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| At ARC Men’s 10km |
On a busy weekend for athletics, thousands took the roads all over the country. Highlight was the Belfast Marathon where, helped by the cool conditions, both men and women’s course records were broken.
Ethiopia’s Urga Negewo, who had previously won the race in 2010, knocked more than a minute off the men’s course record when he led home the record 3,800 crowd in 2 hrs 13 mins 41 secs – and that’s not including about 10,000 in the team relay.
First local runner home was the veteran Tommy Hughes, who in 1998, was the last Northern Ireland athlete to win in Belfast having also won in 1988. Although now 52, Hughes finished eighth last Monday in 2:29:43.
The Derry native has had a colourful career, since he ran the first ever Belfast Marathon in 1982. A notoriously hard trainer, Hughes’ best marathon time of 2:13.59 in Marrakesh 1992 was enough to qualify him for the Barcelona Olympics. A full-time athlete from 1983, he had also won Dublin in 1991 in 2:14.46. After Barcelona, Hughes retired and did not run another marathon until Belfast in 2008 when he finished sixth in 2:28.
Moving into the over 50 ranks rekindled his competitive streak and he has produced some remarkable results since his return.
In 2010, aged 50, he ran 2:29.14 to win the Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham. He also clocked a time of half marathon time of 70.28 that year.
Based in England for the past few years, he’s still training twice a day most days and his love affair with the magic marathon distance is far from over.
Hughes remembers the glory days of distance running in this country when athletes trained hard and brought each other on. Successfully recreating that ethos is the “Marathon Mission” backed by the Dublin Marathon. Last Sunday in Germany, Barry Minnock became the latest member of the group to knock chunks off his personal best when he finished eighth in the Hanover Marathon in 2 hrs 17 mins 41 secs.
Locally, Linda Byrne, one of the four to have achieved the women’s A marathon standard, ran 74 mins 56 secs to finish first woman and eighth overall at the Great Limerick Half Marathon. The time was just outside her personal best of 74.34 run in Longford last summer. Sergiu Ciobanu won the men’s race in 67.58.
Exciting time in Irish long distance running!
Steven Colvert of Crusaders won his 100m in 10.35 at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles, breaking the Irish U23 record held by Jason Smyth. Colvert also won his 200m in 20.77, two hundredths off his PB, and not far off the Olympic B standard of 20.65. At the same meet, Paul Hession of Athenry was 6th in his 100m in 10.64 and ran 21.44 for the 200m.
Kilkenny’s Joanne Cuddihy finished 2nd in the 400m in Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki, Japan in 51.78, behind world champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana who ran 50.52. Cuddihy had nailed down her London 2012 place when she won the 400m at the Shizuoka International in 51.45 seconds a few days earlier. Her time, run in wet conditions, improved on the 51.69 she had run in Australia last month. The London 2012 A standard is 51.55.
UCD’s David Campbell won the RTE 5-Mile road race around Donnybrook in Dublin in 24 mins 31 secs after a battle from the start with Sean Hehir, who finished six seconds behind. Women’s winner Aoife Talty set a new women’s course record of 27.27. Laura Shaughnessy was second. Next Dublin BHAA outing is at Sandymount Strand on Tuesday May 22 when the ESB Beach 5km takes place.
Tonight’s 121st Clonliffe 2-Mile Road Race is not only the oldest road race in Ireland and possibly the world, it also one of the few point-to-point races left on the calendar. Race start is in Finglas, with the finish outside the Gravediggers pub in Glasnevin. The course is fast although there is one nasty bump near Glasnevin cemetery. Entry tonight is at St Vincent’s schools, Hart’s Corner until 7.15pm to give everyone a chance to get to the start. Fun runners welcome to come along and make their own piece of history!
Fast times are promised at Sunday’s Terenure 5 mile (11.0), a makeover by the Sportsworld club for their Dublin 5-Mile Classic, first held in 1985 an going strong since then.
Starting from near the race HQ at Terenure College, the new course is over two laps – great for spectators. Online entry at €20 closes on Friday; late entries at €25 will be taken until 10.30am on the day. Register now at www.terenure5mile.com.
A massive crowd of over 600 turned out for the opening round of the Pat Finnerty Memorial 5km Road League in Belvedere House, Mullingar, last Wednesday. Winners were local athlete Vinny Connolly in 16:03 Fiona Mahon from Dunshaughlin in 18:57. Organisers are appealing to anyone who hasn’t signed on yet and is aiming to run tonight’s second round to come early.
Love the picture on this post.
Well done to Vinny and Fiona.