Mayo AC were represented by a team of 24 (13 women and and 11 men ) at the National 10k Championships recently. More than 500 club athletes competed for medals in team and individual age categories. The Mayo AC contingent included five teams - senior women, over 35 men, over 50 men, and two teams of women over 50. It was another great day for the club, continuing their success in national competitions over many years, and in terms of medals won they were the top club in Connacht with seven of their 24 runners winning medals.
Angela O'Connor won gold in the W50 event, Pauline Moran took home gold in the W55, as did Mags Glavey in the W65 competition. Their cumulative finish times won the women's team gold in the W55 competition. The strength of the club's masters section showed through when the second women's 50+ team of Ann Murray, Monica Joyce, and Mary Walsh won bronze. Joyce had a bonus day out when she achieved a personal best finish time on the notoriously tough Phoenix Park course.
Two new members, Brendan Murphy and John Nyland, also ran personal best finish times while representing the club on their debut. The seventh club member to win a medal was PJ Hall who won bronze in the men's 55+ category. A number of other members were well placed in their categories. Paula Prendergast had a great run to lead the club home with a 39:59 finish time. The women's race was held 20 minutes ahead of the men's, and both fields were affected by a strong swirling wind.
Rocking in Rotterdam
Mayo AC had four finishers in the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday April 10. They all put in a lot of training miles in preparation for this race. Rotterdam is a a popular destination for those seeking PBs due to the fast flat course and there was a big Irish contingent among the 17,500 participants in the marathon. Conditions were reported as unusually warm on the day.
First of the four home was John Byrne on 2:30.42 which saw him finish fifth in the M40 section, another new PB which was 44 seconds better than his Berlin time last September and sees him edging ever closer to that long held target. Next in was Noel Gibbons in 2:52.03 another fine run from the Partry man. Just a minute behind him Norah Newcombe finished in 2:53.04 and sixth in the W35 - an excellent run from Mayo AC's leading woman athlete. Paul Reynolds ran 3:06.52 - that is over four minutes inside his 2015 Dublin Marathon time and he looks to be on his way to sub three hour finish.
