A very strong Letterkenny AC Male Masters M35-49 team, comprising Raymond Birch, Karol Duggan and Ciaran Doherty, returned from the National Road Relays in Raheny, Dublin with silver medals on Sunday. They were deprived of gold by only a fraction of a second. Club Captain, Raymond Birch, got the team off to a storming start and, after his 1 mile leg, handed over to Karol Duggan in 5th place. At the end of his 2 mile leg, the club were in 4th place. Ciaran Doherty ran a superlative race over the final mile and, in a scintillating finish, was a mere fraction of a second behind the Donore Harriers’ runner.
2 LAC runners competed in 2 of the world’s iconic Marathons in the past week. They took part with distiction in the marathons that were run in 2 continents 5200 KM apart and in totally contrasting weather conditions. On Monday, Darren Beecroft ran 3.36.04 in the Boston Marathon, which has taken place every year since 1897. It was an excellent performance in dreadful weather, which featured freezing cold conditions, wind and rain. Darren was 801st out of the huge number of runners in the M50 category. The race winner was Japanese athlete, Yuki Kawauchi, in 2.15.28. It was an excellent time in the conditions but the impact of the weather can be guaged from the fact that it was the slowest winning time since Jack Fultz won in 2.20.19 in 1976. It was also only the 3rd non African win since the start of the Millennium.
6 days later, Paul Lee, another LAC M50 runner, took part in the 37th running of the London Marathon. The temperature, in excess of 23 degrees, was far from ideal for marathon running and was the hottest of all the London Marathons to date. Paul ran well and crossed the line in 4.11.23, to finish 931st out of the 2471 runners in the M50 category. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge won the marathon in 2.04.17. It was his 3rd London Marathon win and his 10th victory in 11 marathons.
Adrian Callaghan went beyond even marathon distance in Sunday’s Connemarathon. He ran in the gruelling Ultra Marathon, comprising 39.3 miles (63.35KM), which is one and a half marathons, in a time of 5.51.48. The race started and finished in Maam Cross and incorporated some of Ireland’s most beautiful scenery but, also, toughest hills. First across the line was Peter Abraham, of English club Altrincham & District AC, in 4.31.49.
Kevin Greenan was the leading M60 runner in 46.30 in Sunday’s Ardara 10K. The race, in the scenic SW Donegal town, was won by Tir Chonail AC’s Paul Ward in 37.18.
In Saturday morning’s Letterkenny parkrun, Liam Ferry clocked 20.04 to record the fastest of his 6 Letterkenny parkruns to date. He came home in 3rd place. Cathal Roarty was the leading M50 runner in 23.34 in his 34th outing. Gareth McCullagh was the winner in 18.24.
Hugh Gallagher.
Letterkenny Athletic Club PRO.
