Annadale’s Paul Pollock ran a time of 28 mins 32.18 secs at the Payton Jordon Invitational Meeting in California today – comfortably inside the European Track and Field Championships qualifying time of 28 mins 35 secs and just outside Dermot Donnelly’s Northern Ireland record. Pollock also has a marathon qualifying time for the Europeans.
Also competing over 10,000m in California were Leevale’s Mark Hanrahan and Shane Quinn of Ferrybank who finished 18the and 19th in a B race. Hanrahan recorded a personal best 29:33.80 with Quinn just behind in 29:36.24. In the steeplechase, Kerry Harty of Newcastle AC finished eighth in the women’s race in in 10:10.28 while Dunleer’s Tomas Cotter was seventh of the men in 8:44.15.
At the LSU Invitational, Clonmel’s Sean Tobin won the 800m in 1:48.79. Tobin ran a personal best for the distance of 1:47.99 last month.
For Freddy Sittuk who won today’s Deep River Rock Belfast Marathon in a time of 2 hrs 18 mins 30 secs, it was third time lucky. The Kenyan finished fifth in 2012 and third last year.
Sittuk broke clear at 18 miles and went on to finish over three minutes ahead of last year’s winner Joel Kipsang who finished in 2:21.40 with another Kenyan Hilary Kipsang 28 seconds behind for third. Last year, Kipsang won in 2:19.30.
Joe McAlister of St Malachy’s was the first local finisher in 2:33.09.
Ethiopian Bayrush Shiferaw was first woman in 2:41.20 – 12 minutes ahead of Scotland’s Shona Crombie-Hicks with Karen Alexander of Sperrin Harriers ducking under three hours to finish third in 2 hrs 58 mins.
Kildare man Patrick Monahan knocked chunks off his personal best when winning the wheelchair race in a brilliant time of 2:06.21. That’s over 32 minutes off the time Monahan set on his marathon debut in Dublin last autumn when he finished third. A car crash six years ago confined Monahan to a wheelchair; he only started to compete last autumn.
In total, over 19,000 people took part in today’s event including over 11,000 in the team relay events.
CAOIMHE KING of Westport improved her own Irish U23 triple jump record whne finishing second in the women’s titple jump at the British University Championships Her jump of 12.75m added over 20 cm to her previous best. Christine McMahon of Ballymena and Antrim finished second in the 400m hurdles in 53.23 seconds; she had clocked 59.09 secs in the heats. Nessa Millett of St Abban’s was fourth in 60.54.
KEVIN ENGLISH and Orna Dilworth were the winners at the ARC 10km held over a very tough course in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
Monday May 5
ARC 10km, Phoenix Park (380 finishers; www.precisiontiming.net)
Men: 1 Kevin English (Donore) 35.08, 2 Eoin Brennan (Tallaght) 35.20, 3 Keith Downey (Skerries AC) 36.05. Women: 1 Orna Dilworth (Sportsworld) 40.12, 2 Emma Donlon (MSB) 40.42, 3 Sonya Reilly (Bohermeen) 41.29.
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