12th Ballycotton 10 Race Report - Cork Examiner - March 1989

Brendan Mooney's Report on 12th Ballycotton 10

March 1989

Sweet Victory for O’Brien

cork examiner report ballycotton 10 1989

This report, by Brendan Mooney, appeared in the Cork Examiner on Monday March 13th 1989

Liam O'Brien has now won the Nike Ballycotton 10 road race four times but yesterday’s victory in gale force winds must rank as his best performance

He had nine seconds to spare over course record holder, Jerry Kiernan, when he crossed the line in 49:49 but the manner in which he fashioned the victory was more significant as he left the two other members of the breakaway group of three just over half a mile from the finish and powered his way to his fourth win in the event.

“It was my kind of race. Nobody was going to tear away. The conditions were against that kind of thing,” he explained.

"Pace too slow"
“The pace was too slow early on. It was just a jog and we were literally falling over each other,” Kiernan explained. “I have been plagued by two injuries over the past 15 months and today when one went the other came but they were not too bad. I can’t see myself running any more 46 min. 10 milers -1 think my marathon running has put paid to that - but I would see myself running a 2:12 or 2:13 marathon

“With the wind behind us we could only run the last four miles in 19:29. If I was fully fit I would run it in 18 minutes. Pm happy enough but I will need to run better in the half marathon in Rome next weekend.”

Rickie Burke (St. Finbarr’s) led through the second mile in 9:57, but the pace dropped again as he drifted, and Eamon Tierney (Clonliffe) led the third in 5:12, with John Lenihan, John Fitzgerald (Clonliffe), John Scanlon (West Limerick) and Tony O Halloran (DCH), a Corkman based in Dublin, moving to the front

The Leaders approaching the 9 Mile Mark

At the finish, John Scanlon hung on to third place ahead of John Lenihan with Tony Ryan overtaking Leonard O’Regan for fifth place

Tony O’Halloran, after a superb run, was seventh, ahead of John Fitzgerald, Eamonn Tierney and Mike McDonnell (West Limerick) and Rickie Burke overtook five runners in the last mile to finish 11th
West Limerick took the team title at the expense of East Cork and St. Finbarr’s

O'Driscoll takes over-50s title

Derry O’Driscoll (St. Finbarr’s) whose superb 2:29 marathon in Dublin last year was one of the success stories of Irish athletics, wrote another chapter yesterday when he wrested the Over-50’s title from George Blackburn (Westbury Harriers) in an enthralling contest. Overall O’Driscoll finished 52nd in 55:37 with Blackburn 54th in 55:47

Michael Roche (Dungarvan) won the over-40 section from John Buck- ley (St. Finbarr’s) who was just ahead of the Dublin-based Corkman, Denis Noonan, while Freddie Walsh (East Cork) was first in the over-45 section

olive bollard raheny shamrock ac cork examiner report ballycotton 10 1989

Olive Bollard (Raheny Shamrocks) beat the reigning champion, Ursula Noctor (DCH) for the women’s title with Karen O’Doherty (Limerick) third, ahead of Veronica Colleran (shannon AC), Mary B Ryan (Waterford). First women over 35 was Rosaleen Hayden (Raheny) with Mary Marley (St. Finbarr’s) first over 40

The race regarded as the best of its kind in those islands and the fact that 900 athletes went to the line yesterday - many of them from abroad - is indicative of its popularity

Details:
Nike Ballycotton 10: 1, L. O’Brien (East Cork) 49:49; 2, J. Kiernan (Clonliffe Harriers) 49:58; 3, J. Scanlon (West Limerick) 50:09; 4, J. Lenihan (Riocht) 50:24; 5, T. Ryan (Dungarvan AC) 50:32; 6, L. O’Regan (Leevale) 50:40; 7, T. O’Halloran (DCH) 50:48; 8, J. Fitzgerald (Clonmel) 50:59; 9, E. Tierney (Clonliffe Harriers) 51:13; 10 M. McDonnell (West Limerick) 51:33; 11, R. Burke (St. Finbarr’s) 51:36; 12, T. Brouder (West Limerick) 51:39; 13, C. O’Connor (Bandon AC), 51:40; 14, S. Harte (St. Finbarr’s) 51:53; 15, J. Wallace (East Cork) 51:55

Teams: 1, West Limerick (3, 10, 12) 25 pts; 2. East Cork (1, 15, D. O’Mahony 18) 34 pts; 3, St. Finbarr’s ( 11, 14, E. McEvoy 30) 55 pts

Over 40: 1, M. Roche (Dungarvan) 54:16; 2, J. Buckley (St. Finbarr’s) 54:45

Over 45: 1, F. Walsh (East Cork) 56:02; 2, P. O'Reilly (Donore Harriers) 56:17

Over 50: 1, D. O’Driscoll (St. Finbarr’s) 55:37; 2, G. Blackburn (Westbury Harriers) 55:47

Women: 1, O. Bollard (Raheny Shamrocks) 58:37; 2, U. Noctor (DCH) 58:57; 3, K. O’Doherty (Limerick) 59:45; 4, V. Colleran (Shannon) 61:33; 5, M. B. Ryan (Waterford) 62:25 6, R. Hayden (Raheny) 62:27, 7, E. Bullen (Waterford) 62:59; 8, E. Prunty (East Cork) 63:38; 9, F. Murphy (DCH) 64:21; 10, J. Hough (St. Finbarr’s) 64:28; 11, Marian Lyons (St. Finbarr’s) 64:30; 12, J. Mitchell (Bray Runners) 64:38

Over 35: R. Hayden;

Over 40: M. Marley (St.Finbarrs) 67:14