Wilson sisters win on double
Victories in half-marathon
DMP SISTERS Katie and Ciara Wilson strode to success in two popular half-marathon competitions that took place last weekend in different parts of the country.
The first was the Eurofins Waterford Greenway half-marathon organized by West Waterford AC, popular due to its stunning course which takes in the old Waterford to Dungarvan railway line.
It was an early start for the many competitors, particularly those travelling from far afield. There were plenty of pacers through the field catering for every standard of runner.
Given the flat course (net elevation of -100 metres), many of the 800 or so runners were looking to knock chunks off their PBs.
Among those taking part was DMP’s Katie Wilson. Having undergone back surgery earlier in the year followed by months of rehab, she was happy to be back running pain-free.
Katie being Katie, her aims did not stop at simply running painfree though. She was out to make her mark.
With high-quality competition, Katie knew that she could take nothing for granted. In the heel of the hunt, she ran a very controlled and balanced race to win in an excellent time of 1.22.25 for her first win at this distance.
She had minutes to spare over international race walker, Kate Veale of the host club (1.27.01), with Keely O’Reilly third (1.28.28).
Katie was presented with the Paula Collins Perpetual Trophy. The main focus of fundraising, the local Rapid Response Vehicle Group, were on the receiving end of a cheque for €2,500 by day’s end.
An hour later, Katie’s DMP sister and clubmate, Ciara, was on the starting line in Tullamore at the Athletics Leinster Bord na Móna Tullamore Harriers half-marathon.
Tullamore Harriers is well known for its track and field pedigree and its fine facilities, but they also have a proud tradition in road running.
The quality of the race meant that, not only was it chosen by Leinster as the provincial championship race, it was also chosen by the county boards of Offaly and Kilkenny.
The race was no bother to Ciara, who outpaced the competition and crossed the finish line in a fast 1.20 hours to win, with neighbouring St. Joseph’s AC athlete Sally Forristal taking second place (1.22.18) and St. Laurence O’Toole’s Emma Furey placing third (1.24.50).
This year has been going particularly well for Ciara with wins in the National 5 Mile, the Docklands 5k, the John Treacy 10 and, closer to home, the United Striders 5k (in a new personal best of 16.06 minutes).
Both Katie and Ciara plan on competing at the forthcoming Dublin Marathon and will be using the next few competitions to finetune their form.
Deserving of special mention is coach Dan Roe for his hard work behind the scenes.