Many and varied events and also all to play for in the League

23/5/2022

Shane Keane

There was so much to choose from out on the track, trails and roads this week. One was spoiled for choice. From a host of 5ks to half marathons and further…much further, as well as participation in the annual national league competition on the track.

For the league, where we were able to field a men’s team, the club was drawn against 4 other clubs to compete in the first round on Sunday up on the Mary Peters track in Belfast, a happy hunting ground in the past. Although, we had difficulty in finding athletes to compete in the middle and long-distance events, as well as specialists for the field events, the 8 athletes that travelled up north did the club proud and were able to take much needed points in 15 events. Here is how they fared: In the 100m, Valantinos Goularas placed 2nd (7 points) in 11.37. He then went on to win the 110mH in 14.86 (9). Next, Shane Keane placed 2nd (7) in the 200m in 22.41. Hugo Magee went one better with a win (9) in the 400m in 49.49, whilst Aaron Vodopi took 4th (5) in the 400mH. We fielded two teams for the relays: In the 4x100m, the team of Shane, Valantinos, Aaron and Robert Ivers placed 2nd (7) in 44.43, whilst the team of James Woods, Hugo, Robert and Shane placed 3rd (6) in the 4x400m with a time of 3:37.75. James also contested the 800m where he placed 4th (5) in 2:03.82. The contingent then took on the field events: Patrick Gilceava threw the discus 15.53m for 4th place (5), whilst Aaron took on the high jump where he placed 4th (5) with a leap of 1.5m. Shane placed 3rd (6) in the long jump with a 6.39m effort, whilst Robert, to his credit, took on the pole vault where he scored 7 points for 2nd place on the basis of his 2m vault. Patrick contested the shot put, taking 2nd place too (7) with a throw of 11.3m. The last two events were the triple jump and the 56lbs weight for distance where, respectively, Shane placed 2nd (7) with a jump of 11.18m and, with his first throw of 4.74m, Robert also placed 2nd (7). Once the smoke had cleared, we were on 99 points in 3rd place behind Clonliffe (146) and DSD (110). Of note, the results of the other heat in Templemore on the same day were as follows: Ennis (122), Kilkenny Harriers (113), Bandon (112) and Galway County (99), so that Crusaders are lying currently in joint 6th place after the first round. All to play for in the 2nd round to get into the top 8 to contest the final.

On the roads earlier in the week, we saw a field of significant quality contest the Bob Heffernan and Mary Hanley 5k, part of the KIA race series. In total, 784 runners ran the course which took place near Enfield, finishing at Johnstown Bridge, a couple of kilometres from where it started. The course was largely flat with a nice downhill last kilometre or so. It would definitely be considered fast, and, sure enough, the overall winner came home in 14 minutes. We had at least 5 Crusaders in the race and they were led home by Ciarain Kelly who placed 72nd in 16:42. Ciarain was followed home by Richard Kavanagh who, despite there not being an M65 category, still managed to come home 4th in the M60 age group with a storming 20:30 for 365th place. Where the women’s field was packed with talent, Kathryn Gibbons was not so far behind Richard with a chiptime of 20:34 for 381st and 80th woman home and Kathryn was followed by Margaret Foley (490th and 127th in 22:21). Emily Glen completed the contingent, placing 508th and 134th in 22:54.

Several races took place on Sunday and we had Crusaders in a few of them. We had runners in each of the 10k and half marathons on offer in the Wheelworx Fastlane races that took place along the Grand Canal towpath and around the environs of Clondalkin. The half marathon was effectively two loops of the 10k course which was pretty flat except for a couple of slight uphill drags with the wind in one’s face. Adam Flanagan is currently preparing for the Cork marathon shortly, so he decided to contest the 308-strong 10k event, placing an excellent 3rd in a time of 35:41, whilst Alan Kavanagh was our sole finisher in the half marathon (Emily Glen finding the going tough after having worked hard in the midweek race), but he managed to produce a 4-minute PB improvement, breaking 1:40 for the first time and placing 74th in a field of 350 and a time of 1:38:11.

Another race that took place on Sunday was a 4-mile run organised by LSA on roads around a golf course in Donabate. The course profile indicated a continuous climb from start to finish, but only from sea level to about 15m and what wind there was was largely from behind. 356 runners competed in the event, among them Gian Piero Allerta and Aitor Arribas Velasco. Gian Piero reported that he enjoyed the race, placing 72nd in a time of 28:22 and he was followed by Aitor who took 100th spot in a time of 29:59.

On Saturday, Grattan O’Brien contested the Lap of the Gap marathon, organised by Glendalough AC. Grattan claimed to regret that he had not done enough hill work in preparation for the challenging, hilly, road race, but still managed to take a creditable 4th place (1st M40) in a time of 3:17:15, with only 10 minutes separating the first 5 finishers and the places changing throughout the race.

Further afield, Esther Requena Ferri reported that she placed 3rd woman home in the Almansa half marathon in Spain. Esther’s official time was an excellent 1:31:44 on an undulating course. Slightly closer to home, Kevin Fitzgibbon and Kate O’Malley competed over the weekend in the Hackney half marathon in northeast London. In warm conditions, Kevin placed 76th in a field exceeding 1,300 and in a time of 1:20:22, whilst Kate secured a 2 minutes PB improvement with her time of 1:27:21 for 347th and 25th places. In Chicago, Conor Macguinness ran in the mass participation Chicago Race for Peace (Carrera por la paz) 5k, where he recorded a time of 19:25.

The mountain runners were busy last week and over the weekend. On Wednesday evening, IMRA organised a trail league race in the Ardgillan demesne near Balbriggan. The race involved a climb of nearly 200m on a relatively easy and marked course over 9k that also took in a run along a beach. Just over 100 runners contested the event, including at least 5 Crusaders. They were led home in damp conditions by Conor Greenan who placed 5th in 37:05 and he was followed by John McAuley (10th overall and 3rd M40 in 38:26). Becky Quinn came next, the 2nd female finisher, in 17th place in a time of 40:39 and Becky was followed by Léan Ni Chiobhain who placed 41st and 3rd female across the line in 45:26. Hard on Léan’s heels came Brian McGuckin in 42nd place and 4th M50 in a time of 45:34.

Then, on Saturday, 2 mountain races were on offer in Donegal, one of 30k and the other of 55k, both extremely demanding, taking in 7 peaks, including Muckish, Na Leargacha, Aghla Beg, Aghla Mor, Mackhoght and Errigal, known as the Seven Sisters Skyline. Both races provided points towards the famous UTMB races in the Alps later in the year. Conor and Léan took on the Skyline 30k, with Conor placing 7th overall in 4:06:40, whilst Léan came home as 6th female finisher and 46th overall in 5:22:06, with 254 runners finishing the event. We also had two clubmates in the 55k race, with Donatas Jocius who placed 66th in 10:55:46 and Brandon Lai who took 80th spot in the 124-strong finishers’ field with a time of 11:19:51.

There was a mixed bag of numbers taking part in parkruns over the weekend, some events were up and some down. There was no particular pattern.

In any event, once again we had some excellent performances and finishers on the podium. Along with a few clubmates, Áine Crotty headed down to Co. Kerry for the weekend and ran on Inch Beach with its modest field of 27. Áine placed 3rd overall and first woman home in 22:28 and she was followed by Emer Kenny (6th and 2nd in 24:51), Kathryn Gibbons (7th and 3rd in 24:53) and Margaret Foley (8th and 4th in 24:53). Caroline Crowley was once again a first finisher, this time in the Royal Canal Parkrun in Kilcock, where she placed 7th overall in 20:40 in a field of 94. Luke Davis headed the field of 91 in Cabinteely, finishing in 19:18, and he was followed by David Carter (3rd in 20:21), Lisa Shine (20th and 3rd in 24:40) and Mairin Shine (51st and 16th in 29:29). In Bushy Park, Kate Murray joined 129 other participants, placing 22nd and 1st in 23:39, whilst Sharon Woods was also a first finisher (4th overall) in the modest field of 29 in Treviso. Sharon’s time was 22:41. Toby Benham was also a first finisher, in the 61-strong field in Porterstown where he ran 20:11, whilst Stephen O’Kennedy produced the same result in Shanganagh. In a field of 152 Stephen ran 17:21 and he was followed by Carina Davidson (49th and 10th in 25:19) and Orlaith de Burca (80th and 22nd in 27:40).

As usual, our biggest turnout was in Poolbeg, where David Willis was first home in 17:15. Not too far behind in the 124-strong field came Stephen Hurley in 17:50 and in 3rd place came Kenan Furlong (17:54). They were followed by Thomas Vogée (5th in 18:38) and by Sam Carvill (7th in 19:03), with Gian Piero Allerta further back (39th in 23:21). Josie Ward claimed a spot on the podium, placing 41st and 2nd in 23:30, as did Tanja Narancic (42nd and 3rd in 23:54). They were followed by Gillian Curran (48th and 6th in 24:28), Cliodhna O’Reilly (49th and 7th in 24:29), Tara Murphy (56th and 10th in 24:49), Paul E. Kelly (85th in 27:56), Maureen McGinley (90th and 23rd in 28:34), Stephen Mulligan (97th in 29:31) and Mari Hansen (114th and 31st in 35:01).

Declan Connor placed 2nd behind an unknown runner in the 150-strong field in Corkagh in a time of 19:36, whilst Brian McGuckin ran in Brickfields where, in a field of 49, he placed 7th in 23:03. Olwyn Dunne joined 89 other participants in Knocknacarra where she placed 25th and 3rd in 24:11, whilst Tim Francony placed 4th in a time of 19:25 in the 222-strong field in Tralee. Thom Martini ran in Gunnersbury Park in Ealing, west London, where, in a field of 509, he placed 37th in 20:53, whilst David O’Donnell ran in Stretford, where, in a field of 481, he placed 75th in 22:06. Brian Scanlan and Darina Scully took part in River Valley, where Darina tailwalked and Brian placed 5th in 22:00 in a field of 73. Andy Deuser took 13th spot in Fairview in a field of 60 and a time of 23:10, whilst Cormac McGuire joined 31 other runners in Tolka Valley where he placed 10th in 25:32. Mairead Cashman ran in Ardgillan with 67 other runners, where she placed 49th and 10th in 30:16, whilst Deirdre Kennedy joined 203 other runners in Malahide, finishing in 135th and 32nd spots in 28:03. Karl Walsh came home in 9th place in a field of 98 in Naas and a time of 18:27, whilst, in St. Anne’s Raheny, Kieran martin, who is preparing for the Edinburgh half marathon in early June, took a tempo approach to the parkrun, finishing in a time of 19:20 for 15th place. Kieran was followed in the 368-strong field by Michael Maughan who placed 50th in 22:11. Finally, Maria Pertl and her partner Diarmuid Byrne ran in Poppintree, with Maria placing 61st and 25th in 30:14, whilst Diarmuid, no doubt with a child in a buggy again, placed 80th in 32:35. The field measured 114.

IMRA Ardgillan 9k (101)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Barry McEvoy 1 00:33:50
6 Edel Monaghan 21 00:38:05
Crusaders AC runners
5 Conor Greenan 00:37:05
10 John McAuley 00:38:26
17 Becky Quinn 00:40:39 (2)
41 Léan Ni Chiobhain 00:45:26 (5)
42 Brian McGuckin 00:45:34
Full results here: https://www.imra.ie/events/results/id/2220/
Bob Heffernan and Mary Hanley 5k (784)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Paul O’Donnell 1 00:14:00
29 Michelle Finn 1 00:15:44
Crusaders AC runners
73 Ciarain Kelly 00:16:42
365 Richard Kavanagh 00:20:30
381 Kathryn Gibbons 00:20:34 (80)
490 Margaret Foley 00:22:21 (127)
508 Emily Glen 00:22:54 (134)
Full results here: https://www.popupraces.ie/race/bob-heffernan-mary-hanley-5k-road-race/
Lap of the Gap Marathon (126)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Darren Foley 1 03:07:08
7 Julie McNamee 1 03:24:02
Crusaders AC runner
4 Grattan O’Brien 03:17:15
Full results here: http://redtagtiming.com/results/LapOfTheGap2022_42km.pdf
Seven Sisters Skyline 30k (254)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Ruairi Long 1 03:29:59
8 Olivia Amber 1 04:07:36
Crusaders AC runners
7 Conor Greenan 04:06:40
46 Léan Ni Chiobhain 05:22:06 (6)
Full results here: https://excelsports.events/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SevenSistersSkyline_Results-30K-MountainRunningWorldCup.pdf
Seven Sisters Skyline 55k (124)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Ricki Wynne 1 07:07:47
12 Ellen Vitting 1 08:37:20
Crusaders AC runners
66 Donatas Jocius 10:55:46
80 Brandon Lai 11:19:51
Full results here: https://excelsports.events/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Seven-Sisters-Skyline-55K-2022-FB.pdf
LSA Peninsula 4-mile road race (133)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Dylan O’Brien 1 00:20:49
19 Sheila Bourke 1 00:24:55
Crusaders AC runners
72 Gian Piero Allerta 00:28:22
100 Aitor Arribas Velasco 00:29:59
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/lsa_peninsula_4_mile_road_race/4418/results
Wheelworx Fastlane 10k (308)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Eoin Condron 1 00:35:13
15 Grace Kennedy-Clarke 1 00:40:04
Crusaders AC runner
3 Adam Flanagan 00:35:41
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/fastlane_half_marathon_10k/4366/results
Wheelworx Fastlane Half Marathon (350)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Andrew O’Brien 1 01:13:45
47 Nicola Lenehan 1 01:34:02
Crusaders AC runner
74 Alan Kavanagh 01:38:11 (PB)
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/fastlane_half_marathon_10k/4366/results
Naas Parkrun (98)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Anthony O’Rourke 1 00:17:13
15 Vikki Browne 1 00:20:05
Crusaders AC runner
9 Karl Walsh 00:18:27
Knocknacarra Parkrun (90)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 John Morrissey 1 00:19:15
7 Judith Campbell 1 00:21:08
Crusaders AC runner
25 Olwyn Dunne 00:24:11 (3)
Poppintree Parkrun (114)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Dave Bradshaw 1 00:18:42
15 Mairead Doherty 1 00:23:42
Crusaders AC runners
61 Maria Pertl 00:30:14 (25)
80 Diarmuid Byrne 00:32:35
Ardgillan Parkrun (68)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Shane Larkins 1 00:19:51
17 Deirdre Deegan 1 00:23:52
Crusaders AC runner
49 Mairead Cashman 00:30:16 (10)
Tralee Parkrun (222)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Donal O’Kelly 1 00:17:48
17 Mary Kilkenny Barrett 1 00:22:13
Crusaders AC runner
4 Tim Francony 00:19:25
Corkagh Parkrun (150)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
2 Declan Connor 1 00:19:36
16 Lorraine Heffernan 1 00:23:18
Crusaders AC runner
2 Declan Connor 00:19:36
Bushy Parkrun (130)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Derek Mills 1 00:18:31
22 Kate Murray 1 00:23:39
Crusaders AC runner
22 Kate Murray 00:23:39 (1)
Malahide Parkrun (204)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Matthew Glitz 1 00:17:25
7 Cindy Hickey 1 00:19:43
Crusaders AC runner
135 Deirdre Kennedy 00:28:03 (32)
Poolbeg Parkrun (124)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 David Willis 1 00:17:15
17 Ava Rose Clarke 1 00:20:38
Crusaders AC runners
1 David Willis 00:17:15
2 Stephen Hurley 00:17:50
3 Kenan Furlong 00:17:54
5 Thomas Vogée 00:18:38
7 Sam Carvill 00:19:03
39 Gian Piero Allerta 00:23:21
41 Josie Ward 00:23:30 (2)
42 Tanja Narancic 00:23:54 (3)
48 Gillian Curran 00:24:28 (6)
49 Cliodhna O’Reilly 00:24:29 (7)
56 Tara Murphy 00:24:49 (10)
85 Paul E. Kelly 00:27:56
90 Maureen McGinley 00:28:34 (23)
97 Stephen Mulligan 00:29:31
114 Mari Hansen 00:35:01 (31)
Shanganagh Parkrun (152)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Stephen O’Kennedy 1 00:17:21
15 Esther Lawlor 1 00:20:26
Crusaders AC runners
1 Stephen O’Kennedy 00:17:21
49 Carina Davidson 00:25:19 (10)
80 Orlaith de Burca 00:27:40 (22)
Cabinteely Parkrun (91)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Luke Davis 1 00:19:18
7 Cristin Scollard 1 00:22:12
Crusaders AC runners
1 Luke Davis 00:19:18
3 David Carter 00:20:21
20 Lisa Shine 00:24:40 (3)
51 Mairin Shine 00:29:29 (16)
St. Anne’s Parkrun (368)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Gavin Eccles 1 00:16:52
34 Emer Doyle 1 00:21:13
Crusaders AC runners
15 Kieran Martin 00:19:20
50 Michael Maughan 00:22:11
Porterstown Parkrun (63)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Toby Benham 1 00:20:11
16 Andrea Brennan 1 00:25:50
Crusaders AC runner
1 Toby Benham 00:20:11
Fairview Parkrun (60)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Jamie Killeen 1 00:18:46
9 Aisling Kirby 1 00:22:32
Crusaders AC runner
13 Andy Deuser 00:23:10
Tolka Valley Parkrun (32)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Lee Duddy 1 00:18:46
17 Oonagh Good 1 00:27:44
Crusaders AC runner
10 Cormac McGuire 00:25:32
Brickfields Parkrun (49)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Rory O’Keeffe 1 00:20:03
4 Rose Mernagh 1 00:21:38
Crusaders AC runner
7 Brian McGuckin 00:23:03
Inch Beach Parkrun (27)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Peter McGovern 1 00:18:24
3 Áine Crotty 1 00:22:28
Crusaders AC runners
3 Áine Crotty 00:22:28 (1)
6 Emer Kenny 00:24:51 (2)
7 Kathryn Gibbons 00:24:53 (3)
8 Margaret Foley 00:24:53 (4)
Royal Canal, Kilcock Parkrun (94)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Terence Shanley 1 00:17:47
7 Caroline Crowley 1 00:20:40
Crusaders AC runner
7 Caroline Crowley 00:20:40 (1)
River Valley Parkrun (73)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Daniel Cottell 1 00:19:27
3 Cecile Ollagnier 1 00:21:40
Crusaders AC runners
5 Brian Scanlan 00:22:00
71 Darina Scully 00:52:36 (31)