Lynch runs sub-60-minute half marathon to finish fifth in New York

The time will not be ratified as a record given the course in New York is ineligible for such marks.

A NEW YORK MINUTE: Ireland’s Peter Lynch. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Peter Lynch has become the first Irishman in history to break 60 minutes for the half marathon, the Kilkenny athlete clocking 59:52 to finish fifth at the New York City Half Marathon on Sunday morning.

While his time is 30 seconds quicker than the current Irish record of 1:00:22 – set by Fearghal Curtin in Copenhagen last year – it will not be ratified as a record given the course in New York is ineligible for such marks.

New York is a point-to-point course and to be eligible for records, the start and finish cannot be separated by more than half the race distance, a rule aimed at preventing records being set on courses where athletes can receive a substantial benefit from tailwinds.

While the course’s net elevation drop is within the allowable limit – which cannot be more than one metre per kilometre of race distance – the start and finish are more than the allowed 10.5km apart, the race starting on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn and running northwest to the finish in Central Park.

Nonetheless, it marks a breakthrough performance by Lynch, whose previous best was the 1:01:15 he ran in Houston, Texas last year. He came home 22 seconds behind race winner Adriaan Wildschutt of South Africa (59:30).

The 28-year-old has been based in North Carolina in recent years, training with the Puma Elite Running Team under coach Alistair Cragg, the European indoor 3000m champion for Ireland back in 2005.

Lynch set an Irish marathon record of 2:09:36 in Dusseldorf last year, a mark that was broken by Fearghal Curtin at the Gyeongju International Marathon in South Korea last October, the Youghal athlete clocking 2:07:54. Lynch will likely have that mark in his sights when he lines up at the London Marathon on April 26.

Shauna Bocquet was also in action at the New York City Half Marathon, the 2024 Paralympian from Galway finishing third in the women’s wheelchair race in 1:02:59, with victory going to Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper in 54:27.

Meanwhile, on day two of the European Throwing Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, Eric Favors claimed his first international medal for Ireland, the 29-year-old Olympian taking bronze in the shot put with 19.68m. Gold went to Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki with 20.43m ahead of Italy’s Nick Ponzio (19.97m).

“I’m kind of speechless,” said Favors, who grew up just outside New York City and who has Irish heritage through his grandmother, Margaret Kerr, a native of Ballina in Co Mayo. “It was raining, conditions weren’t the best, but I prepared to the best of my ability.”

It continues a great weekend for Irish throwing after Nicola Tuthill won silver on Saturday in the women’s hammer – Ireland’s first ever senior medal at the event.

The 22-year-old Bandon athlete smashed her personal best with 72.48m, edging her closer to Eileen O’Keeffe’s Irish senior record of 73.21m.

“To have two senior medals shows the investment that they’re putting into the throws in Ireland,” said Favors. “We’re going to continue to grow and get better for years to come.”

Elsewhere, Offaly’s Ava O’Connor claimed victory over a mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach on Saturday night, the Adams State University athlete clocking 4:44.04.