2.000 EURO DONATED TO IRISH COMMUNITY AIR AMBULANCE AT EUROFINS WATERFORD GREENWAY HALF MARATHON.
It was so good to be back this year with our 4th Annual Eurofins Waterford Greenway half marathon after a two years break due to the covid pandemic, we were delighted to showcase to all the many visiting athletes our famed Waterford Greenway for the event which after all the fine weather the morning brought us some early rain but by the time the race got under way it was starting to dry up and by the time all runners had reached the finish line in Ballinroad it was good and dry and there was no wind with temperatures not too bad either so all in all we got away with a half decent morning. The Eurofins half marathon this year saw over 540 finishers cross the finish line in Ballinroad having made their way towards the coast line from the starting point at the Coach House in Kilmacthomas.A huge thank you to all who came along from near and far to participate as without the athletes there would be no race , so we really do appreciate you supporting another West Waterford athletic club event. Congratulations to all the runners who donated to this year’s chosen charity Irish Community Air Ambulance who were represented on the day by Lorraine Toner whom we sincerely thank for taking the time to come along on the day. Lorraine was presented with a cheque of 2.000 euro on behalf of all the runners of the race. To all who helped and there were many both pre-race and on race day. To the huge number of stewards all along the 13.1 mile course a sincere thank you. Thanks to all our very good friends in Kilmacthomas for their invaluable help and to all those who helped out on our4 water station’s along the course a big thanks to you all. To our chip timing squad myrunresults a very professional job once again, thank you to Ballinroad AFC for affording us the use of their dressing rooms/showers, and Ballinroad community hall for the use of the hall for race HQ. Of course all events need great sponsors and we are fortunate to have had a brilliant sponsor again this year in Eurofins Dungarvan. Our thanks to Jean Keating – Deputy MD Eurofins for coming along on the day to present the winners with their prizes,this was much appriciated. To many associate sponsors including our good friends at Flahavans, Sólás Na Mara, Lidl Dungarvan.Thanks to all the management and staff at the Coach House Cafe a million thanks guys.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. Our thanks to our cycle outriders Niall Barry, Beanie Byrne.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. 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 Anthony Beresford for the use of his land for parking, and to Ger Wyley and Cllr Thomas Phelan who looked after the parking. Thank you to myrun results for their prompt and professional race results. Many thanks to our great team of photographers. Our thanks to Joe O’Rourke and family for there assistance on Saturday also and for the use of the van. 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.
PAT HENNESSEY RETAINS EUROFINS WATERFORD GREENWAY HALF CROWN.
Our race winner last Saturday was our pre-race favourite having won the race when it was last held in 2019 West Waterford’s Pat Hennessey is currently in brilliant form and it would have taken an athlete of exceptional talent to have beat the Lismore man last Saturday as he recorded back to back victors in one of the clubs red letter events of the year. at lead the race from the gun and at Mc Grath’s cross the 4 mile mark had a lead of 600 meters on the 2nd athlete Paul Doran United Striders Wexford who in tune had a lead of 200 meters on a group of 4 battling it out for 3rd at this early stage. Pat is improving yearly when he won this race in 2019 he recorded time of 1.10.20 and last Saturday as he crossed the finish line well clear of the field he had bettered that to 1.09.04 just outside his personal best for the distance. Paul Doran held on well for that 2nd spot recordeing a time of 1.10.49 with Kevin O’Leary East Cork AC just back from a lay off from the sport for a few years taking thatn 3rd place in 1.11.13, Another Cork athlete took 4th place in Barry O’Donovan Cork Track club with a clocking of 1.12.54 and Waterford’s Noel Murphy took 5th place in 1.13.10.Other club runners to figure among the prizes were Ronald Ilsley 1st over 60 while his team mate Liam Clince took 2nd place here. In the Over 65 Anthony Dwyer was 1st and Over 70 Paschal Proctor was 2nd. West Waterford A C had an excellent team win with thre to score -John O’Rourke,Dermot Gough and Dermot Ryan with 54 pts.
. MENS RESULTS
Pat Hennessy West Waterford AC 1.09.04
Paul Doran United Striders AC 1.10.49
Kevin O’Leary East Cork AC 1.11.13
Barry O’Donovan Cork Track club 1.12.54
Noel Murphy Waterford AC 1.13.10
Over 40
Paul Doran United Striders AC 1.10.49
Joe Lillis United Striders AC 1.13.24
Over 45
John Hodge IND 1.16.58
Padraig Mahony IND 1.18.58
Over 50
John Murphy Grange Fermoy AC 1.19.23
Willie O’Connor Galtee Runners AC 1.20.59
Over 55
Seamus Madigan IND 1.21.18
Liam Cottor St.Finbarrs AC 1.21.33
Over 60
Ronald Ilsley West Waterford AC 1.38.43
Liam Clince West Waterford AC 1.38.26
Over 65
Anthony Dwyer West Waterford AC 1.44.24
Joseph Power Midleton AC 1.48.13
Over 70
Michael Dunne St.Finbarrs AC 1.57.02
Paschal Proctor West Waterford AC 2.18.19
Teams
West Waterford AC -John O’Rourke,Dermot Gough and Dermot Ryan 54 pts
Waterford AC – Pat Fitzgerald,Adam Porter and James White 73 pts
FAST TIME RECORDED BY NIAMH STAUNTON TO WIN HALF.
On her very first visit to this race Niamh Staunton St Abbans AC made it a memorable one as she ran a ladies course record to claim an emphatic win leading the race from gun to tape. The Co. Laois athlete was the only female athlete to break the 1.20 standard when she clocked 1.19.55 a brilliant run on this fast half marathon course.Our second placed athlete and reguslar winner of many of our yearly events Clonmel’s Angela Mc Cann would I’m sure have loved to have recorded win in this race as she is an employee of our sponsors Eurofins in Dungarvan but 2nd place it was to be this year with a time of 1.21.08 which would have been fast enough to win any other year bar this one.Clara Ryan St.Finbarrs AC our first Cork female athlete to finish 1.25.49 was also well clear in 3rd from Jill Horgan IND 1.26.36 with Kate Veale 5th on a break from race walking our first local female finisher running a time of for 1.27.13. In the over 65 category Deirdre Clancy ran a time of 2.38.34 to take 1st place. There was success for the claub in the team awartd as like the men our Ladies took first team place with the scoring members Evelan Drohan,Ciara Burke and Liz Nyhan with 46 pts. Very well done to all the ladies who took part on the day.
LADIES RESULTS
- Niamh Staunton St.Abbans AC 1.19.55
- Angela Mc Cann Clonmel AC 1.21.08
- Clara Ryan St.Finbarrs AC 1.25.49
- Jill Horgan IND 1.26.36
- Kate Veale West Waterford AC 1.27.13
Over 35
- Jill Horgan IND 1.26.36
- Annette O’Reilly Kilfanane AC 1.28.48
Over 40
- Elaine Horgan Clonmel AC 1.32.43
- Lisa Brennan Kilkenny City Harriers AC 1.32.37
Over 45
- Bevon Lyons IND 1.27.26
- AnnMarie Holland Youghal AC 1.32.05
Over 50
- Nicola Maunsell Clonmel AC 1.35.49
- Stephanie Johnson IND 1.37.46
Over 55
- Phillipa Carney IND 1.47.46
- Deirdre Dunford Burren AC 1.48.04
Over 60
- Phyllis Flynn Stargglers 1.34.11
- Mary Murphy Dolmen AC 1.58.41
Over 65
- Deirdre Clancy West Waterford AC 38.34
- Ella Long IND 39.49
Teams
West Waterford AC – Evelan Drohan,Ciara Burke, Liz Nyhan 46 pts
Killkenney City Harriers AC Anita Byrne,Roseanna Knox and Anne Marie Shorhall 74 pts
TEAM GOLD FOR JOE GOUGH AT WORLD MASTERS MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
On last Saturday, the 21st annual World Masters Mountain Running Championships took place in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary. While Ireland has had strong representation at World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) events for several decades, this was the very first time this unique world championships for athletes ages 35 to 79 has been held in Ireland. Over 800 mountain runners from 29 nations descended on Clonmel to test themselves against world class mountain runners and the tough course chosen for the event which was organised by the IMRA. Competing within each five year age category, medals were awarded to the first three individuals and the first three Country/Nationality teams in all categories. As for the demographics of the field, 32% of registrants were women and the most well represented age group age 45 to 49 – having over 150 participants England topped the entry list with 123 athletes while 61 came from Italy and 27 from United States. There were runners from all over Europe as well as places like Japan, New Zealand. Venezuela and South Africa. Athletes aged 55 to 79 ran on the 8.4 km with 510 meters of climbing, while athletes 35 to 54 competed over a 10.6 km course with 602 meters of climbing here, Both courses started with a brutal 2 km road climb ascending over 200 meters. From there both courses turned off road over a mix of rough open sheep pasture, rolling forest roads and single-track trails. competing in the over 65 category West Waterford’s Joe Gough proved how versatile an athlete he is over all terrain’s and distances in the sport, multiple medal winner nationally and internationally both indoors and outdoors, Joe this year turned his running goals to mountain running when he heard the world championships were going to be held on his own door step, an opportunity not to be missed. Joe as usual prepared diligently and his efforts in this new found sport for the Owning man were rewarded when he was a scoring member of the Irish over 65 team who took gold to now add to his growing world medal Collection, Joe now is in the position of 8 world gold medals 7 individual and one team. The scoring members on the team were Martin McDonald 1st Joe 4th and Eugene Doherty 7th.Congratulations to Joe on his latest feat in a new direction within the sport of athletics.
