15th
June 08 Grant wins Buncrana
10K
City of Derry's Diarmuid Grant easily won yesterday's Buncrana
10k in 31min 49s. Even with two of Letterkenny AC's top runners
for company in the first few kilometers, the win was never in
doubt. By the 5km mark(15.35), Diarmuid was already 30 seconds
ahead of Ciaran Doherty, with Gary Crossan in third starting
to pay the price for attempting to stay with the Spartan in
the first couple of km. The infamous hill from 5-7k did slow
everyone somewhat but the gap never closed and Grant crossed
the line in just under 32 mins, which is a good time on a slow
course. Doherty, who almost missed the start held on for 2nd
in 32.33 with Gary Crossan some way off his best in 3rd in 33.34.
It would have been interesting to see if Buncrana 10k legend
Pauric McKinney could have held on to Grant but unfortunately
Pauric is just returning from injury so we'll just have to speculate...
Diarmuid well
clear at 5k.
Behind
these 3, City of Derry's Gerry Duddy was on his own for most
of the race, finishing in 36.06 with another Spartan James Crampsie
breaking away from a tight bunch at half way to finish in 5th.
Dara Furey in 11th (37.57) was the first local finisher, keeping
the shield in the Furey Family for another year. Christy McMonagle
finished in just over 40min and was 2nd in the 50+ catagory.
City coach Noel McMonagle made a welcome return to competition
in 41.30.
Scott, Dara and
Noel after the race.
Other
Spartans competing included Gary O'Donnell 8th, Paul MCGilloway
31st, Scott Galbraith 45th(43.40), Bernie Ryan 54th
The
womens race was won by Letterkenny's Margaret Kelly in 39.25
(22nd overall) with City of Derry's Grainne Neary in third (48th
overall).
Eoghan
Photos
of the race here
17TH
JUNE DOUBLE
FOR GRANT
Diamuid Grant rounded off a busy week with
his second road race victory in the space of four days when
he led the field home in the Buncrana 10K. Now based in the
Donegal seaside town after a year’s work experience in Dublin,
Grant took the opportunity to impress his new neighbours by
dominating the race from the gun.
Applying further pressure in the opening miles
he was able to go and score a clear win in 31 minutes 49 seconds,
an excellent mark for the notoriously tough Buncrana circuit.
Letterkenny athletes Ciaran Doherty (32:33) and Gary Crossan
(33:34) occupied the minor positions.
City of Derry’s James Crampsie was the leading
M40 while team mate Gerry Duddy (36:06) won the M45 prize and
Inishowen’s Paddy Doherty (38:28) was the top M50. Another Letterkenny
club member Margaret Kelly (39:25) was the first woman across
the line.
Earlier in the week Grant had brought a touch
of class to the fourth round of the Furey Insurances 5K Series
sponsored by Atlanfish.
The UUJ student had come to Templemore merely
to watch the race but in the end decided to compete. After a
sluggish first kilometre Grant struck the front and after that
it was all over bar the shouting. By the end of the tough two
lap course taking in the Northland and Buncrana Roads, the City
of Derry athlete had built a massive 44 seconds lead over his
nearest pursuer.
Grant winning time of 15 minutes 17 equalled
that of clubmate Gregory Roberts in Buncrana two weeks earlier
as the fastest in the Series this season.
Ivan Toner from Letterkenny was second across
the line in 16:01 with team mate Kevin Ferry another eight seconds
back in third. Northwest Triathlon Club’s Adam Speer (16:21),
City’s Michael Finnegan (16:26) and Eamon Colhoun (16:32) made
up the top half dozen.
Ferry was the first M35 and Finnegan the leading
Junior man with the other category awards going to James Crampsie
(M40/17:29), Declan McCarthy (M45/16:44), Gerry Doherty (M50/17:17),
Mal McCausland (M55/19:26) and Gerry Lynch (M60/18:42).
North Belfast Harrier Cathy McCourt reversed
the placings with City’s Anne Paul from two previous in Buncrana
winning by seven seconds in a superb 18:01. Anne Paul took second
with Letterkenny’s Margaret Kelly third in 18:50.
Paul was winner of the F45 category and Kelly
the first F35. Inishowen’s Eilish Bell (22:00) just pipped Springwell’s
Sarah Chesnutt for the F40 prize with both women recording the
same time, Roisin Lynch (24:29) was the leading F55 competitor.
Road race action continues this weekend with
the Lifford 5K on Friday night and the Enniskillen 10K the following
afternoon.
Malcolm
Other
results below
Buncrana 10k 14 June 2008
1st Diarmuid Grant City of derry Spartans AC 31.49
2nd Ciaran Doherty Letterkenny AC 32.33
3rd Gary Crossan Letterkenny AC 33.34
Female
1st Margaret Kelly-Synnott Letterkenny AC 39.25
Also
V40M
1 James Crampsie CoD
2 Finbar Gallagher InisEoghain AC
V45
1 Gerry Duddy CoD 36.06 (4th overall)
2 Richard McCarthy TirConnell AC 38.40
V50+
1 Paddy Doherty InisEoghain AC 38.28
2 Christy McMonagle CoD
FV35
1 Margaret Kelly
2 Helen ??? 43.46
FV40
Helen Stockdale 43.42
Anne Neary 44.56
