HIGHLIGHTS: Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan 3rd overall & Des Tremble 2nd M50 in the CHARLEVILLE INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON. Niamh Clifford ran a PB 2.45.54 and Anne Curley (3.07.14) 8th in the W50s in the BERLIN MARATHON.
Daragh Keegan M35 silver, Maura Kearns W40 gold, and W35 team of Kearns, Audrey Gahan, Pamela White and Ruth Chambers silver in the RATHFARNHAM/DUBLIN CHAMPIONSHIP 5KM ROAD RACE. Rory Burke and Deirdre NicCanna both 3rd in the WICKLOW ECO-TRAIL 46KM. Sorcha Loughnane’s time of 3.20.33 confirmed as W45 World record by the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ULTRA-RUNNERS.

REPORT: <report/results by Gerry Naughton & Florence Curley> Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan continues in a rich vein of form with a very fine 3rd place overall in the CHARLEVILLE INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON on Sunday.
The Irish Orienteering international, coached by Willie Smith, knocked four and a-half minutes of his personal best time to relegate Olympic marathon runner Mick Clohissy (1.07.57) to 4th place. The race, which took place on the roads between Charleville and Kilmallock, attracted a field of 750 starters and was won by Jonathan Escalante-Phillips (1.06.21) – a GB international athlete who finished 3rd in the European Cup 10,000m last year. Another Irish international Sergio Ciobanu (1.06.24) of Clonliffe Harriers came 2nd.
Josh described his race on Strava: “A lead group formed relatively early of Jonathan, Sergiu, Mick C and me all going off the front. The pace was brisk enough and I think things were about 15:35 through the first 5km, with that downhill first mile. After 4-miles Sergiu moved on a bit with Jonathan and I got cut adrift a bit with Mick a few yards further behind’
‘Heading into Kilmallock the gap had opened another small bit and Mick had closed in on me so I pushed on as best I could through the village and onto the back roads to try and get some breathing space. It worked and I had a lonely solo last 10km home and was able to see the 2 lads ahead and afraid to look back’
‘I struggled a bit in the last mile up the hill and I was fairly on the limit … nice to get another podium place, get a few scalps and be first Cork man home. A 4min 30sec PB over the half-marathon distance”
Des Tremble came 33rd overall and took the runner-up spot in the M50 class in an excellent time of 1.17.36. The category was won by Robert Whyte in 1.17.08, with John Murphy of (1.19.20) of Grange Fermoy AC in 3rd place.
The other Donore Harriers to compete were Alasdair Brown (1.18.04) who came 35th and Liam Keane (1.19.32 PB) who was 48th and 13th in the M40 category.

As 37 years old Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge ran an incredible world record of 2.01.09 in the 48th edition of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON on Sunday a group of Donore Harriers athletes were putting their own special marks on the race.
Kerry native Niamh Clifford (2.45.54) ran a superbly judged race to finish as 52nd woman overall and 25th in the senior category. She passed the halfway point in 1.24.21 and held 83rd position – and thereafter she picked up places with a fine 1.21.33 second half of the race.
M45 athlete Didier DaCosta (2.45.47) ran an excellent race to finish 775th overall and 82nd in his age-group.
Anne Curley chalked up her 29th marathon in fine style by recording a time of 3.07.14 to place as the 271st woman and 8th in the W50 category. Anne said afterwards: “This was my 5th time doing Berlin. It was the best marathon experience ever in this cool city. I am very happy with that, it went smooth enough, had a pit stop and two stops to take on some water, same niggles as always with my leg, ankle, and a new back pain but it came together in the second half – a case of hammer down and mind over body. Those last few miles never get easier”. Curley ran 1.35.19 for the opening half, and a superb 1.31.55 for the back half.
The club had two other finishers in David McGrath (3.16.39) in 4,149th place and 820th M50 and Joan McTernan (4.09.48) who was 4,425th woman and 74th in the W60 age group.
Robert Murphy was on course to break his 2.22.08 time set at Seville in February 2022 but was forced to retire from the race just past the 30km point that he reached in 1.40.14.

The RATHFARNHAM 5KM ROAD RACE is one of the fastest and most competitive road races in Ireland. This year’s event incorporated the first running of the DUBLIN 5KM ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Second-season athlete Daragh Keegan ran a great race to lead the Donore Harriers representation home with a new personal best time of 15.31. After a conservative start, Keegan gained several places to finish in 23rd spot. He finished 4th overall in the M35 category and came 2nd in his age group in the Dublin championship to win his first individual medal.
Next came Ryan Aikins (15.45) in 45th place overall and 6th in the Dublin senior category. Luke Boland (16.03) placed 54th overall and was 6th in the M35 Dublin contest as Gavin Keogh (16.22,0) came 71st overall and 5th M40 in the Dublin championships
Keegan, Aikins, Boland and Keogh made up the scoring 4 in the Open team (7th) and Dublin senior team (4th) contests.
Simon O’Toole ran a PB of 16.46 to place 93rd overall and 9th individual in the Dublin senior ranks.
The second medal of the day went to Maura Kearns (17.32) who ran a personal best time to place 131st, being the 16th woman to cross the finish line and 1st in the Dublin W40 category.
Audrey Gahan (19.15) ran a personal best to place 260th overall, 49th woman and 4th in the Dublin W45 class. Pam White (19.39) ran yet another PB as she came 282nd overall and 5th in the Dublin W35 category, with Ruth Chambers (21.56) 417th and 10th in the W35 Dublin’s. The scoring 4 of Kearns, Gahan, White and Chambers came 7th in both the Women’s Open and Dublin Senior championships. The same 4, however, won the silver medal in the Dublin W35 team championship behind winners Brothers Pearse AC with Lucan Harriers in 3rd place.
Also among the 892 finishers were Des Gill (20.15) 318th and 9th M55, John Curran (21.06) 361st and 11th M50, Frank McNally (22.16) 421st and 4th M60, and Ciaran McCarthy (28.38) 755th and 27th M45. Gill was the 4th scorer on the M35 team that came 4th in the Dublin championship.
More detailed results are listed below.

In Saturday’s ECO-TRIAL RACES in Co. Wicklow, it was a case of mixed fortunes for the competing Donore Harriers athletes. The 46km race started and finished at Bray harbour and followed a route up Bray Head, then across mixed terrain at the Little and Great Sugarloaf Mountains, before passing through the scenic Kilruddery Estate, then past the Powerscourt Waterfall and Belmont Estate before returning to Bray Head.
Rory Burke (3.55.01) came 3rd overall of the 203 finishers. The race was won by Enda Cloake in 3.45.07. Deirdre NicCanna (5.23.02) placed 55th overall and was the 3rd woman finisher.
In the 19km race that went past the Kilruddery Estate, the Little Sugarloaf and Belmont Estate Katherine Marsh (2.19.49) was 121st overall out of 293 finishers and came 40th in the women’s category.
Aideen Burke went in the 80km race that took in parts of the Wicklow Way but was forced to retire at 56km with a recurring injury.

Back in February (Report No. 7) we reported that Sorcha Loughnane was awaiting confirmation as to whether her 3.20.33 time in winning the DONADEA/NATIONAL 50KM race would constitute as a World record. The International Association of Ultrarunners has now confirmed that her time of 3.20.34 does indeed constitute a World record time. Many congratulations to Sorcha. We all wish her the best as she prepares to represent Ireland in the European 50km road championships in Spain in early October.

In PARKRUNS Aisling Kirby was first woman home at FAIRVIEW and junior athlete Sean Kinsella was 2nd at WATERSTOWN. More results below.
Results in brief:
WICKLOW ECO-TRAIL RACES (24.09.2022)
19KM TRAIL RACE: 121st & 40th woman Katherine Marsh (2.19.49) – 293 finishers
46KM TRAIL RACE: 3rd Rory Burke (3.55.01), 55th & 3rd woman Deirdre NicCanna (5.23.02) – 203 finishers
80KM TRAIL RACE: DNF Aideen Burke (dropped out at 56km)
CHARLEVILLE INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON (25.09.2022)
3rd Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan MS (1.07.04 PB)
33rd & 2nd M50 Des Tremble (1.17.36)
35th Alasdair Brown MS (1.18.04)
48th & 13th M40 Liam Keane (1.19.32)
743 finishers
RATHFARNHAM 5KM ROAD RACE (25.09.2022)
23rd & 4th M35 (2nd DC) Daragh Keegan (15.31 PB) SILVER
45th & 23rd MS (6th DC) Ryan Aikins (15.45)
54th & 12th M35 (6th DC) Luke Boland (16.03)
71st & 11th M40 (5th DC) Gavin Keogh (16.22)
93rd & 35th MS (9th DC) Simon O’Toole (16.46 PB)
131st, 16th woman & 2nd W40 (1st DC) Maura Kearns (17.32 PB) GOLD
260th, 49th woman & 5th W45 (4th DC) Audrey Gahan (19.15 PB)
282nd, 57th woman & 8th W35 (5th DC) Pamela White (19.39 PB)
318th & 13th M55 (9th DC) Des Gill (20.15)
361st & 19th M50 (11th DC) John Curran (21.06)
417th, 103rd woman & 16th W35 (10th DC) Ruth Chambers (21.56)
421st & 11th M60 (4th DC) Frank McNally (22.16)
755th & 73rd M45 (27th DC) Ciaran McCarthy (28.38)
892 finishers
MEN’S OPEN TEAM COMPETITION: 1. Kilkenny City Harriers 1.00.36, 7. Donore Harriers <Keegan, Aikins, Boland, Keogh> 1.04.00. 20 teams closed.
DUBLIN SENIOR MEN’S TEAM: 1. Rathfarnham WSAF AC 1.00.38, 4. Donore Harriers <Keegan, Aikins, Boland, Keogh> 1.04.00. 11 teams closed.
DUBLIN M35 TEAM: 1. Crusaders AC 1.04.41, 4. Donore Harriers <Keegan, Boland, Keogh, Gill> 1.08.28. 10 teams closed.
WOMEN’S OPEN TEAM COMPETITION: 1. Raheny Shamrocks AC 1.10.04, 7. Donore Harriers <Kearns, Gahan, White, Chambers> 1.19.04. 13 teams closed.
DUBLIN SENIOR WOMEN’S TEAM: 1. Raheny Shamrocks AC 1.10.04, 7. Donore Harriers <Kearns, Gahan, White, Chambers> 1.19.04. 11 teams closed.
DUBLIN W35 TEAM: 1. Brothers Pearse AC 1.17.30, 2. Donore Harriers <Kearns, Gahan, White, Chambers> 1.19.04, 3. Lucan Harriers 1.21.51. 8 teams closed.
48th BMW BERLIN MARATHON (25.09.2022)
775th & 82nd M45 Didier DaCosta (2.45.47)
52nd woman & 25th WS Niamh Clifford (2.45.54 PB)
271st woman & 8th W50 Anne Curley (3.07.14)
4,149th & 820th M50 David McGrath (3.16.39)
4,425th woman & 74th W60 Joan McTernan (4.09.48)
DNF Robert Murphy M40 (retired at 30km)
PARKRUN (24.09.2022)
BRICKFIELDS: 43rd Ann Woodlock W80 (34.30), 60th Ciaran McCarthy M45 (53.58)
BUSHY: 86th Thomas Halton M65 (31.24)
CORKAGH: 40th Nicola Dowdall W45 (25.19), 108th Terry Mee M75 (31.22
FAIRVIEW: 7th & 1st woman Aisling Kirby WS (22.20)
GRIFFEEN: 32nd Aidan Kelly MS (22.13 PB), 71st Charlie O’Neill M65 (25.49)
NAAS: 4th Fred Kiernan M45 (18.55)
PORTERSTOWN: 8th Tom Fagan M55 (21.40)
WATERSTOWN: 2nd Sean Kinsella MJ (19.29)