2.500 EURO DONATED TO ST.JOHNS SPECIAL SCHOOL AT WATERFORD GREENWAY HALF MARATHON.
A club scribe much better than this one once wrote, the weather was so bad you wouldn’t put a milk bottle out, this is one way to describe the weather last Saturday for our 7th Annual Waterford Greenway half marathon conditions when thue to the forecast people on the stroke of 9 am down it came in bucket loads, but you know what it was still a great day despite everyone getting a good wetting, runners and officials alike. Enough said about the weather now we will move onto the great event itself .The Waterford Greenway half marathon is the only half marathon race held fully on the Greenway and the only one of its kind in the country. This event is holding its numbers greatly each year and last Saturday a field of 663 completed the half marathon distance. Of course it’s you the runners who make such an event the success that Saturdays race was so a huge thank you to all who came along from near and far to participate and we hope each and every one of you enjoyed our great race and facility and that you might return with your families in the not to distance future for a longer stay among us here in this part of the country. A huge thank you to you the runners who donated to this year’s chosen charity the St Johns Special school Dungarvan who were represented with a cheque for 2.500 euro. From early Friday afternoon the West Waterford AC train went into motion with helpers out on the course preparing the greenway for Saturday’s event. An event like this is one that has to have a huge amount of help from our member’s and also from many outside of the club itself so our grateful thanks go to the huge number of stewards all along the 13.1 mile course especially on the day we were dealt Saturday . Thanks to all our very good friends in Kilmacthomas for their invaluable help and to all those who helped out on our 4 water stations along the course a big thanks to you all. To our chip timing squad myrunresults a very professional job once again. To our all our medics a sincere thanks. To many associate sponsors including our good friends at Flahavans, Sólás Na Mara, Coach House Kilmacthomas,Dungarvan Transport,IFAC Dungarvan and Hickey Fabrication Kilmacthomas, Many thanks to you all. A massive thank you to Johnny Brunnock Waterford Trails officer at Waterford city and county council for his and there assistance, without the local authority’s help it would not be possible to hold such an event. Thanks to the Brunnock and Collins families for coming along to present the winners cups. Our thanks to our cycle outriders who as usual did a brilliant job. Thanks to all our pacers who all came up trumps on the day and really made the event so enjoyable for many who were trying to achieve their goals. Thank you to the O’Rourke family for their help with the bag drop. Thanks to Conor Norris and John Mc Grath and Jamie Mills, for all their work on the course and in so many other ways over the weekend. Thank you to local Farmer’s James and Anthony Beresford for the use of their land for parking, and to Ger Wyley and Cllr Thomas Phelan who looked after the parking .Our thanks to Niall Barry Kilmacthomas for his invaluable assistance and help in Kilmacthomas with the use of his land for parking on the day.Thank you to our club committee at West Waterford AC who put in Trojan work over many months in organising this event. Finally a huge thank you our club chairman Tom Leahy and also club Secretary Ann Dunford who both but in huge work to make this event happen, and to anyone I have omitted, a big thanks to you all for making last Saturdays race one to remember and not another mention of the weather now ok..
PAT HENNESSEY WINS PAUL BRUNNOCK PERPETUAL CUP FOR 3RD TIME.1.11.51
The Paul Brunnock perpetual cup was presented to our deserving race winner last Saturday and a member of the host club West Waterford AC when Pat Hennessey was our clear victor in a time of 1.10.33 an excellent time considering the heavy rain that fell throughout the race. Pat was in fact winning his 3rd Waterford Greenway half having also taking the spoils in 1999 and 2022 so he is the first to have his name inscribed 3 times on the beautiful trophy which remembers one of our most popular members Paul Brunnock who passed to his eternal reward some time ago, our grateful thanks to the Moylan, Rory and Baby Paul Brunnock along with other family members who made a huge effort to be here with us on Saturday to present the winner with the cup. Our runner up was Dermot Gorman Carrick On Suir AC 1.11.51,no stranger to our races Dermot has had his share of wins in WWAC events in the past .3rd man homes was from Wexford when Paul Doran United Striders A.C. finished in a time of 1.12.16. Pat Fitzgerald Waterford A.C 1.13.12,Pat won the race in 2023 and was runner-up in 2024 so a regular on the podium at this event. Turning to 5th man home was another West Waterford AC athlete Aidan Connell West Waterford A.C. 1.13.28.Aidan finished 3rd here last year but he gave his all Saturday in the conditions and can be well pleased with yet another podium position . Gerry Cantwell was the victor over 65 when he clocked a time of 1.43.41.Other club runners to figure among the prizes were in the over 45 category John Coffey 1.17.14 was the winner with Raivis Zakis filling 2nd place 1.18.48.Ray Hahesy was 2nd in the over 60 category 1.34.19.
MENS RESULTS
1.Pat Hennessy West Waterford A.C. 1.10.33
2.Dermot Gorman Carrick On Suir A.C. 1.11.51
3.Paul Doran United Striders A.C. 1.12.16
4.Pat Fitzgerald Waterford A.C 1.13.12
- Aidan Connell West Waterford A.C. 1.13.28
Male 40
1st David Power Rathfarnham WSAF A.C.
2nd Noel Murphy Waterford A.C.
Male 45
1st John Coffey West Waterford A.C.
2nd Raivis Zakis West Waterford A.C.
Male 50
1st John Byrne United Striders
2nd John Guiry no club
Male 55
1st John Murphy Grange Fermoy
2nd Eugene O Keeffe Carrick on Suir
Male 60
1st Paul MacGabhann
2nd Ray Hahesy West Waterford
Male 65
1st Gerry Cantwell West Waterford
2nd Jim O Reilly ind
Male Junior
Tadhg Nolan ind
Mens Team
1st
Clonmel A.C. 79 points
Danny Brosnan 14
Luke Burfield 30
Ian Purcell 35
2nd Team
St Catherine’s A.C. 87 points
Michael Byrne 19
Jim Harty 29
Jonathan Kenneally 39
MARIE HOWARD WINS PAULA COLLINS PERPETUAL CUP.
The Paula Collins perpetual cup was presented to our ladies winner this year in loving memory of Paula who passed to her eternal reward some time ago, Paula was a very well loved member of our club and we give our grateful thanks to the members of the Collins family Joe,Lily and Alex who came along on a wet morning to present Paula’s cup to our winner Marie Howard Leevale AC. With a time of 1.21.51.Marie a native of Co.Clare is working and running with the Leevale club in Cork city and she was running this race for the first time, Marie previously worked in Dublin and ran with the Clonliffe Harriers AC club while up there with a lot of success also. 2nd lady was Laura Noonan IND in a time of 1.27.58,Breda Gaffney Mallow AC took 3rd place this year in a time of 1.28.57 with Anne O’Donovan IND 1.30.09 4th home. Another Leevale athlete took 5th place Orla Hayes 1.30.29.Great news for the West Waterford AC ladies team with 52 Points taking the win with the 3 scoring team members of Natalie Sheehan 10 Eveleen Drohan 13 Linda Foley 29.
LADIES RESULTS
1.Marie Howard Leevale A.C.1.21.51
2.Laura Noonan Ind 1.27.58
3.Breda Gaffney Mallow A.C. 1.28.57
4.Anne O Donavan Ind 1.30.09
5.Orla Hayes Leevale A.C. 1.30.29
Female 35
1st Lyndsey Keating Ind.
2nd Christine Kelly East Cork A.C.
Female 40
1st Roseanna Knox KCH A.C.
2nd Lisa Collins KCH A.C.
Female 45
1st Siobhan Holland Eagle A.C.
2nd Olga O Loughlin St Finbarrs A.C
Female 50
1st Siobhan Mc Hugh Ind
2nd Pamela Barry Aghada A.C.
Female 55
1st Geraldine Grogan KCH A.C.
2nd Mol Lambert Ind
Female 60
1st Margaret Kirwan Ind
2nd Liz Nolan Ind
Female 65
1st Catherine Redmond United Striders A.C.
1st Ladies Team
West Waterford A.C. 52
Natalie Sheehan 10
Eveleen Drohan 13
Linda Foley 29
2nd Ladies Team
Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 118
Anita Byrne 11
Ann Marie Shorthall 42
Laura Andrews 65
