TIM O’DONOGHUE and Jessica Coyne both added their names to the Cloyne 5km roll of honour.

Not held in 2020, this was the 11th staging of the race. Although the start and finish had been moved, both winning times, of 14:43 and 16:43, were faster than the previous bests of 14:49 and 16:49, held, respectively, by Michael Harty and Emma Murphy since 2016.

O’Donoghue, a member of the promoting East Cork club, made it four victories out of four on the Cork roads, having won the Conna, Rathcormac, and Bweeng races in recent weeks.

He was on his own all the way and pleased with his form. “All the recent races were shorter than the normal races that I do and, therefore, not doing the big mileage, I’m a bit fresher,” O’Donoghue said. “I was happy with the time, I just kept going at my own pace and I thought it was a fair course. The aim is the cross-country, so I’ll try and build towards that now and maybe give these shorter races a rest.”

In a close battle for second, John Meade (St Finbarr’s) just got the better of Bernard O’Hanlon, of Leevale, with both credited with 15:31.

Jessica Coyne had won the Conna 5km in 17:10 a month ago but improved at Cloyne with her 16:43 winning effort. The Limerick native, now with Leevale, finished fourth in the steeplechase at the National T&F Championship in July.

Ciara O’Neill, from the Clonmel club, wasn’t too far behind, with 17:05, with Niamh Moore, winner at Rathcormac and second in Bweeng, having to settle for third, in 17:21.

Among the master categories, the M60 age group saw fast times by Leevale’s John Collins, first, in 19:14, and Michael Murphy (St Finbarr’s), who finished second, in 19:47. Also impressive was third-placed Rich Piotrowski (Eagle), who will be 75 next April and was well-pleased with his time of 21:44.

Results

1 T O’Donoghue (East Cork) 14:43; 2 J Meade (St Finbarrs, M40) 15:31; 3 B O’Hanlon (Leevale) 15:31; 4 B Donovan (Cork TC) 15:40; 5 D Kenneally (Eagle) 15:41; 6 N O’Donoghue (East Cork) 15:55.

M40: 2 K Kelly (Youghal) 16:37; 3 J Harty (St Catherines) 17:16.

M45: 1 S McSweeney (St Nicholas) 17:49; 2 G O’Regan (Midleton) 18:19; 3 E Meade (East Cork) 18:52.

M60: 1 J Collins (Leevale) 19:14; 2 M Murphy (St Finbarrs) 19:47; 3 R Piotrowski (Eagle) 21:44.

Women: 1 J Coyne (Leevale) 16:43; 2 C O’Neill (Clonmel) 17:05; 3 N Moore (Leevale) 17:21; 4 M Kenny (Leevale, F40) 17:41; 5 J Montague (Leevale) 17:50; 6 O Byrne (St Finbarrs) 18:14.

F40: 2 N Cronin (St Finbarrs) 18:45; 3 L O’Connor (Carrigaline) 19:24.

F50: 1 G Sohun (Leevale) 22:28; 2 M De Barra (Ballymore-Cobh) 22:46; 3 N Daly (St Catherines) 25:37.

F60: 1 G Curtin (Youghal) 28:37; 2 A Cooney (Midleton) 29:29; 3 A Sheehy (unatt) 33:53.