Reed sets a new personal best

THE Easter weekend 5K in Gransha produced a bunch of new personal bests for many of the 60 or so participants who took advantage of the dry, still conditions and flat parkland circuit.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Apr 2010, 12:46 BST
Updated 8th Apr 2010, 12:46 BST

Declan Reed led the field home with an impressive 15 minutes and 23 seconds, a significant improvement on his personal best and showed no illl effects from a recent hip problem; he looks in great shape for his upcoming date with the London Marathon.

The Spartan was a convincing winner, finishing well ahead of the promising Scott Rankin and track specialist Pajo Hamilton, who both also posted personal bests with 16 minutes and 6 seconds and 16 minutes and 15 seconds respectively.

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The next three finishers also ran PBs - Pius McIntyre with 16 minutes and 25 seconds, leading M40 Cathal McLaughlin in 16 minutes and 35 seconds and Brendan Murphy with 16 minutes and 38 seconds.

Top M45 was Declan McCarthy on 16 minutes and 47 seconds, Peter Lilburn was the top M55 after he finished in 18 minutes and the leading male junior was young Sean Harkin who ran an impressive 17 minutes and 22 seconds to finish 12th overall.

Anne Paul, another athlete back in action after injury won the womens race in fine style clocking 19 minutes and 1 second, with Jacqueline McGinley and Marina Campbell chasing her home with 19 minutes and 38 seconds and 19 minutes and 49 seconds respectively.

Top juniors Amy McDaid, Paula Foley and Bridgeen Byrne made up the first six finishers.

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Meanwhile in Letterkenny Kevin Holian of Finn Valley won the Easter Sunday 3K in 9 minutes and 9 seconds with Joanne English of the host club clocking an excellent 10 minutes 16 seconds for the womens race victory.

Attention now turns to the first in the upcoming Furey Insurances 5K series, six races in all, between April and July. Race one will be on the Sainsburys Cycle path/Bay Road Park circuit on Wednesday, April 21 with a 7.30pm start.

Race headquarters will be the Magee College Sports Centre at the Rock Road campus and entries will be taken there on the night. More details from (028) 71375424 or (0770) 200 6667.

The race will incorporate the athletics Northern Ireland 5K road championships this adding more class to what always is a top quality even on an excellent flat and fast circuit.

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The dates and venues for the other five races are Wednesday, Mary 12 at Lisnagelvin; Wednesday, May 26 at Buncrana; Wednesday, June 9 at Culmore; Wednesday, June 30 at Carndonagh and Wednesday, July 21 at Balliniska circuit.

All races have at 7.30pm start with entries taken on the night at each venue.