 |
| DCC 5km |
Athletes heading for the London Olympics will have a last chance to stretch their legs at next Wednesday’s Morton Pre-Games in Santry (7.15pm).
Feature event of the night is the Morton Mile and leading the entry are the champions from the past two years – last year’s winner Jordan McNamara and the 2010 winner Will Leer. McNamara, with a mile best of 3: 56.83, finished seventh in the US Olympic trials while Leer has a faster mile time of 3:55.68.
They face tough competition from fellow American David Torrence, with a mile best of 3:52.01, plus a 800m time of 1 mins 45 secs.
Australian Ryan Gregson has a 3:52.24 mile time, while other sub-four minute milers in the field include the Americans Garrett Heath, Jack Bolas and Craig Miller, Zane Robertson from New Zealand and British athlete Ricky Stevenson.
Leading the Irish challenge is Ciaran O Lionaird, who runs the 1500m at London 2012. American-based O Lionaird made the 1500m final at the World Championships in Daegu last year and lines out with Paul Robinson and John Coghlan.
Shaping up to be the race of the meet is the women’s mile, with a big overseas entry led by the American Nicola Schappert and super-fast Zoe Buckman, who has run 4:05.06 for the 1500m. Ciara Mageean and steeplechaser Stephanie O’Reilly headline the Irish challenge.
In the 400m, top US 800m man Nick Symmonds takes on Jamaica’s Jermaine Gayle, Britain’s Andrew Steele and local star Brian Gregan.
Irish champion Amy Foster, comeback kid Kelly Proper and Americans Alie Israel and Janae Gennette lead a strong entry for the women’s 100m. Proper and Gennette also go in the long jump.
Pre-race favourite for the Albie Thomas 3000m is the American Michael Coe, a sub-four-minute miler with a 3000m best of 7 minutes 48 seconds.
In the men’s discus, national champion and Clonliffe Harrier Tomas Rauktys goes head to head with British thrower Jamie Williamson. Irish Paralympians take on a team from Vietnam in the seated discus/club and seated shot competitions.
Opening he night’s programme is a men’s 400m hurdles, where Thomas Barr will take on two strong Britons – Niall Flannery and Chris Wakeford.
Entry on the gate is €5 or €10 for families.
Donore’s Kevin English raced away from North Laois veteran Aengus Burke to win hill running’s Dublin Plod Half Marathon in 85 minutes 55 seconds. A clear winner of the women’s race was Lucy O’Malley.
Meanwhile, the Leinster Evening League draws to a close this evening at the Sugar Loaf in Kilmacanogue after record numbers all season. Tristan Drute must race tonight if he is to win the league. The Sligo man has five wins from six starts to far this season. Torben Dahl of Crusaders with two wins from ten starts is his closest rival. Dunboyne’s consistent Karen O’Hanlon already has the women’s title in the bag.
Star of the 15-strong Irish team at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona was Letterkenny’s Mark English who finished fifth in the men’s 800m final on the last day of competition. English ran a time of 1:46.02 behind race winner Nigel Amos of Botswana, who clocked 1:43.79.
English was the only Irish athlete to make a final, although Siofra Cleirigh Buttner of DSD, Ballymena’s Joanna Mills, Ben Kiely of Ferrybank and Sarah Lavin of Emerald all made semi-finals.
At the Woodie’s DIY National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore, Adam King of Iveragh smashed the M16 hammer record with a magnificent throw of 72.16m.
Laura McSweeney of Bandon threw 13.67 to break Eva Massey’s W18 shot put record, while in the W19 discus, Gowran’s Sophie Parkinson set a new record of 44.03m.
On the track, both U-18 steeplechase races proved record breakers. Siobhan McGinley of Celtic won the girls’ race in 12:58.10, while Michael Carey of Clonmel clocked 10:03.6 for victory in the boys’ race. DSD dominated the W18 3000m, with Clare McCarthy beating team mates Sorcha Humphries and Sarah Miles to the gold.
Paul Fleming won a well-supported Dublin City Council BHAA 5km in Ringsend Pakr, coming home in 15 mins 57 secs, with Neil Callaghn in second place and Maura Kearns first of the women. The BHAA now takes to the track, with the Aviva BHAA Mile at Irishtown next Wednesday evening (7.30pm). All standards welcome.
Roads performance of the week came at the Kinnegad GAA 5km, where John Travers of Donore set a new course record of 14 mins 26 secs, with Tallaght’s Tom Fitzpatrick ten seconds behind for second and Jake Byrne of Mullingar third. Raheny veteran Annette Kealy improved the women’s record to 17 mins 41 secs, beating Imelda Clarke of Na Fianna.
No comments yet.