Maiden half marathon win for Taughmaconnell runner

The Athlone Athletics Club half marathon proved to be a momentous sporting occasion for Taughmaconnell's Deirdre Kelly as she claimed her maiden win in the female category of the race.

Posting an impressive finishing time of 1.29.54, the Cuckoo Hill Club runner was the first female runner to break the tape, Athlone AC representative Maura Shine finishing in second position.

The third staging of the Athlone Athletics Club half marathon and 10km races proved a major success story on Sunday morning.

Over 600 competitors started and finished both races on the TUS Athlone campus running track, the predominantly flat route taking in a stretch of the greenway from Athlone to Mullingar.