Road Racing Roundup

It was another busy and successful weekend for Raheny Shamrock AC, with club members competing across a wide range of road races from 5km right up to the marathon distance. From fast championship racing to tough coastal challenges, there were plenty of strong individual runs and notable team performances to celebrate.

It’s also worth noting that many club members ran in the AL Goodbody 5k on Tuesday evening along the Docklands in the city, but as this is a company team building event, members didn’t enter as Shamrocks for this one, but there were some great results all around. Thank you too to everyone who volunteered to steward the race, as it simply would not go ahead without you.

Strong Half Marathon Running

The half marathon was a popular distance for the club this weekend, with excellent performances recorded in Charleville, Dingle and Ratoath. At the Charleville Half Marathon, Graham Ahearne led the Raheny contingent home in an impressive 1:16:26, followed closely by Sean Kelly in 1:18:51. Peter O’Neill also ran strongly to finish in 1:28:40, while Ciara Brady completed a fine outing for the club with a 1:36:45 finish.

In Dingle, Conor Wynne Walsh led the club’s half marathon finishers in 1:33:50, with Cian O’Cuinneagain close behind in 1:35:43 and Maurice O’Halloran completing the challenging course in 2:20:44. At the Ratoath Half Marathon, Mark Kirwan produced one of the standout performances of the weekend with a superb 1:14:16, followed by Stephen Butler in 1:17:36.

Fiona Stack delivered a brilliant run in Ratoath, finishing in 1:19:39 and taking first lady honours. It was a superb individual achievement and another proud result for Raheny Shamrock AC. There was also strong depth on show throughout the field, with Michael Boyle, Daniel Delaney, Mary Walsh, Dave O’Hara, Josh Henvey, John McManus, Dan Wallace, Sarah O’Neill, Shane Folan and Gerard Fay all completing the distance.

Marathon Efforts in Dingle

Raheny Shamrock AC was also represented over the full marathon distance in Dingle, where David Cronin led the way in 3:29:38. Brendan Potter followed with a fine 3:52:42, while Angela Charlton completed the marathon in 4:47:21. Taking on Dingle’s demanding course is a significant achievement, and all three runners showed great commitment over the 26.2 miles.

Championship Success at Lucan

There was excellent championship success at the Lucan 5 Mile, which incorporated the Dublin 5 Mile Championships. Cian Charlton led the club home in 26:40, with Ciaran McCarthy running 27:35 to claim silver in the O50 category. Michael Counsel added another medal-winning performance, finishing in 29:45 to take gold in the O60 category.

The men’s open team of Cian Charlton, Ciaran McCarthy, Michael Counsel and John Clarke also delivered a strong collective performance, finishing second overall and taking bronze in the Dublin Championships. It was a great example of individual quality combining to produce a strong team result.

Road Racing Across the Distances

Elsewhere, Mark Armstrong represented the club at the Clew Bay 10km, finishing in 50:24, while Gerard Fay ran 1:00:30 at the Ardee 10km before also taking on the Ratoath Half Marathon. Matt Wade completed the Dromiskin 5km in 32:35.

Ken Doyle also took on the Bundoran 10k Dune Run, describing it as the toughest 10km he has ever run. Battling soft sand, dunes, wind and rain, Ken finished in 1:04:00, placing 43rd out of 131 finishers.

Results