Fit4Life, Couch to 5K and some friends of Dunboyne AC in the Dunboyne 4 Mile, Sunday 3rd April 2016

Fit4Life, Couch to 5K and some friends of Dunboyne AC in the Dunboyne 4 Mile, Sunday 3rd April 2016

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

About Author