Heffernan’s stamina decisive as he runs away with cross-country title
National record holder at every walking distance below 50k, the Togher athlete, who runs once a week with his clubmates to break the monotony of walking the roads around Cork city, had no difficulty transferring his class to cross-country running once clubmate, Ted Murray, sent the field on its way.
By halfway he had a lead of 34 seconds with Garrett Barry (North Cork) and the newly crowned Munster under-23 champion, Brian McMahon (Carrignavar) in a titanic struggle for what appeared to be second place.
They would eventually succumb to the finishing power of Donnachada O’Mahony (East Cork), a four time winner of the title back in the 90’s, who relegated the North Cork man to the bronze medal position. Marathon man, Cathal O’Connell (St. Finbarr’s) who competed in the recent Dublin City Marathon, powered his way through to relegate McMahon to fifth.
All the time Robert Heffernan was stamping his authority on the race with every stride and his clubmates were rallying in a ferocious bid to retain the team title they won for the very first time last year.
Josh Palmer held off the renewed effort of Leevale’s Roy Fahy to finish sixth with Leevale’s Ian Donovan next. The ever reliable Timmy O’Callaghan clung on to ninth position and, with Patrick Murphy, just two places further back, Togher ended up with 22 points to spare over Leevale who once dominated this contest, with North Cork third, a point ahead of St. Finbarr’s.
“Right now you could say I am just ticking over,” Heffernan said afterwards. “But it was an excellent course and the conditions really suited me.
“I know I am not a cross-country runner as such but I have plenty of stamina from the racewalking and I enjoy running.”
Last year he was runner-up to Martin McCarthy (Leevale) and the previous year finished third.
McCarthy did not defend his title yesterday. On Saturday he helped London Irish to second position behind Belgrave Harriers in the English cross-country relays which attracted 171 teams.
Running the second leg, he took over 45 seconds down but handed over the baton 11 seconds up after a superb 5,000m lap.
He will be available to Joe O’Flynn when he selects the Cork team for the national inter-county championships in Donoughmore in two weeks time and so, too, will his Leevale clubmates Cathal and Fiachra Lombard.
Valerie Vaughan (Blarney/Inniscarra), who won the women’s title in 1990, reclaimed it yesterday when she, too, led from start to finish. She was having her first race back since she pulled up when lying second behind Sonia O’Sullivan in the Great Ireland Run in Loughrea.
Yesterday she was leaving nothing to chance as she charged into an early lead which she maintained right through to the finish.
She was pursued all the way by Colette O’Riordan from the Muskerry Club who did an excellent job in promoting the event. Claire Gibbons (Leevale), who arrived just before the race and did not have time to warm up, came through the field to overtake defending champion, Louise Cavanagh (UCC AC), with super vet Carmel Parnell (Leevale) fifth. Leevale won the women’s team title for the first time since the 1980’s.
There was a thrilling race for the junior men’s title which eventually went to Jamie McCarthy (Riverstick/Kinsale) who won the Munster under-19 title in Dungarvan a week earlier.
He was away early along with Thomas Maunsell (Leevale), Fergus Meade (Glenbower) and Richard Byrne (Bohermeen, Co. Meath), who was guesting.
Joyce Curtin (Glenbower) maintained her supremacy in the junior women’s race, winning impressively from Aoife Cooke (Ballincollig) and Louise Finn (Belgooly). Ballincollig took the team title
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