John Treacey 10 Mile / parkrun / Condolences
John Treacey 10 Mile race
On Sunday 5 members left the comfort zone of Wexford and travelled to Dungarvan in County Waterford to run the 32nd hosting of the John Treacy 10 mile race. A perfect day for running. Not too warm but considering its early February a nice dry and mild day was welcomed by athletes.
A very well organised event taking in the town at the start then venturing out onto quiter backroads before using the Cork road back towards the finish. Just over 2800 finished the race giving an indication of its popularity. A beautiful sight to see so many club vests on display. There was also a nice t shirt as a memento for everyone at the finish area. Well done to @westwaterfordathleticsac
Well done to the 5 lads Brian, Rob, Eamonn, Tadhg & Darren.
Club results:
Brian Smyth 1:07:49
Rob Casey 1:13:36
Eamonn Foley 1:15:02
Tadhg Henderson 1:20:59
Darren O'Grady 1:29:24
Photos courtesy of Andy O'Rourke photography & sportsphoto Ireland.
parkrun
A good morning for running on Saturday with over 100 turning up at Wexford Racecourse to take part.
At Wexford Racecourse Parkrun:
Eamonn Foley, Alex Parris, Fran Power, Paula Gondard, Geoff Hoffheinz, Sarah Bermingham, Mary Cronin, Brian Smyth, Dermot Foley, Michael Murphy, Bridie McGuire, Sharron Dier,Martin Kelly & Darren O'Grady all completed their 5k.
Condolences
The committee and all club members would like to offer our deepest condolences to founding member Mick McKeon and his family on the passing of his dear wife Christine on Friday morning.
Ar dheis Dé go Raibh a hAnam.
U23 National Indoors / Charlie Curran 5 Mile / National Indoor Combined
U23 National Indoor Championships
Great to see Eimear Halpin back competing on the track last weekend in Athlone.
She was competing in the U23 200m finishing 4th place in her heat with a great time of 28.04.
Well done Eimear.
Charlie Curran 5 mile
Nice running conditions today in Carlow as the 10th and final Charlie Curran 5 mile took place. A popular race over the years with just over 500 crossing the finish line today. Eight of our club members were amongst them with a few completing 5 miles for the first time. First time running for the club for Jamie.
Well done to you all.
Fran Power 37:59
John Dier 41:35
Ollie Stack 45:21
Sam Donegan 48:53
Jamie Jordan 50:57
Gráinne Hayes 51:06
Bridie McGuire 1:05:57
Sharron Dier 1:13:52
National Indoor Combined Events
The National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown in County Dublin was ready and waiting for young athletes to compete today. Orla Dolan, Meadhb McCormack, Jesse Murphy, Fiachra Mehigan, Alex Lonergan, Josh Nolan & Elijah Page Redmond all travelled up to tackle the combined events : 60m hurdle, long jump, shot putt, high jump & 800m. First time competing at an event like this for some and others well used to the system. This group of young athletes have been training diligently in preparation for days like this and thoroughly enjoyed today's competition.
Congratulations to all athletes and thanks to the hard working coaches for having them ready.
Full results :
U14 boys
Fiachra: 13.10 hurdle, 3.92m LJ, 6.09m SP, 1.30m HJ, 2.47 800m
Jesse: 12.16 hurdle, 3.63m LJ, 5.88m SP, 1.30m HJ, 2.53 800m
U16 boys
Alex: 12.89 hurdle, 4.31m LJ, 7.33m SP, 1.30m HJ, 2.40 800m
Josh: 10.90 hurdle, 4.10m LJ, 8.17m SP, 1.46m HJ, 2.36 800m
Elijah: 10.12 hurdle, 4.79m LJ, 10.11m SP, 1.46m HJ, 2.28 800m
U16 girls
Orla: 12.32 hurdle, 3.30m LJ, 5.40m SP, 1.10m HJ, 3.08 800m
Meadhb: 13.15 hurdle, 3.87m LJ, 6.31m SP, 1.10 HJ, 3.18 800m
parkrun
A cool breeze welcomed the early risers who attended parkrun on Saturday. Shout out to Geoff who recently signed up as a club member.
At Wexford Racecourse Parkrun Dermot Foley, Brian Smyth, Tadhg Henderson, Alex Parris, Geoff Hoffheinz, Darren O'Grady ,Ali Ashgar Khoyee, Sarah Bermingham, Mary Cronin, Michael Murphy, Bridie McGuire, Sharron Dier, Ollie Stack, Martin Kelly & Gráinne Hayes all completed their 5k.
Enda O'Sullivan was running his 5k at Knockanecree Woods Cloughjordan parkrun.
Schools Cross Country / Leinster Masters Cross Country
17th January - Schools Cross Country
As most were wondering if there was a chance schools would close due to the cold and frosty weather our Secondary School athletes were eagerly anticipating the cross country schools races held in Adamstown on Wednesday. A biting cold breeze coupled with a frosty start resulted in hard ground and scenic picture opportunities as large numbers of teenage athletes turned up to race in their school colours.
Orla Dolan & Meadhb McCormack were 10th & 11th representing Presentation Wexford Minor with team winning gold.
Zac Dee ran the Intermediate race representing Good Counsel New Ross.
Alex Lonergan and Elijah Page Redmond ran the same race but in St Peters Wexford colours.
Josh Nolan and Fiachra Mehigan also ran the same race but in CBS Wexford colours with team finishing in gold.
Brilliant to see the gang taking on the challenge and representing their schools.
Well done to you all on your performances
21st January - Leinster Masters Cross Country
Tony Harpur drove to Avondale Forest Park in County Wicklow to run the Leinster Masters Cross Country 7k. As you can imagine the ground was wet it was very windy and raining but that did not deter Tony. In fact it made him even more determined. A tough loop for runners and Tony finished in a very creditable 83rd place with a super time of 30:15.
Well done to you Tony.
20th January - parkrun
A miserable wet and breezey morning at Wexford Racecourse Parkrun as Dermot Foley, Brian Smyth, Eamonn Foley, Helen Wallace, Ali Ashgar Khoyee, Fran Power, Sarah Bermingham, Mary Cronin, Marie Casey Breen, Michael Murphy,Bridie McGuire, Martin Kelly, John & Sharron Dier all completed their 5k.
On Sunday morning as the storm started to build John Dier & Bridie McGuire travelled up to Olyegate and ran the 5k in aid of the local National School, tough going in that weather guys.
Membership is currently open for 2024, just get in touch for more information or visit www.menapiansac.com
Masters Indoors / Ferrycarrig "5" / Celtic Cross
13th January - 123.ie Masters Indoor Championships, Athlone
TUS in Athlone saw Tony Harpur arrive on Saturday morning with a pep in his step and a big smile on his face. Beside him the happy go lucky mentor Martin Kelly. Tony had travelled up to tackle the 400m/800m double on the track. First up 800m and Tony ran a time of 2:24:07. Away to rest for a short time before being called for the 400m. Tony ran a super time of 1:02:23 setting himself a PB for the distance.
Well done Tony.
14th January - Ferrycarrig “5” mile road race
Sundays are made for running and today saw perfect conditions. Bright and sunny with a nice slightly cool breeze to accompany athletes around the well known 5 mile route. This event as always is well organised with a nice route starting and finishing at the grounds of Wexford FC.
Our members travelled in high numbers to run and claim their hat as a memento of the event.
Well done to Marie Casey Breen on her first run as a club member and claiming the F70 prize.
Thanks to our supporters out on the route giving a welcome word of encouragement to everyone and a special mention to Sarah Bermingham who was part of the organising committee.
Club results :
Brian Smyth 31:14
Dermot Foley 31:55
Donal Grant 33:26
Rob Casey 35:18
Eamonn Foley 35:55
Jesse Kielthy 36:31
Tadhg Henderson 38:10
Micheál Kinsella 38:30
Gareth Lloyd 40:54
John Dier 41:39
David Clancy43:05
Ilze Bedrite 43:25
Sarah Bermingham 46:05
Ollie Stack 47:23
Mary Cronin 47:56
Sam Donegan 48:51
Marie Casey Breen 59:47 (F70 winner)
Bridie McGuire 1:06:26
Celtic Cross - Irish Under 23 Team Gold
Congratulations Roisín. To be selected on an Irish team is an achievement in itself but to be part of a gold medal winning team is another level. Well done
Wexford Athletics Facebook post
parkrun (13th January)
Shout out to the weekends parkrunners.
Sunny with a chill lead to some wondering long or short sleeves as they turned up for parkrun. Shout out to Ali on his first run since becoming a club member and its good to see Sharron back running again.
At Wexford Racecourse Parkrun Fran Power, Ali Ashgar Kohyee,Brian Smyth, Dermot Foley,Sarah Bermingham, Gráinne Hayes, Ollie Stack, Michael Murphy, Bridie McGuire, Sharron Dier & Gareth Lloyd all completed their 5k runs.
At SETU Waterford Parkrun Enda O'Sullivan completed his 5k run.
Well done to you all.
Membership is currently open for 2024, just get in touch for more information or visit www.menapiansac.com
Dublin City Marathon 2023. / Paul Brunnock 10k.
Dublin City Marathon 2023.
October 29th was D-day as Dublin City Marathon finally arrived. Many months of training, lonely long runs, group long runs, massages, niggles, injuries and taper week were all behind our crew as they made their way to the start line with the nervous excitement of a small child on Christmas morning. With all the hard work done and dusted it was just a matter of running 26.2 miles today and it would be all worthwhile. Not the most ideal weather conditions as the rain rolled in but the temperatures remained mild which helped. Getting to the start of a marathon is a huge achievement in itself but getting from start line to finish line is a whole new challenge. It is a physical & mental challenge which draws on inner strength and stubbornness.
A massive congratulations to all 10 with first timers and pbs on equal measure. Enjoy the recovery and remember it's easier to walk down the stairs backwards tomorrow morning !
Full member results :
Tony Harpur 3:15:48
Brian Smyth 3:26:32 PB
Rob Casey 3:35:52 (1st)
Dermot Foley 3:42:09 PB
Paul O'Meara 3:42:26
Gavin Hayes 4:00:34 (1st)
Jesse Kielthy 4:01:57 PB
Alex Parris 4:24:18 (1st)
Eamonn Foley 4:29:24
Fran Power 4:39:25 (1st)
Paul Brunnock 10k
Samantha Donegan took a quick drive to Waterford on Saturday morning to run the Paul Brunnock 10k. Starting and finishing in Dungarvan the run was an out and back on the scenic greenway. As is customary with Sam she started and finished with a big smile and smashed her PB time with 1:01:08 on the clock as she crossed the finish line. Super running Sam and lovely to see you get the rewards that your training deserve.
Congratulations.
Menapians AC 4 mile road race. / Autumn Open International Cross Country. / St Ibars/Shelmaliers 6k.
Menapians AC 4 mile road race.
First a huge thank you to everyone who completed our race today, congratulations to you all. We were blessed with super weather which I am sure made the event more enjoyable for you all. Thanks to all the clubs for supporting our club .
Our winners today are as follows:
Men
1st Enda Cloake Slaney Olympic AC
2nd Robin Mooney Sli Cualann AC
3rd DJ Dempsey United Striders
Ladies
1st Sabina Williams
2nd Eilis Peat United Striders
3rd Sinead O'Brien Kilmore AC
Junior
DJ Dempsey
Hannah Kelly
Congratulations to you all.
A race like today involves a huge amount of work so thanks to Race Director Tadhg Henderson and his army of volunteers.
Thanks to Gardai and Civil Defence for their help and assistance on the course.
Thanks to Wexford Boat Club for use of their facilities.
Finally a word of thanks to our sponsors without whom events like these can't happen:
Gallagher Insurance
Campion Insurance
Ornella
Dulann
O'Connor Mullen LLP
Profits flow
Renewable Energies
MW Hire group
Hanrahan Spar Taghmon
G.H. Lett
Eureka Information Systems
Autumn Open International Cross Country
Well done to our athletes competing in Dublin at the cross country event on Sunday.
A sunny and warm day made it feel more like a Summers day instead of the damp and grey more associated with cross country.
Catherine O’Connor ran to an excellent 11th W55 race.
Roisin O'Reilly was competing in the senior race placing well in 25th.
Helen Sinnott completed in Autumn Open 4000 metres Experience which completed the day's racing in Dublin.
Well done to both ladies.
St Ibars/Shelmaliers 6k
A super sunny Sunday morning as our 9 made the short trip out to run the 6k event. Nice route with 2 short hills to contend with and well marshalled finishing with a grassy run down the length of the pitch.
Today Eamonn Foley had the honour of 1st clubperson home with John Dier 1st in his age category, thanks to Sharron & Sports Photo Ireland for photos.
10th Eamonn Foley 26:30
17th John Dier 30:01
19th Gareth Lloyd 30:11
24th Darren O'Grady 32:01
25th Enda O'Sullivan 32:12
40th Ollie Stack 34:31
41st Sarah Bermingham 34:40
47th Sam Donegan 35:41
48th Gráinne Hayes 37:19
Mr Oil County Intermediate Cross Country / Simon Home Run 5 mile / Mr. Oil Novice Cross Country. / The European Masters Athletics Championships
Mr Oil County Intermediate Cross Country
Taghmon AC were the welcoming hosts as the County Board hosted day 2 of Cross country season. Today was Intermediate day as ladies faced 4km and men 8km around the 1km loop which took athletes around 2 fields and what felt like more uphill than downhill. The course was very good underfoot with a long uphill section which stretched the field lap after lap. Not for the faint hearted.
With ladies up first they looked at a 4 lap course with Mary Gaynor 7th in 20:09 pushing hard leading the 3 home followed by Catherine O'Connor 8th in 21:05 and Helen Sinnott 11th in 23:39
Great running by all 3 who pushed themselves hard throughout the race.
The last race of the day saw the men line up to face 8 laps of the marked out course. Our four gents were lead home in determined fashion by Tony Harpur 15th in 34:02 with Tadhg Henderson 26th in 43:12, Darren O'Grady 27th in 45:46 & John Dier 28th 46:32 all running well. Again great running by each athlete.
A word of thanks to Padraig Kelly who officiated, the County board and Taghmon AC on hosting another successful event and finally to our crew of supporters who encouraged our athletes through every step of the race.
Simon Home Run 5 mile.
In Dublin's Fair City our 3 musketeers made their way out to the Phoenix Park to compete in the 5 Mile race which is a very important fundraiser for the Dublin Simon Community.
Why were they up there ?
Well it was the 40th anniversary of the event and Martin Kelly was the inaugural winner in 1983. To celebrate that he raced it again 40 years later, joined by Tony Harpur & Brian Smyth (along with Tony's brother Paul). Super running conditions and a lovely atmosphere as they readied themselves for the startes whistle.
Excellent performances from all 3 with Tony home in 12th place in 31:28, Brian just behind in 15th place in 32:07 and the celebrity himself Martin Kelly 1:05:15 which numbered him in 659th place.
Congratulations gentlemen.
Mr. Oil Novice Cross Country.
Today saw the Mr Oil County Cross Country race series return for 2023. United Striders were the kind hosts using J.F.K. Park grounds as they marked out a testing but fair 2km loop for competitors to navigate. The course was well received by all and compliments to Striders and the County Board., they even arranged a nice warm day after the miserable day that Saturday was.
Our Super 8 (named by our Captain) put in very determined runs today. Mary Gaynor, Louise Henderson, Helen Sinnott, Carol Dowling, Tony Harpur, Tadhg Henderson, John Dier & Liam Carroll all pulled on their club vest and stepped up to the start line.
Ladies had a 2 lap run on the course and with some brilliant runs saw them claim a superb team silver , a fantastic result ladies huge congratulations and well deserved. Special mention to Mary Gaynor finishing a super 5th place.
Men had 3 laps of the course and excellent runs by the men but unfortunately no medals on the day.
Thanks to Siobhan Doyle who officiated on the day and our support crew who encouraged our athletes around the course Catherine & Brian.
Next weekend sees the Mr Oil Intermediate Cross Country and Uneven Age take place in Taghmon and kindly hosted by Taghmon AC.
@aoifelyng_photos &@sharrondier
The European Masters Athletics Championships
The European Masters Athletics Championships are being held in Pescara, Italy on the 24th of September. The club is being represented by two athletes. Brian Smyth donned the Irish vest for the first time to toe the line in the 7K Cross Country. Heavy rain for 2 hours before the start changed course conditions from a lovely dry one to a wet course with plenty of surface water. Brian ably conquered the 4 lap route amongst stiff competition to finish in a respectable 16th position in the 0/40's in a time of 29:22
We wish Martin Kelly the best of luck as he takes part in the 0/65 5000m on the track on Tuesday 25th of September.
The Toddy Moore Memorial 5Mile & 10 Mile Kilmore. / Kilmore Winter league. / Ironman Wales.
The Toddy Moore Memorial 5Mile & 10 Mile Kilmore.
The Toddy Moore Memorial race in Kilmore was revamped this year. The clever organisers incorporated 2 race distances into 1 event running at the same time, a fine feat of organisation. A 10 mile race to attract anyone training for a marathon started at 10am. As that race was out on the course at 10.20am the 5 mile race started.
Well done to Kilmore AC for thinking outside the box and offering up the two distances.
On the weather front only light rain at times which was welcomed by runners on a warm morning.
Helen Wallace had a great run finishing 5th lady home in the 10 mile race.
Club 5 mile results :
Micheal Kinsella 39:14
Gareth Llloyd 40;10
Sinead Morris 44:09
Ollie Stack 45:03
Sarah Bermingham 46:58
Club 10 mile results :
Eamonn Foley 1:18:10
Jesse Kielthy 1:19:36
Helen Wallace 1:27:00
Fran Power 1:30:35
Kilmore Winter league
Great to see 2 of our Juveniles competing in the Kilmore Winter league last night. Although the weather was not what you would expect for Winter League our 2 athletes performed well in their races.
Well done to Rory Henderson & Fiachra Mehigan.
Iron Man
Tenby in Wales is a well know holiday Village known very well amongst Irish holidaymakers. However Sunday the 3rd of September was a very different trip for Tony Harpur. He ran a marathon while he was there. Not only that but he went for a 180k bike ride before his run. Not only that but he went for 3.8k swim in the sea before his cycle which all added up to completing the Iron-man event in Wales.
A superb achievement to complete such a physically challenging event.
He swam the 3.8k route in 1 hrs 54 min, then the 180k bike ride in 6 hrs 8 min then on to a 42 km run in 3 hrs 58 mins with an overall official time of 12:27:28.
To put it into context he entered the water at 7.15am and completed his run around 7.45pm that night, endurance at its finest.
Massive congratulations from all in the club Tony and enjoy the recovery.
Oylegate Half Marathon. / Dublin City Triathlon.
Olyegate Half Marathon
Oylegate Half Marathon was a popular choice for people with an eye on the Dublin Marathon in October. Today the race took place over a 2 lap 10k loop around the village of Oylegate and doubled up as the County Half Marathon Race. Nice to see members taking on different distances and challenges in recent weeks from the Co champs to triathlons. Well done to Billy Reck and the rest of the team on organising such a great event.
Member results :
Dermot Foley 1:41:11
Brian Smyth 1:43:17
Eamonn Foley 1:49:35
Jesse Kielthy 2:06:06
Photos Pop Up Races
Dublin City Triathlon
Dublin City Triathlon was the event of choice as Tadhg Henderson, John Dier & Sharron Dier all travelled to Phoenix Park in Dublin. There was a few entry options with John & Sharron taking the shorter distance option and Tadhg going all in tackling the longer race distance.
A tough swim in the Liffey followed by a cycle on the roads of Phoenix Park finishing with a run again on the roads of Phoenix Park.
Congratulations to the 3 of you.
Tri the Hook. & Gavin Glynn Triathlon. / Frank Duffy 10 Mile. / Menapian's Weight For Distance.
Tri the Hook. & Gavin Glynn Triathlon.
We had some members taking on events in recent weeks outside of the familiar athletics events.
At Tri the Hook (which became a duathlon due to the weather) Tony Harpur won his age cat. Also competing were Tadhg Henderson and Donal Grant.
Donal Grant was also busy competing in Kilkenny Tri Clubs Triathlon a few weeks back.
John & Sharron Dier recently competed at the Gavin Glynn Foundation Triathlon in Greystones.
Great performances all around showing versatility when performing, congratulations everyone.
Some photos by sportsphotoireland
Frank Duffy 10 Mile.
Well done to Paul O'Meara and Fran Power who today travelled to the Phoenix Park in Dublin for the Frank Duffy 10 mile. An event used as part of many athletes preparation for the Dublin City Marathon the 2 guys were no different as they continue their training towards the Bank Holiday weekend in October. 2 excellent times posted today showing that the prep work is coming along nicely with Paul finishing in 1:25:36 & Fran finishing in 1:28:46
Keep up the good work gents.
Menapian's Weight For Distance.
Last Tuesday evening, Menapians Athletics Club organised a very well attended weight for distance throwing evening for women at its sports ground at Park, Wexford. The event, held in glorious sunshine, was one of many held across the country to celebrate Her Outdoors week. This is a Sport Ireland initiative which aims to encourage more girls and women to enjoy the benefits of being active outdoors.
Weight for distance is a long established throwing event which once ranked alongside the better known throwing events such as hammer, discus, shot and javelin. The centre-piece of weight for distance is a spherical shaped weight, with different weights for different categories, attached by means of a short chain to a triangular handle. The athlete, from a standing position, throws the weight as far along the ground as possible. There is also a weight for height event which involves throwing the weight over an overhead bar.
In his welcome address to the women, coach Michael McKeon gave a little background to the sport. He said that the throwing events we see at Olympics and in competition come mostly from weapons used in battle and, he pointed out, used by women as well as men. Both weight for distance and weight for height, traditional in Ireland and Scotland and, through emigration, in parts of the United States, has very different origins to those events deriving from weapons. Traditionally, a weight was used to measure crop yield at harvest time. Once the harvest was saved, farm workers were in festive mode and the ensuing celebrations included traditional games such as tossing the sheaf, hammer throw and weight for distance. This was the genesis of harvest-time festival games and, while these have largely died off, many of the activities can still be seen at parish field days.
With the history lesson completed, there was a demonstration of throwing technique by athlete and acclaimed singer/songwriter Rachel Grace. Coach Catherine O’Connor led everyone through some warm up exercises before the athletes lined up for some practise throws.
The group included experienced athletes alongside some who had never thrown anything heavier than caution to the wind! All Ireland Masters medallist and rowing enthusiast Deirdre Bowers Kavanagh was there. So was her Enniscorthy AC clubmate Lisa Breen. Former Mayor, Councillor Maura Bell, not known for flinging her weight around, had no trouble flinging the heavy ball a huge distance. Former Irish international discus thrower Ailish O’Brien of DMP AC, delighted to see so many women attending a throwing event, was happy to view proceeding from the sidelines.
Then it was competition time, each athlete getting three measured throws. The ladies kept a close eye on the measuring tape-wielding Padraig Kelly as he pinned where each effort landed with Mick McKeon calling the distance at the board, Siobhan Doyle keeping the tape straight and Margaret Malone carefully logging each throw.
Niamh Duggan, a total newcomer to the event, generated a collective a murmur of appreciation as she threw the 20lb weight out past the 5 metres mark on her first throw. The experienced Deirdre Bowers Kavanagh opened with 5.78 metres. Lisa Breen was measured at 5 metres flat.
With the first round completed, the noise level increased appreciably, as competitive instincts kicked in. Top layers were shed, feet planted at the board, muscles flexed. Nearly everyone threw further with their second effort, particularly Orla Redmond who joined the big throwers with a massive 5.10 metres. Into round three and there was no holding back, not least for Therese Byrne and Sinead Ryan who joined the 5 metres+ club. Deirdre BK, to whoops of delight and thunderous applause, sent the weight a whopping 6.45 metres. Needless to say, no one came within an ass’s roar of this making Deirdre the overall winner. Niamh Duggan was adjudged best new comer and Mary Cronin took the title of most consistent athlete of the competition.
A number of women, appetites whetted, stayed on to try out the more established throwing events including discus, shot and javelin. The rest headed off into the setting sun, flexed shoulders thrown back, heads held high. They were no doubt wondering how standing out in a field of an evening tossing a 20lb weight about could be such fun. Celts to the core!
