Three golds for Mayo in Charleville National Half Marathon C'ships
A happy group of Mayo AC competitors in Charleville Half-marathon.
Mayo AC were represented by 23 competitors in the National Half Marathon Championships in Charleville on Sunday. The event was organised by North Cork AC.
Their team of nine women and 14 men. included 14 of last year’s record 42 members who competed in the National Half-marathon in Tullamore.
They were among over 900 championship entries in competition for team and individual honours across the various age groups.
The Charleville course is recognised as fast and accurate ‘suitable for personal bests – plenty of long straight and flat sections. It goes from Charleville to Kilmallock and back again.’ Well done to all Mayo AC finishers – super running all round with a few members achieving PBs and as well as the clubb winning a total of four individual and one team medals.
Mayo AC were led home by Eamonn Joyce with a brilliant run and a new PB in 1:15.38 and 73rd overall. He ran over two minutes faster than his previous best in the Ballina half-marathon in May 2023. It’s a great comeback by Eamonn after a long layoff through injury.
Tadgh Hanrahan was the clubs second man home, also with an excellent pb 1:18.39 beating his previous best 1:20.16 also at Charleville in 2022.
Colette Tuohy was the first woman across the line in 1:30.12 – almost half a minute faster than her Tullamore time in 2023. That’s a great performance by Colette!
She also won gold in her W55 category and led Pauline Moran and Breege Blehein in the W50 team to gold with a combined time of 4:53.22.
There were also pbs for Donna Gallagher W45 in 1:35.28 and Paraic Sweeney in a brilliant 1:38.38 who won gold in M70 category.
Pauline Moran retained her W65 title with another gold medal performance in 1:39.27, and Mags Glavey was also a medal winner: silver in W70 with a mighty 1:48.19 finish.
That’s a provisional tally of four individual medals – three gold and one silver, and one team gold. A wonderful achievement and well deserved.
A big thank you to the club's half marathon organiser Colette Tuohy, and to bus driver Damien Finnegan.
Mayo AC had one of the largest club representations – a magnificent achievement. Most of the finishers gathered at Nevilles Cross Inn in Adare for an enjoyable celebratory meal after the event.
Karla Regan, S 1:50.48; Eimear Fitzmaurice, W40, 1:40.03; Dee Finnegan, W40, 1:40.58; Noelle Kilduff, W40, 1:46.04; Donna Gallagher, W45, 1:35.28 (PB); Colette Tuohy, W55, 1:30.12; Brid Blehein, W55, 1:43.43; Pauline Moran, W65, 1:39.27; Mags Glavey, W70, 1:48.19.
Eamonn Joyce, S, 1:15.38 (PB); Tadgh Hanrahan, M40, 1:18.39 (PB); Sean Hynes, S, 1:19.01; Andrew Hayes, M40, 1:27.32; Art Maguire, M40, 1:28.33; Damien Finnegan, M40, 1:35.34; Wesley Hurst, M45, 1:34.21; Darren Brewer, M45, 1:34.17; Matt Bidwell, M50, 1:22.18; John Gordon, M50, 1:24.58; John Nolan, M50, 1:32.18; Ambrose Gaughan, M50, 1:39.41; Paraic Sweeney, M70, 1:38.38; Stephen Skillington, M60, 1:42.43,
