MOLDOVIAN ATHLETE SERGIU TUREA CONQUERS. Dunphy Vivas Health Dungarvan 10 win for Moldovian Athlete Sergiu Turea As was stated in one local papers headline last week, The Dunphys Vivas Health was shaping up to be a Red-letter day for the club and town. Indeed as they rightly reported it was most defiantly a Red letter day for club and town as a huge influx of 700 runners plus their family and friends descended on the Déise’s capitol for the clubs high profile Dunphy Vivas Health Dungarvan 10 mile road race event.
The weather tried its best to spoil the day and things didn’t look good early morning with very high winds and driving rain. However by 10 AM the man above looked down and saw the effort being made and gave us the break we needed the wind had abated and the rain was soon stopped as the first of the visiting Athletes arrived. By 1 pm all was set with a huge turn out of runners from far and wide toeing the start line as our honouree starter Oliver Tatten CEO of Vivas Health Ireland fired the starters pistol which got the 700 runners on their way.
The race was race number three in the clubs Michael Roche Carpets Spring Series and race number two in the John Buckley Sport’s sponsored Munster 10 mile classic series, which in no small way also added to the occasion.
The number of runners participating despite the inclement weather which we thought would adversely effect those travelling was even greater than we realistically expected, We knew it was going to be a pretty good turn out but we never thought that we would reach the 700 mark. That was for next year’s plan, year two of our three-year plan for this race as our target of 1.000 by that third year is really now a realistic and attainable one. However we were delighted with the response and we know now that we have a gem of a race on our hands and with the goodwill of our sponsor Dunphy Vivas Health we feel the skies the limit with this event.
As we said we had runners from all over Ireland and many non-nationals also, making it truly an international race, as can be seen in the results below. Indeed our winner this year is a Moldovian national, Sergiu Turea who is running with Dublin club Clonliffe Harriers.Sergiu last years National Half Marathon champion made his intentions well know from the off as he raced into a commanding lead going through one mile in 4.54,by two miles he was 200 meters clear of the chasers and was in full control of the race, But he wasn’t happy just to win, It was obvious from the lead car as he ran hard each and every mile alone that on his mind was the course record, But records are not easily broken and although Sergiu won the race with ease finishing a whopping 4 minutes and 2 seconds ahead of his nearest rival he was to be denied the record by just 10 seconds when recording a time of 50.18,Speaking after the race Sergiu was very happy with his run as it was his fastest time ever for 10 miles, The course he said is a superb course and he felt with some company today that the record could well have fallen, He also made his intentions known that he will most defiantly be back for another crack at it next year.
So Sandis Bralitis who is the record holder but out of action through injury holds on to his record 50.08 for at least another year. If the winner won easily the minor placings were a different story with just 3 seconds separating the next three athletes, Second place went to another Dublin athlete Raheny Shamrocks Ryan Montgomery 54.22 with Donal O’Callaghan of Riocht AC Kerry third 54.23.West Limericks Gerard Guina was 4th 54.25.Cathal O’Connell St.Finbarrs took the over 40 title in 55.23,West Waterford’s Martin McCarthy had one of his finest runs over the 10 mile distance to take the over 45 title in 58.57 with St.Jospephs Larry Lacey winning the over 50 59.00,West Waterford took the first two men’s team placings with Eagle AC taking the third.
list of overall prizewinners at Dunphy Vivas Health Dungarvan 10.
plus all times attached
The following are the first six men in last Sunday’s ten mile road race.
1. Turea Sergiu Clonliffe Harriers 50.18
2. Ryan, Montgomery Raheny Shamrocks 54.22
3. Donal O’ Callaghan Rócht 54.23
4. Gerard Guina West Limerick 54.25
5. Con Marshall N/A 55.14
6. Martin Doody Limerick A.C. 55.16
Male O/40
1. Cathal O’ Connell St. Finbarrs 55.23
2. Pat O’ Sullivan Carrick-on-Suir 57.54
Male O/45
1. Martin McCarthy West Waterford 58.57
2. Joe O’ Sullivan Bandon A.C. 60.14
Male O/50
1. Larry Lacey St. Josephs 59.00
2. Gerry Cantwell West Waterford 61.39
Male O/55
1. Pat Twomey Eagle A.C. 63.04
2. Maurice Tobin Grange-Fermoy 64.38
Male O/60
1. Patrick O’Brien Charleville 76.26
Male O/65
Pat Doran Limerick 80.02
1. West Waterford AC 2. West Waterford Eagle AC
Raivis Zakis 13 Philip Harty 34 Declan O’Shea 33
Sean Stilwell 16 Trevor Mason 50 Ciaran Dunne 38
Padraig Healy 20 Pat O’Riordan 52 Michael O’Regan 122
49 PTS 136 PTS 193 PTS
The following are the ladies results in the ten mile road race.
1. Mary Margaret Meade North Belfast Harriers 58.59
2. Pauline Curley Tullamore Harriers 59.02
3. Madeline Dorney Thurles Crokes 62.35
4. Mary Sweeney St. Finbarrs 63.46
O/35
1. Diane Behan West Waterford 66.09
2. Kathleen O’ Callaghan Sportsworld 66.27
O/40
1. Tracey Guilfoyle Kilnaboy 65.20
2. Angela McEvoy St. Finbarrs 69.14
O/45
1. Bernie Kelly Galway City Harriers 77.19
2. Josie Uí Chuirrín West Waterford 79.02
O/50
1. Mary Sheehan Grange- Fermoy
2. Anne Fitzgerald Waterford A.C. 69.57
O/55
1. Margaret Barry Middleton AC 86.34
O/60
Maggie Dunne Grange/Fermoy AC 85.07
The winning ladies team were Waterford A.C.558 points.
The members of this team were Brea Cooke 153, Mary Burke 179. and Sylvia Malone 226