HIGHLIGHTS: Juvenile member Laura Nunan 2nd scorer on Irish team in the HOME COUNTRIES JUNIOR MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS in Cumbria. Wayne Waldron and Barry Potts were among the medallists at the NATIONAL HALF-MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS at Ratoath.
REPORT: <report/results by Gerry Naughton & Florence Curley> Juvenile member Laura Nunan represented Ireland in the recent BRITISH & IRISH JUNIOR MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Rothay Park, Ambleside, Cumbria (03.09.2022). She came 28th in the Under 17 girls race over a 5,700m course with almost 300 metres ascent. The challenging route included a very steep uphill stretch at the start before moving onto the trails which were a combination of rocky, grassy, boggy, mucky, undulating stretches before looping back to the final descent along the tarmac. Laura was the 2nd scorer on the Irish team that came 5th of 5 in the Home Countries championship. England were convincing winners.
The NATIONAL HALF-MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS was incorporated into the RATOATH HALF-MARATHON on Saturday with a small Donore Harriers representation coming away with a silver and bronze medal.
An improving Wayne Waldron, still a first-season athlete, finished 20th overall in a personal best time of 1.14.23 and in the process claimed the bronze medal in the national M35 category.
The silver medal was won by Barry Potts in the M70 age group, but he was only a few strides short of gold. The winner was Patrick Sweeney (1.39.01) of Mayo AC, who finished just two-seconds ahead of the Donore Harriers athlete. Potts later admitted that he hadn’t realised that Sweeney was so close, otherwise he would have made it a sprint for the line. Sweeney placed 367th overall in the race, with Potts in 369th spot.
Ken Nugent (1.16.14) came 33rd overall and was 6th in the M35 category. The next clubman home was Danny O’Sullivan (1.20.08) in 79th and 20th M40. He was followed by Oliver O’Hara (1.36.54) in 337th and 49th M45, then Des Gill (1.38.50) 365th and 19th M55.
Suzie Henley-Willis (1.43.00) ran a stormer to knock 5 minutes of her previous best time as she placed 447th of 834 finishers and was 23rd in the W40 category.
The men’s team of Wayne Waldron, Ken Nugent and Danny O’Sullivan placed 4th in both the senior/open and the M35 categories with a combined time of 3.50.51. They were just 45-seconds behind 3rd placed team Galway City Harriers in the M35 class.
The race started and finished at the Fairyhouse horse-racing venue and took in mostly flat minor country roads with the finishing 2-mile section around the racecourse. Bright sunshine and no wind meant that conditions were suited to fast times. The overall race was won by Yared Derese of Carrick Aces in 1.05.29.
Abdel Laadjel made a disappointing start to his cross-country season Stateside with a DNF in the FRIARS INVITATIONAL 8KM MEN’S RACE at Highland Park in Attleboro, Massachusetts on Friday. It was a combination of an exuberant start and a head-cold that saw Laadjel withdraw around the 2km mark.
The Providence College men’s team, that included Michael Morgan from Sligo AC, came 2nd behind Stonybrook. “I thought our guys were a little bit too aggressive at the start of the race and it hurt us at the end – lesson learned from that,” Coach Ray Treacy said. “We have some work to do over the next three weeks.” Abdel and his team will be back in action in the LEHIGH PAUL SHORT INVITE at Bethlehem, PA on the 30th of September.
In PARKRUNs juvenile member Dylan McKenna chalked up his 10th first finisher position at WATERSTOWN and master athlete Maura Kearns was the overall winner at NAAS. Another juvenile Eoin Mooney was 4th at CORKAGH.
More results below.
Results in brief:
BRITISH & IRISH JUNIOR MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Rothay Park, Ambleside, Cumbria (03.09.2022)
U17 GIRLS 5,700m: 28th Laura Nunan (30.16)
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE FRIARS INVITATIONAL 8KM MEN’S RACE at Highland Park, Attleboro, Massachusetts (09.09.2022)
DNF Abdel Laadjel
RATOATH HALF-MARATHON, incorporating NATIONAL HALF-MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS (10.09.2022)
20th & 3rd M35 Wayne Waldron (1.14.23 PB) BRONZE
33rd & 6th M35 Ken Nugent (1.16.14)
79th & 20th M40 Danny O’Sullivan (1.20.08)
337th & 49th M45 Oliver O’Hara (1.36.54)
365th & 19th M55 Des Gill (1.38.50)
369th & 2nd M70 Barry Potts (1.39.03) SILVER
447th & 23rd W40 Suzie Henley-Willis (1.43.00 PB)
834 finishers
MEN’S TEAM: 1. Crusaders AC (3.46.16), 4. Donore Harriers <Waldron, Nugent, O’Sullivan> (3.50.51)
M35 TEAM: 1. North Sligo AC (3.49.10), 4. Donore Harriers <Waldron, Nugent, O’Sullivan> (3.50.51)
PARKRUN (10.09.2022)
CASTLETOWN: 49th Joan McTernan W60 (27.54), 71st Anna McMahon W35 (31.23)
CORKAGH: 4th Eoin Mooney M11-14 (19.40 PB)
NAAS: 1st and 1st woman Maura Kearns W40 (18.53)
NEW ROSS: 27th Eugene Mac Curtain M55 (24.56), 40th Liz Mac Curtain W55 (28.09)
WATERSTOWN: 1st Dylan McKenna M15-17 (19.23)