KATHLEEN WINS IN LUCAN

Anne Ormsby (Fingallians) 3rd, Kathleen O'Callaghan (Sportsworld) the winner and Mary Finn (Sportsworld) third after the Women's Meet & Train Summer League 2 Mile run in Lucan on Tuesday April 17.

Just a second while I tie my lace.

They're off ! The start of the Women's Meet & Train Summer League run in Lucan



Kathleen O'Callaghan of Sportsworld as an emphatic winner of the first Women's Meet and Train two mile run held in Lucan last Tuesday.
Kathleen, who had shown good form in the Meet and Train Winter League, winning one of the four races, went into an early lead and by half-way had a good lead over her Sportsworld club mate Mary Finn and Anne Ormsby of Fingallians.
She crossed the line in 12 mins 7 secs, putting her fifteen seconds ahead of Finn, with Ormsby third.
"I led from the start but I found it hard. I just kept going," said Kathleen after the finish.
She only started running in 2002, encouraged by her Irish Life and Permanent workmate Deirdre Fizsimons, who ironically then gave up for a few years herself.
"We have four women running in Business Houses races - Rachel Beck and Edel O'Connell as well as myself and now Deirdre, whom we've got back running."
Her considerable improvement has come about since she joined Sportsworld two years ago. "I went to Lanzerote with Edel for a holiday and met up with the Sportsworld girls. We both then joined the club when we got back."
With her times improving all the time, Kathleen has high hopes of breaking 40 minutes in this year's Flora Women's Mini Marathon. It will be a busy period for her - in June, she is also getting married to Declan Morgan, who had divided loyalties on Tuesday since he is coach to the fledgling team from Dunboyne.
"I'll be trying to persuade Kathleen to come over to us, but I don't think I have much hope!" says Declan.
Sportsworld, a club which was started by Emily Dowling as a Meet and Train group for the very first Women's Mini Marathon in 1983, had the largest number in Tuesaday's race, with seven complete teams of six women.
Fingallians from Swords were also out in force with five teams although they were missing their Paralympian star Catherine Walsh, who has won the visually impaired prize in the women's mini marathon for most of the past ten or so years.
Catherine is currently trying her hand at cycling, but an accident on a tandem bike has put her in plaster. She hopes to be back in action for the next in the Meet and Train Summer League on Sunday April 29 (11.0) in Raheny, when the distance will increase to three miles.
Official race starter Harry Gorman was unstinting in his praise for the series. "I think every women in the city who's training for the mini marathon should come out and support these races. They're the perfect build-up to the big day and yet they're informal and friendly." You heard the man!
* Thanks to everyone in Lucan for putting on such a great show and to Harry, our official starter (complete with whistle!)

Result - 1 Kathleen O'Callaghan (Sportsworld) 12.07; 2 Mary Finn (Sportsworld) 12.22; 3 Ann Ormsby (Fingallians) 12.34; 4 Ann Higgins (Sportsworld) 12.49; 5 Stephanie Bergin (Sportsworld) 12.49; 6 Coroan Brady (Sportsworld) 12.50; 7 Orlagh Fleming (Sportsworld) 12.53; 8 Eilen Thoma (Dunboyne) 12.55; 9 Eileen Dalton (Sportsworld) 12.58; 10 Caroline Reid (Dunboyn) 13.0. .

SUMMER LEAGUE DATES CONFIRMED

Captions: RTE hopes to have a M&T team in the forthcoming league for the first time; and (below) Miriam of Crusaders helps with the club's M&T group.

After a few changes, the dates for the Meet & Train Summer League can be confirmed as follows: Tues next Apr 17, Lucan (2 miles), 7.30 start.
Sun Apr 29, Raheny 11am (3 miles).
Wed May 16, Phoenix Park 7.45pm (4 Miles).
Thurs May 24, Irishtown, 7pm, fun track runs plus prizegiving.
Individuals, both walkers and runners, are welcome, as well as teams, which will be split into four divisions as usual. Maybe we can split individuals into divisions as well in the future?
Apologies for the messing; finding suitable dates in April or May is a challenge.

SUMMER LEAGUE DATES AND OTHER NEWS

Meet & Train Summer League (Mini Marathon Build-Up ) Provisional Dates:

Race 1 - Tues 17 April 2 mile Lucan 7.30pm
Race 2 – Sun 29 April 3 mile Raheny 11am
Race 3 – Wed 16 May 4 mile Phoenix Park 8pm
Prizegiving/social (following fun races with extra prizes on track) Thur 24 May Irishtown 7.30.

Teams of six with 4 to count. Fee is Eu20 for the four nights . We are investigating the possibility of having singlets for all who pay the Eu20 upfront. This will help publicise the league - and let you look the part!
Established M&T clubs who enter teams MUST supply two helpers during the league. We will put up the list of officials for each event on this site; four are need to take numbers and times at the finish. You can volunteer by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of this posting.
Our good friend Paul Moloney in adidas will provide race numbers, and spot prizes for each race.
The series is designed not just for M&T regulars but for newcomers to running, giving a gentle introduction to racing in the build-up to the Women’s Mini Marathon on Monday 4 June.

Also:

Good news from Athletics Ireland – a new coaching course designed specifically for leaders (or aspiring leaders) of Meet & Train groups has been devised (thanks to Ryan and Brendan for attending last night's meeting). Watch this space!

Plus: we have set provisional dates of 9 December and 13 January for the first two rounds of next season's Winter League. Because we don't know when certain annual fixtures will fall (other organisations aren't as efficient!) , these dates will be confirmed by the latest in the first week of October.
And finally: Sue's mobile number has changed to 086-2327570.

Results Rd 4 Winter League Santry

MEET & TRAIN RACE 4 CC RESULTS SANTRY
PLACE	No	NAME	TIME	TEAM
1	508	Ann Ormsby		Fingallians A
2	552	Ailish McDermott		Clonliffe A
3	510	Bronagh Snow		Fingallians A
4	530	Kathleen O'Callaghan		Sportsworld A
5	251	Louise Keogh		Blackrock IND
6	402	Aoibheann Tierney		Tallaght
7	533	Ann Higgins		Sportsworld B
8	500	Mary Butler		Blackrock A
9	342			Clonliffe IND
10	553	Marie Byrne		Clonliffe A
11	554	Tara Whyte		Clonliffe A
12	407	Freda Commisky		Lucan
13	531	Eileen Dalton		Sportsworld A
14	406	Derval McCarty		Lucan
15	236	Maura Ni Chearbhaill		Clonliffe IND
16	509	Bernie Corrie		Fingallians A
17	379
18	539	Edel O'Connell		Sportsworld C
19	405	Lorraine Heffernan		Lucan
20	522	Siobhan Dargan		Fingallians D
21	561	Jo Cummiskey		Donore Harriers A
22	528	Orlagh Fleming		Sportsworld A
24	408	Eithne Reid		Lucan
25	558	Sinead Hartnett		Clonliffe B
26	403	Susan Adams		Tallaght
27	537	Karen O'Connor		Sportsworld C
28	535	Aileen Melody		Sportsworld B
29	540	Orlagh Jordan		Sportsworld D
30	534	Clare Rowley		Sportsworld B
31	281	Marcella Dunne		Individual
32	536	Claire O'Brien		Sportsworld C
33	502	Deirdre Maxwell		Blackrock A
34	506	Jennifer Lee		Blackrock B
35	503	Christine Goldrick		Blackrock A
36	401	Niamh Oman		Tallaght
37	521	Catherine Walsh		Fingallians D
38	541	Claire Harrington		Sportsworld D
39	567	Maureen McGinley		Crusaders B
40	517	Sinead Flanagan		Fingallians C
41	559	Jennifer O'Keefe		Donore Harriers A
42	516	Barbara Tobin		Fingallians C
43	574	Ann Marie Dargan		Fingallians F
44	560	Sue Lynch		Donore Harriers A
45	573	Maeve Duffy		Fingallians F
46	507	Sinead Guilfoyle		Blackrock B
47	542	Biz McShane		Sportsworld D
48	519	Sarah Evans		Fingallians C
49	563	Mary Donnelly		Crusaders A
50	568	Geraldine O'Shea		Crusaders B
51	565	Emma McAuley		Crusaders A
52	543	Clare Doyle		Sportsworld D
54	572	Debbie O De		Fingallians F
55	549	Yvonne Callis		Sportsworld E
56	524	Mary Keane		Fingallians E
57	566	Sinead Roche		Crusaders A
58	526	Marie Ryan		Fingallians E
59	570	Hillary Wright		Crusaders B
60	547	Donna McDonagh		Sportsworld E