News

28th Oct 2010 Masters Team Gold and New Irish Age Group Marathon Record for McMonagle in Dublin

With this weekends competitive action confined to the Donegal Senior cross country in Stranorlar on Sunday the round up from an excellent local showing at Mondays Dublin Marathon makes the headlines. Christy McMonagles electronic chip timing of 3hrs 13m 50s has been accepted as a new Irish M65 plus age group record by the Irish Masters Atletics Association and Christy now holds both National age group bests for the marathon and half marathon,the latter set last year in Stranorlar

The sprightly Spartans,s M65 record and gold medal run was complemented by another brace of age group bronze medals from M40 James Crampsey and M45 Gerry Duddy and a sparkling collective performance by Crampsey,Duddy and Sean Laverty who all produced PB,s to clinch the Masters team championship gold medals for the red vests. Unfortunately the Senior mens scoring squad of Greg Roberts, Declan Reed and Seamus Kealey finished just out of the medals in fourth place,missing team bronze by just a collective 80 seconds,but Greg Roberts brilliant run of 2hrs 21m 17s,in his marathon debut,yielded an individual bronze.

Roberts had an almost perfect run,up with the best Irish athletes all the way and beaten only by a familiar adversary,fellow Northener Joe McAlister of St.Malachys and a Tipperary domiciled Moldovan,Sergiu Ciobanu who clocked a PB of 2hrs 19m 33s for the National championship gold. McAlister made the most of his superior 10K speed to eke out a narrow 16s gap in the closing stages,grabbing silver with a 2hrs 21m 04 s PB just ahead of the Derryman who was absolutely delighted with his performance.

Behind him Declan Reed had a good one posting a 2hrs 35m 20s PB and the senior squad was completed by Seamus Kealey on 2hrs 48m 10s andDara Fureys 2hrs 52m 05s,both also PS,s. Despite these terrific runs in the three to score team contest the City of Derry lads were pipped for the team bronze medals by 17secs by West Waterford with Clonliffe led by Ciobanu, and Rathfarnham WSAF claiming team gold and silver.

However the City of Derry Masters made no mistake and an impressive PB treble from Crampsey,Duddy and Laverty saw them home well clear of Sportsworld and Mullingar Harriers. Crampsey,s excellent indivual M40 bronze with a terrific 2hrs 40m 11s led the Spartans charge for gold.Duddy stormed to M45 bronze and a new PB of 2hrs 43m 32s, as did Laverty with 2hrs 44m35s and their combined finish times gave them almost 28m to spare over their Dublin rivals,Sportsworld.

This was a real red letter day in Dublin for the Spartans and reinforced the clubs growing standing in the world of Irish athletics. From Juvenile,through Senior and up to Masters,the local red vests are proving to be hugely competitive in Road, Cross Country and Track/Field.The 2010/2011 season should be very interesting indeed.

Gerry Lynch 27/10/10