The experienced combination of Irene McFadden, Ann Marie McGlynn and Monica McGranaghan took gold for Letterkenny Athletic Club at the highly prestigous Irish Life Health National Road Relay Championships in Raheny, Dublin yesterday.
The journey was well worthwhile with LAC’s runners cementing the club’s status and reputation as one of the country’s elite athletic clubs.
The Masters’ women’s team, comprising the 3 in-form runners, picked up Gold in their event.
In the process, they broke the course record for Masters’ women. Irene McFadden showed the benefits of her recent warm weather training by getting LAC off to a flying start when she ran 5.47 for the 1 mile first leg.
Annmarie McGlynn destroyed the rest of the field by running 10.43 for the 2 mile second leg.
This put the club into a commanding position and Monica McGranaghan ran a very strong 3rd leg of 6.02 which ensured gold medals for the team. There was a comfortable margin of 29 seconds between LAC and the team finishing 2nd, Crusaders AC. The time was 22.32.
Letterkenny AC’s senior women’s team also picked up medals, finishing third behind Queen’s University and UCD AC.
Nakita Burke got her team off to an excellent start by clocking 5.23 for the 1st leg.
Annmarie McGlynn showed her amazing stamina and proved why she’s an Irish International. After running the middle leg for the Masters’ team, she did likewise for the Senior team and did it in 10.29, 14 seconds faster than she had run earlier.
Noeleen Scanlan’s strong run of 5.23 in the last leg ensured bronze medals for the club. The team’s overall time was 21.15.