Fitzpatrick and McDonnell win Tallaght 5k honours

TALLAGHT AC members Tomas Fitzpatrick and Laura Mc Donnell were the first male and female athletes to cross the finish line in their club’s annual 5K Road Race on Sunday.

The former led from start to finish, coming home in 15.37 with Dylan Keegan (Templeogue AC) following in second in a time of 15.53 ahead of Mark Molly of Dundrum South Dublin in 15.55.

McDonnell was always in control in the women’s category, crossing the line in 18.15 with a comfortable 30-second margin over Claire Sullivan (18.45) and Liona McElroy who took third place in 18.54.

The Junior titles also stayed with the local club after Dean Conway and Abi Brennan took first place in their respective divisions.

Paul Fleming won top prize in the O40 category with Derek Taylor second and Ian O’Reilly third while Barbara Murray (19.29) took the ladies equivalent ahead of Susanne Ryan (20.01) and Sinead Tighe (20.20).

Ray Cunningham was the first in the O45 division in 18.10 with Michael Coin (18.27) second ahead of Jim Quinn (18.31) while Donna Mahon (19.34) was followed home by Sharon Tighe (20.28) and Ciara Darke (21.36) in the women’s section.

In the O50 category John Keogh clocked 18.46 to take top prize with Gabriel Byrne finishing second in 19.03 and in the women’s section Grainne Butler won in 20.09 with Carol Dempsey second in 22.03.

The O55 categories were won by Niall Coppinger (17.54) and Sue Vincent (27.06) while Dessie Shorten (20.07) and Angela Egan (28.22) took top prizes in the O/60 category before Jim Dwyer (23.02) and Eileen O’ Brien (24.38) won out in the O/65 category. Terry Mee and Ann Woodlock took the O/70 honours.

In the team categories the three Fitz’s, Tomas Fitzpatrick, Dave Fitzpatrick and Peter Fitzsimons combined to take top prize in the Senior section for Tallaght while Claire Sulliivan led Donna Mahon and Lorraine Nolan to claim the Senior team title for Rathfarnham WSAF.

In the Masters category Liam Cullen, Billy Loughman and Niall Coppinger combined well to secure the top prize for Tallaght and Sinead Tighe, Lisa Nagle and Ailish Hudson did likewise in the women’s section for Brothers Pearse.

The race, which incorporated the Dublin Novice Road Race Championships, saw Tallaght pick up bronze in both ladies and men’s team categories with Tara Woods, Suzanne Carter, Gwen Baker and Maria Kavanagh combining well for the women and Paddy Lyons leading home Padraic Griffin, Liam Cullen and Billy Loughman.