Road Relay Titles for Donore and Leevale

Donore’s men and the Leevale women won the senior titles at the Glo Health National Road Relays, hosted by Raheny Shamrock in Dublin.

For Donore, it was their first victory since 1992; the club has the distinction of winning the first ever National Relays held in 1973 in Wexford. Among the team members that day was the legendary Jim McNamara, still coaching with the club.

Clonliffe, with Ian Guiden running the opening two-mile leg,  led early on, but Donore soon prevailed and the third leg over three miles was to prove decisive, with John Travers taking over for Donore and building up a strong lead with his split time of 14 mins 7 secs  – the fastest of the day. He handed over to Eric Keogh who brought the team home in 39 mins 52 secs – not far off the course record of 37 mins 33 secs. In the battle for second place, Freddy Keron Sittuk ran a fast fast three-mile leg for Raheny, but it was Ennis, with national junior cross-country champion Kevin Mulcaire on the anchor leg, who came home second.

In the women’s senior race, Leevale lived up to their billing as favourites with Carole Finn running the opening mile, Lizzie Lee on the second two-mile leg and Michelle Finn bringing them home in a record time of 20 mins 39 secs. Letterkenny, with Anne Marie McGlynn on the two-mile leg, were second and Crusaders third.

Winning their first national masters title was the Newbridge trio of Paul Archbold, Paul Campbell and David Keenan; Crusaders was second and Letterkenny third. Despite an achilles pull for Damien Martin which forced him to limp home on the opening leg, Raheny won the M50 title in 21 mins 01 secs.

In a closely-fought women’s masters race, Raheny won the W35 title in 23 mins 41 secs, followed by Letterkenny and Donore, with Clonliffe beating Raheny for the W50 title. Pics at www.flickr.com/lindie

Results

Women (1m x 2m x 1m)- Senior: 1 Leevale 20 mins 39 secs (rec); 2 Letterkenny 21:08, 3 Crusaders 21:37. Masters – W35: Raheny Shamrock 23.29, 2 Letterkenny 23.41,3 Donore Harriers 23.54. W50: 1 Clonliffe Harriers, 2 Raheny Shamrock.

Men – Senior (2m x1m x3m x2m): 1 Donore Harriers 37 mins 52 ses, 2 Ennis TC 38:41, 3 Raheny Shamrock 39:05. Masters – M35: 1 Newbridge 19:27 (rec?), 2 Crusaders , 3 Letterkenny. M50: 1 Raheny Shamrock 21.01.

Delawere Life Butlerstown 4-Mile,  Co Waterford.(Race 2 Ger Wyley Sports Skins Series; 354 finishers)

 Men: 1 Philip Harty (West Waterford) 20:09, 2 Trevor Power (Waterford) 20:29, 3 Noel Murphy (Waterford) 20:42. M40: Frank Quinlan (Waterford) 20.48. M45: PJ Guinan 23.07.  M50: Liam Clince (West Waterford) 25.56. M55: Walter Keane (Waterford) 24.26. M60: Joe Gough (Weest Waterford) 24.30.  Junior: Adam Power (Ferrybank) 24.27.  Women: 1 Adele Walsh (St Senan’s) 24:23, 2 Annaeleigh Hore (Kilmore) 24:28, 3 Sally Forrestal (St Joseph’s) 24:52. W35: Meadhbh Savage (Waterford) 25.44. W40: Corinna Walsh (West Waterford) 25.13.  W45: Marie Murphy  30.39.W50: Eileen Heffernan (Tried and Tested) 30.55. W55: Una Uí Mhuirithe 28.23. Junior: Maria O’Donovan 31.59.