Event Date - Sun 06/10//13
Venue - Moyne
Time - 12:00

Opening event of the 2013 cross country season:

The Cross Country season opened on Sunday sixth of October with the Tipperary Even Age Championships which were held in Moyne. The course was very open and therefore exposed to the stiff wind which prevailed, while the underfoot conditions, although dry, were very uneven. Despite this, our athletes performed very well and finished with a total of 15 individual medals, including five gold and five team medals which would have been added to if we had a couple more runners to complete various teams. In two races, the boys u12 and boys u18, we managed to fill all three medal winning places.

Many thanks to all the parents who travelled and cheered on all of our athletes. The story of the day as follows.

Check 2013 Pictures for more photos from this event

Girls u10:
Racing over 800m we had three girls competing here. Emma Mulcahy was first home for us finishing in 10th place and winning a medal, which was a fine run. Next home for us was Hannah Grace in 13th and Pheobe Sage in 15th.

Boys u10:
Our boys in this age group excelled and we're blessed to have so many fine runners to call on, with some of them still u9 which bodes well for their later racing.
Alex Reynolds continued his fine form of late, having won his schools race during the week, to power to victory in great style, leading almost from start to finish. Tom McCutheon was next home for us finishing in 4th place, with Oisin Pepper in 5th and Cian Hodgins in 7th after great runs by all three lads which saw them take team gold by a comfortable margin. Our next four lads combined to finish in 6th place in the team standings with Luke Purcell, running his first race for the club, finishing in 11th place, Jack O'Callaghan in 16th, James Sage 26th and Ben Connolly in 33rd. Well done lads.

Girls u12:
Our girls team finished 4th here with Lucy Mulcahy in 12th and then we had two debutantes for the club, firstly Aoibheann Slattery finished 16th with Abby Sharkey just behind in 16th and Denise Cullagh was 41st.

Boys u12:
Once again the boys shone in this race, picking up all three individual medals as well as team gold and all fully deserved. Ted Collins had a super run over the 2000m course where he was a the front of the race from the start and stretched out the field to come away a very convincing winner as he was at the schools recently. Aaron Morgan also had a super race and added to his recent schools gold medal with a silver here when holding of the fast finishing Josh Egan, who race a very clever race to come through for his bronze. Rory Grace was a superb 9th place and was the 4th member home of the gold medal winning team. Joseph O'Donoghue continues to improve and can be happy with his run which saw him finish 15th, while Anthony Dunne was 22nd and Jake Murphy finished 34th.

Girls u14:
Alannah Deering ran a very controlled race when winning gold over a 3000m distance. Sitting in the group from the start, she made her way to the front with 800m to go and strode away to victory. Lauren Moylan deserved huge credit for her run, despite hearing late on that due to several dropouts, there wouldn't be a club team, she showed up and finished in a very credible 7th place for an All Ireland 200m medal winner.

Boys u16:
Cormac Dunne had a superb race when finishing 3rd against some very fine athletes. This was just reward for Cormac as he has put in a great effort in training over the last few months and well done to him. Richard O'Donoghue was a little below his usual high standards but a 5th place is nothing to be ashamed of and we have no doubt that he'll be back flying very soon. Oisin Fahy put behind him some nerves due to the fact that this was his first ever competitive race of any kind to finish in 14th place and guide the team to a silver medal.

Girls u18:
Ciara Cummins was in commanding form as she took this race by the scruff after 2000m of the 4000m and never relinquished the lead for a fine victory. Aoife Deering was also a little off form when finishing 5th but we hope there's better runs to come from her later on, while Orlagh Deering was competing in her first race for two years and her 9th place finish secured the team gold for the girls.

Boys u18:
Nenagh athletes were again the dominant force in this race, claiming all three individual medals and team gold. After 2000m of the 5000m distance, it had become a three horse race with Darren Dunne, Killian Cullagh and Niall Mc'Intyre all vying for victory. Darren and Killian pulled a way from Niall and a great battle ensued before Darren gained the upper hand close to home and secured the win with Killian just behind and Niall in 3rd spot. Well done to all three lads on a superb race.

Check 2013 Pictures for more photos from this event

It was great to see so many of our own athletes in action and also great to see the large turnout from other clubs which lead to a competitive and fun event enjoyed by athletes and spectators alike. The weather conditions were very favourable and the venue was in great shape as usual. The story of our day is as follows.

Girls u10:
Emma Mulcahy, Ellen O Shaughnessy, Hannah Grace and Pheobe Sage set the tone for the day as they battled through a field of 10 other teams to claim the bronze medal and all four girls can be really proud of their runs as ye were brilliant.

Boys u10:
We have a great luxury with this group, as no matter how we picked two teams from the eight lads we knew they would produce the goods and so it proved once again as they came home first and second against some very strong teams. Jack O Callaghan, Oisin Pepper, Luke Purcell and James Sage narrowly pipped the team of Cian Hodgins, Tom Walsh, Zac Egan and Alex Reynolds and what a sight it was to see both teams battle for gold a long way ahead of their opposition. Well done lads.

Girls u12:
Unfortunately the girls weren't amongst the medals on this occasion but they can't be faulted for their efforts. For several of them this was their first outing at such an event and they will have benefited from the experience. Abbey Sharkey, Aoibheann Slattery, Lucy Mulcahy and Ailbhe O'Neill, gave their all against some very good teams and a 5th place finish was a good result.

Boys u12:
Once Josh Egan opened up a lead on the first leg, the result of this race was never in doubt, barring a tragedy, which thankfully didn't happen. Josh handed over to Ted Collins who extended the lead, as did Rory Grace on the third leg and it was left to Aaron Morgan to bring the baton home which he duly did for a very convincing win for the lads.

Girls u14:
Like the boys previously, this race was won nearly from the start, as Lauren Moylan, who survived a scare at the first bend, then stormed into a lead that the team wouldn't relinquish. Alannah Deering ran a fine second leg and handed over to Sadbh O'Mahoney who kept the advantage after a very good run and Olivia Moylan powered home to complete a fine win.

U16 Mixed:
As ever the mixed race provided excitement and entertainment and this happened right from the start as Ciardha Maher unfortunately lost her footing as the whistle went but she recovered well and handed the baton to Richard O'Donoghue who made up ground before handing over to Amy White who ran a stormer and left Cormac Dunne in a medal position on the last leg. Cormac had a fine run and brought the team home to a well deserved silver medal.

Thanks to all of our athletes who competed and to our supporters who cheer on all of our teams.

EVENT DATE - Sun 10/11//13
Venue - Castlelyons Co. Cork
Time - 11:30
Uploaded by Garrett Moylan, based on Nenagh Guardian notes by PRO Ray Deering
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Munster Cross Country:
The Munster Uneven Age Cross Country Championships were held in Castlelyons Co Cork last Sunday and many Nenagh Olympic athletes did exceptionally well in their races.

With a total of 26 medals in their pockets on the way home between individual, club and county, you could say it was a great day for the club and it was but it could have been so much better but for some below par runs from a few of our athletes. The course was very testing for athletes and spectators alike. It wasn't helped by the rain that started to fall as soon as we arrived and continued all day, getting heavier all the time. Well done to all who braved the elements and this is how the day went.

Boys u9:
What a great bunch of lads we have in this age group, they show no fear when they go out to race and so it was here again, as all five powered their way around the course to win the club team title which is a great achievement and not an easy thing to do. Our first athlete home was Cian Hodgins who finished in 6th place after a great effort which saw him come through the field late on with a powerful run to claim his individual medal. Just behind Cian was Tom Walsh in 7th who also had a storming finish and he continues to improve with each run. Cian and Tom also won bronze medals with the Tipperary team. Zac Egan put in a huge effort early in the race and unfortunately it took its toll near the finish, but he can be proud of his 25th place which helped the team to gold as did Filip Mc Intyre's run which saw him finish 27th with Jack O Callaghan just behind in 28th. Well done once again to all five lads.

Girls u11:
Aoibheann Slattery finished 67th in a huge field of athletes over the 1500m distance and in doing so was the 5th Tipperary athlete home thus helping the team to a county bronze. This is Aoibheann's first Munster medal and well done to her.

Boys u11:
We had three athletes representing us here and each of them had a fine races considering they were all a year out of age. Rory Grace was first home for us finishing in 28th place with Alex Reynolds in 37th and both lads were part of a Tipperary team that claimed bronze medals. Joseph O Donoghue was 57th, showing great determination throughout he should take heart from the facy that he had well over half the field behind him when he finished.

Girls u15:
Alannah Deering had a disappointing race finishing in 23rd place over the 3500m distance and we await the time when she will put two good races back to back but hopefully it's coming.

Girls u17:
Ciara Cummins had another solid run when finishing 6th in this race over 4000m. Ciara was to the fore throughout fading slightly as the pace increased over the testing ground but she held on to claim an individual medal. Aoife Deering was never in the race right from the start which was disappointing as her form had been good recently, she finished 16th.

Boys u17:
A club team silver was a just return for the efforts of all of our five lads in this 5000m race. Killian Cullagh had his best performance of the Cross Country season so far finishing 4th in a high quality race. Making light of the underfoot conditions , Killian was in a group that was battling for second place as the leader was well gone but he stuck to his task and was rewarded with a fine finishing place from a confident run. Darren Dunne was next home for us in 10th spot, a good run considering his warm-up was a half mile run from the car-park down the main street of the village before arriving at the course and this was all done in his spikes, good man Darren!! Niall Mc Intyre had a much better race than of late, showing more drive in his running when finishing 15th. Richard O Donoghue moved up in age and put ''distractions'' out of his mind to produce a fine run for his 29th place finish thus cementing the club team silver for his teammates. Cormac Dunne who was suffering with sore skins throughout the race deserves great credit for finishing and in doing so ensured that Tipperary had six counting athletes andd they claimed the bronze medal. All five lads were part of the Tipp team and added to the club and individual medals this was a great haul for the lads.

Boys u19:
Tom Hennessy produced our performance of the day when finishing 2nd in this race over 6000 grueling metres. Considering Tom is more noted for his 400 and 800m running and a fine high jumper, it just goes to show that athletes shouldn't be bracketed as one thing or another. If you put in the training and enjoy what your doing as well as fully committing yourself to a race, then you can achieve a great result like this. It was a pleasure to witness Tom's determination and never say die attitude as he fought all the way to the line in what was a super race. Well done Tom.

Event Date - Sun 27/10//13
Venue - Limerick Racecourse
Time - 11.30

Munster Cross Country Success for Nenagh Athletes!
 
The Munster Even Age Cross Country Championships were held at Limerick Racecourse last Sunday and a fine test of running it proved to be. A testing course was made even more difficult by a howling wind and some very heavy showers but Nenagh athletes, as they have in the past, made light of the conditions and secured a fine total of 17 medals, 6 individual and 10 medals won with Tipperary teams. Well done to all who competed for the club today, it was not easy, and no one said it would be easy, but ye all did very well.
 

Check 2013 Pictures for more photos from this event

Girls u10:
Emma Mulcahy ran a fine race once again and finished in 54th place in a field of 109 runners.

Boys u10:
Confusion reigned at the start of this race with many of the athletes unable to hear the starter due to the wind and several were left when the gun went off including some of our own. Despite this there were some fine runs from the lads. Alex Reynolds was our first athlete home, when finishing strongly for 19th place with Tom McCutheon not far behind in 23rd, having made up a huge amount of ground on the field. Cian Hodgins, despite being a year out of age ran a super race to finish in 31st place and was the 6th Tipperary athlete home thus securing a team bronze along with Alex and Tom. Oisin Pepper was next home for us in 64th, with Tom Walsh (who fell in the race) recovering to finish in 67th and Luke Purcell, who was competing in his first Munsters in a very credible 70th place out of 110 runners.

Girls u12:
Like her sister Emma, Lucy Mulcahy gave her all in this race and finished in 65th place. Both girls deserve great credit for running in these events, which they do with a great attitude and more often than not they do so without any team mates to fall back on, so well done girls and keep it up.

Boys u12:
What a sight it was to see a Nenagh singlet out in front in a boys u12 race and the singlet belonged to Ted Collins, who made his intentions clear from the start as he took the race to his competitors. It was a brave effort and we commend his courage. Ted finished in 6th place which was a great result against a very good field of athletes and well done to him. Aaron Morgan, who would quickly confirm that he isn't a fan of cross country, ran a fine race for a 28th place finish and along with Ted was on the Tipperary team that won bronze medals. Josh Egan had another fine run in an event that's new to him and can be proud of his 39th place finish while Rory Grace in 66th and Joseph O'Donoghue 115th will know that they will have more to offer in their own age group in a few weeks time.

Girls u14:
Alannah Deering ran a superb race to finish in 6th place and now we hope will build on this confidence wise. Alannah was with the lead group throughout the race and at one stage was leading the race herself, then the pace upped even further and a fall near the finish saw her finish in 6th place but a fine run none the less.

Boys u16:
A poor start from both of our runners in this race left them too much to do against a field of very good athletes. Richard O'Donoghue (29th) and Cormac Dunne (34th) unfortunately never got into the business end of this race which was a pity as both lads had been running very well of late but we know they will have better outings soon.

Girls u18:
Ciara Cummins once again showed what a fine runner she is when finishing in 5th place in this high quality field. Despite being a year out of age, Ciara was up at the front from the start and ran strongly throughout for her finishing place. Aoife Deering, also out of age had another fine run when finishing 9th. Aoife showed great determination by picking off athletes one at a time throughout the race and with Ciara, helped Tipperary to team gold.

Boys u18:
All three of our finishers in this race are u17 so it was a great to see them so well up at the end of the race and helping Tipperary to team bronze. Darren Dunne was in great form once again as he cruised across the sticky ground to claim the silver medal with his 2nd place finish. This was a fast race from the start and it never relented, but Darren was equal to the task and can be very proud of his run, as we are. Killian Cullagh was up with the early pace but despite losing touch midway through the race he fought hard and finished in an excellent 8th place, while Niall McIntyre ran a very solid race for his 23rd place finish.
 
Well done to all of our athletes and a special thanks to those who came to support them on such a miserable day.

Event Date - Sat 16/11/13
Venue - Athlone
Time -

Michael Quilligan and Paul White had great performances. Paul won bronze in the Senior section, performing well in all of his events. Unfortunately the Senior athletes don't travel to the Internationals but good stuff Paul.

Michael  will once again don the Irish singlet having finished 4th in the Intermediate section and although slightly disappointed about not getting amongst the medals, he can be very proud of his achievement as are we.

Michael will now represent Ireland at the Schools Internationals in Glasgow on December 14th and we wish him well.

Lauren Moylan finished well inside the top 10 of the Junior girls section.  The highlight of her day was a super run of 2.23 mins/secs in the 800m and Lauren will only get stronger in Multi Events as she fine tunes each event.