Club Notes…by Karen Bevan

Hope everyone is keeping well this evening.

I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed the club summer BBQ last Saturday, it was a great night out. Our thanks to those who put the time in to make it a success especially Damian, Mairead, Colin and many more behind the scenes. The medals for the first half of the year were presented including those won in Munster and County championships races, the county roads, track and field events and more, needless to say Eagle AC has had a very successful year to date, keep up the amazing work! The Eagle AC summer series medals and prizes were also given out on the night and well done to everyone who took part in the series races. As mentioned below a report will be written on the Summer Series and published on the Eagle AC website, we can include this in next weeks email too.

Well done also to those who turned out to run the Clonmel boston scientific half marathon the Clonakilty 10 mile last Sunday, and of course the other races in the week plenty of results below.

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The National Masters Track & Field Championships were held in Tullamore last weekend with several club members taking medals. We have reports below from Pat Murphy and Ken Higgs…

Ken Higgs & Neil Kingston

Report by Pat Murphy….
Last weekend 5 members travelled to Tullamore for the National Masters Track & field Championships. It turned out to be another successful day as 9 medals were won in very competitive events.

First into action was Hugh Mc Sweeney in the M70 100m and he set the trend winning the silver medal in a time of 14.76sec. Hugh was next to go again this time in the 200m and he got his second silver of the day in a time of 30.77sec.

Neil Kingston was next to go in his first event of the day the M45 800m. Neil sat in the bunch all the way and was well placed when the sprint for the finish started. He powered down the home straight to take second in a time of 2.12.32. Eagle’s third silver of the day.

Pressure was now on Ken Higgs as he lined up for the M65 800m. It was always going to be a battle for the silver and bronze medals in this as with Joe Gough (World Masters medalist) running he was assured of the gold. From the start Gough went to the front and opened up a gap on the rest of the field which he held all the way to the finish. Ken bided his time at the back of the chasing pack and down the back straight for the last time started to move closer to the front and when he hit the finishing straight he left the rest in his wake finishing in 3.44.11. Eagle’s fourth silver of the day.

5000m was next with Richard Piotrowski going in the M70 category. They combined M60, M65, M70 and M75 in the one race which caused confusion for the officials counting the laps as Tommy Payne the winner of the M60 category lapped practically everyone else in the race and some more than once. Richard’s main M70 competitor was Martin McEvilly from Galway and both ran together early on. With about 5 laps to go McEvilly opened a gap on Richard which he extended to approx. 20 – 30 metres over the next 4 laps. Just as it was looking that it was going to be a fifth silver for Eagle McEvilly stopped thinking he was finished. Richard came through got the bell and carried on and did the final lap while McEvilly was sitting on the track removing his spikes. Another runner that stopped as well was Neilus Ahern of Midleton but when he realised he had another lap he jogged around to finish the race. When the results were first published it had McEvilly in first and Richard second but official results published later had Richard in first. Richard’s finishing time was 21.22.96. Eagle’s first gold of the day.

While the 5000 was on Hugh was competing in his last event the M70 Long Jump. Hugh showed his rustiness at this event as on his first three jumps he was taking off well back from the board. He managed to correct it on his fourth and final jump and took his third silver of the day with a jump of 3.37m. Eagle’s fifth silver medal.

Neil went in his second event the M45 400m. Coming off the final bend Neil was in second place and try as he might could not pull back the leader and had to settle for second finishing in 58.36 to take his second and Eagle’s sixth silver medal.

Ken was up next in the M65 400m. Running in the outside lane he kept his focus and when the stagger unfolded he was in front and held it all the way to the finish to take gold in 70.99. Eagle’s second gold.

Last events of the day was the 1500m. I was surprised to see Neil line up for this as he was feeling the effects of his two previous events. The M40 and M45 was combined into one race. He sat at the back of the group for the most of the race and it was his finishing kick that got him up take the bronze for his third medal of the day in a time of 4.48.74. Not bad for a first timer at Nationals.

I went then in the M60 1500m but unfortunately couldn’t add to the medal haul and had to settle for 7 th in a time of 5.53.93.

So at the end of a long day a medal haul of 2 Gold, 6 Silver and 1 Bronze must count as a good day out.

Report from Ken Higgs…
Eagle AC had a very successful day at the National masters Track and Field championship that took place in warm and very humid conditions in Tullamore on Saturday.

It was cracking day out. Five Eagles competed and nine medals were won :
Hugh McSweeney – silver medals in the M70 100m, 200m and long jump
Richard Piotrowski – gold in the M70 5000m
Ken Higgs – gold in the M65 400m and silver in the 800m
Neil Kingston – silver in the M45 800, and two bronze in the 400m and 1500m

Photos courtesy of Kieran Carlin up on the club Facebook page.

Mark Smith recorded his 2^nd race win in a less than a week on Saturday morning! Mark won the East Cork Harbour Half Marathon in a time of 1.17.52.

Mark Smith, Eagle AC,  top of the podium!

Sean O’Keeffe  finished 4^th with a time of 1.20.30. Impressive times from Mark and Sean on what was a very hilly course. Tom Fox was 2nd M50 across the line.  A number of club members were on pacing duty at the event  also – well done to Dermot Slyne, Ruairi Egan, Elaine Guinane, Helen Cronin , Mairead Lonergan, Ed Fitzgerald and Grellan McGrath.  Thanks to Conn O Donovan who organised and looked after the pacers on the day. All proceeds from this  event went to Marymount Hospice, a very worthy cause.

Eagle AC members Helen Cronin, Conn O’Donovan and Colin O’Herlihy before the East Cork Harbour Marathon 2018

Results: (Compiled by Ruairi Egan)

10k
39 John SCANNELL  00:43:36  00:43:39  1206   M (34)   MS (28) Eagle AC

Half Marathon
1 Mark SMITH  01:17:52  01:17:52  685  M (1)  MS (1)  Eagle AC
4 Sean O’KEEFFE  01:20:30  01:20:30  49  M (4)  MS (4)  Eagle AC
22 Tom FOX  01:34:23  01:34:25  762  M (22) M50 (2)  Eagle AC
29 Colin O’HERLIHY  01:36:13  01:36:14  917  M (29) MS (27)  Eagle AC
45 Dermot SLYNE  01:39:29  01:39:33  884  M (44) MS (41) Eagle AC
76 Pat TWOMEY  01:45:36  01:45:38  896  M (70) M50 (5)  Eagle AC
117 Elaine GUINANE 01:49:46  01:49:57  767  F (21)   FS (18)  Eagle AC
118 Ruairi EGAN  01:49:57  01:49:57  752  M (97)  MS (85)   Eagle AC
142 Nora CORCORAN 01:52:39  01:53:05  531  F (27)  FS (24)   Eagle AC
200 Mairead LONERGAN 01:59:56 02:00:23  801  F (41)    FS (36)   Eagle AC
201 Helen CRONIN  01:59:57  02:00:24  732  F (42)  FS (37)   Eagle AC

All roads led to Castlelyons last night for the 4^th race of the Eagle Summer Series 2018. There was another large Eagle representation at this 4 mile race with 30 members crossing the finishing line. Leading Eagle AC,  aswell as the rest of the field home was Mark Smith who won the race in a great time of 21.21.

Mark Smith, 1st place at Castlelyons 4 Miler 2018

Summer Series organiser Damian Kenneally wasn’t far behind, finishing in 21.38. He finished 3^rd, claiming a well deserved podium spot .

Damian Kenneally finishing in 3rd place.

Colin Foley and Donal Dowling rounded out the top 10 finishing in 9^th and 10^th places respectively. Donal won 1^st M40, when running 23.51, his first time running under the 24 minute mark.

Donal Dowling picking up prize for 1st M40

The club picked up a number of other category prizes. Darren Casey was 2^nd M40, with Tom Fox picking up the prize for 1^st M50. The Eagle Ladies were also well represented with Sandra Manning winning 2^nd F35 and Elaine Guinane being 1^st F40 home. A mention to Anne Lucey Murphy too who increased her normal race distance of 5k to 4 miles with ease finishing 2^nd F60 in the race. A very enjoyable and successful night in Castlelyons for Eagle AC.

1. Mark Smith M40 Eagle AC 21.21
3. Damian Kenneally M Eagle AC 21.38
9. Colin Foley M Eagle AC 23.50
10. Donal Dowling M40 Eagle AC 23.51
11. Tom Fox M50 Eagle AC 23.58
15. Brian McGuire M45 Eagle AC 24.39
18. Colin O’Herlihy M45 Eagle AC 24.51
19. Darren Casey M40 Eagle AC 25.05
21. Dermot Slyne M40 Eagle AC 25.15
22. Jerome McCarthy M Eagle AC 25.17
38. Mike O’Connor M Eagle AC 26.23
39. Patrick Walsh M Eagle AC 26.24
40. John Dunphy M45 Eagle AC 26.31
44. Ruairi Egan M45 Eagle AC 26.52
45. Sandra Manning F35 Eagle AC 26.52
50. John Scannell M45 Eagle AC 27.16
53. Elaine Guinane F40 Eagle AC 27.36
62. John Swanton M Eagle AC 28.31
63. Ed Fitzgerald M45 Eagle AC 28.34
70. Ken Nyhan M40 Eagle AC 29.17
71. Mairead Lonergan F Eagle AC 29.21
77. Eddie Trindle M40 Eagle AC 30.00
78. Joe Murphy M60 Eagle AC 30.02
81. Paul Cotter M55 Eagle AC 30.17
87. Ita Kirwan F45 Eagle AC 30.49
93. Denis Looney M50 Eagle AC 31.34
101. Denise O’Brien F Eagle AC 32.19
129. Evan Twomey M40 Eagle AC 35.08
136. Ber Looney F45 Eagle AC 35.30
160. AnneLucey Murphy F60 Eagle AC 37.58

To help club members in their preparations for the autumn marathons and half marathons the club is restarting tempo runs in Rochestown on Thursday evenings.  These sessions were a very popular and beneficial session last year. Each session typically starts with a warm up period, followed by a structured tempo session followed by a warm down.

These sessions are available to all club members. For information on club membership please see … https://eagleac.net/membership/