Search Results for 'John Byrne'

Mayo AC's Michael McNeela took the long road to Norway to run in the Nordmarka Skogsmaraton set entirely in a forest just outside Oslo and finished in an excellent time 3:24:58, Michael ran 3:14:08 in Dublin 2012 and was the recent winner of the Inishbofin half marathon.

The HSE Community Games launched the May Festival with the help of Irish sporting hero Sonia O’Sullivan in the new arena at Athlone Institute of Technology on Tuesday.

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.

Strong indications that now is the right time to buy a home, rather than continuing to rent, were expressed by a number of expert speakers at a property information evening held in Claremorris last week.

John Byrne (Mayo AC) finished second on Saturday in the National 50k championships hosted by Donadea Running Club. Marathon Mission member Barry Minnock (Rathfarnham WSAF) who was second behind John last year was the clear winner of the Irish 50k title in 3hrs 5:02. John finished in 3:07:40, an excellent result with a typically resilient performance in another ultra race. He was rewarded with a personal best by 10 seconds. Conditions for the 107 starters in the forest park setting were quite different from 2012. The mainly gravel trail course (10 laps of 5k) had sections of sticky mud after a wet winter and compounded by the effects of logging vehicles which prevented water running off the track in places. From the start Minnock showed the pace that brought him a 2:17 marathon in 2012 and had opened up a 0:27 lead by the 7k mark. Although he was well within John’s sight at that point, as the laps went by he gradually extended this to 1:13 by halfway 1:30:22/1:31:35, and to 2:42 by 40k – 2:25:55/2:28:37. As they both tired over the remaining 10k John clawed back a few seconds but by then Barry Minnock was well in control and a deserving winner in 3:05:02. In the circumstances it was a brilliant effort by both athletes. Third place went to Peter Mooney (Unatt) in his first run over this ultra distance in 3:17:45, with his brother Rory (Raheny Shamrock AC) fourth in 3:18:40. The top four finishers were all under the 3:20:00 qualifying time to compete internationally.

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.

Three of Mayo AC's top masters women athletes competed on the Irish team in the 25th Annual British and Irish Masters International Cross Country at Queen's University Playing Fields, Belfast on Saturday last. Three club members in Irish vests is a great achievement.

After John Byrne's international success in the World Trophy 50k in Italy recently, three of Mayo AC's top women athletes have been selected on the Irish team to compete in the 25th Annual British and Irish Masters International Cross Country in Belfast on November 10.

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.

Athletics