Tonight’s Eircom 4m Road Race saw a welcome return to local racing by the Foolkes brothers, Jason and Trevor. Now based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the pair are home for a holiday in their native Cork. The race was very much a closely fought one, with a group of six breaking away early on. Roy Fahy set the pace, with close attention from the Foolkes brothers, Brian Keane, Billy O’Rourke and Cathal O’Connell. O’Rourke lasted just over two miles with the group, with O’Connell and Fahy falling off shortly after. That left the two Foolkes and Keane, running shoulder to shoulder. With just under a mile remaining Keane upped the pace and quickly opened a gap on the others. Jason Foolkes closed very fast in the last 400m but failed to catch Keane who won in a time of 19:41, ahead of Foolkes (19:47), Trevor Foolkes (19:53),
and Fahy (19:54), completing an excellent 1-2-3-4 for Leevale (photos from L-to-R). Cathal O’Connell of St. Finbarrs was 5th in 19:58, followed by Billy O’Rourke of Leevale in 20:11, Cillian O’Tuama (Leevale) in 20:34, and Noel Marshall (Togher) in 20:39. Mary Sheehan won the womens race in a time of 22:44, well clear of Joan Hough (24:19), Mary Sweeney (24:26), and Mary Murphy (24:52). Vet wins were recorded by Michael Murphy (o40), Tom Cody (45), Frank Cashman (50), Eddie Mullane (55), John O’Leary (60), Mary Murphy (35), Bernice Glavin (40), Frankie Devlin (45), and Eileen Kenny (50). (Results)