On a busy weekend for track and field, Raheny pole vaulter Zoe Brown proved the star with a new personal best of 4.20m at the Northern Ireland Team Championships. That puts Brown, previously the Irish record holder, second only behind American-based Tori Pena on 4.52m.
At the Woodie’s DIY National Junior and U-23 Championships in Tullamore, Kate Veale from West Waterford, who will lead the Irish team at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona, won the junior 3000m walk comfortably.
Other athletes selected for the world juniors include Karl Griffin of Tir Chonaill, who stepped down from his usual 800m distance to win the 400m in 49.52, while Marcus Lawlor of St Laurence O’Toole’s won the 200m.
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| Kevin Dooney |
Over the longer distances, Kevin Dooney of Raheny raced away from the field in the 5000m and was third in the 1500m. Dooney competes in the 10,000m in Barcelona.
At under 23 level, Niamh Whelan of Ferrybank and Steffi Creaner of DCH battled it out in the women’s sprints, with Whelan taking the 100m and Creaner the 200m. DSD’s Sinead Denny won the 800m while G Coveney of Loughborgh made it a 400m flat and hurdles double. Claire Fitzgerald of Tralee dominated the throws winning both shot and discus.
Paralympian Michael McKillop of St Malachy’s won the men’s 1500m, while Thomas Barr of Ferrybank took the 400m hurdles in style. In the field, Barry Pender of St Abban’s won the high jump with a leap of 2.13.
A day earlier, the Aviva Tailteann Games, held in atrocious conditions at Santry, produced a record number of tight finishes. In the boys’ 800m, Cian McBride of Summerhill Sligo stumbled and fell over the line just ahead of Shane McGowan from St Columb’s, Derry. The pair were both timed at 2 mins 00.3 secs.
Both Sam Healy of Carrigaline CS) and Ciaran Corrigan of O’Carolan Nobber jumped exactly 6.64 in the boys’ long jump, with Healy winning on countback. Similarly, in the girls’ long jump, Annie Stafford from Loreto Wexord jumped 5.32 to beat Maryfield’s Megan Coomber by a single centimetre.
The day’s only record came in the girl’s hammer where Alice Akers of Scarriff threw 50.32m. A few days earlier at the Dublin Championships, Alice had finished third behind Cara Kennedy of Ferrybank and big sister Rachel Akers when she threw 48.19 with a senior hammer.
Linda Byrne ran a personal best of 72 mins 32 secs to finish second overall at the Longford Half Marathon. Byrne began the comeback that saw her qualify for London 2012 at last year’s Longford Marathon. She then went on to win the Strawberry Half Marathon in Enniscorthy which unfortunately this year was scheduled for the same day. Winners in Enniscorthy were Tom Hogan and Jackie Carthy.
A Family Mile Challenge is just one of the free events on offer at Sunday’s Athletics Ireland Family Fitness Festival Fun Day in the beautiful surroundings of Farmleigh, beside Dublin’s Phoenix Park (10am).
Also on offer are a simple orienteering course around the estate, the Little Athletics Agility Challenges for ages 5-15, the Little Toddle for younger children and traditional sports day events, such as egg and spoon, sack races and relays. Add to that, the Farmer’s Market, a Health & Fitness Expo, music and face painting. Guest of honour is Sonia O’Sullivan, Chef de Mission for the Irish team at the London Olympics. Bring a picnic!
* Although the event is entirely free, please register for the mile at www.familyfitnessfestival.ie so that the organisers have some idea of numbers.
The DSD trio of Claire McCarthy, Socha Humphries and Sarah Miles took gold for Ireland at hill running’s International Youth Cup hosted for the first time by Ireland in the beautiful surroundings of Glendalough.
Designed to introduce younger hill runners to the international scene, the Irish have always done well at this event, with the boys taking gold two years ago in Italy.
In Glendalough, Clare McCarthy stuck with the leaders for much of the race and led home the team in fifth place, followed closely by Sorcha Humphreys 10th and Sarah Miles 14th. Winner was Weronika (Weronika) Pyzik of Poland.
In the boys’ race, Killian Mooney recovered from a bad fall on the opening lap to finish eight, followed by Andrew Cullen 12th and Cillian O’Donovan 18th,, with the team third. Italy dominated up front with Yemanebehran Crippa the individual winner.
Clonliffe’s Gary O’Hanlon had a busy weekend. On Saturday evening he led home 647 finishers at the Dunshaughlin 10km; next morning, he headed for Enniscorthy where he finished second in the Strawberry Half Marathon. First women in Dunshaughlin was Barbara Cleary who has recently joined Donore Harriers after a string of good results this year.
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| John Coghlan |
With 56 signing up for the men’s 1500m, 40 for the 3000m and 33 for the 200m, last week’s Dublin Championships and Graded Meet in Santry showed yet again that club athletics is enjoying an unprecedented boom.
John Coghlan of MSB won the 1500m in 3:44.46 beating Michael Mulhare of Portlaoise, while Letterkenny veteran Ciaran Dohety led them home in the 3000m. Fastest in the 200m was David Hynes of Menapians in 21.28. Only six lined out for the 400m, won by comeback kid Paul McKee of Beechmount in 47.6.
Winning the women’s 200m was Claire Bergin of DSD in 24.43, with Sarah McCarthy of Mid Sutton a close second. Sligo’s Eimear O’Brien came home first of 17 women in the 1500m.
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