Laois Senior Road Championships
The club enjoyed a memorable morning at the Laois Senior Road Championships, claiming
team titles in both the men’s and women’s competitions in Ballyroan on Sunday. In a
remarkable display of strength in depth, St Abbans fielded two full teams in both races,
underlining the growing momentum within the club.
In the Women’s 4km race, Rachel Ayres led the charge as first club finisher, securing an
excellent third-place individual podium finish behind the McDonald sisters. She was
superbly backed up by Claire Phelan, Riona Bolton and Sarah Fleming, whose combined
efforts earned the team gold medals and the county title. The club’s strength was further
highlighted by a second women’s team of Audrey Byrne, Karen Kavanagh, Sinead Kelly and
Deirdre Delaney, who delivered a strong performance to finish fourth overall.
The momentum continued in the Men’s 8km race, where Stephen Hunter produced a
superb run to claim second place, closely followed by Brian Kelly in third. With strong
scoring performances from Colin Coyne and David McEvoy, the men’s team secured gold
and completed a memorable double victory for the club. The depth of talent was again
evident as the club’s second men’s team — Dermot Ayres, John Fenlon, Tom Kenny, Paddy
Dunne and Chris Fraiser — powered home to take an impressive third-place finish, only
missing out on silver medals by a point.
Winning both the men’s and women’s team titles on the same day represents a significant
achievement for the club and reflects the dedication, commitment and strength across the
endurance group within the club. It was, by any measure, a fantastic morning for the club —
a clean sweep of team honours and a proud day for everyone involved.
A word of thanks must go to Ballyroan/Abbeyleix and District for their organisation of the
event on what is a busy road for athletes and stewards to navigate.