Last weekend’s athletics action centred on Westport and Hollymount amid Sunday showers. The second leg of the Connacht Cross Country Championships for senior, novice, masters, took place after over 500 juveniles had completed eight races around the one kilometre lap course at Westport House. By the time the adult races took place the tough, twisting, hilly and in places slippery course, had become even more testing and many struggled with their footing. However there were some excellent racing performances. Sara Doohan (Corran AC ) showed great form again and was the clear winner of the Senior women's 4k, adding to her victory in the first leg at Loughrea. Roger Barrett (Mayo AC ) got in some useful training ahead of the Masters International Cross Country in Nottingham. He also easily won the senior men's race over eight laps. Finishing places over the two legs will determine the championship medals, but Doohan has definitely won the senior title with her two first place finishes. Three Mayo AC women ran in the Masters event, Pauline Moran, Chris Gallagher, Mary Moylette and they await the publication of results, as do Danny Green, Tom Hunt, David Dinsmore, and Tom Waldron who ran eight hard laps in the men's masters.
Hollymount heroics
At the 49th annual Hollymount Races, Norah Newcombe (Ballina AC ) won the women's 3k in a fast 10:33 ahead of just 13 finishers. She took off with a very fast 3:09 first kilometre and established a winning lead. She was followed home by Elizabeth Egan (Liverpool Harriers ) 10:46, Colette Tuohy (Mayo AC ) 11:08 in third place, Elizabeth Murphy ((Liverpool ) ) in fourth and Alanna Lally (GCH ) in fifth place. The team prize was taken by Liverpool Harriers with Mayo AC in second place.
Liam Feeley (North Leitrim AC ) won the men's 10k over the familiar three laps, coming through in a excellent 32:24 to win, after two Liverpool Harriers athletes Jay Ferns and Callum Grant had set the pace. Feeley has had some brilliant wins this season over the north west circuit and was the sixth Irish finisher in the recent Dublin Marathon in 2:30:01.
The other top five finishers were in second place J Ferns (Liverpool ), Callum Grant (Liverpool ) in third place, with Paddy O’Toole from Westport AC in fourth and Mayo AC’s John Byrne coming home in fifth. Other Mayo AC athletes who took part were Paddy Walsh, Brendan Hession, John Nolan, Tom Charles, Owen Mongan and Christy O’Malley.