John Travers helped Ireland to gain 6^th position from 12 teams in theEuropean Team Athletics Championships (First League / 2^nd Tier)at Heraklion in Crete on Sunday (21/6/15). Competing in an eventful 3,000m Travers relied on his big finishing ‘kick’ to gain from 9^th to 3^rd position in the final 200 metres. The early stage of the race was slow and Travers settled into the main group in about 4^th or 5^thposition. When Heliu Gomes of Portugal took up the lead at the halfway mark he was closely followed by Travers. However, the front group of 9 runners remained closely bunched and a lack of concentration saw the Donore Harriers athlete slip back to 9^th position with only half a lap remaining. There was much for John to do to rally to Ireland’s cause and moving out to lane 3 coming into the home straight he charged towards the line gaining to 3^rd and added a valuable 10 points for the national team score. Halil Akkas of Turkey won in 8.12.00 with Dennis Licht (8.12.28) of Netherlands next, Travers (8.12.76) ran a season’s best for the distance with Heliu Gomes (8.12.88) of Portugal in 4^th place.

In the Michael Manning 10km road race at Dunshaughlin on Saturday (20/6/15) Chris Muldoon (34.04) led home a large contingent of Donore Harriers athletes when he crossed the finish line in 31^st place. A consistent Colm O’Connell (34.29) was next home in 35^th position, whilst Philip Hennessy (34.39) – showing a good return to form – came 38^th and took the runner-up prize in the M45 category. Further down the field two evergreen Donore athletes continue to hold back the years as Terry Mee (45.26) and Jim McNamara (47.02) came 3^rd and 4^th in the M60 class despite both men being in their 70s.

In the Dublin Open Graded Meeting at Santry on Wednesday (17/6/15) Lee Van Haeften took up the front running task in the Men’s 1,500 metres ‘A’ race after a slow opening lap. However, he was overtaken in the final stages of the race and had to settle for 4^thplace in a time of 4.04.14. In the 1,500m ‘B’ race junior athlete Stephen Gavin (4.14.43) lowered his personal best when placing 3^rd. The 5,000m race, which incorporated the Dublin championship, had 3 Donore Harriers athletes in a competitive field. Michael McMahon (15.32.68) came 8^th – with M35 athlete John Dunne (15.41.47) in 12^thand Aogan MacDomhnaill (15.49.99) in 14^th.

It was another busy week for the club’s juvenile section and not least u/17s Hammer thrower Lauren O’Keeffe. Chasing a qualifying mark for the European Youth Olympics Lauren took part in 3 events in the space of 5 days. Her best effort came in the Dublin Open Graded contest when she threw the 3kg Hammer a winning distance of 55.88m, an agonising 12cm short of the qualifying standard!  Another under 17s athlete Clodagh Read came 3^rd in the same contest with a best throw of 49.08m, whilst Orlaith Read (32.88m) came 1^st in the women’s over 40 category.

In the Tailteann Games at Santry on Friday (19/6/15) the under 17 Boys 100m Hurdles contest saw a one-two for Donore athletes as Jack Rudden-Kelly (13.85) edged out Alex Clarkin (14.00) in an enthralling contest. The season head-to-head between the two lads is now 2 to 2 with the National Juvenile competition up next.

There were two silver medals for Donore athletes in the Leinster Juvenile Track & Field championships at Tullamore at the weekend (20&21/6/15). In the under 17 Girls 200m final Aoife Lynch (26.14) smashed her previous personal best time, having qualified with time of 26.69. A competition fatigued Lauren O’Keeffe (49.08) had to settle for 2^nd place in the under 17 Girls Hammer with a best of 49.08m.

The final part of the Dublin Juvenile Track & Field championshipstook place at the Tallaght track on Friday evening (19/6/15) with the Even-Age group relays. Donore Harriers had 7 teams competing and finished with a return of two silver medals. The first came in the under 16 Girls 4 x 100m as Cara Brennan, Rebecca Power, Robyn O’Keeffe, Suzy O’Farrell recorded a time of 53.24. The other silver came in the under 18s Girls 4 x 100m with Ailbhe Healy, Roisin Rynn-Cahill (stepping-up), Lauren O’Flaherty (stepping-up) and Aoife Simm recording a time of 53.46. The club finished with a record total of 58 medals in the Dublin Juvenile championships.

Dublin Open Graded Track & Field Meeting at Santry (17/06/15):

Women’s 200m ‘A’ – 4^th Aoife Lynch JNR (26.52), 5^th Karen Hughes JNR (27.89): Men’s 200m ‘B’- 2^nd Conor Fox JNR (24.26), 4^th Adam Halpin JNR (24.77): Men’s 200m ‘C1’- 6^th Darren Hughes (26.13): Men’s 200m ‘C2’ – 3^rd Killian O’Hora (25.17), 4^th Sean O’Broin M45 (25.30): Men’s 1,500m ‘A’ – 4^th Lee Van Haeften (4.04.14): Men’s 1,500m ‘B1’ – Sam Allen (4.17.0): Men’s 1,500m ‘B2’ – 3^rdStephen Gavin JNR (4.14.43 PB): Men’s 5,000m ‘A’ inc. Dublin Championship – 8^th Michael McMahon (15.32.68), 12^th John Dunne M35 (15.41.47), 14^th Aogan MacDomhnaill (15.49.99): Men’s 5,000m ‘B’ – 3^rd Luke Boland (16.40.4), 6^th George Brady M35 (17.27.89): Women’s Hammer – 1^st Lauren O’Keeffe JNR (55.88m 3kg), 3^rd Clodagh Read JNR (49.08m 3kg), 8^th / 1^st F40 category Orlaith Read (32.88m 4kg).

IMRA Leinster League at Djouce Woods 9.80km with climb of 580 metres (17/06/15): 140^th Sarah Ni Ruairc (1.47.21)  

Docklands 5km (18/06/15): 34^th / 5^th M40 Shane McAuley (17.41 PB). 92^nd / 1^st F40 Florence Curley (19.14), 101^st Alma Hanevy (19.22), 332^nd Colin Moore M45 (22.13)

Shannon Runway 5km Run (19/06/15): 2^nd woman Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (18.15), ?? Ide Nic Dhomhnaill (18.45)

Waterstown 5km Parkrun (20/06/15): 3^rd Gavin Byrne (17.31), 10^thMichael Barry Snr (21.33)

Poppintree 5km Parkrun (20/06.15): 1^st Graham Hopkins M35 (17.10)

Michael Manning 10km at Dunshaughlin (20/06/15): 31^st / 5^th in M40 Chris Muldoon (34.04), 35^th Colm O’Connell (34.29), 38^th / 2^ndin M45 Phil Hennessy (34.39), 64^th Will Morris (35.55), 73^rd Paul Cummins (36.19), 85^th George Brady (36.39), 132^nd Bernard Byrne (38.16), 135^th / 31^st in M40 Fred Kiernan  (38.22), 152^nd Colin Morrissey (38.47), 178^th Niall O’Reilly (39.35), 201^st Rossa Hurley (39.54). 236^th / 6^th in M55 Tony Griffin (41.14), 259^th Emer Rattigan (42.03), 287^th Rhona Duane (42.50), 309^th Grainne Nolan (43.41), 368^th / 3^rd in M60 Terry Mee (45.26), 423^rd / 4^th in M60 Jim McNamara (47.02), 431^st Bernie Maloney (47.13), 466^th / 34^th in M45 (47.46), 501^st / 26^th in F40 Mary Murphy (48.21), 634^th Eilish Joyce (52.42)

Castleknock 5km (21/06/15): 99^th Colin Moore M45 (22.42), 301^stHilary O’Connor F35 (27.50), 414^th Declan Raftery M40 (30.41)