ATHLETICS: More Stewart success as athletes prepare for Buncrana 5k

Teenage Spartan and Lumen Christi runner, Fintan Stewart, took the Ulster Secondary Schools’ Senior Boys 1,500m title in Antrim on Saturday while, on Sunday at the Templemore track, he claimed the pole position again over 800m, this time in the Paddy O’Donnell Memorial meeting.

His clubmate Angeline McShane was the female 800m winner and another Spartan, Connor Bradley, warmed up nicely for this Wednesday night’s Buncrana 5K with a win over 3,000m.

Paul McCafferty and Michael Murphy continued their quest for glory in the Donegal Road race series with second and third in Friday night’s Newtowncunningham 5K, clocking 16m 50s and 16m 56s respectively behind Kevin Moore, of DSD, who posted 16m 35s for the win.

The Lumen Minor Girls’ sprint relay squad did well for the silver medals so ‘well done’ to Katie Devlin, Connie O’Brien, Aela Stewart and Emily Neill. Cara Laverty won the mini Girls’ 800m individual silver for Thornhill and then anchored the Culmore School’s sprint relay quartet to team silver.

St Cecilia’s Eimear Kelly won the Inter Girls’ 75m Hurdles silver and there were numerous other good performances from local students at the Provincial showcase.

Buncrana Ready For Blast Off

The 13th edition of the much vaunted Buncrana 5K road race over, perhaps, the best course around these parts, is all set to pull in the usual mix of quality and quantity on Wednesday night, the 7.30pm start on St. Oran’s Road expected to showcase a great line up.

Entries will be taken from 5.30pm to 7.15pm in the nearby Scoil Mhuire and pre-entry can be made up to 6.00pm on Tuesday evening. To avail of this, please send your name, gender, age on race day and club, if any, to [email protected]

Race packs can be collected at Scoil Mhuire on race night so please come as early as possible - from 5 30pm - to avoid delays and congestion.

Up front on the night should see some hot action with the likes of top locals Connor Bradley and Scott Rankin expected to front the chase for quick times. Donegal athletes Barry Harron and Pauric McKinney are also expected to feature and other significant names no doubt will rock up on the night.

Local star Catherine Whoriskey will line up and may face talented Letterkenny AC duo, Natasha Adams and Anne Marie Larkin, with the top Foyle Valley, Springwell and Acorns women expected to have a crack at PBs on the proven fast Buncrana circuit.

With chip timing, generous prizes, a fast circuit and strong competition throughout the field, the Buncrana 5K is one not to be missed. It has everything for the front runners and the down the field participants, even the complimentary post race refreshments are famous so make sure you are there on Wednesday night.