More Cross-country medal success as well as great results from abroad

23/10/2023

L-R: Saoirse McGrath, Kim Hickey, Rachael Yorke, Annie Hughes, Kathryn Gibbons

The cross-country course in Ballyhale in Co. Kilkenny on Saturday morning was surprisingly dry, given the fierce weather conditions that had erupted in the couple of days beforehand across the island. The occasion was the Leinster Novices and the location on a golf course was familiar to some as it has been used as a venue before, but for the uninitiated its hilly challenges would have come as a bit of a shock, with little flat ground and the course itself inevitably avoiding any spike damage to the pristine fairways, sticking to the deep rough!

Nevertheless, the 10 runners representing the club embraced the challenges and performed extremely well. First up was the women’s 4k race with a total field of 68 runners from around 9 or 10 clubs. Our 5 women packed well behind Kathryn Gibbons who took 12th place in 17:21. The 4 other members finished within 6 places of each other, with Annie Hughes taking 23rd spot in 17:54, followed immediately by Saoirse McGrath in 24th one second behind in 17:55 and Kim Hickey just 1 second further back in 25th in 17:56. Only 6 seconds further back came Rachael Yorke (28th in 18:02), acting as an effective spoiler. The net result was that, although it would have been difficult to contest the gold medal place which inevitably went to DCH on 14 points (all their scorers finishing in the top 10), the first four of our runners were able to win the silver medal with a score of 84 points, ahead of St. Senan’s on 92 (their 3rd scorer finishing just behind Rachael) in a team competition between 9 clubs.

The men’s race yielded a couple more medals, in respect of the county competition. The team itself placed a creditable 4th in a competition involving 15 clubs, so no medals there. However, Colm Parnell, who led our 5-man contingent home in 5th place in the 6k event in 21:11, along with our next finisher, John Mulvihill (24th in 23:04), picked up a gold medal with the Co. Dublin team. In the field of 110, Patrick Conlon was our next scorer, placing 35th in 23:32, followed by Ross Neill (46th in 23:46) and Alex Ainsworth (67th in 25:06). The 4th place finish of the team came from a score of 109 points, 9 behind Newbridge in 3rd place and 3 ahead of Kilkenny in 5th. Well done to all!

So, the XC season is well and truly upon us. One might describe the Sandymount Night 10k as something of a hybrid XC, in that it takes in a lot of beach and paths around Sandymount Strand and Seán Moore Park. In many ways it resembles the series of races that take place during the year in Clontarf which also is conducted on the beach and also narrow bike paths with runners and walkers going in all directions. Last Tuesday’s 5k and 10k races in Sandymount enjoyed an aggregate field of 852, with 467 of the runners taking part in the 10k. Among them were at least 5 Crusaders. They were led across the line by Tom Gleeson who placed 28th in 42:51, and he was followed by Daniel O’Mahony who ran 45:10, but who didn’t get a chiptimed result. Next over the line was Charlotte Rufié (91st overall and 14th female finisher in 49:07) followed closely by Cría Dowling (94th and 16th in a chiptime of 48:54). Tom’s brother, Daniel, completed the picture with a 53:12 finish for 163rd spot.

On Sunday, Philp Matthews signed up at the last minute for the Clonliffe 2-mile road race. It is the oldest continuous road race in Ireland, having commenced in 1891 as a club race, soon becoming an invitational race, originally conducted over a distance of 1.75 miles and eventually becoming a 2-mile event. In a field of 242 and in relatively sunny, warm and wind-less conditions, Philip placed 73rd in a time of 13:09.

As usual, we had some great results further afield over the weekend. Kevin Kavanagh travelled to Valencia for Sunday’s half marathon there, producing a wonderful result of 1:18:57 to take 808th place in a field of nearly 24,000 runners. In achieving his new PB, Kevin registered remarkably even 5k splits.

Italo Giancaterina, our Italian exile, actually won the Maratona di Pescara over the weekend in a time of 2:35:08, whilst Clément Rincé had a top 30 finish in the French National 5k championships in St. Omer near Calais with a time of 15:16. Down in Spain our inveterate racing exiles, Cristian Vilchez Ceballos and Esther Requena Ferri could not resist running in a 10k race around the streets of Malaga, with Cristian completing the distance in 35:39 and Esther running 40:11.

No one was expecting the relatively benign conditions for parkrunning on Saturday morning and perhaps some of the fields were smaller as a consequence. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a good turnout, particularly those getting a good shakeout before embarking on next weekend’s Dublin City Marathon (we have at least 85 Crusaders listed as registered for the race).

Husband and wife duo, Vinnie and Amy McGuinness, shared the spoils this week in St. Anne’s. In a field of 376, Vinnie was first across the line in 17:03, with Amy placing 15th and first female finisher in 19:39. We had three other club members in the event. Sarah Lyons placed 140th and 28th in 26:06, followed by Rebecca Fleming (266th and 80th in 30:56) and Áine Crotty (267th and 81st in the same time). Another first finisher was Fiona Collins, like Vinnie, Rebecca and Áine preparing for next week’s marathon. Fiona ran in the 28-strong field in Rostrevor where she placed 8th overall in a time of 24:56.

Kate Murray finished on the podium in Mullingar. In a field of 107, Kate placed 13th and 2nd in 22:14, whilst, in Griffeen Park in Lucan, Alby Allan placed 3rd out of 186 runners in a time of 19:07. Tanja Narancic got a real boost of confidence as she placed 27th and 2nd in 22:31 in Shanganagh, followed, in the field of 200, by Olwyn Dunne (45th and 7th in 23:47) and Carina Davidson (83rd and 18th in 26:42).

We had at least 15 Crusaders run in the field of 160 in Poolbeg. Michael Wycherley enjoyed a course PB with a time of 17:45 for 3rd place along side Stephen Hurley awarded the same time for 4th spot. Eddie Nugent was next, in 9th place in a time of 19:24, and he was followed by Christina Campbell (43rd and 6th in 23:26), Ailsa Berkeley (44th and 7th in 23:35), Josie Ward (52nd and 9th in 24:06), Fiona Bane (57th and 11th in 24:23), Julian Callan (60th in 24:52), Kevin Kenny (63rd in 25:08), Gillian Curran (65th and 14th in 25:14), Louise O’Riordan (83rd and 21st in 26:34), Anna Hernick (100th and 29th in 28:50), Maureen McGinley (119th and 43rd in 30:34), Cynthia Perucca (134th and 54th in 32:13) and Niamh Trihy (148th and 65th in 35:36).

Dave Carter took 5th place in Cabinteely in 20:10 where he ran with 140 other participants, whilst, in Naas, in a similar field of 137, John Lohan placed 19th in 21:56, followed by Karl Walsh (23rd in 22:14) and Tara Murphy (48th and 5th in 25:19). We had two runners in Malahide with its field of 285. Hannah Jones placed 48th and 7th in 22:08, whilst Darina Scully placed 66th and 14th in 23:24.

Mairead Cashman ran in Ireland’s most unusual parkrun, the Progression parkrun set in the confines of Mountjoy Prison. In a field of 48, Mairead placed 38th and 7th in 30:58, whilst in Bushy Park, the Shine family joined 120 other runners there. Máirín placed 93rd and 26th in 34:31. In the same time one place behind in 94th and 71st came Fiona, with Lisa a little further back (99th and 30th in 35:02). Eoghan Corrigan took 68th spot in a time of 28:43 in Kilcock, with its field of 147, whilst Martina White placed 101st and 33rd in 30:14 in almost the same size field (148) in Porterstown. Finally, it was great to see Kris Ryan recording another parkrun. Our Australian exile ran in Main Beach in Queensland where, in a field of 319, she ran 32;40 for 188th and 56th places.

Leinster XC Novices Women’s 4k (68)
Overall place Name Guntime
1 Faye Dervan 00:15:22
Crusaders AC runners
12 Kathryn Gibbons 00:17:21
23 Annie Hughes 00:17:54
24 Saoirse McGrath 00:17:55
25 Kim Hickey 00:17:56
28 Rachael Yorke 00:18:02
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/leinster_nov_jnr__u18_xc_chmps_2023/4691/results
Leinster XC Novices Men’s 6k (105)
Overall place Name Guntime
1 Michael Murphy 00:20:25
Crusaders AC runners
5 Colm Parnell 00:21:11
24 John Mulvihill 00:23:04
35 Patrick Conlon 00:23:32
46 Ross Neill 00:23:46
67 Alex Ainsworth 00:25:06
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/leinster_nov_jnr__u18_xc_chmps_2023/4691/results
Sandymount Night Run 10k (467)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Mihail Sprincean 1 00:33:49
6 Niamh Chambers 1 00:35:51
Crusaders AC runners
28 Tom Gleeson 00:42:51
XX Daniel O’Mahony 00:45:10
91 Charlotte Rufié 00:49:07 (14)
94 Cría Dowling 00:48:54 (16)
163 Daniel Gleeson 00:53:12
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/sandymount_night_run_5k__10k_2023/4929/results
Clonliffe 2-miler (242)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Cathal Doyle 1 00:08:46
21 Carla Sweeney 1 00:10:34
Crusaders AC runner
73 Philip Matthews 00:13:09
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/clonliffe_2_mile_2023/4956/results
Malahide Parkrun (285)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Matthew Glitz 1 00:17:06
4 Annette Kealy 1 00:18:47
Crusader AC runners
48 Hannah Jones 00:22:08 (7)
66 Darina Scully 00:23:24 (14)
Rostrevor Parkrun (28)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 David Walker 1 00:19:40
8 Fiona Collins 1 00:24:56
Crusaders AC runner
8 Fiona Collins 00:24:56 (1)
Progression Parkrun (48)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Owen Fletcher 1 00:19:49
10 Emma Finlay 1 00:24:15
Crusaders AC runner
38 Mairead Cashman 00:30:58 (7)
Bushy Parkrun (123)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
2 Paul Wilson 1 00:19:52
9 Christine Kinsella 1 00:22:20
Crusaders AC runners
93 Máirín Shine 00:34:31 (26)
94 Fiona Shine 00:34:31 (27)
99 Lisa Shine 00:35:02 (30)
Cabinteely Parkrun (141)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Sean Terek 1 00:19:08
7 Robyn Kennedy 1 00:21:05
Crusaders AC runner
5 David Carter 00:20:10
Poolbeg Parkrun (160)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Alexander Simon 1 00:16:59
20 Ava Rose Clarke 1 00:21:13
Crusaders AC runners
3 Michael Wycherley 00:17:45
4 Stephen Hurley 00:17:45
9 Eddie Nugent 00:19:24
43 Christina Campbell 00:23:26 (6)
44 Ailsa Berkeley 00:23:35 (7)
52 Josie Ward 00:24:06 (9)
57 Fiona Bane 00:24:23 (11)
60 Julian Callan 00:24:52
63 Kevin Kenny 00:25:08
65 Gillian Curran 00:25:14 (14)
83 Louise O’Riordan 00:26:34 (21)
100 Anna Hernick 00:28:50 (29)
119 Maureen McGinley 00:30:34 (43)
134 Cynthia Perucca 00:32:13 (54)
148 Niamh Trihy 00:35:36 (65)
Mullingar Parkrun (107)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Mark Deacon 1 00:18:41
9 Geraldine Carthy 1 00:21:06
Crusaders AC runner
13 Kate Murray 00:22:14 (2)
Shanganagh Parkrun (200)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 James Burke 1 00:17:46
11 Emily Kane 1 00:20:10
Crusaders AC runners
27 Tanja Narancic 00:22:31 (2)
45 Olwyn Dunne 00:23:47 (7)
83 Carina Davidson 00:26:42 (18)
Porterstown Parkrun (148)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Kevin Kelly 1 00:19:01
6 Joan O’Callaghan 1 00:21:57
Crusaders AC runner
101 Martina White 00:30:14 (33)
Griffeen Parkrun (186)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Michael Gil 1 00:18:00
21 Mary Browne 1 00:22:31
Crusaders AC runner
3 Alby Allan 00:19:07
St. Anne’s Parkrun (376)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Vinnie McGuinness 1 00:17:03
15 Amy Wright 1 00:19:39
Crusaders AC runners
1 Vinnie McGuinness 00:17:03
15 Amy Wright 00:19:39 (1)
140 Sarah Lyons 00:26:06 (28)
266 Rebecca Fleming 00:30:56 (80)
267 Áine Crotty 00:30:56 (81)
Naas Parkrun (137)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Peter Tuohy 1 00:16:50
4 Alison Duff 1 00:19:36
Crusaders AC runners
19 John Lohan 00:21:56
23 Karl Walsh 00:22:14
48 Tara Murphy 00:25:19 (5)
Royal Canal, Kilcock Parkrun (147)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Tommy Walsh 1 00:18:14
3 Louise Reilly 1 00:19:36
Crusaders AC runner
68 Eoghan Corrigan 00:28:43