Drogheda and District AC enjoyed a highly successful outing at the 42nd running of the AXA Raheny 5 Mile, with senior athletes delivering category wins, podium finishes, and personal bests.
Aaron Hanlon continued his strong run of form, finishing 7th overall in a time of 24:17. This came just one week after his Leinster Intermediate Cross Country title and further highlighted his consistency across disciplines.
There were multiple podium finishes in the age group categories. Paul Smith placed second in the M45 category with a time of 26:33, while Mary Leech secured second place in the F50 category in 31:53.
Conor Cooney also placed second in the M70 category with a time of 40:58, while Nuala Reilly capped off the day by winning the F70 category in 41:00.
Strong additional performances were recorded by Rodney Thornton in the M40 category with 26:58, John Perkins in M45 with 31:30, Colin Cuffe in M50 with 35:44, Carmel Keenan in F50 with 37:34, Tomas Ahern in M45 with 37:04, Brian Guilfoyle in M55 with 40:14, Olivia Reilly in F40 with 42:39, and Anna Ryan in F60 with 59:04.
The results reflected the depth and quality across all age categories within Drogheda and District AC and the commitment of athletes training through the winter months.
School Cross Country and Indoor Track Success
On Friday 23 January at the North Leinster Schools Cross Country in Phoenix Park, where five athletes qualified for the Leinster Championships.
Emily Garvey finished fifth, and Eve Russell placed eighth in the Minor Girls 1,200m. Hannah Cunningham finished twelfth, Bonnie Breach fifteenth, and Beatrice Cunningham secured seventh place in the Intermediate Girls category to also qualify. Eleanor McMahon, Clodagh Johnston, Mark Agrios, Ciaran Maree, and Cormac Russell all recorded strong performances.
At the AAI Games in Abbottstown on Saturday 24 January, the club’s master athletes continued the positive momentum. Jimmy English ran 56.81 in the Men’s 400m to finish second in Heat 3. Robbie Keane recorded a personal best of 4:22.63 in the Men’s 1,500m, finishing second in Heat 2 and improving by more than three seconds on last year’s time as he prepares for the M45 category at the National Masters Championships in March.
Juvenile Results at Glenmore AC
The club’s juvenile athletes also delivered an excellent set of results on Sunday, 25 January at the Glenmore AC Kearney and McBride event.
In the Girls U12 category, Eve C moved from fourth place to secure second. Bahar Nuri finished just outside the top ten.
Darragh Minogue claimed second place despite being mistakenly entered into the U12 category.
In the U14 category, Yasaman finished sixth, while Dearbhla Johnston, competing out of age, placed just outside the top ten.
The U16 girls recorded standout results, with Emily winning the race and Beatrice finishing close behind in second place. Eve Russell followed with a fourth-place finish, while Clodagh Johnston secured ninth place and a medal position.
In the U16 boys category, Mark Agrios showed strong improvement, finishing well up the field and winning a sprint finish against his Ace Athletics rival.
Indoor Track and Field at Cushinstown
Drogheda and District AC were well represented at Cushinstown Indoor Track and Field, with 35 athletes competing across a wide range of age groups from U8s to junior men.
Jack O’Connor finished third in the U11 60m. The U12 girls claimed the full podium in the 60m, with Aine McHugh taking first place, Eabha Flynn second, and Lucy Cooney third.
In the U15 Girls category, Mia Collins finished first. In the junior men’s events, strong performances were recorded throughout, with Cormac Russell finishing third in the high jump.
With momentum building across all age groups, from juvenile development athletes to masters competitors, Drogheda and District AC will look to carry this strong form forward as the road racing and championship season continues.
