As phenomenal as our Senior clubmates were, they didn’t have a monopoly on amazing performances on Sunday!  Just a little further down the field, we had 83 members of our Fit4Life and Couch to 5K groups giving it their all, gunning for glory, on slightly different terms, but glory all the same.

Fit4Life were out in force as usual this year; just another weekend race for some who compete every other weekend, albeit a special one on home turf; and a rarity for those who only tog out on the very special occasions.  As official starter, our fellow Fit4Lifer John Cotter called the troops into action.  All were sufficiently inspired to run superbly, many took chunks out of last year’s times and others ran more companionably with friends, enjoying their ever-improving fitness and the home support.  It just goes to show what a difference a year’s training at Dunboyne AC can make!  A very special mention to Lauren Flood who was a mere 3 seconds outside a podium finish in her category.  Next year Lauren, you’ll be back on that podium yet again.  Angela “Envelope” Egan ran a stormer ahead of her upcoming Manchester marathon placing 4th in her category.  When even the Envelope doesn’t “envelope”, us Fit4Lifers can begin to appreciate that we drew a seriously stacked field to our “short race with the big reputation.”

And of course, 3rd April was D-Day for the 2016 class of “Couch to 5K and Beyond.”  Having aced the 5K challenge on 27th February, this left 4 Saturdays to practise the 4-mile route.  The added week this year gave our participants an added confidence boost as they lined up in force to see the challenge through to the very end.  Some had even rolled up their sleeves on volunteering duty that morning, such is their dedication to the club a mere 3 months after joining us.  Buoyed by the fantastic support of friends, family, local spectators and our stewarding clubmates along the route, our crew got the job done in considerable style.  Massive congratulations to each and every one of our 4-mile finishers on an incredible achievement.  You have come such a long way and many of you have surprised yourselves.  We hope you are as proud of yourselves as the club is.  Massive thanks once again to Eleanor Allen, Claire Clifford and the large team of C25K/C24M volunteers for their dedication in getting you from the Couch, to 5K, and beyond that to 4 miles!  We look forward to welcoming you into Fit4Life now.  As C24M training sessions have mirrored the Fit4Life sessions for the past month, the transition won’t faze you in the slightest folks!  In fact, many Fit4Lifers are already resigned to being lapped by some of our C24M newbies.  Bring it on!

All of our participants were extremely grateful for the vocal support of our clubmates en route and greatly appreciate that many who would have liked to compete on Sunday selflessly stepped out for our benefit.  Of course, many of our racers also covered pre- and post-race shifts themselves, supporting the race on every front.  Thanks to everyone who helped stage this event; success doesn’t happen by accident.

Special congratulations to our ladies’ and men’s teams on their gutsy performances claiming second place, and to all our Senior and Fit4Youth clubmates.  Both groups will post their results separately.

Well done once again to all our Fit4Life and Couch to 5K members listed below.  Please note that times shown here are gun times rather than chip times.  If we have missed your name and time here, we apologise.  It may be that you didn’t select Dunboyne AC when registering.  We have also included a few former clubmates below, who have clearly laced up the runners again.  Come join us again at the track and train with us for our 3 upcoming local races; the BHAA 5 miler on Tuesday 31st May, the Clonee 10K on Thursday 30th June and The Carton 6K Trail Run on Thursday 28th July.  No stopping us now!

Check out our race photos with thanks to Rob Webb and Sam Hamilton:

Album 1

Album 2

Album 3

Album 4

Results:

Adrian Tiernan	00:36:26
Alan O’Reilly	00:38:00
Alessandra Verri	00:41:34
Allan Clarke	00:35:31
Ana Quigley	00:37:08
Angela Egan	00:37:15
Anne Hickey	00:43:38
Aoife Glynn	00:31:08
Aoife Hyland	00:35:46
Audrey Keane	00:39:15
Barry Lonergan	00:35:40
Bernadette O’Connor	00:35:34
Bernie McGrath	00:40:27
Bernie McGrenaghan	00:33:31
Brenda Kane	00:36:14
Brjann O’Mordha	00:37:07
Caroline Clarke	00:34:41
Catherine Boughton	00:41:44
Claire Clifford	00:40:20
Colm Ahern	00:29:11
Colm Lawlor	01:05:28
Colm Quinn	00:28:43
Damien Egan	00:36:36
Dearbhla Brown	00:31:58
Deborah Mangan	00:51:50
Derek Hanway	00:36:22
Eileen Soraghan	00:33:41
Elaine Ryan	00:34:11
Emma Dwyer	00:37:35
Fergal Hanlon	00:34:23
Fiona Dillon	00:45:30
Fiona Tobin	00:38:00
Francis Walsh	00:35:11
Geraldine Ryan	00:37:14
Gerry Walsh	00:35:19
Jacinta NiChonghaile	00:36:35
Jackie Brannigan	00:31:06
Jackie Thavarasa	00:42:26
Jan Rice	00:45:48
Jill Lonergan	00:40:09
Joe Travers	00:32:29
John Carney	00:31:50
Karen Harris	00:31:36
Kay Gilmartin	00:35:26
Laura McNulty	00:33:56
Lauren Flood	00:31:33
Liam Patel	00:35:39
Lorraine Murphy	00:34:33
Lyndon Thomas	00:34:23
Margaret Leddy	00:37:06
Margaret Rowan	00:40:07
Maria Hughes	00:42:21
Maria Reeves	00:37:07
Marie McQuaid	00:36:26
Mark O’Reilly	00:37:08
Michael Ahern	00:33:36
Michelle Eglington	00:38:14
Niamh Fahy	00:44:30
Niamh Kieffer	00:43:48
Nicola Curran	00:43:14
Noel Leddy	00:39:43
Noeleen Fallon	00:35:46
Olywen Read	00:35:57
Oriel Tiernan	00:41:35
Paschal Garrett	00:34:31
Pat Ryan	00:30:32
Patricia Gallagher	00:39:49
Patricia Larkin	00:39:47
Pauline Keane	00:38:47
Pauline Singleton	00:35:15
Ruth Glynn	00:39:38
Ruth O’Dwyer	00:35:13
Ruth O’Neill	00:40:32
Seamus Dalton	00:36:37
Sean Collins	00:33:25
Sean McElroy	00:38:59
Sinead Webb	00:36:35
Stephen Murphy	00:34:41
Tara Donnelly	00:43:16
Tara McCormack	00:43:38
Therese McIlroy	00:51:51
Tom Barry	00:31:21
Veronica Ward	00:35:45