Leonard lays down marker as Drogheda men take gold

WITH the Dublin Marathon a mere six weeks away, many Drogheda & District AC members were anxious to test themselves over the longer distances and last Saturday’s Ratoath Half-Marathon was the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Conditions on the morning couldn’t have been better, with little or no wind and a slight coolness in the air which would have helped the runners when the pressure came on in the second half of the race.

Racing over 13 miles is no easy task and for the more serious-minded runners getting the early pace right is so important, as that will largely determine how well they’ll perform in the latter stages of the race.

One man who certainly got things right was Colin Leonard, who produced the run of the day when finishing in fifth place overall in an eye-opening 1:14:22.

Coming back into the grounds of Fairyhouse Racecourse after having run a tough 11 miles round the quiet rural roads of County Meath, Leonard looked surprisingly fresh and was running with good form, up on his toes as he chased the runner ahead of him on the long and lonely two-mile stretch round the racecourse.

With the clock ticking and legs tiring, Leonard made one last effort once he caught sight of the finishing line and drove himself on to what really is a game-changing run for him, and on this form he’ll go well in Dublin.

Leonard has made remarkable progress in the past year, with his PB times tumbling, and it’s obvious to the keen observer of athletics that he’s put the work in on the training ground and does the small things which matter to keep an athlete injury-free and right for racing.

Not far behind in eighth place was last year’s winner Stephen Kelly, who crossed the line a tired man in 1:16:24, which was good enough to win his category. If this is how Kelly runs when he’s having an off day then it won’t be long before he’s back on the podium again.

Last year’s runner-up, Brian Martin, looked to be in great shape when finishing ninth in 1:16:24 and another six weeks of solid training will see him ready for the Dublin Marathon.

Thanks to the strong running of Pat O’Grady, who produced a sparkling run to finish 13th overall and first in his category in a time of 1:17:30, this quartet won the Men’s team prize with plenty to spare.

O’Grady’s run was all the more meritorious as he ran a full two minutes faster than when he captured the bronze medal in this event at the World Masters Championships earlier in the year.

There were also some fine performances from Colm Reilly (1:19:58), John Reilly (1:23:54) and John Cooper (1:27:08).

In the ladies race, first across the line for D&D was Yasmin Canning, who finished fifth in her category in 1:35:11, followed by Karen Delaney, who ran the course in 1:43:31, while Carmel Keenan finished in 1:46:44. Also running were Elva Maree (1:55:20), Roisin McGeough (1:57:51) and Elaine Fallon 2:07:56.

In the shorter 5K race, which took place at the same time, Ieva Ofmane finished 36th in 23:21.

Further afield, Nuala Reilly was part of the Irish team which took home the bronze medals in the half-marathon at the European Masters Athletic Championships in Venice on Sunday.

Running 13 miles when the mercury is hitting 27 degrees is no easy task and Reilly’s time of 1hr 49min speaks volumes for just how strong this lady is, and thanks to her efforts the Irish team went very close to picking up the silver medals, just losing out by a few seconds when the results were confirmed.

Back home, at last Saturday’s Dromiskin 5K, Shane Larkin hot-footed it round the course on his way to a fourth-place finish in a lively 17:10 which placed him