Gary Thornton of Galway City Harriers is this year’s county 10km champion having won the Grey Lake 10k, hosted by Loughrea AC on Sunday.
Thornton finished in in 31 mins, just ahead of Irish Olympian Noel Berkeley who crossed the tape i 32:19. Matt Bidwell of Galway City Harriers was third in 33:55, and also claimed the men’s O40 title.
Another Olympian, Freya Ross, of Scotland, took fourth overall and was the first woman home in a fantastic time of 34:36. Second was Orla Gormley-Loftus (Raheny Shamrocks ) in 42:12 and third was Caroline Whiriskey (Loughrea AC ) in 42:33.Whiriskey took the ladies’ county title with her run.
Matt Bidwell and Gerry Carty of GCH were first and second in the men’s over 40, while Martin O Donnell took the MO50 prize, and Martin McEvilly was yet again first in the MO60 category in 44:13.
The GCH senior men’s team won the county team category - the team comprising Gary Thornton, Matt Bidwell, Gerry Carty and Brian O’Connor. Loughrea AC ladies A team won the women’s team county title.
Loughrea's Fionnuala Keane won the ladies’ F35 category, Kay Tuohy of Craughwell AC took the O50, and Judith Rochem also of Loughrea AC, won the O60.
Galway Bay series
Clonliffe Harriers AC of Dublin completed a clean sweep of the top prizes in Saturday’s Galway Bay series races in Salthill. Gary O Hanlon won the 10k in 33.31 before helping the the Clonliffe team to victory in the half marathon. Their runners took the first four places,
with Moldovan international Sergio Ciobanu winning in 67 mins 11 seconds.
The ladies’ event was won by former Olympian Pauline Curley of Tullamore Harriers, in 80 mins, with Athenry’s Jane Ann Meehan second in1hr 26 mins and Sinead Roche third in 1hr 29 mins. Athenry AC ladies team of Meehan, Sinead Foran, Siobhan Guinan and Ruthann Sheahan took the team win.
Sarah Mulligan of DSD AC just pipped Nicola Duncan, once of Galway, but now living in Edinburgh in the ladies’ 10k.
Fixtures
Day one of the Galway Cross Country Championships takes place on Sunday at Bushfield, Loughrea, the home of Loughrea AC.
The first race will start at 1pm with underage up to adult in sequence.
