National 10k championships...Hanrahan take Gold, McKiernan takes Silver and Cork stays at home

The Great Ireland Run was held in the Phoenix Park in Dublin last Sunday the 6th of April 2014 with thousands taking part in the 10 km race. This also doubles up as the national 10k race championships and some 600 club runners also took part in the event.

The finishers in the elite field consisted mainly of international athletes and the first five of each gender were...
Men: 1st Japhet Korir (Kenya) 29.12, 2nd Andy Vernon (GBR) 20.18, 3rd Michael Shelley (Aus) 29.431, 4th Abdellatif Meftah (Fra)  29.47, 5th Matthew Hynes (GBR)  30.01.
Women: 1st Iwona Lewandowska (Pol) 33.39, 2nd Sophie Duarte (Fra) 33.48, 3rd Allesandro Aguilar (Spa) 33.49, 4th Fionnuala Britton (Ire) 33.54, 5th Helen Clitheroe (GBR, W40) 34.31.

In terms of Irish results in the national 10k championships, Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC in Cork was the winner in a time of 30m 20s. Mark is no stranger to national titles having won the 5000m race at the Irish Senior Track & Field Championships back in 2012. Mark has spent the last 3 months in Australia taking in a few track races which no doubt helped him prepare for the win last Sunday.

IRISH NATIONAL 10K CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN
1. Mark Hanrahan (Leevale AC) 30:20
2. Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrocks) 30:44
3. Thomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) 30:47
4. Alex Bruce Littlewood (Leevale AC) 30:55
5. Brian Maher (Kilkenny City Harriers) 31:05
6. Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) 31:29

In the womens race, the first Irish woman home was the former European Cross County Champion Fionnuala Britton. The biggest suprise however was probably the fact that the retired Irish international athlete Catherina McKiernan finished second! Having won silver medals at the World Cross Country Championships from 1992 to 1995 and the European Cross County title in 1994, she had a career with many victories including the London and Amsterdam marathons. Back in 2004, she won the Great Ireland Run and retired later that year. Fast forward 10 years later to 2014 and Catherina McKiernan now aged 44 has added another national medal to her collection.

In the Junior Mile Race, Sophie Bideau R)...daughter of Sonia O’Sullivan finished in first place while Deirbhile O’Reilly (L)...daughter of Catherina McKiernan finished in third.

WOMEN
1. Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) 33:54
2. Catherina McKieran (Annalee AC) 35:03
3. Sarah Mulligan (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 35:20
4. Kate Cronin (Raheny Shamrock AC) 35:57
5. Michelle McGee (Brothers Pearse AC) 36:02
6. Ciara Durkin (Skerries AC) 36:34

While there were some 600 club runners taking part, it's obvious from the entry list that the bulk are from Dublin or the surrounding counties. While the list isn't complete, it does show that relatively few club runners from Cork traveled to Dublin to take part in the national 10k championships. It's probably not that suprising when there are already a huge number of races in Cork and people don't want the hassle and expense of traveling to Dublin to run a short distance race like a 10k, regardless of what it's for.

The highlights of the Great Ireland Run are available on the RTE Player service until the 28th of April.