The club brought its largest ever contingent to the 123.ie Athletics Ireland national masters' championships in warm Tullamore on Sat, July 26th. It was an occasion filled with action, fun, a first-ever relay success, one broken toe, personal bests, maiden performances, a few surprises, runs, jumps, throws and walks and , oh yes, All Ireland medals!
The best prepared club squad ever (with months of Monday throws sessions, Tuesday interval sessions and Thursday distance sessions behind them) made their way to the mecca of national masters' athletics on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Valentina and David located a nice groundsman on Friday evening who opened the gate especially for them to set up the club gezebo, sponsored by McElligotts KIA. Then Jim and Geoff arrived, complete with Jim's rainbow toe which had a collision with a Fenit sandstone the previous week but declared good enough to compete both on the track and in the javelin.
Sunblock on, numbers pinned to sky blue vests, warm-ups performed, time-tables checked and all ready for action.
And first in action was newcomer to national action, Noreen Stack. The North Commons flyer entered her first ever national 100m with spikes borrowed from one of our former teen athletes, Jessica Leen. Getting a pair of new spikes to fit properly is like getting a set of dentures for the mouth of the Shannon so Noreen had to abandon socks and off she went like a rocket up the Tullamore home straight in the W60 final. It was a hotty-burny-boy race, with experienced athletes and well fitted spikes burning up the track ahead of the Tralee GP. But, despite the fact that no medal would be around Noreen's neck after the race, she finished with a trade-mark smile that encapsulated the joy of masters' athletics. Noreen's daughter, Marie Clair still has one up on her mom as she won the national Community Games gold medal in the 200m some years ago, but Noreen still had the 200m to come, so could that issue be levelled out! The day would tell!
St Brendan’s AC Results National Masters 2025
Noreen Stack W60: 5th 100m, 17.29 secs; 7th 200m, 38.66 secs
David Kissane M70: gold 5K race walk, 36:46.33; 7th shot, 7.68m and 5th discus, 21.56m
Denis Brosnan M70: silver discus, 24,30m; 4th shot, 8.83m; bronze javelin, 20.86m
Martin Butler M70: 6th discus, 19.02m; 5th WFD, 5.12m
Jim O’Meara M65: 4th javelin 14.58m; 5th 5000m, 22.56.35;
Geoff Stacey M75: gold 5000m, 26:33.14; silver javelin, 17.51m
David Butler M40: 5th WFD, 4.36m; 6th shot, 6.80m
Valentina Tykhonenko W50: bronze WFD, 2.35m; 4th shot, 5.35m; 4th hammer, 17.02m (pb)
Ursula Barrett W45: gold long jump, 4.30m
Linda O’Sullivan W35: gold long jump, 2.78m
Marian McElligott W60: gold race walk 19:54.80
Áine McKenna W45 race walk: TR54.7.1
4 X 100m relay: bronze, 61.87 secs – Ursula Barrett, Linda O’Sullivan, Noreen Stack and Áine McKenna (PB)
Total: 5 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze.
Report and photos by David Kissane, PRO/Chair
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