The Clonliffe Harriers senior men’s team made it 3 National Road relay titles in a row in Raheny this afternoon. The team put in a quality performance to complete the 2 x 1 x 3 x 2 course in a time of 37.00, some 17 seconds faster than last year and the 2nd fastest by a Clonliffe team on this course (the fastest was the 2022 winning team’s course record of 36.45). The opening leg was completed by Colm Rooney (9.18), Colm was previously a gold medallist in the national road relays in 2007 and 2008, passing over in 3rd place to Fintan Kerins, who today won his 1st national road relay gold, Fintan ran his mile leg in 4.33 and passed over in 2nd place to Efrem Gidey, who has been a constant in this team for the past 3 years, Efrem cruised his 3 mile leg in 13.42 handing over a huge lead to Ian Guiden, who today was making his 9th, a record, appearance for Clonliffe in the road relays at Raheny, running a comfortable 9.30 to bring the team home 40 seconds clear of second-place Ennis TC with hosts Raheny Shamrocks in 3rd.
That, however, does not tell the full story of the days proceedings. In the senior men’s race which had a a huge 32 team entry, Clonliffe fielded 7 teams. The B team placed 9th (38.44) – Ed Tottenham 9.35, Sean Carrigg 4.36, Stephen Cashin 14.48 and Jayme Rossiter 9.48. The C team placed 14th (40.26), Mahad Egaal 9.39, Jack Maughan 4.32, Sean Owens Heaslip 15.48 and Mark McDonald 10.28. In 15th place the D team (40.35): Niall Carbery 10.11, Lorcan Benjacar 4.39, Tom Breslin 15.37 and Matei Ursachi 10.09. The F team were next in Ryan Sheridan 10.38, Devan Morrisey 5.10, Ian McAlweeney 15.52 and Jack Quinn 11.09 taking 28th position, one place behind was the team of Cian Murray 10.41, Oren Kenny 4.58, Sean McGarrihy 16.32 and Peter Bissett 11.45 and 32nd position the G team Liam Arthur 11.51, Aedan Benjacar 4.59, Aaron Murray 17.19 and Jack McDonnell 11.39.
The senior women fielded 4 teams, the A team finished a very commendable 8th in a time of 21.28, the 2nd fastest time recorded by the Clonliffe senior women – Niamh Kelly 5.08, Emma Mitchell 10.59 and Sarah Bateson 5.22. The B team finished 19th – Hazel Kenny 6.07, Sorcha O’Connor 12.12 and Aisling Kehoe 6.11, 20th was the C team of Niamh Belton 6.34, Aoife O’Reilly 12.20 and Katie Halpin 5.59 with the D team of Naoise Cullen 6.46, Aisling Killelea the 12.38 and Chloe Heaslip 6.16 taking 25th position.
In the master mens M35 a fine set of national silver medals were won by the team of Tom Sherlock (4.47), Cathal McHale (10.01) and Niall Sherlock (5.04). There were 2 other M35 teams, in 10th position the team of Ger Clerkin (5.04), James Dunne (11.16) and Mick McMahon (5.19) and 15th Steve Barnes (5.39), Ray Dunne (11.06) and Gerald Walsh (6.16).
There was a 2nd Masters race, M 50, the Clonliffe a team placed 9th, David Dunwoody 5.16, Tom Griffin 12.25 and Fergal O’Shea 5.44, in 13th was the B team: Richie Barr 6.05, Alan Worrall 14.22 and Declan Grant 6.13, finally an incomplete C team – Joe Fowler 6.07 and Tom Monks 14.06.
The women’s Masters race mixed the W 35 and W 50 categories, the W 35 team put in a superb performance finishing in 5th place – captain Jenny Johnston 5.36, Yuliya Tarasova 11.54 and Ciara Peelo 5.47. The B team of Aisling Andrews 5.56, Sinead McDermott 13.37 and Catherine Harvey 6.11 took 11th. In the W 50 category the Clonliffe team filled 7th position – Anne Lyons 6.42, Orla Deighnan 14.15 and Yvonne McDonagh 7.12.
It was once again an excellent national road relays for Clonliffe, the senior men winning for the 3rd successive time, the M35 men taking silver but the icing on the cake was the satisfaction of seeing such an extraordinary number of Clonliffe vests competing, some 66 in the 20 teams across the 5 races. Nil desperandum.
Note: also on Sunday Gary O’Hanlon was 1st M50 in the Hamburg marathon in 2:31.29.