Carrick Road Runners Athletic Club Notes 27th May 2007
Race 1 of the clubs all new Summer Series kicked off in style with 103 runners entering the Champion Kiely 5k –Sponsored by Clearpoint Recycling- in Ballyneal on Sunday last. Just a few words of thanks first off to the people who put this event on the road. Firstly our race sponsors Clearpoint Recycling and series sponsors Outfield Sports and Asics. Thanks to Carrick-on-Suir Gardai, to Barbara, Shirley, Geraldine on registration, to Keith who manned the laptop ably supported by West Waterford's Gerry and Brid Cantwell, to Bobby, John and Liam our timer and number recorders, to Ian Sheehan on lead car, to the Red Cross and to all the stewards all around the course.
This 5k course has rightly become known as one of the fastest in the South East as proved by a super fast winning time of 15:15 set by this year's race victor and now course record holder West Waterford's Raivis Zakis. Ravis led the race from the gun and set a scorching pace that nobody could live with. Passing the 1 mile mark in 4:46 Raivis already had a commanding lead over his fellow countryman and teammate Dzintars Klava who was to finish second in 16:17. Carrick's Pat O'Sullivan came home a very strong 3rd in 16:33. Paul Coady of KCH finished 4th in 16:41 while Ruari O'Donnell who travelled all the way from Limerick finished 5th in 17:04.
The ladies race proved an equally fast affair again with a visiting runner in the form of St. Senan's Adele Walsh taking the overall honours in 19:11. Joan Hough from Midelton AC finished 2nd in 19:28. Next were 2 Clonmel athletes, Keally Tidewell 3rd in 20:07 and Aine Roche 4th in 20:24. Again another great Carrick performer on the day was Mary Molloy who was 5th in 20:47.
It was a great day for the club as we had winners in a number of categories. Among those winners were Mary Finucane who scooped the over 35 prize in 26:16, while Ann Cronin won the over 40 in 22:33 and one of the performances of the day must go to Portlaw's Bernie Sexton who took the ladies over 50 category in an excellent 26:03.
Other winners included Mens over 40 Dick O'Gorman, 17:17, over 45 Seamus Murphy, 17:11, over 50 Lar Leacy 17:35, over 55 Joe Grinsell 21:30, over 60 Willie O'Gorman 20:15 and Junior Colm Nolan 18:28.
The next race in the Outfield Sports/Asics Summer Series is The Autopower Rathgormack 5 mile road race at 7:30 p.m., Friday July 20th. More on this and full club results from Ballyneal next week.