Buzz is back for Drogheda AC athletes
THE further easing of Covid-19 restrictions on sporting activities has been greeted wholeheartedly by athletic clubs across the country and from a Drogheda & District AC perspective it’s been great to see members returning to organised training sessions at their Newtownstalaban grounds.
While the social distancing rules still apply and are being strictly observed under the watchful eye of the club’s Covid officer, confidence is returning and is evidenced by the return of events such as the Kilbeggan 10-mile road race which will take place in early August and has caught the eye of some members who are anxious to see how they’ll go after the long lay-off.
Club Captains Paddy Murphy and Yasmin Canning have stepped up to the plate and come up with a winner in creating and organising the D&D Summer Race Series which is run over a six-week period and comprises of a one-mile event, a 4x400m relay and finishing with a 3km race.
These real races take place on the club’s all-weather track, but each race is run with small numbers and set up so that there’s very little overtaking happening. Certainly the buzz is back about the place, with everyone making sure the Garmin is charged up in the hope of a PB run being recorded.
Captain Murphy led by example when he toed the line for last Thursday’s mile race and ran a fast last lap while holding good form to cross the line in fourth place in a useful 5:34, just a second off his PB time - good going considering he hasn’t raced recently.
The race was won by a very fit-looking Colin Leonard who skipped over the ground effortlessly to win in 4:59, followed by Brian Martin in 5:19, while Alan Wade was third in 5:26.
Also running were Bryan Harvey, who’s coming back to form judging by his fifth-place finish in 5:52, while flying Frenchman Yann Mahuet dipped under the six-minute mark for the first time when crossing the line in 5:59 and his progress is testament to the success of the group training structure.
However, the run of the evening belonged to Gerard Maher who ran hard from gun to tape and knocked a massive 50 seconds of his PB with a time of 7:05, leaving his pre-arranged pacemaker well behind!
In the first race of the evening, training partners Helen Dillon, Karen Delaney and Elva Maree had a terrific battle over the mile distance - run over two laps - with barely the width of a singlet between them going out on the last lap.
Going up the tough little rise on the back section of the course, Dillon made her move and opened a small but decisive gap which she held all the way to the finish to get the win in 6:35, with Delaney holding on for second place in 6:41, despite a spirited run from Maree who was third in 6:49.
The previous Saturday saw a whole crop of the club juniors in action and this time the stopwatch was out, firmly in the hand of one of the coaches.
They gave it their all, with most races only being decided on the sprint for the line once the last bend had been rounded.
The victorious Liam Mulligan ran a superb 4:48, Tadhg Everitt Thompson was close behind with 4:51 and Harry Caffrey came third in 4:56.
Matthew O’Shea looked every bit the class athlete that his father Mark is when winning his mile event in 5:08 and is someone to watch out for in the future, given the easy way in which he covers the ground while holding perfect running form.
Also running well in this race was Liam McGreehan O’Grady who ran a new PB time of 5:14, and the sky really is the limit for this great group of budding athletes.
The club’s junior ladies also did well, with Abigail Tegart running a lively 5:22 for her mile, while Kate O;Reilly ran a gutsy solo mile in a noteworthy 6:07 to get the win in her race.
Also running well were Lily Cummins (6:13), Gemma Delaney (6:17) and Siofra Devine who ran the mile in 6:24.