John Travers placed a highly commendable 7^th in the final of the European Indoors 1500m race at Prague on Sunday (8/3/15). His coach Gerry Kiernan said post race regarding John’s on-going development: “This is the first time that John has gone to a major championship and performed – that is significant”. Kiernan also pointed out that Travers had run 8 seconds faster in the qualifying heat than the new champion Jakub Holusa of the Czech Republic, thus exerting a lot more energy in the first of two back to back championship races.

In the qualifying heat on Saturday morning Travers sat in the main group whilst Homiya Tesfaye (3.40.05) of Germany took out a sizable lead. The Ethiopian born German was chased home by Artur Ostrowski (3.40.24) of Poland in the closing 150 metres. Travers (3.41.37) bore down on Diego Ruiz (3.41.48) of Spain getting up to 3^rd and the crucial ‘fastest loser’ spot. It then became a waiting game, but none of the runners in the other 3 heats ran a faster qualifying time than the Donore Harriers man.

Travers admitted that he felt “… a little bit of heaviness in the warm-up” prior to the final. It was important that he ran a controlled race – and that is just what he did! With Ilham Ozbilin of Turkey setting a fast early pace John Travers passed through 300m (44.5) in 9^th and last place. He gained to 8^th through the 700m mark in 1.44 whilst Ozbilin led the field from Smirnov of Russia and Chris O’Hare of Team GB. With 2 laps (1100m point) to go the Turkish athlete had a commanding lead from O’Hare and Henrik Ingebrigtsen of Norway. Travers (2.45) was tailed off at the back. Everything changed on the final 200m circuit. Home favourite Holusa (3.37.68) got past Ozbilin (3.37.) on the line whilst O’Hare (3.38) held on to 3^rd place. John Travers used his finishing kick and got past the Russian and Polish athletes to pick up two places. His final time of 3.41.50 was just 0.13s short of his new indoor personal best set in qualifying.

In the Meath Spring Half-Marathon at Bohermeen (8/2/15) Ciaran McCarthy (1.13.49) placed 7^th overall and won the M40 category. His training partner Chris Muldoon (1.14.21) also produced a fine run by coming home in 9^thposition.  Ann Curley (1.24.34) was the winner of the F40 category and placed 72^nd overall. Other notable performances came from Nicola Dowdall (1.40.08) who recorded a new personal best and from Jim McNamara (1.44.01) who took 3^rd in the M60 race.

In the Meath Spring 10km race at the same venue Colm O’Connell (34.16) recorded a convincing win, whilst 7^thplaced Shane McCauley (37.00) came 2^nd in the M40 class.

Sean Fox (1.01.20) led a team of ten Donore athletes in the popular Ballycotton 10 mile road race (8/3/15) crossing the line in 121^st place.

In the Donegal 24 hour Endurance race (7&8/3/15) Garvan Smith finished an excellent 19^th.  In this gruelling event competitors had to complete 15km of kayaking, 166km of cycling, 5km of mountain running and 64km of road and trail running. In this years event, the kayaking leg was cancelled due to bad weather and replaced with a further 13km of running.

In the Tymon 5km Parkrun (7/3/15) Kenneth Nugent showed that he is getting back to form by winning in a time of 17.31. In the Business Houses cross country races at ALSAA (7/3/15) Maura Kearns (13.25) ran out a comfortable winner in the women’s two miles race. In the men’s race over 5 miles an improving Patrick Moriarty (30.56) placed 6^th.

In the Irish Universities cross country championships at Clongowes (7/3/15) Eric Keogh (NTG) had an eventful race over 5 laps and covering 8km. Keogh held 15^th place at the end of lap one and then moved up to 5^th - a position he held for the next 3 circuits. A trip and fall on the final lap cost him two places and he was unable to gain in the closing stages, probably feeling the effects of having raced in the national inter-clubs championships just 6 days earlier. Keogh helped his UCD team to silver medals. Heywood Richardson, representing NUI Maynooth, came 69^th.

In the All-Ireland schools cross country championships at Clongowes (7/3/15) Sekeriye Ahmed (11.25) and Fathi Aden (11.32) – both Synge Street CBS – placed 7^th and 10^th respectively in the Junior Boys race over 3.500m. Fathi, under the age qualification rule, has been selected to represent the Irish Schools in the SIAB home international cross country event to take place at Santry Demesne on the 21^st of March. Lucy McCann (13.30) representing Scoil Mhuire in Clane placed a very creditable 31^st in the Intermediate Girls race over 3.5km.

In the Parkside cross country races at John Paul Park in Cabra (4/3/15) Donore Harriers had a 1, 2, 3 in the Girls race for primary school students. Grace Raftery (St. Brigids) was the winner, with Brooke Fagan (St. Peters) and Sky Synott (D7 Educate Together) coming next.

In the Leinster Juvenile Indoors at Athlone Arena (7&8/3/15) Sean Lawlor recorded wins in the Boys under 19s 60m and 200m with times of 22.02 and 7.00; Jack Rudden-Kelly (8.52) won the Boys 60m Hurdles, whilst Aoife Lynch (26.63) was 2^nd in the Girls under 17s 200m and Ailise Keating (8.54) was 3^rd in the Girls under 19s over 60m.

A very good week for the Donore Harriers club began with the selection of Mark Dooley to the Irish senior cross country team to compete in the Antrim International on Saturday (14/3/15). Dooley placed 8^th in the national senior championship at County Down recently and his fine run has been rewarded with an Irish singlet. Hopefully the first of many!

Results in brief:

European Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prague (6-8/03/15): 1500m Final – 7^th John Travers (3.41.50): 3^rd in Heat 1 in (3.41.37 – PB) qualified to final

Irish Universities Cross Country Championships at Clongowes, Clane (7/3/15): Men 8km – 7^th Eric Keogh (UCD); 69^th Heywood Richardson (NUI Maynooth)

Donegal 250km Endurance Race (7&8/3/15): 19^th Garvan Smith M40 (21h.30m.08s) = Run 1 (2.50.08 rank 6^th), Bike 1 (6.30.11 rank 32^nd), Mountain (1.03.29 rank 22^nd), Bike 2 (4.46.28 rank 32^nd), Run 3 (5.43.56 rank 17^th)

Kinvara Rock Half-Marathon (7/3/15): 103^rd / 9^th female Alma Hanevy (1.37.37)

Tymon 5km Parkrun (7/3/15): 1^st Ken Nugent (17.31)

Business Houses AA Cross Country at ALSAA (7/3/15): Women 2 miles – 1^st Maura Kearns (13.25); 34^th Ann Woodlock F75 (19.19): Men’s 5 miles – 6^th Patrick Moriarty M35 (30.56); 36^th Ian Redican M40 (34.29); 38^thBarry Potts M65 (34.49); 80^th Terry Mee M70 (39.14)

Ballycotton 10 Mile (8/3/15): 121^st / 27^th in M40 Sean Fox (1.01.20); 559^th / 67^th in M45 Des Gill (1.12.15); 829^th/ 8^th in M60 Charlie O’Neill (1.16.34); 1027^th / 4^th in F55 Joan McTernan (1.19.13); 1099^th / 19^th in F45 Liz McCurtain (1.24.53); 1439^th / 16^th in F50 Mary Kingston (1.24.53); 1898 / 47^th in M55 Tommy Halton (1.31.09); 2078^th / 5^th in M70 Tony Jenkins (1.33.44); 228^th / 50^th in F50 Sue Lynch (1.37.39); 2363^rd / 12^th in M65 Michael Brophy (1.39.27)

Carlingford Half-Marathon (8/3/15): 38^th Colin Morrissey (1.28.25); 301^st Lee Chambers (1.52.49)

My 1000 Hours 5km (8/3/15): Florence Curley F35 (20.20)

Meath Spring 10km at Bohermeen (8/3/15): 1^st Colm O’Connell (34.16); 7^th / 2^nd in M40 Shane McCauley (37.00)

Meath Spring Half-Marathon at Bohermeen (8/3/15):7^th / 1^st M40 Ciaran McCarthy (1.13.49); 9^th Chris Muldoon (1.14.21); 23^rd Will Morris (1.29.24); 28^th George Brady (1.19.58); 72^nd / 1^st in F40 Ann Curley (1.24.34); 84^th Niall J. O’Reilly (1.27.05); 102^nd Niall P. O’Reilly (1.27.05); 250^th / 16^th in FS Grace Kennedy (1.38.53); 194^th/ 3^rd in M55 Tony Griffin (1.35.05); 218^th / 21^st in M4 Thomas Hickey (1.36.47); 278^th / 14^th in F40 Nicola Dowdall (1.40.08 PB); 342^nd / 3^rd in M60 Jim McNamara (1.44.01)

JUVENILE RESULTS in brief:

Parkside Schools Cross Country at Cabra (4/3/15): Girls race: 1^st Grace Raftery (St. Brigids); 2^nd Brooke Fagan (St. Peters); 3^rd Sky Synott (D7 Educate Together): Oliver Hopkins, Noah Synott; Sarah Higgins and Conor Mulcahy also competed

All Ireland Schools Cross Country championships at Clongowes, Clane (7/3/15): Junior Boys 3.5km – 7^thSekeriye Ahmed (Synge Street CBS) 11.25; 10^th Fathi Aden (Synge Street CBS) 11.32: Intermediate Girls 3.5km – Lucy McCann (Scoil Mhuire) 13.30

Leinster Indoor Track & Field Championships at Athlone Arena (7&8/3/15): Boys u/19s 200m – 1^st Sean Lawlor (22.02), 5^th Conor Fox (7.93); Boys u/19s 60m – 1^st Sean Lawlor (7.00s); Girls u/19s 60m – 3^rd Alise Keating (8.54); Girls u/17s 200m – 2^nd Aoife Lynch (26.63); Boys u/17s 60mH – 1^st Jack Rudden-Kelly (8.50); Girls u/18s 200m – 6^th Karen Hughes (27.44)