Spar Run – Who Got the Gold?
Last Saturday was the day of the 2015 Great Ireland Spar Race with athletes coming from all over the world, amateur and professional alike, all gathering in the Phoenix Park for a day of running and enjoying the good sunny weather. For its part, the weather did hold up, it only started raining and hailing lightly after the Elite Men had made their way to the finishing line.
The Woman’s Elite title went to British Marathon runner – Gemma Steel and Kenyan – Japheth Korir took first place in the Men’s Elite Race.
Gemma Steel finished in 33 minutes and 3 seconds and in close second place Irish runner Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole A.C.) with a time of 33 minutes and 7 seconds improving on her time of last year when she came fourth in 33 minutes and 54 seconds. In third place Spanish runner, Allessandra Aguilar, finished in 33 minutes and 11 seconds; Aguilar finished in last year’s 10k in third place.
Other Irish marathon runner Lizzy Lee (Leevale Athletic Club), finished in 5th place with a time of 34 minutes and 18 seconds. Lee only had a baby nine months ago and was in good form as she crossed the finish line.
Speaking to Lee’s father after, he was very excited about the first half of the race, where Lee was holding up in second place behind Steel for the first part of the race. Lee’s father, who is obviously her number one fan and was there to take photos of Lee as she crossed the finish line.
In the men’s Elite Final the first five places went to the Kenyans with Japheth Korir taking first place for the second year in a row, with a time of 28 minutes and 15 seconds, improving his race by 57 seconds; last year he won the race in 29 minutes 12 seconds.
Second place went to Birhan Nebebew who finished in 28 minutes and 21 seconds and in the third place James Rungaru followed with a time of 28 minutes and 22 seconds.
The Kenyan team was formidable and stayed in their team right to the end, separating the rest of the marathoners from them by ‘miles’.
The SPAR Great Ireland Mile started off the days’ races and Britain’s Jonny Hay did the mile in 4 minutes and 12 seconds; right on his heels, finishing in second place, were Wouter Ploegar.
There was enough to keep the spectators busy while they supported their favourite runners and family members who were there to take part in one of Irelands’ favourite 10K runs’. Food stalls were put up near the start and finish points selling Coffees, Real Irish Sausage and Tuk Tuk Noodles. For the children there was a Nutrition Zone – a game where you choose one of the Daily 5 foods and then throwing them at the a bag that matches the food group – and a Just Giving (the official sponsor of the SPAR Run) tent, giving away free balloons.
But it was not only the adults that made their mark and enjoyed a day of running; the Junior and Mini Marathoners took to the road and got there in the end as well. Here are the results for the Junior Marathoners:
Girls 9-11
1- Bea Drummond
2- Sadhdh Moham
3- Valencia Wright
Boys 9-11
1- Colin Smith
2- Laurence Linklater
3- Blayne Wright
Girls 12-15
1- Susan Glennon
2- Deirbhile O’Reilly
3- Aoife Morris
Boys 12-15
1- Niall Harvey
2- Cian May
3- Dean Holmes
