Dec 2024 The Roads at Christmas
Christmas Morning Run – the annual Christmas morning run was well supported. Thanks to all who took part and contributed valuable funds to Cois Nore.
Stoneyford 5K – Among those working off the Christmas around the Stoneyford circuit were Padraig Ruane, Shea Roddy and Lorcan O’Toole,
Run off the Pudding – Tullaroan provided variety on the roads on Saturday with 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon and marathon opportunities. Among the participants were Emily Maher, Paula Hynes, Mags Clancy, Aisling Gannon, Orla O’Gorman, Oonagh Guilfoyle and Emma Kennedy.
MSD 4 Mile Clonmel – The Richardsons were on the road in Clonmel and didn’t stay on it too long. Grace was 3rd home in 21.28 and followed closely by Maebh 5th in 21.40. Niamh was 2nd O/50 in 26.19. Well done ladies.
Dec 11 Changes at AGM
When it came to elections to the committee for 2025 there were big changes among the officers. May Hutt, competition secretary for many years, stood down from the post and took on the role of Club Registrar. Noel Maher took on the job of competition secretary. John Maye, for a number of years as chairman, also stood down. Nicholas Dunphy was elected to replace John and James Ledingham continues as Vice Chairman.
Outgoing club secretary, Laura Langton, was replaced by Padraig Ruane. Jane Crowley was appointed to the PRO position.
Conor McGabhan and Niamh Richardson are Child Liaison Officers and Coaching Officers are Avril O’Flaherty and Niamh Richardson.
Dec 15 County Senior CC
After a couple of years with an October date the 2024 County Senior Cross Country today was back close to the Christmas. Today’s event hosted by the St Senan’s club was held in Kilmacow.
KCH, winners of the men’s and women’s national titles in 2023, would be expected to have it easy at county level. It didn’t turnout that way. With none of the US based athletes available and a considerable number sick or injured, getting teams together proved difficult. In the end the ladies could only muster three runners. The men fared better and managed to get two teams to the start line. One with Ger Forde taking individual gold and Brian Maher the bronze finished in first place to continue an unbroken line of wins, while the other team finished fifth. Well done keeping the shield.
Ladies – Caoilfhionn Ni Argain 6th, Oonagh Guilfoyle 11th, Sophie Cunningham 13th.
Men – Ger Forde 1st, Brian Maher 3rd, James Ledingham 5th, Paul Bolger 9th, Padraig Ruane 14th, Mike Cullen 18th, Andrew Smith 23rd, Eamon O’Connor 27th and Neil Gunning 40th.
Two club members had a good outing at the Thurles Fresh Milk 6K on Saturday. Michael Murphy was first overall while Nicola FitzGibbon was first lady. Well done.
Dec 07/08 Runners Abroad
The European Cross Country Championships were held this year in Antalya, Turkiye – Three time zones away – a long way for competitors AND supporters to travel. KCH had one athlete competing – Cathal O’Reilly in the Under 23 event. The team with Nick Griggs winning silver placed 4th – the best Irish team performance on the day. Cathal finishing in 37th place was fourth scorer for the team. Among the supporters was Toss Hayes. Will we see him run in one of these big races some year soon?
Meanwhile the indoor season in the USA kicked off with the annual meet in Boston. Grace (NYU) and Maebh Richardson (Portland) were in action in the 5000m heats. Both recorded new PBs for the distance Grace in 16.14 and Maebh in 16.16.
Dec 06 Medieval Mile
The 2024 Medieval Mile, postponed from 29th Nov because of the general election, went ahead tonight despite the danger of getting caught in storm Darragh. In the end the weather behaved and the race went off in excellent conditions to the relief of the 250 plus participants and of course the organising committee and team of volunteers. With more than twenty clubs taking part from near and far Kilkenny City Harriers as the host club were well represented and featured strongly in the prize winners.
First across the finish line was Junior Ruairi McEvoy. Tom Murphy was 2nd junior and Kyrell Mtinsi was 4th junior. Jamie Gahan 3rd over all was first O/40. Close on his heels was Brian Maher 3rdO/40 and James Ledingham 4th O/40. Another 3rd place was recorded by Pat Holohan in the O/60 category.
The ladies race was won by another junior, Pia Langton. Clodagh O’Callaghan placed 4th Junior. Emily Maher was 2nd O/40, Irene Henebry 3rd O/50 and KCH had 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th O/60 with Helen Bacon, Nichola Read, Imelda Curran and Nicola Flynn respectively.
Full results on Pop Up Races
Nov 30/Dec 01 – Waterford 1/2 & Nat Novice/Uneven
It was a busy weekend for the club, particularly down Waterford way – the Waterford half marathon on Saturday and the national Uneven ages and Novice cross country in Tramore racecourse.
Some 37 of our adults took part in the Waterford Half. Paul Bolger in 1.19.48 was first of our men home. Megan McCarthy was first for the ladies. Her time was 1.26.41. Then we had Jacinta Mulroe in 1.28.22 and Claire Dermody in 1.28.48. These three ladies took first team place to raise the spirits of all. Well done. Other participants were Rory Conlon, Mike O’Shaughnessy, Rory Lehane, Ciaran Hughes, Andy Hanrahan, Declan Walshe, Tony Lauhoff, David Devine, Pierce Cooney, James Gaule, James Murphy, Billy Culleton, Leanne Butler, Lisa Collins, Anita Byrne, Oonagh Guilfoyle, Jane Campell, Kate Sugrue, Kate Millea, Anne Marie Shortall, Lenka Taborksa, Rhoda Griffith, Mags Clancy, Paula Hynes, Rita McGarvey, Gretta Beckett, Irene Henebry, Emma Stauntom, Aisling Gannon, Eileen Morgan, Orla Morrissey, Orla McPhillips, Deirdre Scott.
Over in Carlow there were third place finishes for Nuala FitzGibbon (20.08) and Michael Murphy (17.58) in the CRYS 5K.
On Sunday it was the national cross country in Tramore where we were well represented by 24 athletes. Well done to our under 11 boys who have been busy all season. Today they placed 13th club with Daniel Quinn 66, Daniel McIntyre 51 and Isaac Burns 126 scoring on the 8th placed county team. Cillian Maher 100, Conor Lawernce Delaney 167 and James Healy 168 completed the team scoring.
One of the Stars was Daniel Green who took individual silver in the U13 race.
In U15 we had another fine run by Sinead Cormack. Sinead finished 13th and collected gold with the Leinster team.
There were no medals for us in U17 but good representation. In the girls we had Clodagh O’Callaghan 54, Eimear Cormack 110 and Evelyn McEvoy 135. The boys were Conor Ryan 69, Donnacha Maher 104 and Conor Malone 118.
We have to be proud of our under 19 athletes – Pia Langton took individual silver, led the county team to team silver and was also first finisher on the gold winning Leinster team. The boys also excelled – none more so than Ruairi McEvoy who won bronze. Callum Barron placed 6th and won bronze with the Leinster squad.
The Novice athletes also did us proud. Hannah Kehoe in 3rd place won bronze and was first home on the 8th placed county team. Caoilfhionn NiArgain was 72nd. The Novice men had a team which finished in 11th place. Myles Hewlett 24, Jamie Gahan 41 and Dean Rowe 75 all scored on the county team which placed 6th. Kevin Burns 103 and Padraig Ruane 115 completed the team scoring.