Kelly storms to impressive win
WHILE most people were wearing green for St Patrick’s Day, there were plenty Drogheda & District AC members wearing the club’s red vest at the Balbriggan 10K and Half-Marathon which took place on a bitterly cold morning.
Try as they might there was no sheltering from the near Arctic conditions as the runners went through their pre-race warm-up and the driving wind made things difficult for athletes and officials as the race start neared.
However, once the gun went, Stephen Kelly forgot all about the weather and concentrated on doing what he does best - running the opposition into the ground with a relentless injection of pace until there’s daylight between him and the chasing runners!
Kelly, who’ll be running in the European Masters Championships in Spain this week, wanted a hard run before this major race and he delivered it in spades around the twisting and sometimes hilly roads of Balbriggan.
Indeed, such was Kelly’s run that he crossed the line a popular winner in a fast 34:27 with some distance to spare over the second-placed runner Killian Nolan.
Training partner Paul Smith delivered a strong run to finish third overall in a useful 36:45 and he’ll be hoping to pick up a team medal in Spain along with Kelly.
D&D’s third finisher was Colin Leonard who’s come right back into form, and his time of 38:48 when finishing fifth shows that things are going to plan for him.
In the Women’s 10K race Rachel McCormack, one of the club’s newer members, ran the legs off her opponents as she raced round the course in a very impressive 44:03 to finish 15th overall. This was some running by McCormack given the conditions and she’s a real find for the club and will go well over the middle distances this summer.
The ever-present Nuala Reilly was well up the field when finishing 38th in 47:48 in a race which had more than 300 starters.
Conor Cooney, who’s struggling a bit with a niggling knee injury, still ran a solid 51:15 and will go quicker as the injury heals.
Also running were Roisin McGeough (54:41), Sharon Finn (161st in 1:00:08) and Geraldine Reilly who ran the course in 1:15:15.
In the Half-Marathon, Barry Sullivan couldn’t stop smiling as he took several minutes off his PB time when finishing 38th in 1:43:27.
Meanwhile, at the Mullingar Half-Marathon, Colm Reilly produced a top-class performance to finish 55th in 1:25:40. This represents some very solid running on a fair course, on a day when conditions were pretty horrendous for running fast times.
Reilly is one of those runners who hasn’t quite found his distance yet but is someone who has talent in abundance and is on an upward curve in his chosen sport.
Also running the Half-Marathon was Declan Crosby who hasn’t raced with D&D in a while. He ran an eye-opening 1:32:18 and clearly things are going well for him on this evidence.
Just three D&D members took part in last Saturday’s Oldbridge Parkrun.
This rather challenging 5K cross-country course, run over the hilly slopes of the banks of the Boyne, is perfect for sustained hard running and easy on the body at the same time.
The club’s first finisher - in 28th place overall - was Linda Bowe who finished in 30:52. Rose Dalton ran well to place 37th in 37:41, with Barney Flannery not far behind in 40th place in 39:44.
Gerard Fay made the short journey to Raheny for their midweek Winter League and the marathon specialist stepped down in distance and ran the one-mile event in 7:17.
Drogheda & District AC extends best wishes to all the coaches and athletes who are competing in the European Masters Indoor Track Championships in Spain this week.