County Tipperary Athletic News by Niall O Sullivan County Senior PRO

Littleton was the venue last Saturday night, 11th July for the County Tipperary Intermediate Road Championship. Conditions were very warm throughout both races. The women’s 4k race was over a one lap course with the finish on the track in Littleton. After the initial charge the pace was set by four athletes, the Clonmel duo of Ruby Carroll and Amanda Moroney, local athlete Nikki Kenneally and the eventual Champion Laura Earley of Fethard AC. As the athletes entered the final mile of the race Laura Earley increased the pace that soon saw her draw clear of the group. Then as the athletes came into view on entering the track for the final 300m Laura had a commanding lead which she held all the way to the finishing line to come home a very worthy and convincing Champion in 14 mins 40 secs. This was a brilliant performance by Laura who completed the full set of individual medals, winning the bronze medal in 2024 in Galbally, the silver medal at the same venue in 2025 and now top of the podium. In this race for the silver medal Nikki Kenneally used all her local knowledge over the closing stages to go clear of Ruby Carroll to finish 2^nd in 15 mins with Ruby winning the bronze medal in 15 mins 9 secs. For the record Amanda Moroney Clonmel AC was 4^th (15.17), Carol Molloy Fethard AC was 5^th in (16.04) and Emir Costello Moycarkey Coolcroo AC was 6^th in 16.18.

In the team event with three to score Fethard AC retained the Cup with their gold medal winning team of Laura Earley, Carol Molloy and Paula Hendriksen 9^th in 16.27. The Clonmel AC team of Ruby Carroll, Amanda Moroney and Sareen Walsh 11^th in 17.33 won the silver medals. The Dundrum AC team of Catherine Fogarty 7^th (16.21), Emily Leahy 10^th (17.19) and Mairead Julian 17^th (18.43) won the bronze medals.

The men’s race was also competitive and looking at the results it was great to see the top seven athletes representing seven different Club, brilliant. The men’s race was over two laps with the finish on the track. Here after the initial charge, the leading group entering the village at the end of the first lap included Pawel Hoc Clonmel AC and the eventual Champion Eamon Morrissey Dundrum AC with chasing pack back a bit. Then midway through this lap Eamon increased the tempo and soon drew clear of Pawel and he increased that gap all the way to the finish line, to come home a very worthy and convincing Champion in 27 mins 3 secs. This was a brilliant run by Eamon who has shown a welcome return to form with a great performance at the recent Coillte 10k in Dundrum. Then we had Pawel Hoc winning the silver medal in 27 mins 33 secs to add to his County Novice silver medal won earlier this year. Then we had Patrick Harris of Carrick on Suir emerging from the chasing pack to win the bronze medal in 28 mins 30 secs. For the record we had John Treacy Thurles Crokes 4^th in 28.42, Louis Rice Fethard AC was 5^th in 29.06 and Donie Bergin Moycarkey Coolcroo, the County Novice B Champion, 6^th in 29.22.

In the team event it was four to score. Here the victorious winners were Carrick on Suir with their gold winning team of Patrick Harris, Eugene O Keeffe 9^th (29.34), Tim Treacy 11^th (30.17) and Keith Fraher 17^th (32.10). There was a right tussle foe the silver and bronze medals between Dundrum AC and Fethard AC with both finishing on 48 points, Dundrum securing the silver medals on countback with their team of Eamon Morrissey, Wayne Bargary 14^th (30.49), Richard Bresnan 16^th (31.29) and Jim Hally 23^rd (33.23). The Fethard team that won the bronze medals included Louis Rice, Padraic Ryan 12^th (30.33), James Maher 13^th (30.42) and Kevin Tobin 19^th (32.33).

At the Presentation of the Awards, Owen Fanning, County Chairman, thanked Moycarkey Coolcroo AC for organising the events. He also thanked the Clubs for their support in these Championships as we had two very good events.

https://tipperaryathletics.com/tipperary-results/