Home sweet home for Boyne runners

BOYNE AC’s talented athletes were certainly on familiar territory as Sunday’s first week of the Louth Novice and Even-Age Cross-Country Championships took place on their training ground at Meadowview Sportsfield in Drogheda.

First event of the day was the Novice Ladies, with some excellent performances all round. Catherine Tiernan Bell finished in eighth place in a time of 13:05, 12th was Amy McTeggart in 13:30, 29th was Edel MhicGabhann (15:33), with Tara McCullough 39th in 17:40 and Margaret Durnin 46th in 19:50.

In the Novice Men’s race Jamie Bull finished 31st in 24:57, in 47th was Brian Curry (28:46) and just two places further back was Michael Durnin (30:49).

It was then time for the younger athletes to make their mark, and they did so in style, with podium places in almost every event.

In the U-10 Boys Shea O’Donnell ran a super race to finish first, with Lorcan Forde Dunne in a fine third, Alex Robertson fifth, Emmet McEvoy seventh, Daragh Peters ninth and Sean Cummins 13th. Not surprisingly, the boys deservedly won gold team medals also.

Silver team medals went to the Girls U-10s, with a super run from Sholah Lawrence in third place, followed closely by Eimear Cooney, Kate Culhane, Isabella Garcia and Eabha Nic Ghabhann.

The U-12s had a tough 2,000m distance to contend with, but no stranger to distance running Neil Culhane made light work of it in his race, finishing first, with Danny Nugent third, Paddy Price just behind in fourth, Max Kingston eighth and Aaron Fennell 12th, followed by Conor Bowe, Amitesh Bala, Adam Byrne and Killian Ekhator.

These boys scooped the gold and bronze team medals between them.

In the girls race, the gold team medals also went to Boyne, as Saran Meite was first to cross the line, with Siofra Devine close behind in third. Eimear Doyle ran a great race to finish seventh, with Maedbh Nolan and Ella McLoughlin finishing close behind.

The Boys U-14 athletes tackled 3,000m and here Killian McLoughlin finished in a fine third, with Callum Sheedy just behind in fourth.

In the girls race in this age group, Caer NiGibne was third and Lily Cummins fourth.

In the U-16 4,000m race Tadgh Everitt Thompson battled it out to win the bronze medal, with teammate Tom Cummins just behind in fourth, while in the girls race over the same distance Cliodhna Nolan ran superbly to finish in a creditable fourth.

Last, but by no means least, Ruarcan O’Gibne ran a super 20:31 for 6,000m to finish second - out of age - in the U-18 men’s race.

Also in action on Sunday, a little further afield in Longwood, Rebecca Carolan and Andrew Coyle took on the challenge of the Irish three-quarter marathon, a final long run before the marathon itself.

Carolan crossed the line in 2:34:29, finishing 11th woman and second in category, while Coyle had a good run to finish in 2:55:31.