This was a quiet weekend. Nothing happening on the track - too early for CC - many preparing for upcoming marathons and half marathons - but a few chasing times. Three took on the Frank Duffy 10 Mile - Leanne Butler 1.07.49; Jill Kavanagh a PB of 1.19.21 - Paula Hynes 1.21.45.
Six KCH athletes ran in today's Youghal Half Marathon and all did well especially considering the warm weather. Kate Sugrue had a PB of 1.33.05. Other times achieved were Paddy Walsh 1.18.43, Andy Hanrahan 1.34.09, Jacinta Mulroe 1.34.13, Oonagh Guilfoyle 1.38.56 and Annemarie Shortall 1.50.35.
While much attention focused on the European U20 Championships a few of our athletes were on the New Ross Greenway for the annual 5K race. Eamon O'Connor led them home in 15.57. Derek Aylward and Nuala FitzGibbon were next with PBs of 18.15 and 18.50 respectively with Nuala also being third lady across the finish line. Then came Grainne Behan in 20.00. Neil Gunning, recently involved in The National League, had a big PB of 22.12 for the distance.
The Team Ireland had a very successful European Championships in Tampere, Finland over these few days with many reaching the finals and also medals being won. So it was an exciting and stimulating experience for our three KCH athletes, all of whom did themselves and the team proud. Alex Cullen was the first in action when he ran in heat 1 of the 400m where he placed 5th in 48.40. Alex was in action again in the 4x400 relay where he ran an excellent first leg. The team placed 4th in 3.12.28. A different structure which might have allowed for [...]
It was bronze for Cliodhna Manning in the final of this year's 400m track event. Cliodhna won her heat (heat 3) on Saturday clocking 54.72. In Sunday's final she improved her time to 53.99 but this was not sufficient to hold off winner Sophie Becker and silver medallist Rachel McCann. Nevertheless it was a good performance and a good time considering the final 100m was into quite a strong headwind.
Twelve months after clocking 29.08 for 10K in The Beach To Beacon Road Race in Maine, USA, Peter Lynch returned today for another workout. And it worked out well with a fifth place finish and a new PB of 27.55. Ferghal Curtin placed 11th and Barry Keane 13th.
While two KCH teams were doing battle at the National League in Tullamore some twenty-seven, eighteen men and nine women, were on the road doing the St Joseph's Pink Rock 10K, incorporating the County Kilkenny 10K Road Championship. For KCH this was a very successful outing with both men and women taking first team honours with 28 points and 33 points respectively. Scorers for the men were Eamon O'Connor 3, Colm Smyth 6, Dean Rowe 8 and Mike Cullen 11. Women scorers were Claire Dermody 5, Nuala FitzGibbon 6, Lisa Collins 8 and Gillian Kavanagh 14. Medal winners in individual [...]
Tullamore A C hosted the national league final today. KCH having qualified for the Division One Men's and Women's finals with skeleton teams in the Preliminary Round sought to build full squads for the final. With a number of the club's top athletes unavailable (eg Peter Lynch, Pia Langton, Cliodhna Manning, Cathal O'Reilly etc) it was a challenge for the managers to fill the teams and match the athletes to the competition events. They met the challenge head on and in the twenty-one events the men's team scored in twenty while the women scored in nineteen. The combined efforts of [...]
Following on from the combined events in Carlow last week it was on to Tullamore today for the conclusion of the Masters T&F. Graham Bourne continued his "multi" eventing with gold in 110 hurdles, silver in high jump and bronze in WFD. He wasn't on his own today as KCH had a number of competitors. Niamh Spratt O'Shea (W50) took gold in Discus and WFD and silver in Shot. Jenny McIntyre (W35) had bronze in Discus and WFD and was 6th in Shot. Aisling Burns (W40) won silver in javelin and was 5th in Discus. Karen Nugent (W55) had 2nd [...]
Molly Daly Encountered the cream of European U18s at the EYOF in Skopje, Macedonia this week and did herself and us all proud. In competition on four consecutive days and improving all the time. On Wednesday in the 200m she placed 3rd in 24.23 to qualify for the final on Thursday where she finished 5th in 24.22. Friday then it was the Medley Relay and she had a great run helping clinch a NR for the event. Then on Saturday she was brilliant in the final helping the team to a 9th overall place and a further NR of 2.07.06. [...]