Irish athletes had a busy and successful weekend across Europe, with several notable achievements taking place. Here are some of the highlights:
At the Griffith Avenue Mile in Dublin, John Travers of Donore Harriers delivered an impressive performance in challenging weather conditions, finishing just two seconds shy of breaking the four-minute barrier. Travers completed the mile in 4 minutes and 1 second. In the women’s category, Íde Nic Dhomhnaill of West Limerick AC claimed first place with a time of 4:45.
In Belfast, Eskander Turki of Annadale Striders emerged victorious in the Belfast Half Marathon with a time of 69:10. Ann Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC secured the top spot in the women’s race, finishing in 74 minutes and 53 seconds.
Overseas, Sinead Diver, originally from Mayo, won the Australian women’s marathon title at the Sydney Marathon. Despite high temperatures, Diver managed to finish eighth overall with a time of 2:31:27.
In other events, Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC triumphed in the Rás Gael Scoil Eanna 7km race, and Lizzie Lee returned to claim victory in the Cork Women’s Mini-Marathon after a decade. Brian Maher of Kilkenny City Harriers clinched first place in The Lakes 10km race in Blessington, Co Wicklow.
On the track, Ciara Mageean of City of Lisburn AC competed in the Diamond League final in Oregon, finishing 11th in the women’s 1500m event. In cross-country running, Fiona Gettings of Longford AC led the women’s pack at the Castlegar Open Cross-Country event, while Luke O’Sullivan of Craughwell AC emerged as the winner in the U18 men’s category.
The Irish team also achieved impressive results at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Madeira. Dee Collins of Ennis Track Club claimed first place in the W35 age group and secured team gold in the uphill race. Martin McDonald of Ballyroan Abbeyleix and District AC retained his M65 world title, and Kealey Tideswell of Clonmel AC finished second in the W40 age group.
Closer to home, Shane Lynch and Adam Cunningham emerged victorious in the elite 55km class at the Mourne Mountain Marathon, while Emma Stuart, an Irish athlete based in the English Lake District, won the prestigious 330km Tor des Géants race in the Italian Alps.
All in all, it was a weekend filled with remarkable performances from Irish athletes across various disciplines.