Mayo athletes travel far and wide for their racing fixes
Mayo AC's Donna Gallagher (right) with winner of the Kilkishen 10 mile road race Eimear O’Leary and runner-up Linda O’Sullivan.
Athletics: Mayo AC athletes were in action in a number of events at home and away during April. The Kilkishen 10 mile road race on April 12 was part of the 2025 Run Clare Series where Donna Gallagher was third woman home in 1:11.00 The annual Out of the Woods Tourmakeady 8k took place on Sunday, April 27. Race winner Matt McConnell of the Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) set a new course record with a great run finishing in 26:57. Shaun McLoughlin of Westport AC was second in 27:25.
The first female home was junior runner Freya Renton, also of Westport AC, who finished in 30:05.
Mayo AC were well represented with eleven members competing. They were 8th, John Brennan (30:59), 13th, Anto Devaney (M50 33:39), 14th, Johnny Cribbin (M60 34:07), 18th, John Reilly (34:43), 23rd, Ray Clarke (M50 35:37), Katie Gibbons (37:48), Dee Corcoran (37:52), Sheelagh McDonnell (38:31), Monica Joyce (W60 42:02), Joan Walsh (42:17), Gillian Hanrahan (44:13).
Also on Sunday, April 27, David Dinsmore tackled another trail race amid the landscapes of the Pyrénées-Orientales – the Trail de la Massane at Argeles-sur-Mer in southern France.
The challenge David took on is to climb up to the Massane tower from the Valmy park, then come back down, amounting to 24 kilometres and almost 1300m of positive elevation gain.
“I managed not to fall this time,” quipped David afterwards. “It’s one of the toughest races I’ve ever done,” he added, because of its unrelenting climbs and tricky descent. David crossed the line in 228th place of 422 finishers in 3h33m49s and won the M7 category.
In the Connemarathon half-marathon race, also on Sunday, April 27, Mayo AC’s Pawel Ziembek (M40) finished in 1:40.30, with great running by his wife Ewa also (W40) who completed the race in 2:14.52.
The winner was Marc Augustin of St Coca’s AC (1:16.47) and the first woman home was Sarah Flanagan of Tullamore Harriers AC (1:33.06). The full marathon winner was Feidhlim McGowan of North Sligo AC (2:30.53) and the first woman was Jennie O’Leary (3:29.08).
A reminder that the annual Mayo AC 5k Series of five Tuesday evening races starts on May 13 at Castlebar.
