Former international athlete Rosemary Ryan of Dooneen AC and the much improved Michael Harty from East Cork made it a Munster double at the Irish Life Health National Masters Cross-Country in Waterford, where conditions were bitterly cold.
Ryan, now aged 41, had a long distinguished career as a senior athlete, winning national title on the track, roads and cross-country. In 2000, she ran in the 5000m at the Sydney Olympics. She showed that she had lost none of her class when she finished the 4km course in 14 mins 51 secs, with Sarah Doohan from Sligo second and first W35 in 15 mins 02 secs and Dublin champion Barbara Cleary of Donore third in 15 mins 4 secs.
First W45 was Carmel Crowley of Bandon, who finished eighth overall, one place and four seconds ahead of Tullamore’s Pauline Curley. Riocht’s Niamh O’Sullivan W50, Anne Sullivan of DMP W55 and Leevale’s Carmel Parnell W60 were all adding to their already vast collections of titles. For the W35 team title, Youghal AC pipped Sli Cualann by a single point, with last year’s champions Sportsworld a close third. Cork finished best of the counties. In the W50 age group, DSD came out on top, beating An Riocht and Mayo AC.
Harty, aged 36, has shown consistent good form since winning his first Munster Senior cross-country title in November 2015 and then winning the M35 race at the British and Irish Masters International in Dublin. In 2016, he finished third at the Ballycotton ’10” in March and also third in the Irish Runner 5-Mile in June. Last November, Harty won the M35 title for a second year at the British and Irish Masters International, with the Irish taking the top three places.
After returning only yesterday from a seven-week training stint in Iten, Kenya with Freddy Sittuk, Harty was a comfortable winner today, breaking away with 1500m to go on the tough hilly course Coming second was Riocht’s Tim O’Connor, who was first M40, while third was Tim Twomey of Leevale. In fourth place, Ian Conroy was leading Raheny Shamrock to M35 team victory; the “Shamrocks” made it a team double when they also won the M50 title, led home by Damian Martin. Taking the M50 title was Inishowen’s Pauric McKinney, while winning the M60 title was Martin McDonald of Ballyroan, Abbeyleix and District, who beat previous winner Paul Elliott. In the shorter M65 race, JJ Murphy of Tinryland came hoem first followed by Galway’s Martin McEvilly second and Jim Patterson of Newcastle and District third and first M70.
ABROAD, Sinead Denny of DSD ran 53.73 secs for 400m in Vienna – a second qualifying time for the European Indoors – while Saragh Buggy jumped a personal best 13.08m to finish second in the triple jump at the British Indoor Trials in Sheffield. Also in Sheffield, Gina Akpe-Moses ran 7.47 in the 60m, Pippa Rogan jumpes 1.82 in the high jump, and Adam McMullen jumped 7.51m in the long jump. At the IFAM meet in Ghent, Belgium, Raheny’s Kerian Kelly ran 1:50.64 for the 800m and Eoin Everard 8:07.55 for 3000m.
In the USA, Siofra Cleirigh Buttner off DSD clocked a time of 4 mins 33.16 secs for the mile at Staten Island, New York. On the roads, Fionnuala McCormack of Kilcoole AC finished fifth in the Barcelona Half Marathon with a time of 71 mins 35 secs – less than a minute off her personal best of 70:44 from New York last March. 
Race winner was Florence Kiplagat in 68 mins 15 secs; Kuma Dibaba was second in 69:49.
AT ABBOTSTOWN, the third day of the Dublin Juvenile Indoors was taking place with over 1,200 youngsters competing in over 350 events. With 220 teams signed up, Friday’s relays concluded just shy of midnight.
Peadar McGing of DSD won the M60 competition at the BMAF Pentathlon Championships held in the Lee Valley stadium in London, setting a new Irish record of 3546, and also a new Irish M60 high jump record. In the M40 competition, Kevin Byrne, also DSD, was 3rd with 2855 points – another Irish record. Kevin also set a new Irish M40 60m hurdles record.
Results
Irish Life Health National Masters Cross-Country, Waterford.
Women’s 4km (187 finishers): 1 Rosemary Ryan (Dooneen, W40) 14.51, 2 Sarah Doohan (u/a, W35) 15.02, 3 Barbara Cleary (Donore, W40) 15.04, 4 Lorraine Bolster (Mallow AC, W35) 15.19, 5 Maria McCarthy (Farranfore Maine Valley, W40) 15.24, 6 Karen Costello (Dunleer, W40) 15.41, 7 Adele Walsh (St Senan’s, W40) 15.47, 8 Carmel Crowley (Bandon, W45) 15.52, 9 Pauline Curley (Tullamore Hrs, W45) 15.56, 10 Pamela Howard (Drogheda and Distilled, W35) 16.02. W45: 3 Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham WSAF). W50: 1 Niamh O’Sullivan (Riocht) 16.35, 2 Joan Ennis (Grange Fermoy), 3 Bridie Trearty (Cranford).W55: 1 Ann Sullivan (DMP), 2 Linda Finnegan (DSD), 3 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s). W60: 1 Carmel Parnell (Leevale) 17.21, 2 Christine Kennedy (GCH) 18.01, 3 Pauline Moran (Mayo AC). W65: 1 Margaret Glavey (Mayo AC) , 2 Joan Coyle (DSD), 3 Eileen Kenny (Mullingar Hrs). W70: Kathleen O’Brien (St Catherine’s)
Teams – W35 (19): 1 Youghal AC (13,22,43,57) 135, 2 Sli Cualann (30,34,35,37) 136, 3 Sportsworld (12,19,48,66) 145. W50 (7): 1 DSD (78,86,87,113) 364, 2 An Riocht (25,73,127,176) 401, 3 Mayo AC (41,102,125,138) 406. Counties – W35 (9): 1 Cork (8,11,13,22), 2 Dublin (12,16,17,18), 3 Louth (6,10,24,46). W50 (7): 1 Cork (29.50,89,124), 2 Dublin (69,78,86,104), 3 Kerry (25,73,126,127)
Men’s 7km (200 finishers): 1 Michael Harty (East Cork, M35) 23.24, 2 Tim O’Connor (An Riocht, M40) 23.50, 3 Tim Twomey (Leevale, M35) 23.55, 4 Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrock. M35) 24.06, 5 Barry Shiel (Longford AC, M35) 24.08, 6 Michael Herlihy (North Cork, M35) 24.11, 7 Alan O’Brien (Eagle, M35) 24.13, 8 Peter Mathews DSD, M45) 24.15, 9 Paul Moloney (Mallow, M35) 24.30, 10 Shane O’Neill (Rathfarnham WSAF, M45) 24.35. M40 (52): 2 Craig Brennan (North Sligo) , 3 Eamon McAndrew (North Sligo). M45 (29): 3 Eamon White (North Belfast Hrs). M50 (38): 1 Pauric McKinney (Inishowen) , 2 Mark Gleeson (Nenagh Olympic), 3 Neil Carty ( North Belfast Hrs). M55 (18): 1 Mick Byrne (Sli Cualann), 2 Dave Clarke (North Belfast Hrs) , 3 Ger Moloney (St Paul’s). M60 (13): 1 Martin McDonald (Ballyroan, Abbeyleix and Dust), 2 Paul Elliott (u/a) , 3 Neilus Aherne (Midleton).
Teams – M35 (17): 1 Raheny Shamrock (4,13,19,36) 72, 2 North Sligo AC (16,17,22,38) 93, 3 East Cork (1,11,37,44) 93. M50 (8): 1 Raheny Shamrock (40,56,126,151) 373, 2 Tullamore Harriers (70,84,104.133) 391, 3 United Striders (81,86,119178) 464.
Counties (6)- M35: 1 Cork (,3,6,9,11,25), 2 Dublin (4,8,10,13,19,21), 3 Antrim (12,28,31,39,42,65). M50 (4): 1 Dublin (40.56,77,113,125,126), 2 Offaly (70,84,104,133,158,188), 3 Cork (93,118,122,140,144,148)
M65 4km (16): 1 JJ Murphy (Tinryland) 16.24, 2 Martin McEvilly (GCH) 17.19, 3 Bryan Parkinson (East Cork) 17.53. M70: 1 Jim Patterson (Newcastle and Dist( 17.49, 2 Seam McMullin (Mullingar Hrs) , 3 Richard Mullins (St Abban’s). Counties – Galway.
Donadea 50km (16 2 finishers; www.redtagtiming.com)
Men: Brian McMahon (Cloliffe) 3:11/26; 2 Alex O’Shea (St Finbarr’s, W40) 3:15.08, 3 Raymond Coogan (DBRC, M45) 3:17.52. Women: 1 Louise Smith (Nth Belfast Hrs, W45) 3:51.05, 2 Patricia McLaughlin (Le Cheile,W40) 3:58.01, 3 Charlotte Kearney (Donadea Runners, W35) 4:08.28.
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