DCM 2019

We had a really tremendous day of racing on Sunday with a possibly unprecedented amount of pbs. We had hoped to be able to post official results, including teams, of the National Championships by now however these are currently unavailable. The following are the provisional results we have to hand, many congratulations to our medal winners. The standard was extremely high this year. Thanks to Richard for compiling.

Ian McGrath 2.37.31 6th 4th
Paul O'Brien 2.43.59/Pb (-4m)
Niall Larkin 2.54.44
Sarah Baryga 2.55.19/Pb (-3m)6th 3rd
Paul Allen 2.55.59/ Pb (-10m)
Gordon McWilliams 2.57.30 (adult pb)
Gary (the clown) Condon 3.01.37
Helen Barry 3.09.48 9th. 6th
Michael Knight 3.20.54/ob 3rd 1st
Richard Kavanagh 3.22.19 4th 2nd
Karol O'loinsigh 3.23.14/Pb (-25min)
Paul O'Dwyer 3.30.40/Pb
Jean O'Kennedy 3.31.13/Pb (-6m)2nd 1st
Lee Borland 3.37.43/ Pb (-23m)
Mary Hayde 3.40.32/ Pb (-23m)
Sharon Bailey. 3.46.43/Pb (-10m)
Siobhan Butler 3.48.34 Pb (-6m)
Norbert Van Woerkom 3.58.37/pb (-4m)
John Ashworth 4.04.24/ Pb
Marie Curran 4.16.40
Maureen O'Rourke 4.17.50/Pb (-1m)
Mark Duncan. 4.25.01/Pb (-1m)
Peter Doran 4.40.52
Dolores Gilliland 4.50.32/1st Pb
Elaine Norton 4.53.09/1st Pb
Marie Blennerhasset 4.58.46
Paul Gannon 5.19.03

Joe Cawley and Mark Messitt were both pacing, our pacers do an invaluable job and sacrifice their own race to support other runners' dreams and goals. Thank you!

Thanks also to the team on hand on Sunday morning to rub out and loosen muscles including our good friend Ian Egan.

We couldn't do any of this without the coaching and mentoring behind the athletes. Thanks to Level 3 coach Gerry Curtis for providing the tried and rested training plans.
Thanks to Richard for implementing them on the ground with his always wise words of wisdom in rain and shine all year round. We'd be lost without you.
Thanks also to the other leg of the coaching triad, Bobby Mitchell whose in-depth knowledge and technical expertise gets the very best out of his athletes.

As almost all coaches like to see their athletes run negative splits, here are ours who managed to do so. These splits are based on gun times; (they are also negative for chip as well):

Siobhan Butler 2m.29s. Negative Split
Richard Kavanagh. 2m. 27s.
Ian McGrath. 37s
Gordon McWilliams. 31s

Great runs also from our good friends, Conor Boyle, who ran 3.29.35 and Grainne Butler who ran 3.50.49.

In the Frankfurt Marathon, Cathy Mitchell ran an excellent new Pb of 3.26.11:
3 marathons in 12 months and 3 pbs, the latest with a 9th place age category finish, over 50 and no slowing this one down!

Congratulations to all our Sli Cualann athletes, recover well and enjoy the post-marathon buzz.

Dublin Race Series Half Marathon 2019

Well done to all our athletes who were racing on 21st and 22nd September. At the Dublin Race Series Half Marathon, Suzanne Foot had a great run, 87.51, finishing 10th woman overall and 1st in the 0/45 Category. Joe Kelly, running his first half in 2 years, ran a fine 87.11. Ross Kelly ran 1:37:04, Joe Eustace ran a new Pb of 1.43.24 and Mary Hayde (recovering from a recent injury) ran 1.45.08. Gerry Keaty ran 1.50.54, Mark Duncan ran 1.56.35 and Maureen O'Rourke ran 2.00.58, Good to see Marie Curran back racing and running 2.04.13. Brid McNamee, running her first Half, ran 2.06.28. Caroline McBride, also running her first half, was delighted with her 2.08.02. Paul Gannon ran 2.15.57 and Mary O'Connor, another running her first half, ran 2.22.34. Peter Doran, struggling with a foot injury of late, ran 2,20.08. Gary Condon and Joe Cawley paced the 90 min group and Dominic Horan and Mark Messitt pace the 1h40's.

We send our Congratulations to Sarah Baryga, who had a fantastic run, 83.47, and was 3rd woman home. Well done to all our fellow Sli Cualann athletes who took part.

At the Belfast Half Marathon Lee Borland continued his preparation for Dublin Marathon with a solid 1.41.57.

At the Griffith Ave Mile, Dominic Horan ran a fine 5.00 and was 3rd 0/50. Tom Cavanagh also had a fine run. 6.27 and was 2nd 0/60.

Over in Galway, Ashling Smith finished 6th in the Castlegar Open C/C.

Race Update 1st September 2019

Well done to all our athletes who were racing during the past week. The results we have to hand are as follows. At the Pfizer 5k on Wednesday last, 28th Aug, Bernard Quinn, ran a Season Best of 21.10 and finished 2nd 0/65. On Friday evening, 30th Aug, a number of our athletes took part in the Tara AC 5k, the 5k with the big hill, and in the juvenile 3k.. In the 3k, restricted to athletes U/16, James Foot put in an incredible performance, breaking away from the pack at the 2k mark, to win comfortably in a very impressive 10.05. 

In the 5k, Paul Allen ran 17.09, 7th overall and Paul won the 0/40 category. Garrett Kelly ran a new Pb of 17.24 and finished 11th overall and was 2nd 0/40. Will Foot ran 18.09 and Conor Maher ran 18.31. Suzanne Foot ran 20.07, 6th woman overall and 2nd 0/45. Richard Kavanagh ran 21.23,1st 0/65. Jason O'Connor ran 22.29 and Noelle Thorpe continued her impressive comeback to racing, running 22.50 and finished 2nd 0/55. Orla Phillips, ran 25.20 and was 1st 0/65. In the men's team event the lads were just pipped for first place by an excellent Dunshaughlin AC team. Above times are all gun times.
At the prestigious Tullamore AC Quinlan Cup, Darren Cullen and Paul O'Brien put in excellent performances. Darren finished 11th overall in 74.53 and Paul ran 75.47, 16th overall and 3rd 0/40. Great running from both. Well done to our good friends Cathy Mitchell who ran a fine 21.52, and Ben Mitchell, running his second or maybe third race, ran 17.21, finishing 5th overall at the Pfizer 5k. 

National 1/2 Marathon C/Chips 2019

The National Half Marathon C/ships were held on Sunday 11th August 2019 in conjunction with the Rock and Roll H/M. Once again there was excellent performances from our athletes and our fellow Sli Cualann athletes. Congratulations go to Michael Knight who won Gold in the 0/65 category, recording a gun time of 1.36.38 (1.36.30 chip). Paul Allen finished 6th in the 0/40 category in a gun time of 1.18.48 (1.18.40 chip). Paul took almost 4 minutes off his previous best for the distance. 

Great running also from Sarah Baryga, 1.24.39, Gold in 0/40 Category and Catherine O'Connor 1.29.39, Silver in same Category. The Sli Cualann women's, 35/49, team of Sarah, Catherine and Ann Marie Kenny, 1.39.18, won an excellent Gold. William Belton, 1.42.02, won Bronze in the 0/65 Category. Times are gun times. Well done also to Mark Messitt and Ray Kenny on an perfect pacing job, congratulations to all who took part.