Truly you couldn’t have made it up. Wearing No 1 at the Terenure 5-Mile in Dublin was Catherina McKiernan, one of the universally respected figures in Irish sport.
Wearing 318 was the controversial figure of Martin Fagan, who has recently served out a two-year drugs ban, and is the focus of much discussion in sports circles at the moment.
Catherina may be 45 on her next birthday but she still showed much of her old class when she finished first woman in 27 mins 40 secs, 22 seconds ahead of Fiona Roche from Raheny. A distant third was Michelle McGee, winner of novice and inter cross-country titles over the winter and now transferred to the DSD club from Bros Pearse.
The drama of the day came in the men’s race. At three miles, Fagan and Joe Sweeney of DSD were pushing the pace with Freddy Keron Sittuk, currently living in Malahide, right on their heels. Not far off was former Irish cross-country champion Gary Murray of St Malachy’s who has been making something of a comeback recently.
Sweeney, who is only returning to full fitness, was the one to fall off the pace and in the final mile, it was shoulder-to-shoulder for Fagan and Sittuk. Only in the final step did Fagan get the win, with both athletes timed at 24 mins 43 secs. Murray was a respectable third in 24 mins 31. Conor Dooney in fourth place was leading Raheny to team victory.
A great race impeccably organised by Sportsworld, who work on it year round. The effort and hard work shows.
* A few pics at www.lindie.zenfolio.com
GARY O’HANLON had a typically busy weekend, wining a 12.5km GAA-promoted race in Carlingford on Friday and the Killarney Marathon on Saturday.
Sunday May 18
Terenure 5-Mile, Dublin (1,490 finishers; www.precisiontiming.net)
Men: 1 Martin Fagan (Mullingar Hrs) 24.23, 2 Freddy Keron Sittuk (Kenya) 24.23, 3 Gary Murray (St Malachy’s) 24.31, 4 Conor Dooney (Raheny) 24.35, 5 Joe Sweeney (DSD) 24.55, 6 Brian Maher (KCH, M35) 25.03, 7 Robbie Matthews (Dunshaughlin, M35) 25.32, 8 Simon Ryan (Raheny) 25.40, 9 Louis McCarthy (Rathfarnham WSAF) 25.42, 10 Tommy Evans (Gowran) 25.53. M35: 3 Paul Fleming (Rath WSAF) 26.17. M40: 1 Rob Cross (Crusaders) 26.51, 2 Pat Byrne (Tinryland) 26.54, 3 Philip Hennessy (Donore) 27.44. M45: 1 Damien Martin (Raheny) 27.09, 2 Patrick Malone (Newbridge) 28.13, 3 Dominic Horan 28.53. M50:1 Paul Cowhie (Civil Service) 27.11, 2 Bobby Bedford 27.56, 3 Brian Kelly (Raheny) 28.26. M55: 1 Ronan Ward (Civil Service) 32,10, 2 James Cottle (Crusaders) 33.10, 3 Michael Carolan (Bros Pearse) 34.32. M60: 1 Paul Elliott (NBH) 28.20, 2 Philip Wright (Rath WSAF) 33.34, 3 Richard Kavanagh 34.17. M65: 1 Barry Potts (Donore) 33.34, 2 Peter McDermott (Rath WSAF) 35.28, 3 Tony Martin (Civil Service) 40.09. Teams – Senior: 1 Raheny Shamrock 40, 2 Rathfarnham WSAF 84, 3 Sportsworld 101. Masters: 1 Raheny Shamrock 147, 2 Bros Pearse 236, 3 Crusaders 246.
Women: 1 Catherina McKiernan (Annalee, W40) 27.40, 2 Fiona Roche (Raheny) 28.02, 3 Michelle McGee (DSD) 28.49, 4 Ilona McIlroy (Crusaders) 30.04, 5 Rachael Morgan (Sportsworld, W40) 30.37, 6 Anne Curley (Donore, W40) 30.51, 7 Paula Prendergast (Mayo) 30.55, 8 Laura McDonnell (Tallaght) 31.12, 9 Aoife O’Connor (Clonliffe, W40) 31.25, 10 Yvonne McAuley (Crusaders) 31.33. W35: 1 Siobhan Carroll ( Civil Service) 31.48, 2 Eimear Smith 32.15, 3 Deirdre Ni Chearbhaill 9Crusaders) 33.40. W45: 1 Olwyn Dunne (??Crusaders) 32.54, 2 Marie Sudway 33.12, 3 Josephine Killeen 33.47. W50: 1 Grainne Butler ( Civil Service) 32.11, 2 Noelle Thorpe (Sli Cualann) 34.41, 3 Riita Kansanniva (Civil Service) 35.42. W55: 1 Frances Gordon 39.49, 2 Susan Brennan 42.29, 3 Margaret Hearne) 42.58. W60: 1 Josie Power (Fingallians) 43.22, 2 Mary Honan 43.29, 3 Ann Harper 50.03. W65: June Comiskey (Raheny) 41.16. Teams– Senior: 1 Crusaders 54, 2 Sportsworld 54, 3 Tallaght 165. Masters: 1 Sli Cualann 177, 2 Bros Pearse 293, 3 Blackrock 1300.
Maynooth 10km (488 finishers; www.precisiontiming.net)
Men: 1 Jason Miley (Celbridge AC) 34.49, 2 Tim Richards (M40) 35.19, 3 Ernie Ramsey (Donore) 35.40. Women: 1 Laura Ward (Pulse TC) 41.27, 2 Tara Shirley (Donadea) 41.42, 3 Imelda Clarke 9St Coca’s, W40) 42.28.
Emer Casey 10km, Youghal, Co Cork; 570 finishers.
Men: 1 Sean McGrath (East Cork) 32.35, 2 Danny Smith (Ballynonty) 33.00, 3 Darragh Canavan (Leevale) 34.16. Women: 1 Anne-Marie Holland (St Finbarr’s, W35) 37.11, 2 Joyce Wolfe (Leevale, W35) 38.26, 3 Helen Leonard (Leevale, W40) 38.58.
Mungret St Paul’s GAA 10km, Co Limerick (589 finishers; www.championchipireland.com)
Men – 1 Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe) 31.05, 2 Niall McCormack 33.10, 3 Julio Cesar F Castro (Kilmurry Ibr NC) 33.16, 3 Colm Turner 33.37, 5 Mike Curley Cunningham(M40) 35.29, 6 Gary Egan (M40) 36.07. M50: Valeriu Turcan 36.23.
Women: 1 Dympna Ryan 38.22, 2 Veronia Colleran (Ennis TC, W40) 39.21, 3 Noelle Ahern 40.29, 4 Laura Collins 41.16, 5 Maureen Toomey (W40) 41.38, 6Tracey Guilfoyle (W40) 42.23.
Saturday May 17
River Moy Half Marathon, Ballina (446 finishers; precisiontiming.net)
Men: 1 Alan O;Shea (Bantry) 70.11, 2 Eoin Callaghan 9Star of the Sea) 71.52, 3 Paul Ward (Tir Chonaill, M40) 76.48. Women: 1 Karen Alexander (Acorns, W35) 85.23, 2 Patricia McCusker (N Sligo, W40) 89.27, 3 Grainne ni Ualachain (GCH, W35) 91.27.
Roundstone Bay 8km, Connemara, Co Galway (147 finishers;www.precisiontiming.net)
Mathias Nowack 28.08; Lorraine O’Connell 34.44.
Lakes of Killarney Marathon, Half Marathon and 10km www.killarneymarathonofthelakes.com
Marathon – Men: 1 Gar O’Hanlon (Clonliffe, M35) 2:38.22, 2 Fozzy Forristal 2:57.51, 3 Aodh O Currain 3:00.19. Women: 1 Col Conway (W40)3:27.06, 2 Dolores Duffy (W40) 3:46.10, 3 Deirdre O’Halloran 4:06.10.
Friday May 16
Cooley Kickhams GFC 12.5km and 10km, Monsland, Carlingford, Co Louth. www.chipit.ie
12.5km – Men: 1 Gary O’Hanlon (Clonliffe, M35) 40.36, 2 Shane Toner 42.25, 3 Brian McCluskey 42.47. Women: 1 Michelle Cox 51.59, 2 Maureen Lowther (W40) 52.57, 3 Linda Meehan 9W40) 57.04.
10km – Brendan Grew 34.36Bernadette Matthews (W40) 43.30.
No comments yet.