Sergiu Ciobanu records fifth win in a row at Ballycotton 10 mile

A fifth victory in a row by Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers in the men’s race in and a course record winning time of 54:20 by Maria McCambridge of Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club were the highlight performances at yesterday’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile in East Cork — the 38th running of this Irish road classic.

Ciobanu, the Moldovan native who recently received his Irish citizenship papers, had to work hard to achieve victory in yesterday’s event as former Dublin Marathon winner, Sean Hehir (Rathfarnam/WSAF AC) challenged him closely up to the final 800 metres.

A group of three, Ciobanu, Hehir and Greg Roberts (City of Derry AC), set the early pace and passed the first mile marker in 4:55. The trio were tracked closely by Alan O’Shea, (Bandon AC) as they went through four miles in 19:44. Between four and five miles, Hehir raced into the lead, closely tracked by Ciobanu. The pair took turns at the front from there until the final half-mile when Ciobanu surged clear for victory in 49:03.

The Clonliffe Harriers runner finished 11 seconds clear of Hehir (49:14) with O’Shea in third (50:38). Roberts was fourth in 51:26 and local favourite, James McCarthy of East Cork AC finished fifth in 51:44, followed by his team mate, Tim O’Donoghue in 52:19. There was also a course record set by Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC) in the men’s over 55 age division where he posted 56:34 to beat the old record of 57:47.

John O’Leary (Leevale AC) was also in fine form- setting a course record of 81:40 in the over 75 age category.

McCambridge was a class apart in the women’s race and her course record time of 54:20 was a whopping 28 seconds inside her own course best. The DSD runner has in the past three weeks notched up victories in the National Indoor Championships (3,000m) the National Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships and her victory in Ballycotton was yet another top drawer performance.

McCambridge has run Ballycotton on only three occasions and can now claim the three fastest women’s finishing times on the all-time Ballycotton ranking list. Siobhán O’Doherty (Borrisokane AC) was second in 57:24 and Claire McManus (South Shields AC) was third in 60:59.

There was another record entry of over 3,500 in this year’s Ballycotton 10 — a classic race at a classic distance.

Meanwhile, Martin Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) won yesterday’s annual Half-Marathon in Bohermeen in Meath, finishing strongly in at time of 65:42.

Fagan, who will run in next month’s Zurich Marathon, finished well clear of Eoin Callaghan (Star of the Sea AC), 68:59 and Peter Mooney (Inverse) 72:57. Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers) won the women’s race in 79:31. Niamh Devlin (DSD) placed second in 81:55 and Sinead Whitelaw (Mullingar Harriers) was third in 82:31.