Hearing Failure in Tullamore

21/8/2017

Leo Lundy

One point separated first from second in the Men’s National Track and Field League final in Tullamore on Sunday. In first place were Clonliffe and second were Crusaders. This was the outcome after taking the 15 best scores from the 21 events in which athletes competed. One report indicated that Clonliffe had retained their title with comfort, but this was hardly the case. The Cru had 7 wins under their belt to Clonliffe’s 6, and we thought we should have had 8 and Clonliffe 5, but for confusion over the measurement of the ultimate winning jump by a Clonliffe athlete in the triple jump. There was an appeal (the Cru view at the time was that it was 13.15m as heard by some of the athletes and initially recorded, which would have put the jump in 2nd place behind the Cru’s Oisin Taylor (13.32m) and not 13.50m as ultimately determined following discussion between the athlete and officials), but without video evidence indicating the contrary it was not possible for it to be heard.

So it was not to be and the team were understandably bitterly disappointed, having fought hard throughout a day in which poor weather conditions were experienced. The only events in which we did not field an athlete were the pole vault and the 3,000m steeplechase, but we were well represented everywhere else. 1st places went to Matt Behan in the 110mH (14.37), Jason Harvey in the 400mH (55.39), Andrew Mellon in the 400m (49.97) and as part of the 4x400m team (with Nick Ennis, Jason and Brian Murphy), Adam McMullen in both the long jump (7.33m) and the 100m (10.74) and Sam Gaine in the discus (38.44m). We also had several 2nd place finishes through Matt, Nick, Adam and Andrew in the 4x100m relay, Kevin Woods in the 800m (1:55.91), as mentioned, Oisin in the triple jump (13.32m) and James Mieir in the javelin (49.69m). Kevin was also 3rd in the 1,500m (4:17.35), as was James Kelly in the hammer (44.09m) and Andrew in the 200m (22.38). James also went on to place 4th in the shot put (11.96m) and weight for distance (5.49m). There were also stalwart performances from John Nugent (4th in the high jump (1.70m)), Karl Fahy (5th in the 5,000m (15:50.74)) and Bob Lyne (7th in the 3,000m walk).

Barry McGuire reports that he ran the Reykjavik marathon in Iceland over the weekend, breaking 3 hours for the first time (2:58:19). He was 7th in his age group and 25th overall. The weather conditions were good for marathon running and the initially undulating course flattened out for the last 10 miles.

Leo Lundy reports that he has now completed 50 ultramarathons. This weekend’s adventure was on a challenging 10.5 mile loop from Greenisland to the First World War monument at Knockagh overlooking Belfast, with views from the Mourne Mountains to Scotland. Each loop had a climb of more than 300m and there was a choice of 1, 2 or 3 loops. Naturally Leo chose 3 loops for 51k and squeezed in under 7 hours for a mid-pack finish.

Dominick Branigan cannot seem to get enough racing in at the moment. Following his run in the national half marathon last weekend, he took on the Boston Scientific Half in Clonmel on Saturday, finishing in 41st place (out of nearly 700) in 1:25:22.

The last IMRA-organised trail race of the season took place last Wednesday in Downshill. The weather was pretty atrocious on an otherwise benign course of 10k with a climb of approx. 340m. The race was won in a new course record by Des Kennedy in 41:02 and the 5 Crusaders finished as follows: John McAuley came home in 12th place (45:33), followed by Brian Leonard (17th in 47:44), Brian McGuckin (25th in 49:07), Ollie McGrath (39th in 51:52) and Gavan Doherty, who was pacing his father (134th in 1:11:45). There were 150 finishers.

This weekend’s parkruns were full of Crusader athletes. 10 of the 13 in which we were represented had solo Cru runners. Daniel Lowe led a field of 167 home in Lough Key with a time of 18:12. Peter O’Toole was 2nd in the nearly 60-strong field in Fairview in a time of 18:33. Ciaran Smyth was also 2nd in Killarney in a time of 19:00. The field measured 70 runners, whilst Brian Scanlan placed 20th out of nearly 300 in a time of 19:44 in Malahide. In a field of 151 runners Paul Flynn finished 2nd in Kilkenny with a time of 18:29, whilst Orlaith de Burca placed 60th overall (10th woman) out of 160 participants in a time of 25:27 in Shanganagh. Neil Brown took 25th place out of nearly 100 runners in a time of 24:14 in Cabinteely, Alex Romano came home in 29th out of 475 in Marlay (20:07), whilst Colm Foley was 34th in 22:59 among the 181 finishers in Griffeen. Aidan Hudner has returned to parkrunning in Glasgow, this time in Pollok, placing 110th out of 421 runners in a time of 23:38. Kevin Flynn took 46th place in Porterstown. His time was 27:37 and the field measured 95 runners. In St. Anne’s we had 6 participants. Michael Wycherley led the contingent home in 4th place in a time of 17:18. In a field of nearly 460 runners, Michael was followed by Diarmuid Byrne (15th in 19:03), Matt Cranley (20th in a PB time of 19:23), the venerable John Fitzsimons (268th in 28:19), Lorraine Fitzsimons (350th overall, 110th woman, in 30:48) and the indomitable Maria Pertl (408th overall, 142nd woman, in 34:22). Finally, in Bushy Dublin, John McAuley and Mairead Cashman joined more than 100 other competitors, placing, respectively, 4th and 68th overall (20th woman) in respective times of 19:48 and 30:28.

Boston Scientific Half marathon
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Michael Herlihy 1 01:11:31
11 Aoife Cooke 1 01:16:55
Crusaders AC runner
41 Dominick Branigan 01:25:22
Full results here: http://www.premiertimingsystems.ie/2017-Race-Results/Boston-Scientific-Half-Marathon-Results
Marlay Parkrun #221
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Stephen McCarroll 1 00:17:35
12 Lorraine Nolan 1 00:19:43
Crusaders AC runner
29 Alex Romano 00:20:07
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/marlay/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=221
Malahide Parkrun #250
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Eoin Brady 1 00:16:59
2 Catherina McKiernan 1 00:17:06
Crusaders AC runner
20 Brian Scanlan 00:19:44
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/malahide/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=249
Porterstown Parkrun #96
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Niall Sherlock 1 00:18:03
24 Julie Rogers 1 00:24:07
Crusaders AC runner
46 Kevin Flynn 00:27:37
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/porterstown/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=96
Cabinteely Parkrun #125
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Turlough Conway 1 00:17:37
24 Irene Walsh 1 00:24:12
Crusaders AC runner
25 Neil Brown 00:24:14
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/cabinteely/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=125
St Anne’s Parkrun #195
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Feidhlim Kelly 1 00:16:36
39 Caitriona Costello 1 00:20:08
Crusaders AC runners
4 Michael Wycherley 00:17:18
15 Diarmuid Byrne 00:19:03
20 Matt Cranley 00:19:23 (PB)
268 John Fitzsimons 00:28:19
350 Lorraine Fitzsimons 00:30:48 (110)
408 Maria Pertl 00:34:22 (142)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/stannes/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=195
Griffeen Parkrun #218
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Tommy Grealy 1 00:19:02
19 Maura Ginty 1 00:21:36
Crusaders AC runner
34 Colm Foley 00:22:59
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/griffeen/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=218
Fairview Parkrun #6
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Jonny Reep 1 00:17:24
14 Aine Ni Ghloinn 1 00:23:16
Crusaders AC runner
Peter O’Toole 00:18:33
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/fairview/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=6
Kilkenny Parkrun #147
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Robbie McGee 1 00:17:23
6 Caoilte Malone 1 00:19:39
Crusaders AC runner
2 Paul Flynn 00:18:29
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/kilkenny/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=147
Shanganagh Parkrun #126
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 David Coyle 1 00:16:26
15 Joanne Ryan 1 00:21:21
Crusaders AC runner
60 Orlaith de Burca 00:25:27 (10)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/shanganagh/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=126
Killarney Parkrun #113
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Unknown 1 00:18:07
20 Elaine Byrne 1 00:22:59
Crusaders AC runner
2 Ciaran Smyth 00:19:00
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/killarney/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=113
Lough Key Parkrun #65
Overall place Name Cat.Place Chiptime
1 Daniel Lowe 1 00:18:12
14 Charlotte Letchford 1 00:22:21
Crusaders AC runner
1 Daniel Lowe 00:18:12
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/loughkey/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=65
Bushy Dublin Parkrun #26
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Cian McDonald 1 00:17:58
6 Niamh McDonald 1 00:20:37
Crusaders AC runners
4 John McAuley 00:19:48
68 Mairead Cashman 00:30:28 (20)
Full results here: http://www.parkrun.ie/bushydublin/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=26