Four-mile road championships in Ballyea

THE Clare Athletics Association four-mile road championships for men and four mile for ladies will take place at 1pm on Sunday in Ballyea, hosted by Ennis Track.

Marie Carey, Ennis Track, the county cross-country silver medal winner will start as favourite in the ladies’ race, along with the Clare cross-country champion, Ennis Track’s Veronica Colleran.

Also in contention will be Cushla Brid Hehir, Becky Coughlan, Zelma Power, Jackie O’Connor, all Ennis Track; Noreen Mackey, Sue Garrahy, Michelle O’Mahoney, all Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and Tracy Guilfoyle, Kilnaboy.

The team contest should be a close affair between Ennis Track Club, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, St John’s and St Mary’s.

The men’s race will be run over a distance of four miles and Michael Shannon, Kilnaboy, will battle with Dermot Galvin, Damian Landers, Kenneth Rodgers, Jake O’Regan, all St John’s; Micheal Keane, Michael Maher, Brian Murphy, all Ennis Track; Keith Lynch and James Liddane, both BMOH.

In the masters’ O-35 race, the Munster indoor champion Julio Cesear F Castro and Willie Devitt, both Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, will battle for the gold medal, while in the O-40s race, Fergal McGrath, Ennis Track; Kevin Shalloo, St John’s; Liam Shannon and John O’Malley, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, will all be in contention.

Ennis Track’s Pat Hogan looks good to take the O-45 title, Ambrose Heagney, Kilnaboy, is fancied in the O-50 race, while in the O-55 category, Eugene Moynihan, Marian; Tom Mackey, Michael Harvey, James Sexton and James Kenny, all Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and Michael Quinlivan will be in contention.
Changing facilities for the event will be at Ballyea Community Centre.

Fixtures
January
20: Clare AAI four-mile road championship for novice, senior, masters, men and ladies in Ballyea Community Centre at 1pm.
24: North Munster Schools Cross Country at Salesian College, Pallaskenry, Limerick, at 12.30pm.
26: Athletics Ireland Combined Events (juvenile, junior, senior and masters) in Athlone.
26: Munster Athletics Association Sports Star Awards at Rathkeale House Hotel at 8pm.
27: Open senior for all athletes in Athlone at 11am.
27: Clare AAI Indoor Track and Field Championships, U-9s to U-19s in Nenagh at 11am.

February
1: Munster AAI Annual Convention at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis, at 6.30pm.
3: National Intermediate and Masters, plus Juvenile B Cross Country Championships at Gansha Park, Derry, at 11.30am.
9: Athletics Ireland Masters Indoor Championships in Athlone.
9 and 10: Munster Juvenile Indoor Championships, U-9 to U-13, in Nenagh at 11am.
10: Athletics Ireland Junior and U-23s Indoor Championships in Athlone.
10: John Minogue Memorial 8km Road Race in Miltown Malbay at 12.30pm with the 40km, 20km and 10km cycle at 10am.