700 competitors make the Gas Networks Ireland 5km one of the biggest races of the year

The attraction of a special Titan long-sleeve T-shirt for the first 500 entrants swelled the numbers for the Gas Networks Ireland 5km to over 700, making it one of the biggest Cork BHAA races of the year.

The route followed the same one as the recent Musgrave 5km, starting on the old railway line and staying completely off road before finishing at the car park near Blackrock Castle.

The rules of the BHAA meant that the first man and woman across the line didn’t qualify for the overall awards as Paul Moloney and Jennifer Martin were both not registered with the association.

Former national masters champion Moloney had a 12-second victory over Mark Walsh (Dept of Education), 15:10 to 15:22. 

Walsh took the official individual prize with Kristan Liepins (Stryker) finishing third in 15:34. Barry Donovan, (also temp-reg) was fourth in 15:38 while Donal Coakley (Gilead Sciences), fifth in 15:44, was the third BHAA prize-winner.

The women’s race saw Martin, who recorded 18:12, and Tamzin Muldowney, second in 18:22, both ruled out as Sharon Rynne (Kepak) collected first prize with her time of 18:32. 

Second and third BHAA went to Emma Desmond (Primeline Sales & Marketing) in 18:36 and Breeda McGinn (PFGI), 18:45.

For Martin, a member of St Finbarr’s but who does most of her running with the Tafelta club in Derry, it was her third Cork victory in recent weeks having won over 10km at Courtmacsherry and five-miles at Millstreet.

She now targets the Antrim Coast Half-Marathon next month where she will be hoping to improve on the 84:30 she ran in Omagh back in April.

Uisce Éireann took first prize in the men’s Grade A section, just two points ahead of Diomac and Stryker, while the women’s Grade A team went to MMOS Engineers.

In what has been a very busy and successful season for the Cork BHAA, just three more evening racs remain. 

They are the Thermo Fisher four-mile at Ringaskiddy on July 31 (8pm), the long-established Stryker four-mile at Carrigtwohill on August 21 (7.30pm) and a new race, the Amazon 5km at Tramore Valley Park on August 28 (7.30pm).

Results:

Men:

1 P Moloney (temp-reg) 15:10; 2 M Walsh (Dept of Educ) 15:22; 3 K Liepins (Stryker) 15:34; 4 B Donovan (temp-reg) 15:38; 5 D Coakley (Gilead Sciences) 15:44; 6 N O’Donoghue (Rooskagh Coffee) 15:46.

Team: (Grade A) 1 Uisce Éireann 107; 2 Diomac 109; 3 Stryker 109. (Grade B) 1 Apple 247; 2 Cork University Hospital 280; 3 Green Rebel 390. (Grade C) 1 Midleton Collective 447; 2 Eli Lilly 490; 3 Dell Technologies 504.

Women:

1 J Martin (temp-reg) 18:12; 2 T Muldowney (temp-reg) 18:28; 3 S Rynne (Kepak, F35) 18:32; 4 E Desmond (Primeline Sales & Marketing, F35) 18:38; 5 B McGinn (PFGI, F40) 18:45; 6 S Manning (SOSV, F40) 18:46.

Team: (Grade A) 1 MMOS Engineers 262; 2 Dept of Education 310. (Grade B) 1 Fit4Life 622; 2 Uisce Éireann 631. (Grade C) 1 Dept of Education 867; 2 Apple 872.