Damp conditions were the order of the day for the Cork Business Houses 5k road race over the Marina circuit this morning. Competitors ranged once again from international athletes to fun runners, all thoroughly enjoying the event. Fiachra Lombard (Leevale) became one of just six athletes to win a bronze team medal, when Ireland finished third team at the European cross country championships. He is now in the final stages of his preparations for the World cross country championships, being held in Dublin at the end of March. On Sunday he was one of almost two hundred competitors who lined up on the banks of the Lee for the BHAA race. From the start it became clear that he was in a league of his own as he stormed away from everyone, winning comfortably in a fast time of 14:30, a full minute ahead of Ian O’Sullivan (15:31). O’Sullivan is in cracking form lately, having finished second in the FMC race in Little Island a couple of weeks ago. In third place was Billy O’Rourke (15:35) who insists that he will retire from competitive running when he reaches his 40th birthday, a matter of months away at this stage!! Leevale continued to fill the next 4 spots with Ronan Guirey (15:39), Roy Fahy (15:50), Darren Keenan (15:59), and Danny Herlihy (16:16). Valerie Vaughan is another who has her eyes firmly set on a place on the womens team at the World cross country championships, and she also showed that she was in good shape with an overall eight place finish (16:18), just ahead of Freda Davoren who was eleventh overall (16:29). Freda has her sights set on the World indoor championships, which take place at the same time as the short course trial for the World cross country. She travels to Germany at the weekend for a 1,500m race in her bid to qualify. Pictures show (from L-to-R): Ronan Guirey, Darren Keenan, Billy O’Rourke, and race winner, Fiachra Lombard. (Results ) |