Mayo athletes impress all around the world
Norah Newcombe Pieterse of Ballina, centre, winner of the Galway Bay half-marathon, with Galway City Harriers' Gráinne Ni Uallacháin, left, and Dee Collins, Ennis Track, who finished third and second respectively.
Mayo AC runners have been competing far and wide of late, from Sligo to Slovenia, Tarmonbarry to Chicago, and in Galway too, where on Saturday October 7 the Galway Bay women’s half-marathon started from Nimmo’s Pier at the Claddagh and was won by Ballina’s very own Norah Newcombe Pieterse in 79:50. Nora has long been Mayo AC’s leading women’s athlete over a number of distances on the road and her brilliant performance in Galway saw her maintain the form that won her bronze in the National half-marathon championships in Tullamore in August.
In the full marathon, Neil Carroll came home in an excellent 3:06.15 having ran 1:28.44 in the River Moy half-marathon last May.
The Galway Bay 10k was also held in conjunction and that saw Mayo AC’s Catherine McHugh finish fifth F40 in 43:34.
The evening before, Friday, October 6 in Slovenia, columnist Paula Donnellan Walsh competed in two mountain trail races at Šmarna Gora on the outskirts of the capital Ljubljana. It was a Silver Label event in the World Mountain running calendar.
In a 'vertical mile' race of 1.85k, with 360m of ascent, seventeen runners competed in the women’s race. Finland’s Susanna Saapunki was the winner in a new course record (by twelve seconds) in 13:06. Mayo AC’s Paula Donnellan Walsh came home 14th overall in 20:54. Sharon Woods was first Irish runner home in 17:59 to finish eighth overall.
The runners were in action again 24 hours later with a 10k race on similar terrain also at Šmarna Gora, with 710m ascent and 350m descent. The course was described as “a blend of tough climbs, fast running and technical trails.” Susanna Saapunki won again in 49.41. Paula Donnellan Walsh finished in a creditable 19th place in 1:13.46.
On Sunday, October 8, the annual Grange 10k was hosted by North Sligo AC. Good running by Castlebar’s Jimmy Feeney earned the Mayo AC member second place in the M60 category, crossing the line in 48:30. Sligo’s Seamus Somers was the winner in 33:39 while his clubmate Heather Foley won the women’s race in 39:00.
The 40th annual Tarmonbarry 3/4 Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k event was staged on the same day, hosted by St Barry’s GAA based at their clubhouse on the N5 just outside the village by the River Shannon. The three races were held on separate courses.
In the half-marathon, Mayo AC’s Caitlin Woods ran 1:58.20 while in the 3/4 marathon, her clubmate Julie Higgins ran 3:11.45 which was a good confidence as she came home two minutes faster than 2022.
Three Mayo AC members ran in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 8. Taking in 29 neighbourhoods across the city, it’s a fast and flat course with minimal elevation rise and conditions were ideal for the 7.30am start.
There was great running by all three Mayo finishers, with Padraic McVann (M50) crossing the line in 3:27.17. Padraic was halfway in 1:41.43. His finish time was almost two minutes quicker than what he ran in the Dublin Marathon last year.
Angela McVann (W50) was also quicker than in Dublin in 2022, finishing in 4:05.45 – halfway in 1:57 – and James Murtagh (M55) came home in 5:10.48 – he was halfway at 2:10.05 and reached 30k in 3:07.27.
Well done too to Ballina AC’s Mattie Coleman (M60) who ran an impressive 3:20.01 which was a great time having made halfway in 1:35.36.
Chicago winner Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya broke the World Record with a 2:00.35 finish – subject to ratification. Kiptum won London in April in 2:01.25 to finish sixteen seconds faster than the then world record time.
