Coleman outfoxes Berkeley

ANDY COLEMAN (Enfield AC) finally broke Noel Berkeley’s stranglehold on the Nike Ballycotton 10 when he outfoxed the Dubliner to snatch a victory that left just six seconds separating the top two —49:52 to 49:58 — in a thrilling finish.

There are races, great races and there is Ballycotton. And this was Ballycotton at its best when, with close on 2000 runners buffeted by a gale force wind, the field split early on leaving just six runners in contention after two miles.

Much of the mayhem was caused by "the King of Ballycotton" Noel Berkeley who was bidding to win the title for the seventh time and fifth time in a row. The Dubliner, who has been living in Midleton for some years now, took control of the race in the second mile after Leevale clubmates Cathal Lombard and Roy Fahy had set the pace.

"But it was too slow," Berkeley said afterwards. "I had raced against Andy Coleman before and I knew he had a bit of a finish. But I thought Cathal (Lombard) or Cian (McLoughlin) would take it out."

The third mile (5:02) saw Pat Byrne (Tinryland) and Mark Jones (Wales) drop off the back of the leading six man breakaway group and then, when Berkeley turned in a 5:20 fourth mile, and Lombard drifted.

Now it was a three-way contest between Berkeley, Coleman and Cian McLoughlin and Berkeley took them to half way in 24:42.

Coleman went to the front for the first time with McLoughlin alongside, and Berkeley tucked himself in but it was just for a moment because he came back to the front to turn in a 4:50 mile into the strong wind and suddenly it was down to two.

"I lost concentration for a while and then when I looked up, a 40-yard gap had opened up," McLoughlin said.

When they turned for home at six miles they had the wind on their backs, but the pace dropped again with Berkeley still in front.

"We were holding each other from there on," Coleman said. "This was our third time racing against each other he won one and I won one and we each knew the other had a sprint finish. It was really cat and mouse."

All the time McLoughlin was making his way back up. "I was just still running my own race but they were watching each other."

And then with a mile to go the three were back together again.

"I tried to drop him a couple of times. I made a big effort at seven miles," Berkeley said. "I thought I would get him on the hill, my legs were beginning to feel a bit tired probably from the national championships on Sunday. But I had to try because he outsprinted me in the Alsager 5 a couple of years ago and I knew what he could do."

With half a mile to go Berkeley made a positive move to the front and McLoughlin was again dropped. But with 500 metres

remaining, Coleman grabbed the initiative and opened up the lead that would carry him to victory.

"But I must admit I was very tired over the last 200m. I was just dead," said Coleman.

whose mother comes from Allihies in West Cork.

McLoughlin finished third place ahead of Cathal Lombard, who is training for a marathon and said that the distance was not a problem.

"I have had a problem with my back since the national championships last weekend," he said.

"In fact my mother had to work on it this morning. And I ended up with blisters."

Mark Jennings finished fifth and Pat Byrne sixth.

The women's title went to the favourite Gladys Ganiel (Ganiel correct) from Providence, Rhode Island, who is doing a doctorate at UCD and runs for Berkeley's club Dundrum/south Dublin.

She took control at halfway (29:20) and went on to win in 59:93 and collect what was an early birthday present as she celebrates her 26th today.

From Maine, she will be spending the next two and a half years in Dublin and is planning a marathon debut in Belfast in May. Leading Irish runner was Mary Sweeney (St Finbarr's), the inaugural women's winner in 1979.