Some 100 Galway club runners will be taking part in the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon on Back Holiday Monday.
Among the athletes are John Cronin of GCH and Mick Rice of Athenry who are expected to feature among the first Galway athletes home. Both men will be aiming to finish well under 2.50 in the 26.2 mile race, which is also part the national marathon championship.
Martin Kearney of GCH and Gearoid Rohan Athenry will be aiming to break the magic three hours barrier, while top woman runner, Jane Ann Meehan of Athenry AC, will be looking to beat her previous best time of 2.54. Having followed a rigorous training schedule of 70 to 80 miles per week, Meehan looks set to post an excellent time. GCH's Joanne O Boyle and Gillian Bogan, both recent road race winners, will also look to go well on the back of a good training block.
Connacht Cross Country
Jason Broderick of Craughwell AC blitzed the rest of the men’s field to record a superb win in the opening leg of the three day Connacht Senior Cross Country League held in Leitrim village on Saturday. Niall Hoey of North Sligo AC was second with Shane Hayes third, and Brian O'Connor of GCH was fourth.
The ladies' 4km event turned into a gripping head-to-head battle between Galway's Siobhan Egan and Niamh Hennelly. The two GCH athletes were locked together until the second last lap, when Egan made a long push for home, which would ultimately prove successful. Hennelly ran on strongly to take second .
