Mayo AC athletes bring home medals from Dublin marathon

Mayo AC had a strong squad in Dublin on Monday for the 34th Dublin City marathon. The race was a genuine Irish Marathon championship with the absence of elite runners due to there being no official sponsor until Airtricity came on board. Women’s race winner was Maria McCambridge in 2:38:53, while the first man was 2012 Balla 10k winner Sean Hehir in 2:18:21. This is the first time an Irish duo has won the race in more than 20 years. While the weather in Mayo may have looked benign, bright, and sometimes breezy, it was not so in Dublin at the edge of storm St Jude. Split times over the final 10k indicate these last few miles were tough in blustery conditions.

The race incorporated the National Marathon Championships with some 2,020 club athletes among the 12,317 finishers. Mayo AC's first three home: John Byrne 26th overall, Paddy O’Toole 43rd, and Brendan Gill 87th, finished with a combined time of 8:00:42, more than 10 minutes better than last year, and Noel Gibbons ensured the club had four finishers in the top 100. The M35 team led by John Byrne won silver, with John winning bronze individual. Noel Gibbons was 10th in M40 category. Paula Prendergast was 31st woman finisher and five minutes better than her 2012 finish time. Colette Sweeney (seventh in W40 ) and Sarah Syron finished a couple of minutes later. Their total of 9:46 placed them fourth senior team. Mary Murphy won her second individual marathon medal with a great run to finish with bronze in W60. Ambrose Gaughan continues to amaze – knocking 26 minutes off his time last year for another PB. Mary Beston W50 seems to have run the most even paced race with a first 10k in 55:04 and final 10k in 55:22, and she finished 10th in a competitive W50 category. There was also a PB for marathon first timer Ann Marie Staunton 3:52:04. Sean Murphy completed another PB race in a great season of improvement. John Roddy will have learned a lot from his experience as the Kilmovee man finished his first marathon. There was the usual massive support for Mayo AC vests and the club would like to thank all who encouraged them along the hard miles, and all experienced this wonderful uplifting annual event.

 

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