Galway county athletic teams head for Dunboyne in Co Meath for the All Ireland Masters and Intermediate Cross Country championships this weekend.
Galway Masters medal hopes in the Over 35s event rest with Peter O Sullivan of Loughrea and Fintan Hyland GCH, with fellow Galwegian Matt Bidwell also taking to the country for the first time this year, and also expected to place highly.
GCH Martin McEvilly’s and Roger Rushe of Tuam will be favoured to win medals in their categories. The intermediate men is led by Vinny McGuinness of Loughrea, and, along with GCH athletes Cian Corcoran, John Moroney and John Cronin, will also be aiming for top 50 finishes.
The ladies’ intermediate team is another hoping to perform well, with GCH athletes Alvy Carragher, Sinead Brody and Niamh Hennelly and Dublin-based runners Marie Hyland, and Catherine Thornton. Galway also has full squads in all Masters categories, with Marie Boyle and Carmel Brannigan, both of GCH, the ladies to watch.
Irish Indoor Championships
GCH shot putter Sean Breathnach won the shot putt with a throw of 16.15m to retain his title at the National Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone last weekend.
Keith Fallon of GCH was 10th in 8.35 in a top-class 3000m, while Laura Ann Costello, still a juvenile athlete, was fourth in the 200m women’s final.
Nicola Duncan of GCH ran a fantastic time of 72.15 in the Barcelona Half Marathon, coming second, and only beaten by a new world record from Kenyan Florence Kiplagat who ran 65.05. This huge result comes on the back of Duncan’s selection for the Irish team in the European Championships in August. It is also a GCH club record.
John Cronin of Galway City Harriers finished 11th in the National 50km race in Donadea in Kildare last Saturday, with a time of three hours 39 minutes.
