Jun 6, 2011 [Noel Guiden] Another marathon win from Clonliffe`s Sergiu Ciobanu in Cork today. Sergiu is of course the Irish National Marathon Champion was was the reigning Cork Marathon Champion and today kept his Cork title with a new course record of 2:25.34 bettering the existing record (Sergiu`s 2010 one) by some 20 seconds. Club mate Lorcan Cronin also had a good run, particularily over the first 20 miles and indeed it was looking like a Clonliffe one two for some time. Both Clonliffe men ran shoulder to shoulder until half way then Sergiu broke away, Lorcan held onto second, but was clearly suffering, he later told our southern correspondent Jeremy Walsh that “it was a bad day at the office”, and lost three places over the last few agonising miles to finish 5th in 2:33.36. Sergiu`s win confirms him as the King of the Marathon on the Irish circuit with an impressive list of wins over the last few years: Cork, Longford, Connemara, Belfast, National, etc.
Overseas Alistair Cragg was clearly in trouble in the Prefontain Classic in Oregan as he dnfed in the 10,000.
An excellent new PB at the Milers Club 800m held at the Irish Schools was set by Andrew Jenkinson of 1.56.0 in finishing 3rd in the B race. This was Jenko`s 3rd 800 PB in as many races. Mark McDonald was 5th in 1.57.14. In the 1500m Conor Healy was 9th in 3.51.94 with Aidan Bailey 16th 3.58.95. Eleanor Alexander was in fine form in the womens 800 5th in 2.13.73.