Summer only arrives officially in these parts with the Dublin Graded Leagues – an essential part of the year for runners, jumpers and throwers over the past 60 years.
This year’s series gets underway at Santry next Wednesday (7pm) and, as always, athletes from all over the country are expected. Traditionally each meet includes a sprint, at least one middle distance race, a jump and a throw; something for everyone!
Next Wednesday, athletes can sign on for the 100m, 800m, 3000m, hammer, high jump and long jump. Men have a choice of four grades; women have two grades so everyone can compete at their own level.
At the second event on May 16 in Irishtown, the programme includes the 200m, 1500m, shot, discus and triple jump. Also scheduled is the Dublin 10,000m championships – one of only two 10,000m track races run in Ireland over the summer. Last year, more that half of the Irish top 20 performances for 2011 came in this race.
Over the summer, every event will get covered at least once. For most, the target is a personal best, or at least a sign that a personal best may be on the way.
Most popular events tend to be the 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m, with record numbers turning out for these races over the past few years. Many signing up are converted road runners, while masters and juniors are also well represented.
Next Wednesday’s meet will see a number of athletes seeking London Paralympics qualification with team manager James Nolan is hoping that some at least will book their team places.
Other dates are May 23, June 6 and 20, July 4 and 18 and August 1. The meets alternate between Santry and Irishtown stadiums. Entry is €8 or €5 for juniors per night. Or enter the entire series for a bargain €45 (juniors €30) – less than the fee for a single marathon! Full details www.dublinathletics.com.
* Also starting next Wednesday at Bray Head is the annual Leinster Summer Hill Running League – a series of 13 races with the top seven results to count. Entry is €7 per night, with a pre-season fun relay taking place tonight (Wed) at Killiney. Details www.imra.ie.
Clonliffe’s Mark Kenneally and Linda Byrne of DSD won the Woodie’s DIY National 10km titles in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Kenneally came home ahead of Tallaght’s Tom Fitzpatrick and Barry Minnock of Rathfarnhnham. Starting with the main pack was Andrew Ledwith of Fr Murphy’s who was third fastest Irishman on the day. Winning the international Spar Great Ireland Run were Ethiopia’s Kenenise Bekele and Gemma Steel of Great Britain. The evergreen Catherina McKiernan finished in 35 mins 30 secs.
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| Linda Byrne |
Caitriona Jennings became the fourth woman to make the Olympic A standard for the marathon when she ran 2 hours 36 minutes 17 seconds at Rotterdam. That puts her third on the list of qualifiers – ahead of Maria McCambridge who opted to run a few weeks earlier in Rome to give her more time to recover for London. The final decision will lie with Athletics Ireland’s high performance director Kevin Ankrom.
Also in Rotterdam, Clonliffe’s Sergiu Ciobanu finished 13th of the men in n 2:15. 27 – only 25 seconds off the men’s A standard. No joy either for Tallaght’s Sean Connolly who ran 2:16.42 and Gary Thornton of GCH with 2:17.27.
Marian Andrews Heffernan of Togher, a member of the Irish 4 x 400m squad aiming for London 2012, had a useful work-out at the Leevale Open Sports in Cork when she won both 200m and 400m.
In the 1500m, UCC’s Orla Drumm ran 4:18.48 to beat Ciara Mageean of City of Lisburn. Of the men, David Hynes of Menapians won the 100m in 10.63 beating SLOT’s Marcus Lawler 2nd in 10.75. The same pair finished first and second in the 200m. Sean Tobin of Clonmel was a clear winner of the junior 1500m in 3:51.06.
Two key races this weekend are Saturday’s K Club 10km in Straffan which has quickly established itself as one of the most popular BHAA races on the calendar. Get there early! On Sunday, clubs from all over the country do battle in the Woodie’s DIY National Road Relays in Raheny, Dublin (2.0), with ferocious competition expected. Last year, only 22 seconds separated the top four teams in the men’s race with host club Raheny coming out on top ahead of DSD, Letterkenny and Tallaght. Kilcoole beat Raheny and Clonliffe in an equally tight women’s race. Raheny also won both masters men and women’s races.
Garrett Doherty, a Dublin-based bicycle rickshaw operator, will attempt to break the world retro-running record of 1hour 40 mins 29 secs at Sunday’s Wexford Half Marathon. For those not in the know, Retro Running is the posh name for running backwards and Garret has not only run the Dublin Marathon (and many other races) backwards but has taken silver in both the 200m and 10km at the World Retro Running Championships. If that wasn’t excitement enough, Ruth Field, she of “Run Fat B!tch Run” fame, will run the 10km race on the same day.
Want to run an Olympian Marathon? Part of this year’s Wenlock Olympian Games is a marathon and half marathon along the magnificent Wenlock Edge in Shropshire – a dramatic natural feature visible from space – on Sunday July 8. That’s just two hours from Holyhead if anyone fancies a weekend away from London 2012 hype in a gorgeous part of these islands.
Starting from Craven Arms, the route will take an off-road course back to Much Wenlock – birthplace of the Modern Olympiad. Cost is £25 for the marathon and £15 for the half; closing date Monday April 30. See www.wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk.
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