Mayo AC shine at Docklands and Race2Glory
Two Mayo AC finishers enjoy an ice-cream after the Race2Glory sprint event, Michelle McAlpine (left) and Lisa Lally, 4th woman and 1st, W40.
Mayo AC’s Ballina-native David Naylor ran a personal best time to finish in a brilliant 13th place overall in 15:45 in the Docklands 5k on July 9 last.
The event is organised annually by Crusaders AC. It was a fast competitive race with 20 runners finishing in under 20 minutes. David has been in great form this year with three excellent 10k podiums – 33:02 in Basel in March, 33:18 in Carney, Co Sligo, in April and a winning 34:13 in the Auenstein to Arrau in Switzerland 10k last month.
David was just five seconds ahead of brother Mark (Liffey Valley AC) who finished 17th in 15:50.
Mayo AC had eleven competitors in action in the fifteenth annual Race2Glory event which took place in Kiltimagh on Juiy 11.
The event is part of the Coillte Come Home Festival 2026 festival which promises a week of music, community events, and family fun, including live music on Main Street, a comedy night, Race2Glory adventure race.
Race2Glory is a multi-sport race involving cycling and running – there are two courses. The routes include Spankers Hill, The Bog, Craggagh Hill and Glore River. Conditions were challenging due to the current heatwave – similar to 2025.
Mayo AC had four competing in the full 40-kilometre distance event and seven in the 20 km sprint.
Results:
40k Full distance: (99 finishers): Winner, Declan Ferry, 1:51.30; First woman, Sharon Martin, 2:20.37.
Well done to Mayo AC finishers: 5th, John Brennan, 1:57.24; 2nd, M40, Barry Freeman, 2:25.30; John Jennings, 1st, M70, 2:35.50; Marcella McDonnell, W50, 3:01.02.
20k Sprint: (239 finishers): Winner, Brian Breslin, 54:43; First woman, Catriona Delahunty, 1:10.52.
There were great performances by these Mayo AC finishers in the Sprint: 3rd, Darragh Healy, 58:23; 12th Padraic McVann, 1st, M50, 1:03.51; Lisa Lally, 4th woman and 1st W40 in 1:10.52, and a six-minute improvement on her time in 2025; Noelle Kilduff, 1:15.33; Michelle McAlpine, 1:16.43; Erika Ryan 1:19.3600, Angela McVann 1:21.24.
Well done also to Carol McAlpine (Mayo AC) who finished in 24:18 – a great run and a 5k PB, following her completion of the recent half-marathon in Achill in 1:57.58.
Congratulations to Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC) who was the Docklands 5k winner in a fast 14:40.
