Swords Play

L-R standing: Paula Bradshaw, Luz Estevan, Bo Chicoine, Emily Glen, Olwyn Dunne, Tanja Narancic, Laura O'Malley and Sharon Woods. Kneeling: Joanne Carey and Paul E. Kelly

​It was a big week for the club, involving many of our members racing, but also being involved in the club’s annual fund-raising, the Docklands 5k, which took place on Thursday evening. The club is eternally grateful for the efforts put in by so many of our membership in making the Docklands race so successful, and last week’s event, the 8th running of the race organised by Crusaders, with its second highest field since 2015, was possibly its most momentous yet in being a sell-out. The race has now established an excellent reputation and hopefully will continue to attract corporate teams and individual runners on what is probably the flattest and fastest 5k course in Dublin.

We start as usual, with results from the track. On Wednesday evening, one of our members, Paul E. Kelly ran in one of a series of BHAA-organised track races in Lucan, where, in the 26-30 standard 1 mile, he placed 2nd in a time of 7:41. Then, over the weekend, Hugo Magee ran in heat 1 of the men’s 400m the AAI Games held in the Morton Stadium in Santry, where he placed 2nd in a time of 47.43, this after having paced in the 800m on Friday night at this year’s Morton Games at the same venue. Colm Parnell and Annie Hughes also participated over the weekend, with Colm taking 6th place in heat 2 of the 1500m in a time of 4:07.36, whilst Annie placed 11th in the women’s 800m in 2:25.08.

Back to the roads and, firstly, the Docklands 5k. On a dry but breezy evening once again, we had 1703 finishers, among them many Crusaders, listed below, several of them providing pacing duties and others running with their work colleagues. We also had a good number of participants from our Couch to 5k programme involved, running a 5k for the first time and being supported by other members of the club. The event, with its by now famous after-race party at Capital Dock, received a good deal of positive feedback from participants, particularly in relation to the enthusiasm and support that came from all our stewards, and we will hope to repeat such enjoyment again next year. The course records at 14:30 (men) and 16:12 (women) were not broken on Thursday, but remain a tantalising challenge for elite runners!

On Saturday morning, Kev Moore and Mary Donnelly took part in the Glenbeigh 10k, one of a series of races on the day held in Co. Kerry. Kev reported that it was downhill for much of the first 6k, a welcome relief, and, in the field of 111 finishers, Kev placed 7th in 40:54, with Mary taking 21st place overall, 7th female finisher, in 45:57. On the same day, further afield, new member Eimear Lynch, sister of Ciara, ran in the 100k Ultra marathon Race to the Stones in the UK, where she completed the distance, in one of the UK's oldest trail races on the Ridgeway crossing the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns, in 13:50:08. Also, in the UK, Kate O’Malley, one of our UK-based exiles, ran in a 5k trail race on the Gower Peninsula, where she was the first woman home in a time of 22:47.

Then on Sunday, we had Crusaders involved in at least two events on Irish roads. In another event in the Peugeot Race Series, Will Holton took part in the Frank Kilrane Edenderry 10-miler, where, in a field of 348, he placed 101st in a time of 72:34.

Finally, we had nearly 30 runners in the 2nd race of the Irish Life Race Series building up to the Dublin Marathon in October. This was the Fingal 10k, conducted on roads around Swords. The start this year was slightly altered, giving a downhill trajectory from the gun to the first corner after about 150m, but then the course continued on its normal route, along a dual carriageway and then onto country roads, before finishing in the town once again. The race enjoyed a field of 2,676 finishers, and we all found it extremely warm and humid, with little wind to cool us down. This did not, however, prevent a few of our number recording PB times, including Noel Carr (434th in 44:34), Florian Mormont (556th in 46:14) and Paul E. Kelly, with a 6-minute improvement (1346th in 53:56). Also, 7 of the 8 pacers in the race were provided by Crusaders, with ex-Crusader Catherine Thornton joining Clare Sullivan to pace the 45 minutes finishers. Several had performed the same duties in the Docklands 5k three days earlier.

Robert Browne led our contingent home in 36:34 for 45th place and he was followed by Paul Cowhie (51st and 1st M60 in 36:49), Karl Walsh (114th in 40:36), and Eddie Nugent (117th in 38:52). Nina Holmes was first female finisher with a super run in 40:52, placing 213th, 16th female and 4th F40, and she was followed by James Cottle (246th and 2nd M65 in 41:33). James found the going tough, particularly in the second half of the race having spotted the eventual winner of the age category up ahead at 6k, but then suffering from the effort of trying further to reel him in over the remaining kilometres, finishing 15 seconds apart at the end.  James was followed by Oisin Browne (252nd in 41:41) and then by Miriam Logan who started with the 45 minutes pacers but feeling good pressed on, finishing in 43:14 for 348th and 34th places. Miriam was followed by Ciara Regan, under physio’s orders (381st and 40th in 43:40) and then by Kabir Sala (392nd in 43:57). Next came Dee Ni Chearbhaill (424th and 47th in 44:26), whose husband Sean Murphy had placed 236th in 41:18, followed, after Noel, by Chris Bannon (507th in 45:46), Florian, Tomás Dunne (636th in 46:56), Sharon Woods (who ran 47:14), Luz Estevan (723rd and 111th in 47:21), Jimmy Murphy (898th in 49:06), Bo Chicoine (1093rd in 51:45), Emily Glen (1094th and 217th in 51:18), Laura O’Malley (1229th and 270th in 52:34), Kevin Kenny (1327th in 54:04), Paul, Aoife Cowhie (1363rd in 328th in 55:11), Louise Lanaud (2110th and 1369th in 62:26) and Faeed Faeedi (2388th in 68:56). The pacers, Clare and Catherine (45 minutes), Joanne Carey and Olwyn Dunne (50 minutes), Paula Bradshaw and Tanja Narancic (55 minutes) and Joe Dunne and Aitor Arribas Velasco (60 minutes), all performed admirably for the club, as many of them had done in Docklands on Thursday evening. Members may interested to hear that Conor Greenan, a Crusader who moved to Kilkenny, now running for St. Joseph’s, also ran, placing 82nd in 38:20. He sent his well wishes to those who knew him, and he and ex-Crusader Léan Ní Chiobháin, who he met though the club, are now parents.

Members may also be interested to learn that Toby Benham and Louise O’Riordan competed in the Cork Triathlon over the weekend, with Toby completing the slightly short 5k run element in 17:35 and Louise, 22:07.

The parkruns this week saw a lot of Crusaders out on Saturday morning, among them at least 3 first finishers. Caroline Crowley ran in Corkagh with 215 other runners, placing 4th and 1st in 19:55, whilst Áine Kenny joined 31 other participants in Mountbellew Forest where she placed 4th and 1st in 24:06. Meanwhile, Kathryn Tomkins placed 5th and 1st in the 168-strong field in Gorey in a time of 20:47.

Podium places were filled by Stephen Hurley and Kenan Furlong in Poolnbeg, where Stephen placed 2nd in 17:42 and Kenan finished in 3rd place in 17:52. In the field of 204, they were followed by Ross Neill (4th in 17:57) and then by Adrian Groarke (16th in 19:48), Gerard Moore (18th in 19:50), Piarais Neary (39th in 21:53), Sharon Woods (53rd and 8th in 23:25), Tanja Narancic (78th and 16th in 25:15), Ciara Regan (87th and 20th in 25:41), Kate Healy (102nd and 28th in 26:52), Iseult Ni Chuinneagain (104th and 29th in 27:05), Djinn Von Noorden (112th and 34th in 28:07) and Kevin Kenny (125th in 28:34). Anna Gallo’s father, Marco, also ran, placing 116th in 28:34.

Derek Lawlor crossed the line in 7th place in a time of 18:59 in the 249-strong field in Shanganagh. He was followed by Jill Nason (144th and 35th in 28:10) and Cynthia Perucca (207th and 75th in 32:59).  Barry O’Mahony placed 8th in Cabinteely with its field of 173. Barry’s time was 20:46 and he was followed by Ronan Moynihan (12th in 21:16) and Louise Dobbyn (22nd and 5th in 23:19). John O’Donnell joined 58 other runners in Claremorris where he placed 4th in 20:27, whilst Garret Connolly finished in 5th place in Fairview in 20:35 in a field of 168. Aoife Kelly ran in Poppintree once again. In a field of 185 she placed 74th and 15th in 28:23, whilst, in Donabate, Brendan Glynn took 21st spot in 23:34 in a field of 157. We had 5 runners among the 188 who ran in Avondale Forest. The contingent was led home by Darina Scully (28th and 6th in 25:46) and Darina was followed by Carina Davidson in her 100th parkrun (34th and 8th in 27:03), Anna Shine (46th and 15th in 29:20), Máirín Shine (51st and 18th in 30:40) and Lisa Shine (98th and 45th in 50:54).
 
Helena O’Keeffe ran in Tramore Valley, Cork, where, in a field of 177, she placed 69th and 13th in 26:02, whilst, Ballincollig, Aitor Arribas Velasco placed 51st in 24:06. The field there measured 215. Martina White placed 53rd and 15th in 29:55 in the 103-strong field in Porterstown, whilst Barry O’Neill placed 83rd in the 24:29 in the 333-strong field in Marlay Park. Brendan Kieran took 5th place in the field of 44 in a time of 21:53 in the Sports Ireland Campus parkrun, whilst Mairead Cashman placed 174th and 56th in the 263-strong field in Bushy Park, where her time was 30:41. Phelim Murray and Sarah Ltons ran in Tolka Valley park, where, amongst 63 other runners, Phelim placed 21st in 26:36 and a pregnant Sarah placed 24th and 9th in 27:22. Finally, further afield, Rob Glascott placed 62nd in 21:20 in the 794-strong field in Clapham Common in, whilst Jeanie Watson ran 23:06 to place 120th and 16th in the 595-strong field in Highbury Fields, both in London, whilst Aidan Hudner took 59th spot in 24:19 in the field of 346 in Pollok, Glasgow and Maureen McGinley ran in Westpark, Munich, where she placed 142nd and 41st in a field of 208.
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Irish Life Fingal 10k (2676)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Hugh Armstrong 1 00:29:39
17 Michelle Finn 1 00:34
Crusaders AC runners
45 Robert Browne 00:36:34
51 Paul Cowhie 00:36:49
114 Karl Walsh 00:40:36
117 Eddie Nugent 00:38:52
213 Nina Holmes 00:40:52 (16)
246 James Cottle 00:41:33
252 Oisin Browne 00:41:41
348 Miriam Logan 00:43:14 (34)
381 Ciara Regan 00:43:40 (40)
392 Kabir Sala 00:43:57
424 Deirdre Ni Chearbhaill 00:44:26 (47)
431 Clare Sullivan 00:44:32 (50) PACER
434 Noel Carr 00:44:34 (PB)
507 Chris Bannon 00:45:46
556 Florian Mormont 00:46:14 (PB)
636 Tomás Dunne 00:46:56
XXX Sharon Woods 00:47:14
723 Luz Estevan 00:47:21 (111)
784 Sean Brady 00:48:27
898 Jimmy Murphy 00:49:06
929 Joanne Carey 00:49:45 (163) PACER
934 Olwyn Dunne 00:49:45 (166) PACER
1093 Bo Chicoine 00:51:45
1094 Emily Glen 00:51:18 (217)
1229 Laura O’Malley 00:52:34 (270)
1327 Kevin Kenny 00:54:04
1346 Paul E. Kelly 00:53.56 (PB)
1363 Aoife Cowhie 00:55:11 (328)
1386 Paula Bradshaw 00:54:15 (345) PACER
1413 Tanja Narancic 00:54:36 (357) PACER
1907 Joe Dunne 00:59:45 PACER
1908 Aitor Arribas Velasco 00:59:46 PACER
2110 Louise Lanaud 01:02:26 (1369)
2388 Faeed Faeedi 01:08:56
Full results here: https://www.tdleventservices.co.uk/en/results-embed.php?event=4040
Frank Kilrane Edenderry 10-mile race (348)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Conor Duffy 1 00:50:28
26 Heather Murphy 1 00:59:35
Crusaders AC runner
101 Will Holton 01:12:34
Full results here: https://www.popupraces.ie/race/frank-kilrane-edenderry-10-mile-2024/
Glenbeigh 10k (111)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Marcus O’Shea 1 00:37:20
3 Lily Riordan 1 00:39:40
Crusaders AC runners
7 Kev Moore 00:40:54
21 Mary Donnelly 00:45:57 (7)
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/glenbeigh_glencar_marathon_half_marathon_10k_and_5k_/4827/results
Docklands 5k (1703)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Chiptime
1 Peter Somba 1 00:15:02
29 Ciara Wilson 1 00:16:46
Crusaders AC runners
16 Alex Ainsworth 00:16:24
67 Jim Stagg 00:18:02
90 Simon Kenny 00:18:28
111 Kevin O’Sullivan 00:18:52
186 Patrick Conlon 00:19:44 PACER
197 Peter O’Toole 00:19:48 PACER
200 Kevin Fitzgibbon 00:19:50 PACER
214 Felipe De Sousa 00:20:10
278 Marcus Phelan 00:20:51
288 Diarmuid Fahey 00:21:06
303 Luke Haran 00:21:07
421 Shivananda Pukhrem 00:22:20
434 Gavan Doherty 00:22:15
689 Aoife Quigley 00:24:36 PACER
706 Miriam Logan 00:24:45 PACER
715 Emer Kenny 00:24:48 PACER
828 Natasha Bain 00:25:49 (161)
832 Sharon Woods 00:25:50 (162) PACER
881 Sarah Lyons 00:25:33 (180)
1139 Jessica Higgins 00:28:52 (300)
1211 Maria Fitzgerald 00:28:55 (340)
1216 Chris Bethe 00:29:00
1238 Catriona McDonnell 00:29:14 (360)
1255 Emily Glen 00:30:14 PACER
1258 Tanja Narancic 00:30:17 PACER
1266 Sarah Jameson 00:29:39 (372)
1415 Caitriona Kellehan 00:31:56 (462)
1418 Paula Bradshaw 00:31:58 (464) PACER
1419 Claire Sheridan 00:31:56 (465)
1467 Isabella Ryan 00:32:50 (496)
1471 Aisling Allan 00:33:00 (500)
1499 Cloda Victory 00:33:53 (518)
1543 Darren Kelly 00:35:00
1544 Paul Campbell 00:35:03 PACER
1648 Niamh Bradshaw 00:38:53 (614)
1653 Lynn Betson 00:39:12 (616)
1654 Julia Cleto 00:39:12 (617)
1655 Harriet Ryan 00:39:12 (618)
1656 Richard Kavanagh 00:39:27 PACER
Full results here: https://www.myrunresults.com/events/docklands_5k_2024/5068/results
Tramore Valley, Cork Parkrun (177)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Cian Kelly 1 00:17:41
9 Laura Pompa 1 00:19:36
Crusaders AC runner
69 Helena O’Keeffe 00:26:02 (13)
Shanganagh Parkrun (249)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Finn O’Driscoll 1 00:17:14
22 Eileen O’Toole 1 00:20:34
Crusaders AC runner
7 Derek Lawlor 00:18:59
144 Jill Nason 00:28:10 (35)
207 Cynthia Perucca 00:32:59 (75)
Fairview Parkrun (168)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Daniel Toal 1 00:18:08
23 Mairéad Grace 1 00:22:51
Crusaders AC runner
5 Garret Connolly 00:20:35
Poolbeg Parkrun (204)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Malcolm O’Connell 1 00:17:12
7 Dearbhla Cox 1 00:18:19
Crusaders AC runners
2 Stephen Hurley 00:17:42
3 Kenan Furlong 00:17:52
4 Ross Neill 00:17:57
16 Adrian Groarke 00:19:48
18 Gerard Moore 00:19:50
39 Piarais Neary 00:21:53
53 Sharon Woods 00:23:25 (8)
78 Tanja Narancic 00:25:15 (16)
87 Ciara Regan 00:25:41 (20)
102 Kate Healy 00:26:52 (28)
104 Iseult Ni Chuinneagain 00:27:05 (29)
112 Djinn Von Noorden 00:28:07 (34)
125 Kevin Kenny 00:29:01
Mountbellew Forest Parkrun (32)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Alan Conway 1 00:20:30
4 Áine Kenny 1 00:24:06
Crusaders AC runner
4 Áine Kenny 00:24:06 (1)
Bushy Parkrun (263)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Seán Cahill 1 00:18:19
16 Sinead Staunton 1 00:21:53
Crusaders AC runner
174 Mairead Cashman 00:30:41 (56)
Cabinteely Parkrun (173)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Ewan McLean 1 00:19:42
4 Robyn Kennedy 1 00:20:18
Crusaders AC runners
8 Barry O’Mahony 00:20:46
12 Ronan Moynihan 00:21:16
22 Louise Dobbyn 00:23:19 (5)
Ballincollig Parkrun (215)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
4 Fionn Neville 1 00:18:15
29 Cherie Turner 1 00:22:34
Crusaders AC runner
51 Aitor Arribas Velasco 00:24:06
Corkagh Parkrun (216)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Stephen Armour 1 00:17:23
4 Caroline Crowley 1 00:19:55
Crusaders AC runner
4 Caroline Crowley 00:19:55 (1)
Donabate Parkrun (157)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Reuben Capocci 1 00:18:21
8 Sheila Bourke 1 00:20:19
Crusaders AC runner
21 Brendan Glynn 00:23:34
Avondale Forest Parkrun (118)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Fintan Conway 1 00:19:10
13 Judith Kerins 1 00:22:27
Crusaders AC runners
28 Darina Scully 00:25:46 (6)
34 Carina Davidson 00:27:03 (8)
46 Anna Shine 00:29:20 (15)
51 Máirín Shine 00:30:40 (18)
98 Lisa Shine 00:50:54 (45)
Claremorris Parkrun (59)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Tom Forde 1 00:18:21
13 Hilary Bond 1 00:23:49
Crusaders AC runner
4 John O’Donnell 00:20:27
Sport Ireland Campus Parkrun (44)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Sean Mac Seoin 1 00:20:00
2 Bonnie McFeat 1 00:20:28
Crusaders AC runner
5 Brendan Kieran 00:21:53
Marlay Parkrun (333)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Ethan Bramhill 1 00:16:52
15 Sarah Lewis 1 00:20:42
Crusaders AC runner
83 Barry O’Neill 00:24:29
Tolka Valley Parkrun (64)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Brian Fay 1 00:19:29
5 Orla Cox 1 00:22:25
Crusaders AC runners
21 Phelim Murray 00:26:36
24 Sarah Lyons 00:27:22 (9)
Porterstown Parkrun (103)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Fearghal Desmond 1 00:17:11
7 Patricia McLoughlin 1 00:20:48
Crusaders AC runner
53 Martina White 00:29:55 (15)
Gorey Parkrun (168)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Jason O’Byrne 1 00:18:37
5 Kathryn Sweeney 1 00:20:47
Crusaders AC runner
5 Kathryn Sweeney 00:20:47 (1)
Poppintree Parkrun (185)
Overall place Name Cat. Place Guntime
1 Bobby Bedford 1 00:18:27
13 Peigi Allen 1 00:21:39
Crusaders AC runner
74 Aoife Kelly 00:28:23 (15)

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L-R: Aitor Arribas Velasco, Paula Bradshaw, Tanja Narancic, Olwyn Dunne, Joanne Carey, Catherine Thornton, Clare Sullivan and Joe Dunne

James Cottle and Catherine Thornton

L-R: Kevin Fitzgibbon, Miriam Logan, Emily Glen, Aoife Quigley, Emer Kenny, Joe Dunne, Tanja Narancic, Patrick W. Conlon and Peter O'Toole

Eimear Lynch