Jack Stone, great grandson of Jack Cox, presenting race winner Peter Somba (Ballyskenach AC) with the Jack Cox Perpetual Cup. Paul Mitchell of Tullamore Harriers (2nd place) and Michael Gleeson (Kilcormac/Killoughey AC chairman) are also pictured. Photo: Ger Rogers.

Somba edges out Mitchell as Kilcormac hosts 10km race

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Round 2 of the Offaly Athletics Endurance Series took place last Sunday, with the Jack Cox 10K once again serving as the Offaly 10K Championships. Congratulations to Kilcormac Killoughey AC on a superbly organised race which started and finished near the Faithful Fields in Kilcormac.

This special race is held in memory of Jack Cox, a Kilcormac native and a trailblazer in Offaly athletics. In 1950, Jack made history by becoming the first Offaly man to win the National Marathon Championships. Over the course of his career, he amassed an incredible 38 championship medals across county, provincial and national levels. His achievements spanned track, road, and cross country, cementing his legacy as a true pioneer of the sport in the county.

The Jack Cox Perpetual Trophy is presented each year to the overall winner of the race, keeping alive the memory and inspiration of a remarkable athlete.

Peter Somba of Ballyskenach AC was the recipient for the 2025 edition as he claimed his first Offaly 10K Championship win with a time of 32:48. In second place was local man and Tullamore Harriers athlete Paul Mitchell with clubmate Kevin Minnock taking third place honours.

First lady was Heather Murphy (St Michael’s AC) in 35:21, followed by Grace Reilly and Mullingar Harriers athlete Joan Flynn was third.

Age group winners

1st O40 - Orla Tooher (Birr AC) and Gerard Hanlon (Edenderry AC).

1st O45 - Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers AC) and Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC).

1st O50 - Karen Nolan and Barry Minnock (both Tullamore Harriers).

1st O60 - Mary Daly and Brendan Abbott (both Tullamore Harriers).

1st O70 - Eileen Kenny (Tullamore Harriers) and John Bennett (Ferbane AC).

Top 100 finishers

1 Peter Brandon Somba (Ballyskenach AC) 32:48; 2 Paul Mitchell (Tullamore Harriers) 32:59; 3 Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) 33:17; 4 Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC) 33:48; 5 Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) 34:49; 6 Gerard Hanlon (Edenderry AC) 35:18; 7 Heather Murphy (St Michael's AC) 35:21; 8 Adam Courtney (Ferbane AC) 35:37; 9 Thomas Lupton (Ballyskenach AC) 36:18; 10 Pat O'Brien (Birr AC) 36:21; 11 Kedagh Geoghegan (Mullingar Harriers) 36:25; 12 Jonathan Dunne (Tullamore Harriers) 36:40; 13 Oliver Galvin (Clara AC) 36:44; 14 Niall Kelly (Ferbane AC) 37:08; 15 Brenden Donagher (Naomh Mhuire AC) 37:55; 16 Gary Gleeson 37:57; 17 Niall Mahon 38:12; 18 Padraig Berry (Tullamore Harriers) 38:16; 19 William Delahunty (Ballyskenach AC) 38:27; 20 Grace Reilly 38:36; 21 Kevin Looby (Naomh Mhuire AC) 38:43; 22 Gary Whittle (Tullamore Harriers) 38:47; 23 Peter Maguire (Edenderry AC) 38:50; 24 Declan Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC) 39:08; 25 Francis Martin (Kilcormac Killoughey AC) 39:10; 26 Gerard Cleary (Naomh Mhuire AC) 39:19; 27 Gerard Charles (Kilcormac Killoughey AC) 39:32; 28 Ken Hume (Clara AC) 39:37; 29 Glen Mangan (Edenderry AC) 39:53; 30 Martin Bannon Kinnitty AC) 40:06; 31 Patrick McCarthy (Ballyskenach AC) 40:16; 32 Liam Buggy (Ballyfin AC) 40:17; 33 Darren Bermingham (Naomh Mhuire AC) 40:29; 34 Jodie O'Reilly (Tullamore Harriers) 40:28; 35 Darren Butler (Tullamore Harriers) 41:03; 36 Mikie Horan (Banagher AC) 41:10; 37 Joan Flynn (Mullingar Harriers) 41:16; 38 David Hollywood (Tullamore Harriers) 41:16; 39 Alan Heffernan (Tullamore Harriers) 41:17; 40 Orla Tooher (Birr AC) 41:18; 41 Cian Keogh (Tullamore Harriers) 41:23; 42 JP McLoughlin (Rhode AC) 41:21; 43 Liam Chalkley (Banagher AC) 41:21; 44 Brendan Abbott (Tullamore Harriers) 41:29; 45 Aislinn Hogan (Ballyskenach AC) 41:34; 46 Nick Gover (Rhode AC) 41:52; 47 Gerry Dunican (Tullamore Harriers) 41:52; 48 Jack Stone 41:47; 49 Bríd Ryan (Ballyskenach AC) 42:02; 50 Gaelan Elliffe (Tullamore Harriers) 41:59; 51 Tony Cox 41:58; 52 Ciara Brid Moran (Naomh Mhuire AC) 42:04; 53 Liam Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC) 42:12; 54 Sean Purcell (Clara AC) 42:18; 55 David Hackett (Kilcormac Killoughey AC) 42:21; 56 Diarmuid Herlihy (Tullamore Harriers) 42:21l 57 Barry Wall 42:29; 58 Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers) 42:31; 59 Evelyn Herlihy (Tullamore Harriers) 42:39; 60 Shaun Bull (Edenderry AC) 42:44; 61 Dave Dunican (Tullamore Harriers) 42:44; 62 Kenneth O'Connor (Banagher AC) 42:52; 63 Willie Duffy (Naomh Mhuire AC) 42:57; 64 Liam Byrne (Tullamore Harriers) 43:04; 65 Maria Maher (Ballyskenach AC) 43:08; 66 Kevin Carey (Rhode AC) 43:14; 67 Tim Camon (Ferbane AC) 43:13; 68 Stephen Gallagher (Clara AC) 43:25; 69 Karen Nolan (Tullamore Harriers) 43:37; 70 Donal White (Ballyskenach AC) 43:34; 71 Maire-Triona Keane (Tullamore Harriers) 43:46; 72 Kevin Brazil (Ferbane AC) 43:41; 73 Lisa Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC) 43:50; 74 Michelle Mullaney (Tullamore Harriers) 44:02 75 Sam O'Meara (Templemore AC) 43:55; 76 Gary Moynihan 44:03; 77 Jonathan Geraghty (Rhode AC) 44:12; 78 Liam Dunne (Tullamore Harriers) 44:22; 79 Dermot Harnett (Rhode AC) 44:21; 80 Brian O'Leary (Athenry AC) 44:16; 81 Liam Spain (Birr AC) 44:25; 82 Niamh McEnhill (Tullamore Harriers) 44:36; 83 David O'Shaughnessy 44:45; 84 Francis Mollen (Tullamore Harriers) 44:47; 85 Morgan Claffey 44:42; 86 Des Coughlan (Athenry AC) 44:48; 87 Francis Connolly (Ferbane AC) 44:58; 88 Dermot Brereton 45:19; 89 Rita Daly Ravenhill (Tullamore Harriers) 45:25; 90 Niall Purcell (Clara AC) 45:24; 91 Mark Cahill (Birr AC) 45:20; 92 Alan Fox (Ballyroan Abbeyleix & District AC) 45:32; 93 Charlotte Abbott (Tullamore Harriers) 45:43; 94 Gerard Minnock (Naomh Mhuire AC) 45:45; 95 Emma Hart (Naomh Mhuire AC) 45:53; 96 Kieran Corrigan (Kinnitty AC) 45:45; 97 Clement Spain (Kilcormac Killoughey AC) 45:50; 98 Andrew Browne (Banagher AC) 45:49; 99 Alan Mitchell (Portumna AC) 45:57; 100 Vincent Devery (Ferbane AC) 45:57.

Offaly 10K Championships

Senior Ladies - 1st: Orla Tooher (Birr AC); 2nd: Aislinn Hogan (Ballyskenach AC); 3rd: Brid Ryan (Ballyskenach AC).

O40 Ladies - 1st: Lisa Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC); 2nd: Niamh McEnhill (Tullamore Harriers) 3rd: Charlotte Abbott (Tullamore Harriers).

O45 Ladies - 1st: Sarah Flanagan (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Evelyn Herlihy (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Maria Maher (Ballyskenach AC).

O50 Ladies - 1st: Karen Nolan (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Rita Daly (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Carmel Farrelly (Birr AC).

O60 Ladies - 1st: Mary Daly (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Mary Galvin (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Therese Cullen (Edenderry AC).

O70 Ladies - 1st: Eileen Kenny (Tullamore Harriers).

Senior Men - 1st: Peter Somba (Ballyskenach AC); 2nd: Paul Mitchell (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers).

O40 Men - 1st: Gerard Hanlon (Edenderry AC); 2nd: Thomas Lupton (Ballyskenach AC); 3rd: Pat O'Brien (Birr AC).

O45 Men - 1st: Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC); 2nd: Padraig Berry (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Peter Maguire (Edenderry AC).

O50 Men - 1st: Barry Minnock (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Brendan Donagher (Naomh Mhuire AC); 3rd: Gerard Cleary (Naomh Mhuire AC).

O60 Men - 1st: Brendan Abbott (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Tim Camon (Ferbane AC); 3rd: Kevin Brazil (Ferbane AC).

O70 Men - 1st: John Bennett (Ferbane AC).

Senior female teams - 1st: Tullamore Harriers - Sarah Flanagan, Evelyn Herlihy, Karen Nolan, Maire-Triona Keane. 2nd: Ballyskenach AC - Aislinn Hogan, Brid Ryan, Maria Maher, Caroline Glynn. 3rd: Naomh Mhuire AC - Ciara Brid Moran, Lisa Murphy, Emma Hart, Mairead Scally.

O35 female teams - 1st: Birr AC - Orla Tooher, Carmel Farrelly, Patricia Flynn, Aideen O'Brien. 2nd: Ferbane AC - Denise Coghill, Colette Anderson, Michelle Feighery, Triona Guinan. 3rd: Kilcormac Killoughey AC - Marian Buckley, Marie Nevin, Margaret Kilmartin, Alison Fox

O50 female teams - 1st: Tullamore Harriers - Rita Daly, Eileen Kenny, Mary Daly, Mary Galvin. 2nd: Naomh Mhuire AC - Patricia Doolan, Shirley Reynolds, Sharon Jones, Elaine Cuskelly.

Senior male teams - 1st: Tullamore Harriers - Paul Mitchell, Kevin Minnock, Barry Minnock, Jonathan Dunne. 2nd: Ballyskenach AC - Peter Somba, Thomas Lupton, William Delahunty, Patrick McCarthy. 3rd: Naomh Mhuire AC - Brendan Donagher, Kevin Looby, Declan Murphy, Gerard Cleary.

O35 male teams - 1st: Ferbane AC - Mick Fogarty Adam Courtney, Niall Kelly, Tim Camon. 2nd: Edenderry AC - Gerard Hanlon, Peter Maguire, Glen Mangan, Shaun Bull. 3rd: Clara AC - Oliver Galvin, Ken Hume, Stephen Gallagher, Niall Purcell.

O50 male teams - 1st: Tullamore Harriers - Jody O'Reilly, Alan Mitchell, Brendan Abbott, Gerry Dunican. 2nd: Birr AC - Liam Spain, Declan Milne, Pat Melsop, Sean Dooley. 3rd: Ballyskenach AC - Donal White, Ger Brereton, Liam Ryan, Eugene Ryan.

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