Today was a brilliant club day at the Clonliffe Harriers club cross country championships 2023. It was a day for the entire club with club Championships across the spectrum of the club from juvenile right through to master. As usual Santry Park was the venue with the hardy bunch of course markers meeting early in the morning of what was a pretty cold windy Santry. The course was laid out in record time, a 1K loop for the juvenile’s and a 1500 (approximately) loop for the senior race ready for the off at 11 AM. The programme got underway with the U/9 and U/10 races and as always if one could bottle the enthusiasm of these young athletes it would be priceless. Starter Peter McDermott got the 1st race on the way the girls running 500 M. The juvenile races were run off in quick succession all of the young athletes giving it their all in front of a great turnout of parents and club members. Gladys Cooper presented club championship medals to the top 3 in each of the races ranging in distance from 500 up to 1500.
Results Juvenile Championships:
Girls U/9 & U/10: 1 Ava Fagan, 2 Millie Ryan, 3 Lucy Fagan
Boys U9 & U/10: 1 Issac O’Neill, 2 Reece Daly, 3 Fionn Thompson
Girls U/11 & U/12: 1 Caragh Ni Fhaoilean, 2 Sophia Tennant, 3 Aoibhe Devaney
Boys U/11 & U/12: 1 Eoghan Thompson, 2 Ben Grimes, 3 Braxton O’Shea
Girls U/13: 1 Lucy McFetridge, 2 Laura King, 3 Lily Daly
Boys U/13: 1 Shane McDermott, 2 Conall Farrell, 3 Cuan Higgins
Girls U/14: 1 Leah O’Reilly, 2 Keah McDermott, 3 Isabelle Hickey
Boys U/14: 1 Sean Henry, 2 Eddie Blaque, 3 Bradley King
Girls U/15: Harriet Kenny, 2 Ashling Faherty, 3 Rachel Ardiff
Boys U/15: 1 Tadgh Cowley
The senior race incorporated the club Championships for men and women, juniors seniors and masters with almost 60 athletes facing 4 laps of the Demesne, , the junior women however only doing 2 laps. Ian Guiden took the race by the scruff of the neck from the off and was totally dominant in winning his first club cross country title. Behind him there was an intriguing battle underway for the runner-up position but with a lap to go that too had been decided as Stephen Cashin took 2nd place with Sean O’Leary 3rd and Niall Carbery 4th. Best of the juniors after a fine race, placing 5th overall was Matei Ursachi. The women’s championship was won by the Clonliffe cross country athlete of the year Laura Tuite who withheld a spirited challenge by Alannah Cooley, running her last club race before heading away to Australia with Sarah Bateson running very well to take 3rd place. 1st of the junior women was Ciara Sheedy. Whilst in the Masters it was Cathal McHale retaining his title as likewise did Jenny Johnston.
Results:
Senior Men: 1 Ian Guiden, 2 Stephen Cashin, 3 Sean O’Leary.
Senior women: 1 Laura Tuite, 2 Alannah Cooley, 3 Sarah Bateson.
Junior Men: 1 Matei Ursachi, 2 Rory Quill, 3 Oren c Gowan.
Junior Women: 1 Ciara Sheehy, 2 Hazel Kenny, 3 Sorcha O’Connor.
Master men: 1 Cathal McHale, 2 Karl Nolan, 3 Anto Doran.
Master Women: 1 Jenny Johnston, 2 Siobhan Devaney, 3 Maura Matthews.
Full Results:
Photographs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/146364500@N04/albums/72177720305243799
A special thank you to the club members who volunteered to officiate and marshal as without you today would not have happened. Thanks also to our athletes for their support of the club, seeing so many club vests in Santry was inspiring.