Virtual runs take centre stage in Limerick athletics

TRAINING

THE An Brú Juvenile 1 Mile League continues. Juvenile Training continues in accordance with the various club schedules. Senior Training has resumed at UL at 6:15 pm on Tuesday nights.

VIRTUAL RUNS 

Well done to all who ran the Limerick Sports Partnership Blanket 3/5K Run, including Cllr Elisa O'Donovan, which was organised in aid of the homeless.

Well done to all who ran the Virtual Border Half Marathon including a large Bilboa contingent.
Julie McCarthy and Kevin Broughton both completed the distance in 1:32 which was a PB for Julie. Robert, Stephen from Shannon finished in 1:37:30.

UPCOMING FIXTURES

The Milford Hospice 10K takes place on the 28th and 29th January with early bird entry €15.
The Adare 10K takes place as a virtual run throughout the month of February. Distances include, 1,2,5 and 10k with the ability to upload times to Myrunresults.com

Entry fee is €10 which goes directly to West Limerick A.C. For entry go to Westlimerickace.ie or Myrunresults.com. The Mallow 10 mile has been provisionally rearranged for Sunday 4th July.

The Great Limerick Virtual Challenge takes place from 24th December-1st January.

FIVE YEARS AGO
UL P.E. student Michelle Finn was on Irish team which won a Bronze Medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres in France.

Her teammates were Fionnuala McCormack (4th overall), Lizzie Lee, Caroline Crowley, Ciara Durkan and Kerry O’Flaherty.

30 YEARS AGO 
IN a time of 31:18 West Limerick native John Downes running for London Irish won the Buckler sponsored Inter County Cross Country event in Killenaule.

He was followed in second by Richard Mulligan from Galway (31:41) and South African Sean Dolman, third in 31:44.

Other Limerick athletes included Noel Richardson 5th in 32:26, John Scanlon 15th in 32:59 and Henry Downes 26th in 33:30.

Limerick were a much depleted side missing Neil Cusack (cold) Frank Hanley (not granted permission to race by Arkansas University) Robert Costello (who chose not to run) and John Downes (who represented London Irish) finished as the 4th placed County on 228 points with Cork winners on 116.

In the Junior event Christina Geoghegan (15:41) and Rosemary Ryan (15:42)were second and third respectively with Ailish Smith from Dublin the winner in 15:19.

Other Limerick finishers included Nuala Power 9th in 15:58 and Susan Murnane 10th in 16:01.
They combined to win the County title for Limerick with 24 pts, well clear of Clare on 55 and Dublin on 64.