Mick Clohissey and Sinead O’Connor were victorious at last weekend’s National 10k Championships held in Phoenix Park, Dublin.
The race was run in conjunction with the Great Ireland Run and had a large field of over 1,300 taking part. The athletes were blessed with great weather conditions for the race.
Rio 2016 Olympian, Clohissey (Raheny Shamrocks AC) looked like he was returning to form following recent injury issues, as he stormed to the title in a time of 30.49. Clohissey had company up until around the final 3k in the form of Craughwell AC’s Jamie Fallon who finished just nine seconds further back in 2nd place. The bronze medal was won by Rory O’Connor of North Cork AC in 31.25.
Speaking after the race Clohissey said he was “delighted.”
“It was great to get back racing in the Phoenix Park, it’s a while since I’ve raced up here so it’s nice to get back out. I’m just coming back from some injury issues, so I’m trying to get my fitness back up, I’ve a lot of work to do but I was delighted to come up here and get a national title. I had some good competition there from Jamie Fallon, so it was a good blowout this morning,” he said.
Just nine months after having a baby, Sinead O’Connor of Leevale AC won her first National 10k title. O’Connor pulled clear of 2020 National Indoor 3000m champion Ciara Wilson of D.M.P AC after 5k and continued to build on her lead all the way to line to finish in a time of 34.20. Wilson won the silver medal in a time of 34.43, while Rathfarnham’s Laura McDonnell was 3rd in 35.29.
“I felt really good actually, it was a lovely morning for it. The first part of the race was really nice, you’ve got a nice little downhill at the start, I think I went through 3k in 9.47 so I was happy enough with that. Then we had the hills, so you kind of lost a bit of time in the second half of the course but it’s a really fair course and I’m happy enough with the time, it would’ve been nice to go under 34 but it’s a decent enough time,” the victorious O’Connor said afterwards.
Mullingar Harriers, Sli Cualann and Rathfarnham were the top 3 senior women’s clubs, with Crusaders, Clonliffe and Donore taking the 1-2-3 in the Men’s team competition.
The National Road Racing Championships continue on April 24th with the Irish Life Health National Road Relays in Raheny.
