Crossing the Finish Line, Cheetah Run 2024

Ryan Creech Starts the 2024 Cheetah Run 5K.

We had an amazing evening in Fota Wildlife Park yesterday for the 2024 Eagle AC Cheetah Run 5K & 1 Mile Juvenile Race. Your feedback has been so positive, and we appreciate everyone who has been in touch to say thank you & to commend the efforts of all our volunteers! It was a wet start as runners entered the park with some heavy downpours but as it always seems to do, the weather gave us a window to run both of our races. While our surroundings were damp the enthusiasm of our participants was far from dampened, the buzz and excitement that the Cheetah Run brings to the park was palpable.

Runners in both races were under starters orders from this year’s race ambassador the very speedy Ryan Creech and this must have had an influence on the times as they were swift, and over a challenging course!

It seems like it is a lucky omen to be the face of the Cheetah Run 1 mile event. One of our star athletes from 2023 event, Eoin Looney (Blarney Inniscara A.C.) was 1st home for the boys and one of our star athletes for the 2024 event Nellie Bateman (Belgooly A.C.) was the race winner for the girls.

Eoin & Conor Looney 2023

Freya & Nellie Bateman 2024

Photos by Darragh Kane

Kealey Tideswell of Clonmel A.C.  was once again in superb form winning the ladies race and taking home our beloved Anne Lucey Murphy Memorial Cup. Second home was Michelle Kenny of Leevale A.C. and third was Noémie Leduc Grange Fermoy, Lily Manning of Belgooly A.C. had a superb race finishing 4th lady overall and Emma Leahy was 5th over the line. First Junior Female on the night was Ava Chandler or Ballymore Cobh A.C.

Photos by Joe Murphy & Mick Dooley

Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers A.C. dominated in the men’s race despite a challenge from some racing wallabies around the 4km mark, Mark Walsh of Leevale A.C. came In second place, 3rd place went to Dermot Gorman of Carrick-On-Suir A.C. & John Meade of St. Finbarr’s A.C.in forth. The closest battle of the top 5 was for 5th and 6th place with Kristaps Liepins of Watergrasshill A.C winning out over Donal Coakley for the 5th spot. Our first Junior Male home was Shane Byrne from Togher A.C.

Photos by Mick Dooley & Maeve Boland

The beauty of the Cheetah run is that it appeals to all runners. Our Elites usually have an exciting race at the top of the field, and this provides great entertainment for our spectators. Our category prizes are always hotly contested with runners returning year after year to this very popular event, and it is also the ideal setting to undertake your very first 5K race. Throughout the race we were delighted to see so many familiar faces, Niamh McCarthy Paralympian and previous Cheetah run ambassador ran in our 5k, The Assisted Running team of Katie Louise & Derek Goodfellow travelled all the way from Belfast to be with us last night, and the couch to 5k crew from Watergrass hill have been training hard and made this their target 5k event after months of training.

Photo by Ruairi Egan Race Director

We would like to thank each & every one of your for supporting our Eagle A.C & Fota Wildlife Park Cheetah Run event for 2024. We would also like to thank our Sponsors John Buckley Sports, & Brooks Running, MP O’Sullivan Cash & Carry for the water. Thank you to the The Red Cross Cork City Unit were on hand to assist with any accidents or injuries. Finally, but very importantly thank you to all of our Eagle A.C. volunteers who gave up their time and enthusiastically supported all of our participants and also the amazing team at Fota Wildlife Park both of their assistance on the night and for the use of their very impressive Education Conservation & Research Building for teas & coffees afterwards.

Provisional Results.

All prize winners and category prize winners are listed below.

1 Mile Race

Top 3 Boys

1 Eoghan LOONEY	00:05:09	1100	M15
2 Darragh STEWART	00:05:16	1010	M14
3 Darragh MOLONEY	00:05:31	1007	M12

Top 3 Girls

1 Nellie BATEMAN	00:05:18	1058	F12
2 Jenny KENNEALLY	00:05:33	1008	F14
3 Matilda CUNNANE	00:06:07	1079	F11

5KM Race

Top 5 ladies

Kealey Tideswell	00:17:38	00:17:38	225	F40	Clonmel A.C.
Michelle Kenny	00:18:09	00:18:10	593	F40	Leevale A.C.
Noemie Leduc	00:18:30	00:18:31	369	FS	Grange/Fermoy A.C.
Lily Manning	00:19:38	00:19:40	195	FJ	Belgooly A.C.
Emma Leahy	00:19:45	00:19:51	609	FS

1st Junior Female

2 Ava CHANDLER

00:20:21

00:20:27

444

FJ

Ballymore Cobh A.C.

 

F35

1 Suzanne ALCOCOK	00:20:20	00:20:24	38	F35	Ballymore Cobh A.C.
2 Christine KELLY	00:20:45	00:20:51	365	F35	East Cork A.C.
3 Claire STONE	00:22:17	00:22:24	835	F35	Togher A.C.

 F40

3 Patricia RYAN	00:20:41	00:20:44	294	F40	Dundrum A.C.
4 Rhona DEMPSEY	00:20:49	00:20:53	493	F40	St. Finbarrs A.C.
5 Kathleen KEANE	00:22:00	00:22:10	181	F40	St. Catherine's A.C.

F45

1 Carol MOLONEY	00:21:15	00:21:21	25	F45	Courcey A.C.
2 Helen WALSH	00:21:20	00:21:26	848	F45	Togher A.C.
3 Valerie NEVILLE	00:22:02	00:22:10	688	F45	West Muskerry A.C.

 F50

1 Cherie DOHERTY	00:22:05	00:22:10	498	F50	St. Finbarrs A.C.
2 Gillian SOHUN	00:23:18	00:23:30	206	F50	Leevale A.C.
3 Máire MARSHALL	00:23:46	00:23:58	629	F50	Ballymore Cobh A.C.

 F55 (changes in the category as we had a male running under someone else’s number)

2 Eleanor M. DUGGAN	00:24:39	00:24:56	508	F55	Aghada Running Club A.C.
3 Caroline O'DONELL	00:25:31	00:25:40	708	F55
4 Colette RYAN	00:25:27	00:25:43	817	F55	Togher A.C.

F60

1 Mary SWEENEY	00:22:36	00:22:36	297	F60	St. Finbarrs A.C.
2 Marie MCCARTHY	00:28:09	00:28:42	39	F60	Ballymore Cobh A.C.
3 Mary MULCAHY	00:29:01	00:29:31	658	F60	St. Finbarrs A.C.

F65

1 Margaret KELLIHER	00:25:37	00:25:45	358	F65
2 Una WEBSTER	00:29:45	00:30:08	858	F65	Aghada Running Club A.C.
3 Anne SHEEHY	00:30:01	00:30:18	222	F65	St. Finbarrs A.C.

F70

1 Cathy CURLEY	00:32:25	00:32:50	24	F70
2 Helen O'DONOGHUE	00:40:11	00:40:54	712	F70

Top 5 Men

1 Sergiu CIOBANU	00:15:35	00:15:35	866	M40	Clonliffe Harriers A.C.
2 Mark WALSH	00:15:49	00:15:50	852	MS	Leevale A.C.
3 Dermot GORMAN	00:15:55	00:15:55	160	M40	Carrick-On-Suir A.C.
4 John MEADE	00:16:00	00:16:00	879	M40	St. Finbarrs A.C.
5 Kristaps LIEPINS	00:16:05	00:16:05	235	MS	Watergrasshill A.C.

Male Junior

1 Shane BYRNE

00:17:05

00:17:06

430

MJ

Togher A.C.

M40

4 Darren AHERN	00:17:32	00:17:32	84	M40	Midleton A.C.
5 Loic Garel	00:18:18	00:18:19	533	M40	St. Finbarrs A.C.
James GRUFFERTY	00:18:20	00:18:20	64	M40	Leevale A.C.

M45

1 Kieran MCKEOWN	00:17:18	00:17:18	648	M45	Grange/Fermoy A.C.
2 Conor O'NEILL	00:18:24	00:18:23	756	M45
3 Lance DOHERTY	00:18:55	00:18:53	497	M45	St. Finbarrs A.C.

M50

1 Mike WALSH	00:18:39	00:18:41	850	M50	Grange/Fermoy A.C.
2 Graham BICKERSTAFFE	00:20:58	00:21:06	409	M50	St. Finbarrs A.C.
3 Michael NAUGHTON	00:21:06	00:21:13	87	M50	Togher A.C.

 M55

1 Padraig SHEAHAN	00:18:42	00:18:44	824	M55	Millstreet A.C.
2 Ian O'LEARY	00:18:50	00:18:51	744	M55
3 Noel CARR	00:19:58	00:20:00	370	M55	An Ríocht A.C.

M60

1 Peter QUINN	00:22:10	00:22:14	170	M60	Ballymore Cobh A.C.
2 Seán O'BRIEN	00:22:24	00:22:34	699	M60
3 Michael CREED	00:23:31	00:23:42	465	M60

M65

1 Pj HOLMES	00:24:55	00:25:01	286	M65	Dundrum A.C.
2 Norman ALLEN	00:25:11	00:25:53	397	M65
3 Thomas O'NEILL	00:28:48	00:28:54	755	M65	Ballintotis Fit4Life A.C.

M70

1 Willie O'RIORDAN

00:23:58

00:24:02

765

M70

St. Brendan's A.C.

M75

1 Ian KOHLER	00:29:23	00:29:46	220	M75	Midleton A.C.
2 Jimmy MURRAY	00:30:37	00:31:01	17	M75
3 Billy CABALL	00:39:39	00:40:24	194	M75	St. Finbarrs A.C.

 If you notice any errors in the results please do contact us.

All prize winners, who have not yet received their prizes will be contacted early next week.