Mick Clohisey, representing Irish champions Raheny Shamrock, finished 10th in the senior men’s race at the European Clubs Cross-Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal today.
Clohisey, cheered on by a large group of supporters, clocked a time of 30 mins 40 secs for the twisty, sandy 9.7km course, putting him 37 seconds behind the winner Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italian club Fiamme Oro Pavova. Istanbul BBK from Turkey beat Sporting Club de Portugal for the club honours. Raheny finished 12th.
Best of the Irish in the senior women’s race was Maria McCambridge who led home the Dundrum South Dublin squad in 26th place. Winner was the Kenyan-born Irene Cheptai running for Uskudar Belediye from Turkey who, with a squad of east Africans, also finished first team. With the rest of the team less than a minute behind McCambridge, DSD finished sixth.
In the junior women’s 3.8km race, Sophie Murphy of DSD finished a fighting fifth, just 13 seconds behind Anna Mark Helwigh of the Sparta club in Denmark. With Abi Taylor 13th and Jodie McCann 17th, backed up by Grace Dervan 29th, Roseanne McCullough 31st and Niamh Carey 40th, the team finished fourth behind Bursa Buyuksehir Beledi from Turkey.
Adam O’Brien
in 18th place was best for Clonliffe Harriers in the junior men’s 6.09km race, won by Ramazan Barbaros of Fenerbahce of Turkey. Playas de Castellon from Spain won team gold, depriving Turkey of a clean sweep. Turkey, as medal winners last year (we think), had two teams in each race.
BANTRY’S DARRAGH MCELHINNEY and Amy Rose Farrell of Blackrock improved both men and women’s youth records in the 3000m at the Irish Life Heath Indoor Games at Abbotstown. McIlhinney’s time of 8:18.88 not only broke the indoor record of 8:35.26 set by Shane Hughes in Athlone just over a year ago, but also John Treacy’s outdoor time of 8:20.14, recorded over 42 years ago in July 1974.
Farrell’s time of 9:35.09 saw her coming home over five seconds clear of Ciara Durken from Skerries in the race. Also running in this race was Olympic modern pentathlete Natalya Coyle who finished in 10:49.30.
In the 60m hurdles, Ben Reynolds of North Down comfortably qualified for next month’s European Indoors with a time of 7.77; the standard is 7.80 secs. Just outside that was Ger O’Donnell of Carrick-on-Shannon with 7.88 secs.
Ciara Mageean of UCD had an easy win in the 800m with a time of 2:06.02. Winning the men’s race was John Fitzsimones of Kildare in 1:52.30. Donore’s John Travers beat Kieran Kelly of Raheny to win the 1500m in 3:46.54. Olympic steeplechaser Kerry O’Flaherty from Newcastle AC won the women’s 1500m in 4:16.04, with Emma Mitchell of Queen’s AC second in 4:17.42.
A thrilling women’s 400m race saw Phil Healy of Bandon just holding off DSD’s fast finishing Sinead Denny to win in 53.93 secs; Denny’s time was 53.96 secs. John Kelly of Finn Valley improved his personal best in the shot with a mighty heave of 17.49m – not far off Sean Breathnach’s Irish indoor record of 18.27m set in Athlone last March.
Winning both the 200m in 23.95 secs and her specialist long jump with 6.04m was Sarah McCarthy of Mid-Sutton. Saragh Buggy of St Abban’s stretched her long winning streak in the triple jump winning with a 12.96m indoor personal best. In the men’s long jump. Adam McMullen of Crusaders jumped 7.48m, while winning the women’s high jump with an Irish youth record of 1.80m was Sommer Lecky of Finn Valley.
ALAN O’SHEA and Siobhan O’Doherty were the winners at the John Treacy Dungarvan 10-Mile, where almost 2,000 finished the course. At the Trim 10-Mile, Valdas Dopolskas of Balbriggan and District finished almost a minute ahead of Newcastle’s David O’Flaherty in a time of 51 mins 31 secs. In the women’s race, Olympic marathon woman Breege Connolly beat her North Belfast Harriers clubmate Gladys Ganiel O’Neill.
AT THE 66TH Beppu Oita Mainichi Marathon in Japan, Paul Pollock of Annadale Striders knocked eight seconds of his time from Berlin in 2015 when he finished 18th in 2:15:30. The time qualifies him for the World Championships in London next August. Pollock ran through 10km in 31 mins 7 secs and halfway in 66 mins 7 secs. He faded after the 25km, with his next three 5km “splits” all over 16 minutes. Race winner was local star Kentaro Nakamoto whose time of 2:09.32 was just off the course record.
FIONA SHINE OF Crusaders (pictured) won the fourth and final round of this year’s Meet and Train Women’s Cross-Country League which attracted the biggest numbers ever, plus a number of new clubs and groups (welcome Esker and Waterstone Warriors!).The summer league, which traditionally builds up to the Women’s Mini Marathon in June, starts on Sunday April 2; other dates Sunday April 23 and Wed May 10(tbc). Pics at www.lindie.zenfolio.com
Results
European Clubs Cross-Country Championships, Albufeira, Portugal.
Women – Senior 6.09km (73 finishers): 1 Irene Cheptai (Uskudur Belediye SK TUR) 20.13, 2 Trihas Gebre (Bilbao Atletismo, ESP) 20.40, 3 Esma Aydemir (BBB SK TUR) 20.43, 4 Steph Twell (Aldershot Farnham and Dist, ENG) 20.54. Irish (DSD): 21 Maria McCambridge 22.21, 31 Laura Shaughnessy 22.37, 32 Fiona Clinton 22.39, 35 Sarah Mulligan 22.49, 41 Meghan Ryan 23.12. Teams (15) – 1 Uskudur Belediye SK TUR 26 pts, 2 Bilbao Atletismo ESP 36, 3 Aldershot Farnham and Dist, ENG 43…6 DSD IRL 124.
Junior 3.8km (61 finishers): 1 Anna Mark Helwigh (Sparta AK DAN) 13.29.Irish (DSD): 5 Sophie Murphy 13.41, 13 Abigail Taylor 14.05, 17 Jodie McCann 14.20, 29 Grace Dervan 14.57, 31 Roseanne McCullough 15.09, 40 Niamh Carey 15.37. Teams (12) – 1 Bursa Buyuksekir Belediye SK, TUR) 31, 2 Fenerbahce TUR 32, 3 Sparta DAN 3, 4 DSD IRL.
Men – Senior 9.7km (110 finishers): 1 Yemaneberhan Crippa (Fiamme Oro Padova, ITA) 30.04, 2 Rabah Aboud (SC de Portugal, POR) 30.13, 3 Ayad Lamdassen (Atletismo Bikila, SPA) 30.32. Irish (Raheny Shamrock): 10 Mick Clohisey 30.30, 51 Kevin Dooney 32.26, 61 Mark Kirwan 32.51, 82 John Dunne 33.51, 83 Simon Ryan 34.04, 96 Ian Conroy 34.51. Teams – 1 Istanbul BBSK TUR 37, 2 Sc de Portugal 45, 3 Atletismo Bikila SPA 76…12 Raheny Shamrock 204.
Junior 6.09km (70 finishers) 2 Ramazan Barbaros (Fenerbahce, TUR) 19.10. Irish (Clonliffe Harriers): 18 Adam O’Brien 20.12, 27 Sean O’Leary 20.34, 40 Sean Carrig 21.08, 48 Joseph Hession 21.35, 49 Craig Giles 21.40 57 Alex Gibbonx 22.09. Teams (14) – 1 PLayas de Castellan ESP 33, 2 Fernerbahce TUR 41, 3 Darice Belediyesi SK TUR 69….8 Clonliffe Harriers 133.
John Treacy Dungarvan ’10’ (1,925 finishers; www.myrunresults.com)
Men: 1 Alan O’Shea (Bantry) 50.54, 2 David Mansfield (Clonliffe) 52.40, 3 Trevor Power Waterford) 53.14, 4 Colin Merritt (M45) 53.33, 5 Brian Furey (Rathfarnham WSAF) 53.57, 6 Declan Power (Clonliffe, M45) 54.00.
Women: 1 Siobhan O’Doherty (Borrisokane) 57.1, 2 Jill Hodgins (W40) 58.14, 3 Aoife Cooke (Youghal) 58.30, 4 Barbara Sanchez (Clonliffe Hrs) 58.55, 5 Sally Forristal (St Joseph’s) 62.29, 6 Adele Walsh (St Senan’s, W40) 62.30.
Trim 10-Mile (1,264 finishers; www.popupraces.ie)
Men: 1 Valdas Dopolskas (Balbriggan and District AC) 51.31 , 2 David O’Flaherty (Newcastle and Dist) 52.26, 3 Anthony Flannery (Donore) 54.32, 4 Gary Condon (Sli Cualann, M45) 54.45, 5 Peter Mooney 54.50, Clive Glancy (Tullamore Hrs) 54.58.
Women: 1 Breege Connolly (North Belfast Hrs, W35) 58.25, 2 Gladys Ganiel (NBH, W40) 59.00, 3 Isabel Oakes 61.03, 4 Adrianna Melia (Longford AC) 61.38, 5 Laura McDonnell (Tallaght AC) 63.21, 6 Charlotte Kearney (Donadea RC) 63.31.
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