Irish ranking after running PBs in the NIGHT OF THE 10,000m PB’s event in London. W35 team gold, M35 team silver and individual medals won by Maura Kearns, Audrey Gahan & Tony Kynes in the IRISH RUNNERS/NATIONAL 5km. Laurence O’Neill 5th in the LIFFORD-STRABANE HALF-MARATHON. John Travers won the recent BALLYSHANNON 5km. Junior members Oliver Hopkins, James Bolton & Thomas Bolton all ran PBs in the DUBLIN GRADED NO. 2 over 1,500m.
REPORT: <by Gerry Naughton & Florence Curley>
Jack Raftery has jumped to No. 1 in the Irish 400m rankings for 2022 after his stunning victory in the IRISH MILERS CLUB MEET NO. 2 at the Mary Peter’s Track in Belfast on Saturday. His new time of 46.44 lowers his own club record time of 47.02 set at the AAI Games last summer. Coming off the blocks in Lane 6 the 6’ 7” Raftery quickly got into his stride and dominated the race all the way to the finish line. He had two top-class athletes in his wake as Marcus Lawler (47.53) of Clonliffe Harriers placed 2nd and Eanna Madden (47.69) of Carrick-On-Shannon AC came 3rd. Raftery, who is now coached by Jeremy Lyons and Ger O’Donnell at the Dublin Sprints Club training group, can expect selection to the Irish senior relay team this summer. Louis O’Loughlin (1.51.33) struggled to come to terms with the pace of the A grade 800m race. He got detached from the lead group early on – and passing the 400m mark in just under 55 seconds he failed to close the gap on the leaders over the second circuit. The race was won by John Fitzsimons (1.46.41) of Kildare AC with Archie Davis of Brighton AC 2nd in 1.47.77 and O’Loughlin in 8th.
Also reaching the top of the Irish 2022 rankings was Sorcha NicDhomhnaill following her excellent race in the NIGHT OF THE 10,000m PB’s event at the Parliament Hill track in London on Saturday evening. Sorcha finished 14th from 35 starters in the Women’s A race that incorporated the UKA national 10,000m championships. She passed the half-way point in 16.28 and gained several positions in the latter half of the race to finish in a time of 33.18.93. Her new time puts her a little over half-a-minute short of the club record time of 32.43.77 set by Jolene Byrne in 2005. Ide NicDhomhnaill came 20th in the same race in a time of 33.54.51 and moved herself to 4th in the 2022 Irish rankings. The race was won by GB international Jessica Judd in 31.22.24. Kane Collins retired from the Men’s C grade race after 7,200m.
The Night of the 10,000m PB’s event was established in 2013 by Highgate Harriers for the purpose to promote distance running in the UK. It has been growing in status and popularity ever since. The NicDhomhnaill sisters described the setting as: “a great experience, brilliant atmosphere and really enjoyable”. The Men’s 10,000m B grade race was won by Dean Casey of Ennis Track AC. Casey ran a time of 28.57.32 to claim a new national Under 20 record. Frank Greally held the record for almost 52 years before another Donore Harriers man Abdel Laadjel claimed the record with a 29.23.92 run at the Raleigh Relays event Stateside on the 26th of March. Laadjel, thus, held the record for just 7 weeks! Full credit and heartiest congratulations to Dean Casey on his magnificent race and time.
The 2nd DUBLIN OPEN GRADED T&F MEETING was held at Santry last Wednesday (11.05.2022). Donore Harriers had 3 junior athletes contest the 1,500m B grade race. Oliver Hopkins used her superior finishing kick to win in a personal best time of 4.02.49. James Bolton put in a sold run to finish 3rd in a PB time of 4.03.11, with his younger brother Thomas also recording a personal best time of 4.10.85 to place 7th. Master athlete Emmet O’Briain (4.16.96) came 11th in the 1,500m A grade race. Caoimhe Mackey (26.82) came 2nd in the Women’s B grade 200m – and Kane Collins claimed 4th place in the Men’s 5,000m in a time of 15.16.14.
The club was well represented in the IRISH RUNNER 5KM ROAD RACE, incorporating the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS at the Phoenix Park on Sunday morning. The field of 775 athletes had very pleasant weather conditions and an interesting, testing course that went thru the Furry Glen area. The first three club athletes’ home were David McConn (16.16) in 19th place, Daragh Keegan (16.43) in 30th and Alan Keogh (18.06) in 80th. The trio combined to win silver medals in the M35 team category with a score of 122, just 9 points behind winners Rathfarnham AC and 10 points ahead of 3rd placed Sli Cualann AC. McConn ran an 11-seconds personal best and just missed out on an individual medal with 4th place in the M40 category. The next club athlete to finish was Maura Kearns (18.56) who won the W35 class with almost a minute to spare ahead of runner-up Elaine Howard (19.54) of Portmarnock AC. Kearns, 103rd overall and 10th woman, took double-gold as she led the W35 team to victory supported by Audrey Gahan (19.57 – 22nd woman) in 149th position and Claire Mulligan (20.59 – 36th woman) in 206th. The team had a final score of 68 to finish 7 points ahead of 2nd placed Raheny Shamrocks. Gahan also claimed an individual medal with 3rd place in the W40 category. The club’s other individual medal went to Tony Kynes (19.47) who placed 136th overall and 3rd in the M65 age-group. Ray Armstrong M40 came 108th in a new personal 18.55. 16 years old Eoghan Crowther (19.57) was the 4th junior male when placing 151st overall. This was Crowther’s first ever race and after making a conservative start, he worked his way up thru the field to finish narrowly inside his target time of 20 minutes. Ken McKeown (20.08) was the next clubman home in 159th position, closely followed by John Curran in 170th with a personal best time of 20.18. M50 runner Tom Fagan (20.26) came 173rd and John Paul O’Hanlon M35 (20.24) was 175th to cross the finish line. Claire Mulligan placed 206th – and she was followed by club debutante Diorela Escalera-Claros (21.21) in 219th spot and 13th senior woman. This was a fine performance from the Bolivian native who had a target time of 23 minutes. Margaret O’Brien (21.59) placed 236th and 16th senior woman with gutsy effort over the final kilometre. She was followed over the line by Mark Devine M45 (22.11) in 244th place, then Ian Fitzgerald (21.07) in 258th and Angela Eustace W50 (23.22) in 297th. The senior men’s team of Armstrong, Kynes, Crowther and McKeown placed 6th – and the senior women’s team comprising Escalera-Claros, O’Brien and Eustace came 5th.
First season athlete Laurence O’Neill was the club’s sole competitor in the LIFFORD STRABANE HALF-MARATHON in Co. Tyrone on Sunday. O’Neill is proving to be a fine prospect and will be encouraged by recording a PB time of 1.16.15 to secure 5th place in a field of more than 800 runners. The race was held almost entirely within the vicinity of the town of Strabane, with the middle part of the route reaching to and from the townland of Clady via roads alongside the Finn River.
John Travers (14.26) entered the recent BALLYSHANNON 5km ROAD RACE as a training workout, but his pedigree saw him win the race comfortably ahead of Sligo AC pair Shane Hayes (15.45) and Martin Brennan (16.14). Travers said: “I’ve missed a bucket load of training with a foot injury, so I was delighted to win with a decent time”.
In the IMRA Under 18 TRIAL RACE at Glendalough on Sunday morning Laura Nunan (26.18) came 11th overall and 3rd female for the 4.5km course that had a total climb of 300 metres. The race was a selection trial for the WMRA championships due to take place at Saluzzo in Italy on the 26th of June.
M50 competitor Ben Conroy came 37th (54.33) and junior member Honor Lynch (1.00.23) 50th in the IMRA CARRICK MOUNTAIN RACE on Wednesday last (11.05.2022). The race which started and finished near the village of Glenealy was 7.5km in distance with 420 metres of climbing.
In the DUBLIN JUVENILE T& F LEAGUE after 3 rounds Ruby Blake is leading the way with 20 points in the Under 13 Girls. Anna Whelan holds 2nd place – also with 20 points – in the Under 11 Girls and Zion Osawe (also 20 points) is in 3rd position in the Under 14 Girls. Liam Morris (21 points) holds 3rd place in the Under 15 Boys with 3 wins over middle-distance. Full list of our points scorers so far in the league are listed below.
The 4th and final round of the league takes place on Saturday (21.05.2022) at the Irishtown track.
Niamh Clifford (19.30) was 2nd finisher and 1st woman home in the Brickfields PARKRUN. Other notable Parkrun results include Jean Murphy (21.35) and juvenile member Katie Delaney (23.29) being the 1st and 3rd female finishers at Waterstown; and Paul Nunan (22.53) gaining a PB to place 4th overall at the Sports Campus Parkrun in Abbotstown. Other results below.
Results in brief:
BALLYSHANNON 5KM ROAD RACE (07.05.2022)
1st John Travers (14.26)
94 finishers
DUBLIN OPEN GRADED MEET NO. 2 at Santry (11.05.2022)
WOMEN’S 200m B GRADE RACE: 2nd Caoimhe Mackey (26.82)
MEN’S 1,500m A GRADE RACE: 11th Emmet O’Briain M40 (4.16.96)
MEN’S 1,500m B GRADE RACE: 1st Oliver Hopkins U/19 (4.02.49 PB), 3rd James Bolton U/19 (4.03.11 PB), 7th Thomas Bolton U/17 (4.10.85 PB)
MEN’S 5,000m A GRADE RACE: 4th Kane Collins (15.16.14)
IRISH MILERS CLUB MEET 2 at Mary Peters Track Belfast (14.05.2022)
MEN’S 400m A GRADE RACE: 1st Jack Raftery (46.44 PB and club record)
MEN’S 800m A GRADE RACE: 8th Louis O’Loughlin (1.51.33)
NIGHT OF THE 10,000m PB’s at Parliament Hill Track London (14.05.2022)
WOMEN’S 10,000m A GRADE RACE: 14th Sorcha NicDhomhnaill (33.18.93 PB), 20th Ide NicDhomhnaill (33.54.51 PB)
MEN’S 10,000m C GRADE RACE: DNF Kane Collins
IRISH RUNNER 5KM ROAD RACE, incorporating NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS at Phoenix Park (15.05.2022)
19th & 4th M40 David McConn (16.16 PB)
30th & 5th M35 Daragh Keegan (16.43)
80th & 13th M40 Alan Keogh (18.06)
103rd & 1st W35 Maura Kearns (18.56)
108th & 19th M40 Ray Armstrong (18.55 PB)
136th & 3rd M65 Tony Kynes (19.47)
149th & 3rd W40 Audrey Gahan (19.57)
151st & 4th MJ Eoghan Crowther (19.57 debut)
159th & 15th M35 Ken McKeown (20.08)
170th & 14th M45 John Curran (20.18 PB)
173rd & 18th M50 Tom Fagan (20.26)
175th & 16th M35 John Paul O’Hanlon (20.24)
206th & 7th W45 Claire Mulligan (20.59)
219th & 13th WS Diorela Escalera-Claros (21.21 debut)
236th & 16th WS Margaret O’Brien (21.59)
244th & 18th M45 Mark Devine (22.11)
258th & 22nd MS Ian Fitzgerald (21.07)
297th & 10th W50 Angela Eustace (23.22)
DNF Barry Potts M70 due to injury
775 finishers
SENIOR MEN’S TEAM: 1. Clonliffe Harriers 40, 6. Donore Harriers <Armstrong, Kynes, Crowther, McKeown> 477. 8 teams closed
M35 MEN’S TEAM: 1. Rathfarnham AC 113, 2. Donore Harriers <McConn, Keegan, Keogh> 122, 3. Sli Cualann AC 132. 10 teams closed
SENIOR WOMEN’S TEAM: 1. Brothers Pearse AC 32, 5. Donore Harriers <Escalera-Claros, O’Brien, Eustace> 159. 7 teams closed
W35 WOMEN’S TEAM: 1. Donore Harriers <Kearns, Gahan, Mulligan> 68, 2. Raheny Shamrocks AC 75, 3. Mullingar Harriers AC 132. 7 teams closed
STRABANE LIFFORD HALF-MARATHON at Strabane, Co. Tyrone (15.05.2022)
5th Laurence O’Neill (1.16.15 PB)
865 finishers
IMRA CARRICK MOUNTAIN RACE at Glenealy, Co. Wicklow (11.05.2022)
37th Ben Conroy M50 (54.33)
50th Honor Lynch WJ (1.00.23)
95 finishers
IMRA U/18 TRIAL CUP RACE at Glendalough (15.05.2022)
11th & 3rd female Laura Nunan (26.18)
12 finishers
DUBLIN JUVENILE T&F LEAGUE FIXTURE 3 POINT SCORERS (Tallaght 08.05.2022)
U/10 BOYS: Cadel Senyk (0 points, total 8 – 9th overall)
U/11 GIRLS: Anna Whelan 6th 200m (1 point, total 20 – 2nd overall)
U/12 GIRLS: Anabella Omozee 1st 200m (7 points, total 9 – 8th overall)
U/13 GIRLS: Ruby Blake 4th in Long Jump, 4th in High Jump (6 points, total 20 – 1st overall)
U/13 BOYS: Jack Mansfield 6th High Jump (1 point, total 3 – =17th overall)
U/14 GIRLS: Zion Osawe 5th in 200m, 4th in Discus (5 points, total 20 – 3rd overall), Melody Omozee 3rd in Discus (4 points, total 6 – 12th overall)
U/14 BOYS: Elliot Whelan (0 points, total 5 – 13th overall), Luuk Jackson 3rd in 200m (4 points, total 4 – 15th overall)
U/15 BOYS: Liam Morris 1st in 1,000m (7 points, total 21 – 3rd overall), Reuben McCormick 2nd in 1,000m (5 points, total 10 – 7th overall), Daire McCarthy (0 points, total 6 – 10th overall)
U/16 GIRLS: Roisin Kirby 4th in 200m (3 points, total 3 – 23rd overall)
U/16 BOYS: Paddy Nolan 1st in 200m (7 points, total 7 – 10th overall), Adam Mulhall 6th in 1,000m (1 point, total 1 – 25th overall)
PARKRUNS 5km (14.05.2022)
ARDGILLAN: 16th Joe Murphy M40 (26.22)
BRICKFIELDS: 2nd & 1st woman Niamh Clifford (19.30)
CORKAGH: 23rd & 4th woman Nicola Dowdall W45 (24.58)
NEW ROSS: 18th Eugene McCurtain M55 (24.19)
POPPINTREE: 76th Eilish Joyce W40 (31.08)
SPORTS CAMPUS ABBOTSTOWN: 4th Paul Nunan M45 (22.53 PB)
WATERSTOWN: 3rd & 1st woman Jean Murphy W35 (21.35), 8th & 3rd woman Katie Delaney W15-17 (23.29)