Team Ireland entered the final weekend of the World Masters Athletics Championships on Saturday, August 24th, with an array of talent competing across various events in the hopes of adding to the Irish medal tally. The day was lit up by podium finishes, personal bests, and strong team performances.
Half Marathon
Women’s Individual Results:
- Irene Clements earned a well-deserved silver medal in the W60 category, finishing with an impressive time of 1:35:13.
- Annette Kealy also secured a silver medal in the W55 category, completing the course in 1:27:33.
- Donna Evans put in a strong performance, finishing 7th in the W55 category with a time of 1:33:35.
- In the W45 category, Mairead Hogan and Paula Donnellan Walsh finished 15th and 20th, clocking in at 1:35:43 and 1:39:15, respectively.
- Jane Bandila led the Irish charge in the W40 category, finishing 9th in 1:31:10, followed by Claire Ni Fhaircheallaigh in 13th (1:36:20) and Carol Cullinane in 16th (1:40:49).
- Sue Zlnay ran a time of 1:57:34 to earn herself 20th place in the W60 category.
Men’s Individual Results:
- In the M65 category, Tom Cuddy came close to a podium finish, placing 5th with a time of 1:26:00. Micheal Walsh and Joseph Gallagher followed in 21st and 27th places, respectively.
- Barry Mackey secured 18th place in the M60 category, clocking in at 1:30:20.
- In the M50 category, Niall O'Hanlon led the Irish team with a time of 1:25:06, finishing 27th. Ronan Donohue, Stephen Monaghan, and Sean McDermott also put in commendable efforts, finishing 43rd, 46th, and 61st, respectively.
- Francisco Jaen Alegria, competing in the M45 category, finished 56th in a time of 1:37:10.
- Simon Nolan delivered a standout performance in the M35 category, finishing 13th with a swift 1:13:47.
Team Results
Team Ireland’s collective strength was on full display in the team events:
- The W55 Women’s Team (Kealy, Evans, Clements) secured a gold medal for Ireland.
- The W40 Women’s Team (Bandila, Cullinane, Ni Fhaircheallaigh) finished a respectable 5th place.
- The M65 Men’s Team (Cuddy, Walsh, Gallagher), M50 Men’s Team (O'Hanlon, Donohue, Monaghan), and M35 Men’s Team (Mackey, Jaen Alegria, Nolan) all claimed 6th place in their respective categories.
Track Results
Ireland’s success extended beyond the half marathon with brilliant results in the track events:
- Anne Gilshinan set a new World Record in the W60 1500m final, crossing the finish line in 4:59:45 and securing a gold medal. This incredible achievement added another highlight to Ireland’s day as well as adding even more history to this Championships.
- John MacDermott continued the winning streak with a gold medal in the M80 80m Hurdles, finishing in 16.25 seconds and setting a season best.
- In the M50 1500m final, Lea Fulcher put forth a solid performance, finishing 16th with a season-best time of 4:27.21.
Saturday at the World Masters Athletics Championships proved to be a successful one for Team Ireland. Despite the challenging course in the half marathon, every athlete who toed the line demonstrated exceptional dedication and pride as Ireland earned more medals while setting records on the track and achieving personal bests. Congratulations to all the athletes on their performances and for making Ireland's mark on the world stage.
Featured Image: by Sue Zlnay