Search Results for 'Fionnuala Britton'

Premiership football team Newcastle United is the latest elite squad to recruit the services of ORRECO, a Sligo-based-company co-owned by a Galway scientist that provides a pioneering ‘bio-analytics’ service that helps athletes optimise performance and reduce the number of training days lost to illness and injury.

John Byrne, representing Ireland finished in fifth place in the IAU World Trophy 50k race in Italy last Saturday morning. In very hot conditions and a strong sea breeze, finishing times were down. Participants completed eight laps of the 6.25km course at the coastal towns of Vallecrosia and Bordigheria. The race was won by British athlete Steven Way in 2:54, as the top three broke the three hour mark. John finished in 3:10, a brilliant effort by Mayo AC’s ultra man. In the early stages he ran in group of four in eighth place, including Daniel Oralek (Czech), a former World 100k winner. As the temperature hit 25c he moved into sixth place after 16 miles, and fifth after 20. “It was a battle for survival from then on,” said John. Although he dropped back to sixth with four laps to go, a typical gritty finish by the Straide man saw him gain fifth again which he sustained to the line after 31.1 miles of running.

A company based in IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre which provides an applied bio marker (Blood and Saliva) testing service for elite athletes around the world, has signed a contract with the Irish Institute of Sport. ORRECO will work with the cream of Ireland’s high performance athletes, including many who are bound for London 2012.

The Irish performances at the European cross country championships in Slovenia were buoyed up by the historic victory of Wexford's Fionnuala Britton in the senior women's event, only the second time that an Irish woman has achieved the honour. Continuing his recovery from his marathon debut, Galway's Gary Thornton put in a solid run to take 54th position, helping the Irish team to sixth overall.

The running boom continues to flourish as record numbers have entered this year’s Lifestyle Sports adidas Dublin Marathon which takes place Bank Holiday Monday next. Registration closed at 5pm on Monday October 6 with a total of over 11,700 entries, making it the largest field ever in the 29 years of the event.

The countdown to Ireland’s first Spar European Cross country Championships began this week with the launch of tickets for the event, which can be purchased from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and on www.ticketmaster.ie.