On Your Marks – from Herald 17 August

With the track and field season drawing to a close, club athletes and masters  will take centre stage at Tullamore over the weekend.

After finishing an excellent second in the European Club Championships earlier this summer, the Ferrybank club are favourites to retain their women’s premier league title on Saturday.

The Waterford club were easy winners last year, coming no lower than fourth in any of the 19 events on offer. A formidable team including sprinter Niamh Whelan and thrower Cara Kennedy will pick up points across the board.

Dundrum South Dublin, second last year, topped the points table after the qualifying rounds. That was thanks to the efforts of a strong group of sprinters led by Claire Bergin and Aoife MacNeill, all-rounder Grainne Moggan and Niamh Denny in the middle distances. In a big boost to their chances, high jumper Deirdre Ryan, who improved her own Irish record to 1.93m a few weeks ago, flies in from her German base to compete for the team.

Clonliffe Harriers are the defending men’s champions and topped qualification with ease this year. Although 400m man Brian Gregan is at the World University Games, a roster that includes hurdler John Fagan, distance man Mark Kenneally, pole vaulter David Donegan and thrower Thomas Rauktys, means Clonliffe will take some beating.

DSD and Raheny Shamrock will battle hard to finish in the top three. DSD is strong in the sprints, while Dave Rooney, fresh from a 1500m personal best of 3:44.17 in Belfast should lead the Raheny middle distance squad.  

In division 1, Tallaght, with Anthony Lieghio and Tomas Fitzpatrick among its stars, hopes to improve on their third place of last year.

Raheny Shamrock proved best in women’s division 1 qualification, although Wexford and Clonliffe weren’t too far behind. Among those lining out for Raheny should be pole vaulter Zoe Brown who soared over 4.05 at Loughborough last week and Irish 800m champion Siobhan Eviston.

A day later, the elder statesmen (and women) of Irish athletics will take over the track at Tullamore. Expect ferocious competition in the ever-popular middle distances races and in the shot putt, which always attracts a big entry.

BIG ENTRY FOR PARK 

Over 7,000 have entered Saturday’s National Lottery Frank Duffy 10-Mile at the Phoenix Park on a new flatter course, starting and finishing at the Papal Cross area.Andrew Ledwith, who has been running all round him on the roads, leads a men’s entry that includes last year’s winner Andy  Douglas and Spanish athlete Jose Carlos Hernandez. Last year’s women’s winner Maria McCambridge is listed to make a comeback after the birth of baby Dylan earlier this year. Also running is mini marathon winner Caitriona Jennings and the consistent Siobhan O’Doherty.

LEDWITH LEADS LAKELANDERS

After a break of 15 years, the Lakeland 15-Mile road race returned with a bang on a new-look course around Tyrrellspass.

Andrew Ledwith of Fr Murphy’s set a fast pace from the start and came home with almost eight minutes to spare in 77 minutes 53 seconds. A day earlier he had won the Dunleer 4-Mile. Mullingar veteran Tom McGrath was second, closely followed by Declan Fahey. Tullamore’s Pauline Curley made a welcome return to racing, winning in 90 mins 48 secs, with Jill Hodgins was less than three minutes behind for second and local runner Mary Scully third.

800M BEST FOR MAGEEAN

A week after her over-ambitious efforts at the Irish Championships, Ciara Mageean improved her 800m time to a brilliant 2 mins 2.31 secs at the Irish Milers Club event in Belfast. Since this time was recorded in a mixed race, won by North Down’s Josh Lowry in 2:00.74, it won’t count for ranking purposes.

A thrilling 1500m A race saw Raheny’s David Rooney winning by a whisker in 3 mins 44.17 secs from MSB’s John Coughlan.

In the 200m, Steven Colvert of Crusaders missed the “B” standard for the World Championships by 0.4 seconds when he ran 21.10 seconds.

* In Belgium, Letterkenny’s Mark English set a new Irish junior 800m record of 1:47:09.

CELTIC HEROS! 

A strong Irish team finished top of the table at the Celtic Games in Antrim. Highlights included a double for Claire Murphy in the U-18 100m and 300m hurdles, and wins for Cliodhna Manning U-18 300m, Phil Healy U-18 100m, Lorraine O’Shea long jump, and Sarah Buggy triple jump. Highlights on Setanta Ireland next Saturday (7pm) and Sunday (8pm).

MULVEY, HARTY WIN AT CELBRIDGE

On the roads, Raheny’s Vinnie Mulvey won the inaugural Celbridge 5km, with  Kerry Harty of Newcastle first woman. At the Dunleer 4-Mile, Andrew Ledwith was the race winner with Raheny’s Fiona Roche first woman.

Winners of he World Mountain Running Championships trial at Crone Woods, Co Wicklow were Rathfarnham’s Barry Minnock and Sarah Mulligan of DSD. DSD’s James Egan was first junior.