Scullion and Byrne take AAI titles as Bekele and Howarth win Great Ireland Run:

Some 10,000 runners of all ages took part today in the SPAR Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park, Dublin in very windy but warm conditions.  Among these were almost 1,500 children in the Mini and Junior Runs for five to eight year olds and nine to fifteen year olds respectively.

The SPAR Great Ireland Run incorporated the Woodies DIY National 10k Championships and saw Olympian Linda Byrne of DSD take the Irish title in 6th place in 34:24.  Stephen Scullion of North Belfast Harriers finished in 7th place in the SPAR Great Ireland Run and took the Irish national 10k title in 30:15.

The event also featured the SPAR Great Ireland Mile for elite men run on the main road of the Phoenix Park.  Paul Robinson of St Coca’s AC in Kildare was a decisive winner coming home in 4 minutes and 14 seconds.

The 10k Run itself was won by defending champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in 28 minutes 51 seconds, fast running in the high winds.  He was challenged for the first 7k by Collis Birmingham of Australia but finally broke away just beyond the 8k mark.  Second place in 29:08 went to multiple European cross-country champion Sergiy Lebid of Ukraine and world 10,000 metre champion Ibrahim Jeilan was third in 29:18.

Defending women’s champion Gemma Steel of Great Britain had to settle for second place behind compatriot Lauren Howarth who won in 33:36 ahead of Steel’s 33:49.  Julia Bleasdale in third made it a clean sweep for the Britons in 33:53.

Men:
1. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 28:51, 2. Sergiy Lebid (Ukraine) 29:08, 3. Ibrahim Jeilan (Ethiopia) 29:18, 4. Hamid El Mouaziz (Belgium) 29:26, 5. Collis Birmingham (Australia) 29:30, 6. Urige Buta (Norway) 29:40, 7. Stephen Scullion (Ireland) 30:15, 8. Mats Lunders (Belgium) 30:28

Women:
1. Lauren Howarth (Great Britain) 33:36, 2. Gemma Steel (Great Britain) 33:49, 3. Julia Bleasdale (Great Britain) 33:53, 4. Diana Martin (Spain) 34:03, 5. Elena Romagnolo (Italy) 34:19, 6. Linda Byrne (Ireland) 34:24, 7. Elle Baker (Great Britain) 34:38, 8. Emma Clayton (Great Britain) 35:07

SPAR Great Ireland Mile:
1. Paul Robinson (St Coca’s AC) 4:14, 2. Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) 4:16, 3. David Harper (Sligo AC) 4:18

Article and Photograph taken from Athletics Ireland website.