Mayo AC pair complete a one-two in Achill
Norah Newcombe Pieterse, who was first in the half-marathon, with her Mayo AC teammate Sarah Byrne who won the 10k, on a successful morning in Achill last Saturday.
Athletics: Two Mayo AC athletes shone brightly at the 21st Annual Achill Half-Marathon and 10k which were held on Saturday morning last, July 4.
Both races featured a single lap on challenging courses that started and finished at Keel. The racing conditions were wet, with a brisk southwest wind greeting runners as they approached the finish line in both events.
In an excellent display, two Mayo AC women achieved a remarkable ‘win-double’. Sarah Byrne took first place in the 10k, finishing strong with a time of 42:23. Her clubmate, Donna Gallagher, made a triumphant return to racing, securing third place in the women’s race with a time of 44:09. Lisa Lally also performed well, finishing fifth with a time of 45:13.
Norah Newcombe Pieterse led the women's field in the half-marathon, crossing the line in 1:27:48. This impressive performance followed her second-place finish at the Roscommon 10-Mile the previous week.
Kudos also to the twelve other Mayo AC finishers in the half-marathon: Dean Kenny 1:33:50, Jim Zoldy (M50) 1:34:33 – a new Mayo AC member from Connecticut with links to Irishtown – Fionnan Nestor 1:40:50, Paraic Sweeney 1:43:54, Michelle McAlpine 1:47:40, Martin Parsons 1:51:06, David Crowley 1:53:30, Ambrose Gaughan 1:56:27, John Nyland 1:56:27, Carol McAlpine 2:00:07, Thomas Jennings 2:05:00, Ryan O’Sullivan 2:16:11.
Mick Silke of Le Chéile AC took first place in the half marathon with a time of 1:17:11, while Donal Coakley claimed victory in the 10k, finishing in 36:25.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Sinéad Diver from Mayo AC secured a commendable fourth place among women in the Southern Cross University 10k, finishing in an impressive 33:51.
This race was part of the Gold Coast Marathon weekend, which featured a marathon, half-marathon, 10k, and 5k, drawing over 11,000 participants.
