By John Walshe
Leevale athlete Mark Hanrahan ran the fastest time in 20 years to win Thursday night’s 39th annual Ballycotton ‘5’, easily beating a top-class field which included a number of visiting British athletes.
Putting the final touches to his preparations for the Berlin Marathon in a month’s time, Hanrahan finished well clear of the opposition, his 24:10 the quickest for the course since Andy Wedlake (a team-mate of Mark Carroll’s at Providence) ran a second faster back in 1995.
Colm Sheahan, also Leevale, was almost a minute behind in second, his 25:08 giving him 12 seconds to spare over the first of the visitors, Andy Norman, with overall Summer Series winner Michael Harty (East Cork) fourth in 25:28. Simon Deakin took fifth in 25:54 with Dave Norman, brother of Andy, rounding of the top half-dozen in 26:13.
The Norman brothers are sons of Jeff Norman of the Altrincham & District club who ran the 1976 Olympic Marathon for Britain and who is also a legend in fell runner circles, having won the famous Three Peaks race six years in succession back in the 1970s. The group were over here for three days celebrating the 40th birthday of another of their members, Mick Hill from Tipton Harriers.
Sinead O’Connor of Leevale repeated her victory of last year to win the women’s race in 29:47, just eight second ahead of overall Series winner Rosaleen MacKeown, aslo of Leevale. Niamh Devlin of DSD, currently based in Cork, was third in 30:14.
MacKeown is sister of Ballycotton course record holder Lizzie Lee and she improved her time in each of the four races which take place in the Ballycotton area from May to August.
Results
Men; 1 M Hanrahan (Leevale) 24:10; 2 C Sheahan (Leevale) 25:08; 3 A Norman (Altrincham & Dist) 25:20; 4 M Harty (East Cork) 25:28; 5 S Deakin (Leeds City) 25:54; 6 D Norman (Altrincham & Dist) 26:13; 7 S McGrath (East Cork) 26:21; 8 D Molloy (Leevale) 26:45; 9 M Cronin (St Finbarrs) 26:50; 10 O Casey (Leevale) 26:59.
M40: 1 J O’Sullivan (Galtee) 28:03; 2 B Crowley (Watergrasshill) 28:24; 3 N Stirk (Tipton) 28:54.
M45: 1 J Murphy (Grange-Fermoy) 28:35; 2 V Foley (Eagle) 28:49; 3 J O’Callaghan (Eagle) 29:08.
M50: 1 C O’Connell (St Finbarrs) 27:49; 2 L Cotter (St Finbarrs) 29:36; 3 T Fox (unatt) 30:38.
M55: 1 J Collins (Leevale) 30:20; 2 J Kelleher (unatt) 31:31; 3 N Aherne (Midleton) 32:06.
M60: 1 D O’Brien (St Nicholas) 36:08; 2 A O’Farrell (Carrigaline RR) 36:17; 3 P O’Sullivan (unatt) 36:19.
M65: 1 R Piotrowski (Eagle) 32:56; 2 J Murray (Rising Sun) 38:35; 3 D O’Connell (Midleton) 39:18.
M70: 1 J O’Leary (Leevale) 40:41; 2 J Cotter (unatt) 41:53; 3 J Curtin (East Cork) 49:33.
MJ: 1 M Keating (unatt) 31:04; 2 F O’Connell (St Finbarrs) 33:52; 3 D Mehigan (Mallow) 34:38.
Team: 1 Leevale ‘A’ 11; 2 Leevale ‘B’ 35; 3 St Finbarrs 41.
Women: 1 S O’Connor (Leevale) 29:47; 2 R MacKeown (Leevale, F40) 29:55; 3 N Devlin (DSD) 30:14; 4 N Roe (Leevale) 30:52; 5 F Santry (East Cork) 32:01; 6 A Carroll (Mallow) 32:40.
F35: 1 E Guinane (Eagle) 34:33; 2 S Holland (unatt) 36:00; 3 S Nally (unatt) 37:21.
F40: 2 H Leonard (Leevale) 33:09; 3 B Cahill (unatt) 37:02
F45: 1 O O’Rourke (Ballymore-Cobh) 33:36; 2 D O’Callaghan (Eagle) 36:17; 3 C Clancy (St Catherines) 36:34.
F50: 1 S Isley (unatt) 35:12; 2 M Gillman (Midleton) 37:10; 3 D Quinlan (unatt) 40:32.
F55: 1 M McNamara (Midleton) 42:05; 2 E Hennessy (unatt) 46:47.
F65: 1 M Barry (Midleton) 47:19.
FJ: 1 K McGrath (unatt) 44:37.
Team: 1 Leevale 7; 2 Midleton 40; 3 Eagle 48.
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