Ciara Mageean of UCD made an impressive return to racing when she won the women’s 5km at the Irish Universities Cross-Country Championships in Waterford.
On a testing 5km course, Mageean and team mate Laura Shaughnessy controlled the pace until half way when Mageean moved to the front, opening a gap that grew to approximately 300m by the finish.
Una Britton of UL finished second, with Ciara Everard, also UCD, producing a fast final kilometre to finish third. It gave UCD an emphatic team victory over DCU – a first for the college in 12 years. Trinity finished third.
Mageean, who has spent the winter recovering from injury, will now set her sights on the Olympic 1500m qualification mark of 4:06.0. Her best 1500m time of 4:07.45 from last season is well inside the B standard.
Winning a closely fought men’s race was John Coghlan of DCU. His time of 28 minutes 46 seconds put him just six seconds ahead of DIT’s Daire Bermingham, with Michael Mulhare of UL outsprinting DCU’s Emmet Jennings and Jason Fahey of WIT for third. DCU maintained their team winning streak, although the ost college Waterford IT pushed them hard. UCD finished third.
Next up for Coghlan is Sunday’s St Patrick’s Festival 5km starting from outside Dublin’s Mansion House (12 noon). This year’s theme is the family and with the Big Day Out taking place in Merrion Square nearby, the run provides an ideal start to the day.
Helping create a festive atmosphere will be a live band, jugglers, clowns, face painters, balloon artists, stilt walkers, fire eaters and a parade of motorbikes.
Families (either two adults and two children or one adult and three children) can enter the fun run for just €30. Individual entry costs €20. See www.stpatricksfestival.ie.
Also on Sunday, Maria McCambridge runs the Rome Marathon, aiming to become the third Irish woman to make the London 2012 A standard of 2 hours 37 minutes for the marathon.
* Irish javelin champion Anita Fitzgibbon of DSD opens her season on Saturday at the Winter Throws meet in Bar, Montenegro.
Caitriona Jennings of Sportsworld finished fourth overall at the Cara Bundoran 10-Mile Challenge, with Breege Connolly of North Belfast eighth. Overall winner was Letterkenny’s Patrick Brennan. Jennings, a member of the Marathon Mission, runs in the Rotterdam Marathon on April 15.
National cross-country champion Edde McGinley travelled to Birmingham last weekend where he finished 18th in the McCain Intercounties Cross-Country. McGinley’s time of 36 minutes 28 seconds put him 90 seconds behind the winner Keith Gerrard.
Last year’s winner Jesus Espana from Spain has again signed up for the Great Ireland Run 10km in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Sunday April 15. He will take on, among others, Ethiopia’s many times world champion Kenenisa Bekele. Irish athletes likely to run include Mark Kenneally, Linda Byrne and Ava Hutchinson. The race incorporates the Irish 10km Championships, with a special entry fee on offer for club runners, who will start the race from the elite corral.
Mick Clohisey beat Mark Quinn to win the men’s 5-mile race at the annual Dublin Airport BHAA Cross-County at the Alsaa. Sonya O’Connell was a clear winner of the women’s race. The BHAA winter season concludes with next Wednesday’s NCF Floodlit 5km cross-country at Malahide rugby club – one of only two such races in the country. The spring season begins with the Dublin City Council Road Races in St Anne’s Park, Raheny on Saturday March 31.
Want to get away for St Patrick’s Day? In Portlaoise, the second annual Streets of Portlaoise 5km (11.30am) has €200 in cash for the winners, plus plenty of goodies for the also rans and a kilometre fun run for the kiddies. The annual Fr Murphy 5-Mile in Kildalkey, Co Meath offers a scenic rural route and a friendly welcome for everyone. Entry is €15 on the day with prizes in the usual individual and team categories.
Hi. I don’t think the Womens A standard for London is 3.46, its more like 4.05
You’re right – have corrected; a complete misprint (I knew what both A and B standards were).
Thanks!