Letterkenny Athletics Club Notes



Over 150 runners braved the temperature of minus 5 degrees to take part in Thursday night’s ‘Winter Woolie Warmer 5K.’ The freezing conditions didn’t prevent race winner, Letterkenny AC man, Pauric Breslin, from chalking about yet another sub 16 minute 5K. Pauric’s time of 15.59 left him 39 seconds clear of 2nd placed Gavin Crawford. The versatile Sean McFadden was 3rd in 17.10. 2 other LAC runners attained top 10 finishes. Paddy McDaid clocked 18.31 and Patrick Brennan 18.50.
Seamus Morrison came home in 19.30, Siobhan Gallagher was the 1st womam in 19.33 and Barry Mackey, who misses very few races in Donegal, was 1st M50 in a time of 19.35. 2 other LAC runners with sub 20 minute times were Ben George in 19.42 and Michael Galvin in 19.47.
Peter Gallagher clocked 21.11, Stephen Shiels 21.15 and Paul Harris 21.32. Kevin O’Malley’s time was 22.24, Peadar Breslin finished in 23.23 and Paul Shiels in 23.28. Clive Davidson clocked 24.48 and Niamh McDaid 25.05.   Bambi Doherty had another fine run, following her 10K PB just 4 days earlier, and ran 25.05.
Gerard McGranaghan finished in 25.21, Jamie Callaghan in 25.23 and there were also good runs from Gerard Callaghan and Rory Callaghan both 28.15, Ruth McCrudden 28.28 and Jimmy Gildea, 33.48.
Letterkenny AC’s women’s season continues to go from strength to strength. After their recent exploits in cross country races in Donegal and Ulster, they transferrred their outstanding form to the roads of Belfast on Saturday and national cross country in Dublin on Sunday.
There were some outstanding performances from LAC runners in Saturday’s Seeley Cup 10K in Belfast which was also the Ulster and Northern Ireland 10K Championship. LAC’s 3 women, Nakita Burke, Jane Toner and Irene McFadden combined to finish as 2nd team, to City of Lisburn AC. As an added bonus,
all 3 athletes achieved PBs. Nakita ran 39.22, Jane clocked 39.34 and Irene came home in 40.32.
LAC’s first runner was Eoghain McGinley, whose excellent time of 32.07 gave him 6th place in a high quality field. Ivan Toner played a very effective pacing role to finish in 39.34. John Hughes’ good form continued and he ran 41.58. The race winner was John Paul Williamson, of City of Derry Club, in 31.05.
There were more outstanding performances on Sunday in the National Cross Country Championship in Abbotstown, Dublin. Annemarie McGlynn had an excellent 6th place finish in a top quality field. The other LAC women, Catriona Jennings, Fionnuala Diver and Noeleen Scanlan- all of whom have shown outstanding form during the current cross country season-provided superb back up. When the sums had been done, LAC had achieved 4th place in a highly competitive inter clubs section. The points total of 137 garnered by the club was only 5 behind Bronze Medallists, Riocht AC, of Kerry. The same 4 LAC women combined to also take 4th place in the inter County section, the winners being Dublin.
Several LAC runners took part in Saturday morning’s Letterkenny parkrun 5K. 3 of the club’s runners finished in the top 5. Regular competitor, Paul Lee, finished in 3rd place in 22.06. M60, Jimmy McBride was the next runner home in 22.35 and he was followed by fellow LAC M60, Richard Raymond, whose time of 22.47 gave him 2nd place in the M60 category. Cathal Roarty ran the parkrun for the 5th consecutive week and his time of 24.07 gave him 1st place in the M50-54 group. Peter McLean ran 29.44, in his 31st parkrun. Meadhbh Roarty was the first Junior Woman in 30.32.
LAC’s annual ‘Turkey Trot 5K’ will take place on Sunday December  4th, starting at 11.30am. 10 turkeys are up for grabs for those runners who achieve the correct or nearest to their predicted times. The club is grateful to club members Sharon and Jason Black, whose business, Voodoo Venue is once again generously sponsoring the event.


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