It was a big cross country weekend for Leevale’s senior athletes as a big delegation from the club travelled to the Phoenix Park for the annual Gerry Farnan race, while others remained on home turf to compete at the County Masters and Novice B championships.
With international selection at stake, the Gerry Farnan race always draws a top quality field from around the country. Mark Hanrahan made a welcome return to top-class action with a good 4th place finish. This gains him selection for the Lotto Cross Cup in Antwerp, Belgium on the 3rd of November. Just 9s behind Mark, and running out of his skin, was Ben Thistlewood who is in great form at the moment. With Eric Curran also having a great race in 20th and Colm Sheehan 35th, Leevale won the team competition, which is a great achievement in such a high quality race.
In the women’s race, Sinéad O’Connor had a storming run to finish 18th overall, leading the Leevale senior ladies’ team to 3rd overall. Annette Quaid was a couple of places further back, and she took 2nd in the F35 section. Leevale athletes featured prominently in many of the age categories on the day. Annette Quaid, Helen Leonard, Ann More, and Carmel Parnell all gained selection for the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International, which will be held in Cardiff on 16 Nov.
Leevale had a small team competing at the County Masters Championships in Conna this afternoon. Donal Coffey was 3rd home behind Alex O’Shea (St. Finbarr’s) and Shane Simcox (Mallow AC). Cillian Ó Tuama was next home in 4th, with Darragh Canavan and Brian Carr completing the Leevale four that took team victory. In the Novice ‘B’ ladies’ race Amy Wolfe took individual bronze.
There were also a few Leevale athletes in action in this morning’s Leisureworld 10K in Bishopstown.
Leisureworld 10K results