Barbara Sanchez of Raheny Shamrock won the Copenhagen Marathon today in a time of 2 hrs 41 mins 17 secs. Sanchez made a brave attempt at the London 2012 A mark of 2:37, running through the halfway mark in a personal best of 77 mins 49 at halfway, but ran out of gas in the warm conditions.
Rathfarnham’s Barry Minnock was second of the men in 2:26.50 – just two weeks after running 2 hrs 17 mins 41 secs at the Hanover Marathon. Minnock’s target had been Coperhagen; he had planned to drop out halfway in Hanover, but was feeling so good he kept going.
Sanchez, aged 31, won the 2010 Irish marathon title in Dublin finishing in 2.39.39 but then suffered a series of injuries.
Under the careful guidance of her coach Dick Hooper, she had showed signs of a returning to form in the past few weeks when she won two races in her native France – the P’eau d’Ambares 10k in Bordeaux in 36.12 and a half marathon in Foulees in a time of 78.06.
Her final race before travelling to Denmark was the Terenure 5-Mile, where she ran 29 mins 12 secs.
Sanchez, born in Bordeau of Spanish parents, has lived in Ireland for seven years. Looking for a club where she could meet Irish people and get fit, she asked the advice of a workmate Peggy Traynor. Peggy encouraged her to join Raheny Shamrock Athletics Club, where her husband Mick is a lifelong member.
Sanchez has been a swimmer as a child and, in her early 20s, finished 10th in the French Triathlon Championships. Initially she had no wish to return to the high pressure environment of elite sport, but after the birth of her son Benjamin, found the hunger returning.
As for Barry Minnock, he promises this is the last time he will try running two marathons in a fortnight. On course for victory, he fell apart in the final 4km. “It was carnage today due to high temperatures. Just couldn’t keep it going. No harm done – if I was in Ireland now, I’d be thinking ‘what if?’“
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Fionnuala Britton of Kilcoole AC ran a personal best time of 8 mins 55.01 secs in a mixed 3000m race at the Woodie’s DIY AAI Games in Santry. Annadale’s Eddie McGinley won the race in 8:24.74.
A day after his sprint double at the Aviva Leinster Schools, Marcus Lawlor of St.Laurence O’Toole improved on his own Irish youth’s record when he ran 21.42 in the 200m; also the B standard for the World Juniors. Another world juniors B standard came in the 800m won by Dean Cronin of Blarney/Inniscara in 1:50.64.
Catherine McManus of DCH Celtic set a personal best of 13.88 in the 100m hrudles, beaating Emerald’s Sarah Lavin.
Sprinter Jason Smyth of City of Derry was just two-hundredths of a second off his personal best when he ran 10.24 (+1.5w) in the 100m at the NTC Classic Field and Meet, Clermont, Florida.
At the Loughborough International, Ferrybank’s Thomas Barr won the 400m hurdles in 51.85; sister Jessie was second in the women’s 400m hurdles in 57.38. Claire Bergin of DSD ran a personal best 53.66 to finish second in the 400m; Marian Heffernan was sixth in 54.95.
* Kelly Proper of Ferrybank pulled out of the Springer Meeting in Germany with a slight niggle. DSD’s David Gillick makes his season’s debut on June 2 in Geneva.
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Dubliner Robin Bryson, a former over 40 world champion, finished sixth in the over 50 class at the World Master’s Mountain Running Championships in Buhlertal, near Stuttgart in Germany yesterday. A record 1,013 from 31 countries took part in the championships, held on a 9.4km uphill course.
Matthias Hecktor of Germany led home the race in 42 minutes 9 seconds; over four minutes behind and best of the Irish was many times Irish international Neil Carty of North Belfast Harriers. Bryson, who is based in Donegal, was second of the Irish in 47 mins 29 secs.
Fastets of the Irish women was Karen O’Hanlon of Dunboyne who finished eighth W40 in 55 mins 17 secs and with Rathfarnham pair Vanessa Sallier and Zoe Melling and Deirdre Fitzsimons of Dunboyne took team bronze. Helen White finished sixth in the W45 class in 56 mins 52 secs, followed by Anne Sandford of Newcastle 20th and Bilboa’s Patrici Blackburn 35, with the team taking silver.
Former W50 champion Mags Greenan of Clonliffe finished sixth this time.
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Paul Tierney, holder of the record for the Wicklow Way, completed the Bob Graham Round in England’s Lake District on May 18. Tierney took 17 hours 59 minutes to complete this classic 74-mile round of 42 peaks and 28,500ft of climb, including such renowned peaks as Skiddaw and Scafell. He started from Moot Hall in Keswick at 2am and finished around 8pm. “Hardest event I’ve ever taken part in, but glad to have seen the real Lake District from a height!” he said.
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Fionnuala Britton of Kilcoole AC ran a personal best time of 8 mins 55.01 secs in a mixed 3000m race at the Woodie’s DIY AAI Games in Santry. Annadale’s Eddie McGinley won the race in 8:24.74.
A day after his sprint double at the Aviva Leinster Schools, Marcus Lawlor of St.Laurence O’Toole improved on his own Irish youth’s record when he ran 21.42 in the 200m; also the B standard for the World Juniors. Another world juniors B standard came in the 800m won by Dean Cronin of Blarney/Inniscara in 1:50.64.
Catherine McManus of DCH Celtic set a personal best of 13.88 in the 100m hrudles, beaating Emerald’s Sarah Lavin.
Sprinter Jason Smyth of City of Derry was just two-hundredths of a second off his personal best when he ran 10.24 (+1.5w) in the 100m at the NTC Classic Field and Meet, Clermont, Florida.
At the Loughborough International, Ferrybank’s Thomas Barr won the 400m hurdles in 51.85; sister Jessie was second in the women’s 400m hurdles in 57.38. Claire Bergin of DSD ran a personal best 53.66 to finish second in the 400m; Marian Heffernan was sixth in 54.95.
* Kelly Proper of Ferrybank pulled out of the Springer Meeting in Germany with a slight niggle. DSD’s David Gillick makes his season’s debut on June 2 in Geneva.
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Dubliner Robin Bryson, a former over 40 world champion, finished sixth in the over 50 class at the World Master’s Mountain Running Championships in Buhlertal, near Stuttgart in Germany yesterday. A record 1,013 from 31 countries took part in the championships, held on a 9.4km uphill course.
Matthias Hecktor of Germany led home the race in 42 minutes 9 seconds; over four minutes behind and best of the Irish was many times Irish international Neil Carty of North Belfast Harriers. Bryson, who is based in Donegal, was second of the Irish in 47 mins 29 secs.
Fastets of the Irish women was Karen O’Hanlon of Dunboyne who finished eighth W40 in 55 mins 17 secs and with Rathfarnham pair Vanessa Sallier and Zoe Melling and Deirdre Fitzsimons of Dunboyne took team bronze. Helen White finished sixth in the W45 class in 56 mins 52 secs, followed by Anne Sandford of Newcastle 20th and Bilboa’s Patrici Blackburn 35, with the team taking silver.
Former W50 champion Mags Greenan of Clonliffe finished sixth this time.
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Paul Tierney, holder of the record for the Wicklow Way, completed the Bob Graham Round in England’s Lake District on May 18. Tierney took 17 hours 59 minutes to complete this classic 74-mile round of 42 peaks and 28,500ft of climb, including such renowned peaks as Skiddaw and Scafell. He started from Moot Hall in Keswick at 2am and finished around 8pm. “Hardest event I’ve ever taken part in, but glad to have seen the real Lake District from a height!” he said.
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