HIGHLIGHTS Jack Raftery and Abdel Laadjel success on indoor track; great results at the Schools cross country races, Axa Raheny 5 mile
Indoor Track – National Indoors IUAA
There was another victory, PB and club record for Jack Raftery in the 400m at the Universities indoor championships in Abbottstown. He stormed to victory in 46.98 which is also the B standard for the European indoor championships and 11th on the all time Irish list. This is also a club record!
In the women’s 60m event, women’s track and field captain Eva McPartlan ran 8.06 to qualify for the final and finished 7th in the final in 8.11.
John Terrier classic Boston
(Thanks Gerry Naughton for this report)
Abdel Laadjel ran a brilliant personal best in the John Terrier Indoor Classic at Boston University on Friday evening (27.01.2023). Running in the 2nd Heat of the 5,000m Laadjel was always to the fore and was paced through the opening 3 kilometres by Oisin O’Gailin – a Finn Valley AC athlete who had earlier run 3.59.07 in the One-Mile race. The leaders were churning out laps in 33 seconds and formed a front group of 4.
When O’Gailin completed his pace-making duty, the 19 years-old Providence College student then took up the running with Eldad Mulugeta and Abraham Longosiwa in close pursuit. Both Mulugeta and Longosisa passed Laadjel with about 500 metres remaining, but the Donore Harriers athlete continued to run strongly and closed with a 30.54 last lap to cross the line in 13.50.03. This was the first time for Laadjel to break the 14-minutes barriers, having previous 5,000m best of 14.02.94 (outdoors) and 14.12.73 (indoors) – both set last year.
Abdel said afterwards: “That was a big step forward. I ran a 30-seconds last lap, but they had more wheels than me”. For sure, Laadjel was racing in good company! Mulugeta is viewed as one of the most improved and exciting American talents, whilst Longosiwa was 2nd in the Kenyan 10,000m championships and 3rd in the African championships over the same distance last year. He has a 10,000m best of 28.35.01.
Abdel’s time was just over a second shy of the National Under 23 indoor record set by Limerick’s Frank Hanley (13.48.70) at Indianapolis in March 1992.
Elsewhere on the track, We had one competitor in the AAI Games at TUS Athlone arena – men’s track captain David Campbell who ran 24.02 in heat 2 of the 200m. At The Manchester sportcity arena World Indoor tour, John Travers raced the 3000m but suffering the effects of illness had to settle for 8.34.28.
Schools cross country
There was a terrific juvenile turnout over 3 days of running in the Phoenix Park where the East Leinster, West Leinster and North Leinster schools cross country races took place at the papal cross area. Our young members were representing their schools with pride over a number of age grades from minor up to seniors. There were a number of individual wins and podium positions, top 10 placings and many helped their schools to team medals. We had nearly 30 runners across the three days and 17 top 10 finishes and our newer members did very well too , many now go forward to the Leinsters in a few weeks time – well done all.
Road = Axa Raheny 5
The ever popular Axa Raheny 5 mile had nearly 3900 finishers on Sunday 29th and a big Donore Harriers contingent. Parts of the course were windy but it is always a PB friendly course and many were achieved on the day. First home for the club in an excellent 16th was Kane Collins who is back in fine form. The men’s master team of Gavin, Danny and DavId (a dead heat!) won 2nd , men’s senior team (Kane, Ken and Alasdair (20 second PB)) were 7th and women’s team 12th with PBs for Pam, Suzie and Louise.
Finishers (chip times) 3871 finishers in all
16th Kane Collins 25.10
46th Ken Nugent 26.22
47th Eoin Durkan 26.28
98 Alasdair Brown 27.32 PB
117 Gavin Keogh 27.55
119 Danny O’Sullivan 27.59
121 David McConn 27.59
190th Alan Keogh 29.05
211 Liam Keane 29.21
282 Simon O’Toole 29.32
381 Peter Gaffney 31.11
552 JP O’Hanlon 32.46 PB
562 Craig Scott 32.54
581 David McGrath 32.42 PB
641 Ray Armstrong 33.01
687 Pam White 34.13 PB
696 Dean Fullston 34.19 PB
865 Louise Kelly 34.55 PB
948 Suzie HenLey willis 35.35 PB
1451 Suzanne Kenny 38.37
1642 Mark Devine 39.46
2466 Ian Redican44.48
3188 Ciaran McCarthy 49.03
3624 Maria Elena De Blas Menendez 55.41
Parkruns
Brickfields
70th Ann Woodlock 31.57
97th Ciaran McCarthy 59.07
Griffeen
68th Charlie O’Neill 26.31
Naas
18th (1st female) Mary McDermott 22.52
New Ross
54 Liz McCurtain 28.53
55 Eugene McCurtain 28.53
Waterstown
1 Sean Kinsella 18.44
2 Dylan McKenna 18.59
5 John Curran 21.14