Anna Sadowska of Civil Service Harriers was a surprise winner of the women’s race at the Glo Health National Masters Cross-Country held on a soggy course at Dundalk IT.
Sadowska, who finished second in the Dublin championships a few weeks ago, tucked in behind early leaders Pauline Curley of Tullamore and Raheny’s Annette Kealy while feeling her way into the course, which had a couple of sharp climbs as well as stretches of treacherous mud.
With Kealy fading, it was left to Curley to force the pace, but she couldn’t shake off the shadow of Sadowska. When the pair came to the bottom of the hill on the final lap, Sadowska made her break. Curley did her best to catch her but a slip in the mud ended her chances.
For Sadowska, who came to Ireland from her native Poland ten years ago, it was a return to her roots, although cross-country in Poland is very different. “We have very cold winters with lots of snow and the courses are a lot hillier and tougher.”
She had run as a teenager. “I loved the track – I ran mostly the 800m and the 1500m and my best for 800m was 2 mins 3 secs. But at the age of 24, I gave it up, though I continued to run on my own.”
Sadowska with her partner and son Falip lives near the Phoenix Park – home of Civil Service Harriers. Only when she joined the club did she resume structured training and then started competing. “When I stopped I never thought I’d come back. But then when I joined the club, I thought, why not?”
Last year she won a few BHAA races and finished 11th in the Wings for Life race running 27km “I really enjoyed that race and hope to run it again this year,” she says. Also making the Dublin team for the masters was her clubmate Shirley Mitchell, who finished tenth W40. The pair are part of a revival in the fortunes of Civil Service Harriers, supervised by coach Tony Keegan, with sessions three or four times a week, and a hills session on Saturday the key. “The hard work on the hills paid off today,” said a very happy Keegan in Dundalk.
In the men’s race, Declan Reed of City of Derry Spartans was in a class apart, determined to make it a hat-trick of wins. Behind him Leevale’s Tim Twomey won the battle for second place, with local man Brian McCloskey of North East Runners third. Finishing fourth and first M50 was Pauric McKinney of Inishowen, who has rarely missed one of his daily 6am runs in the past thirty years. Raheny’s Mick Traynor make a welcome return to racing to finish second M50. Donore retained the M35 team title; Raheny finished best M50.
A clear winner of the women’s inter race was Marie Hyland of Crusaders. City of Derry’s Catherine Whoriskey charged into an early lead on the opening lap but was soon reeled in although she did manage to hold on for third place behind Caitriona Mullen of Shercock. Winning the men’s inter race was Annalee’s Cian O’Reilly; Thomas Moran of Dunshaughlin and North Belfast Harriers’ Mark McKinstry were second and third.
MICK CLOHISEY GOES FOR HOME WIN
A home win is on the cards at Sunday’s AXA Raheny 5, where Raheny’s own Mick Clohisey leads the men’s entry. Last year, Clohisey could not
Mick Clohisey – marathon qualifier
quite catch Martin Fagan of Mullingar running one of his final races before retiring from athletics. In perfect conditions for running, Clohisey finished in a time of 23 minutes 44 seconds – eight seconds behind Fagan – and a big improvement on the 24 mins 7 secs he had run when finishing third a year earlier.
With Conor Dooney third, Raheny finished best of the teams. Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham WSAF finished fifth last year but may opt for the John Treacy Dungarvan 10-Mile also taking place on Sunday
Back to defend her women’s title is Lizzie Lee of Leevale, who ran a personal best of 26 mins 34 secs last year when beating Letterkenny’s Ann Marie McGlynn into second place. Also entered this year is Caroline Crowley of Crusaders, who along with Lee, was a member of Ireland’s the bronze medal winning team at the European Cross-Country Championships before Christmas.
Pencilled in is Sligo’s Mary Cullen, who holds the women’s course record of 25 mins 35 secs, which she set when winning the race for a second year in 2014.
Online entry at €21.40 is still open for the race, with walkers and wheelchair athletes welcome. The AXA Insurance office will take personal entries on Saturday from 10am-4pm. No entries will be taken on race day.
All finishers get the traditional Raheny 5 plaque and goodie bag as well as a hot drink in the GAA hall on All Saint’s Road. Race HQ is Scoil Aine (opposite Raheny Garda Station). Prizes go to the top ten men and women and to the top three in all age groups as well as to teams and juniors.
The day’s programme begins at 2pm with three races for boys and girls – U7 400m, U12 800m and a mile for the 13-16 age group. Entry on the day is €5.
MORLAND BREAKS BOUNDARIES
Elizabeth Morland of Cushinstown set a superb new Irish junior and senior record when winning the junior women’s Combined Events Championships in Athlone with 4043 points. Morland is the first Irish woman of any age to notch up a score of over 4,000 points. Her highest score came in the 60m hurdles, where her time of 8.56 secs was worth 1004 points. Winning the girls’ youth title with a record score of 3877 was Kate O’Connor of Dundalk; Anne Corcoran of Ferrybank and Kate Taylor of St Cronan’s also scored over 3000 points. Highest men’s score came from Joseph McEvoy from Nenagh Olympic who won the M16 title with 3441 points; second was Brian Lynch of Old Abbey with 3396. Rolus Olusa of Donore won the men’s senior title with 32.04 points; winning the senior woman’s title was visitor Sofia Jager Stenberg with 3382 points. Amy McTeggart of Boyne was second on 3176 points..
LOTTO WIN FOR EIMEAR
Eimear Fitzpatrick of Dundrum South Dublin won the junior women’s race at the Lotto Cross Cup meet in Hannut, Belgium. On a mud-bath of a course, Fitzpatrick dominated the race from early on and came home ten seconds clear of Eleanore Andre of Belgium. DSD’s Niamh Carey was passed by Andre in the last 800m of the race and finished third. With Roseanne McCullough 8th, Grace Dervan 9th and Aoife Colleran 14th, DSD also won the team prize. In the junior men’s race, the DSD team was led home by Paul O’Connell who finished thirteen. First for the club in the senior races were John Eves 22nd of the men and Fiona Clinton 20th of the women. Both races were won by Ethiopians.
THE LATE PADRAIG KEANE
Former Irish international athlete Padraig Keane has died after a brave battle with illness. Originally from Roscommon, Padraig joined Clonliffe Harriers on his arrival in Dublin. He won the national junior cross-country title in 1971 making the Irish junior team for the World Championships. As a senior, he was part of the winning Clonliffe teams of 1976, 1977 and 1982 and made the Irish teams in 1972, 1977 and 1982.
Padraig, a club man to his core, will be remembered as a great man for a story, always told with a twinkle in his eye. To his family and many friends goes our deepest sympathy.
YOUNG STARS SET FOR ATHLONE
The indoor season moves up a gear this weekend with the Glo Health National Junior and U23 Championships on Sunday in Athlone. Among the talented young athletes to look out for are Leevale’s Sam Healy who set 60m hurdles and long jump records last year, sprinters Marcus Lawler of St Abbans long jumper and sprinters Sarah McCarthy of Mid-Sutton, shot utter John Kelly from Donegal, middle distances athletes, Kevin McGrath of Bohermeen and UCDS’s Aislinn Crossey, high jumper Ryan Carthy Walsh of Adamstown and shot putter John Kelly from Donegal.
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