Irish Runner Report - Cork City Sports - July 1983
Cork City Sports
Scott Wins Harp Lager Mile
Mardyke, Cork
Wednesday July 13th 1983
Steve Scott leading Ray Flynn and David Taylor
Irish Runner Magazine - August 1983, Vol 3, No 5, P56
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Irish Runner Magazine - August 1983, Vol 3, No 5, P56
THE Cork City Sports is now acknowledged as one of the really major fixtures on the Irish Athletics calendar and the Harp Lager Mile has come to be the highlight event of the meeting.
However, Derek O’Connor (Dundrum A.C.) came close to upstaging the stars of the classic mile distance when he got this year’s meet off to a flying start by breaking the Irish 100m record for both junior and senior.
O’Connor, who has this season emerged as the new star of Irish sprinting, clocked 10.61 for the new record and then went on to take the 200m in 21.17. In both races he was chased home by A. Gough of Annadale.
For two laps of the Harp Lager Mile pacemaker Paul Forbes raced clear from Frank O’Mara and Scott, With Limerick’s Dave Taylor, Ray Flynn and John Walker next. Flynn took it up with 600m to run but Scott was ahead at the bell.
Walker raced from 5th to challenge Scott over the last 200 m. but having closed to within 10 yards turning into the straight, he could do no more and Scott coasted home in 3:50.99 with Walker 2nd in 3:51.59 and O’Mara delighting the local crowd by staying on in 3rd in 3:52.50. Dave Taylor was 4th in 3:54.48; Ray Flynn 5th in 3:54.61; Marcus O’Sullivan 6th 3:56.65, while Tommy Moloney (Thurles) who was 7th, 3:57.70, joined O’Mara, Taylor aand O’Sullivan recording personal bests for the distance.
Despite a great effort by David Lewis, the European championThomas Wessinghage (West Germany) emerged a comfortable winner in the 5000m. in 13:28.02. Tim Hutchings, 2nd in the event at the Donore meeting, finished 3rd with Ronnie Carroll best of the Irish in 5th and Liam O’Brien beating 14 minutes for the distance for the first time ever in finishing 9th.
Annsley Bennett of Birchfield Harriers, who is almost the local hero with the Cork crowd by now, ran a meet best of 47.31 in 400m. while in a blanket finish to the 800m. the early leader Roddy Gaynor was overwhelmed late by the flying finish of Brian Jennings on the outside who just held off Ian Marron who challenged on the inside.
The ladies’ events provided plenty of excitement albeit the National Aluminium 3000m proved something of a disaster for the Irish girls.
Monica Joyce leads Womens 3000m
After Louise McGrillen had showed with them early on, national record holder Monica Joyce led through 800m, from Chris Benning, Jane Furness and Paula Fudge of England. From there, the three English girls had it between them. Furness sprinted clear of Benning with 300m to run, but could not hold her compatriot in the straight. Fudge was 3rd, Joyce 4th, Locke of Wales 5th and Margaret Kelly emerged best of the home-based challengers in 6th.
800m - 1st Aideen Morrisson, 2nd Aishling Molloy, 3rd Siobhan Treacy
In the ladies’ 800m Aideen Morrisson outsprinted Aishling Molloy in the straight, while in a thrilling finish to the ladies’ 400m. Caroline O’Shea, having mastered early leader Michelle Walsh, just held the flying late burst of Mary Parr.
Olive Burke reached the European Junior qualifying standard when taking the 100m.
Those who came early saw a most exciting men’s Junior 1500m. in which Bernard O’Sullivan sacrificed himself as pacemaker, with the result that winner Enda Fitzpatrick, runner-up Eugene Curran and Gerry O’Reilly, 3rd, all reached the European qualifying standard.
All told, it was a memorable night’s sport and run with great efficiency and greatly helped by Joe Holden’s invigorating commentary
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