Outdoors Masters T&F results

Mags, Ann, and Pauline competing in Tullamore

Last week-end we had soggy Saturday. This week it was floody Sunday when the predicted ‘clearance to showers’ turned out to be more like persistent rain and dull dark clouds. It made for testing conditions at the National Track & Field Masters Championships in Tullamore. Both the technical field events and the track races had an extra dimension demanding resilience and not a little good humour. We had nine members competing – our biggest team for a number of years.
There were the usual competitive finishes on the track in all the category sections and close encounters also for the throwers and jumpers.
Our nine participants spanned  the categories from 35+ to 65+. Seven of them came away with a total of 16 medals: 3 gold, 9 silver, 4 bronze.

Mags Glavey won all her three races in W65 and beat many of the W60 women in the process – a brilliant performance. Martin Peyton has been a consistent competitor at the masters over the years with little reward. This year he won three silver – track and field – a great example of persistence. We are all aware that as the age categories head towards 90+ the number participating declines. However, if you can keep going and keep turning up at these championships success will come. Elsewhere regulars Ann, Patrick, and Tom were among the medals, also competing in a number of events in a ‘good mad’ way.

John Byrne in the action in the early laps of 5,000 metres

John Byrne is a relative masters newcomer and he ran a great race to win silver in a very competitive M40 5,000 metres, surging to the front of a group of four in the final 300 metres only to be overtaken by fast finishing Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham) – just under a second between them on the line. Pauline Moran competed in three events and won silver in the 3,000 metres. Angela O’Connor and John Walkin were just outside the medals this year and like all they gave their best on the day.

Here are the details. Full results are available on http://www.athleticsirelandenterprises.com/results_26072015/WPdoc.txt

Track: Women:
400 metres Ann Murray W50 4th
800 metres: Angela O’Connor W45: 4th; Pauline Moran W55: 4th; Mags Glavey W65: gold.
1500 metres: Angela O’Connor W45: 5th; Ann Murray W50 bronze; Pauline Moran W55 4th; Mags Glavey W65: gold.
3000 metres: Angela O’Connor W45: 4th; Ann Murray W50: silver; Pauline Moran W55: silver; Mags Glavey W65: gold.

Track: Men
100 metres: John Walkin M35 4th; Martin Peyton M65 silver.
800 metres: Tom Hunt M65 bronze
1500 metres John Byrne M40 4th; Tom Hunt M65 silver.
5,000 metres John Byrne M40 silver; Tom Hunt M65 silver

Field: Men:
Patrick Moran M60 high jump: bronze; discus: bronze; hammer: silver
Martin Peyton M65 shot putt: silver; long jump:silver