HIGHLIGHTS: LEINSTER MASTERS XC – Ken Nugent 3rd, Niall Lynch M50 gold, M50 team gold, Barry Potts M70 gold. Jack Raftery selected for Ireland relay team to the DNA Meet in Glasgow on 5th of February.
REPORT: After a two-year hiatus the LEINSTER MASTERS & INTERMEDIATE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (report by Florence Curley) took place in Cow Park hosted by the local club Dunboyne AC. In the national novice XC in 2019 the rough ground on this course was combined with thick mud making for a quagmire. Thankfully this time the underfoot conditions were a bit more kind so there was plenty of good running on the lap. For the masters and intermediate races this was a 2k loop with a few twists and turns. The races were also preceded by a poignant minute’s silence for the late Ashling Murphy who was killed while on a run a few days earlier in Tullamore. First off after the juvenile relays were completed were the master’s women over 4km – 2 laps of the course. Incorporated was the M65+ race.
Donore Harriers had a full W35 team with runners who also featured in last week’s Dublin Masters, plus Mary McDermott and Angela Eustace who flew the flag for the W50’s – but this time ran as part of the W35 team. Unavailable for last week’s Dublin Masters, Sinead O’Reilly made a storming start to 2022, leading the race out hard in the early stages. However, a quality field followed her and caught up eventually, but this gutsy runner has been in flying form in recent months so was well up with the top 10 contenders and looked strong throughout. She stuck close to her opposition and finished very strongly in 13th after opening a gap on the 14th placed Mullingar Harriers runner. O’Reilly (15.24) was 5th in the highly competitive W40 age-group. In the first lap, the trio of Audrey Gahan, Claire Mulligan and Ariana Ball were running close together. Eventually Audrey (16.44) and Claire (16.45) pulled away somewhat and in the end just one second separated them finishing fast up the straight in 35th and 37th places in two solid performances. 14 seconds back in 41st place was Ariana Ball (16.59) who fended off the Drogheda AC runner behind her. Experienced cross country runner Mary McDermott (18.51) finished in 82nd place and Angela Eustace (20.10) 99th in a field of 102 runners. The team finished 8th out of 15. The race was won decisively by Raheny’s Kate Purcell who also led her team to the gold medal.
in the M65 race – 20 runners participated alongside the women. Tony Kynes (16.58) finished 7th in the M65 age-group after narrowly missing out on a Dublin Masters bronze last week. Barry Potts (18.22) finished 11th and won gold in the M70 class adding to his growing medal haul in this age-group.
The M35+ masters were up next, and Donore Harriers fielded both an M35 and M50 team all of whom ran in last week’s Dublin Masters. 148 runners competed over 6km (3 x 2km laps). Ken Nugent (19.46) followed up last week’s Dublin Masters 3rd place with another terrific run here. Last week’s winner Mick Clohisey (18.53) of Raheny Shamrocks took it out again from the start for a clear win, but Ken wisely ran his own race – and eventually he and the Rathfarnham runner Matthew Kane (5th in the Dublin Masters) ran shoulder to shoulder some distance ahead of the rest of the field. In the end Kane got the upper hand with just 6 seconds separated them. Nugent was 3rd M35 and 3rd overall and was also 3rd scorer on the Dublin County that took gold in the Inter-County competition. Ken is definitely on a roll since December! Literally running himself to a standstill in 12th place after a furious finishing straight battle was Rossa Hurley (20.20), who came 6th in the M40 age-group. For a good deal of the race Fergal Whitty and Niall Lynch ran together. Niall (21.20) finished in 28th place and was delighted to win gold in the M50 class as well as a Dublin Inter-County gold. Fergal was just two seconds adrift in 30th in another solid run. Next in 51st place was M50 runner Des Tremble (22.01) who fended off 3 other fast finishing athletes in the straight. Men’s captain Craig Scott (22.04) finished just 3 seconds behind Des in 55th. Peter Nugent (24.32) was the 3rd M50 Donore Harriers scorer in 122nd with teammate Tom Fagan (25.38) next in 137th. Tony Griffin (26.31) completed the M50 team in 143rd. The M50 team followed up their Dublin victory last week with another team gold here – finishing first out of 9 teams – well done lads! Next stop the National Masters! The M35 team finished 5th out of 12 teams with 100 points behind winners Raheny Shamrocks AC.
In the Women’s Intermediate race also over 4km, a field of 56 runners competed. It was good to see Deirdre NicAnna back racing after injury last year and Jean Murphy was making her cross country debut. Louise Murray (15.34) had some excellent races in the Dublin Novice and Intermediate in late 2021. She also ran an indoor 800m last week in Round 1 of the National Indoor League and was back on the grass to run an excellent 14th here – just narrowly pipped in the finish straight. Deirdre (15.59) ran a very consistent race and had a fast finish in 24th. Jean Murphy (16.33) made a very solid first cross-country outing finishing in 31st. Aisling Kirby (17.430 went into the race with a leg strain so she was delighted to finish the race in one piece and was 48th, passing a runner in the finish straight. The team finished 7th out of 10 teams. The clear winner was Dublin City Harrier Edel Monaghan and DCH were the runaway winners of the team gold.
Kudos to coach Willie Smith who hotfooted it from the Phoenix Park after the training session up to Dunboyne to support the athletes and thanks to other club members who came out to support.
here is a YouTube link to the Leinster Masters & Intermediate XC races
The club had just one competitor in the WORLD HALF-MARATHON FESTIVAL at Donadea Forest Park on Saturday (15.01.2022). In the first of 3 half-marathon races organised by POP-UP RACES Owen Robinson came 11th of 114 finishers in 1.35.11. The parkland race held over ‘4 and a bit’ laps through forest trails was won by former Dublin marathon winner Sean Hehir (1.10.51) of Metro St. Brigid AC, ahead of Ernesto A. Blasco (1.20.49) of Trim AC.
Three club members competed in the opening Business Houses AA race of the year. Ian Redican (27.36) came 111th, Frank McNally (29.57) 140th, and Des Gill (32.05) 157th in the BHAA BANK OF IRELAND 6km CROSS-COUNTRY RACE at TYMON PARK on Saturday morning (15.01.2022). 178 runners completed the race.
400m specialist Jack Raftery has been selected to represent Ireland in the DYNAMIC NEW ATLETICS MEET in the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on the 5th of February. He is due to compete in the 600m Hunt Relay. Hunt relay video
Dynamic New Athletics, or DNA, is an innovative team-based competition concept for athletics created by European Athletics to complement the classical athletics format. The aim of the DNA project is to bring the sport into the 21st Century, enhancing it with a new dimension targeting younger audience and participant groups.
Our juvenile members impressed in PARKRUN events (15.01.2022) with Liam Morris (17.50) leading the way with 1st place and a PB at Corkagh Park. Eoin Mooney (20.38) also got a PB at the same venue – and Rosie-May Morris (24.23) was the 2nd female finisher. Elsewhere, juveniles Dylan McKenna (20.02) and Lucas Collender (22.50) were 2nd and 6th finishers at Waterstown. M45 athlete Sean Fox (18.330 was first home at River Valley (Swords). Other results are listed below.
LEINSTER MASTERS & INTERMEDIATE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at COW PARK, DUNBOYNE (16.01.2022)
MASTERS WOMEN 4,000m: 13th Sinead O’Reilly W40 (15.24), 35th Audrey Gahan W40 (16.44), 37th Claire Mulligan W40 (16.45), 41st Ariana Ball W35 (16.59), 82nd Mary McDermott W50 (18.51), 99th Angela Eustace W50 (20.10). 102 finishers
TEAM W35: 1. Raheny Shamrocks AC 15, 2. Sportsworld AC 251, 3. Mullingar Harriers 30, 8. Donore Harriers <O’Reilly, Gahan, Mulligan> 85. 15 teams closed.
TEAM W50: DH did not close a team
MASTERS MEN 6,000m: 3rd Ken Nugent M35 (19.46), 12th Rossa Hurley M40 (20.20), 28th Niall Lynch M50 (21.20), 30th Fergal Whitty M45 (21.22), 51st Des Tremble M50 (22.01), 55th Craig Scott M40 (22.04), 122nd Peter Nugent M50 (24.32), 137th Tom Fagan M50 (25.38), 143rd Tony Griffin M60 (26.31). 148 finishers
TEAM M35: 1. Raheny Shamrocks AC 36, 2. Celbridge AC 68, 3. Sportsworld AC 87, 5. Donore Harriers <Nugent, Hurley, Whitty, Scott> 100. 12 teams closed.
TEAM M50: 1. Donore Harriers <Lynch, Tremble, Nugent> 201, 2. Liffey Valley AC 209, 3. Rathfarnham WSAF 220. 9 teams closed.
INTERMEDIATE WOMEN 4,000m: 14th Louise Murray (15.34), 24th Deirdre NicAnna (15.59), 31st Jean Murphy (16.33), 47th Aisling Kirby (17.43). 56 finishers
TEAM INTER: 1. Dublin City Harriers 17, 2. St. Abban’s AC 46, 3. Liffey Valley AC 92, 7. Donore Harriers <Murray, Brennan, Murphy, Kirby> 116. 10 teams closed.
MASTER MEN M65+ 4,000m: 7th Tony Kynes M65 (16.58), 11th and 1st M70 Barry Potts (18.22). 20 finishers
INTERMEDIATE MEN 6,000m: no entry
WORLD HALF-MARATHON FESTIVAL at DONADEA FOREST PARK (15.01.2022)
RACE 1: 11th Owen Robinson M35 (1.35.11).
114 finishers
BHAA BANK OF IRELAND 6km CROSS-COUNTRY RACE at TYMON PARK (15.01.2022)
111th & 24th M45 Ian Redican (27.36)
140th & 9th M60 Frank McNally (29.57)
157th & 14th M50 Des Gill (32.05)
178 finishers
PARKRUNS 5km (15.01.22)
CASTLETOWN: 79th Joan McTernan W60 (26.51)
CORKAGH: 1st Liam Morris M11-14 (17.50 PB), 6th Eoin Mooney M11-14 (20.38 PB), 33rd & 2nd woman Rosie-May Morris W11-14 (24.23 PB)
GRIFFEEN: 109th Liz McCurtain W55 (28.45)
MALAHIDE: 161st Angela O’Dea W40 (26.56)
MARLAY: 17th Patrick Moriarty M45 (19.33)
RIVER VALLEY: 1st Sean Fox M45 (18.33)
WATERSTOWN: 2nd Dylan McKenna M15-17 (20.02), 6th Lucas Collender M11-14 (22.50)
