Upcoming Events

Leinster Senior and Masters Track and Field Championships
Four of our members are braving a trip to Tullamore this Sunday the 31st to compete in the Leinster Senior and Masters track and field Championships.

Plan of Action for Women’s Mini Marathon – THIS MONDAY 1ST JUNE
Many thanks to those of you who have volunteered their time to assist at the Mini Marathon this Monday. If taking the dart meet at Greystones Dart Station at 9.40am for the 9.50am dart or if car pooling meet at the South Beach Car Park at 10am. Meeting point in town is the corner of Pembroke Row and Fitzwilliam Square at 11.30am. We will be free to leave as soon as the race starts at 2pm. Anyone else who can steward at the last minute are encouraged to let us know. Thanks and see you all on Monday!

Leinster Championships

The juveniles go into battle in the Leinster Juvenile Relay Championships this Saturday on home turf on the Track in Charlsland. Kilcoole AC have entered several teams of 4 from U9s to U14s to compete in 4x100m races. The “Junior” (U16-U20) Leinster track events start at 10am, while the first juvenile relay is *provisionally* scheduled for 11:30am. Members are more than welcome to go and cheer on the teams!

Juveniles and parents should also keep an eye out for information from their coaches regarding the upcoming individual Leinster Championships. These take place on the 6th of June for U9s-U13s, and on the weekend of the 20th and 21st of June for the U14s-U19s. All 3 take place in Tullamore.

The Leinster Senior and Masters Championships take place on Sunday week the 31st of May. Running events include 100m, 200m, 100mH/110mH, 400m, 400mH 800m, 1500m, 3000m (ladies), 5000m (men) and 3k Steeplechase (men). If there are any more takers, contact your captains asap.

Results

Fionnuala Britton finished 7th in a very strong field in the 10k Great Manchester Run this past Weekend in a time of 32:56. To put it in perspective, athletes finishing ahead of her included European Cross-Country Champion Gemma Steel and double World Marathon Champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya. Fionnuala did manage to get the best of home favourite and European 10,000m Champion Jo Pavey.

Upcoming Events

We will be taking a new club photo for the homepage this Monday night at 7:10pm before training. Definitely do try to attend and wear whatever club gear you have.

Women’s Mini Marathon Stewarding
The club has been asked to steward at the start of the women’s mini marathon this June bank holiday Monday. There tends to be a great atmosphere at the start of the event and the stewarding is an important source of funding for the club. We normally rely on the same core group of about 20 diligent members for events like these, so it would be nice to see others chip in. The more the better!

Women’s Mini Marathon

Calling all members! It’s that time of year again, and Kilcoole AC have been asked to assist with stewarding at the start-line of the Women’s mini Marathon on the June bank holiday Monday. Please contact Eileen if you would like to help out.

Info

The club have set up a new “official” facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KilcooleAthleticsClub.

Results

Team results have been released for the Wicklow Road Race Championships from this past Wednesday. Kilcoole AC took Gold in both the Senior Men and in the Masters 35-39.
Our Senior Women claimed Silver medals, narrowly missed out on 1st to a strong Bray Runners Team. Meanwhile our Masters 35-39 and O50 ladies also collected Silver Medals. A fine haul!

Following on from her big PB in the 5000m, Úna Britton stepped up to take on the competition in the 10,000m at the “Drake Relays” in Des Moines, Iowa. 25 laps later, Úna had knocked 57 seconds off her previous PB to run a 35:07, breaking the Eastern Kentucky University record for the distance! We’ve run out of superlatives! Fabulous running.

Results

Kilcoole AC really did dominate at the Wicklow Road Race Championships in Ashford this evening. Not only did we have 50+ competitors out of the 160, but we also claimed medals in almost every category available.

Úna Britton was back in action at the “Sea Ray Relays” in Knoxville Tennessee, competing in the 5000m on the track. She ran a fabulous PB of 16:53, running under 17 minutes for the first time. It wasn’t all that long ago that Úna would run 21 or 22 minutes in races like the Wicklow 5k Road Race, so this progress is a testament to her hard work and dedication over the last few years. Our juveniles (and seniors) would be well advised to take note: work hard and listen to the right advice! Úna is now setting her sights on the 10,000m this Thursday at the “Drake Relays” in Iowa. That new PB suggests she is capable of running in the low 35s for 10,000m, so no pressure Úna!

Upcoming events

Sea Road Cup This Friday!

The “Sea Road Cup” is a longstanding annual Kilcoole AC “fun” race between Juveniles and Seniors. This year, it will take place at Coláiste Craobh Abhann, where there will be a series of shorter races (200m up to 800m) for the juveniles on the playing pitches from 7pm. Some of the “older” juveniles will then join the seniors out on the road for a handicapped 1 mile race around the school at 7:30pm. Arrive for 6:45 to get checked in and cheer on the juveniles. Most importantly, don’t forget to bring your cakes biscuits etc. for tea/coffee & prize giving in the school afterwards. All parents and members welcome!

In the handicapped “Sea Road Cup” race, the “slowest” runner starts off first and the “fastest” starts last. In theory, everyone should finish very close together and have an equal chance of winning. (Though, the handicapped times have been slightly shifted in favour of the juveniles to make it interesting!) The winner will receive the prestigious “Sea Road Cup”!

Results

Fionnuala Britton ran a new road PB of 33:07 on a tough course in the 10k “Great Ireland Run” this past Saturday. She narrowly missed out on a win, finishing 2nd to 2014 European Cross Country Champion Gemma Steel of Great Britain. However, Fionnuala did claim the honours in concurrent National 10k Road Race, finishing ahead of Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC.

Leinster Novice & Masters Road Race Championships 4th May

These Championships take place on Monday 4th May in Gowran, County Kilkenny. The men’s races are 6k and it’s 4k for ladies. Ideally we would field teams in every race. Club members have travelled to this in previous years and been very successful and we are looking for the same again this year. Let your captains know if interested.

Upcoming events

Results

Another fine performance from Úna Britton this week, as she travelled north to compete in the first leg of a 4x1500m relay in a wintry Cincinnati Ohio. Úna gave her team the lead after the first leg in conditions that were reportedly “feckin’ freeeezin!!” in a time of about 4:42. “Team Úna” retained their lead until the 3rd leg only to be overhauled by their sister team from Eastern Kentucky University, ultimately finishing in 2nd overall.

Upcoming Events

There is a 3k Fit4Life Race in Shanganagh Park on Thursday night (2nd) at 7:30pm (hosted by Bray Runners). Entry is €5. The route is very similar to the parkrun 5k, but it’s shorter!

By the way, there are just 3 weeks to go until the Wicklow 5k Road Race Championships in Ashford on Wednesday the 22nd. Get ready!

Upcoming events

Results

Fionnuala Britton won the St. Patrick’s Festival 5k for the second year in a row on the streets of Dublin this past Sunday. She ran a time of 15:52 to hold off the challenge from some of Ireland’s top distance runners, including Anne-Marie McGlynn and Siobhan O’Doherty. Meanwhile, the men’s race was won by John Coghlan of the host club MSB AC in a time of 14:32.

We also wish the best of luck across the Atlantic to Úna Britton as she resumes her US collegiate season. Úna will be competing every weekend for the next two months in the colours of Eastern Kentucky University.

Upcoming Events

Back home, our next Championship race is the Leinster 10 mile Road Race in Raheny on Easter Monday. Our friends from Sli Cualann are sending a strong team of 30+ male and female athletes across all age-groups (S, O40, O45, O50) to this race. This means there is a great chance for our runners to claim spots on medal-winning County Wicklow teams.