McCambridge, Fagan and Marathon Mission squad run well in Great North Run

Maria McCambridge (Rathfarnam/WSAF) posted a new PB over the half-marathon in Sunday’s Great North Run in Newcastle. Finishing in 9th place, McCambridge posted a time of 74.32, an improvement of over two and a half minutes and 45 on her previous best for the challenging distance.

Mullingar’s Martin Fagan also performed very well in the men’s race finishing in 7th place in a world class field, clocking 63.24. While outside his own record of 60.57 for the distance, Fagan was competitive for a lot of the race before giving way to the eventual winner, the great Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, who won in 59.33.

The Dublin Marathon funded Marathon Mission squad also ran well, with four athletes posting new personal bests for the distance. In the women’s race, Caitriona Jennings (Rathfarnam/WSAF) clocked 77.47 and Barbara Sanchez (Raheny Shamrock) 78.06, both personal bests. Likewise in the men’s race, Greg Roberts (City of Derry) and Barry Minnock (Rathfarnam/WSAF) each ran new personal bests with 67.23 and 68.12 respectively.

Overall the Marathon Mission trip to the iconic half-marathon race in the north-east on England was a success with five new personal bests posted from the team of ten who competed. The squad will be looking to build on their performances in their preparation for the Dublin Marathon in October.