Search Results for 'John Roddy'

"One of the best organised races around" was the verdict of one experienced club runner on the scene for 30 years. It was a comment repeated by many who flocked to Kilmovee for the sixth annual 10k on Saturday which was organised by John Roddy and the whole Kilmovee community, Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA club, and many volunteers. Their plan is to improve year on year and the evidence is clear.

Elvery’s MacHale Park is the place to be this weekend, when the best eight senior club teams in the county do battle for a place in the semi-finals of this year’s club championship.

There was an excellent turnout for the third annual Charlestown 10k on Saturday. It was also the fourth race in Mayo AC's 2014 Move2Improve Series. The field of 194 was over 80 up on 2013, testament to great work by an enthusiastic local organising team led by Christina Duffy, who was ably assisted by Kilmovee 10k supremo John Roddy, and supported by a host of local sponsors.

Kilmovee was buzzing on Saturday and there was more than just spring in the air. The crossroads on the R325 was full of orange clad marshals, dandelions lined the roadsides, tulips saluted from gardens, an array of green sun flowered Hospice t-shirts mingled with multicoloured runners and walkers, and sprinkled with a host of red and green Mayo AC vests. The yellow balloon arch at the start line did a spectacular malfunction which added to the excitement but did nothing to deflate the occasion. There was a record turnout of 545 entrants on a sunny Easter Saturday for the fifth Kilmovee 10k run and walk. This was the first event in Mayo AC's 2014 Move 2 Improve six race series, which is open to all entrants. It was excellently organised by Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA club and the local community in aid of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice. Ironman athlete Gerry Duffy was a guest and said: “It was the most friendly race I've ever been at, a fantastic event, testament to John Roddy's leadership and the involvement of the whole Kilmovee Community team.” The big field was well streamed out as they crossed over Aghadiffen Bridge into Roscommon after the 3k mark. Matt Bidwell, Roger Barrett, last year's winner Con Marshall, and Aidan Callaghan were in the lead group, with John Byrne - recovering from his PB run at last Sunday's Rotterdam marathon - and Timmie Glavey further back.

Mayo AC had a strong squad in Dublin on Monday for the 34th Dublin City marathon. The race was a genuine Irish Marathon championship with the absence of elite runners due to there being no official sponsor until Airtricity came on board. Women’s race winner was Maria McCambridge in 2:38:53, while the first man was 2012 Balla 10k winner Sean Hehir in 2:18:21. This is the first time an Irish duo has won the race in more than 20 years. While the weather in Mayo may have looked benign, bright, and sometimes breezy, it was not so in Dublin at the edge of storm St Jude. Split times over the final 10k indicate these last few miles were tough in blustery conditions.

The 34th Dublin City Marathon takes place this Bank Holiday Monday. Once again Mayo AC has a strong team entered, 26 in total - 17 men and nine women.

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.

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.