Flying Fox shatters local marathon record

Racing in the colours of Armagh Athletic Club, the 39-year-old Millvale Road athlete ripped apart his own personal best of 2.21.36 with a

sensational sub 2.20 time, in the process averaging a red-hot pace of five minutes 19 seconds per mile.

In a vast field of nearly 20,000 runners the lightning quick sports massage therapist bombed through the 10k mark in 32.57 and reached the halfway point in 1.09.03, finishing thirteenth overall and third in the 35-39 age group. Incidentally in the past four years Michael has been twelfth twice and thirteenth twice.

Speaking to the Reporter Michael said: “It’s a lifetime dream to go under 2-20. I felt good for most of the race and was relaxed while running with a wee group. Although I was worried at 12 miles when the sole came off my shoe. But I was able to hang in and get to the line.

“Since Christmas I have been coached by Irish Olympian Kevin Seaward and he has been a big help.”

A further help to Michael was the support of his family in Dublin – wife Michelle, mother Elaine and children Darcy, Freddy and Finnley.

Another athlete who had a day to remember was Brendan Heaney, also of Armagh AC, who surged to the line with the clock reading 2.28.13, a personal best by over two minutes. The 29-year-old Jonesboro man too had almost even splits, reaching the halfway mark in 1.13.36. The quietly spoken Heaney, who finished thirty-first in the vast Dublin Marathon field, said: “I was comfortable until 10 miles. But running with team-mate Brian McElvanna and then with former Dublin winner Gary O’Hanlon helped me greatly.”

Incidentally also a big help to Brendan, who was running in just his third marathon, was a recent two weeks training camp in the Pyrenees with his clubmates Michael and Brian. It was there that he reached his biggest ever mileage week … of 130 miles!

His Armagh City clubmate Brian McElvanna was the third team member who ducked under the 2.30 barrier, recording 2.29.53 and earning second place in the 44-49 age group.

Meanwhile Sunday was arguably the greatest day in the history of local marathon running, as apart from one sub 2.20 and two sub 2.30s, there were a host of other stunning times.

Two other sub-three-hour men were Armagh City athletes Mark Patton who recorded a speedy 2.52.36 and Hugh McConnell who did 2.57.48.

Slieve Gullion Runners were well represented at the Marathon with Barry McCarroll recording a blistering 2.38.06 and other great times coming from Seamus Fearon (3.14.33), Eileen Fearon (3.38.56), Barry Savage (3.57.53) Tina Crawley (4.20.18) and finally Michael Fox’s cousin Damian Fox ducked under four hours with a nippy 3.57.53.

Newry City Runners enjoy a brilliant day

Among the 18 NCR members who took part in the marathon, seven got PBs and two were running their first marathon.

First home for the club, taking 8:27 minutes off his time to earn a new PB of 2:49:29 was Tomas Magill. Mark McNulty was next in 2:51:26 with Conor Morgan not far behind in 2:53 a PB of 29 seconds and Daryl Bogues sped home in 3:07:48, a new PB of two minutes. Hayley McAteer took 9:55 minutes off her Belfast time to romp home with a PB of 3:10:06 and Aine Fegan had yet again another smashing marathon time, finishing in 3:11:44. Paul O’Brien got another sub 3:20 time of 3:16:40 and Neil McMurray has now achieved a PB across three different distances, as he took 5:35 minutes off his time, to finish in 3:22:25.

James McCaffrey smashed his PB, taking 20:52 minutes off his time, crossing the line in 3:28:52. Damien Maguire finished in 3:36:38 and Michael O’Neill was another to earn a new PB, with a new time of 3:50:05 he took a massive 21:06 off.

Aisling Murphy was home in a time of 4:15:33, Peter Maguire 4:16:36 and Ciara McCaffrey, running her first marathon, had a brilliant race of 4:20:09. Patricia Simpson also had a great race, finishing in 4:27:52 as had Gemma Blackadder, another first-time marathon runner, she finished in 4:29:31, with Julianna Markey 4:50:46 Declan McConaghy finishing in 5:08:11.