Hutchinson, Sweeney pass on World tests
Joe Sweeney, who added the inter-clubs title to the inter-counties title he won last November, and his Dundrum/South Dublin clubmate, Ava Hutchinson, who won the women’s title, won’t be making the trip.
“I haven’t had a day off since last August,” Sweeney said. “I am going to take a week off now and then come back for the track season. I intend to run 10,000m, 5,000m and 3,000m on the track.
“My early season plan is just to run as quick as I can on the track and then see where that leads me. If I was to do a marathon it would be this time next year. I want to make sure I do it right. To date I have done no marathon training. I did that 30k (in Holland) on no mileage.
The 6’4” Dubliner was in superb form in Santry where he shook-off the attentions of last year’s runner-up, Gary Thornton (Galway CH) early on and had almost a minute to spare over his clubmate, Brendan O’Neill, who won an exciting battle for the minor placings with the Raheny Shamrock pair, Mick Clohissey and Mark Kirwan.
“I found the first four laps more difficult,” he said. “The last two laps felt comfortable. The longer it went on the more comfortable I would have felt. It is just the way the legs are turning at the moment.”
One has to go back to the 10 year inter-counties streak of legendary Clareman, Seamus Power, who also won four inter-club titles, in 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2004 to find the last man to complete the inter club/inter counties double.
Ava Hutchinson fought off several challenges to claim the senior women’s title for the first time. Initially it was Cork woman, Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) who set the early pace, then Aoife Talty (Raheny Shamrock AC), took up the challenge and eventually it was Eilish Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC) who finished second ahead of Gladys Ganiel-O’Neill (Abbey CC).
Hutchinson, who is based in Loughborough University, finished twice in this race in previous years. She represented Ireland in the U23 race at the European championships over the same course two years ago and she competed in the world junior championships twice.
“As regards the world championships this year I am not sure,” she said. “We have been targeting the road and I really want to run in the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park in April. I hadn’t thought about world cross at all.”
Shane Quinn (Ferrybank) continued his amazing season with an emphatic victory in the junior men’s race. Leading for most of the way in extremely windy conditions, he had 19 seconds to spare over Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock AC) who held off Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) by a second in a thrilling finish with the early pacemaker, Liam Markham (Ennis Track) fourth.
For Quinn it made up for last year when he had the race at his mercy when he took ill and pulled out.
“I am looking forward to the schools championships next month. I missed them last year injured or sick — I can’t remember what — then I will go for the 5,000m on the track and hopefully the European junior championships. I haven’t run a 5k yet but hopefully I can handle it.”
In 1978 his father, Brendan — who still holds the Irish steeplechase record, won the junior race in Ballyfin before going on scholarship to Providence College and now Shane intends to follow the same route. He is scheduled to join Ray Treacy’s squad in Rhode Island in August.
Last year Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD) was disqualified when it was discovered she was under the age limit after running away with the junior women’s title but on Saturday she returned to claim the title with another amazing front running performance — winning from a disappointing field of just 20.
Eddie McDonagh’s Dundrum/South Dublin won three of the individual title and all of the club titles on what was another amazing day for the club.
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