With one eye on the Dublin City Marathon many athletes are checking their current state of preparedness by taking on competitive half marathons. Two such were held today – a day that weather-wise resembled mid summer rather than an autumn day.
A number headed to Waterford for the Greenway half marathon with some great individual results- Lisa Collins 1st O/40 (1.33.02) and Oonagh Guilfoyle 3rd O/40 (1.37.41). The ladies team won gold. Alan Mahon 2nd O/50 1.29.56. Other finishers included Andy Hanrahan1.30.50, Seamus Kavanagh 1.33.03, Lorcan O’Toole 1.33.56, Tony Lauhoff 1.34.05, Mary Prendergast1.35.05, Ann Marie Shortall 1.46.58 and Emma Staunton 1.52.52.
Travelling a bit further were the ones who headed to Tullamore for the Quinlan Half Marathon. The ladies were 7th overall and the men were 5th. Clare Dermody(1.28.10) and Jacinta Mulroe (1.30.48) won silver and bronze respectively in the Leinster O/40 category. Other finishers included the following Denis Vasiljevs 1.21.11, Colm Smyth 1.21.20, Mike Cullen 1.22.55, Shea Roddy 1.26.13, Ciaran Hughes 1.33.39, Andrew Smyth 1.35.15, Gary O’Dwyer 1.37.02, David Devine 1.38.08, Leisha O’Connell 1.44.48, Rita McGarvey 1.49.03, Mags Clancy 1.48.46 and Imelda Curran 2.10.32.
With the Tullamore half marathon doubling as the County Kilkenny half marathon KCH had good results. The men won 1st and 3rd senior teams and 1st team over 40 (Shea, Ciaran, Andrew, Denis) and Denis 1st individual O/40. The ladies were 1st senior team and 1st team over 40. Clare Dermody was 2nd senior and Jacinta 3rd senior. Clare was 1st O/40 and Jacinta 2nd O/40 Imelda Curran was 1st O/55.