Lindie Naughton
Cathal Doyle and Carla Sweeney were the winners at the 132nd Clonliffe 2-Mile – the oldest continuous road race in Ireland – and maybe even in the world.
The race was back on the roads of Glasnevin for a second year on a course which from the start outside Met Éireann at Old Finglas Road, looped around the Botanical Gardens before finishing outside Kavanagh’s Gravediggers pub in Prospect Square, race sponsors since 1986.
Doyle, the current Irish 500m champion, made it a home win for Clonliffe Harriers finishing in 8 min 46 secs. Behind him, Mitchell Byrne of Rathfarnham WSAF AC and Shane Bracken of Swinford AC ran elbow-to-elbow for much of the race, with Byrne only breaking away in the finals stages of th race to finish second in 8:55. Bracken was two seconds behind for third place in 8:57.
Sweeney, a comfortable winner of women’s race in 10:34, was followed home by Áine Cotter of North East Runners in 10:45 and Emma Mitchell of Clonliffe Harriers in 11:03. Other good runs came from Sean Cronin fifth and first junior in 9:26 and Shane Healy of Metro St Brigid’s AC, who is now in the M55 class, but still finished eighth and first master overall in 9:31. First master woman was Michelle Cox of Newbridge AC in 11:25. First junior woman was Mya O’Reilly of Clonliffe Harriers.
New club Ballymun AC, made its first major outing with around 50 finishers. Leading them home was Eoin Hayes. Watch out for them at the Dublin Marathon and also the Dublin Cross-Country Championships.
Abroad, Emmett Jennings of DSD AC clocked a personal best time of 64 mins 52 secs at the Valencia Marathon in Spain.
Good luck to all Dublin athletes in Sunday’s Dublin Marathon, which incorporates the Dublin – and national – championships.
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