Latest news with #MortonGames
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda & District's Tadhg Donnelly destroys strong field to win St Coca's 5K
Leading the trio was Andrew Kelly, who burst out of the blocks with intent and set a blistering pace through the first 200. Despite being reeled in by eventual winner Eoghan Buggy of St Abban's AC, Kelly dug deep to fend off a late surge from Éanna McElroy of Ennis Track Club, crossing the line in a superb 51.43sec. Just behind him, Louis O'Shea demonstrated both grit and consistency as he held off Ciarán Dee of Leevale AC in a closely fought battle, clocking a strong 51.72sec. Completing the Drogheda lineup was Jimmy English, who ran a steady race to finish in 56.48sec, rounding off a successful day for the club's 400m squad. With these performances, the Drogheda men once again underscored their growing presence on the national sprinting stage. There was plenty to cheer about for Drogheda & District AC on Friday last too, as 23-year-old Tadhg Donnelly delivered a commanding performance to win the prestigious St Coca's AC 5K in Kilcock, Co Kildare. In a highly competitive field, Donnelly crossed the line first in a blistering time of 14:04, finishing 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Daniel Canala. Remarkably, this wasn't even a personal best for the in-form runner, suggesting that even greater achievements are just around the corner. All eyes now turn to the upcoming Morton Games on Friday week, where Donnelly is widely tipped to break new ground. Paul Smith also impressed, clocking a solid 15:53 as he continued a fine run of form. It was especially heartening to see Anna Isgro back in action, completing the course in 21:16. Conor Cooney and Olivia Reilly also represented Drogheda & District AC with pride, finishing in 24:48 and 24:51 respectively. ADVERTISEMENT Spirits were high as Drogheda & District AC members took to the roads on Thursday evening for the Clonee 10K, hosted by Dunboyne AC. With 527 finishers braving the elements, it was a true testament to the dedication and camaraderie that defines local running. The event was impeccably organised, featuring a reasonably flat course ideal for fast times - though the weather had other plans as the rain kept both runners and supporters soaked throughout the evening. However, the stewards and volunteers stood patiently in the downpour to keep everything running smoothly and the post-race hospitality didn't disappoint, with hot drinks and delicious pizza served at the Grasshopper Inn . Drogheda & District had a great turnout, with several strong performances. Aedan Prone led the charge with an impressive time of 36:14, followed by Joe Hammel (39:44), Thomas Breen (40:04), and Karl Cooney (48:08). Nuala Reilly not only broke the 50-minute mark with 49:53, but also took first place in her category - a fantastic achievement. Other finishers included David Cooney (50:06), Karen O'Connell (50:11), Seamus Roe (50:56), Mike Staunton (51:07), Margaret Carroll (51:44) and Claire Smith, who crossed the line in 1:02:43. Elsewhere, Liam Mulligan performed very well in the Phoenix Park on Sunday at the Biofreeze Athletics Ireland Race Series five-mile event, finishing in 11th place with a fine time of 25:42.
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sharlene Mawdsley reflects on 'emotional weekend' and targets race on Irish soil
Sharlene Mawdsley is looking forward to running on home soil later this month after clocking a season's best time over the weekend. The Tipperary sprinter finished third in the 400m in the European Team Athletics Championship in Maribor, Slovenia, on Saturday, clocking a time of 50.03. It was the 26-year-old's first race since the sudden death of her father Thomas last month. Reflecting on the weekend, Mawdsley wrote on Instagram: "An emotional weekend but so grateful for those around me making it a little easier. "I don't want to continue to touch on this subject publicly however, I do want to express my gratitude to those who have helped me these last number of weeks. To those who helped me get to the start line, my competitors for being so gracious and understanding, to my teammates and the staff this weekend for their help, they trusted me, when I wasn't sure I even trusted myself. "I will never be able to express my thanks to all of the people who have been there these last number of weeks (I hope you know who you all are) but I will never forget it. "Now we can look to the next race where I will start on home soil in Morton Games on July 11th" Mawdsley ran a strong opening half of Saturday's race and had the lead coming into the home straight. She fought hard in the closing stages but the Olympian was eventually passed by Slovakia's Emma Zapletalová (50.76) and Belgium's Imke Vervaet 50.86, who both ran personal bests in a very fast race. Mawdsley can be seen in action at the Morton Games on Friday, July 11, at Morton Stadium in Santry. Tickets for the event cost €10 and can be purchased online here.
The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Sharlene Mawdsley sends ‘grateful' message to those who made 'emotional weekend a little bit easier' after return
SHARLENE MAWDSLEY thanked her closest supporters for trusting her "when I wasn't sure I trusted myself" after returning to racing. clocked a season's best time to . It was her first race since the death of her dad Thomas at the start of June. And in an emotional post on star shared a message of thanks to those who got her to Maribor. She said: "A return to racing "An emotional weekend but so grateful for those around me making it a little easier. Read More on Sharlene Mawdsley "I don't want to continue to touch on this subject publicly however, I do want to express my gratitude to those who have helped me these last number of weeks. "To those who helped me get to the start line, my competitors for being so gracious and understanding, to my teammates and the staff this weekend for their help. "They trusted me, when I wasn't sure I even trusted myself. "I will never be able to express my thanks to all of the people who have been there these last number of weeks (I hope you know who you all are) but I will never forget it." Most read in Sport She also revealed when fans can next expect her on the track. Mawdsley added: "Now we can look to the next race where I will start on home soil in Morton Games on July 11th" Sharlene Mawdsley shows off makeup before Zagreb race The Olympian had her late dad in her thoughts immediately following her performance in Slovenia. In a pair of post-race interviews , she dedicated her display to him. She said: "I think the thing was I going to have to race eventually or he would probably haunt me. "Initially, I wasn't doing Team Championships. The lane then became available and I thought maybe that's a sign. "To run a season's best is a nice boost, I guess, for the rest of the season and now I know he is looking down on me. "He got me through that race so I'm sure it is going to be an upward trajectory for the rest of the season." BACK IN STYLE Mawdsley had not raced since In addition to that showing on the Sunday at the big-money Grand Slam Track event, she also came sixth in the long sprints category 24 hours previous. For that performance, she banked $15,000 with Olympic 400m gold medallist Marileidy Paulino coming out on top. Mawdsley wound up in fifth place. Once again, she clocked a season's-best time in that race at 51.12. And the Paris Olympian hopes that she can carry her performance from She told "It is a shame I didn't come first. I would have loved the top points but it probably would have taken a PB to do that today. "I am looking forward to cheering on the rest of the team now. "It is going to be an exciting couple of days. "I don't know what my plans are for the next few days. "Today was just about getting out there and doing my family proud." 1 Sharlene Mawdsley of Team Ireland after the women's 400m repechage at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games Credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
