(Incorporating City of Derry Harriers, Oak Leaf and Sparta Northwest)

8 September 2007

2007 Waterside Half Marathon Results

 

2 September 2007

NATIONAL HALF-MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS (Ballybofey)

Superb runs from both Roberts brothers ensured that City of Derry lifted surprise team bronze medals at the AAI National half Marathon Championships in Ballybofey.

Although the location and timing of the race drew criticism from many quarters with it being scheduled just six days before the Waterside Half Marathon and within 35 miles of the Derry classic.

Gregory Roberts followed up his victory in Dessie’s Run just five days previously by taking fifth in an excellent 71 minutes 31 seconds.

Elder brother Collie crossed the line in the same time for sixth place and the gold medal in the M35 age category.

New recruit to City of Derry colours Paddy Moore made an impressive to finish 37^th in 80:18 to seal the third place finish in the team classification behind neighbours Letterkenny and Dublin club Sportsworld.

There was further success for City of Derry when Christy McMonagle took the national title in the M60 category with a time of 86:02.

Foyle Valley athletes were also in the medals with Bernie Ryan lifting the F45 gold in 107:51 and also helping the Valley veteran ladies to third in the team classification.

Sammy McAnaney (79:19) was first in the M50 category and Damian McGinty (74:49) runner-up in the M45 listings.

Action switches this weekend to Gransha for the Waterside Half Marathon with 2006 champion Joe McAlister likely to defend his title.

 1 S Tergia (Clonliffe Harriers) 69:05, 2 G Crossan (Letterkenny) (M35) 69:08, 3 P McKinney (Letterkenny) (M40) 69:48, 4 E Cunnane (Sportsworld) (M40) 69:48, 5 G Roberts (City of Derry) 71:31, 6 C Roberts (City of Derry) (M35) 71:31, 7 P Fleming (Rathfarnham) 73:33, 8 D Byrne (Tallaght) (M35) 73:38, 9 P Kilgannon (Sportsworld) 73:52, 10 F Hartnett (Clonliffe Hrs) 74:04;

Ladies: 1 G Ganiel (DSD) 85:57, 2 J Killeen (Kilmurray/Ibrickane) (F40) 87:04, 3 K Byrne (Finn Valley) (F40) 87:29, 4 O Gormley (Raheny Shamrocks) (F40) 88:51, 5 L McNeill (Abbey) 89:56, 6 N McManaman (Mayo) (W40) 90:02.

 

2 September 2007

ROWAN WINS LAGANSIDE

Former Waterside Half Marathon winner Paul Rowan took the honours in the Laganside 10K as over 440 turned up for the race which was restored to the fixture list after an absence of 18 months.

The Willowfield runner broke away from the field early on to come home clear in 31 minutes 43 seconds.

At the line he had 34 seconds to spare over North Belfast’s Connor Flannigan (32:17) with another North man David Morwood (32:20) in third.

There was further success for the host club when Breege Connolly (37:47) broke away on the second and final lap to win the women’s race.

Claire Connor (37:53) proved the strongest of the chasers to take second ahead of Mary-Margaret Meade (37:59).

Over 440 entered the event which returned to the local running calendar after an absence of 18 months.

Results

1 Paul Rowan (Willowfield) (M40) 31:43, 2 C Flannigan (North Belfast Hrs) 32:17, 3 D Morwood (NBH) (M35) 32:20, 4 B Teer (East Down) 32:24, 5 D Pimentel (Sperrin Hrs) (M40) 32:30, 6 K Purdy (Annadale Striders) 32:33, 7 C Madden (City of Lisburn) 33:04, 8 G Walsh (Ballymena RR) (M35) 33:21, 9 N Douglas (BRR) (M35) 33:24, 10 A Doherty (NBH) (U18) 33:29;

Ladies: 1 B Connolly (NBH) 37:47, 2 C Connor (U/A) 37:53, 3 MM Meade (NBH) 37:59, 4 S McCormick (Lagan Valley) 39:18, 5 S Hambling (North Down) (F35) 40:28, 6 D Matchett (ND) (F40) 41:29.

 

1 September 2007

CITY OF DERRY JUVENILES SHINE IN YAL FINAL IN ENGLAND

Even the heroics of team captain Marcus Christie were not enough to elevate City of Derry from eighth place in the Auxiliary Final of the Young Athletes' League in Birmingham.
It was a tough experience for the City youngsters who were pitted against some of the strongest clubs in Britain after winning the Northern Ireland decider for the first time last month.
Christie led my example winning the 3000 metres (9:14.6) and taking the runner-up spot in the 1500 metres (4:20.17) to score valuable points for the Spartans.
The other U17 middle-distance runners also responded to the challenge with other second places from Conor Murray (800mB/2:04.37), Michael Finnegan (1500mB/4:31.24), Eamon Colhoun (1500m S/C A/ 4:43.19) and Declan Burns (1500m S/C B/5:23.76).
City of Derry had three other individual winners in Mark McGarvey (U13 Long Jump A), Andrew Bolster (U13 800m A) and Emmett Gallagher (U15 Long Jump B).

City of Derry ended a grueling day on 436.5 points, well behind winners Gateshead Harriers who accumulated 817.5.

 

28 August 2007

Dessie's Run

Gregory Roberts timed his efforts to perfection to land his first victory in the Dessie's Run at Gransha last night.
On a new course and over a new distance of five miles the annual classic attracted a field of over 120 runners.
Roberts made a cautious start on the first circuit around the two-lap course and trailed leader John Brooks by thirty metres at the halfway point.
But when he upped the pace going out to the country for second time Roberts quickly overhauled the Dublin-based Scot who won the Muff 5K last month.
At the line the City of Derry athlete had opened up a 12 seconds margin in a time of 25 minutes 36 seconds.
Brooks held second quite comfortably with Colin Roberts (26:11) in third collecting the M35 category prize.
26:11.
Other age-group awards went to Marty Gormley (M40/28:08), Gerry Duddy (M45/28:22), Oliver McCullagh (M50/33:38) and Donal Doherty (M60/35:30).
Kevin carlin followed up his win in the Creggan Festival race by taking the Junior prize in 28:15.
The women's race followed a similar pattern to the men's contest. Cathy McCourt cut out the early pace only to be reeled in by Aileen Morrison in the closing stages.
Morrison broke the tape in 31:43 with the North Belfast woman just six seconds back. Super-consistent Jackie McMonagle took third in 32:58 with Everest conqueror Hannah Shields (33:22) taking the F40 award.
However, the best performance of the night came from Wheelchair competitor Karol Doherty.  Given a 30 seconds start the Inishowen athlete turned in an amazing effort to retain 28 seconds of that advantage at the line despite having to negotiate a number of ramps along the course. 
Only Gregory Roberts recorded a faster time for the five mile distance and quite rightly Doherty was given the second prize overall. 
 

Place	No.	Forename	Surname	Category	Club	Time
1	268	Gregory	Roberts	MO	City of Derry	25	36
2	213	Karol	Doherty	WC	Inishowen	25	38
3	227	John	Brooks	MO	Rathfarnham	25	53
4	247	Collie	Roberts	M35	City of Derry	26	11
5	207	Declan	Reed	MO	Foyle Valley	26	55
6	296	John	Lenehan	MO	City of Derry	27	29
7	266	Stephen	Joyce	MO	Springwell	27	38
8	272	Marty	Gormley	M40	Letterkenny AC	28	8
9	276	Paul	McCafferty	M35	City of Derry	28	11
10	245	Kevin	Carlin	JM	City of Derry	28	15
11	273	Paul	Toner	MO	Letterkenny AC	28	17
12	255	Gerry	Duddy	M45	Foyle Valley	28	22
13	219	Philip	Bradley	M40	Foyle Valley	28	27
14	202	Billy	Orr	M45	Foyle Valley	28	33
15	218	Sean	Laverty	M40	Foyle Valley	28	42
16	308	Connor	Johnston	MO	City of Derry	29	8
17	281	Dave	Reid	MO	Lisburn AC	29	13
18	210	Dessie	McShane	M40	0	29	42
19	229	Marcus	McClintock	M35	Letterkenny AC	29	56
20	289	Fionnbarr	Gallagher	M40	Inishowen	30	2
21	274	Derek	Somerville	M40	Omagh Harriers	30	11
22	225	Gerry	McNamara	MO	U/A	30	38
23	209	James	McMullan	M45	Springwell	31	1
24	262	Brian	McCoubrey	MO	Springwell	31	5
25	246	Gavin	Stevenson	MO	City of Derry	31	10
26	267	Leslie	Ashe	M45	Springwell	31	15
27	297	Adrian	Wilson	JM	Lifford AC	31	27
28	280	Aileen	Morrison	FO	City of Derry	31	43
29	235	Christopher	McNamee	MO	U/A	31	47
30	228	Cathy	McCourt	FO	North Belfast Hrs	31	49
31	220	Ryan	Snodgrass	MO	Foyle Valley	31	54