RACE NUMBER 5 GER WYLEY / NIKE SUMMER SERIES 2006.
OLD STILL BAR CLASHMORE 5.
The 6th Annual Clashmore 5 took place last Friday evening with a huge entry of 157 athletes facing the starters pistol. The race was kindly sponsored again this year by the Salmon family of the Old Still bar in the village and we thank them most sincerely for their kind and ongoing sponsorship of this local event, We thank Dave for being available to presents the winners with their prizes on the night also. Our thanks to Clashmore G.A.A.club for the use of their club grounds for changing and showers and thanks to The Committee of the Community hall for the use of their premises for registration and race results. The presentation of prizes took place in Moloney’s Bar and we thank Glynn and his staff for the use of their premises for it. This gesture was much appreciated by the race organisers. To those who made the sandwiches which went down well many thanks.
The race went off superbly aided by the work carried out by road racing co odinator Gerry and our hard working crew on registration result’s etc headed up by club treasurer Denise, Bríd, Norma, and Emer, Our thanks also to Caroline and Helen for their help at the finish line, Thanks to Ann who did her usual good job with the prizes, Tony and Michael had the new P.A.system up and running and it proved to be a good investment for the club. The same duo looked after the course along with Joe our thanks for all your help once again. And finally to our stewards many thanks. It was great to see both Noel O’Doherty and Kathleen Deegan in Clashmore in a spectating capacity last Friday evening also, both are looking the picture of health again, thank god.
SANDIS BRALITIS SETS YET ANOTHER COURSE RECORD TO RETAIN CROWN.
West Waterford’s Sandis Bralitis set yet another course record when giving a masterful display of road running last Friday evening at the Old Still Bar 5 in Clashmore, race number five in the Ger Wyley/Nike summer series. The Man is unbeatable around these parts presently and he set yet another course record last Friday evening with a time of 25.00 minutes even, breaking the old standard of 25.07 which was also set by him last year. This is under 5 minute pace per mile which is superb running on this course, Sandis is currently setting standards which one feels will stand the test of time.
With five wins from five starts in the series to date Sandis is odds on favourite to retain his Ger Wyley /Nike Summer series crown and have his name inscribed once again on the O’Hogáin cup with 6 races to count from the 10 race programme this year one more win would secure that victory. For the record Sandis’s split times for the 5 mile course on Friday evening were 4.31-9.32-15.18 and a handy 20.30 at mile 4.Raivis Zakis West Waterford AC finished 2nd with a time of 25.44 which was a huge improvement from his time of last year 26.25 when he also finished second on that occasion. Raivis is also running well and can be doubly delighted after the performance of the athlete which he coaches Sineád Crotty on the night. The evening once again belonged to West Waterford AC when Seán Stilwell rounded off a memorable display for our Men after he finished a very strong 3rd overall with a time of 27.36,It seems to be the norm now that we are filling the top three positions in all local road races. This was another great run form the local Ardmore man who is making great strides this year on the road running scene, and is an invaluable member of the club. Grange Fermoy’s Michael Lyons was 4th in 28.04 and Frank Hayes East Cork was 5th in 28.25.The master’s Categories were well fought for on the night also with the over 40 title going to West Waterford’s Michael Dunford who had his usual ding dong battle with Martin Hayes with the Bohadoon man holding off the strong challenge of the Army man by just 1 second Michael retained the over 40 title he won in 2006 and he was 39 seconds faster last Friday when breaking the 30 minute barrier running a superb 29.30.Back to the drawing board Martin!!.We had a welcome visitor from Dublin for the race when Gerry Simpson Clondalkin AC took the over 45 title in 29.04 great running from a 45 year old. And speaking of great running there is non better than West Waterford’s Colin Lyons who took the over 50 title with a fine run of 31.36 East Cork’s favourite son John Walshe found himself in the winners enclosure when taking the over 55 title with a time of 35.52 It certainly looks like you would need to be really running well to take a masters prize these days with some splendid times recorded in all age groups. The Junior race was won by Grange Fermoy’s upcoming star Brendan Lyons in 30.02.Gerry Ford was our sole wheelchair competitor and Gerry was clocked at 48.10.The Men’s team title went to host club West Waterford AC.just one other performance of note came from new comer to the club Brian Byrne who broke the 30 minute mark with a terrific 29.51 those who said the Abbeyside man wouldn’t reach his target of breaking the hour for 10 before this year is out better get their money ready. It’s a comin me thinks.!!
SINEAD CROTTY MAKES HER MARK ON ROAD RUNNING SCENE..
What a difference a year can make I recall writing about a certain lady named Orla Tuohy last year when she won this race in a time of 31.33 and stating that not too many Female athletes around are capable of running this kind of time on this particular course well since than a new name has emerged and thankfully she is a West Waterford AC athlete with the name of Sineád Crotty who bursed onto the running scene earlier this year after some years out of the competitive side of the sport, Sinead had a terrific run last Friday evening when recording a time of 30.53 finishing over two and half minutes ahead of the second lady, Sinead who is coached by Raivis is proving to be a match for any Female athlete and her steady progress up the ladder is astounding to say the least. A most dedicated young athlete she is starting to get the rewards she deserves from the effort she is giving to the sport and we will be writing about her for quite some tine to come. Watch this space.! Our second Female finisher last Friday evening was one of our friends from Waterford AC Mary Burke 33.29.A good run from Mary also. Our third lady finisher was Brenda Lowe Waterford AC in a time of 33.39.well done to the City chicks. Another club Female performance of note outside of Sinead’s must be the run from Triona Wall who covered the 5 miles in 35.32.Triona who is putting as big effort into her training presently was rewarded last Friday with a brand new P.B.Now we know what comes next a sub 35.But in fairness that’s for another day, congratulations on your run in Clashmore Triona but I bet your thinking of it too ye.?Can do will do. Triona was also a scoring member of the West Waterford Ladies wining team which included her sister Norma and Maria Delaney.
The Ladies over 35 section was won by the much improving Waterford AC runner Brea Cooke in 33.31,Brea actually finished 3rd overall, West Waterford’s Ann Dunford ran her usual good 7 minute pace coming home winner of the over 40 section in 35.00.The over 45 winner was Anne Fitzgerald Waterford AC with a time of 35.13 and the over 50 category was won by a great supporter of all our events Hilary Collins Coolquill AC in 41.03.The first Junior was Elma Nugent West Waterford AC 36.26 well done to Elma who is improving nicely Elma just this year become eligible to compete on the road as the club strictly doesn’t allow any athlete under 16 years of age into any of its road races. The Ladies team award went to West Waterford AC.
Next race in series Friday evening next 8 pm the Rás Na Rinne 6.
CLASHMORE 5 RESULTS.
Men;
1st Sandis Bralitis West Waterford AC 25.00 ( new course record )
2nd Raivis Zakis West Waterford AC. 25.44
3rd Seán Stilwell West Waterford AC 27.36
4th Michael Lyons Grange/Fermoy AC 28.054
5th Frank Hayes East Cork AC 28.25
Over 40 Michael Dunford West Waterford AC 29.30
Over 45 Gerry Simpson Clondalkin AC 29.04
Over 50 Colin Lyons West Waterford AC 31.36
Over 55 John Walshe East Cork AC 35.52
1st Junior Brendan Lyons Grabge Fermoy AC 30.02
Team-West Waterford AC.26 points,Trevor Mason 7th Martin Hayes 9th and Joe Kelly 10th
LADIES;
1st Sineád Crotty 30.53
2nd Mary Burke Waterford AC 33.29
3rd Brenda Lowe Waterford AC 33.39
Over 35 Brea Cooke Waterford AC 33.31
Over 40 Ann Dunford West Waterford AC.35.00
Over 45 Ann Fitzgerald Waterford AC 35.13
Over 50 Hillary Collins Coolquill AC 46.24
Team-West Waterford AC.199 points,Maria Delaney 57th Norma Wall 67th and Triona Wall 75th
Wheelchair winner was Gerry Forde Blarney in 48.10
RUNNING QUOTE.
The hardest thing about running is sticking your legs into a pair of shorts. John Foley.
MILES AND SMILES AT MINNIES LEAGUE
There was plenty of miles ran and plenty of smiles at round seven of the Minnie’s Summer League in the Friary last week. With just two nights left in the League all involved in the various distances made a super effort in the run up to the finish. It is great to see such big numbers turn up each night and yet again we would like to remind everyone that it’s never too late to join. It is not necessary to run every night but you will find once you start to get into the swing of things that you won’t want to miss a night! Registration begins at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings and the league itself begins at 7 p. m. The usual choice of 1, 2, 3 or 4 laps of the Friary is on offer with each lap being 1.2 miles in total. Many newcomers this year started off walking a bit and running a bit and now these are the very same people that are now unrecognisable running non-stop around the Friary and running faster each week into the bargain. There is no time limit whatsoever and each person may run their chosen distance at their own pace. Why not join up with a friend or two and come along? See you all on Tuesday.
One Lap
All the one lappers definitely had reason to be smiling last Tuesday night. Diane Chizhikov lad the field home in a time of 9.30 but had to battle hard as Andrea Gaffney was hot on her heels and was only four seconds behind in the end. Ann Wall is close to reaching her goal with a time of 10.06. Aisling O’Connell who is making a comeback ran a time of 10.21. Ann Moore and Susie Keane must be absolutely thrilled to be getting closer and closer to running under twelve minutes. This they will surely achieve before the league concludes. Diane Chizhikovc and Michael Burke continue to lead the league tables but in the final tally of scores it is each person’s best six nights out of the total nine nights that will decide the winner. Those that have ran all the nights so far will find themselves lower down on the table at present but when it is only the best six nights that count the league positions will change.
Two Laps
The numbers for the two laps seem to be increasing all the time which is great to see. Kevin Burke ran a blinder for round seven and was almost a minute faster than the previous week. In fact he was second man home on the night and very much closed the gap on Yevgeniy Chizhikov who is also running really well at the moment. Mary O’ Riordan was very determined on the night and to prove it she successfully dipped under 26 minutes and recorded 25.53 for her efforts. Well done Mary. Trevor Walsh who is giving the two laps a go had a great run to record 17.06 on the night, just in after the Joe Byrne and Joe Barry. Michelle Mullaney looked very comfortable running the two laps and is now running under twenty-two minutes with ease. Tom Scanlon and Josie Harty were unlucky not to break twenty two minutes on the night but this will surely be their goal for the remainder of the league.
Three Laps
The trend of continuous improvement is clearly visible amongst the three lappers.
With the 3 laps being a total of 3.6 miles, this is a fair achievement for anyone especially those new to the running scene. Johnny O’ Connor was the first man home but was closely followed by Edmund Condon who ran a super time of 21.48. Pat Earley and Brian Collins are running s steady as ever as is Timmy Foley. Brìd Veale had a great steady run and will break twenty eight minutes no bother the next night. Aine Kelly must be delighted with breaking thirty minutes and she did so with a few seconds to spare. Well done Aine, all the training is certainly paying off.
Four Laps
The Four Lap league continues to attract the largest entry in the Minnie’s League this year. Last week saw huge improvements from many of the runners. Paul Twomey really upped the pace coming into the last lap to record 37.43 for the four laps. Fresh from having done the Wicklow 200 cycle race, Keith Radley must be very happy with his steady performance on the night. Liam Sandford’s training is really kicking in and he smashed his previous time by over two minutes. JJ Henley is another whose improvement can’t go unnoticed. He ran under 40 minutes for round seven and was just under 42 minutes for round six. That’s a direct result of training and consistency, well done JJ. Michael Callaghan is also experiencing huge improvement in his running knocking a minute off his previous time. Another to join the ranks is John Quill who recorded 36.46 on the night. Vincent Tutty is making a nice steady come back and ran well to record 35.38 on the night.
Sponsors
West Waterford Athletic Club would like to take this opportunity to thank the O’Brien family of Minnie’s Bar, Abbeyside for their kind and generous sponsorship of the league. It is through their support that the club is in a position to hold such successful leagues.
Presentation of Prizes
The league will conclude on Tuesday night, June 26 and the presentation of prizes will take place in Minnie’s Bar on Friday night June 29 at 9.30 p.m. The prizes for the various league winners will be presented on the night and a great night is in store for you all. All participants are invited to attend, not just the prize-winners.
TQS League
The TQS League will begin the week after the Minnie’s League concludes. It will be held on Tuesday nights at 7 p. m. with registration beginning at 6.30 p.m. on July 3rd. The entry fee is €2 per night and all are welcome. If you have been running in the Minnie’s League the TQS League is the perfect opportunity to maintain your fitness. After all, if you’ve worked this hard in the Minnie’s League it would be a pity to give it all up. If you were thinking of taking up running and getting fit but never made it to the Friary, then all the more reason for turning up for the TQS League. The winner each night of the TQS League will be the person that correctly predicts their finishing time and not the fastest runner, all the more suited to the beginner. The TQS League begins on July 3rd and will continue every Tuesday night for the months of July and August. See you all out there.
CLUB TRACK AND FIELD NEWS.
MUNSTER SENIOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
MEDALS FOR LEDINGHAM-CROTTY AND ROCKETT.
The Munster Senior Track and Field championships were held last Sunday in Cork I.T.and the club had 6 athletes competing. James Ledingham gave another top drawer performance in a very competitive 800 Meters and despite being badly boxed in after the first lap the experienced army man got himself back in contention with 100 to go drawing on all his experience he took gold on the line in a time of 1.56.32 from Jason Fahy Olympic 1.56.66 and Jeremy Lyons Clonliffe was third 1.56.84.
Sinead Crotty was back in action after her exploits in Clashmore on Friday evening. Sinead took part in a very fast Ladies 1.500 meters and here she took a deserving bronze with a time of 5.02.Donnie Rockett was back in action in the Hammer and made an impressive return as that finishing a very creditable 3rd taking the bronze medal with a throw of 50.08.Another to make a welcome return to competition was Michael Morrissey and he finished around mid table in this his first competitive event for quite some time. Morgan Hamm despite carrying an injury lined out for the Javelin, however the injury seems to be a little worse that Morgan initially thought so he had to abandon competition after one throw, we wish him a speedy recovery back to competition soon. Dzintars Klava was our only other competitor in Cork and he finished 9th in as time of 4.07.Well done to all athletes who travelled. We hope all will available for the National leagues next.
A.A.I.NATIONAL JUNIOR AND UNDER 23 CHAMPIONSHIPS.
The closing date for the National Junior and Under 23 championships is today Wednesday 20th June. The championships will be held in Tullamore on Sunday July 8th any fully paid up members who are interested in competing are asked to contact club secretary Tony Ryan on 087-7657805 today.
DAVID MC CARTHY COMPETES IN GERMANY.
Best wishes go this weekend with David McCarthy as he travels with a small group of four other young Irish athletes to Mannheim Germany to participate in an International Junior meet. David will participate in the 1.500 meters. The meeting is highly competitive and it will provide David with a prime opportunity to gain qualification for the World Championships in Beijing. The team of 5 athletes will face fierce competition in the hottest junior competition of the season and we will be hoping for good conditions to help him secure that qualification.
3RD ANNUAL GET UP AND GO CHALLENGE WITH WEST WATERFORD ATHLETIC CLUB IN AID OF THE SESAME PRE SCHOOL.
“SEE THE SUN RISE ON CRUACHÁIN MOUNTAIN”
The club’s 3rd Annual watch the sun rise challenge for a very worthy local cause takes place on this Sunday morning June 24th . West Waterford athletic club in association with The Sesame Pre School for children with special needs Dungarvan will hold a get up and go challenge to watch the sunrise from the top of Cruacháin mountain with all proceeds going to Sesame pre school. Entry is 20 Euro, which includes a post race breakfast. We will meet at Euro spar car park Abbeyside at 4 AM and travel by car to the mountain base before walking the mile or so to the top of Cruacháin Mountain. Donations from non-participants are also welcome. Spot prizes will be raffled among all participants. Please bring your camera, Bring warm clothes-The higher up you go the colder it gets. And please do bring along a friend or two for a very worthy local cause. Pat and Ann Dunford traditional breakfast run takes place back to Minnie’s Bar Abbeyside after we descend from Cruacháin so bring the gear.
SHANAGARRY THURSDAY 28th .
Our second trip to Ballycotton this summer will take place on Thursday 28th June for race two in the Ballycotton running promotions Nike summer series when the Shannagarry 5 takes place at 8 P.M.The following are the prize details for the race.
PRIZES: First 10 men (M); First 3 M40; First 3 M45; First 3 M50; First 2 M55; First M60; First M65; First M70; First 2 under 20 (MJ).
First 2 teams (3 to score, excluding prize-winners).
First 6 women (F); First 2 F35; First 2 F40; First 2 F45; First F50; First F55.
First team (3 to score, excluding prize-winners).
GER WYLEY SPORTS/NIKE SUMMER SERIES RACE NO.5.
MOONEY’S PUB RÁS NA RINNE ON THIS FRIDAY.
The Ger Wyley sports/Nike summer series head’s off again this Friday evening to Ring for the Annual Mooney’s Pub sponsored Rás Na Rinne 6 miler, We would like to sincerely thank Tom and Ann Gough for their ongoing sponsorship of this event now in its 15th year. The race this year is race number 6 in the series and it will start at 8 PM.Changing facilities and race entry will be at Halla Phobail Na Rinne from 7 PM.with entry fee 7 Euro. The following are the prize categories for the race 1st 3 Senior Men, 1st over 40,45,50,55,and 60,1st Junior, and 1st Local.1st 3 Senior ladies, 1st over 35,40,45,and 50.and 1st three teams with 5 to score using the handicap system for selecting teams. West Waterford club policy as usual regarding prizes, one prize per athlete. There will also be plenty of spots for non prize winners on the night, and of course the winner will be presented with the O’ Droma family perpetual shield. The presentation of prizes will take place in Mooney’s Pub after the race and refreshments will also be served to all.
NURSE-NURSE.
Congratulations to club member Ann Moroney on her recent excellent exam results when receiving an honours degree in Nursing.
SYMPATHY.
West Waterford AC extends sincere sympathy to Bobby Cody Waterford Road Runners on the recent death of his Brother Nick from Newross.Co.Wexford may he rest in peace.
THE WALLS OF FETHARD.
The Walls of Fethard 4 mile road race will be held tomorrow night Thursday June 21st at 8 PM.Prizes for the first three Senior Men,1st 2 Masters over 40 and 45.1st Master over 50-55 and 60.1st Junior Man and 1st Five Ladies.Entry fee 8 Euro and chainging facilities are at the I.C.A.hall.furthur inquiries to Niall O’Sullivan 052-38287.
LITTLE SOUTH 4 MILE ROAD RACE.
West Waterford AC finishers.
5th Sandis Bralitis 19.48
7th Raivis Zakis 19.58
33rd P.J.Guinan 23.42
61st Paul Mooney 25.56
87th Con Kelleher 27.22
150th Ray Murray 32.40
