BY JOHN WALSHE
SINCE winning the Cork City Marathon back in 2007, Alan O’Shea from Bantry has been to the forefront of the local running scene.
The Cork-based doctor will turn 40 next September and on current form shows no sign of slowing down.
At the annual traditional St Stephen’s Day Dick Copithorne Memorial four-miler at Belgooly, O’Shea ran 21 seconds faster than his win of three years ago to take the honours in a time of 19:25.
He led all the way from Cillian O’Leary, the Cork City Marathon winner in 2015, who finished a half-minute in arrears. Cork-born O’Leary is now based in Dublin where he runs for Raheny Shamrock and is currently building up for the Seville Marathon next month.
‘I’m delighted to win again,’ said O’Shea, adding, ‘I went out in a 4:46 first mile, had 9:40 at the second mile and 14:40 at three miles.’
Fourth in the super-fast Newmarket 5km on December 15, O’Shea now targets the Dungarvan 10-mile and has ambitions of again returning to the marathon distance at Cork next June.
Alan O’Brien of Eagle, fourth last year, was over a minute faster this time as he took third place in 20:19, six seconds ahead of Mark Walsh from Leevale.
Niamh Moore was also a minutes quicker than 2018 in winning the women’s race. Second to Leevale team-mate Louise Shanahan 12 months ago, this year the places were reversed with Moore first in a personal best of 22:51 and Shanahan finishing second in 24:11.
The race, organised by Belgooly AC, is part of the Cork running tradition now since the mid-1980s. Despite the wet conditions, it attracted over 430 runners with half of the entry fee of €15 donated to the Bowel Cancer Treatment Support Fund at CUH.
The Cork-based doctor will turn 40 next September and on current form shows no sign of slowing down.
At the annual traditional St Stephen’s Day Dick Copithorne Memorial four-miler at Belgooly, O’Shea ran 21 seconds faster than his win of three years ago to take the honours in a time of 19:25.
He led all the way from Cillian O’Leary, the Cork City Marathon winner in 2015, who finished a half-minute in arrears. Cork-born O’Leary is now based in Dublin where he runs for Raheny Shamrock and is currently building up for the Seville Marathon next month.
‘I’m delighted to win again,’ said O’Shea, adding, ‘I went out in a 4:46 first mile, had 9:40 at the second mile and 14:40 at three miles.’
Fourth in the super-fast Newmarket 5km on December 15, O’Shea now targets the Dungarvan 10-mile and has ambitions of again returning to the marathon distance at Cork next June.
Alan O’Brien of Eagle, fourth last year, was over a minute faster this time as he took third place in 20:19, six seconds ahead of Mark Walsh from Leevale.
Niamh Moore was also a minutes quicker than 2018 in winning the women’s race. Second to Leevale team-mate Louise Shanahan 12 months ago, this year the places were reversed with Moore first in a personal best of 22:51 and Shanahan finishing second in 24:11.
The race, organised by Belgooly AC, is part of the Cork running tradition now since the mid-1980s. Despite the wet conditions, it attracted over 430 runners with half of the entry fee of €15 donated to the Bowel Cancer Treatment Support Fund at CUH.
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