700 runners compete in popular Rebel Run 5k and 10k races

ALMOST 700 runners turned out on a fine Sunday morning for the Rebel Run combined 5km and 10km races organised by Cork Sports Partnership, MTU Sports Department/Athletics Club and Leisureworld Cork and sponsored by Cork County Council and Cork City Council.

This year the Rebel Run celebrated its 10th year and with three former winners of the 10km – Anthony Mannix, Donal Coakley and John Meade – in the line-up, a close race was anticipated.

A group of five soon formed at the front and around the 7km mark it was down to the three main contenders.

Coakley made a move here, but it was covered by Mannix who went on for a fine victory, his time of 33:00 over a minute faster than he ran when winning the race four years ago.

Coakley and Meade had their usual tussle with on this occasion Leevale-man Coakley prevailing by just two seconds over his St Finbarr’s rival to take second in 33:10.

Mannix, formerly of Leevale but now a member of the Cork Track Club, was delighted to win the race for the second time.

“It went well, I went away with Donal when he made his break and I kind of felt good so as we turned into the track for the finish, I could see that I had a bit of a gap over Donal and John, so I’m happy with the way it went.

“It’s great to finish on the track at MTU as we train here with the Cork Track Club on Mondays and Thursdays and it’s great facility, so it’s a nice memory to have to come down that finishing straight,” added Mannix, who missed most of the track season but returned to form with a 10th place finish at the County Senior C-C three weeks before.

In her fourth race in as many weeks, Claire McCarthy of Leevale – who ran the marathon for Ireland at the 2017 World Championships – finished well clear of Sharon Rynne from Clare in a time of 36:45 to take the women’s title with Ciara Ryan finishing third in 39:19.

The 5km saw victories going to Sheldon Kirwood and Rosaleen MacKeown in respective times of 17:52 and 19:14.

RESULTS

10km Men: 1 A Mannix (Cork TC) 33:00; 2 D Coakley (Leevale) 33:10; 3 J Meade (St Finbarrs, M40) 33:12; 4 K Kelly (Youghal, M40) 34:07; 5 S O’Connell (unatt) 34:46; 6 K McKeown (Grange-Fermoy, M40) 35:00.

Women: 1 C McCarthy (Leevale, F40) 36:45; 2 S Rynne (Kilmurry-Ibrick NC) 38:40; 3 C Ryan (unatt) 39:19; 4 C Finn (Leevale) 39:39; 5 N Moore (Leevale) 39:58; 6 L O’Connor (Carrigaline, F40) 40:18.

5km Men: 1 S Kirkwood 17:52; 2 I Kavanagh 18:17; 3 P O’Donoghue 18:28.

Women: 1 R MacKeown 19:14; 2 S Foley 19:55; 3 L Manning 20:38.