IRISH ATHLETES SET FOR THE ROADS IN RIGA
A team of four athletes will represent Ireland at this weekend’s World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia from 30 September to 1 October.
Shona Heaslip and Fionnuala Ross will lead out the Irish in the Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday where they will take their place in a stacked field that is set to include Kenya’s Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya’s 2023 world leader Irine Jepchumba Kimais, world cross country silver medallist Tsigie Gebreselama, and Germany’s European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen.
Heaslip comes into this event on the back of a life-time best performance in Larne of 1:10:35, while Ross also set a PB over the distance earlier this year with a 1:12:17 in Inverness (March 12th).
The duo of Peter Lynch and Hiko Haso Tonosa will lead Ireland charge in the men’s race where Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo is likely to be to the fore alongside Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Kenya’s world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and European 5km record-holder Jimmy Gressier of France.
Tonosa recently competed at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne back in August, recording an impressive ninth-place finish in a time of 1:02.23 PB which should stand him in good stead come Sunday afternoon.
Peter Lynch boasts a best half marathon time of 1:03:19 from his outing in Houston back in January of this year. The Kilkenny athlete will look to work with his Irish teammate as they seek to pick up places over the closing stages of the race.
Team Ireland (Athlete – Event – Club – Coach)
- Shona Heaslip - Women’s Half Marathon - An Riocht - Niamh O'Sullivan
- Fionnuala Ross - Women’s Half Marathon - Armagh AC – Self
- Hiko Tonosa Haso - Men’s Half Marathon - DSD AC – Self
- Peter Lynch - Men’s Half Marathon - Kilkenny City Harriers - Taylor Gulley
Note:
*Kevin Seaward (Withdrawn)