Battling in the Park pays off

17/4/2017

David Long

It’s testimony as to how popular parkruns have become in Ireland that we had more runners participating in them over the Easter weekend (at least 18 in no fewer than 13 events far and wide) than in the Leinster 10 mile championships that took place in St. Anne’s Park, Raheny on Easter Monday. We had some good running in the parkruns, but also some good returns among the 8 who took part in the 10 miler.

We start with a postscript to last weekend's National 10k championships. After much analysis, on top of our individual medals last weekend we also recorded a team podium place. Our O/35 team of Rob Cross, Ciaran Diviney and Ian Kinsella managed to win the silver medal behind Raheny, but ahead of North Sligo. The differences between 1st and second was about 2 minutes, but between 2nd and 3rd it was 14 seconds (based on guntime). We had two other teams in the race. Our O/50 team placed 5th and our senior women's team placed 11th. Congratulations to all.

The 10 mile race took place on a twisting course in Raheny in mild but dry conditions with a field a little over 400. The race was won by Rathfarnham’s Paul Stephenson in 52:08, pushed all the way by Raheny’s Mark Kirwan. The first Crusader across the line was Bob Cahill who ran 1:02:18 to place 39th overall and 10th in a strong M40 age category. David Long was next, placing 56th overall and taking the silver medal in the M50 category with a super time of 1:04:56 and he was followed by another M50, Robbie Moore, in 119th place (1:11:54). Kate Murray was our first woman home, placing 159th overall, 25th woman finisher and 8th in her F40 category, with a time of 1:15:17, and Kate was followed by Olwyn Dunne who placed 185th overall, 36th woman, but, more importantly, first in her F50 age category in a time of 1:17:14. Kris Ryan was next in 220th place overall (53rd woman) in 1:20:26, followed immediately by Carina Davidson (221st overall, 54th woman, with the same time) and then by Fiona Bane (250th overall, 68th woman) in 1:24:00. Congratulations to all.

On Thursday evening, Tomas Mahony took part in the Butlerstown 4 mile race in Co. Waterford, placing 48th out of more than 270 runners in a time of 25:34 and in a race where the course record was broken by Raheny’s Conor Dooney in a time of 19:23.

As mentioned, there was a fairly significant Cru turnout in the parkruns on Saturday all over the country. We had first finishers in two of the events: Grainne Regan placed 9th overall (1st woman finisher) in the 112-strong field in Ardgillan in a time of 21:53, whilst Darina Scully was also a first finisher in Bushy Dublin. Darina ran 22:31 and finished 11th overall in a field of 94 runners. Mairead Cashman also participated there, placing 41st overall, 13th woman, in 28:02. There were also some near misses. Alban Coghlan came home in 3rd place out of nearly 540 runners in Marlay. Alban’s time was 16:52 and he was followed by Eddie Nugent who placed 13th in 18:44. Fiona Bane took 2nd female place in the 114-strong Enniskillen parkrun, placing 28th overall in a time of 23:44, whilst Brian Carroll ran in Ballincollig and took 4th spot in a time of 18:16. The field comprised 330 runners. Emma O’Mahony also took part there, placing 73rd overall (9th woman) in 23:28. In Father Collins, father and daughter, John and Lorraine Fitzsimons, acquitted themselves well, with John taking 47th place in 28:09 and Lorraine, 55th overall (14th woman) in 30:19. There were 78 participants in the run. Still recovering from a fall in the previous weekend’s ultra, Leo Lundy, took 45th place in Oranmore with a time of 24:18 alongside nearly 150 participants. Ciaran Smyth joined 350 other runners in Portrush and took 10th spot in a time of 23:25, whilst Denis Murphy placed 7th in Ballina in a time of 21:14, followed by nearly 100 runners in his wake. Mairin Shine ran in Cabinteely with 112 other participants, placing 70th overall, 19th woman, in 28:50, whilst Sharon Woods ran in Malahide, placing 87th overall, 9th woman, in 23:32. Finally, we had 4 participants in St Anne’s (in an event organised by Olwyn Dunne as guest race director). Among 333 participants, Matt Cranley led the contingent home in 21st place (19:54), followed by Colm Kernan (77th in 22:51) in a blow out before the London marathon next week. Emer Kenny was next in 182nd overall, 40th woman home, in 27:07, whilst Max Dunne did his filial duty and mopped up the field in 331st place (50:34).
Butlerstown 4 mile race
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Conor Dooney 1 00:19:23
34 Jackie Carty 1 00:24:56
Crusaders AC runner
48 Tomas Mahony 00:25:34
Full results here: http://www.westwaterfordathletics.org/images/pdfs/2017/Butlerstown_2017.pdf
Battle of Clontarf (Leinster 10 mile championships)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Paul Stephenson 1 00:52:08
40 Laura McDonnell 1 01:02:19
Crusaders AC runners
39 Bob Cahill 01:02:18
56 David Long 01:04:46
119 Robbie Moore 01:11:54
159 Kate Murray 01:15:17 (25)
185 Olwyn Dunne 01:17:14 (36)
220 Kris Ryan 01:20:26 (53)
221 Carina Davidson 01:20:26 (54)
250 Fiona Bane 01:24:00 (68)
Full results here: http://www.myrunresults.com/events/battle_of_clontarf_10_mile/2079/results
Portrush Parkrun #245
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Gary Henderson 1 00:21:00
22 Debbie Matchett 1 00:24:38
Crusaders AC runner
10 Ciaran Smyth 00:23:25
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/portrush/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=245
Enniskillen Parkrun #203
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 unknown 1 00:17:59
10 Caelainn McQuaid 1 00:21:21
Crusaders AC runner
28 Fiona Bane 00:23:44 (2)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/enniskillen/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=203
Ardgillan Parkrun #166
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 David Conliffe 1 00:18:38
9 Grainne Regan 1 00:21:53
Crusaders AC runner
9 Grainne Regan 00:21:53 (1)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/ardgillan/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=166
Ballina Parkrun #122
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Mitchell Dann 1 00:18:22
9 Caragh Hayes 1 00:21:27
Crusaders AC runner
7 Denis Murphy 00:21:14
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/ballina/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=122
Marlay Parkrun #205
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 unknown 1 00:15:58
11 Harriette Ann-Marie Robinson 1 00:18:35
Crusaders AC runners
3 Alban Coghlan 00:16:52
13 Eddie Nugent 00:18:44
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/marlay/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=205
Cabinteely Parkrun #107
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 John Hutchinson 1 00:18:18
9 Caragh Hayes 1 00:21:27
Crusaders AC runner
70 Mairin Shine 00:28:50 (19)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/cabinteely/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=107
Bushy Dublin Parkrun #8
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Des Kennedy 1 00:17:13
11 Darina Scully 1 00:22:31
Crusaders AC runners
11 Darina Scully 00:22:31 (1)
41 Mairead Cashman 00:28:02 (13)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/bushydublin/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=8
Ballincollig Parkrun #44
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Cillian O’Leary 1 00:16:40
5 Laura Lombard 1 00:18:42
Crusaders AC runners
4 Brian Carroll 00:18:16
73 Emma O’Mahony 00:23:28 (9)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/ballincollig/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=44
Oranmore Parkrun #37
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Mairtin Grealish 1 00:17:44
11 Aine O’Farrell 100:20:08
Crusaders AC runner
45 Leo Lundy 00:24:18
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/oranmore/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=37
Father Collins Parkrun #82
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Conor Henry 1 00:17:41
25 Karen Bales 1 00:23:28
Crusaders AC runners
47 John Fitzsimons 00:28:09
55 Lorraine Fitzsimons 00:30:19 (14)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/fathercollins/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=82
Malahide Parkrun #232
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Conor Keane 1 00:16:50
29 Fiona Moore 1 00:20:40
Crusaders AC runner
87 Sharon Woods 00:23:32 (9)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/malahide/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=232
St Anne’s Parkrun #178
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Daniel De Palol 1 00:17:30
30 Caitriona Costello 1 00:20:33
Crusaders AC runners
21 Matt Cranley 00:19:54
77 Colm Kernan 00:22:51
182 Emer Kenny 00:27:07 (40)
331 Max Dunne 00:50:34
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/stannes/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=178