Ballintotis Road Race: Sean Doyle and Hannah Steeds shine

TWO new names in Sean Doyle and Hannah Steeds were added to the Ballintotis roll-of-honour as a near-record field of almost 1,200 took to the now famous four-mile loop.

Trojan work by the huge organising committee, in particular with regards to parking, certainly paid off as everything once again worked like clockwork – especially when you consider that the numbers taking part were up over 300 on last year’s figures.

The race soon developed into a tussle between Charleville-born Doyle - who now competes with Cork City AC – and East Cork’s Paul Hartnett. After a swift opening mile of 4:42, Doyle made an effort after half-way and with about a mile to go had opened a gap which at the finish had increased to nine seconds, the winning time of 19:23 just 12 seconds outside Ryan Creech’s course record from last year.

Hartnett held on to second with 18-year-old Ryan McCarthy of Riverstick-Kinsale providing the biggest surprise of the night as he took third in 19:40, just a second ahead of last year’s third placer, Ger Forde from Kilkenny.

“I was happy with my time,” said a delighted Doye who is now coached by Rob Heffernan. “I’m starting to get into a bit of shape again, I’m aiming for the Cork City Marathon in June.

I’m heading off to Spain now for four weeks training in a bit of heat and hopefully then will give Cork a good rattle.”

The women’s race was an all-Leevale affair with the inform Hannah Steeds making her first visit to the Ballintotis venue a winning one, her time of 22:22 giving her over a minute in hand over Nadine Forde who just pipped Michelle Kenny for second, 23:37 to 23:38.

“I was on my own most of the way, although I got in behind some of the lads for some of it as it’s good to have a bit of a group,” said Steeds, a native of Bantry.

“I’m delighted to win; it’s a nice fair course on nice country roads. It was great, with all the around the local community, the flags and all the people cheering, a really good atmosphere.” 

This year a new addition to the race was the inclusion of the Cork County Road Championships. For Chairman of the Cork Athletics, Board, Pat Walsh, it was his first visit and he was fulsome in praise of what he witnessed.

“I was very impressed, it’s so well organised and the whole community is involved. We are absolutely delighted to have our four-mile championship here, it couldn’t have gone to a better location,” he declared.

Men: 1 S Doyle (Cork City) 19:23; 2 P Hartnett (East Cork) 19:32; 3 R McCarthy (Riverstick-Kinsale, MJ) 19:40; 4 G Forde (KCH) 19:41; 5 T O’Donoghue (East Cork) 19:42; 6 D Molloy St Finbarrs) 19:46; 7 J Sheehan (North Cork) 20:05; 8 N Shanahan (An Bru, M40) 20:06; 9 S Ciobanu (Clonliffe, M40) 20:12; 10 T Forristal East Cork) 20:20.

Women: 1 H Steeds (Leevale) 22:22; 2 N Forde (Leevale, F40) 23:37; 3 M Kenny (Leevale, F40) 23:38; 4 C Murphy (Eagle, F45) 24:10; 5 E Doyle (Cork City) 25:11; 6 T Muldowney (East Cork) 25:13; 7 S Mulcahy (St Catherines) 25:20; 8 S Flannery (Ballintotis F4L, F40) 25:22; 9 F O’Riordan (Carraig na bhFear, FJ) 25:27; 10 E Cardiff (Kilmore, F35) 25:29.