Ballymore AC Notes

“What a beautiful setting for a run, intimate smooth roads on the estate, followed by some challenging hills on the country roads outside. The perfect finish downhill return to the Mount Juliet Hunters Yard.” A quote from our own former World Champion, Sonia O’Sullivan, regarding the Mount Juliet 10km race that took place on St. Valentine’s Day this year.

Inspiring words for Maeve Griffin (54:30) to bear in mind as she adroitly navigated herself in the club colours around this challenging yet very scenic course. Registering a nifty sub-9 minute mile pace, Maeve is another recent graduate to come off the club’s Fit4Life conveyer belt and has blended in seamlessly with the more seasoned athletes on the race scene and can be very pleased with her morning’s work here.

Also part of the club’s travelling contingent to Kilkenny was Kevin O’Keeffe (1:46:41), who competed in the Half Marathon challenge on parts of the same course. Serious hills were the order of the day. And so it is to Kevin’s great credit that, considering he ran the race predominantly at heart-rate training pace in preparation for his tackling of an upcoming marathon, he displayed fine self-discipline to do so at an average pace of 8:09minutes per mile.

And so to the Juvenile’s 2km race. Recently returned home from Australia, 11 year old Maggie Sillett (7:11) had already announced herself onto the scene by turning heads as she had impressed all around her with her commitment whilst training at The Track and more than holding her own amongst adult competitors at various race meets. However, Maggie had kept her best form under wraps until this very day, where she clocked an outstanding pace of 5:46 minutes per mile in the process of winning her race outright! Top quality stuff out of you, Maggie.

In what was an eventful weekend for the club, the following morning brought eight of the club’s athletes to Carrigaline for the 27th Tommy Ryan Memorial 5 Mile Road Race. Given the romantic weekend that was in it, akin to the peaks and troughs of love, another hilly course was to be surmounted before the finish line could be crossed.

Cometh the time, cometh the woman! Step up Laura Forrest (46:13) to record a personal best (PB) over this classic distance, proving to us all what we already knew, that her times continue to fall as her training programme really has started to reap rewards.

Ber Ryan-Rowe (43:23) and Sandra O’Shea (43:22) spurred each other on, both giving their all out on the course… and it showed, as these two young ladies registered PB’s also over the 5 miles, leaving each of them sitting pretty to motor on into the spring months and tackle new courses and times.

There must’ve been something in the muesli in Cobh that morning, as Louise Dunne (41:57) turned on the after-burners and rocketed home with a new PB and straight into the arms of her waiting daughter at the finish-line. A happier finish one couldn’t script. Like the previously mentioned ladies, Louise’ hard work in training is now paying off where it counts.

Recording a superb 7:05 min per mile over Carrigaline’s hills came Stephen Ryan (35:38), a regular at the club’s tempo run sessions, and it showed as Stephen was yet another to come home with a PB.

Crossing the line running sub-7 min. miles (and looking none the worse for it!) was Tom O’Riordan (34:45). Tom has some longer distance races in his sights in the near future and this outing will hold him in good stead as he takes stock of where he’s at currently and where he can bring his form to from here.

Approaching her 10th marathon this April in Boston, Orla O’Rourke (34:44), not content with winning the race in her age category, romped home by a whopping 6 minutes over the 2nd placed lady in the field. We’re all delighted for Orla, as she has been so close to podium finishes in other races of late. A top lady and very modest to boot. Brilliant stuff Orla!

Last, but by no means least, Trevor Cummins (30:11) was up against a top field of talent in Carrigaline and did himself and his club real justice by finishing 21st in a race of 379 competitors. Trevor is always there or thereabouts at the business end of these races, a testament to the hard slog he puts in on the track and also on those lonely training runs. Expect to see Trevor take all the positives from this very strong performance and throw himself into the next race with all his usual class.