It has been a busy fortnight for the Letterkenny 247 members and once again we had members flying the 24/7 flag internationally.
Ironman Barcelona
Four club members travelled to Calella in Spain to compete in Ironman Barcelona on the first weekend in October. Ironman Barcelona takes place in the village of Calella of the Barcelona-Maresme region. The single-lap, 3.9k rolling start swim took place in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, beginning and ending on the beach of Calella. The bike course in Ironman Barcelona is renowned to very flat and fast and the 42.2 km marathon course from Calella to Calella-Santa Susanna followed the Mediterranean Sea giving participants some amazing views.
Aidan Callaghan was the first 24/7 member to cross the finish line in an amazing time of 9:45:21. Aidan started off with a superb swim time of 51:40- despite the awful swim conditions. He continued strongly on the 180km bike route, finishing the bike split in a very impressive 4:53:14. However, after running into nutrition issues when he lost a bottle from the bike, Aidan became unwell on the marathon course and had to dig in deep and fight to make it to the finish line. He finished the marathon course in 3:54:12, another superb time when he felt so unwell. Aidan’s finish time may not have been the sub 9hour time that he aimed and hoped for but to complete the event in a time of 9:45:21 is still something he should be so proud of. Well done Aidan.
Graham Parker travelled to Barcelona to take on his very first Ironman event. Graham also had an excellent swim time, he completed the 1.9mile course in a time of 1:14:46. Due to the testing swim conditions Graham became seasick but he put the head down and focused on the bike course ahead of him. He put in a strong bike performance with a split of 6:01:59 before taking on the grueling marathon which he completed in a time of 5:22:49. Graham crossed the finish line to those famous words ‘’You are an Ironman’’ in a superb time of 12:58:47- a sub 13hour debut half ironman is an amazing achievement!
Brothers Enda and Paul McNulty also travelled to Spain. Enda McNulty had a strong performance throughout. He exited the swim in a time of 1:13:09, before completing the bike course in 6:42:34 and the marathon in 4:55:27. He crossed the finish line in a fantastic overall time of 13:11:33. His brother Paul McNulty put in a great performance also. Paul swam a time of 1:31:55, completed the bike course in a time of 6:58:18 and the marathon in a time of 5:37:04. Paul crossed the finish line in an overall time of 14:30:14.
Congratulations to each one of you on your amazing achievements.
Ironman Lanzarote 70.3
Meanwhile in Lanzarote on Saturday the 6th October 24/7 had two club members- Pauric Kelly and Clara Quigley- travel to take part in Ironman Lanzarote 70.3. Renowned for the beautiful landscapes and testing winds Lanzarote is always a popular choice for club members both training and racing. The one loop swim course took place in the lagoon in front of Club La Santa, on the North West coast of Lanzarote. The bike course, challenging athletes with the strong island winds, goes straight through the heart of the island and boasts some stunning scenery. The run course started and finished in the Club La Santa stadium and consisted of three 7km laps. Pauric Kelly had a superb race finishing in an overall time of 5:30:48. Pauric exited the swim in a fantastic 38:04. He went on to put in a very strong performance on the bike split completing it in 2:52:56, before finishing very strongly with a 1:50:58 half marathon. Clara Quigley also had a fantastic race. Clara had a very strong swim time, exiting the waters of the lagoon at Club La Santa in a brilliant time of 36:48. Clara biked 3:13:31 for the 90km bike route and went on to complete the half marathon in 2:38:43 crossing the finish line in an overall time of 6:39:13.
Donegal Masters Cross Country Championships 7th October
Cross Country season has begun, and 24/7 members are embracing the challenge and taking part in some Winter training with a difference. At the Donegal Masters cross country championships in Carndonagh. Kathyrn McDevitt performed well with a finish time of 12:43. Brendan McBride, 18:13, Martin Donnelly, 18:25 and Cathal Roarty, 20:28, also put in strong performances on the day.
Donegal Novice Cross Country Championships 14th October
The weather was slightly better for the Donegal Novice Cross Country Championships hosted by Rosses AC in Mullaghaderg on Sunday past. In the ladies event, Natasha Kelly put in a very strong performance claiming 3rd place in the ladies event. Natasha had a brilliant finish time of 11:52-a super performance and another medal to add to her collection before she makes the trip to Ibiza this weekend to take part in the ETU European Duathlon Championships.
In the men’s event the trio of Brendan McBride, 24:48, Martin Donnelly,25:18, and Cathal Roarty,28:05, were in action once again lining out for their respective athletic clubs and once again each had strong performances.
Divers Hyundai Newmills 10k
Seven club members took part in the Divers Hyundai Newmills 10k on Sunday morning. In perfect running conditions, Paul Doherty showed he is close to getting back to his best with a superb finish time of 40:04. John Daly also ran well crossing the line in 41:34. John Connaghan ran well also with a 42:17 finish time. Mark Rodgers was back in running action, putting in a very good performance in 44:33. Martin Temple looked comfortable throughout and finished in a time of 47:29. Just 19seconds separated Barry Tinney in 50:32 and Tommy Hill in 50:51. Well done to everyone on some great running.
AGM
The Club’s AGM took place last Friday night and the following committee was ratified for the upcoming year:
Chairman: Liam Tinney
Secretary: Anne Robinson
Treasurer: Amanda McNulty
PRO: Fiona McDaid
Technical Official: Adrian Wasson
Youth Representative: Feena McBride
Committee Members:
Karol Harvey
Amanda Witherow
Aidan Callaghan
Paul Doherty
Rachael Stilvern
Elaine Gallagher
Keith Fletcher
Quarterly Swim Payment
The next quarterly swim payment for those that pre-pay is now due; please ensure payment is made asap.
SAVE THE DATE
The 2018 24/7 Club Awards night will take place in Arena 7 on Friday 30th November.
Club Training
Club training continues as follows:
- Monday: Coached track session at Aura
Message from Coach Ciaran O’Donnell: Leaving reception at Aura at 6.30pm SHARP to complete 2 mile warm up, out past Ballymacool Park. Latecomers will know where to head to meet them if anyone running late. On track and warmed up for 6.50pm, with session getting under way as soon as!
- Wednesday: Swim session- Novice 7-8pm, Intermediate/Advanced 8-9pm
- Thursday: Long run session leaves Aura at 6.30pm sharp- Hi-Viz is compulsory for these sessions- Be safe, be seen!
- Saturday: Club cycle from Aura at 9am- All members must have front and rear lights to take part in the club session.
- Saturday: Club swim session Saturday at 6pm Additional lane added for 14-16yr old club members- MUST be accompanied by a parent (please note prepayment does not cover Saturday swim)
Full results
Ironman Barcelona
Aidan Callaghan 9:45:21
Graham Parker 12:58:47
Enda McNulty 13:11:33
Paul McNulty 14:30:14
Ironman Lanzarote 70.3
Pauric Kelly 5:30:48
Clara Quigley 6:39:13
Donegal Masters Cross Country Championships 7th October
Ladies
Kathyrn McDevitt 12:43
Men
Brendan McBride 18:13
Martin Donnelly 18:25
Cathal Roarty 20:28
Donegal Novice Cross Country Championships 14th October
Ladies
Natasha Kelly 11:52 3rd
Men
Brendan McBride 24:48
Martin Donnelly 25:18
Cathal Roarty 28:05
Divers Hyundai Newmills 10k
Paul Doherty 40:04
John Daly 41:34
John Connaghan 42:17
Mark Rodgers 44:33
Martin Temple 47:29
Barry Tinney 50:32
Tommy Hill 50:51
