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Club News 21 July 2019
AAI National League Final
Last Saturday saw some of our athletes in action when representing the county team at the AAI National League final in Tullamore.
Conditions on the day suited the athletes with little or no wind and the temperature didn't rise too much which helped the distance runners in the 5K event.
Young Moya McCabe ran well to finish 5th in the 100m Hurdles in 19:25, picking up some valuable points for her county along the way.
Also finishing 5th was Abigail Tegart who put the hard work in mid race when the going got tough in her 3000m and her time of 10:57:36 shows that she's in good shape.
Thanks to the efforts of some of our members in the National League our Women's team finished just 4 points off getting the bronze medals in the Premier Division.
In Division 1 of the Men's league, Andrew Kelly continued his run of good form when finishing 2nd in his 200m in 23:31, while Cormac Canning was 7th in the 1500m in 4:27:81.
Shane Larkin having gotten a late call up for the team secured valuable points for the county team with his 6th place finish in the 5000m in 17:59:58.
In the Men's 4x400m relay, Tom Cummins and Andrew Kelly both ran well with the team just losing out on third place.
Our Men's team went on to finish 6th in the league rankings against some quality opposition and many of our younger athletes gained valuable experience of what track racing is all about.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly continued his dominance of this challenging 5K cross country course when winning in 18:47, with new member Luke Judge running a new PB time of 18:53 when finishing 4th overall.
David Thornton was 29th in 24:26, while Paul McArdle was 88th in 35:25.
For our ladies, first across the line in 22nd spot was Evelyn Garland in a new PB time of 23:22, followed by Michele McCullough in 28th spot in 24:09, while Audrey Corcoran was 107th in 46:47.
B-5 Bettystown 5 Mile
A large group of our members made the short trip to Bettystown for the Cilles AC 5 Mile road race which took place in warm conditions last Tuesday evening.
This excellently organised event attracted a quality field of over 700 athletes on the night and the whole event ran like clockwork thanks to the dedication of it's members.
Our Men's team of Brian Martin (6th in 27:37), Ruaidhri Nolan (10th in 28:23) and Martin Russell (28th in 30:44) combined well to win the team category.
Category prize winners included John Cooper whose in flying form at the moment and his time of 30:52 shows that all's going well in training, while Paul Reilly ran well to finish 2nd in category in 32:58.
Also running well was Giancarlo Orlandi who was 106th in 35:37 and Yann Mahuet who finished 111th in 36:02.
Not to be outdone by our men, our ladies team of Ciara O'Reilly (56th in 32:52), Pamela Howard (60th in 33:02) and Yasmin Canning (68th in 33:50) packed well to win the ladies team category to take home the Peggy Faulkner cup.
Category prize winners included Ciara O'Reilly, Yasmin Canning and Nuala Reilly.
Also running well were Karen Delaney who was 119th in 36:20, while Yvonne McMahon was 148th in 37:22, followed by Sinead Weldon in 164th place in 37:46.
The following evening at the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting in Irishtown, Hugh Callan produced a solid run to finish 6th in his 800m B1 race in 2:09:44.
Further afield, at the Oldcastle 5K, prolific racers Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney were burning up the roads on their way to winning their respective categories at this popular local race.
Cooney finished 65th overall in a lively 21:49, while Reilly was 97th overall in 23:22.
Irish Runner 10 Mile
With the Dublin Marathon getting closer by the week, some of our intending participants were checking out their form by testing themselves in the Irish Runner 10 Mile in the Phoenix Park.
Brian Martin showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when finishing 22nd overall in a noteworthy 55:57 on what is not an easy course to run and his marathon preparation looks to be going well.
Our next finisher in 69th place was Colm Reilly in 1:01:37 and there's more to come from him when the training effect of the longer miles bears fruit over the next few months.
Nuala Reilly continues to defy all logic when running an eye opening 1:16:46 and her ability to race so often says a lot about the consistency of her training.
Linda Cruise was 522nd with her run of 1:24:07, while Anna Ryan was further back with 1:49:31.
All Ireland B Championships
Last Sunday saw the All Ireland B under age Championships take place in Tullamore where Ciara O'Connor ran a PB of 2:02 in the Girls U12 600m when finishing 10th overall against some good class opposition.
Next up was Oliver Adamiak in the Boys U12 600m and he too ran a fine PB time of 1:54 when finishing 5th in a keenly contested race.
Tadhg Gogarty ran in the Boys U13 600m, running a new PB time of 2:03, all three will be in action again next Saturday at the Setanta games which take place in the Lourdes Stadium.
Last Saturday saw some of our athletes in action when representing the county team at the AAI National League final in Tullamore.
Conditions on the day suited the athletes with little or no wind and the temperature didn't rise too much which helped the distance runners in the 5K event.
Young Moya McCabe ran well to finish 5th in the 100m Hurdles in 19:25, picking up some valuable points for her county along the way.
Also finishing 5th was Abigail Tegart who put the hard work in mid race when the going got tough in her 3000m and her time of 10:57:36 shows that she's in good shape.
Thanks to the efforts of some of our members in the National League our Women's team finished just 4 points off getting the bronze medals in the Premier Division.
In Division 1 of the Men's league, Andrew Kelly continued his run of good form when finishing 2nd in his 200m in 23:31, while Cormac Canning was 7th in the 1500m in 4:27:81.
Shane Larkin having gotten a late call up for the team secured valuable points for the county team with his 6th place finish in the 5000m in 17:59:58.
In the Men's 4x400m relay, Tom Cummins and Andrew Kelly both ran well with the team just losing out on third place.
Our Men's team went on to finish 6th in the league rankings against some quality opposition and many of our younger athletes gained valuable experience of what track racing is all about.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly continued his dominance of this challenging 5K cross country course when winning in 18:47, with new member Luke Judge running a new PB time of 18:53 when finishing 4th overall.
David Thornton was 29th in 24:26, while Paul McArdle was 88th in 35:25.
For our ladies, first across the line in 22nd spot was Evelyn Garland in a new PB time of 23:22, followed by Michele McCullough in 28th spot in 24:09, while Audrey Corcoran was 107th in 46:47.
B-5 Bettystown 5 Mile
A large group of our members made the short trip to Bettystown for the Cilles AC 5 Mile road race which took place in warm conditions last Tuesday evening.
This excellently organised event attracted a quality field of over 700 athletes on the night and the whole event ran like clockwork thanks to the dedication of it's members.
Our Men's team of Brian Martin (6th in 27:37), Ruaidhri Nolan (10th in 28:23) and Martin Russell (28th in 30:44) combined well to win the team category.
Category prize winners included John Cooper whose in flying form at the moment and his time of 30:52 shows that all's going well in training, while Paul Reilly ran well to finish 2nd in category in 32:58.
Also running well was Giancarlo Orlandi who was 106th in 35:37 and Yann Mahuet who finished 111th in 36:02.
Not to be outdone by our men, our ladies team of Ciara O'Reilly (56th in 32:52), Pamela Howard (60th in 33:02) and Yasmin Canning (68th in 33:50) packed well to win the ladies team category to take home the Peggy Faulkner cup.
Category prize winners included Ciara O'Reilly, Yasmin Canning and Nuala Reilly.
Also running well were Karen Delaney who was 119th in 36:20, while Yvonne McMahon was 148th in 37:22, followed by Sinead Weldon in 164th place in 37:46.
The following evening at the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting in Irishtown, Hugh Callan produced a solid run to finish 6th in his 800m B1 race in 2:09:44.
Further afield, at the Oldcastle 5K, prolific racers Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney were burning up the roads on their way to winning their respective categories at this popular local race.
Cooney finished 65th overall in a lively 21:49, while Reilly was 97th overall in 23:22.
Irish Runner 10 Mile
With the Dublin Marathon getting closer by the week, some of our intending participants were checking out their form by testing themselves in the Irish Runner 10 Mile in the Phoenix Park.
Brian Martin showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when finishing 22nd overall in a noteworthy 55:57 on what is not an easy course to run and his marathon preparation looks to be going well.
Our next finisher in 69th place was Colm Reilly in 1:01:37 and there's more to come from him when the training effect of the longer miles bears fruit over the next few months.
Nuala Reilly continues to defy all logic when running an eye opening 1:16:46 and her ability to race so often says a lot about the consistency of her training.
Linda Cruise was 522nd with her run of 1:24:07, while Anna Ryan was further back with 1:49:31.
All Ireland B Championships
Last Sunday saw the All Ireland B under age Championships take place in Tullamore where Ciara O'Connor ran a PB of 2:02 in the Girls U12 600m when finishing 10th overall against some good class opposition.
Next up was Oliver Adamiak in the Boys U12 600m and he too ran a fine PB time of 1:54 when finishing 5th in a keenly contested race.
Tadhg Gogarty ran in the Boys U13 600m, running a new PB time of 2:03, all three will be in action again next Saturday at the Setanta games which take place in the Lourdes Stadium.
Club News 30 June 2019
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting
Last Wednesday saw three of our members travel to Tallaght Stadium for the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting which was held in very favourable conditions on this tartan track.
Paddy Kelly, one of our newer members who's based in Mullingar gave a glimpse of his potential when finishing second in his B1 800m race in a swift 2:06:68 and he'll be targeting his season towards the European Masters Championships which take place in Venice in September.
In the Men's C2 800m, Hugh Callan went one better when winning his race in 2:14:82 and he looks to be coming into good form with the National Masters Championships only weeks away.
Also running in the same race was Cillian Dyas who finished fourth in 2:18:51 and a few more races will see his times drop considerably.
Clonee 10k
Meanwhile, taking to the roads at last Thursday's Clonee 10K road race which was held in hot and humid conditions were some of our road racing crew.
Aonghus O'Connor was our first finisher in 40th spot in 39:12 which was decent running over this far from flat course.
Next across the line was the ever consistent Conor Cooney who kept an eye on his nearest rivals when finishing 2nd in category and 118th overall in a solid 44:41.
Also placing 2nd in category was Karen Delaney who ran well to finish in 46:39, while Nuala Reilly delivered the goods to win her category in 47:22.
Gerard Fay also ran and placed 284th in 56:31.
Kilcock 5k
The following evening, over in Kilcock, a quality field of over 600 athletes were taking part in the St. Coca's A.C. 5K road race.
The nature of this course, with it's narrow country roads seems to help keep the pace up and this year's race was no exception with Conor Dooney from Raheny A.C. winning in a fast 14:13.
The 'Pocket Rocket' Shane Larkin was our first finisher in 31st place in 16:34 and such was the standard in his category that Larkin could only finish fourth against some top class opposition.
Colm Reilly was our next finisher in 53rd spot in a lively 16:55 and things look to be going well for Reilly at the moment.
John Reilly showed how much his running has improved since breaking 18 minutes for the first time last summer when he clocked an impressive 17:46 when finishing 3rd in category and 81st overall.
Reilly's training partner John Cooper was well rewarded for his consistency in training when he crossed the line in a useful 18:15, while Paddy Murphy just dipped under the 19 minute mark with his 18:59 clocking placing him 133rd overall.
Gerard Fay stepped down in distance to run the course in 23:26.
Well done to David Walsh on his 6th place finish in 17:15 at the Paddy Cheshire Memorial 5K in Dundalk last Saturday.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly made it three wins in three weeks when he romped home in 17:48, with new member Luke Judge running well to finish 4th in an eye opening 19:25.
Francis Murray also dipped under the 20 minute mark when finishing 5th in 19:56.
Michele McCullough ran a new PB time of 24:17 when finishing 28th, followed by Evelyn Garland who was 29th in 24:20 and Linda Bowe was 52nd in 27:21.
Northern Ireland Masters Track Championships
Meanwhile, up at the Mary Peters track in Belfast, some of our Sprint group members were amassing quite a haul of medals at the Northern Ireland Masters Track Championships.
Local firefighter Karl Carton's feet must have been on fire as he scorched round the track to do a rare sprint treble when winning his category in the 100m/200m/400m.
Frank Cruise wasn't far behind in the medal stakes as he recorded wins in the 100m and the 400m and also picked up a silver medal in the 200m.
Sprint group coach Gerry O'Connor got the gold in a hotly contested 400m in a solid 1:01, while Andrea McCabe was second in the 100m and later in the day got the bronze in the 200m.
Last Wednesday saw three of our members travel to Tallaght Stadium for the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting which was held in very favourable conditions on this tartan track.
Paddy Kelly, one of our newer members who's based in Mullingar gave a glimpse of his potential when finishing second in his B1 800m race in a swift 2:06:68 and he'll be targeting his season towards the European Masters Championships which take place in Venice in September.
In the Men's C2 800m, Hugh Callan went one better when winning his race in 2:14:82 and he looks to be coming into good form with the National Masters Championships only weeks away.
Also running in the same race was Cillian Dyas who finished fourth in 2:18:51 and a few more races will see his times drop considerably.
Clonee 10k
Meanwhile, taking to the roads at last Thursday's Clonee 10K road race which was held in hot and humid conditions were some of our road racing crew.
Aonghus O'Connor was our first finisher in 40th spot in 39:12 which was decent running over this far from flat course.
Next across the line was the ever consistent Conor Cooney who kept an eye on his nearest rivals when finishing 2nd in category and 118th overall in a solid 44:41.
Also placing 2nd in category was Karen Delaney who ran well to finish in 46:39, while Nuala Reilly delivered the goods to win her category in 47:22.
Gerard Fay also ran and placed 284th in 56:31.
Kilcock 5k
The following evening, over in Kilcock, a quality field of over 600 athletes were taking part in the St. Coca's A.C. 5K road race.
The nature of this course, with it's narrow country roads seems to help keep the pace up and this year's race was no exception with Conor Dooney from Raheny A.C. winning in a fast 14:13.
The 'Pocket Rocket' Shane Larkin was our first finisher in 31st place in 16:34 and such was the standard in his category that Larkin could only finish fourth against some top class opposition.
Colm Reilly was our next finisher in 53rd spot in a lively 16:55 and things look to be going well for Reilly at the moment.
John Reilly showed how much his running has improved since breaking 18 minutes for the first time last summer when he clocked an impressive 17:46 when finishing 3rd in category and 81st overall.
Reilly's training partner John Cooper was well rewarded for his consistency in training when he crossed the line in a useful 18:15, while Paddy Murphy just dipped under the 19 minute mark with his 18:59 clocking placing him 133rd overall.
Gerard Fay stepped down in distance to run the course in 23:26.
Well done to David Walsh on his 6th place finish in 17:15 at the Paddy Cheshire Memorial 5K in Dundalk last Saturday.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly made it three wins in three weeks when he romped home in 17:48, with new member Luke Judge running well to finish 4th in an eye opening 19:25.
Francis Murray also dipped under the 20 minute mark when finishing 5th in 19:56.
Michele McCullough ran a new PB time of 24:17 when finishing 28th, followed by Evelyn Garland who was 29th in 24:20 and Linda Bowe was 52nd in 27:21.
Northern Ireland Masters Track Championships
Meanwhile, up at the Mary Peters track in Belfast, some of our Sprint group members were amassing quite a haul of medals at the Northern Ireland Masters Track Championships.
Local firefighter Karl Carton's feet must have been on fire as he scorched round the track to do a rare sprint treble when winning his category in the 100m/200m/400m.
Frank Cruise wasn't far behind in the medal stakes as he recorded wins in the 100m and the 400m and also picked up a silver medal in the 200m.
Sprint group coach Gerry O'Connor got the gold in a hotly contested 400m in a solid 1:01, while Andrea McCabe was second in the 100m and later in the day got the bronze in the 200m.
Club News 23rd June 2019
Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships, Day 2
Day 2 of the Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships took place last Sunday in Tullamore and the good weather conditions were perfect for some fast running at these highly competitive championships.
Tadhg Donnelly was the star of the show when taking gold in the U18 Boys 1500m in an eye opening 4:02:53, which is less than 2 seconds off the championship best performance for this distance.
Donnelly has ice cold blood in his veins when it comes to championship racing, where it's all about holding one's nerve and getting into the medals and on this showing he's not far off going sub four minutes for the metric mile.
Anastasia Drakoulaki sprinted well in the U15 Girls 100m to qualify for the final where she placed 5th in 13:36 and later in the day she finished 4th in the U15 Long Jump.
Also competing was Sophie Kinsella who was 10th in her U14 800m in 3:14:08.
BD Midsummer 5k
The streets of Drogheda were turned into a sea of colour last Friday evening when over a thousand runners turned up for our Midsummer 5K which caters for everyone from Couch to 5K right up to the elite athletes and everyone in between.
The sight of Fair Street filled with runners completing their pre-race warm up's would do the heart of any athletics fan good and the boom times are back in Irish Athletics.
This year's race came down to a sprint finish with Sean Doran from Clonliffe Harriers winning in 16:01, with runner up Maurice McMahon from North East Runners a mere second behind in 16:02.
Young Tadhg Everitt Thompson had the run of the evening when finishing 3rd overall in a lively 16:47, with Brian Martin 4th in 17:06, followed by Liam Mulligan in 7th place in 17:25.
Thanks to some fine running by this trio and the fast finishing Pat O'Grady who was 9th in 17:44, this quartet won the Men's team prize with Dunleer AC second.
Just missing out on making the team was young Sean Toner who was 10th in 17:46, while Rodney Thornton was 17th in 18:06.
In the Ladies race, Abigail Tegart was our first finisher in 55th spot in 19:54, followed by Ciara O'Reilly who was 60th in 20:09.
Backed up by Kate O'Reilly (20:37) and Karen Delaney (22:33), these four made up our women's team who were second in the team category to a strong Dunleer AC squad.
Also running well when finishing in quick succession were Yvonne McMahon, Helen Dillon and Nuala Reilly.
Category prize winners included Karen Delany and Nuala Reilly who both won their categories, while Abigail Tegart was 2nd in category and Kate O'Reilly and Michele McCullough picked up a 3rd in category prize.
Congratulations to all the Couch to 5K crew who put the work in to complete this race and their lead coach Colin Cuffe who worked hard with his fellow coaches to ensure that everyone achieved their goal of running this 5K.
Belfast Irish Milers Meet
Some of our more speedy track athletes were in action at the Irish Milers Club meeting in Belfast last Saturday afternoon.
Once again, young Tadhg Donnelly who you'll be hearing a lot more of in the future delivered the goods in spades when he took over a full second off his PB time when running the 1500m in 4:01:86.
Running in the B race against some quality athletes seemed to inspire Donnelly as he lapped the track continuously in under 65 seconds which is national class running for someone of his age.
Also competing over 1500m were David Walsh and Mary Leech who both had solid runs with Walsh finishing in 4:25:84, while Leech ran close to her best when finishing in 4:46:70.
In the 800m event, run over 2 laps of the track, Kieran McGrath and Fintan Maher both made the podium when finishing second and third in the same race.
McGrath went close to going sub 2 minutes when clocking 2:00:22, while Maher who's really coming into good form ran a new PB time of 2:06:23.
Drogheda and District will be hosting the first ever IMC meeting in the Lourdes Stadium on Saturday July 13th.
Dunshaughlin 10k
Later that evening, over in Dunshaughlin, some of our road crew were in action at the annual 10K road race promoted by Dunshaughlin AC.
When it comes to hosting a high class event you can't beat experience and this year's race was pretty much perfect in every way.
Such was the standard that the first two finishers ran an incredible 29:30 which is great going for six and a quarter miles of unforgiving roads.
Our first finisher in 30th place was Colin Leonard who ran a sparkling new PB time of 33:48 and he's really on an upward curve at the moment.
The 'Pocket Rocket' Shane Larkin wasn't far behind in 58th spot in a solid 35:00, followed by Brian Fitzpatrick who was 69th in 35:41.
Colm Reilly won the prize for the best smile of the night when told that his time for the 10K had been corrected from 36:00 to 35:59 and that second makes all the difference to a runner!
Paddy Murphy dipped under 40 minutes when running 39:42, while Bryan Harvey finished in 40:22.
Conor Cooney put it up to his rivals when running well to finish 3rd in category in 44:09, while Gerard Fay ran the course in 50:15 and Seamus Roe ran 50:38.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, over at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly recorded another win over this challenging 5K course in 19:09, with Francis Murray who's starting to get a real feel for racing finishing 4th in a solid 20:00.
Laura Roche was our first female finisher in 47th place in 27:31, while Linda Bowe was 49th in 27:41 and Mary Toner 50th in 27:49.
Others who ran included Rose Dalton (33:35) and Unai Diaz-Orueta (43:27).
Day 2 of the Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships took place last Sunday in Tullamore and the good weather conditions were perfect for some fast running at these highly competitive championships.
Tadhg Donnelly was the star of the show when taking gold in the U18 Boys 1500m in an eye opening 4:02:53, which is less than 2 seconds off the championship best performance for this distance.
Donnelly has ice cold blood in his veins when it comes to championship racing, where it's all about holding one's nerve and getting into the medals and on this showing he's not far off going sub four minutes for the metric mile.
Anastasia Drakoulaki sprinted well in the U15 Girls 100m to qualify for the final where she placed 5th in 13:36 and later in the day she finished 4th in the U15 Long Jump.
Also competing was Sophie Kinsella who was 10th in her U14 800m in 3:14:08.
BD Midsummer 5k
The streets of Drogheda were turned into a sea of colour last Friday evening when over a thousand runners turned up for our Midsummer 5K which caters for everyone from Couch to 5K right up to the elite athletes and everyone in between.
The sight of Fair Street filled with runners completing their pre-race warm up's would do the heart of any athletics fan good and the boom times are back in Irish Athletics.
This year's race came down to a sprint finish with Sean Doran from Clonliffe Harriers winning in 16:01, with runner up Maurice McMahon from North East Runners a mere second behind in 16:02.
Young Tadhg Everitt Thompson had the run of the evening when finishing 3rd overall in a lively 16:47, with Brian Martin 4th in 17:06, followed by Liam Mulligan in 7th place in 17:25.
Thanks to some fine running by this trio and the fast finishing Pat O'Grady who was 9th in 17:44, this quartet won the Men's team prize with Dunleer AC second.
Just missing out on making the team was young Sean Toner who was 10th in 17:46, while Rodney Thornton was 17th in 18:06.
In the Ladies race, Abigail Tegart was our first finisher in 55th spot in 19:54, followed by Ciara O'Reilly who was 60th in 20:09.
Backed up by Kate O'Reilly (20:37) and Karen Delaney (22:33), these four made up our women's team who were second in the team category to a strong Dunleer AC squad.
Also running well when finishing in quick succession were Yvonne McMahon, Helen Dillon and Nuala Reilly.
Category prize winners included Karen Delany and Nuala Reilly who both won their categories, while Abigail Tegart was 2nd in category and Kate O'Reilly and Michele McCullough picked up a 3rd in category prize.
Congratulations to all the Couch to 5K crew who put the work in to complete this race and their lead coach Colin Cuffe who worked hard with his fellow coaches to ensure that everyone achieved their goal of running this 5K.
Belfast Irish Milers Meet
Some of our more speedy track athletes were in action at the Irish Milers Club meeting in Belfast last Saturday afternoon.
Once again, young Tadhg Donnelly who you'll be hearing a lot more of in the future delivered the goods in spades when he took over a full second off his PB time when running the 1500m in 4:01:86.
Running in the B race against some quality athletes seemed to inspire Donnelly as he lapped the track continuously in under 65 seconds which is national class running for someone of his age.
Also competing over 1500m were David Walsh and Mary Leech who both had solid runs with Walsh finishing in 4:25:84, while Leech ran close to her best when finishing in 4:46:70.
In the 800m event, run over 2 laps of the track, Kieran McGrath and Fintan Maher both made the podium when finishing second and third in the same race.
McGrath went close to going sub 2 minutes when clocking 2:00:22, while Maher who's really coming into good form ran a new PB time of 2:06:23.
Drogheda and District will be hosting the first ever IMC meeting in the Lourdes Stadium on Saturday July 13th.
Dunshaughlin 10k
Later that evening, over in Dunshaughlin, some of our road crew were in action at the annual 10K road race promoted by Dunshaughlin AC.
When it comes to hosting a high class event you can't beat experience and this year's race was pretty much perfect in every way.
Such was the standard that the first two finishers ran an incredible 29:30 which is great going for six and a quarter miles of unforgiving roads.
Our first finisher in 30th place was Colin Leonard who ran a sparkling new PB time of 33:48 and he's really on an upward curve at the moment.
The 'Pocket Rocket' Shane Larkin wasn't far behind in 58th spot in a solid 35:00, followed by Brian Fitzpatrick who was 69th in 35:41.
Colm Reilly won the prize for the best smile of the night when told that his time for the 10K had been corrected from 36:00 to 35:59 and that second makes all the difference to a runner!
Paddy Murphy dipped under 40 minutes when running 39:42, while Bryan Harvey finished in 40:22.
Conor Cooney put it up to his rivals when running well to finish 3rd in category in 44:09, while Gerard Fay ran the course in 50:15 and Seamus Roe ran 50:38.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, over at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly recorded another win over this challenging 5K course in 19:09, with Francis Murray who's starting to get a real feel for racing finishing 4th in a solid 20:00.
Laura Roche was our first female finisher in 47th place in 27:31, while Linda Bowe was 49th in 27:41 and Mary Toner 50th in 27:49.
Others who ran included Rose Dalton (33:35) and Unai Diaz-Orueta (43:27).
Club News 16 June 2019
Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships
The future of any athletic club depends on it's ability to recruit and retain it's young members and Drogheda and District's decision to expand it's juvenile section bore fruit in abundance at last weekend's Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships which were held in Tullamore.
These championships are a real hotbed of emerging talent and the medals never come easy at this level, nevertheless, the red vest of D&D was to the fore in quite a few of the events which took place on day one of these well attended championships.
The run of the day belonged to young Tadhg Everitt Thompson who held his nerve when the pressure was on and kept good form when kicking off the last bend to win a highly competitive Boys U19 3K in 9:32:52.
Thompson is a real find for our club and isn't afraid of the hard work needed to succeed in athletics.
In the Boys U15 300m, which is a new event for these championships, Harry Delaney had a terrific run to get up for the silver medal in an eye opening 41:36.
Just missing out on a medal when finishing fourth in the Boys U18 400m was Tom Cummins who was pipped on the line by a mere two tenths of a second despite running a fast 53:84 in his debut run over this distance.
Also finishing fourth was Abigail Tegart who delivered a strong run in the Girls U18 3K in a solid 11:00:04.
Young Liam Mulligan continues to impress and his PB run of 9:43:81 placed him 5th in the Boys U18 3K.
Cormac Canning placed 5th in his Boys U19 800m in 2:11:16 in what turned out to be a tactical race.
In the Boys U18 800m, Sean Toner was 6th in 2:11:45, with Harry Caffrey 7th in 2:16:10.
Some of our athletes were involved in the relay events with Anastasia Drakoulaki helping the Louth team to claim silver in the 4x100m.
Lily Cummins also won silver with Louth in the U17 4x100m relay, while Moya McCabe and Abigail Tegart helped Louth to win bronze in the U19 4x100m.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Series
Earlier in the week at the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Series, which were held in Santry Stadium, Brian Pentony gave a magnificent display of running when winning his 400m C1 race in an eye opening 56:61.
Pentony is a latecomer to athletics after having a successful career in Gaelic Football and just like fine wine, Pentony continues to improve with age and if he can stay injury free, he'll be in the mix for a medal when the National Masters Track Championships take place later in the season.
Also running in the same race was club coach Gerry O'Connor who placed 5th in 61:57.
Running in the Men's 1500m C1 race were Cillian Dyas who ran well to finish 2nd in 4:41:44, with Robert Maher 4th in 4:44:69.
National 5 Miles Road Championships
Congratulations to Shane Larkin on winning his category at the National 5 Miles Road Championships which were held in conjunction with the Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race in the Phoenix Park last Saturday.
Larkin, affectionately known as the Pocket Rocket has the heart of a lion when it comes to racing and once he gets the smell of a medal, there's no shaking him and his aggressive running saw him take the gold medal in a lively 27:43 in his M45 section.
Also running were Brian Martin who ran a useful 28:11 for this challenging course, while John Reilly finished in 30:31 and he'll go quicker with some more races in his legs.
Mike Staunton also ran and finished in 39:44.
BHAA OPW 5K
The previous Wednesday evening, the BHAA OPW 5K took place in the Phoenix Park where Paul McDonnell was our first finisher in 33rd place in 20:06 which was good running given the blustery conditions.
Conor Cooney was 52nd in 21:37, followed by Gerry Mullins who was 80th in 23:19.
Nuala Reilly was 83rd in 23:31.
Braveheart 5K
Over in Trim, at last Friday's Braveheart 5K, there were some good performances from our members with Pat O'Grady winning his category in 18:52 when finishing 21st overall.
Robbie Maher was 3rd in category when finishing 47th overall in 19:36, while Conor Cooney finished 2nd in category in 22:27.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly duly won her category in 24:12, while Mairead O'Connell finished in 33:24 and Geraldine Reilly ran 36:47 for this undulating course.
Also running were Donal Branigan (34:00), Valerie Campbell (36:51) and Carol Mallon 38:44.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Stephen Kelly continued his dominance of the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun when he romped home a clear winner of this challenging 5K run in 17:14 and there's more to come from Kelly as the course quickens up over the summer months.
Rodney Thornton was third overall in 18:25, while Paul Reilly was 7th in 19:53, followed by Francis Murray in 8th spot in 20:03.
For our ladies, first across the line in 48th place was Michele McCullough in 25:28, while Mary Mulligan was 113th in 35:22 and Sinead McGuinness was 123rd in 52:07.
The future of any athletic club depends on it's ability to recruit and retain it's young members and Drogheda and District's decision to expand it's juvenile section bore fruit in abundance at last weekend's Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Championships which were held in Tullamore.
These championships are a real hotbed of emerging talent and the medals never come easy at this level, nevertheless, the red vest of D&D was to the fore in quite a few of the events which took place on day one of these well attended championships.
The run of the day belonged to young Tadhg Everitt Thompson who held his nerve when the pressure was on and kept good form when kicking off the last bend to win a highly competitive Boys U19 3K in 9:32:52.
Thompson is a real find for our club and isn't afraid of the hard work needed to succeed in athletics.
In the Boys U15 300m, which is a new event for these championships, Harry Delaney had a terrific run to get up for the silver medal in an eye opening 41:36.
Just missing out on a medal when finishing fourth in the Boys U18 400m was Tom Cummins who was pipped on the line by a mere two tenths of a second despite running a fast 53:84 in his debut run over this distance.
Also finishing fourth was Abigail Tegart who delivered a strong run in the Girls U18 3K in a solid 11:00:04.
Young Liam Mulligan continues to impress and his PB run of 9:43:81 placed him 5th in the Boys U18 3K.
Cormac Canning placed 5th in his Boys U19 800m in 2:11:16 in what turned out to be a tactical race.
In the Boys U18 800m, Sean Toner was 6th in 2:11:45, with Harry Caffrey 7th in 2:16:10.
Some of our athletes were involved in the relay events with Anastasia Drakoulaki helping the Louth team to claim silver in the 4x100m.
Lily Cummins also won silver with Louth in the U17 4x100m relay, while Moya McCabe and Abigail Tegart helped Louth to win bronze in the U19 4x100m.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Series
Earlier in the week at the Dublin Athletic Board Graded Series, which were held in Santry Stadium, Brian Pentony gave a magnificent display of running when winning his 400m C1 race in an eye opening 56:61.
Pentony is a latecomer to athletics after having a successful career in Gaelic Football and just like fine wine, Pentony continues to improve with age and if he can stay injury free, he'll be in the mix for a medal when the National Masters Track Championships take place later in the season.
Also running in the same race was club coach Gerry O'Connor who placed 5th in 61:57.
Running in the Men's 1500m C1 race were Cillian Dyas who ran well to finish 2nd in 4:41:44, with Robert Maher 4th in 4:44:69.
National 5 Miles Road Championships
Congratulations to Shane Larkin on winning his category at the National 5 Miles Road Championships which were held in conjunction with the Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race in the Phoenix Park last Saturday.
Larkin, affectionately known as the Pocket Rocket has the heart of a lion when it comes to racing and once he gets the smell of a medal, there's no shaking him and his aggressive running saw him take the gold medal in a lively 27:43 in his M45 section.
Also running were Brian Martin who ran a useful 28:11 for this challenging course, while John Reilly finished in 30:31 and he'll go quicker with some more races in his legs.
Mike Staunton also ran and finished in 39:44.
BHAA OPW 5K
The previous Wednesday evening, the BHAA OPW 5K took place in the Phoenix Park where Paul McDonnell was our first finisher in 33rd place in 20:06 which was good running given the blustery conditions.
Conor Cooney was 52nd in 21:37, followed by Gerry Mullins who was 80th in 23:19.
Nuala Reilly was 83rd in 23:31.
Braveheart 5K
Over in Trim, at last Friday's Braveheart 5K, there were some good performances from our members with Pat O'Grady winning his category in 18:52 when finishing 21st overall.
Robbie Maher was 3rd in category when finishing 47th overall in 19:36, while Conor Cooney finished 2nd in category in 22:27.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly duly won her category in 24:12, while Mairead O'Connell finished in 33:24 and Geraldine Reilly ran 36:47 for this undulating course.
Also running were Donal Branigan (34:00), Valerie Campbell (36:51) and Carol Mallon 38:44.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Stephen Kelly continued his dominance of the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun when he romped home a clear winner of this challenging 5K run in 17:14 and there's more to come from Kelly as the course quickens up over the summer months.
Rodney Thornton was third overall in 18:25, while Paul Reilly was 7th in 19:53, followed by Francis Murray in 8th spot in 20:03.
For our ladies, first across the line in 48th place was Michele McCullough in 25:28, while Mary Mulligan was 113th in 35:22 and Sinead McGuinness was 123rd in 52:07.
Club News 9th June 2019
Summer Graded Series
Round 2 of our Summer Graded Track Series took place at a damp and windswept Lourdes Stadium last Thursday evening, but despite the weather a large number of visiting athletes were eager to run in this excellently organised meeting.
There were three track events on the night, 200m, 800m and 3000m as well as a Shot Putt.
There were some fine performances from our younger members in race 1 of the 800m, the highlight being young Sean Toner's dip on the line to win this highly entertaining race by the width of a singlet in a race that had the crowd on their toes throughout.
Toner's time of 2:10:30 shows just how good his form is at the moment and his future in athletics looks bright indeed.
Hugh Callan was 3rd in this race in 2:12:10, with Harry Caffrey 4th in 2:12:70.
Race 2 saw Harry Delaney getting the win in 2:24:90, while Abigail Tegart was 3rd in 2:27:40, followed by Lily Cummins who was 7th in 2:32:80.
Gemma Delaney won race 1 in 2:48:80, with Adam Russell 2nd in 2:54:30, followed by Tadhg Gogarty in 3rd in 2:58:20.
In the Sprint event, the 200m, there were wins for Thomas McGreehan O'Grady, Brian Callan, Evelyn Garland, Lily Cummins and Andrew Kelly.
Kelly ran a great bend to win his race in a speedy 23:20 and is one to watch out for in the future.
Kelly's father, Bill, a former top class footballer, was hot on his heels and ran a fine race to record 27:80 for this popular race distance.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, Paul McDonnell ran well to finish 3rd in race 1 in a solid 11:34:20, with Pamela Howard next in 11:36:20, while young Liam McGreehan O'Grady was 5th in 11:51:10.
Race 2 saw Stephen Kelly finish 2nd in 9:25, with Tadhg Everitt Thompson 3rd in 9:26:90.
The run of the night in the 3K belonged to Liam Mulligan who took a whopping 30 seconds off his previous PB time when running an eye opening 9:48:90, not bad going at all for a 16 year old!
In the Shot Putt, Kate O'Reilly threw 7:32, while Aaron Carolan threw 7:24 and Sandra Kelly 5:91.
Bohermeen 5k
With so many of our members taking part in the Graded Series, we had a small than usual number of athletes taking part in the Bohermeen 5K road race which took place last Friday evening.
Conditions on the night were perfect for some fast running and this race always attracts a quality field of distance runners.
Colin Leonard continues to impress and was our first finisher in 15th place in a solid 16:41, closely followed by Shane Larkin in 16:44 and Shane Russell in 17:26.
For our ladies, Nuala Reilly led the way when winning her category in 22:33, followed by Fiona Murphy who finished in 23:40, with Roisin McGeough running 24:31.
Le Chéile IMC
Further afield, at last Saturday's Le Cheile-IMC Meeting which took place in Leixlip, four of our members were really up against it in this high class meeting where it's all about throwing caution to the wind in search of some fast times.
Kieran McGrath delivered a quality performance to finish 7th in his 800m in 2:00:85 and he'll go under the 2 minute mark with a few more races in his legs.
Paddy Kelly was 6th in his 800m in a useful 2:04:50.
In the 1500m, Mary Leech raced well to finish 3rd in 4:48:30, while young Tadhg Donnelly dug in when the going got tough to record 8:56:37 in his 3000m event in a field that was packed full of quality athletes.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Parkrun, Rodney Thornton was rewarded for his aggressive front running when he got the win in 18:16, which is good going on this challenging 5K course.
Runner up was Oliver Adamiak who finished in 19:48, followed by David Gough who was 17th in 21:42 and Declan McMahon who was 33rd in 23:40.
Michele McCullough was our first female finisher in 46th place in 25:02, with Edel Smith 64th in 26:34 and Linda Bowe 70th in 27:38.
Glenmore Challenge 10 mile & 10k
Meanwhile, over at the Cooley Peninsula, some of our members were taking on the daunting task of the Glenmore Challenge 10 Mile Road Race.
This is a course that has to be seen to believed and is the Irish equivalent of cycling's Alp D' Huez, such is the hilly nature of this torturous course.
Our first finisher in 60th place was Martin Woods in 1:25:59, with Mike Staunton 62nd in 1:27:31, which placed him 3rd in category.
In the 10K race which took place earlier in the day, Donal Branigan was 46th which earned him a 3rd in category prize.
Leinster Juvenile Relays
Well done to our all our juveniles who took part in the Leinster Relay's which took place in the Lourdes Stadium last Monday.
Our young runners gave a good account of themselves against some good opposition and we had eight teams competing over the day.
At the Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix, Gerard Fay ran 33:04 for the 4 mile cross country race which was held at the back of Santry Stadium.
BD Midsummer 5k
With less than two weeks to go to our Midsummer 5K race, it's time to dust off those runners and get yourself entered for the best little road race in the North East.
Entries can be done online at myrunresults.com.
Round 2 of our Summer Graded Track Series took place at a damp and windswept Lourdes Stadium last Thursday evening, but despite the weather a large number of visiting athletes were eager to run in this excellently organised meeting.
There were three track events on the night, 200m, 800m and 3000m as well as a Shot Putt.
There were some fine performances from our younger members in race 1 of the 800m, the highlight being young Sean Toner's dip on the line to win this highly entertaining race by the width of a singlet in a race that had the crowd on their toes throughout.
Toner's time of 2:10:30 shows just how good his form is at the moment and his future in athletics looks bright indeed.
Hugh Callan was 3rd in this race in 2:12:10, with Harry Caffrey 4th in 2:12:70.
Race 2 saw Harry Delaney getting the win in 2:24:90, while Abigail Tegart was 3rd in 2:27:40, followed by Lily Cummins who was 7th in 2:32:80.
Gemma Delaney won race 1 in 2:48:80, with Adam Russell 2nd in 2:54:30, followed by Tadhg Gogarty in 3rd in 2:58:20.
In the Sprint event, the 200m, there were wins for Thomas McGreehan O'Grady, Brian Callan, Evelyn Garland, Lily Cummins and Andrew Kelly.
Kelly ran a great bend to win his race in a speedy 23:20 and is one to watch out for in the future.
Kelly's father, Bill, a former top class footballer, was hot on his heels and ran a fine race to record 27:80 for this popular race distance.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, Paul McDonnell ran well to finish 3rd in race 1 in a solid 11:34:20, with Pamela Howard next in 11:36:20, while young Liam McGreehan O'Grady was 5th in 11:51:10.
Race 2 saw Stephen Kelly finish 2nd in 9:25, with Tadhg Everitt Thompson 3rd in 9:26:90.
The run of the night in the 3K belonged to Liam Mulligan who took a whopping 30 seconds off his previous PB time when running an eye opening 9:48:90, not bad going at all for a 16 year old!
In the Shot Putt, Kate O'Reilly threw 7:32, while Aaron Carolan threw 7:24 and Sandra Kelly 5:91.
Bohermeen 5k
With so many of our members taking part in the Graded Series, we had a small than usual number of athletes taking part in the Bohermeen 5K road race which took place last Friday evening.
Conditions on the night were perfect for some fast running and this race always attracts a quality field of distance runners.
Colin Leonard continues to impress and was our first finisher in 15th place in a solid 16:41, closely followed by Shane Larkin in 16:44 and Shane Russell in 17:26.
For our ladies, Nuala Reilly led the way when winning her category in 22:33, followed by Fiona Murphy who finished in 23:40, with Roisin McGeough running 24:31.
Le Chéile IMC
Further afield, at last Saturday's Le Cheile-IMC Meeting which took place in Leixlip, four of our members were really up against it in this high class meeting where it's all about throwing caution to the wind in search of some fast times.
Kieran McGrath delivered a quality performance to finish 7th in his 800m in 2:00:85 and he'll go under the 2 minute mark with a few more races in his legs.
Paddy Kelly was 6th in his 800m in a useful 2:04:50.
In the 1500m, Mary Leech raced well to finish 3rd in 4:48:30, while young Tadhg Donnelly dug in when the going got tough to record 8:56:37 in his 3000m event in a field that was packed full of quality athletes.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Parkrun, Rodney Thornton was rewarded for his aggressive front running when he got the win in 18:16, which is good going on this challenging 5K course.
Runner up was Oliver Adamiak who finished in 19:48, followed by David Gough who was 17th in 21:42 and Declan McMahon who was 33rd in 23:40.
Michele McCullough was our first female finisher in 46th place in 25:02, with Edel Smith 64th in 26:34 and Linda Bowe 70th in 27:38.
Glenmore Challenge 10 mile & 10k
Meanwhile, over at the Cooley Peninsula, some of our members were taking on the daunting task of the Glenmore Challenge 10 Mile Road Race.
This is a course that has to be seen to believed and is the Irish equivalent of cycling's Alp D' Huez, such is the hilly nature of this torturous course.
Our first finisher in 60th place was Martin Woods in 1:25:59, with Mike Staunton 62nd in 1:27:31, which placed him 3rd in category.
In the 10K race which took place earlier in the day, Donal Branigan was 46th which earned him a 3rd in category prize.
Leinster Juvenile Relays
Well done to our all our juveniles who took part in the Leinster Relay's which took place in the Lourdes Stadium last Monday.
Our young runners gave a good account of themselves against some good opposition and we had eight teams competing over the day.
At the Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix, Gerard Fay ran 33:04 for the 4 mile cross country race which was held at the back of Santry Stadium.
BD Midsummer 5k
With less than two weeks to go to our Midsummer 5K race, it's time to dust off those runners and get yourself entered for the best little road race in the North East.
Entries can be done online at myrunresults.com.
Club News 2nd June 2019
Leinster Masters Track & Field Championships
Some of our Sprint specialists were in action at the Leinster Masters Track and Field Championships which took place in Tullamore last Sunday.
Despite the windy conditions, there were some fine performances from our members, with three of them doubling up over the shorter distances.
In the 100m, Frank Cruise held his nerve and showed good form when winning his race in 13:88 and later in the day completed the sprint double when taking gold in his 200m event in a lively 29:32.
Local firefighter Karl Carton blazed his way round the bend to take silver in his 200m in 27:09, which was good running as a few hours earlier he'd finished runner up in the 100m in 13:26.
Mary Flanagan, our sole female competitor at these championships ran well to take the silver medal in her 100m in 20:38.
In the 400m, which is one of the toughest races to run on the track, Brian Pentony delivered the goods in spades when claiming the silver medal in his category with his run of 58:45 in a race that was packed full of quality athletes.
In the same race, club coach Gerry O'Connor just missed out on a medal when finishing fourth in 1:02:14.
One of our newer members Paddy Kelly gave a glimpse of his potential when doing the 800m/1500m middle distance double and he's one to watch out for in the future.
Kelly ran a clever race too take the gold in his 800m in 2:09:41 and later on won his 1500m event in 4:20:83.
Michelle McKiernan 5k, Stamullen
Closer to home, a large group of our members took to the road for last Tuesday's Michelle McKiernan 5K which took place in Stamullen.
Conditions on the evening were pretty much perfect, with little or no wind, but the testing nature of this tricky little 5K meant that the runners had to use their head as well as their legs if they were to succeed on this course.
Pride of place has to go to Mary Leech who got the early pace spot on and her sustained high tempo running brought her home in second place in the Women's race in an eye opening 18:27.
Thanks to some fine running from Pamela Howard who finished in 20:12 and Yasmin Canning who placed 2nd in category with her run of 20:14, things were looking good in the team competition.
With team prizes being awarded on cumulative times, every second counts, but her team mates needn't have worried as the strong running Maureen Harbison soon came into view and wrapped up the team prize as she crossed the line in 21:22.
Also running well were Yvonne McMahon (22:39), Andrea McArdle (22:45) and Linda Cross (24:26).
In the Men's race, our first finisher in 8th place overall and second in his category was Shane Larkin in a speedy 17:05.
Close behind and in quick succession came Brian Fitzpatrick (17:17), Ruaidhri Nolan (17:26) and David Walsh (17:29), these four packed well to take second place in the team competition.
Others who ran well were John Cooper who finished 37th in 19:02, followed by David Birch (23:11) and Mike Staunton (23:54).
Meanwhile, on the same evening, over in Dunboyne, Michelle Hughes was hot footing it round the BHAA Government Services 5 Mile road race and was rewarded for her aggressive running with a 3rd in category prize in a sparkling new PB time of 34:08.
Close behind was Conor Cooney, affectionately known as 'The Fox', Cooney used all his racing experience to work his way through the field to win his M65 category in a classy 34:33.
Jackser Reilly had a solid run to finish in 36:27.
All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships
Well done to Tadhg Donnelly for a great run in the 5000m at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore last Saturday.
Tadhg placed 4th in a field made up of the best up and coming distance runners in the country in a time of 15.37.70.
Finishing fourth and missing out on a medal can be tough to take but Donnelly is made of good stuff and will be able to run in these championships next year as he was running a year out of age.
Dublin Graded Meeting
At the midweek Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting in Irishtown, there were some fine performances from our club Juniors.
In the Men's A1 800m, Cormac Canning gave a strong display of running when finishing 5th in a noteworthy 2:02:95, while Hugh Callan was 6th in the B1 800m in 2:15:21.
In the B2 800m, Tom Cummins was 3rd in 2:09:14, with Cillian Dyas 6th in 2:18:75.
In the C2 race, Harry Caffrey finished 7th in 2:21:74.
Balbriggan Summerfest 5k
Congratulations to Stephen Kelly on his victory in the Balbriggan Summerfest 5K last Thursday evening.
Kelly won with ease in a solid 16:17, while Stephen Hand was 104th in 27:31.
Edinburgh Marathon and Half Marathon
Well done to our travelling crew who took part in the Edinburgh Marathon and Half Marathon recently.
Our first finisher was Carmel Keenan in a commendable 3:48:12, followed by David Birch and Niamh Matthews who both finished in 4:08:32, while James Keenan ran the course in 4:38:20.
In the Half Marathon, Helga McDonnell finished in 1:50:16, with Linda Cruise Byrne crossing the line in 1:51:08.
Oldbridge Parkrun
At the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly recorded his second win in two days when he sped round this tough to run course in 17:40, Kelly looks to have a real hunger for running again and on this form he's well capable of making the Masters cross country team for the Home International event later in the year.
Our next finisher in third place was Rodney Thornton who finished well in 18:33, while Conor Cooney was 24th in 21:53.
Linda Bowe was our first female finisher in 61st place in 26:57 followed by Mary Mulligan who finished 104th in 35:16, while Sinead McGuinness was 121st in 50:18.
Some of our Sprint specialists were in action at the Leinster Masters Track and Field Championships which took place in Tullamore last Sunday.
Despite the windy conditions, there were some fine performances from our members, with three of them doubling up over the shorter distances.
In the 100m, Frank Cruise held his nerve and showed good form when winning his race in 13:88 and later in the day completed the sprint double when taking gold in his 200m event in a lively 29:32.
Local firefighter Karl Carton blazed his way round the bend to take silver in his 200m in 27:09, which was good running as a few hours earlier he'd finished runner up in the 100m in 13:26.
Mary Flanagan, our sole female competitor at these championships ran well to take the silver medal in her 100m in 20:38.
In the 400m, which is one of the toughest races to run on the track, Brian Pentony delivered the goods in spades when claiming the silver medal in his category with his run of 58:45 in a race that was packed full of quality athletes.
In the same race, club coach Gerry O'Connor just missed out on a medal when finishing fourth in 1:02:14.
One of our newer members Paddy Kelly gave a glimpse of his potential when doing the 800m/1500m middle distance double and he's one to watch out for in the future.
Kelly ran a clever race too take the gold in his 800m in 2:09:41 and later on won his 1500m event in 4:20:83.
Michelle McKiernan 5k, Stamullen
Closer to home, a large group of our members took to the road for last Tuesday's Michelle McKiernan 5K which took place in Stamullen.
Conditions on the evening were pretty much perfect, with little or no wind, but the testing nature of this tricky little 5K meant that the runners had to use their head as well as their legs if they were to succeed on this course.
Pride of place has to go to Mary Leech who got the early pace spot on and her sustained high tempo running brought her home in second place in the Women's race in an eye opening 18:27.
Thanks to some fine running from Pamela Howard who finished in 20:12 and Yasmin Canning who placed 2nd in category with her run of 20:14, things were looking good in the team competition.
With team prizes being awarded on cumulative times, every second counts, but her team mates needn't have worried as the strong running Maureen Harbison soon came into view and wrapped up the team prize as she crossed the line in 21:22.
Also running well were Yvonne McMahon (22:39), Andrea McArdle (22:45) and Linda Cross (24:26).
In the Men's race, our first finisher in 8th place overall and second in his category was Shane Larkin in a speedy 17:05.
Close behind and in quick succession came Brian Fitzpatrick (17:17), Ruaidhri Nolan (17:26) and David Walsh (17:29), these four packed well to take second place in the team competition.
Others who ran well were John Cooper who finished 37th in 19:02, followed by David Birch (23:11) and Mike Staunton (23:54).
Meanwhile, on the same evening, over in Dunboyne, Michelle Hughes was hot footing it round the BHAA Government Services 5 Mile road race and was rewarded for her aggressive running with a 3rd in category prize in a sparkling new PB time of 34:08.
Close behind was Conor Cooney, affectionately known as 'The Fox', Cooney used all his racing experience to work his way through the field to win his M65 category in a classy 34:33.
Jackser Reilly had a solid run to finish in 36:27.
All Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships
Well done to Tadhg Donnelly for a great run in the 5000m at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore last Saturday.
Tadhg placed 4th in a field made up of the best up and coming distance runners in the country in a time of 15.37.70.
Finishing fourth and missing out on a medal can be tough to take but Donnelly is made of good stuff and will be able to run in these championships next year as he was running a year out of age.
Dublin Graded Meeting
At the midweek Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting in Irishtown, there were some fine performances from our club Juniors.
In the Men's A1 800m, Cormac Canning gave a strong display of running when finishing 5th in a noteworthy 2:02:95, while Hugh Callan was 6th in the B1 800m in 2:15:21.
In the B2 800m, Tom Cummins was 3rd in 2:09:14, with Cillian Dyas 6th in 2:18:75.
In the C2 race, Harry Caffrey finished 7th in 2:21:74.
Balbriggan Summerfest 5k
Congratulations to Stephen Kelly on his victory in the Balbriggan Summerfest 5K last Thursday evening.
Kelly won with ease in a solid 16:17, while Stephen Hand was 104th in 27:31.
Edinburgh Marathon and Half Marathon
Well done to our travelling crew who took part in the Edinburgh Marathon and Half Marathon recently.
Our first finisher was Carmel Keenan in a commendable 3:48:12, followed by David Birch and Niamh Matthews who both finished in 4:08:32, while James Keenan ran the course in 4:38:20.
In the Half Marathon, Helga McDonnell finished in 1:50:16, with Linda Cruise Byrne crossing the line in 1:51:08.
Oldbridge Parkrun
At the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly recorded his second win in two days when he sped round this tough to run course in 17:40, Kelly looks to have a real hunger for running again and on this form he's well capable of making the Masters cross country team for the Home International event later in the year.
Our next finisher in third place was Rodney Thornton who finished well in 18:33, while Conor Cooney was 24th in 21:53.
Linda Bowe was our first female finisher in 61st place in 26:57 followed by Mary Mulligan who finished 104th in 35:16, while Sinead McGuinness was 121st in 50:18.
Club News 6th January 2019
Oldbridge Park run
With the Christmas celebrations well and truly over, it was back to business as normal for most of our cross country runners who took to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for the weekly 5K Parkrun.
Last Saturday's race had an added importance to it as some of our leading runners were anxious to put in a good performance and catch the selectors eye with a view to gaining selection for the upcoming National Masters Cross Country Championships which will take place in Dundalk on the first week in February.
When it comes to Parkrun's, there's none tougher than Oldbridge and what a race this turned out to be with a real war of attrition taking place between Stephen Kelly and his training partner Paul Smith.
Once the gun went, there was no quarter asked nor given as these two tried to run each other into the ground over the next three miles and this kind of racing isn't for the faint hearted.
It was only in the last mile that Kelly, sensing that the time was right made the decisive move which saw him draw clear of Smith and open a gap which he held all the way to the finish in a fast 16:40.
Smith wasn't far behind in second place and his time of 17:04 will give him confidence for the rest of the season.
Less than a minute behind and giving a fair few years to his younger rivals was Pat O'Grady who ran a useful 17:57 when finishing third overall.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Paul Reilly who was like a wounded animal following his one second defeat at the hands of his training partner Yasmin Canning the previous week.
Reilly, who's no mean athlete ran like a man possessed right from the gun and stormed up the sharp incline on his way to the top field and ironically was cheered on by his arch nemesis Canning who was stewarding at this weeks race.
Once he got to the highest point on the course, Reilly poured on the pace in spades and coming down the hill into the last field, the spectators were moving back as Reilly was a man on a mission.
With the clock ticking and Reilly's legs begging for mercy he drove himself round the last bend and headed for the finishing line which he crossed in a magnificent 19:19, which was a new PB time by an incredible 26 seconds and they don't come easy at this level.
With the recent dry spell, the Oldbridge course was in great shape and there were some fine PB runs by Conor Cooney who was 25th in 22:14, while Brian Guilfoyle finished 29th in 22:19.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly was our first female finisher in 35th spot when running a new PB time of 22:51 with Michele McCullough 68th in 26:41.
Also running were Edel Smith who was 73rd in 27:12 and Barney Flannery who was 80th in 27:53.
Jolly Joggers 10k
Bringing in the New Year by running the Jolly Joggers 10K race in Emyvale, Monaghan were Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney.
Reilly showed many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when finishing in a swift 46:00 while Cooney ran the course in 48 minutes.
With the Christmas celebrations well and truly over, it was back to business as normal for most of our cross country runners who took to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for the weekly 5K Parkrun.
Last Saturday's race had an added importance to it as some of our leading runners were anxious to put in a good performance and catch the selectors eye with a view to gaining selection for the upcoming National Masters Cross Country Championships which will take place in Dundalk on the first week in February.
When it comes to Parkrun's, there's none tougher than Oldbridge and what a race this turned out to be with a real war of attrition taking place between Stephen Kelly and his training partner Paul Smith.
Once the gun went, there was no quarter asked nor given as these two tried to run each other into the ground over the next three miles and this kind of racing isn't for the faint hearted.
It was only in the last mile that Kelly, sensing that the time was right made the decisive move which saw him draw clear of Smith and open a gap which he held all the way to the finish in a fast 16:40.
Smith wasn't far behind in second place and his time of 17:04 will give him confidence for the rest of the season.
Less than a minute behind and giving a fair few years to his younger rivals was Pat O'Grady who ran a useful 17:57 when finishing third overall.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Paul Reilly who was like a wounded animal following his one second defeat at the hands of his training partner Yasmin Canning the previous week.
Reilly, who's no mean athlete ran like a man possessed right from the gun and stormed up the sharp incline on his way to the top field and ironically was cheered on by his arch nemesis Canning who was stewarding at this weeks race.
Once he got to the highest point on the course, Reilly poured on the pace in spades and coming down the hill into the last field, the spectators were moving back as Reilly was a man on a mission.
With the clock ticking and Reilly's legs begging for mercy he drove himself round the last bend and headed for the finishing line which he crossed in a magnificent 19:19, which was a new PB time by an incredible 26 seconds and they don't come easy at this level.
With the recent dry spell, the Oldbridge course was in great shape and there were some fine PB runs by Conor Cooney who was 25th in 22:14, while Brian Guilfoyle finished 29th in 22:19.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly was our first female finisher in 35th spot when running a new PB time of 22:51 with Michele McCullough 68th in 26:41.
Also running were Edel Smith who was 73rd in 27:12 and Barney Flannery who was 80th in 27:53.
Jolly Joggers 10k
Bringing in the New Year by running the Jolly Joggers 10K race in Emyvale, Monaghan were Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney.
Reilly showed many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when finishing in a swift 46:00 while Cooney ran the course in 48 minutes.
Club News 30th December 2018
Kris Kindle 5k Dundalk
While most people were reaching for that extra extra slice of cake or another mince pie, many of our finest road runners celebrated the Christmas season by racing some of the many 5K road races which took place post Christmas day.
First up was the Kris Kindle 5K in Dundalk where Ruaidhri Nolan continued his run of good form when finishing 5th overall in a fast 17:29 against some quality opposition with club mate David Walsh close behind in 7th place in 17:51.
Gerard Fay was 70th in 22:48 with Christy Duffy 75th in 23:34.
For our ladies, Michele McCullough was 129th in 26:04 while Irene Connolly was 141st in 26:24.
Navan Rita & Robbie 5k
Over in Navan on St. Stephens day, Colin Leonard showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when finishing 8th overall in 17:32 at the Rita and Robbie Christmas 5K.
This was a strong display of running by Leonard and he's coming into good form after his Dublin Marathon run.
Jackser Reilly was our next finisher in 95th spot in 21:29 which earned him a 2nd in category prize.
Karen Delaney ran well to place 3rd in category when finishing 115th overall in 22:20 while Nuala Reilly won her category with her run of 22:24.
Conor Cooney got round the course in 23:58 while Roisin McGeough ran 25:07.
Oldbridge Park Run
The battle for club honours which is played out on a weekly basis at the Oldbridge Parkrun saw a titanic struggle take place between arch rivals Yasmin Canning and training partner Paul Reilly.
With both athletes in good form at the moment, last Saturday's race was a real straightener between these two and such was their commitment that both runners came away with some sparkling new PB times, with Canning just edging out Reilly on the line when finishing 11th in 19:44 to Reilly's 19:45.
This was a massive 17 second improvement for Canning and she's putting it up to most of her male training partners in the Red group.
While this race within a race was going on, Brian Martin was leading the rest of the field a merry dance as he coasted home a popular winner with his time of 17:42 giving a glimpse of the form that he's in at the moment.
Also running well was young Matthew O'Shea who finished 23rd in 21:46 with Brian Guilfoyle next in 37th spot in 23:42.
Ieva Ofmane was our first woman across the line in 39th place in 23:45 with Andrea MaCardle 60th in 25:28 which was a new PB time for her.
Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5k
Later in the week, at the Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5K which started and finished in Santry Stadium there were some fine performances from our members.
Shane Larkin, affectionately known as the pocket rocket was on full power right from the gun and put the work in to get himself into a good position well up the field.
Larkin, who's small in stature but has the heart of a lion dug in when the hurt began and finished 10th overall in a very useful 17:01 to win a 1st in category prize.
Also racing was Mary Leech who's one of the most genuine athletes in Irish athletics and as usual Leech delivered a quality run when it was needed, which is one of the hallmarks of a quality athlete.
Leech quickly got into her racing tempo against some quality opposition and her strong running saw her finish 3rd overall in the ladies race and also winning her category when finishing 27th overall in an eye opening 18:22.
Siobhan Redmond also ran and finished in 25:53.
While most people were reaching for that extra extra slice of cake or another mince pie, many of our finest road runners celebrated the Christmas season by racing some of the many 5K road races which took place post Christmas day.
First up was the Kris Kindle 5K in Dundalk where Ruaidhri Nolan continued his run of good form when finishing 5th overall in a fast 17:29 against some quality opposition with club mate David Walsh close behind in 7th place in 17:51.
Gerard Fay was 70th in 22:48 with Christy Duffy 75th in 23:34.
For our ladies, Michele McCullough was 129th in 26:04 while Irene Connolly was 141st in 26:24.
Navan Rita & Robbie 5k
Over in Navan on St. Stephens day, Colin Leonard showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when finishing 8th overall in 17:32 at the Rita and Robbie Christmas 5K.
This was a strong display of running by Leonard and he's coming into good form after his Dublin Marathon run.
Jackser Reilly was our next finisher in 95th spot in 21:29 which earned him a 2nd in category prize.
Karen Delaney ran well to place 3rd in category when finishing 115th overall in 22:20 while Nuala Reilly won her category with her run of 22:24.
Conor Cooney got round the course in 23:58 while Roisin McGeough ran 25:07.
Oldbridge Park Run
The battle for club honours which is played out on a weekly basis at the Oldbridge Parkrun saw a titanic struggle take place between arch rivals Yasmin Canning and training partner Paul Reilly.
With both athletes in good form at the moment, last Saturday's race was a real straightener between these two and such was their commitment that both runners came away with some sparkling new PB times, with Canning just edging out Reilly on the line when finishing 11th in 19:44 to Reilly's 19:45.
This was a massive 17 second improvement for Canning and she's putting it up to most of her male training partners in the Red group.
While this race within a race was going on, Brian Martin was leading the rest of the field a merry dance as he coasted home a popular winner with his time of 17:42 giving a glimpse of the form that he's in at the moment.
Also running well was young Matthew O'Shea who finished 23rd in 21:46 with Brian Guilfoyle next in 37th spot in 23:42.
Ieva Ofmane was our first woman across the line in 39th place in 23:45 with Andrea MaCardle 60th in 25:28 which was a new PB time for her.
Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5k
Later in the week, at the Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5K which started and finished in Santry Stadium there were some fine performances from our members.
Shane Larkin, affectionately known as the pocket rocket was on full power right from the gun and put the work in to get himself into a good position well up the field.
Larkin, who's small in stature but has the heart of a lion dug in when the hurt began and finished 10th overall in a very useful 17:01 to win a 1st in category prize.
Also racing was Mary Leech who's one of the most genuine athletes in Irish athletics and as usual Leech delivered a quality run when it was needed, which is one of the hallmarks of a quality athlete.
Leech quickly got into her racing tempo against some quality opposition and her strong running saw her finish 3rd overall in the ladies race and also winning her category when finishing 27th overall in an eye opening 18:22.
Siobhan Redmond also ran and finished in 25:53.
Club News 23rd December 2018
Oldbridge Park Run
There's nothing like friendly rivalry to inspire a club athlete to go that extra yard in training or set the alarm clock a little earlier in their bid to steal a march on their closest competitor.
So it was last Saturday morning when Yasmin Canning took to the start line for the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun which is run over the hilly fields of Donore.
In truth, Canning was a woman on a mission, having recently run an eye opening 20:01 for this challenging course, the quest for the sub 20 minute run was on in earnest.
Also in Canning's mind was the fact that her training partner Paul Reilly had dipped under the 20 minute mark with his 19:56 clocking the previous week so the bragging rights were slipping away and those 5 seconds had to be found by hook or by crook.
Once the gun went, it was all systems go and Canning who's a tenacious runner was soon doing what she does best, running hard and fast with little regard for the pain she has to endure not to mention the pain that she's inflicting on her opponents!
With just over a mile gone, things were looking good for Canning as she headed out into the top field and Reilly who was at home with the flu would have been a worried man had he seen the time on the watch.
However, just as in the Mile race where the all important third lap tests one's ability to keep their concentration when the body is wilting, a few of those precious seconds began to drift away as Canning was now running alone on a difficult stretch of the course.
Coming into the bottom field with just over a kilometre to go Canning gave it all she had but alas on this occasion the clock won out and Reilly was able to sleep soundly as Canning crossed the line in 20:06.
Our second finisher in 23rd place was Pamela Howard in 22:19 and another few months of training will see her times fall dramatically.
Sean Corcoran was our first male finisher in 46th spot in 24:42 followed by Jos Haak who was 55th in 25:22.
Also running were Seamus Roe, David Thornton, Helen Molloy and Anne-Marie Kierans.
NIA Live
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, over at the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, some of our finest sprint athletes were in action on the state of the art 200m track.
There were some good performances from Karl Carton who was 4th in his 60m dash in 8:25 and later in the evening placed 3rd in his 200m in 27:34.
Carton's training partner Frank Cruise was 4th in the 200m in 29:50 while Andrea McCabe was 5th in her 200m event in 34:09.
In the 800m, which was run over 4 laps, Hugh Callan placed 3rd in 2:20:11, with Paul Stuart 5th in 2:21:48 and Gerry O'Connor 10th in 2:25:57.
In the mixed Mile, Mags Nugent ran well to finish 2nd in 5:50:89 while Gerard Fay was 8th in 6:35:54.
Charity Mile for Drogheda Homeless Aid
Our last event of the year, our Charity Mile which was held at our new sports grounds at Newtownstalaban, was in aid of raising much needed funds for the Drogheda Homeless Aid who do such great work all year round and particularly at this time of year.
Master of ceremonies Jim Nolan kept the masses entertained and our famed Misses Doyle's made sure that no one went home hungry.
Drogheda and District AC would like to wish all it's members,friends and supporters a Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you on a starting line in the near future.
There's nothing like friendly rivalry to inspire a club athlete to go that extra yard in training or set the alarm clock a little earlier in their bid to steal a march on their closest competitor.
So it was last Saturday morning when Yasmin Canning took to the start line for the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun which is run over the hilly fields of Donore.
In truth, Canning was a woman on a mission, having recently run an eye opening 20:01 for this challenging course, the quest for the sub 20 minute run was on in earnest.
Also in Canning's mind was the fact that her training partner Paul Reilly had dipped under the 20 minute mark with his 19:56 clocking the previous week so the bragging rights were slipping away and those 5 seconds had to be found by hook or by crook.
Once the gun went, it was all systems go and Canning who's a tenacious runner was soon doing what she does best, running hard and fast with little regard for the pain she has to endure not to mention the pain that she's inflicting on her opponents!
With just over a mile gone, things were looking good for Canning as she headed out into the top field and Reilly who was at home with the flu would have been a worried man had he seen the time on the watch.
However, just as in the Mile race where the all important third lap tests one's ability to keep their concentration when the body is wilting, a few of those precious seconds began to drift away as Canning was now running alone on a difficult stretch of the course.
Coming into the bottom field with just over a kilometre to go Canning gave it all she had but alas on this occasion the clock won out and Reilly was able to sleep soundly as Canning crossed the line in 20:06.
Our second finisher in 23rd place was Pamela Howard in 22:19 and another few months of training will see her times fall dramatically.
Sean Corcoran was our first male finisher in 46th spot in 24:42 followed by Jos Haak who was 55th in 25:22.
Also running were Seamus Roe, David Thornton, Helen Molloy and Anne-Marie Kierans.
NIA Live
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, over at the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown, some of our finest sprint athletes were in action on the state of the art 200m track.
There were some good performances from Karl Carton who was 4th in his 60m dash in 8:25 and later in the evening placed 3rd in his 200m in 27:34.
Carton's training partner Frank Cruise was 4th in the 200m in 29:50 while Andrea McCabe was 5th in her 200m event in 34:09.
In the 800m, which was run over 4 laps, Hugh Callan placed 3rd in 2:20:11, with Paul Stuart 5th in 2:21:48 and Gerry O'Connor 10th in 2:25:57.
In the mixed Mile, Mags Nugent ran well to finish 2nd in 5:50:89 while Gerard Fay was 8th in 6:35:54.
Charity Mile for Drogheda Homeless Aid
Our last event of the year, our Charity Mile which was held at our new sports grounds at Newtownstalaban, was in aid of raising much needed funds for the Drogheda Homeless Aid who do such great work all year round and particularly at this time of year.
Master of ceremonies Jim Nolan kept the masses entertained and our famed Misses Doyle's made sure that no one went home hungry.
Drogheda and District AC would like to wish all it's members,friends and supporters a Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you on a starting line in the near future.
Club News 16th December 2018
National Novice Cross Country
Making the short journey to Navan Racecourse for last Saturday's All Ireland National Novice and Uneven Age Cross Country Championships were some of our up and coming Junior athletes as well as some of their more senior club mates.
Conditions on the day were desperate to say the least with storm Deirdre doing it's best to wreck havoc with the already waterlogged course and this year's race wasn't for the faint hearted.
The run of the day belonged to young Tadhg Donnelly who finished a magnificent 10th in his Under 17 Boys 4K against the best that Ireland has to offer in his age group.
It's this consistent high quality running that will bring Donnelly to the attention of the various selectors who pick our under age teams which regularly compete for Ireland and the sky really is the limit for him in the coming years.
Also running in the same race was young Liam Mulligan and what a find he is for us, Mulligan has the heart of a lion and has come on in leaps and bounds over the Winter season and his 67th place finish against older competitors gives a glimpse of what he's capable of as his body absorbs the necessary training to succeed at this level.
In the Boys Under 19 6K, Cormac Canning delivered a solid run to finish 57th overall.
Our Women's trio of Yasmin Canning (80th), Ciara O'Reilly (80th) and Orla O'Connor (84th) raced well and this level of Championship racing is hugely beneficial for bringing these athletes on to greater things later in the New Year.
Colin Dyas was our first finisher in the Men's 6K event in 152nd spot, with Shane Larkin close behind in 156th and Kieran McGrath 162nd.
Also running were Brian Martin, (177th), Fintan Maher (182nd), Cillian Dyas (203rd) and David Walsh (204th).
Beko Christmas 5k
The glory days of Louth Athletics returned to the Lourdes Stadium last Sunday when close to 900 runners took part in our Beko 5K road race which thankfully was held in near perfect conditions.
Run over a very accurate and what many believed to be a very fair course, this annual Christmas race is fast becoming the go to event in the North East Region.
This year's race was won by Daniel Stone from Clonliffe Harriers in a fine 15:34 followed by his club mate Sean Doran in 2nd spot with local man Simon Ryan third in 15:56.
Tadhg Donnelly running his second race over the weekend was 4th in 15:57 finishing ahead of former Olympian Catherina McKiernan while Liam Mulligan was 11th overall in 17:44.
Martin Russell ran a very useful 18:35 while club Junior Sean Toner was 29th overall in 18:45, followed by Paddy Murphy who was 33rd in 19:04.
Our Juveniles really had a good day at the office with Abigail Tegart running 20:48 with training partner Kate O'Reilly finishing in 20:55.
These two combined well with Maureen Harbison who ran well to finish in 21:10 to take second place in the Ladies team category.
Yvonne McMahon and Nuala Reilly had a titanic struggle over the closing stages of the race with McMahon prevailing in 22:20 and Reilly finishing in 22:42.
Also running well for our ladies were Michelle Egan, Mary McDonnell and Ieva Ofmane.
Oldbridge Park Run
Congratulations to Paul Reilly on his Oldbridge Parkrun win last Saturday. Reilly stormed round the windswept course in a fine 19:56 and is reaping the benefits of his dedication to training over the past few months. It's rare to see Reilly's picture make the paper as he's the club photographer and is usually behind the lens rather than in front of the camera.
Our second finisher in 6th place was Tony Corcoran who ran the course in 22:47 with Seamus Roe next in 17th spot in 25:43.
Michele McCullough was our first female finisher in 24th place in 27:33 followed by Ruth Dunne who was 47th in 43:19.
Making the short journey to Navan Racecourse for last Saturday's All Ireland National Novice and Uneven Age Cross Country Championships were some of our up and coming Junior athletes as well as some of their more senior club mates.
Conditions on the day were desperate to say the least with storm Deirdre doing it's best to wreck havoc with the already waterlogged course and this year's race wasn't for the faint hearted.
The run of the day belonged to young Tadhg Donnelly who finished a magnificent 10th in his Under 17 Boys 4K against the best that Ireland has to offer in his age group.
It's this consistent high quality running that will bring Donnelly to the attention of the various selectors who pick our under age teams which regularly compete for Ireland and the sky really is the limit for him in the coming years.
Also running in the same race was young Liam Mulligan and what a find he is for us, Mulligan has the heart of a lion and has come on in leaps and bounds over the Winter season and his 67th place finish against older competitors gives a glimpse of what he's capable of as his body absorbs the necessary training to succeed at this level.
In the Boys Under 19 6K, Cormac Canning delivered a solid run to finish 57th overall.
Our Women's trio of Yasmin Canning (80th), Ciara O'Reilly (80th) and Orla O'Connor (84th) raced well and this level of Championship racing is hugely beneficial for bringing these athletes on to greater things later in the New Year.
Colin Dyas was our first finisher in the Men's 6K event in 152nd spot, with Shane Larkin close behind in 156th and Kieran McGrath 162nd.
Also running were Brian Martin, (177th), Fintan Maher (182nd), Cillian Dyas (203rd) and David Walsh (204th).
Beko Christmas 5k
The glory days of Louth Athletics returned to the Lourdes Stadium last Sunday when close to 900 runners took part in our Beko 5K road race which thankfully was held in near perfect conditions.
Run over a very accurate and what many believed to be a very fair course, this annual Christmas race is fast becoming the go to event in the North East Region.
This year's race was won by Daniel Stone from Clonliffe Harriers in a fine 15:34 followed by his club mate Sean Doran in 2nd spot with local man Simon Ryan third in 15:56.
Tadhg Donnelly running his second race over the weekend was 4th in 15:57 finishing ahead of former Olympian Catherina McKiernan while Liam Mulligan was 11th overall in 17:44.
Martin Russell ran a very useful 18:35 while club Junior Sean Toner was 29th overall in 18:45, followed by Paddy Murphy who was 33rd in 19:04.
Our Juveniles really had a good day at the office with Abigail Tegart running 20:48 with training partner Kate O'Reilly finishing in 20:55.
These two combined well with Maureen Harbison who ran well to finish in 21:10 to take second place in the Ladies team category.
Yvonne McMahon and Nuala Reilly had a titanic struggle over the closing stages of the race with McMahon prevailing in 22:20 and Reilly finishing in 22:42.
Also running well for our ladies were Michelle Egan, Mary McDonnell and Ieva Ofmane.
Oldbridge Park Run
Congratulations to Paul Reilly on his Oldbridge Parkrun win last Saturday. Reilly stormed round the windswept course in a fine 19:56 and is reaping the benefits of his dedication to training over the past few months. It's rare to see Reilly's picture make the paper as he's the club photographer and is usually behind the lens rather than in front of the camera.
Our second finisher in 6th place was Tony Corcoran who ran the course in 22:47 with Seamus Roe next in 17th spot in 25:43.
Michele McCullough was our first female finisher in 24th place in 27:33 followed by Ruth Dunne who was 47th in 43:19.
Club News 9th December 2018
Oldbridge Park Run
With the All Ireland National Novice cross country championships taking place next Saturday at Navan Racecourse followed by our sold out Christmas 5K the following day, it was a quiet week on the racing front with some of our members resting up for these events.
Paul Smith certainly delivered the goods in spades as he powered round the hilly slopes of Donore on his way to winning the Oldbridge Parkrun in a new PB time of 17:27.
Progress in Athletics is rarely spectacular and it normally takes a couple seasons for the work in training to bed in and the results to emerge on a consistent basis.
Smith, who's not afraid of putting in the hard work that's necessary to succeed at this level is now reaping the rewards of his efforts in training and he'll go well over the remaining cross country races.
Our next finisher in 8th spot in a solid 20:24 was Stephen Geraghty and this looks to be a real breakthrough year for him.
Our most prolific racer, Nuala Reilly was next across the line in 23:09 and she continues to show many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels over this tough 5K course.
Michele McCullough was our second woman finisher in 37th spot in 27:17 with Ruth Dunne 52nd in 30:29.
Others who ran included Yann Mahuet, Paul McArdle and Sinead McGuinness.
Club Annual Awards Night
Taking pride of place at our Sports Star of the Year awards which were held last weekend were Kieran McGrath and Mary Leech.
Leech had a tremendous season on the track which was topped off by her winning a silver medal in the 1500m at the European Masters Track Championships and then later in the season making the final of the 1500m at the World Masters Championships in Malaga.
McGrath also made both finals and really produced the goods when it counted by running three 800m races in succession in under 2 minutes on his way to making the final of his favourite event at the World Championships.
Both of these fine athletes are great role models for our young up and coming Juniors and it's their ability to do the small things well that makes the big difference when it comes to Championship racing.
ALSAA Winter League
Closer to home, at the midweek ALSAA Winter League, a clash of Titans took place over the Mile with Gerard Fay just edging out Christy Duffy by a mere 3 seconds to take home the bragging rights for what Duffy says will be a very short spell.
Clonakilty Marathon
Later in the week, Fay headed south to run the Clonakilty Marathon and finished 258th in 4 hours and 41 minutes.
With the All Ireland National Novice cross country championships taking place next Saturday at Navan Racecourse followed by our sold out Christmas 5K the following day, it was a quiet week on the racing front with some of our members resting up for these events.
Paul Smith certainly delivered the goods in spades as he powered round the hilly slopes of Donore on his way to winning the Oldbridge Parkrun in a new PB time of 17:27.
Progress in Athletics is rarely spectacular and it normally takes a couple seasons for the work in training to bed in and the results to emerge on a consistent basis.
Smith, who's not afraid of putting in the hard work that's necessary to succeed at this level is now reaping the rewards of his efforts in training and he'll go well over the remaining cross country races.
Our next finisher in 8th spot in a solid 20:24 was Stephen Geraghty and this looks to be a real breakthrough year for him.
Our most prolific racer, Nuala Reilly was next across the line in 23:09 and she continues to show many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels over this tough 5K course.
Michele McCullough was our second woman finisher in 37th spot in 27:17 with Ruth Dunne 52nd in 30:29.
Others who ran included Yann Mahuet, Paul McArdle and Sinead McGuinness.
Club Annual Awards Night
Taking pride of place at our Sports Star of the Year awards which were held last weekend were Kieran McGrath and Mary Leech.
Leech had a tremendous season on the track which was topped off by her winning a silver medal in the 1500m at the European Masters Track Championships and then later in the season making the final of the 1500m at the World Masters Championships in Malaga.
McGrath also made both finals and really produced the goods when it counted by running three 800m races in succession in under 2 minutes on his way to making the final of his favourite event at the World Championships.
Both of these fine athletes are great role models for our young up and coming Juniors and it's their ability to do the small things well that makes the big difference when it comes to Championship racing.
ALSAA Winter League
Closer to home, at the midweek ALSAA Winter League, a clash of Titans took place over the Mile with Gerard Fay just edging out Christy Duffy by a mere 3 seconds to take home the bragging rights for what Duffy says will be a very short spell.
Clonakilty Marathon
Later in the week, Fay headed south to run the Clonakilty Marathon and finished 258th in 4 hours and 41 minutes.
Club News 2nd December 2018
Louth Masters Cross Country
The final event of the Louth Cross Country Championship season took place in Togher last Sunday morning and the weather God's were more than kind to the runners with the day having an almost balmy feel to it and the ground in surprisingly good condition for some serious racing.
First up was the Women's 3K race which was led every step of the way by Dunleer's Karen Costello with our own Mary Leech soon stretching out the chasing pack as the pace quickened up considerably.
Leech dug in bravely when the serious questions were being asked towards the latter stages of the race and finished well to take home the silver medal in her category.
With some many different age categories taking part there were some fierce battles for club honours and county individual and team medals.
There were fine performances from Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly to win their categories while Helen Dillon and Mary McDonnell won silver medals.
Some strong running from Michelle Egan, Mary McGreehan, Andrea McCabe and Margaret McAuley saw this quartet take home individual bronze medals in their categories.
In the team award, our team of Leech, Hughes, Dillon and Yvonne McMahon packed well to take the silver medals against a strong Dunleer squad.
In the W50 category, Nuala Reilly, Andrea McCabe and Mary McDonnell combined well to take the team gold.
The Men's race turned out to be an interesting affair with some great battles being waged for both individual and team medals over this tough 6K course which was run over four laps.
Brian Martin and Shane Larkin gave no quarter as they both forced the pace at every opportunity and it was only coming down the home strait that Martin opened some daylight on his opponent to take the silver medal with Larkin having to settle for the bronze on this occasion.
Paddy Murphy put the work in when the going got tough to win his M50 category as did Jackser Reilly and Giancarlo Orlandi in their respective age groups.
Silver medal winners were Kieran McGrath, Paul Reilly and Tony Corcoran while David Walsh picked up a bronze in his category.
Our Men's team of Martin, Larkin, McGrath and Walsh packed well to take the silver team medals a mere two points behind a decent North East Runners squad.
Our M50 team of Murphy, Reilly and Jackser Reilly won the team gold on the count back rule having tied with North East Runners on 60 points each.
Jingle Bells 5k
The Lure of a lightning fast course and the prospect of a new PB time was more than enough to tempt over 1,000 runners for the annual Jingle Bells 5K road race which takes place in the Phoenix Park.
Although this course has a fast downhill finish, the course still has to be run and the first mile run over an incline is a true test of ability and resolve before the course evens out and then starts to fall towards the finish.
Young Tadhg Donnelly who's getting stronger by the week put the boot down right from the gun and was well up the field as he produced a storming run to finish 25th overall in a fast 15:47.
This was a real quality run from Donnelly as he was moving at about 5 minute mile pace and mixing it among some top class runners and it's all about the learning that's taking place for this talented young runner.
Pat O'Grady runs this race every year and this year's event certainly gave him reason to smile as he won his category in a lively 17:12 and things look to be coming together for him in training.
The battle for the next man over the line was a titanic struggle with Colin Leonard who finished in 17:49 just holding off Liam Mulligan in 17:55 and Colm Reilly in 17:58.
Yasmin Canning was our first woman across the line in 19:44 which gave her a category win and was followed by Orla O'Connor who ran 20:05.
Gillian Farrelly showed that she's recovered well from her Dublin Marathon run when running a new PB time of 22:07, while Prolific racer Nuala Reilly ran well to claim a 2nd in category prize when finishing in 22:15.
Also running well were our club Juveniles with Abigail Tegart finishing in 20:35, just 2 seconds ahead of Liam McGreehan O'Grady in 20:37, while Kate O'Reilly ran a useful 21:28.
Others who ran included Anna Ryan (30:55) and Mary Guilfoyle who finished in 30:53.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted a large group of our members to take on this challenging 5K cross country race which is run over the hilly slopes of Donore.
Martin Russell certainly found the course to his liking as he sped round the fields in a sparkling new PB time of 19:32 when finishing 3rd overall.
Our next finisher in 8th spot was Stephen Geraghty who ran the course in 21:08 followed by Yann Mahuet who was 17th in 23:36.
Michele McCullough led our women across the line when finishing 39th in 27:23, with Linda Bowe next in 44th spot in 27:46.
Also running were Sharon Finn who was 45th in 28:48 and Laura Dowling who ran 29:29 when finishing 46th.
The final event of the Louth Cross Country Championship season took place in Togher last Sunday morning and the weather God's were more than kind to the runners with the day having an almost balmy feel to it and the ground in surprisingly good condition for some serious racing.
First up was the Women's 3K race which was led every step of the way by Dunleer's Karen Costello with our own Mary Leech soon stretching out the chasing pack as the pace quickened up considerably.
Leech dug in bravely when the serious questions were being asked towards the latter stages of the race and finished well to take home the silver medal in her category.
With some many different age categories taking part there were some fierce battles for club honours and county individual and team medals.
There were fine performances from Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly to win their categories while Helen Dillon and Mary McDonnell won silver medals.
Some strong running from Michelle Egan, Mary McGreehan, Andrea McCabe and Margaret McAuley saw this quartet take home individual bronze medals in their categories.
In the team award, our team of Leech, Hughes, Dillon and Yvonne McMahon packed well to take the silver medals against a strong Dunleer squad.
In the W50 category, Nuala Reilly, Andrea McCabe and Mary McDonnell combined well to take the team gold.
The Men's race turned out to be an interesting affair with some great battles being waged for both individual and team medals over this tough 6K course which was run over four laps.
Brian Martin and Shane Larkin gave no quarter as they both forced the pace at every opportunity and it was only coming down the home strait that Martin opened some daylight on his opponent to take the silver medal with Larkin having to settle for the bronze on this occasion.
Paddy Murphy put the work in when the going got tough to win his M50 category as did Jackser Reilly and Giancarlo Orlandi in their respective age groups.
Silver medal winners were Kieran McGrath, Paul Reilly and Tony Corcoran while David Walsh picked up a bronze in his category.
Our Men's team of Martin, Larkin, McGrath and Walsh packed well to take the silver team medals a mere two points behind a decent North East Runners squad.
Our M50 team of Murphy, Reilly and Jackser Reilly won the team gold on the count back rule having tied with North East Runners on 60 points each.
Jingle Bells 5k
The Lure of a lightning fast course and the prospect of a new PB time was more than enough to tempt over 1,000 runners for the annual Jingle Bells 5K road race which takes place in the Phoenix Park.
Although this course has a fast downhill finish, the course still has to be run and the first mile run over an incline is a true test of ability and resolve before the course evens out and then starts to fall towards the finish.
Young Tadhg Donnelly who's getting stronger by the week put the boot down right from the gun and was well up the field as he produced a storming run to finish 25th overall in a fast 15:47.
This was a real quality run from Donnelly as he was moving at about 5 minute mile pace and mixing it among some top class runners and it's all about the learning that's taking place for this talented young runner.
Pat O'Grady runs this race every year and this year's event certainly gave him reason to smile as he won his category in a lively 17:12 and things look to be coming together for him in training.
The battle for the next man over the line was a titanic struggle with Colin Leonard who finished in 17:49 just holding off Liam Mulligan in 17:55 and Colm Reilly in 17:58.
Yasmin Canning was our first woman across the line in 19:44 which gave her a category win and was followed by Orla O'Connor who ran 20:05.
Gillian Farrelly showed that she's recovered well from her Dublin Marathon run when running a new PB time of 22:07, while Prolific racer Nuala Reilly ran well to claim a 2nd in category prize when finishing in 22:15.
Also running well were our club Juveniles with Abigail Tegart finishing in 20:35, just 2 seconds ahead of Liam McGreehan O'Grady in 20:37, while Kate O'Reilly ran a useful 21:28.
Others who ran included Anna Ryan (30:55) and Mary Guilfoyle who finished in 30:53.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted a large group of our members to take on this challenging 5K cross country race which is run over the hilly slopes of Donore.
Martin Russell certainly found the course to his liking as he sped round the fields in a sparkling new PB time of 19:32 when finishing 3rd overall.
Our next finisher in 8th spot was Stephen Geraghty who ran the course in 21:08 followed by Yann Mahuet who was 17th in 23:36.
Michele McCullough led our women across the line when finishing 39th in 27:23, with Linda Bowe next in 44th spot in 27:46.
Also running were Sharon Finn who was 45th in 28:48 and Laura Dowling who ran 29:29 when finishing 46th.
Club News 25th November 2018
Irish Life Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country Championships
Some of Ireland's most promising young athletes were in action at last Sunday's Irish Life Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country Championships which were held at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown.
As these races were run in conjunction with the National Senior Championships, the atmosphere on the day
was electric with plenty of pre race nerves showing as most of the winners from today will go on to represent their country at International level in the next year.
The weather God's were kind to the runners but this purpose built course which will stage the European Championships in 2020 takes no prisoners and isn't for the faint hearted.
Running in the red vest of DDAC in the Boys U18 6K race were Liam Mulligan and Cormac Canning and they gave it everything they had over this four lap race which was run at a relentless pace right from the gun.
Canning, who's a clever athlete and almost always races well finished a fine 33rd overall against some top class opposition while Mulligan who's not so long in the sport was well in the mix when finishing 80th overall in a densely packed field.
In the Junior Men's race, James Nolan continued his way back to top class Juvenile racing with a solid run to cross the line in 21:32 which is good going for 6K over an unforgiving course.
Kate O'Reilly was our sole runner in the Girls U16 4K event and ran well to place 103rd out of a large field and was Louth's sixth scoring runner on a team that finished 10th.
Cushinstown Indoor Meeting
Meanwhile, some of our younger members, affectionately know as the "Mini's" managed to stay warm and dry by taking part in Cushinstown AC's annual indoor meeting which took place last Sunday morning.
First up was young Cillian Russell who picked up a 2nd place medal in the first race of the day, the 30m dash for the younger pre competition aged kids.
Next up for DDAC was Ciara O'Connor in the Girls U11 60m sprint, Ciara ran well and qualified for her final but finished just outside the medals in 4th place.
Sofia Drakoulaki ran strongly to finish 3rd in the Girls U12 final and later went on to won gold in the Girls U13 long jump with a very impressive leap of 4:54, older sister Anastasia Drakoulaki also doubled up on the medals winning the Girls U14 60m and coming 3rd in the Girls U15 long jump, making it a very worth while trip for the Drakoulaki girls.
Another girl that left Cushinstown with a smile on her face was Sophie Kinsella who had a tremendous run to pick up a silver medal in the Girls U13 60m sprint.
In the boys events, Sam Clear and Cormac Russell both ran well in the Boys U12 heats, Cormac also making it though to the final but was pushed out of the medals in a strong field.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun, five of our members took to the hilly slopes of Donore to run this testing 5K cross country race.
Our first finisher in 19th place overall was Peter Mullen and his time of 22:57 shows that things are going well for him in training.
Next across the line was Declan McMahon in 27th spot in 24:05 followed by Seamus Roe who was 34th in 24:49.
Michelle McCullough was our first female finisher in 27:33 when finishing 48th, while Rose Dalton was 67th in 31:16.
Some of Ireland's most promising young athletes were in action at last Sunday's Irish Life Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country Championships which were held at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown.
As these races were run in conjunction with the National Senior Championships, the atmosphere on the day
was electric with plenty of pre race nerves showing as most of the winners from today will go on to represent their country at International level in the next year.
The weather God's were kind to the runners but this purpose built course which will stage the European Championships in 2020 takes no prisoners and isn't for the faint hearted.
Running in the red vest of DDAC in the Boys U18 6K race were Liam Mulligan and Cormac Canning and they gave it everything they had over this four lap race which was run at a relentless pace right from the gun.
Canning, who's a clever athlete and almost always races well finished a fine 33rd overall against some top class opposition while Mulligan who's not so long in the sport was well in the mix when finishing 80th overall in a densely packed field.
In the Junior Men's race, James Nolan continued his way back to top class Juvenile racing with a solid run to cross the line in 21:32 which is good going for 6K over an unforgiving course.
Kate O'Reilly was our sole runner in the Girls U16 4K event and ran well to place 103rd out of a large field and was Louth's sixth scoring runner on a team that finished 10th.
Cushinstown Indoor Meeting
Meanwhile, some of our younger members, affectionately know as the "Mini's" managed to stay warm and dry by taking part in Cushinstown AC's annual indoor meeting which took place last Sunday morning.
First up was young Cillian Russell who picked up a 2nd place medal in the first race of the day, the 30m dash for the younger pre competition aged kids.
Next up for DDAC was Ciara O'Connor in the Girls U11 60m sprint, Ciara ran well and qualified for her final but finished just outside the medals in 4th place.
Sofia Drakoulaki ran strongly to finish 3rd in the Girls U12 final and later went on to won gold in the Girls U13 long jump with a very impressive leap of 4:54, older sister Anastasia Drakoulaki also doubled up on the medals winning the Girls U14 60m and coming 3rd in the Girls U15 long jump, making it a very worth while trip for the Drakoulaki girls.
Another girl that left Cushinstown with a smile on her face was Sophie Kinsella who had a tremendous run to pick up a silver medal in the Girls U13 60m sprint.
In the boys events, Sam Clear and Cormac Russell both ran well in the Boys U12 heats, Cormac also making it though to the final but was pushed out of the medals in a strong field.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun, five of our members took to the hilly slopes of Donore to run this testing 5K cross country race.
Our first finisher in 19th place overall was Peter Mullen and his time of 22:57 shows that things are going well for him in training.
Next across the line was Declan McMahon in 27th spot in 24:05 followed by Seamus Roe who was 34th in 24:49.
Michelle McCullough was our first female finisher in 27:33 when finishing 48th, while Rose Dalton was 67th in 31:16.
Club News 18th November 2018
Anagassan 10k
The quiet rural roads of Annagassan were turned into a sea of red when a large number of our athletes turned up to run in this very popular annual 10K road race in memory of Irish athletics legend Noel Carroll who was a former European record holder.
Conditions on the day favoured the runners as there was a decent tail wind on the back stretch of the course along the coast road.
Once the gun went, Shane Larkin, who's affectionately known as the Pocket Rocket quickly made his way to the head of the field and forced the pace with a fast opening mile of 5:30 on the downhill stretch towards the village.
It soon became clear that this race was down to three main contenders, Larkin, Niall Fergus from North East Runners and former Olympian Catherina McKiernan and they pushed hard coming up to the turn at the 5K mark to open up a decisive lead on the chasing pack.
The next 3K was all about hard sustained running as Larkin and McKiernan opened up some daylight on Fergus who eventually finished third overall.
With less than 2K to go, McKiernan began to turn the screw on Larkin and there were some serious questions being asked of his ability to take the pain, nevertheless, Larkin who's small in stature but huge in heart dug in and applied himself in spades as the pair made there way towards the last kilometre marker.
However, this was to be McKiernan's day and her fast finishing speed saw her come home a clear and popular winner with Larkin having to be content with the runner up spot and the head to head score between these two now stands at four wins each.
Larkin's time of 36:16 which was slightly slower than his time for the previous year's race still represents good running and he'll be in the reckoning at the County Masters Cross Country Championships in two weeks time.
Our next finisher was Mags Nugent who ran well to finish 41st overall in a solid 42:47, followed by Niamh Matthews in 108th spot in 48:31.
Anna Isgro ran well to finish 163rd in 51:36 while Edel Victory finished 184th in 52:31.
BHAA Irish Life 6k XC
Meanwhile, taking to the fields adjoining Santry Stadium for the BHAA Irish Life 6K race were Conor Cooney, Jim Nolan and Colm Reilly while Nuala Reilly ran in the Women's race.
Although the ground was quite soft, most of the runners seemed to cope well with the conditions over this four lap race and our Men's trio finished 4th in the team event with Reilly picking up a win in the Over 35 category.
Nualy Reilly as always delivered a strong run to take first prize in her category.
Oldbridge Park Run
The weekly Oldbridge Parkrun continues to attract many of our members who use this hilly 5K run to sharpen up for County Championship racing.
Stephen Kelly seems to have recovered well from his Dublin Marathon run as he sped round the course in a lively 16:34 to win last Saturday's race.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Yasmin Canning who ran a sparkling new PB time of 20:01 when finishing 8th overall and she'll surely break the 20 minute barrier soon.
Also running well was Brian Guilfoyle who finished 20th in 22:33 followed by Declan McMahon in 29th spot in 24:57.
Linda Bowe finished 46th in 28:10 with Laura Dowling 48th in 29:10.
ALSAA Winter League
At the midweek ALSAA Winter League, Christy Duffy ran 13:28 for the 3K race while Gerard Fay ran 13:50.
The quiet rural roads of Annagassan were turned into a sea of red when a large number of our athletes turned up to run in this very popular annual 10K road race in memory of Irish athletics legend Noel Carroll who was a former European record holder.
Conditions on the day favoured the runners as there was a decent tail wind on the back stretch of the course along the coast road.
Once the gun went, Shane Larkin, who's affectionately known as the Pocket Rocket quickly made his way to the head of the field and forced the pace with a fast opening mile of 5:30 on the downhill stretch towards the village.
It soon became clear that this race was down to three main contenders, Larkin, Niall Fergus from North East Runners and former Olympian Catherina McKiernan and they pushed hard coming up to the turn at the 5K mark to open up a decisive lead on the chasing pack.
The next 3K was all about hard sustained running as Larkin and McKiernan opened up some daylight on Fergus who eventually finished third overall.
With less than 2K to go, McKiernan began to turn the screw on Larkin and there were some serious questions being asked of his ability to take the pain, nevertheless, Larkin who's small in stature but huge in heart dug in and applied himself in spades as the pair made there way towards the last kilometre marker.
However, this was to be McKiernan's day and her fast finishing speed saw her come home a clear and popular winner with Larkin having to be content with the runner up spot and the head to head score between these two now stands at four wins each.
Larkin's time of 36:16 which was slightly slower than his time for the previous year's race still represents good running and he'll be in the reckoning at the County Masters Cross Country Championships in two weeks time.
Our next finisher was Mags Nugent who ran well to finish 41st overall in a solid 42:47, followed by Niamh Matthews in 108th spot in 48:31.
Anna Isgro ran well to finish 163rd in 51:36 while Edel Victory finished 184th in 52:31.
BHAA Irish Life 6k XC
Meanwhile, taking to the fields adjoining Santry Stadium for the BHAA Irish Life 6K race were Conor Cooney, Jim Nolan and Colm Reilly while Nuala Reilly ran in the Women's race.
Although the ground was quite soft, most of the runners seemed to cope well with the conditions over this four lap race and our Men's trio finished 4th in the team event with Reilly picking up a win in the Over 35 category.
Nualy Reilly as always delivered a strong run to take first prize in her category.
Oldbridge Park Run
The weekly Oldbridge Parkrun continues to attract many of our members who use this hilly 5K run to sharpen up for County Championship racing.
Stephen Kelly seems to have recovered well from his Dublin Marathon run as he sped round the course in a lively 16:34 to win last Saturday's race.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Yasmin Canning who ran a sparkling new PB time of 20:01 when finishing 8th overall and she'll surely break the 20 minute barrier soon.
Also running well was Brian Guilfoyle who finished 20th in 22:33 followed by Declan McMahon in 29th spot in 24:57.
Linda Bowe finished 46th in 28:10 with Laura Dowling 48th in 29:10.
ALSAA Winter League
At the midweek ALSAA Winter League, Christy Duffy ran 13:28 for the 3K race while Gerard Fay ran 13:50.
Club News 11th November 2018
Leinster Uneven Age Cross Country Championships
Boxing's loss is most certainly Athletics gain as young Tadhg Donnelly's decision to hang up his boxing gloves and concentrate on his running career bore fruit in abundance when he destroyed a top class field to win the Leinster Under 17 Boys Cross Country Championship in Adamstown, Wexford, last Sunday.
Conditions on the day were changeable to say the least as within and hour the mild and calm weather had changed to torrential rain and the very testing course was treacherous in places.
Nevertheless, cometh the hour, cometh the man and once the gun went it was all about Donnelly as he gave a powerhouse display of aggressive front running to come home a very convincing winner by almost 25 seconds from his nearest rival Jake Cullen from Tara AC.
The sky really is the limit for Donnelly as he possesses tremendous strength and has an insatiable appetite for the hard work that's required to make it as a top class athlete.
Also running in the Under 17 race were Liam Mulligan who had a great run to finish 21st and Sean Toner who was 46th in one of the most competitive races of the day.
Thanks to the efforts of the D&D trio and some sparkling running from their fellow county teammates the silver medals in the county category went to Louth.
Our sole runner in the Girls Under 17 event was Abigail Tegart who looks to have a bright future in athletics.
Tegart, who's a determined runner had a strong run and she delivered a fast last lap which saw her finish well up the field in 21st place overall against some quality opposition
Greenhills 5k
Meanwhile, closer to home, a large number of our athletes were taking part in the Greenhills 5K road race which was held in near perfect conditions.
The run of the day went to James Nolan who gave a strong display of running to finish 2nd overall in 18:17 behind local runner Simon Ryan.
Pat O'Grady was our next finisher in 3rd spot in 18:38 and also picked up a 1st in category prize as did Shane Larkin who was 4th in 18:50.
Other category prize winners in the Men's section were Jackser Reilly (3rd in Category) and Knut Nielsen (2nd in category).
Our women were led home by prolific racer Nuala Reilly who showed her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when finishing 38th overall in 23:39 which was good enough to also win her category.
Next in 42nd place was Sinead Weldon who ran 23:43 with Yvonne McMahon a mere 2 seconds behind in 23:45 when finishing 43rd overall.
Jane Glynn was our 3rd finisher in the senior section when running 26:02 to finish 66th overall.
The future of our club, our youths section had a good day at the office as both Sophie Kinsella and Liam McGreehan O'Grady were the winners of the Under 16 category.
McGreehan O'Grady ran a useful 21:43 and looks every bit a runner while Kinsella has talent in abundance and both are going to make their mark on the local athletics scene in the years to come.
Oldbridge Park Run
With only three weeks to go until the County Masters Cross Country Championships take place in Togher, some of our athletes were using the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun to sharpen up in their bid to win county medals.
Johnny Breen seems to like this event as he sped round the course in a lively 18:01 and this was his second win out of three starts in this popular 5K cross country event.
Our second finisher in 6th place in an excellent time of 19:59 was Paul Reilly.
Reilly who is a useful runner is rarely seen in a photograph as he's our club Photographer and it's thanks to him that we have such quality pictures for our weekly report.
Our first female finisher in 7th spot was Orla O'Connor who ran a new PB time of 20:44 and she'll go even faster as the season progresses.
Also running were Sinead McGuinness who was 43rd in 26:04, Linda Bowe who finished 47th in 28:51 and Ruth Dunne who was 53rd in 30:31.
Boxing's loss is most certainly Athletics gain as young Tadhg Donnelly's decision to hang up his boxing gloves and concentrate on his running career bore fruit in abundance when he destroyed a top class field to win the Leinster Under 17 Boys Cross Country Championship in Adamstown, Wexford, last Sunday.
Conditions on the day were changeable to say the least as within and hour the mild and calm weather had changed to torrential rain and the very testing course was treacherous in places.
Nevertheless, cometh the hour, cometh the man and once the gun went it was all about Donnelly as he gave a powerhouse display of aggressive front running to come home a very convincing winner by almost 25 seconds from his nearest rival Jake Cullen from Tara AC.
The sky really is the limit for Donnelly as he possesses tremendous strength and has an insatiable appetite for the hard work that's required to make it as a top class athlete.
Also running in the Under 17 race were Liam Mulligan who had a great run to finish 21st and Sean Toner who was 46th in one of the most competitive races of the day.
Thanks to the efforts of the D&D trio and some sparkling running from their fellow county teammates the silver medals in the county category went to Louth.
Our sole runner in the Girls Under 17 event was Abigail Tegart who looks to have a bright future in athletics.
Tegart, who's a determined runner had a strong run and she delivered a fast last lap which saw her finish well up the field in 21st place overall against some quality opposition
Greenhills 5k
Meanwhile, closer to home, a large number of our athletes were taking part in the Greenhills 5K road race which was held in near perfect conditions.
The run of the day went to James Nolan who gave a strong display of running to finish 2nd overall in 18:17 behind local runner Simon Ryan.
Pat O'Grady was our next finisher in 3rd spot in 18:38 and also picked up a 1st in category prize as did Shane Larkin who was 4th in 18:50.
Other category prize winners in the Men's section were Jackser Reilly (3rd in Category) and Knut Nielsen (2nd in category).
Our women were led home by prolific racer Nuala Reilly who showed her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when finishing 38th overall in 23:39 which was good enough to also win her category.
Next in 42nd place was Sinead Weldon who ran 23:43 with Yvonne McMahon a mere 2 seconds behind in 23:45 when finishing 43rd overall.
Jane Glynn was our 3rd finisher in the senior section when running 26:02 to finish 66th overall.
The future of our club, our youths section had a good day at the office as both Sophie Kinsella and Liam McGreehan O'Grady were the winners of the Under 16 category.
McGreehan O'Grady ran a useful 21:43 and looks every bit a runner while Kinsella has talent in abundance and both are going to make their mark on the local athletics scene in the years to come.
Oldbridge Park Run
With only three weeks to go until the County Masters Cross Country Championships take place in Togher, some of our athletes were using the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun to sharpen up in their bid to win county medals.
Johnny Breen seems to like this event as he sped round the course in a lively 18:01 and this was his second win out of three starts in this popular 5K cross country event.
Our second finisher in 6th place in an excellent time of 19:59 was Paul Reilly.
Reilly who is a useful runner is rarely seen in a photograph as he's our club Photographer and it's thanks to him that we have such quality pictures for our weekly report.
Our first female finisher in 7th spot was Orla O'Connor who ran a new PB time of 20:44 and she'll go even faster as the season progresses.
Also running were Sinead McGuinness who was 43rd in 26:04, Linda Bowe who finished 47th in 28:51 and Ruth Dunne who was 53rd in 30:31.
Club News 4th November 2018
Louth Senior and Juvenile Relay Cross Country
When it come to cross country running, the holy grail for most athletes worth their salt is to make the team for the county senior championships and the medals don't come easy at this level.
To that end, the last nine weeks have been spent honing the body under the watchful eye of the club coaches and if there's a hill in Drogheda that wasn't run up at least ten times then it's well hidden.
Thankfully the weather God's were looking down on us for last Sunday's race with the day dawning bright and with little or no wind conditions were perfect for some fast running.
First up were our ladies in the 6K race which was run over almost four laps and right from the gun Karen Costello from Dunleer AC set a cracking pace which she never let up and she led from gun to tape.
Not far behind, our own Mary Leech was leading the charge as our girls went about trying to win the team race and both Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly pushed hard to get themselves up to 6th and 7th place with just over a lap remaining.
Sometimes in these events, it's the strength of the fourth scoring member of the team which decides who'll take home the medals and with Orla O'Connor running strongly there were only 2 points between the teams when the bell sounded.
With all to play for the last lap saw some terrific battles taking place and non more so than O'Reilly's frantic dash down the home strait as she overtook Canning and just failed to catch the Dunleer athlete ahead of her.
Alas on this occasion it wasn't to be for D&D and our girls has to be content with the silver medals having been beaten by just 2 points by a very well prepared Dunleer squad.
With our ladies making up more than 20 of the 31 starters, our second team of Rachel McCormack, Maureen Harbison, Michelle Hughes and Laura Roche packed well to take the third team medals.
Also running well were Nuala Reilly, Karen Delaney and Niamh Matthews.
In the Men's 10K race which was run over six and a half laps, our lads were really up against it as Dunleer AC produced a cracking team who went on to fill the first four places and this quartet would look good at a national class event.
Nevertheless, our men were primed and ready for battle and once the gun went Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin who both ran in last week's Dublin Marathon made their way into 6th, 7th place with Mark O'Shea right up there with them.
Knowing that we were still in the hunt for the gold medals, Paul Smith and young James Nolan ignored the pain that was etched on their faces and pushed hard to come home in 9th and 11th place respectively.
All eyes were on the finishing strait as the pocket rocket Shane Larkin our sixth scorer in 14th spot hurtled himself towards the line and now the wait was on to see where the Dunleer runners would finish.
With the pace fast and furious, it was now up to our non scoring runners to push back the fifth and sixth Dunleer runners if we were to win the team event but with Dunleer's last man finishing in 20th place the gold medals went to Dunleer for the second year in a row.
There were some fine performances from Kieran McGrath, Pat O'Grady and Ruaidhri Nolan to keep us in the hunt for the medals and the improvement of our strength in depth was there for all to see.
Also running well were Johnny Breen, Martin Russell and John Reilly.
Congratulations to Christy Duffy who ran his 49th consecutive Louth Senior Cross Country Championship race, perhaps setting a record which is unlikely to be broken for a long time to come.
Also taking place were the Louth 4 x 500m relays with many of our young hopefuls in action.
In the girls U10, lining up for DDAC were Ruby Berrill, Aoife O'Connor, Aine Carroll and Caoilinn Smith, all four girls ran their hearts out finishing outside the medal places however.
For the boys U10 it was the turn of Patrick Lennon, Finn Coade, Sam Monks and Conor Kelly, all four again giving their all for the team.
Girls U12 were next, DDAC had two teams entered, and after a great start by Ciara O'Connor coming around in 2nd place the 1st team of Ciara, Lili Mai Coade, Sofia Drakoulaki and Aoibha Smith were unlucky to finish just outside the medals in a very competitive race.
The 2nd team was made of up Maebh McCabe, Orla Kelly, Niamh Carroll and Ava Rose Matthews, again all four give their best and enjoyed the experience.
Boys U12 also featured two teams from DDAC, first team of Padraic Ward, Oliver Adamiak, Christian Kelly and second team featured Jamie O'Reilly, Jack McGinn, Darragh O'Callghan and Cormac Russell, both teams ran well.
Girls U14 team of Anastasia Drackoulaki, Sophie Kinsella, Sarah Gavin Sinead Leech all gained experience on a day where the competition was very strong.
The boys U14 team of Liam McGrehan O'Grady, twins Ben and Jack Doherty along with Cillian Gogarty also had a good run and gained valuable experience in a tough field.
When it come to cross country running, the holy grail for most athletes worth their salt is to make the team for the county senior championships and the medals don't come easy at this level.
To that end, the last nine weeks have been spent honing the body under the watchful eye of the club coaches and if there's a hill in Drogheda that wasn't run up at least ten times then it's well hidden.
Thankfully the weather God's were looking down on us for last Sunday's race with the day dawning bright and with little or no wind conditions were perfect for some fast running.
First up were our ladies in the 6K race which was run over almost four laps and right from the gun Karen Costello from Dunleer AC set a cracking pace which she never let up and she led from gun to tape.
Not far behind, our own Mary Leech was leading the charge as our girls went about trying to win the team race and both Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly pushed hard to get themselves up to 6th and 7th place with just over a lap remaining.
Sometimes in these events, it's the strength of the fourth scoring member of the team which decides who'll take home the medals and with Orla O'Connor running strongly there were only 2 points between the teams when the bell sounded.
With all to play for the last lap saw some terrific battles taking place and non more so than O'Reilly's frantic dash down the home strait as she overtook Canning and just failed to catch the Dunleer athlete ahead of her.
Alas on this occasion it wasn't to be for D&D and our girls has to be content with the silver medals having been beaten by just 2 points by a very well prepared Dunleer squad.
With our ladies making up more than 20 of the 31 starters, our second team of Rachel McCormack, Maureen Harbison, Michelle Hughes and Laura Roche packed well to take the third team medals.
Also running well were Nuala Reilly, Karen Delaney and Niamh Matthews.
In the Men's 10K race which was run over six and a half laps, our lads were really up against it as Dunleer AC produced a cracking team who went on to fill the first four places and this quartet would look good at a national class event.
Nevertheless, our men were primed and ready for battle and once the gun went Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin who both ran in last week's Dublin Marathon made their way into 6th, 7th place with Mark O'Shea right up there with them.
Knowing that we were still in the hunt for the gold medals, Paul Smith and young James Nolan ignored the pain that was etched on their faces and pushed hard to come home in 9th and 11th place respectively.
All eyes were on the finishing strait as the pocket rocket Shane Larkin our sixth scorer in 14th spot hurtled himself towards the line and now the wait was on to see where the Dunleer runners would finish.
With the pace fast and furious, it was now up to our non scoring runners to push back the fifth and sixth Dunleer runners if we were to win the team event but with Dunleer's last man finishing in 20th place the gold medals went to Dunleer for the second year in a row.
There were some fine performances from Kieran McGrath, Pat O'Grady and Ruaidhri Nolan to keep us in the hunt for the medals and the improvement of our strength in depth was there for all to see.
Also running well were Johnny Breen, Martin Russell and John Reilly.
Congratulations to Christy Duffy who ran his 49th consecutive Louth Senior Cross Country Championship race, perhaps setting a record which is unlikely to be broken for a long time to come.
Also taking place were the Louth 4 x 500m relays with many of our young hopefuls in action.
In the girls U10, lining up for DDAC were Ruby Berrill, Aoife O'Connor, Aine Carroll and Caoilinn Smith, all four girls ran their hearts out finishing outside the medal places however.
For the boys U10 it was the turn of Patrick Lennon, Finn Coade, Sam Monks and Conor Kelly, all four again giving their all for the team.
Girls U12 were next, DDAC had two teams entered, and after a great start by Ciara O'Connor coming around in 2nd place the 1st team of Ciara, Lili Mai Coade, Sofia Drakoulaki and Aoibha Smith were unlucky to finish just outside the medals in a very competitive race.
The 2nd team was made of up Maebh McCabe, Orla Kelly, Niamh Carroll and Ava Rose Matthews, again all four give their best and enjoyed the experience.
Boys U12 also featured two teams from DDAC, first team of Padraic Ward, Oliver Adamiak, Christian Kelly and second team featured Jamie O'Reilly, Jack McGinn, Darragh O'Callghan and Cormac Russell, both teams ran well.
Girls U14 team of Anastasia Drackoulaki, Sophie Kinsella, Sarah Gavin Sinead Leech all gained experience on a day where the competition was very strong.
The boys U14 team of Liam McGrehan O'Grady, twins Ben and Jack Doherty along with Cillian Gogarty also had a good run and gained valuable experience in a tough field.
Club News 28th October 2018
Leinster Novice & Even Age Cross Country
The future of any Athletic Club depends on it's ability to recruit, develop and most importantly retain its Youths section as they're the people who will guide the club in the coming years.
The seeds of D&D's decision to expand its Youths section bore fruit in abundance at last Saturday's Leinster Novice and Even Age Cross Country Championships which were held at Navan Racecourse when our Junior men took the Leinster team title for the first time.
With the Under 18's and the Junior Men's 6K races being run together this really was a hot bed of talent and the pace was ferocious right from the gun.
Tadhg Donnelly who's not afraid of the hard work needed to succeed at this level poured on the pace in spades right from the gun and was rewarded with a magnificent 2nd place finish in the Under 18 event and backed up by Cormac Canning who had a great run to finish 4th overall, things were looking good for the team prize.
Thanks to some strong finishing by Liam Mulligan and Sean Toner our club team secured the bronze medals in the club team category and made up the bulk of the County team which took gold against the best that the province had to offer when beating a strong Meath team by a single point.
In the Junior Men's event, James Nolan made a successful return to racing when finishing 7th overall and along with Donnelly, Canning and Mulligan were on the County team which took the gold medals.
For our Junior ladies, young Kate O'Reilly ran well to finish 44th overall and scored on the Louth team that qualified for the All Irelands later in the year.
In the Men's Novice race which was of a very high standard, Paul Smith ran well to be our first finisher in 26th place against some quality opposition over this tough course, while club mate Johnny Breen was having a terrific run to finish just a minute behind in 62nd spot.
Close behind the fast finishing Fintan Maher and Shane Larkin packed well and made up the quartet which finished 10th in the club team competition.
Also running were Cillian Dyas, David Walsh and Daragh Campbell.
Dublin Marathon
Some of our finest road runners were taking on the daunting challenge of running 26 miles at last Sunday's Dublin City Marathon.
The weather God's were certainly smiling as the day dawned cold but dead calm which suited the runners as wind is always the enemy in distance running.
Our first finisher from last year was Stephen Kelly and he just managed to claim that spot again when finishing in 2:41:08 which is some running, a mere 9 seconds behind was Brian Martin who ran a fabulous 2:41:17.
Close behind was Ruaidhri Nolan who judged the pace to perfection to record 2:45:13 for the classic distance.
John Reilly went so close to cracking the elusive 3 hour mark when crossing the line in 3:00:41 and it wasn't for the lack of trying as every second takes it out of the legs at sub 3 hour pace.
Others who ran well were Colin Leonard (3:05:10), Stephen Floyd (3:05:18) and John Cooper (3:07:32).
Our first finisher in the Women's race was Rachel McCormack who ran an intelligent race to finish in 3:20:43 and she looks to have ability over this distance.
Karen Delaney was our second woman across the line in 3:50:02, while Niamh Matthews, Gillian Farrelly and Helen Dillon all finished in 3:56.
Also running that time were Barbara Byrne, and Carmel Keenan.
Perhaps the real winners on the day were the many thousands of people who were brave enough to take on the challenge of this pretty unforgiving event and in the process transformed themselves into budding athletes while developing a new sporting career.
The future of any Athletic Club depends on it's ability to recruit, develop and most importantly retain its Youths section as they're the people who will guide the club in the coming years.
The seeds of D&D's decision to expand its Youths section bore fruit in abundance at last Saturday's Leinster Novice and Even Age Cross Country Championships which were held at Navan Racecourse when our Junior men took the Leinster team title for the first time.
With the Under 18's and the Junior Men's 6K races being run together this really was a hot bed of talent and the pace was ferocious right from the gun.
Tadhg Donnelly who's not afraid of the hard work needed to succeed at this level poured on the pace in spades right from the gun and was rewarded with a magnificent 2nd place finish in the Under 18 event and backed up by Cormac Canning who had a great run to finish 4th overall, things were looking good for the team prize.
Thanks to some strong finishing by Liam Mulligan and Sean Toner our club team secured the bronze medals in the club team category and made up the bulk of the County team which took gold against the best that the province had to offer when beating a strong Meath team by a single point.
In the Junior Men's event, James Nolan made a successful return to racing when finishing 7th overall and along with Donnelly, Canning and Mulligan were on the County team which took the gold medals.
For our Junior ladies, young Kate O'Reilly ran well to finish 44th overall and scored on the Louth team that qualified for the All Irelands later in the year.
In the Men's Novice race which was of a very high standard, Paul Smith ran well to be our first finisher in 26th place against some quality opposition over this tough course, while club mate Johnny Breen was having a terrific run to finish just a minute behind in 62nd spot.
Close behind the fast finishing Fintan Maher and Shane Larkin packed well and made up the quartet which finished 10th in the club team competition.
Also running were Cillian Dyas, David Walsh and Daragh Campbell.
Dublin Marathon
Some of our finest road runners were taking on the daunting challenge of running 26 miles at last Sunday's Dublin City Marathon.
The weather God's were certainly smiling as the day dawned cold but dead calm which suited the runners as wind is always the enemy in distance running.
Our first finisher from last year was Stephen Kelly and he just managed to claim that spot again when finishing in 2:41:08 which is some running, a mere 9 seconds behind was Brian Martin who ran a fabulous 2:41:17.
Close behind was Ruaidhri Nolan who judged the pace to perfection to record 2:45:13 for the classic distance.
John Reilly went so close to cracking the elusive 3 hour mark when crossing the line in 3:00:41 and it wasn't for the lack of trying as every second takes it out of the legs at sub 3 hour pace.
Others who ran well were Colin Leonard (3:05:10), Stephen Floyd (3:05:18) and John Cooper (3:07:32).
Our first finisher in the Women's race was Rachel McCormack who ran an intelligent race to finish in 3:20:43 and she looks to have ability over this distance.
Karen Delaney was our second woman across the line in 3:50:02, while Niamh Matthews, Gillian Farrelly and Helen Dillon all finished in 3:56.
Also running that time were Barbara Byrne, and Carmel Keenan.
Perhaps the real winners on the day were the many thousands of people who were brave enough to take on the challenge of this pretty unforgiving event and in the process transformed themselves into budding athletes while developing a new sporting career.
Club News 21st October 2018
Autumn Open Cross Country
It really was a case of Mud, Sweat and Tears at last Sunday's cross country trial race which was held at the National Sports Campus in Abbottstown.
With the first three finishers in the Masters events guaranteed a much coveted Irish singlet for the upcoming British and Irish Masters Championships which will be held in Swansea next month, the atmosphere was electric as the starter called the athletes to the line.
Among them was our own Pat O'Grady who's known the highs and lows of being an International athlete and right from the gun he set out his stall when moving swiftly into the leading group in his M55 category.
The next seven and a half kilometres were all about hard sustained running on this purpose built course where long sandy stretches and undulating hills sap the strength out of even the most determined runners legs.
With just over a lap to go, O'Grady was now up to second place and knew the real work was just beginning as he pushed hard to hold off his closing rivals and the chase was on in earnest for the top three places.
O'Grady, who's small in stature but huge in heart when it comes to the fight needed to succeed at this level gave it his all coming down the home strait and was rewarded with a silver medal finish and will be on the plane to Swansea next month.
In the Men's O40 race, which was of a very high standard this year, Stephen Kelly went close when finishing 7th in his category and less than 20 seconds behind the third place qualifier, while Paul Smith ran well to finish close behind in 13th spot.
Also running was David Walsh who's made a welcome return to racing and he'll go better with some more races in his legs.
Conor Cooney was really up against it in his Men's O60 race but acquitted himself well when finishing 8th in his category.
In the Women's O60 event, Nuala Reilly hung in when the going got tough to finish 5th in her category and might yet get the call up for Swansea.
Yasmin Canning who can always be counted on to deliver the big run when it matters the most finished a magnificent 6th against some quality opposition in her O45 race and that Irish singlet is getting closer every year.
In the Women's O40 event, Mary Leech who's won a European track medal this year put in a quality run to finish 8th in her category against athletes who've been targeting this race all year.
Young Tadhg Donnelly got to mix it with some of the best runners that Irish athletics has to offer when he stepped way out of his age group to finish in 20th place in his 6K race in a lively 19:53.
Alsaa Winter League
At the midweek Alsaa Winter League, Christy Duffy ran the Mile in 6:51 with Gerard Fay close behind in 6:54.
Bucharest Half Marathon
Well done to Liam Farrell who ran last Week's Bucharest Half Marathon in 1:45:59.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Mark O'Shea did a double of sorts when winning for the second week in a row in a fine 17:19.
Not far behind was Johnny Breen who's a real find for us and his time of 18:14 when finishing runner up shows that he's in good shape.
Also running were Brian Guilfoyle who finished 25th in 23:07 with Sean Corcoran 30th in 24:07 and Paul McArdle 43rd in 26:02.
For our ladies, Deirdre McFerran was 47th in 26:15 while Ruth Dunne was 66th in 32:21.
It really was a case of Mud, Sweat and Tears at last Sunday's cross country trial race which was held at the National Sports Campus in Abbottstown.
With the first three finishers in the Masters events guaranteed a much coveted Irish singlet for the upcoming British and Irish Masters Championships which will be held in Swansea next month, the atmosphere was electric as the starter called the athletes to the line.
Among them was our own Pat O'Grady who's known the highs and lows of being an International athlete and right from the gun he set out his stall when moving swiftly into the leading group in his M55 category.
The next seven and a half kilometres were all about hard sustained running on this purpose built course where long sandy stretches and undulating hills sap the strength out of even the most determined runners legs.
With just over a lap to go, O'Grady was now up to second place and knew the real work was just beginning as he pushed hard to hold off his closing rivals and the chase was on in earnest for the top three places.
O'Grady, who's small in stature but huge in heart when it comes to the fight needed to succeed at this level gave it his all coming down the home strait and was rewarded with a silver medal finish and will be on the plane to Swansea next month.
In the Men's O40 race, which was of a very high standard this year, Stephen Kelly went close when finishing 7th in his category and less than 20 seconds behind the third place qualifier, while Paul Smith ran well to finish close behind in 13th spot.
Also running was David Walsh who's made a welcome return to racing and he'll go better with some more races in his legs.
Conor Cooney was really up against it in his Men's O60 race but acquitted himself well when finishing 8th in his category.
In the Women's O60 event, Nuala Reilly hung in when the going got tough to finish 5th in her category and might yet get the call up for Swansea.
Yasmin Canning who can always be counted on to deliver the big run when it matters the most finished a magnificent 6th against some quality opposition in her O45 race and that Irish singlet is getting closer every year.
In the Women's O40 event, Mary Leech who's won a European track medal this year put in a quality run to finish 8th in her category against athletes who've been targeting this race all year.
Young Tadhg Donnelly got to mix it with some of the best runners that Irish athletics has to offer when he stepped way out of his age group to finish in 20th place in his 6K race in a lively 19:53.
Alsaa Winter League
At the midweek Alsaa Winter League, Christy Duffy ran the Mile in 6:51 with Gerard Fay close behind in 6:54.
Bucharest Half Marathon
Well done to Liam Farrell who ran last Week's Bucharest Half Marathon in 1:45:59.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Mark O'Shea did a double of sorts when winning for the second week in a row in a fine 17:19.
Not far behind was Johnny Breen who's a real find for us and his time of 18:14 when finishing runner up shows that he's in good shape.
Also running were Brian Guilfoyle who finished 25th in 23:07 with Sean Corcoran 30th in 24:07 and Paul McArdle 43rd in 26:02.
For our ladies, Deirdre McFerran was 47th in 26:15 while Ruth Dunne was 66th in 32:21.
Club News 14th October 2018
Louth Intermediate & Uneven Ages Cross Country
Last Sunday saw a large number of our athletes make the short journey to Dundalk for the Louth Intermediate Cross Country Championships.
The Weather Gods were being kind as the day dawned dry and bright and conditions were near perfect for some hard running over an excellent course.
First up was the Women's 4K race which was run over three laps and what a race it turned out to be with DDAC filling the first three places which led to an easy team victory.
With less than half a mile to go, the leading group of Orla O'Connor, Ciara O'Reilly and Laura Campbell were away and clear and once they cleared the last tricky left turn it was all down to a Sprint finish which National 800m finalist O'Connor was always going to win.
Close behind O'Reilly just got the better of Campbell to take the silver medal with the Novice Championship winner having to be content with the bronze.
Karen Delaney ran well to secure the team win with a strong run to get the all important 4th spot on the team.
Our second Women's team which were led by the strong running pair of Mary McGreehan and Yvonne McMahon, backed up by Sinead Weldon and Michelle Egan packed well to take third place in the team category.
Next up was a very well contested Men's 8k race which was run over six laps and was run at a frantic pace right from the gun.
Our own Shane Larkin was right in the mix and always in the top four as this group edged ahead of the rest of the field.
Try as he might Larkin just couldn't close the gap on young Oisin O'Gibne but his 4th place finish paved the way for his club team to take the team prize thanks to some fine running from Kieran McGrath, Johnny Breen and Dara Campbell.
Also running well for our Men were Francis Murray, Cillian Dyas and Paddy Murphy.
The Louth uneven age group championships also took place and there were some great performances in the U17 Girls race with Abi Tegart finishing 4th and Kate O'Reilly, Saoirse Smith and Chloe Doherty all running well to win the team prize.
In the Boys U17 race which was run with the U19 Boys Tadhg Donnelly led the field a merry dance as he controlled the race right from the gun and came home an easy winner. Backed up by young Liam Milligan and Sean Toner,
These three combined well to take the team prize.
Cormac Canning deliver a solid run in the Boys U19 event and his second place finish shows that things are going well for him in training.
First up after the Intermediate races was the Girls U9, Drogheda and District were represented by Aoife O'Connor who showed great pace picking off several runners on the sprint for the line to finish well up the field.
Next up it was the Girls U11, this time DDAC were represented by Caoillin Smith, Aine Carroll and Ciara O'Connor. Ciara took the pace out from the gun leading the first lap before dropping back, Aine and Caoillin went with the opposite tactic, starting conservatively and finishing strongly, lots more to come from all three girls in the future.
In the Boys U11, it was the turn of Jame O'Reilly and Christian Kelly, Jamie ran his best race to date in the red vest showing that persistent training is starting to pay dividends, Christian who was running his first race for DDAC ran strongly from gun to tape, one to watch for the future too.
Girls U13 had a sizeable DDAC contingent, Sophie Kinsella ran her best cross country race to date, and is really starting to show her promise over the longer distances having already showed her class on the sorter track races during the Summer. Also running well were Sinead Leech, Niamh Carroll, Aoibhe Smith, Meabh McCabe and Ciara Wall.
The Boys U13 team of Tadgh Gogarty, Jack McGinn, Cormac Russell and Jack Doherty showed great determination in picking up a bronze team medal in a race where Ben Doherty, Charlie Eccles and Darragh Callaghan also ran well and contributed to the overall team placing. This was also the first race for the club for twins Ben and Jack Doherty.
Last Sunday saw a large number of our athletes make the short journey to Dundalk for the Louth Intermediate Cross Country Championships.
The Weather Gods were being kind as the day dawned dry and bright and conditions were near perfect for some hard running over an excellent course.
First up was the Women's 4K race which was run over three laps and what a race it turned out to be with DDAC filling the first three places which led to an easy team victory.
With less than half a mile to go, the leading group of Orla O'Connor, Ciara O'Reilly and Laura Campbell were away and clear and once they cleared the last tricky left turn it was all down to a Sprint finish which National 800m finalist O'Connor was always going to win.
Close behind O'Reilly just got the better of Campbell to take the silver medal with the Novice Championship winner having to be content with the bronze.
Karen Delaney ran well to secure the team win with a strong run to get the all important 4th spot on the team.
Our second Women's team which were led by the strong running pair of Mary McGreehan and Yvonne McMahon, backed up by Sinead Weldon and Michelle Egan packed well to take third place in the team category.
Next up was a very well contested Men's 8k race which was run over six laps and was run at a frantic pace right from the gun.
Our own Shane Larkin was right in the mix and always in the top four as this group edged ahead of the rest of the field.
Try as he might Larkin just couldn't close the gap on young Oisin O'Gibne but his 4th place finish paved the way for his club team to take the team prize thanks to some fine running from Kieran McGrath, Johnny Breen and Dara Campbell.
Also running well for our Men were Francis Murray, Cillian Dyas and Paddy Murphy.
The Louth uneven age group championships also took place and there were some great performances in the U17 Girls race with Abi Tegart finishing 4th and Kate O'Reilly, Saoirse Smith and Chloe Doherty all running well to win the team prize.
In the Boys U17 race which was run with the U19 Boys Tadhg Donnelly led the field a merry dance as he controlled the race right from the gun and came home an easy winner. Backed up by young Liam Milligan and Sean Toner,
These three combined well to take the team prize.
Cormac Canning deliver a solid run in the Boys U19 event and his second place finish shows that things are going well for him in training.
First up after the Intermediate races was the Girls U9, Drogheda and District were represented by Aoife O'Connor who showed great pace picking off several runners on the sprint for the line to finish well up the field.
Next up it was the Girls U11, this time DDAC were represented by Caoillin Smith, Aine Carroll and Ciara O'Connor. Ciara took the pace out from the gun leading the first lap before dropping back, Aine and Caoillin went with the opposite tactic, starting conservatively and finishing strongly, lots more to come from all three girls in the future.
In the Boys U11, it was the turn of Jame O'Reilly and Christian Kelly, Jamie ran his best race to date in the red vest showing that persistent training is starting to pay dividends, Christian who was running his first race for DDAC ran strongly from gun to tape, one to watch for the future too.
Girls U13 had a sizeable DDAC contingent, Sophie Kinsella ran her best cross country race to date, and is really starting to show her promise over the longer distances having already showed her class on the sorter track races during the Summer. Also running well were Sinead Leech, Niamh Carroll, Aoibhe Smith, Meabh McCabe and Ciara Wall.
The Boys U13 team of Tadgh Gogarty, Jack McGinn, Cormac Russell and Jack Doherty showed great determination in picking up a bronze team medal in a race where Ben Doherty, Charlie Eccles and Darragh Callaghan also ran well and contributed to the overall team placing. This was also the first race for the club for twins Ben and Jack Doherty.
Club News 7th October 2018
Louth Novice & Even Ages Cross Country
A cold swirling wind greeted the large group of DDAC athletes who took part in Last Sunday's Louth Novice Cross Country Championships.
Not alone were the runners eager to get their hands on county medals but the battle for club honours was on in earnest as there's nothing like friendly rivalry to drive tired legs along this winding 1500m course which contains a testing hill while running into a gusting wind.
First up were our ladies in the 3K event which was run over two laps and what a race this turned out to be with Laura Campbell and Roisin Coade taking up the front running with just under a lap remaining.
This pair poured on the pace and were soon clear of the rest of the field and with just half a lap to go Campbell pushed hard to open a small gap which she held all the way to the finish to come home a worthy and popular winner with Coade holding on well to get the silver medal.
Oftentimes in the battle for team medals, the real heroes are the third and fourth placed runners who secure the vital points needed to get the win and Mary McGreehan certainly rose to the occasion when she produced an inspired run to move from 9th place up to 6th over the last lap with the pain of her effort etched on her face coming down the home strait.
Backed up by the strong finishing Yvonne McMahon things were looking good for the Drogheda quartet but unfortunately although they tied level with North East Runners on 18 points, North East took the gold medals on the count back rule.
Our second team of Sinead Weldon, Ieva Ofmane, Michelle Egan and Elva Maree combined well to take third place in the team category.
In the Men's 6K race which was run over four laps, Pocket Rocker Shane Larkin did what he does best when running hard and fast right from the gun to power his way to a silver medal finish and he looks to be right back in form.
Close behind and doing some fine running were Sam O'Neill, Fintan Maher and Cillian Dyas and these four packed well to win the Men's team event.
Also running well were Francis Murray, David Campbell and Paddy Murphy.
Also taking place after the Novice races were the Louth even age cross country championships and in the Boys U18 event Tadgh Donnelly gave the performance of the day with a confident run as he led the pack right from the gun and pulled away in the second half to win the 5K by some margin from his club mate Cormac Canning in second place.
New to cross country running, Liam Mulligan ran well in the testing conditions to make up the third man on the DDAC team than took the Team honours.
In the U18 Girls race Abi Tegart took the bronze and alongside team mates Anna Victory and Moya McCabe took gold in the team race.
In the U16 Girls race there were strong runs by Kate O'Reilly and Muirne O'Connor and Saoirse Smith to pick up silver in the team event, while in the U16 Boys event, brothers Daniel and Peter Aylward, along with Eoghan Curran won the team event with a steady group effort over the 3K course.
In the younger age events,
In the Boys under 8, DDAC was represented by Danny O'Reilly, Cillian Russell, Shay O'Callaghan and Sam McGinn all making their cross country debut and acquitting themselves very well.
Next up for DDAC was the girls under 10 where Lauren Egan, Ruby Berrill and Aoife O'Connor all ran their hearts out.
Boys U10 were next and Patrick Lennon in his first race for DDAC along with Finn Coade both ran strongly.
In the Girls U12, Sofia Drakoulaki in her first race for DDAC showed her natural talent running a very strong 2k, also running well were Ciara O'Connor, Meabh McCabe and Lilli Maye Coade who had a tough fall in the race.
In the U12 Boys, Jack McGinn, Cormac Russell, Tadgh Gogarty and Darragh Callaghan all ran very solid races, and showed real promise for their future in athletics.
For the U14 girls, Sophie Kinsella running out of age group showed how much she has progressed in her first year of running with a fine performance from start to finish, Ciara Wall had a great run too over the 3k course and really showed some of her potential at this tough event.
The U14 boys saw Cillian Gogarty and Charlie Eccles racing their hearts.s out of the tough 3k course, both putting in fine performance.
Lusk 10k
Well done to Colm Reilly on his win over the weekend at the Lusk 10K road race.
Reilly ran a useful 38 minutes for the distance to come home a clear winner.
Oldbridge Park Run
Also running well at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun was Yasmin Canning who recorded a new PB time of 20:15 when finishing fourth overall while Brian Guilfoyle also ran a new PB time when finishing 14th in 22:40.
A cold swirling wind greeted the large group of DDAC athletes who took part in Last Sunday's Louth Novice Cross Country Championships.
Not alone were the runners eager to get their hands on county medals but the battle for club honours was on in earnest as there's nothing like friendly rivalry to drive tired legs along this winding 1500m course which contains a testing hill while running into a gusting wind.
First up were our ladies in the 3K event which was run over two laps and what a race this turned out to be with Laura Campbell and Roisin Coade taking up the front running with just under a lap remaining.
This pair poured on the pace and were soon clear of the rest of the field and with just half a lap to go Campbell pushed hard to open a small gap which she held all the way to the finish to come home a worthy and popular winner with Coade holding on well to get the silver medal.
Oftentimes in the battle for team medals, the real heroes are the third and fourth placed runners who secure the vital points needed to get the win and Mary McGreehan certainly rose to the occasion when she produced an inspired run to move from 9th place up to 6th over the last lap with the pain of her effort etched on her face coming down the home strait.
Backed up by the strong finishing Yvonne McMahon things were looking good for the Drogheda quartet but unfortunately although they tied level with North East Runners on 18 points, North East took the gold medals on the count back rule.
Our second team of Sinead Weldon, Ieva Ofmane, Michelle Egan and Elva Maree combined well to take third place in the team category.
In the Men's 6K race which was run over four laps, Pocket Rocker Shane Larkin did what he does best when running hard and fast right from the gun to power his way to a silver medal finish and he looks to be right back in form.
Close behind and doing some fine running were Sam O'Neill, Fintan Maher and Cillian Dyas and these four packed well to win the Men's team event.
Also running well were Francis Murray, David Campbell and Paddy Murphy.
Also taking place after the Novice races were the Louth even age cross country championships and in the Boys U18 event Tadgh Donnelly gave the performance of the day with a confident run as he led the pack right from the gun and pulled away in the second half to win the 5K by some margin from his club mate Cormac Canning in second place.
New to cross country running, Liam Mulligan ran well in the testing conditions to make up the third man on the DDAC team than took the Team honours.
In the U18 Girls race Abi Tegart took the bronze and alongside team mates Anna Victory and Moya McCabe took gold in the team race.
In the U16 Girls race there were strong runs by Kate O'Reilly and Muirne O'Connor and Saoirse Smith to pick up silver in the team event, while in the U16 Boys event, brothers Daniel and Peter Aylward, along with Eoghan Curran won the team event with a steady group effort over the 3K course.
In the younger age events,
In the Boys under 8, DDAC was represented by Danny O'Reilly, Cillian Russell, Shay O'Callaghan and Sam McGinn all making their cross country debut and acquitting themselves very well.
Next up for DDAC was the girls under 10 where Lauren Egan, Ruby Berrill and Aoife O'Connor all ran their hearts out.
Boys U10 were next and Patrick Lennon in his first race for DDAC along with Finn Coade both ran strongly.
In the Girls U12, Sofia Drakoulaki in her first race for DDAC showed her natural talent running a very strong 2k, also running well were Ciara O'Connor, Meabh McCabe and Lilli Maye Coade who had a tough fall in the race.
In the U12 Boys, Jack McGinn, Cormac Russell, Tadgh Gogarty and Darragh Callaghan all ran very solid races, and showed real promise for their future in athletics.
For the U14 girls, Sophie Kinsella running out of age group showed how much she has progressed in her first year of running with a fine performance from start to finish, Ciara Wall had a great run too over the 3k course and really showed some of her potential at this tough event.
The U14 boys saw Cillian Gogarty and Charlie Eccles racing their hearts.s out of the tough 3k course, both putting in fine performance.
Lusk 10k
Well done to Colm Reilly on his win over the weekend at the Lusk 10K road race.
Reilly ran a useful 38 minutes for the distance to come home a clear winner.
Oldbridge Park Run
Also running well at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun was Yasmin Canning who recorded a new PB time of 20:15 when finishing fourth overall while Brian Guilfoyle also ran a new PB time when finishing 14th in 22:40.
Club News 30th September 2018
Oldbridge Park Run
With only a week to go to the County Novice Cross Country Championships, the club coaches were anxious for their athletes to get some fast running into their legs so many of our members were in action over the weekend.
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, which was run in pretty much perfect conditions, Johnny Breen, one of our more recent members made his Parkrun debut a successful one when winning the event in a fine 18:10 with a good distance to spare over the runner up.
Breen is a physically strong looking athlete who brings a can do attitude to his running and once he crested the top of the first hill and went up the gears the outcome was never in doubt as he quickly opened a decisive lead which he held to the finish.
Our next finisher in 7th place overall was Stephen Geraghty who's made great strides since really applying himself in training and his time of 20:30 which was a new PB shows was a just reward for the effort that he's put in lately.
Regular competitor Tony Corcoran was 10th in 21:24 while Linda Bowe was our first female finisher in 49th spot in 27:18.
Also running were Barney Flannery who was 69th in 30:56 and Unai Diaz-Orueta who was 58th in 28:43.
Rathfarnham 5k
Some of our finest track athletes were taking part in last Sunday's Rathfarnham AC 5K road race which attracted a huge field in excess of 1,100 runners.
To say that the standard in this race is of a high calibre would be an understatement as this lightening fast course is a magnet for all those seeking fast times as the one and a half laps course means that the runners get to run on the downhill section twice and only go uphill once!
Such are the times produced in this race that the winner had to run sub 14:30 and hadn't much to spare over the runner up.
Our first finisher in the Women's race was Mary Leech who delivered a classy run to finish 15th overall and 3rd in her O40 category in a top class time of 18:08.
Next across the line when finishing 6th in the same category was Ciara O'Reilly who produced a quality run to record 19:32 on this tricky enough course as get the early pace wrong and you'll surely suffer later on.
The biggest smile of the day belonged to Roisin Coade who ran a sparkling new PB time of 20:43 and on this showing she should go well in next week's Novice when when she comes down from cloud nine.
In the Men's race, Shane Larkin led the way when running 17:07 which placed him 9th in category, while club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran a solid race to finish in 18:35 and was 14th in category.
Recently returned to training, James Nolan showed that his form's coming back with his run of 17:18 and he was 10th in the Junior Men's race.
Gaelscoil Eanna 7k
Taking themselves off to Navan for the first running of the Scoil Eanna 7K were a group of our road runners led by prolific racer Nuala Reilly.
This 2 lap course seemed to meet with the approval of the runners and most people found it to be a fair challenge but the windy conditions didn't help on the hilly sections.
There were category wins for Nuala Reilly, 1st O60 and Karen Delaney 1st O50 while Michelle Hughes was 3rd overall and 1st in category in the Women's race.
These three combined well to win the team category prize.
In the Men's section, Jackser Reilly raced well to finish 2nd in his O50 category while Conor Cooney won the O60 category with club mate Jos Haak runner up.
Belfast City Half Marathon
Well done to Liam Farrell on his recent Belfast City Half Marathon run of 1:46:25.
With only a week to go to the County Novice Cross Country Championships, the club coaches were anxious for their athletes to get some fast running into their legs so many of our members were in action over the weekend.
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, which was run in pretty much perfect conditions, Johnny Breen, one of our more recent members made his Parkrun debut a successful one when winning the event in a fine 18:10 with a good distance to spare over the runner up.
Breen is a physically strong looking athlete who brings a can do attitude to his running and once he crested the top of the first hill and went up the gears the outcome was never in doubt as he quickly opened a decisive lead which he held to the finish.
Our next finisher in 7th place overall was Stephen Geraghty who's made great strides since really applying himself in training and his time of 20:30 which was a new PB shows was a just reward for the effort that he's put in lately.
Regular competitor Tony Corcoran was 10th in 21:24 while Linda Bowe was our first female finisher in 49th spot in 27:18.
Also running were Barney Flannery who was 69th in 30:56 and Unai Diaz-Orueta who was 58th in 28:43.
Rathfarnham 5k
Some of our finest track athletes were taking part in last Sunday's Rathfarnham AC 5K road race which attracted a huge field in excess of 1,100 runners.
To say that the standard in this race is of a high calibre would be an understatement as this lightening fast course is a magnet for all those seeking fast times as the one and a half laps course means that the runners get to run on the downhill section twice and only go uphill once!
Such are the times produced in this race that the winner had to run sub 14:30 and hadn't much to spare over the runner up.
Our first finisher in the Women's race was Mary Leech who delivered a classy run to finish 15th overall and 3rd in her O40 category in a top class time of 18:08.
Next across the line when finishing 6th in the same category was Ciara O'Reilly who produced a quality run to record 19:32 on this tricky enough course as get the early pace wrong and you'll surely suffer later on.
The biggest smile of the day belonged to Roisin Coade who ran a sparkling new PB time of 20:43 and on this showing she should go well in next week's Novice when when she comes down from cloud nine.
In the Men's race, Shane Larkin led the way when running 17:07 which placed him 9th in category, while club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran a solid race to finish in 18:35 and was 14th in category.
Recently returned to training, James Nolan showed that his form's coming back with his run of 17:18 and he was 10th in the Junior Men's race.
Gaelscoil Eanna 7k
Taking themselves off to Navan for the first running of the Scoil Eanna 7K were a group of our road runners led by prolific racer Nuala Reilly.
This 2 lap course seemed to meet with the approval of the runners and most people found it to be a fair challenge but the windy conditions didn't help on the hilly sections.
There were category wins for Nuala Reilly, 1st O60 and Karen Delaney 1st O50 while Michelle Hughes was 3rd overall and 1st in category in the Women's race.
These three combined well to win the team category prize.
In the Men's section, Jackser Reilly raced well to finish 2nd in his O50 category while Conor Cooney won the O60 category with club mate Jos Haak runner up.
Belfast City Half Marathon
Well done to Liam Farrell on his recent Belfast City Half Marathon run of 1:46:25.
Club News 24th September 2018
Dublin Half Marathon
While many people were enjoying their Saturday morning breakfast, a large number of our members were finishing their warm up and heading to the start line for this year's Dublin Half Marathon which took place in the Phoenix Park.
Although the morning was quite chilly, the calm conditions were to make for some fine performances from some of our Dublin City Marathon hopefuls.
Pride of place must surely go to Brian Martin who delivered a superb run to finish 7th overall and 1st in category in a remarkable time of 1:13:36.
Martin, who's quiet by nature but has the heart of a lion when it comes to running knew he was in good form after his 1:15 clocking over the half marathon distance in Ratoath two weeks previously and he attacked the course right from the gun.
His strong running saw him look comfortable among some talented athletes at the head of the field as he continuously churned out the miles at close to 5:37 mile pace which is great running given the hilly nature of the course and he should go well over the full marathon in late October.
Our second finisher was Ruaidhri Nolan who opened a few eyes with his 1:18:42 clocking when finishing 47th overall followed by Colin Leonard who was 88th in 1:20:48.
Training partners John Reilly and John Cooper were rewarded for their efforts in training when both runners recorded new PB times of 1:23:59 and 1:26:25 respectively.
Stephen Floyd has obviously recovered well from a nasty injury as his time of 1:23:50 when setting a new PB would please most decent club runners.
Also running well was Johnny O'Brien who's really applied himself to the hard graft required to make the grade as a quality runner and his time of 1:30:23 was a glimpse of his emerging talent over the longer distances.
For our ladies, Rachel McCormack was first across the line in a sparkling time of 1:34:35 and she's reaping the rewards of her group training sessions.
Barbara Byrne was our next finisher in 1:49:02 closely followed by Niamh Matthews in 1:49:39.
Star of the Sea Cross Country
The running equivalent of Cycling's Alp D'Huez was how one runner described the notoriously hilly course used for Star of The Sea AC's annual cross country race held in Stamullen last Sunday.
First up in the Women's 3K which was run over 2 laps was Yasmin Canning who's in good form at the moment.
Canning, who's a clever runner, used every bit of her experience to get herself well up the field into 9th place over the first lap and then began to turn the screw on her opponents.
Pushing hard over the next mile paid off in spades as she was now up to 5th place overall while being led by three junior athletes and one senior category athlete.
Despite the pressure coming on over the closing stretch Canning kept the pace up and was rewarded with a 1st in category placing and a top notch performance under her belt.
Backed up by prolific racer Nuala Reilly who was 2nd in category and with Mary McDonnell running well this trio made up our Women's team who finished second in the team event.
In the Men's 6K race which was run over 4 laps, our team of Stephen Kelly, Paul Smith and Pat O'Grady also took second place in the team competition.
Individually, Kelly had a decent run to finish 7th overall and 1st in his category while O'Grady was 2nd in category to Tom O'Connor who's a quality athlete.
Smith had a solid run to pick up a 3rd in category prize and looks to be getting stronger with every race.
Also running was Roger Tegart who finished further down the field.
Ardgillan Park Run
Congratulations to Mary Leech who was the overall winner of the Ardgillan Parkrun last Saturday.
This notoriously hilly course isn't for the faint hearted but nevertheless Leech delivered a quality run to win in 19:58.
Blackrock Stephen Carroll 4 Mile Road Race
Meanwhile, at the Blackrock 4 Mile Road Race which was held on Saturday evening, Donal Branigan was our sole participant and finished 294th in 39:57.
While many people were enjoying their Saturday morning breakfast, a large number of our members were finishing their warm up and heading to the start line for this year's Dublin Half Marathon which took place in the Phoenix Park.
Although the morning was quite chilly, the calm conditions were to make for some fine performances from some of our Dublin City Marathon hopefuls.
Pride of place must surely go to Brian Martin who delivered a superb run to finish 7th overall and 1st in category in a remarkable time of 1:13:36.
Martin, who's quiet by nature but has the heart of a lion when it comes to running knew he was in good form after his 1:15 clocking over the half marathon distance in Ratoath two weeks previously and he attacked the course right from the gun.
His strong running saw him look comfortable among some talented athletes at the head of the field as he continuously churned out the miles at close to 5:37 mile pace which is great running given the hilly nature of the course and he should go well over the full marathon in late October.
Our second finisher was Ruaidhri Nolan who opened a few eyes with his 1:18:42 clocking when finishing 47th overall followed by Colin Leonard who was 88th in 1:20:48.
Training partners John Reilly and John Cooper were rewarded for their efforts in training when both runners recorded new PB times of 1:23:59 and 1:26:25 respectively.
Stephen Floyd has obviously recovered well from a nasty injury as his time of 1:23:50 when setting a new PB would please most decent club runners.
Also running well was Johnny O'Brien who's really applied himself to the hard graft required to make the grade as a quality runner and his time of 1:30:23 was a glimpse of his emerging talent over the longer distances.
For our ladies, Rachel McCormack was first across the line in a sparkling time of 1:34:35 and she's reaping the rewards of her group training sessions.
Barbara Byrne was our next finisher in 1:49:02 closely followed by Niamh Matthews in 1:49:39.
Star of the Sea Cross Country
The running equivalent of Cycling's Alp D'Huez was how one runner described the notoriously hilly course used for Star of The Sea AC's annual cross country race held in Stamullen last Sunday.
First up in the Women's 3K which was run over 2 laps was Yasmin Canning who's in good form at the moment.
Canning, who's a clever runner, used every bit of her experience to get herself well up the field into 9th place over the first lap and then began to turn the screw on her opponents.
Pushing hard over the next mile paid off in spades as she was now up to 5th place overall while being led by three junior athletes and one senior category athlete.
Despite the pressure coming on over the closing stretch Canning kept the pace up and was rewarded with a 1st in category placing and a top notch performance under her belt.
Backed up by prolific racer Nuala Reilly who was 2nd in category and with Mary McDonnell running well this trio made up our Women's team who finished second in the team event.
In the Men's 6K race which was run over 4 laps, our team of Stephen Kelly, Paul Smith and Pat O'Grady also took second place in the team competition.
Individually, Kelly had a decent run to finish 7th overall and 1st in his category while O'Grady was 2nd in category to Tom O'Connor who's a quality athlete.
Smith had a solid run to pick up a 3rd in category prize and looks to be getting stronger with every race.
Also running was Roger Tegart who finished further down the field.
Ardgillan Park Run
Congratulations to Mary Leech who was the overall winner of the Ardgillan Parkrun last Saturday.
This notoriously hilly course isn't for the faint hearted but nevertheless Leech delivered a quality run to win in 19:58.
Blackrock Stephen Carroll 4 Mile Road Race
Meanwhile, at the Blackrock 4 Mile Road Race which was held on Saturday evening, Donal Branigan was our sole participant and finished 294th in 39:57.
Club News 16th September 2018
World Masters Athletics Championships, Malaga
Running against some of the finest Masters athletes at the World Track and Field Championships which were held in Malaga, Spain last week were our trio of Mark O'Shea, Kieran McGrath and Mary Leech.
The medals at this level never come easy and indeed the standard of this year's competition was made all the higher with some very good African athletes taking part in the middle distance events.
Our pair of O'Shea and McGrath who were competing in the 800m had a tough task ahead of them with three races in consecutive days if they were to make the final.
These qualifying rounds are a real test of one's nerve as well as ability, as only the first two athletes automatically make the next round but thanks to some very astute racing, O'Shea's run of 2:07:39 took him into the semi final while McGrath had to run 1:59:94 to qualify.
With little time to rest, the rehab began in earnest as the semi final would see the expected rise in standard materialise with O'Shea running a full five seconds quicker when clocking 2:02:15 to advance to the final.
McGrath had it all to do in his semi final but held his nerve and his run of 2:00:02 was good enough to make the final.
In the M45 final, O'Shea used every ounce of his experience to keep out of trouble and was in with a shout of a medal with just 200m to go.
Alas on this occasion it wasn't to be and although he battled hard up the home strait, O'Shea had to be content with his 5th place finish in 2:03:22 in a race that was won in 1:59:99 with very little separating the third to fifth place finishers.
Next up was McGrath in his M40 final and what a quick race that turned out to be with the winner running an incredible 1:55:61.
In relative terms, McGrath is still pretty new to running but he possesses immense strength and a huge desire to win and he certainly wasn't found wanting as he produced a seasons best time of 1:58:88 when finishing in 8th place against some top class athletes.
Last Saturday it was Mary Leech's turn to step into the cauldron of top class athletics when she lined up for her 1500m semi final on a warm sunny evening.
Leech's race was loaded with some very experienced runners who don't make many mistakes and in some ways this helped as she made her way into the leading group of four who would automatically qualify for the following morning's final.
Keeping a cool head while running to a fast tempo saw Leech ease ahead of her nearest rival and she crossed the line in fourth spot in a fast 4:49:50.
With only 15 hours until the final, the clock was ticking with the warm down, rehab, food and sleep all needing to be attended to, there was no time for wasting.
The following morning's final turned out to be a great race with 16 of the world's best Masters athletes taking part and among them were four Irish girls so hopes of a medal win were high.
In a race that was won by Irish woman Kelly Neely in 4:36:35 and only half a second separating the first three finishers, Leech acquitted herself well when delivering a quality run to finish 9th in 4:47:40 which was great running over the two days.
Boyne 5k
Meanwhile at last Sunday's Boyne AC 5K there were some fine performances from our members with Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly both taking 1st in category prizes while Conor Cooney and Karen Delaney took 3rd in their category.
One of our newest members Daragh Campbell had a terrific run to finish third in the Senior race with his run of 18:01 and he's a good find for our club.
Also running well was Martin Russell who ran a PB time of 18:31 and he's getting stronger by the week with his group training runs.
Four of our members took on the challenge of running last Sunday's Berlin Marathon where a new world best time of 2:01:40 was set for the classic 26 miles distance.
Berlin Marathon
Carmel Keenan was our first finisher in 3:43 while David Birch ran 4:43.
Helga McDonnell and Linda Byrne Cruise both finished in 4:54.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, our first finisher in 6th place with a time of 21:05 was Tony Corcoran, with Yann Mahuet close behind in 7th spot in 21:18.
Mary McDonnell was our first woman across the line when finishing 26th in 24:03 followed by Linda Bowe who was 45th in 27:59.
At the midweek Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix Series 10K track race, Gerard Fay ran 49:01 for this 25 lap race.
Running against some of the finest Masters athletes at the World Track and Field Championships which were held in Malaga, Spain last week were our trio of Mark O'Shea, Kieran McGrath and Mary Leech.
The medals at this level never come easy and indeed the standard of this year's competition was made all the higher with some very good African athletes taking part in the middle distance events.
Our pair of O'Shea and McGrath who were competing in the 800m had a tough task ahead of them with three races in consecutive days if they were to make the final.
These qualifying rounds are a real test of one's nerve as well as ability, as only the first two athletes automatically make the next round but thanks to some very astute racing, O'Shea's run of 2:07:39 took him into the semi final while McGrath had to run 1:59:94 to qualify.
With little time to rest, the rehab began in earnest as the semi final would see the expected rise in standard materialise with O'Shea running a full five seconds quicker when clocking 2:02:15 to advance to the final.
McGrath had it all to do in his semi final but held his nerve and his run of 2:00:02 was good enough to make the final.
In the M45 final, O'Shea used every ounce of his experience to keep out of trouble and was in with a shout of a medal with just 200m to go.
Alas on this occasion it wasn't to be and although he battled hard up the home strait, O'Shea had to be content with his 5th place finish in 2:03:22 in a race that was won in 1:59:99 with very little separating the third to fifth place finishers.
Next up was McGrath in his M40 final and what a quick race that turned out to be with the winner running an incredible 1:55:61.
In relative terms, McGrath is still pretty new to running but he possesses immense strength and a huge desire to win and he certainly wasn't found wanting as he produced a seasons best time of 1:58:88 when finishing in 8th place against some top class athletes.
Last Saturday it was Mary Leech's turn to step into the cauldron of top class athletics when she lined up for her 1500m semi final on a warm sunny evening.
Leech's race was loaded with some very experienced runners who don't make many mistakes and in some ways this helped as she made her way into the leading group of four who would automatically qualify for the following morning's final.
Keeping a cool head while running to a fast tempo saw Leech ease ahead of her nearest rival and she crossed the line in fourth spot in a fast 4:49:50.
With only 15 hours until the final, the clock was ticking with the warm down, rehab, food and sleep all needing to be attended to, there was no time for wasting.
The following morning's final turned out to be a great race with 16 of the world's best Masters athletes taking part and among them were four Irish girls so hopes of a medal win were high.
In a race that was won by Irish woman Kelly Neely in 4:36:35 and only half a second separating the first three finishers, Leech acquitted herself well when delivering a quality run to finish 9th in 4:47:40 which was great running over the two days.
Boyne 5k
Meanwhile at last Sunday's Boyne AC 5K there were some fine performances from our members with Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly both taking 1st in category prizes while Conor Cooney and Karen Delaney took 3rd in their category.
One of our newest members Daragh Campbell had a terrific run to finish third in the Senior race with his run of 18:01 and he's a good find for our club.
Also running well was Martin Russell who ran a PB time of 18:31 and he's getting stronger by the week with his group training runs.
Four of our members took on the challenge of running last Sunday's Berlin Marathon where a new world best time of 2:01:40 was set for the classic 26 miles distance.
Berlin Marathon
Carmel Keenan was our first finisher in 3:43 while David Birch ran 4:43.
Helga McDonnell and Linda Byrne Cruise both finished in 4:54.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, our first finisher in 6th place with a time of 21:05 was Tony Corcoran, with Yann Mahuet close behind in 7th spot in 21:18.
Mary McDonnell was our first woman across the line when finishing 26th in 24:03 followed by Linda Bowe who was 45th in 27:59.
At the midweek Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix Series 10K track race, Gerard Fay ran 49:01 for this 25 lap race.
Club News 9th September 2018
Ratoath AC Half Marathon and 5k
Last Saturday morning saw a large group of our members make the short journey to Fairyhouse Racecourse for the first ever running of the Ratoath AC Half Marathon.
The pre race warm up was was marred by a heavy downpour but thankfully with just five minutes remaining before the race start the clouds rolled back and the brighter weather seemed to inspire the more than 1,000 runners who were waiting on the line.
Once the gun went, marathon hopefuls Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin lost no time in making their way into the leading pack and they planned on staying there.
When the race reached the six mile mark, Kelly sensed that the time was right and he made a decisive move which took him clear of the field and he opened up a decisive gap which he held all the way to the finish to cross the line a worthy winner in a fast 1:14:48.
Meanwhile club mate Martin was making a heroic effort over the last two miles which were run around the perimeter of the racecourse to overhaul some quality runners to get up for third place in a fine 1:15:33.
Making his debut over this distance was our third finisher Shane Larkin who ran a decent 1:22:28 followed by Des Feeley who had a quality run to finish in 1:25:57.
Flying the flag for our women was Yasmin Canning who ran a sparkling new PB time of 1:32:52 when finishing third and taking more than a minute off her previous best time.
Our second finisher was Rachel McCormack in 1:36:56 with Karen Delaney next in 1:46:46.
There were some quality performances from Stephen Floyd (1:27:06) and Paul McDonnell (1:35:56), while Niamh Matthews (1:47:07) and Barbara Byrne (1:47:23) both impressed with their running.
Dromiskin 5k
The future of DDAC our Junior athletes took themselves off to Dromiskin last Saturday evening for the St. Peters AC 5K road race.
Getting to meet and warm up with some of our more experienced members seemed to inspire the young guns and there were some impressive performances on the night.
In the senior race itself, Paul Smith showed that he's putting the work in when he delivered a classy run to win his category and finish 6th overall in a lively 16:39 and there's more to come from him.
Close behind and running a fine race was Ruaidhri Nolan who finished 9th in 16:49, followed by club chairman Aonghus O'Connor who ran a solid 18:50 for this testing course.
Maureen Harbison was our first female finisher in 80th spot in 20:58 with prolific racer Nuala Reilly next in 148th place in 23:00 which was good enough to win her category.
Also running well was Mary McDonnell who was 2nd in category with her run of 23:04.
Back to our Juniors and leading the way home in 25th place overall was young Liam Mulligan with a fine time of 18:39 showing most of his senior club mates a clean pair of heels.
Our second Junior to cross the line was Sean Toner who's a good find for our club.
Toner has the perfect build for a runner and is quick to learn which is so important in the early stages of a athlete's career and he's one to watch out for in the future, his time of 19:28 gives just a glimpse of what he's capable of as he matures.
Our Junior girls really put it up to the lads when they took first and second place in the Junior Women's section.
Abigail Tegart, who's getting stronger with every race powered over the finishing line in a fast 21:42 with her training partner Kate O'Reilly close behind when running 21:56.
Young Sophie Kinsella continues to impress and her run of 24:29 is good quality running from someone of her tender years.
Brothers Tadhg and Cillian Gogarty both put in up to their Dad Adrian and their times of 24:51 and 24:57 were putting him under pressure to keep up with the kids.
The Lakes 10k
Meanwhile at The Lakes 10K which was held in Blessington, National Masters 5K champion Pat O'Grady ran a solid 37:04 to finish 17th overall, while Roisin Donnelly was 61st overall and 7th in the Women's race in 45:39.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, new member Daragh Campbell had a storming run to finish second overall in a speedy 18:09 with Laura Roche our first female finisher in 22nd place in 23:47.
Rose Dalton ran a new PB of 30:17 while Linda Bowe was 37th in 28:00.
Last Saturday morning saw a large group of our members make the short journey to Fairyhouse Racecourse for the first ever running of the Ratoath AC Half Marathon.
The pre race warm up was was marred by a heavy downpour but thankfully with just five minutes remaining before the race start the clouds rolled back and the brighter weather seemed to inspire the more than 1,000 runners who were waiting on the line.
Once the gun went, marathon hopefuls Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin lost no time in making their way into the leading pack and they planned on staying there.
When the race reached the six mile mark, Kelly sensed that the time was right and he made a decisive move which took him clear of the field and he opened up a decisive gap which he held all the way to the finish to cross the line a worthy winner in a fast 1:14:48.
Meanwhile club mate Martin was making a heroic effort over the last two miles which were run around the perimeter of the racecourse to overhaul some quality runners to get up for third place in a fine 1:15:33.
Making his debut over this distance was our third finisher Shane Larkin who ran a decent 1:22:28 followed by Des Feeley who had a quality run to finish in 1:25:57.
Flying the flag for our women was Yasmin Canning who ran a sparkling new PB time of 1:32:52 when finishing third and taking more than a minute off her previous best time.
Our second finisher was Rachel McCormack in 1:36:56 with Karen Delaney next in 1:46:46.
There were some quality performances from Stephen Floyd (1:27:06) and Paul McDonnell (1:35:56), while Niamh Matthews (1:47:07) and Barbara Byrne (1:47:23) both impressed with their running.
Dromiskin 5k
The future of DDAC our Junior athletes took themselves off to Dromiskin last Saturday evening for the St. Peters AC 5K road race.
Getting to meet and warm up with some of our more experienced members seemed to inspire the young guns and there were some impressive performances on the night.
In the senior race itself, Paul Smith showed that he's putting the work in when he delivered a classy run to win his category and finish 6th overall in a lively 16:39 and there's more to come from him.
Close behind and running a fine race was Ruaidhri Nolan who finished 9th in 16:49, followed by club chairman Aonghus O'Connor who ran a solid 18:50 for this testing course.
Maureen Harbison was our first female finisher in 80th spot in 20:58 with prolific racer Nuala Reilly next in 148th place in 23:00 which was good enough to win her category.
Also running well was Mary McDonnell who was 2nd in category with her run of 23:04.
Back to our Juniors and leading the way home in 25th place overall was young Liam Mulligan with a fine time of 18:39 showing most of his senior club mates a clean pair of heels.
Our second Junior to cross the line was Sean Toner who's a good find for our club.
Toner has the perfect build for a runner and is quick to learn which is so important in the early stages of a athlete's career and he's one to watch out for in the future, his time of 19:28 gives just a glimpse of what he's capable of as he matures.
Our Junior girls really put it up to the lads when they took first and second place in the Junior Women's section.
Abigail Tegart, who's getting stronger with every race powered over the finishing line in a fast 21:42 with her training partner Kate O'Reilly close behind when running 21:56.
Young Sophie Kinsella continues to impress and her run of 24:29 is good quality running from someone of her tender years.
Brothers Tadhg and Cillian Gogarty both put in up to their Dad Adrian and their times of 24:51 and 24:57 were putting him under pressure to keep up with the kids.
The Lakes 10k
Meanwhile at The Lakes 10K which was held in Blessington, National Masters 5K champion Pat O'Grady ran a solid 37:04 to finish 17th overall, while Roisin Donnelly was 61st overall and 7th in the Women's race in 45:39.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, new member Daragh Campbell had a storming run to finish second overall in a speedy 18:09 with Laura Roche our first female finisher in 22nd place in 23:47.
Rose Dalton ran a new PB of 30:17 while Linda Bowe was 37th in 28:00.
Club News 2nd September 2018
Seamie Weldon & Louth Masters 5k Ardee
They say what goes up must come down, unless it's the hills at the Seamie Weldon 5K road race which was held in Ardee last Saturday.
This popular local race is held in honour of Seamie Weldon who worked tirelessly for the good of Louth Athletics and his own club Ardee and District AC and is run over a notoriously hilly course that takes no prisoners.
As this race also doubled as the County Masters Road Championships many of the big guns were out in force in their quest for championship medals.
Paul Smith ran hard and fast right from the gun and was rewarded for his strong running with a fine 5th place overall in a noteworthy 17:10 which placed him 1st in category.
Our next finisher was Johnny Breen who's relatively new to racing and had a fine run to finish 12th in 18:12 with John Reilly close behind in 14th spot with his run of 18:18 placing him 3rd in category.
Backed up by back in form Des Feeley who was 22nd in 19:06, this quartet combined well to take second place in the team competition.
Taking first place in the County Championships were Paul Smith, Des Feeley and Gerry Carroll, while Johnny Breen, John Reilly and Donal Branigan took home silver medals.
There were some fine performances from our ladies with Ciara O'Reilly leading our girls home when finishing 34th overall in a useful 20:13 which earned her a 3rd in category prize.
Close behind in 37th spot was Yasmin Canning with 20:18 followed by Maureen Harbison who was 57th in 21:35.
Thanks to a strong run by our fourth finisher Ieva Ofmane who ran 22:32, these four made up the Women's winning team.
Nuala Reilly also ran well to take a 2nd in category prize.
In the County Championships, the gold medals went to Yasmin Canning and Margo Duffy for winning their categories while Ieva Ofmane, Brenda Kirwan and Nuala Reilly took home silver and Ciara O'Reilly got a bronze in her category.
Frank Duffy 10 Mile
The following day at the Frank Duffy 10 Mile which was held over a new course in Swords there were some good performances from some of our Dublin Marathon hopeful's with Colin Reilly putting in a great run to finish 74th overall in a lively 1:02:26.
Also running well was Colm Reilly who finished 128th in a solid 1:05:11 with Sean Corcoran our next finisher in 1:20:39.
Nuala Reilly lead our ladies home when running 1:20:58 to win her category against some good opposition, followed by Niamh Matthews who ran well to record 1:23:32 for this classic distance.
Also running were Linda Cruise (1:25:17) and Michael Aylward (1:26:42).
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly once again blitzed around the course in an impressive 16:34 on his way to winning the event.
Our next finisher in 10th spot was Yann Mahuet who ran the course in 22:09 while Linda Bowe was our first woman across the line in 38th place in 28:09.
Making a return to racing was Barney Flannery who was 56th in 35:39 followed by Tony Corcoran who was 61st in 42:10.
Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Road Race hosted by Raheny AC
At the midweek Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Road Race hosted by Raheny AC, Gerard Fay ran 14:37 for this one lap race.
They say what goes up must come down, unless it's the hills at the Seamie Weldon 5K road race which was held in Ardee last Saturday.
This popular local race is held in honour of Seamie Weldon who worked tirelessly for the good of Louth Athletics and his own club Ardee and District AC and is run over a notoriously hilly course that takes no prisoners.
As this race also doubled as the County Masters Road Championships many of the big guns were out in force in their quest for championship medals.
Paul Smith ran hard and fast right from the gun and was rewarded for his strong running with a fine 5th place overall in a noteworthy 17:10 which placed him 1st in category.
Our next finisher was Johnny Breen who's relatively new to racing and had a fine run to finish 12th in 18:12 with John Reilly close behind in 14th spot with his run of 18:18 placing him 3rd in category.
Backed up by back in form Des Feeley who was 22nd in 19:06, this quartet combined well to take second place in the team competition.
Taking first place in the County Championships were Paul Smith, Des Feeley and Gerry Carroll, while Johnny Breen, John Reilly and Donal Branigan took home silver medals.
There were some fine performances from our ladies with Ciara O'Reilly leading our girls home when finishing 34th overall in a useful 20:13 which earned her a 3rd in category prize.
Close behind in 37th spot was Yasmin Canning with 20:18 followed by Maureen Harbison who was 57th in 21:35.
Thanks to a strong run by our fourth finisher Ieva Ofmane who ran 22:32, these four made up the Women's winning team.
Nuala Reilly also ran well to take a 2nd in category prize.
In the County Championships, the gold medals went to Yasmin Canning and Margo Duffy for winning their categories while Ieva Ofmane, Brenda Kirwan and Nuala Reilly took home silver and Ciara O'Reilly got a bronze in her category.
Frank Duffy 10 Mile
The following day at the Frank Duffy 10 Mile which was held over a new course in Swords there were some good performances from some of our Dublin Marathon hopeful's with Colin Reilly putting in a great run to finish 74th overall in a lively 1:02:26.
Also running well was Colm Reilly who finished 128th in a solid 1:05:11 with Sean Corcoran our next finisher in 1:20:39.
Nuala Reilly lead our ladies home when running 1:20:58 to win her category against some good opposition, followed by Niamh Matthews who ran well to record 1:23:32 for this classic distance.
Also running were Linda Cruise (1:25:17) and Michael Aylward (1:26:42).
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly once again blitzed around the course in an impressive 16:34 on his way to winning the event.
Our next finisher in 10th spot was Yann Mahuet who ran the course in 22:09 while Linda Bowe was our first woman across the line in 38th place in 28:09.
Making a return to racing was Barney Flannery who was 56th in 35:39 followed by Tony Corcoran who was 61st in 42:10.
Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Road Race hosted by Raheny AC
At the midweek Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Road Race hosted by Raheny AC, Gerard Fay ran 14:37 for this one lap race.
Club News 26th August 2018
Oldbridge Park Run
With many of our athletes busy preparing for the upcoming Dublin City Marathon it was a quiet week on the racing front but nevertheless there were some fine performances especially from our youths section.
After the recent success of our youths at the Carlingford 5K road race, it was time to test out the young guns over the hilly fields of the weekly Oldbridge Parkrun and they weren't found to be wanting.
Cross country running requires the athlete to sustain a high tempo over all types of terrain and the pace doesn't slacken off when the hills come into play.
Young Liam Mulligan gave us a glimpse of what he's capable of when he raced round this challenging course in an eye opening 19:18 when finishing 6th overall in a quality field.
Mulligan who's only 15 looks every inch a runner and is quick to learn from his experiences and his future in athletics looks very bright indeed.
Not far behind in 9th spot was young Sean Toner who covered the ground well to cross the line in 20:16 which is worth half a minute over a flat road course so things are going well for him.
Brothers Tadhg and Cillian Gogarty had plenty to smile about with both of them running new PB times with Tadhg leading the way with 24:14 to Cillian's 25:11.
Sophie Kinsella more than held her own against her male counterparts when running a fine 25:32 and she's one to watch out for in the future.
Ardee Open Sports Day
The following day at the Ardee AC open sports Kate O'Reilly had a superb run to win her 800m race against some quality opposition and later in the day showed her versatility when taking third place in the shot putt competition.
Longford Marathon
Meanwhile over at the Longford Marathon Colm Reilly was having a tough day at the office when taking on the challenge of the classic 26 mile distance.
Reilly looked to be going well up to the half way mark but the problems began when he took some energy Gels on board and unfortunately they didn't agree with him as can sometimes happen and a few unplanned pit stops ensued.
Still, the mark of a good athlete is often best seen when things aren't going so well and Reilly got himself back in running order and finished in a creditable 3:16:59 which would please many an athlete.
Although still relatively new to athletics, Reilly has some good results under his belt and once he gets the racing/training balance right he'll turn a few heads with improved performances.
Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series
At the midweek Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series promoted by Raheny AC, Gerard Fay ran 15:01 for this popular event which is run over a one lap course.
RSP 5 Mile
Well done to Anna Ryan, Geraldine Reilly and Anne Marie Kierans who all ran well in the recent RSP 5 Mile Race.
Ryan was first of the trio in 50:11 with Reilly next in 53:39 followed by Kierans in 58:44.
Club News 19th August 2018
National Masters Track & Field
Some of D&D's finest track athletes did a double of sorts last weekend as they raced in the National Masters Track Championships on Saturday and then competed in the final of the National Track League on the following day in Tullamore.
Running against the best Masters athletes that Ireland has to offer seemed to inspire our team and perhaps none more so than Roisin Coade who was running in her favoured 400m.
The mark of a good athlete is doing it when it counts and Coade had a terrific run to record a new PB time of 1:05:71 when getting the silver medal against some quality opposition.
Going one better were our trio of Mary Leech, Kieran McGrath and Pat O'Grady who all won national gold medals in their events.
Leech running in her 3000m event delivered a strong run over the last 1K to come home the winner in a fine 10:41, while O'Grady's run of 17:27 was good enough to get him another gold in this event.
McGrath who was running the shorter 800m event ran a lively 2:01 which was good going as only a few hours previously he has run a new PB time of 53:65 when finishing third in the 400m.
Mary Flanagan was rewarded for her hard work in training with a bronze medal in her W6 100m where she ran 20:02 while Gerry O'Connor and Paul Stuart both finished 6th in their 400m events with Stuart running a new PB time of 57:75.
Also running well was Fintan Maher who ran a lively 4:27 when finishing 6th in his 1500m race.
National League Final
The following day at the National League Final Mary Leech ran a quality 1500m race to finish 3rd in a very useful 4:47 picking up some very valuable points for her County along the way.
Roisin Coade's time of 1:06 for her 400m event was a decent run by her against some top class opposition and things are looking good for the rest of her season.
For our Men, Lee McGuinness finished 4th in his 200m race in an eye opening 22:90 seconds while Andrew Kelly ran well when finishing 4th in the 400m in 53:10.
In the 800m, Kieran McGrath used his immense strength to take 2nd place in a quality field with his run of 2:01:50 showing just how good his form is with the World Masters Championships taking place next month.
Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin also scored some points when finishing 4th in his 5000m race in 17:53 which was nice running as he'd raced on the previous Friday in
Rathkenny and was a late replacement on the team.
Rathkenny AC 5k
Last Friday's Rathkenny AC 5K road race turned out to be a bit of a test for some of our athletes with some tricky hills to be overcome and the swirling wind didn't help matters.
Nevertheless, Stephen Kelly did what he does best when powering his way to a second place finish in 16:42 followed by training partner Paul Smith who ran well to claim fourth spot in a lively 16:51.
With Shane Larkin not far behind when finishing 5th in 17:12 and Jackser Reilly 63rd in 21:54, these four combined well to finish second in the Men's team section behind a strong team from Bohermeen AC.
In the Women's race, Michelle Hughes made a welcome return to racing when finishing 2nd in category in a useful 21:16, followed by Nuala Reilly who won her category with her run of 23:41.
Other prize winners were Paul Smith and Conor Cooney who both finished second in category.
Oldbridge Park Run
Just a few hours after his Rathkenny run Stephen Kelly was back in action at the Oldbridge Parkrun and he covered the ground easily to win in 18:42.
Kelly is starting to up his mileage as the Dublin Marathon grows near and he should go well this year.
Tony Corcoran was our second finisher in 15th place in 22:17 followed by David Thornton who was 32nd in 24:13, with Linda Bowe 57th in 28:40.
Castlepollard 5k
At the midweek Castlepollard 5K in Westmeath, Nuala Reilly took home a first in category prize thanks to her run of 23:07.
Also running was Conor Cooney who placed 80th in 21:45.
Raheny Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series
Meanwhile over in Raheny at the Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:30 for this one lap race.
Kilcock 10 Mile
Prolific racers Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney were in action at last Sunday's Kilcock 10Mile Road Race hosted by St. Coca's AC.
Reilly won her category with her run of 1:19:28 while Cooney completed the course in 1:22:35.
Some of D&D's finest track athletes did a double of sorts last weekend as they raced in the National Masters Track Championships on Saturday and then competed in the final of the National Track League on the following day in Tullamore.
Running against the best Masters athletes that Ireland has to offer seemed to inspire our team and perhaps none more so than Roisin Coade who was running in her favoured 400m.
The mark of a good athlete is doing it when it counts and Coade had a terrific run to record a new PB time of 1:05:71 when getting the silver medal against some quality opposition.
Going one better were our trio of Mary Leech, Kieran McGrath and Pat O'Grady who all won national gold medals in their events.
Leech running in her 3000m event delivered a strong run over the last 1K to come home the winner in a fine 10:41, while O'Grady's run of 17:27 was good enough to get him another gold in this event.
McGrath who was running the shorter 800m event ran a lively 2:01 which was good going as only a few hours previously he has run a new PB time of 53:65 when finishing third in the 400m.
Mary Flanagan was rewarded for her hard work in training with a bronze medal in her W6 100m where she ran 20:02 while Gerry O'Connor and Paul Stuart both finished 6th in their 400m events with Stuart running a new PB time of 57:75.
Also running well was Fintan Maher who ran a lively 4:27 when finishing 6th in his 1500m race.
National League Final
The following day at the National League Final Mary Leech ran a quality 1500m race to finish 3rd in a very useful 4:47 picking up some very valuable points for her County along the way.
Roisin Coade's time of 1:06 for her 400m event was a decent run by her against some top class opposition and things are looking good for the rest of her season.
For our Men, Lee McGuinness finished 4th in his 200m race in an eye opening 22:90 seconds while Andrew Kelly ran well when finishing 4th in the 400m in 53:10.
In the 800m, Kieran McGrath used his immense strength to take 2nd place in a quality field with his run of 2:01:50 showing just how good his form is with the World Masters Championships taking place next month.
Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin also scored some points when finishing 4th in his 5000m race in 17:53 which was nice running as he'd raced on the previous Friday in
Rathkenny and was a late replacement on the team.
Rathkenny AC 5k
Last Friday's Rathkenny AC 5K road race turned out to be a bit of a test for some of our athletes with some tricky hills to be overcome and the swirling wind didn't help matters.
Nevertheless, Stephen Kelly did what he does best when powering his way to a second place finish in 16:42 followed by training partner Paul Smith who ran well to claim fourth spot in a lively 16:51.
With Shane Larkin not far behind when finishing 5th in 17:12 and Jackser Reilly 63rd in 21:54, these four combined well to finish second in the Men's team section behind a strong team from Bohermeen AC.
In the Women's race, Michelle Hughes made a welcome return to racing when finishing 2nd in category in a useful 21:16, followed by Nuala Reilly who won her category with her run of 23:41.
Other prize winners were Paul Smith and Conor Cooney who both finished second in category.
Oldbridge Park Run
Just a few hours after his Rathkenny run Stephen Kelly was back in action at the Oldbridge Parkrun and he covered the ground easily to win in 18:42.
Kelly is starting to up his mileage as the Dublin Marathon grows near and he should go well this year.
Tony Corcoran was our second finisher in 15th place in 22:17 followed by David Thornton who was 32nd in 24:13, with Linda Bowe 57th in 28:40.
Castlepollard 5k
At the midweek Castlepollard 5K in Westmeath, Nuala Reilly took home a first in category prize thanks to her run of 23:07.
Also running was Conor Cooney who placed 80th in 21:45.
Raheny Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series
Meanwhile over in Raheny at the Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:30 for this one lap race.
Kilcock 10 Mile
Prolific racers Nuala Reilly and Conor Cooney were in action at last Sunday's Kilcock 10Mile Road Race hosted by St. Coca's AC.
Reilly won her category with her run of 1:19:28 while Cooney completed the course in 1:22:35.
Club News 12th August 2018
Rock n Roll Dublin Half Marathon, AAI National Half Marathon Championships
With many of our track runners busy putting the finishing touches to their preparations for next weekend's National Masters Championships, it was our road runners who were flying the flag for D&D both near and far.
The streets of Dublin were turned into a sea of red as more than fifty of our members took part in last Sunday's Rock and Roll half Marathon.
Running 13 miles is no easy task and this year's course had a few nasty inclines to be conquered before many of our first timer's got their hands on the coveted medal for all who completed the race.
Stephen Kelly showed just how good his current form is with a terrific 1:14 clocking and his strong running over the hilly sections says it all about how well his Marathon training is progressing.
Not far behind was Brian Martin who ran an eye opening 1:16:22 without any visible distress.
Martin Russell and Stephen Floyd both had a good day at the office when dipping under the 90 minute mark to record 1:29 for this tough to run distance.
For our Ladies,
Yasmin Canning delivered the goods in spades when running 1:34:34 to claim a bronze medal in her category in the National Half Marathon Championships which were held as part of the main race.
Ciara O'Reilly also ran well to finish in 1:40:22 and a few months of solid training will see her times tumble.
Rock N Roll 5k
Well done to our group who competed in the shorter 5K event which was held in conjunction with the Half Marathon.
Barry Sullivan was our first finisher in 62nd place overall in 21:13, followed by Dolores Newman who ran the course in 26:22.
Next came our trio of Mary Kinsella, Brenda Kirwan and Irene Connolly who crossed the line together in 26:52.
Also running were Deirdre Harmon (44:41) and club captain Mary Reilly who finished in 44:42.
Streets of Athboy 5k
Closer to home, at last Friday's Street's of Athboy 5K which was promoted by Fr. Murphy AC, Ruaidhri Nolan ran a terrific race to finish 5th overall in a sparkling time of 16:39.
After a very fast 4:52 first mile on the downhill section of the course, Nolan dug in and did the hard work necessary to get him a sub 17 minute clocking on his way to a category win
Nolan is one of those athletes who's having a real breakthrough year and his race times continue to fall on a consistent basis.
Also running was prolific racer Nuala Reilly who duly won her category in 23:12, while Conor Cooney showed his opponents a clean pair of heels to win his category in 22:03.
Monaghan Town 5 Mile Road Race
Congratulations to Shane Larkin affectionately known as the "Pocket Rocket" who ran away with the Monaghan Town 5 Mile Road Race in a swift 28:25.
Larkin, who's small in stature but has the heart of a Lion never shirks away from the hard work that's needed to succeed at this level and his win is well deserved.
Oldbridge Park Run
If you were to ask some of the "old timers" how to improve your running, they'd probably say to run cross country.
To that end, Paul Smith took himself off to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for the weekly Parkrun.
Smith, who's a quality runner raced round this challenging 5K course in a lively 17:56 and looks like he's going well with the cross country season not far away.
Our second finisher in 13th place was Tony Corcoran who finished in 21:54 with David Thornton next across the line in 31st place in 24:24.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman home in 38th spot in 25:23 followed by Edel Smith who was 46th in 27:25.
Raheny Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series
Meanwhile over in Raheny at the Lord Mayor's 2 mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:01 for this one lap event.
With many of our track runners busy putting the finishing touches to their preparations for next weekend's National Masters Championships, it was our road runners who were flying the flag for D&D both near and far.
The streets of Dublin were turned into a sea of red as more than fifty of our members took part in last Sunday's Rock and Roll half Marathon.
Running 13 miles is no easy task and this year's course had a few nasty inclines to be conquered before many of our first timer's got their hands on the coveted medal for all who completed the race.
Stephen Kelly showed just how good his current form is with a terrific 1:14 clocking and his strong running over the hilly sections says it all about how well his Marathon training is progressing.
Not far behind was Brian Martin who ran an eye opening 1:16:22 without any visible distress.
Martin Russell and Stephen Floyd both had a good day at the office when dipping under the 90 minute mark to record 1:29 for this tough to run distance.
For our Ladies,
Yasmin Canning delivered the goods in spades when running 1:34:34 to claim a bronze medal in her category in the National Half Marathon Championships which were held as part of the main race.
Ciara O'Reilly also ran well to finish in 1:40:22 and a few months of solid training will see her times tumble.
Rock N Roll 5k
Well done to our group who competed in the shorter 5K event which was held in conjunction with the Half Marathon.
Barry Sullivan was our first finisher in 62nd place overall in 21:13, followed by Dolores Newman who ran the course in 26:22.
Next came our trio of Mary Kinsella, Brenda Kirwan and Irene Connolly who crossed the line together in 26:52.
Also running were Deirdre Harmon (44:41) and club captain Mary Reilly who finished in 44:42.
Streets of Athboy 5k
Closer to home, at last Friday's Street's of Athboy 5K which was promoted by Fr. Murphy AC, Ruaidhri Nolan ran a terrific race to finish 5th overall in a sparkling time of 16:39.
After a very fast 4:52 first mile on the downhill section of the course, Nolan dug in and did the hard work necessary to get him a sub 17 minute clocking on his way to a category win
Nolan is one of those athletes who's having a real breakthrough year and his race times continue to fall on a consistent basis.
Also running was prolific racer Nuala Reilly who duly won her category in 23:12, while Conor Cooney showed his opponents a clean pair of heels to win his category in 22:03.
Monaghan Town 5 Mile Road Race
Congratulations to Shane Larkin affectionately known as the "Pocket Rocket" who ran away with the Monaghan Town 5 Mile Road Race in a swift 28:25.
Larkin, who's small in stature but has the heart of a Lion never shirks away from the hard work that's needed to succeed at this level and his win is well deserved.
Oldbridge Park Run
If you were to ask some of the "old timers" how to improve your running, they'd probably say to run cross country.
To that end, Paul Smith took himself off to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for the weekly Parkrun.
Smith, who's a quality runner raced round this challenging 5K course in a lively 17:56 and looks like he's going well with the cross country season not far away.
Our second finisher in 13th place was Tony Corcoran who finished in 21:54 with David Thornton next across the line in 31st place in 24:24.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman home in 38th spot in 25:23 followed by Edel Smith who was 46th in 27:25.
Raheny Lord Mayor's 2 Mile Summer Series
Meanwhile over in Raheny at the Lord Mayor's 2 mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:01 for this one lap event.
Club News 5th August 2018
Carlingford 5k
"The times they are a changing", Bob Dylan's words certainly rang true at last Friday's Carlingford 5K where our club Juniors stepped into the limelight with some outstanding performances over this lightening fast course.
In what was a real changing of the guard, our Junior Men lead home some of their more senior club mates as they took two of the four places on the Senior Men's team which claimed second prize in the team category.
Young Tadhg Donnelly who's only 17 scorched round the course in an eye opening 15:58 to finish 10th overall and first in the Junior Men's race.
Just a minute behind in 42nd place overall was our second Junior Cormac Canning who dipped under the 17 minute mark with his 16:59 clocking.
Backed up by the strong running Stephen Kelly who was 11th in 16:04 and Paul Smith who was 25th in 16:35, this quartet made up our Senior Men's team.
In the Junior Men's Section, Liam Mulligan who's only 15 ran a superb debut over this distance when finishing in 19:34 followed by Sean Toner who ran 19:44 and this pair combined well with Donnelly and Canning to win the team award.
Not to be outdone, our Junior Women were in sparkling form as Kate O'Reilly won the Junior Women's race in 21:23 with Abigail Tegart taking the runner up spot a mere 2 seconds behind in 21:25.
Backed up by Moya McCabe who ran 26:01 and Muirne O'Connor who finished in 26:55, these four made up our Junior Women's team who won the team category.
Yasmin Canning delivered a strong run to place second in her category in 19:49 while Nuala Reilly took third in her category with her run of 23:18.
For our men, Conor Cooney won a 2nd in category prize and John Reilly was 3rd in category with his 18:24 clocking.
Duleek 10k
Many of our athletes who were in action in Carlingford took to the roads again for the Duleek 10K which took place last Sunday.
Conditions on the day were extremely tough on the runners with the mercury hitting 24 degrees and the humidity made it difficult to breathe on what was a pretty tough course.
Our Men's team had an easy win in the team category being lead home by Stephen Kelly who had an impressive win in 34:38 with club mate Brian Martin second in 35:29 and Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin running well to finish 5th overall.
Paul Smith was our next finisher in 6th place in 37:06.
Our Ladies team of Yasmin Canning ( who was third overall and second in her category ), Roisin Donnelly and Laura Roche placed a close second to Clonliffe Harriers.
Category prize winners included Pat O'Grady, 1st in category in 37:47 and Nuala Reilly who won her category in 50:36.
Our members would like to wish David Campbell and Laura Roche who both ran in the Duleek 10K best Wishes as they are getting married this week.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting
At the midweek Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting, Roisin Coade running in the 400m B1 race ran a useful 67.10 to finish 8th against some good quality athletes.
In the Men's 1500m, Cormac Canning finished 3rd in a tactical race when running 4:51:11.
BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5k
Well done to Conor Cooney (22:52) and Nuala Reilly (23:38) who both won 2nd in category prizes at last week's BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5K in Marino.
Also running was club captain Jim Nolan who was 40th overall when running 22:08.
Raheny AC Summer Series 2 Mile
Meanwhile at the Raheny AC Summer Series 2 mile race Gerard Fay ran 14:58 for this well supported event.
Oldbridge Park Run
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun which was run in perfect conditions our first finisher in 20th place overall in 24:48 was David Thornton, with Martin Woods close behind in 23rd spot in 25:20.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman across the line in 34th place in 26:58 followed by Michele McCullough who was 36th in 27:02.
men's team who won the team category.
"The times they are a changing", Bob Dylan's words certainly rang true at last Friday's Carlingford 5K where our club Juniors stepped into the limelight with some outstanding performances over this lightening fast course.
In what was a real changing of the guard, our Junior Men lead home some of their more senior club mates as they took two of the four places on the Senior Men's team which claimed second prize in the team category.
Young Tadhg Donnelly who's only 17 scorched round the course in an eye opening 15:58 to finish 10th overall and first in the Junior Men's race.
Just a minute behind in 42nd place overall was our second Junior Cormac Canning who dipped under the 17 minute mark with his 16:59 clocking.
Backed up by the strong running Stephen Kelly who was 11th in 16:04 and Paul Smith who was 25th in 16:35, this quartet made up our Senior Men's team.
In the Junior Men's Section, Liam Mulligan who's only 15 ran a superb debut over this distance when finishing in 19:34 followed by Sean Toner who ran 19:44 and this pair combined well with Donnelly and Canning to win the team award.
Not to be outdone, our Junior Women were in sparkling form as Kate O'Reilly won the Junior Women's race in 21:23 with Abigail Tegart taking the runner up spot a mere 2 seconds behind in 21:25.
Backed up by Moya McCabe who ran 26:01 and Muirne O'Connor who finished in 26:55, these four made up our Junior Women's team who won the team category.
Yasmin Canning delivered a strong run to place second in her category in 19:49 while Nuala Reilly took third in her category with her run of 23:18.
For our men, Conor Cooney won a 2nd in category prize and John Reilly was 3rd in category with his 18:24 clocking.
Duleek 10k
Many of our athletes who were in action in Carlingford took to the roads again for the Duleek 10K which took place last Sunday.
Conditions on the day were extremely tough on the runners with the mercury hitting 24 degrees and the humidity made it difficult to breathe on what was a pretty tough course.
Our Men's team had an easy win in the team category being lead home by Stephen Kelly who had an impressive win in 34:38 with club mate Brian Martin second in 35:29 and Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin running well to finish 5th overall.
Paul Smith was our next finisher in 6th place in 37:06.
Our Ladies team of Yasmin Canning ( who was third overall and second in her category ), Roisin Donnelly and Laura Roche placed a close second to Clonliffe Harriers.
Category prize winners included Pat O'Grady, 1st in category in 37:47 and Nuala Reilly who won her category in 50:36.
Our members would like to wish David Campbell and Laura Roche who both ran in the Duleek 10K best Wishes as they are getting married this week.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting
At the midweek Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting, Roisin Coade running in the 400m B1 race ran a useful 67.10 to finish 8th against some good quality athletes.
In the Men's 1500m, Cormac Canning finished 3rd in a tactical race when running 4:51:11.
BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5k
Well done to Conor Cooney (22:52) and Nuala Reilly (23:38) who both won 2nd in category prizes at last week's BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5K in Marino.
Also running was club captain Jim Nolan who was 40th overall when running 22:08.
Raheny AC Summer Series 2 Mile
Meanwhile at the Raheny AC Summer Series 2 mile race Gerard Fay ran 14:58 for this well supported event.
Oldbridge Park Run
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun which was run in perfect conditions our first finisher in 20th place overall in 24:48 was David Thornton, with Martin Woods close behind in 23rd spot in 25:20.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman across the line in 34th place in 26:58 followed by Michele McCullough who was 36th in 27:02.
men's team who won the team category.
Club News 29th July 2018
Irish Life Health National Senior Championship
Every athlete worth their salt wants to compete at the highest level and for most Irish athletes the holy grail of running is to make the final of the National Senior Track and Field Championships.
Last Saturday saw four of DDAC's most talented track runners make the short trip to the Morton Stadium in Santry in their quest to win a national title and perhaps secure an Irish singlet.
First up in the 200m was sprint specialist Lee McGuinness who's been a real find for our club and Louth athletics.
Running into a headwind in Heat 3, McGuinness ran a terrific bend to keep himself in contention against some vastly more experienced athletes and held good form to finish 7th in 23:94, showing that he has the temperament required at the top level.
Kieran McGrath, perhaps our most consistent runner this year, delivered a quality performance when running an impressive 2.00.67 in Heat 3 of his 800m event.
Meanwhile in Heat 1 of the Women's 800m, Orla O'Connor was battling it out against Olympian Ciara Mageehan in what turned out to be a tactically run race.
Mageehan who was doubling up by running in the 1500m was never going to force the pace and with the field following her it meant that none of the fastest loser's were going to qualify from this heat.
Indeed O'Connor was just pipped at the line in 2.21.36 to finish 0.14 of a second away from making the final for the second year in a row, such is Championship racing.
Nevertheless, O'Connor has run some 6 seconds faster to record a season's best time of 2:15 for this stomach churning event and it will strengthen her resolve to progress her running career.
Running in the Women's 1500m was Mary Leech, one of our most gifted female athletes.
In many ways, Leech is a coach's dream, superbly talented, not afraid of the hard work needed to succeed and has a sharp racing brain which is so necessary at this level.
Using every bit of her experience, Leech stayed off the fast early pace which can sometimes be caused by nerves and then poured on the pace over the last 700m in her Heat to finish 7th in 4.51.4 to qualify for the National final the following day.
Running two quality races on successive days is never easy and when you add in the pressure that's involved when national medals are at stake, some serious questions are asked of the athletes when they go to the line.
With most of these girls adopting a full time approach to their running careers the medals never come easy at this level.
In the final, which was run in quite blustery conditions, Leech gave it her all right from the gun and hung in at the back end of the pack for the first two laps.
Although the gap between Leech and the athlete ahead of her opened, she hung in there when the going got tough and was rewarded with a 4.51.48 clocking against some top quality athletes.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Parkrun tempted five of our members to take to the hilly slopes of Oldbridge Estate for this weekly 5k cross country race.
The recent fine weather came to an abrupt end with heavy rain and a cold morning greeting the runners as they made their way up the hill towards Donore.
Regular Parkrun competitor Yann Mahuet was our first finisher in 16th place overall in a new PB time of 21:33.
Mahuet, who's one of our more recent members has come on in leaps and bounds since taking part in our group training sessions and he shows good promise as a runner.
Conor Cooney continued his comeback to racing when finishing 31st in 23:03 which was pretty solid running by him and was followed by Laura Roche our first female finisher in 34th spot in 23:48.
Also running were Seamus Roe and David Thornton.
South Dublin 10k & 5k
Meanwhile prolific racer Nuala Reilly showed many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when running a noteworthy 47:33 for the SSE Airtricity South Dublin 10K last weekend.
Reilly's run was good enough to ensure that she won her age category in some style.
Keeping it in the family was Colm Reilly, Nuala's son who raced round the course in a useful 37:54 when finishing 78th overall in a field which contained some quality runners.
Running in the 5K race which was held in conjunction with the longer 10K event were Gerard Fay who was 75th overall in 24:14 followed by Maria O'Brien who was 78th in 24:08.
Not far behind were Selina Cowley who was 79th in 24:17 and Anna Ryan who finished in 187th spot in 30:55.
Raheny Summer Series
At the midweek Raheny AC Summer Series 2 mile race, Gerard Fay ran 14:44 for this popular event.
Every athlete worth their salt wants to compete at the highest level and for most Irish athletes the holy grail of running is to make the final of the National Senior Track and Field Championships.
Last Saturday saw four of DDAC's most talented track runners make the short trip to the Morton Stadium in Santry in their quest to win a national title and perhaps secure an Irish singlet.
First up in the 200m was sprint specialist Lee McGuinness who's been a real find for our club and Louth athletics.
Running into a headwind in Heat 3, McGuinness ran a terrific bend to keep himself in contention against some vastly more experienced athletes and held good form to finish 7th in 23:94, showing that he has the temperament required at the top level.
Kieran McGrath, perhaps our most consistent runner this year, delivered a quality performance when running an impressive 2.00.67 in Heat 3 of his 800m event.
Meanwhile in Heat 1 of the Women's 800m, Orla O'Connor was battling it out against Olympian Ciara Mageehan in what turned out to be a tactically run race.
Mageehan who was doubling up by running in the 1500m was never going to force the pace and with the field following her it meant that none of the fastest loser's were going to qualify from this heat.
Indeed O'Connor was just pipped at the line in 2.21.36 to finish 0.14 of a second away from making the final for the second year in a row, such is Championship racing.
Nevertheless, O'Connor has run some 6 seconds faster to record a season's best time of 2:15 for this stomach churning event and it will strengthen her resolve to progress her running career.
Running in the Women's 1500m was Mary Leech, one of our most gifted female athletes.
In many ways, Leech is a coach's dream, superbly talented, not afraid of the hard work needed to succeed and has a sharp racing brain which is so necessary at this level.
Using every bit of her experience, Leech stayed off the fast early pace which can sometimes be caused by nerves and then poured on the pace over the last 700m in her Heat to finish 7th in 4.51.4 to qualify for the National final the following day.
Running two quality races on successive days is never easy and when you add in the pressure that's involved when national medals are at stake, some serious questions are asked of the athletes when they go to the line.
With most of these girls adopting a full time approach to their running careers the medals never come easy at this level.
In the final, which was run in quite blustery conditions, Leech gave it her all right from the gun and hung in at the back end of the pack for the first two laps.
Although the gap between Leech and the athlete ahead of her opened, she hung in there when the going got tough and was rewarded with a 4.51.48 clocking against some top quality athletes.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Parkrun tempted five of our members to take to the hilly slopes of Oldbridge Estate for this weekly 5k cross country race.
The recent fine weather came to an abrupt end with heavy rain and a cold morning greeting the runners as they made their way up the hill towards Donore.
Regular Parkrun competitor Yann Mahuet was our first finisher in 16th place overall in a new PB time of 21:33.
Mahuet, who's one of our more recent members has come on in leaps and bounds since taking part in our group training sessions and he shows good promise as a runner.
Conor Cooney continued his comeback to racing when finishing 31st in 23:03 which was pretty solid running by him and was followed by Laura Roche our first female finisher in 34th spot in 23:48.
Also running were Seamus Roe and David Thornton.
South Dublin 10k & 5k
Meanwhile prolific racer Nuala Reilly showed many of her younger rivals a clean pair of heels when running a noteworthy 47:33 for the SSE Airtricity South Dublin 10K last weekend.
Reilly's run was good enough to ensure that she won her age category in some style.
Keeping it in the family was Colm Reilly, Nuala's son who raced round the course in a useful 37:54 when finishing 78th overall in a field which contained some quality runners.
Running in the 5K race which was held in conjunction with the longer 10K event were Gerard Fay who was 75th overall in 24:14 followed by Maria O'Brien who was 78th in 24:08.
Not far behind were Selina Cowley who was 79th in 24:17 and Anna Ryan who finished in 187th spot in 30:55.
Raheny Summer Series
At the midweek Raheny AC Summer Series 2 mile race, Gerard Fay ran 14:44 for this popular event.
Club News 22nd July 2018
Bettystown B-5 5 Mile Road Race
The quiet roads of Bettystown were turned into a sea of red when more than fifty of our members took to the start line for the Cilles AC Bettystown 5 mile road race last Tuesday evening.
Conditions on the night were good for running but the humidity was to make things difficult for those runners who don't go well in the heat.
Yasmin Canning showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when winning the Women's race in a lively 33:08.
Canning is one of those athletes who always seems to deliver the goods and her strong running over the hilly section of the course paved the way for her impressive win.
Our second finisher was Roisin Donnelly who raced well to win her category with her run of 35:51.
With Sinead Weldon finishing well up the field in 36:59, this trio made up our Ladies team who won silver in the team event.
Also running well was Nuala Reilly who won her category with her time of 37:37 and Aoife Harmon who was second in category in 37:17.
Brian Martin put in a great effort to finish 3rd overall in the Men's race in a solid 27:56 with Ruaidhri Nolan 4th in 28:08.
Backed up by the strong running John Hough who was 2nd in category in 30:39, these three combined well to win the Men's team event.
Cillian Dyas showed a return to form when finishing 18th in 30:55 followed by Des Feeley who was 32nd in 32:05.
DAB Graded Meeting
Orla O'Connor continued her run of good form over 400m when finishing 2nd in her race at the Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meeting in Tallaght Stadium last Wednesday.
O'Connor who has talent in abundance is now reaping the benefits of her hard work in training over the Winter months and her time of 62:56 will get faster as the racing season progresses.
Club sprint coach Gerry O'Connor running in his favoured 400m event ran a very consistent 61:32 to finish 4th against some good quality opposition and he'll be looking to medal in the National Masters Championships in a few weeks time.
Setanta Games
A large number of Juvenile athletes took part in the Setanta Games which took place last Saturday at the Lourdes Stadium.
Some of the highlights from our members were Muirne O'Connor who raced well to get the bronze medal in the U16 100m, while young Sophie Kinsella was 4th in her U13 100m.
Dani Nolan couldn't stop smiling and was delighted with his 3rd place finish in the U8 60m.
Charlie Eccles also picked up a bronze medal for his throw in the Shot Putt.
Kate O'Reilly took silver in her U16 800m and later in the day was part of the winning relay team.
O'Reilly showed her throwing ability by finishing 3rd in the Shot Putt with a new PB throw of 7.97.
Young Jamie O'Reilly also ran well when picking up a silver medal in the relay event.
AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships
At the AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships in Tullamore, Moya McCabe ran a time of 57:83 in her heat of the U17 300m Hurdles.
Although not fast enough to make the final, nevertheless this was a great performance from McCabe in very warm and difficult conditions and her future in athletics looks bright.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun course was lightening fast due to the recent dry spell and the hard ground underfoot made things a bit easier than usual for the runners.
Brian Martin, running his third race in seven days made light of the warm weather as he raced round the course to win in a lively 18:09.
Martin, who's preparing for this year's Dublin City Marathon is coming into a rich vein of form as his body adjusts to the extra mileage required in training.
Our second finisher in 12th spot was Yann Mahuet who ran a solid 21:43 with David Thornton next in 32nd place in 24:27.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman across the line in 37th place in 25:22 followed by Michele McCullough who was 49th in a new PB time of 27:21.
The quiet roads of Bettystown were turned into a sea of red when more than fifty of our members took to the start line for the Cilles AC Bettystown 5 mile road race last Tuesday evening.
Conditions on the night were good for running but the humidity was to make things difficult for those runners who don't go well in the heat.
Yasmin Canning showed most of the field a clean pair of heels when winning the Women's race in a lively 33:08.
Canning is one of those athletes who always seems to deliver the goods and her strong running over the hilly section of the course paved the way for her impressive win.
Our second finisher was Roisin Donnelly who raced well to win her category with her run of 35:51.
With Sinead Weldon finishing well up the field in 36:59, this trio made up our Ladies team who won silver in the team event.
Also running well was Nuala Reilly who won her category with her time of 37:37 and Aoife Harmon who was second in category in 37:17.
Brian Martin put in a great effort to finish 3rd overall in the Men's race in a solid 27:56 with Ruaidhri Nolan 4th in 28:08.
Backed up by the strong running John Hough who was 2nd in category in 30:39, these three combined well to win the Men's team event.
Cillian Dyas showed a return to form when finishing 18th in 30:55 followed by Des Feeley who was 32nd in 32:05.
DAB Graded Meeting
Orla O'Connor continued her run of good form over 400m when finishing 2nd in her race at the Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meeting in Tallaght Stadium last Wednesday.
O'Connor who has talent in abundance is now reaping the benefits of her hard work in training over the Winter months and her time of 62:56 will get faster as the racing season progresses.
Club sprint coach Gerry O'Connor running in his favoured 400m event ran a very consistent 61:32 to finish 4th against some good quality opposition and he'll be looking to medal in the National Masters Championships in a few weeks time.
Setanta Games
A large number of Juvenile athletes took part in the Setanta Games which took place last Saturday at the Lourdes Stadium.
Some of the highlights from our members were Muirne O'Connor who raced well to get the bronze medal in the U16 100m, while young Sophie Kinsella was 4th in her U13 100m.
Dani Nolan couldn't stop smiling and was delighted with his 3rd place finish in the U8 60m.
Charlie Eccles also picked up a bronze medal for his throw in the Shot Putt.
Kate O'Reilly took silver in her U16 800m and later in the day was part of the winning relay team.
O'Reilly showed her throwing ability by finishing 3rd in the Shot Putt with a new PB throw of 7.97.
Young Jamie O'Reilly also ran well when picking up a silver medal in the relay event.
AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships
At the AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships in Tullamore, Moya McCabe ran a time of 57:83 in her heat of the U17 300m Hurdles.
Although not fast enough to make the final, nevertheless this was a great performance from McCabe in very warm and difficult conditions and her future in athletics looks bright.
Oldbridge Park Run
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun course was lightening fast due to the recent dry spell and the hard ground underfoot made things a bit easier than usual for the runners.
Brian Martin, running his third race in seven days made light of the warm weather as he raced round the course to win in a lively 18:09.
Martin, who's preparing for this year's Dublin City Marathon is coming into a rich vein of form as his body adjusts to the extra mileage required in training.
Our second finisher in 12th spot was Yann Mahuet who ran a solid 21:43 with David Thornton next in 32nd place in 24:27.
Ellen O'Connor was our first woman across the line in 37th place in 25:22 followed by Michele McCullough who was 49th in a new PB time of 27:21.
Club News 15th July 2018
Drogheda Graded #6
The sixth and final round of DDAC's Summer Graded Series ended on a high note when Multiple World Masters Champion Joe Gough from West Waterford AC set a new Irish record ( subject to ratification ) for his category in the 1500m.
On an evening that was perfect for track running, Gough got stuck in right from the gun and kept in contact with some of his much younger rivals as the pace settled down after a fast opening lap.
With just over a lap to go, Gough dug in and squeezed every ounce of energy out of his body as he crossed the line in an incredible 4:55.1, some 13 seconds faster than the existing Irish record.
Having such a talented athlete as Gough take part in our Graded Series says much about how athletics is once again flourishing in Drogheda.
Our own members performed well in each of the three 1500m races with Danny Skeffington running a lively 4:45 when finishing 3rd in his event with Robbie Maher close behind in 4:50 and Pat O'Grady running 4:51.
In the 1500m C race Austin Collins finished 4th when running 6:39 followed by Theresa Eccles who was 5th in 6:40 with Edel Smith 7th in 6:50.
Lee McGuinness lit up the track when running a great bend in his 200m race to win in a fast 22.40 with training partner Andrew Kelly runner up in 22.8.
Paul Stewart continues to impress and won his 200m event in 26.1 with Frank Cruise 3rd in 28.0.
In the 3000m B race, Yasmin Canning ran an impressive 11:22.2 in what was pretty much a solo run, with Ciara O'Reilly next in a solid 11:52.7 followed by Niall Magill who ran 12:27.9.
Our Juvenile athletes ran well with Liam Mulligan breaking 5 Minutes for the first time in the 1500m with his run of 4:59.8 while Abi Tegart ran 5:36.4 with Kate O'Reilly close behind in 5:40.8.
In the 200m, Muirne O'Connor ran 31.9 while Sam O'Reilly ran 33.5.
Young Liam McGreehan showed some of his emerging talent when running 11:52.5 in his 3000m race.
National Juvenile Championships
Also running on the track over the weekend at the National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore was Tadhg Donnelly who was running in the Boys U17 3000m.
In what turned out to be a tactical race, Donnelly finished 6th in 9:29 and sometimes Championship races can go this way.
Indeed Donnelly has run almost half a minute faster for this distance but it's all about the learning that takes place at this stage.
GV Ryan IMC Meeting
Some of our best track runners were in action at last Saturday's GV Ryan/IMC Meeting which was held in Irishtown Stadium.
Orla O'Connor had a great run to record a season's best time of 2:15.34 when finishing 6th in her 800m A race.
Kieran McGrath once again dipped under the 2 minute mark when running 1:59.50 to finish 4th in his 800m B race, while Mark O'Shea was 2nd in his 800m C race in 2:00.51.
In the Women's 1500m, Mary Leech ran well to record 4:51.01 against some very good opposition while Cormac Canning was 10th in his 1500m in a useful 4:21.77.
Dunleer 4 Mile
Last Sunday's Dunleer 4 Mile Road Race tempted some of our members to take on this challenging course and both our Men's and Women's teams were third in the team categories.
Our Men's team were led home by Shane Larkin who was 6th overall in 22:32, followed by David Campbell, 27th in 24:53, Martin Russell 28th in 25:05 and Joey Ryan 74th in 29:29.
Our Women's team consisted of Laura Roche, Mary McDonnell, Jane Glynn and Deirdre McFerran.
Category prize winners were Shane Larkin, 2nd O40, Mary McDonnell, 1st O60 and Gerry Carroll, 2nd O70.
Irish Runner 10 Mile
Meanwhile, over in the Phoenix Park at the Irish Runner 10 Mile Road Race, Brian Martin delivered the goods to finish 13th overall in 57:59 on a tough enough course on one of the warmest day's of the year.
Colm Reilly was our next finisher in 57th spot in 1:05:28 while Stephen Floyd was 119th in 1:10:44.
Our first woman across the line in 391st was Linda Cruise who ran 1:24:29 with Elva Maree next in 1:27:55.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Conor Cooney was our first finisher in 20th place overall in 23:14 when just holding off Nuala Reilly who was 21st in 23:23.
David Thornton was 32nd in 24:55 followed by Sharon Hanna in 48th spot in 27:41.
Rose Dalton ran a new PB time of 31:35 to finish 67th overall.
Oldcastle 5k and Clonliffe Harriers 5 Mile
Marathon man Gerard Fay dropped down in distance when running 24:52 for last week's Oldcastle 5K and followed that up with the Clonliffe Harriers 5 mile race in the grounds of Malahide Castle where he ran 41:30.
The sixth and final round of DDAC's Summer Graded Series ended on a high note when Multiple World Masters Champion Joe Gough from West Waterford AC set a new Irish record ( subject to ratification ) for his category in the 1500m.
On an evening that was perfect for track running, Gough got stuck in right from the gun and kept in contact with some of his much younger rivals as the pace settled down after a fast opening lap.
With just over a lap to go, Gough dug in and squeezed every ounce of energy out of his body as he crossed the line in an incredible 4:55.1, some 13 seconds faster than the existing Irish record.
Having such a talented athlete as Gough take part in our Graded Series says much about how athletics is once again flourishing in Drogheda.
Our own members performed well in each of the three 1500m races with Danny Skeffington running a lively 4:45 when finishing 3rd in his event with Robbie Maher close behind in 4:50 and Pat O'Grady running 4:51.
In the 1500m C race Austin Collins finished 4th when running 6:39 followed by Theresa Eccles who was 5th in 6:40 with Edel Smith 7th in 6:50.
Lee McGuinness lit up the track when running a great bend in his 200m race to win in a fast 22.40 with training partner Andrew Kelly runner up in 22.8.
Paul Stewart continues to impress and won his 200m event in 26.1 with Frank Cruise 3rd in 28.0.
In the 3000m B race, Yasmin Canning ran an impressive 11:22.2 in what was pretty much a solo run, with Ciara O'Reilly next in a solid 11:52.7 followed by Niall Magill who ran 12:27.9.
Our Juvenile athletes ran well with Liam Mulligan breaking 5 Minutes for the first time in the 1500m with his run of 4:59.8 while Abi Tegart ran 5:36.4 with Kate O'Reilly close behind in 5:40.8.
In the 200m, Muirne O'Connor ran 31.9 while Sam O'Reilly ran 33.5.
Young Liam McGreehan showed some of his emerging talent when running 11:52.5 in his 3000m race.
National Juvenile Championships
Also running on the track over the weekend at the National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore was Tadhg Donnelly who was running in the Boys U17 3000m.
In what turned out to be a tactical race, Donnelly finished 6th in 9:29 and sometimes Championship races can go this way.
Indeed Donnelly has run almost half a minute faster for this distance but it's all about the learning that takes place at this stage.
GV Ryan IMC Meeting
Some of our best track runners were in action at last Saturday's GV Ryan/IMC Meeting which was held in Irishtown Stadium.
Orla O'Connor had a great run to record a season's best time of 2:15.34 when finishing 6th in her 800m A race.
Kieran McGrath once again dipped under the 2 minute mark when running 1:59.50 to finish 4th in his 800m B race, while Mark O'Shea was 2nd in his 800m C race in 2:00.51.
In the Women's 1500m, Mary Leech ran well to record 4:51.01 against some very good opposition while Cormac Canning was 10th in his 1500m in a useful 4:21.77.
Dunleer 4 Mile
Last Sunday's Dunleer 4 Mile Road Race tempted some of our members to take on this challenging course and both our Men's and Women's teams were third in the team categories.
Our Men's team were led home by Shane Larkin who was 6th overall in 22:32, followed by David Campbell, 27th in 24:53, Martin Russell 28th in 25:05 and Joey Ryan 74th in 29:29.
Our Women's team consisted of Laura Roche, Mary McDonnell, Jane Glynn and Deirdre McFerran.
Category prize winners were Shane Larkin, 2nd O40, Mary McDonnell, 1st O60 and Gerry Carroll, 2nd O70.
Irish Runner 10 Mile
Meanwhile, over in the Phoenix Park at the Irish Runner 10 Mile Road Race, Brian Martin delivered the goods to finish 13th overall in 57:59 on a tough enough course on one of the warmest day's of the year.
Colm Reilly was our next finisher in 57th spot in 1:05:28 while Stephen Floyd was 119th in 1:10:44.
Our first woman across the line in 391st was Linda Cruise who ran 1:24:29 with Elva Maree next in 1:27:55.
Oldbridge Park Run
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, Conor Cooney was our first finisher in 20th place overall in 23:14 when just holding off Nuala Reilly who was 21st in 23:23.
David Thornton was 32nd in 24:55 followed by Sharon Hanna in 48th spot in 27:41.
Rose Dalton ran a new PB time of 31:35 to finish 67th overall.
Oldcastle 5k and Clonliffe Harriers 5 Mile
Marathon man Gerard Fay dropped down in distance when running 24:52 for last week's Oldcastle 5K and followed that up with the Clonliffe Harriers 5 mile race in the grounds of Malahide Castle where he ran 41:30.
Club News 9th July 2018
The Louth Track and Field Championships
The Louth Track and Field Championships took place at a sun drenched Lourdes Stadium last Thursday evening.
While there were many fine performances from our members, two in particular stand out and deserve special mention.
In the Women's Shot Putt competition, Valerie Campbell rose to the occasion and her throw of 4:81 ensured that she won her category in some style.
Campbell's win was made all the more remarkable as if the truth be known, her training method consisted of practicing with a rock that her coach Jos Haak had picked up while walking on the beach!
Given Campbell's hidden talent for this event, a shiny new Shot Putt is on her wish list and the club won't be found wanting.
Running in the 1500m, young Liam Mulligan ran the race of his life to knock almost 20 seconds off his previous best time when running an eye opening 5:02:69 to finish 5th in a high quality Junior Men's race.
Mulligan, who's relatively new to running isn't afraid of the hard work that's needed in training and has the ability to tough it out when the pain comes on in the latter stages of a race.
There were some good medal winning performances from Karl Carton, Frank Cruise and Andrew Kelly who all ran in the 100m and 200m.
Club Sprint coach Gerry O'Connor ran well when winning his 400m category in a lively 1:01.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps of the track, Hugh Callan won his M35 category with his run of 2:15 with club mate David Campbell 2nd in 2:20.
Young Tadgh Donnelly was 2nd in his Junior Men's 1500m in a solid 4:18 while Cormac Canning finished 3rd in 4:23.
Danny Skeffington continues to impress and his run of 4:50 ensured that he won his M55 category in some style.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, Brian Martin won his M35 category in 9:55.
Other category winners in this event were, Christy Duffy, 1st, M65 in 14:52, Yasmin Canning, 1st, W45 in 11:32 and Elva Maree, 2nd, W40 in 13:22.
Round 2 of the National League
Round 2 of the National League took place last Sunday at Santry Stadium.
Running for their county and scoring valuable points were some of our premier track runners.
In the 200m, running against some good opposition Lee McGuinness ran a good bend to finish 3rd in a lively 22:74.
Andrew Kelly stepped up in distance to finish a fine 4th in his 400m race in 54:88.
Orla O'Connor, who's running very consistently at the moment raced well to finish 3rd in her 800m in 2:17:60.
Young Cormac Canning put the work in and was rewarded with a 4th place finish in his 5000m event in 17:50.
Shane Larkin running as a guest ran a solid 17:30 for his 5000m race.
All Ireland B Championships
Four of our Youth section travelled to the midlands to take part in the All Ireland B Championships which were held at the Tullamore track on one of the hottest days of the year.
Eamon Canning started the day well when he threw superbly to score a new PB of 7.90 and was unfortunate to finish just outside the medals, while Kate O’Reilly had a great competition when her PB throw of 7.64 scored her a silver in the same event.
In the long jump Anstasia Drakoulaki jumped really well on her way to a second place finish and a silver medal.
Later in the day, Drakoulaki flew through her heat of the 80m to make the final and only missed out on bronze by .07 of a second with her 11.08 time in the final.
Sophie Kinsella also ran a great heat in the 80m and was 6th in her final with 11.63.
In the afternoon Kinsella took to her main event the 600m and ran very well to finish fourth in her heat with a time of 2:00:22.
Kate O’Reilly also took part in the 800m and finished fourth with 2:46 at the end of a very long and hot day.
St Kevins Community 5k
Well done to Joey Ryan who was our first finisher in Saint Kevins Community 5K which was held in Philipstown, Dunleer, last Friday.
Ryan finished 23rd in 21:42 on a seriously warm evening and was followed by Shaun Conroy who was 41st in 23:35.
Margaret McAuley was our first woman across the line in 79th place with 28:10, with Ann Leonard 80th in 28:13.
Meanwhile, at the Clontarf Half Marathon which was held last Saturday, our trio of Dolores Newman, Michele McCullough and Caitriona Henry packed well to cross the line together in 2:20 on a very warm day for distance running.
Club mate Ged Kenny was just behind when finishing in 2:22.
In the 5 mile race which was run in conjunction with the Half Marathon, Siobhan Redmond ran 45:36 for the course.
Oldbridge Park Run
While the recent sunny weather has scorched the grass on the hilly slopes of the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly blazed a trail of his own when running an incredible 15:50 to set a new course record for this challenging 5K course.
Running a time that many a decent runner would be happy to achieve on a flat road surface, Kelly showed just how good his current form is and the sky's the limit for him if he can keep clear of injury.
Also running were Conor Cooney who finished 28th in 23:38 with David Thornton 43rd in 25:30.
Linda Bowe ran a new PB when finishing 53rd in 27:10 followed by Rose Dalton who was 84th in 33:27.
The Louth Track and Field Championships took place at a sun drenched Lourdes Stadium last Thursday evening.
While there were many fine performances from our members, two in particular stand out and deserve special mention.
In the Women's Shot Putt competition, Valerie Campbell rose to the occasion and her throw of 4:81 ensured that she won her category in some style.
Campbell's win was made all the more remarkable as if the truth be known, her training method consisted of practicing with a rock that her coach Jos Haak had picked up while walking on the beach!
Given Campbell's hidden talent for this event, a shiny new Shot Putt is on her wish list and the club won't be found wanting.
Running in the 1500m, young Liam Mulligan ran the race of his life to knock almost 20 seconds off his previous best time when running an eye opening 5:02:69 to finish 5th in a high quality Junior Men's race.
Mulligan, who's relatively new to running isn't afraid of the hard work that's needed in training and has the ability to tough it out when the pain comes on in the latter stages of a race.
There were some good medal winning performances from Karl Carton, Frank Cruise and Andrew Kelly who all ran in the 100m and 200m.
Club Sprint coach Gerry O'Connor ran well when winning his 400m category in a lively 1:01.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps of the track, Hugh Callan won his M35 category with his run of 2:15 with club mate David Campbell 2nd in 2:20.
Young Tadgh Donnelly was 2nd in his Junior Men's 1500m in a solid 4:18 while Cormac Canning finished 3rd in 4:23.
Danny Skeffington continues to impress and his run of 4:50 ensured that he won his M55 category in some style.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, Brian Martin won his M35 category in 9:55.
Other category winners in this event were, Christy Duffy, 1st, M65 in 14:52, Yasmin Canning, 1st, W45 in 11:32 and Elva Maree, 2nd, W40 in 13:22.
Round 2 of the National League
Round 2 of the National League took place last Sunday at Santry Stadium.
Running for their county and scoring valuable points were some of our premier track runners.
In the 200m, running against some good opposition Lee McGuinness ran a good bend to finish 3rd in a lively 22:74.
Andrew Kelly stepped up in distance to finish a fine 4th in his 400m race in 54:88.
Orla O'Connor, who's running very consistently at the moment raced well to finish 3rd in her 800m in 2:17:60.
Young Cormac Canning put the work in and was rewarded with a 4th place finish in his 5000m event in 17:50.
Shane Larkin running as a guest ran a solid 17:30 for his 5000m race.
All Ireland B Championships
Four of our Youth section travelled to the midlands to take part in the All Ireland B Championships which were held at the Tullamore track on one of the hottest days of the year.
Eamon Canning started the day well when he threw superbly to score a new PB of 7.90 and was unfortunate to finish just outside the medals, while Kate O’Reilly had a great competition when her PB throw of 7.64 scored her a silver in the same event.
In the long jump Anstasia Drakoulaki jumped really well on her way to a second place finish and a silver medal.
Later in the day, Drakoulaki flew through her heat of the 80m to make the final and only missed out on bronze by .07 of a second with her 11.08 time in the final.
Sophie Kinsella also ran a great heat in the 80m and was 6th in her final with 11.63.
In the afternoon Kinsella took to her main event the 600m and ran very well to finish fourth in her heat with a time of 2:00:22.
Kate O’Reilly also took part in the 800m and finished fourth with 2:46 at the end of a very long and hot day.
St Kevins Community 5k
Well done to Joey Ryan who was our first finisher in Saint Kevins Community 5K which was held in Philipstown, Dunleer, last Friday.
Ryan finished 23rd in 21:42 on a seriously warm evening and was followed by Shaun Conroy who was 41st in 23:35.
Margaret McAuley was our first woman across the line in 79th place with 28:10, with Ann Leonard 80th in 28:13.
Meanwhile, at the Clontarf Half Marathon which was held last Saturday, our trio of Dolores Newman, Michele McCullough and Caitriona Henry packed well to cross the line together in 2:20 on a very warm day for distance running.
Club mate Ged Kenny was just behind when finishing in 2:22.
In the 5 mile race which was run in conjunction with the Half Marathon, Siobhan Redmond ran 45:36 for the course.
Oldbridge Park Run
While the recent sunny weather has scorched the grass on the hilly slopes of the Oldbridge Parkrun, Stephen Kelly blazed a trail of his own when running an incredible 15:50 to set a new course record for this challenging 5K course.
Running a time that many a decent runner would be happy to achieve on a flat road surface, Kelly showed just how good his current form is and the sky's the limit for him if he can keep clear of injury.
Also running were Conor Cooney who finished 28th in 23:38 with David Thornton 43rd in 25:30.
Linda Bowe ran a new PB when finishing 53rd in 27:10 followed by Rose Dalton who was 84th in 33:27.
Club News 1st July 2018
Well done to Lee McGuiness on making the final of the 200m at the National Junior Championships which were held in Tullamore last Saturday.
McGuinness ran a lively 22:92 to finish second in his heat and later in the final he ran even faster to finish 6th in 22:72 against the best Junior athletes in the country.
McGuinness also ran in the 100m where he finished 7th in his heat in 11:41.
Also running was Cormac Canning who didn't quite get into his race as can sometimes happen, nevertheless Canning gained valuable championship experience when finishing 16th in his 1500m race in 4:36:79.
Round 5 of our Summer Graded Series took place took place last Thursday evening at the Lourdes Stadium.
With the mercury hitting 26 degrees on the thermometer the distance runners who were racing the 5000m were in for a hard time to say the least.
Thankfully the usual gale which blows down the back strait had softened to a light breeze and was welcomed by the runners once the gun went.
Mark Malone from Newry AC made this a true run race and soon opened up a sizeable gap which he held to the finish when winning in a decent 16:48.
Our own Brian Martin raced well to finish second in 17:04 with Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin chasing him hard over the last few laps to finish third in 17:17.
Back racing after a serious leg injury was David Walsh and he showed that things are coming right at last when finishing 7th in a solid 18:37 and it's all about getting the miles back in his legs over the coming months.
Maureen Harbison was our first woman across the line in 22:08 with Linda Byrne Cruise next in 25:16.
The shortest event of the evening, the 100m saw four races take place and the A race was a thriller with only a fraction of a second between winner Anthony Dillon from Dunleer Ac and Andrew Kelly from the host club.
Dillon won in 11:30 with Kelly the width of a singlet behind in 11:50, with Karl Carton 4th in 12:60.
Frank Cruise had a decent run to place 7th.
The future of our club, our Juveniles, were well represented in the B race with three of our future stars in action.
Young Sophie Kinsella ran right to the tape to snatch 3rd place in 14:4 with Moya McCabe 5th in 14:7 and Muirne O'Connor 7th in 15:3.
Later in the evening, Kinsella put her speed to good use when finishing 5th in the Long Jump in 3:86 against much stronger opposition.
Kelly Cruise ran well to win her C race in 15:0 with Mary Kinsella 6th in 17:6 and Leah Lambe 7th in 20:3.
The D race was an interesting affair with all eight runners from the host club, with Alan Floyd winning in 15:8 from Brian Callaghan who was second in 16:8 with Linda Cross 3rd in 17:5.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps of the track, Hugh Callan held good form in his A race to finish 4th in 2:13:02.
The B race saw David Campbell show some of his speed when finishing 3rd in 2:19:41 with club chairman Aonghus O'Connor 5th in 2:26:30.
Mags Nugent also raced well to place 10th in 2:31:94 with Roisin Coade 12th in 2:34:6.
In the combined C and D race, Mike Staunton ran 3:14 when finishing 5th with Linda Cross 6th in 3:15 and Kerry McHugh 8th in 3:45.
Making the short trip to Kilcock last Friday for the St. Coca's 5k race were Shane Larkin and Paddy Reilly.
Larkin, who was running his second 5K race in two days delivered a strong run to finish 30th overall and 3rd in his category in 16:40, in a race that was won by Freddy Sittuk in a fast 14:52.
Paddy Murphy also produced a quality run to go sub 19 minutes with his run of 18:46 placing him 6th in his category against some good class athletes.
The BHAA OPW Runlogic 5K Trail Run took place in the Phoenix park and there were some good performances from our members.
Colm Reilly was 10th overall in a decent 17:50 with Conor Cooney next in 87th spot in 23:17 which earned him a 2nd in category prize.
Jim Nolan had a tough time during the run but finished 91st in 23:36 and Nuala Reilly won her category with her run of 23:38.
At the midweek Clonee 10K, Colm Reilly put in a spirited run to record a useful 37:29 for this popular road race while Gerard Fay ran the course in 59:30.
Meanwhile, at the Dublin Docklands 5K Liam Farrell ran 22:54 for this well attended race.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun took place in glorious sunshine and times would have been slowed somewhat by the hot conditions.
Our first finisher in 14th place overall was Laura Roche who ran 22:33 for this challenging 5K course.
Next in 19th spot was Nuala Reilly in a solid 23:16 with Conor Cooney a mere 3 seconds behind with 23:19 when finishing 20th overall.
David Thornton was 28th in 25:41 and Linda Bowe was 41st in 27:30.
McGuinness ran a lively 22:92 to finish second in his heat and later in the final he ran even faster to finish 6th in 22:72 against the best Junior athletes in the country.
McGuinness also ran in the 100m where he finished 7th in his heat in 11:41.
Also running was Cormac Canning who didn't quite get into his race as can sometimes happen, nevertheless Canning gained valuable championship experience when finishing 16th in his 1500m race in 4:36:79.
Round 5 of our Summer Graded Series took place took place last Thursday evening at the Lourdes Stadium.
With the mercury hitting 26 degrees on the thermometer the distance runners who were racing the 5000m were in for a hard time to say the least.
Thankfully the usual gale which blows down the back strait had softened to a light breeze and was welcomed by the runners once the gun went.
Mark Malone from Newry AC made this a true run race and soon opened up a sizeable gap which he held to the finish when winning in a decent 16:48.
Our own Brian Martin raced well to finish second in 17:04 with Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin chasing him hard over the last few laps to finish third in 17:17.
Back racing after a serious leg injury was David Walsh and he showed that things are coming right at last when finishing 7th in a solid 18:37 and it's all about getting the miles back in his legs over the coming months.
Maureen Harbison was our first woman across the line in 22:08 with Linda Byrne Cruise next in 25:16.
The shortest event of the evening, the 100m saw four races take place and the A race was a thriller with only a fraction of a second between winner Anthony Dillon from Dunleer Ac and Andrew Kelly from the host club.
Dillon won in 11:30 with Kelly the width of a singlet behind in 11:50, with Karl Carton 4th in 12:60.
Frank Cruise had a decent run to place 7th.
The future of our club, our Juveniles, were well represented in the B race with three of our future stars in action.
Young Sophie Kinsella ran right to the tape to snatch 3rd place in 14:4 with Moya McCabe 5th in 14:7 and Muirne O'Connor 7th in 15:3.
Later in the evening, Kinsella put her speed to good use when finishing 5th in the Long Jump in 3:86 against much stronger opposition.
Kelly Cruise ran well to win her C race in 15:0 with Mary Kinsella 6th in 17:6 and Leah Lambe 7th in 20:3.
The D race was an interesting affair with all eight runners from the host club, with Alan Floyd winning in 15:8 from Brian Callaghan who was second in 16:8 with Linda Cross 3rd in 17:5.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps of the track, Hugh Callan held good form in his A race to finish 4th in 2:13:02.
The B race saw David Campbell show some of his speed when finishing 3rd in 2:19:41 with club chairman Aonghus O'Connor 5th in 2:26:30.
Mags Nugent also raced well to place 10th in 2:31:94 with Roisin Coade 12th in 2:34:6.
In the combined C and D race, Mike Staunton ran 3:14 when finishing 5th with Linda Cross 6th in 3:15 and Kerry McHugh 8th in 3:45.
Making the short trip to Kilcock last Friday for the St. Coca's 5k race were Shane Larkin and Paddy Reilly.
Larkin, who was running his second 5K race in two days delivered a strong run to finish 30th overall and 3rd in his category in 16:40, in a race that was won by Freddy Sittuk in a fast 14:52.
Paddy Murphy also produced a quality run to go sub 19 minutes with his run of 18:46 placing him 6th in his category against some good class athletes.
The BHAA OPW Runlogic 5K Trail Run took place in the Phoenix park and there were some good performances from our members.
Colm Reilly was 10th overall in a decent 17:50 with Conor Cooney next in 87th spot in 23:17 which earned him a 2nd in category prize.
Jim Nolan had a tough time during the run but finished 91st in 23:36 and Nuala Reilly won her category with her run of 23:38.
At the midweek Clonee 10K, Colm Reilly put in a spirited run to record a useful 37:29 for this popular road race while Gerard Fay ran the course in 59:30.
Meanwhile, at the Dublin Docklands 5K Liam Farrell ran 22:54 for this well attended race.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun took place in glorious sunshine and times would have been slowed somewhat by the hot conditions.
Our first finisher in 14th place overall was Laura Roche who ran 22:33 for this challenging 5K course.
Next in 19th spot was Nuala Reilly in a solid 23:16 with Conor Cooney a mere 3 seconds behind with 23:19 when finishing 20th overall.
David Thornton was 28th in 25:41 and Linda Bowe was 41st in 27:30.
Club News 24th June 2018
Congratulations to Tadhg Donnelly on winning bronze in the 3000m when representing Leinster Schools at the Tailteann Games at Morton Stadium last Saturday and going sub nine minutes with a time of 8.58.5 in a close race from start to finish!
Donnelly is a real find for our club and one to watch out for in the future.
Our Midsummer 5K Road Race turned out to be a great success with 700 runners lining up for what has become one of the most popular races in the North East.
Indeed, this race has become so well known that the Turkish Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Levent Murat Burham graced us with his presence and wearing number 1 ran well to finish in a decent time of 24:29.
Conditions on the night were perfect for racing with little or no wind and the course ahead of the runners was varied and more than fair was the popular opinion.
The winner of the Men's race race was local man Simon Ryan who won with a bit to spare in 16:01, with Brian Martin second in a lively 17:03.
Colin Dyas put in a tremendous sprint finish to secure 4th place in 17:20 and Pat O'Grady raced well to finish 7th overall and 1st in category when running 17:35.
John Hough perhaps had the run of the evening when going sub 18 minutes for the first time on his way to finishing 11th overall and just holding off Aisling O'Connor from Edenderry AC who won the Women's race in a fast 18:02.
Race sponsor Barney Flannery had a good run to pick up a 2nd in category prize when running 25:21 and Gerry Carroll got a 3rd in category prize for his run of 26:46.
In the Women's race, our first finisher was Maureen Conway Harbison in 84th place overall with a time of 21:34.
Aoife Harmon was our third finisher in 107th place in 22:07 closely followed by Barbara Byrne who was 107th in 22:15.
Nuala Reilly won her category and Terri Durnin ran well to finish 2nd in category when finishing 134th in 22:57.
Our Junior athletes showed the way with Abigail Tegart who won the Junior Women's category with her run of 22:05, while finishing 12th female overall.
Liam O'Grady ran a new PB time of 20:49 when finishing 8th in a very competitive Junior Men's category.
Round 1 of the National League Track and Field Championships took place last Sunday at the Mary Peter's track in Belfast.
Six of our members were selected for the County team and the competition at these events is quite intense with championship points at stake.
In the 200m, Lee McGuinness ran a good bend to finish 3rd in a fast 22.5 seconds, while Andrew Kelly was 5th in the 100m.
Orla O'Connor ran a solid 2:20:70 for her 800m race and a short while later training partner Mary Leech delivered a strong run to finish 4th in her 1500m with a lively 4:51:17.
Kieran McGrath used his immense strength on the run in to finish 4th in his 800m in 2:02:26.
In the last events of the day, the sprint relays, our ladies team were 4th in both the 4 x 100m and the 4 x 400m.
Our Men's team finished 4th in the 4 x 100m and 3rd in the 4 x 400m.
With so many of our members running in our 5K, just eight of our most hardened road runners made the short trip to Dunshaughlin for last Saturday's Michael Manning Memorial 10K Road Race.
This race has a long and deep history and it's the one that every good club runner yearns to run.
Our club coaches must be doing something right as this turned out to be a night of PB performances for our crew.
First home in the red vest was Ruaidhri Nolan who had a terrific run to finish 66th in 35:31 in a field of over 800 quality athletes.
Going Sub 40 minutes for the first time was Martin Russell who raced well to finish 187th in 39:27, with Paddy Murphy close behind in 190th spot in 39:40.
Des Feeley put in a good finish to cross the line in 193rd place in a solid 39:46 and he's made a good comeback to racing.
Also running well were Stephen Geraghty who ran a PB time of 42:15 and Mike Staunton who ran 48:16.
For our Ladies, First home was Nuala Reilly who duly won her category followed by Mary Ann Kinsella who ran very well on a warm evening to record a new PB time of 56:59.
Well done to our trio of Niamh Matthews (1:48:03), Stephen Gill (1:55:32) and Martina O'Connor Dyas (1:55:33) who ran in last week's Thoroughbred Half Marathon in Kildare.
Meanwhile, at the midweek Raheny 2 Mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:03 for this popular event which is run over a two lap course.
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, Conor Cooney gave himself a nice birthday present by running well to finish 22nd overall in 23:46 and more importantly had a pain free run after some problems with injuries.
Not far behind was Ieva Ofmane who ran well to finish 23rd in 23:59 with Michele McCullough 45th in 27:35 and Janet McDonnchadha who finished 73rd in 1:00:49.
There were some good performances from our members at last Sunday's Irish Runner 5 Mile Race in the Phoenix Park.
Colm Reilly ran a useful 30:43 for the distance on a seriously warm day and was followed by Barry Sullivan who ran 34:16.
Also running were Gerard Fay who finished in 41:50 with Carol Keegan next in 44:13.
Anna Ryan ran 53:43 while Jackie Kirwan finished in 59:19 and Anne Marie Kierans ran 1:06:50.
Donnelly is a real find for our club and one to watch out for in the future.
Our Midsummer 5K Road Race turned out to be a great success with 700 runners lining up for what has become one of the most popular races in the North East.
Indeed, this race has become so well known that the Turkish Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Levent Murat Burham graced us with his presence and wearing number 1 ran well to finish in a decent time of 24:29.
Conditions on the night were perfect for racing with little or no wind and the course ahead of the runners was varied and more than fair was the popular opinion.
The winner of the Men's race race was local man Simon Ryan who won with a bit to spare in 16:01, with Brian Martin second in a lively 17:03.
Colin Dyas put in a tremendous sprint finish to secure 4th place in 17:20 and Pat O'Grady raced well to finish 7th overall and 1st in category when running 17:35.
John Hough perhaps had the run of the evening when going sub 18 minutes for the first time on his way to finishing 11th overall and just holding off Aisling O'Connor from Edenderry AC who won the Women's race in a fast 18:02.
Race sponsor Barney Flannery had a good run to pick up a 2nd in category prize when running 25:21 and Gerry Carroll got a 3rd in category prize for his run of 26:46.
In the Women's race, our first finisher was Maureen Conway Harbison in 84th place overall with a time of 21:34.
Aoife Harmon was our third finisher in 107th place in 22:07 closely followed by Barbara Byrne who was 107th in 22:15.
Nuala Reilly won her category and Terri Durnin ran well to finish 2nd in category when finishing 134th in 22:57.
Our Junior athletes showed the way with Abigail Tegart who won the Junior Women's category with her run of 22:05, while finishing 12th female overall.
Liam O'Grady ran a new PB time of 20:49 when finishing 8th in a very competitive Junior Men's category.
Round 1 of the National League Track and Field Championships took place last Sunday at the Mary Peter's track in Belfast.
Six of our members were selected for the County team and the competition at these events is quite intense with championship points at stake.
In the 200m, Lee McGuinness ran a good bend to finish 3rd in a fast 22.5 seconds, while Andrew Kelly was 5th in the 100m.
Orla O'Connor ran a solid 2:20:70 for her 800m race and a short while later training partner Mary Leech delivered a strong run to finish 4th in her 1500m with a lively 4:51:17.
Kieran McGrath used his immense strength on the run in to finish 4th in his 800m in 2:02:26.
In the last events of the day, the sprint relays, our ladies team were 4th in both the 4 x 100m and the 4 x 400m.
Our Men's team finished 4th in the 4 x 100m and 3rd in the 4 x 400m.
With so many of our members running in our 5K, just eight of our most hardened road runners made the short trip to Dunshaughlin for last Saturday's Michael Manning Memorial 10K Road Race.
This race has a long and deep history and it's the one that every good club runner yearns to run.
Our club coaches must be doing something right as this turned out to be a night of PB performances for our crew.
First home in the red vest was Ruaidhri Nolan who had a terrific run to finish 66th in 35:31 in a field of over 800 quality athletes.
Going Sub 40 minutes for the first time was Martin Russell who raced well to finish 187th in 39:27, with Paddy Murphy close behind in 190th spot in 39:40.
Des Feeley put in a good finish to cross the line in 193rd place in a solid 39:46 and he's made a good comeback to racing.
Also running well were Stephen Geraghty who ran a PB time of 42:15 and Mike Staunton who ran 48:16.
For our Ladies, First home was Nuala Reilly who duly won her category followed by Mary Ann Kinsella who ran very well on a warm evening to record a new PB time of 56:59.
Well done to our trio of Niamh Matthews (1:48:03), Stephen Gill (1:55:32) and Martina O'Connor Dyas (1:55:33) who ran in last week's Thoroughbred Half Marathon in Kildare.
Meanwhile, at the midweek Raheny 2 Mile Summer Series Gerard Fay ran 15:03 for this popular event which is run over a two lap course.
Closer to home, at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun, Conor Cooney gave himself a nice birthday present by running well to finish 22nd overall in 23:46 and more importantly had a pain free run after some problems with injuries.
Not far behind was Ieva Ofmane who ran well to finish 23rd in 23:59 with Michele McCullough 45th in 27:35 and Janet McDonnchadha who finished 73rd in 1:00:49.
There were some good performances from our members at last Sunday's Irish Runner 5 Mile Race in the Phoenix Park.
Colm Reilly ran a useful 30:43 for the distance on a seriously warm day and was followed by Barry Sullivan who ran 34:16.
Also running were Gerard Fay who finished in 41:50 with Carol Keegan next in 44:13.
Anna Ryan ran 53:43 while Jackie Kirwan finished in 59:19 and Anne Marie Kierans ran 1:06:50.
Club News 17th June 2018
Round 4 of DDAC's Summer Graded Track Series took place on a windswept evening at the Lourdes Stadium.
The numbers taking part were up considerably on previous meetings thanks to the efforts of Barney Flannery who had organised a challenge race between some of the various groups within the club.
In the first event of the evening, the classic mile, run over 4 laps, Paul Smith had a fine run to finish 4th in 5:11, which was good running given the conditions.
Colin Leonard was 6th in 5:17 followed by Paddy Murphy who was 9th in 5:49.
In the B race, Barry Sullivan ran well to finish 4th in 5:50, with Paul McDonnell 6th in 5:51 and Joey Ryan 7th in 5:57.
Director of Training Declan Monaghan had a great battle with Paul Reilly as they sprinted for the line with Monaghan just getting the nod when finishing 9th in 6:00 to Reilly's 10th place finish in 6:01.
Also running well were Rachel McCormack who was 12th in 6:02 followed by Aoife Harmon who was 13th in 6:43.
In the C race, Mary Lindsey had a good run to finish 4th in 6:40, followed by Christy Duffy who was 7th in 6:49.
Karen Delaney also ran well when running 7:04 to finish 9th.
Without doubt, the race of the evening had to be the 400m A race where speed merchants Lee McGuinness and Andrew Kelly went head to head on their home ground.
Once the gun went, this pair scorched round the first bend and hit the 200m mark in under 25 seconds, which was incredibly fast running, giving it their all both lads held good form and with less than 50 metres to go these two couldn't be seperated.
It was only in the last few strides that McGuinness edged ahead slightly and won in a cracking 53.6 to Kelly's 53.9.
Hugh Callan finished 3rd in a fine 56.9 with Paul Stuart 4th in 59.0 followed by Orla O'Connor who was 5th in 62.6.
Roisin Coade struggled a little in the windy conditions but still ran a decent 69.2 when finishing 4th in her 400m B race.
Frank Cruise used his experience to get the pace right when winning his 400m D race in 71.1 with young Moya McCabe who ran over hurdles second in 76.4.
Frank's daughter Kelly also ran a well judged race to win her 400m E race in 74.3 with Alan Floyd 2nd in 79.8.
Mary Toner was 5th in 97.3 followed by Brian Callan in 6th with 97.5.
In the longest event of the evening the 3000m, Stephen Kelly kept the home fans excited as he worked hard to stay in touch with Mark Malone from Newry AC.
It was only in the closing stages that Malone opened up a gap which he held all the way to the finish to win in 9:44 with Kelly 2nd in 9:51.
Shane Larkin finished 4th in 10:00 just a couple of strides ahead of Brian Martin who was 5th in 10:02.
John Hough ran a useful 10:44 when finishing 9th, just ahead of Martin Russell who had a great run to finish 10th in 10:49.
Also running well were Francis Murray who was 13th in 11:14 and Thomas Farrelly who finished 14th in 11:16.
Mary McGreehan ran well to finish 5th in the B race when running 13:09, with Niamh Matthews 7th in 13:25:1 and Michelle Egan 8th in 13:25:3.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor was literally throwing his weight about as he finished 7th in the Shot Putt with a throw of 7:00 metres and there's a budding career ahead of him.
The future of DDAC, our juveniles were also in action at the graded meeting and the stand out performances included Liam Mulligan who had one thing in mind, to break the 6 minute barrier in the mile.
It was never in doubt as he ran steadily over the 4 laps to finish in a PB time of 5:45.
One of the up and coming stars, Sophie Kinsella continued her progress with a strong run in the 400m finishing second in 72.2 seconds.
Moya McCabe in preparation for the Leinster Championships ran her 400m over hurdles and clocked 76.4 seconds.
Our Juveniles were in action again at last Saturday's Leinster Championships in Tullamore, Offaly.
Anastasia Drakoulaki running in the U14 200m was 5th in her heat in a great time of 29.28, just missing out on the final by less than half a second.
She then ran a fantastic first leg in the U15 4x100m relay team which came 5th overall.
Moya McCabe followed up her graded meeting run in Tullamore on Sunday with a comendible 4th in the 300m hurdles, running a super time of 52:04 against a top class field.
Tadhg Donnelly continues to go from strength to strength easily winning the U17 1500m in a time of 4:17.98.
In the U14 80m Anastasia Drakoulaki ran 11.22, qualifying her for the final.
She then followed this with a strong showing in the long jump with a distance of 4m 28cm placing her 5th in a field of 28.
There were some good performances all round from our track runners who took part in the IMC Meeting hosted by Le Cheile AC in Kildare.
This series of paced races is designed to help athletes achieve qualifying times for major championships and it's hard running from gun to tape and not for the faint hearted.
Conditions on the day were to make things tough with an unrelenting headwind slowing times somewhat.
Lee McGuinness, who's developing into a quality athlete ran well under pressure to finish fifth in his 100m B race in 12:05 and then later in the day ran a good bend to finish second in his 200m B race in a fast 23:51.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps, Orla O'Connor coped well with the conditions to record a solid 2:20:65 when finishing 9th in the B race.
Mark O'Shea, running in his 800m D race against some quality opposition, produced the goods when it mattered to finish 4th in a lively 2:01:44 with less than a second between the first four competitors.
In the Women's 1500m, Mary Leech kept her concentration and worked hard to finish 7th in her A race in 4:53:09.
Fintan Maher, running in the 1500m had a solid run to record 4:32:77.
Six of our members made the short trip to Trim, County Meath, for last Friday's Braveheart 5K Trail Run.
Hosted by Trim AC, this race which is run over grass and pathways with a few testing hills thrown in for good measure is a welcome break from road running for some.
Our star performer on the night was Pat O'Grady who delivered a strong run to win his O55 category in a lively 17:45 when finishing 17th overall.
Mike Staunton ran well and was 244th in 24:14 with Gerard Fay next in 303rd place with 25:37.
Donal Branigan was 583rd in 31:07.
For our ladies, Ieva Ofmane, who's running very well at the moment ran well and finished 211th in 23:33, followed by Joanne White who was 242nd in 24:04.
John Reilly continued his run of good form over the popular 5K distance when finishing 17th overall and second in category at last Saturday's Castleknock 5K.
Reilly, who went sub 18 minutes for the first time last week, had a solid run to finish in 18:41 proving that racing isn't always about getting fast times but staying ahead of your rivals.
Barbara Byrne's dedication to her training paid off when she produced a strong run to finish 77th overall and 3rd in category in a useful 22:36.
Sinead Weldon also ran well to finish 86th in 22:46.
Last Saturday's Parkrun saw some of our members take to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for this popular 5K cross country race.
Our first finisher in 20th place was Paul Browne who ran the course in a new PB time of 22:35, followed by Tony Corcoran who was 29th in 22:53.
Regular Parkrun competitor Seamus Roe was 42nd in 24:53 with club coach Jos Haak next in 43rd place in 25:05.
Louise Irvin ran well to record a new PB time of 25:56 when finishing 49th in 25:56 closely followed by Deirdre McFerran in 54th place with 26:22.
Also running were Linda Bowe, Rose Dalton and Ruth Dunne.
The numbers taking part were up considerably on previous meetings thanks to the efforts of Barney Flannery who had organised a challenge race between some of the various groups within the club.
In the first event of the evening, the classic mile, run over 4 laps, Paul Smith had a fine run to finish 4th in 5:11, which was good running given the conditions.
Colin Leonard was 6th in 5:17 followed by Paddy Murphy who was 9th in 5:49.
In the B race, Barry Sullivan ran well to finish 4th in 5:50, with Paul McDonnell 6th in 5:51 and Joey Ryan 7th in 5:57.
Director of Training Declan Monaghan had a great battle with Paul Reilly as they sprinted for the line with Monaghan just getting the nod when finishing 9th in 6:00 to Reilly's 10th place finish in 6:01.
Also running well were Rachel McCormack who was 12th in 6:02 followed by Aoife Harmon who was 13th in 6:43.
In the C race, Mary Lindsey had a good run to finish 4th in 6:40, followed by Christy Duffy who was 7th in 6:49.
Karen Delaney also ran well when running 7:04 to finish 9th.
Without doubt, the race of the evening had to be the 400m A race where speed merchants Lee McGuinness and Andrew Kelly went head to head on their home ground.
Once the gun went, this pair scorched round the first bend and hit the 200m mark in under 25 seconds, which was incredibly fast running, giving it their all both lads held good form and with less than 50 metres to go these two couldn't be seperated.
It was only in the last few strides that McGuinness edged ahead slightly and won in a cracking 53.6 to Kelly's 53.9.
Hugh Callan finished 3rd in a fine 56.9 with Paul Stuart 4th in 59.0 followed by Orla O'Connor who was 5th in 62.6.
Roisin Coade struggled a little in the windy conditions but still ran a decent 69.2 when finishing 4th in her 400m B race.
Frank Cruise used his experience to get the pace right when winning his 400m D race in 71.1 with young Moya McCabe who ran over hurdles second in 76.4.
Frank's daughter Kelly also ran a well judged race to win her 400m E race in 74.3 with Alan Floyd 2nd in 79.8.
Mary Toner was 5th in 97.3 followed by Brian Callan in 6th with 97.5.
In the longest event of the evening the 3000m, Stephen Kelly kept the home fans excited as he worked hard to stay in touch with Mark Malone from Newry AC.
It was only in the closing stages that Malone opened up a gap which he held all the way to the finish to win in 9:44 with Kelly 2nd in 9:51.
Shane Larkin finished 4th in 10:00 just a couple of strides ahead of Brian Martin who was 5th in 10:02.
John Hough ran a useful 10:44 when finishing 9th, just ahead of Martin Russell who had a great run to finish 10th in 10:49.
Also running well were Francis Murray who was 13th in 11:14 and Thomas Farrelly who finished 14th in 11:16.
Mary McGreehan ran well to finish 5th in the B race when running 13:09, with Niamh Matthews 7th in 13:25:1 and Michelle Egan 8th in 13:25:3.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor was literally throwing his weight about as he finished 7th in the Shot Putt with a throw of 7:00 metres and there's a budding career ahead of him.
The future of DDAC, our juveniles were also in action at the graded meeting and the stand out performances included Liam Mulligan who had one thing in mind, to break the 6 minute barrier in the mile.
It was never in doubt as he ran steadily over the 4 laps to finish in a PB time of 5:45.
One of the up and coming stars, Sophie Kinsella continued her progress with a strong run in the 400m finishing second in 72.2 seconds.
Moya McCabe in preparation for the Leinster Championships ran her 400m over hurdles and clocked 76.4 seconds.
Our Juveniles were in action again at last Saturday's Leinster Championships in Tullamore, Offaly.
Anastasia Drakoulaki running in the U14 200m was 5th in her heat in a great time of 29.28, just missing out on the final by less than half a second.
She then ran a fantastic first leg in the U15 4x100m relay team which came 5th overall.
Moya McCabe followed up her graded meeting run in Tullamore on Sunday with a comendible 4th in the 300m hurdles, running a super time of 52:04 against a top class field.
Tadhg Donnelly continues to go from strength to strength easily winning the U17 1500m in a time of 4:17.98.
In the U14 80m Anastasia Drakoulaki ran 11.22, qualifying her for the final.
She then followed this with a strong showing in the long jump with a distance of 4m 28cm placing her 5th in a field of 28.
There were some good performances all round from our track runners who took part in the IMC Meeting hosted by Le Cheile AC in Kildare.
This series of paced races is designed to help athletes achieve qualifying times for major championships and it's hard running from gun to tape and not for the faint hearted.
Conditions on the day were to make things tough with an unrelenting headwind slowing times somewhat.
Lee McGuinness, who's developing into a quality athlete ran well under pressure to finish fifth in his 100m B race in 12:05 and then later in the day ran a good bend to finish second in his 200m B race in a fast 23:51.
In the 800m, run over 2 laps, Orla O'Connor coped well with the conditions to record a solid 2:20:65 when finishing 9th in the B race.
Mark O'Shea, running in his 800m D race against some quality opposition, produced the goods when it mattered to finish 4th in a lively 2:01:44 with less than a second between the first four competitors.
In the Women's 1500m, Mary Leech kept her concentration and worked hard to finish 7th in her A race in 4:53:09.
Fintan Maher, running in the 1500m had a solid run to record 4:32:77.
Six of our members made the short trip to Trim, County Meath, for last Friday's Braveheart 5K Trail Run.
Hosted by Trim AC, this race which is run over grass and pathways with a few testing hills thrown in for good measure is a welcome break from road running for some.
Our star performer on the night was Pat O'Grady who delivered a strong run to win his O55 category in a lively 17:45 when finishing 17th overall.
Mike Staunton ran well and was 244th in 24:14 with Gerard Fay next in 303rd place with 25:37.
Donal Branigan was 583rd in 31:07.
For our ladies, Ieva Ofmane, who's running very well at the moment ran well and finished 211th in 23:33, followed by Joanne White who was 242nd in 24:04.
John Reilly continued his run of good form over the popular 5K distance when finishing 17th overall and second in category at last Saturday's Castleknock 5K.
Reilly, who went sub 18 minutes for the first time last week, had a solid run to finish in 18:41 proving that racing isn't always about getting fast times but staying ahead of your rivals.
Barbara Byrne's dedication to her training paid off when she produced a strong run to finish 77th overall and 3rd in category in a useful 22:36.
Sinead Weldon also ran well to finish 86th in 22:46.
Last Saturday's Parkrun saw some of our members take to the hilly fields of Oldbridge for this popular 5K cross country race.
Our first finisher in 20th place was Paul Browne who ran the course in a new PB time of 22:35, followed by Tony Corcoran who was 29th in 22:53.
Regular Parkrun competitor Seamus Roe was 42nd in 24:53 with club coach Jos Haak next in 43rd place in 25:05.
Louise Irvin ran well to record a new PB time of 25:56 when finishing 49th in 25:56 closely followed by Deirdre McFerran in 54th place with 26:22.
Also running were Linda Bowe, Rose Dalton and Ruth Dunne.
Club News 10th June 2018
For a competitive athlete, the difference between success and failure can sometimes be less than a second on the unforgiving stopwatch.
So it was for John Reilly last August when he ran his heart out in search of the elusive sub 18 minutes 5K only to be denied by a single second as he hurtled himself over the finishing line at the Carlingford Road Race.
While many a lesser athlete might have let the disappointment get to them, Reilly swore there and then that things would be different in the new year.
Strengthened by a good Winter's training, which saw Reilly with his weekly 10 Miler completed well before 9.00 am every Sunday, even during the Snowy weather, the quest for that extra second drove him on.
Last Friday, on a glorious Summer's evening at the Bohermeen 5k Road Race, Reilly put himself to the test.
With just minutes to go to the start, on a completely calm evening, the air cooled noticeably and Reilly knew that it was now or never, as he made his way to the start line.
Once the gun went, Reilly, who's an intelligent runner applied himself in spades and found a good running line as he tried to settle in to the pace required.
The next 15 minutes were all about hard sustained running and keeping the correct running line on these tight rural roads of Bohermeen.
Coming round the final right hand turn, a quick glance at the watch let Reilly know that the sub 18 was on but he was going to have to work for it.
Once Reilly caught sight of the line, he poured on the pace and with the last unforgiving minute being devoured by the clock, Reilly took to his toes and sprinted for all he was worth to cross the line in 17:55.
The relief on Reilly's face was there for all to see as he really had gone to the well on this one and his performance says a lot about all that's good in amateur athletics.
John Cooper, Reilly's training partner on those long 10 Mile runs had a superb run to cross the line in 18:30 which was an incredible but well deserved 20 second improvement on his previous PB time of 18:50.
Also running very well was Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who had a terrific run to finish 14th overall and 2nd in his category in a sparkling new PB time of 16:40.
Backed up by Pat O'Grady who was 29th in 17:28, followed by Colin Leonard who was 35th in 17:44 and Johnny Breen, 38th in 17:47, these four packed well to take home the silver medals in the Men's team event.
For our ladies, Ciara O'Reilly was our first finisher in 115th place in 20:06, followed by Mary McGreehan O'Grady who's making a successful return to racing and her time of 22:35 shows that things are going well for her.
Mary McDonnell delivered a strong run to win her category in 24:23.
Well done to the hardy bunch of runners who took on the challenge of the Glenmore AC 10 Mile Road Race which was run over the notoriously hilly slopes of the Cooley Mountains last Saturday.
This course contains an uphill section which last for almost four miles and the savage heat on the day was to make things tough right from the start for anyone brave enough to take on this challenge.
Our first finisher in 51st place was Karen Delaney and her time of 1:24:32 was good going given the conditions.
Next in 59th spot was Carmel Keenan who ran 1:26:18 for the distance, followed by Niamh Matthews who was 63rd in 1:27:40.
Mike Staunton was our sole male runner and he finished 74th in 1:30:14.
In the shorter 10K event, which was run in conjunction with the 10 Miles race, Sinead Shaw had a great run to win the Women's race and finish 8th overall in 53:53.
Not far behind was Barney Flannery who coped well with the hills to finish 14th overall and 1st in category with his run of 56:43.
Elva Maree pushed hard on the run to the line and was rewarded for her efforts with a 3rd in category prize when finishing 15th overall in 57:33.
Making the journey to Belfast for last weekend's Northern Ireland Track and Field Championships was middle distance specialist Mark O'Shea.
After a long spell of niggling injuries, things are looking up for O'Shea as he ran well to put down a good early season marker when finishing a fine 6th in the senior race in a fast 2:01:19.
A small group from our Juvenile section made their way to Tullamore on Saturday for the Leinster Pairs and Under 11&13 championships.
Sophie Kinsella was first up in the girls U12 600m, running a super race to finish third in her heat, but unfortunately just missing out on a final spot by 0.53 seconds in what was a huge improvement for her at this level.
Philip Reynolds was next up in his boys U13 600m and set a hot pace from the off, although passed on the run in, the job was done and he easily qualified for the final.
In the final Philip ran a strong first 400 but was pushed out of the medal places in the last 200m in what was a really high quality race. Lots more to come from this talented young runner.
Next up was Sophie Kinsella running her second race of the day, the 80m, but again she lost out by the narrowest of margins finishing 3rd in a fast heat, missing out on qualifying by just a few 10ths of a second. All in all a great day's work for the fast improving Sophie who is really starting to show her potential as an athlete.
Ciara O’Connor and Lili Maye Coade finished off the day making a little bit of DDAC history in the process as first ever juvenile pair team from the club in this competition with two very good runs in the U11 pairs, no medals but a very respectable showing from DDAC's young pair, DDAC will be back next year with a much bigger squad for this event!
Sunday saw the Louth Community Games finals taking place in the Lourdes Stadium, DDAC was represented by Charlie Eccles who picked up a bronze in the U12 ball throw, Sophie Kinsella fresh from Tullamore on Saturday picked up a 100m bronze, Ruby Berill and Ciara Hicky were both unlucky to miss out on medals in their 200m U10 and 80m U8, both being just pipped on the line. Also running well we’re Danielle Nolan, Cormac Russell Sinead Leech and Aoife O’Connor.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun took place on a beautiful if rather warm Summer's morning.
Karl Carton who usually runs in the sprint events stepped up in distance to record a new PB time of 21:43 when finishing 12th overall.
Next in 29th place was Seamus Roe with his run of 25:12 followed by Frank Brady who was 31st in 25:37.
Linda Bowe was our first woman across the line in 47th spot in 28:09 followed by Michele McCullough who was 48th in 28:38.
Ruth Dunne was 51st in 28:55 with Noreen Burke 60th in 29:44.
Meanwhile, at the midweek Clonliffe Harriers 4 mile race in Santry Demesne, Gerard Fay ran 34:01 for the distance.
So it was for John Reilly last August when he ran his heart out in search of the elusive sub 18 minutes 5K only to be denied by a single second as he hurtled himself over the finishing line at the Carlingford Road Race.
While many a lesser athlete might have let the disappointment get to them, Reilly swore there and then that things would be different in the new year.
Strengthened by a good Winter's training, which saw Reilly with his weekly 10 Miler completed well before 9.00 am every Sunday, even during the Snowy weather, the quest for that extra second drove him on.
Last Friday, on a glorious Summer's evening at the Bohermeen 5k Road Race, Reilly put himself to the test.
With just minutes to go to the start, on a completely calm evening, the air cooled noticeably and Reilly knew that it was now or never, as he made his way to the start line.
Once the gun went, Reilly, who's an intelligent runner applied himself in spades and found a good running line as he tried to settle in to the pace required.
The next 15 minutes were all about hard sustained running and keeping the correct running line on these tight rural roads of Bohermeen.
Coming round the final right hand turn, a quick glance at the watch let Reilly know that the sub 18 was on but he was going to have to work for it.
Once Reilly caught sight of the line, he poured on the pace and with the last unforgiving minute being devoured by the clock, Reilly took to his toes and sprinted for all he was worth to cross the line in 17:55.
The relief on Reilly's face was there for all to see as he really had gone to the well on this one and his performance says a lot about all that's good in amateur athletics.
John Cooper, Reilly's training partner on those long 10 Mile runs had a superb run to cross the line in 18:30 which was an incredible but well deserved 20 second improvement on his previous PB time of 18:50.
Also running very well was Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who had a terrific run to finish 14th overall and 2nd in his category in a sparkling new PB time of 16:40.
Backed up by Pat O'Grady who was 29th in 17:28, followed by Colin Leonard who was 35th in 17:44 and Johnny Breen, 38th in 17:47, these four packed well to take home the silver medals in the Men's team event.
For our ladies, Ciara O'Reilly was our first finisher in 115th place in 20:06, followed by Mary McGreehan O'Grady who's making a successful return to racing and her time of 22:35 shows that things are going well for her.
Mary McDonnell delivered a strong run to win her category in 24:23.
Well done to the hardy bunch of runners who took on the challenge of the Glenmore AC 10 Mile Road Race which was run over the notoriously hilly slopes of the Cooley Mountains last Saturday.
This course contains an uphill section which last for almost four miles and the savage heat on the day was to make things tough right from the start for anyone brave enough to take on this challenge.
Our first finisher in 51st place was Karen Delaney and her time of 1:24:32 was good going given the conditions.
Next in 59th spot was Carmel Keenan who ran 1:26:18 for the distance, followed by Niamh Matthews who was 63rd in 1:27:40.
Mike Staunton was our sole male runner and he finished 74th in 1:30:14.
In the shorter 10K event, which was run in conjunction with the 10 Miles race, Sinead Shaw had a great run to win the Women's race and finish 8th overall in 53:53.
Not far behind was Barney Flannery who coped well with the hills to finish 14th overall and 1st in category with his run of 56:43.
Elva Maree pushed hard on the run to the line and was rewarded for her efforts with a 3rd in category prize when finishing 15th overall in 57:33.
Making the journey to Belfast for last weekend's Northern Ireland Track and Field Championships was middle distance specialist Mark O'Shea.
After a long spell of niggling injuries, things are looking up for O'Shea as he ran well to put down a good early season marker when finishing a fine 6th in the senior race in a fast 2:01:19.
A small group from our Juvenile section made their way to Tullamore on Saturday for the Leinster Pairs and Under 11&13 championships.
Sophie Kinsella was first up in the girls U12 600m, running a super race to finish third in her heat, but unfortunately just missing out on a final spot by 0.53 seconds in what was a huge improvement for her at this level.
Philip Reynolds was next up in his boys U13 600m and set a hot pace from the off, although passed on the run in, the job was done and he easily qualified for the final.
In the final Philip ran a strong first 400 but was pushed out of the medal places in the last 200m in what was a really high quality race. Lots more to come from this talented young runner.
Next up was Sophie Kinsella running her second race of the day, the 80m, but again she lost out by the narrowest of margins finishing 3rd in a fast heat, missing out on qualifying by just a few 10ths of a second. All in all a great day's work for the fast improving Sophie who is really starting to show her potential as an athlete.
Ciara O’Connor and Lili Maye Coade finished off the day making a little bit of DDAC history in the process as first ever juvenile pair team from the club in this competition with two very good runs in the U11 pairs, no medals but a very respectable showing from DDAC's young pair, DDAC will be back next year with a much bigger squad for this event!
Sunday saw the Louth Community Games finals taking place in the Lourdes Stadium, DDAC was represented by Charlie Eccles who picked up a bronze in the U12 ball throw, Sophie Kinsella fresh from Tullamore on Saturday picked up a 100m bronze, Ruby Berill and Ciara Hicky were both unlucky to miss out on medals in their 200m U10 and 80m U8, both being just pipped on the line. Also running well we’re Danielle Nolan, Cormac Russell Sinead Leech and Aoife O’Connor.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun took place on a beautiful if rather warm Summer's morning.
Karl Carton who usually runs in the sprint events stepped up in distance to record a new PB time of 21:43 when finishing 12th overall.
Next in 29th place was Seamus Roe with his run of 25:12 followed by Frank Brady who was 31st in 25:37.
Linda Bowe was our first woman across the line in 47th spot in 28:09 followed by Michele McCullough who was 48th in 28:38.
Ruth Dunne was 51st in 28:55 with Noreen Burke 60th in 29:44.
Meanwhile, at the midweek Clonliffe Harriers 4 mile race in Santry Demesne, Gerard Fay ran 34:01 for the distance.
Club News 25th June 2017
Well done to Lee McGuinness on winning the 200m in a new Championship Best Performance of 22.85 seconds at last weekend's Leinster Juvenile Track Championships in Tullamore.
McGuinness is coming back to form following an injury and is blessed with raw sprinting speed and will go even faster as he perfects his running style.
Midsummer 5k.
Race director Adrian Gogarty and his organising Committee did a superb job in making this year's Midsummer 5k Road Race a great success.
Over 650 runners took to the streets of Drogheda for one of the best races on the Irish Racing Calendar.
Well done in particular to to the Couch 2 5k crew and their coaches who ran so well to finish off six weeks of hard training on a high.
The Men's race was won by visiting runner Valdas Dopolskas from Balbriggan AC in 15.45.
Young Tadgh Donnelly was our first finisher in 7th place in a fast 17.26 with Pat O'Grady 8th in 17.28.
Colm Reilly ran well to place 15th in 18.06 with Colin Leonard next in 18th place in 18.30.
Niall Mcgill ran a solid 19.18 when finishing 34th and Martin Russell was 45th in 20.07.
The ladies race was won by Nicola Bull from Star of the Sea in 18.38.
Nuala Reilly led home our ladies when finishing 89th in 22.12 with Yvonne McMahon 94th in 22.28.
Barbara Byrne ran 22.39 when finishing 99th and Helen Dillon was 143rd in 23.59.
Category prize winners were Nuala Reilly, Pat O'Grady, Christy Duffy and Mary McDonnell.
Taking part in the Irish Milers Club Meeting in Belfast were five of D&D's finest track runners.
These paced races are designed to help Irish Athletes achieve qualifying times for major championships and to raise the standards within the sport.
Kieran McGrath produced the goods when it mattered by running a superb 1.59.10 when finishing 5th in the 800m B race.
Sam O'Neill recorded a new Pb time of 2.03.42 in his 800m C race and Robert Caffery ran 2.07.11 in the D race.
Pamela Howard finished 4th against good opposition in her 800m race when crossing the line in 2.27.29.
Running in the 400m race was Hugh Callan who ran 54.34 when finishing 3rd and he's getting faster with every race.
All roads led to Dunshaughlin for last Saturday's 10k Road Race.
This superbly organised race always attracts a high quality field of up to a thousand runners and this year was no exception.
Conditions on the night were slightly windy and a bit too humid for the runner's liking.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin ran well and was our first finisher in 61st place in 36.07.
Next in was Ruaidhri Nolan in 36.33 in 73rd and Colm Reilly running his second race in two days was 112th in 37.26.
Bryan Harvey was well pleased as he got the pace right and ran a new Pb time of 40.23.
Yasmin Canning picked up a category prize when running a fine 41.33 for this challenging course.
Michelle Hughes had a great battle with Jacker Reilly but Hughes prevailed in 44.20 to Reilly's 44.24.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly ran 44.44 and duly won her category.
Last Wednesday's graded meeting in Tallaght Stadium saw young James Nolan edge even closer to the magical 2 minute mark for the 800m.
Nolan gave it his all as he surged towards the finishing line when finishing 3rd in 2.00.19.
Also running the 800m distance were David Quinn who ran 2.12.65 and Orla O'Connor who finished 8th in her race in 2.23.65.
Brian Pentony placed 3rd in the 800m C1 race with Robbie Maher 4th and Ian O'Reilly 6th.
Hugh Callan showed he's in good form when running 24.82 in the 200m B1 race.
Marathon man Gerard Fay completed his 300th Marathon at Last Weekend's Waterford Viking Marathon.
It's safe to say that Fay has completed more Marathons than all our club members combined to date!
Fays time of 4.38.44 was slowed by the very hilly course and the high humidity on race day.
Fellow clubmates Gerry Mullins ran 3.53.45 and David Gough covered the course in 3.56.39.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted six of our members to run this challenging 5k cross country course.
Michael Walker was our first finisher in 22nd place in a new Pb time of 23.19, with Jos Haak further back in 61st place in 29.01.
Debra Walters led our ladies home in 60th place in and Noreen Burke was 81st in 32.20.
Also running were Rose Dalton and Dominic Carthy.
McGuinness is coming back to form following an injury and is blessed with raw sprinting speed and will go even faster as he perfects his running style.
Midsummer 5k.
Race director Adrian Gogarty and his organising Committee did a superb job in making this year's Midsummer 5k Road Race a great success.
Over 650 runners took to the streets of Drogheda for one of the best races on the Irish Racing Calendar.
Well done in particular to to the Couch 2 5k crew and their coaches who ran so well to finish off six weeks of hard training on a high.
The Men's race was won by visiting runner Valdas Dopolskas from Balbriggan AC in 15.45.
Young Tadgh Donnelly was our first finisher in 7th place in a fast 17.26 with Pat O'Grady 8th in 17.28.
Colm Reilly ran well to place 15th in 18.06 with Colin Leonard next in 18th place in 18.30.
Niall Mcgill ran a solid 19.18 when finishing 34th and Martin Russell was 45th in 20.07.
The ladies race was won by Nicola Bull from Star of the Sea in 18.38.
Nuala Reilly led home our ladies when finishing 89th in 22.12 with Yvonne McMahon 94th in 22.28.
Barbara Byrne ran 22.39 when finishing 99th and Helen Dillon was 143rd in 23.59.
Category prize winners were Nuala Reilly, Pat O'Grady, Christy Duffy and Mary McDonnell.
Taking part in the Irish Milers Club Meeting in Belfast were five of D&D's finest track runners.
These paced races are designed to help Irish Athletes achieve qualifying times for major championships and to raise the standards within the sport.
Kieran McGrath produced the goods when it mattered by running a superb 1.59.10 when finishing 5th in the 800m B race.
Sam O'Neill recorded a new Pb time of 2.03.42 in his 800m C race and Robert Caffery ran 2.07.11 in the D race.
Pamela Howard finished 4th against good opposition in her 800m race when crossing the line in 2.27.29.
Running in the 400m race was Hugh Callan who ran 54.34 when finishing 3rd and he's getting faster with every race.
All roads led to Dunshaughlin for last Saturday's 10k Road Race.
This superbly organised race always attracts a high quality field of up to a thousand runners and this year was no exception.
Conditions on the night were slightly windy and a bit too humid for the runner's liking.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin ran well and was our first finisher in 61st place in 36.07.
Next in was Ruaidhri Nolan in 36.33 in 73rd and Colm Reilly running his second race in two days was 112th in 37.26.
Bryan Harvey was well pleased as he got the pace right and ran a new Pb time of 40.23.
Yasmin Canning picked up a category prize when running a fine 41.33 for this challenging course.
Michelle Hughes had a great battle with Jacker Reilly but Hughes prevailed in 44.20 to Reilly's 44.24.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly ran 44.44 and duly won her category.
Last Wednesday's graded meeting in Tallaght Stadium saw young James Nolan edge even closer to the magical 2 minute mark for the 800m.
Nolan gave it his all as he surged towards the finishing line when finishing 3rd in 2.00.19.
Also running the 800m distance were David Quinn who ran 2.12.65 and Orla O'Connor who finished 8th in her race in 2.23.65.
Brian Pentony placed 3rd in the 800m C1 race with Robbie Maher 4th and Ian O'Reilly 6th.
Hugh Callan showed he's in good form when running 24.82 in the 200m B1 race.
Marathon man Gerard Fay completed his 300th Marathon at Last Weekend's Waterford Viking Marathon.
It's safe to say that Fay has completed more Marathons than all our club members combined to date!
Fays time of 4.38.44 was slowed by the very hilly course and the high humidity on race day.
Fellow clubmates Gerry Mullins ran 3.53.45 and David Gough covered the course in 3.56.39.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted six of our members to run this challenging 5k cross country course.
Michael Walker was our first finisher in 22nd place in a new Pb time of 23.19, with Jos Haak further back in 61st place in 29.01.
Debra Walters led our ladies home in 60th place in and Noreen Burke was 81st in 32.20.
Also running were Rose Dalton and Dominic Carthy.
Club News 18th June 2017
Round four of our Summer Graded Series took place last Thursday at a rather windswept Lourdes Stadium.
With three different track races and a Shot Putt competition there was a full schedule of events to keep the officials busy.
The standout performance on the night had to be young James Nolan in the A 800m who ran an incredible race to cross the line in 200.27.
Nolan took up the running from club mate Kieran McGrath with 300m remaining and although tiring held his form all the way to the finish.
McGrath's time of 2.01.68 was also a very good time and both these athletes will go well over the Summer.
In the B 800m, Brian Pentony took almost 4 seconds off his previous best time when finishing 3rd in 2.14.31.
Running in the same race, Orla O'Connor ran a fast 2.18.56 when finishing 5th against some good opposition.
Erin McHugh also ran well to finish 6th in the C 800m in 2.31.8.
In the shortest event of the evening, the 200m, Lee McGuinness continued his comeback when winning the A race in 23.22 with Charles Abako 2nd in 24.68 and Ephan Donnelly 3rd in 25.37.
In the B race, Blathnaid ran well when finishing 3rd in 29.04.
Ron Knowles ran a useful 28.44 when finishing 2nd in the C race.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, David Walsh had a solid run to finish 2nd in 9.37 with young Tadgh Donnelly 5th in 10.14.
Stephen Duggan hung in when the going got tough and placed 8th in 10.28.
Gerry Mullins used the B 3000m race as a sharpener for his up coming Waterford Marathon next weekend when finishing 2nd in 12.29.
Sean Corcoran and Christy Duffy had a great battle with Corcoran getting the nod in 13.08 to Duffy's 13.15.
Suzanne McCabe ran 14.19 when finishing 12th with Elva Maree running 14.23.
Athletics Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Day 2,
Tullamore Harriers Stadium.
Track Results
Two medals (so nearly a third!) and some great performances in the searing heat of Tullamore.
Well done to all the athletes, coaches and parents.
U17 Boys 100m Heat 1
2 Charles Abako 11.88
U17 Boys 100m Final
4 Charles Abako 11.88 - Just missed bronze by 1 thousandth of a second!! (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U18 Girls 100m Final
6 Blathnaid Donnelly 13.95
8 Lauren Hussey Smith 14.90
U18 Boys 100m Heat 1
6 Ephan Donnelly 12.12
U19 Boys 100m Final
3 Lee McGuinness 11.36 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U15 Boys 200m Heat 1
8 Peter Aylward 30.65
U15 Boys 200m Heat 2
8 Daniel Aylward 31.25
U16 Boys 200m Heat 2
6 Ben Egan 27.01
U17 Girls 400m Final
8 Tara Shortt 71.51
U18 Boys 800m
4 Robert Caffery 2.07.51 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U19 Boys 800m
2 Sam O'Neill 2.05.46 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U16 Boys 1500m
5 Tadgh DOnnelly 4.39.63
U15 4x100m Relay
2 Louth 54.43 (with Peter Aylward on the lead off leg!
Last Saturday's Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race took place in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
This turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures in excess of 26 degrees set to make things difficult for the 2000 runners taking part in this year's event.
Brian Martin seemed to relish running in the heat as he raced well to finish 23rd overall in a fast 27.47.
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin wasn't far behind when placing 38th in 28.53, with Colin Leonard 73rd in 30.29.
Stephen Floyd had a fabulous run to finish in 30.59 and he's probably the most improved athlete in our club this year.
For our Ladies, Nuala Reilly, running her second race in two days was our first finisher in 37.04.
Linda Cruise also ran well when finishing in 39.39 with Eimear Knowles next in 40.01.
Michelle Egan ran a solid race and placed well with her time of 39.55.
Taking to the trails round Trim Castle last Friday evening for Trim A.C.'s Braveheart 5k was D&D's prolific racer Nuala Reilly.
The warm conditions didn't bother Reilly who put in a strong run to win her category in 22.54.
Gerard Fay ran 24.44, with Kelley Cruise further back completing the course in 31.37.
Jim Nolan made the short trip to Trinity College last Wednesday where he ran in one of Ireland's oldest track races.
Taking part in the seldom run 2000m race, Nolan placed 10th in 7.56 and a little later ran 2.41 when finishing 6th in his 800m race.
Johnny Kelly continued his run of good form by winning last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun in a new Pb time of 18.02.
Kelly's time was top class given the seriously warm conditions on race day.
Our next finisher in 7th place was Niall Donnelly who crossed the line in 20.27 for a new Pb time.
Also running were Lorraine McGuirk who was 63rd and Dominic Carthy who was 77th.
With three different track races and a Shot Putt competition there was a full schedule of events to keep the officials busy.
The standout performance on the night had to be young James Nolan in the A 800m who ran an incredible race to cross the line in 200.27.
Nolan took up the running from club mate Kieran McGrath with 300m remaining and although tiring held his form all the way to the finish.
McGrath's time of 2.01.68 was also a very good time and both these athletes will go well over the Summer.
In the B 800m, Brian Pentony took almost 4 seconds off his previous best time when finishing 3rd in 2.14.31.
Running in the same race, Orla O'Connor ran a fast 2.18.56 when finishing 5th against some good opposition.
Erin McHugh also ran well to finish 6th in the C 800m in 2.31.8.
In the shortest event of the evening, the 200m, Lee McGuinness continued his comeback when winning the A race in 23.22 with Charles Abako 2nd in 24.68 and Ephan Donnelly 3rd in 25.37.
In the B race, Blathnaid ran well when finishing 3rd in 29.04.
Ron Knowles ran a useful 28.44 when finishing 2nd in the C race.
In the longest event of the evening, the 3000m, David Walsh had a solid run to finish 2nd in 9.37 with young Tadgh Donnelly 5th in 10.14.
Stephen Duggan hung in when the going got tough and placed 8th in 10.28.
Gerry Mullins used the B 3000m race as a sharpener for his up coming Waterford Marathon next weekend when finishing 2nd in 12.29.
Sean Corcoran and Christy Duffy had a great battle with Corcoran getting the nod in 13.08 to Duffy's 13.15.
Suzanne McCabe ran 14.19 when finishing 12th with Elva Maree running 14.23.
Athletics Leinster Juvenile Track and Field Day 2,
Tullamore Harriers Stadium.
Track Results
Two medals (so nearly a third!) and some great performances in the searing heat of Tullamore.
Well done to all the athletes, coaches and parents.
U17 Boys 100m Heat 1
2 Charles Abako 11.88
U17 Boys 100m Final
4 Charles Abako 11.88 - Just missed bronze by 1 thousandth of a second!! (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U18 Girls 100m Final
6 Blathnaid Donnelly 13.95
8 Lauren Hussey Smith 14.90
U18 Boys 100m Heat 1
6 Ephan Donnelly 12.12
U19 Boys 100m Final
3 Lee McGuinness 11.36 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U15 Boys 200m Heat 1
8 Peter Aylward 30.65
U15 Boys 200m Heat 2
8 Daniel Aylward 31.25
U16 Boys 200m Heat 2
6 Ben Egan 27.01
U17 Girls 400m Final
8 Tara Shortt 71.51
U18 Boys 800m
4 Robert Caffery 2.07.51 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U19 Boys 800m
2 Sam O'Neill 2.05.46 (Qualifies for All-Ireland Finals)
U16 Boys 1500m
5 Tadgh DOnnelly 4.39.63
U15 4x100m Relay
2 Louth 54.43 (with Peter Aylward on the lead off leg!
Last Saturday's Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race took place in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
This turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures in excess of 26 degrees set to make things difficult for the 2000 runners taking part in this year's event.
Brian Martin seemed to relish running in the heat as he raced well to finish 23rd overall in a fast 27.47.
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin wasn't far behind when placing 38th in 28.53, with Colin Leonard 73rd in 30.29.
Stephen Floyd had a fabulous run to finish in 30.59 and he's probably the most improved athlete in our club this year.
For our Ladies, Nuala Reilly, running her second race in two days was our first finisher in 37.04.
Linda Cruise also ran well when finishing in 39.39 with Eimear Knowles next in 40.01.
Michelle Egan ran a solid race and placed well with her time of 39.55.
Taking to the trails round Trim Castle last Friday evening for Trim A.C.'s Braveheart 5k was D&D's prolific racer Nuala Reilly.
The warm conditions didn't bother Reilly who put in a strong run to win her category in 22.54.
Gerard Fay ran 24.44, with Kelley Cruise further back completing the course in 31.37.
Jim Nolan made the short trip to Trinity College last Wednesday where he ran in one of Ireland's oldest track races.
Taking part in the seldom run 2000m race, Nolan placed 10th in 7.56 and a little later ran 2.41 when finishing 6th in his 800m race.
Johnny Kelly continued his run of good form by winning last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun in a new Pb time of 18.02.
Kelly's time was top class given the seriously warm conditions on race day.
Our next finisher in 7th place was Niall Donnelly who crossed the line in 20.27 for a new Pb time.
Also running were Lorraine McGuirk who was 63rd and Dominic Carthy who was 77th.
Club News 11th June 2017
Some of our most promising Junior athletes were in action at last Saturday's IMC Track and Field Meeting at Irishtown Stadium in Tallaght.
Conditions on the day were windy to say the least but that didn't stop young James Nolan who ran a superb 2.00.30 when finishing 2nd in his 800m C race.
Nolan is a naturally gifted athlete and this eye opening run could well see him break the 2 minute mark before the Summer is out.
Running in the same race was Sam O'Neill who pushed hard to record a new best time of 2.03.34.
In the 800m D race, Robert Caffery finished 7th in a fine 2.07.72.
Mary Leech ran hard and fast right from the gun against some high class opposition to finish 6th in her 1500m race in a new Pb of 4.51.91.
In the longest event of the day, the 3000m, Cormac Canning hung in there despite the swirling wind and was rewarded with a solid 9.37.27 when finishing 25th in his event.
Later that evening at the Bohermeen 5k road race, Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin led the way home when finishing 16th overall and 2nd in his category in a fast 17.14.
This represents good running as the swirling wind on the back end of the course made things difficult at the point where the athletes are starting to feel the pace.
Our next finisher was Colin Leonard who was 39th in 18.19.
John Cooper and Paddy Murphy had a terrific battle with Cooper just getting the nod in 19.05 to Murphy's 19.11.
Young Abigail Tegert was our first lady home when winning her Junior category in 22.23.
Louise Aylward was next in 24.58, followed by Yvonne Russell in 25.04 and Clara Nic Gabhann in 25.40.
The hilly slopes of Cooley tempted six of our members to run in the Glenmore 10 Mile Challenge which took place in Carlingford.
This course is not for the faint hearted with a four mile section of continuous climbing along the way.
Colm Reilly ran very well to finish 12th overall in a fine 66.50, with Gerry Mullins 37th in 77.48.
Not far behind was Nuala Reilly who won her category in 78.57.
Also running were Niamh Matthews (86.46), Martina O'Connor Dyas (86.49) and Stephen Gill (89.41).
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw Johnny Kelly race round this rather challenging 5k course in a new PB time of 18.18 when winning this event.
Niall Donnelly also went well and finished 5th overall in 21.16 with Joe Rooney next in 12th place in 22.20.
For our ladies, Rose Dalton was 113th in 34.03, with Mary Mulligan 120th in 35.37 and Audrey Corcoran 141st in 38.37.
Congratulations to Yasmin Canning on her fine run in this year's Women's Mini Marathon which was held in Dublin last Monday.
Canning ran well over the 10k to finish in 41.15.
Well done to all our members who took part in the recent Derry City Marathon.
It's no easy task to run 26 miles and this Marathon crew can now enjoy a few weeks rest before planning the next big run.
Gerard Fay was our first finisher in 4.23.
Sarah O'Connor was next home in 5.01.23, with Julie Halton only seconds behind in 5.01.32.
Lisamarie Maguire ran 5.31.53 and Mairead O'Connell 5.45.22.
Lorraine Brannigan finished in 6.01.26 with Deirdre Harmon in 6.14.04.
Two of our Sprint Group members were in action at last Wednesday's Graded Meeting in Tallaght Stadium.
Running in the 400m were Roisin Coade and Hugh Callan.
Callan ran well to finish 4th in the B2 race in 54.51.
In the ladies event, Coade finished 3rd in the 400m C race in 66.43.
Well done to young Senan Gough who took part in last Saturday's Leinster Championships.
Running in the Boys U13 600m race, Gough ran a fine 2.02 despite being clipped on the first bend.
Earlier in the day, Gough ran 11.54 for his 80m race.
Conditions on the day were windy to say the least but that didn't stop young James Nolan who ran a superb 2.00.30 when finishing 2nd in his 800m C race.
Nolan is a naturally gifted athlete and this eye opening run could well see him break the 2 minute mark before the Summer is out.
Running in the same race was Sam O'Neill who pushed hard to record a new best time of 2.03.34.
In the 800m D race, Robert Caffery finished 7th in a fine 2.07.72.
Mary Leech ran hard and fast right from the gun against some high class opposition to finish 6th in her 1500m race in a new Pb of 4.51.91.
In the longest event of the day, the 3000m, Cormac Canning hung in there despite the swirling wind and was rewarded with a solid 9.37.27 when finishing 25th in his event.
Later that evening at the Bohermeen 5k road race, Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin led the way home when finishing 16th overall and 2nd in his category in a fast 17.14.
This represents good running as the swirling wind on the back end of the course made things difficult at the point where the athletes are starting to feel the pace.
Our next finisher was Colin Leonard who was 39th in 18.19.
John Cooper and Paddy Murphy had a terrific battle with Cooper just getting the nod in 19.05 to Murphy's 19.11.
Young Abigail Tegert was our first lady home when winning her Junior category in 22.23.
Louise Aylward was next in 24.58, followed by Yvonne Russell in 25.04 and Clara Nic Gabhann in 25.40.
The hilly slopes of Cooley tempted six of our members to run in the Glenmore 10 Mile Challenge which took place in Carlingford.
This course is not for the faint hearted with a four mile section of continuous climbing along the way.
Colm Reilly ran very well to finish 12th overall in a fine 66.50, with Gerry Mullins 37th in 77.48.
Not far behind was Nuala Reilly who won her category in 78.57.
Also running were Niamh Matthews (86.46), Martina O'Connor Dyas (86.49) and Stephen Gill (89.41).
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw Johnny Kelly race round this rather challenging 5k course in a new PB time of 18.18 when winning this event.
Niall Donnelly also went well and finished 5th overall in 21.16 with Joe Rooney next in 12th place in 22.20.
For our ladies, Rose Dalton was 113th in 34.03, with Mary Mulligan 120th in 35.37 and Audrey Corcoran 141st in 38.37.
Congratulations to Yasmin Canning on her fine run in this year's Women's Mini Marathon which was held in Dublin last Monday.
Canning ran well over the 10k to finish in 41.15.
Well done to all our members who took part in the recent Derry City Marathon.
It's no easy task to run 26 miles and this Marathon crew can now enjoy a few weeks rest before planning the next big run.
Gerard Fay was our first finisher in 4.23.
Sarah O'Connor was next home in 5.01.23, with Julie Halton only seconds behind in 5.01.32.
Lisamarie Maguire ran 5.31.53 and Mairead O'Connell 5.45.22.
Lorraine Brannigan finished in 6.01.26 with Deirdre Harmon in 6.14.04.
Two of our Sprint Group members were in action at last Wednesday's Graded Meeting in Tallaght Stadium.
Running in the 400m were Roisin Coade and Hugh Callan.
Callan ran well to finish 4th in the B2 race in 54.51.
In the ladies event, Coade finished 3rd in the 400m C race in 66.43.
Well done to young Senan Gough who took part in last Saturday's Leinster Championships.
Running in the Boys U13 600m race, Gough ran a fine 2.02 despite being clipped on the first bend.
Earlier in the day, Gough ran 11.54 for his 80m race.
Club News 4th June 2017
All roads led to Tullamore last Sunday for the Leinster Masters Track and Field Championships.
With the hard slog of Winter training behind them, many of our athletes were hopeful of winning provincial gold and making all the sacrifices necessary worthwhile.
In the shortest event, the 100m, local firefighter Karl Carton's feet really were on fire as he scorched up the track to win his first gold medal at this level.
This was to be Carton's day as he later won silver in his 200m race and 400m races. Days like this don't come often.
Fellow sprinter Frank Cruise did a double of sorts when taking silver in his 100m and 200m races.
Roisin Coade ran well to win a silver medal in her 200m against some good opposition.
The 400m races were all tight affairs with very little between the first three in each race.
Hugh O'Reilly and Club coach Gerry O'Connor both finished second in their events and Andrea McCabe won silver in her 400m.
David Walsh forced the pace right from the gun in his 800m race, which is always a difficult distance to run and won gold in a fine 2.07.
A few hours later Walsh ran 4.24 to take silver in the 1500m.
Brian Pentony also ran his usual strong race to finish second in his category in his 800m.
There was a real battle between Shane Larkin and Fintan Maher for the silver medal in their 1500m race.
Maher just edged it on the line when running 4.42 and Larkin took bronze in 4.44.
Ciara O'Reilly and Erin McHugh both had a good day at the office as they ran new Pb times in the ladies 1500m.
McHugh took 20 seconds off her previous best time when winning silver in 5.00.64.
O'Reilly also ran well to get silver in a fine 5.21.
Lynn Browne was our only competitor in the field events and won gold in her Long Jump event.
Last Thursday saw round three of our Summer Graded Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium. With three different track races and a long Jump competition taking place, there were a large number of visiting athletes taking part in multiple events.
First event of the meeting was the 400m with six races being run.
In the A race, young James Nolan one of our most promising Juniors ran a fabulous 54.62 when just holding off Kieran McGrath who finished 2nd in 55.44.
Brian Pentony ran 60.82 to finish 6th with Orla O'Connor not far behind in 7th place in a fast 62.47.
In the B race, Harry Caffery was 2nd in 60.07 with Paul Stuart 3rd in 60.12.
The C race saw two of our Juvenile girls in action and they didn't disappoint as Abigail Tegert placed 3rd in a fine 71.62 and Kate O'Reilly 6th in 79.30.
The shortest event on the night was the 100m which saw Andrew Kelly win the A race in 11.97.
Charles Abako ran a useful 12.58 when winning the B race ahead of Ephan Donnelly who was 2nd in 12.60.
Timing officials were really up against it in the C race as identical twins Peter and Daniel Aylward finished first and second respectively in a photo finish.
The blue Ribbon event of most track meetings is the 1500m and there was lots of local interest in the A race.
Sam O'Neill pushed hard and fast right from the gun as he chased a fast time and was rewarded with a 2nd place finish in 4.15.59.
Less than two seconds behind was James Nolan running his second race that evening and his time of 4.17.52 ensured that he finished 3rd with Cormac Canning 4th in a solid 4.23.03.
Robert Caffery ran 4.27.59 for 5th place and Tadgh Donnelly was 7th in 4.37.05.
Orla O'Connor had a fine run when finishing 12th in her 1500m in a fast 5.12.22 with Paddy Murphy one second behind in 5.13.
Earlier in the week, a large number of our road racing group were in action at last Tuesday's Star Of The Sea 5k which was held in Stamullen.
This very popular local road race always attracts a quality field and conditions on the night were perfect for fast times.
Our Men's team of Brian Martin (6th) Shane Larkin (7th) and Ruaidhri Nolan (14th) packed well to win the team event.
Not to be outdone our Ladies team of Mary Leech, Yasmin Canning and Linda Linda Cruise combined well to place second in the team event.
Category prize winners were Mary Leech 2nd overall, Shane Larkin 1st in category and Giancarlo Orlandi 2nd in category.
Yasmin Canning also picked up a 1st in category prize.
Also running well on the night were John Reilly who ran a new Pb time of 18.11 when finishing 22nd overall.
Fran Egan ran a fine 19.17 and Martin Russell was delighted with his 20.16 run.
On the same evening, over in Dunboyne at the BHAA Government Services 5 Mile Road Race, Kevin Clancy ran well to finish 47th overall in 29.09.
Gerry Mullins ran 35.38 with Eimear Knowles next in 38.58 and Ron Knowles close behind in 38.59.
The Balbriggan Summerfest 5k which was held last Thursday tempted six of our members to run this year's event.
Stephen Duggan made a welcome return to racing when finishing 6th in 17.55.
Training partner John Hough was 10th in 18.55 and John Cooper further back in 15th place in 19.33.
Sharon Finn, our sole female runner ran 34.21 for the course.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw three of our members record new Pb times for this challenging course.
Declan McMahon ran 22.05 to finish 19th overall, Barbara O'Donnell was 58th in 26.42 and Margo Brady ran a new best time of 26.53.
Meanwhile at the Balbriggan Parkrun, Stephen Kelly raced round the hilly slopes of Ardgillan Estate to set a new course record of 16.52, Kelly looks to be in fine form for the Summer racing season.
Hugh Callan was in action last Sunday at the AAI Open Games which were held in Santry Stadium.
Running in the 400m event, Callan finished 4th and his time of 54.58 shows his training is going well at the moment.
Marathon Man Artur Kuwik delivered the goods when it mattered when running a fine 3 hours 11 minutes for last Sunday's Cork City Marathon.
Running so close to the 3 hour mark doesn't happen by accident and Kuwik really has put the work in to make this time possible.
With the hard slog of Winter training behind them, many of our athletes were hopeful of winning provincial gold and making all the sacrifices necessary worthwhile.
In the shortest event, the 100m, local firefighter Karl Carton's feet really were on fire as he scorched up the track to win his first gold medal at this level.
This was to be Carton's day as he later won silver in his 200m race and 400m races. Days like this don't come often.
Fellow sprinter Frank Cruise did a double of sorts when taking silver in his 100m and 200m races.
Roisin Coade ran well to win a silver medal in her 200m against some good opposition.
The 400m races were all tight affairs with very little between the first three in each race.
Hugh O'Reilly and Club coach Gerry O'Connor both finished second in their events and Andrea McCabe won silver in her 400m.
David Walsh forced the pace right from the gun in his 800m race, which is always a difficult distance to run and won gold in a fine 2.07.
A few hours later Walsh ran 4.24 to take silver in the 1500m.
Brian Pentony also ran his usual strong race to finish second in his category in his 800m.
There was a real battle between Shane Larkin and Fintan Maher for the silver medal in their 1500m race.
Maher just edged it on the line when running 4.42 and Larkin took bronze in 4.44.
Ciara O'Reilly and Erin McHugh both had a good day at the office as they ran new Pb times in the ladies 1500m.
McHugh took 20 seconds off her previous best time when winning silver in 5.00.64.
O'Reilly also ran well to get silver in a fine 5.21.
Lynn Browne was our only competitor in the field events and won gold in her Long Jump event.
Last Thursday saw round three of our Summer Graded Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium. With three different track races and a long Jump competition taking place, there were a large number of visiting athletes taking part in multiple events.
First event of the meeting was the 400m with six races being run.
In the A race, young James Nolan one of our most promising Juniors ran a fabulous 54.62 when just holding off Kieran McGrath who finished 2nd in 55.44.
Brian Pentony ran 60.82 to finish 6th with Orla O'Connor not far behind in 7th place in a fast 62.47.
In the B race, Harry Caffery was 2nd in 60.07 with Paul Stuart 3rd in 60.12.
The C race saw two of our Juvenile girls in action and they didn't disappoint as Abigail Tegert placed 3rd in a fine 71.62 and Kate O'Reilly 6th in 79.30.
The shortest event on the night was the 100m which saw Andrew Kelly win the A race in 11.97.
Charles Abako ran a useful 12.58 when winning the B race ahead of Ephan Donnelly who was 2nd in 12.60.
Timing officials were really up against it in the C race as identical twins Peter and Daniel Aylward finished first and second respectively in a photo finish.
The blue Ribbon event of most track meetings is the 1500m and there was lots of local interest in the A race.
Sam O'Neill pushed hard and fast right from the gun as he chased a fast time and was rewarded with a 2nd place finish in 4.15.59.
Less than two seconds behind was James Nolan running his second race that evening and his time of 4.17.52 ensured that he finished 3rd with Cormac Canning 4th in a solid 4.23.03.
Robert Caffery ran 4.27.59 for 5th place and Tadgh Donnelly was 7th in 4.37.05.
Orla O'Connor had a fine run when finishing 12th in her 1500m in a fast 5.12.22 with Paddy Murphy one second behind in 5.13.
Earlier in the week, a large number of our road racing group were in action at last Tuesday's Star Of The Sea 5k which was held in Stamullen.
This very popular local road race always attracts a quality field and conditions on the night were perfect for fast times.
Our Men's team of Brian Martin (6th) Shane Larkin (7th) and Ruaidhri Nolan (14th) packed well to win the team event.
Not to be outdone our Ladies team of Mary Leech, Yasmin Canning and Linda Linda Cruise combined well to place second in the team event.
Category prize winners were Mary Leech 2nd overall, Shane Larkin 1st in category and Giancarlo Orlandi 2nd in category.
Yasmin Canning also picked up a 1st in category prize.
Also running well on the night were John Reilly who ran a new Pb time of 18.11 when finishing 22nd overall.
Fran Egan ran a fine 19.17 and Martin Russell was delighted with his 20.16 run.
On the same evening, over in Dunboyne at the BHAA Government Services 5 Mile Road Race, Kevin Clancy ran well to finish 47th overall in 29.09.
Gerry Mullins ran 35.38 with Eimear Knowles next in 38.58 and Ron Knowles close behind in 38.59.
The Balbriggan Summerfest 5k which was held last Thursday tempted six of our members to run this year's event.
Stephen Duggan made a welcome return to racing when finishing 6th in 17.55.
Training partner John Hough was 10th in 18.55 and John Cooper further back in 15th place in 19.33.
Sharon Finn, our sole female runner ran 34.21 for the course.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw three of our members record new Pb times for this challenging course.
Declan McMahon ran 22.05 to finish 19th overall, Barbara O'Donnell was 58th in 26.42 and Margo Brady ran a new best time of 26.53.
Meanwhile at the Balbriggan Parkrun, Stephen Kelly raced round the hilly slopes of Ardgillan Estate to set a new course record of 16.52, Kelly looks to be in fine form for the Summer racing season.
Hugh Callan was in action last Sunday at the AAI Open Games which were held in Santry Stadium.
Running in the 400m event, Callan finished 4th and his time of 54.58 shows his training is going well at the moment.
Marathon Man Artur Kuwik delivered the goods when it mattered when running a fine 3 hours 11 minutes for last Sunday's Cork City Marathon.
Running so close to the 3 hour mark doesn't happen by accident and Kuwik really has put the work in to make this time possible.
Club News 28th May 2017
With only a week to go to this year's Leinster Masters Track Championships which will be held in Tullamore, some of our leading athletes were in action as they sharpen up for the shorter track events.
At last Wednesday's Graded Meeting which was held in Irishtown, Hugh Callan gave his confidence a boost when running an eye opening 54.46 when finishing fifth in his 400m race against some good quality opposition.
In the same race club coach Gerry O'Connor raced well to finish seventh in 60.61.
Roisin Coade put her recent speed training to good use when finishing fifth in the Ladies 400m in a solid 67.6 and she could medal in Tullamore if all goes well.
In the 800m event, which is always a difficult race to get the pace right, Erin McHugh ran 2.37.16 to finish fifth in her C race.
Also running the 800m was David Quinn who was eleventh in 2.15.94.
Meanwhile on the back roads of Enfield, County Meath, some of our members were sweating it out in the Na Fianna/Bob Heffernan 5k Road Race.
This very popular event always attracts a large entry of quality athletes and the medals won here don't come easy.
Colm Reilly coped well with the unusually warm weather and raced round the course in a fine 17.58 to finish 103rd overall.
Nuala Reilly led home our ladies when winning her category in 22.18, with Michelle Egan next in 23.33.
Also running were Edel Smith 25.50 and Siobhan Shortt who ran 25.59.
David Walsh made last Saturday's journey to Tullamore worthwhile where he competed in the IMC/Bertie Quinn Track and Field Meeting.
Running in the 800m C race, Walsh gave a good account of himself when finishing 8th in 2.05.18 against some of the cream of Irish Masters Athletics and there's lots more to come from him this Summer.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted 12 of our members to run this rather challenging 5k course.
Our first finisher was Martin Russell who's relatively new to running, his time of 20.41 represents good running over these hilly fields.
Niall Donnelly was 9th in 21.13 and not far behind was Tony Corcoran who was 12th in 21.50.
Running a new Pb was Barbara O'Donnell who finished 48th in 27.25, as did Helen Molloy who was 59th in 30.00.
Also running Pb's were Senan Gough 22.47 and Anne Marie Kierans 32.23.
Next Thursday the 1st of June sees round three of our Summer Graded Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium.
Events on the night are the 100m, 400m, 1500m and the Long Jump.
A quick mention must go to Andrew Coscoran who sometimes trains in the Stadium.
Coscoran who runs with Star Of The Sea Athletic Club recently ran 3.42 for the 1500m to qualify for the European U23 Championships.
He now has the qualifying A standard for both the 1500m and 5000m.
Great to see some of the local athletes making their mark on the European stage.
At last Wednesday's Graded Meeting which was held in Irishtown, Hugh Callan gave his confidence a boost when running an eye opening 54.46 when finishing fifth in his 400m race against some good quality opposition.
In the same race club coach Gerry O'Connor raced well to finish seventh in 60.61.
Roisin Coade put her recent speed training to good use when finishing fifth in the Ladies 400m in a solid 67.6 and she could medal in Tullamore if all goes well.
In the 800m event, which is always a difficult race to get the pace right, Erin McHugh ran 2.37.16 to finish fifth in her C race.
Also running the 800m was David Quinn who was eleventh in 2.15.94.
Meanwhile on the back roads of Enfield, County Meath, some of our members were sweating it out in the Na Fianna/Bob Heffernan 5k Road Race.
This very popular event always attracts a large entry of quality athletes and the medals won here don't come easy.
Colm Reilly coped well with the unusually warm weather and raced round the course in a fine 17.58 to finish 103rd overall.
Nuala Reilly led home our ladies when winning her category in 22.18, with Michelle Egan next in 23.33.
Also running were Edel Smith 25.50 and Siobhan Shortt who ran 25.59.
David Walsh made last Saturday's journey to Tullamore worthwhile where he competed in the IMC/Bertie Quinn Track and Field Meeting.
Running in the 800m C race, Walsh gave a good account of himself when finishing 8th in 2.05.18 against some of the cream of Irish Masters Athletics and there's lots more to come from him this Summer.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted 12 of our members to run this rather challenging 5k course.
Our first finisher was Martin Russell who's relatively new to running, his time of 20.41 represents good running over these hilly fields.
Niall Donnelly was 9th in 21.13 and not far behind was Tony Corcoran who was 12th in 21.50.
Running a new Pb was Barbara O'Donnell who finished 48th in 27.25, as did Helen Molloy who was 59th in 30.00.
Also running Pb's were Senan Gough 22.47 and Anne Marie Kierans 32.23.
Next Thursday the 1st of June sees round three of our Summer Graded Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium.
Events on the night are the 100m, 400m, 1500m and the Long Jump.
A quick mention must go to Andrew Coscoran who sometimes trains in the Stadium.
Coscoran who runs with Star Of The Sea Athletic Club recently ran 3.42 for the 1500m to qualify for the European U23 Championships.
He now has the qualifying A standard for both the 1500m and 5000m.
Great to see some of the local athletes making their mark on the European stage.
Club News 21st May 2017
The Weather Gods really were looking after us last Thursday as round two of our Summer Graded Meetings was bathed in glorious sunshine.
This series of Track and Field events continues to grow in numbers and there were some fine performances on the night.
With the latest electronic timing and photofinish equipment being used, the profile of this series is rising steadily.
There were four mile races and the A race was a close run affair with eight athletes finishing within ten seconds in a thrilling finish.
Some of the stand out performances were young Robert Caffery who finished 3rd in 4.56.16 and Brian Martin 5th in 4.57.
Tadgh Donnelly and Robbie Maher both ran 4.59 when finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
Perhaps the run of the night in the mile belong to Stephen Floyd who ran a fabulous new Pb of 5.24, a 12 second improvement on his previous best.
Jim Nolan and Ciara O'Reilly had a home straight battle that won't be forgotten in a hurry with Nolan just edging out O'Reilly by 0.2 seconds when finishing 10th in 5.48.95.
Also running well were Helen Dillon 7.03 and Eimear Knowles 6.33.
In the longer 5000m event, the run of the night belonged to Yasmin Canning who quickly settled into her pre race plan and stuck to it like glue.
Canning crossed the line tired but happy having just taken a whopping 14 seconds off her previous best time when running a fabulous 19.31.
In the 200m, Lee MCGuiness stormed round the bend to win his race in a fast 23.16 with Andrew Kelly 2nd in 24.61 and Karl Carton 4th in 26.65.
Young Senan Gough ran a fine 32.38 to win his 200m race.
Last Sunday's Streets of Dublin 5k road race tempted some of our members to take part.
Conditions on the day were good but the twisting nature of these city races tends to slow times somewhat and more than 1200 runners took part in this year's event.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin was our first finisher in 10th place overall in a fine 17.22.
Not far behind was John Reilly who finished 14th in 18.18 and John Hough who was 25th in 18.48.
Brian Guilfoyle had a solid run and his time of 21.24 had him in good form.
Barbara Byrne led the way home for our ladies when finishing 170th in 24.04, with Louise Irvin Aylward 207th in 24.58.
Club Captain Jane Glynn finished in 233rd place in 25.33.
Nuala Reilly put in a fine run to win her category at last Week's BHAA ESB 5k on Sandymount Strand.
Run entirely on the beach, this race is not for the faint hearted.
Reilly finished 78th overall in 22.53.
Training partner Gerry Mullins was 75th in 22.34 and Paul Barrell finished 96th in 23.51.
Well done to Cormac Canning on finishing 6th in the Intermediate Boys 1500m at the Leinster Schools Championships in Santry.
Canning performed well given that he has another year to go running in this age group and his time of 4.28 shows he's in decent form.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun proved to be a happy hunting ground for four of our members as they recorded new Pb times for this challenging 5k course.
With conditions perfect for fast running, Stephen Kelly pushed hard right from the gun and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 16.31 when finishing second overall.
Brian Martin,who's coming into great shape also raced well to earn third place in a fast 17.11.
There was a great battle between Stephen Geraghty and Gerry Mullins and it was only in the closing stages that Geraghty opened a gap and crossed the line in 21.16 to Mullins 21.55.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon ran a new Pb of 22.37 when finishing 27th as did Margo Brady who ran 28.11 and finished 69th.
Also running were young Senan Gough who ran 24.21 and Donal Branigan who ran 34.23.
This series of Track and Field events continues to grow in numbers and there were some fine performances on the night.
With the latest electronic timing and photofinish equipment being used, the profile of this series is rising steadily.
There were four mile races and the A race was a close run affair with eight athletes finishing within ten seconds in a thrilling finish.
Some of the stand out performances were young Robert Caffery who finished 3rd in 4.56.16 and Brian Martin 5th in 4.57.
Tadgh Donnelly and Robbie Maher both ran 4.59 when finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
Perhaps the run of the night in the mile belong to Stephen Floyd who ran a fabulous new Pb of 5.24, a 12 second improvement on his previous best.
Jim Nolan and Ciara O'Reilly had a home straight battle that won't be forgotten in a hurry with Nolan just edging out O'Reilly by 0.2 seconds when finishing 10th in 5.48.95.
Also running well were Helen Dillon 7.03 and Eimear Knowles 6.33.
In the longer 5000m event, the run of the night belonged to Yasmin Canning who quickly settled into her pre race plan and stuck to it like glue.
Canning crossed the line tired but happy having just taken a whopping 14 seconds off her previous best time when running a fabulous 19.31.
In the 200m, Lee MCGuiness stormed round the bend to win his race in a fast 23.16 with Andrew Kelly 2nd in 24.61 and Karl Carton 4th in 26.65.
Young Senan Gough ran a fine 32.38 to win his 200m race.
Last Sunday's Streets of Dublin 5k road race tempted some of our members to take part.
Conditions on the day were good but the twisting nature of these city races tends to slow times somewhat and more than 1200 runners took part in this year's event.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin was our first finisher in 10th place overall in a fine 17.22.
Not far behind was John Reilly who finished 14th in 18.18 and John Hough who was 25th in 18.48.
Brian Guilfoyle had a solid run and his time of 21.24 had him in good form.
Barbara Byrne led the way home for our ladies when finishing 170th in 24.04, with Louise Irvin Aylward 207th in 24.58.
Club Captain Jane Glynn finished in 233rd place in 25.33.
Nuala Reilly put in a fine run to win her category at last Week's BHAA ESB 5k on Sandymount Strand.
Run entirely on the beach, this race is not for the faint hearted.
Reilly finished 78th overall in 22.53.
Training partner Gerry Mullins was 75th in 22.34 and Paul Barrell finished 96th in 23.51.
Well done to Cormac Canning on finishing 6th in the Intermediate Boys 1500m at the Leinster Schools Championships in Santry.
Canning performed well given that he has another year to go running in this age group and his time of 4.28 shows he's in decent form.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun proved to be a happy hunting ground for four of our members as they recorded new Pb times for this challenging 5k course.
With conditions perfect for fast running, Stephen Kelly pushed hard right from the gun and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 16.31 when finishing second overall.
Brian Martin,who's coming into great shape also raced well to earn third place in a fast 17.11.
There was a great battle between Stephen Geraghty and Gerry Mullins and it was only in the closing stages that Geraghty opened a gap and crossed the line in 21.16 to Mullins 21.55.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon ran a new Pb of 22.37 when finishing 27th as did Margo Brady who ran 28.11 and finished 69th.
Also running were young Senan Gough who ran 24.21 and Donal Branigan who ran 34.23.
Club News 14th May 2017
A wet and rather humid evening greeted the runners who toed the line at last Friday's Simon Cumbers 6k road race held in Navan, County Meath.
This unusual distance tempted more than forty of our members to take part in this very popular annual event.
Once the gun went, the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin, one of our most consistent athletes quickly made his way into the leading group of runners.
Larkin, sensing that he was in good form pushed hard and his determined run saw him cross the line in 11th place overall in a fine time of 21.15.
Larkin's run was good enough to win the Men's O40 category.
Not far behind were Colm Reilly and John Reilly who both know how to race well on these narrow roads, on this occasion Colm finished in 21st place in 22.09 with John 28th in 22.25.
Also running well were Knut Nielsen 25.33 and David Birch who ran 25.55 for the distance.
Michelle Hughes led the way home and was our first lady across the line in 102nd place in a solid 24.58.
The ever present Nuala Reilly wasn't far behind in 139th place in 26.00, which earned her a first in category prize.
Backed up by the strong running Sarah Clarke 26.19 and Barbara Lowth Byrne 27.17, this quartet combined well to win third place in the ladies team event.
Back racing well again was Carmel Keenan who ran 27.25 and Niamh Matthews who finished 258th in 28.26.
Others who ran well included club captain Jane Glynn, Jacqueline Gill and Edel Smith.
Meanwhile on a much more pleasant evening at last Wednesday's Dublin Athletic Board graded Meeting held in Tallaght Stadium, Hugh Callan delivered a good performance when winning his heat of the 200m in a fast 24.82.
Callan is one of our most improved athletes in the last year and should go well in the Summer Track Meetings.
Also running was David Quinn who finished 10th in the 1500m in 5.09.79.
Marathon man Gerard Fay was in action at the Le Cheile AC 5k road race where he ran 24.23 and later in the week ran 4.55 for the Killarney marathon.
Twin brothers Peter and Dan Aylward took part as guests at the Dublin Athletic League Meeting held in Tallaght last Saturday.
Taking part in the Long Jump event, Peter recorded a new Pb of 4 metres 29 centimetres and Dan jumped 4.08 metres.
Two future stars in the making.
The recent fine weather has the Oldbridge Parkrun course in great shape and times are starting to tumble.
Joe Rooney raced round this challenging 5k course in a new Pb time of 21.57 and couldn't stop smiling once he got his breath back.
Declan McMahon continues his journey back from injury and finished 18th overall in 22.32.
Young Senan Gough paced his dad round the course and ran a fine 25.17, 8 seconds ahead of his father in 25.25.
Maria Kiernan was our first lady finisher in 33rd place in 24.18.
Noreen Burke was 68th in 30.01 and Rose Dalton ran a new Pb of 32.47 when finishing 79th overall.
Next Thursday evening see's round two of our Summer Track Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium.
Events on the night are 200/Mile/5k/Shot Putt.
This unusual distance tempted more than forty of our members to take part in this very popular annual event.
Once the gun went, the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin, one of our most consistent athletes quickly made his way into the leading group of runners.
Larkin, sensing that he was in good form pushed hard and his determined run saw him cross the line in 11th place overall in a fine time of 21.15.
Larkin's run was good enough to win the Men's O40 category.
Not far behind were Colm Reilly and John Reilly who both know how to race well on these narrow roads, on this occasion Colm finished in 21st place in 22.09 with John 28th in 22.25.
Also running well were Knut Nielsen 25.33 and David Birch who ran 25.55 for the distance.
Michelle Hughes led the way home and was our first lady across the line in 102nd place in a solid 24.58.
The ever present Nuala Reilly wasn't far behind in 139th place in 26.00, which earned her a first in category prize.
Backed up by the strong running Sarah Clarke 26.19 and Barbara Lowth Byrne 27.17, this quartet combined well to win third place in the ladies team event.
Back racing well again was Carmel Keenan who ran 27.25 and Niamh Matthews who finished 258th in 28.26.
Others who ran well included club captain Jane Glynn, Jacqueline Gill and Edel Smith.
Meanwhile on a much more pleasant evening at last Wednesday's Dublin Athletic Board graded Meeting held in Tallaght Stadium, Hugh Callan delivered a good performance when winning his heat of the 200m in a fast 24.82.
Callan is one of our most improved athletes in the last year and should go well in the Summer Track Meetings.
Also running was David Quinn who finished 10th in the 1500m in 5.09.79.
Marathon man Gerard Fay was in action at the Le Cheile AC 5k road race where he ran 24.23 and later in the week ran 4.55 for the Killarney marathon.
Twin brothers Peter and Dan Aylward took part as guests at the Dublin Athletic League Meeting held in Tallaght last Saturday.
Taking part in the Long Jump event, Peter recorded a new Pb of 4 metres 29 centimetres and Dan jumped 4.08 metres.
Two future stars in the making.
The recent fine weather has the Oldbridge Parkrun course in great shape and times are starting to tumble.
Joe Rooney raced round this challenging 5k course in a new Pb time of 21.57 and couldn't stop smiling once he got his breath back.
Declan McMahon continues his journey back from injury and finished 18th overall in 22.32.
Young Senan Gough paced his dad round the course and ran a fine 25.17, 8 seconds ahead of his father in 25.25.
Maria Kiernan was our first lady finisher in 33rd place in 24.18.
Noreen Burke was 68th in 30.01 and Rose Dalton ran a new Pb of 32.47 when finishing 79th overall.
Next Thursday evening see's round two of our Summer Track Series take place at the Lourdes Stadium.
Events on the night are 200/Mile/5k/Shot Putt.
Club News 7th May 2017
Last weekend saw the Louth Juvenile Track and Field championships take place in Bush, Cooley.
The future of our club certainly looks bright given the many fine performances by our younger members.
Some of the stand out performances were Cormac Canning doing the 400/800m double, which is never an easy task.
Moya McCabe really put it together when it counted and won silver in the U16 Javelin and Shot Putt.
Blathnaid Donnelly continues to impress and took first place in the U19 100m.
Friday - Moya McCabe u16 javelin 2nd and u16 shot put 2nd. Kate O'Reilly good effort in u15 javelin.
Saturday - Blathnaid Donnelly u19 100m 1st. Lauren Hussey Smith u19 100m 3rd. Harry Caffrey u16 800m 2nd. Ben Egan u16 800m 3rd. Kate O'Reilly u15 800m 3rd. Tara Shortt u17 400m 3rd. Cormac Canning u17 400m 1st and u17 800m 1st. Robert Caffrey u18 400m 3rd and u18 800m 2nd. Peter Aylward u15 100m 3rd. Daniel Aylward u15 100m 5th. Also competing were Grace Neilson u16 100m, Chloe Doherty u15 100m and 800m, Sean Toner u16 800m.
Sunday - Peter Aylward u15 200m 3rd and long jump 2nd. Daniel Aylward u15 200m 4th and long jump 3rd. Abigail Tegart u16 1500m 3rd. Harry Caffrey Ben Egan Peter Aylward and Daniel Aylward u16 4x100 relay 3rd. Ben Egan and Harry Caffrey both made the final of the u16 200m. Kate O'Reilly ran a new pb in u15 1500m.
Also taking part for the first time were our Little Athletics Group affectionately know as The Mini's, who seemed to be having a great time.
Two of Drogheda and District's finest master's athletes took part in last Monday's Leinster Road Race Championships held in Gowran, Kilkenny.
This 6k race which is run over four laps of an undulating circuit always attracts a quality field of Masters runners.
With little or no wind, conditions on the day were near perfect for fast running.
Competing in the Men's O50 event was Kevin Clancy. Although relatively new to our club, Clancy has pedigree as a runner and he wasn't afraid to mix it with the top guys right from the start. Running to a strong tempo was to pay off as Clancy was always in the top three and his time of 21.06 was good enough to earn him the bronze medal on this occasion.
Running in the same race, but in the O40 category was the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who always seems to race well.
Larkin likes to run strong right from the gun and although he didn't finish in the medal places his 8th place finish in 21.37 represents good running against quality opposition.
Nearer to home, Colm Reilly put in a solid run at the MLSP Royal County 10k in Kells, County Meath.
Reilly covered the distance in 39.21 and will go well once he targets his races.
The first of our Summer Track Meeting's took place last Thursday evening at the Lourdes Stadium.
With three track events, the 100m/800m/3k and a long jump competition, there was a large number of competitors on the night.
There were some close finishes with the 800m C race being won by Anna Fagan of Newry A.C. by a mere tenth of a second from Christopher Duffy junior.
In the 3000m A race, there was a real tussle between Declan Power of Clonliffe Harriers and Oran Gartland of Foyne Valley.
Power won on this occasion by less than 1 second in a thrilling finish.
Our sprinters were in action in the 100m and there was some good running from Andrew Kelly 11.9 and Karl Carton 12.8 in the A 100m race.
Frank Cruise ran well to win the B race in 13.7 with Blathnaid Donnelly second in 13.8.
The next round will take place on Thursday 18th of May with 200m/Mile/5k and Shot Putt on the program.
Popular club member Jim Nolan was our sole runner in last Saturday's RTE 5 mile road race.
Run over four laps, this year's race attracted a field of 280 runners.
Sadly, this was the last running of this race, due to RTE selling land at Montrose in this the 40th Anniversary of RTE Athletic Club.
Nolan had a decent run and his time of 35.20 shows that he's coming back to form.
The Irish Runner Paced Mile in the Phoenix Park last Sunday saw Shane Larkin deliver a fast finish to finish second in a time of 5.14.
Larkin was close to winning this race but was pipped on the run in by just two seconds.
There were some fine performances from our athletes at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
The recent dry weather has made this rather challenging 5k course considerably quicker than it would normally be.
Fran Egan raced round the fields to finish 5th overall in a fast 19.40 and got a new Pb time on the way.
Our next finisher in 14th place was Tony Corcoran in 22.14, just ahead of Peter Mullen who was 23rd in 22.32.
For our ladies, first home was Mary McDonnell who ran a new Pb time of 23.31 when finishing 35th overall.
Laura Roche was 38th in 23.38 and Audrey Corcoran ran 37.45.
Also running were Donal Branigan, Dominic Carthy and Mike Staunton who ran a new Pb of 24.53.
The future of our club certainly looks bright given the many fine performances by our younger members.
Some of the stand out performances were Cormac Canning doing the 400/800m double, which is never an easy task.
Moya McCabe really put it together when it counted and won silver in the U16 Javelin and Shot Putt.
Blathnaid Donnelly continues to impress and took first place in the U19 100m.
Friday - Moya McCabe u16 javelin 2nd and u16 shot put 2nd. Kate O'Reilly good effort in u15 javelin.
Saturday - Blathnaid Donnelly u19 100m 1st. Lauren Hussey Smith u19 100m 3rd. Harry Caffrey u16 800m 2nd. Ben Egan u16 800m 3rd. Kate O'Reilly u15 800m 3rd. Tara Shortt u17 400m 3rd. Cormac Canning u17 400m 1st and u17 800m 1st. Robert Caffrey u18 400m 3rd and u18 800m 2nd. Peter Aylward u15 100m 3rd. Daniel Aylward u15 100m 5th. Also competing were Grace Neilson u16 100m, Chloe Doherty u15 100m and 800m, Sean Toner u16 800m.
Sunday - Peter Aylward u15 200m 3rd and long jump 2nd. Daniel Aylward u15 200m 4th and long jump 3rd. Abigail Tegart u16 1500m 3rd. Harry Caffrey Ben Egan Peter Aylward and Daniel Aylward u16 4x100 relay 3rd. Ben Egan and Harry Caffrey both made the final of the u16 200m. Kate O'Reilly ran a new pb in u15 1500m.
Also taking part for the first time were our Little Athletics Group affectionately know as The Mini's, who seemed to be having a great time.
Two of Drogheda and District's finest master's athletes took part in last Monday's Leinster Road Race Championships held in Gowran, Kilkenny.
This 6k race which is run over four laps of an undulating circuit always attracts a quality field of Masters runners.
With little or no wind, conditions on the day were near perfect for fast running.
Competing in the Men's O50 event was Kevin Clancy. Although relatively new to our club, Clancy has pedigree as a runner and he wasn't afraid to mix it with the top guys right from the start. Running to a strong tempo was to pay off as Clancy was always in the top three and his time of 21.06 was good enough to earn him the bronze medal on this occasion.
Running in the same race, but in the O40 category was the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who always seems to race well.
Larkin likes to run strong right from the gun and although he didn't finish in the medal places his 8th place finish in 21.37 represents good running against quality opposition.
Nearer to home, Colm Reilly put in a solid run at the MLSP Royal County 10k in Kells, County Meath.
Reilly covered the distance in 39.21 and will go well once he targets his races.
The first of our Summer Track Meeting's took place last Thursday evening at the Lourdes Stadium.
With three track events, the 100m/800m/3k and a long jump competition, there was a large number of competitors on the night.
There were some close finishes with the 800m C race being won by Anna Fagan of Newry A.C. by a mere tenth of a second from Christopher Duffy junior.
In the 3000m A race, there was a real tussle between Declan Power of Clonliffe Harriers and Oran Gartland of Foyne Valley.
Power won on this occasion by less than 1 second in a thrilling finish.
Our sprinters were in action in the 100m and there was some good running from Andrew Kelly 11.9 and Karl Carton 12.8 in the A 100m race.
Frank Cruise ran well to win the B race in 13.7 with Blathnaid Donnelly second in 13.8.
The next round will take place on Thursday 18th of May with 200m/Mile/5k and Shot Putt on the program.
Popular club member Jim Nolan was our sole runner in last Saturday's RTE 5 mile road race.
Run over four laps, this year's race attracted a field of 280 runners.
Sadly, this was the last running of this race, due to RTE selling land at Montrose in this the 40th Anniversary of RTE Athletic Club.
Nolan had a decent run and his time of 35.20 shows that he's coming back to form.
The Irish Runner Paced Mile in the Phoenix Park last Sunday saw Shane Larkin deliver a fast finish to finish second in a time of 5.14.
Larkin was close to winning this race but was pipped on the run in by just two seconds.
There were some fine performances from our athletes at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
The recent dry weather has made this rather challenging 5k course considerably quicker than it would normally be.
Fran Egan raced round the fields to finish 5th overall in a fast 19.40 and got a new Pb time on the way.
Our next finisher in 14th place was Tony Corcoran in 22.14, just ahead of Peter Mullen who was 23rd in 22.32.
For our ladies, first home was Mary McDonnell who ran a new Pb time of 23.31 when finishing 35th overall.
Laura Roche was 38th in 23.38 and Audrey Corcoran ran 37.45.
Also running were Donal Branigan, Dominic Carthy and Mike Staunton who ran a new Pb of 24.53.
Club News 30th April 2017
Coca Cola Boyne 10k.
You can't beat the feeling when it comes to the Coca Cola Boyne 10k.
The pre race atmosphere in West Street was electric as runners completed their warm up routines and handed over their running gear to friends and loved one's before making their way to the start line.
The town's main street was transformed into a sea of colour and there were no shortage of spectators to offer encouragement and settle last minute nerves.
This year's event saw in excess of 1800 runners toe the line for the best run 10k in Ireland.
Conditions on the day were quite cool which would have helped the runners but the stiff breeze didn't help on the back end of the course.
Once the gun went, it was down to business for the serious runners with County titles and some decent cash prizes on offer for the elite runners.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running and no quarter was given as the lead runners churned out the miles at a terrific pace.
This year's winner of the Men's race was Paddy Hamilton from Newry A.C. in 32.01, with Colin Maher from Ballyfin A.C. not far behind in second place in 32.31.
First home for D&D was Brian Martin in 7th place overall in 35.49, with Ruaidhri Nolan in 9th place in 36.56.
With Danny Skeffington and Johnny Kelly also running well, the County Team prize was on its way to Drogheda.
Drogheda based Niamh Devlin, who runs for Dundrum South Dublin A.C. won the ladies race in a fine 38.20 when finishing 17th overall.
Pamela Howard was the star performer for our ladies, her strong running took her round the course in a fast 40.24 which meant she won the Ladies race and also the County title for the 10k distance.
Yasmin Canning produced a solid run and her time of 42.39 placed her 2nd in her category.
Backed up by Michelle Hughes who was 3rd in her category in 43.58 and Laura Roche in 45.14, this quartet won the ladies County Team title.
Without a doubt the real winners on the day were the almost two thousand runners who took up the challenge to get fit, train hard and take up the challenge of running the Coca Cola Boyne 10k.
In a few days the aches and pains will have eased, but the memories of this year's event will live long and hopefully inspire others to take up the challenge to test their ability against this unique course and all it has to offer.
Last Thursday evening saw the 126th running of Ireland's oldest road race which was hosted by Clonliffe Harriers.
Starting and finishing on their splendid Tartan track, this year's race attracted some of the best road racer's the country has to offer.
Our very own Mary Leech was right up there with the leading runners right from the gun and it was only in the last half mile that the top three ladies opened up a gap that Leech couldn't close on this occasion.
Leech's time of 11.36 still represents good running and there's lots more to come from her during the Summer Track season.
Shane Larkin had a solid run in the Men's race and finished 20th overall in a time of 11.02 which earned him a first in category prize.
Hugh Callan and David Quinn were also in action in Santry Stadium last Wednesday, but this time on the track.
Callan, who's coming into great form ran a fine 2.08.37 for the 800m, which is a difficult race to judge.
Quinn ran 2.19.53 for his heat of the 800m.
Closer to home, there were some good performances from our athletes at last Tuesday's Dundalk 10k road race.
This very popular event attracted over a thousand runners to take part on the night and conditions were good except for the swirling wind on the back end of the course.
First home for our men was Ruaidhri Nolan who finished 14th in 36.43, with Shane Larkin just behind him in 17th place in 37.47.
The run of the night belonged to Stephen Floyd who's getting faster by the week, Floyd's time of 39.44 is well deserved given all the hard work he puts into his running.
Roger Tegert ran a solid 42.45 and was followed by John Carlo Orlandi who ran a fine 43.51, great running for a 66 year old.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon and Eimear Knowles settled into a steady pace early on and were rewarded with a time of 47.03 for their efforts.
Also running were Sharon Finn and Siobhan Shortt.
Colm Reilly had a strong run at last Week's Samsung Night Run 10k and ran a new best time of 38.14 which was good going given the twisting nature of the course.
Stephen Duggan also raced well when finishing 2nd in the recent Duleek 10k race.
Congratulations to Gerry Mullins on completing the Limerick Marathon in 3.39.35 last Sunday.
In the Half Marathon event held on the same day, Knut Nielsen finished well to run 1.38.32.
,
Brian Guilfoyle ran 1.42.21 and David O'Neill 1.42.25.
Also running was Liam Farrell who ran 1.48.11 for the 13.1 miles.
A new generation of Drogheda and District athletes took part in the Louth pre-championships at the Lourdes Stadium last Saturday. Under the guidance of club Chairman Aonghus O'Connor, the club's first batch of U8-U12 year old's took part in sprints, long jumps and turbo javelin and all performed well while earning valuable
experience in competition.
In the older age groups, Blathnaid Donnelly took gold for the second year in a row in the U18/U19 100m. Kate O'Reilly lowered her 800m time by 16 seconds taking bronze
in the U15 800m, a result which was matched by Ciara Reilly in the U16 event.
In the field events, Peter Aylward broke the 4m barrier in his first competition placing third in the U15 Long Jump.
The next outing will the Louth Championships on the
first weekend in May.
You can't beat the feeling when it comes to the Coca Cola Boyne 10k.
The pre race atmosphere in West Street was electric as runners completed their warm up routines and handed over their running gear to friends and loved one's before making their way to the start line.
The town's main street was transformed into a sea of colour and there were no shortage of spectators to offer encouragement and settle last minute nerves.
This year's event saw in excess of 1800 runners toe the line for the best run 10k in Ireland.
Conditions on the day were quite cool which would have helped the runners but the stiff breeze didn't help on the back end of the course.
Once the gun went, it was down to business for the serious runners with County titles and some decent cash prizes on offer for the elite runners.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running and no quarter was given as the lead runners churned out the miles at a terrific pace.
This year's winner of the Men's race was Paddy Hamilton from Newry A.C. in 32.01, with Colin Maher from Ballyfin A.C. not far behind in second place in 32.31.
First home for D&D was Brian Martin in 7th place overall in 35.49, with Ruaidhri Nolan in 9th place in 36.56.
With Danny Skeffington and Johnny Kelly also running well, the County Team prize was on its way to Drogheda.
Drogheda based Niamh Devlin, who runs for Dundrum South Dublin A.C. won the ladies race in a fine 38.20 when finishing 17th overall.
Pamela Howard was the star performer for our ladies, her strong running took her round the course in a fast 40.24 which meant she won the Ladies race and also the County title for the 10k distance.
Yasmin Canning produced a solid run and her time of 42.39 placed her 2nd in her category.
Backed up by Michelle Hughes who was 3rd in her category in 43.58 and Laura Roche in 45.14, this quartet won the ladies County Team title.
Without a doubt the real winners on the day were the almost two thousand runners who took up the challenge to get fit, train hard and take up the challenge of running the Coca Cola Boyne 10k.
In a few days the aches and pains will have eased, but the memories of this year's event will live long and hopefully inspire others to take up the challenge to test their ability against this unique course and all it has to offer.
Last Thursday evening saw the 126th running of Ireland's oldest road race which was hosted by Clonliffe Harriers.
Starting and finishing on their splendid Tartan track, this year's race attracted some of the best road racer's the country has to offer.
Our very own Mary Leech was right up there with the leading runners right from the gun and it was only in the last half mile that the top three ladies opened up a gap that Leech couldn't close on this occasion.
Leech's time of 11.36 still represents good running and there's lots more to come from her during the Summer Track season.
Shane Larkin had a solid run in the Men's race and finished 20th overall in a time of 11.02 which earned him a first in category prize.
Hugh Callan and David Quinn were also in action in Santry Stadium last Wednesday, but this time on the track.
Callan, who's coming into great form ran a fine 2.08.37 for the 800m, which is a difficult race to judge.
Quinn ran 2.19.53 for his heat of the 800m.
Closer to home, there were some good performances from our athletes at last Tuesday's Dundalk 10k road race.
This very popular event attracted over a thousand runners to take part on the night and conditions were good except for the swirling wind on the back end of the course.
First home for our men was Ruaidhri Nolan who finished 14th in 36.43, with Shane Larkin just behind him in 17th place in 37.47.
The run of the night belonged to Stephen Floyd who's getting faster by the week, Floyd's time of 39.44 is well deserved given all the hard work he puts into his running.
Roger Tegert ran a solid 42.45 and was followed by John Carlo Orlandi who ran a fine 43.51, great running for a 66 year old.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon and Eimear Knowles settled into a steady pace early on and were rewarded with a time of 47.03 for their efforts.
Also running were Sharon Finn and Siobhan Shortt.
Colm Reilly had a strong run at last Week's Samsung Night Run 10k and ran a new best time of 38.14 which was good going given the twisting nature of the course.
Stephen Duggan also raced well when finishing 2nd in the recent Duleek 10k race.
Congratulations to Gerry Mullins on completing the Limerick Marathon in 3.39.35 last Sunday.
In the Half Marathon event held on the same day, Knut Nielsen finished well to run 1.38.32.
,
Brian Guilfoyle ran 1.42.21 and David O'Neill 1.42.25.
Also running was Liam Farrell who ran 1.48.11 for the 13.1 miles.
A new generation of Drogheda and District athletes took part in the Louth pre-championships at the Lourdes Stadium last Saturday. Under the guidance of club Chairman Aonghus O'Connor, the club's first batch of U8-U12 year old's took part in sprints, long jumps and turbo javelin and all performed well while earning valuable
experience in competition.
In the older age groups, Blathnaid Donnelly took gold for the second year in a row in the U18/U19 100m. Kate O'Reilly lowered her 800m time by 16 seconds taking bronze
in the U15 800m, a result which was matched by Ciara Reilly in the U16 event.
In the field events, Peter Aylward broke the 4m barrier in his first competition placing third in the U15 Long Jump.
The next outing will the Louth Championships on the
first weekend in May.
Club News 23rd April 2017
National Road Relays, Raheny.
Last Sunday's National Road Relays held in Raheny attracted the best quality field seen for a long time in the Masters Women's O35 event.
Many of the teams had at least one if not two international class runners on their teams.
Conditions on the day were calm and a little overcast which would have helped the athletes running the longer 2 mile leg.
Once the gun went our lead runner Yasmin Canning got stuck in with the leading pack and was quickly into her stride as this group forced the pace. Canning is a wise athlete who learns quickly and she needed every bit of experience she had for the task ahead.
Coming into view after rounding the tricky left hand bend before the finishing straight, Canning found an extra ounce of energy to hand over to Mary Leech who's in terrific form at the moment.
The 2 mile leg really is a test of one's resolve as the pressure felt by the girls in this race is enormous, Leech personifies grace under pressure and when the difficult questions were being asked, she wasn't found wanting. Running hard from the line, Leech cleverly wound up the pace and going out on her second lap only the very best were ahead of her as they made their way onto the back stretch of the course.
Coming into the hand over area in third place, Leech handed over to Pamela Howard and the race for the medals was on in earnest.
Howard is a classy athlete with huge potential within and she took off like a rocket heading for the first bend on this rather testing course.
Championship racing is as much about holding one's nerve as it is about running hard.
Howard made a real statement by running so aggressively and dictated the pace on the back end of the course.
With the travelling supporters anxiously chewing their nails as they strained their eyes on the last corner, a red vest appeared and Howard was heading home like an express train to collect a richly deserved National bronze medal for her team mates.
This really was a lesson in team work and very few rarely see the amount of work that goes into getting the result on the day.
Such was the standard in this year's race that our finishing time of 23.19 was 13 seconds faster than last year when we finished second.
Also running in the Women's O35 race were our second team of Sinead Weldon, Barbara Byrne and Yvonne McMahon.
All three raced well but didn't figure in the medal on this occasion.
In the Women's O50 event Mary McDonnell, Angela Campbell and late substitute Edel Victory ran well and were just outside the placings.
Our Men's O35 team saw Kieran McGrath produce an incredible run to record a 4.47 mile in the first leg.
David Walsh and Brian Martin both ran well but again were out of the placings.
In the Men's O50 race, the run of the day belonged to Danny Skeffington who stormed round the one mile leg in under 5 minutes.
Leinster 10 Mile Championship, Raheny.
When the chips are down and there's no one else to blame is when the real Championship racer's come to the fore.
So it was last Monday at the Leinster 10 mile Championship held in St. Anne's Park, Raheny.
This year's race never left the Park and the twisting nature of the course would have slowed finishing times by about 30 seconds overall.
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin wanted one of the major medals and had prepared well for this event. Many's a runner forgets their pre race plan once the gun goes but Larkin was too experienced to let that happen and he quickly settled into a group running the pace he was hoping to maintain. Larkin's economical running style was to stand to him as he churned out the miles relentlessly at sub 6 minute mile pace. When the serious questions were asked with about a mile to go, Larkin wasn't found wanting and his last mile of 5.50 took him home in a clear third place to earn the bronze medal in the O40 category a time of 59.07.
Also running was Marathon Man Gerard Fay who ran a Pb time of 1.19.
The red vests of Drogheda and District were really out in force last Monday at the Mountpleasant 5k road race. This very popular event always attracts a good quality field and this year's event was being run over a new course. Conditions on the day were good and some of our athletes were chasing fast times now that the heavy Winter's training has eased somewhat.
Stephen Kelly produced a great run to finish third overall in a fast 16.43. With young Sam O'Neill finishing 5th in 17.03 and second in his category things were looking good for the team prize. It was all down to our third man David Walsh to deliver the goods and his 6th place finish in 17.13 ensured that the team prize was coming home to Drogheda.
Paddy Murphy, who's hoping to go well in the Boyne 10k ran a solid 19.26 to finish 24th and should run well over the longer distance.
David Birch covered the ground well to finish in 21.50.
Nuala Reilly, fresh from her win in Kildalkey the previous day won her category with a useful 21.44 and her appetite for racing knows no bounds.
Also running in the ladies race were Mary Reilly and Margo Duffy.
Liam Farrell ran a time of 47.28 when finishing 81st at last Weekend's Rosslare 10k road race.
At last week's paced mile in ALSAA Gerard Fay ran 6.43 and Margo Brady ran 7.39 for the classic one mile race.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw Sinead MCGuinness run a new Pb time of 25.33 when finishing 58th overall.
Also running a new best time was Dominic Fagan who finished 69th in 27.23.
Laura Roche was our first finisher in 36th place in 23.54.
Last Sunday's National Road Relays held in Raheny attracted the best quality field seen for a long time in the Masters Women's O35 event.
Many of the teams had at least one if not two international class runners on their teams.
Conditions on the day were calm and a little overcast which would have helped the athletes running the longer 2 mile leg.
Once the gun went our lead runner Yasmin Canning got stuck in with the leading pack and was quickly into her stride as this group forced the pace. Canning is a wise athlete who learns quickly and she needed every bit of experience she had for the task ahead.
Coming into view after rounding the tricky left hand bend before the finishing straight, Canning found an extra ounce of energy to hand over to Mary Leech who's in terrific form at the moment.
The 2 mile leg really is a test of one's resolve as the pressure felt by the girls in this race is enormous, Leech personifies grace under pressure and when the difficult questions were being asked, she wasn't found wanting. Running hard from the line, Leech cleverly wound up the pace and going out on her second lap only the very best were ahead of her as they made their way onto the back stretch of the course.
Coming into the hand over area in third place, Leech handed over to Pamela Howard and the race for the medals was on in earnest.
Howard is a classy athlete with huge potential within and she took off like a rocket heading for the first bend on this rather testing course.
Championship racing is as much about holding one's nerve as it is about running hard.
Howard made a real statement by running so aggressively and dictated the pace on the back end of the course.
With the travelling supporters anxiously chewing their nails as they strained their eyes on the last corner, a red vest appeared and Howard was heading home like an express train to collect a richly deserved National bronze medal for her team mates.
This really was a lesson in team work and very few rarely see the amount of work that goes into getting the result on the day.
Such was the standard in this year's race that our finishing time of 23.19 was 13 seconds faster than last year when we finished second.
Also running in the Women's O35 race were our second team of Sinead Weldon, Barbara Byrne and Yvonne McMahon.
All three raced well but didn't figure in the medal on this occasion.
In the Women's O50 event Mary McDonnell, Angela Campbell and late substitute Edel Victory ran well and were just outside the placings.
Our Men's O35 team saw Kieran McGrath produce an incredible run to record a 4.47 mile in the first leg.
David Walsh and Brian Martin both ran well but again were out of the placings.
In the Men's O50 race, the run of the day belonged to Danny Skeffington who stormed round the one mile leg in under 5 minutes.
Leinster 10 Mile Championship, Raheny.
When the chips are down and there's no one else to blame is when the real Championship racer's come to the fore.
So it was last Monday at the Leinster 10 mile Championship held in St. Anne's Park, Raheny.
This year's race never left the Park and the twisting nature of the course would have slowed finishing times by about 30 seconds overall.
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin wanted one of the major medals and had prepared well for this event. Many's a runner forgets their pre race plan once the gun goes but Larkin was too experienced to let that happen and he quickly settled into a group running the pace he was hoping to maintain. Larkin's economical running style was to stand to him as he churned out the miles relentlessly at sub 6 minute mile pace. When the serious questions were asked with about a mile to go, Larkin wasn't found wanting and his last mile of 5.50 took him home in a clear third place to earn the bronze medal in the O40 category a time of 59.07.
Also running was Marathon Man Gerard Fay who ran a Pb time of 1.19.
The red vests of Drogheda and District were really out in force last Monday at the Mountpleasant 5k road race. This very popular event always attracts a good quality field and this year's event was being run over a new course. Conditions on the day were good and some of our athletes were chasing fast times now that the heavy Winter's training has eased somewhat.
Stephen Kelly produced a great run to finish third overall in a fast 16.43. With young Sam O'Neill finishing 5th in 17.03 and second in his category things were looking good for the team prize. It was all down to our third man David Walsh to deliver the goods and his 6th place finish in 17.13 ensured that the team prize was coming home to Drogheda.
Paddy Murphy, who's hoping to go well in the Boyne 10k ran a solid 19.26 to finish 24th and should run well over the longer distance.
David Birch covered the ground well to finish in 21.50.
Nuala Reilly, fresh from her win in Kildalkey the previous day won her category with a useful 21.44 and her appetite for racing knows no bounds.
Also running in the ladies race were Mary Reilly and Margo Duffy.
Liam Farrell ran a time of 47.28 when finishing 81st at last Weekend's Rosslare 10k road race.
At last week's paced mile in ALSAA Gerard Fay ran 6.43 and Margo Brady ran 7.39 for the classic one mile race.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw Sinead MCGuinness run a new Pb time of 25.33 when finishing 58th overall.
Also running a new best time was Dominic Fagan who finished 69th in 27.23.
Laura Roche was our first finisher in 36th place in 23.54.
Club News 16th April 2017
While most people were celebrating Easter Sunday by putting their feet up and munching on their favourite chocolate egg, some of Drogheda and District's finest were in action at the Fr. Murphy 10k road race in Athboy, County Meath.
A new course which took the runners over a very testing hilly section and a stiff breeze meant that the runners were in for a hard day at the office.
With over 300 runners taking part in this very popular local event the medals weren't going to come easy but Nuala Reilly's pre race pep talk had the girls primed to deliver a good performance.
Once the gun went, our quartet of Michelle Hughes, Suzanne MCCabe, Martina O'Connor Dyas and Nuala Reilly quickly settled into a steady pace and tried to shelter from the wind as best as possible.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running as each member tried to pick off their rivals in the battle for team honours.
Michelle Hughes produced the goods when it mattered and was our first finisher in 62nd place in a solid 43.32 which earned her a second in category prize.
Not far behind in 69th place was Nuala Reilly who pushed hard to cross the line in a fine 44.55 which ensured she won her category.
As with most team events, it's not so much about the first two finishers but rather how well your third and fourth finishers score that determines your success on the day.
Martina O'Connor Dyas really pulled it out of the bag by running a fabulous new Pb of 48.48, a new Pb by 57 seconds and finished third in her category.
Our fourth finisher Suzanne McCabe was on a mission to crack the 50 minute mark and once she turned the final corner and caught sight of the finishing clock she knew it was going to be close.
Tired legs are often inspired with a new Pb at stake and McCabe delivered a sprint finish that would put many a greyhound to shame.
Alas for McCabe the clock showed 50.01 as she dipped across the line, so near and yet so far!
Nevertheless, our ladies team were rewarded for their hard work and good performances by finishing second in the Ladies team event to a strong Winning team from Trim A.C.
Zoe Shannon was perhaps the happiest of our runners on the day and couldn't stop smiling as she finally cracked the one hour mark when running a new Pb of 59.41.
For our male competitors, Colm Reilly, who's coming into good form ran a strong race right from the gun and finished 23rd in a new best time of 38.23, great running given the nature of the course.
Jacker Reilly secured a 3rd in category prize when finishing 58th overall in 43.20.
A little further from home, three of our members were taking part in last Weekend's Ballybunion half Marathon.
Popular club member Deirdre McFerran ran a very solid first attempt at this 13.1 mile distance and finished 3rd in her category with a time of 2 hours and 2 minutes.
Also running was Mary Toner who ran 2.16 with no real distress.
In the shorter 10k event Mary McDonnell finished 2nd in her category when running 49.53.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted some of our members to test themselves against this rather challenging 5k course.
Cillian Dyas was our first finisher in 9th place as he raced round the course in an impressive 19.36.
Bryan Harvey ran well to finish 13th in 20.17 and has recovered well from his recent half Marathon in Berlin.
Tony Corcoran aaalso ran well to run 22.38 for the course.
First of our lady finishers was Sinead McGuinness who ran a new Pb of 26.20, with Natalie Doyle Bradley further back in 33.36.
Also running were Donal Branigan, Mike Staunton and Mary Mulligan.
A new course which took the runners over a very testing hilly section and a stiff breeze meant that the runners were in for a hard day at the office.
With over 300 runners taking part in this very popular local event the medals weren't going to come easy but Nuala Reilly's pre race pep talk had the girls primed to deliver a good performance.
Once the gun went, our quartet of Michelle Hughes, Suzanne MCCabe, Martina O'Connor Dyas and Nuala Reilly quickly settled into a steady pace and tried to shelter from the wind as best as possible.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running as each member tried to pick off their rivals in the battle for team honours.
Michelle Hughes produced the goods when it mattered and was our first finisher in 62nd place in a solid 43.32 which earned her a second in category prize.
Not far behind in 69th place was Nuala Reilly who pushed hard to cross the line in a fine 44.55 which ensured she won her category.
As with most team events, it's not so much about the first two finishers but rather how well your third and fourth finishers score that determines your success on the day.
Martina O'Connor Dyas really pulled it out of the bag by running a fabulous new Pb of 48.48, a new Pb by 57 seconds and finished third in her category.
Our fourth finisher Suzanne McCabe was on a mission to crack the 50 minute mark and once she turned the final corner and caught sight of the finishing clock she knew it was going to be close.
Tired legs are often inspired with a new Pb at stake and McCabe delivered a sprint finish that would put many a greyhound to shame.
Alas for McCabe the clock showed 50.01 as she dipped across the line, so near and yet so far!
Nevertheless, our ladies team were rewarded for their hard work and good performances by finishing second in the Ladies team event to a strong Winning team from Trim A.C.
Zoe Shannon was perhaps the happiest of our runners on the day and couldn't stop smiling as she finally cracked the one hour mark when running a new Pb of 59.41.
For our male competitors, Colm Reilly, who's coming into good form ran a strong race right from the gun and finished 23rd in a new best time of 38.23, great running given the nature of the course.
Jacker Reilly secured a 3rd in category prize when finishing 58th overall in 43.20.
A little further from home, three of our members were taking part in last Weekend's Ballybunion half Marathon.
Popular club member Deirdre McFerran ran a very solid first attempt at this 13.1 mile distance and finished 3rd in her category with a time of 2 hours and 2 minutes.
Also running was Mary Toner who ran 2.16 with no real distress.
In the shorter 10k event Mary McDonnell finished 2nd in her category when running 49.53.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted some of our members to test themselves against this rather challenging 5k course.
Cillian Dyas was our first finisher in 9th place as he raced round the course in an impressive 19.36.
Bryan Harvey ran well to finish 13th in 20.17 and has recovered well from his recent half Marathon in Berlin.
Tony Corcoran aaalso ran well to run 22.38 for the course.
First of our lady finishers was Sinead McGuinness who ran a new Pb of 26.20, with Natalie Doyle Bradley further back in 33.36.
Also running were Donal Branigan, Mike Staunton and Mary Mulligan.
Club News 9th April 2017
Great Ireland 5k and 10k road races.
Quite a few of our members took part in these two races held in the Phoenix Park last Sunday. In the 5k event Mary Toner ran well to win a 1st in category prize when running 26.16 for the distance. Siobhan Redmond ran 25.24 and was our first finisher.
In the longer 10k race, Brian Martin raced round the course in a fast 34.35 when finishing in 60th place. Ruaidhri Nolan was 144th with a time of 37.20.
Our ladies were out in force for this event and first home was Nuala Reilly in a fine 44.16. Laura Roche was our second finisher in 45.31 with Yvonne McMahon next in 47.24.
Also running well were Andrea McArdle 49.36 and Edel Victory 53.06.
Patsy Kelly 5k Dundalk.
With over 900 runners taking part in last Saturday's Patsy Kelly 5k road race which was held in Dundalk, our athletes were really up against some strong opposition.
Nevertheless there were some fine individual performances on the night, none more so than Stephen Floyd who ran a sparkling new Pb time of 18.44 on his way to finishing in 38th place. Floyd is running really well at the moment and is proof that good running is all about being consistent in training.
Also running well was Roger Tegert who ran 20.05 when finishing 85th and he'll crack the 20 minute mark soon.
Our first finisher was the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who finished 12th in a speedy 17.16, with Paddy Murphy 48th in 19.01.
Club Captain Jane Glynn played her part when finishing first for our female athletes in 23.38.
Next in was Helen Dillon just 14 seconds further back in 23.52.
Others who ran well were Ciara Byrne, Sharon Finn and Zoe Shannon.
BHAA 2 Mile Road Race.
Congratulations to Mary Leech on winning last Saturday's BHAA Women's 2 mile race in a time of 11.15 at St. Anne's Park, Raheny.
This is two in a row for Mary as she won last year's event. Leech's time was a full 13 seconds faster than her winning time last year.
Nuala Reilly ran well to win her category in 13.27.
In the Men's 4 mile race, Jim Nolan had a solid run to finish 62nd in 28.12.
Well done to Ciara O'Reilly and Shane Larkin who both won their races at the recent Glen Emmett's 5k Road Race in Tullyallen.
Congratulations also to the Couch 2 5k crew who took part in their first 5k event.
National Road Relay Mile Trial.
When it comes to club athletics there's not much can compete with a Mile Trial selection race for excitement.
With much coveted places being sought for the upcoming National Road Relays at stake, pre race nerves were in abundance.
Once the gun went, there really was no hiding place and the next five minutes or less were all about who could handle the hurt when it really mattered.
Making sure they made the Men's O35 team were David Walsh 4.44, Kieran McGrath 4.45 and Brian Martin 5.02.
In a real cracker of a race, Mary Leech made the Ladies O35 team with her run of 5.24, with Pamela Howard 5.28 and Yasmin Canning 5.36 also making the team.
The O50 Men's team are Danny Skeffington 5.03, Gerry O'Connor 5.32 and Martin Duffy 5.44.
Our ladies O35 team are Barbara Byrne, Yvonne McMahon and Sinead Weldon.
Nuala Reilly, Mary McDonnell and Angela Campbell make up our Ladies O50 team.
There were some fine performances by our Juvenile athletes at last week's Meath Schools Track Championships held in Navan.
Cormac Canning won the Intermediate Boys 1500m against some good quality athletes.
In the senior 800m James Nolan was third.
Sam O'Neill placed 4th and Robert Caffrey 5th in the senior 1500m.
Marathon Round Up.
Congratulations to Gerry Mullins on running his 30th Marathon in Brighton last Sunday. Mullins completed the rather hilly course on what turned out to be a very warm day in a creditable 3.46.53.
Artur Kuwik decided to test himself at last week's Rome Marathon and ran a fine 3.26.58 for the distance despite the heat on the day.
In the Rotterdam Marathon, Michelle and Fran Egan both ran 3.55.17 for the classic distance and finished with no real distress.
Berlin Half Marathon.
Taking part in the recent Berlin Half Marathon were twenty three of our members. This very popular race which is run on a pancake flat course is where the current world best time was set two years ago.
Best for our ladies was Nuala Reilly who placed second in her category with a fine 1.40.58, with Sinead Weldon running 1.51.19.
Bryan Harvey ran a solid 1.30.23 with Thomas Farrelly close behind in 1.32.01.
Others who ran well were Frank McCarthy who celebrated his 60th birthday by running 1.45.35 for the distance and Mike Staunton who ran 1.54.10.
Quite a few of our members took part in these two races held in the Phoenix Park last Sunday. In the 5k event Mary Toner ran well to win a 1st in category prize when running 26.16 for the distance. Siobhan Redmond ran 25.24 and was our first finisher.
In the longer 10k race, Brian Martin raced round the course in a fast 34.35 when finishing in 60th place. Ruaidhri Nolan was 144th with a time of 37.20.
Our ladies were out in force for this event and first home was Nuala Reilly in a fine 44.16. Laura Roche was our second finisher in 45.31 with Yvonne McMahon next in 47.24.
Also running well were Andrea McArdle 49.36 and Edel Victory 53.06.
Patsy Kelly 5k Dundalk.
With over 900 runners taking part in last Saturday's Patsy Kelly 5k road race which was held in Dundalk, our athletes were really up against some strong opposition.
Nevertheless there were some fine individual performances on the night, none more so than Stephen Floyd who ran a sparkling new Pb time of 18.44 on his way to finishing in 38th place. Floyd is running really well at the moment and is proof that good running is all about being consistent in training.
Also running well was Roger Tegert who ran 20.05 when finishing 85th and he'll crack the 20 minute mark soon.
Our first finisher was the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin who finished 12th in a speedy 17.16, with Paddy Murphy 48th in 19.01.
Club Captain Jane Glynn played her part when finishing first for our female athletes in 23.38.
Next in was Helen Dillon just 14 seconds further back in 23.52.
Others who ran well were Ciara Byrne, Sharon Finn and Zoe Shannon.
BHAA 2 Mile Road Race.
Congratulations to Mary Leech on winning last Saturday's BHAA Women's 2 mile race in a time of 11.15 at St. Anne's Park, Raheny.
This is two in a row for Mary as she won last year's event. Leech's time was a full 13 seconds faster than her winning time last year.
Nuala Reilly ran well to win her category in 13.27.
In the Men's 4 mile race, Jim Nolan had a solid run to finish 62nd in 28.12.
Well done to Ciara O'Reilly and Shane Larkin who both won their races at the recent Glen Emmett's 5k Road Race in Tullyallen.
Congratulations also to the Couch 2 5k crew who took part in their first 5k event.
National Road Relay Mile Trial.
When it comes to club athletics there's not much can compete with a Mile Trial selection race for excitement.
With much coveted places being sought for the upcoming National Road Relays at stake, pre race nerves were in abundance.
Once the gun went, there really was no hiding place and the next five minutes or less were all about who could handle the hurt when it really mattered.
Making sure they made the Men's O35 team were David Walsh 4.44, Kieran McGrath 4.45 and Brian Martin 5.02.
In a real cracker of a race, Mary Leech made the Ladies O35 team with her run of 5.24, with Pamela Howard 5.28 and Yasmin Canning 5.36 also making the team.
The O50 Men's team are Danny Skeffington 5.03, Gerry O'Connor 5.32 and Martin Duffy 5.44.
Our ladies O35 team are Barbara Byrne, Yvonne McMahon and Sinead Weldon.
Nuala Reilly, Mary McDonnell and Angela Campbell make up our Ladies O50 team.
There were some fine performances by our Juvenile athletes at last week's Meath Schools Track Championships held in Navan.
Cormac Canning won the Intermediate Boys 1500m against some good quality athletes.
In the senior 800m James Nolan was third.
Sam O'Neill placed 4th and Robert Caffrey 5th in the senior 1500m.
Marathon Round Up.
Congratulations to Gerry Mullins on running his 30th Marathon in Brighton last Sunday. Mullins completed the rather hilly course on what turned out to be a very warm day in a creditable 3.46.53.
Artur Kuwik decided to test himself at last week's Rome Marathon and ran a fine 3.26.58 for the distance despite the heat on the day.
In the Rotterdam Marathon, Michelle and Fran Egan both ran 3.55.17 for the classic distance and finished with no real distress.
Berlin Half Marathon.
Taking part in the recent Berlin Half Marathon were twenty three of our members. This very popular race which is run on a pancake flat course is where the current world best time was set two years ago.
Best for our ladies was Nuala Reilly who placed second in her category with a fine 1.40.58, with Sinead Weldon running 1.51.19.
Bryan Harvey ran a solid 1.30.23 with Thomas Farrelly close behind in 1.32.01.
Others who ran well were Frank McCarthy who celebrated his 60th birthday by running 1.45.35 for the distance and Mike Staunton who ran 1.54.10.
Club News 26th March 2017
Mark O'Shea does the double!
Drogheda and District's Mark O'Shea completed a magnificent 800/1500m double at the World Masters Indoor Track Championships in Daegu, Korea.
O'Shea, who is gifted with a tremendously fluid running style needed every bit of his experience as the 800m was a slow run race.
Coming round the final bend on this tight track, O'Shea unleashed his trademark finishing kick to win gold just ahead of Peter Brady from the United States and Rubio Balague from Spain who got the bronze medal. O'Shea's winning time was 2.07.14, not fast by any means but Championship racing is all about winning and getting the medal.
While many runners might let success go to their head, O'Shea isn't one of them. A very humble man and quiet by nature, O'Shea had bigger plans as he was targeting the 1500m race later in the week.
Going into the final of the 1500m, O'Shea knew that he was in with a good chance if he could avoid getting into trouble and being boxed in coming up to the last lap.
Unlike the 800, this was a fast true run race and with less than fifty metres to go O'Shea was out in lane three and giving his coach a heart attack.
Despite having to run further on the banked surface, O'Shea somehow found an extra ounce of speed to dip as he crossed the line to claim victory in a new Irish Record time of 4.07.44.
O'Shea's winning margin was a mere tenth of a second as he held off Frederic Gilbert of France in 4.07.54 who took silver with Peter Brady of the USA getting the bronze.
Dunboyne AC's annual 4 mile road race attracted a quality field of over 600 runners for this year's event. Conditions on the day were perfect and made for fast times.
Shane Larkin put in a strong run to finish 28th overall in a fine 22.14. A little further back in 52nd place was Colm Leonard in 23.39 with Colm Reilly 68th in 24.31.
Nuala Reilly who was running her second race in two days won her category in 28.09.
Also running were David Birch 28.37, Mike Staunton 31.05 and Helga McDonnell 31.59.
Last Saturday's K-Club 10k road Race in Straffan, saw Colm Reilly run a fine 38.27 for this popular race which was run in perfect weather conditions for distance running.
Also running was Colm's Mum Nuala Reilly who won her category in a lively 44.59. Jackser Reilly just held off Michelle Hughes when he finished in 43.07 a mere second ahead of Hughes in 43.08. Barney Flannery used this race as a warm up for next week's Berlin Half Marathon and ran 55.47 for the course.
Well done to Sam O'Neill who ran a strong race and qualified for the final of the U19 1500m held at the AIT Arena in Athlone last Sunday. O'Neill ran a decent 4.30 for the distance and will go faster with a few more races in his legs.
Christy Duffy ran a solid 13.03 for the 3k event at last Tuesday's Alsaa winter track league.
Congratulations to Pamela Howard on winning the ladies race in St Oliver's 5k road race in Dundalk last Saturday. Howard put her recent speed sessions to good use as she sped round the course in an eye opening 19.09.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted four of our members to run this challenging course. Laura Roche was our first finisher in 11th place in 22.28, a new Pb time for her.
Sinead McGuinness was next in 50th place in 27.04, with Donal Branigan 82nd in 35.40 and Audrey Corcoran 83rd in 37.03.
Drogheda and District's Mark O'Shea completed a magnificent 800/1500m double at the World Masters Indoor Track Championships in Daegu, Korea.
O'Shea, who is gifted with a tremendously fluid running style needed every bit of his experience as the 800m was a slow run race.
Coming round the final bend on this tight track, O'Shea unleashed his trademark finishing kick to win gold just ahead of Peter Brady from the United States and Rubio Balague from Spain who got the bronze medal. O'Shea's winning time was 2.07.14, not fast by any means but Championship racing is all about winning and getting the medal.
While many runners might let success go to their head, O'Shea isn't one of them. A very humble man and quiet by nature, O'Shea had bigger plans as he was targeting the 1500m race later in the week.
Going into the final of the 1500m, O'Shea knew that he was in with a good chance if he could avoid getting into trouble and being boxed in coming up to the last lap.
Unlike the 800, this was a fast true run race and with less than fifty metres to go O'Shea was out in lane three and giving his coach a heart attack.
Despite having to run further on the banked surface, O'Shea somehow found an extra ounce of speed to dip as he crossed the line to claim victory in a new Irish Record time of 4.07.44.
O'Shea's winning margin was a mere tenth of a second as he held off Frederic Gilbert of France in 4.07.54 who took silver with Peter Brady of the USA getting the bronze.
Dunboyne AC's annual 4 mile road race attracted a quality field of over 600 runners for this year's event. Conditions on the day were perfect and made for fast times.
Shane Larkin put in a strong run to finish 28th overall in a fine 22.14. A little further back in 52nd place was Colm Leonard in 23.39 with Colm Reilly 68th in 24.31.
Nuala Reilly who was running her second race in two days won her category in 28.09.
Also running were David Birch 28.37, Mike Staunton 31.05 and Helga McDonnell 31.59.
Last Saturday's K-Club 10k road Race in Straffan, saw Colm Reilly run a fine 38.27 for this popular race which was run in perfect weather conditions for distance running.
Also running was Colm's Mum Nuala Reilly who won her category in a lively 44.59. Jackser Reilly just held off Michelle Hughes when he finished in 43.07 a mere second ahead of Hughes in 43.08. Barney Flannery used this race as a warm up for next week's Berlin Half Marathon and ran 55.47 for the course.
Well done to Sam O'Neill who ran a strong race and qualified for the final of the U19 1500m held at the AIT Arena in Athlone last Sunday. O'Neill ran a decent 4.30 for the distance and will go faster with a few more races in his legs.
Christy Duffy ran a solid 13.03 for the 3k event at last Tuesday's Alsaa winter track league.
Congratulations to Pamela Howard on winning the ladies race in St Oliver's 5k road race in Dundalk last Saturday. Howard put her recent speed sessions to good use as she sped round the course in an eye opening 19.09.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted four of our members to run this challenging course. Laura Roche was our first finisher in 11th place in 22.28, a new Pb time for her.
Sinead McGuinness was next in 50th place in 27.04, with Donal Branigan 82nd in 35.40 and Audrey Corcoran 83rd in 37.03.
Club News 20th March 2017
Pat O'Grady wins team gold at World Masters Championships.
Drogheda and District member Pat O'Grady has just won a Gold medal at this year's World Masters Championships in Daegu, Korea.
Running as part of the Irish Men's cross country team,O'Grady put in a terrific run to finish 6th overall and second finisher on the Irish Team along with Tom O'Connor ( Liffey Valley) and Michael Cornyn ( Dunboyne ).
All three Irish lads combined well to hold off the Italian team who were second and the Korean team who won the bronze medals.
This really is a just reward for O'Grady who has put in months of self sacrifice and intense training to achieve his goal.
Medals at this level don't come easy and O'Grady's task was made all the more difficult as he was nursing a hamstring injury which had curtailed his preparations.
Nevertheless he produced the goods when it mattered the most, which is always the sign of a good athlete and delivered in spades on the day.
Fellow club athlete Mark O'Shea will be competing in the middle distance events later in the week and we wish him the best of luck.
While most people were heading off to see their local Parade on Saint Patrick's day, Stephen Kelly was racing round the streets of Balbriggan on his way to finishing runner up in the Balbriggan 10k road race.
Kelly, who was third in last week's Bohermeen 10k went one place better this time when finishing 2nd in 35.07.
A solid Winter's training has strengthened Kelly and he should record some fast times once he sharpens up in the coming weeks.
Kasia Reynolds ran 61.55 for the course and finished in 174th place.
In the longer Half Marathon event, Carmel Keenan raced well to finish 36th in 1.44.01.
Further back was Gerard Fay in 79th place in 1.58.49 and Sinead McGuinness 87th in 2.05.36.
Over 1200 runners took part in last Sunday's MSB 5k road race in Dublin.
Prolific racer Shane Larkin who's appetite for racing knows no bounds lost no time in making his way into the leading group and he was working hard to stay there.
Larkin was well rewarded for hanging in there as he finished 36th overall in 17.28 and third in his category.
Our second runner home was Joey Ryan who finished 230th in 21.58 with Liam Farrell further back in 301st in 23.01.
For our Ladies, Ciara O'Reilly raced well and had a solid run to finish in 20.23 on what many runners felt was a slightly long course which can happen sometimes.
Helen Dillon was our second finisher in 435th place in 25.24 with Siobhan Shortt back in 488th place in 26.13.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted seven of our members to test themselves against this quite challenging 5k cross country course.
Our first finisher this week was Brian Guilfoyle in 22.21, with Tony Corcoran in 24th place in 24.20 and David Thornton not far behind in 37th place in a solid 25.51.
Rose Dalton was our first lady finisher in 34.51 and Audrey Corcoran ran the course in 39.14.
Others who ran on the day were Donall Dunne and Donal Branigan.
Popular club member Suzanne McCabe was our sole entrant in the Lismullin NS 10k road race last Sunday.
McCabe, who's made a steady comeback after injury coped well with this rather hilly course and crossed the line in 50.53 which put her in 53rd place.
Marathon man Gerard Fay was in action at the weekend when he ran not one but two Marathons!
Fay ran 4.26 for the Tralee International Marathon on Saturday and incredibly ran 6.10 for a second Marathon the following day on the same course.
Drogheda and District member Pat O'Grady has just won a Gold medal at this year's World Masters Championships in Daegu, Korea.
Running as part of the Irish Men's cross country team,O'Grady put in a terrific run to finish 6th overall and second finisher on the Irish Team along with Tom O'Connor ( Liffey Valley) and Michael Cornyn ( Dunboyne ).
All three Irish lads combined well to hold off the Italian team who were second and the Korean team who won the bronze medals.
This really is a just reward for O'Grady who has put in months of self sacrifice and intense training to achieve his goal.
Medals at this level don't come easy and O'Grady's task was made all the more difficult as he was nursing a hamstring injury which had curtailed his preparations.
Nevertheless he produced the goods when it mattered the most, which is always the sign of a good athlete and delivered in spades on the day.
Fellow club athlete Mark O'Shea will be competing in the middle distance events later in the week and we wish him the best of luck.
While most people were heading off to see their local Parade on Saint Patrick's day, Stephen Kelly was racing round the streets of Balbriggan on his way to finishing runner up in the Balbriggan 10k road race.
Kelly, who was third in last week's Bohermeen 10k went one place better this time when finishing 2nd in 35.07.
A solid Winter's training has strengthened Kelly and he should record some fast times once he sharpens up in the coming weeks.
Kasia Reynolds ran 61.55 for the course and finished in 174th place.
In the longer Half Marathon event, Carmel Keenan raced well to finish 36th in 1.44.01.
Further back was Gerard Fay in 79th place in 1.58.49 and Sinead McGuinness 87th in 2.05.36.
Over 1200 runners took part in last Sunday's MSB 5k road race in Dublin.
Prolific racer Shane Larkin who's appetite for racing knows no bounds lost no time in making his way into the leading group and he was working hard to stay there.
Larkin was well rewarded for hanging in there as he finished 36th overall in 17.28 and third in his category.
Our second runner home was Joey Ryan who finished 230th in 21.58 with Liam Farrell further back in 301st in 23.01.
For our Ladies, Ciara O'Reilly raced well and had a solid run to finish in 20.23 on what many runners felt was a slightly long course which can happen sometimes.
Helen Dillon was our second finisher in 435th place in 25.24 with Siobhan Shortt back in 488th place in 26.13.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted seven of our members to test themselves against this quite challenging 5k cross country course.
Our first finisher this week was Brian Guilfoyle in 22.21, with Tony Corcoran in 24th place in 24.20 and David Thornton not far behind in 37th place in a solid 25.51.
Rose Dalton was our first lady finisher in 34.51 and Audrey Corcoran ran the course in 39.14.
Others who ran on the day were Donall Dunne and Donal Branigan.
Popular club member Suzanne McCabe was our sole entrant in the Lismullin NS 10k road race last Sunday.
McCabe, who's made a steady comeback after injury coped well with this rather hilly course and crossed the line in 50.53 which put her in 53rd place.
Marathon man Gerard Fay was in action at the weekend when he ran not one but two Marathons!
Fay ran 4.26 for the Tralee International Marathon on Saturday and incredibly ran 6.10 for a second Marathon the following day on the same course.
Club News 13th March 2017
With the cross country season well and truly over, quite a few of our athletes made the short journey to Bohermeen, County Meath to take part in this year's Meath Spring 10k and Half Marathon road races.
Conditions on the day were mild but the swirling wind was to make things difficult for the runners in the longer event run over two laps of an undulating circuit.
In the 10k race, Stephen Kelly produced a fine run to finish 3rd overall in a new Pb time of 34.34, with club mate Shane Larkin not far behind in 5th place in 35.34.
Paddy Murphy struggled a bit in the wind but still ran a solid 40.26 for the distance.
Roger Tegert won a first in category prize when finishing in 42nd place in 42.54.
Conor Cooney placed 2nd in his category with his run of 45.21 and should go well in the up coming Berlin Half Marathon.
For our ladies, first home was Gillian Fitzpatrick who couldn't stop smiling as she ran a new Pb time of 48.41.
Jane Glynn ran 51.20 and finished in 124th place.
In the Half Marathon, Colin Leonard ran a controlled race to finish in 83rd place overall in a fast 1.27.27 against some good opposition.
Next in was Gerry Mullins who was 242nd in a fine 1.37.32 with David Shiel who struggled on this occasion just behind in 1.37.56.
Club juvenile coach Paul Barrell ran well to finish in 1.47.19.
Niamh Matthews was our first lady finisher in 1.53.24, with Katja O'Shea a little further back in 1.55.40.
Also running were Theresa Eccles 2.07.59 and David Rothwell 1.58.37.
The legend that is Nuala Reilly made the long journey to the tiny village of Ballycotton in Cork for last Sunday's 10 mile road race.
Without a doubt this is Ireland's most popular 10 mile race and attracts a field of very high class runners over all the age categories.
Reilly was really up against it on this occasion as she was competing against Christine Kennedy who for many years was the star female athlete on the American road racing circuit.
Nevertheless, Reilly put in a fabulous run to cover the rather hilly and windswept course in a lively 1.13.51 to take second place in her category to Kennedy.
Also running in the men's race was David Walsh who finished 83rd in 59.15.
Well done to Tadgh Donnelly and Oliver Clutterbuck who competed in the All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championship last Saturday in Mallusk, Belfast.
Both athletes gave a good account of themselves against the very best juvenile runners in the country.
Donnelly ran well to finish 59th in the Intermediate Boys 5200m event.
Clutterbuck finished 59th in the Minor Boys 2500m race.
Brian Martin celebrated his 35th birthday and entering the Masters category by winning last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Martin, who's running very well at the moment raced round the challenging 5k course in an impressive 17.44.
Further back in 83rd place were Jos Haak who ran 35.10 and Donal Branigan who finished 88th in 36.07.
For our ladies, first home was Laura Roche in 19th place in 23.29 and not far behind was Edel Smith who was 40th in 25.54.
Kevin Clancy took a few minutes off work while in Westport and finished 3rd in the Parkrun there in a speedy 18.05 and is showing some good form for the road racing season ahead.
Jacqueline Gill had a solid run to finish 21st in the Louth Development 5k in Darver last Saturday.
Gill's finishing time of 24.55 earned her a first in category prize.
Conditions on the day were mild but the swirling wind was to make things difficult for the runners in the longer event run over two laps of an undulating circuit.
In the 10k race, Stephen Kelly produced a fine run to finish 3rd overall in a new Pb time of 34.34, with club mate Shane Larkin not far behind in 5th place in 35.34.
Paddy Murphy struggled a bit in the wind but still ran a solid 40.26 for the distance.
Roger Tegert won a first in category prize when finishing in 42nd place in 42.54.
Conor Cooney placed 2nd in his category with his run of 45.21 and should go well in the up coming Berlin Half Marathon.
For our ladies, first home was Gillian Fitzpatrick who couldn't stop smiling as she ran a new Pb time of 48.41.
Jane Glynn ran 51.20 and finished in 124th place.
In the Half Marathon, Colin Leonard ran a controlled race to finish in 83rd place overall in a fast 1.27.27 against some good opposition.
Next in was Gerry Mullins who was 242nd in a fine 1.37.32 with David Shiel who struggled on this occasion just behind in 1.37.56.
Club juvenile coach Paul Barrell ran well to finish in 1.47.19.
Niamh Matthews was our first lady finisher in 1.53.24, with Katja O'Shea a little further back in 1.55.40.
Also running were Theresa Eccles 2.07.59 and David Rothwell 1.58.37.
The legend that is Nuala Reilly made the long journey to the tiny village of Ballycotton in Cork for last Sunday's 10 mile road race.
Without a doubt this is Ireland's most popular 10 mile race and attracts a field of very high class runners over all the age categories.
Reilly was really up against it on this occasion as she was competing against Christine Kennedy who for many years was the star female athlete on the American road racing circuit.
Nevertheless, Reilly put in a fabulous run to cover the rather hilly and windswept course in a lively 1.13.51 to take second place in her category to Kennedy.
Also running in the men's race was David Walsh who finished 83rd in 59.15.
Well done to Tadgh Donnelly and Oliver Clutterbuck who competed in the All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championship last Saturday in Mallusk, Belfast.
Both athletes gave a good account of themselves against the very best juvenile runners in the country.
Donnelly ran well to finish 59th in the Intermediate Boys 5200m event.
Clutterbuck finished 59th in the Minor Boys 2500m race.
Brian Martin celebrated his 35th birthday and entering the Masters category by winning last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Martin, who's running very well at the moment raced round the challenging 5k course in an impressive 17.44.
Further back in 83rd place were Jos Haak who ran 35.10 and Donal Branigan who finished 88th in 36.07.
For our ladies, first home was Laura Roche in 19th place in 23.29 and not far behind was Edel Smith who was 40th in 25.54.
Kevin Clancy took a few minutes off work while in Westport and finished 3rd in the Parkrun there in a speedy 18.05 and is showing some good form for the road racing season ahead.
Jacqueline Gill had a solid run to finish 21st in the Louth Development 5k in Darver last Saturday.
Gill's finishing time of 24.55 earned her a first in category prize.
Club News 5th March 2017
Last Sunday saw some of Drogheda and District's finest track athletes travel to Athlone for the National Masters Indoor Track Championships.
The venue for this year's Championships was perfect for some fast running and our athletes didn't disappoint their supporters on the day.
First up in the shortest event of the day the 60 metres sprint were Frank Cruise and Karl Carton.
Cruise, who's running well at the moment ran a fine 8.66 to win the bronze medal and later in the day Cruise ran a perfect bend to finish 3rd in his 200m event in a fast 28.97.
Carton was unlucky not to medal in the 60m when finishing fourth in 8.05, but a few hours later had reason to smile as he claimed a National silver medal when finishing second in his 200m event in 26.31.
In the 400m, run over two laps, Roisin Coade ran a fine race but had to be content with fourth place on this occasion when finishing in 65.64 to some good class opposition.
Andrea McCabe went one place better when picking up a bronze medal in her W3 400m in 79.17.
Club sprint coach Gerry O'Connor ran well and finished 5th in his 400m event in a lively 60.44.
Kieran McGrath put in a terrific performance in his M1 800m race against some top class opposition. Going through the first lap in 65 seconds meant that this race was going to come down to a bunch sprint over the last 200m. Mcgrath wasn't found wanting when the questions were asked and he unleased a terrific sprint finish to win a silver medal in 2.04.39.
Running in the Men's 1500m races were Mark O'Shea and Shane Larkin. O'Shea normally runs the 800m event but decided to race the longer event to test his form for the up coming World Masters Championships in Seoul, Korea. O'Shea ran a perfect tactical race to win his event in a very fast 4.11, a mere one second off the national record.
Larkin, small in stature but huge in heart ran his usual gun to tape race and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 4.39 when finishing 5th in his race.
Our sole entrant in the ladies 1500m was Mary Leech who was up against some really useful national class runners. Leech is blessed with a tremendously fluid running style and a very astute tactical awareness which she needed on this occasion. This race really was nip and tuck all the way as the lead changed places several times between the leading runners which included Leech. With less than a lap to go, Leech put in a great effort to secure second place when crossing the line in a fast 4.48.77, less than a second behind the winner.
In the longest event of the day, the 3000m, Pamela Howard produced the goods when it mattered to finish 3rd in her W1 race in a fine 10.44 against some pretty tough opposition and she'll definitely run well on the roads this year.
Perhaps the race of the day was the rematch between Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly over the 3000m distance. Having lost out to Canning for a bronze medal at last week's Leinster Championships by a mere two seconds, this race was the one to see. With over twenty quality runners and a staggered start, getting round these 15 laps wasn't going to be easy. Once the gun went the race was on in earnest, as indoor track racing is all about taking up a good race position and defending it. Over the next twelve laps Canning and O'Reilly constantly overtook each other as they now occupied third and fourth places and the race for the precious medal was coming down to the wire.
Canning pushed hard with three laps to go and opened up a gap on O'Reilly which she held to the finish. Unfortunately Canning was passed by another athlete on the last lap and had to be content with fourth place on this occasion in a fine 11.20 with O'Reilly tiring but still running a solid 11.27 to finish fifth.
Well done to David Birch and Helga McDonnell who made the long journey to the Kinvara Half Marathon and 10k road race last Sunday.
Birch put in a solid performance to run the Half Marathon in 1.47.33, with McDonnell running 55.23 for the shorter 10k event.
Best of luck to Tadgh Donnelly and Oliver Clutterbuck who are taking part in the All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships in Mallusk this coming weekend.
Clutterbuck will run in the Minor event, with Donnelly running in the Intermediate race later in the day.
There were some fine performances by our athletes at last week's Oldbridge Parkrun. Stephen Kelly ran hard right from the gun and covered the ground really well as he raced round the course in a new Pb time of 17.37. Young Tadgh Donnelly,who is a real find for our club was next in 2nd place with Robbie Caffrey third in 19.26.
Others who ran included David Thornton 32nd in 27.23 and Dominic Fagan 52nd in 31.38.
Our ladies were represented by Trish Stuart and Jacinta Kenneally who both ran well.
The venue for this year's Championships was perfect for some fast running and our athletes didn't disappoint their supporters on the day.
First up in the shortest event of the day the 60 metres sprint were Frank Cruise and Karl Carton.
Cruise, who's running well at the moment ran a fine 8.66 to win the bronze medal and later in the day Cruise ran a perfect bend to finish 3rd in his 200m event in a fast 28.97.
Carton was unlucky not to medal in the 60m when finishing fourth in 8.05, but a few hours later had reason to smile as he claimed a National silver medal when finishing second in his 200m event in 26.31.
In the 400m, run over two laps, Roisin Coade ran a fine race but had to be content with fourth place on this occasion when finishing in 65.64 to some good class opposition.
Andrea McCabe went one place better when picking up a bronze medal in her W3 400m in 79.17.
Club sprint coach Gerry O'Connor ran well and finished 5th in his 400m event in a lively 60.44.
Kieran McGrath put in a terrific performance in his M1 800m race against some top class opposition. Going through the first lap in 65 seconds meant that this race was going to come down to a bunch sprint over the last 200m. Mcgrath wasn't found wanting when the questions were asked and he unleased a terrific sprint finish to win a silver medal in 2.04.39.
Running in the Men's 1500m races were Mark O'Shea and Shane Larkin. O'Shea normally runs the 800m event but decided to race the longer event to test his form for the up coming World Masters Championships in Seoul, Korea. O'Shea ran a perfect tactical race to win his event in a very fast 4.11, a mere one second off the national record.
Larkin, small in stature but huge in heart ran his usual gun to tape race and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 4.39 when finishing 5th in his race.
Our sole entrant in the ladies 1500m was Mary Leech who was up against some really useful national class runners. Leech is blessed with a tremendously fluid running style and a very astute tactical awareness which she needed on this occasion. This race really was nip and tuck all the way as the lead changed places several times between the leading runners which included Leech. With less than a lap to go, Leech put in a great effort to secure second place when crossing the line in a fast 4.48.77, less than a second behind the winner.
In the longest event of the day, the 3000m, Pamela Howard produced the goods when it mattered to finish 3rd in her W1 race in a fine 10.44 against some pretty tough opposition and she'll definitely run well on the roads this year.
Perhaps the race of the day was the rematch between Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly over the 3000m distance. Having lost out to Canning for a bronze medal at last week's Leinster Championships by a mere two seconds, this race was the one to see. With over twenty quality runners and a staggered start, getting round these 15 laps wasn't going to be easy. Once the gun went the race was on in earnest, as indoor track racing is all about taking up a good race position and defending it. Over the next twelve laps Canning and O'Reilly constantly overtook each other as they now occupied third and fourth places and the race for the precious medal was coming down to the wire.
Canning pushed hard with three laps to go and opened up a gap on O'Reilly which she held to the finish. Unfortunately Canning was passed by another athlete on the last lap and had to be content with fourth place on this occasion in a fine 11.20 with O'Reilly tiring but still running a solid 11.27 to finish fifth.
Well done to David Birch and Helga McDonnell who made the long journey to the Kinvara Half Marathon and 10k road race last Sunday.
Birch put in a solid performance to run the Half Marathon in 1.47.33, with McDonnell running 55.23 for the shorter 10k event.
Best of luck to Tadgh Donnelly and Oliver Clutterbuck who are taking part in the All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships in Mallusk this coming weekend.
Clutterbuck will run in the Minor event, with Donnelly running in the Intermediate race later in the day.
There were some fine performances by our athletes at last week's Oldbridge Parkrun. Stephen Kelly ran hard right from the gun and covered the ground really well as he raced round the course in a new Pb time of 17.37. Young Tadgh Donnelly,who is a real find for our club was next in 2nd place with Robbie Caffrey third in 19.26.
Others who ran included David Thornton 32nd in 27.23 and Dominic Fagan 52nd in 31.38.
Our ladies were represented by Trish Stuart and Jacinta Kenneally who both ran well.
Club News 26th February 2017
Last Weekend's Leinster Senior and Masters Indoor Track Championships held in Abbotstown proved to be a happy hunting ground for some of our athletes.
The last three months have been all about peaking for these events.
Mary Leech and Kieran McGrath both chose to run out of their age groups and took part in the Senior races as they sharpen up for next week's National Championships.
Leech ran a very fine 4 minutes 50 seconds when finishing 6th in her 1500m race, despite being boxed in at the start.
McGrath, who's having a great early season ran a terrific race to finish 6th in his 800m in a new indoor Pb of 2.00.82.
Orla O'Connor had a great day at the office as she finished 3rd in her Senior Ladies 800m in 2.17, the race was won by Ciara Mageehan who's run in the Rio Olympics.
A short time later, O'Connor produced a great run to win silver in her 400m race in a speedy 60.79 seconds.
In the longest event of the day, the ladies 3000m, Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly had a terrific battle as they both fought it out for the bronze medal over 15 laps of the 200m track.
it really was nip and tuck all the way, with Canning only opening a small 2 seconds gap on the last lap which she held to the finish when crossing the line in 11 minutes 20 seconds, a new indoor Pb by 6 seconds.
O'Reilly also ran a new Pb time for the distance.
Frank Cruise did a treble of sorts when winning his O55 200m race against some pretty good opposition.
Earlier in the day Cruise had finished 2nd in his 60m and 400m events.
Also doing the double was Roisin Coade who was second in her 200m in a fast 29 seconds and later in the day she won another silver medal in her 400m event in 65.9.
Fellow sprinter Karl Carton ran well to get up for 2nd place in his 60m.
Andrew Kelly scorched round the track to run a lively 24.2 for his 200m event and just missed out on making the final by a mere tenth of a second.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan who ran a fast 55.25 for his Senior men's 400m race.
Gerry O'Connor, the sprint coach ran a solid 60 seconds dead when finishing fourth in his race.
Athletics Leinster, Juvenile Indoor Track and Field Championships,
National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
Well done to all who took part in the Leinsters at the NIA last Saturday, in particular Sam O'Neill who picked
up another championship medal when finishing second in his 1500m race against good class opposition.
Young Tadgh Donnelly also had a great run to finish fifth in his 1500m race in a fast 4.30.34.
Our Juveniles were competing in four of the sprint relays, some of them running in their first competitive race for the club.
U19 Boys 1500m
2 Sam O'Neill 4.23.52
U16 Boys 1500m
5 Tadgh Donnelly 4.30.34
U16 Girls 1500m
11 Abigail Tegart 5.52.43
14 Moya McCabe 6.02.07
U18 Girls 4x200m
Heat 1
Drogheda & District AC 2.13.40
U17 Girls 4x200m
Drogheda & District AC 2.12.46.
Duleek and District 5k.
A torrential burst of rain just before the start of this year's race failed to dampen the spirits of our latest couch 2 5k crew who were taking part in their first 5k race.
Our first time racer's were in great shape and well motivated by lead coach Colin Cuffe who's done a great job in preparing this group in excess of forty runners.
Despite the swirling wind all of our participants got round the course in no real distress and have promised to come back for more!
At the sharp end of the field, a great battle was taking place between the pocket rocket Shane Larkin and Brian Martin.
Coming into the home straight with both runners shoulder to shoulder, Larkin unleashed his trademark sprint finish to open up a slight gap and come home 3 seconds clear of Martin in a fine 17.28, good enough for 6th place overall.
With Martin 7th in 17.30 and Colm Reilly 19th in 18.38, our Men's team finished in 3rd place in the team category.
Colin Leonard had a fine run to finish 26th in 19.12 given that he had raced a 5k the previous day.
Category prize winners included Nuala Reilly who finished 3rd overall in the Ladies race and Conor Cooney who won his Men's O60 category.
Martin Russell was 2nd in his category in 22.18 and Mike Staunton 3rd in 23.48.
Well done to our training buddy Barry Donovan who finished 2nd overall in a speedy 16.10.
Fitzer's Rehab 5k Dundalk.
Stephen Floyd had the run of the day at last Saturday's 5k road race.
Floyd ran hard and fast right from the gun and was rewarded with his first sub 19 minutes time for this distance.
Some other good performances came from :
10 Colm Reilly 00:18:23
12 John Reilly 00:18:25
17 Colin Leonard 00:18:51
18 Stephen Floyd 00:18:54
58 Declan Macmahon 00:21:48
71 Ron Knowles 00:22:12
139 Siobhan Redmond 00:26:25
154 Sharon Finn 00:27:2.
Little Athletics:
A small but brand new and important chapter in DDAC's history took place last Saturday morning, with our first ever little athletes training session taking place in Congress Avenue school. Here's hoping it's a successful chapter for the kids and the club. We can't wait to see the first of our 8-11 year olds lining up in club colours once they are ready in a couple of months time. Exciting times!
The last three months have been all about peaking for these events.
Mary Leech and Kieran McGrath both chose to run out of their age groups and took part in the Senior races as they sharpen up for next week's National Championships.
Leech ran a very fine 4 minutes 50 seconds when finishing 6th in her 1500m race, despite being boxed in at the start.
McGrath, who's having a great early season ran a terrific race to finish 6th in his 800m in a new indoor Pb of 2.00.82.
Orla O'Connor had a great day at the office as she finished 3rd in her Senior Ladies 800m in 2.17, the race was won by Ciara Mageehan who's run in the Rio Olympics.
A short time later, O'Connor produced a great run to win silver in her 400m race in a speedy 60.79 seconds.
In the longest event of the day, the ladies 3000m, Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly had a terrific battle as they both fought it out for the bronze medal over 15 laps of the 200m track.
it really was nip and tuck all the way, with Canning only opening a small 2 seconds gap on the last lap which she held to the finish when crossing the line in 11 minutes 20 seconds, a new indoor Pb by 6 seconds.
O'Reilly also ran a new Pb time for the distance.
Frank Cruise did a treble of sorts when winning his O55 200m race against some pretty good opposition.
Earlier in the day Cruise had finished 2nd in his 60m and 400m events.
Also doing the double was Roisin Coade who was second in her 200m in a fast 29 seconds and later in the day she won another silver medal in her 400m event in 65.9.
Fellow sprinter Karl Carton ran well to get up for 2nd place in his 60m.
Andrew Kelly scorched round the track to run a lively 24.2 for his 200m event and just missed out on making the final by a mere tenth of a second.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan who ran a fast 55.25 for his Senior men's 400m race.
Gerry O'Connor, the sprint coach ran a solid 60 seconds dead when finishing fourth in his race.
Athletics Leinster, Juvenile Indoor Track and Field Championships,
National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
Well done to all who took part in the Leinsters at the NIA last Saturday, in particular Sam O'Neill who picked
up another championship medal when finishing second in his 1500m race against good class opposition.
Young Tadgh Donnelly also had a great run to finish fifth in his 1500m race in a fast 4.30.34.
Our Juveniles were competing in four of the sprint relays, some of them running in their first competitive race for the club.
U19 Boys 1500m
2 Sam O'Neill 4.23.52
U16 Boys 1500m
5 Tadgh Donnelly 4.30.34
U16 Girls 1500m
11 Abigail Tegart 5.52.43
14 Moya McCabe 6.02.07
U18 Girls 4x200m
Heat 1
Drogheda & District AC 2.13.40
U17 Girls 4x200m
Drogheda & District AC 2.12.46.
Duleek and District 5k.
A torrential burst of rain just before the start of this year's race failed to dampen the spirits of our latest couch 2 5k crew who were taking part in their first 5k race.
Our first time racer's were in great shape and well motivated by lead coach Colin Cuffe who's done a great job in preparing this group in excess of forty runners.
Despite the swirling wind all of our participants got round the course in no real distress and have promised to come back for more!
At the sharp end of the field, a great battle was taking place between the pocket rocket Shane Larkin and Brian Martin.
Coming into the home straight with both runners shoulder to shoulder, Larkin unleashed his trademark sprint finish to open up a slight gap and come home 3 seconds clear of Martin in a fine 17.28, good enough for 6th place overall.
With Martin 7th in 17.30 and Colm Reilly 19th in 18.38, our Men's team finished in 3rd place in the team category.
Colin Leonard had a fine run to finish 26th in 19.12 given that he had raced a 5k the previous day.
Category prize winners included Nuala Reilly who finished 3rd overall in the Ladies race and Conor Cooney who won his Men's O60 category.
Martin Russell was 2nd in his category in 22.18 and Mike Staunton 3rd in 23.48.
Well done to our training buddy Barry Donovan who finished 2nd overall in a speedy 16.10.
Fitzer's Rehab 5k Dundalk.
Stephen Floyd had the run of the day at last Saturday's 5k road race.
Floyd ran hard and fast right from the gun and was rewarded with his first sub 19 minutes time for this distance.
Some other good performances came from :
10 Colm Reilly 00:18:23
12 John Reilly 00:18:25
17 Colin Leonard 00:18:51
18 Stephen Floyd 00:18:54
58 Declan Macmahon 00:21:48
71 Ron Knowles 00:22:12
139 Siobhan Redmond 00:26:25
154 Sharon Finn 00:27:2.
Little Athletics:
A small but brand new and important chapter in DDAC's history took place last Saturday morning, with our first ever little athletes training session taking place in Congress Avenue school. Here's hoping it's a successful chapter for the kids and the club. We can't wait to see the first of our 8-11 year olds lining up in club colours once they are ready in a couple of months time. Exciting times!
Club News 12th February 2017
Last Sunday saw Drogheda and District's leading lady athletes make the long journey to Waterford for the National Masters Cross Country Championships.
Conditions on the day were extremely harsh with a biting wind which never seemed to be on the runner's back.
This year's course could only be described as challenging to say the least with a seriously steep hill to be climbed on each of the three laps.
Once the gun went, Pamela Howard lost no time in taking up a position in the leading pack and although the pace was fierce she was determined to stay there.
Running like a woman possessed, Howard stuck gamely to her task, running side by side with many national class athletes, including former Dublin Marathon winner Pauline Curley.
Howard crossed the line a very tired but happy runner as she finished 3rd in her W35 category and 10th overall.
Backed up by the strong running Mary Leech who was 25th and Yasmin Canning having a great run further back in 46th place, things were looking good in the team placings.
Our fourth finisher was Ciara O'Reilly who struggled a bit on the day, as can happen, but her solid 70th place finish ensured that our club team finished in a very fine 5th place.
The trio of Howard, Leech and Canning combined well with Dunleer's Karen Costello to win the bronze medals for third county team.
In the Men's race, Pat O'Grady was unlucky not to take home a bronze medal as he just lost out in a sprint finish for third place in his M55 category against some very good opposition.
Likewise, Nuala Reilly also finished in the dreaded fourth place but as always delivered an honest run on the day.
Young Tadgh Donnelly produced the run of the day when he ran a superb race to come home winner of the U15 Boys title in the All Ireland B Cross Country Championships held earlier in the day.
Donnelly is a real find for our club and this really was a sparkling run from one so new to athletics.
Cormac Canning also produced a strong run when finishing 11th in the U17 Boys despite being a year out of his age group.
There were some good performances from our Juvenile athletes at Last Sunday's Leinster Indoor Championships held in Athlone.
Competing well but more importantly gaining valuable experience were Ben Egan and Harry Caffrey who took part in the 200m, with Caffrey also competing in the long jump for the first time.
The previous day, Oliver Clutterbuck finished a fine 7th place in his first outing over 800m.
Robbie Caffrey was also 7th in his U18 800m and Lauren Hussey Smith was 5th in her first race over the 60m distance.
A large number of our Athletes took part in this year's Erin's run held in Termonfechin last Saturday.
First male runner home in 3rd place was Brian Martin in a fine 17:04.
Not far behind was the pocket rocket Shane Larkin who was fourth in 17:18.
The run of the day belonged to Stephen Floyd who ran a very well judged race to finish 9th overall in a fast 19:18.
Also running well were Rob Power, Jackser Reilly and Stephen Geraghty.
For our ladies, first home was young Abi Tegert who ran a fine 21:55 for the distance.
Others who ran well included Edel Victory, Siobhan Shortt and Mary Toner.
Nuala Reilly won her category and came 21st overall at last Friday's BHAA Garda Cross Country race in the Phoenix Park.
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun David Birch had reason to smile as he recorded a new Pb time of 22:28 when finishing 14th overall.
First home for our ladies was Laura Roche who finished in 29th place in 23:44.
Popular club member Mary McGreehan, who coaches our fit for youth section made a welcome return to racing when finishing 32nd in 24:26.
Erin Mchugh produced a fine run when finishing 23rd in the Malahide Parkrun in a new Pb time of 19:48.
Conditions on the day were extremely harsh with a biting wind which never seemed to be on the runner's back.
This year's course could only be described as challenging to say the least with a seriously steep hill to be climbed on each of the three laps.
Once the gun went, Pamela Howard lost no time in taking up a position in the leading pack and although the pace was fierce she was determined to stay there.
Running like a woman possessed, Howard stuck gamely to her task, running side by side with many national class athletes, including former Dublin Marathon winner Pauline Curley.
Howard crossed the line a very tired but happy runner as she finished 3rd in her W35 category and 10th overall.
Backed up by the strong running Mary Leech who was 25th and Yasmin Canning having a great run further back in 46th place, things were looking good in the team placings.
Our fourth finisher was Ciara O'Reilly who struggled a bit on the day, as can happen, but her solid 70th place finish ensured that our club team finished in a very fine 5th place.
The trio of Howard, Leech and Canning combined well with Dunleer's Karen Costello to win the bronze medals for third county team.
In the Men's race, Pat O'Grady was unlucky not to take home a bronze medal as he just lost out in a sprint finish for third place in his M55 category against some very good opposition.
Likewise, Nuala Reilly also finished in the dreaded fourth place but as always delivered an honest run on the day.
Young Tadgh Donnelly produced the run of the day when he ran a superb race to come home winner of the U15 Boys title in the All Ireland B Cross Country Championships held earlier in the day.
Donnelly is a real find for our club and this really was a sparkling run from one so new to athletics.
Cormac Canning also produced a strong run when finishing 11th in the U17 Boys despite being a year out of his age group.
There were some good performances from our Juvenile athletes at Last Sunday's Leinster Indoor Championships held in Athlone.
Competing well but more importantly gaining valuable experience were Ben Egan and Harry Caffrey who took part in the 200m, with Caffrey also competing in the long jump for the first time.
The previous day, Oliver Clutterbuck finished a fine 7th place in his first outing over 800m.
Robbie Caffrey was also 7th in his U18 800m and Lauren Hussey Smith was 5th in her first race over the 60m distance.
A large number of our Athletes took part in this year's Erin's run held in Termonfechin last Saturday.
First male runner home in 3rd place was Brian Martin in a fine 17:04.
Not far behind was the pocket rocket Shane Larkin who was fourth in 17:18.
The run of the day belonged to Stephen Floyd who ran a very well judged race to finish 9th overall in a fast 19:18.
Also running well were Rob Power, Jackser Reilly and Stephen Geraghty.
For our ladies, first home was young Abi Tegert who ran a fine 21:55 for the distance.
Others who ran well included Edel Victory, Siobhan Shortt and Mary Toner.
Nuala Reilly won her category and came 21st overall at last Friday's BHAA Garda Cross Country race in the Phoenix Park.
At last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun David Birch had reason to smile as he recorded a new Pb time of 22:28 when finishing 14th overall.
First home for our ladies was Laura Roche who finished in 29th place in 23:44.
Popular club member Mary McGreehan, who coaches our fit for youth section made a welcome return to racing when finishing 32nd in 24:26.
Erin Mchugh produced a fine run when finishing 23rd in the Malahide Parkrun in a new Pb time of 19:48.
Club News 5th February 2017
A beautiful Spring day greeted the runners as they lined up for this year's Ras Na hEireann which was held on the magnificent Oldbridge estate.
This year's course stayed in the lower fields which made for perfect viewing for the many spectators who attended this very popular event.
In the Ladies 3k race, run over two laps, Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly were well positioned as the leading runners made their way out onto the last lap.
Canning, who's now reaping the rewards of her Marathon training put in a strong last 400m to win her category.
O'Reilly passed two of her opponents on the run in to secure second in the Ladies O40 race.
Others who ran well included Barbara Byrne, Edel Smith and Jane Glynn.
In the Men's Senior race which was run over 6k, D&D's team of Stephen Kelly, Shane Larkin, Robbie Caffrey and Pat O'Grady packed well to finish second in the team event.
Kelly had a sparkling run to finish fourth overall and also won the M40 category.
Other category prize winners included Shane Larkin, third in the M40, and Paddy Murphy who ran well to take third place in the M50 section.
Colm Reilly, John Hough and Roger Tegert also put in good performances but didn't figure in the placings on this occasion.
The future of our club, our Juvenile athletes had a good day at the office with our U17 girls team of Abiligail Tegert, Moya McCabe, Kate O'Reilly and Mags Kafe winning gold in the team event.
In the Boys U17 race, young Tadgh Donnelly who is a real find for our club put in a great run to win the race in fine style with Cormac Canning who's recovering from a throat infection further back in second place.
Last Sunday saw over twenty of our members make the short trip to Trim, County Meath for the annual running of their very popular 10 mile road race.
Conditions on the day were perfect for distance running with little or no wind but the temperature on the start line was a chilly zero degrees.
With over 1300 participants in this year's race, category prizes weren't going to come easy.
Colin Leonard, who's only recently joined the club showed us what he's capable of when he crossed the line in a fast 1.04.49 with no visible distress.
David Shiel, who's coming into form ran a solid 1.08.33 with Jackser Reilly next in 1.13.10.
Conor Cooney and Frank McCarthy both used their experience to cover the course well and should go well in the up coming Berin Half Marathon which they've entered.
It's hard to put into words just how good Nuala Reilly's run was yesterday.
O' Reilly, who's enthusiasm for running knows no bounds, stormed up the hills on the back section of the course and finished strongly to record 1.12.29 for the distance.
O'Reilly's time was not only good enough for her to win her O60 category but was also a faster winning time than the O50 Ladies winner.
Michelle Hughes ran a controlled race to finish in 1.13.11 and couldn't stop smiling afterwards.
Others who ran well included Carmel Keenan 1.18.29, Niamh Matthews 1.26.01 and Joanne Weston 1.29.03.
There were some top class performances by our members at the AAI Indoor Games which were held at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.
These National class events are vital for our athletes as its here that they are testing themselves against the best that Ireland has to offer.
Mark O'Shea continues to shine as he won his heat of the 800m in a fast 2.02.35 against some good class opposition.
Orla O'Connor also raced well and finished a strong second in 2.22.52.
Pamela Howard, who's made a very sensible come back from injury ran an eye opening 10.42 for her 3000m race, a welcome return to form and well deserved.
Mary Leech also put down a good early season marker when running a fast 4.53.12 for her 1500m race.
In the shorter 400m event, Hugh Callan had a superb run to finish second in his race in a sparkling time of 55.08.
Gerry O'Connor ran a solid race to finish fourth in his 400m race in 1.01.32.
In the longest event of the day, the Men's 3000m, young Sam O'Neill ran a useful 9.38.50 and gained valuable experience for the future.
Well done to popular club member Gerry Mulins who ran in the John Treacy 10 mile road race in Dungarvan last Sunday.
Mullins, who's still recovering from his recent Marathon run in Florida ran 73.55 for the distance.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly won her category at last Saturday's BHAA Garda cross country race held in the Phoenix Park.
This year's course stayed in the lower fields which made for perfect viewing for the many spectators who attended this very popular event.
In the Ladies 3k race, run over two laps, Yasmin Canning and Ciara O'Reilly were well positioned as the leading runners made their way out onto the last lap.
Canning, who's now reaping the rewards of her Marathon training put in a strong last 400m to win her category.
O'Reilly passed two of her opponents on the run in to secure second in the Ladies O40 race.
Others who ran well included Barbara Byrne, Edel Smith and Jane Glynn.
In the Men's Senior race which was run over 6k, D&D's team of Stephen Kelly, Shane Larkin, Robbie Caffrey and Pat O'Grady packed well to finish second in the team event.
Kelly had a sparkling run to finish fourth overall and also won the M40 category.
Other category prize winners included Shane Larkin, third in the M40, and Paddy Murphy who ran well to take third place in the M50 section.
Colm Reilly, John Hough and Roger Tegert also put in good performances but didn't figure in the placings on this occasion.
The future of our club, our Juvenile athletes had a good day at the office with our U17 girls team of Abiligail Tegert, Moya McCabe, Kate O'Reilly and Mags Kafe winning gold in the team event.
In the Boys U17 race, young Tadgh Donnelly who is a real find for our club put in a great run to win the race in fine style with Cormac Canning who's recovering from a throat infection further back in second place.
Last Sunday saw over twenty of our members make the short trip to Trim, County Meath for the annual running of their very popular 10 mile road race.
Conditions on the day were perfect for distance running with little or no wind but the temperature on the start line was a chilly zero degrees.
With over 1300 participants in this year's race, category prizes weren't going to come easy.
Colin Leonard, who's only recently joined the club showed us what he's capable of when he crossed the line in a fast 1.04.49 with no visible distress.
David Shiel, who's coming into form ran a solid 1.08.33 with Jackser Reilly next in 1.13.10.
Conor Cooney and Frank McCarthy both used their experience to cover the course well and should go well in the up coming Berin Half Marathon which they've entered.
It's hard to put into words just how good Nuala Reilly's run was yesterday.
O' Reilly, who's enthusiasm for running knows no bounds, stormed up the hills on the back section of the course and finished strongly to record 1.12.29 for the distance.
O'Reilly's time was not only good enough for her to win her O60 category but was also a faster winning time than the O50 Ladies winner.
Michelle Hughes ran a controlled race to finish in 1.13.11 and couldn't stop smiling afterwards.
Others who ran well included Carmel Keenan 1.18.29, Niamh Matthews 1.26.01 and Joanne Weston 1.29.03.
There were some top class performances by our members at the AAI Indoor Games which were held at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.
These National class events are vital for our athletes as its here that they are testing themselves against the best that Ireland has to offer.
Mark O'Shea continues to shine as he won his heat of the 800m in a fast 2.02.35 against some good class opposition.
Orla O'Connor also raced well and finished a strong second in 2.22.52.
Pamela Howard, who's made a very sensible come back from injury ran an eye opening 10.42 for her 3000m race, a welcome return to form and well deserved.
Mary Leech also put down a good early season marker when running a fast 4.53.12 for her 1500m race.
In the shorter 400m event, Hugh Callan had a superb run to finish second in his race in a sparkling time of 55.08.
Gerry O'Connor ran a solid race to finish fourth in his 400m race in 1.01.32.
In the longest event of the day, the Men's 3000m, young Sam O'Neill ran a useful 9.38.50 and gained valuable experience for the future.
Well done to popular club member Gerry Mulins who ran in the John Treacy 10 mile road race in Dungarvan last Sunday.
Mullins, who's still recovering from his recent Marathon run in Florida ran 73.55 for the distance.
Prolific racer Nuala Reilly won her category at last Saturday's BHAA Garda cross country race held in the Phoenix Park.
Club News 29th January 2017
Last Sunday's Raheny 5 mile road race attracted a field of almost four thousand runners to toe the line for one of the best organised races in Ireland.
More than sixty of our members took part in this year's event and conditions on the day were cold and wet.
Getting a good start is vital in this event which has a couple of very tight corners to be negotiated early on and is not for the faint hearted.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin had the run of the day when finishing in 75th place overall in a fast 28.07.
Larkin ran hard in a controlled way from gun to tape to finish just ahead of Catherina McKieran who's making a comeback to Irish Athletics.
Stephen Duggan was next home in 152nd place in 29.30, with Ruaidhri Nolan not far behind in 29.50.
One man who had reason to smile was popular club member Paddy Murphy who took a massive 40 seconds off his Pb time when finishing in 31.44.
Like his club mate Larkin, Murphy is small in stature but huge in heart and really put the work in to get this great result.
Other good performances on the day came from David Shiel 32.15, Rob Power 33.31, and Stephen Floyd 33.10.
For our ladies, first home was prolific racer Nuala Reilly who ran a fine 35.38 for the distance and yet finished in 676th place such was the standard.
Yvonne McMahon had a solid run to finish in 38.28 with Kerry Tully not far behind in 38.50.
New club captain Jane Glynn ran 42.48 and was closely followed by Edel Smith in 42.50.
Others who ran well included Sinead Shaw, Ellen O'Connor and Martina O'Connor Dyas.
There were some very encouraging early season performances at last Saturday's AIT National League Round 2 in Athlone.
New Irish Master's record holder Mark O'Shea had a thrilling race with club mate Kieran McGrath and at the finish McGrath just pipped O'Shea by a mere four one hundreth's of a second in 2.02.82 to 2.02.86.
Orla O'Connor showed that she's wintered well when finishing fifth in her heat in a fast 2.20.95.
Mary Leech put in a fine early season run on the boards when placing eighth in her heat in 4.53.7.
Some of our Sprint group members went very well with Hugh Callan running a fast 55.23 for third place in his heat of the 400m.
Gerry O'Connor ran well and finished fifth in his heat in 60.58.
In the shorter 200m event, Frank Cruise ran 29.76 when finishing third in his race and Andrea McCabe placed fourth in her event in 33.9.
Some of our Juvenile members were in action last Friday at the North Leinster Schools Cross Country in ALSAA.
Those who qualified for the Leinster Schools CC were Oliver Clutterbuck who finished fifth in the Minor Boys 1500m and Tadgh Donnelly 9th in the Inter Boys 4500m.
Donnelly and fellow club mate Ben Egan who finished 54th were running a year out of their age group.
Sam O'Neill also qualified when he finished 12th in the Senior Boys 5500m, with Robbie Caffrey in 18th place and Sonny Doyle in 30th place.
Some other good performances were Kate O'Reilly 20th in the Junior Girls 2500m, with Moya McCabe 23rd and Una McGreehan O'Grady 57th.
Lee McGuinness got his indoor season off to a good start when placing second in his heat at the National Juniors Last Sunday.
Running at the AIT Arena in Athlone, his time of 23.06 just missed out on a place in the final.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw two of our members record new Pb times for this challenging 5k course.
David Birch ran well to finish 14th in 23:08, while Deirdre Kennedy ran 31:06 for the course and finished in 81st place.
Aimee Corcoran won the ladies race when finishing 19th overall in 23:41.
First home for our men this week was Tony Corcoran who finished 9th overall in 22:39.
More than sixty of our members took part in this year's event and conditions on the day were cold and wet.
Getting a good start is vital in this event which has a couple of very tight corners to be negotiated early on and is not for the faint hearted.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin had the run of the day when finishing in 75th place overall in a fast 28.07.
Larkin ran hard in a controlled way from gun to tape to finish just ahead of Catherina McKieran who's making a comeback to Irish Athletics.
Stephen Duggan was next home in 152nd place in 29.30, with Ruaidhri Nolan not far behind in 29.50.
One man who had reason to smile was popular club member Paddy Murphy who took a massive 40 seconds off his Pb time when finishing in 31.44.
Like his club mate Larkin, Murphy is small in stature but huge in heart and really put the work in to get this great result.
Other good performances on the day came from David Shiel 32.15, Rob Power 33.31, and Stephen Floyd 33.10.
For our ladies, first home was prolific racer Nuala Reilly who ran a fine 35.38 for the distance and yet finished in 676th place such was the standard.
Yvonne McMahon had a solid run to finish in 38.28 with Kerry Tully not far behind in 38.50.
New club captain Jane Glynn ran 42.48 and was closely followed by Edel Smith in 42.50.
Others who ran well included Sinead Shaw, Ellen O'Connor and Martina O'Connor Dyas.
There were some very encouraging early season performances at last Saturday's AIT National League Round 2 in Athlone.
New Irish Master's record holder Mark O'Shea had a thrilling race with club mate Kieran McGrath and at the finish McGrath just pipped O'Shea by a mere four one hundreth's of a second in 2.02.82 to 2.02.86.
Orla O'Connor showed that she's wintered well when finishing fifth in her heat in a fast 2.20.95.
Mary Leech put in a fine early season run on the boards when placing eighth in her heat in 4.53.7.
Some of our Sprint group members went very well with Hugh Callan running a fast 55.23 for third place in his heat of the 400m.
Gerry O'Connor ran well and finished fifth in his heat in 60.58.
In the shorter 200m event, Frank Cruise ran 29.76 when finishing third in his race and Andrea McCabe placed fourth in her event in 33.9.
Some of our Juvenile members were in action last Friday at the North Leinster Schools Cross Country in ALSAA.
Those who qualified for the Leinster Schools CC were Oliver Clutterbuck who finished fifth in the Minor Boys 1500m and Tadgh Donnelly 9th in the Inter Boys 4500m.
Donnelly and fellow club mate Ben Egan who finished 54th were running a year out of their age group.
Sam O'Neill also qualified when he finished 12th in the Senior Boys 5500m, with Robbie Caffrey in 18th place and Sonny Doyle in 30th place.
Some other good performances were Kate O'Reilly 20th in the Junior Girls 2500m, with Moya McCabe 23rd and Una McGreehan O'Grady 57th.
Lee McGuinness got his indoor season off to a good start when placing second in his heat at the National Juniors Last Sunday.
Running at the AIT Arena in Athlone, his time of 23.06 just missed out on a place in the final.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw two of our members record new Pb times for this challenging 5k course.
David Birch ran well to finish 14th in 23:08, while Deirdre Kennedy ran 31:06 for the course and finished in 81st place.
Aimee Corcoran won the ladies race when finishing 19th overall in 23:41.
First home for our men this week was Tony Corcoran who finished 9th overall in 22:39.
Club News 22nd January 2017
Last weekend proved to be a quiet one on the racing front for Drogheda and District as most of our members are running the Raheny 5 mile road race this coming Sunday.
This is the 33rd running of this event which was founded by two time Irish Olympian Pat Hooper. Hooper in his day was a top class Marathon runner and he always manages to attract some big names to this race which has huge standing among Irish club runners.
With the heavy Winter miles beginning to ease up a little, next week's race should let the club coaches know who has Wintered well and is in the mix for selection for the up coming National Masters Cross Country Championships.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly, two of Irish running's most prolific racer's were in action at the weekend.
A cold frosty morning greeted the dynamic duo as they lined up for the BHAA 5 mile cross country race held in Cherryfield, Dublin.
The course was in great condition which allowed for some fast running and Reilly lost no time in making her presence known in the leading pack.
The next two miles were all about hard sustained running and Reilly didn't disappoint as she crossed the line to win her category in the ladies two mile event.
Conor Cooney is showing the benefits of his consistent training sessions in Meadowview, Cooney produced a very solid run to record 35:40 for the distance, good running over the country. Cooney will be entering a new age category soon and will be well up there will the sharp racer's.
Also running were Gerry Mullins and Duxie Dunne, these three combined well to take second prize in the team category.
The Winter series of track races held at the ALSAA Complex in Dublin tempted two of our members to run.
Competing in last Wednesday's 3000m race were Frank Brady and Christy Duffy.
This venue tends to be rather windswept and times are normally slowed by the prevailing winds.
Nevertheless, Duffy put in a good performance to record 12:36 for the distance, with Brady who wasn't having a good run further back in 13:03.
It wouldn't be Saturday without the Oldbridge Park Run.
This very popular event continues to attract many of our members to tackle the challenging 5k cross country course.
Linda Cruise and Elva Maree both had reason to smile as they ran new Pb times for the course.
Cruise ran a nice 25:08 while Maree ran 25:31.
Also running on the day were Patrick Ward, our first finisher in 23:03 and Laura Roche who ran 24:37.
This is the 33rd running of this event which was founded by two time Irish Olympian Pat Hooper. Hooper in his day was a top class Marathon runner and he always manages to attract some big names to this race which has huge standing among Irish club runners.
With the heavy Winter miles beginning to ease up a little, next week's race should let the club coaches know who has Wintered well and is in the mix for selection for the up coming National Masters Cross Country Championships.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly, two of Irish running's most prolific racer's were in action at the weekend.
A cold frosty morning greeted the dynamic duo as they lined up for the BHAA 5 mile cross country race held in Cherryfield, Dublin.
The course was in great condition which allowed for some fast running and Reilly lost no time in making her presence known in the leading pack.
The next two miles were all about hard sustained running and Reilly didn't disappoint as she crossed the line to win her category in the ladies two mile event.
Conor Cooney is showing the benefits of his consistent training sessions in Meadowview, Cooney produced a very solid run to record 35:40 for the distance, good running over the country. Cooney will be entering a new age category soon and will be well up there will the sharp racer's.
Also running were Gerry Mullins and Duxie Dunne, these three combined well to take second prize in the team category.
The Winter series of track races held at the ALSAA Complex in Dublin tempted two of our members to run.
Competing in last Wednesday's 3000m race were Frank Brady and Christy Duffy.
This venue tends to be rather windswept and times are normally slowed by the prevailing winds.
Nevertheless, Duffy put in a good performance to record 12:36 for the distance, with Brady who wasn't having a good run further back in 13:03.
It wouldn't be Saturday without the Oldbridge Park Run.
This very popular event continues to attract many of our members to tackle the challenging 5k cross country course.
Linda Cruise and Elva Maree both had reason to smile as they ran new Pb times for the course.
Cruise ran a nice 25:08 while Maree ran 25:31.
Also running on the day were Patrick Ward, our first finisher in 23:03 and Laura Roche who ran 24:37.
Club News 16th January 2017
The beautiful village of Dunboyne, County Meath, was the venue for last Sunday's Leinster Masters Cross Country Championships.
Weather conditions on the day were near perfect for this time of year but the course left a lot to be desired.
The 2k lap was very bumpy with large tufts of grass and wasn't for the faint hearted.
The first event of the day was the ladies 4k race run over two laps.
D&D's club team consisted of Pamela Howard, Ciara O'Reilly, Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly.
Once the gun went, Howard lost no time in making her way into the leading group as they made their way out on the first lap.
Running to a steady tempo and sticking to her race plan certainly paid off for Howard as she put in a great last lap to finish 7th overall and second in her age category.
Backed up by the strong running Ciara O'Reilly who was hanging on for dear life on the second lap, with Hughes and Nuala Reilly not far back, our team combined well to win silver in the club team category.
This really was Howard's day as she was also part of the scoring County team which took home the gold medals.
Nuala Reilly was also part of the scoring county team in the over 50 category which won silver in the team event.
In the Men's 6k race which was run over three laps, Stephen Geraghty put in a great performance to finish 15th overall and 5th in his category against some good class opposition.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin, who always seems to run well had a decent run to finish in 55th place overall.
Our Men's over 50 team of Conor Cooney, Kevin Clancy, David Rodgers and Martin Reilly competed well but didn't figure in the placings on this occasion.
Popular club member Mark O'Shea got his indoor season off to a flying start at the National Indoor League in Athlone last Sunday.
Running in his speciality event, the 800m, O'Shea delivered a top class performance to break the M45 Irish record of 2:02:45 with a 2:01:49 clocking (subject to ratification).
O'Shea's team mate, Kieran McGrath also put in a storming last lap to finish a mere second behind in a fast 2:02:88.
McGrath possesses incredible strength to go with his natural speed and will go well under the two minute mark come the Summer outdoor season.
The future of our club, our Junior's had a really good day at the office.
Young James Nolan put in a terrific run to record a new Pb time of 2:04:61 for his 800m race.
Nolan ran smoothly and efficently and is definitely one to watch out for in the future.
Cormac Canning also ran well in Heat 4 of his 800m race and finished fifth in 2:08:45, just half a second behind was Robbie Caffrey in 2:09:41 who's developing into a fine athlete.
Two of D&D's finest lady runners were in action in Athlone.
Running in Heat 1 of the 800m against very good opposition was Orla O'Connor.
O'Connor is blessed with a tremendously fluid running style and really has the hunger back for this type of running.
Going through the first lap in a fast time, O'Connor hung onto the leading group and put in a strong final 200m to finish 6th in 2:21:21.
Also running in Heat 2 of the ladies 800m was Mary Leech.
Leech is a superbly talented athlete who isn't afraid to put in the hard work necessary to progress at this level in her chosen sport.
In the last year, Leech has won a National title over 1500m and also represented her country on an Irish cross country team.
Running in what many would consider to be too short a distance for her, Leech put in a good performance to finish 6th in her race in 2:25:07.
Gerry O'Connor also ran well when finishing 5th in his Heat of the 800m in a decent 2:22:75.
Weather conditions on the day were near perfect for this time of year but the course left a lot to be desired.
The 2k lap was very bumpy with large tufts of grass and wasn't for the faint hearted.
The first event of the day was the ladies 4k race run over two laps.
D&D's club team consisted of Pamela Howard, Ciara O'Reilly, Michelle Hughes and Nuala Reilly.
Once the gun went, Howard lost no time in making her way into the leading group as they made their way out on the first lap.
Running to a steady tempo and sticking to her race plan certainly paid off for Howard as she put in a great last lap to finish 7th overall and second in her age category.
Backed up by the strong running Ciara O'Reilly who was hanging on for dear life on the second lap, with Hughes and Nuala Reilly not far back, our team combined well to win silver in the club team category.
This really was Howard's day as she was also part of the scoring County team which took home the gold medals.
Nuala Reilly was also part of the scoring county team in the over 50 category which won silver in the team event.
In the Men's 6k race which was run over three laps, Stephen Geraghty put in a great performance to finish 15th overall and 5th in his category against some good class opposition.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin, who always seems to run well had a decent run to finish in 55th place overall.
Our Men's over 50 team of Conor Cooney, Kevin Clancy, David Rodgers and Martin Reilly competed well but didn't figure in the placings on this occasion.
Popular club member Mark O'Shea got his indoor season off to a flying start at the National Indoor League in Athlone last Sunday.
Running in his speciality event, the 800m, O'Shea delivered a top class performance to break the M45 Irish record of 2:02:45 with a 2:01:49 clocking (subject to ratification).
O'Shea's team mate, Kieran McGrath also put in a storming last lap to finish a mere second behind in a fast 2:02:88.
McGrath possesses incredible strength to go with his natural speed and will go well under the two minute mark come the Summer outdoor season.
The future of our club, our Junior's had a really good day at the office.
Young James Nolan put in a terrific run to record a new Pb time of 2:04:61 for his 800m race.
Nolan ran smoothly and efficently and is definitely one to watch out for in the future.
Cormac Canning also ran well in Heat 4 of his 800m race and finished fifth in 2:08:45, just half a second behind was Robbie Caffrey in 2:09:41 who's developing into a fine athlete.
Two of D&D's finest lady runners were in action in Athlone.
Running in Heat 1 of the 800m against very good opposition was Orla O'Connor.
O'Connor is blessed with a tremendously fluid running style and really has the hunger back for this type of running.
Going through the first lap in a fast time, O'Connor hung onto the leading group and put in a strong final 200m to finish 6th in 2:21:21.
Also running in Heat 2 of the ladies 800m was Mary Leech.
Leech is a superbly talented athlete who isn't afraid to put in the hard work necessary to progress at this level in her chosen sport.
In the last year, Leech has won a National title over 1500m and also represented her country on an Irish cross country team.
Running in what many would consider to be too short a distance for her, Leech put in a good performance to finish 6th in her race in 2:25:07.
Gerry O'Connor also ran well when finishing 5th in his Heat of the 800m in a decent 2:22:75.
Club News 8th January 2017
BHAA Bank of Ireland Cross Country, Tymon Park
Three of our members who weren't resting up were Nuala Reilly, Conor Cooney and Jim Nolan.
All three decided to take part in the Bank of Ireland sponsered cross country race in Tymon Park, Tallaght, last Saturday.
Reilly put in a sparkling run over a course that was in great condition to cross the line first when winning her category in the ladies two mile race.
Conor Cooney, strengthened by some long runs put in a big effort in the men's four mile event and was rewarded for his efforts with a first in category prize.
Jim Nolan was going well and making some good ground on the runners ahead until some confusion over the number of remaining laps disrupted his race plan.
Nevertheless Nolan ran hard over the last lap and gained vital experience for the future.
Orlando Disneyland Marathon
Popular club member Gerry Mullins made the longest journey of all our athletes last weekend as he was taking part in the Orlando Marathon in Florida.
Despite the very early start time of 5.30 am and an unusually cold temperature of minus 1 degrees Mullins put in a good performance on the day.
Running in near darkness for the first two hours of the race, Mullins got into a good rhythm and consistently churned out the miles at an even pace.
The plan paid off as Mullins crossed the line in 3 hours 40 minutes with no visible distress.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday saw a return to business for some of our regulars at the Oldbridge Parkrun.
Run over a rather challenging and at sometimes slippy 5k course, this race continues to hold it's appeal with our members.
Running well this week were Patrick Ward who finished in 26th place overall in 24:03, a mere three seconds ahead of club mate Ron Knowles in 24:06.
Ged Kenny had a nice run to finish in 29:18.
For our ladies, first home was Laura Roche in 25:15.
Next in were Sinead McGuinness in 66th place in 28:00, just ahead of Siobhan Redmond one place behind in 28:04.
Others who ran included Ciara Byrne, Deirdre Kennedy and Noreen Burke.
Three of our members who weren't resting up were Nuala Reilly, Conor Cooney and Jim Nolan.
All three decided to take part in the Bank of Ireland sponsered cross country race in Tymon Park, Tallaght, last Saturday.
Reilly put in a sparkling run over a course that was in great condition to cross the line first when winning her category in the ladies two mile race.
Conor Cooney, strengthened by some long runs put in a big effort in the men's four mile event and was rewarded for his efforts with a first in category prize.
Jim Nolan was going well and making some good ground on the runners ahead until some confusion over the number of remaining laps disrupted his race plan.
Nevertheless Nolan ran hard over the last lap and gained vital experience for the future.
Orlando Disneyland Marathon
Popular club member Gerry Mullins made the longest journey of all our athletes last weekend as he was taking part in the Orlando Marathon in Florida.
Despite the very early start time of 5.30 am and an unusually cold temperature of minus 1 degrees Mullins put in a good performance on the day.
Running in near darkness for the first two hours of the race, Mullins got into a good rhythm and consistently churned out the miles at an even pace.
The plan paid off as Mullins crossed the line in 3 hours 40 minutes with no visible distress.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday saw a return to business for some of our regulars at the Oldbridge Parkrun.
Run over a rather challenging and at sometimes slippy 5k course, this race continues to hold it's appeal with our members.
Running well this week were Patrick Ward who finished in 26th place overall in 24:03, a mere three seconds ahead of club mate Ron Knowles in 24:06.
Ged Kenny had a nice run to finish in 29:18.
For our ladies, first home was Laura Roche in 25:15.
Next in were Sinead McGuinness in 66th place in 28:00, just ahead of Siobhan Redmond one place behind in 28:04.
Others who ran included Ciara Byrne, Deirdre Kennedy and Noreen Burke.
Club News 1st January 2017
Drogheda and District's new year resolution is a simple one, to be the best that we can be in 2017!
To achieve this, the backroom boys, the coaches and members of the athletic committee descended into the Director of Coaching's Bunker and weren't coming out until the plan was tweaked to perfection.
Armed with the all important piece of paper, Declan Monaghan revealed the plan to the eagerly awaiting Athletes gathered at the trackside.
For the next three months, the various groups will diversify their training in order to target the Leinster Indoor Track Championships, and the Road group will focus on 5k/10k training.
Both groups will then turn their attention to the National Road Relays in April in a bid to bring home National gold medals having finished runner up last year in the ladies team event.
This really is an exciting time for what is the fastest growing running club in Ireland.
The hard work needed to succeed begins in earnest this coming week and if you'd like to be part of this dynamic club then come along to one of our training sessions and have a chat with us.
Robbie Byrne 5k
With Christmas time normally being quiet on the athletic front, some of our members travelled to Navan on St. Stephen's day to compete in the Robbie Byrne 5k road race.
Conditions on the day were perfect for fast running and John Reilly didn't disappoint as he sped round the course in a fast 18:24.
Reilly's time was good enough for 19th place overall and earned him a second in Category prize.
Conor Cooney put it up to some of the young guns and recorded 20:49 for the distance while finishing second in his Category.
Michelle Hughes was our first lady finisher in 57th place in a solid 20:27 and was also second in her Category.
The ever present Nuala Reilly took first place in her Category with a fine run of 22:43.
Others who ran well on the day included Stephen Geraghty, Carmel Keenan and Jackser Reilly.
Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5k
With over sixty races run this year, the Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin didn't disappoint as he ran two 5k races over the Christmas period.
In the Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5k, Larkin ran an excellent 17:30 for the distance given the nature of the course.
Larkin's time was good enough to earn him a second in Category prize in the Men's Over 40 section.
Tom Brennan 5k
On New Year's Day,at the Tom Brennan 5k Road Race in The Phoenix Park, Larkin was back in action when finishing third in his Category in 17:57.
Jacqueline Gill ( 22:24 ) and Gerard Fay ( 26:27 ) also ran well.
6k a Day
Popular club member Stephen Geraghty completed a rather unusual athletic challenge on New Year's Eve when he ran his 365th consecutive 6k run without missing a day!
Joined by many of his club mates, his last 6k run was an easy paced lap over Oldbridge Estate.
In his bid to raise some funds for a local charity, Geraghty overcame the pain of a broken rib and the dreaded Man flu to complete his challenge.
Parkrun
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun saw four of our members set new personal best times for this rather challenging 5k cross country course.
Ron Knowles ran a solid 23:27 for the distance and not far behind him was Paul Barrell who got round the course in 23:52.
For our ladies, Mary Reilly had reason to smile with her new Pb of 35:32.
Paula O'Brien got in on the act too as she set a new Pb of 36:14.
Others who ran included Martin Woods, Ged Kenny and Siobhan Redmond.
Club News 19th December 2016
Inaugural Drogheda & District AC Christmas 5k
The weather God's really were shining on us last Sunday morning for the first running of our Christmas 5k road race.
Run over what many believe is the flattest course it is possible to get in Drogheda, talk of fast times could be heard.
The starting field of over five hundred runners, many of them in fancy dress, completely filled the home straight of our magnificent tartan track.
The atmosphere on the start line was electric and once the gun went the lead runners lost no time in getting down to business.
With just over three hundred metres of the race run, eventual winner Colin Maher was already pushing hard as the runners left the Stadium for the open road.
A mere fifteen minutes later Maher ran onto the track looking fresh and full of running, a storming last lap saw him cross the line a worthy winner in a fast 15:00.
Half a minute later came Darragh Green in 15:28, with Brian McCloskey third in 15:44.
First home for Drogheda and District was David Walsh who finished seventh in 16:30, just eight seconds ahead of Brian Martin in eighth place in 16:38.
Young Sam O'Neill had a real battle with Stephen Kelly but got the better of him on the run in to finish tenth in 17:04 while Kelly finished twelfth in 17:16.
Kieran McGrath and Shane Larkin both produced good run's finishing in 17:27 and 17:35 respectively.
Men's race winner Colin Maher was later presented with a beautiful silver salver sponsored by well known local athlete Liam Reilly, in honour of Paddy Balfe and Father Kevin Connolly who were synonymous with the Lourdes Stadium.
In the ladies race, Pamela Howard produced the run of the day to finish second in a fast 18:50.
Howard really was up against good class opposition as race winner Ciara Durkin recently ran for Ireland in an International competition.
Erin McHugh was next in for our ladies in 21:57 with the ever present Nuala Reilly not far behind in 22:25.
Category first prize winners included Pat O'Grady and Nuala Reilly.
Silver medal winners in their categories were Kevin Clancy, Abigail Tegart and Margaret McAuley.
Conor Cooney ran well to finish third in his category.
Drogheda and District also won first team prize in the men's and women's events.
The real winners on the day were perhaps our couch to 5k crew who overcame all the doubts and managed to complete the course with no major distress.
Drogheda and District would like to thank the many sponsors who's support enabled this year's race to take place.
Parkrun
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted eight of our members to toe the line for this popular 5k cross country event.
Sprint group member Hugh Callan, who's in great form at the moment, scorched round the course in a very impressive new Pb time of 19:56. Callan's time was good enough for third place overall. Jos Haak also had a good run to record a new Pb of 28:27.
First home for our ladies was Jacqueline Gill who placed 35th in 26:37. Having a real battle were Lisa Crocock and Mary Toner,
Crocock's time of 27:55 saw her finish a mere five seconds ahead of Toner who ran 28:00.
Also running well were Dominic Fagan and Jennifer Holmes.
The weather God's really were shining on us last Sunday morning for the first running of our Christmas 5k road race.
Run over what many believe is the flattest course it is possible to get in Drogheda, talk of fast times could be heard.
The starting field of over five hundred runners, many of them in fancy dress, completely filled the home straight of our magnificent tartan track.
The atmosphere on the start line was electric and once the gun went the lead runners lost no time in getting down to business.
With just over three hundred metres of the race run, eventual winner Colin Maher was already pushing hard as the runners left the Stadium for the open road.
A mere fifteen minutes later Maher ran onto the track looking fresh and full of running, a storming last lap saw him cross the line a worthy winner in a fast 15:00.
Half a minute later came Darragh Green in 15:28, with Brian McCloskey third in 15:44.
First home for Drogheda and District was David Walsh who finished seventh in 16:30, just eight seconds ahead of Brian Martin in eighth place in 16:38.
Young Sam O'Neill had a real battle with Stephen Kelly but got the better of him on the run in to finish tenth in 17:04 while Kelly finished twelfth in 17:16.
Kieran McGrath and Shane Larkin both produced good run's finishing in 17:27 and 17:35 respectively.
Men's race winner Colin Maher was later presented with a beautiful silver salver sponsored by well known local athlete Liam Reilly, in honour of Paddy Balfe and Father Kevin Connolly who were synonymous with the Lourdes Stadium.
In the ladies race, Pamela Howard produced the run of the day to finish second in a fast 18:50.
Howard really was up against good class opposition as race winner Ciara Durkin recently ran for Ireland in an International competition.
Erin McHugh was next in for our ladies in 21:57 with the ever present Nuala Reilly not far behind in 22:25.
Category first prize winners included Pat O'Grady and Nuala Reilly.
Silver medal winners in their categories were Kevin Clancy, Abigail Tegart and Margaret McAuley.
Conor Cooney ran well to finish third in his category.
Drogheda and District also won first team prize in the men's and women's events.
The real winners on the day were perhaps our couch to 5k crew who overcame all the doubts and managed to complete the course with no major distress.
Drogheda and District would like to thank the many sponsors who's support enabled this year's race to take place.
Parkrun
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted eight of our members to toe the line for this popular 5k cross country event.
Sprint group member Hugh Callan, who's in great form at the moment, scorched round the course in a very impressive new Pb time of 19:56. Callan's time was good enough for third place overall. Jos Haak also had a good run to record a new Pb of 28:27.
First home for our ladies was Jacqueline Gill who placed 35th in 26:37. Having a real battle were Lisa Crocock and Mary Toner,
Crocock's time of 27:55 saw her finish a mere five seconds ahead of Toner who ran 28:00.
Also running well were Dominic Fagan and Jennifer Holmes.
Club News 12th December 2016
he National Novice Cross Country Championships took place last Sunday in Dundalk.
The venue for this year's race were the rolling fields next to the DKIT College.
Conditions on the day were perfect for fast running and the 6k course was well set up for the viewing spectators.
Running for D&D were Brian Martin, David Walsh and Shane Larkin.
Our lads were really up against it on this occasion as they were running against some top class opposition who will undoubtedly win National medals in future years.
David Walsh used his experience to get away well at the start, which is vitally important in these Championship events.
The next 6k was all about hard sustained running and Walsh crossed the line in 69th place in an impressive 21:00 for what is considered a very accurate course.
Club mate Brian Martin had a different kind of race.
Boxed in at the start and unable to get a clear run, Martin had to make up for some lost ground as he gradually but sensibly moved up through the field.
Martin finished in 74th place overall in 21:05.
Such was the standard on the day, that although Martin was only five seconds behind Walsh, there were five runners between them at the finish, that's one per second!
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin, who is a prolific racer these days and who always seems to run well placed 139th on this occasion.
The future of Drogheda and District, our Juveniles were well represented in the uneven age groups.
The run of the day had to belong to young Sam O'Neill.
Running in the Under 19 6k race against the cream of Irish Junior Athletics, O 'Neill ran hard and fast right from the start.
Covering the ground with a very economical running style, he pushed on hard and crossed the line in 29th place overall.
This really was a terrific run for O'Neill and he's one to watch out for in future years.
In the Boys Under 17 5k race, Cormac Canning and Robbie Caffrey were running on the Leinster team.
Canning, who was running a year out of his age group had a superb run to finish in 44th place overall in 16:58.
Another year will see Canning well up in the placings.
Young Robbie Caffrey, who's getting better with every race, put in a fine performance to finish in 48th place in a fast 17:05, another guy to watch out for.
Also running was James Nolan who has the makings of a great runner.
Unfortunately on this occasion Nolan had to retire from the race due to the effects of a heavy cold that's hampered his training lately.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted twelve of our members to run this challenging 5k cross country course.
Three of our lady athletes had reason to smile as they recorded new Pb times for this very popular local race.
First home of our Pb trio was Jeannine Richardson in 28th place overall in 25:10.
Lisa Crocock was next in 27:41 with Siobhan Redmond nine seconds further back in 27:50.
In the men's race, Tony Corcoran one of our newest members ran very well to finish in 9th place overall in a solid 21:02.
Declan McMahon covered the ground well and was happy with his 22:25 for the distance.
Also running well were David Birch 25:52 and Niamh Matthews who ran 25:51.
All roads lead to the Lourdes Stadium for next Sunday's running of our Christmas 5k road race.
Run over what is considered to be a fast course, this year's race will start and finish with a lap of our beautiful Tartan track.
The atmosphere on the day should be electric with some fabulous last lap battles expected on the home straight.
This year's event will be started by a well known but as yet unannounced celebrity.
The venue for this year's race were the rolling fields next to the DKIT College.
Conditions on the day were perfect for fast running and the 6k course was well set up for the viewing spectators.
Running for D&D were Brian Martin, David Walsh and Shane Larkin.
Our lads were really up against it on this occasion as they were running against some top class opposition who will undoubtedly win National medals in future years.
David Walsh used his experience to get away well at the start, which is vitally important in these Championship events.
The next 6k was all about hard sustained running and Walsh crossed the line in 69th place in an impressive 21:00 for what is considered a very accurate course.
Club mate Brian Martin had a different kind of race.
Boxed in at the start and unable to get a clear run, Martin had to make up for some lost ground as he gradually but sensibly moved up through the field.
Martin finished in 74th place overall in 21:05.
Such was the standard on the day, that although Martin was only five seconds behind Walsh, there were five runners between them at the finish, that's one per second!
The Pocket Rocket Shane Larkin, who is a prolific racer these days and who always seems to run well placed 139th on this occasion.
The future of Drogheda and District, our Juveniles were well represented in the uneven age groups.
The run of the day had to belong to young Sam O'Neill.
Running in the Under 19 6k race against the cream of Irish Junior Athletics, O 'Neill ran hard and fast right from the start.
Covering the ground with a very economical running style, he pushed on hard and crossed the line in 29th place overall.
This really was a terrific run for O'Neill and he's one to watch out for in future years.
In the Boys Under 17 5k race, Cormac Canning and Robbie Caffrey were running on the Leinster team.
Canning, who was running a year out of his age group had a superb run to finish in 44th place overall in 16:58.
Another year will see Canning well up in the placings.
Young Robbie Caffrey, who's getting better with every race, put in a fine performance to finish in 48th place in a fast 17:05, another guy to watch out for.
Also running was James Nolan who has the makings of a great runner.
Unfortunately on this occasion Nolan had to retire from the race due to the effects of a heavy cold that's hampered his training lately.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted twelve of our members to run this challenging 5k cross country course.
Three of our lady athletes had reason to smile as they recorded new Pb times for this very popular local race.
First home of our Pb trio was Jeannine Richardson in 28th place overall in 25:10.
Lisa Crocock was next in 27:41 with Siobhan Redmond nine seconds further back in 27:50.
In the men's race, Tony Corcoran one of our newest members ran very well to finish in 9th place overall in a solid 21:02.
Declan McMahon covered the ground well and was happy with his 22:25 for the distance.
Also running well were David Birch 25:52 and Niamh Matthews who ran 25:51.
All roads lead to the Lourdes Stadium for next Sunday's running of our Christmas 5k road race.
Run over what is considered to be a fast course, this year's race will start and finish with a lap of our beautiful Tartan track.
The atmosphere on the day should be electric with some fabulous last lap battles expected on the home straight.
This year's event will be started by a well known but as yet unannounced celebrity.
Club News 5th December 2016
The last of the county Cross Country Championships took place last Sunday in Clonmore, Togher.
Run over an unusually dry but nevertheless testing course, this year's races attracted a large number of athletes to take part.
In the Ladies 3k event, Pamela Howard really put it up to the in form Karen Costello from Dunleer A.C.
Going out on the last lap, Howard surged ahead and pushed hard in her attempt to open up a gap on her opponent.
Costello who is very strong at the moment, chased her down and broke away over the hilly stretch at the back of the course to come home a worthy winner.
Not far behind, the strong running Ciara O'Reilly was having to work hard to hold on to her fourth place as Yasmin Canning was closing quickly coming into the last field and the home straight.
O'Reilly hung on for fourth by a mere two seconds and with Canning in fifth place and Nuala O'Reilly in tenth place, D&D won the ladies team event.
Category prize winners in the Women's 35 were Pamela Howard first and in the Women's 40 Ciara O'Reilly was second with Yasmin Canning third.
In the ladies 45 race Barbara Byrne ran well to finish third.
Mary McDonnell won the W55 race with Deirdre McFerran third.
Nuala Reilly won the W60 race with Margaret McAuley second and Margo Duffy third, picking up the team prize for their efforts.
In the Men's 5k race, run over four laps of this testing course, Brian McCloskey raced away from the field right from the start.
McCloskey came home an easy winner with twenty five seconds to spare over D&D's Stephen Kelly.
Kelly and David Walsh, two of our Club's finest runners had a great tussle over this course with Kelly only opening up a slight gap going out on the last lap.
Kelly finished strong in 17:38, just seven seconds ahead of Walsh in 17:45.
Not far behind, Stephen Duggan finishing in seventh place in 18:49, followed by John Hough eighth in 19:10 meant that the team medals were secure.
Kevin Clancy, a new member to our club ran a fine race to finish in ninth place overall in 19:12.
Putting in quality runs were Brian Pentony, John Reilly and Paddy Murphy.
Category prize winners in the Men's 45 were first John Reilly, second Robbie Maher and third Brian Pentony.
Kevin Clancy won first place in his category in the Men's 50 race.
In the Mens 55 race Jackser Reilly was second.
Conor Cooney won his category in the Men's 60 race.
In the Men's 60 race, Giancarlo Orlandi was first with Frank Brady second.
Team prizes were won by D&D in the Mens 35 race, first and second team.
In the Mens 50 race, D&D also did the double winning first and second team prizes.
The annual Jingle Bells 5k road race promoted by Donore Harriers took place last Saturday morning.
Run over a lightening fast course, this race always attracts a large entry of quality athletes looking for fast times.
Getting a decent start and establishing a good tempo early on can be so important in these shorter races.
Pat O'Grady, still coming back to full fitness after being out injured ran hard and fast right from the gun.
O'Grady who has a superb textbook running style ran an eye opening 16:41 for this year's race.
Crossing the line in no visible distress, his finishing time of 16:41 earned him first place in the Men's over 55 category.
A good Winter of uninterrupted training will see O'Grady challenge for a place on Irish Master's Teams.
Also having a really good run was David Shiel, who's not long recovered from his Dublin Marathon run, his finishing time of 18:45 represents good running.
Hugh Callan ran a new Pb of 19:02, a mere four seconds ahead of Thomas Farrelly who finished in 19:06.
Club Captain Rob Power led by example and broke twenty minutes for the first time with a 19:54 run.
First across the line for our ladies was Sinead Weldon in 22:23.
Weldon has really improved as a runner this year and shows great promise.
Next in was Linda Cruise and Gillian Farrelly who both ran a solid 23:08.
Also running well were Helen Dillon 23:56, and Sinead Shaw 24:13.
A bit further from home taking part in the Clonakilty Half Marathon were Nuala Reilly, Julie Halton and Martina O'Connor Dyas.
Reilly, still recovering from her Dublin Marathon run put in a good performance to win her category in a solid 1:43:29.
Halton and Dyas decided to share the workload and crossed the line together in 2:11:15.
In the full Marathon which took place on the same day Gerard Fay ran 5:33:17 for the very testing course.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted five of our members to run this quite challenging 5k race.
First home for D&D this week was Richard Cheevers who finished thirty fourth overall in 25:44.
Our first female finished was Kasia Reynolds in 48th place in 30:06.
Also running were Audrey O'Brien, Paula Floyd and Jos Haak.
Run over an unusually dry but nevertheless testing course, this year's races attracted a large number of athletes to take part.
In the Ladies 3k event, Pamela Howard really put it up to the in form Karen Costello from Dunleer A.C.
Going out on the last lap, Howard surged ahead and pushed hard in her attempt to open up a gap on her opponent.
Costello who is very strong at the moment, chased her down and broke away over the hilly stretch at the back of the course to come home a worthy winner.
Not far behind, the strong running Ciara O'Reilly was having to work hard to hold on to her fourth place as Yasmin Canning was closing quickly coming into the last field and the home straight.
O'Reilly hung on for fourth by a mere two seconds and with Canning in fifth place and Nuala O'Reilly in tenth place, D&D won the ladies team event.
Category prize winners in the Women's 35 were Pamela Howard first and in the Women's 40 Ciara O'Reilly was second with Yasmin Canning third.
In the ladies 45 race Barbara Byrne ran well to finish third.
Mary McDonnell won the W55 race with Deirdre McFerran third.
Nuala Reilly won the W60 race with Margaret McAuley second and Margo Duffy third, picking up the team prize for their efforts.
In the Men's 5k race, run over four laps of this testing course, Brian McCloskey raced away from the field right from the start.
McCloskey came home an easy winner with twenty five seconds to spare over D&D's Stephen Kelly.
Kelly and David Walsh, two of our Club's finest runners had a great tussle over this course with Kelly only opening up a slight gap going out on the last lap.
Kelly finished strong in 17:38, just seven seconds ahead of Walsh in 17:45.
Not far behind, Stephen Duggan finishing in seventh place in 18:49, followed by John Hough eighth in 19:10 meant that the team medals were secure.
Kevin Clancy, a new member to our club ran a fine race to finish in ninth place overall in 19:12.
Putting in quality runs were Brian Pentony, John Reilly and Paddy Murphy.
Category prize winners in the Men's 45 were first John Reilly, second Robbie Maher and third Brian Pentony.
Kevin Clancy won first place in his category in the Men's 50 race.
In the Mens 55 race Jackser Reilly was second.
Conor Cooney won his category in the Men's 60 race.
In the Men's 60 race, Giancarlo Orlandi was first with Frank Brady second.
Team prizes were won by D&D in the Mens 35 race, first and second team.
In the Mens 50 race, D&D also did the double winning first and second team prizes.
The annual Jingle Bells 5k road race promoted by Donore Harriers took place last Saturday morning.
Run over a lightening fast course, this race always attracts a large entry of quality athletes looking for fast times.
Getting a decent start and establishing a good tempo early on can be so important in these shorter races.
Pat O'Grady, still coming back to full fitness after being out injured ran hard and fast right from the gun.
O'Grady who has a superb textbook running style ran an eye opening 16:41 for this year's race.
Crossing the line in no visible distress, his finishing time of 16:41 earned him first place in the Men's over 55 category.
A good Winter of uninterrupted training will see O'Grady challenge for a place on Irish Master's Teams.
Also having a really good run was David Shiel, who's not long recovered from his Dublin Marathon run, his finishing time of 18:45 represents good running.
Hugh Callan ran a new Pb of 19:02, a mere four seconds ahead of Thomas Farrelly who finished in 19:06.
Club Captain Rob Power led by example and broke twenty minutes for the first time with a 19:54 run.
First across the line for our ladies was Sinead Weldon in 22:23.
Weldon has really improved as a runner this year and shows great promise.
Next in was Linda Cruise and Gillian Farrelly who both ran a solid 23:08.
Also running well were Helen Dillon 23:56, and Sinead Shaw 24:13.
A bit further from home taking part in the Clonakilty Half Marathon were Nuala Reilly, Julie Halton and Martina O'Connor Dyas.
Reilly, still recovering from her Dublin Marathon run put in a good performance to win her category in a solid 1:43:29.
Halton and Dyas decided to share the workload and crossed the line together in 2:11:15.
In the full Marathon which took place on the same day Gerard Fay ran 5:33:17 for the very testing course.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted five of our members to run this quite challenging 5k race.
First home for D&D this week was Richard Cheevers who finished thirty fourth overall in 25:44.
Our first female finished was Kasia Reynolds in 48th place in 30:06.
Also running were Audrey O'Brien, Paula Floyd and Jos Haak.
Club News 28th November 2016
Last Sunday proved to be a real red letter day for Drogheda and District A.C.
Taking part for the first time ever in the National Even Age Cross Country Championships were our under 18 boys team.
The venue for this year's race was Santry Demense and the course to be covered was 6k of testing ground.
Representing both D&D and the Leinster team were Sam O'Neill, Robbie Caffrey and James Nolan with Leo McClean making up the club team.
This race which is always run at a furious pace was of a particularly high standard but O'Neill got stuck in right from the start.
Hard sustained running is O'Neill's strong point and he raced well to cross the line in a very fast 20:57 to finish in a very creditable 30th place overall.
Such was the standard, O'Neill was Leinster's sixth man home in the team event.
Next in for our young guns was Robbie Caffrey who's really improved as an athlete this year.
Caffrey ran very well to finish in 56th place in a fine 21:44.
Not far behind and also going well was James Nolan who finished 66th in 22:03.
Our fourth and oftentimes most important finisher was Leo McClean.
McClean, who shows good promise as a runner finished in 119th place in 25:47, no mean running given the testing course.
Our sole entrant in the Boys under 16 4k race was Cormac Canning.
Canning has huge talent as a runner and a good racing brain to go with it.
Getting off to a good start is so important in these races and the initial charge once the gun goes is not for the faint hearted.
On this occasion some of the more fancied runners were boxed in early on and denied a clear run in the early stages.
Nevertheless, Canning stuck gamely to his task and worked his way through the field.
Canning raced on well to finish in 25th place, a huge improvement on his 45th placing last year.
Much more important than the medals won at these events is the real learning of one's craft that takes place.
Just like a piece of metal is strengthened in the furnace, the experience gained by these fine young runners in the heat of battle will stand to them in their future running careers.
Canning, Nolan and Caffrey will get to put what they've learned to good use as they are part of the Leinster team which competes in the Uneven Age Championships which take place in two weeks time.
In the senior Men's 10k event, the pocker rocket Shane Larkin put in a strong run when it mattered the most.
Though small in stature, Larkin has a huge heart and is not scared to race right from the gun.
Larkin covered the ground well to finished 141st overall in 39:38, good going over the country.
Also taking part and well up in the placings was Barry Donovan who finished in 52nd place in a fast 33:48.
Donovan is a member of Leevale A.C. but trains regularly with our members and has helped to raise the standard within our club.
The recent mild weather made for good underfoot conditions at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Stephen Duggan was using this race to gauge his fitness with only a week to go to the Louth Masters Cross Country Championship.
Duggan had reason to be pleased as he raced round this rather challenging 5k course in an
impressive 18:48, finishing fifth overall.
Also running well was Bryan Harvey, perhaps better known as a tri athlete, Harvey has really improved his running since joining us.
His thirteenth place finish in a decent 20:15 shows that he's in good form.
Three of our lady runners were well pleased with their Pb runs, Mary McDonnell, Deirdre Kennedy and Deirdre Harmon all ran well to earn their new best times.
Also running were Margo Duffy and Valerie Campbell.
Colm Reilly, still recovering fron his recent Dublin Marathon run put in a good performance at the weekend.
Running in the Castleblaney 5k, Reilly finished twelfth in a field of over four hundred in a solid 18:34.
A little bit further from home, couch to 5k coach Colin Cuffe recently took part in the Las Vegas half Marathon.
Despite the heat Cuffe ran the 13.1 mile distance in 1:58:23.
Next Sunday the fourth of December sees the last of the county cross country championships take place in Togher at 12.00 pm.
A huge entry is expected for the men's 5k race and competition will be fierce in the over 35 and over 50 categories.
Taking part for the first time ever in the National Even Age Cross Country Championships were our under 18 boys team.
The venue for this year's race was Santry Demense and the course to be covered was 6k of testing ground.
Representing both D&D and the Leinster team were Sam O'Neill, Robbie Caffrey and James Nolan with Leo McClean making up the club team.
This race which is always run at a furious pace was of a particularly high standard but O'Neill got stuck in right from the start.
Hard sustained running is O'Neill's strong point and he raced well to cross the line in a very fast 20:57 to finish in a very creditable 30th place overall.
Such was the standard, O'Neill was Leinster's sixth man home in the team event.
Next in for our young guns was Robbie Caffrey who's really improved as an athlete this year.
Caffrey ran very well to finish in 56th place in a fine 21:44.
Not far behind and also going well was James Nolan who finished 66th in 22:03.
Our fourth and oftentimes most important finisher was Leo McClean.
McClean, who shows good promise as a runner finished in 119th place in 25:47, no mean running given the testing course.
Our sole entrant in the Boys under 16 4k race was Cormac Canning.
Canning has huge talent as a runner and a good racing brain to go with it.
Getting off to a good start is so important in these races and the initial charge once the gun goes is not for the faint hearted.
On this occasion some of the more fancied runners were boxed in early on and denied a clear run in the early stages.
Nevertheless, Canning stuck gamely to his task and worked his way through the field.
Canning raced on well to finish in 25th place, a huge improvement on his 45th placing last year.
Much more important than the medals won at these events is the real learning of one's craft that takes place.
Just like a piece of metal is strengthened in the furnace, the experience gained by these fine young runners in the heat of battle will stand to them in their future running careers.
Canning, Nolan and Caffrey will get to put what they've learned to good use as they are part of the Leinster team which competes in the Uneven Age Championships which take place in two weeks time.
In the senior Men's 10k event, the pocker rocket Shane Larkin put in a strong run when it mattered the most.
Though small in stature, Larkin has a huge heart and is not scared to race right from the gun.
Larkin covered the ground well to finished 141st overall in 39:38, good going over the country.
Also taking part and well up in the placings was Barry Donovan who finished in 52nd place in a fast 33:48.
Donovan is a member of Leevale A.C. but trains regularly with our members and has helped to raise the standard within our club.
The recent mild weather made for good underfoot conditions at last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Stephen Duggan was using this race to gauge his fitness with only a week to go to the Louth Masters Cross Country Championship.
Duggan had reason to be pleased as he raced round this rather challenging 5k course in an
impressive 18:48, finishing fifth overall.
Also running well was Bryan Harvey, perhaps better known as a tri athlete, Harvey has really improved his running since joining us.
His thirteenth place finish in a decent 20:15 shows that he's in good form.
Three of our lady runners were well pleased with their Pb runs, Mary McDonnell, Deirdre Kennedy and Deirdre Harmon all ran well to earn their new best times.
Also running were Margo Duffy and Valerie Campbell.
Colm Reilly, still recovering fron his recent Dublin Marathon run put in a good performance at the weekend.
Running in the Castleblaney 5k, Reilly finished twelfth in a field of over four hundred in a solid 18:34.
A little bit further from home, couch to 5k coach Colin Cuffe recently took part in the Las Vegas half Marathon.
Despite the heat Cuffe ran the 13.1 mile distance in 1:58:23.
Next Sunday the fourth of December sees the last of the county cross country championships take place in Togher at 12.00 pm.
A huge entry is expected for the men's 5k race and competition will be fierce in the over 35 and over 50 categories.
Club News 21st November 2016
Louth Senior Cross Country Championships
Drogheda & District’s magnificent new sports ground at Newtownstalaban was the venue for last Sunday’s Louth Senior Cross Country Championships. A bright clear sky and an air of frost on the beautiful parkland surface made for perfect running conditions. The atmosphere was electric as the athletes lined up for the Senior Ladies 6k race. Once the gun went, Karen Costello from Dunleer AC moved to the head of the field and started to force the pace. Close behind Drogheda’s Pamela Howard and Mary Leech matched each other stride for stride as they gradually opened the gap on the rest of the field. With four to score in the team event, a lot depended on the strong running of Ciara O’Reilly in 5th place and Yasmin Canning in 6th. The next four laps were all about hard sustained running as each athlete worked hard to hold their position. With Dunleer’s Costello a clear winner on this occasion, Howard took the silver with a tiring Leech taking bronze. Our ladies team packed well to finish in 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 6th to secure the ladies team prize. Also running well were Michelle Hughes finishing in 9th place, a mere 5 seconds ahead of Mags Nugent in 10th.
With 22 runners in the Senior Men’s 10k race, this high class field really was a sea of red. From an early stage it was clear that the team honours would go to Drogheda & District ahead of their main rivals North East Runners. The battle for individual placings made for an exciting race. Eventual winner Brian McCloskey from NER broke clear early on and established a lead that was never threatened. Having a great battle for second place were Mark O’Shea and Brian Martin. O’Shea put his track speed to good use on the final lap to take silver, just 5 seconds ahead of Martin in 3rd. With six to score in the men’s team event Stephen Kelly (4th), Colin Dyas (5th), David Walsh (6th) and Pat O’Grady (7th) all worked hard to hold their places and earn their medals. Our second men’s team took the bronze medals in the team event. This team consisted of Kieran McGrath (10th), Shane Larkin (11th), Robbie Maher (12th), Stephen Duggan (13th), John Hough (19th) and Eoin McGinn (20th). Some good performances on the day came from John Reilly, Delcan Monaghan, John Cooper and Hugh Callan.
Congratulations to Christy Duffy on running his 47th consecutive Louth Senior Cross Country Championship last Sunday. This must surely rank as a unique achievement in Irish distance running. Duffy says that he plans on extending his unbroken run for a further three years before retiring.
Three of our members made the short trip to Santry Demesne last Saturday and came away with a team prize. Competing in the BHAA 6k Irish Life Cross Country event were Conor Cooney, Gerry Mullins and Jim Nolan. Led home by Cooney these three packed well to finish well up in the field against good quality opposition. Nuala Reilly, our sole female entrant, ran well to win a first in category prize.
Last Saturday’s park run in Oldbridge tempted five of our members to toe the line. First home for Drogheda & District was Thomas Farrelly in 7th place with a new PB time of 21:09. Brian Guilfoyle, still recovering from his recent Dublin Marathon run finished 14th in 22:47. Edel Smith was our first lady finisher in 26:49. Also running well were Jos Haak and Donal Branningan.
Drogheda & District’s magnificent new sports ground at Newtownstalaban was the venue for last Sunday’s Louth Senior Cross Country Championships. A bright clear sky and an air of frost on the beautiful parkland surface made for perfect running conditions. The atmosphere was electric as the athletes lined up for the Senior Ladies 6k race. Once the gun went, Karen Costello from Dunleer AC moved to the head of the field and started to force the pace. Close behind Drogheda’s Pamela Howard and Mary Leech matched each other stride for stride as they gradually opened the gap on the rest of the field. With four to score in the team event, a lot depended on the strong running of Ciara O’Reilly in 5th place and Yasmin Canning in 6th. The next four laps were all about hard sustained running as each athlete worked hard to hold their position. With Dunleer’s Costello a clear winner on this occasion, Howard took the silver with a tiring Leech taking bronze. Our ladies team packed well to finish in 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 6th to secure the ladies team prize. Also running well were Michelle Hughes finishing in 9th place, a mere 5 seconds ahead of Mags Nugent in 10th.
With 22 runners in the Senior Men’s 10k race, this high class field really was a sea of red. From an early stage it was clear that the team honours would go to Drogheda & District ahead of their main rivals North East Runners. The battle for individual placings made for an exciting race. Eventual winner Brian McCloskey from NER broke clear early on and established a lead that was never threatened. Having a great battle for second place were Mark O’Shea and Brian Martin. O’Shea put his track speed to good use on the final lap to take silver, just 5 seconds ahead of Martin in 3rd. With six to score in the men’s team event Stephen Kelly (4th), Colin Dyas (5th), David Walsh (6th) and Pat O’Grady (7th) all worked hard to hold their places and earn their medals. Our second men’s team took the bronze medals in the team event. This team consisted of Kieran McGrath (10th), Shane Larkin (11th), Robbie Maher (12th), Stephen Duggan (13th), John Hough (19th) and Eoin McGinn (20th). Some good performances on the day came from John Reilly, Delcan Monaghan, John Cooper and Hugh Callan.
Congratulations to Christy Duffy on running his 47th consecutive Louth Senior Cross Country Championship last Sunday. This must surely rank as a unique achievement in Irish distance running. Duffy says that he plans on extending his unbroken run for a further three years before retiring.
Three of our members made the short trip to Santry Demesne last Saturday and came away with a team prize. Competing in the BHAA 6k Irish Life Cross Country event were Conor Cooney, Gerry Mullins and Jim Nolan. Led home by Cooney these three packed well to finish well up in the field against good quality opposition. Nuala Reilly, our sole female entrant, ran well to win a first in category prize.
Last Saturday’s park run in Oldbridge tempted five of our members to toe the line. First home for Drogheda & District was Thomas Farrelly in 7th place with a new PB time of 21:09. Brian Guilfoyle, still recovering from his recent Dublin Marathon run finished 14th in 22:47. Edel Smith was our first lady finisher in 26:49. Also running well were Jos Haak and Donal Branningan.
Club News 13th November 2016
Two of Drogheda and District's finest athletes were in action last Saturday at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International.
This top class event really is the athletic equivalent of Rugby's Triple Crown.
The venue for this year's race was Tollcross Park in Glasgow.
The course itself with its feriously steep hills would drive fear into the most hardened of athletes.
First up to run was Mary Leech who had been selected to run for her country in the ladies over 40 6k event.
Running against the cream of Masters distance runners, Leech got stuck in right from the start.
The hurt caused by those hills was etched on her face as she made her way round this very unforgiving course.
Encouraged on by the large contingent of club supporters, Leech pushed on and played her part in the Irish team winning the bronze medals against very tough opposition.
Next up was the Women's over 60 race.
Running for her country was Nuala Reilly.
Reilly, short in stature but huge in heart is always guanteed to give of her best and produce the goods when it matters the most.
This race was to prove no exception and she got down to business right from the gun.
With each of the four girls on the team making their way at the head of the field, the Irish team combined well to win the gold medals.
Reilly now has a unique set of gold, silver and bronze from these Championships over recent years.
The future of any athletic club is in it's ability to recruit and retain the teenagers who will be the seniors in a few short years.
Well the future certainly looks bright for us after last Sunday's Leinster Uneven Age Cross Country Championships.
This year's events were held over a testing course in Tyrellspass, Westmeath.
Running in the Boys U17 race, run over 5k were Cormac Canning, Robbie Caffrey and James Nolan.
These three dedicated and hard working young athletes produced the run of the day and packed so well that all three finished within one second of each other!
Canning and Caffrey couldn't be seperated and finished in sixth place.
A mere one second behind in seventh place was young Nolan.
By finishing in the top twelve, these three automatically qualify for the Leinster team to run in the National Championships in Dundalk on the 11th of December.
In the Boys U19 6k race, Sam O'Neill put in a great effort to finish in 14th place and just miss out on qualifying for the National's.
O'Neill, who has an abundance of talent was running out of his age group on this occasion and will get to run again in this event next year.
Young Harry Caffrey also ran well against top class opposition to finish in 43rd place in a field of over 100 athletes.
Last Saturday's Annagassan 10k road race proved to be a good day out for some of our members.
Conditions on the day were good and with a fast downhill start hopes of some fast times were high.
Once the gun went, the pocket rocket Shane Larkin lost no time in making his way into the leading group of about twelve runners.
Hanging on to the front runners certainly paid off for Larkin and despite the strong headwind on the final 5k stretch he crossed the line in a fast 37:23.
Had there been no headwind Larkin would have broken the 37 minute mark.
Also running well was Bernadette Matthews who was our first lady home in 46:24, picking up a second in category prize on the way.
Yvonne McMahon had reason to smile as she finished third in her category in 48:10.
Others who ran well included Robert Kierans 44:51 and Stephen Geraghty 44:56.
The Louth Athletics Awards took place last Friday evening in Dundalk.
Guest speaker on the night was Thomas Barr who finished fourth in the 400m hurdles at the Rio Olympics.
Thre of our Juvenile members were awarded certificates in recognition of them having won medals at National level.
Lee McGuinness for his outstanding silver medal run in the 200m event earlier in the year.
Harry Caffrey for his third place in the Long Jump at the B Track and Field Championships.
Cormac Canning for his great win in the B Cross Country Championships held in Dundalk.
All nominated for their achievements at county level were Blathnaid Donnelly for the Sprint events.
Sam O'Neill for his track performances and Cormac Canning for Cross country.
This top class event really is the athletic equivalent of Rugby's Triple Crown.
The venue for this year's race was Tollcross Park in Glasgow.
The course itself with its feriously steep hills would drive fear into the most hardened of athletes.
First up to run was Mary Leech who had been selected to run for her country in the ladies over 40 6k event.
Running against the cream of Masters distance runners, Leech got stuck in right from the start.
The hurt caused by those hills was etched on her face as she made her way round this very unforgiving course.
Encouraged on by the large contingent of club supporters, Leech pushed on and played her part in the Irish team winning the bronze medals against very tough opposition.
Next up was the Women's over 60 race.
Running for her country was Nuala Reilly.
Reilly, short in stature but huge in heart is always guanteed to give of her best and produce the goods when it matters the most.
This race was to prove no exception and she got down to business right from the gun.
With each of the four girls on the team making their way at the head of the field, the Irish team combined well to win the gold medals.
Reilly now has a unique set of gold, silver and bronze from these Championships over recent years.
The future of any athletic club is in it's ability to recruit and retain the teenagers who will be the seniors in a few short years.
Well the future certainly looks bright for us after last Sunday's Leinster Uneven Age Cross Country Championships.
This year's events were held over a testing course in Tyrellspass, Westmeath.
Running in the Boys U17 race, run over 5k were Cormac Canning, Robbie Caffrey and James Nolan.
These three dedicated and hard working young athletes produced the run of the day and packed so well that all three finished within one second of each other!
Canning and Caffrey couldn't be seperated and finished in sixth place.
A mere one second behind in seventh place was young Nolan.
By finishing in the top twelve, these three automatically qualify for the Leinster team to run in the National Championships in Dundalk on the 11th of December.
In the Boys U19 6k race, Sam O'Neill put in a great effort to finish in 14th place and just miss out on qualifying for the National's.
O'Neill, who has an abundance of talent was running out of his age group on this occasion and will get to run again in this event next year.
Young Harry Caffrey also ran well against top class opposition to finish in 43rd place in a field of over 100 athletes.
Last Saturday's Annagassan 10k road race proved to be a good day out for some of our members.
Conditions on the day were good and with a fast downhill start hopes of some fast times were high.
Once the gun went, the pocket rocket Shane Larkin lost no time in making his way into the leading group of about twelve runners.
Hanging on to the front runners certainly paid off for Larkin and despite the strong headwind on the final 5k stretch he crossed the line in a fast 37:23.
Had there been no headwind Larkin would have broken the 37 minute mark.
Also running well was Bernadette Matthews who was our first lady home in 46:24, picking up a second in category prize on the way.
Yvonne McMahon had reason to smile as she finished third in her category in 48:10.
Others who ran well included Robert Kierans 44:51 and Stephen Geraghty 44:56.
The Louth Athletics Awards took place last Friday evening in Dundalk.
Guest speaker on the night was Thomas Barr who finished fourth in the 400m hurdles at the Rio Olympics.
Thre of our Juvenile members were awarded certificates in recognition of them having won medals at National level.
Lee McGuinness for his outstanding silver medal run in the 200m event earlier in the year.
Harry Caffrey for his third place in the Long Jump at the B Track and Field Championships.
Cormac Canning for his great win in the B Cross Country Championships held in Dundalk.
All nominated for their achievements at county level were Blathnaid Donnelly for the Sprint events.
Sam O'Neill for his track performances and Cormac Canning for Cross country.
Club News 6th November 2016
If you were to ask any seasoned club runner which they'd prefer, a Championship medal or a fast time, most would choose the medal without any hesitation.
To that end, the hilly and sometimes muddy fields of Oldbridge Estate have been home to many of our Athletes for the last few months.
Far removed from the glamour of Grand Prix track racing, this is the place where the medals are really won.
Enduring short term pain while running the hard intervals needed to succeed has become a regular occurance for our most focused runners.
Next Saturday at the Home Countries International Cross Country Championships, Mary Leech and Nuala Reilly will put themselves to the test against the best runners in the British Isles.
O'Reilly is on a high at the moment, having been upgraded to a silver medal position in her category at the recent Dublin City Marathon.
Leech, fleet of foot, is gifted with a tremendously fluid running style and won't be found wanting when the hard questions are asked in the closing stages of next week's race.
A large contingent of club members are travelling over to support them in their efforts to bring home the much coveted team medals.
Closer to home, Club coach Ian O 'Reilly is really turning the screw these days.
With just two weeks to go to the County Senior Cross Country Championships, the race is on in earnest to make one of the scoring six in the placings.
This year's race will be hosted by Drogheda and District at our new Sports ground in Newtownstalaban.
A sure sign of how much the club has progressed in the past year is that this year's race in now seen as an integral part of moulding a team that can compete at both provincial and National level.
With only six weeks to go to Drogheda and District's Christmas 5k road race things are really starting to come together.
This fast and mostly flat course will finish with a lap of the track in the Lourdes Stadium.
Run in conjunction with our latest couch 2 5k programme, this really is a great family fun event with lots of treats for the runners on the day.
With this in mind, a large number of first time runners turned up at the track last Thursday evening for the start of our couch 2 5k training.
Feedback at the end of the first session was very positive, with many people saying how encouraged they were in trying to achieve their goal of running a 5k race.
Proceeds from this race will go towards the ongoing development of our sports ground at Newtownstalaban.
A sudden drop in temperature and a biting wind welcomed last Saturday's competitors at the Oldbridge Parkrun.
Couch 2 5k coach Ciara O'Reilly didn't take long to warm up and she raced round the rather challenging course in a speedy 20:36 on her way to being first lady home.
Also running well for our ladies were juvenile member Kate O'Reilly 23:57, Sinead McGuinness 26:26 and Paula Floyd 36:10 who all ran new Pb times for the course.
Colm Reilly who only last Sunday ran in the Dublin City Marathon, finished in third place overall in a fast 19:02.
Thomas Farrelly ran a solid 22:09 to finish 25th overall with Declan McMahon a minute behind with 23:10 in 32nd place.
To that end, the hilly and sometimes muddy fields of Oldbridge Estate have been home to many of our Athletes for the last few months.
Far removed from the glamour of Grand Prix track racing, this is the place where the medals are really won.
Enduring short term pain while running the hard intervals needed to succeed has become a regular occurance for our most focused runners.
Next Saturday at the Home Countries International Cross Country Championships, Mary Leech and Nuala Reilly will put themselves to the test against the best runners in the British Isles.
O'Reilly is on a high at the moment, having been upgraded to a silver medal position in her category at the recent Dublin City Marathon.
Leech, fleet of foot, is gifted with a tremendously fluid running style and won't be found wanting when the hard questions are asked in the closing stages of next week's race.
A large contingent of club members are travelling over to support them in their efforts to bring home the much coveted team medals.
Closer to home, Club coach Ian O 'Reilly is really turning the screw these days.
With just two weeks to go to the County Senior Cross Country Championships, the race is on in earnest to make one of the scoring six in the placings.
This year's race will be hosted by Drogheda and District at our new Sports ground in Newtownstalaban.
A sure sign of how much the club has progressed in the past year is that this year's race in now seen as an integral part of moulding a team that can compete at both provincial and National level.
With only six weeks to go to Drogheda and District's Christmas 5k road race things are really starting to come together.
This fast and mostly flat course will finish with a lap of the track in the Lourdes Stadium.
Run in conjunction with our latest couch 2 5k programme, this really is a great family fun event with lots of treats for the runners on the day.
With this in mind, a large number of first time runners turned up at the track last Thursday evening for the start of our couch 2 5k training.
Feedback at the end of the first session was very positive, with many people saying how encouraged they were in trying to achieve their goal of running a 5k race.
Proceeds from this race will go towards the ongoing development of our sports ground at Newtownstalaban.
A sudden drop in temperature and a biting wind welcomed last Saturday's competitors at the Oldbridge Parkrun.
Couch 2 5k coach Ciara O'Reilly didn't take long to warm up and she raced round the rather challenging course in a speedy 20:36 on her way to being first lady home.
Also running well for our ladies were juvenile member Kate O'Reilly 23:57, Sinead McGuinness 26:26 and Paula Floyd 36:10 who all ran new Pb times for the course.
Colm Reilly who only last Sunday ran in the Dublin City Marathon, finished in third place overall in a fast 19:02.
Thomas Farrelly ran a solid 22:09 to finish 25th overall with Declan McMahon a minute behind with 23:10 in 32nd place.
Club News 31st October 2016
Dublin City Marathon
No less than sixty four brave and hardy members of Drogheda and District took part in this year's Dublin City Marathon.
Weather conditions were perfect with a calm dry day and a relatively flat course.
The atmosphere at the start line was electric and pre race nerves were in abundance.
With over 19,500 runners taking part, getting off to a good start wasn't going to be easy.
Ruaidhri Nolan certainly got into a good rhythm early on and consistently churned out the miles to come home our first finisher in a fine 2 hours 54 minutes.
Club coaches Eoin McGinn and Declan Monaghan weren't too far behind as both had strong runs on the day.
McGinn was just a mere minute outside the magical three hour mark with a time of 3:01.
Monaghan stuck to his pre race plan and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 3:06.
The aptly named Artur Kwik had a great run to finish in 3:23 as did club mate Fran Egan.
Gerry Mullins couldn't stop smiling as his time of 3:29 means that he is automatically qualified to run in next year's Boston Marathon.
Yasmin Canning had a superb Marathon debut when finishing in 3:24 for the classic distance.
Canning's plan of consistently running even paced miles paid off in spades as she crossed the line in no real distress and is the perfect example of how to tackle the Marathon distance.
Next in for our ladies was Terri Durning who always seems to get the pace right, Durning ran a rock solid 3:30 when it mattered the most.
Aimee Corcoran, only a week married showed husband and fellow club mate Ziad that the battle for family honours is on in earnest.
Corcoran ran pretty much the perfect race to cross the line in 3:37 and finished well up in the ladies race.
Nuala Reilly, often described as the queen of Irish distance running was also running her debut Marathon.
O'Reilly put in a terrific run to finish third in her W 60 age category in an unbelievable 3:44.
There were many fine performances on the day and others who ran well included Enda Martin, Brian Guilfoyle, Roger Tegart and Stephen Geraghty.
For our ladies, Linda Cruise, Barbara Byrne, Gillian Farrelly and Gillian Fitzpatrick also ran well.
The New Forest Golf Club, Tyrellspass, Westmeath was the venue for Last Saturday's Leinster Novice Cross Country Championships.
The crowds flocked to a well drained, manicured, but tight course that had some testing twists and climbs.
In the women's race (which had well over double the number of runners on last year's race), Mary Leech sustained a hard fall on the last lap while well inside the top 10 which left Pamela Howard as club top scorer in 13th place. Pamela also finished as second scorer on the Louth team which picked up silver medals in the Inter-County competition. Michelle Hughes and Mags Nugent ran strongly in a good workout for the upcoming county senior championship in November.
Our men's team packed well to finish 9th out of 21 teams. Stephen Kelly led the way in 23rd, and was supported well by Shane Larkin, Pat O'Grady, Stephen Duggan and Robert Maher.
Medals were the order of the day for our U18 Boys who picked up both county silver and club bronze medals.
Representing both club and county were Sam O'Neill, Robert Caffrey, James Nolan, Sonny Doyle and Leo McClean.
Sam O'Neill also picked up an individual medal and automatic qualification for the Leinster team for the All-Ireland Even Age Championships at the National Sports Campus (Abbotstown) in November. All the boys will also represent both club and county at the same event.
In the U16 Boys, Cormac Canning after a conservative first lap stormed through the field to finish 5th which is also an automatic pick on the Leinster team. Harry Caffery also ran well placing 4th scorer on the county team.
The same venue will host the Leinster Junior, Senior and Uneven Age Championships on November 13th
Novice Women
13 Pamela HOWARD 00:13:53 Drogheda & District A.C. (+2nd County Team scorer)
35 Michelle HUGHES 00:14:46 Drogheda & District A.C.
36 Mags NUGENT 00:14:48 Drogheda & District A.C.
Novice Men
23 Stephen KELLY 00:17:59 Drogheda & District A.C.
62 Shane LARKIN 00:18:48 Drogheda & District A.C.
74 Patrick O'GRADY 00:19:06 Drogheda & District A.C.
78 Stephen DUGGAN 00:19:09 Drogheda & District A.C.
98 Robert MAHER 00:19:38 Drogheda & District A.C.
U18 Boys - 3rd team, 2nd county
11 Sam O'NEILL Drogheda & District A.C. 00:17:52
21 Robert CAFFREY Drogheda & District A.C. 00:18:32
24 James NOLAN Drogheda & District A.C. 00:18:37
39 Sonny DOYLE Drogheda & District A.C. 00:20:46
43 Leo MCCLEAN Drogheda & District A.C. 00:21:45
U16 Boys
5 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C.
44 Harry Caffrey Drogheda & District A.C.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted thirteen of our members to run this challenging 5k course.
First home in the red vest was Peter Mullen who finished in ninth place in 21:08, a mere ten seconds ahead of Johathan Matthews who was eleventh in 21:18.
Ziad Chammas ran a Pb of 21:43 which was good enough for 16th place overall.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon ran a Pb of 24:40 and Kasia Reynolds also ran a Pb time of 30:30 to finish in 82nd place overall.
No less than sixty four brave and hardy members of Drogheda and District took part in this year's Dublin City Marathon.
Weather conditions were perfect with a calm dry day and a relatively flat course.
The atmosphere at the start line was electric and pre race nerves were in abundance.
With over 19,500 runners taking part, getting off to a good start wasn't going to be easy.
Ruaidhri Nolan certainly got into a good rhythm early on and consistently churned out the miles to come home our first finisher in a fine 2 hours 54 minutes.
Club coaches Eoin McGinn and Declan Monaghan weren't too far behind as both had strong runs on the day.
McGinn was just a mere minute outside the magical three hour mark with a time of 3:01.
Monaghan stuck to his pre race plan and was rewarded with a new Pb time of 3:06.
The aptly named Artur Kwik had a great run to finish in 3:23 as did club mate Fran Egan.
Gerry Mullins couldn't stop smiling as his time of 3:29 means that he is automatically qualified to run in next year's Boston Marathon.
Yasmin Canning had a superb Marathon debut when finishing in 3:24 for the classic distance.
Canning's plan of consistently running even paced miles paid off in spades as she crossed the line in no real distress and is the perfect example of how to tackle the Marathon distance.
Next in for our ladies was Terri Durning who always seems to get the pace right, Durning ran a rock solid 3:30 when it mattered the most.
Aimee Corcoran, only a week married showed husband and fellow club mate Ziad that the battle for family honours is on in earnest.
Corcoran ran pretty much the perfect race to cross the line in 3:37 and finished well up in the ladies race.
Nuala Reilly, often described as the queen of Irish distance running was also running her debut Marathon.
O'Reilly put in a terrific run to finish third in her W 60 age category in an unbelievable 3:44.
There were many fine performances on the day and others who ran well included Enda Martin, Brian Guilfoyle, Roger Tegart and Stephen Geraghty.
For our ladies, Linda Cruise, Barbara Byrne, Gillian Farrelly and Gillian Fitzpatrick also ran well.
The New Forest Golf Club, Tyrellspass, Westmeath was the venue for Last Saturday's Leinster Novice Cross Country Championships.
The crowds flocked to a well drained, manicured, but tight course that had some testing twists and climbs.
In the women's race (which had well over double the number of runners on last year's race), Mary Leech sustained a hard fall on the last lap while well inside the top 10 which left Pamela Howard as club top scorer in 13th place. Pamela also finished as second scorer on the Louth team which picked up silver medals in the Inter-County competition. Michelle Hughes and Mags Nugent ran strongly in a good workout for the upcoming county senior championship in November.
Our men's team packed well to finish 9th out of 21 teams. Stephen Kelly led the way in 23rd, and was supported well by Shane Larkin, Pat O'Grady, Stephen Duggan and Robert Maher.
Medals were the order of the day for our U18 Boys who picked up both county silver and club bronze medals.
Representing both club and county were Sam O'Neill, Robert Caffrey, James Nolan, Sonny Doyle and Leo McClean.
Sam O'Neill also picked up an individual medal and automatic qualification for the Leinster team for the All-Ireland Even Age Championships at the National Sports Campus (Abbotstown) in November. All the boys will also represent both club and county at the same event.
In the U16 Boys, Cormac Canning after a conservative first lap stormed through the field to finish 5th which is also an automatic pick on the Leinster team. Harry Caffery also ran well placing 4th scorer on the county team.
The same venue will host the Leinster Junior, Senior and Uneven Age Championships on November 13th
Novice Women
13 Pamela HOWARD 00:13:53 Drogheda & District A.C. (+2nd County Team scorer)
35 Michelle HUGHES 00:14:46 Drogheda & District A.C.
36 Mags NUGENT 00:14:48 Drogheda & District A.C.
Novice Men
23 Stephen KELLY 00:17:59 Drogheda & District A.C.
62 Shane LARKIN 00:18:48 Drogheda & District A.C.
74 Patrick O'GRADY 00:19:06 Drogheda & District A.C.
78 Stephen DUGGAN 00:19:09 Drogheda & District A.C.
98 Robert MAHER 00:19:38 Drogheda & District A.C.
U18 Boys - 3rd team, 2nd county
11 Sam O'NEILL Drogheda & District A.C. 00:17:52
21 Robert CAFFREY Drogheda & District A.C. 00:18:32
24 James NOLAN Drogheda & District A.C. 00:18:37
39 Sonny DOYLE Drogheda & District A.C. 00:20:46
43 Leo MCCLEAN Drogheda & District A.C. 00:21:45
U16 Boys
5 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C.
44 Harry Caffrey Drogheda & District A.C.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun tempted thirteen of our members to run this challenging 5k course.
First home in the red vest was Peter Mullen who finished in ninth place in 21:08, a mere ten seconds ahead of Johathan Matthews who was eleventh in 21:18.
Ziad Chammas ran a Pb of 21:43 which was good enough for 16th place overall.
For our ladies, Yvonne McMahon ran a Pb of 24:40 and Kasia Reynolds also ran a Pb time of 30:30 to finish in 82nd place overall.
Club News 23rd October 2016
Last Sunday's Intermediate cross country championship held in Bush, Cooley attracted a large number of quality athletes to take part.
This year's course which was run over a variety of terrains was not for the faint hearted.
Michelle Hughes fresh from her second place finish in the Novice race two weeks earlier got stuck in right from the gun.
Deciding to bide her time in second place seemed to be working as Hughes and Inga Keler from North East Runners opened a gap on the rest of the field.
Coming into the home straight this race could have gone either way.
It was only in the last twenty metres that Keler found an extra yard of ground to win by a mere one second over the four kilometre course.
Brave running indeed by both Ladies.
Backed up by some strong running from Orla O'Connor in third place the team title looked to be heading our way.
Sinead Weldon who has improved so much this year had a great run to finish fifth and with Jane Glynn coming home in tenth place the team gold was secured.
Barbara O'Donnell also ran well for our ladies.
Next up was the Intermediate men's event.
Stephen Kelly the winner of the novice was out to do the double.
Once the gun went Kelly lost no time in making his way into the leading group.
With the pocket rocket Shane Larkin forcing the pace, a group of about six athletes opened up a gap on the rest of the field.
Seasoned athlete Pat O'Grady and Stephen Duggan who was having a great race were right in the mix.
Over the next five laps this group started to stretch out with Kelly opening up a substantial lead that he never relinquished.
Behind Kelly, a titanic battle was taking place between Larkin and O'Grady for the bronze medal prize.
Coming out a narrow gap into the last field, O'Grady chose his moment well and surged ahead to cross the line some six seconds ahead of Larkin.
Thanks to Duggan's terrific run, this quartet won the men's team race.
Further down the field there were some good performances from Kieran McGrath, Robbie Maher, John Reilly and Colm Reilly.
These four combined well to taks the team bronze medals.
Also running well were John Hough, Hugh Callan and John Cooper.
In the uneven age Juvenile races,
Abigail Tegart 7th, Moya McCabe 8th and Kate O'Reilly 10th, raced well together to win the team prize in the U15 Girls-3500m.
In the boys U17 5000m race, Cormac Canning finished in second place in a speedy 18:00.
With Robert Caffrey in third place and James Nolan fourth the team gold was always going to come our way.
The last event of the day, the U19 Boys 5000m saw Sam O'Neill produce a strong run to finish in second place in a fast 17:54.
Leo McLean ran 22:36 for the distance.
Everybody likes getting a letter but some more than others.
Last Wednesday morning the Postman delivered the letter Nuala O'Reilly had been waiting for.
Following O'Reilly's terrific run in the cross country trials, she has been selected on an Irish team to take part in an international cross country event in Glasgow next month.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun proved to be a good day at the office for Brian Pentony.
Pentony who is relatively new to club racing sped round the challenging course in a lively 19:14 which earned him seventh place overall.
Declan McMahon was our next man home in nineteenth place in 22:21.
Also running well were Joe Rooney 22:44 and Jos Haak 29:46.
First home for our ladies was Cariona Tuite who finished in fifty third place in 28:31.
Ciara O'Reilly did somewhat of a double in the last week.
Not only did O'Reilly win a prize in the club's weekly Lotto draw, she also won some dollars while racing abroad.
O'Reilly had a comfortable win in the 5K4K run in Lebanon, Nashville, Tennessee in a good time of 20:13.
Best of luck to all sixty four of our athletes who are taking part in next Sunday's Dublin City Marathon.
Congratulations to Aimee Corcoran and Ziad Chammas, two of our members who decided to marry each other last Friday.
This year's course which was run over a variety of terrains was not for the faint hearted.
Michelle Hughes fresh from her second place finish in the Novice race two weeks earlier got stuck in right from the gun.
Deciding to bide her time in second place seemed to be working as Hughes and Inga Keler from North East Runners opened a gap on the rest of the field.
Coming into the home straight this race could have gone either way.
It was only in the last twenty metres that Keler found an extra yard of ground to win by a mere one second over the four kilometre course.
Brave running indeed by both Ladies.
Backed up by some strong running from Orla O'Connor in third place the team title looked to be heading our way.
Sinead Weldon who has improved so much this year had a great run to finish fifth and with Jane Glynn coming home in tenth place the team gold was secured.
Barbara O'Donnell also ran well for our ladies.
Next up was the Intermediate men's event.
Stephen Kelly the winner of the novice was out to do the double.
Once the gun went Kelly lost no time in making his way into the leading group.
With the pocket rocket Shane Larkin forcing the pace, a group of about six athletes opened up a gap on the rest of the field.
Seasoned athlete Pat O'Grady and Stephen Duggan who was having a great race were right in the mix.
Over the next five laps this group started to stretch out with Kelly opening up a substantial lead that he never relinquished.
Behind Kelly, a titanic battle was taking place between Larkin and O'Grady for the bronze medal prize.
Coming out a narrow gap into the last field, O'Grady chose his moment well and surged ahead to cross the line some six seconds ahead of Larkin.
Thanks to Duggan's terrific run, this quartet won the men's team race.
Further down the field there were some good performances from Kieran McGrath, Robbie Maher, John Reilly and Colm Reilly.
These four combined well to taks the team bronze medals.
Also running well were John Hough, Hugh Callan and John Cooper.
In the uneven age Juvenile races,
Abigail Tegart 7th, Moya McCabe 8th and Kate O'Reilly 10th, raced well together to win the team prize in the U15 Girls-3500m.
In the boys U17 5000m race, Cormac Canning finished in second place in a speedy 18:00.
With Robert Caffrey in third place and James Nolan fourth the team gold was always going to come our way.
The last event of the day, the U19 Boys 5000m saw Sam O'Neill produce a strong run to finish in second place in a fast 17:54.
Leo McLean ran 22:36 for the distance.
Everybody likes getting a letter but some more than others.
Last Wednesday morning the Postman delivered the letter Nuala O'Reilly had been waiting for.
Following O'Reilly's terrific run in the cross country trials, she has been selected on an Irish team to take part in an international cross country event in Glasgow next month.
Last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun proved to be a good day at the office for Brian Pentony.
Pentony who is relatively new to club racing sped round the challenging course in a lively 19:14 which earned him seventh place overall.
Declan McMahon was our next man home in nineteenth place in 22:21.
Also running well were Joe Rooney 22:44 and Jos Haak 29:46.
First home for our ladies was Cariona Tuite who finished in fifty third place in 28:31.
Ciara O'Reilly did somewhat of a double in the last week.
Not only did O'Reilly win a prize in the club's weekly Lotto draw, she also won some dollars while racing abroad.
O'Reilly had a comfortable win in the 5K4K run in Lebanon, Nashville, Tennessee in a good time of 20:13.
Best of luck to all sixty four of our athletes who are taking part in next Sunday's Dublin City Marathon.
Congratulations to Aimee Corcoran and Ziad Chammas, two of our members who decided to marry each other last Friday.
Club News 16th October 2016
Autumn Open Cross Country Festival
National Sports Campus
Last Sunday saw the first competition in the new Cross Country arena at Abbotstown which hosted the AAI Open Cross Country incorporating the trial for the Irish team for Home Counties Cross Country International in Scotland next month.
The superb two kilometer course had it all, fast flat stretches, multiple rolling hills and numerous sticky patches designed to test the most hardened runner's resolve.
In the ladies 6k race run over three laps, Mary Leech, Pamela Howard and Nuala Reilly all running in different age categories were in the mix right from the gun.
Despite the hectic early pace set by some of Ireland's elite runners, Leech set to her task and got herself into a good tactical position midway through the first lap.
Running to a steady rhythm and powering up the hills paid off for Leech as entering the home straight she had enough ground to spare to bring her home in third place in her W40 category.
This means that Leech is now automatically selected on the Irish team for the Internation Cross Country event in Glasgow next month.
Nuala Reilly, one of the toughest competitors in Irish Athletics ran hard and fast all the way to come home in fourth place in her W60 category on this occasion.
Reilly may yet be selected on an Irish team if there isn't a wildcard entrant selected as can happen occasionally.
Pamela Howard, a superbly talented athlete who hasn't really gotten a good period of training behind her showed just what she is capable of given the chance.
Gifted with an incredibly fluid running style, Howard ran across the mucky stretches as though they didn't exist and raced using a cool head to finish eighth in her category against top class opposition.
Our lady runners really did us proud and there was a spring in everyone's step for the rest of the day.
Pat O'Grady was our sole runner in the very competitive M55 event.
Running against the cream of Irish Masters distance runners was no easy task but O'Grady was up for the challenge right from the gun.
Going out on the last lap, O'Grady was in fifth position and about thirty metres behind the fourth placed runner he needed to catch to be sure of making the Irish team.
With less than 400 metres to go he unleashed a ferocious finishing kick to claw back all but one metre of the deficit at the finishing line.
Pipped by a mere one second, O'Grady will now have to sweat it out to see if he gets a call from the selectors.
Conor Cooney used this event to get a feel for the course as he will soon be entering a new age category where he should be very competitive.
Cooney as ever ran a well judged race and will be one to watch out for.
Glenmore AC 5k
Last Sunday's Glenmore A.C. 5k road race held in Bush, Louth, tempted three of our members to toe the line.
First home in the red vest was Shane Larkin who put in a great run to finish in fourth place overall in a Speedy 17:40.
Next in was John Reilly who's in great form at the moment.
Reilly raced well to finish eighth overall and first in his category in a fine 18:44.
Our sole lady runner was Phillipa Donnelly who ran well and covered the distance in 24:45.
An Cosantoir Defence Forces 10k
At the recent An Cosantoir Defence Forces 10k held in the Phoenix Park, Robbie Maher running as a guest had a solid run to record 38 minutes for the distance.
Declan Monaghan also ran well and broke the forty minute mark with 39:53.
Brian Guilfoyle, no stranger to this event ran 41:58 and Sandra Maher got round the course in 50:13.
Well done to all who took part in our recent Mile races held in the Lourdes Stadium, some nice performaces over the two evening's races.
Oldbridge Park Run
At last weekend's Oldbridge Parkrun Colm Reilly raced round the course in a fine 18:41 to finish fourth overall.
Not far behind was Paul Reilly in eighth place in 19:25.
Gerry Mullins ran well to run the course in 21:59 with Rob Power next in 22:50.
For our ladies, Sinead Weldon and Sinead McGuinness both ran well.
National Sports Campus
Last Sunday saw the first competition in the new Cross Country arena at Abbotstown which hosted the AAI Open Cross Country incorporating the trial for the Irish team for Home Counties Cross Country International in Scotland next month.
The superb two kilometer course had it all, fast flat stretches, multiple rolling hills and numerous sticky patches designed to test the most hardened runner's resolve.
In the ladies 6k race run over three laps, Mary Leech, Pamela Howard and Nuala Reilly all running in different age categories were in the mix right from the gun.
Despite the hectic early pace set by some of Ireland's elite runners, Leech set to her task and got herself into a good tactical position midway through the first lap.
Running to a steady rhythm and powering up the hills paid off for Leech as entering the home straight she had enough ground to spare to bring her home in third place in her W40 category.
This means that Leech is now automatically selected on the Irish team for the Internation Cross Country event in Glasgow next month.
Nuala Reilly, one of the toughest competitors in Irish Athletics ran hard and fast all the way to come home in fourth place in her W60 category on this occasion.
Reilly may yet be selected on an Irish team if there isn't a wildcard entrant selected as can happen occasionally.
Pamela Howard, a superbly talented athlete who hasn't really gotten a good period of training behind her showed just what she is capable of given the chance.
Gifted with an incredibly fluid running style, Howard ran across the mucky stretches as though they didn't exist and raced using a cool head to finish eighth in her category against top class opposition.
Our lady runners really did us proud and there was a spring in everyone's step for the rest of the day.
Pat O'Grady was our sole runner in the very competitive M55 event.
Running against the cream of Irish Masters distance runners was no easy task but O'Grady was up for the challenge right from the gun.
Going out on the last lap, O'Grady was in fifth position and about thirty metres behind the fourth placed runner he needed to catch to be sure of making the Irish team.
With less than 400 metres to go he unleashed a ferocious finishing kick to claw back all but one metre of the deficit at the finishing line.
Pipped by a mere one second, O'Grady will now have to sweat it out to see if he gets a call from the selectors.
Conor Cooney used this event to get a feel for the course as he will soon be entering a new age category where he should be very competitive.
Cooney as ever ran a well judged race and will be one to watch out for.
Glenmore AC 5k
Last Sunday's Glenmore A.C. 5k road race held in Bush, Louth, tempted three of our members to toe the line.
First home in the red vest was Shane Larkin who put in a great run to finish in fourth place overall in a Speedy 17:40.
Next in was John Reilly who's in great form at the moment.
Reilly raced well to finish eighth overall and first in his category in a fine 18:44.
Our sole lady runner was Phillipa Donnelly who ran well and covered the distance in 24:45.
An Cosantoir Defence Forces 10k
At the recent An Cosantoir Defence Forces 10k held in the Phoenix Park, Robbie Maher running as a guest had a solid run to record 38 minutes for the distance.
Declan Monaghan also ran well and broke the forty minute mark with 39:53.
Brian Guilfoyle, no stranger to this event ran 41:58 and Sandra Maher got round the course in 50:13.
Well done to all who took part in our recent Mile races held in the Lourdes Stadium, some nice performaces over the two evening's races.
Oldbridge Park Run
At last weekend's Oldbridge Parkrun Colm Reilly raced round the course in a fine 18:41 to finish fourth overall.
Not far behind was Paul Reilly in eighth place in 19:25.
Gerry Mullins ran well to run the course in 21:59 with Rob Power next in 22:50.
For our ladies, Sinead Weldon and Sinead McGuinness both ran well.
Club News 9th October 2016
Last Sunday's Novice Cross Country Championships attracted a large number of quality athletes to take part.
Perfect weather conditions and a fast flat course meant track runners were in with a real chance this year.
In what turned out to be a great days racing, D&D supplied the first two finishers in both the ladies and mens races.
In the ladies 3k event, Michelle Hughes moved to the head of the field early on closely followed by club mate Orla O'Connor.
These two and a group of three athletes soon had clear ground on the rest of the field.
Hughes pushed hard at the start of the last lap but try as she might she couldn't shake off O'Connor who was having a great run.
In the home straight, O'Connor picked her moment well to surge past Hughes to take the title by a mere second at the finish.
Backed up by the strong running Roisin Coade and Sinead Weldon, this quartet secured the much covetted team prize by just two points from a very strong North East Runners team.
Oue second team of Barbara Byrne, Mary Lindsey, Jane Glynn and Phillipa Donnelly combined well to take the third place team medals.
Others who ran well were Wendy White and Helen Dillon.
In the mens race, pre race favourites Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin took up the running right from the gun.
Running shoulder to shoulder this pair opened up a gap of almost a minute on the third placed runner.
With six hard kilometres of hard running behind them this pair had the large crowd enthralled as to who would be the winner.
Coming down the home straight with less than the width of a razor blade between them, Kelly found an extra ounce of energy to dip on the line and take the title by the very narrowest of margins.
Not far behind, Kelly's older brother Johnny was having a great battle with club mate Stephen Duggan and just held him at bay at the finish.
These four made up the winning men's team with a total of sixteen points.
Further down the field the battle for second team place was on in earnest.
Kieran McGrath was having a terrific run as he led home Shane Larkin, Colm Reilly and John Hough to take the silver medals by the slimest of margins.
Others who ran well were John Reilly, Brian Pentony, Paul Reilly and Eoin McGinn.
The future of our club, our juveniles were also in action running in the even age races.
In the U14 boys race, twins Peter and Daniel Aylward finished in eighth and ninth place.
Cormac Canning showed everyone a clean pair of heels as he sped round the course to win his U16 race.
Harry Caffrey ran well to place fifth, with Ben Egan eleventh.
Evan O'Connor and Cian Martin Bohan both ran well to finish in twelveth and fifteenth place respectively.
Our U16 team won the boys team event.
Sam O'Neill led home our winning team in the boys U18 team event.
O'Neill finished in third place with Robert Caffrey, James Nolan and Sonny Doyle all finishing close behind.
Leo Mclean and Ronan Devine also ran well.
In the girls U16 race, Moya McCabe, Abigail Tegart and Margareta Kafe all ran well to make up the winning girls team.
Our sole runner in the girls U14 race was Kate O'Reilly who finished in 12th place.
David Walsh made a welcome return to running after injury when placing 28th in the recent Business Houses cross cou.try race in Castleknock.
Also running were Conor Cooney who was 86th and Jim Nolan 95th.
In the ladies race Nuala Reilly was first in her category in the two mile race .
Two of D&D's finest took part in last Sunday's 3 Quarter Marathon in Athlone, Westmeath.
Liam Callaghan and Edel Smyth were using this race to prepare for the Upcoming Dublin Marathon.
Callaghan ran a nice 2:55 for the distance and Smyth got round the course in 3:17.
Last Sunday's Run With Catherina 10k held in Cavan proved to be a good day for some of our athletes.
Nuala Reilly placed first in her category in a speedy 44:17.
Not far behind was Conor Cooney who ran to secure third place in his category in 44:52.
Martina O'Connor Dyas ran 50:21 for the distance.
In the shorter 5k event, Jackser Reilly ran a decent 20:54 which earned him second place in his category.
With just a week to go to the trials for the Home Countries Cross Country Championships Mary Leech scorched round the Oldbridge Parkrun in a fabulous 19:07.
Leech has hit a rich vein of form at just the right time and will be fancied to make the Irish Ladies team.
Pat O'Grady put in a good performance when finishing second overall at the Malahide Parkrun in a fast 17:08.
Nuala Reilly and Pat O'Grady will also be hoping to earn a place on an Irish team if all goes to plan.
Perfect weather conditions and a fast flat course meant track runners were in with a real chance this year.
In what turned out to be a great days racing, D&D supplied the first two finishers in both the ladies and mens races.
In the ladies 3k event, Michelle Hughes moved to the head of the field early on closely followed by club mate Orla O'Connor.
These two and a group of three athletes soon had clear ground on the rest of the field.
Hughes pushed hard at the start of the last lap but try as she might she couldn't shake off O'Connor who was having a great run.
In the home straight, O'Connor picked her moment well to surge past Hughes to take the title by a mere second at the finish.
Backed up by the strong running Roisin Coade and Sinead Weldon, this quartet secured the much covetted team prize by just two points from a very strong North East Runners team.
Oue second team of Barbara Byrne, Mary Lindsey, Jane Glynn and Phillipa Donnelly combined well to take the third place team medals.
Others who ran well were Wendy White and Helen Dillon.
In the mens race, pre race favourites Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin took up the running right from the gun.
Running shoulder to shoulder this pair opened up a gap of almost a minute on the third placed runner.
With six hard kilometres of hard running behind them this pair had the large crowd enthralled as to who would be the winner.
Coming down the home straight with less than the width of a razor blade between them, Kelly found an extra ounce of energy to dip on the line and take the title by the very narrowest of margins.
Not far behind, Kelly's older brother Johnny was having a great battle with club mate Stephen Duggan and just held him at bay at the finish.
These four made up the winning men's team with a total of sixteen points.
Further down the field the battle for second team place was on in earnest.
Kieran McGrath was having a terrific run as he led home Shane Larkin, Colm Reilly and John Hough to take the silver medals by the slimest of margins.
Others who ran well were John Reilly, Brian Pentony, Paul Reilly and Eoin McGinn.
The future of our club, our juveniles were also in action running in the even age races.
In the U14 boys race, twins Peter and Daniel Aylward finished in eighth and ninth place.
Cormac Canning showed everyone a clean pair of heels as he sped round the course to win his U16 race.
Harry Caffrey ran well to place fifth, with Ben Egan eleventh.
Evan O'Connor and Cian Martin Bohan both ran well to finish in twelveth and fifteenth place respectively.
Our U16 team won the boys team event.
Sam O'Neill led home our winning team in the boys U18 team event.
O'Neill finished in third place with Robert Caffrey, James Nolan and Sonny Doyle all finishing close behind.
Leo Mclean and Ronan Devine also ran well.
In the girls U16 race, Moya McCabe, Abigail Tegart and Margareta Kafe all ran well to make up the winning girls team.
Our sole runner in the girls U14 race was Kate O'Reilly who finished in 12th place.
David Walsh made a welcome return to running after injury when placing 28th in the recent Business Houses cross cou.try race in Castleknock.
Also running were Conor Cooney who was 86th and Jim Nolan 95th.
In the ladies race Nuala Reilly was first in her category in the two mile race .
Two of D&D's finest took part in last Sunday's 3 Quarter Marathon in Athlone, Westmeath.
Liam Callaghan and Edel Smyth were using this race to prepare for the Upcoming Dublin Marathon.
Callaghan ran a nice 2:55 for the distance and Smyth got round the course in 3:17.
Last Sunday's Run With Catherina 10k held in Cavan proved to be a good day for some of our athletes.
Nuala Reilly placed first in her category in a speedy 44:17.
Not far behind was Conor Cooney who ran to secure third place in his category in 44:52.
Martina O'Connor Dyas ran 50:21 for the distance.
In the shorter 5k event, Jackser Reilly ran a decent 20:54 which earned him second place in his category.
With just a week to go to the trials for the Home Countries Cross Country Championships Mary Leech scorched round the Oldbridge Parkrun in a fabulous 19:07.
Leech has hit a rich vein of form at just the right time and will be fancied to make the Irish Ladies team.
Pat O'Grady put in a good performance when finishing second overall at the Malahide Parkrun in a fast 17:08.
Nuala Reilly and Pat O'Grady will also be hoping to earn a place on an Irish team if all goes to plan.
Club News 2nd October 2016
With the County Novice cross country championship being held next week, the cross country season has started in earnest.
In a bid to win one of the under age juvenile titles that will be at stake, some of our younger members decided to use the Oldbridge Parkrun as a sharpener for next week's races.
With little or no wind and the course in great condition fast times were on the cards.
Sam O'Neill pushed hard right from the start and was rewarded for his efforts over the hilly fields with a first place finish in a very fast 17:40.
Only fifteen seconds behind O'Neill a great race was taking place between clubmates Cormac Canning and James Nolan.
On this occasion, neither athlete could best each other and they both crossed the line in a new Pb time of 17:55 and gave the spectators a marvelous finish to watch.
Another of our promising juvenile athletes Robert Caffrey had a terrific run to finish fourth overall in a new best time of 18:18, making it a clean sweep of the placings for our juveniles.
Others who ran well included Geoff Fitzpatrick, Harry Caffrey and Peter Mullen.
Further afield, last Sunday's Brussels Marathon proved to be a good day out for Marathon specialists Gerry Mullins and Liam Farrell.
Mullins in particular had a strong run to cover the classic distance in a fine 3:36 on his way to finishing his twenty sixth marathon.
Farrell also ran well and finished in a very creditable 3:45.
Closer to home, distance runner Gerard Fay was competing in his 250th marathon at last Sunday's Monaghan Marathon.
Fay a prolific marathon runner has run in more marathons than the rest of our club put together.
Not content with running the course in 5:30, Fay also ran a Marathon the day before in 5:45!
Some way to spend your weekend!
Declan McMahon also had a good run recently when finishing the Sosad 5k in Dundalk in 21:31.
Our hugely popular and successful Couch to 5k program is back!
If you have always wanted to try running but weren't sure where to start, this is perfect for you.
If you've been away from running through injury or illness this is perfect for you.
If you just want to improve your 5k time by training in a group environment but are not sure about joining an athletic club just yet, this is perfect for you.
You will be coached by experienced athletes in a safe group environment, building your running up gradually to end with you completing our Christmas 5k on the 18th December, what better Christmas gift to yourself!
Just drop us a line to find out more or come along to our registration night on Thursday the 20th October at the Lourdes Stadium, Drogheda.
#DDACChristmas5k #dontstopbelieving
In a bid to win one of the under age juvenile titles that will be at stake, some of our younger members decided to use the Oldbridge Parkrun as a sharpener for next week's races.
With little or no wind and the course in great condition fast times were on the cards.
Sam O'Neill pushed hard right from the start and was rewarded for his efforts over the hilly fields with a first place finish in a very fast 17:40.
Only fifteen seconds behind O'Neill a great race was taking place between clubmates Cormac Canning and James Nolan.
On this occasion, neither athlete could best each other and they both crossed the line in a new Pb time of 17:55 and gave the spectators a marvelous finish to watch.
Another of our promising juvenile athletes Robert Caffrey had a terrific run to finish fourth overall in a new best time of 18:18, making it a clean sweep of the placings for our juveniles.
Others who ran well included Geoff Fitzpatrick, Harry Caffrey and Peter Mullen.
Further afield, last Sunday's Brussels Marathon proved to be a good day out for Marathon specialists Gerry Mullins and Liam Farrell.
Mullins in particular had a strong run to cover the classic distance in a fine 3:36 on his way to finishing his twenty sixth marathon.
Farrell also ran well and finished in a very creditable 3:45.
Closer to home, distance runner Gerard Fay was competing in his 250th marathon at last Sunday's Monaghan Marathon.
Fay a prolific marathon runner has run in more marathons than the rest of our club put together.
Not content with running the course in 5:30, Fay also ran a Marathon the day before in 5:45!
Some way to spend your weekend!
Declan McMahon also had a good run recently when finishing the Sosad 5k in Dundalk in 21:31.
Our hugely popular and successful Couch to 5k program is back!
If you have always wanted to try running but weren't sure where to start, this is perfect for you.
If you've been away from running through injury or illness this is perfect for you.
If you just want to improve your 5k time by training in a group environment but are not sure about joining an athletic club just yet, this is perfect for you.
You will be coached by experienced athletes in a safe group environment, building your running up gradually to end with you completing our Christmas 5k on the 18th December, what better Christmas gift to yourself!
Just drop us a line to find out more or come along to our registration night on Thursday the 20th October at the Lourdes Stadium, Drogheda.
#DDACChristmas5k #dontstopbelieving
Club News 25th September 2016
Cross country running doesn't get any tougher than the annual Star of the Sea race held at Dardistown, County Meath.
Last Sunday's race, run over a brutally tough course is definitely not for the faint hearted.
Nuala Reilly, never one to shy away from a challenge, ran hard all the way to win her category against good class opposition.
Michelle Hughes also ran a fine race and placed third in her category.
Pat O'Grady was using this race as a yardstick to gauge his fitness with one eye on the upcoming cross country trials.
O'Grady ran well to finish second in his category to a top class Irish Master's athlete.
Roger Teggart, Shane Larkin and Jackser Reilly also went well in their first cross country run of the season.
A field of more than one thousand runners lined up for last Sunday's 5k road race in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
Run over a super fast course, this race really does attract the top runners in this country and our members were anxious to do battle with them.
Once the gun went Mary Leech lost no time in making her way to the head of the field.
Pushing hard over the entire race paid off as Leech went on to win the ladies over 40 category in a superb 18:25.
Next home was Pamela Howard who's coming into good form and her time of 19:09 put her well up in the placings.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Ciara O'Reilly who finished fourth in her category and took a whopping twenty seconds off her Pb time when running a speedy 19:29.
In the men's race, Stephen Duggan was our first athlete home in 17:36 with John Hough not far behind in 18:10.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran well and finished strongly in 18:28.
Club captain Rob Power showed just how much he's improved by running 20:05, narrowly missing out on cracking the twenty minute mark.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan 20:46 and Paul Reilly who finished third in his category in 18:53.
Last Saturday's Dublin Half Marathon held in the Phoenix Park attracted a field of almost seven thousand runners.
Among them were over forty hardy souls from Drogheda and District AC.
Despite a swirling wind and an unusually warm day,
many of our members had some really good performances.
The run of the day belonged to Brian Martin who put in a top class run to finish 19th overall in a fabulous time of 1:15:31.
This performance shows just how much Martin has progressed in the last year and he'll be difficult to beat in the coming cross country season.
Not far behind was Stephen Kelly who raced round the course in 1:16:40 and showed no visible signs of distress.
Club Coach Eoin McGinn got the pace right and was rewarded with a fine 1:25:52 for his efforts.
Close behind McGinn was our Director of Coaching Declan Monaghan who finished in 1:27:35.
Also running well were David Gough 1:34:23 and Enda Martin 1:35:16.
For our ladies, Nuala Reilly coped well with the conditions and won her category with a fine run of 1:38:36.
Reilly will be hoping to go well in this year's Dublin City Marathon in a few weeks time.
Aimee Corcoran, getting better by the week had a strong run to finish in 1:39:17.
Linda Cruise also ran well and covered the distance in 1:52:30.
Others who ran well included Helga McDonnell 1:51:54 and Jane Glynn 1:54:05.
Closer to home at Last Saturday's four mile road race in Blackrock, County Louth, four of our members toed the line.
In the men's race,
Johnny Kelly and Robbie Maher had a terrific battle over this very fair course and Kelly just got over the line a mere four seconds ahead of his teammate.
Kelly's time of 23:08 was good enough for 18th place overall, nice running given the rather windy conditions on the night.
For our ladies,
Sandra Maher put in a good run and finished strongly to record a time of 32:22.
Kasia Reynolds also ran and finished in 41:17.
The Oldbridge Parkrun tempted six of our members to race round this rather challenging course.
First home in the red vest was Robert Caffrey one of our younger members who finished fourth overall in a speedy 19:23.
Next in and first lady finisher was Orla O'Connor who ran a decent 22:18 despite the strong wind.
Others who ran well included Harry Caffrey 13th,
Declan McMahon 14th and Joe Rooney 16th in 22:54.
Congratulations to Jonathan O'Brien who ran in the Berlin Marathon last weekend.
O'Brien ran a very creditable 3:31:40 for the classic distance.
Also running this event were Niamh Matthews who finished in 4:20:19 and Dara Keeley 5:04:54.
Last Sunday's race, run over a brutally tough course is definitely not for the faint hearted.
Nuala Reilly, never one to shy away from a challenge, ran hard all the way to win her category against good class opposition.
Michelle Hughes also ran a fine race and placed third in her category.
Pat O'Grady was using this race as a yardstick to gauge his fitness with one eye on the upcoming cross country trials.
O'Grady ran well to finish second in his category to a top class Irish Master's athlete.
Roger Teggart, Shane Larkin and Jackser Reilly also went well in their first cross country run of the season.
A field of more than one thousand runners lined up for last Sunday's 5k road race in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
Run over a super fast course, this race really does attract the top runners in this country and our members were anxious to do battle with them.
Once the gun went Mary Leech lost no time in making her way to the head of the field.
Pushing hard over the entire race paid off as Leech went on to win the ladies over 40 category in a superb 18:25.
Next home was Pamela Howard who's coming into good form and her time of 19:09 put her well up in the placings.
Perhaps the run of the day belonged to Ciara O'Reilly who finished fourth in her category and took a whopping twenty seconds off her Pb time when running a speedy 19:29.
In the men's race, Stephen Duggan was our first athlete home in 17:36 with John Hough not far behind in 18:10.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran well and finished strongly in 18:28.
Club captain Rob Power showed just how much he's improved by running 20:05, narrowly missing out on cracking the twenty minute mark.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan 20:46 and Paul Reilly who finished third in his category in 18:53.
Last Saturday's Dublin Half Marathon held in the Phoenix Park attracted a field of almost seven thousand runners.
Among them were over forty hardy souls from Drogheda and District AC.
Despite a swirling wind and an unusually warm day,
many of our members had some really good performances.
The run of the day belonged to Brian Martin who put in a top class run to finish 19th overall in a fabulous time of 1:15:31.
This performance shows just how much Martin has progressed in the last year and he'll be difficult to beat in the coming cross country season.
Not far behind was Stephen Kelly who raced round the course in 1:16:40 and showed no visible signs of distress.
Club Coach Eoin McGinn got the pace right and was rewarded with a fine 1:25:52 for his efforts.
Close behind McGinn was our Director of Coaching Declan Monaghan who finished in 1:27:35.
Also running well were David Gough 1:34:23 and Enda Martin 1:35:16.
For our ladies, Nuala Reilly coped well with the conditions and won her category with a fine run of 1:38:36.
Reilly will be hoping to go well in this year's Dublin City Marathon in a few weeks time.
Aimee Corcoran, getting better by the week had a strong run to finish in 1:39:17.
Linda Cruise also ran well and covered the distance in 1:52:30.
Others who ran well included Helga McDonnell 1:51:54 and Jane Glynn 1:54:05.
Closer to home at Last Saturday's four mile road race in Blackrock, County Louth, four of our members toed the line.
In the men's race,
Johnny Kelly and Robbie Maher had a terrific battle over this very fair course and Kelly just got over the line a mere four seconds ahead of his teammate.
Kelly's time of 23:08 was good enough for 18th place overall, nice running given the rather windy conditions on the night.
For our ladies,
Sandra Maher put in a good run and finished strongly to record a time of 32:22.
Kasia Reynolds also ran and finished in 41:17.
The Oldbridge Parkrun tempted six of our members to race round this rather challenging course.
First home in the red vest was Robert Caffrey one of our younger members who finished fourth overall in a speedy 19:23.
Next in and first lady finisher was Orla O'Connor who ran a decent 22:18 despite the strong wind.
Others who ran well included Harry Caffrey 13th,
Declan McMahon 14th and Joe Rooney 16th in 22:54.
Congratulations to Jonathan O'Brien who ran in the Berlin Marathon last weekend.
O'Brien ran a very creditable 3:31:40 for the classic distance.
Also running this event were Niamh Matthews who finished in 4:20:19 and Dara Keeley 5:04:54.
Club News 19th September 2016
Ladies First.
Drogheda and District's leading ladies have really upped their game in the last few weeks and had fine wins in two local races.
First up was Michelle Hughes who had a strong run to win the recent SOSAD 5k road race.
Hughes, who's running well at the moment, ran hard right from the gun and was never really troubled on her way to victory in a fine 20:31.
Also running well that evening were Helga McDonnell who finished 44th overall in 23:40 and Helen Dillon who was 49th in 24:07.
Not to be outdone on the night, Stephen Kelly raced round the course and was rewarded for his efforts with a first place finish in 16:55.
Kelly's time would have been considerably faster had he not taken a wrong turn during the race.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin continues to race well and he finished fourth overall in a speedy 18:09.
Fran Egan and Stephen Floyd both ran well finishing in 16th and 19th place respectively.
Over forty of our members choose to race this event and support one of Drogheda's leading support groups.
Last Friday evening's Harry Mallon memorial road race saw an inspired Ciara O'Reilly race well to take first place in the ladies four mile race.
O'Reilly, racing on her home ground, turned on the turbo right from the gun in this rather challenging two lap race.
By the end of the first lap, O'Reilly, running scared had almost thirty seconds of a lead over her nearest rival.
It's one thing to have a substantial lead but knowing how to use it is another thing altogether.
Running with a maturity not often seen these days,
O'Reilly consolidated her lead on the back part of the course and pushed hard in the last mile to finish a popular winner in 26:01.
O'Reilly's finishing time was a massive Pb improvement of some 40 seconds.
Backed up by the strong running Michelle Hughes, who finished in third place and clubmates Nuala Reilly and Sinead Weldon, this quartet won the ladies team prize.
For our men, Brian Martin had a good run to finish in sixth place in a fast 21:53 against good class opposition.
Not far behind was Shane Larkin who struggled with a stitch on the second lap but nevertheless finished in 16th place in 23:19.
Backed up by clubmates Colm Reilly 17th and Robbie Maher 23rd, these four made up the team which finished second to North East Runners on this occasion.
Category prizes winners on the night were Jackser Reilly and Christy Duffy, both third in category.
Conor Cooney was second in his category, beaten by world record holder Brian Lynch.
The ever present Nuala Reilly won her category.
Others who ran well on the night included Bryan Harvey, Brian Guilfoyle and Rob Power.
At last Wednesday's paced miles in Santry Stadium, Shane Larkin ran a solid 5:12 for the classic distance.
Pol O'Murchu ran 5:49 and Mags Nugent wasn't far behind in 5:51.
For our ladies, Phipippa Donnelly ran 7:25 and Blathnaid Donnelly ran 7:30.
With the cross country season almost upon us, three of our athletes took to the fields at this weeks Oldbridge Parkrun.
Mary Leech finished in 5th place overall in a useful 19:54.
Declan MacMahon ran a good race to finish 24th in 22:47.
Drogheda and District's leading ladies have really upped their game in the last few weeks and had fine wins in two local races.
First up was Michelle Hughes who had a strong run to win the recent SOSAD 5k road race.
Hughes, who's running well at the moment, ran hard right from the gun and was never really troubled on her way to victory in a fine 20:31.
Also running well that evening were Helga McDonnell who finished 44th overall in 23:40 and Helen Dillon who was 49th in 24:07.
Not to be outdone on the night, Stephen Kelly raced round the course and was rewarded for his efforts with a first place finish in 16:55.
Kelly's time would have been considerably faster had he not taken a wrong turn during the race.
The pocket rocket Shane Larkin continues to race well and he finished fourth overall in a speedy 18:09.
Fran Egan and Stephen Floyd both ran well finishing in 16th and 19th place respectively.
Over forty of our members choose to race this event and support one of Drogheda's leading support groups.
Last Friday evening's Harry Mallon memorial road race saw an inspired Ciara O'Reilly race well to take first place in the ladies four mile race.
O'Reilly, racing on her home ground, turned on the turbo right from the gun in this rather challenging two lap race.
By the end of the first lap, O'Reilly, running scared had almost thirty seconds of a lead over her nearest rival.
It's one thing to have a substantial lead but knowing how to use it is another thing altogether.
Running with a maturity not often seen these days,
O'Reilly consolidated her lead on the back part of the course and pushed hard in the last mile to finish a popular winner in 26:01.
O'Reilly's finishing time was a massive Pb improvement of some 40 seconds.
Backed up by the strong running Michelle Hughes, who finished in third place and clubmates Nuala Reilly and Sinead Weldon, this quartet won the ladies team prize.
For our men, Brian Martin had a good run to finish in sixth place in a fast 21:53 against good class opposition.
Not far behind was Shane Larkin who struggled with a stitch on the second lap but nevertheless finished in 16th place in 23:19.
Backed up by clubmates Colm Reilly 17th and Robbie Maher 23rd, these four made up the team which finished second to North East Runners on this occasion.
Category prizes winners on the night were Jackser Reilly and Christy Duffy, both third in category.
Conor Cooney was second in his category, beaten by world record holder Brian Lynch.
The ever present Nuala Reilly won her category.
Others who ran well on the night included Bryan Harvey, Brian Guilfoyle and Rob Power.
At last Wednesday's paced miles in Santry Stadium, Shane Larkin ran a solid 5:12 for the classic distance.
Pol O'Murchu ran 5:49 and Mags Nugent wasn't far behind in 5:51.
For our ladies, Phipippa Donnelly ran 7:25 and Blathnaid Donnelly ran 7:30.
With the cross country season almost upon us, three of our athletes took to the fields at this weeks Oldbridge Parkrun.
Mary Leech finished in 5th place overall in a useful 19:54.
Declan MacMahon ran a good race to finish 24th in 22:47.
Club News 11th September 2016
A warm humid morning greeted the six hardy souls from D&D AC as they lined up for last Saturday's half marathon in Athlone.
Ruaidhri Nolan, who's running well at the moment ran a very even paced race covering each mile in just over six minutes.
Nolan's time of 1:21:30 was good enough to earn him 23rd place overall.
Next in was Yasmin Canning who continues to show good form in her build up to her debut marathon.
Canning's time of 1:33:59 placed her sixth in her category and was good running on such a warm day.
Jane Glynn and Martina O'Connor Dyas had reason to smile as they crossed the line together in a new Pb time of 1:52:22.
Others who ran well included Gillian Victory 1:56:47 and Gillian Fitzpatrick 1:56:44.
Further afield at the Great North Run, held in Newcastle, Nuala Reilly put in a terrific run to finish second in her category.
Reilly's time of 1:39:38 was a mere five seconds behind the winner of her category in a field of over fifty thousand runners.
Conor Cooney who was running a much longer distance than he's used to ran a fine 1:43.
Mike Staunton and Kelly Ann Murtagh also completed the run with no real difficulty.
Last Sunday's Ratoath 5k proved to be a good outing for Master's athlete Pat O'Grady.
O'Grady had a solid run to win his over 50 category in a speedy 17:38 and his run was probably worth sub 17:30 given the strong wind.
Multi distance runner Pol O'Murchu decided to race the BHAA 5k in Newbridge, Kildare last weekend.
O'Murchu ran 21:19 for the distance and finished in 35th place overall.
Most of our club members are now training with one eye on the upcoming county cross country titles.
The weekly Oldbridge Parkrun saw John Hough race round the course in 19:17 which was good enough for second place overall.
Hugh Callan also ran well and finished 11th in 21:13.
Joe Rooney put in a good run to record a new Pb of 22:08 and finished 16th overall.
Last Saturday afternoon saw the first gathering of our members at our fabulous new grounds out at Newtown Cross.
This land which is currently being developed is as good as many a golf course in Ireland.
About two hundred members and their families had a great day's fun at our open air barbecue and our first race there takes place on the 4th of December.
Ruaidhri Nolan, who's running well at the moment ran a very even paced race covering each mile in just over six minutes.
Nolan's time of 1:21:30 was good enough to earn him 23rd place overall.
Next in was Yasmin Canning who continues to show good form in her build up to her debut marathon.
Canning's time of 1:33:59 placed her sixth in her category and was good running on such a warm day.
Jane Glynn and Martina O'Connor Dyas had reason to smile as they crossed the line together in a new Pb time of 1:52:22.
Others who ran well included Gillian Victory 1:56:47 and Gillian Fitzpatrick 1:56:44.
Further afield at the Great North Run, held in Newcastle, Nuala Reilly put in a terrific run to finish second in her category.
Reilly's time of 1:39:38 was a mere five seconds behind the winner of her category in a field of over fifty thousand runners.
Conor Cooney who was running a much longer distance than he's used to ran a fine 1:43.
Mike Staunton and Kelly Ann Murtagh also completed the run with no real difficulty.
Last Sunday's Ratoath 5k proved to be a good outing for Master's athlete Pat O'Grady.
O'Grady had a solid run to win his over 50 category in a speedy 17:38 and his run was probably worth sub 17:30 given the strong wind.
Multi distance runner Pol O'Murchu decided to race the BHAA 5k in Newbridge, Kildare last weekend.
O'Murchu ran 21:19 for the distance and finished in 35th place overall.
Most of our club members are now training with one eye on the upcoming county cross country titles.
The weekly Oldbridge Parkrun saw John Hough race round the course in 19:17 which was good enough for second place overall.
Hugh Callan also ran well and finished 11th in 21:13.
Joe Rooney put in a good run to record a new Pb of 22:08 and finished 16th overall.
Last Saturday afternoon saw the first gathering of our members at our fabulous new grounds out at Newtown Cross.
This land which is currently being developed is as good as many a golf course in Ireland.
About two hundred members and their families had a great day's fun at our open air barbecue and our first race there takes place on the 4th of December.
Club News 4th September 2016
A warm and wet morning greeted our members as they lined up for last Saturday's Seamie Weldon 5k road race in Ardee.
Run over a challenging course to say the least, all the talk was of the hill which lasts for over a mile on the back end of the course.
Once the gun went, the field of over 400 runners lost no time in getting down to business.
Shane Larkin, Ian O'Reilly and Colm Reilly quickly made their way into the leading pack which was being led by visiting kenyan athlete Freddy Keron Sittuk.
Passing through the first kilometre in less than three and a half minutes, this trio really were running well.
Close behind were our leading female runners led by the in form Mary Leech, with Pamela Howard and Ciara O'Reilly running step by step.
Less than fifteen minutes later, coming into the home straight Larkin was winning the battle of the Drogheda trio and crossed the line in 9th place overall in a speedy 17.54.
In a desperate sprint for the line, Colm Reilly just pipped clubmate Ian O'Reilly by a mere second to come home in thirteenth place overall in 18.30.
In the ladies race, the fast finishing Mary Leech put in a great last kilometre to finish second lady overall in a fine 19.10, some seventeen seconds faster than her winning time last year.
Next in for our ladies was the strong running Pamela Howard who finished third lady in 19.59.
Backed up by the reliable running of Ciara O'Reilly, this trio combined well to win the ladies team event for the second year running.
As this race also doubles as the County Masters Championships, our ladies team plus Nuala O'Reilly took first place in this category.
Individual category prizes were won by Shane Larkin ( 3rd over 40 ) and Conor Cooney who was second in the over 60 race.
Nuala Reilly ran well to win her first in category prize in a time of 22.17, great running on such a difficult course.
Others who ran well included John Reilly who finished 18th overall in 18.53 and Paul Reilly who was 28th in 19.35.
Declan McMahon also got round the course in a time of 22.43.
Pat O'Grady continues to improve with every race and ran a useful 36 minutes 40 seconds to win his category in the Lakelands 10k road race in Mullingar last Saturday.
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, young Cormac Canning had reason to smile as he raced round the course to finish second overall.
Canning's time of 18.33 was a new Pb and he'll go well over the country this season.
Not far behind was fellow youth member Sonny Doyle who finished 5th in 19.37.
Also running well were Francis Murray who was 7th in 19.54 and Karl Carton who finished 15th in 21.52.
Best wishes to Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly who are taking part in next Sunday's Great North Run.
This year's race has attracted a record field of over fifty thousand entrants.
No pressure Conor and Nuala.
Run over a challenging course to say the least, all the talk was of the hill which lasts for over a mile on the back end of the course.
Once the gun went, the field of over 400 runners lost no time in getting down to business.
Shane Larkin, Ian O'Reilly and Colm Reilly quickly made their way into the leading pack which was being led by visiting kenyan athlete Freddy Keron Sittuk.
Passing through the first kilometre in less than three and a half minutes, this trio really were running well.
Close behind were our leading female runners led by the in form Mary Leech, with Pamela Howard and Ciara O'Reilly running step by step.
Less than fifteen minutes later, coming into the home straight Larkin was winning the battle of the Drogheda trio and crossed the line in 9th place overall in a speedy 17.54.
In a desperate sprint for the line, Colm Reilly just pipped clubmate Ian O'Reilly by a mere second to come home in thirteenth place overall in 18.30.
In the ladies race, the fast finishing Mary Leech put in a great last kilometre to finish second lady overall in a fine 19.10, some seventeen seconds faster than her winning time last year.
Next in for our ladies was the strong running Pamela Howard who finished third lady in 19.59.
Backed up by the reliable running of Ciara O'Reilly, this trio combined well to win the ladies team event for the second year running.
As this race also doubles as the County Masters Championships, our ladies team plus Nuala O'Reilly took first place in this category.
Individual category prizes were won by Shane Larkin ( 3rd over 40 ) and Conor Cooney who was second in the over 60 race.
Nuala Reilly ran well to win her first in category prize in a time of 22.17, great running on such a difficult course.
Others who ran well included John Reilly who finished 18th overall in 18.53 and Paul Reilly who was 28th in 19.35.
Declan McMahon also got round the course in a time of 22.43.
Pat O'Grady continues to improve with every race and ran a useful 36 minutes 40 seconds to win his category in the Lakelands 10k road race in Mullingar last Saturday.
Closer to home at the Oldbridge Parkrun, young Cormac Canning had reason to smile as he raced round the course to finish second overall.
Canning's time of 18.33 was a new Pb and he'll go well over the country this season.
Not far behind was fellow youth member Sonny Doyle who finished 5th in 19.37.
Also running well were Francis Murray who was 7th in 19.54 and Karl Carton who finished 15th in 21.52.
Best wishes to Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly who are taking part in next Sunday's Great North Run.
This year's race has attracted a record field of over fifty thousand entrants.
No pressure Conor and Nuala.
Club News 28th August 2016
Club youth section is growing!
Drogheda and District AC are currently recruiting new members for our youth section.
From humble beginnings a mere two years ago, the club's youth section has grown from twelve members to in excess of fifty at present.
Initially it was the members children who made up our first group of younger athletes.
Within a few months, this had broadened to friends of our youth members and the numbers started to grow.
Our next step was to encourage people who work with children, such as Teachers, to contact us if they thought these kids could benefit from some coaching.
Along with this, our club coaching strategy really took off.
Potential coaches were encouraged to take part in a series of one day courses which set them on the way to learning their craft.
At present we now have about seven coaches who work solely with our youth section.
Over the past year, Sam O'Neill and Cormac Canning really blazed a trail on their way to making many Provincial and National athletics finals.
Canning in particular had a great season by winning the National B cross country title and getting a bronze in the schools 1500 metres championship.
Young Harry Caffrey produced the goods when it mattered to win a championship bronze medal in the long jump.
For our girls, Blathnaid Donnelly, Abigail Tegert and Una McGreehan O'Grady competed well over a number of events during the year.
Registration for the coming year takes place this coming Wednesday 31st of August from 6.00 pm at the Lourdes Stadium.
All welcome between the ages of 12-20.
Cost of registration is €25 per year which includes AAI insurance and membership.
Training times are Wednesday from 6.00 -7.00 pm in the Lourdes Stadium.
Saturday morning at 10.00 am in Meadowview sports field.
At the recent Tara AC 5k road race, Colm Reilly showed a glimpse of the fine form he's enjoying at the moment.
Reilly, one of our newest members has a lot to live up to as his mum Nuala is a national title winner on many occasions.
Reilly put in a strong run to finish 15th overall in a speedy 17 minutes 56 seconds.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both raced well to win first in category prizes.
Closer to home, Robbie Maher, who will be looking to make the Senior cross country team this year finished a fine third in last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Maher's time of 17.58 was enough to keep him ahead of club coach Ian O'Reilly who placed fourth in 18.42.
Colm Reilly and Niall Branigan both ran well and completed the course in less than 20 minutes.
Good running on this quite challenging course.
For our ladies, Deirdre McFerran and Sinead McGuinness both ran well with McGuinness setting a new Pb of 27.04.
Frank Cruise, a member of our sprint squad has turned to the fields to builld strength and completed the course in 30.18.
Last Sunday's 5k promoted by Rossin Rovers tempted twelve of our members to run.
Francis Murray put in a fine run to finish 5th overall in a solid 19.17, with Stephen Floyd 12th in 20.36.
Gillian Fitzpatrick who's back racing was our first lady finisher in 33rd place overall in 24.02.
Also running well were Catrliona Tuite and Fiona Buckley.
Drogheda and District AC are currently recruiting new members for our youth section.
From humble beginnings a mere two years ago, the club's youth section has grown from twelve members to in excess of fifty at present.
Initially it was the members children who made up our first group of younger athletes.
Within a few months, this had broadened to friends of our youth members and the numbers started to grow.
Our next step was to encourage people who work with children, such as Teachers, to contact us if they thought these kids could benefit from some coaching.
Along with this, our club coaching strategy really took off.
Potential coaches were encouraged to take part in a series of one day courses which set them on the way to learning their craft.
At present we now have about seven coaches who work solely with our youth section.
Over the past year, Sam O'Neill and Cormac Canning really blazed a trail on their way to making many Provincial and National athletics finals.
Canning in particular had a great season by winning the National B cross country title and getting a bronze in the schools 1500 metres championship.
Young Harry Caffrey produced the goods when it mattered to win a championship bronze medal in the long jump.
For our girls, Blathnaid Donnelly, Abigail Tegert and Una McGreehan O'Grady competed well over a number of events during the year.
Registration for the coming year takes place this coming Wednesday 31st of August from 6.00 pm at the Lourdes Stadium.
All welcome between the ages of 12-20.
Cost of registration is €25 per year which includes AAI insurance and membership.
Training times are Wednesday from 6.00 -7.00 pm in the Lourdes Stadium.
Saturday morning at 10.00 am in Meadowview sports field.
At the recent Tara AC 5k road race, Colm Reilly showed a glimpse of the fine form he's enjoying at the moment.
Reilly, one of our newest members has a lot to live up to as his mum Nuala is a national title winner on many occasions.
Reilly put in a strong run to finish 15th overall in a speedy 17 minutes 56 seconds.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both raced well to win first in category prizes.
Closer to home, Robbie Maher, who will be looking to make the Senior cross country team this year finished a fine third in last Saturday's Oldbridge Parkrun.
Maher's time of 17.58 was enough to keep him ahead of club coach Ian O'Reilly who placed fourth in 18.42.
Colm Reilly and Niall Branigan both ran well and completed the course in less than 20 minutes.
Good running on this quite challenging course.
For our ladies, Deirdre McFerran and Sinead McGuinness both ran well with McGuinness setting a new Pb of 27.04.
Frank Cruise, a member of our sprint squad has turned to the fields to builld strength and completed the course in 30.18.
Last Sunday's 5k promoted by Rossin Rovers tempted twelve of our members to run.
Francis Murray put in a fine run to finish 5th overall in a solid 19.17, with Stephen Floyd 12th in 20.36.
Gillian Fitzpatrick who's back racing was our first lady finisher in 33rd place overall in 24.02.
Also running well were Catrliona Tuite and Fiona Buckley.
Club News 21st August 2016
Drogheda and District's golden girls.
Four of D&D's finest lady athletes produced the run of their lives to win the 4 x 400m relay at last Sunday's National Masters Track Championships held in Tullamore.
Running against top class opposition, the quartet of Roisin Coade, Erin McHugh, Mags Nugent and Mary Leech ran hard and fast to come home clear winners of this much coveted title.
Inspired by this, our men's team of Karl Carton, David Walsh, Hugh O'Reilly and Kieran McGrath ran as though they'd stolen something to finish runners up in their 4 x 400m relay.
Such was the standard, the winners had to break the existing national record to just edge out our team by a mere second.
The outstanding performance of the day had to belong to Mary Leech who won gold in her 1500m race in a fast 4.52.
Running off a strong pace, Leech surged on the last lap to win by a four second margin.
Leech is one of those rare breed of athletes who can compete well over all distances and terrains and will be hoping to run in an Irish singlet in the coming year.
Kieran McGrath came close but not close enough when finishing second in his men's 800m event.
McGrath, a raw talent, is relatively new to running and his time of 2.03 puts him right up there with the best in his category.
Lots more to come from him in the coming season.
Also running well in his 800m was Paul Reilly who set a new Pb of 2.24.
Picking up bronze medals were Karl Carton, Danny Skeffington and Roisin Coade.
Carton, a sprint specialist, claimed third place in his 100m event and later finished fourth in a very competitive 200m race.
Skeffington made the trip home from the UK worthwhile when running a fine 4.34 for his 1500m event.
Coade, perhaps the most improved lady runner within our club over the Summer season continues to impress with her strong running.
Her time of 1.05.7 for the 400m is a just reward for all her hard efforts in training.
Coade later ran a fabulous lead off leg in the 4 x 400m relay, establishing a 30 metre advantage over her opponents.
Brian Pentony, another newcomer to athletics, ran a superb 58.9 seconds for his first real attempt at this distance.
Pentony, who has been mostly running 5k road races up to now looks to have great potential at the shorter track events.
Nuala Reilly completed a treble of sorts when winning gold in her 3000m race and later in the day winning bronze in her 800m and 1500m events.
Our sole competitor in the field events was Lynn Browne who finished a creditable sixth in the shot putt.
A wet and windy morning greeted the large group of athletes who travelled to the Phoenix Park for the Frank Duffy 10 mile road race.
Run over a new course and into a strong headwind meant that times were going to be slowed somewhat.
First home for our men were Brian
Martin and Stephen Kelly who both cracked the hour mark with a time of 58 minutes.
David Gough finished well in 68 minutes just ahead of David Shiel who ran the course in 70 minutes.
For our Ladies, Yasmin Canning had a really strong run to finish in 406th place overall in a field of over 5000 runners.
Cannings time of 71 minutes augers well for her debut marathon run in Dublin this October.
Nuala Reilly picked up a second in category prize with a fine run of 75 minutes.
Aimee Corcoran 1.16.45 and Carmel Keenan 1.21.04 were the next finishers for our ladies.
Congratulations to Noreen Mackey, winner of the Ladies 5k road race in Rathkenny last Friday evening.
Run over quite a challenging course, her time of 19 minutes 27 seconds was excellent running and brought her home a mere five seconds ahead of the second place finisher.
Mackey, a very popular member of our club, was running her last race in the club colours before she heads off to Cork to continue her studies.
All in Drogheda and District would like to wish Noreen continued success in her running and her studies.
Also running well was Simon Gregory who finished 13th overall in a solid 18.29.
Paddy Murphy, who's racing well at the moment produced a fine run to finish 17th in 19.19
Closer to home, last Saturday's Parkrun saw the in form Colm Reilly run a new Pb of 19.10 for this challenging 5k course when finishing second overall.
Not far behind in sixth place was Francis Murray who finished in 20.26.
Noreen Burke was smiling as she ran a new Pb of 28.37 and Donal Branigan finished 58th overall in 35.49.
Four of D&D's finest lady athletes produced the run of their lives to win the 4 x 400m relay at last Sunday's National Masters Track Championships held in Tullamore.
Running against top class opposition, the quartet of Roisin Coade, Erin McHugh, Mags Nugent and Mary Leech ran hard and fast to come home clear winners of this much coveted title.
Inspired by this, our men's team of Karl Carton, David Walsh, Hugh O'Reilly and Kieran McGrath ran as though they'd stolen something to finish runners up in their 4 x 400m relay.
Such was the standard, the winners had to break the existing national record to just edge out our team by a mere second.
The outstanding performance of the day had to belong to Mary Leech who won gold in her 1500m race in a fast 4.52.
Running off a strong pace, Leech surged on the last lap to win by a four second margin.
Leech is one of those rare breed of athletes who can compete well over all distances and terrains and will be hoping to run in an Irish singlet in the coming year.
Kieran McGrath came close but not close enough when finishing second in his men's 800m event.
McGrath, a raw talent, is relatively new to running and his time of 2.03 puts him right up there with the best in his category.
Lots more to come from him in the coming season.
Also running well in his 800m was Paul Reilly who set a new Pb of 2.24.
Picking up bronze medals were Karl Carton, Danny Skeffington and Roisin Coade.
Carton, a sprint specialist, claimed third place in his 100m event and later finished fourth in a very competitive 200m race.
Skeffington made the trip home from the UK worthwhile when running a fine 4.34 for his 1500m event.
Coade, perhaps the most improved lady runner within our club over the Summer season continues to impress with her strong running.
Her time of 1.05.7 for the 400m is a just reward for all her hard efforts in training.
Coade later ran a fabulous lead off leg in the 4 x 400m relay, establishing a 30 metre advantage over her opponents.
Brian Pentony, another newcomer to athletics, ran a superb 58.9 seconds for his first real attempt at this distance.
Pentony, who has been mostly running 5k road races up to now looks to have great potential at the shorter track events.
Nuala Reilly completed a treble of sorts when winning gold in her 3000m race and later in the day winning bronze in her 800m and 1500m events.
Our sole competitor in the field events was Lynn Browne who finished a creditable sixth in the shot putt.
A wet and windy morning greeted the large group of athletes who travelled to the Phoenix Park for the Frank Duffy 10 mile road race.
Run over a new course and into a strong headwind meant that times were going to be slowed somewhat.
First home for our men were Brian
Martin and Stephen Kelly who both cracked the hour mark with a time of 58 minutes.
David Gough finished well in 68 minutes just ahead of David Shiel who ran the course in 70 minutes.
For our Ladies, Yasmin Canning had a really strong run to finish in 406th place overall in a field of over 5000 runners.
Cannings time of 71 minutes augers well for her debut marathon run in Dublin this October.
Nuala Reilly picked up a second in category prize with a fine run of 75 minutes.
Aimee Corcoran 1.16.45 and Carmel Keenan 1.21.04 were the next finishers for our ladies.
Congratulations to Noreen Mackey, winner of the Ladies 5k road race in Rathkenny last Friday evening.
Run over quite a challenging course, her time of 19 minutes 27 seconds was excellent running and brought her home a mere five seconds ahead of the second place finisher.
Mackey, a very popular member of our club, was running her last race in the club colours before she heads off to Cork to continue her studies.
All in Drogheda and District would like to wish Noreen continued success in her running and her studies.
Also running well was Simon Gregory who finished 13th overall in a solid 18.29.
Paddy Murphy, who's racing well at the moment produced a fine run to finish 17th in 19.19
Closer to home, last Saturday's Parkrun saw the in form Colm Reilly run a new Pb of 19.10 for this challenging 5k course when finishing second overall.
Not far behind in sixth place was Francis Murray who finished in 20.26.
Noreen Burke was smiling as she ran a new Pb of 28.37 and Donal Branigan finished 58th overall in 35.49.
Club News 14th August 2016
The sixth and final meeting of Drogheda and District's Summer Graded Series took place last Thursday evening.
A big thank you to all who travelled to support this event, it was a tough night on the track with the wind, but some great times were ran nonetheless.
In many ways, the real winners over the series were the athletes who decided to try out an event outside of their comfort zone.
Quite a few of our members discovered that they have a bit of talent over the shorter distances such as the 400 metres and the club coaches have plenty to think about for the next few weeks.
Brian Pentony surprised a few people with a strong display of running to win his 400m race in a useful 61.3 seconds, with Thomas O'Heriban close behind in 61.8.
In the shorter 100m sprint, Karl Carton and Blathnaid Donnelly continue to impress and Carton in particular will be looking to medal in next weeks National Masters Track Championships.
In the 1500 metres event, Mags Nugent and Paul Reilly both produced strong runs to record best times for the season.
O'Reilly is the man few people see as he is the person behind the lens and provides us with the fabulous photo's for our weekly articles.
Last event of the evening was the 3000m and it produced a titanic struggle between club old boys Frank Brady and Conor Cooney.
Over the seven and a half laps of this race the field was whittled down from twenty competitors to these two with a lap to go.
Cooney, undoubtedly one of the craftiest racers in Irish athletics knew he couldn't afford to wait and pushed hard to open a lead that he
held on to the finish.
Last Sunday's 10k road race in Duleek attracted many of D&D's finest road racers to take part.
With humid conditions and an undulating course ahead of them, race tactics were all the talk at the start line.
Our Lady runners definitely got the plan right as
Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Michelle Hughes combined well to win the Ladies team race.
All three kept an eye on the early pace and ran better times for the more difficult second half of the course.
Category prizes were won by Canning and Nuala Reilly.
In the men's team event, our trio of Brian Martin, Stephen Kelly and Pat O'Grady just missed out on winning first prize by a single point.
Nevertheless, all three ran strong races and O'Grady in particular had a great run as he continues his return to full fitness.
Category prize winners for our men included Paddy Murphy and Conor Cooney.
Others who ran well were Colm Reilly, Robert Caffrey and Roger Tegart.
Drogheda's dynamic duo of Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly were in action midweek at the Castlepollard 5k road race.
Cooney, who's running well at the moment ran a nice 20 minutes 38 seconds to finish second in his category.
Reilly as ever won her category in a fine 21 minutes 19 seconds.
The annual Monaghan 10 mile road race tempted three of our athletes to run this quite challenging course last Sunday.
162 Liam Farrell Drogheda & District AC 1:20:10
251 Jane Glynn Drogheda & District AC 1:27:09
252 Martina O'Connor Dyas Drogheda & District AC 1:27:09
A big thank you to all who travelled to support this event, it was a tough night on the track with the wind, but some great times were ran nonetheless.
In many ways, the real winners over the series were the athletes who decided to try out an event outside of their comfort zone.
Quite a few of our members discovered that they have a bit of talent over the shorter distances such as the 400 metres and the club coaches have plenty to think about for the next few weeks.
Brian Pentony surprised a few people with a strong display of running to win his 400m race in a useful 61.3 seconds, with Thomas O'Heriban close behind in 61.8.
In the shorter 100m sprint, Karl Carton and Blathnaid Donnelly continue to impress and Carton in particular will be looking to medal in next weeks National Masters Track Championships.
In the 1500 metres event, Mags Nugent and Paul Reilly both produced strong runs to record best times for the season.
O'Reilly is the man few people see as he is the person behind the lens and provides us with the fabulous photo's for our weekly articles.
Last event of the evening was the 3000m and it produced a titanic struggle between club old boys Frank Brady and Conor Cooney.
Over the seven and a half laps of this race the field was whittled down from twenty competitors to these two with a lap to go.
Cooney, undoubtedly one of the craftiest racers in Irish athletics knew he couldn't afford to wait and pushed hard to open a lead that he
held on to the finish.
Last Sunday's 10k road race in Duleek attracted many of D&D's finest road racers to take part.
With humid conditions and an undulating course ahead of them, race tactics were all the talk at the start line.
Our Lady runners definitely got the plan right as
Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Michelle Hughes combined well to win the Ladies team race.
All three kept an eye on the early pace and ran better times for the more difficult second half of the course.
Category prizes were won by Canning and Nuala Reilly.
In the men's team event, our trio of Brian Martin, Stephen Kelly and Pat O'Grady just missed out on winning first prize by a single point.
Nevertheless, all three ran strong races and O'Grady in particular had a great run as he continues his return to full fitness.
Category prize winners for our men included Paddy Murphy and Conor Cooney.
Others who ran well were Colm Reilly, Robert Caffrey and Roger Tegart.
Drogheda's dynamic duo of Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly were in action midweek at the Castlepollard 5k road race.
Cooney, who's running well at the moment ran a nice 20 minutes 38 seconds to finish second in his category.
Reilly as ever won her category in a fine 21 minutes 19 seconds.
The annual Monaghan 10 mile road race tempted three of our athletes to run this quite challenging course last Sunday.
162 Liam Farrell Drogheda & District AC 1:20:10
251 Jane Glynn Drogheda & District AC 1:27:09
252 Martina O'Connor Dyas Drogheda & District AC 1:27:09
Club News 7th August 2016
There were some fine performances from our athletes at last Sunday's National League final held in Tullamore, Offaly.
Helping Louth to finish sixth overall in the Ladies event were Mary Leech who finished fourth in her 1500m in 4.52 running against good opposition.
Erin McHugh ran a useful 2.32 for her 800m and secured a valuable point for her county team.
Also running well was Roisin Coade who ran well on her leg of the 4x400m relay.
Louth finished eighth overall in the men's league with Lee McGuinness doubling up in the 100 and 200m events.
McGuinness, who is only months in the sport, has talent in abundance and has really hit the ground running.
In his 200m race, McGuinness powered round the bend and finished smoothly in a fabulous 22.7 seconds for second place.
Later in the day he finished fifth in the 100m in 11.7 seconds despite the strong wind.
Other good performances came from Mark O'Shea, second in his 1500m in 4.10 and Sam O'Neill who finished third in his 800m in a lively 2.04.
In the men's 400m, Andrew Kelly , getting better with every race ran 55.7 and gained some invaluable championship racing experience.
David Walsh continued his good spell of racing with his run of 16.35 in the men's 5000m which earned him sixth place.
Congratulations to Nuala Reilly on winning a silver medal in the National Half Marathon in Dublin last Sunday.
Reilly's time of 1 hour 41 minutes puts her right up there with the very best in her age category.
Over forty of our members took part in this race and some of the stand out performances were Gerry Mullins who also ran 1.41 and Stephen Gill who ran 1.49 for the distance.
At the previous day's 5k event, couch to 5k leader Colin Cuffe was first home for the club in 22.18.
Next in was Ziad Chammas, who was greeted by his baby daughter Muireann, Chammas ran a steady 26.56 and finished well.
Others who ran well included Jennifer Holmes, Sarah O'Connor and Mary Reillly.
Last Friday's 5k road race in Carlingford proved to be a real classic.
A warm balmy evening suggested that fast times were possible.
With minutes to go the atmosphere at the start line was electric.
Once the gun went, the red vests of D&D quickly made their way to the front of the already pushing hard leading pack.
The next 19 minutes were all about hard sustained running and our leading ladies team of Noreen Mackey, Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Nuala Reilly packed well to win the Ladies team race.
Category prize winners were won by Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Nuala Reilly.
For our men, first home was Shane Larkin in a speedy 17.25, with Stephen Duggan not far behind in 17.42.
Running superb races were Paddy Murphy and Rob Power who both took over 30 seconds off their previous best times.
Brian Harvey, who only last week completed the Belfast triathlon broke through the 19 minute barrier for the first time and ran a speedy 18.50.
Conor Cooney and Jackser Reilly both won category prizes.
For our juvenile athletes, both Cormac Canning and Blathnaid Donnelly ran well and won category prizes.
Some fine midweek performances from our runners at the Dublin Athletic Board graded meeting in Tallaght Stadium.
Continuing her great season was Roisin Coade who finished sixth in her 400m race in a fast 67.92.
Clubmate Hugh Callan pushed hard to finish third in his men's 400m race in 56.25 seconds.
Great running given the strong headwinds on the night.
Four of D&D's most prolific racers took part in the recent BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5k road race in Marino.
First home in 13th place was Shane Larkin in 18.05.
Colm Reilly was 21st in 19.08.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both ran well and won category prizes with some strong running.
Some recent Oldbridge Parkrun results include
Helping Louth to finish sixth overall in the Ladies event were Mary Leech who finished fourth in her 1500m in 4.52 running against good opposition.
Erin McHugh ran a useful 2.32 for her 800m and secured a valuable point for her county team.
Also running well was Roisin Coade who ran well on her leg of the 4x400m relay.
Louth finished eighth overall in the men's league with Lee McGuinness doubling up in the 100 and 200m events.
McGuinness, who is only months in the sport, has talent in abundance and has really hit the ground running.
In his 200m race, McGuinness powered round the bend and finished smoothly in a fabulous 22.7 seconds for second place.
Later in the day he finished fifth in the 100m in 11.7 seconds despite the strong wind.
Other good performances came from Mark O'Shea, second in his 1500m in 4.10 and Sam O'Neill who finished third in his 800m in a lively 2.04.
In the men's 400m, Andrew Kelly , getting better with every race ran 55.7 and gained some invaluable championship racing experience.
David Walsh continued his good spell of racing with his run of 16.35 in the men's 5000m which earned him sixth place.
Congratulations to Nuala Reilly on winning a silver medal in the National Half Marathon in Dublin last Sunday.
Reilly's time of 1 hour 41 minutes puts her right up there with the very best in her age category.
Over forty of our members took part in this race and some of the stand out performances were Gerry Mullins who also ran 1.41 and Stephen Gill who ran 1.49 for the distance.
At the previous day's 5k event, couch to 5k leader Colin Cuffe was first home for the club in 22.18.
Next in was Ziad Chammas, who was greeted by his baby daughter Muireann, Chammas ran a steady 26.56 and finished well.
Others who ran well included Jennifer Holmes, Sarah O'Connor and Mary Reillly.
Last Friday's 5k road race in Carlingford proved to be a real classic.
A warm balmy evening suggested that fast times were possible.
With minutes to go the atmosphere at the start line was electric.
Once the gun went, the red vests of D&D quickly made their way to the front of the already pushing hard leading pack.
The next 19 minutes were all about hard sustained running and our leading ladies team of Noreen Mackey, Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Nuala Reilly packed well to win the Ladies team race.
Category prize winners were won by Yasmin Canning, Ciara O'Reilly and Nuala Reilly.
For our men, first home was Shane Larkin in a speedy 17.25, with Stephen Duggan not far behind in 17.42.
Running superb races were Paddy Murphy and Rob Power who both took over 30 seconds off their previous best times.
Brian Harvey, who only last week completed the Belfast triathlon broke through the 19 minute barrier for the first time and ran a speedy 18.50.
Conor Cooney and Jackser Reilly both won category prizes.
For our juvenile athletes, both Cormac Canning and Blathnaid Donnelly ran well and won category prizes.
Some fine midweek performances from our runners at the Dublin Athletic Board graded meeting in Tallaght Stadium.
Continuing her great season was Roisin Coade who finished sixth in her 400m race in a fast 67.92.
Clubmate Hugh Callan pushed hard to finish third in his men's 400m race in 56.25 seconds.
Great running given the strong headwinds on the night.
Four of D&D's most prolific racers took part in the recent BHAA Dublin Fire Brigade 5k road race in Marino.
First home in 13th place was Shane Larkin in 18.05.
Colm Reilly was 21st in 19.08.
Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both ran well and won category prizes with some strong running.
Some recent Oldbridge Parkrun results include
Club News 31st July 2016
IMC Le Cheile International Meet
There were some fine track performances from our athletes at last Saturday's IMC track meeting in Leixlip.
Without a doubt, the run of the day belonged to Hugh Callan who took a huge chunk off his 400 metres time to record a new personal best of 54.84.
Callan, who has been making steady progress all this season produced the run of his life when it mattered most to finish a very creditable third in the mixed 400m race.
Also running this race was Gerry O'Connor who finished in seventh place in a fine 60.14.
O'Connor will be hoping to win a medal at next month's National Masters track championships.
In the men's 800m, world championship bronze medalist Mark O'Shea continued his streak of sub 2 minute performances.
O'Shea's time of 1.59.01 puts him right up there with the best in his category for this distance.
In the men's 1500m, David Walsh, strengthened from a great Winter's training ran hard to record a speedy 4.18.
Passing through the first 400m in a super fast 63 seconds meant Walsh was going to suffer plenty in the next three laps.
Nevertheless, he stuck to his task to finish well and there's more to come from him in an evenly paced race.
Park Run
With last weekend being a quiet one on the racing front, many of our runners decided to tackle the Saturday morning Parkrun in Oldbridge Estate.
Caitriona Tuite and Fiona Buckley had good reason to be happy as they both recorded new Pb times for this quite challenging 5k cross country course.
Also running well was Damien Floyd who was our first man to finish in 62nd place overall.
Further down the field but also running well were Paula O'Brien, Orlagh McCardle and Aisling Neacy.
Well done to all who took part.
There were some fine track performances from our athletes at last Saturday's IMC track meeting in Leixlip.
Without a doubt, the run of the day belonged to Hugh Callan who took a huge chunk off his 400 metres time to record a new personal best of 54.84.
Callan, who has been making steady progress all this season produced the run of his life when it mattered most to finish a very creditable third in the mixed 400m race.
Also running this race was Gerry O'Connor who finished in seventh place in a fine 60.14.
O'Connor will be hoping to win a medal at next month's National Masters track championships.
In the men's 800m, world championship bronze medalist Mark O'Shea continued his streak of sub 2 minute performances.
O'Shea's time of 1.59.01 puts him right up there with the best in his category for this distance.
In the men's 1500m, David Walsh, strengthened from a great Winter's training ran hard to record a speedy 4.18.
Passing through the first 400m in a super fast 63 seconds meant Walsh was going to suffer plenty in the next three laps.
Nevertheless, he stuck to his task to finish well and there's more to come from him in an evenly paced race.
Park Run
With last weekend being a quiet one on the racing front, many of our runners decided to tackle the Saturday morning Parkrun in Oldbridge Estate.
Caitriona Tuite and Fiona Buckley had good reason to be happy as they both recorded new Pb times for this quite challenging 5k cross country course.
Also running well was Damien Floyd who was our first man to finish in 62nd place overall.
Further down the field but also running well were Paula O'Brien, Orlagh McCardle and Aisling Neacy.
Well done to all who took part.
Club News 24th July 2016
AAI National Juvenile Track and Field Championships
At the AAI National Juvenile Track and Field Championships on Sunday there was a big breakthrough for Lee McGuinness in Tullamore where he won the club's first ever National Juvenile medal in the U18 200m in a new PB of 22.44 seconds. In a top class field, Lee came through his heat in an automatic qualifying position (23.02) and was then drawn in the tough lane 8 for the final. Not fazed by draw Lee powered down the home straight to come home clear in third place. Lee also made the final of the 100m running 11.49 in the heat and 11.55 in the final. This was a remarkable achievement considering Lee only started in the sport three months ago and great credit goes to the Youth group coaches along with Ian and Marisa in getting Lee this far in such a short space of time. Cormac Canning and Sam O'Neill finished off their very long seasons in the 1500m. Cormac placed 11th in 4:25.96, not too far off his PB and Sam was 7th in 4:29.06. Next stop...Cross Country after a well deserved rest!! Well done to all our athletes who competed at both regional and national championships. This was our biggest representation to date.
Morton Games
There were some fantastic performances by our athletes at last Friday's Morton Games held in Santry Stadium. Kieran McGrath, running the race of his life was well rewarded with his first sub 2 minute 800 metres, McGrath ran 1.59.75 to finish third in his race.
Also breaking the 2 minute barrier was Mark O'Shea who ran a fine 1.58.28 against some very good opposition.
In the ladies B 800 metres, Orla O'Connor had a great battle with clubmate Mary Leech with O'Connor just shading it in 2.20 to Leech's 2.22.
National League
Five of Drogheda and District's finest represented Louth at the recent National League Track races held at the Mary Peters track, Belfast.
Helping Louth Athletics Mens & Ladies to qualify for the National finals next month were Mary Leech, second in her 1500m in a speedy 4.53. Lee McGuinness who ran a super 23.08 to finish third in his 200m.
Mark O'Shea also finished third in his 800m in a lively 1.59.77, another sub 2 minute run for O'Shea.
Orla O'Connor who's coming back to form ran 2.24 to finish third in her 800m and secure valuable points for the county team.
Running the longest event of the day was David Walsh who ran 16.32 for the 5k distance, good enough for 2nd place against tough opposition. The National League final takes place on 7th August in Tullamore and we look forward to supporting our Louth Mens and Ladies Teams.
Bettystown 5 Mile Road Race B-5
More than thirty of our members toed the line at the recent Bettystown 5 mile road race on Tuesday last.
First home for our men was Brian Martin (27.45) in seventh place, with Johnny Kelly (29.37) next in 13th place and Shane Larkin (29.41) in 14th, these combined scores won second team prize in the senior men's event.
Paddy Murphy put in a strong run to win his over 45 category in a fast 32.22.
Also first in his category was Conor Cooney who finished 59th in a solid 35.28.
Just behind Murphy was John Cooper in 32.44 which earned him third place in his category.
Jim Nolan raced well and was third in his race in 36.16.
In the ladies race Noreen Mackey led the way home to finish 36th overall in 32.54.
Next was the strong running Michelle Hughes (34.54) in 50th place and also first in her category.
As ever, Nuala Reilly (36.29) won her category and the trio of Mackey, Hughes and Reilly combined well to win the senior ladies team event.
Clogherhead Seaside 10k
This year's Clogherhead 10k run on a scorching hot day attracted more than twenty of our members to take part.
The intense heat plus the rolling nature of the course ensured that the runners would have a tough day at the office.
Our mens team of Ruaidhri Nolan 7th, Declan Monaghan 11th and David Campbell 13th packed well to win the senior men's team event.
For our Ladies, Sarah Clarke 45th, Nuala Reilly 51st and Bernadette Matthews 59th combined well to win the ladies team race.
Stand out individual performances were Francis Murray who ran a nice 42.33 for 22nd place and
Giancarlo Orlandi who ran 44.23 and finished first in his category.
Bernadette Matthews made a welcome return to racing with her run of 47.53 winning her a category prize.
Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meeting
Our athletes continue to use the the Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meetings to sharpen up for the upcoming National Championships.
Robbie Maher showed good form in Santry last week with 2.15 for 800m and James Nolan finished his season with a respectable 2.08, and can now looks forward to cross country season.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran a steady 2.26 as he continues to race his way back to form.
In the 200m event, Blathnaid ran a speedy 29.13 to finish 6th in her race.
The in form Roisin Coade was fourth in her race in 30.02. and Hugh Callan ran a nice 25.82.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Recent Oldbridge Parkrun results for our members included Pamela Howard who run a fabulous 19.58 which placed her seventh overall, and first lady home and Aimee Corcoran who continues to make progress and ran a new Pb of 22.01.
Also running well were Declan McMahon, Lisa Maguire and Noreen Burke.
Fingal 10k
In Swords on Sunday, the Fingal 10k took place, part of the Dublin Marathon Race Series. Always a popular event in the club, some 37 hardy souls took to the streets of Swords on a hot and humid morning. Top performances of the day included Eoin McGinn (38.53) and his pacing buddy John Hough (38.53), followed closely by new member Colm Reilly (39.28), son to the famous Nuala Reilly. For the ladies the dynamic duo of Yasmin Canning (41.15) and Ciara O’Reilly (41.47) showed consistent improvement with 30 second pbs for the distance. Marathon coach Eoin McGinn was proud to report many improvements within his group when Colin Cuffe (47.37), Helga MDonnell (49.52), Linda Cruise (49.35), David Birch (47.00) were among many of those to gain a personal best on the day.
Albion Rovers 5k Family Fun run
Albion Rovers FC hosted a 5k family fun run on Sunday to raise money for the Rainbows Charity and their new all weather pitches. Francis Murray (20.47 3rd overall) was first home for Drogheda & District on this unforgiving course in Monasterboice, and Sarah O’Connor and Deirdre Harmon (37.40) who had both competed in Fingal earlier in the day also ran well.
At the AAI National Juvenile Track and Field Championships on Sunday there was a big breakthrough for Lee McGuinness in Tullamore where he won the club's first ever National Juvenile medal in the U18 200m in a new PB of 22.44 seconds. In a top class field, Lee came through his heat in an automatic qualifying position (23.02) and was then drawn in the tough lane 8 for the final. Not fazed by draw Lee powered down the home straight to come home clear in third place. Lee also made the final of the 100m running 11.49 in the heat and 11.55 in the final. This was a remarkable achievement considering Lee only started in the sport three months ago and great credit goes to the Youth group coaches along with Ian and Marisa in getting Lee this far in such a short space of time. Cormac Canning and Sam O'Neill finished off their very long seasons in the 1500m. Cormac placed 11th in 4:25.96, not too far off his PB and Sam was 7th in 4:29.06. Next stop...Cross Country after a well deserved rest!! Well done to all our athletes who competed at both regional and national championships. This was our biggest representation to date.
Morton Games
There were some fantastic performances by our athletes at last Friday's Morton Games held in Santry Stadium. Kieran McGrath, running the race of his life was well rewarded with his first sub 2 minute 800 metres, McGrath ran 1.59.75 to finish third in his race.
Also breaking the 2 minute barrier was Mark O'Shea who ran a fine 1.58.28 against some very good opposition.
In the ladies B 800 metres, Orla O'Connor had a great battle with clubmate Mary Leech with O'Connor just shading it in 2.20 to Leech's 2.22.
National League
Five of Drogheda and District's finest represented Louth at the recent National League Track races held at the Mary Peters track, Belfast.
Helping Louth Athletics Mens & Ladies to qualify for the National finals next month were Mary Leech, second in her 1500m in a speedy 4.53. Lee McGuinness who ran a super 23.08 to finish third in his 200m.
Mark O'Shea also finished third in his 800m in a lively 1.59.77, another sub 2 minute run for O'Shea.
Orla O'Connor who's coming back to form ran 2.24 to finish third in her 800m and secure valuable points for the county team.
Running the longest event of the day was David Walsh who ran 16.32 for the 5k distance, good enough for 2nd place against tough opposition. The National League final takes place on 7th August in Tullamore and we look forward to supporting our Louth Mens and Ladies Teams.
Bettystown 5 Mile Road Race B-5
More than thirty of our members toed the line at the recent Bettystown 5 mile road race on Tuesday last.
First home for our men was Brian Martin (27.45) in seventh place, with Johnny Kelly (29.37) next in 13th place and Shane Larkin (29.41) in 14th, these combined scores won second team prize in the senior men's event.
Paddy Murphy put in a strong run to win his over 45 category in a fast 32.22.
Also first in his category was Conor Cooney who finished 59th in a solid 35.28.
Just behind Murphy was John Cooper in 32.44 which earned him third place in his category.
Jim Nolan raced well and was third in his race in 36.16.
In the ladies race Noreen Mackey led the way home to finish 36th overall in 32.54.
Next was the strong running Michelle Hughes (34.54) in 50th place and also first in her category.
As ever, Nuala Reilly (36.29) won her category and the trio of Mackey, Hughes and Reilly combined well to win the senior ladies team event.
Clogherhead Seaside 10k
This year's Clogherhead 10k run on a scorching hot day attracted more than twenty of our members to take part.
The intense heat plus the rolling nature of the course ensured that the runners would have a tough day at the office.
Our mens team of Ruaidhri Nolan 7th, Declan Monaghan 11th and David Campbell 13th packed well to win the senior men's team event.
For our Ladies, Sarah Clarke 45th, Nuala Reilly 51st and Bernadette Matthews 59th combined well to win the ladies team race.
Stand out individual performances were Francis Murray who ran a nice 42.33 for 22nd place and
Giancarlo Orlandi who ran 44.23 and finished first in his category.
Bernadette Matthews made a welcome return to racing with her run of 47.53 winning her a category prize.
Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meeting
Our athletes continue to use the the Dublin Athletics Board Graded Meetings to sharpen up for the upcoming National Championships.
Robbie Maher showed good form in Santry last week with 2.15 for 800m and James Nolan finished his season with a respectable 2.08, and can now looks forward to cross country season.
Club chairman Aonghus O'Connor ran a steady 2.26 as he continues to race his way back to form.
In the 200m event, Blathnaid ran a speedy 29.13 to finish 6th in her race.
The in form Roisin Coade was fourth in her race in 30.02. and Hugh Callan ran a nice 25.82.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Recent Oldbridge Parkrun results for our members included Pamela Howard who run a fabulous 19.58 which placed her seventh overall, and first lady home and Aimee Corcoran who continues to make progress and ran a new Pb of 22.01.
Also running well were Declan McMahon, Lisa Maguire and Noreen Burke.
Fingal 10k
In Swords on Sunday, the Fingal 10k took place, part of the Dublin Marathon Race Series. Always a popular event in the club, some 37 hardy souls took to the streets of Swords on a hot and humid morning. Top performances of the day included Eoin McGinn (38.53) and his pacing buddy John Hough (38.53), followed closely by new member Colm Reilly (39.28), son to the famous Nuala Reilly. For the ladies the dynamic duo of Yasmin Canning (41.15) and Ciara O’Reilly (41.47) showed consistent improvement with 30 second pbs for the distance. Marathon coach Eoin McGinn was proud to report many improvements within his group when Colin Cuffe (47.37), Helga MDonnell (49.52), Linda Cruise (49.35), David Birch (47.00) were among many of those to gain a personal best on the day.
Albion Rovers 5k Family Fun run
Albion Rovers FC hosted a 5k family fun run on Sunday to raise money for the Rainbows Charity and their new all weather pitches. Francis Murray (20.47 3rd overall) was first home for Drogheda & District on this unforgiving course in Monasterboice, and Sarah O’Connor and Deirdre Harmon (37.40) who had both competed in Fingal earlier in the day also ran well.
Club News 10th July 2016
All Ireland B Championships
Harry Caffrey competed in the Long Jump in this weekend’s All Ireland B Championships in Tullamore.
He jumped well to score a bronze medal in the event, Harry is in his first year of athletics and only
recently began long jump training so well done to Harry on his national medal.
We had three youths competing in the All Ireland Championships in Tullamore on Sunday, at U16
Cormac Canning, U17 James Nolan and U18 Sam Reddin. All three performed very well in a high class
event and did our club proud, well done to our boys.
Summer Graded Series #5
The highlight of the week in Drogheda was of course the fifth night in our Summer Graded Series, which
took place at the Lourdes Stadium on Thursday. Thanks go to Crusaders AC, Derry TC, North East
Runners, Dunleer AC, Dunboyne AC, Boyne AC, Ardee & District AC, Lucan Harriers, Sportsworld AC,
Raheny Shamrocks AC, Enniskillen AC, Newry AC, St Peters AC & Donore Harriers for supporting this
event. It is a pleasure to see so many clubs coming to take part, and there were some top quality
performances on the night including Rob Lee (Crusaders AC) who ran 49.5 for 400m and Mary Horgan
(Crusaders AC) who ran 59.8 for the same distance.
From our own members, we had competitors in the 400m, 100m and 800m and long jump. Mark
O’Shea was first home for the club in a credible 55.5 for 400m, followed closely by Hugh Callan with a PB
of 56.0. Also running well in the 400m were Fintan Geoghegan, Roisin Coade, Cian Martin Bohan and
Margo Duffy.
The 1500m race saw a fantastic head to head between Sam O’Neill and David Walsh right from the start.
The guys battled all the way with O’Neill (4:17.3) narrowly pipping Walsh (4:17.8) to the post. A very
exciting race. Balmy conditions on the night meant personal bests were there for the taking and this
distance saw Paul Reilly (5.02.2), Eoin McGinn (5.05.5), Noreen Mackey (5.14.6) and Rob Power (5.29.3)
all push it out to beat their previous times. Great to see our youths taking part in our own events and
Rob Caffrey (4.40) Leo McClean (5.08) and Sonny Doyle (4.56) ran well in the 1500m also.
In the 100m sprints the races were fast and furious with a good field of competition. Karl Carton (12.4)
was first home for Drogheda with a strong race, and also running well over this distance were Mary
Lyndsay (14.5) and Lynn Browne (15.7 PB). Youths were well represented in this event by Tara Shortt
(15.3), Harry Caffrey (13.4) and Lauren Smith (15.6).
A huge contingent from our Blue and Violet Groups under the watchful eye of coaches Jos Haak and
Declan Monaghan, took part in the 1500m race, fantastic to see these guys getting to try out track
racing, in line with the ethos of our club we encourage all members to take part, there is something for
everyone at our graded meetings.
East of Ireland Marathon Series Duleek 5/10/Marathon
The hills of Bellewstown were alive with runners on Saturday morning as the East of Ireland Marathon
Series Duleek 5 mile, 10 mile and Marathon races took place. Our own Yasmin Canning (01.18.02) was
first lady home and second overall in the 10 mile, and running loops of the 5 mile course, Gerard Fay
(05.10.37) took part in the marathon.
Joe Duffy Clontarf Half Marathon and 5 Mile Road Race
In Clontarf on Saturday the Joe Duffy Clontarf Half Marathon and 5 Mile Road Race took place, and
needless to say there was a DDAC contingent taking part. Well done to Robert Kierans (35.50), Stephen
Geraghty (35.54) and Sharon Finn (48.55PB) who raced the five miler, and Siobhan Redmond (2.15.43)
who performed well in the half marathon.
Dunleer 4 Mile Road Race
All roads led to Dunleer on Sunday as our neighbouring club hosted their annual 4 mile road race. Derek
Winters (22.11) was 4 th home overall against some serious competition, great to see him returning to
the racing scene after all his hard work on our new grass track in recent times. Shane Larkin (23.21) ran
well to place 3 rd in category, and Michelle Hughes (27.56) took first place in the O40 category. Conor
Cooney (28.16) also earned a category placing, while Nuala Reilly (28.55) won her category.
In Park Run news we had Jim Nolan (22:20) and Janella Clarke (37.09) in Oldbridge and Liam Farrell
(22.54) at Johnston Castle, well done guys.
Harry Caffrey competed in the Long Jump in this weekend’s All Ireland B Championships in Tullamore.
He jumped well to score a bronze medal in the event, Harry is in his first year of athletics and only
recently began long jump training so well done to Harry on his national medal.
We had three youths competing in the All Ireland Championships in Tullamore on Sunday, at U16
Cormac Canning, U17 James Nolan and U18 Sam Reddin. All three performed very well in a high class
event and did our club proud, well done to our boys.
Summer Graded Series #5
The highlight of the week in Drogheda was of course the fifth night in our Summer Graded Series, which
took place at the Lourdes Stadium on Thursday. Thanks go to Crusaders AC, Derry TC, North East
Runners, Dunleer AC, Dunboyne AC, Boyne AC, Ardee & District AC, Lucan Harriers, Sportsworld AC,
Raheny Shamrocks AC, Enniskillen AC, Newry AC, St Peters AC & Donore Harriers for supporting this
event. It is a pleasure to see so many clubs coming to take part, and there were some top quality
performances on the night including Rob Lee (Crusaders AC) who ran 49.5 for 400m and Mary Horgan
(Crusaders AC) who ran 59.8 for the same distance.
From our own members, we had competitors in the 400m, 100m and 800m and long jump. Mark
O’Shea was first home for the club in a credible 55.5 for 400m, followed closely by Hugh Callan with a PB
of 56.0. Also running well in the 400m were Fintan Geoghegan, Roisin Coade, Cian Martin Bohan and
Margo Duffy.
The 1500m race saw a fantastic head to head between Sam O’Neill and David Walsh right from the start.
The guys battled all the way with O’Neill (4:17.3) narrowly pipping Walsh (4:17.8) to the post. A very
exciting race. Balmy conditions on the night meant personal bests were there for the taking and this
distance saw Paul Reilly (5.02.2), Eoin McGinn (5.05.5), Noreen Mackey (5.14.6) and Rob Power (5.29.3)
all push it out to beat their previous times. Great to see our youths taking part in our own events and
Rob Caffrey (4.40) Leo McClean (5.08) and Sonny Doyle (4.56) ran well in the 1500m also.
In the 100m sprints the races were fast and furious with a good field of competition. Karl Carton (12.4)
was first home for Drogheda with a strong race, and also running well over this distance were Mary
Lyndsay (14.5) and Lynn Browne (15.7 PB). Youths were well represented in this event by Tara Shortt
(15.3), Harry Caffrey (13.4) and Lauren Smith (15.6).
A huge contingent from our Blue and Violet Groups under the watchful eye of coaches Jos Haak and
Declan Monaghan, took part in the 1500m race, fantastic to see these guys getting to try out track
racing, in line with the ethos of our club we encourage all members to take part, there is something for
everyone at our graded meetings.
East of Ireland Marathon Series Duleek 5/10/Marathon
The hills of Bellewstown were alive with runners on Saturday morning as the East of Ireland Marathon
Series Duleek 5 mile, 10 mile and Marathon races took place. Our own Yasmin Canning (01.18.02) was
first lady home and second overall in the 10 mile, and running loops of the 5 mile course, Gerard Fay
(05.10.37) took part in the marathon.
Joe Duffy Clontarf Half Marathon and 5 Mile Road Race
In Clontarf on Saturday the Joe Duffy Clontarf Half Marathon and 5 Mile Road Race took place, and
needless to say there was a DDAC contingent taking part. Well done to Robert Kierans (35.50), Stephen
Geraghty (35.54) and Sharon Finn (48.55PB) who raced the five miler, and Siobhan Redmond (2.15.43)
who performed well in the half marathon.
Dunleer 4 Mile Road Race
All roads led to Dunleer on Sunday as our neighbouring club hosted their annual 4 mile road race. Derek
Winters (22.11) was 4 th home overall against some serious competition, great to see him returning to
the racing scene after all his hard work on our new grass track in recent times. Shane Larkin (23.21) ran
well to place 3 rd in category, and Michelle Hughes (27.56) took first place in the O40 category. Conor
Cooney (28.16) also earned a category placing, while Nuala Reilly (28.55) won her category.
In Park Run news we had Jim Nolan (22:20) and Janella Clarke (37.09) in Oldbridge and Liam Farrell
(22.54) at Johnston Castle, well done guys.
Club News 29th June 2016
" The times they are a changing "
Well they're definitely getting faster if last Thursday's graded track meeting is anything to go by.
Athletes from Dublin, Galway, Monaghan and Wicklow travelled to take part in our latest graded meeting.
The event of the night had to be the 800 metres A race.
With two pacemakers lined up, this promised to be a fast run race.
The lead runners were brought through the first lap in a very fast 57 seconds.
Despite the strong wind on the back straight, young Oisin O'Gibne pushed hard and crossed the line in 1:58.
A mere two seconds back was our own Kieran McGrath who's in flying form at the moment and he finished second in 2.00.9.
Junior athlete Sam O'Neill ran a fine 2.04 to finish in fifth place.
David Walsh 2.07 and Young James Nolan 2.08 both ran well with lots more to come in better conditions.
Cormac Canning had a great run in the B race to win in a solid 2.09, just ahead of Rob Caffrey another one of our Junior's.
Also running well in this race were Orla O'Connor 2.24.7 and Mary Leech 2.25.6 who had less than a second between them at the finish.
Mags Nugent 2.35 and Erin McHugh 2.36 had a great battle between them in the C race and competition is hotting up among our leading ladies.
There was a clean sweep of the medals for D&D athletes in the men's 3000 metre race.
First across the line was David Walsh in 9.43, running in his second event of the night.
Not far behind in second place was Stephen Kelly in 9.52 with Brian Martin third in 9.55.
Others who ran well included Aonghus O'Connor 10.56, Artur Kwik 11.07 and Brian Harvey 11.21.
Andrew Kelly had a fine run to finish second in his 200 metres race in a speedy 24.4.
Karl Carton also went well and ran 26.0 for fourth place.
Frank Cruise ran a nice 28.6 to finish second in his race.
For our ladies,
Mary Scanlon 28.8, Orla O'Connor 29.8 and Mary Lyndsey 30.8 all ran well.
National Junior Track Championships
Two of the club's finest junior athletes were in
action last Saturday at the national junior track championships.
A strong wind and even stronger opposition faced young Sam O'Neill and James Nolan as they toed the line for the junior men's 1500 metres race.
O'Neill, who's been having a great season, never really got into this race but nevertheless ran a useful 4:21 despite the strong wind on the back straight.
Clubmate Nolan ran 4:33 for the distance and although not his best, its all about the learning that's taking place in their fledgling running careers.
Group Mile Trial
Last Tuesday's group mile at the Lourdes Stadium attracted over forty of our members to take part.
Drawn mainly from our Green, Blue and Violet groups, many of these first time miler's got to experience the thrill of track racing and found it to their liking.
Some good benchmark times were set and no doubt the group's coaches will be keeping an eye out for improvement in the coming weeks.
Summer Graded Series
The next round of this Summer's graded meetings takes place on Thursday 7th of July.
Events on the night are the 100/400/1500/ and long jump. First race will start at 7.00 pm.
Club News 22nd June 2016
Midsummer 5k Road Race
All roads led to Fair Street last Friday evening for the best 5k road race in the North East.
Hosted by Drogheda and District A.C., this event really does set the standard for others to follow.
Conditions on the night were perfect for fast running as the more than 500 runners made their way over Fair St.
It really was turning out to be a sea of red as D&D had over 100 of their own runners in this race.
At the head of the field, things were moving on at a frantic pace.
Colin Maher, who trains in the Lourdes Stadium forced the pace all the way and came home a worthy winner in a fast 15:27 with local man Simon Ryan second in 16:15.
The rapidly improving Derek Winters was pushing hard and finished in 4th place overall in a fast 16:51.
Just behind Winters were Brian Martin 5th in 17:00 and Stephen Kelly 6th in 17:16.
This trio made up the winning men's team.
Aenghus McHugh ran a fine 18:23 for 12th place with David Campbell a mere second behind in 18:24.
Declan Monaghan is showing some good form and although not his fastest, his 19:04 was a solid run on the night.
Futher back a titanic battle was taking place between Brian Harvey 19:12, Brian Pentony 19:19 and Thomas Farrelly 19:22.
Conor Cooney and Christy Duffy both ran well to finish in the placings in their age category.
For our ladies, first home was Noreen Mackey in 42nd place in a fine 19:37, followed by Michelle Hughes in 61st with 20:35.
Nuala Reilly ran her usual determined race to finish 102nd with 21:58.
This trio were second in the ladies team event.
For our Juvenile members, young Ronan Devine ran well to finish in 21:53.
Liam McGreehan 23:24 and Ben Egan are also one's to watch out for in the future.
Also running well for our young girls were Abigail Tegart, Tara Shortt and Una McGreehan.
Special mention has to go to the two couch to 5k groups and their Coaches who put in a big effort over the last two months to be ready for this race.
Dunshaughlin 10k Road Race
A warm and humid evening made for a tough day at the office for our runners at last Saturday's 10k road race in Dunshaughlin.
Nevertheless there were some good performances on the night with Nuala Reilly finishing second in her category in 46:08 despite not feeling the best.
Conor Cooney ran well to finish 5th in his race against some high class opposition.
In the senior men's section, Ruaidhri Nolan ran a good 35:26 for 40th place on this challenging but fair course.
Next in was Shane Larkin, running his second race of the week. Larkin's time of 36:45 was good enough for 81st place.
For our lady athletes, running well was Carmel Keenan who ran a solid 47:54 for the distance and finished in 403rd place.
Suzanne McCabe ran well to finish in 50:24 with Siobhan Shortt next in 52:46.
Athletics Leinster Track and Field Championships
The club had six athletes in action on day 1 of the Athletics Leinster Track and Field Championships and returned with
a good haul of three medals and a number of qualifications for the All-Irelands in July.
Lee McGuinness continued his good start in sprinting by taking second place in the U18 100m in 11.53. Despite a slow start
Lee came flying through the field to grab silver and recorded his second fastest time over the short sprint.
In the 1500m, Cormac Canning battled strongly to claim bronze in 4.28.74 in the U16 1500m well clear of the rest of the field.
James Nolan took on a large field of athletes in the U17 800m and at one stage had a 5 metre gap at the front, but faded slightly in the last 100m but hung on for silver in a good time of 2.04.01. Robert Caffrey finished 7th in the same race in 2.11.86 also getting close to his PB.
Sam Reddin qualified for the All-Irelands when finishing 4th in the U18 800m in a time of 2.08.78 which is good running after a long
period of injury.
The youngest member of the squad was Harry Caffery who ran a PB of 27.74 in the second heat of the 200m.
Athletics Leinster Track and Field Day 2
The weather gods turned nasty in Tullamore last Sunday, but it didn't stop our crew from delivering more top quality results!
Result of the day was Sam O'Neill's victory in the 1500m. Off a slow couple of laps Sam ran a 62 sec last lap to take the u18 title in 4.21. Anyone who has watched Sam's progress over the last year will know the work and dedication that went into this win.
Lee McGuinness took his second silver of the weekend in the u18 200m. Given the tough lane 8, Lee again came through the field finishing just behind the winner but will benefit hugely from more race experience.
Cormac Canning qualified for the All-Ireland's in the u16 800m by placing 4th in 2.11. A good weekends return for Cormac after bronze in the 1500m yesterday.
Harry Caffery finished 6th in the long jump in 4.61m in horrible conditions for jumping but this was a good result in his first Leinster championship with a couple of weeks training behind him.
Just a word of thanks to all the Youth group coaches working under Paul Barell and in particular, Ian, Gareth, Marisa and Robbie for their time and expertise with the athletes leading up to this weekend's competition.
BHAA Trinity Track Meeting
Shane Larkin and Jim Nolan, two of the club's most intrepid travellers were at it again last week.
These two took part in the Trinity track meeting, held at College Park in Trinity College, Dublin.
Only two distances were run on the night, the 1000 and 2000 yards distance.
A world record was set here for the 1000 yards way back in 1873!
Nolan had a good run to finish third in his rarely run 1000 yards race in 3:04.
The pocket rocket Larkin, who's having a great season ran a speedy 6:35 for the 2000 yards event to win his race in some style.
IMC Track Meeting
At the recent Irish Milers Club track meeting held in Irishtown, Dublin, Mark O'Shea impressed with a fine run of 2:00:25 for the 800 metres event.
O'Shea who won a bronze medal in the World Championships at this distance is coming right back to form for the upcoming national championships.
Thoroughbred Half Marathon
Kildare Town
85 Liam Farrell 1.43.26
Well done Liam!
Oldbridge Parkrun
There were some good performances by our members over the last two weeks at this very popular Saturday morning 5k race.
Pat O'Grady showed that he's on the way back from injury when he won last week's event in a useful 18:19.
Also running that day were Valerie Campbell and Mary Reilly who both recorded new Pb times for this challenging course.
Aimee Corcoran is running well these days and finished second woman in 22:54, which placed her 25th overall at the most recent event.
Others who ran included Rose Dalton and Janella Clarke.
Declan Monaghan ( 856 )
Ronan Devine ( 285 )
James Nolan ( 375 )
Louise Irvine ( 614 )
All roads led to Fair Street last Friday evening for the best 5k road race in the North East.
Hosted by Drogheda and District A.C., this event really does set the standard for others to follow.
Conditions on the night were perfect for fast running as the more than 500 runners made their way over Fair St.
It really was turning out to be a sea of red as D&D had over 100 of their own runners in this race.
At the head of the field, things were moving on at a frantic pace.
Colin Maher, who trains in the Lourdes Stadium forced the pace all the way and came home a worthy winner in a fast 15:27 with local man Simon Ryan second in 16:15.
The rapidly improving Derek Winters was pushing hard and finished in 4th place overall in a fast 16:51.
Just behind Winters were Brian Martin 5th in 17:00 and Stephen Kelly 6th in 17:16.
This trio made up the winning men's team.
Aenghus McHugh ran a fine 18:23 for 12th place with David Campbell a mere second behind in 18:24.
Declan Monaghan is showing some good form and although not his fastest, his 19:04 was a solid run on the night.
Futher back a titanic battle was taking place between Brian Harvey 19:12, Brian Pentony 19:19 and Thomas Farrelly 19:22.
Conor Cooney and Christy Duffy both ran well to finish in the placings in their age category.
For our ladies, first home was Noreen Mackey in 42nd place in a fine 19:37, followed by Michelle Hughes in 61st with 20:35.
Nuala Reilly ran her usual determined race to finish 102nd with 21:58.
This trio were second in the ladies team event.
For our Juvenile members, young Ronan Devine ran well to finish in 21:53.
Liam McGreehan 23:24 and Ben Egan are also one's to watch out for in the future.
Also running well for our young girls were Abigail Tegart, Tara Shortt and Una McGreehan.
Special mention has to go to the two couch to 5k groups and their Coaches who put in a big effort over the last two months to be ready for this race.
Dunshaughlin 10k Road Race
A warm and humid evening made for a tough day at the office for our runners at last Saturday's 10k road race in Dunshaughlin.
Nevertheless there were some good performances on the night with Nuala Reilly finishing second in her category in 46:08 despite not feeling the best.
Conor Cooney ran well to finish 5th in his race against some high class opposition.
In the senior men's section, Ruaidhri Nolan ran a good 35:26 for 40th place on this challenging but fair course.
Next in was Shane Larkin, running his second race of the week. Larkin's time of 36:45 was good enough for 81st place.
For our lady athletes, running well was Carmel Keenan who ran a solid 47:54 for the distance and finished in 403rd place.
Suzanne McCabe ran well to finish in 50:24 with Siobhan Shortt next in 52:46.
Athletics Leinster Track and Field Championships
The club had six athletes in action on day 1 of the Athletics Leinster Track and Field Championships and returned with
a good haul of three medals and a number of qualifications for the All-Irelands in July.
Lee McGuinness continued his good start in sprinting by taking second place in the U18 100m in 11.53. Despite a slow start
Lee came flying through the field to grab silver and recorded his second fastest time over the short sprint.
In the 1500m, Cormac Canning battled strongly to claim bronze in 4.28.74 in the U16 1500m well clear of the rest of the field.
James Nolan took on a large field of athletes in the U17 800m and at one stage had a 5 metre gap at the front, but faded slightly in the last 100m but hung on for silver in a good time of 2.04.01. Robert Caffrey finished 7th in the same race in 2.11.86 also getting close to his PB.
Sam Reddin qualified for the All-Irelands when finishing 4th in the U18 800m in a time of 2.08.78 which is good running after a long
period of injury.
The youngest member of the squad was Harry Caffery who ran a PB of 27.74 in the second heat of the 200m.
Athletics Leinster Track and Field Day 2
The weather gods turned nasty in Tullamore last Sunday, but it didn't stop our crew from delivering more top quality results!
Result of the day was Sam O'Neill's victory in the 1500m. Off a slow couple of laps Sam ran a 62 sec last lap to take the u18 title in 4.21. Anyone who has watched Sam's progress over the last year will know the work and dedication that went into this win.
Lee McGuinness took his second silver of the weekend in the u18 200m. Given the tough lane 8, Lee again came through the field finishing just behind the winner but will benefit hugely from more race experience.
Cormac Canning qualified for the All-Ireland's in the u16 800m by placing 4th in 2.11. A good weekends return for Cormac after bronze in the 1500m yesterday.
Harry Caffery finished 6th in the long jump in 4.61m in horrible conditions for jumping but this was a good result in his first Leinster championship with a couple of weeks training behind him.
Just a word of thanks to all the Youth group coaches working under Paul Barell and in particular, Ian, Gareth, Marisa and Robbie for their time and expertise with the athletes leading up to this weekend's competition.
BHAA Trinity Track Meeting
Shane Larkin and Jim Nolan, two of the club's most intrepid travellers were at it again last week.
These two took part in the Trinity track meeting, held at College Park in Trinity College, Dublin.
Only two distances were run on the night, the 1000 and 2000 yards distance.
A world record was set here for the 1000 yards way back in 1873!
Nolan had a good run to finish third in his rarely run 1000 yards race in 3:04.
The pocket rocket Larkin, who's having a great season ran a speedy 6:35 for the 2000 yards event to win his race in some style.
IMC Track Meeting
At the recent Irish Milers Club track meeting held in Irishtown, Dublin, Mark O'Shea impressed with a fine run of 2:00:25 for the 800 metres event.
O'Shea who won a bronze medal in the World Championships at this distance is coming right back to form for the upcoming national championships.
Thoroughbred Half Marathon
Kildare Town
85 Liam Farrell 1.43.26
Well done Liam!
Oldbridge Parkrun
There were some good performances by our members over the last two weeks at this very popular Saturday morning 5k race.
Pat O'Grady showed that he's on the way back from injury when he won last week's event in a useful 18:19.
Also running that day were Valerie Campbell and Mary Reilly who both recorded new Pb times for this challenging course.
Aimee Corcoran is running well these days and finished second woman in 22:54, which placed her 25th overall at the most recent event.
Others who ran included Rose Dalton and Janella Clarke.
Declan Monaghan ( 856 )
Ronan Devine ( 285 )
James Nolan ( 375 )
Louise Irvine ( 614 )
Club News 18th June 2016
McDonnell sets National Record
There was great excitement in the club this week when word reached us that Mary McDonnell had set a new national record in the W5 200 metres.
McDonnell's time of 31:68 took over half a second off the existing record.
AAI National Track and Field League
Some great performances in Santry last Sunday by our club athletes competing on the Louth team at the National Track and Field League.
Lee McGuinness ran two fast PBs in the 100m (11.41) and 200m (22.59) and also ran super legs of both the 4x100m and 4x400m. The latter race also featured Mark O'Shea on the final leg in which he showed his experience to come through the field to take second place for the team.
Mary Leech took over 30 seconds from her 3000m PB in ducking under the 10:30 barrier with 10.29.99 to take second place in a top class field. Orla O'Connor was a little below her best running 2.28.37 in the 800m but ran a strong leg in the 4x400m along with clubmate Roisin Coade.
Mark O'Shea won the guest 800m in 2.02.02 with Sam O'Neill third in a new PB of 2.03.64 and David Walsh in 2.04.15 (also a PB I think). Robert Caffery took 6th place in 2.11.71. Erin McHugh also ran well in the 800m finishing in 2.33.10.
Well done all and thanks for supporting the county team!
Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race
More than forty of our members took part in this year's race which was held in the Phoenix Park last Sunday.
Run over a quite challening course, the large entry produced some quality times on the day.
First home was Derek Winters who had a super run to finish in 15th place overall in a speedy 28:28. Derek continues his come back.
David Gough ran a solid 32:57, with Yasmin Canning close behind in 33:11 which earned her first in her category.
Ciara O'Reilly ran well to finish 15th in her race in a nice 33:28.
Others who ran well included Mark Giles 33:52, Paul Barrell 37:09 and Martin Woods 40:33.
For our ladies, Jane Glynn 39:00, Helga McDonnell 40:00 and Jacqueline Gill 41:15 went well.
VHI Women's Mini Marathon
Seven of our lady runners took part in this year's 10k road race which was held on a blistering hot day in Dublin.
First home was Yasmin Canning who finished 48th overall in a fine time of 42:21.
Next was Ciara O'Reilly who struggled in the heat on this occasion but still ran a decent 43:57 for the distance.
As ever, Nuala Reilly put in a strong run to come home in 44:59.
Others who ran well included Carmel Keenan, Karen Collier, Yvonne Russell and Sarah McDonald.
Cork City Marathon
Not to be outdone by our Ladies, two our our most prolific Marathon runners were also in action.
In the Cork city race, Gerry Mullins ran his 26th marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Meanwhile in Derry, Gerard Fay who has completed more than 200 marathons to date ran 5 hours and 44 minutes.
Time to put the feet up for a few weeks lads.
Irish Milers Club
At the IMC track meet held in Tullamore last Monday, young Sam O'Neill really was mixing it with the big guns of Irish athletics.
Despite having to race against sub 4 minute milers, O'Neill showed great maturity for his tender age and raced well to finish 11th in his 1500 metres race in 4:16.
Braveheart 5k
Over in Trim at the Braveheart 5k trail race, Deirdre McFerran ran a solid 24:55 to finish second in her category. Nice running on what is not an easy course.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting
Last Wednesday's Dublin Graded meeting tempted two of our members to take part.
In the 1500 metres race, the in form Shane Larkin ran a useful 4:48 against good class opposition.
Also running was Gerry O'Connor who finished fourth in his 400 metres race in a time of 60:94.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Some fines performances lately from our members at this very popular 5k cross country event.
Brian Martin, who's flying at the moment won in 17:12, with Robert Kierans setting a new Pb in 21:19 which was good enough for 13th place.
Only nine seconds further back was Jim Nolan, also running a Pb of 21:28.
Others who ran included Declan McMahon 27th and Donal Branigan 34:52.
There was great excitement in the club this week when word reached us that Mary McDonnell had set a new national record in the W5 200 metres.
McDonnell's time of 31:68 took over half a second off the existing record.
AAI National Track and Field League
Some great performances in Santry last Sunday by our club athletes competing on the Louth team at the National Track and Field League.
Lee McGuinness ran two fast PBs in the 100m (11.41) and 200m (22.59) and also ran super legs of both the 4x100m and 4x400m. The latter race also featured Mark O'Shea on the final leg in which he showed his experience to come through the field to take second place for the team.
Mary Leech took over 30 seconds from her 3000m PB in ducking under the 10:30 barrier with 10.29.99 to take second place in a top class field. Orla O'Connor was a little below her best running 2.28.37 in the 800m but ran a strong leg in the 4x400m along with clubmate Roisin Coade.
Mark O'Shea won the guest 800m in 2.02.02 with Sam O'Neill third in a new PB of 2.03.64 and David Walsh in 2.04.15 (also a PB I think). Robert Caffery took 6th place in 2.11.71. Erin McHugh also ran well in the 800m finishing in 2.33.10.
Well done all and thanks for supporting the county team!
Irish Runner 5 Mile Road Race
More than forty of our members took part in this year's race which was held in the Phoenix Park last Sunday.
Run over a quite challening course, the large entry produced some quality times on the day.
First home was Derek Winters who had a super run to finish in 15th place overall in a speedy 28:28. Derek continues his come back.
David Gough ran a solid 32:57, with Yasmin Canning close behind in 33:11 which earned her first in her category.
Ciara O'Reilly ran well to finish 15th in her race in a nice 33:28.
Others who ran well included Mark Giles 33:52, Paul Barrell 37:09 and Martin Woods 40:33.
For our ladies, Jane Glynn 39:00, Helga McDonnell 40:00 and Jacqueline Gill 41:15 went well.
VHI Women's Mini Marathon
Seven of our lady runners took part in this year's 10k road race which was held on a blistering hot day in Dublin.
First home was Yasmin Canning who finished 48th overall in a fine time of 42:21.
Next was Ciara O'Reilly who struggled in the heat on this occasion but still ran a decent 43:57 for the distance.
As ever, Nuala Reilly put in a strong run to come home in 44:59.
Others who ran well included Carmel Keenan, Karen Collier, Yvonne Russell and Sarah McDonald.
Cork City Marathon
Not to be outdone by our Ladies, two our our most prolific Marathon runners were also in action.
In the Cork city race, Gerry Mullins ran his 26th marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Meanwhile in Derry, Gerard Fay who has completed more than 200 marathons to date ran 5 hours and 44 minutes.
Time to put the feet up for a few weeks lads.
Irish Milers Club
At the IMC track meet held in Tullamore last Monday, young Sam O'Neill really was mixing it with the big guns of Irish athletics.
Despite having to race against sub 4 minute milers, O'Neill showed great maturity for his tender age and raced well to finish 11th in his 1500 metres race in 4:16.
Braveheart 5k
Over in Trim at the Braveheart 5k trail race, Deirdre McFerran ran a solid 24:55 to finish second in her category. Nice running on what is not an easy course.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting
Last Wednesday's Dublin Graded meeting tempted two of our members to take part.
In the 1500 metres race, the in form Shane Larkin ran a useful 4:48 against good class opposition.
Also running was Gerry O'Connor who finished fourth in his 400 metres race in a time of 60:94.
Oldbridge Parkrun
Some fines performances lately from our members at this very popular 5k cross country event.
Brian Martin, who's flying at the moment won in 17:12, with Robert Kierans setting a new Pb in 21:19 which was good enough for 13th place.
Only nine seconds further back was Jim Nolan, also running a Pb of 21:28.
Others who ran included Declan McMahon 27th and Donal Branigan 34:52.
Club News 11th June 2016
Leinster Senior and Masters Track and Field Championships, Tullamore
There were some great results from a sweltering Tullamore last Sunday, in particular a senior medal for Lee McGuinness in his 200 metres event in 22:92.
Earlier in the day Lee finished sixth in his 100 metre race.
Also doing the sprint double were Karl Carton who was second in his 100 metres in 12:63 and third in the 200 metres event.
Frank Cruise finished fifth in both events.
In the men's sprint relay, our team of Carton, O'Connor, Cruise and Hugh O'Reilly combined well to win the silver medals.
In the 400 metres, Hugh O'Reilly was second in 58:63, Gerry O'Connor was third in 60:68.
Pol O'Murchu did somewhat of a double by coming third in his 400 metres race and also winning his 800 metres in 2:26.
In the senior men's 800 metres, Kieran McGrath was second in a fast 2:03 and Tomas O'Heriben also finished second in the B race.
David Walsh beat some good athletes to get a bronze medal in the 1500 metres.
For our ladies, Mary McDonnell took home gold in the 100 and 200 metres event.
Mary Flanagan almost did the double when winning her 200 metres and finishing second in the 100 metres.
Roisin Coade, who has really come good this year, had a fabulous run to finish in second place in her 400 metres in 67:58.
Orla O'Connor who's getting stronger by the week won silver in her 800 metres race in a speedy 2:20.
Erin McHugh showed just how well she's running at the moment by winning silver in the 800 metres and later in the day winning her 1500 metre event.
Others who ran well but didn't figure in the medal placings were Hugh Callan and Shane Larkin.
For our ladies, Lynn Browne, Phillipa Donnelly and Andrea McCabe ran well.
BHAA Government Services 5 Mile Road Race
The sun came out to play for last Tuesday's five mile road race held in Dunboyne County Meath.
This very popular race which is run over a flat course attracted almost five hundred runners to take part.
First home for DDAC was Shane Larkin, who raced round the course in a fine 29:34, good enough for 58th place overall.
Next in was Gerry Mullins who used this race to sharpen up for next week's Cork Marathon.
His time of 33:52 shows he's in good shape for the longer event.
Jacker Reilly had to run really hard to finish a mere four seconds ahead of Michelle Hughes.
Reilly's time of 34:35 was good going with temperatures in the low twenties.
Conor Cooney's run of 35:08 earned him third place in his category.
It wouldn't be a race without Nuala Reilly in it and she took first place in her age category in 35:34.
Also running back into shape was Jim Nolan, the man who puts everyone in good form.
Jim ran 36:36 for the distance with no real distress.
All-Ireland Schools
Congratulations to Cormac Canning who was 4th in the All-Ireland Schools Junior 1500m last Saturday in Tullamore with a big PB of 4:20. This was a great performance to match his 4th place in the Schools Cross Country earlier in the year, in his first year in the sport! Well done to Cormac and coach Ian as well!
Drogheda and District Summer Graded Meeting
Thanks to all who took part on a perfect evening for running track with lots of good times and plenty of close races.
The stand out performances in the mile races were Sam O'Neill winning his race in a fast 4:35, with Kieran McGrath second in 4:47.
Young James Nolan had a fine run to finish third in 4:52.
For our ladies, first home was Yasmin Canning in 5:44 with Ciara O'Reilly not far behind in 5:50.
Aimee Corcoran just dipped under the seven minute mark with 6:59.
Our Juveniles ran well with Ronan Devine running 5:54 for his mile and Kate O'Reilly finishing in 6:45.
Club Captain, Rob Power ran hard to get a new Pb time of 5:56, his first time under six minutes.
The run of the night probably belonged to Artur Kuwik who ran a speedy 5:33 to finish just ahead of Paddy Murphy 5:35 and Declan Monaghan 5:35.
In the 400 metres event, Andrew Kelly ran 55:70 to finish in second place, with Hugh Callan third in 56:30.
Orla O'Connor ran 63:60 which was good enough for third place with Roisin Coade running a useful 67:30.
Harry Caffery ran the 100 metres race in 13:60, with Robert Kierans running 13:80 and Lynn Browne sixth in 16:40.
Well done to Simon Gregory who had a fine run in the Balbriggan Roadrunners 5k race last Thursday evening.
His time of 18:07 was good enough for fifth place overall.
Others who ran were: Jane Glynn 23:31, Gerard Fay 27:33 and Janella Clarke 33:15.
Spraoi agus Sport 5k
Also running well was Director of Coaching Declan Monaghan.
Monaghan ran a speedy 18:40 last Friday for the Spraoi agus Sport 5k race in Carndonagh, Donegal.
There were some great results from a sweltering Tullamore last Sunday, in particular a senior medal for Lee McGuinness in his 200 metres event in 22:92.
Earlier in the day Lee finished sixth in his 100 metre race.
Also doing the sprint double were Karl Carton who was second in his 100 metres in 12:63 and third in the 200 metres event.
Frank Cruise finished fifth in both events.
In the men's sprint relay, our team of Carton, O'Connor, Cruise and Hugh O'Reilly combined well to win the silver medals.
In the 400 metres, Hugh O'Reilly was second in 58:63, Gerry O'Connor was third in 60:68.
Pol O'Murchu did somewhat of a double by coming third in his 400 metres race and also winning his 800 metres in 2:26.
In the senior men's 800 metres, Kieran McGrath was second in a fast 2:03 and Tomas O'Heriben also finished second in the B race.
David Walsh beat some good athletes to get a bronze medal in the 1500 metres.
For our ladies, Mary McDonnell took home gold in the 100 and 200 metres event.
Mary Flanagan almost did the double when winning her 200 metres and finishing second in the 100 metres.
Roisin Coade, who has really come good this year, had a fabulous run to finish in second place in her 400 metres in 67:58.
Orla O'Connor who's getting stronger by the week won silver in her 800 metres race in a speedy 2:20.
Erin McHugh showed just how well she's running at the moment by winning silver in the 800 metres and later in the day winning her 1500 metre event.
Others who ran well but didn't figure in the medal placings were Hugh Callan and Shane Larkin.
For our ladies, Lynn Browne, Phillipa Donnelly and Andrea McCabe ran well.
BHAA Government Services 5 Mile Road Race
The sun came out to play for last Tuesday's five mile road race held in Dunboyne County Meath.
This very popular race which is run over a flat course attracted almost five hundred runners to take part.
First home for DDAC was Shane Larkin, who raced round the course in a fine 29:34, good enough for 58th place overall.
Next in was Gerry Mullins who used this race to sharpen up for next week's Cork Marathon.
His time of 33:52 shows he's in good shape for the longer event.
Jacker Reilly had to run really hard to finish a mere four seconds ahead of Michelle Hughes.
Reilly's time of 34:35 was good going with temperatures in the low twenties.
Conor Cooney's run of 35:08 earned him third place in his category.
It wouldn't be a race without Nuala Reilly in it and she took first place in her age category in 35:34.
Also running back into shape was Jim Nolan, the man who puts everyone in good form.
Jim ran 36:36 for the distance with no real distress.
All-Ireland Schools
Congratulations to Cormac Canning who was 4th in the All-Ireland Schools Junior 1500m last Saturday in Tullamore with a big PB of 4:20. This was a great performance to match his 4th place in the Schools Cross Country earlier in the year, in his first year in the sport! Well done to Cormac and coach Ian as well!
Drogheda and District Summer Graded Meeting
Thanks to all who took part on a perfect evening for running track with lots of good times and plenty of close races.
The stand out performances in the mile races were Sam O'Neill winning his race in a fast 4:35, with Kieran McGrath second in 4:47.
Young James Nolan had a fine run to finish third in 4:52.
For our ladies, first home was Yasmin Canning in 5:44 with Ciara O'Reilly not far behind in 5:50.
Aimee Corcoran just dipped under the seven minute mark with 6:59.
Our Juveniles ran well with Ronan Devine running 5:54 for his mile and Kate O'Reilly finishing in 6:45.
Club Captain, Rob Power ran hard to get a new Pb time of 5:56, his first time under six minutes.
The run of the night probably belonged to Artur Kuwik who ran a speedy 5:33 to finish just ahead of Paddy Murphy 5:35 and Declan Monaghan 5:35.
In the 400 metres event, Andrew Kelly ran 55:70 to finish in second place, with Hugh Callan third in 56:30.
Orla O'Connor ran 63:60 which was good enough for third place with Roisin Coade running a useful 67:30.
Harry Caffery ran the 100 metres race in 13:60, with Robert Kierans running 13:80 and Lynn Browne sixth in 16:40.
Well done to Simon Gregory who had a fine run in the Balbriggan Roadrunners 5k race last Thursday evening.
His time of 18:07 was good enough for fifth place overall.
Others who ran were: Jane Glynn 23:31, Gerard Fay 27:33 and Janella Clarke 33:15.
Spraoi agus Sport 5k
Also running well was Director of Coaching Declan Monaghan.
Monaghan ran a speedy 18:40 last Friday for the Spraoi agus Sport 5k race in Carndonagh, Donegal.
Club News 4th June 2016
Virgin Media Night Run 10k:
This evening time 10k road race tempted as many as forty members of our club to take part. Run over a course that was full of twists and turns, Fast times didn't appear to be likely. Nevertheless, there were some good performances on the night. First home in the red vest was John Hough, a real strong man of running who recorded a speedy 39:39 for the distance. Next in was Artur Kuwik with 41:23, nice running Artur. Brian Guilfoyle 44:25 just pipped Jackser Reilly 44:30 on the run in to the finish, no mercy there! Our ladies were out for fast times and Sarah Clarke had a terrific run to finish in 44:22, a new Pb. Also setting new Pb times were Jane Glynn with 48:18, Julie Halton 54:02 and Barbara Byrne with 46:06. Well done to all who took part, no easy running when there's over six thousand people in your race!
Star of the Sea 5k, Stamullen.
With the promise of little or no wind on a beautiful warm evening, all roads lead to Stamullen for this very popular 5k road race. Run over a challenging course which has two hills in the first half of the race didn't deter the close on forty members who decided to run. The Atmosphere was electric just before the start and once the gun went some of our top men lost no time in getting into the leading pack. The strong running pair of Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin who's running very well at the moment pushed hard and drove the pack on. Less than seventeen minutes later, Kelly put in a great sprint finish to finish in seventh place overall in 16:55, just three seconds ahead of Martin 16:58. Backed up by some good performances from Ruaidhri Nolan 17:25 and Stephen Duggan 17:49, this quartet won the men's team event. Picking up first place in their category's were Shane Larkin and Conor Cooney. John Reilly, who's really starting to run well had a fabulous run to cover the course in 18:26 which put him second in his category. Also running well was John Hough who ran 18:39 for second place in his age group. Club Chairman, Aonghus O'Connor got in on the act and ran a solid 19:09 for the distance. Nice running there lads. For our ladies, the in form Mary Leech gunned it from the start and her relentless pace burnt off the opposition to ensure she came home a worthy winner in 18:36, good enough for 18th place overall. With Noreen Mackey not far behind in 19:27, things were looking good in the ladies team event. Ciara O'Reilly 20:02 and Pamela Howard 20:04, pushed each other on and this four secured the ladies team prize. Nuala Reilly , as usual, delivered a top class run to win her category and the great Barney Flannery making a welcome return to racing finished third in his age group. Yasmin Canning had a solid run of 20:15 to place second in her age group. Others who ran well were Gerry Mullins, Sarah Clarke and Carmel Keenan.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting:
Three of DDAC's 400 metre specialists took part in this series of races which were held last Wednesday in Irishtown, Dublin.
In the men's C1 race, Hugh O'Reilly ran a nice 58:28, good enough for second place, with Gerry O'Connor fourth in 59:91.
Erin McHugh had reason to smile as she ran a speedy 68:94 to finish eighth in her event against good opposition. Nice early season running there.
AAI Games:
Mark O'Shea kicked off his outdoor season in glorious sunshine in Santry last Sunday when running a swift 2.00.06 to finish 9th in the A 800m at the AAI Games.
Bohermeen 5k Road Race.
Seven of DDAC's finest took part in last Sunday's 5k road race. This fast flat course suited our runners and several of them won category prizes. John Reilly finished 22nd overall and first in his category as did Nuala Reilly who ran 22:02. Paddy Murphy ran a solid 19:37 to finish second in his age group. Perhaps the run of the day was by young Abigail Tegart who ran a speedy 22:42 which was good enough for second place in the Junior race. Stephen Kelly ran well to finish tenth overall with Roger Tegart and Jackser Reilly also running well.
Edinburgh Marathon:
Well done to Niamh Matthews who ran the Edinburgh Marathon at the weekend in a time of 4 hours and 18 minutes.
Liverpool Half Marathon:
Five of our members travelled to Liverpool last weekend to take part in the Half Marathon.
First home in a fine time of 1 hour and 27 minutes was club coach Eoin McGinn.
Next in was Ged Kenny who finished in 2:26, followed by Alison Browne and Sharon Finn in 2:30.
Lorraine Brannigan, our fifth member to finish ran 2:33 for the distance.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's Parkrun was a good day at the office for two of our runners who set new Pb times for this challenging course. Both Robert Kierans 21:47 and Deirdre McFerran 25:30 had their fastest run to date on this beautiful cross country course. Also taking part was Donal Branigan who ran 35:41 for the distance. Well done to this trio.
This evening time 10k road race tempted as many as forty members of our club to take part. Run over a course that was full of twists and turns, Fast times didn't appear to be likely. Nevertheless, there were some good performances on the night. First home in the red vest was John Hough, a real strong man of running who recorded a speedy 39:39 for the distance. Next in was Artur Kuwik with 41:23, nice running Artur. Brian Guilfoyle 44:25 just pipped Jackser Reilly 44:30 on the run in to the finish, no mercy there! Our ladies were out for fast times and Sarah Clarke had a terrific run to finish in 44:22, a new Pb. Also setting new Pb times were Jane Glynn with 48:18, Julie Halton 54:02 and Barbara Byrne with 46:06. Well done to all who took part, no easy running when there's over six thousand people in your race!
Star of the Sea 5k, Stamullen.
With the promise of little or no wind on a beautiful warm evening, all roads lead to Stamullen for this very popular 5k road race. Run over a challenging course which has two hills in the first half of the race didn't deter the close on forty members who decided to run. The Atmosphere was electric just before the start and once the gun went some of our top men lost no time in getting into the leading pack. The strong running pair of Stephen Kelly and Brian Martin who's running very well at the moment pushed hard and drove the pack on. Less than seventeen minutes later, Kelly put in a great sprint finish to finish in seventh place overall in 16:55, just three seconds ahead of Martin 16:58. Backed up by some good performances from Ruaidhri Nolan 17:25 and Stephen Duggan 17:49, this quartet won the men's team event. Picking up first place in their category's were Shane Larkin and Conor Cooney. John Reilly, who's really starting to run well had a fabulous run to cover the course in 18:26 which put him second in his category. Also running well was John Hough who ran 18:39 for second place in his age group. Club Chairman, Aonghus O'Connor got in on the act and ran a solid 19:09 for the distance. Nice running there lads. For our ladies, the in form Mary Leech gunned it from the start and her relentless pace burnt off the opposition to ensure she came home a worthy winner in 18:36, good enough for 18th place overall. With Noreen Mackey not far behind in 19:27, things were looking good in the ladies team event. Ciara O'Reilly 20:02 and Pamela Howard 20:04, pushed each other on and this four secured the ladies team prize. Nuala Reilly , as usual, delivered a top class run to win her category and the great Barney Flannery making a welcome return to racing finished third in his age group. Yasmin Canning had a solid run of 20:15 to place second in her age group. Others who ran well were Gerry Mullins, Sarah Clarke and Carmel Keenan.
Dublin Athletic Board Graded Meeting:
Three of DDAC's 400 metre specialists took part in this series of races which were held last Wednesday in Irishtown, Dublin.
In the men's C1 race, Hugh O'Reilly ran a nice 58:28, good enough for second place, with Gerry O'Connor fourth in 59:91.
Erin McHugh had reason to smile as she ran a speedy 68:94 to finish eighth in her event against good opposition. Nice early season running there.
AAI Games:
Mark O'Shea kicked off his outdoor season in glorious sunshine in Santry last Sunday when running a swift 2.00.06 to finish 9th in the A 800m at the AAI Games.
Bohermeen 5k Road Race.
Seven of DDAC's finest took part in last Sunday's 5k road race. This fast flat course suited our runners and several of them won category prizes. John Reilly finished 22nd overall and first in his category as did Nuala Reilly who ran 22:02. Paddy Murphy ran a solid 19:37 to finish second in his age group. Perhaps the run of the day was by young Abigail Tegart who ran a speedy 22:42 which was good enough for second place in the Junior race. Stephen Kelly ran well to finish tenth overall with Roger Tegart and Jackser Reilly also running well.
Edinburgh Marathon:
Well done to Niamh Matthews who ran the Edinburgh Marathon at the weekend in a time of 4 hours and 18 minutes.
Liverpool Half Marathon:
Five of our members travelled to Liverpool last weekend to take part in the Half Marathon.
First home in a fine time of 1 hour and 27 minutes was club coach Eoin McGinn.
Next in was Ged Kenny who finished in 2:26, followed by Alison Browne and Sharon Finn in 2:30.
Lorraine Brannigan, our fifth member to finish ran 2:33 for the distance.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's Parkrun was a good day at the office for two of our runners who set new Pb times for this challenging course. Both Robert Kierans 21:47 and Deirdre McFerran 25:30 had their fastest run to date on this beautiful cross country course. Also taking part was Donal Branigan who ran 35:41 for the distance. Well done to this trio.
Club News 28th May 2016
Drogheda and District Summer Graded #2There were some fine individual performances at last Thursday's graded track meeting in the Lourdes Stadium. The weather God's were good to us but a strong wind made things difficult for the distance runners.
With close on 130 competitors and 12 track races, the administrators were kept busy to say the least.
In the 200 metres races, Lee McGuinness won his event with a bit to spare from Karl Carton, with Tomas Heriben close behind. A real battle for club honours there!
Our ladies had a similar battle in their race with Mary Lyndsey winning in 31:40, just ahead of Tara Shortt in 31:60. Andrea McCabe finished in 5th place in 33:20 with Una McGreehan O'Grady in sixth place. Others who ran well over this distance included Andrew Kelly who won his race in a fast 24:60, and Frank Cruise who ran a nice 28:80. Phillipa Donnelly and Mary Flanagan also ran well. In the 1500 metres, Shane Larkin produced a great sprint finish to pip Brian Lynch from Dundalk for 2nd place in his race.
No mean feat as Brian is the world record holder for his age category in this event. Club captain Rob Power ran hard to record a nice 5:44 for the distance. In the second 1500 metres race, Stephen Geraghty's time of 5:26 was good enough to win by a mere half a second. Rob Kierans finished in sixth place in 5:44 with Frank Brady next in 5:52. Sinead Weldon was tenth in 6:16 with young Una McGreehan O'Grady in 13th place with 7:14 Last event of the night was the 5k, run over twelve and a half laps of the track.
Brian Martin, who's running very well at the moment ran a speedy 17:11 to finish second in his race. Club coach Eoin McGinn was next in 10th place in 19:20, great running giventhe windy conditions. Noreen Mackey, who seems to be getting stronger with every race ran a really solid 19:30 for the distance and will certainly go well in the Summer road races. Gerry Mullins had a great battle with Roger Tegart with Mullins just edging it in 20:45 with Tegert running 20:54. Good running lads.
In the second 5k race, Christy Duffy was first home for the club in 6th place with 22:15. Helen Dillon and Edel Smith both ran well with only six seconds between them at the finish, 25:43 and 25:49. Barney Flannery, Mark Marren and Natalie Doyle Bradley all ran well on the night. Our next graded meeting is on Thursday 2nd of June and the eventswill be, 100/400 metres, Mile and Lon Jump.
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Bob Heffernan 5k, Enfield.
A wet and windy evening didn't deter the more than five hundred runners who turned up for this very popular road race. This 5k race which is run over a very fair course always attracts a high quality field and this year was no exception. Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both had a good day at the office as they managed to win their age categories with some strong running during the second half of the race. Cooney ran a nice 21:13 with Reilly running 22:12 for the distance. Good early season running by these two prolific racers. Well done Conor and Nuala.
Great Bristol 10K
Well done to David Campbell who ran the Great Bristol 10k last week in a swift time of 38.04 and finished 131st out of 10,000 competitors!
With close on 130 competitors and 12 track races, the administrators were kept busy to say the least.
In the 200 metres races, Lee McGuinness won his event with a bit to spare from Karl Carton, with Tomas Heriben close behind. A real battle for club honours there!
Our ladies had a similar battle in their race with Mary Lyndsey winning in 31:40, just ahead of Tara Shortt in 31:60. Andrea McCabe finished in 5th place in 33:20 with Una McGreehan O'Grady in sixth place. Others who ran well over this distance included Andrew Kelly who won his race in a fast 24:60, and Frank Cruise who ran a nice 28:80. Phillipa Donnelly and Mary Flanagan also ran well. In the 1500 metres, Shane Larkin produced a great sprint finish to pip Brian Lynch from Dundalk for 2nd place in his race.
No mean feat as Brian is the world record holder for his age category in this event. Club captain Rob Power ran hard to record a nice 5:44 for the distance. In the second 1500 metres race, Stephen Geraghty's time of 5:26 was good enough to win by a mere half a second. Rob Kierans finished in sixth place in 5:44 with Frank Brady next in 5:52. Sinead Weldon was tenth in 6:16 with young Una McGreehan O'Grady in 13th place with 7:14 Last event of the night was the 5k, run over twelve and a half laps of the track.
Brian Martin, who's running very well at the moment ran a speedy 17:11 to finish second in his race. Club coach Eoin McGinn was next in 10th place in 19:20, great running giventhe windy conditions. Noreen Mackey, who seems to be getting stronger with every race ran a really solid 19:30 for the distance and will certainly go well in the Summer road races. Gerry Mullins had a great battle with Roger Tegart with Mullins just edging it in 20:45 with Tegert running 20:54. Good running lads.
In the second 5k race, Christy Duffy was first home for the club in 6th place with 22:15. Helen Dillon and Edel Smith both ran well with only six seconds between them at the finish, 25:43 and 25:49. Barney Flannery, Mark Marren and Natalie Doyle Bradley all ran well on the night. Our next graded meeting is on Thursday 2nd of June and the eventswill be, 100/400 metres, Mile and Lon Jump.
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Bob Heffernan 5k, Enfield.
A wet and windy evening didn't deter the more than five hundred runners who turned up for this very popular road race. This 5k race which is run over a very fair course always attracts a high quality field and this year was no exception. Conor Cooney and Nuala Reilly both had a good day at the office as they managed to win their age categories with some strong running during the second half of the race. Cooney ran a nice 21:13 with Reilly running 22:12 for the distance. Good early season running by these two prolific racers. Well done Conor and Nuala.
Great Bristol 10K
Well done to David Campbell who ran the Great Bristol 10k last week in a swift time of 38.04 and finished 131st out of 10,000 competitors!
Club News 21st May 2016
Leinster Schools Track and FieldThere was great news from Santry last Wednesday where Cormac Canning, representing St Mary's DS Drogheda, has just finished second in the Junior 1500m to qualify for the All-Ireland Schools finals in Tullamore in June. His time of 4.27.74 is a big PB taking 9 seconds off his previous best and continues on from the Cross Country season, where Cormac placed 4th in the Schools Junior Boys race in Sligo. Canning ran an intelligent race, staying off the early pace, then moving up to the leader's shoulder with a lap to go. Canning's mature racing brain saw him doing all the right things and it took a former national champion to best him on this occasion.
Well done from all in the club Cormac.
Clonliffe 2 Mile Road Race.
Last Tuesday saw the 125th running of the Clonliffe 2 mile road race. This is without doubt the oldest road race in Ireland. To honour this occasion, the weather decided to turn really nasty. Driving rain and a strong wind ruled out fast times for the field of 200 runners. After one complete lap of the beautiful tartan track, the race headed out onto the road. Mary Leech who is showing great early season form was already leading lady and well up in the chasing pack. Passing through the first mile in 5:44, Leech was stretching her lead and pushed hard as the race made its way through the parkland section of the course. Leech put in a great finish to record a fine 11 minutes and 34 seconds for the two miles, good enough for 23rd place overall. Others who ran on the night included Martin Duffy who finished second in his category and Suzanne McCabe who ran a steady race and finished strongly.
Navan AC Simon Cumbers 6k Road Race.
At least 20 of our members made the short trip last Friday to Navan, County Meath. The Simon Cumbers 6k road race which is run over a fair course always attracts a large field and weather conditions were good. Making a welcome return to racing and first home for the club was Derek Winters in a speedy 20 minutes and 52 seconds, good enough for 13th place overall. Great running for someone who's just coming back into competitive running. Next in was Shane Larkin who produced a fine run of 21:16 to place third in his category, as did John Reilly who will be one to watch out for this Summer. A great battle took place between Brian Guilfoyle, Jackser Reilly, and Gerry Mullins with only six seconds between them at the finish. First lady home was Michelle Hughes who had a strong run to finish in 25:16. Good running there Michelle. Conor Cooney ran his usual crafty race and despite havig a sore neck finished second in his category in 26:15. Going one better was the ever consistent Nuala Reilly who raced well to win her category in 26:42. Margaret McAuley placed third in her category. Others who ran well included Barbara Byrne, Jane Glynn and Aimee Corcoran. While for the men, Robert Kierans and Stephen Geraghty went well.
Terenure 5 mile Road Race.
Enda Martin had a fine run in this year's event to finish in 33 minutes and 33 seconds.
Liam Farrell ran a steady race and came home in 35:31.
Further back was Gerard Fay who recorded 45:41 for the distance.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's fine weather attracted some of our runners to the 100th Oldbridge Parkrun and the fine weather helped some of them to record new Pb times for the 5k course. Results are as follows:
1 Stephen KELLY 17:06
23 Jim NOLAN 22:14
27 Declan MAC MAHON 22:24 (new PB)
40 David BIRCH 23:45 (new PB)
46 Eimear KNOWLES 24:05 (new PB)
47 Evan O'CONNOR 24:16
90 Richard CHEEVERS 28:43
91 Rachel CAROLAN 28:43
115 Donal BRANIGAN 33:27
124 Janella CLARKE 34:48
129 Donna CAROLAN 35:38 (New PB)
130 Valerie CAMPBELL 35:39 (new PB)
Well done from all in the club Cormac.
Clonliffe 2 Mile Road Race.
Last Tuesday saw the 125th running of the Clonliffe 2 mile road race. This is without doubt the oldest road race in Ireland. To honour this occasion, the weather decided to turn really nasty. Driving rain and a strong wind ruled out fast times for the field of 200 runners. After one complete lap of the beautiful tartan track, the race headed out onto the road. Mary Leech who is showing great early season form was already leading lady and well up in the chasing pack. Passing through the first mile in 5:44, Leech was stretching her lead and pushed hard as the race made its way through the parkland section of the course. Leech put in a great finish to record a fine 11 minutes and 34 seconds for the two miles, good enough for 23rd place overall. Others who ran on the night included Martin Duffy who finished second in his category and Suzanne McCabe who ran a steady race and finished strongly.
Navan AC Simon Cumbers 6k Road Race.
At least 20 of our members made the short trip last Friday to Navan, County Meath. The Simon Cumbers 6k road race which is run over a fair course always attracts a large field and weather conditions were good. Making a welcome return to racing and first home for the club was Derek Winters in a speedy 20 minutes and 52 seconds, good enough for 13th place overall. Great running for someone who's just coming back into competitive running. Next in was Shane Larkin who produced a fine run of 21:16 to place third in his category, as did John Reilly who will be one to watch out for this Summer. A great battle took place between Brian Guilfoyle, Jackser Reilly, and Gerry Mullins with only six seconds between them at the finish. First lady home was Michelle Hughes who had a strong run to finish in 25:16. Good running there Michelle. Conor Cooney ran his usual crafty race and despite havig a sore neck finished second in his category in 26:15. Going one better was the ever consistent Nuala Reilly who raced well to win her category in 26:42. Margaret McAuley placed third in her category. Others who ran well included Barbara Byrne, Jane Glynn and Aimee Corcoran. While for the men, Robert Kierans and Stephen Geraghty went well.
Terenure 5 mile Road Race.
Enda Martin had a fine run in this year's event to finish in 33 minutes and 33 seconds.
Liam Farrell ran a steady race and came home in 35:31.
Further back was Gerard Fay who recorded 45:41 for the distance.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's fine weather attracted some of our runners to the 100th Oldbridge Parkrun and the fine weather helped some of them to record new Pb times for the 5k course. Results are as follows:
1 Stephen KELLY 17:06
23 Jim NOLAN 22:14
27 Declan MAC MAHON 22:24 (new PB)
40 David BIRCH 23:45 (new PB)
46 Eimear KNOWLES 24:05 (new PB)
47 Evan O'CONNOR 24:16
90 Richard CHEEVERS 28:43
91 Rachel CAROLAN 28:43
115 Donal BRANIGAN 33:27
124 Janella CLARKE 34:48
129 Donna CAROLAN 35:38 (New PB)
130 Valerie CAMPBELL 35:39 (new PB)
Club News 16th May 2016
Leinster Masters Road Race Championships.
Less than 24 hours after the success of the Boyne 10k, a crack team of D&D's finest set off to Gowran, Kilkenny, in search of more championship gold.
The Leinster Masters 3k championship is a real hotbed of talent and it really was a case of the best against the best on this occasion.
Fresh from their silver medal winning run at the National road relays, spirits were high and the nerves were starting to tingle.
Our team of Ciara O Reilly, Yasmin Canning and Mary Leech had a plan and it was time to put it into action. This race which always starts at a furious pace was no different this year. Straight from the gun our three girls found themselves working hard and the next 11 minutes were going to be difficult!
Mary Leech took up a position at the head of the chasing pack and worked hard to try and bridge the gap to the race leader, a national class athlete.
Close behind, her teammates, O'Reilly and Canning were running a tactical race, choosing to shelter from the strong headwind and picking off their opponents over the course of the rather testing and windswept course.
Leech was well rewarded for her brave front running by finishing in second place overall and first in her age category in a speedy 11 minutes and 5 seconds.
Sticking to her plan, O'Reilly worked her way through the field to finish in 10th place overall and third in her category in a fine 11:42.
Canning, knowing that it was all down to her stuck gamely to her task. Her run of 11:54 earned her 12th place overall.
Our ladies team packed really well and this performance earned this trio second place in both the club and county team championship.
Well done Ladies on a top class performance when it mattered the most.
RTE 5 mile road race.
Last Saturday's 5 mile road race tempted five of our members to run. This fast, flat course run over four laps was just what our runners were looking for.
The pocket rocket, Shane Larkin has hit a purple patch of late and took off right from the gun.
The next 29 minutes were all about hard sustained running, which is Larkin's trademark.
Larkin's time of 29:19 was good enough to earn him second place in his category and put a big smile on his face.
Going one better was Nuala Reilly, who ran hard and well to win her age category.
It wouldn't be a race without the ever consistent Reilly there.
Conor Cooney, perhaps one of the cleverest runners in Irish road running circles did it again.
Cooney, who always seems to get the early pace right, picked off all his opponents bar one and finished second in his age category.
Gerry Mullins, who is sharpening up for the Cork marathon at the end of the month ran a nice 34:05 and was happy with his run.
Also going well was Jackser Reilly who's coming back into form after a bout of illness.
Well done all and no doubt you enjoyed the after race refreshments!
Louth Juvenile Track Championships.
The future of Irish Athletics is in good hands if the last weekend is anything to go by.
At the Louth Juvenile Track Championships which were held In Drogheda and in Bush, Cooley there were some tremendous performances.
The sun eventually came out at the very end of three days top class competition at the county juvenile track and field Championships.
Drogheda and District A.C. had our biggest entry to date in these championships which is a testament to all the work of the coaches each week with this dedicated group of athletes.
Star of the show was new member Lee McGuinness. A recent convert from football, Lee blitzed the field when running a very fast time of 10.8 seconds for the U19 100m. This gold was a nice companion piece to the silver Lee took in the Long Jump on Friday night. Despite being totally new to the event, he recorded six jumps over 5 meters with the best being 5.31m in the first round.
Lee also had the first of many battles to come with Sam Reddin in the 400m, when the pair pushed each other all the way to the line with Sam just getting the nod from the judges in 56.0 seconds with Ronan Devine taking the bronze medal. Robert Caffery took the Gold over the same distance in 62.9 seconds.
Sunday saw the club take three county titles in the 1500m with Sam O'Neill (U19), Robert Caffery (U17) and Cormac Canning (U16), who will take part in the Leinster Schools finals later this week, in the U16 age group all post winning times to claim gold in their age groups. Leo Mclean won a silver in the U19 race.
Cormac also took the U16 800m title for good measure in a time of 2.15.4 while Robert was second in the u17 race in 2.15.0.
It was 1,2,3 for the club in the U19 800m, where Sam Reddin took his second victory of the day in 2.07.4 with Sam O'Neill second and Ronan Devine third.
Blathnaid Donnelly continues to progress in the sprints where she took bronze medals in the U17 100m (13.7) and 200m (29.2) despite a heavy fall on the line.
Our youngest competitor, Harry Caffery also came away with a medal when taking third in the U15 Long Jump with a mark of 4.16m. Harry also ran well in the 200m, making the final where he placed 5th.
U15 Boys 200m
Heat 3 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 28.1
Final 5 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 28.1
U15 Boys Long Jump
3 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District 4.16
U16 Boys 800m
1 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C. 2.15.4
U16 Boys 1500m
1 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C. 4.45.7
U17 Girls 100m
3 Blathnaid Donnelly Drogheda & District A.C. 13.7
U17 Girls 200m
3 Blathnaid Donnelly Drogheda & District A.C. 29.2
U17 Boys 400m
1 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 62.9
U17 Boys 800m
2 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 2.15.0
U17 Boys 1500m
1 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 4.45.3
U19 Boys 100m
1 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 10.8
U19 Boys 400m
1 Sam Reddin Drogheda & District A.C. 56.0
2 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 56.3
3 Ronan Devine Drogheda & District A.C. 75.2
U19 Boys 800m
1 Sam Reddin Drogheda & District A.C. 2.07.4
2 Sam O'Neill Drogheda & District A.C. 2.11.9
3 Ronan Devine Drogheda & District A.C. 2.46.7
U19 Boys 1500m
1 Sam O'Neill Drogheda & District A.C. 4.28.9
2 Leo Mcclean Drogheda & District A.C. 5.04.7
U19 Boys Long Jump
2 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 5.31
Less than 24 hours after the success of the Boyne 10k, a crack team of D&D's finest set off to Gowran, Kilkenny, in search of more championship gold.
The Leinster Masters 3k championship is a real hotbed of talent and it really was a case of the best against the best on this occasion.
Fresh from their silver medal winning run at the National road relays, spirits were high and the nerves were starting to tingle.
Our team of Ciara O Reilly, Yasmin Canning and Mary Leech had a plan and it was time to put it into action. This race which always starts at a furious pace was no different this year. Straight from the gun our three girls found themselves working hard and the next 11 minutes were going to be difficult!
Mary Leech took up a position at the head of the chasing pack and worked hard to try and bridge the gap to the race leader, a national class athlete.
Close behind, her teammates, O'Reilly and Canning were running a tactical race, choosing to shelter from the strong headwind and picking off their opponents over the course of the rather testing and windswept course.
Leech was well rewarded for her brave front running by finishing in second place overall and first in her age category in a speedy 11 minutes and 5 seconds.
Sticking to her plan, O'Reilly worked her way through the field to finish in 10th place overall and third in her category in a fine 11:42.
Canning, knowing that it was all down to her stuck gamely to her task. Her run of 11:54 earned her 12th place overall.
Our ladies team packed really well and this performance earned this trio second place in both the club and county team championship.
Well done Ladies on a top class performance when it mattered the most.
RTE 5 mile road race.
Last Saturday's 5 mile road race tempted five of our members to run. This fast, flat course run over four laps was just what our runners were looking for.
The pocket rocket, Shane Larkin has hit a purple patch of late and took off right from the gun.
The next 29 minutes were all about hard sustained running, which is Larkin's trademark.
Larkin's time of 29:19 was good enough to earn him second place in his category and put a big smile on his face.
Going one better was Nuala Reilly, who ran hard and well to win her age category.
It wouldn't be a race without the ever consistent Reilly there.
Conor Cooney, perhaps one of the cleverest runners in Irish road running circles did it again.
Cooney, who always seems to get the early pace right, picked off all his opponents bar one and finished second in his age category.
Gerry Mullins, who is sharpening up for the Cork marathon at the end of the month ran a nice 34:05 and was happy with his run.
Also going well was Jackser Reilly who's coming back into form after a bout of illness.
Well done all and no doubt you enjoyed the after race refreshments!
Louth Juvenile Track Championships.
The future of Irish Athletics is in good hands if the last weekend is anything to go by.
At the Louth Juvenile Track Championships which were held In Drogheda and in Bush, Cooley there were some tremendous performances.
The sun eventually came out at the very end of three days top class competition at the county juvenile track and field Championships.
Drogheda and District A.C. had our biggest entry to date in these championships which is a testament to all the work of the coaches each week with this dedicated group of athletes.
Star of the show was new member Lee McGuinness. A recent convert from football, Lee blitzed the field when running a very fast time of 10.8 seconds for the U19 100m. This gold was a nice companion piece to the silver Lee took in the Long Jump on Friday night. Despite being totally new to the event, he recorded six jumps over 5 meters with the best being 5.31m in the first round.
Lee also had the first of many battles to come with Sam Reddin in the 400m, when the pair pushed each other all the way to the line with Sam just getting the nod from the judges in 56.0 seconds with Ronan Devine taking the bronze medal. Robert Caffery took the Gold over the same distance in 62.9 seconds.
Sunday saw the club take three county titles in the 1500m with Sam O'Neill (U19), Robert Caffery (U17) and Cormac Canning (U16), who will take part in the Leinster Schools finals later this week, in the U16 age group all post winning times to claim gold in their age groups. Leo Mclean won a silver in the U19 race.
Cormac also took the U16 800m title for good measure in a time of 2.15.4 while Robert was second in the u17 race in 2.15.0.
It was 1,2,3 for the club in the U19 800m, where Sam Reddin took his second victory of the day in 2.07.4 with Sam O'Neill second and Ronan Devine third.
Blathnaid Donnelly continues to progress in the sprints where she took bronze medals in the U17 100m (13.7) and 200m (29.2) despite a heavy fall on the line.
Our youngest competitor, Harry Caffery also came away with a medal when taking third in the U15 Long Jump with a mark of 4.16m. Harry also ran well in the 200m, making the final where he placed 5th.
U15 Boys 200m
Heat 3 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 28.1
Final 5 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 28.1
U15 Boys Long Jump
3 Harry Caffery Drogheda & District 4.16
U16 Boys 800m
1 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C. 2.15.4
U16 Boys 1500m
1 Cormac Canning Drogheda & District A.C. 4.45.7
U17 Girls 100m
3 Blathnaid Donnelly Drogheda & District A.C. 13.7
U17 Girls 200m
3 Blathnaid Donnelly Drogheda & District A.C. 29.2
U17 Boys 400m
1 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 62.9
U17 Boys 800m
2 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 2.15.0
U17 Boys 1500m
1 Robert Caffery Drogheda & District A.C. 4.45.3
U19 Boys 100m
1 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 10.8
U19 Boys 400m
1 Sam Reddin Drogheda & District A.C. 56.0
2 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 56.3
3 Ronan Devine Drogheda & District A.C. 75.2
U19 Boys 800m
1 Sam Reddin Drogheda & District A.C. 2.07.4
2 Sam O'Neill Drogheda & District A.C. 2.11.9
3 Ronan Devine Drogheda & District A.C. 2.46.7
U19 Boys 1500m
1 Sam O'Neill Drogheda & District A.C. 4.28.9
2 Leo Mcclean Drogheda & District A.C. 5.04.7
U19 Boys Long Jump
2 Lee McGuinness Drogheda & District A.C. 5.31
Club News 5th May 2016
Coca Cola Boyne 10k.This was the big one! Months of planning and lots of hard work had finally gotten this event to the starting line. Last Sunday's Coca Cola Boyne 10k was about to happen.
The atmosphere in West Street was electric with the serious runners warming up while others chose to hug their loved ones and wish them well for the race.
With over 1800 competitors, this race really has grown to be one of the biggest and the best in Ireland. Another sign of the growing stature of this race is the presence of both National and International class athletes in the starting line up. Also at stake were championship medals as this year's race was designated as the Louth 10k road race championship. Once the gun went and the large field headed across West Street, the red vests of D&D were soon up in the leading pack.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running with the ever present Rathmullen hill at the back of many of the runners minds.
Undeterred by this, Mark O'Shea put in a fabulous run over a distance which he rarely runs to come home in seventh place overall in a fine time of 34:51. Next in was Brian Martin in 8th place in 35:05 with Stephen Kelly and David Walsh close behind. This group of four packed well to win the county championship team title with O'Shea winning third place in the individual men's race. For our ladies, Noreen Mackey, who had a superb run to finish in 41:02 was delighted as she won the Ladies county title. Next home was Pamela Howard who couldn't stop smiling after her 41:27 which got her the silver medal. Backed up by Mags Nugent, these trio won the Women's team title.
In the mens over 60 category, Christy Duffy ran 49:47 to finish in second place. Oftentimes the real heroes in these team races are the non scoring club runners who push their rivals further down the rankings. Some fabulous running was done by Eoin McGinn who had a superb 39:19 run on the day. Also running well were David Campbell, Paddy Murphy and John Hough. Further down the field but running well were Derek Winters, Artur Kwik and Ziad Chammas. For our Ladies, Jane Glynn, Barbara Byrne and Sarah Clarke ran well. Nuala reilly as ever won her category in a speedy 46:26 on what is one tough course. Perhaps the real winners on the day were the hundreds of runners who crossed the line to complete their first 10k. Huge thanks has to go to all the sponsors and all who helped to make this year's race such a success.
Summer graded track series.
The first of this year's Summer graded track meetings took place last Thursday at the Lourdes Stadium.
On an evening that the Winter would be proud of, a bitingly cold wind and heavy showers really tested the resolve of all who took part.
About one hundred athletes took part in the four events on offer which included the 100, 800 and 3000 metre distances and also a Long jump competition.
In the 100 metres event, there were seven races. Phillipa Donnelly ran well to win her race in a fine 16.1 seconds with Mary Flanagan in fourth place in 18.5.
In race three, Pol O'Murchu and Andrea McCabe had a great battle with O'Murchu just edging it for third place by 0.2 of a second.
Blathnaid Donnelly, who is really running well at the moment had no trouble winning her race in a speedy 13.5 seconds with Cian Martin-Bohan in 3rd place in 14.2.
Frank Cruise and Lynn Brown both ran well in the last 100 metre race to finish in third and sixth place respectively. In the 800 metre races, Sam Reddin ran well to win his race in a fast 2:13, three seconds ahead of Hugh Callan in second place. Pol O'Murchu finished in sixth with 2:28. In race 2, Tomas O'Heriban ran 2:31, good enough for fourth place. Evan O'Connor and Stephen Geraghty had to run hard to win the battle for 13th place with O'Connor shading it in 2:50. In race three, young Ronan Devine had a good run to win his race in 2:48 and finished with a smile on his face. Cian Martin-Bohan was third in 2:53. Luke Rooney and Gillian Doheny both ran well in this event.
The last event of the night was the 3000 metres. Brian Martin ran a decent 10 minutes and 1 seconds to finish in second place. Ruaidhri Nolan and Shane Larkin had a great race for 5th place with only a second between them, Nolan just edging it with 10:13. In race 2, Darren Maguire ran 14:02, good enough for 10th place with Suzanne McCabe next in 14:13. Well done to all who took.part on what had to be the coldest April track meet we've had yet.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's Parkrun was held in near perfect weather conditions and seven of our members toed the start line.
Gerry Mullins, put his marathon training to good use and ran hard to record a new Pb time of 20:42, which earned him fifth place overall.
Nice running only two weeks after his run in the Hamburg marathon.
The ever cheerful Jim Nolan was happy with his run as he finished in sixth place in his fastest time yet for the distance.
For our ladies, Mary McDonnell and Deirdre McFerran used the speed gained from their road relay training to record Pb's for the challenging but fair 5k lap.
Good running girls.
Others who ran well included Declan McMahon, Evan O'Connor and Rose Dalton.
Well done all who took part.
The atmosphere in West Street was electric with the serious runners warming up while others chose to hug their loved ones and wish them well for the race.
With over 1800 competitors, this race really has grown to be one of the biggest and the best in Ireland. Another sign of the growing stature of this race is the presence of both National and International class athletes in the starting line up. Also at stake were championship medals as this year's race was designated as the Louth 10k road race championship. Once the gun went and the large field headed across West Street, the red vests of D&D were soon up in the leading pack.
The next six miles were all about hard sustained running with the ever present Rathmullen hill at the back of many of the runners minds.
Undeterred by this, Mark O'Shea put in a fabulous run over a distance which he rarely runs to come home in seventh place overall in a fine time of 34:51. Next in was Brian Martin in 8th place in 35:05 with Stephen Kelly and David Walsh close behind. This group of four packed well to win the county championship team title with O'Shea winning third place in the individual men's race. For our ladies, Noreen Mackey, who had a superb run to finish in 41:02 was delighted as she won the Ladies county title. Next home was Pamela Howard who couldn't stop smiling after her 41:27 which got her the silver medal. Backed up by Mags Nugent, these trio won the Women's team title.
In the mens over 60 category, Christy Duffy ran 49:47 to finish in second place. Oftentimes the real heroes in these team races are the non scoring club runners who push their rivals further down the rankings. Some fabulous running was done by Eoin McGinn who had a superb 39:19 run on the day. Also running well were David Campbell, Paddy Murphy and John Hough. Further down the field but running well were Derek Winters, Artur Kwik and Ziad Chammas. For our Ladies, Jane Glynn, Barbara Byrne and Sarah Clarke ran well. Nuala reilly as ever won her category in a speedy 46:26 on what is one tough course. Perhaps the real winners on the day were the hundreds of runners who crossed the line to complete their first 10k. Huge thanks has to go to all the sponsors and all who helped to make this year's race such a success.
Summer graded track series.
The first of this year's Summer graded track meetings took place last Thursday at the Lourdes Stadium.
On an evening that the Winter would be proud of, a bitingly cold wind and heavy showers really tested the resolve of all who took part.
About one hundred athletes took part in the four events on offer which included the 100, 800 and 3000 metre distances and also a Long jump competition.
In the 100 metres event, there were seven races. Phillipa Donnelly ran well to win her race in a fine 16.1 seconds with Mary Flanagan in fourth place in 18.5.
In race three, Pol O'Murchu and Andrea McCabe had a great battle with O'Murchu just edging it for third place by 0.2 of a second.
Blathnaid Donnelly, who is really running well at the moment had no trouble winning her race in a speedy 13.5 seconds with Cian Martin-Bohan in 3rd place in 14.2.
Frank Cruise and Lynn Brown both ran well in the last 100 metre race to finish in third and sixth place respectively. In the 800 metre races, Sam Reddin ran well to win his race in a fast 2:13, three seconds ahead of Hugh Callan in second place. Pol O'Murchu finished in sixth with 2:28. In race 2, Tomas O'Heriban ran 2:31, good enough for fourth place. Evan O'Connor and Stephen Geraghty had to run hard to win the battle for 13th place with O'Connor shading it in 2:50. In race three, young Ronan Devine had a good run to win his race in 2:48 and finished with a smile on his face. Cian Martin-Bohan was third in 2:53. Luke Rooney and Gillian Doheny both ran well in this event.
The last event of the night was the 3000 metres. Brian Martin ran a decent 10 minutes and 1 seconds to finish in second place. Ruaidhri Nolan and Shane Larkin had a great race for 5th place with only a second between them, Nolan just edging it with 10:13. In race 2, Darren Maguire ran 14:02, good enough for 10th place with Suzanne McCabe next in 14:13. Well done to all who took.part on what had to be the coldest April track meet we've had yet.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Last Saturday's Parkrun was held in near perfect weather conditions and seven of our members toed the start line.
Gerry Mullins, put his marathon training to good use and ran hard to record a new Pb time of 20:42, which earned him fifth place overall.
Nice running only two weeks after his run in the Hamburg marathon.
The ever cheerful Jim Nolan was happy with his run as he finished in sixth place in his fastest time yet for the distance.
For our ladies, Mary McDonnell and Deirdre McFerran used the speed gained from their road relay training to record Pb's for the challenging but fair 5k lap.
Good running girls.
Others who ran well included Declan McMahon, Evan O'Connor and Rose Dalton.
Well done all who took part.
Club News 13th April 2016
Last Thursday's mile trial held at the Lourdes Stadium produced a series of races that won't be forgotten in a hurry.
At stake were much coveted places on the club teams for the upcoming National road relays.
Despite the swirling wind, many of our red group ladies put in strong performances on the night to record Personal best times. Mary Leech who is in flying form at the moment ran a speedy 5:24 for the mile to guarantee herself a place on the first team.
Not far behind a titanic struggle was taking place between Yasmin Canning, Erin McHugh and Ciara O'Reilly for the other two places.
Canning put in a storming finish to record 5:42 and just edged out McHugh who ran 5:44 which was a new Pb by a massive 12 seconds.
Fourth place finisher O'Reilly couldn't stop smiling as she also ran a fine 5:49, taking 6 seconds off her previous best time.
Close behind, Noreen Mackey, Mags Nugent and Barbara Byrne were running well and will be hoping to make one of the ladies teams.
For the men, it was eyeballs out from the gun. First home was Paul Smith in 4:47, which was great running on a rough night. Robbie Maher, the club's bionic man, ran a well judged race to finish second in 4:58 with Shane Larkin third in 5:13.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan who ran a Pb by 7 seconds and Pol O'Murchu who ran 5:22 for a Pb.
Well done also to the Glen Emmett's crew fresh from their 5k program who took part on the night.
K club 10k road race.
With a reputation for having the best after race spread in Irish road racing, this race tempted seven of D&D's finest to take part.
Run over what would be considered a challenging course, the pocket rocket Shane Larkin and Paddy Murphy scorched round the course in Pb times to ensure they were among the first back for the food!
Larkin, who is in great form at the moment ran a superb 36:37 with Murphy breaking the 40 minute mark for the first time with a fine 39:57. Two great early season runs and lots more to come from this pair.
Nuala Reilly as usual won her age category with a solid 45 minutes run for the distance.
Conor Cooney was just edged out for a category prize and finished fourth in 44 minutes.
Gerry Mullins, who is getting ready to run in the Hamburg marathon next week, sharpened up with a good 42 minute run. Jackser Reilly and Jim Nolan got round the course well and should go well come the Summer races.
Great Ireland 5k and 10k road races.
There was a huge turnout of club members for this very popular 10k race which was run over a rather challenging course.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of Pb performances recorded and the club coaches seem to be doing something thats working.
Brian Martin had a terrific run to cover the distance in 35:18 with Ruaidhri Nolan next in with 37:27.
Going sub 40 minutes for the first time was Eoin McGinn who ran a fine 39:51with new member Brian Pentony not far behind in 40:54.
The group training system is working well as both David Shiel and Roger Tegart both ran strong races to finish in 41:40 and 43:43 respectively.
Club captain Rob Power ran a solid 46 minutes for the distance.
For our ladies, Noreen Mackey, who's getting stronger with every weeks training ran a good 41:16.
Nuala Reilly was our next lady home and her time of 46:40 was good enough to earn her third place in her category.
Jane Glynn had a nice run and her time of 49 minutes was a fair run given the conditions.
Other good performances came from David O'Neill and John Corcoran.
In the shorter 5k event, Kieran McGrath really impressed when finishing in 7th place overall in 17:38, a fine early season run by McGrath.
Sinead Weldon ran hard and was rewarded with a new Pb of 22:18.
Well done Kieran and Sinead.
Louth Juvenile pre Championships.
These track races which are a warm up before the county championships took place last Saturday at the Lourdes Stadium.
The run of the day belonged to be Blathnaid Donnelly who put in a storming run to win her U17 girls 100 metre race.
Sam Reddin was just pipped on the line and got silver in his 100 metres.
Running in the girls U15 800 metres, Abigail Tegart who is only 13 had a great run to finish in 5th place.
In the boys 800 metres, there were three age groups run together and the first five home were all from D&D. Sam O'Neill led home Sam Reddin with James Nolan third.
About twenty juvenile members, many of them first timers took part in these races, with some good running shown by the future stars of our club.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Eight of our members gave this popular run a go last Saturday.
First home in the red vest and 7th overall was Stephen Geraghty in 21:10.
Nor far behind in 11th place was Aimee Corcoran, running 22:37 which is a new Pb for her.
Others who ran well were Declan Mcmahon, Evan O'Connor and Janella Clarke.
Blathnaid Donnelly 415
Sam O'Neill 418 followed by Sam Reddin and James Nolan.
Paddy Murphy 1535
Eoin McGinn 645.
At stake were much coveted places on the club teams for the upcoming National road relays.
Despite the swirling wind, many of our red group ladies put in strong performances on the night to record Personal best times. Mary Leech who is in flying form at the moment ran a speedy 5:24 for the mile to guarantee herself a place on the first team.
Not far behind a titanic struggle was taking place between Yasmin Canning, Erin McHugh and Ciara O'Reilly for the other two places.
Canning put in a storming finish to record 5:42 and just edged out McHugh who ran 5:44 which was a new Pb by a massive 12 seconds.
Fourth place finisher O'Reilly couldn't stop smiling as she also ran a fine 5:49, taking 6 seconds off her previous best time.
Close behind, Noreen Mackey, Mags Nugent and Barbara Byrne were running well and will be hoping to make one of the ladies teams.
For the men, it was eyeballs out from the gun. First home was Paul Smith in 4:47, which was great running on a rough night. Robbie Maher, the club's bionic man, ran a well judged race to finish second in 4:58 with Shane Larkin third in 5:13.
Others who ran well included Hugh Callan who ran a Pb by 7 seconds and Pol O'Murchu who ran 5:22 for a Pb.
Well done also to the Glen Emmett's crew fresh from their 5k program who took part on the night.
K club 10k road race.
With a reputation for having the best after race spread in Irish road racing, this race tempted seven of D&D's finest to take part.
Run over what would be considered a challenging course, the pocket rocket Shane Larkin and Paddy Murphy scorched round the course in Pb times to ensure they were among the first back for the food!
Larkin, who is in great form at the moment ran a superb 36:37 with Murphy breaking the 40 minute mark for the first time with a fine 39:57. Two great early season runs and lots more to come from this pair.
Nuala Reilly as usual won her age category with a solid 45 minutes run for the distance.
Conor Cooney was just edged out for a category prize and finished fourth in 44 minutes.
Gerry Mullins, who is getting ready to run in the Hamburg marathon next week, sharpened up with a good 42 minute run. Jackser Reilly and Jim Nolan got round the course well and should go well come the Summer races.
Great Ireland 5k and 10k road races.
There was a huge turnout of club members for this very popular 10k race which was run over a rather challenging course.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of Pb performances recorded and the club coaches seem to be doing something thats working.
Brian Martin had a terrific run to cover the distance in 35:18 with Ruaidhri Nolan next in with 37:27.
Going sub 40 minutes for the first time was Eoin McGinn who ran a fine 39:51with new member Brian Pentony not far behind in 40:54.
The group training system is working well as both David Shiel and Roger Tegart both ran strong races to finish in 41:40 and 43:43 respectively.
Club captain Rob Power ran a solid 46 minutes for the distance.
For our ladies, Noreen Mackey, who's getting stronger with every weeks training ran a good 41:16.
Nuala Reilly was our next lady home and her time of 46:40 was good enough to earn her third place in her category.
Jane Glynn had a nice run and her time of 49 minutes was a fair run given the conditions.
Other good performances came from David O'Neill and John Corcoran.
In the shorter 5k event, Kieran McGrath really impressed when finishing in 7th place overall in 17:38, a fine early season run by McGrath.
Sinead Weldon ran hard and was rewarded with a new Pb of 22:18.
Well done Kieran and Sinead.
Louth Juvenile pre Championships.
These track races which are a warm up before the county championships took place last Saturday at the Lourdes Stadium.
The run of the day belonged to be Blathnaid Donnelly who put in a storming run to win her U17 girls 100 metre race.
Sam Reddin was just pipped on the line and got silver in his 100 metres.
Running in the girls U15 800 metres, Abigail Tegart who is only 13 had a great run to finish in 5th place.
In the boys 800 metres, there were three age groups run together and the first five home were all from D&D. Sam O'Neill led home Sam Reddin with James Nolan third.
About twenty juvenile members, many of them first timers took part in these races, with some good running shown by the future stars of our club.
Oldbridge Parkrun.
Eight of our members gave this popular run a go last Saturday.
First home in the red vest and 7th overall was Stephen Geraghty in 21:10.
Nor far behind in 11th place was Aimee Corcoran, running 22:37 which is a new Pb for her.
Others who ran well were Declan Mcmahon, Evan O'Connor and Janella Clarke.
Blathnaid Donnelly 415
Sam O'Neill 418 followed by Sam Reddin and James Nolan.
Paddy Murphy 1535
Eoin McGinn 645.
Smith Brings home the silver - Updated 5th April 2016
Drogheda and Districts Paul Smith brings home the silver. On Tuesday last the European Master Athletics championships in kicked off in Ancona Italy. First up for DDAC was world bronze medallist Mark O’Shea who got the week off to a flying start by easing his way into the final with a strong run in his 800m heat. On Wednesday it was the turn of Paul Smith and David Walsh in the 3k, who both ran very well to finish 14th and 15th overall in a very strong field. Thursday then saw Mark O’Shea back in action in the 800m final and he was very unlucky to just miss out on the medals, finishing 4th in a sprint finish in what was a very tactical race. On Friday David Walsh was back on the track, running a fine 4m18s 1500 meters to qualify for Saturday’s final, a massive achievement in itself in what was David debut season at this level. In the final on Saturday, David again ran very well in a super-fast race finishing 12th overall. Sunday was the final day of action in Italy and it seems Paul Smith was saving the best for last, Paul lined out for the 5km cross country, and along with Ronan Kearns of Rathfarnham WASF and Niall Sheil of St. Killians AC Wexford made up the Ireland team who finished in second place behind host nation Italy, bringing home the silver medals for club and country.
Closer to home on Easter Monday More than twenty DDAC athletes made the short journey to Mountpleasant for this very popular 5k outside Dundalk, this course which has a fast downhill start followed by a tough climb further on is not for the faint hearted. Sam O’Neil was first home for the club and picked up 2nd place overall, in-form Mary Leech was first lady home for the club and won the ladies race overall. Conor Cooney also picked up category prize winning the mens over 60’s.There were lots of other good performances throughout the field also including Sam Reddin who has put his recent injury problems firmly behind him, club captain Rob Power, Pol O’Murchu and Cormac Canning who won the U16 mile race. In the ladies Jacqueline Gill and Barbara O'Donnell were next in after Mary Leech for the club, with Phillipa Donnelly, Siobhan Redmond and Ciara Byrne close behind. Others who took part on the day included Belinda Clifford, Mary Reilly and Margo Duffy
Meanwhile on the same day in Dublin at the Battle of Clontarf 10 miler which was also the Leinster senior road race championships, a swirling wind and a course full of twists and turns made for a hard day at the office for our athletes. Another great 10 mile run of 69 minutes saw Noreen Mackey finish 3rd overall in the ladies race, while the mens team of Brian Martin 58 minutes, Stephen Kelly 61 minutes (who also picked up 3rd in his age category) and Shane Larkin 62 minutes took 3rd team overall, with club stalwart Gerry Mullins also crossing the line in 71 minutes.
Mary Leech wins twice on the road in one week - Updated 5th April 2016
On Saturday last Mary Leech was back in action, this time it was the BHAA road race in Raheny where she again crossed the line in 1st place from a field of 220 women to make it 2 wins on the road inside a week, this race also saw Nuala Reilly pick up a 2nd place category. And in the mens race it was Conor Cooney again picking up a 2nd place category, Shane Larkin also ran very strongly and really seems to have found his form crossing the line in an impressive 23:10 in the 4 mile race.
At the ever popular Dunboyne 4 mile race on Sunday, Enda Martin led the club home in tough conditions with a solid 26:13, with Nuala Reilly once again leading the ladies home and picking up yet another 1st place category prize. And not to be out done Conor Cooney replicated with a 1st place in his own category, while other club members that ran well were Aimee Corcoran who is really finding her groove lately, Jane Glynn and Sandra Maher.
Paul Smith wasn’t the only club member running in Italy on Sunday, as serial Marathon running Liam Farell was also on the road, this time notching up another European marathon in Milan, running a very strong time of 4:01:54.
Sunday had a distinctly European feel for DDAC as we also had a team at the Berlin ½ Marathon, Paul Reilly led the club group home in a super time of 1:29:02 with Martin Duffy not far behind in 1:29:11. Frank McCarthy also ran a fine race crossing for 1:39 with Paul Faulkner making up the DDAC team.
What was a very busy week was finally rounded off at the Glen Emmets 5k back in Tulyallen. This race was the culmination of the very successful Glen Emmets Couch to 5k program and was run over a challenging course. David Campbell led the DDAC contingent home in a race that also saw strong performances from DDAC coach and Glen emmets mentor Eoin McGinn, as we as Edel Smith, Paul Barell, and Margo Duffy for whom this was her 2nd road race inside a week.
At the ever popular Dunboyne 4 mile race on Sunday, Enda Martin led the club home in tough conditions with a solid 26:13, with Nuala Reilly once again leading the ladies home and picking up yet another 1st place category prize. And not to be out done Conor Cooney replicated with a 1st place in his own category, while other club members that ran well were Aimee Corcoran who is really finding her groove lately, Jane Glynn and Sandra Maher.
Paul Smith wasn’t the only club member running in Italy on Sunday, as serial Marathon running Liam Farell was also on the road, this time notching up another European marathon in Milan, running a very strong time of 4:01:54.
Sunday had a distinctly European feel for DDAC as we also had a team at the Berlin ½ Marathon, Paul Reilly led the club group home in a super time of 1:29:02 with Martin Duffy not far behind in 1:29:11. Frank McCarthy also ran a fine race crossing for 1:39 with Paul Faulkner making up the DDAC team.
What was a very busy week was finally rounded off at the Glen Emmets 5k back in Tulyallen. This race was the culmination of the very successful Glen Emmets Couch to 5k program and was run over a challenging course. David Campbell led the DDAC contingent home in a race that also saw strong performances from DDAC coach and Glen emmets mentor Eoin McGinn, as we as Edel Smith, Paul Barell, and Margo Duffy for whom this was her 2nd road race inside a week.