Caitriona Jennings had a superlative run at the weekend when she won the National 50K Championship in Donadea in a time of 3.24.29. The setting was Donadea Forest Park in Co Kildare. The incessant rain throughout the week had left parts of the 5K trail looking like a muddy cross country course. Caitriona’s time was a new Irish record for the distance. She eclipsed the previous record, which was her own record that she set in Qatar in 2015, by 6 minutes for a distance that is 8KM or 5 miles more than a Marathon. Most people would happily settle for that time for a marathon. Over the gruelling course, Caitriona averaged a tremendous 4m 05s for each of the 50 kilometres or 6m 34s for each of the 31.07 miles.
Nakita Burke confirmed her reputation as one of the country’s leading runners when she took 2nd place in the National Intermediate Championship in Clarinbridge, Co Galway.
Fionnuala Diver had a good run in the Women Master’s race, despite having been on antibiotics all week. She finished as 7th F35 and helped the Donegal team to bronze medals in the Inter County race.
The Letterkenny AC men’s master’s team took 2nd place in the 35+ team event. The team garnered 113 points, which was just 13 behind winners Rathfarnham AC. Karol Duggan had an excellent run and was 8th overall, Raymond Birch was 19th, Ciaran McGonagle 40th and Ivan Toner 46th. Karol was 6th in the M35 category, Raymond was 11th and Kevin McGhee 26th. Ciaran was 12th in the M40 category and Ivan 15th. The club amassed the same points total as Finn Valley but pipped the Ballybofey club to 2nd place on ‘count back’, as a result of 4th counter, Ivan Toner, finishing ahead of Finn Valley’s 4th counter.
Donal Farren had an excellent run while competing for Trinity College Dublin in Friday’s Irish Universities Indoor Track and Field Championship. Donal clocked 9.03.39 in the 3000m in a very keenly contested race.
Stephen Shiels had a top 10 finish in Saturday’s Letterkenny parkrun. He was the leading M45 runner in 22.38. Cathal Roarty’s time of 23.55 gave him 2nd place in the M50 category. James McBride clocked 25.03 to finish first in the M65 group. Noel Lynch’s time was 25.14. Peter McLean completed his 65th Letterkerkenny parkrun in 27.21 and was 3rd in the M55 category.
In the interests of safety, Lifford Strabane AC cancelled Sunday’s Lifford 5K, which was due to be the 3rd and final race in the popular 5K series. It will now take place on Sunday February 25th.
Letterkenny AC has selected the Glaslough 5K road race in Co Monaghan on Sunday March 4th as an event which adult members are being asked to consider competing in. The club hope to travel in large numbers and to make it a club day out. It is hoped that as many members as possible from the various training groups will mark it into their schedule. The race has a 1.30pm start, with travel time from Letterkenny to Glaslough estimated at 90 minutes.
The winning Lotto numbers on February 8th were 3, 7, 13, 17. There were no jackpot winners. 1 Match 3 winner- Edel Frize, Trentagh- won €80. The jackpot remains at €2,000.
Hugh Gallagher.
Letterkenny AC PRO
