Derry’s Declan Reed successfully defended his men’s title at the Glo Health Masters Cross-Country Championships held in Tuam, Co Galway. Reed was chased hard by Letterkenny’s Ciaran Doherty who is back in top form this season. He finished in 23 mins 15 secs, with Doherty just four seconds behind for second. Dublin champion John Dunne of Donore was third for a second year in 23.49 and had the consolation of leading Donore to team victory.
A surprise winner of the women’s race was Letterkenny’s Natasha Adams, with the ageless Pauline Curley of Tullamore the runner-up and Cathy McCourt of North Belfast Harriers third. Finn Valley won the team prize by just three points from Galway City Harriers. Defending champion Maria McCarthy opted for the longer inter women’s 5km and helped Kerry to country team victory.
Winner of the men’s intermediate title was Liam Brady of Tullamore, who beat Darragh Rennicks of Bohermeen and Conor Duffy of Glaslough in the men’s race. In fourth place, Ben Thistlewood, who had competed in the Intervarsity Indoors two days earlier, was leading Leevale to team victory. Danielle Fagan of Armagh, winner of the national novice title last December, won the women’s intermediate title, with Mary Ann O’Sullivan of Tinryland second and Corran’s Sarah Doohan third. Liffey Valley took the team title on countback from Crusaders. 
CLONLIFFE’S Declan Murray and Gerard O’Donnell of Carrick-on-Shannon have both made the qualification standards for the European Indoor in Prague next month.
At the IFAN Meet in Belgium, O’Donnell ran a personal best of 7.73 secs to win the 60m hurdles final; inside the 7.78 secs time he needed to make the team for Prague. O’Donnell only broke eight seconds for the first time last week. Sarah Lavin finished eighth in the women’s 60m hurdles, while Danny Mooney was third in the 1500m (results below). In the USA, Murray ran 1 mins 48.32 secs for the 800m at the Boston University Scarlet and White Invitational. The qualifying standards for Prague is 1.48.50. Next up for Murray is the 1000m at the Millrose Games. where he hopes to break the Irish record.
Also qualifying for Prague is Tori Pena, who added a centimetre to her own 2012 Irish record when she soared over 4.46m in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pena narrowly missed the next height of 4.52m.
IN BOSTON, the women’s distance medley relay team of Claire Tarplee, Christine McMahon, Katie Kirk and Ciara Mageean finished third at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in a time of 11 mins 03.07 secs. Team New Balance won the race in in 10 mins 42.57 secs.
GARY MURRAY of St Malachy’s finished a fighting third at the Wokingham Half Marathon in England. His time of 64 mins 40 secs was a personal best and saw him finish just behind Paula Martelletti in 64 mins 18 secs and Phil Wicks in 63:33. Murray who turned 35 a few weeks ago, is recovering from achilles tendon surgery. In the years 2006 and 2007, he won the Irish 5000m at Santry and a year later took the national intercounty cross-country title. Last year, he slowly but surely began a comeback, and by September was strong enough to win both the Waterside Half Marathon and the Bangor 10km. In October, he finished a fighting tenth against a quality field at the Athletics Ireland Cross-Country Open in the Phoenix Park.
MARTIN FAGAN of Mullingar won the 10th Enniscorthy 10km in a time of 29 mins 40 secs as his build-up to the Rotterdam Marathon continues. Over a minute behind was Clonliffe’s Sergiu Ciobanu in second place, with Clonmel’s Kevin Maunsell a close third. First woman was Kilmore’s Jackie Carthy. Close to 600 finished the race.
AT THE BRITISH Cross Challenge in Milton Keynes, Kevin Mulcaire of Ennis TC was a comfortable winner of the U20 men’s race. His time of 30 mins 40 secs gave him a fourteen second margin over second placed Lolo Hughes of Menai T-F. Isabel Carron of Skerries finished second in the girls’ U17 race behind Heidi Davis of Brecon, who clocked a time of 18 mins 26 secs. Carron finished in 18:39.
RECORDS were smashed at Parkrun Ireland on Saturday with a total of 3,587 running one of the 25 events on offer. Biggest was Marlay with 602, followed by Malahide 420 and St Anne’s 279. The fact that all three take place in parks with decent coffee shops we don’t think is a coincidence. Up North, there were 2,180 runners and Ormeau the most popular with 258 finishers. That’s a total on this island of 5,767 – the best things in life (and running!) clearly are free! PS: Well done to Matt Shields “Mr Parkrun Ireland” on his M60 victory at National Masters Cross-Country.
Sunday February 8
Glo Health National Inter and Masters Cross-Country, Palace Grounds, Tuam. Full result www.athleticsireland.ie
Master women 4km (140): 1 Natasha Adams (Letterkenny, W35) 15.34, 2 Pauline Curley (Tullamore Hrs, W45) 15.40, 3 Cathy McCourt (Beechmount Hrs, W40) 15.50, 4 Paula Grant (Portlaoise), W40) 15.55, 5 Fionnuala Diver (Letterkenny, W35) 15.55, 6 Elizabeth Egan (Bree, W35) 15.58, 7 Carmel Crowley (Bandon, W45) 16.03, 8 Caitriona Devine (Finn Valley,W40) 16.13, 9 Niamh O’Sullivan (Riocht, W50) 16.20, 10 Evelyn Cashman (Youghal, W40) 16.22. W45: 3 Kim Hickey (Donore). W45: 3 Jacqueline McGinley (City of Derry). W50: 2 Kay Byrne (Finn Valley) 16.45, 3 Sharon Cahill (Riocht). W55: 1 Carmel Parnell (Leevale) 16.48, 2 Lucy Brennan (Sligo) 17.05, 3 Sheelagh Jones (DSD) 17.49 . W60: 1 Carmel Mac Domhnaill (W Limerick) , 2 Mary Galvin (Tullamore Hrs) , 3 Brigid McCabe ( Tullamore Hrs). W65: 1 Margaret Glavey (Mayo), 2 Phyllis Browne (Star of the Sea) , 3 June Cominskey (Raheny Shamrock). Teams – W35 (16): 1 Finn Valley 77, 2 Galway City Harriers 80, 3 Donore Hrs 145, 4 Mallow 154, 5 Ennis TC 180, 6 Tullamore Hrs 198. County – 1 Donegal 34, 2 Galway 80, 3 Cork 82. W50: 1 Mullingar Hrs 401, 2 Tullamore Hrs 417, 3 Galway City Harriers 427. County – 1 Cork 231, 2 Donegal 315, 3 Dublin 332.
Men’s M35-60 7000m (223 finishers) : 1 Declan Reed (City of Derry, M40) 23.15, 2 Ciaran Doherty (Letterkenny, M40) 23.19, 3 John Dunne (Donore, M35) 23.49, 4 Tim O’Connor (Riocht, M35) 23.52, 5 Tim Twomey (Leevale, M35) 23.54, 6 Mick Traynor (Raheny, M50) 23.57, 7 Peter Mathews (DSD, M45) 23.59, 8 Stuart Moloney (Mooreabbey Milers, M35) 24.00, 9 Noel Berkeley (DSD, M50) 24.00, 10 Matt Bidwell (GCH, M40) 24.05. M45: 2 Tony Reilly (Ballyroan, Abbeyleix), 3 Eamonn White (NBH) . M50: 3 Mick Byrne (Sli Cualann) . M55: 1 Martin McDonald (Ballyroan Abbeyleix) , 2 Eugene Moynihan (Marian), 3 Chris Keeling (Balbriggan). M60: 1 Matt Shields (NBH), 2 Paul Elliott (NBH), 3 John Cullen ( Liffey Valley) . M65 (short course) 1 Martin McEvilly (GCH) 16.21, 2 Pat Timmons (Raheny Shamrock) 17.23, 3 Tom Hunt ((Mayo) 17.39. M70: 1 Pat Healy (Portmarnock) 18.50, 2 Terry Mee ((Donore) 19.09, 3 Pat Bonass (Clonliffe) 19.24. M75: 1 Jim McNamara (Donore) 19.45, 2 Roger Rushe (Tuam) 21.21, 3 Joseph Maguire (Donore) 21.24. M35 Teams (21)– 1 Donore 93, 2 North Belfast Harriers 115, 3 Letterkenny 131, 4 DSD 142, 5 Leevale 155, 6 Sligo 185. County (10) – 1 Dublin 87, 2 Cork 170, 3 Donegal 212. M50: 1 Tullamore Hrs 402, 2 Raheny Shamrock 426, 3 Liffey Valley 497. Country – 1 Dublin 481, 2 Clare 943, 3 Cork 995,
Inter women’s 5km (55 finishers): 1 Danielle Fegan (Armagh) 19.10, 2 Mary Ann O’Sullivan (Tinryland) 19.15, 3 Sarah Doohan (Corran) 19.21, 4 Caroline Crowley (Crusaders) 10.27, 5 Shona Heaslip (Riocht) 19.36, 6 Adrianna Melia (Longford) 19.58, 7 Maria McCarthy (Farranfore MV) 19.58, 8 Jane Ann Healy (Athenry) 20.05. Teams (5) – 1 Liffey Valley 90, 2 Crusaders 90, 3 Galway City Hrs 106. Counties (5) – 1 Kerry 44, 2 Dublin 47, 3 Galway 68.
Inter men’s 8km (76 finishers) : 1 Liam Brady (Tullamore Hrs) 26.3, 2 Darragh Rennicks (Bohermeen) 26.52, 3 Conor Duffy (Glaslough) 26.57, 4 Ben Thistlewood (Leevale) 7.10, 5 David Scanlon (Rathfarnham WSAF) 27.13, 6 Thomas Moran (Dunshaughlin) 27.16, 7 Niall McCormack (Clonmel) 27.18, 8 Michael Harty (E Cork) 27.26. Teams (10) – 1 Leevale 57, 2 Rathfarnham WSAF 108, 3 Crusaders 110. County (3) – 1 Dublin 81, 2 Cork 84, 3 Offaly 296.
10th Enniscorthy 10km (587 finishers; www.redtagtiming.net)
Men: 1 Martin Fagan ( Mullingar Hrs) 29.40, 2 Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe) 30.50, 3 Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) 30.53, 4 Stephen Lawlor ( St Abban’s) 33.02, 45 Ger Forde (Rathfarnham WSAF, M40) 33.9, 6 Gary Condon (Sli Cualann, M40) 33.57. M40: 3 Tommy McElwaine (SBR) 34.21. M50: 1 Tommy Payne (Tinryland) 35.08, 2 Kevin Murphy (Slaney Oly) 36.20, 3 Eddie Walsh (Tinryland) 37.04.
Women: 1 Jackie Carthy (Kilmore, W40) 37.25, 2 Maria Dolan (Rathfarnham WSAF , W40) 38.13, 3 Annaleigh Hore (Kilmore) 38.34, 4 Sally Forristal (St Joseph’s) 39.42, 5 Lorraine Nolan (Rathfarnham WSAF) 40.11, 6 Suzanne Foot (Sli Cualann, W40)) 40.12. W50: 1 Ann Sullivan (DMP) 41.09.
Tom Walsh Memorial 10km, Caherconlish/Caherline Community Games, Co Limerick,
Men: 1 Kevin Danaher, Rathfarnham, 33.30, 2 J Caesar, Kilmurry/Ibrickane 33.39, 3 P Fitzgerald, Limerick, 33.50. Women: 1 Cushla Hehir, Rathfarnham, 38.39, 2 D Ryan, Dundrum 39.10, 3 A McPhail, Dooneen 39.50.
Women’s Meet and Train C-C League (2 mile) Rd 3, Swords
1 Aisling Carroll ( Fingallians) 12.30, 2 Claire Ni Fhaircheallaigh (Dunboyne A) 12.33, 3 Ailish Pender (Fingallians A) 12.39, 4 Catherine Bennett (Fingallians A) 13.07, 5 Geraldine Clements (Crusaders A) 13.32, 6 Jen Carpenter (Clonliffe A) 13.36.
Hills: Munster Spring League, Clonakility Trail (10km, 300m). www.imra.ie
Men: 1 Tom Blackburn (Mooreabbey Milers, M40) 26.46, 2 Patryk Zajac 27.28, 3 John Lynch (Tracton) 27.29. Women: 1 Linda Cussen 33.12, 2 Michelle O’Regan 34.27, 3 Geraldine O’Sullivan (Bantry, M50) 34.35.
Saturday February 7
IFAN Meet, Belgium; Irish Results –
Men – 60m H: 1 Gerard O’Donnell 7.73 (PB). 400m H: Paul Byrne 52.81 (PB). 1500m: 3 Danny Mooney 3:41.1, 5 Joe Warne 3:43.6. 3000m: 9 Conor Bradley 8:10.71. Women – 60m H: 8 Sarah Lavin 8.39. 1500m: 7 Sarah Treacy 4:16.3.
NCF BHAA Cross-Country, Swords (www.bhaa.ie)
Men: 1 Emmett Dunleavy ( Perfect Pacing) 25.03, 2 Tomasz Gagola (Aer Lingus) 27.29, 3 Nial Gorham ( B of I, M35) 27.35. Women: 1 Karen McDonnell (Gardai, W35) 15.58, 2 Angie McElligott (REM, W35) 16.02, 3 Rebecca Carolan (W40) 16.08.
Anne Valley 5 Mile, Dunhill Co Waterford
Men: 1 T Power 26:35; 2 N Murphy 27:19; 3 F Quinlan 27:52; all Waterford AC. Women: 1 Ó Murray ( Ferrybank ) 30:27; 2 M Savage (Waterford ) 32:51; 3 D Behan (Waterford)34:08.
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