Scott leads men home at Belgooly while Dupre reclaims women’s title
The St Stephen’s Day showpiece never fails to draw record numbers and yesterday was no exception with every category well represented. But, up front, Jeff Scott strung out the field with a flying start that had him in total control up the hill on to the back road and, with a mile to go, it was clear he would not be challenged. He won in 19min 51sec.
Behind him, 48sec down, James Grufferty, a Leevale athlete now based in East Tennessee State University, won the battle for second place from Eric Meade (East Cork) who ran the race of his life to finish third in 20.45.
It was a second successive win for Jeff Scott who came off a 5k win in Nashville where he beat his twin brother, James, into second place.
“I have raced for seven weekends,” he said. “Mostly road races with a couple of cross-country races as well. My last was the first weekend in December when I won in Nashville.”
In fact, he has been sharing victories with his twin brother over the past couple of years. James, who had not run for four years, came to live in the same town two years ago and they organised their training sessions together. “Within a short time, he was beating me,” Jeff said, “but since we started working out things have been going really well for both of us.”
He last ran Belgooly four years ago but his wife, Michelle, who is track coach in the University of Western Kentucky, has been a regular participant and has seldom, if ever been out of the top three. Yesterday was no exception when, despite a hamstring injury, she again finished in third place.
Sarah Healy dominated the women’s contest once she shook off Irish international Valerie Vaughan (Blarney/Inniscarra), also a former winner, approaching the final mile and, in the end, won in 21.54 with Valerie Vaughan second in 22.32, ahead of Michelle Scott, 23.40.
Ann Marie Healy (Eagle) finished fourth with the super vets from St. Finbarr’s, Joan Hough and Mary Sweeney, next.
The winner, who finished third in the Canadian cross-country trials a few weeks ago, will be making a sixth appearance at the world cross-country championships when she lines up in Lausanne in March.
She won in Belgooly two years ago and, this year, she married former North Mon and Leevale star David Healy who is a former scholarship student at Iona College.
The Five Mile Road Race for the Donough Coughlan Cup will bring the crowds to Bandon on New Year’s Day (2.30pm) when the event will incorporate a fun run in aid of the Special Olympics on a new flat course, out along the Clonakilty road to Oldchapel and back along the opposite road.
Entries will be taken at the GAA Pavilion up to 2pm on the day and the walkers will set off at 2.15pm.
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