Tonight, Thursday, May 14th the Clonliffe 2 Mile takes place in Santry. The race will start on the track at the Morton Stadium before leaving heading North up the Swords Road, left into Northwood and then left again into Santry Demesne Park completing a loop of the best part of a mile in the Park before coming back onto the track where some 300m will be completed.
The race which is being sponsored for the 29th successive year by Kavanaghs “The Gravediggers” in Glasnevin has an 8.00 p.m. start with an entry fee of €15.00 (Juniors €10.00).
The Clonliffe 2 is the oldest Club roadrace in the world. Over the years the race has been held at several North Dublin venues, the initial route was at the Halfway House, Ashtown near the Phoenix Park with the runners heading back into the city to the finish at the corner of Charleville Road in Phibsborough which was a distance of 2 miles 297 yards. In 1899 the race went to a course which brought the race distance down to 1.5 miles running from Santry to Millmount Avenue in Drumcondra. In 1901 the 2 mile distance was established with the race being running along what is now termed the “traditional 2 mile route” which ran from Flood’s Public House in Finglas Village finishing at the 4 o’clock gate at Glasnevin Cemetery, beside “The Gravediggers” licensed premises where the race remained for a long number of years.
Those early pre first war years were dominated by Frank Ryder who had an unbroken 12 year winning streak from 1908 to 1919 which included the then course record of 8 minutes 34 seconds, that course record remained for 36 years until it was bettered by J. McGuigan who lowered the course record to 8 minutes 24 seconds in 1948, a course record which remains unbroken. The race was then held in Santry, at a course at the back of the Airport in the 1970’s right up to the mid 1980’s when in the Club’s Centenary Year of 1986 the race reverted back, on a one off basis, to the traditional course finishing at “The Gravediggers”. That one off on the traditional route remained for another 25 or so before the race came back to Santry to it’s current course starting and finishing on the track.
Famed winners over the years have included, in 1901 Joe Deakin, Clonliffe’s only Olympic Gold Medalist, he was a member of the Great Britain Team that won the 3 Mile Team Race at the London 1908 Olympics; Frank White, a member of Avondale when he won on two occasions, in 1955 and 1957, in 1958 Frank ran in the Albie Thomas 2 Mile World Record Race on the track in Santry (Frank of course subsequently joined Clonliffe Harriers serving the Club with distinction as an athlete and administrator). In the 1960’s the race was dominated by athletes from Donore Harriers, Mick Connolly, Tom O’Riordan, Jim McNamara and Eddie Spillane, who between them won every Clonliffe 2 that particular decade. In 1970 the Donore grip on the 2 was broken by the 18 year old Tom Cregan winning in the Clonliffe vest in a superb 9:09, from then on the race has continued to be dominated by Clonliffe Harriers, winners include Des McCormack in 1972, European silver medalist Frank Murphy in 1973, 1974 and 1975, sub 4 minute miler Eugene Curran in 1984, Clonliffe Olympians Jerry Kiernan in 1976, Niall Bruton in 1990, National Cross Country Champions Noel Cullen and Sergiu Ciobanu. The most recent winner of the Clonliffe 2 was Ian Guiden in 2014.
Race check in and changing facilities
Race check in and changing facilities are located in the Clonliffe clubhouse, in Morton Stadium Santry Dublin 9. The race entry fee is €15 (Juniors – €10). Entry on the day from 6.30pm.
Individual Prizes
Junior Men/Women 1st, 2nd, 3rd places
Senior Men/Women 1st, 2nd, 3rd, places
Masters Men/Women 1st in each category
Note: The first placed male and female will each receive a prize of €300.
Race date: Thursday 14 May 2015 at 8.00pm
Race start: Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin 9.
Race finish: Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin 9
Prize giving/Results: There will be a presentation of prizes in Clonliffe Harriers Club House following the race.
For further information contact Mick Kearney at 087-6243843
Course Map: Clonliffe 2 Mile 2013 course map