CIARAN DOHERTY OF LETTERKENNY AC was the winner of this afternoon’s North-West 10k.
The Burtonport native, who runs in the Letterkenny AC singlet, came home in a time of 31 minutes and 59 second seconds, leading the way from club-mate Danny Mooney, who was second.
1128 runners took part with hundreds more walking the event.
Picture caption: The North-West 10k winner, Ciaran Doherty (centre) with Danny Mooney, left, and Mark McPaul.
Mooney had a big battle for third with Finn Valley AC’s Mark McPaul, with Mooney just pulling away over the last 200metres.
Earlier today, Mooney finished seventh in the Liam Ball Triathlon in Derry, his first ever triathlon.
Mooney completed this morning’s triathlon in 64 minutes and 14 seconds.
Doherty led the way from start to finish, opening up a big lead on the chasing pack at an early stage and he never looked back.
Doherty – a World Masters Indoor 3,000-metre gold medalist in 2012 and silver medalist at the 2015 World Masters in the 3,000m steeplechase – previously won this event in 2003 and 2014.
Maria McCambridge, the course record holder for women, was the winner of the women’s race as she continues preparation for a marathon in Riga in two weeks’ time, when she hopes to hit the qualifying time for the 2016 Olympic Gamers in Rio.
McCambridge finished here in 34:38 with LAC’s Fionnuala Diver the next woman to complete the course.
The first masters athlete to finish was Letterkenny AC’s Ivan Toner, his time of 34:26 seeing him come in sixth overall.
Letterkenny AC’s Natasha Adams had won the women’s race in each of the last two years, but is currently in Spain, where she is training for a half-marathon in two weeks’ time.
The Donegal Person of the Year, Deirdre McGlone, started the race at McGinley Motors on Letterkenny’s Pearse Road, while the walkers were started by Charlie Kelly, the Honorary President of the North-West 10k.
This was the 20th staging of an event first ran in 1997 following the demise of its predecessor, the Rockhill 10k.
Until last year, the event had raised a combined €710,000 for 31 charities with the beneficiaries of today’s race The Irish Pilgrimage Trust – Donegal Branch; and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland, Donegal Branch.
More to follow …
