Dublin double at the Fingal 10k

Emmet Jennings (Dundrum South Dublin) and Ciara Hickey (Brothers Pearse) pulled off a big Dublin double at the Fingal 10km in Swords yesterday, the second race in the Irish Life Dublin Race Series.

The winners were both awarded the newly introduced Mayor’s Trophy by Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Adrian Henchy.

In the men’s field Jennings stepped on the gas with less than three kilometres left to leave two of the country’s top road racers trailing in his wake.

He came home in 30 minutes and 35 seconds, 22 seconds clear of Clonliffe’s Sergiu Ciobanu with Dunboyne’s defending champion Peter Somba well adrift in third (31:25).

Somba totally dominated the 2022 Irish Life Dublin Race Series and had already won the opening five-mile leg, but he struggled after half-way, and it was Clonmel-based Ciobanu who initially pushed the pace.

“I was afraid I’d gone too early and over-cooked it, but I just pushed on in the final two kilometre and I’m really targeting the road this year and stepping it up towards a half-marathon,” said schoolteacher Jennings, whose mum Mary is a six-time Irish National Marathon Champion and was also among the 3,000 runners who enjoyed racing in some overdue sunshine.

Ciobanu, a four-time Irish marathon champion, was delighted with runner-up spot as he has struggled to re-find his top form since a bout of COVID in 2022.

Ciara Hickey was also thrilled to win the women’s title after losing most of last year to injury.

“I was training for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon but picked up an injury a few weeks after winning the 5 Mile in first race of the series and I’m only getting back into it properly now,” she said.

Hickey’s hectic life as an accountant with two young daughters means she does a lot of training on a treadmill, and she was even busier than usual recently.

“My husband has just recovered from a ruptured appendix, so it’s been a very busy four weeks and I’m delighted to be here and fit. That time was just 15 seconds off my PB.”

Hickey won in 34 minutes and 36 seconds, a full minute clear of DSD’s Meghan Ryan (35:35) with Kate Purcell (Raheny Shamrock AC) completing the podium in 35:40.

Speaking after the race she said: “I’m really delighted to make the podium this year.

“I ran it last year and think I finished fifth or sixth. This is my local race. I live in Swords so I was able to do a recce of the new route during the week which really helped and I was also able to run down to it from my home today.

“The organisers and Irish Life did such a great job and it’s really great for the community here in Swords to host events like this. The support around the streets was massive.”

The next race in the Irish Life Dublin Race Series is the Frank Duffy 10 Mile (19th August) and then the Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon (23rd September).

Entry for the Irish Life Dublin Race Series is open at IrishLifeDublinMarathon.ie.

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon is sold out on Sunday, 29th October.