Intermediate cross country titles for McDonnell and Minnock

On Sunday last, the third day of the Offaly Cross Country Championships featured the Intermediate races as the main event. Despite a drizzle early in the morning, the weather turned into a beautiful autumn day for the race.

A modest field of 21 women took to the start line, tasked with completing a 5000m course, which consisted of one small lap followed by three larger 1500m loops.

From the start, Ferbane AC's Ailbhe McDonnell and Naomh Mhuire's Lisa Murphy set the pace, looking strong and steady throughout the race. On the final lap, Ailbhe made a move, breaking away from the pack to secure a clear and well-deserved victory. She finished ahead of club mate Aoife Greene in second place, with Mairead Scally taking third.

Ailbhe's win was especially significant as she had finished as the runner-up in this championship for the previous four years. McDonnell's solid performance also saw her lead Ferbane AC team to a narrow victory with a total of 19 points, edging out Naomh Mhuire by just two points, who finished with 21 points. The Birr AC ladies team finished in third place with 52 points.

Following the women's race, the men's 8000m event took centre stage, with Kevin Minnock from Tullamore Harriers putting on an impressive display of dominance. From the start, Kevin took command of the race, setting a blistering pace. By the third of the five laps, he had built a significant lead of 500 metres over the chasing pack. In that pack, Brendan Donagher of Naomh Mhuire AC led the pursuit, with Kevin Looby, Mick O'Brien and Jimmy Coughlan running in close formation behind him.

Despite the efforts of the chasers, Minnock maintained his commanding lead and was never seriously threatened throughout the race.

The excitement came during the final lap, when Looby made a decisive move, overtaking Donagher to secure second place. Mick O'Brien and Jimmy Coughlan followed closely, with Jimmy ultimately edging into third place. While Minnock was a comfortable and deserving winner, the battle for the remaining podium spots brought a thrilling finish to the men's race.

In the team placings, Naomh Mhuire AC were first on 18 points, with Tullamore Harriers AC 2nd on 20 points and Ferbane 3rd on 71 points. Well done to all the athletes who competed. Results as follows.

Ladies' results: Ailbhe McDonnell (Ferbane AC) 22.36; Aoife Greene (Ferbane AC) 23.08; Mairead Scally (Naomh Mhuire AC) 23.17; Lisa Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC) 23.41; Edel Waldron (Ferbane AC) 23.54; Emma Hart (Naomh Mhuire AC) 24.25; Hilary Duncan (Tullamore Harriers AC) 25.04; Joanne Fay (Naomh Mhuire AC) 25.07; Susan Bourke (Birr AC) 25.11; Catriona Guinan (Ferbane AC) 25.32; Aideen O'Brien (Birr AC) 25.39; Pauline Colgan (Naomh Mhuire AC) 26.24; Fiona O'Connor (Naomh Mhuire AC) 27.01; Marie Sweeney (Birr AC) 27.09; Helen Chambers (Naomh Mhuire AC) 27.13; Kelly Farrell (Naomh Mhuire AC) 28.32; Tara Conway (Naomh Mhuire AC) 28.36; Elaine Masterson (Birr AC) 28.48; Tracey Burns (Naomh Mhuire AC) 31.22; Sandra Busteed (Tullamore Harriers) 31.54; Annemaria Egan (Ferbane AC) 32.38.

Men's results: Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers) 29.03; Kevin Looby (Naomh Mhuire AC) 30.04; Jimmy Coughlan (Naomh Mhuire AC) 31.05; Mick O'Brien (Tullamore Harriers) 31.11; Brendan Donagher (Naomh Mhuire AC) 31.26; Glen Finlay (Tullamore Harriers) 31.49; David Staunton (Clara AC) 31.58; Darren Bermingham (Naomh Mhuire AC) 32.33; David Molloy (Tullamore Harriers) 32.4; Darren Butler (Tullamore Harriers) 32.53; Ger Cleary (Naomh Mhuire AC) 33.19; Cian Keogh (Tullamore Harriers) 33.51; Ken Hume (Clara AC) 34.01; Jason McDermott (Tullamore Harriers) 35.03; Kevin Brazil (Ferbane AC) 45.04; Ger Minnock (Naomh Mhuire AC) 36.21; Tim Camon (Ferbane AC) 36.47; Patrick Claffey (Kilcormac Killoughey AC) 37.03; Vinny Devery (Ferbane AC) 37.45; John Lee (Ferbane AC) 38.25; Adrian Delaney (Naomh Mhuire AC) 38.28; Mattie Flanagan (Naomh Mhuire AC) 42.11.

Senior Cross Country Championships: The next championship action is on December 15, the Offaly Senior Cross Country Championships, and Offaly Athletics asks all clubs to field teams for the finale of the county cross country championships for 2024.