SATURDAY RACES
Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC was the winner of Dublin Half Marathon, held in the Phoenix Park on Saturday after a battle royal with Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers. Just a second separated the pair on the finish line with Somba timed at 67 mins 5 secs and Ciobanu at 67.06. Third in 67:08 was David Glynn.
Along with Mihai Sprincean, who finished fourth in 67:20, the top three had gone through the half way point in around 25 mins 31 secs. Fifth in 67:36 was Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC, with Tudor Mircea Moldovan of Clonliffe Harriers sixth in 67:54.
First woman in 78:11 was Aoife Cleary from Wicklow. Second was Fiona Stack of Raheny Shamrock AC in 83:12, with Yuliya Tasasova of Clonliffe Harriers third in 84:31.
Age group winners were Ciobanu M40, Dermot Coffey M45, Peter Gaffney (Donore Harriers) M50, Norman Mawhinney (Scrabo Striders) M65, Paul Tuite M55, Pat Corcoran (Trim AC) M60, Katherine Duff (Blackrock AC) W40, Sarah Benton (North Down AC) W50, Mary Slocum (Ward Park Runners) W60, Lorraine O’Reilly W45, Caroline Murphy (Brothers Pearse AC) W55 and Eileen Donohoe W65.
Leevale AC’s Donal Coakley was the clear winner with a time of 28 mins 48 secs at the The Heart of Allihies 5-Mile, held in wet conditions at Allihies, Beara, Co Cork. Second in 30:53 was Bobby Tangney of Kenmare AC. First woman was Siobhan Holland of Eagle AC in 35:14.
Norah Newcombe Pieterse of Mayo AC became the latest woman to win a race outright when she finished first at the Ceide Coast Half Marathon in Ballycastle, Co Mayo. Pieterse finished in 83:02. Her Mayo AC clubmate John Gordon was second and first man in 83:32, with Tadgh Hanrahan, also Mayo AC, third in 83:35. Second woman was Colette Tuohy of Mayo AC in 90:41.
Winners of the 10km were John Regan of Celbridge AC in 37:48 and Donna Gallagher of Mayo AC in 42:51.
Newcastle and District AC took the men’s senior title at the NI and Ulster Road Relay Championships held in Victoria Park, Belfast on Saturday (September 23). The team of Eoghan Totten, Niall Goodman, Robbie Hagen and Patrick McNiff finished in 39 mins 14, with North Down AC second in 40:49 and Ballydrain Harriers third in 41:28. It was only a second victory in this event for Newcastle who also won in 2017.
Annadale Striders took the women’s senior title in 45:51, with Willowfield Harriers second in 47:01 and East Down AC third in 48:52. Best of the master women’s teams was Lagan Valley AC in 50:22 followed by Keep ‘Er Lit AC in 50:50 and Beechmount Harriers AC in 50:55. North Belfast Harriers won the master’s mens title in 42:26; North Down AC was second in 42:54 and Ballymena Runners third in 44:05.