HIGHLIGHTS: Barbara Cleary 1st woman in the IRELAND WEST 3-QUARTER MARATHON. Laurence O’Neill 10th in the WEST WATERFORD AC GREENWAY HALF-MARATHON. Ryan Aikins and Gavin Keogh 4th and 6th in the LUCAN AC 5-MILE. Donore Harriers men’s and women’s teams confirmed as DUBLIN 10 MILE CHAMPIONS. Emily Bolton a fine 9th overall in the recent AAA U15 CHAMPIONSHIPS.
REPORT: <report/results by Gerry Naughton & Florence Curley> Barbara Cleary continues to regain her 2021 form after a six-month injury enforced absence from competition by winning the IRELAND WEST 3-QUARTER MARATHON at Swinford on Saturday. She placed 8th overall in a time of 2 hours and 5 minutes and had more than 7 minutes to spare over runner-up Aoibhin Flatley of Swinford AC. She also won the W40 category.
The race was run in wet conditions and took a route along a relatively fast East Mayo course that passed the iconic Meelick Round Tower, Ballylahan Castle and the River Moy.
The club’s other competitor was Owen Robinson (2.32.31) who placed 43rd overall and was 22nd in the M40 class. There were 193 finishers.
In the WEST WATERFORD AC GREENWAY HALF-MARATHON on Saturday Laurence O’Neill (1.15.20) came an excellent 10th in a field of 539 finishers. The race was won by Pat Hennessy from the host club in 1.09.04. Hennessy formerly trained at Donore Harriers. The race was run along the old Waterford to Dungarvan railway line, which in 2017 was turned into a cycling and walking route.
Ryan Aikins (27.27) came 4th in Sunday’s LUCAN HARRIERS AC 5 MILE ROAD RACE with Gavin Keogh (28.20) two places behind and 2nd in the M40 age group. Club president Charlie O’Neill (44.05) came 168th of the 269 finishers.
Emily Bolton was part of a 43 strong Athletics Ireland juvenile team that travelled to Bedford to compete in the ATHLETICS ENGLAND U15 & U17 CHAMPIONSHIPS on Saturday 27th of August. Emily came 3rd in a very competitive Under 15 Girls 800m heat in a time of 2.16.88. There were 8 in the field and the winner was Natasha Wynn (2.13.19) from the Woodford Green & Essex Ladies club. The young Donore Harriers star ranked 9th overall and narrowly failed to progress to the final.
Kane Collins recently competed in the ROCHESTER MINNESOTA HALF-MARATHON (27.08.2022). He led until the 8-mile stage, but a combination of humidity and a hilly, meandering course meant that he had to settle for runner-up spot in a disappointing time of 1.13.44.
Donore Harriers won both the men’s and women’s team in the recent DUBLIN 10 MILE CHAMPIONSHIPS that was incorporated into the Frank Duffy 10. Individual medals were won by Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan senior men gold; Grace Kennedy-Clarke W35 gold; Niamh Clifford senior women silver; Peter Gaffney M50 silver; Barbara Cleary senior women bronze; Wayne Waldron M35 bronze; Fergal Whitty M45 bronze and Barry Potts M65 bronze. That’s a total of 4 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze. See results lists below.
Four club athletes were first homers in this week’s PARKRUN events. At NAAS Maura Kearns ran 18.33 to finish as 3rd overall and 1st woman finisher. Caroline McCarthy (24.45) returned to competition with an encouraging 10th place and 1st woman at PORTERSTOWN. Mark Dooley (17.30) was another returning to competition and got 1st place at ORANMORE. Juvenile member Dylan McKenna (20.18) was 1st at WATERSTOWN.
More results below.
Results in brief:
IRELAND WEST 3 QUARTER MARATHON at Swinford, Co. Mayo (03.09.2022)
8th & 1st woman, 1st W40 Barbara Cleary (2.05.00)
43rd & 22nd M40 Owen Robinson (2.32.31)
193 finishers
WEST WATERFORD AC GREENWAY HALF-MARATHON (03.09.2022)
10th Laurence O’Neill (1.15.20)
539 finishers
ATHLETICS ENGLAND U15 & U17 CHAMPIONSHIPS at Bedford (27.08.2022)
U15 GIRLS 800M HEAT 3: 3rd Emily Bolton (2.16.88)
LUCAN HARRIERS AC 5 MILE ROAD RACE (04.09.2022)
4th Ryan Aikins (27.27)
6th & 2nd M40 Gavin Keogh (28.20)
168th Charlie O’Neill M60 (44.05)
269 finishers
ROCHESTER MINNESOTA HALF-MARATHON (27.08.2022)
2nd Kane Collins (1.13.44)
DUBLIN 10 MILE ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS incorporated into the FRANK DUFFY 10 (20.08.2022)
SENIOR WOMEN: 2nd Niamh Clifford (1.00.30), 3rd Barbara Cleary (1.01.56)
W35: 1st Grace Kennedy-Clarke (1.04.57)
SENIOR MEN: 1st Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan (51.22)
M35: 3rd Wayne Waldron (57.48)
M45: 3rd Fergal Whitty (1.00.29)
M50: 2nd Peter Gaffney (1.02.25)
M65: 3rd Barry Potts (1.17.04)
WOMEN’S TEAM: 1. Donore Harriers <Niamh Clifford 3, Barbara Cleary 5, Grace Kennedy-Clarke 8, Ariana Ball 20> 36; 2. Raheny Shamrocks AC 66; 3. Crusaders 85
MEN’S TEAM: 1. Donore Harriers <Josh O’Sullivan 2, Wayne Waldron 17, Kenneth Nugent 18, Luke Boland 30> 67; 2. Raheny Shamrocks AC 126; 3. Crusaders AC 142
PARKRUN (03.09.2022)
BUSHY: 82nd Thomas Halton M65 (31.55)
HARTSTOWN: 5th Fergal Whitty M45 (20.19)
NAAS: 3rd and 1st woman Maura Kearns W35 (18.33)
ORANMORE: 1st Mark Dooley MS (17.30)
PORTERSTOWN: 10th & 1st woman Caroline McCarthy W35 (24.45)
SPORTS CAMPUS IRELAND: 10th Paul Nunan M45 (22.15)
WATERSTOWN: 1st Dylan McKenna M15-17 (20.18)