Welcome to the Running in Cork blog, home of the Cork running community. This is the largest website in Cork & Munster for news on road races and general running news. Included are a current race calendar, race previews, photos, results as well as some local, national and international news items.
19-year old running sensation Ava Crean from Limerick burst onto the road race scene in 2025 and amazed everyone by winning the national title in the Dublin Marathon. See previous post.
Last weekend, she was back in action again when she broke the Irish U23 road record with a time of 32m 46s in Valencia Spain.
Ava's coach John Kinsella documented the run in this YouTube video...
At a national league meeting in Athlone last Saturday, Phil Healy of Bandon AC ran 7.25 seconds in the Indoor 60m race to set a new Irish Under 23 record. Phil who is from Ballineen in West Cork is still only 21 years old and is already one of Ireland top female sprinters. Her time of 7.35 seconds moves her up into joint 4th on the all time Irish list.
Athlone. Women 60m. 6th Feb 2016 1 Phil Healy Bandon A.C. 7.35 2 Joan Healy Bandon A.C. 7.41 3 Sarah Kate Lacey Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 7.85 4 Louise Kiernan Fingallians 7.97 5 Margaret Caldbeck Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 8.06 6 Cara Brennan Donore Harriers 8.16 7 Carol Kearney Lucan Harriers A.C. 9.22 8 Edith Coakley Lucan Harriers A.C. 9.23
60m Irish Women Indoors All time list 1 7.30 Anna Boyle Birmingham 3 Mar 2007 2 7.32 Ailis McSweeney Belfast 20 Feb 2011 2 7.32 Amy Foster Athlone 16 Feb 2014 4 7.35 Claire Brady Belfast 7 Feb 2010 4 7.35 Phil Healy Athlone 6 Feb 2016 6 7.36 Emily Maher Belfast 19 Feb 2006 7 7.38 Michelle Carroll Birmingham 27 Feb 1993 7 7.38 Kelly Proper Athlone 22 Feb 2015 9 7.41 Joan Healy Athlone 6 Feb 2016 10 7.43 Sarah Reilly Birmingham 12 Jan 2002
Phil's sister Joan Healy also recorded a personal best of 7.47 seconds in the same race and moves up into 9th on the all time Irish indoor list.
On the Sunday, the Healy sisters were in action again in the AAI Indoor Games. In the 60m, both were fractionally slower with only Amy Foster managing to post a faster time on the day. 60m SEN Women Time :11:42 ..Athlone 7th Feb 2016 1 FOSTER Amy 7.38 2 HEALY Phil 7.43 3 HEALY Joan 7.47 4 NEVILLE Ciara 7.56 5 MURRAY Sarah 7.67 6 LAVIN Sarah 7.68 7 MCCARTHY Sarah 7.71 8 FREEMAN Ara 7.85
Phil was back in action in the afternoon and won the 200m race in a new personal best time of 23.74 seconds. That's two PB's in two days! That performance now moves her up into 4th on the Irish 200m Indoor all time list. 200m All time Irish indoor list 1 23.17 Ciara Sheehy Birmingham 2 Mar 2003 2 23.27 Kelly Proper Athlone 22 Feb 2015 3 23.30 Sarah Reilly Birmingham 13 Jan 2002 4 23.74 Phil Healy Athlone 7 Feb 2016 5 23.82 Steffi Creaner Athlone 6 Feb 2015
The results of both competitions can be found on the Leevale AC website... National League on Sat HERE ..... AAI Games on Sun HERE
The video coverage with a guide to times can be seen below.....
00:10...Junior Women 60m final
00:14...Open 60m for women. Phil Healy of Bandon AC was disqualified for a false start in an earlier 60m race. In this open race, she clocked 7.41 seconds...her 3rd fastest time over 60m and just five one-hundredths off her PB of 7.36.
00:18...Junior Men 60m final
00:27...U23 men 60m final
00:48...Junior & U23 women's 3000m race walk. An impressive 14 started in this race, a big change from a few years back when the fields were tiny.
01:12...Junior & U23 men's 3000m race walk. Luke Hickey of Leevale AC in Cork was a comfortable winner here.
01:31...Junior men 1500m
01:42...Open men 1500m
01:48...Open women 1500m. Maria McCambridge taking to the track for a change.
01:58...Junior women 200m heats
02:17...U23 women 200m final. 20 year old Phil Healy of Bandon AC dominated this one winning in a new PB time of 24:21 which moves her up to 8th on the Irish all time list.
02:20...Junior men 200m heats
02:26...Interview with Phil Healy
02:52...U23 men 200m heats
03:05...Junior women 800m final. In a tactical race, Louise Shanahan of Leevale AC in Cork won Gold with an impressive kick from about 80m out.
03:11...U23 women 800m final. Katie Kirk who looks likely to declare for Ireland was the winner here.
03:24...Junior men 800m heats
03:39...U23 men 800m final
03:46...Junior women 60m hurdles final
03:57...U23 women 60m hurdles final. Sarah Lavin was the clear winner in a time of 8:65s.
04:03...Junior men 60m hurdles final. Sam Healy of Leevale AC stole the show with a new junior national record of 7.89s.
04:10...U23 men Hurdles.
04:18...Junior women 200m final
04:25...Junior men 200m final
04:28...U23 men 200m
04:32...Junior men 800m
04:37...Junior women 400m
04:43...Junior men 400m final
04:47...U23 men 400m
