Dublin Marathon and Round-Up Oct 26-Nov 3 (ongoing)

* Pics at www.lindie.zenfolio.com

Paul Pollock

 Paul Pollock ran a fantastic time of 2:16.30 to finish ninth overall and first Irish at the Dublin Marathon. With the overseas enetry keeping to a modest pace in the early stages of the race, Pollock, along with Sean Hehir and Sergiu Ciobanu were not getting dropped. At eight miles Pollock found himself  leading the race but was soon reeled in. He held on however to produce the best Irish run in Dublin for many years.
 Great runs also from  Rathfarnham pair, Sean Hehir and Barry Minnock for second and third, who helped their club to team victory. 
In the women’s race, Maria McCambridge was a woman on a mission and at no point looked troubled, sticking to her own pace, even when the leaders broke away after a slow start.  Her time of 2:35.28 was a PB by one second. 
Finishing behind her was husband Gary who must have set some kind of record when he finished in 3 hours 5 minutes – pushing  his 17-month-old son all the way in his buggy. Sitting still for three hours can’t have been easy for young Dylan but there was a break to  buy a banana and have a little rounaround!  

Maria McCambridge, Rob Cross

First wheelchair was Luke Jones from Wales in 2:03.30; a mention also for  Mary Nolan Hickey from Arklow – the only women  who have run all Dublin Marathons to date – who finished third W60 in 3:53.13. 
* Alistair  Cragg  was best of the Irish/Marathon Mission team at the Great South Run 10-Mile finishing in  48 mins 25 secs. Sean Connolly  and Paddy Hamilton both in  49.35  broke  50 minutes, while Joe McAllister in 50.15 was just outside that mark.
*  Raheny’s David Rooney, in the colours of McNeese State University,  won the Southland Conference cross-country championship in Texas last Friday.
Rooney ran a course record of 23 mins 33.5 secs for the 8km race  and led McNeese to team victory for the first time since 2000. Next up for Rooney and his squad is the regional NCAA championships in Arkansas next month. In other college results,  Breandan O’Neill for Florida State was second in the Big 12  in Austin, Texas and Shane Quinn for Providence, second in the Big East, while Jake Byrne for Iona was fourth in the MAAC  in Florida.

 

Monday October 29 
Dublin Marathon (12,174 finishers; incorp National Championships and Dublin Championships). www.dublinmarathon.ie; www.tdl.ltd.uk.

WC winner Luke Jones

Women: 1 Magdalene Mukunzi (Ken) 2:30.47;2 Faith Chemaoi (Ken) 2:31.10; 3 Natalia Punchkova 2:31.43; 4 Ashete Bekera DiDi 2:33.29; 5 Marina Kovaleva 2:34.54; 6 Helalia Johannes (Nam) 2:35.01; 7 Maria McCambridge (Letterkenny, W35) 2:35.28; 8 Yuliya Ruban 2:36.25; 9 Barbara Sanchez (Raheny Shamrock) 2:42.11; 10 Pauline Curley (Tullamore Hrs, W40) 2:45.51; 11 Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock), W40) 2:49.45; 12 Ailish Malone (Clonliffe) 2:50.12.

W35: 2 Julie Balmer (N Down) 2:59.20; 3 Esther Murphy (St Finbarr’s) 3:04.59. W40: 3 Anne Curley (Donore) 2:54.11.  W45: 1 Tracey Guilfoyle (Clare Crusaders) 3:01.30; 2 Joan Ennis (Grange Fermoy) 3:13.50; 3 Geraldine Devlin (NI) 3:15.21. W50: 1 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s) 3:06.36; 2 Riita Kansanniva (Civil Service Hrs) 3:11.56; 3 Angela Haag 3:39.12. W55: 1 Mary Clarke (Newry Runners) 3:14.22; 2 Ann Ryan 3:16.24; 3 Susan Waterstone (Naas) 3:16.20. W60: 1 Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Hrs)3:44.14; 2 Phyllis Brown (Star of the Sea) 3:49.53; 3 Mary Nolan-Hickey (Arklow) 3:53.13.

Sunday October 28 

Irish:9 Alistair Cragg (Clonliffe)48.25;  15 Sean Connolly (Tallaght/Stockport Hrs) 49.35; 16 Paddy Hamilton (Annadale) 49.35; 19 Joe McAllister (St Malachy’s) 50.15; 29 Simon Ryan (Raheny Shamrock) 52.24.