Article Updated: 9.50am 21st August
A 73 year-old grandmother – who has completed almost 900 (nine hundred) marathons was among the entrants at this year’s Extreme North Quadrathon Challenge in Inishowen.
Colette O’Hagan from Co. Louth won the Female 60 plus category for being the fastest over the four gruelling marathons in four consecutive days.
Colette O’Hagan did four marathons in four days at the Extreme North Quadrathon in Inishowen.
Once again, there were some notable Donegal successes.
The winner of the overall Warrior title for the best combined times for the four marathons over Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, was Aidan Hogan of Cork City AC, who clocked 13:19.36, ahead of Rodney McPhee of Springwell AC (Derry), in 13:51.46.
Hogan won the Kinnego Bay Marathon on Thursday, was second in the Malin Marathon on Friday, first in the Mamore Marathon on Saturday, and first again in the concluding Muff Marathon on Sunday. Deborah McPhee of Springwell AC won the female title over the four days, completing the four marathons in 17:15.26.
The overall Quest title for the best combined time over the four days for the half marathons (which were all the second half of the full marathon route) saw Paul McCullagh of City of Lisburn taking the honours in 6:27.15 while Ciaran Hegarty of Fun for Fun Letterkenny was runner-up with 6:28.48.
Derek Wilson of Run for Fun Letterkenny won the Male 40 plus category for the four half marathons. Michael Thompson of Lifford Strabane Athletics was third in the Male over 40 category.
Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson
David McGaffin of Springwell AC (Derry) won the M50 category with Kevin Doherty of Eglinton Road Runners in second.
Bernie Boyce, also of Run for Fun Letterkenny, was second in the female category for the four half marathons. Anne O’Doherty of Mid-Ulster AC was the winner.
Run for Fun Letterkenny entrants Derek Wilson, the M40 overall half marathons runner-up; Bernie Boyce overall female half marathons runner-up; and Ciaran Hegarty, overall open half marathons runner-up at the Extreme North Quadrathon.
Fin Begley of the 24/7 Triathlon Club won the Female 50 plus category.
Other north-west athletes who picked up prizes included James Mooney of Finn Valley AC who was second in the Male 40 plus category for the four marathons, and Dawn Houston of Eglinton Road Runners, who was runner-up in the Female 40 plus category over the four marathons. She was also first home in her category in the Muff Marathon.
Owen McKinney of Inishowen AC was third in the Male 50 Warrier category for the four full marathons.
Helena Dornan of Springwell AC won the F50 Warrier category.
The event drew entries from various countries, including the United States, Finland, the UK, and France.
Great credit goes to the main organiser Harold McGuinness and all those associated with this event.
The feedback was very positive and the event is a superb advertisement for the delights that Inishowen has to offer.
For the full results, see: https://www.sportident.co.uk/
