Joe Gough has a week to remember at the European Masters
Caoimhe Barry, St. Joseph’s Athletic Club, was the September winner of the Journi Credit Union Juvenile Athlete of the Month Award, following her 2nd place achievement at the Intermediate County Cross Country Championships. Caoimhe is pictured accepting the award from Robert Grace of Journi Credit Union.
For the last week or so in Madeira, Joe Gough, West Waterford AC at the European Masters, had two semifinals, the 400 metres and 1500 metres over 70 and one final in the 800 metres and came home with a silver medal in the 1500 metres final, A 4th placing in the 400 metres final and a gold medal in the 800 metres.
In the two semifinals the 400 and 1500 metres, he set new Irish over 70 records in both Last Saturday morning in his favourite event, the 800 metres he won in a time of 2 .29.39 with a Latvian, Peteris Arents 2nd in 2. 29.57, Jean Rou from France 3rd in 2. 29 .76 and Brian Lynch another Irish athlete 4th in 2.30.40. Joe was 3rd with 60 metres to go, then saw a slight gap at 50 metres and slid between them to clinch the victory in a very tight finish. On Sunday, October 12th, Joe Gough, West Waterford AC, finished 2nd in the O70 1500 metres in 5.22.60, just behind Peteris Arents, Latvia, who won in 5. 22. 16 another Irish athlete, Brian Lynch, was 3rd in 5.24.63.In the 70 400 metres final on October 11th, Joe finished 4th in a time of 64.92. 1st home was Steve Peters, Great Britain, in 61.62,2nd was Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Spain, in 63 21 and 3rd was Reinhard Michelin, Germany, in 63.41. So, overall, a very positive few days in Madeira for Joe. Ireland was 8th of the 32 countries competing there on the medal table with 32 gold,28 silver, and 20 bronze medals. One hundred forty athletes from Ireland competed in many different age groups, male and female. the largest ever Irish team to travel to a Masters Championships.
The Autumn International took place on Sunday last in the Sports Campus Ireland in Dublin, and it also included Club Relays. Ferrybank AC had a boys U-11 team competing, which finished 5th of the 31 teams competing. The winners were Cork A C, timed at 6.25, and Ferrybank, in 6.35. Their mixed U12 relay team did not compete. Lucy Holmes, now competing with Dublin City Hrs, was on the winning mixed real team.
Fearghal Curtin has broken the Irish National Marathon record with a brilliant victory at the Gyeongju Marathon in South Korea. The 27-year-old Youghal AC athlete was first across the line in 2 hours:07 minutes 54 seconds to take 1:42 off Peter Lynch's time from Kilkenny set in Dusseldorf in April this year. In what was only Curtin's second ever marathon, he ran a negatively split race, going through 20 km in 61:34 and 30 km in 1:31:33, picking his pace up as the race progressed. Curtin's time is subject to ratification. The Youghal athlete upset some of the pre-race African favourites to win convincingly in humid conditions, finishing nearly three minutes clear of Antenayehu Dagnachew Yisma of Ethiopia, with Kenya's Stanley Kiprotich Bett third in a time of 2:11:07.John Treacy had the following results in the Olympic Marathon in 1984, being 2nd in 2.09.56 and in 1988 won the Boston Marathon in 2.09.15.
Today at 11 am in Nenagh Stadium, a number of athletes from Waterford Secondary Schools will compete in the Munster Schools Combined Championships for minor, junior, intermediate and senior girls and boys.
Sunday 2nd November, Senior, U23 and Uneven Age Juvenile Cross Country Championships in Two Mile Borris, Thurles, Co Tipperary. On Sunday, 16th November, the Intermediate and Juvenile (B) Cross Country Championships are in Riverstick, Co. Cork. On Sunday, 30th November, the Masters and Juvenile Interclub Relays are in Lakelands, Tramore, near the end of the Promenade.
The Waterford Road Runners League begins November 5th at 7 pm at the RSC and continues each Wednesday at the same venue each week. The Forde’s Daybreak Winter League will once again take place from the Sports Centre, Quann's Dungarvan, for 11 Wednesday nights commencing on Wednesday 5th November. It will continue for 7 nights before Christmas, bringing us up to Wednesday 17th December. After Christmas, they will return on Wednesday, the 7th January, for 4 nights, with our final night on the 28th January. 5th at 7 pm at the RSC and continues each Wednesday at the same venue each week.
