Race report: Walker Cup 4 Mile – Sunday 19th October 2025, Morton Stadium, Race sponsor; Ray Dunne. Last Sunday morning 19th October 2025, the Walker Cup 4 Mile was held in Morton Stadium. The race took place amid a torrential downpour that began the previous evening and showed no sign of letting up. Despite the weather, spirits remained remarkably high. Competitors lined up in good humour, many shrugging off the rain as just another challenge.
The surface water in lanes one and two made that part of the track unusable for the race. To ensure a fair and complete event, organizers moved the race to lane five. The number of laps was reduced from 16 to 15. The race got under way at 9.30am. Ray Dunne, the race sponsor, took the lead right from the start. Jerry O Sullivan also looked impressive at this early stage. Fergal O’Shea was also battling the conditions successfully. Eoin Rafter, just back from the Chicago Marathon, looked comfortable. Mick Gleeson, Francis McEntee, and Dave Commiskey were battling well. Orla Deighan was running extremely well.
As the race reached the closing stages, it was Ray Dunne who came home first in a time of 0:23:53. Jerry O’Sullivan continued to hold second place, finishing in 0:25:59. In third place was Fergal O’ Shea in 0:26:30. Orla Deighan was first woman home finishing strongly in 0:30:47. She was followed by Aimee Ahern in a time of 0:31:36 while in third place was Fionnuala Smith in 0:31:52.
By the finish runners were drenched but defiant, their faces a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. Times were slower than usual, but the effort was immense. In the end, it was less about personal bests and more about perseverance – a race remembered not for the weather endured but the resolve it revealed.
Results:
Grand Prix Result
The handicap conditions made for a thrilling contest. The winner of the Walker Cup was none other than Philip Richards completing his final race before the Dublin Marathon. Philip also had the distinction of retaining the trophy, having won the Walker Cup last year. Colm Doran was in second place while Jerry O’Sullivan was third. Congratulations to all three.
- Philip Richards – 66 points
- Colm Doran – 65 points
- Jerry O’Sullivan – 64 points
At the post-race reception in the Clonliffe Club House Ray Dunne presented the Grand Prix winners with their prizes. Many thanks to Ray for his sponsorship. A big thank you to Pamela and Lee for the most welcome post refreshments. Massive thanks to all our amazing officials who stood out in that downpour!
Next Grand Prix race
Saturday 8th November – Irwin Cup 6km – Trinity Sports Ground – 10.30am