Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

Woodstown 5 miles won by Wexford athlete


The Annual Alan Everett Memorial 5 miles Road Race was held in
Woodstown in glorious weather on
Friday evening last and it attracted an entry of 170 and the walk had
30 participating. and many spectators watched all around the course
The run  from early on  was dominated by two athletes Niall Sheil St
Killians Wexford and Frank Quinlan Waterford and they were neck and
neck for the first two miles but Sheil then upped the pace to go away
and eventually finish the comfortable winner in a time of 26 minutes
41 seconds, Quinlan finished second in 27.13 and Patrick Roche Carrick
on Suir was third in 28.04. Clare Annan Clonmel was an impressive
winner of the ladies race in 30.35 Martina O'Dwyer Carrick on Suir was
second in 30 55 and Maria O'Keeffe/Mc Carthy Farranfore Co Kerry was
third in 32.03. Members of the Everett family were present on the
night including the late Alan's wife Annette and her  daughters his
brother Pat and sister Norma Kenneally who started the race. Pat
presented the prizes to the winners and thanked all who participated
and those that organised the race .He said his late brother Alan had
competed for years and while he never figured too often in the winners
enclosure he loved the sport. The race was organised by Waterford
Athletic Club and the many stewards and Gardai around the route made
it a very successful event and the refreshments afterwards in The
Saratoga were superb as usual thanks to Eileen Power, Kay  Mackey,
Addie Coghlan and Norma Kenneally. A Defibillator was presented to the
Coast Guard by Waterford AC the proceeds from the 2012 Alan Everett
Race. Full race details; 1 Niall Sheil St Killians, Wexford 26.41, 2
Frank Quinlan Waterford 27.13, 3 Patrick Roche Carrick on Suir 28.34,
4 Sean Caulfield St Senan's 29.07, 5 PJ Scollard Waterford.29.08.
Women 1 Clare Annan Clonmel 30.35, 2 Martina O'Dwyer Carrick on Suir
30.55, 3 Maria O'Keeffe/Mc Carthy Farranfore Co Kerry 32.03, 4 Sally
Forristal St Joseph's 33.13, 5 Joan Mahony Waterford 33.27 The age
category winners were as follows Men; over 40 David Drohan Waterford,
o 45 Bill Egan do, o 50 Walter Keane do, o 55 Joe Gough West/
Waterford Junior Mark Condon ( ind ) Women; o 35 Katherine Grant
Balance Fitness, o 40 Caitriona Gough Waterford, o 45 Sharon  Flynn
do, o 50 Ann Fitzgerald do

Kelly's Park Hotel Award


The Park Hotel Award for July has gone to Kelly Proper and it was
richly deserved after her brilliant performances at the All Ireland
Senior Championships winning three individual titles and a relay gold
as well. Last week she figured on the front page of FIT magazine and
on an article inside.

Gensyme 5 Miles and Faithlegg Race

This Friday August 30 th the Annual Gensyme 5 Miles Road Race has a 7
pm start at the Gensyme Factory on the old Kilmeaden Road and it will
be preceded by a walk at 6.30 pm all proceeds to MS Society.,entries
will be taken from 5.30 pm at Gensyme. On Sunday  next September 1 st
with a 1 pm start there's a race in the Faithlegg/ Cheekpoint area and
entries will be taken outside Faithlegg House Hotel from 12 noon,
prior to the run a walk begins at 12.45 pm. The Munster Half Marathon
Championship is in Blarney Co Cork on Sunday September 8 th at 11 am
and on Sunday September 15 th the Munster Express/Hartley People 10 km
is in the City at the RSC at 12 noon..


Season Ends

The Track and Field season has now ended and it was a very successful
one for Waterford at every level juvenile, junior, senior and masters.
Many of our athletes figured prominently at International level
including  Major Championships again in various categories. Medals
were won by Irish athletes at Major Championships. In the European
junior Championships a silver, European Youth Olympics  two gold  two
silver and a bronze one of the gold was in the relay and Niamh Mc
Nicol Ferrybank AC was a member and then of course came the  gold
medal by Robert Heffernan in the 50 km walk at the World senior
Championships, one of the finest performances by any Irish
sportsperson for years. Of the six medals won by Irish athletes at the
World Championships three have been won by walkers, Gillian O'Sullivan
silver in 2003 in the 20 km , Olive Lougnane 2009 again silver in the
same event and then Robert Heffernan this year gold in the 50 km.
While in Ireland athletics is regarded as a minority sport on the
World stage it is probably the most widespread, the IAAF has 212
Federations registered.  Its rarely that Irish athletes come home from
major championships without a medal or two as readers of this column
over the years will know so Irish athletics punches away above its
weight on the International stage,shortly the cross country season
begins.