Galway’s national 10k champion Gary Thornton completed Loughrea’s inaugral Grey Lake 10k coming home in an exceptional time of 30:01.
The Galway City Harrier was almost a minute clear of legendary Clareman Seamus Power, who finished with 31:00. In third place was up-and-coming Clare athlete Jason Fahy of Slaney Olympic, closely followed by second-placed Galwayman Gerry Ryan of Craughwell AC in 31:22.
The ladies’ race was won in emphatic fashion by Freya Murray of Scotland in a time of 32:56. Murray, who began her career as a mountain runner, finished three minutes clear of second-placed Eimear Power with Laura Shaughnessy of host club Loughrea AC in third.
The male team prize was won by Craughwell AC’s Gerry Ryan, Mark Davis, Peter O'Sullivan and Johnny Lane, and the female team prize by Loughrea AC’s Laura Shaughnessy, Toni MacCarthaigh, Thelma McMahon and Hilda Robinson.
The senior race was preceded by a children's race which atracted more than 500 participants.
Also taking place at the weekend were the finals of the All-Ireland Schools combined events in Santry. The best Galway result was by versatile Keith Fallon of GCH, representing St Mary's, who came second in the senior boys event with a total of 2616 points. Although Falon does not compete in sprint hurdles, shot, long jump or high jump, he still manged to finish second behind Simon Doyle of St Mary’s Carlow. Anthony Hebron also represented St Mary’s in the intermediate event, scoring 2386 points.
