On Your Marks – from Herald 24 August

Clonliffe and Dundrum South Dublin made it a Dublin double at a memorable  Woodie’s DIY League Track and Final League final in Tullamore.

For Clonliffe, it was a fourth consecutive win in men’s premier division. It didn’t come easy, with a gallant team from St Abban’s chasing hard and neither clubs dominant across the board.

Clonliffe had wins in the 5000m for Mark Kenneally and the pole vault for Dvaid Donegan, along with an entirely unexpected 100m victory for sprinter David Kavanagh in a personal best time of 10.89. Those, added to second places for Patrick O’Connor 200m, David Flynn steeplechase and Martin Hunt hammer, proved vital.

St Abban’s, picked up valuable points when Brian Kelly won the 800m and was second in the 1500m. Victory for Eoin Kelly in the triple jump and second places for Paul Byrne 400m hurdles, Barry Pender high jump and Seamus Fitzpatrick in the 56lb helped the Carlow club to a brave second place, just two points ahead of North Down.

For the DSD women, the long awaited victory proved easier than expected thanks to the club’s strength in depth and unfortunate injuries to a couple of Ferrybank reliables.  The target was seven wins and these came in the two relays, as well as from Claire Bergin in the 400m, Hazel Murphy 1500m, Ava Hutchinson 3000m, Emma Peters 400m hurdles and Deirdre Ryan high jump. Picking up added points were Sinead Denny second 800m, Aoife MacNeill second 100m and third 200m, Grainne Moggan fourth both 100m hurdles and long jump and fifth triple jump, and Niamh Reilly 3rd javelin.

So after 23 years the celebrations could begin – a emotional moment for team manger Lucy Moore, who had been the high jumper on the last winning team and turned out in the shot putt last Saturday.

Finishing second was a strong team from Bandon, with Leevale third. Defending champions Ferrybank were fifth.

More good news came for Dublin clubs in division 1, with  Clonliffe beating Raheny for victory in the women’s competition and Tallaght, along with Galway City Harriers winning promotion  to the premier division for next season.

Phil Conway of Crusaders provided the performance of the day at the Woodie’s DIY National Masters track and Field Championships  in Tullamore. Competing in the over 60 shot putt, Conway, a former Olympian and leading coach, set a new world age group record of 12.60m.

Improving her own Irish W50 javelin record was Dannea Herron of City of Derry. Herron set the record of 25.99 in 2009 and since then – amazingly – has equalled that figure twice. On Sunday, her new record of 26.68 came in the final round.

On the track, race of the day was the M35 400m , won by Michael Downey of West Waterford.  In his first outing at the national masters, Downey also won the long jump and was second in both 100m and 200m. Martina O’Dwyer of Carrick-on-Suir Runners, another newcomer to masters athletics, turned on the style when winning  the women’s W35 1500m. 

Recording an unusual double was Triona Wall, also West Waterford, winner of  the W40 walk and 1200m sprint.

* Entry on the day is available at Saturday’s Northern Ireland Masters Track and Field Champions at the Mary Peters track in Belfast. See www.northernirelandmasters.co.uk. 

FOREIGN RAIDERS  FEATURE AT FRANK DUFFY

Foreign raiders dominated the National Lottery Frank Duffy 10-Mile Road race, with Spanish runner Jose Carlos Hernandez first home in 48 minutes 15 seconds. Six of the top 10 places went to overseas visitor, underlining the increasing prestige of the race. First local runner was Stephen Scullion of North Belfast in third place, with Barry Minnock  in ninth place taking the Dublin title. English athlete Gemma Marie Steel set a storming time of 55 mins 4 secs when winning the women’s titles. Just 11 weeks after the birth of baby Dylan, defending champion Maria McCambridge of Letterkenny finished a stunning second place in 56 mins 39 secs.

Anyone looking for a long-distance work-out this weekend is spoiled for choice. Topping the list is the Longford Marathon and Half Marathon, where the carnival atmosphere and warm welcome makes for a memorable weekend. In Co Wexford, the Oylegate Half Marathon costs just €25 to run, with a 10km fun run also on offer. Another marathon, scheduled for Galway, was cancelled earlier this month. 

Entry for the Woodie’s DIY National Half Marathon  Challenge along the Waterford to Tramore road on Saturday, September 3 (1.0) closes next Wednesday. Entry fee is a bargain basement €20 or €25 on the day. Also on offer are discounted tickets for the Waterford Harvest Festival concert that night; line-up includes The Stunning and the Saw Doctors. So what are you waiting for? Details www.waterfordac.com.

 HEAD FOR TINRYLAND

One of the original and best organised road races in this country is the Rochford Rood Tiles 4-Mile in the small village of Tinryland, outside Carlow, taking place on Saturday evening (5.30pm). Late entry for the race is €15, and the list of spot prizes includes a €1,000 holiday voucher. Up front, cash prizes to the winners in senior,masters and team categories. For the youngsters, entry for the “Mini Rockford” costs just €2.

 GREGAN, FOSTER MAKE FINALS

Highlights of the World University Games in Shenzhen, China were a fifth place in a personal best of 45.96 in the 400m for Brian Gregan and a seventh place for Amy Foster in the 200m, who ran a personal best of 23.53 in the semi-finals. In the high jump semi-finals, Kourosh Foroughi equalled his best of 2.20 and went on to finish ninth in the final.