Pauline Moran leads Mayo AC success in recent events

ONE of the highlights of Mayo AC's recent participation in a number of events was Pauline Moran's success in the World Masters Mountain Running Championships.

Organised in conjunction with World Masters Athletics (WMA), the World Masters Mountain Running Championships has been the premier global off-road running event for thousands of athletes 35 years and older since 1998 when the championship was hosted by Kitzbuehel, Austria.

This year the Irish Mountain Running Association were privileged to host the 21st World Masters Mountain Running Championships on the first weekend of September.

They provided a challenging and exciting course with races open to all runners between the ages of 35-79.

Over 800 mountain runners from 29 nations converged on Clonmel to test themselves against the competition and the course in the Comeragh Mountains. Within each five year age category, medals were awarded to the first three individuals and the first three Country/Nationality teams in all categories.

As expected, the highest number of mountain runners are coming from around Ireland with 430 pre-registrants.

Pauline Moran is no stranger to international championships having competed successfully at both World and European level. She has also been a regular medal winner with the Irish team for many years in the British & Irish Masters Cross Country Championships.

On Saturday she added another string to her bow when she was among the athletes 55+ to 79 who ran 8.4k with 510 metres of climbing, competing as an individual and as part of the Irish team.

The course started with a brutal 2k road climb ascending over 200 metres. From there the route turned off road over a mix of rough open sheep pasture, rolling forest roads and single-track trails.

It was a tough task but that’s when Pauline gets going.

She finished 92nd in 55:50, 10th woman and 1st W65.

She was joined in the Irish W65 team by Majella Diskin (An Riocht AC) who finished 111th overall 57:52 and 2nd W65, and Carmel Mac Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) 182nd in 64:15 and 6th W65. With three to score they won the W65 team category.

There were 260 finishers in the short course race (men and women). You can check the results of the event and others on www.mayo.com.

The Warriors Run event returned this year last month for the first time since 2019, with over a thousand finishers.

Starting in Strandhill, approximately 9k of the 15k course is over paved roads, it’s the special 6k in the middle, to the top of Knocknarea that gives the race its bite – a 700 foot climb through fields, loose gravel, unsurfaced and heather paths, followed by an equally daunting downhill run, back down the often slippery slopes.

Seamus Somers (Sligo AC), M45, was first back at the beachfront in 57:10. He was 4th in 2019 in a similiar time when the race was won by Max Drion in 52 minutes.

Kinlough, Co. Leitrim native and Rio Olympian Breege Connolly W40 (North Belfast Harriers) was first woman home in 1:03.49.

Mayo AC's two brave finishers this year were Padraic and Angela McVann. Padraic crossed the line in 1:18 in 91st place (in 2019 he ran 1:16.07 when 99th). Angela finished in 1:44.46.

John Gordon (Mayo AC) ran a brilliant 2:54.14 for 4th place in the 19th Longford Marathon on August 27. Just behind in 12th was clubmate Darren Flanagan in 3:03.00.

John’s finish time was a pb beating his 2:55.18 time in Dublin Marathon in 2019.

Swinford AC held their second three-quarter marathon, relay and 5k on Saturday, September 3. The inaugural event took place in 2019.

The races got underway at 10 a.m. Overnight rain had cleared to give excellent calm running conditions.

The three-quarter Marathon course took in Meelick Round Tower, Ballylahan Castle and the meandering river Moy with a gradual rise back from the river to the finish line.

The three-quarter marathon race winner was Sergio Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers AC) in 1:48.31 a new course record by over three minutes. Another Dublin based runner Barbara Cleary F40 (Donore Harriers AC) was first woman home in 2:05.00 also three minutes faster than 2019 winner. Mayo AC had a good turnout with a total of 14 in the two events.

Gerry Kirrane led them home in the 3/4 marathon in 2:17.34 in 20th place overall. He was followed across the line by two clubmates: 27th, Andy Neary, 2:20.49; and 28th, Mark Basquille, 2:21.39.

Then: Tony Hegarty (2:36.17), Thomas Jennings (2:37.31), Brian Derrig (2:39.13), Tom McNicholas (2:40.10), Donna Gallagher (2:44.34), John Nyland (3:00.27, nine minutes faster than 2019), Julie Higgins (3:11.12), Geraldine Murphy (3:20.01).

One hundred and seven completed the 5k and Mayo AC had three finishers: Mags Glavey ran 23.03, Breege Staunton in 23:58 and Anto Devaney went round in an easy 25:51.

Congratulations to all Mayo AC finishers in 3/4 Marathon and 5k and well done to all at Swinford AC on hosting an excellent event.