ANN-MARIE McGlynn broke the Donegal half-marathon record at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships this morning.
Competing in Gdynia, Poland, McGlynn finished 42nd in a time of one hour, 11 minutes and 40 seconds.
The Letterkenny AC athlete was the sole Irish female entrant in the race, which was held over four loops of approximately 5.5km.
In an historic race in which the top six women all finished inside 66 minutes for the first time ever, McGlynn laid down a serious message of her own intentions.
McGlynn’s 71:40 is not only a new personal best but a Donegal record over the distance, eclipsing her previous best of 71:59 set in Barcelona in February 2019.
McGlynn has firm intentions of Olympic qualification with the Tokyo Games postponed until next year due to Covid-19.
In Gydnia, McGlynn came strongly through the field and this represents a significant marker for the Colin Roberts-coached athlete as she closes down her road season in serious terms.
These Championships were originally scheduled for March and are the only European or World Championships event pencilled in for this year.
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir overcame Melat Yisak Kejeta (Germany) and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Ethiopia) in a sprint finish with the winning time of 65:16 a new women’s world record. Kejeta’s 65:18 is a new women’s European record.
