Sanctuary Runners x Morton Games – Irish round-up

To start the week Lindie Naughton brings us all the Irish endurance action and news from the weekend just gone (Monday 15th April).

Aaron Hanlon (Drogheda and District) led home over 2,000 finishers at the Great Ireland Run 10km, held in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Sunday (April 14); his time was 31 min 10 secs.

Second in 31:26 was Kane Collins (Donore Harriers) while third was David Glynn  in 32:03.

Eighth and first woman in 34:44 was Clare Fagan (Mullingar Harriers).  Aisling O’Connor (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) was second woman in 38:17 and Hannah Dalton third in 38:38

First M40 was Ciaran Aylward (Rathfarnham WSAF AC ) in 34:54. Nick Lawlor (Metro St Brigid’s AC) was first M45 in 36:43, with Paul Cowhie (Crusaders AC) one place behind and first M60 in 36:57.

Crusaders AC, led by Andrea Rodina in fifth place, was first of the  men’s  teams (three to count), ahead of Donore Harriers and Raheny Shamrock AC.  Best of the women’s teams was AECOM, a corporate team, followed by Portmarnock AC and Dublin Front Runners, with D15 RC  fourth and third of the club teams.

At Limerick Racecourse, Peter Somba (Dunboyne AC) was the winner of the  Michael Rejmer 10-Mile, in a time of 52 mins 40 secs.

Karl FitzMaurice (Shannon AC) was second in 53:08 and Declan Guina (West Limerick AC) third in 55:34. First woman in 66:02 was Breda Gaffney (Mallow AC, W50), followed by Irene Eighan (St Finbarr’s SC, W40) I 67:13 and Pamela Kirby (Bilboa AC, W40) in 68:50.

Winners of the Bantry Flying 5-mile in Co Cork were Danny Mullins (Bantry AC) in 27:41 and Julie O’Brien (W40) in 33:27

It’s spring marathon season!

Irish distance runners were in action at marathons in Rotterdam, Manchester and Hanover, with ex-Olympic race walker Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC) clocking the fastest time of the weekend in Manchester  where he finished 16th overall and third M40 in 2 hrs 27 mins 51 ses.

Behind him Brian McElvanna (Armagh AC) was second M45 in 2:37.12. Rachel Birt (Annalee AC) was fifth woman in 2:49.35 and Ciara Wilson (DMP AC) seventh woman in 2:51.23.

Best of the Irish in Rotterdam was Germany-based Aidan McSwiney in 2:30.57.

Behind him  in 2:32.20 was Cathal Lombard from Mallow, who served a two-ban from athletics for a doping offence in 2004. Lombard, now aged 48, has made a low-key return to road running in recent months and finished second M45.  Colin Brown was third of the Irish in 2:36.30. In Hanover, Germany, Peter Tuohy (Naas AC) clocked a time of 2:41.22.

Scheduled to run in London next Sunday are Hiko Tonosa Haso (DSD AC), former Irish champions Martin Hoare (Celbridge AC) and Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers) along with Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC). Tobin’s only previous marathon was in the Antarctic, which he finished in 2:53.33. All are chasing the Olympic qualifying mark of 2:08:10

Saturday runs

Kevin Donagher was the winner of the Clongowes Wood  College 5km in Clane, Co Kildare  on Saturday (April 134) with a time of 16:57. Aine O’Farrell (Galway City Harriers) was first woman in 20:14. Winners of the 10km were Andrew O’Brien in 37:28 and Mia Ryan in 50:04.

At the Grocers Fun Run 5km at Leopardstown race course in Dublin, Ciaran Connolly  (DSD AC) was the winner in 17:19 with Lea Fulcher  (Aldi) second in 17:39. First woman in 20:51 was Sue Ryan (Newbridge AC). Winners of the 10km were Myles Gibbons (SBR AC) in 35.00 and Siobhan Eviston (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 38:30.

In his native Mayo, Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC) led him 1,170 finishers at the Westport Half Marathon  winning in an untroubled time of 66:24. A distant second in 71:38 was David Mahon. Sixth overall and first woman in 74:50 was Elizabeth Griffiths.

Brendan Conway in 2:48.52 and  Deirdre Martin in 3:09.49 were the winners of the marathon, which had 274 finishers In the 10km, John Regan led home 1,228 finishers in 34:14 with Ellen Moran third and first woman in 34:59. That’s an impressive total of 2,672 between the three races.

Former national cross-country champion Edward McGinley (now an M40) was a comfortable winner in a time of 53 mins 12 secs at the Larne 10-Mile in Co Antrim on Saturday (April 13). It was a first race for McGinley in nine years. First woman in 60:47 was Clare McGuigan (W40).

Mark McPaul (Letterkenny AC) in 16:07 and Kate Kelly (Athlone IT  AC) in 18:24 were the winners at the second round of the Roscommon Harriers 5km Series on Friday evening (April 12)

A massive 831 turned out for the Cork BHAA PwC Anthony Reidy Memorial 5km in Cork City on Wednesday (April 10), with  Denis Hegarty leading them home in 15 mins 28 secs. Second was Aidan Noone in 15:47, with  James Hayes third in 5:50. First woman was Hannah Steeds in 16:55m, followed by Carol Finn:17:36  and Michelle Kenny 17:38.

Photo: Patricia Ryan/IMRA

Hill running

For Irish mountain running international Zak Hanna (Newcastle and District AC) the long drive from Co Down to Co Limerick on Friday afternoon (April 12) proved worthwhile when he won the Seefin uphill/Irish European Champs 4km trial race in a record time  of 16 mins 28 secs. ‘Great to take the win and course record to open the mountain season with a bang,’ Hanna tweeted afterwards.

Second in 17:24 was Killian Mooney (DSD AC), while third in 17:26 was Aaron McGrady.

Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers, W35) proved the class of the women’s field winning in 19:30. Second was an athlete McCormack coaches in Sophie Daly in 21:20, just five seconds ahead of Kealey Tideswell in 21:25 for third.

On Sunday there was the Seefin Challenge where Celine Gavin won in 1:14:50 and and Kilian Mooney was first male in 1:03:10. This was also a trial for the European Classic mountain race (up and downhill), with IMRA aiming to ideally select full teams in each category.

Enda Cloake (Slaney Olympic AC) was the winner of the Dargle Four Peaks  hill race (15km, 800m climb) in Co Wicklow on Saturday (April 13). Cloake’s winning time of  92 mins 40 secs put him over four minutes clear of the chasers led by Edward O’Connor, who finished second in 96:49.  First woman in 2 hrs 27 mins 48 secs was Kathryn Fitzpatrick.

Trail

Winner of the Endurance Life Giant’s Causeway 20-Mile Trail Run in Portrush, Co Antrim was Stephen Ellis in 2 hrs 39 mins 221. Just over a minute behind for second in 2:40.29 was Alex Leighton, with Mark Lecky third in 2:41.03.

Adela Fialova was first woman in 2:55.27. Second and first W50 was Karen Wilton in 3:00.31, while third was Sophia Barr in 3:13.26. A total of 247 completed the challenge.

Ultra-running

Fastest in the Dublin to Belfast 173km Ultra which started from, St James’s Gate, Dublin, at 12 on Friday (April 12) was Arthur Plangg  in a time of 20 hrs 16 mins 8 secs.

Second in 20:20.5 was Stephen Connon with Vincent McMath (30) third in 20:20.37. First woman was Eilish O’Sullivan in 21:16.11. A total of 37 had  started out in the race, which had a 30 hour limit.

Marathon to stay in Dublin’s city centre

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon, scheduled to take place on Sunday October 27 will again start and finish in the city centre despite calls from some members of Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority to move it outside of the city entirely because of possible disruption to traffic.

Start will be on Leeson Street Lower and  the finish on Mount Street Upper, with the course following a similar route to 2023. Last year’s race started in Fitzwilliam Square and finished in Merrion Square North.

Richard Shakespeare,  who replaced Eoin Keegan as city manager a few months ago, has a lifelong interest in athletics. His late sister Dara Shakespeare, of the Dundrum South Dublin club, was many times Irish javelin champion and the holder of a number of Irish records.

Photo: Sanctuary Runners/Clare Keogh

Morton Games links up with Sanctuary Runners

Sanctuary Runners has become the first ever charity partner of the Morton Games, which takes place on Friday, July 12 at the Morton Stadium, Dublin — home of the Games since the stadium was first built in 1955.

The Games have a storied history with the featured Morton Mile certain to produce a number of sub-four minute miles. This year’s prize fund is worth €40,000.

Sanctuary Runners, founded six years ago, uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and create friendly links with Irish supporters. Its distinctive blue T-shirt is now a familiar sight at road racing events all over the country and many Sanctuary Runners have gone on to join athletics clubs such as Clonliffe Harriers AC, host club of the Morton Games.

‘Throughout history, Irish emigrants have left Ireland’s shores for communities many thousands of miles from home. Today Ireland has extended a warm welcome to thousands of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and, while we all recognise that there are challenges, we at Morton Games want to offer the hand of friendship to those who’ve left family and friends behind for a life in Ireland,’ says Noel Guiden meet director, Morton Games.

In a further initiative, athletes, runners and supporters are asked to give their old or abandoned running shoes new life by donating them to Sanctuary Runners. Just look for the special collection point in the Morton Stadium — or have a word with any member of Clonliffe Harriers.

*Entry is now open for the Morton Games at www.mortongames.ie. Further information on Sanctuary Runners at  https://sanctuaryrunners.ie/