Mayo AC women master athletes had a very successful trip to Dundalk at the weekend. The National Intermediate and Masters Cross-Country Championships were held there at the DKIT grounds on Sunday February 11.
Runners reported that conditions were ‘cruel, mucky’ and though the course 2k lap is generally flat, there were a number of treacle-like points.
Juvenile events with 634 finishers preceded the adult races and contributed to the challenge. It was a reminder of the same National event at Clarinbridge in 2018 for anyone who survived that day with two shoes at the finish line.
However, great running by Mayo AC’s o50 masters team in the 4,000 metres race earned them club team gold medals and more.
It was a sweet o50 club team victory indeed, with just 9 points separating them from arch rivals Raheny Shamrock AC.
The team’s 210 points total was made up of four gritty finishes by Colette Tuohy 27, Angela O’Connor 32, Pauline Moran 65, and Mags Glavey 86.
And as a bonus the fab four represented Mayo in the County o50 team and won bronze.
Added to that wonderful performance, three of the team won individual medals Colette Tuohy bronze W55 in 19:24, Pauline Moran gold W65 in 21:25, and Mags Glavey gold W70 in 22:53.
Angela O’Connor ran a close fourth to Colette in W55 individual and was deservedly rewarded with gold club team and bronze county team medals.
There was also an excellent run by Eimear Fitzmaurice – she finished 9th W40 in a competitive category in 19:27.
In the Intermediate women’s race over 5,000m, Martina O’Connor ran an excellent race in the conditions to finish 7th overall in 23:36. The race winner was Amy Greene Finn Valley AC in 21:25.
Congratulations to the Mayo AC National medal winners : Colette bronze, Pauline gold, Mags gold, and supported by Angela o50 club team gold, and o50 County team bronze.
It was a long day - Dundalk over and back - but well rewarded, and Mayo AC and the County were brilliantly represented once again on the National stage.
Photo: Mayo AC:- National Masters Cross-country medals at Dundalk l-r Martina O’Connor, Angela O’Connor, Mags Glavey, Pauline Moran, Colette Tuohy, Eimear Fitzmaurice.
