Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

National Senior Championships this week end

Waterford will be very well represented this week end on Saturday and Sunday at the GloHealth National Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry Stadium, A number of athletes from Ferrybank including Thomas Barr will be attempting to add to their tally of titles won -  Barr going for five 400 metres hurdles titles in a row-  Kelly Proper in the 200 metres - going for three in a row and 5 in all- she is also running in the 100 metres-she won this in 2013- and may take in the long jump as well going for 4 in a row and 9 in all, Cara Kennedy is in the hammer seeking 5 titles in a row and Jessie Barr who has been injured seeking to regain her 400 metres hurdles title to make it 4 in all she won three in a row from 2011 to 2013-she missed out on last years final due to being held up in traffic.Also competing for Ferrybank will be Niall Tuohy in the 800 metres, Neasa and Sorcha Murphy both in the high jump and Andrew Connick in 1500 and 5000 metres.For West Waterford Thomas Houlihan will be in the pole vault and James Ledingham in the 800 metres and possibly Sean Curran in the junior 3000 metres. For Waterford AC Kevin Fitzgerald is entered in the javelin and Barry Keane in the 3000 metres junior The competition begins on Saturday at 1 pm and on Sunday at 11.30 am full timetable on Athletics Ireland website. We wish all our competitors the very best

 Joe Gough at World Master's in Lyon

This week the World Masters Track and Field Championships are in Lyon in France in various age groups and a total of 8500 athletes from all over the world are competing. Included among them is Joe Gough West Waterford AC who is in action on Thursday in the heats of the 800 metres over 60, the semi final is on Friday and final on Sunday. last year Joe won the European title over the distance

Kelly misses out narrowly in Belgium

Kelly Proper finished second in a 200 metres race in Ninove in Belgium on Saturday last in a season's best time of 23.24 seconds just outside the qualifying standard of 23.20 for the world championships. A second race was held an hour later which Kelly won in 23.30 and is running this evening Tuesday again in Belgium in Oordegem we hope she makes it there.If not she has until next Sunday at the Nationals to achieve the time as entries close that night. There would still be a chance of her being selected even if she does not reach the standard under the IAAF Quota system The rules are the IAAF will select athletes from year- end- rankings list to fill the quota set for each event and Kelly is among 4 Irish athletes short listed the 200 metres quota is 56 athletes in total.

National Half Marathon

Two very well known women in Waterford athletics both won National Half Marathon titles in Dublin last Sunday. Mary Ryan Jennings took the over 60 title in 1 hr 41 minutes 47 seconds and Terri Gough West Waterford the over 70 in 2.29.08

Morris Oil 10 Km

130 competed in the Morris Oil 10 KM road race in Piltown on Friday last and Niall Sheil St Killian's Wexfor   put in a storming finish to win in a time of 32 minutes 54 seconds,  the long time leader Brian Murphy Carrick was second in 33.00 and Danny Smyth Ballynonty was third in 33.55. First lady home was Clare Annan Clonmel in 39.26 , Annaleigh Hore Kilmore Co Wexford was second in 39.52 and Kate Nolan Waterford was third in 42.02 It was the final race in the Outfield Sports Series The overall series winners were Niall Sheil and Mary Molloy Carrick on Suir.

23 rd Annual Rás Na Rinne on Friday

Another race in the Ger Wyley Sports Skins Series the 23 rd Annual Mooney's Bar 6 miles Rás Na Rinne is in Ring Co Waterford on Friday next at 7.30 pm.Entries on the evening from 6.15 pm at Halla Poiblí Na Rinne..