Clonmel Senior Athletic Club Notes 6th November
Yvonne O Connor wins Silver medal, Men win Inter Club Silver medals
The County Novice B Cross Country Championships took place last Sunday in the grounds of Dundrum House Hotel. Conditions were good for the athletes as the ground was firm. In the Women’s 3K race Yvonne O Connor ran a great race going out with the early pace. She then had the confidence to move into 2nd place just before halfway and despite a number of challenges over the rest of the race was able to put in a very strong finish to win the Silver medal in 12 mins 47 secs. This was a very good performance by Yvonne.
In the Men’s 6K race we also had some very good performances. Most notably from Nigel O Flaherty who only a week earlier ran a PB in the Dublin City Marathon but Nigel loves Cross Country. He went with the early leaders and while the pace was strong all the way, Nigel was still running very well and in the thick of things going out on the final lap. On the final lap the marathon exertions began to kick in and the fresher legs of his opponents opened a slight lead which he was unable to pull back before the finishing line. Still this was a very good performance by Nigel when finishing a close 4th in 22 mins 10 secs. Then we had Joey Feery also running very well when finishing 9th in 22 mins 58 secs. Anthony Bowen also ran very well when finishing 12th in 23 mins 23 secs and in the process along with Nigel and Joey won the Inter Club Bronze medals. We also had good performances from James O Brien 25th in 25:42 and Donal Casey 29th in 27:16.
Clonmel AC 4K race report
The 2nd race of the Clonmel AC very popular Pre Christmas 4K road race series took place last Wednesday night with 171 athletes competing on what was an ideal night for running no breeze and cool conditions. Once again we are very grateful to the brothers of Charity for the use of their car park as race headquarters. Conditions were ideal and we saw some brilliant performances. The top three Men were William Maunsell 1st 13 mins 4 secs, 2nd Kieran Lees 13 mins 56 secs and 3rd Mark Darmody 14 misn 4 secs. The top three women were 1st Clare Annan 14 mins 53 secs, Yvonne O Connor 16 mins 32 secs and 3rd Kealey Tideswell 16 mins 37 secs.
The race format was Lucky dip, based on a draw of finishing positions before the race commenced and the lucky winners were: Martin Keane 7th 14:59, Jason Walsh 27th 16:56, 41st Gary Morrison 18 mins, 70th Eileen Hynes 19:14, 80th Pat Tobin 19:59,95th Liam Ahearne 21:12, 103rd Noel Higgins 21:34, 116th Willie Delahunty 23:20, 134th Johanna Duggan 25:06, 138th Ann Casey 25:22, 150th John O Mahoney 26:07 and Elaine Broderick 157th in 27:32.
Just a note on Safety for the remaining races in the series – No Head phones are allowed and we will be enforcing that rule going forward, it is there for your safety as well as everyone else. Also everyone has to wear a HIGH VIZ, not a bright Yellow top. So again NO REFLECTIVE HIGH VIZ – NO RUN.
Clonmel Athletic Club Notes 13th November
Club wins Munster Senior Bronze medals
The Munster Senior Cross Country Championships took place in Limerick racecourse today. Here athletes had to contend with very demanding underfoot conditions over the Men’s 10K course. Right from the start Kevin Maunsell went with the leading group of ten athletes and the pace was strong all the way as the quality was top class. As the race unfolded Kevin was still in the thick of it battling for the Bronze medal with four other athletes over the 6 lap course. He kept the pace going and ran well over the closing stages to finish 6th. This was a very good performance by Kevin as he now sets his sights on the All Ireland Cross Country Championship in Abbotstown in a fortnight times. Then we had William Maunsell also running very well when finishing 16th. Nigel O Flaherty showed no ill effects of his great Dublin City marathon performance over this demanding course when running very well to finish 36th. Then we had Joey Feery making his debut in these Championships also running very well when finishing 38th. This quartet of athletes combined very well to win the Munster Senior Inter Club Bronze medals, holding off the challenge of their near neighbours Dundrum AC. Both Kevin and William Maunsell also counted on the County team that won the Inter County Bronze medals, great performances all round.
Great Performances in America
The South Regional American Colleges Cross Country Championships took place in Tallahasse last weekend. Here Sean Tobin ran a great race when finishing 9th and was the 3rd scorer on the Ole Miss team that won the Gold medals. They have now qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday November 19 at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course.
The North East Regional American Colleges Cross Country Championships took place last weekend and Orlaith Moynihan ran a great race when scoring on the Iona College team that won the Silver team medals. In the Women’s 6k ran Orlaith ran very well when finishing 80th in 22 mins 3 secs. The Iona Gaels were the top MAAC finisher, beating Quinnipiac (14th), Canisius (23rd), Marist (25th), Manhattan (26th), Siena (28th) and Fairfield (34th).
Last Weekend the NCAA Division 2 South Region 6K Cross Country Championships took place in St Leo and once again Laura Tobin ran a great race when finishing 13th in 23 mins 2 secs and with 4 athletes in the top 20, Laura College, St Leo’s qualified for the National Women’s Cross Country Championships will be held in two weeks, on Saturday, Nov. 19, at The Abbey Course, the same course as last week’s course. This performance by Laura placed her on the All-Sunshine State Conference team. Laura is running very well at present as she has already set a new PB over 5k of 18 mins 58.15 secs while her PB over 6k stands at 21 mins 5.64 secs.
Stuart Moloney wins 4k
The 3rd race of the Clonmel AC 4k Series took place tonight in ideal running conditions and once again we had a great entry with 151 athletes competing and great to see many new faces as this series of races caters for all levels of fitness. Once again we would like to thank the brothers of Charity for the use of their car park as race headquarters and the Red Cross for covering First Aid. Tonight’s format was Lucky Dip and the lucky winners were: Richard O Gorman, Angela Walsh, Graham Swanton, Chris Maher, Gemma Murphy, Nicola Grace, Annmarie O Flynn, Ann Ryan, Kim Ronan and Susan Laste. The race was won by Stuart Moloney in 13 mins 8 secs with Kieran Lees 2nd and Paddy Cummins 3rd. The top 3 Women were Clare Annan, Aine Roche and Suzanne Shine.
Just a word on parking, for the remaining three races can we all avoid parking outside the houses of the nearby Housing Estate, lets respect their privacy, there is plenty of parking available on the hard shoulder of the Bypass plus parking in the Gurtnafleur Business Park, we really appreciate your help on this matter.
Clonmel Senior Athletic Club Notes 20th November
Munster Cross Country medals for Nigel and Myles
The Munster Masters Cross Country Championships took place in ideal weather conditions today at St Augustine’s College, Dungarvan where the underfoot conditions were good despite all the recent rain. In the Masters Men’s race Nigel O Flaherty continued his recent run of good form when running well in a very competitive race to finish 28th and was on the County team that won the inter County Silver medals. We also had good performances from James O Brien 82nd, John Laste 91st and Donal Casey 92nd.
Myles McHugh also put in a great performance when winning the over 70 award, great to see Myles still enjoying the sport.
Great performance by Sean Tobin
The All American Colleges Cross Country Championships took place in Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturdyay19th November. Sean Tobin ran a brilliant race when finishing 62nd in the 10K race in 30 mins 37 secs and played a major role when scoring on the Ole Miss team that finished a brilliant 4th team, their best ever position in this Classic Championship. Going into this Championship event they were ranked 11th, what a brilliant performance all round. The Ole Miss team has made tremendous progress this year, improving on their 30th position in these Championships last year. This was Sean’s personal best performance at these Championships. Once again the standard was very high when one considers that the winner, Patrick Tiernan of Villanova College won in 29 mins 22 secs, 75 seconds ahead of Sean and 61 places, blanket finishing.
In the Women’s Division 2 National Cross Country Championship Laura Tobin ran very well when finishing 142nd in 23 mins 3 secs over the 6k course having passed the 3k mark in 11 mins 4 secs.
Great Performances at Sixmilebridge Marathon
This event held on the 19th November and we had good performances from Club members with Billy Moloney running very well when finishing in 2nd place in a time of 3:14, Shane Greene finished 4th 3:26, Donal Ryan 5th 3: 42 and Niall Brannigan 3:56 .
Annual General Meeting
The Club’s Annual General Meeting will take place in Moynihan’s on Thursday 1st December at 7pm. The Closing date for Nominations and Motions is this Thursday, 24th November, see Club website for forms. This meeting is open to all Senior Club members.
Emmet McNamara wins 4K
The 4th race of the Clonmel AC 4K road race series took place tonight in cold but dry conditions where athletes had to contend with a strong breeze up along the Waterford Road. Once again we had a very good entry of 150 athletes. Tonight’s race was won by Emmet McNamara in 13 mins 53 secs, 2nd Losq Rona 14 mins 11 secs and 3rd Nigel O Flaherty in 14 mins 12 secs. The first three women were Aine Roche in 16 mins 6 secs, Yvonne O Connor 16 mins 38 secs and Suzanne Shine in 16 mins 43 secs.
The race format tonight was Lucky Dip and the lucky winners were 3rd Nigel O Flaherty 14 mins 12 secs, Daniel Kennedy 19th in 16 mins 20 secs, Michelle Doherty 40th in 17 mins 35 secs, Francis Connolly 62nd in 18 mins 30 secs. Chris Maher 80th in 19 mins 29 secs, Andy Ryan 95th in 21 mins 21 secs, Aidan Barry 113th in 23 mins 17 secs, Mary Walsh 126th in 24 mins 25 secs, Honor Goonan 129th in 24 mins 38 secs and Tess Kiely 144th in 26 mins 20 secs.
The Club would like to thank the Brothers of Charity for the use of their carpark as Race headquarters and thanks also to our many stewards who ensured the whole event was a great success.
MSD Be Well 4 Mile Road Race
Preparations are going well for this year’s race which once again takes place on St Stephen’s Day at 12 noon. This Club event is once again sponsored by MSD and we are very grateful for such sponsorship. This race has grown in stature over the years and is now firmly fixed on everyone calendar over the festive season. This race over a good course caters for all levels of abilities and all ages.
This year’s Prize list is as follows:
The winner of the race will receive 150 Euros. This year there will be Prizes for the following categories, Men: 1st 5 Men, 1st 2 0/40, 0/45, 0/50, 1st 0/55, 0/60, 0/65, 0/70 and 0/75 plus 1st 2 Junior Men. The list of Prizes for the Ladies is as follows: the 1st 5 Senior Ladies, 1st 2 0/35, 0/40, 0/45, 1st 0/50 0/55 and 0/60 plus 1st 2 Junior Ladies.
There will also be some great Spot Prizes for down the field finishers to be won, so come along and participate in a great Sporting event. This is an ideal event to raise funds for local charities.
There will also be Post Race Refreshments in the Vocational School. This year’s event will be Chip timed by Premier Timing Systems. This event has an Athletics Ireland Race Permit.
Entries will be taken at the Vocational School, the Mall from 10 am onwards. We would ask all local participants to come early and enter as we are expecting over 500 to participate in this year’s event. This year’s race will start at the Loreto Convent and the athletes will proceed down to Sir Thomas’s Bridge and back to Barlo Motors via the Waterford road. The entry Fee is 10 Euros. Enquiries to Niall at 086 1660888.
Clonmel Senior Athletic Club Notes 27th November
Kevin Maunsell great performance
The National Senior Cross Country Championships took place today in Abbotstown. In the Senior Men’s race Kevin Maunsell ran a great race when finishing 9th in 31 mins 43 secs. Competition was very keen with 46 seconds separating 3rd and 9th. Michael Carey also ran very well when finishing 73rd in 34 mins 45 secs.
Great performances at the Stook 10 Mile
The Stook 10 Mile road race organised by Gowran AC took place today and it was great to see Club members competing. Suzanne Shine ran very well when finishing 4th Women in 46th place in 71 mins 28 secs. We also had good performances from Yvonne O Connor who was 1st woman over 40 when finishing 51st in 71 mins 38 secs, Siobhan McHugh who was 55th in 71 mins 48 secs, improving greatly on her 2015 performance of 72 mins 57 secs and John Laste who was 57th in 72 mins 5 secs and likewise improved greatly on last year’s performance of 75 mins 49 secs, Neil Proven 75th in 75 mins 10 secs, Alan O Shea 76th in 75 mins 10 secs, John Perry 105th in 79 mins 7 secs, Brian Tyrell 136th in 82 mins 26 secs and likewise improving greatly on last year’s performance of 87 min s18 secs and Caroline O Donoghue 178th in 86 mins 54 secs.
In the 5k Race Tom Butler made good use of the Wednesday night 4ks when winning the 5k race.
Paddy Cummins wins 4K race
The 5th race of the Clonmel AC Pre Christmas 4K Road Race series took place tonight in ideal running conditions, no wind to contend with and relatively mild weather. The race attracted a very good entry of 125 athletes and we saw some great performances. The 1st 3 Men were Paddy Cummins 14 mins 4 secs, 2nd Nigel O Flaherty 14 mins 15 secs and 3rd Joey Feery 14 mins 24 secs while the 1st 3 Women were Clare Annan 15 mins 27 secs, 2nd Aine Roche 16 mins 12 secs and 3rd Kealey Tideswell 16 mins 27 secs.
Once again we would like to thank the Brothers of Charity for the use of their carpark as race headquarters and the Civil Defence for doing First Aid. We would also like to thank our many stewards who ensured the safety of everyone in the race.
Tonight’s race format was Lucky dip and the winners were Jimmy Boland 4th 14 mins 56 secs, Brian Carroll 16th 16 mins 4 secs, Kealey Tideswell 26th 16 mins 27 secs, Paddy Hackett 41st 17 mins 20 secs, Maurice Boland 52nd 17 mins 55 secs, Michael Duggan 55th 18 mins 11 secs, Tom Hartigan 72nd 19 mins 41 secs, Eamonn Crowley 87th 21 mins 54 secs, Elaine Doyle 103rd 23 mins 31 secs and Moira Molloy 116th 24 mins 26 secs.
The final race takes place next Wednesday night, 30th November, and it is our Charity race. This year the nominated Charity is the “5 Steps to Living Well with Dementia in South Tipperary” and all monies collected at the race will be for this worthy cause, so the more people participating in this event next week, Walking, Jogging and Running, the more money will be raised for this worthy cause.