Yesterday`s (Saturday 30th) Omagh Half Marathon was the big race of the weekend with a classy field to boot. Clonliffe pair National Cross Country Champion and course record holder Sergiu Ciobanu -v- prolific racer Gary O`Hanlon -v- European Indoor 3,000 man Stephen Scullion -v- National Marathon runner up Joe McAllister. In a very fast race Scullion (Nortn Belfast Harriers) was the victor in a new course record of 64.46, two seconds quicker than Sergiu last year, 2nd was Sergiu in 65.11 with Gary 4th (67.50) nearly a minute in front of McAllister.
Meanwhile today Easter Sunday Marie Byrne was 2nd (1:34 aprox) and Jacqui Dunphy was 5th (1:37 aprox) woman in the Slieve Bloom Half Marathon from the village of Clonaslee, Co. Laois, a race that consists of road, gravel tracks and forest trail over 10k and Half Marathont set in the very scenic but gentle Slieve Bloom mountains.