Record time wins Balla 10k

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

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.

Prendergast excels on the Partry Mountains

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

Having come close to a win only days previous in the hotly contested Westport town centre criterium junior rider Jason Prendergast riding for Cong based Cunga CC managed to come up trumps this time around taking a fine solo win in the Western Lakes CC promoted Tourmakeady Festival race on Wednesday evening. In what proved to be ideal racing conditions the 45 rider field took to the line for the 50km handicapped event. With six minutes covering the field from front to back the last group to start had it all to do. Riding steady they worked well to whittle down the lead of those in front. By the halfway point most of the riders had been swept up by the strong men and the attacking started in earnest, with Ballinrobe man Padraig Marrey the first to fire a bullet from his gun. This move was gradually reeled in and just as it came together it was Jason Prendergast who took the initiative and launched a strong attack. Sensing the danger, it was Marrey who responded first and as the duo gathered momentum up front several more managed to close the gap making it five in the newly established breakaway. With the majority of the clubs present now represented out front this move had every likelihood to succeed, and while those behind mounted a consistent chase the strength of the front group never looked like being overhauled. On to the finish where Prendergast decided to go alone with approximately 2km remaining and managed to hold on for a fine win with Marrey left to settle for second on the night.

Deane’s hat-trick at autocross

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

Derek Deane’s run of good luck continued as he annihilated the competition at round three of the Mayo and District Motorsport Club’s Loose Surface Autocross at Harrington’s Quarry near Swinford. Since his first win Deane seems unstoppable as he now makes it three wins in a row. Deane put in an incredible time on the third run of the day to finish over five seconds ahead of his brother Mervyn driving a similar JB Buggy. Mervyn managed to fend off the challenges of Martin Tynan in his impressive Mitsubishi Evo 8 to finish second. Foxford’s James McGreal was the next top Mayo man, finishing to round off the top 10 in his sprightly Subaru Impreza. The Mayo and District Club Award was won by Adrian Deane. The event was also the fourth counting round of the inaugural 2013 National Loose Surface Autocross Championships, a series that coincidentally Derek Deane has been victorious on the opening three rounds off.

Outside of the top 10, the next best local competitor home was David Carney from Westport. It was the first time Carney unleashed his impressive C2R2 at the Mayo event. Shrule’s Noel Murphy won the battle of the local young drivers. His Honda Civic never missed a beat all day while been pushed to the max by the well developing south Mayo man. Alan Moran was next home in his Opel Kadett, finishing one place ahead of Bekan’s Sean McHugh in his Subaru Impreza.

Minors look to avoid Monday blues

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

The fixture gods deemed it fitting that Mayo would have to face Donegal in the senior quarter-final on Sunday afternoon, however they weren’t so kind as to place the county’s minor side on the same billing. Instead Enda Gilvarry’s men will be the opening act of a double bill of minor quarter finals in O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Monday afternoon, while the Kerry minors have been given the matinee slot in Croke Park the day before against Tyrone. However Mayo minor manager Enda Gilvarry isn’t complaining and is just looking forward to getting on with the job in hand. “To a certain extent we can't control the day and venue, any pitch is the same. It would have been nice to be with the seniors but it wasn't to be. It's the same for Westmeath, they would have looked forward to playing a quarter-final in Croke Park the same as we were.”

Casey's Call

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

And then there were eight. Watching the qualifier between Tyrone and Meath and Ger Canning announcing that Donegal seem to be into the quarter final after a struggle against Laois, I promptly let my Donegal wife Rita know that Mayo could now get drawn against Donegal. I knew it would happen, it was written in the stars, a chance for this Mayo team to right what went wrong in last year’s All-Ireland final. They could have got an easier draw in the likes of Cavan but getting pitted against Donegal - the All-Ireland champions, the team that made us sick to the pit of our stomachs last September means there is little needed in the line of motivation and complacency is gone out the window. It also means not much chat in the Casey house this week. I hope and expect to have bragging rights at 5.30pm next Sunday.

Collision course

Fri, Aug 02, 2013

Once Monaghan had ended Donegal’s three-in-a-row Ulster championship dreams in St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, a couple of hours after Mayo had wrapped up their own hat-trick of provincial titles, this Sunday’s quarter-final pairing was the one that the neutral and plenty of non-neutrals wanted to see come out of the hat. And so it came to pass, not long after 8.30pm last Saturday, the gods conspired to set up a rematch of last year’s All Ireland final, with Cavan man Joe McQuillan the man brokering the peace in the middle of the two packs.

Horan ready for Donegal challenge

Mon, Jul 29, 2013

The luck of the draw pitted Mayo and Donegal against each other in next Sunday’s All Ireland quarter-final and with that James Horan will square off against Jim McGuinness once again on the sideline. The Mayo manger looked confident and relaxed at the Mayo press event in Breaffy House on Sunday night and was looking forward to taking on last year’s All Ireland champions once again.

Balla 10k celebrates its twenty first birthday

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

The 21st Balla 10k takes place tomorrow, Saturday, July 27 at 7pm. This event has been organised by the same committee led by Brendan Conwell since its inception. The Balla 10k is the first of six races in the 15th Mayo AC C & C Cellular Road League. The Balla 10k has attracted hundreds of runners, joggers, and walkers to the village from all over Ireland over the past 21 years, many of them raising funds for various worthy causes in the process. The course is over a testing one lap AAI measured and permitted circuit. The start and finish line is just a few metres away from race headquarters which is located in the community centre in the middle of the village.

Brendan Conwell ahead of the event said: "This is an event that has something for everyone - from the elite athlete to the fun runner and walker. It also provides an ideal opportunity for the hundreds who took part in the recent successful Mayo AC Summer 5k Series to test their fitness over a longer distance. Features of the race include a €2,000 cash prize fund, chip timing, a well marshalled course, dressing and shower facilities, street entertainment, and plenty of refreshments. All participants will get a goody bag and finishers’ medal. The Balla 10k is recognised as a low cost low budget event but with all the trimmings of a top quality promotion."

Tough battle in Mayo cycling championships

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

Westport was the venue recently for the second ever Mayo Cycling Championship. The event attracted the best cyclists that Mayo has to offer with in-form riders such as Patrick Clarke from Castlebar and professional rider Charles Prendergast from Louisburgh taking their place on the starting line along with 51 other cyclists from the nine cycling clubs in Mayo.

Casey's Call

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

What a wonderful occasion last Sunday’s Connacht finals day was in McHale Park. I arrived in Castlebar at 11am and already could feel the buzz and anticipation as many supporters were parking miles out the Charlestown road at that early hour. The day was not as sunny as expected but it was very humid and extremely energy sapping for the players, and even the well prepared Mayo players who did not have to get out of second gear were down on all fours at the end gasping for air.

Historic big two meet in last eight showdown

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Treanlaur Catering Senior Football Championships have pitted the historic big two of the game in the county against each other for a place in the semi-final. Pat Holmes’ Castlebar Mitchels’ reward for topping their group including Breaffy, Crossmolina, and Davitts is a meeting with John Healy’s Ballina Stephenites, whenever the games get around to being played. Both sides are far and away the top dogs in the role of honour in the championship with Ballina Stephenites having claimed the title on 36 previous occasions and Castlebar Mitchels winning 27 titles.

All roads lead to Croke Park next weekend

Fri, Jul 26, 2013

In the immediate aftermath of Mayo’s win over London last Sunday, as the celebrations died down, the only thing that Alan Dillon was getting ready for was whoever comes out of the hat tomorrow night in the All Ireland quarter-final draw. “Our focus is the All Ireland series, we’ll be keeping the heads down for the next few weeks and focusing.” The Ballintubber clubman was honest in his appraisal of how his side performed on the day saying: “We made it difficult at times for ourselves, our use of the ball at some stages in the game wasn’t as clinical as it should have been. We’ve a lot to work on, it’s a short period now until the next game and it was good to see some of the lads get game time on the pitch, we’ll really put a huge effort in over the next two weeks and all roads lead to Croke Park. We let it drop for periods today, which is disappointing and when we got our chances we took the goals.”

The two-time All Star was also happy to have got another full game under his belt heading into the business end of the season. “Personally, I felt good out there today, it’s the first time since the Roscommon game that I got the lungs up to top pace and I finished out the game as well, which I was happy with. It’s good to be back, I’m getting there.”

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