Success for William Maunsell at Coillte 10k in Tipperary
Niamh O’Mahony from Tralee wins the women’s race
The Coillte 10k road race was run this month for the 41st consecutive year.
An entry of 496 athletes signed up for the race, which included 23 under 20 years of age (juniors) running 5k one lap as part of the two-lap 10k race.
On a good evening for racing with a slight breeze, the rain came down after the leaders had finished but at least all the athletes got off to a dry warm-up and start. The starter for the evening, Michael Guinan blew the whistle to set them on their way.
On the first lap a breakaway group of athletes soon emerged, made up of previous winners William Maunsell, Clonmel and Michael Harty, East Cork. They were joined by two Clare runners David Meehan, Tulla and Jake O’Regan, St John’s and on his first trip to Dundrum Billy Coogan, Kilkenny City Harriers. Making up the front runners and on his third trip to run the race was Josh Burgess from Lewes Athletic Club in England.
Back into the village to head out on the second lap and the group had started to break up with William, Billy and Michael going clear, with the trio setting a scorching pace up front. Then as they came inside the last kilometre the three lads were still in contention for victory. Into the last 100 metres and the trio were still locked together, with William snatching victory in the last 30 metres in a super time of 29:58, with Billy on his heels in 29:59 and Michael a magnificent third in 30 minutes flat.
Michael’s super run knocked a whopping 56 seconds off the National Over 45 men’s record. Once ratified it will be the fifth national record set on this course in recent years.
William Maunsell also won the Tim Crowe Memorial Trophy for the first Tipperary athlete to cross the finish line for the second time. The trophy was presented to him by its instigator Dominic Moore in memory of a great Tipperary athlete in the early 19th century. To crown off a great night for the Clonmel man, he also set a new Over 40 course record of 29:58.
Josh came clear of the chasing pack to take fourth in a personal best of 30:29. David won the battle of Clare to take fifth place from Jake in sixth in times of 30:45 and 30:59 respectively. The first six athletes all ran under 31 minutes, confirming the speed of the course. Also, the first 13 athletes across the line all came from different clubs, indicating the continuing support running clubs have shown for the race over the years.
The women’s race was also of a very high standard, with Hannah Steeds of Leevale and former winner Niamh O’Mahony, An Riocht, battling it out over the two laps. In the end the Kerry girl came home a very convincing winner in a super time of 34:41, five seconds faster than her winning time in 2024.
Hannah came home in second place in 35:51, followed by Dee Grady from Ennis Track in 36:16, matching her third place finish of last year. Amy Murphy, West Limerick, held off Cork girl April Quinn, Togher for fourth (37:49) and fifth places (38:14) respectively. It was super running by all in a field where the first nine girls were all well under 40 minutes.
The Master men’s categories were also fiercely contested. In the Over 40 section Dermot Gorman, Carrick-on-Suir 32:27 was well clear of Padraig Sheehan, Eagle in 34:16 for first and second places respectively. The Over 45 had a Cork battle with Michael Herlihy, North Cork, first in 34:33 and Garrett Lordan, Cork Track Club second in 34:47.
The Over 50 had Kieran McKeown, Grange, Fermoy 35:49 in first place ahead of David Ryan (second) in 36:42. The ever-consistent Eugene O’Keeffe, Carrick-on-Suir was first in the Over 55 in 37:26 and his great friend William O’Donoghue, Mooreabbey Milers, was first Over 60 in 40:30. Sam O’Meara, Templemore (43:11) and James Sexton who made the long trip from Kilmurray Ibrickane, (50:57) were first Over 65 and Over 70 respectively.
The Master women’s categories were also keenly contested. In the Over 40 category Olive McCarthy, St Nicholas, was well clear of Clare Madden, Togher, with times of 38:34 and 41:26 respectively. In the Over 45 category Katie Hickson, St Finbarr’s got the better of local woman Catherine Fogarty, Dundrum AC in times of 40:53 and 42:11 respectively.
In the Over 50 category it was all-Cork, one-club battle with Watergrasshill’s Lisa Crowley and Gwen Conroy first and second in times of 43:13 and 44:31 respectively. Incredibly, the winners of the Over 55 category (51:31) and Over 60 category (58:38) had the same name, Martina Ryan, with the Thurles Crokes Martina winning the younger age group.
The Junior 5k race had a decent entry of 23 athletes. Here there was a family double from that great sporting Maher family in Ardmayle. Albert Maher, Dundrum AC won the boys race in 17:10 to make it two in a row wins, with his consistent challenger Luke Duggan, Templemore, second in 17:51 The girl’s race had a clear win for Albert's sister Ellen Maher, Dundrum, in 22:17 from her clubmate Elisse Kelly in 22:23. This was excellent running by all these athletes still in their early teens.
All prizes were presented after the race by Coillte representative Stephen Moore, who himself finished third Over 50 in the race and whose company Coillte are the main sponsors of the race and have been involved with the event since the first race in 1986.