LARNE father and daughter David and April Clarke are looking to reclaim the half marathon world record in Belfast on September 22. David (65) and April Clarke (32) set the Guinness World Record for fastest half marathon run by a parent and child (mixed) at in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in 2022.
They achieved a combined time of 2 hours 44 minutes and 2 seconds that took 90 seconds off the previous best. But the Larne duo were since beaten by a mother and son by 1 second in America. They are now in a bid to claim the record back at the 2024 Moy Park Belfast City Half Marathon on Sunday, 22 September.
The pair, both members of the North Belfast Harriers club, bring impressive credentials to their attempt on the world mark. David was in sparkling form earlier this year taking three medals at the European Masters’ Indoor Championships in Poland including a victory in the 3000m. Earlier he had claimed double gold at 800m and 1500m in the Irish Masters’ Championships in Athlone. He is also reigning Irish 5K road champion.
Exactly one year after their record run in Larne, April gave birth to a son Ollie but she is now back in training and turned in a creditable 19:31 clocking at the Belfast Victoria parkrun in early May. She hopes to be back to pre-maternity fitness by the time of the race.
David was a notable absentee from last weekend’s NI Masters’ at the Mary Peters due a hamstring strain but this, he says, is only a temporary setback. Both are determined to regain that record in September.
Meanwhile we are getting down to the wire in terms of Olympic selections. Five more Irish athletes had their places in Paris confirmed this week when Luke McCann (1500m), Cathal Doyle (1500m), Kate O’Connor (heptathlon), Nicola Tuthill (hammer) and Eric Favors (shot) stayed in their quota positions after the cut-off point at midnight on 30 June.
Entry to the Olympics is offered to all those (limited to three per country) who meet a certain standard determined by the organisers well in advance of the Games. Occasionally the number of automatic qualifiers exceed the limit, such as the women’s marathon and the ceiling is lifted to accommodate them.
However, where the total of automatic qualifiers falls short of the number required, the shortfall is made up from the World Athletics listings based on factors too numerous and complicated to list here. While five of the seven Irish athletes remained in a quota qualification spot for Paris after Sunday’s cut-off date and will now join the ten Irish athletes already qualified automatically, two others look set to miss out.
Of these, Thomas Barr dropped two places outside the 40-athlete quota in the 400m hurdles but may still gain entry if there are two withdrawals before midnight on Thursday night while Sophie Becker slid four places outside the 48-athlete quota in the 400m. Again the Raheny Shamrock athlete will be looking for withdrawals.
Although outside the Olympic places going into last weekend’s championships, Jodie McCann moved up five places in following her victory in the 5000m and she now sits in 47th spot with places for only 42 women.
Including the five latest additions there are now fifteen individuals and two relay teams qualified to represent Ireland in Paris. Rhasidat Adeleke is qualified over both 200m and 400m but will opt for solely the latter distance.
Similarly, Ciara Mageean will drop the 800m to concentrate on the 1500m with Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan also in the event. It will have not escaped the notice of the Portaferry woman that three Americans ran under 3:56 at their trials last weekend making them all medal prospects.
Sharlene Mawdsley will join Adeleke in the 400m while Andrew Coscoran will now have the company of McCann and Doyle in the 1500m. Mark English is safely in the 800m while Brian Fay is in the 5000m. Sarah Lavin in the 100m hurdles and Fionnuala McCormack in the marathon complete the list. The final list of entrants will be published by World Athletics on Sunday with Paris just three weeks away.
The Great Rossa Run in Ardboe, Co. Tyrone is the main local road fixture this weekend. Shane Mallon and his team are organising races of 5K, 10K and half marathon. The action kicks off at 10:00am on Sunday morning for all three races starting simultaneously. And now in its fifth year, Annadale Striders’ Day of 3000m Races takes place at the Mary Peters Track on Saturday afternoon.