The Bells are Jingling as Ireland’s Nick Griggs claims Euro-Cross Silver
Newbridge AC participants at the Jingle Bells run
The big focus last weekend was on the European Cross Country which took place in Anatalya, Turkey. For most, it was the season climax, a cumulation of the training and racing over the preceding months. For the first time in many years, Kildare was without representation. However, the entire nation rose to the performance of Ireland’s Nicholas Griggs (CNDR) who gave a display of grit and determination to finish second in the u23 event, loosing out to Will Barnicoat (GB) who won the u20 Euro-cross last year. In that was dubbed a “thrilling finish” where Griggs and Barnicoat battled for honours in the final stages of the 6,332m race with the Briton crossing the line just under two seconds ahead of Griggs.
While this may mark the end of the Cross-Country season for many, Kildare AAI will be staging their county senior championships next Sunday. Usually a competitive affair, large turnouts are expected.
Closer to home one of the most popular seasonal road races the Jingle Bells 5km hosted by Donore Harriers went ahead in challenging conditions thanks to Storm Darragh. Runners young and not so young from several Kildare clubs took part.
Storm Darragh did not prevent the 1,348 runners from taking part in the 33rd edition of the Jingle Bells 5km in the Phoenix Part last Saturday. There were some trepidatious moments for the organisers with high gusts of winds, fallen trees and reports of electricity outages across the country. As Saturday morning brought a slightly better weather outlook, the quick thinking Donore AC officials mitigated against any potential risks with a minor route change. At 9.30am 1,348 runners set off for the hugely popular annual event. The overall men’s race was won by John Travers (Donore) with Amy O’Donohue (DSD) winning the ladies title.
There were several Kildare runners taking part from Newbridge, Le Cheile, Celbridge, Clane, Naas, Suncroft and others. Seventy-six of these runners are registered members of a Kildare based athletics club. The first Kildare athlete home was Alexander Wallace (St Coca’s) in a time of 15.48. Wallace is no stranger to road races and has in the past finished well up in national road racing series, including the national marathon. Behind him was James Smith (Celbridge). Smith was one of twenty-five Celbridge participants. He finished 44th overall and twelfth junior in a time of 16.07. He was followed by Jamie O’Brien (Naas) in 333rd overall but 39th junior. Thirteen-year-old Jack Brennan (Newbridge) ran a fantastic time of 17.46, an extension of his recent good form in Cross-Country.
Hannah Cash (Newbridge) was the fourth Junior lady with a time of 18.28. Cash was followed by clubmate Robyn Browne who finished 7th junior. Another Newbridge athlete Elsa Browne was the third Kildare Junior female across the line, the 14th junior lady.
Alex Murphy kept the Suncroft flag flying with her 17.49 and 19th senior female home. One second behind Murphy was her former clubmate Kate Nurse who now competes with UCD. A few places ahead of Murphy was Evelyn Coughlan who ran a personal best of 17.08. Coughlan was formally Northwest Kildare and now runs with Tullamore Harriers. Like Murphy, Coughlan has seen a bit of a resurgence of her athletics career over the past year. Breffini Kelly (Clane), fresh from her International Cross Country appearance a few weeks ago was the third Kildare lady home. Kelly recorded 18.13 to finish 28th lady.
The ultra-competitive Alexander Wallace (St Coca’s) was not missing the opportunity to run in this event, despite competing at the national novice six days earlier. Wallace was 34th overall in 15.48. A superb master’s athlete he finished 4th overall in the over 40 section. Behind him came David O’Connor (Celbridge) in 51st place with a time of 16:18. Like Wallace, O’Connor is an over40s athlete and was eighth in that category. Gavin Kelly (Clane) was the third Kildare runner to finish with his 78th place and time of 16:44.
Former Irish International Lizzie Lee (Leevale) may currently reside in the ladies over 40s category and may have topped the over 40s. However Kildare has two excellent over 40 ladies who are regular participants of road, track and cross-country events. Emma Boland and Michelle Cox (Newbridge AC) finished eights and nineth respectively with Boland getting the better of Cox on this occasion.
Thomas Kelly 17.01, David Browne 17.43, Jack Brennan 17.46, Seamus Cardiff 17.59, Hannah Cash 18.28, Emma Boland 18.42, Gavin Kenny 18.51, Michelle Cox 19.10, Robyn Browne 19.20, Michelle Guiney 19.47, Elsa Browne 21.10, Niamh O'Boyle 21.12, Karina Cash 20.40, Harry Boland 21.03, Ruairi Browne 26.41, Vikki Browne 26.41
David Breslin 20.10, Donnie Neylon 20.34, Aisling O’Toole 21.17, Lorraine Gleeson 24.11, Marie Doyle 27.13, Tina Hawkins 30.29, Linda Shine 31.27, Anita Hanlon 32.51, Karen Hussey 31.52, Yvonne Rowland 32.02, Patricia Murphy 32.17, Julia Augustin 37.19, Aideen Reynolds 37.19
Alexander Wallace 15.48, Adrian Cahir 18.03, Stephen Woods 18.04, Thomas Geoghegan 18.18, Gerard O’Hanlon 19.38, Denis Malone 20.25, Anita Rimmer 21.29, David Doyle 21.44, Emma Wallace 22.03, Gráinne O Mahony 26.47, Darvree Ó Sullivan 33.59, Helen Holton 36.51
Jamie O’Brien 19.29, James Killilea 19.52, Paddy Hughes 21.15, Ciara Smullen 23.41, Marie Therese Melia 26.32, Ciara McDermott 42.53 Suncroft Results: Alex Murphy 17.48
Gavin Kelly 16.44, Breffini Kelly 18.13, Sylvia Waters 27.41
This Sunday the County Senior Cross Country Championships will take place in the Curragh. The men will run 10,000m and the ladies 5,000m. Last year’s champions were Alexander Wallace (St Coca’s) and Michelle Cox (Newbridge). Both will be racing again next Sunday, hoping to defend their titles. There will also be Juvenile mixed relays. The juvenile mixed relays will kick off at 11am with the seniors starting at 12 noon. The battle for the teams will be as equally exciting as that of the individuals. Last year it was Celbridge who ousted Clane in the men’s. In the ladies there was no stopping Newbridge from claiming yet another title in the ladies.
