Tullamore Harriers hosted the Athletics Ireland National Half-Marathon Championships on Saturday (August 26). It was excellently organised by the Harriers and incorporated in their annual event.
Mayo AC were represented by a huge contingent – eighteen women and twenty-four men – probably a club record.
They assembled on the startline at the Harriers Stadium for the one lap race which finished on the track.
The club had women’s teams in o50 and o35, and all members competed in their individual categories from Senior to o70.
The Mayo AC runners were led home by a fantastic overall women’s 3rd place by Norah Newcombe Pieterse. She finished in an excellent time 1:19.14 for a well deserved National Senior bronze.Norah was also the W40 category winner. This brilliant performance adds to some great achievements and pbs by Norah so far this year
Mayo AC's second finisher and first man was Darren Flanagan M35 in 1:20.24 – a great run improving on his 1:21:44 atlast years race in Ratoath.
Club chairman John Byrne running in M45 category was just behind in an impressive 1:22.16. Club endurance coach Matt Bidwell was next home in 1:22.43, 12th in M50 – his first half-marathon since 2015. He was followed by Michael Rocke 1:22.51
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Colette Tuohy was their second woman finisher in another great performance 1:30.46 – almost a minute better than Ratoath last year. That’s another consistently strong run by one of the club’s masters stalwarts. Colette finished 5th in W50 category.
The amazing and inspirational Pauline Moran finished in 1:30.56, breaking her W65 2022 National record at Ratoath 1:34.08 by over three minutes and gold W65 again.
Her finish time was also well inside the World age category record 1:32.56 set by Emmi Luthi of Switzerland in Denmark which has stood since 2009.
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Colette Tuohy was their second woman finisher in another great performance 1:30.46 – almost a minute better than Ratoath last year. That’s another consistently strong run by one of the club’s masters stalwarts. Colette finished 5th in W50 category.
The amazing and inspirational Pauline Moran finished in 1:30.56, breaking her W65 2022 National record at Ratoath 1:34.08 by over three minutes and gold W65 again.
Her finish time was also well inside the World age category record 1:32.56 set by Emmi Luthi of Switzerland in Denmark which has stood since 2009.
Mags Glavey won a brilliant silver W70 in a terrific 1:47.17, and Mary Murphy won bronze in same category in 2:10.32.
Third club woman was Donna Gallagher W45 in 1:37.36 - a great run improving with every race this year, and vital support to o35 team.
Mayo AC's Provisional medal tally::
W35 women’s team Norah Newcombe, Colette Tuohy and Donna Gallagher won gold with a combined time of 4:20.54.
There were four excellent individual category medals: Norah Newcombe added to her bronze senior medal with gold in W40, Pauline Moran gold W65, Mags Glavey silver W70, and Mary Murphy bronze W70.
The W50 team Pauline Moran, Mags Glavey and Monica Joyce with a combined time of 5:15.24 finished in 6th place: .
Mayo AC finishers were:
Seniors:
Shane Heneghan SM 1:26.05
Karla Regan SW 1:55.45
Women:
Dee Finnegan W35 1:41.57
Noelle Kilduff W35 1:45.11
Norah Newcombe W40 1:19.14
Paula Donnellan W40 1:41.46
Mairéad Bristow W40 1:43.56
Donna Gallagher W45 1:37.36
Gillian Hanrahan W45 1:48.54
Ann McDonnell W45 1:42.11
Colette Tuohy W50 1:30.46
Geraldine Murphy W50 1:58.33
Marcella McDonnell W55 2:00.39
Caitlín Woods W55 1:54.14
Monica Joyce W60 1:57.04, 8th place
Pauline Moran W65 1:30.56 gold
Mary Murphy W70 2:10.32, bronze
Mags Glavey W70 1:47.17 silver
Men:
Michael Kelly M35 1:27.57
Darren Flanagan M35 1:20.24
Rowland McIntyre M35 1:23.15
Michael Rocke M35 1:22.51
Stephen Reilly M35 1:49.28
Andrew Hayes M40 1:27.54
Damien Finnegan M40 1:33.34
Andy Neary M40 1:33.52
Karol Watson M40 1:29.37
Darren Brewer M45 1:27.54
Mike Griffin M45 1:26.29
John Byrne M45 1:22.16
Colin Clancy M45 1:29.27
Martin Parsons M50 1:55.47
John Gordon M50 1:23.20, 16th
Paul Brennan M50 1:37.03
Tony O’Malley M50 1:28.50
John Nyland M50 1:48.27
Matt Bidwell M50 1:22.43, 12th
Ambrose Gaughan M50 1:37.32
John Nolan M50 1:29.42
Tom Jennings M55 1:53.57
Martin Fitzmaurice M55 2:04.29
James Murtagh M60 1:59.34
Race winners: Men: Ryan Creech Leevale AC 1:05.47, Women: Natasha Adams Letterkenny AC W40 1:18.15
A big Thank You to the Mayo AC Half Marathon team organiser Colette Tuohy, bus driver Damien Finnegan, and also to Mary Daly Tullamore Harriers AC for all her help with last minute name changes.
Mayo AC had one of the largest club representations at the event – a magnificent achievement crowned with some great performances!
Congratulations to them all especially medal winners and first timers.
There's a lot more information and some photos from the event at www.mayoac.com
