Clare 10k victories for Hehir and Colleran

The eighth annual Clare 10k mini marathon was staged around the streets of Ennis on Saturday last, starting and finishing at Lees Road, in aid of Clare Haven services. Despite the difficult conditions of heavy showers and strong winds, the event attracted another big entry.
Sean Hehir from Kilkishen and running with Rathfarnham AC, Dublin, smashed the course record with a time of 29.43 in 2011.
He went out hard from the start and he came home in 29.54, just 13 seconds outside his own course record, with Michael Shannon and Kenneth Rodgers (both St John’s) sprinting down the track for the second and third spot in 31.21.
The senior ladies’ race resulted in a great victory by Veronica Colleran (Ennis Track) for the third year in a row, with a time of 37.57, with Tracy Guilfoyle a very good second in 39.50 with Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s, Cork) in third spot in 40.00.
Almost 1,000 competitors were on the line as James Sexton started the race and as they made their way out along Lees  Road, Hehir set a blistering pace, reaching the 1k mark in 2.44. He went through the 2k mark in 5.40, with Michael Shannon, Kenneth Rodgers and Jake O’Regan chasing down the leader.
At the 5k mark, big gaps were starting to appear but Hehir was pressing ahead, going through this point in 14.40 as Michael Shannon and Kenneth Rodgers were starting to pull away from Jake O’Regan.
There was a great contest for the minor places. Kenneth Rodgers was looking good on the home straight for the runners-up spot but Michael Shannon made one final drive and pipped his clubmate on the line in a time of 31.21.
The ladies’ race attracted the larger number of athletes and former winner Veronica Colleran (Ennis Track) (2006, 2007, 2011, 2012) set a fast pace from the start along with Tracy Guilfoyle (Kilnaboy) and these two athletes had a good lead on the rest of the field from an early stage.
Veronica Colleran was well on her way to victory at the 8k mark when she had 30 seconds of a lead and crossed the finishing in a very fast time of 37.57, with Tracy Guilfoyle having to work hard over the final 1k to hold on to second spot in 39.50 from Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s, Cork) (40.00).
Fiona Kinsella (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) won the Masters O-40 in 44.17 from Caroline Rochford (Tulla Meet and Train) and Mary McMahon with Fintan Hyland (Galway City Harriers) winning the men’s masters O-40 in 33.29 from Liam McGuane (Ennis Track) and Joe Colleran (Ennis).
The Master Ladies O-45 went to Helen O’Hanlon (Ennis Track) (42.55) from Rose Enright (St Mary’s)and Sue Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) and the O-45 men’s title went to Liam Cotter (St Finbarr’s, Cork (36.22) from Trevor White and Terence Hennessy (both St Cronan’s).
The O-50s was won by Maura Falsey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (49.07) from Mary Manningan and Loretta McNamara, with the men’s title going to Ambrose Heagney (Kilnaboy) in 36.13 from Pat Morrissey (Ennis Track) and Aidan Cabey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare).
The ladies’ O-55 race was won by Carmel McDomhnaill (West Limerick) in 44.26, with the men’s event going to Eugene Moynihan (Marian) in 36.48 from James Kenny (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) in 37.25. Sean Whelan (Ennis Track) won the O-60s in 43.43.
The junior men’s title went to Darragh Lynch (Ennis Track) (33.27), with Muireann O’Shea (Marian) taking the Junior Ladies title in 41.56.

Results
Senior ladies
1 Veronica Colleran (Ennis Track) (37.57); 2 Tracy Guilfoyle Kilnaboy (39.50); 3 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr’s)(40.00); 4 Siobhán Lennon (Ennis Track) (40.08); 5 Zelma Power (Ennis Track) (40.41); 6 Rita Kierce (St Mary’s)(41.01); 7 Becky Coughlan (Ennis Track) (41.08); 8 Breeda Lynch (West Limerick) (41.47); 9 Muireann O’Shea (Marian) (41.56); 10 Elaine Griffin (Ennis) (43.47).
O-40
1 Fiona Kinsella (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare)(44.17); 2 Caroline Rochford (Tulla Meet and Train) (46.52); 3 Mary McMahon (Ind) (46.53).
O-45
1 Helen O’Hanlon (Ennis Track) (42.55); 2 Rose Enright (St Mary’s)(43.54); 3 Sue Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare)(45.07).
O-50
1 Maura Falsey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare)(49.07); 2 Mary Manningan (Ind); (49.56);  3 Loretto McNamara (Ind) (50.16).
O-55
1 Carmel McDomhnaill (West Limerick), (44.26).
Junior lady
1 Muireann O’Shea (Marian) (41.56).
Senior men
1 Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham) (29.54); 2 Michael Shannon (St John’s) (31.21); 3 Kenneth Rodgers (St John’s)(31.22); 4 Jake O’Regan (St John’s)(32.22); 5 Jude McEntee (BMOH) (32.47); 6 James Liddane (BMOH) (33.07); 7 Fergal Smithwick (Marian) (33.17); 8 Darragh Lynch (Ennis Track) (33.27); 9 Fintan Hyland (Galway City Harriers) (33.29); 10 Patrick Quinn (Ennis Track) (33.32).
O-40
1 Fintan Hyland (Galway City Harriers) (33.29); 2 Liam McGuane (Ennis Track) (35.57); 3 Joe Colleran (Ennis Track) (36.14).
O-45
1 Liam Cotter (St Finbarr’s)(36.22); 2 Trevor White (St Cronan’s) (37.31); 3 Terry Hennessy (St Cronan’s)(37.33).
O-50
1 Ambrose Heagney Kilnaboy (36.13); 2 Pat Morrissey (Ennis Track) (39.39); 3 Aidan Cabey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare)(41.16).
O-55
1 Eugene Moynihan (Marian) (36.48); 2 James Kenny (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare)(37.25); 3 Patrick Doran (Ind) (45.00).
O-60
1 Sean Whelan (Kilnaboy) (43.43).
Junior men
1 Darragh Lynch (Ennis Track) (33.27).