The 2012 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational took place at Stanford University in California last night. Pre-race Clonliffe’s Alistair Cragg had indicated that his target was trying to dip under the Olympic 10,000 A qualifying time of 27:45 and whilst in the early stages the Clonliffe man was on target things clearly went awry with Alistair calling it a day six laps from home. Clonliffe old boy Josphat Boit, Cragg’s training partner, and former Irish National Champion in the Clonliffe colours, won the 10,000 B race in a sprint finish by 100th of a second in 28:11.75. There is also the fantastic news of Fionnuala Britton running well under the Olympic 10,000 A standard finishing 3rd in a time of 31:29.22 (the A standard is 31:45.00).
Meanwhile the Samsung 10k Dublin Night Race took place in Dublin City Centre last night in horrendous conditions. A good run from Darren Reilly to finish 6th in 34:42. It was also good to see in the field Nigel Brunton finishing 41st in 38:34. Well done to the thirty Clonliffe stewards who officiated on the stretch from O’Connell Bridge up to and beyond Beckett’s Bridge and ended up like shivering drowned rats!