Tallaght Athletes Shine in Marathon & Minithon
By Cecil Johnston

Despite the heavy downpour of rain our competitors in the adidas Dublin City Marathon and Minithon shone brightly on the Halloween Bank Holiday Monday.

After many months of training, fourteen of our senior athletes achieved a variety of individual goals when crossing the Marathon finishing line on Merrion Square. First to cross the line for Tallaght was Neil Coppinger who ran a very respectable time of 2hrs and 44 minutes. Neil was followed home by Colm Barcoe who also ran a blinder, crossing the line in 2.51 with Lisa Myles Dunne, domiciled in the States for many years, delighted to cross the line on home ground, as Tallaghts third finisher in a time of 2.57.

Frank Ferguson was next to finish in 3.03, and he was followed across the line by Christy Reilly (3.12), Gerry O’ Brien, 3.14, Vivian O’ Hanlon (3.17), Ray Fitzsimons (3.18), Martin Haddock (3.19), Dennis Cahill (3.21), Anna King (3.23) and Gary Clarke (3.25), the latter eight, including debutantes Ray Fitzsimons and Martin Haddock, all finishing in a 12 minute period.

John Stokes, after plenty of encouragement along the Crumlin/Drimnagh section of the course, from a group of unknown supporters in a car, finished in 3.50, with debutante Ann Marie Byrne, finishing in 4.04.

Elsewhere, more than 30 0f our younger athletes took part in the Minithon, which started a half hour after the Marathon, and despite being drenched from the sustained downpour of rain, they bravely battled more than 400 other competitors, aged 9 –18 years, over the route of the 2.5k event. 

In the boy’s category, Tallaghts Anthony Lieghio had a very close and tough encounter all the way to the line with the 2004 winner, Eoin Callaghan, Star Of The Sea A.C. and was just pipped for the title by the proverbial short head. Brian Connolly was next to finish for the club in 12th, followed by David Somerville and Niall Forrester.

Aisling Johnston, the 2003 winner of the female category was determined to win the event after finishing second in 2004 to club mate Tracey Williams (presently on Scholarship in Iona College, USA), and the 14yr old readily claimed her second adidas Minithon title in three years, when crossing the line a clear winner in 14th place overall, with only 13 male athletes ahead of her. Her 9yr old niece, Jade Johnston was the second Tallaght athlete to finish with Roisin O’ Hanlon next home for the club.