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29th
Aug 2010
Greg and Marina win Dessie's
Run
City of Derry AC's Greg Roberts continued his excellent season
with a convincing win in the Spar Dessie's Run 10k running
a swift 30 mins 53 sec in windy conditions. Marina Campbell,
also of City of Derry won the womens race in a new pb of 39
mins 46 secs. Full results here.
Photos from Cathy here.
Spartans Dessies Run Double at Gransha
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Gregory Roberts and Marina Campbell from promoting club City
of Derry Spartans stormed to convincing individual Spar Dessies
Run wins at a very blustery Gransha last Sunday and for good
measure led their respective squads to equally comfortable
team victories,as the annnual 10K road race in memory of the
former Sparta club captain Dessie McNulty yet again proved
to be a big success.
While the turn out was not as big as was anticipated,due in
some measure perhaps to the dodgy weekend weather there was
a real buzz around the three lap Gransha circuit and the participants
and spectators were treated to a very professionally staged
event by the local club in association with Athletics NI and
10K Series sponsor Spar. In fact despite the windswept conditions
the event finished in bright sunshine and the new spectator
friendly, grass finish area proved a big hit.
Impressive winner Greg Roberts was tracked for the first 4K
or so by top National level Master athlete David Morwood of
Annadale Striders,but the Spartan was away and clear by 5K
and battled his way to a winning 30m 53s clocking as he improved
on his runners up spot from last year. He was looking for
something quicker as he builds for Octobers Dublin Marathon
but in the conditions and on his own up front,this was a good
effort
Morwood who turns 40 soon was a distant but unchallanged second
with 31m 38s but the battle for the remaining podium place
was an absorbing contest between another top M40 Colin Roberts
and 20 year old Scott Rankin, who had impressed all summer
in the Furey Insurances 5K Series.There was little in it all
the way but the more experienced Spartan carved out a seven
second finish line margin over the Foyle Valley emerging talent,posting
33m 12s to his rivals 33m 19s to claim third spot.
There was another two way battle for the next finishing places
with the red vested pair Brendan Murphy and Paddy Mor Doherty
engaged in a race long tussle which also went right to the
line.Murphy did just enough to edge out his clubmate,prevailing
by just two seconds,33m 53s to 33m 55s. Doherty took the M35
category and Murphy was rewarded with a share of the winning
mens team prize alongside the Roberts boys and Doherty. Filling
out the top six was the leading Male U20,Willowfields Ryan
Holt who outran some more experienced athletes with a 34m
57s clocking.
Impressive Marina sets new PB
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Marina Campbell was a very mpressive Womens race winner,clocking
a new PB of 39m 46s in the process with a strong determined
effort in the difficult conditions. This was perhaps her best
performance since last winters Ulster Novice cros country
championship individual win and indicates her potential provided
she continues to build on her training loads. Way behind the
local woman were the Sprimgwell pair ,Gemma Turley and Gillian
Wasson but their 41m 18s and 41m 26s clockings posed no threat
to the front running Spartan
Next female finisher was Jackie McGinley on 41m34s followed
by North Belfast Harrier Louise Smith on 41m 47s and in sixth
was the unattached Joanne Curran on 43m 44s. Mc Ginley claimed
the Female O40 prize, North Downs Jill Aicken with 44m 25s
was the leading F35 finisher,Bridgeen Byrne ran 45m 38s for
first F45 and Una Gavin posted 48m47s to claim her first ever
F50 award. Campbell,McGinley,Byrne and Ciara Fraser with 47m14s
combined to take the womens team prize ahead of Innishowen.
The Foyle Valley mens quartet of Scott Rankin,Chris McGuinness
12th,Ryan Snodgrass 15th,and Barry Smyth 18th combined for
the mens team runners up award and the other male age group
winners were:
M40,Paul McCafferty on 36m 50s; M45,Gerry Duddy,on 35m 8s:M50,Dermot
Connolly on 37m 35s:M55, Springwells Gerry o Doherty on 39m40s:M60,Finn
Valleys Jim Shields on 41m 16s: M65,Springwells Jim Platt
on 46m40s: M70,Duncairn Nomads Michael Spotswood on 55m 1s.
THe extensive prize list was presented by local Spar proprieter
Stephen Kelly,Athletics NI President John Glover and representing
the McNulty family,Margaret McNulty at the post race reception
in Oakgrove Integrated College,where showers,changing and
refreshments were available.
Carlow and Manchester this Weekend
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The competitive action cotiinues this weekend with the National
Half Marathon in Carlow on Sunday while the Juvenile City
of Derry U13/15 !7 squads are off to Manchester for Saturdays
UK Young Athletes League Final to take on the best English
Scots and Welsh talent.
The young Spartans positively blitzed all the NI opposition
in the summer long NI League meetings and go to Manchester
as four times in a row NI champions.The standards of course
are much higher at UK Finals level but the locals have a strong
squad with some real quality performers with good top level
competition under their belts and will travel with some confidence
this weekend.
There is some doubt however as to the composition of the clubs
senior mens squad for Carlow as injury and unavailability
appear to have
diluted the team and the club mentors are asessing the situation
carefully before making a final decision on the defence of
the team title won last year in Ballybofey.However the M50
squad of Sammy McAnaney,Dermot Connolly,Noel McMonagle and
defending M65 champion Christy McMonagle will definitely head
south for Sundays action.
Gerry lynch 29 8 10
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