Clonliffe successful Raheny 5 raid!

A huge contingent of Clonliffe athletes went into the Lions Den this afternoon for one of the country’s top road races, the Raheny 5, and once again produce top-notch performances resulting in three team prizes being brought back to Santry – the senior men took 1st place, M 40 men took 2nd place in the senior women 3rd place.

Once again the Raheny 5 had not only the quantity but real quality lining up for this 42nd running of the race. The lead pack tore through the 1st mile with Colm Rooney, Tom Breslin and Mahad Mohamed Egaal well to the fore. The pack also included several of the pre-race favourites, Hugh Armstrong (Ballina) , Jonas Stafford (UCD) and Ryan Creech (Leevale). As the leaders came back into view with only about 600 to go it was Stafford who led but with Colm Rooney on his shoulder, Rooney made a big effort at about 300 and hit the front however Stafford held his nerve and out kicked the Clonliffe man on the run into the line. Colm took 2nd place in a superb 23.10. Next in was Mahad in 12th position (24.43) and in 20th Tom Breslin (25.12) completing the scoring 3 on 34 points to take 1st place in the team event, well clear of Donore 56 points and the home team on 75 points. Excellent running by not only the scoring 3 by the other members of the senior team: Darragh Carter (25.25), Malcom Kiplagat (25.29) and Conor Fitzpatrick (27.07).

The Clonliffe senior women’s team were also out in force and produced an excellent display to take 3rd place, led home by Laura Tuite, now rediscovering her best form, clocking 30.35, Jess Gallagher, who has been a renovation this winter (30.44) and ‘new kid on the block’ Lauren McKiernan (30.54), these were the scoring 3 and were brilliantly supported by Alannah Cooley (31.04), Rachel McFadden (31.11) and Aoife O’Reilly (32.19) to name but a few.