Great Running in Kildare and Sligo

8/2/2026

L-R: Ciara Regan, Rebecca Fleming and Sarah Lyons

There was little racing taking place this weekend. However, in the couple included in this report, on the roads and in the mountains, we had podium finishes.

The road race took place in Co. Kildare and was the Rathcoffey 10k, organised by the local GAA club together with Pop Up Races as chiptimer. Indeed, the overall race was won by Pop Up’s owner, Clane athlete Brian Conroy, who led home the field of 351 in a time of 31:39. The women’s race winner in 36:05 was DCH’s Cliona Murphy, well-known to us as organisers of the Docklands 5k, when she captained the winning women’s club team last year.

Ciarain Kelly had a solid run for 17th place with a time of 35:01 and he was followed by newcomer to the club, Molly Hyland, who placed 44th overall and 3rd female finisher in a super PB time of 39:11, just ahead of our second female finisher, ladies club captain Sarah Lyons (47th and 4th in a PB time of 39:24), who is going from strength to strength. Both athletes broke 40 minutes for the distance for the first time.

Sarah was followed by Ciara Regan, who placed 63rd and 6th in 41:40, and Kildare native Rebecca Fleming (91st and 12th in 44:40). All indicated the race was well-hosted and the out-and-back country course with a 6k loop in great conditions was only mildly undulating.

Our second race comes from Co. Sligo where Clare Sullivan joined a field of 64 in the IMRA-organised Lough Talt Winter 9k in the NW Winter League, placing 17th and 3rd in a time of 42:33. The climb was approx. 210m.

Moving on to parkruns, the weather was reasonably friendly for those run on Saturday morning. Nevertheless, at least one of the events, e.g. Poolbeg, had to stick to a route newly and forcibly created because of localised flooding.

We had a few podium places, starting with Poolbeg, where Stephen Hurley led the field of 256 across the line in a time of 18:17. He led a contingent of Crusaders home, including Gerry Cooper who placed 2nd in 18:26, Jan Manschot (6th in 19:04) and Gerard Moore (9th in 19:23). They were followed by Conor MacGuinness (11th in 19:39) and our first female finisher, Emma Rowe (12th and 2nd in 19:45). Adrian Groarke was next (17th in 20:40) and he came in ahead of Tim O’Donnell (20th in 21:00), Mikel Crisostomo (24th in 21:30), Donal O’Malley (36th in 22:36) and Jade Murphy (39th and 9th in 22:39).

Rebecca Kelly came home in 62nd and 14th in 24:22, followed by Dairmuid Bolger (64th in 24:40), Franky Keane (78th in 25:36), Neil Brown (85th in 26:08) and Ellen Walsh (99th and 24th in 27:16), ahead of Alan Martin (123rd in 28:12), Djinn Von Noorden (127th and 37th in 28:17), Aisling O’Riordan (142nd and 47th in 28:48), Piarais Neary (154th in 29:11) and Fanny Trébouet (164th and 59th in 30:54). The contingent was completed by Ryan Preston (174th in 30:54) and Mari Hansen (175th and 66th in 31:04).

Luke Corcoran brought the field of 180 home in Bushy Park in 18:48, whilst Sebastian Hanen, on a trip to Japan, also placed first in Sunshine Beach in Kyoto, 3 minutes ahead of a field of 26, in a time of 17:47. Karl Walsh took 2nd place in the 141-strong field in Russborough in a time of 20:09, whilst Rob Cross placed 3rd in Malahide with its field of 380. Rob’s time was 17:43. Meanwhile, Dee Lawlor took 2nd spot in Cabinteely in a time of 18:12. In the field of 179, Dee was followed by John Lohan (11th in 22:47) and Tara Murphy (67th and 19th in 28:31).

Aoife McCarthy and Carina Davidson joined 113 other runners in Tymon Park, where Aoife placed 26th and 6th in 24:16 and Carina, braving a “water jump”, placed 60th and 19th spots in 28:36. Meanwhile, Marina White ran 27:52 for 46th and 8th places in the field of 130 in Porterstown, whilst, in River Valley Park, Darina Scully placed 28th and 5th in 26:25 in a field of 113 participants.

In Marlay Park, with its field of 546, Kate Murray placed 95th and 14th in 24:16, whilst, in St. Anne’s, Brian O’Kelly joined 458 other runners, placing 19th in 19:47. Luke Haran ran once again in Mungret Park in Limerick where he placed 17th in 21:38 in a field of 143, whilst Chris Bannon took 27th spot in a field of 134 in Brickfields, with a time of 24:02.

Down in Tramore Valley in Cork, Áine Crotty placed 221st and 73rd in a field of 263 in a time of 34:07, whilst, further along in the same county, Helena O’Keeffe placed 200th and 56th in 30:02 in Ballincollig with its field of 361. Closer to home, Orlaith de Burca placed 150th and 29th in the 272-strong field in Shanganagh and in a time of 28:10, whilst in Poppintree, Máirín Shine led her family home in 142nd and 43rd places in 31:57. In the field of 207, Máirín was followed by Anna (143rd and 44th in 32:03) and Lisa (145th and 46th in 32:19). Áine Kenny placed 36th and 19th in a field of 48 in a time of 39:43 in Mountbellew Forest, whilst, on a trip to the UK, Kabir Sala and Bo Chicoine joined the field of 355 in Pollok Country Park in Glasgow, where Kabir placed 25th in 21:58 and Bo placed 137th in 27:44.

In London, one of our exiles there, Thom Martini placed 358th in 30:07 in a field of 621, whilst Scott Thomas ran in the 595-strong field in York, where he placed 146th in 24:33. Finally, down in Queensland, Australia, Kris Ryan joined a field of 503 in Paradise Point, where she placed 147th and 33rd in 27:05.

Rathcoffey GAA 10k (351)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Brian Conroy 1 00:31:39
20 Cliona Murphy 1 00:36:05
Crusaders AC runners
17 Ciarain Kelly 00:35:01
44 Molly Hyland 00:39:11 (3)
47 Sarah Lyons 00:39:24 (PB) (4)
63 Ciara Regan 00:41:40 (6)
91 Rebecca Fleming00:44:40 (12)
Full results here: https://www.popupraces.ie/race/rathcoffey-gaa-10k-5k-2026/
IMRA Lough Talt Winter 9k (64)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Ricki Wynne 1 00:35:04
9 Roisin Howley 1 00:39:20
Crusaders AC runner
17 Clare Sullivan 00:42:33 (3)
Full results here: https://www.imra.ie/events/results/id/2776/category/O/
River Valley Parkrun (113)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Seamus Kavanagh 1 00:19:23
7 Kate Alwell 1 00:23:39
Crusaders AC runner
28 Darina Scully 00:26:25 (5)
Poolbeg Parkrun (256)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Stephen Hurley 1 00:18:17
5 Niamh Cotter 1 00:18:59
Crusaders AC runners
1 Stephen Hurley 00:18:17
2 Gerard Cooper 00:18:26
6 Jan Manschot 00:19:04
9 Gerard Moore 00:19:23
11 Conor MacGuinness 00:19:39
12 Emma Rowe 00:19:45 (2)
17 Adrian Groarke 00:20:40
20 Tim O’Donnell 00:21:00
24 Mikel Crisostomo 00:21:30
36 Donal O’Malley 00:22:36
39 Jade Murphy 00:22:39 (9)
62 Rebecca Kelly 00:24:22 (14)
64 Diarmuid Bolger 00:24:40
78 Franky Keane 00:25:36
85 Neil Brown 00:26:08
99 Ellen Walsh 00:27:16 (24)
123 Alan Martin 00:28:12
127 Djinn Von Noorden 00:28:17 (37)
142 Aisling O’Riordan 00:28:48 (47)
154 Piarais Neary 00:29:11
164 Fanny Trébouet 00:30:33 (59)
174 Ryan Preston 00:30:54
175 Mari Hansen 00:31:04 (66)
Mountbellew Forest Parkrun (48)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Patrick Fleming 1 00:19:13
8 Mary Noone 1 00:25:36
Crusaders AC runner
36 Áine Kenny 00:39:43 (19)
Bushy Parkrun (180)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Luke Corcoran 1 00:18:48
10 Suzette Das 1 00:21:43
Crusaders AC runner
1 Luke Corcoran 00:18:48
St. Anne’s Parkrun (459)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Braxton O’Shea 1 00:16:42
18 Ailish Malone 1 00:19:40
Crusaders AC runner
19 Brian O’Kelly 00:19:47
Tymon Parkrun (115)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 David Donegan 1 00:18:28
2 Fiona Hawkins 1 00:18:28
Crusaders AC runners
26 Aoife McCarthy 00:24:16 (6)
60 Carina Davidson 00:28:36 (19)
Tramore Valley, Cork Parkrun (263)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Evan O’Rourke 1 00:16:37
15 Siobhan Hoare 1 00:20:47
Crusaders AC runner
221 Áine Crotty 00:34:07 (73)
Ballincollig Parkrun (361)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Alan O’Brien 1 00:17:23
26 Laura Dennehy 1 00:22:37
Crusaders AC runner
200 Helena O’Keeffe 00:30:02 (56)
Shanganagh Parkrun (272)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Sean Hehir 1 00:16:23
6 Aoife Murphy 1 00:19:04
Crusaders AC runner
150 Orlaith de Burca 00:28:10 (29)
Cabinteely Parkrun (179)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Megan Brunt 1 00:17:54
2 Derek Lawlor 1 00:18:12
Crusaders AC runners
2 Derek Lawlor 00:18:12
11 John Lohan 00:22:47
67 Tara Murphy 00:28:31 (19)
Malahide Parkrun (380)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Conor Grant 1 00:16:33
7 Annette Kealy 1 00:18:58
Crusaders AC runner
3 Rob Cross 00:17:43
Marlay Parkrun (546)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Fionnán Keogh 1 00:17:24
13 Malika Hammani 1 00:19:52
Crusaders AC runner
95 Kate Murray 00:24:16 (14)
Poppintree Parkrun (207)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Luke Tracey 1 00:17:43
30 Elizabeth Daly 1 00:22:58
Crusaders AC runners
142 Mairín Shine 00:31:57 (43)
143 Anna Shine 00:32:03 (44)

Russborough Parkrun (141)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Darragh Gilroy 1 00:19:59
3 Miranda Frizzelle 1 00:20:34
Crusaders AC runner
2 Karl Walsh 00:20:09
Brickfields Parkrun (134)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Luke Higgins 1 00:18:18
14 Emily Clancey 1 00:21:52
Crusaders AC runner
27 Chris Bannon 00:24:02
Mungret Parkrun (143)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Barry Crowe 1 00:18:59
9 Ruth Comerford 1 00:21:04
Crusaders AC runner
17 Luke Haran 00:21:38
Porterstown Parkrun (130)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Oliver Warren 1 00:17:38
8 Joan O’Callaghan 1 00:22:01
Crusaders AC runner
46 Martina White 00:27:52 (8)