Michael McMahon’s win the Dublin 10,000m championship and Anne Curley breaking the 3 hours marathon barrier for the 11^th consecutive time were the notable highlights for the Donore Harriers club in the past week.

McMahon (32.18.38) was the clear winner of the Dublin 10km track championship, which was incorporated into the first Dublin Open Graded meeting (22/4/15 at Santry) of the season. He finished more than a minute and-a-half in front of his nearest challenger Brian Furey (34.00.21) of Rathfarnham AC and gave further notice of his rising profile in Irish distance running. The redoubtable Anne Curley, running in her 11^th marathon, kept her 100% sub-3 record with a super time of 2.58.59 in the London Marathon. She passed the halfway mark in 1.28 and maintained a good pace over the latter stages to cross the line 12^th overall in the F40 category.

In the RTE Business Houses AA (BHAA) 5 miles road race on Saturday morning Ken Norgrove (27.35) placed 6^thoverall, whilst Florence Curley (32.17) and a returning Niamh Donnelly (formerly Murphy) (36.02) placed 1^st and 3^rd in the F40 category.

The BHAA presented Donore Harriers stalwart Ann Woodlock with their Athlete of the Year award for 2015 at a special post-race presentation in the RTE Sports club. The BHAA described Ann as: “… a great ambassador for our sport and an inspiration to all up and coming athletes in Ireland”. A tribute was also paid to 76 years-old Ann by her Donore Harriers ladies captain Florence Curley who praised her achievements over a 34 year national and international running career which most recently saw her become double European Masters indoors champion. Her gritty determination as a competitor, dedication to training and inspirational status in women’s masters running in Ireland was also lauded. Ann was then presented with a Waterford Crystal trophy by Terry Clarke of BHAA and the RTE athletics club. With members of her family present, Ann thanked the association for the award and for their support in continually acknowledging her age category. Congratulations Ann, a richly deserved award.

It was a busy week for the club’s juvenile members with the beginning of the schools track and field competitions. In theWest Leinster Schools Track & Field championships at Santry the outstanding performances came from: – Aoife Lynch (Luttrelstown CC) who recorded a fine double in winning the Intermediate 100m and 200m; Ailbhe Healy (Castleknock CC) who won both the Intermediate High Hurdles and Pole Vault; Lauren Kennedy (St. Joseph’s Lucan) had victories in both the Senior High Hurdles and 400m Hurdles; Max Carey (Lucan CC) who won double gold in the Junior Hurdles and Long Jump; and Louis O’Loughlin (Moyle Park) who was a clear winner in both the Minor 800m and 1100m. The other star performances came from Sam Gallagher (Lucan CBS) who took 30 seconds off his previous best time to win the 5,000m in 16.20.7; Roisin Rynn-Cahill (St. Joseph’s Lucan) who won the Intermediate 300m and took silver in the Long Jump; Sean Lawlor (Kylemore) who was narrowly edged out on the line in the 100m, but stormed to success in his favoured 200m; and Oran O’Brien (Belvedere) who won gold in the Intermediate Discus and silver in the Shot Putt. Ciara O’Donnell and Lucy Hurley (both Maynooth PP) are certainly emerging athletes as they recorded fine wins in the Junior Hurdles and Junior High Jump respectively. Lucy also took bronze in the Junior 200m and then anchored the Maynooth PP school team, which contained her club-mates Ciara and Angie Gonia, to silver in the relay.

In the North Leinster Schools Track & Field championships, also at Santry, the Juvenile Section captain Karen Hughes (Donabate CC) took gold in the Senior Triple Jump and then went on to take silver in the 200m. Throwing specialist Lauren O’Keeffe (Loreta Balbriggan) won gold in the Intermediate Hammer and a bronze in the Shot Putt. The Hammer event brought further medals with Iain Darroch (Donabate CC) taking gold in the Intermediate Boys, Eleanor Ronan (Donabate CC) a silver medal in the Junior Girls and Clodagh Read (Donabate CC) a bronze gong in the Intermediate Girls.

Dublin Open Graded Meeting 1 at Santry: 200m B1 – 6^th Adam Halpin (24.48); 200m C1 – Sean O’Broin M45 (25.11); 200m B2 – 3^rd David Campbell (24.11); 200m C2 – 6^th Paul Cummins (25.92); 200m B3 – 4^th Cian O’Reilly (24.01) 200m C3 – Killian O’Hora (25.49); 1500mW – 4^th Barbara Cleary (4.45.47); 1500m B – 9^th Luke Boland (4.24.05); Hammer – 3^rd Clodagh Read JNR (42.74); 5^th Orlaith Read (27.13); 10,000m inc Dublin Championship – 1^st Michael McMahon (32.18.38); 4^th George Brady (3.53.05)

BHAA RTE 5 Mile: 6^th Ken Norgrove M45 (27.35); 14^th Patrick Moriarty M35 (28.31); 50^th Joe Murphy (31.12); 61^st Ian Redican M40 (32.10); 63^rd / 1^st F40 Florence Curley (32.17); 113^rd / 3^rd F40 Niamh Donnelly (36.02); 130^th Terry Mee M70 (36.58); 178^th Tommy Halton M55 (41.39)

Griffeen 5km Parkrun: 2^nd George Brady M35 (17.57)

London Marathon: 1693^rd / 12^th F40 Anne Curley (2.58.59); also Colin Morrissey M40 (3.09.00 PB)

Athlone 10km: 6^th Chris Muldoon (34.32)

Samsung 10km Night Run at Dublin Docklands: results will be listed next week
LATE RESULT: Manchester Marathon (19/4/15): 251^st Fred Kiernan M35 (2.54.29); 345^th Derek O’Neill M45 (3.01.26)

Juvenile Results:

CORRECTED RESULT: Naas 5km Parkrun: 6^th Michael Gibbs (17.39 PB)
West Leinster Schools T&F Championships Day 1 at Santry: Gold = Senior Hurdles – Lauren Kennedy; Intermediate 100m – Aoife Lynch; Intermediate Pole Vault & Hurdles – Ailbhe Healy; Junior Hurdles – Ciara O’Donnell; Junior Pole Vault – Lara O’Byrne; Senior Hammer – Eoin Molloy; Intermediate Hurdles – Alex Clarkin; Junior Hurdles – Max Carey; 1100m – Louis O’Loughlin (3.19.8); Intermediate Hammer – Aoife Simms: Silver = Senior 100m – Ailise Keating; Intermediate 100m – Suzi O’Farrell; Intermediare 100m – Kolade Abiodun; Senior 100m – Sean Lawlor; Intermediate Hurdles – Jack Rudden-Kelly; Intermediate Shot Putt – Oran O’Brien: Bronze = Senior 100m – Conor O’Ceallaigh; Intermediate 1500m – Conor Ray

Also: Sean Young 6^th in Senior Shot Putt (9.90 PB) also Hammer (20.22); Sean Classman 5^th in Senior 100m; Robyn O’Keeffe 4^th in Intermediate 100m; Angie Gonia 4^th in Junior Hurdles; Ruairi Fitzgibbon 13^th in Junior 1500m

North Leinster Schools T&F Championships Day 1 at Santry: Gold = Intermediate Hammer – Lauren O’Keeffe; Senior Triple Jump – Karen Hughes; Intermediate Hammer – Iain Darrock: Silver = Junior Hammer – Eleanor Ronan; Bronze = Intermediate Hammer – Clodagh Read

Also: Clodagh Read 4^th in Intermediate Triple Jump; Caoimhe Mackey 4^th in 300m.

West Leinster Schools T&F Championships Day 2 at Santry: Gold = Intermediate 200m – Aoife Lynch; Junior High Jump – Lucy Hurley; Intermediate 300m – Roisin Rynn-Cahill; Senior 400mH – Lauren Kennedy; Senior 200m – Sean Lawlor; Minor 800m – Louis O’Loughlin (2.14.6); Senior 5000m – Sam Gallagher (16.20.7 – PB); Junior Long Jump – Max Carey; Intermediate Discus – Oran O’Brien; Senior Pole Vault – Rolus Olosu: Silver = Intermediate 200m – Lauren O’Flaherty; Intermediate Girls 800m – Claire O’Connor (2.39.00); Intermediate Long Jump – Roisin Rynn-Cahill; Intermediate Javelin – Alex Clarkin; Bronze = Intermediate 200m – Robyn O’Keeffe; Junior 200m – Lucy Hurley; Intermediate 200m – Kolade Abiodun; Intermediate 3,000m Conor Ray; Intermediate Discus – Sean Young (25.30)

North Leinster Schools T&F Championships Day 2 at Santry: Silver = Senior 200m – Karen Hughes;Bronze = Intermediate Shot Putt – Lauren O’Keeffe: Also – Iain Darroch 5^th in Intermediate Discus