Martin Fagan of Mullingar Harriers led home almost 2,400 finishers in Saturday’s 29th Kearney Cycles Streets of Galway 8km road race.
Fagan finished in 23:38 - well clear of Irish international Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham/WSAF AC in 24:02, who was using the event as a tune-up for the marathon at this week’s European Championships in Zurich, and Freddy Kerron Sittuk (Raheny Shamrock AC ), a Kenyan athlete based in Dublin, who finished third in 24:10.
The elite group of Fagan, Hehir and Sittuk took an early lead and ran together until the 5km mark when Fagan put his foot to the floor and stormed home for a very impressive first Streets victory.
Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers ) was fourth in 24:13 and Paddy Hamilton (Annadale Striders ) finished fifth in 24:33.
Local serial winner Matthew Bidwell of Galway City Harriers finished sixth in 25:44, while the second GCH man home was John Greaney.
Orla Drumm of Crusaders AC won the women’s race in 27:37 - finishing comfortably clear of Teresa McGloin (Finn Valley AC ) in 28:59. Ilona McElroy (Crusaders AC ) finished third in 29:33 after a titanic battle with top local finisher Regina Casey of GCH, who was just behind in 29.36. Jane Ann Healy of Athenry AC finished in fifth, while Barbara Dunne completed the top eight women home.
Raheny Shamrock won the men’s team event and Crusaders AC won the ladies’ team event - with GCH second in both. The new mixed team prize for corporate, gyms and others went to Fidelity, based in Parkmore.
