Cillin Greene of Galway City Harriers endured a heartbreaking initiation on the European senior stage at the recent indoor championships in Glasgow.
Ireland's new national 400m champion was the first Irish athlete in action on Friday, but he was most unlucky as he failed to finish his 400m heat after a mid-race collision.
The GCH runner had started strongly, but at the 200m mark he collided with Poland’s Karol Zaleswki. Although both runners quickly recovered, disaster followed when race favourite, Czech athlete Jan Tesar, ran into Zalewski before hitting the ground, and Greene, who was right behind the Czech, had no time to evade the accident, and tripped over Tesar to end his race.
It was certainly not the debut the 20-years-old Greene would have expected, but it has been a successful season for the Galway athlete whose first senior triumph last month secured his selection for the Europeans.
University Cross Country
NUIG took team bronze in the men’s event at the IUAA Intervarsity Cross-Country Championships at St Mary’s College Galway on Saturday.
There were double wins for DCU athletes, Emma O'Brien in the women's race and Paul Robinson in the men's, while DCU combined well to win both team titles, with NUIG taking bronze team in the men’s event, and fourth in the women's.
In the women's race, Caron Ryan of Trinity was first Galway runner home in eighth place, while Aoife O'Brien was the first scorer for NUI Galway in 14th place. NUI Galway’s other scorers were Rhona Pierce, Orna Murray and Niamh Hennelly.
The men’s race was a much tighter affair, with a great battle for the title between Paul Robinson of DCU, Damien Landers of NUI Galway and UCD’s Paul O Donnell. The lead group of three broke away on the second lap, and it was only on the last lap that O'Donnell fell off the pace. Landers tried to break away from Robinson on the fast front section, but the determined DCU athlete hung on, and sprinted away in the home straight for a well-earned victory.
NUIG Men’s team, via scorers Landers, Donal Devane, Andrew O Donnghaile, Finley Daly, James Frizzell, and Jack Miskella, combined well to secure bronze medals for the home team.
Marathon
Galway athlete Ciaran Faherty ran a superb 2.18 marathon time in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday. Now based in New Zealand, the Spiddal native ran a great race in tough conditions to clock 2.18.49 for 40th overall in what is one of the major marathons on the world circuit
Kinvara Rock and Road
The Kinvara Rock and Road series of races took place on Saturday in wet and windy conditions with Laois athlete Colin Maher of Ballyfin AC first home in the 10k in a time of 33.08. Louis McCarthy of Rathfarnham AC clocked 33.48 for second, and John McHugh was third 36.40. In the women's event, GCH athlete Sinead Foran was the first woman home in the 10k in a time of 40:26, followed by Tara Whyte, also of GCH, in second in 41:19, while third was Deirdre Galvin of Westport AC in 41.28.
Kevin Mooney of Craughwell AC continued his good form, winning the half marathon in a time of 1.16.19, just seven second ahead of David Murray of Tullamore Harriers, with Westport’s David Hickey third. The women's podium spots went to Gráinne Uí Uallacháin of GCH in 1:27:20, Aine Kenny of Crusaders in 1.30.13. and Elaine Walsh also of GCH in 1.31.
Fixtures
The All Ireland Schools Cross Country championships take place on Saturday in Clongowes College, Kildare. Galway will be well represented with Aaron Brennan of Claregalway at senior boys' level, Ailbhe Miskella in the senior girls for Pres Athenry, Sean Cotter and Barry Murphy at intermediate boys, Darragh Jennings in the junior boys for Carraroe, and Senan McDonnell of St Joseph’s College in the minor boys.
Indoors
The National Masters Indoors Championships will be held on Sunday in Athlone IT, with some 50 Galway athletes competing, including Jim Phelan, Majella Loftus, Martin McEvilly of GCH, Mary Barrett of Loughrea, Justin Lane of Tuam AC, and Ian Egan of Castlegar.
