Donore Harriers host Captain’s Run
SANDWICHED between the Jingle Bell 5km road race and the prestigious Waterhouse-Byrne-Baird Shield 10- mile handicap race on St Stephen’s morning the Donore Harriers club hosted the Captain’s Run on Saturday morning in the Phoenix Park.
This pre-festive season race over 5km brought an array of club distance athletes together, as well as a couple of guest runners from Trinity College.
The concept of the event is that each entrant brings a gift and then gifts are selected according to finishing positions.
The race also incorporated the 4th edition of the Maurice B Ahern Cup Handicap Championship for juvenile members aged between Under 14 and Under 19.
Club stalwart and coach Willie Smith marked out the 3-laps course and club president Florence Curley asked the athletes to observe a minute’s silence in respect of Willie Dunne, a club legend who competed in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games marathon.
Willie sadly passed away on the previous day aged 90. Men’s Road & XC Captain Gerry Naughton then gave the “go” signal and 43 runners set off to tackle the damp-in-patches course on what was a sunny, bright morning.
Charlie White and Liam Morris took an early lead ahead of a pursuit group of three consisting of John Cleary, Rhys Johnson, and Dylan Kelly.
The 3rd group of 8 athletes included Celine Gavin and a couple of the Trinity College guest runners.
As the race progressed it was Charlie White, who came 4th recently in the National U17 championships, who took a solo lead to the finish line to win in a time of 16.58. John Cleary (17.14) ran a very controlled race to place 2nd, with Trinity’s Jack Maughan (17.30) next.
The next 3 places were filled by members of the juvenile distance group coached by Joe Kelly and others – as Liam Morris (17.33) came 4th, Rhys Johnson (17.41) 5th and Dylan Kelly (17.52) 6th.
21 years-old Celine Gavin (18.20) was the first-woman home in 8th place, with 16 years-old Julie Cleary (19.21) capping off a fine year to place 2nd woman in 18th place overall.
Ultra-distance specialist Sorcha Loughnane (21.07) was the 3rd woman home in 21st spot, just one-place ahead of TCD student and club member Juno Gerolmo-Feeney (21.07).
13 years-old Rosie-May Morris (24.23) became the 1st female winner of the Maurice B Ahern Cup, when she finished 22 seconds ahead of her predicted time (24.45).
Rosie May placed 36th overall and got the loudest applause of the day when announced the winner of this sealed handicap race.
The overall race winner Charlie White (16.58) took the silver medal being just 3-seconds short of his predicted race time (16.55).
In what was a close contest for the medal positions first season athlete Dylan Kelly (17.57) took the bronze medal, placing 6th overall – just 7- seconds short of his projected time of 17.50.
Liam Morris was edged out to 4th place as his race time of 17.33 was 18 seconds short of his predicted 17.15.
The presentations took place in the clubhouse afterwards, with women’s road and XC captain Anne Curley calling out the finishing order so that athletes could select their gifts.
Club director and past president Maurice Ahern presented the cup named in his honour to Rosie-May Morris – and Willie Smith gave a wonderful background and tribute to his old training colleague and team-mate Willie Dunne. RIP.
