Galway’s two leading competitors in Sunday’s National Inter County Cross Country Championships in Santry both finished in the top 20.
The first Galway athlete home in the men’s race was Galway City Harriers’ Gary Thornton in 13th overall. In a field of 144 finishers, he finished the 10k in 32:21. Nicola Duncan, who finished in the same place, was Galway’s top scorer in the women’s race.
The Galway County women’s team placed a strong fifth place overall in the team event, and the men’s team took 13th.
Other Galway athletes were Vinny McGuinness, Loughrea (90th ) in 36:00; Brian Bruton, GCH (105th ) in 36:51, John Cronin, GCH (111th ) in 37:06, Gerry Carty, GCH (119th ) in 38:14, Brian O’Connor, GCH (129th ) in 38:55, Ray Somers, Athenry (39:10 ), Lyall Guiney, Athenry (39:30 ) and Billy King, GCH (40:23 ).
In the women’s 8km race of 50 finishers Nicola Duncan led the team home in 28:14. The next Galway woman home was Alvy Carragher, GCH in 33rd in 31:04, followed by Sinead Brody, GCH (33:11 ), Niamh Hennelly, GCH (33:38 ), Emer O’Connell, Corrib AC (34:58 ) and Jane Walsh, GCH (37:14 )
In the junior men’s race Galway had four men in the top 36 - Cian Corcoran was 36th and John Moroney 20th, and two Craughwell stars were just ahead of them, Neil Greaney and Paul Joyce 18th and 19th respectively
At the All Ireland Juvenile Cross Country, Craughwell AC star Jamie Fallon Spelman was placed fifth in the4 u-18 event.
Craughwell AC u-12 girls were placed fourth in the team event with Niamh Niland 21st and Ailbhe Miskella 38th (both of whom also scored with the Connacht team that took bronze ), Jennifer Hughes 48th, Sarah McCartin 87th, Mia Waters 125th and Sarah Woods 126th.
British and Irish Masters Cross Country Championships
Martin Mcevilly of GCH and Ireland won the V65 British and Irish Masters Cross Country Title in Wales on Saturday, leading the M65 Irish team to silver medals. Loughrea AC man TJ Beatty also competed in the same race, which sees The Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland compete for the various masters titles
The Men’s Masters Over 35 team managed to hold onto their team gold for another year, with Loughrea AC athlete Peter O Sullivan leading the team home as first scorer.
East Galway AC 4 Mile race
Some 125 participants battled the torrential rain and tough hills in the East Galway four mile race in Abbeyknockmoy on Sunday.
Matt Bidwell, Galway City Harriers, ran 21:10 to win yet another road race on the local circuit, with Jason Broderick, Craughwell AC, second in 21.24, and John Greaney, Galway City Harriers, third in 21:48.
In the ladies’ race Jane Ann Healy, Athenry AC was first in 24:37, with Barbara Dunne GCH coming second in 25:44 and in third was Clare Rowe, Corofin, in 28:07.
Schools International
Craughwell AC athlete Sinead Treacy has qualified for the Irish international schools pentathlon team. Representing St Raphael’s Loughrea, Treacy scored a total of 2913 points with an impressive 9.79 in the hurdles and 2.29.31 in the 800m, along with 5.23m in the long jump, 1.40m in the high jump, and 6.82m in the shot putt.
