Search Results for 'Brendan Gill'

September in the rain marked the second running of the Charlestown 10k on Saturday evening. The recent good weather turned colder, wetter, and breezier, but the rain held off during the race and conditions were good for running. Christina Duffy and her team, assisted by John Roddy, put on another enjoyable and impressively organised event. They provided an excellent well marked and marshalled course all the way from the starting line at Lowpark to refreshment tables in the CBD sports complex, for which the race acted as a fund raiser. John Byrne, John Mannion, and Paul Conlon led David Tiernan out of town, as the field headed for Cloonaweema. Jonathon Deane, Thomas Kelly, Brendan Gill, and Anto Devaney kept them in view until they crossed over to the old Dublin road at halfway near Gowel. By then Byrne had a few metres on Mannion, with Tiernan and Conlon together over a minute behind. Ann Lennon had John Nolan for company as she had in Balla 10k and Claremorris four mile the previous week. John Byrne stretched his lead gradually from 6k and crossed the line in 32.32, a new course record, to record his first league race win since 2011. “I thought I’d never see that time again”, he said afterwards. This marks a brilliant return to form for Byrne, who has been at the forefront of Mayo athletics for over 15 years. Mannion finished second in 34.10 with Tiernan third in 34:51, a new PB and beating his 2012 winning time by over a minute. Ann Lennon 37:47 – a brilliant performance by the National W45 half marathon champion, and Colette Tuohy in 39:20 finished first and second in the women’s category. Standards were high, with more than double the number finishing in under 40 minutes compared to 2012. There were a number of PBs joyfully celebrated at the finish line. The road League continues in east Mayo in less than three weeks with the Ballyhaunis 8k on September 28, followed a week later by the final race, Breaffy 10k on October 6.

The postponed Breaffy 10k road race originally scheduled for Sunday, August 25 has a new date. The Breaffy 10k is now set for Sunday October 6 at 1.30pm. This will now be the final race in the Mayo AC Road League and the relatively flat course should see some good times from finishers. The postponement was due to the involvement of the local GAA Club, for which the race is a fundraiser, with players competing in both the minor and senior teams in the All Ireland football semi-finals on August 25 in Dublin. The organisers apologise for the change of date. They hope that the new date will attract even more competitors as it is the only local permitted race on that weekend.

Freddy Keron Sittuk from Kenya won the 21st Balla 10k in a time of 31:25, and in the process beat Sean Hehir's 2102 course record by seven seconds. The Balla 10k was the first race of the 2013 C&C Cellular Mayo AC Road League, and the spectators saw a brilliant demonstration of smooth front running by Dublin based Sittuk who trains with Raheny Shamrock AC. It was also his second victory in Mayo this month - he won the Achill Half Marathon. In the early stages he had Sligo native Alan Maguire and Max Ware (on holiday from UK) for company, but as the race progressed and a welcome cooling shower eased, he pulled clear to win decisively and enjoy the festive mood at the yellow arch finish line in Balla village. The women's race was less clear cut as Mayo AC masters trio Ann Lennon, Mary Gleeson, and Colette Tuohy traded places at the front. Ann Lennon has been in great form recently - the evidence was clear in her 5k series finish times when she got down to 18:40 at Ballyhaunis and showed how valuable this 'speedwork' preparation is for endurance racing. She pulled ahead in the final kilometres to win in her best 10k time for a few years 37:49, more than 30 seconds ahead of Mary Gleeson, who was more than a minute down on her 2012 time. Colette Tuohy looked strong and comfortable in third place and was well pleased with her finish time.

Mayo AC had 21 runners competing in the National 10k Championships held in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, April 14 in their efforts to pick up gold, silver, and bronze medals. They faced tough conditions as a gusty wind swept over the country and swirling showers added to the task. The race was incorporated in the Spar Great Ireland Run with 6,200 finishers. On a blustery day that made a tough course even tougher, Dublin based Geesala native Seamus Gaughan ran a great race and had a ding dong battle all the way with track record holder Joe Gough (West Waterford). Gaughan won by two seconds in 39:09, retaining the M60 title he won last year. There were other excellent performances in the conditions, book-ended from senior woman Ann Marie Staunton in her first championship race to Tom Waldron who also won gold in his M70 category.

There was a brilliant turnout on a sunny but chilly Easter Saturday for the 4th Kilmovee 10k run and walk, excellently organised by Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA club and the local community in aid of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice. A good breeze cooled participants as the field turned towards the Roscommon border at Aghadiffen Bridge after 3k. Apart from a slight hill at 9k it was a relatively flat course. Con Marshall (M35) led out with John Mannion and Aidan Callaghan close behind. As the race progressed the Cork man, pushed ahead and established a 17 seconds winning gap at the tape. His finish time was two minutes outside Martin Conroy’s 2012 effort. Brendan Gill was the leading Mayo AC finisher in fourth, less than a minute behind Marshall and he was first M35. Mary Gleeson was first woman once again and was unchallenged all the way. However, she was a bit disappointed with her time – almost a minute slower than 2012. Paula Prendergast underlined her recent brilliant form at Tubbercurry with another PB, finishing second in 39:23 – nearly a minute faster.

The fourth annual Kilmovee 10k Road Race and Walk takes place on Easter Saturday, March 30 starting at 1pm. This popular event attracted over 400 runners, joggers, and walkers last year. It has an AAI permit issued through Mayo AC and is organised by Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA Club. It is a joint fundraiser with Mayo/Roscommon Hospice and Kilmovee Shamrocks. The hospice is the main beneficiary - with €19,000 raised for them in the past three years. This is the first big road race in Mayo this year. Race organiser, John Roddy and his team are busy putting final plans in place for what is expected to be the biggest version of this event to date.

Mayo AC had 10 finishers in the Fields of Athenry 10km held in what were described as “less than ideal conditions” on St Stephen's Day. A number of them were among the prizewinners.

Mayo Athletic Club will celebrate 25 years of success since the club was founded, at an anniversary function to be held in the Failte Suite at The Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar, on Saturday December 1 at 8pm.

John Byrne, representing Ireland finished in fifth place in the IAU World Trophy 50k race in Italy last Saturday morning. In very hot conditions and a strong sea breeze, finishing times were down. Participants completed eight laps of the 6.25km course at the coastal towns of Vallecrosia and Bordigheria. The race was won by British athlete Steven Way in 2:54, as the top three broke the three hour mark. John finished in 3:10, a brilliant effort by Mayo AC’s ultra man. In the early stages he ran in group of four in eighth place, including Daniel Oralek (Czech), a former World 100k winner. As the temperature hit 25c he moved into sixth place after 16 miles, and fifth after 20. “It was a battle for survival from then on,” said John. Although he dropped back to sixth with four laps to go, a typical gritty finish by the Straide man saw him gain fifth again which he sustained to the line after 31.1 miles of running.