News

24th June 2011 DUNREE 5K ROAD RACE, FUN RUN AND WALK 2011

The successful first staging of the Dunree 5k in aid of Dunree FC and iCARE was held on Wednesday evening at St Egney’s Park in Dunree set in the scenic backdrop of Lough Swilly. The forecasted showers held off for the duration of the race while the big turnout of nearly 180 competitors got down to business.

In the men’s race from the outset, a group of four including Joe Mc Kinney (Inishowen AC), Pius McIntyre and Cathal Mc Laughlin (Foyle Valley AC) and Kevin Ferry (Letterkenny AC) broke away and set the pace and remained close until the 2k mark when the group started to stretch out. At the 3.5k mark, after turning and running into the stiff north westerly breeze, the two front men Joe Mc Kinney and Pius McIntyre pushed on. With 1k remaining, it was clear this was a two horse race with very little between the two. Mc Kinney held out to win by the slim margin of two seconds from Mc Intyre in a time of 16m 14s and became the inaugural winner and etched his name in Dunree FC’s history books. Cathal Mc Laughlin of Foyle Valley comfortably held onto third place in a time of 16m 33s. In a battle for fourth place City of Derry athlete and Buncrana man Eoghan Furey piped Gary Scully of Nenagh Olympic by one second in a time of 16m 56s and in doing so collected the Male over 35 prize. Kevin Ferry of Letterkenny AC suffered as a result of the early battle for fourth and finished in sixth in an excellent time of 17m 05s. In seventh place was another Foyle Valley athlete Keith Sheils in a time of 17m 1s. In eighth place and winner of the mens over 55 prize was the ageless City of Derry athlete Sammy Mc Aneney in a time of 17m 32s. In ninth was the fourth Foyle Valley athlete Barry Smith in a time of 17m 40s and the top ten was completed by another Buncrana man, Declan Caldwell representing Inishowen AC in a time of 17m 41s.

Other winners in the mens catagories were Frankie Lavelle of Inishowen AC in the men’s over 40 in 18m 14s. The over 45 section was won by Tom Doherty of Foyle Valley in a time of 19m 02s. The men’s over 50 was won by Paddy Doherty of Inishowen AC in a time of 18m 16s. The men’s over 65 prize was lifted by Christy Mc Monagle of City of Derry in an excellent time of 19m 41s.
The Ladies race was a much more straight forward affair with the Inishowen AC’s evergreen Helena Crossan storming to victory with a time of 18m 31s. In second place was another Inishowen AC athlete Teresa Doherty in an excellent 19m 17s. Taking the prize for third place just edging out Foyle Valley’s Martina Mc Mullen by four seconds was Catherine Lilburn of City of Derry in a time of 19m 56s. Martina Mc Mullen had the conselation of collecting the over 40 prize. There was a battle for fifth place between two Inishowen athletes, Elizabeth Mc Daid and Sharon Mc Daid, with Elizabeth just holding off Sharon by one second in a time of 21m 12s and in doing so she also claimed the over 35 prize. Seventh place was taken by Sara-Marie Doherty of Inishowen AC in a time of 21m 17s. Eighth was claimed by another Inishowen athlete, Josephine Cunningham in 21m32s. Ninth was Foyle Valley’s Trish Mc Clintock in 21m 44s and the top ten was completed by Sheila Doherty of Inishowen AC in 21m 51s.
The over 40 section was won by Denise Doherty of Foyle Valley in 22m 36s. The over 45 category was won in a time of 22m 09s by Vera Haughey of Tir Chonaill AC who travelled from Donegal Town for the event. The over 50’s was won by another Tir Chonaill athlete Jackie Harvey in a time of 22m52s. The over 55 section was won by local woman Marie Baldrick and the over 60 section was won by Teresa Mc Laughlin.
Dunree FC and iCARE would like to thank all their sponsorers and everybody who made this event possible.

Malcolm McGee - Dunree FC

Results here