Record turnout for Boyne at Greenhills
BOYNE AC had a record turnout of members in a field of more than 400 finishers for the Greenhills Remembrance 5K the weekend before last.
The group in the distinctive yellow singlets included the recent Couch to 5k group, who will need a new name as they have well and truly left their couches behind now and continue to go from strength to strength, under the guidance of their clubmates and Boyne AC coaches.
Timi Oluwabowale enjoyed a top-10 place overall for Boyne - and sixth in his category - in a new PB time of 20:07.
Next over the line was Rebecca Carolan, only two weeks after the Dublin Marathon, finishing fourth female and first in her category in 21:09.
Nicola Veale was next in a PB of 22:05, also with tired marathon legs, and she was followed closely by Sharon Hodgins, who had just come off night duty to finish in 22:32.
Justin Murtagh, another marathon competitor, finished in 22:48, showing that he hasn’t lost his speed doing the longer distances.
Brian Byrne was delighted with his 24:33 and Jillian Connor ran a steady pace to finish in 25:48. Debbie Monahon ran a PB in 26:46, with Brian Comiskey clocking 27:45, Rosemarie Dunne achieving a PB of 28:04 and Sandra McGuinness finished in 29:13.
Catherine Russell, in her inaugral wearing of the yellow vest of Boyne AC, finished comfortably in 29:04 despite a recent illness, and Michael Black continues to improve with every race and he crossed the line in 29:12.
Dominic Fagan, who’s been doing weekly parkruns as part of his training regime, finished just over the half-hour mark and Blathnaid Wall and Joan Cadden ran 31 minutes, with the last push up the hill proving tough but not insurmountable.
Delighted to be back after a long spell with an injury, coach Christine Kennedy finished in 32:15, while Jackie Clarke, Karen Comiskey and Jacqueline Reid all coming home in a similar time, followed closely by Nick Ferguson in 33:30 and Lisa Collier and Marian Caddell in 34 minutes.
The rest of the Couch to 5k crew of Shirley Ryan, Ellen Cadden, Yvonne Sheerin, Lisa Marie Mooney, Abi Williams and Charlene Byrne all finished shortly after, smiling from ear to ear as they crossed the finish line.
Great running and fantastic team spirit was on display as the route doubled back on itself and teammates had the opportunity to cheer each other on and offer words of encouragement as they passed each other.
Credit must go to Greenhills School for such an enjoyable morning, with a special mention to the transition year students who created the beautiful Remembrance Room and offered participants daffodil bulbs to take home and plant in memory of loved ones.