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18 Oct 2025
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18 Oct 2025
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Pauric McKinney and Kay Byrne
Pauric McKinney doubled up on gold at the European Masters Athletics Championships.
On Thursday night in Madeira, Portugal, McKinney took gold in the M60 category in the 10k road race.
Inishowen AC man McKinney finished in 35 minutes and 54 seconds.
Tis is McKinney’s first time at these Championships and he also won gold in the M60 8km cross country on Sunday.
On Thursday night, McKinney staved off Spaniard Francisco Garcia Lopez (36:57) and Great Britain’s Chris Upton (37:05) to land the gold.
In the cross country, McKinney was in command of the M60 category, taking gold ahead of Upson with Angel Suarez from Spain in third.
In the 5000m, McKinney was narrowly inched out of the medals, placing fourth in 17:40.08.
Upson won gold in 17:26.83 with Alain Durand of France claiming silver (17:28.43) and Benjamin Romkes from Netherlands earning the bronze (17:34.71).
Also on Thursday night, Finn Valley AC’s Kay Byrne helped Ireland to a team silver in the 10k road race.
Byrne was the seventh W60 and helped take the Ireland W40s to team silver.
Byrne joined Catherine O’Connor and Michelle Kenny to claim gold behind Great Britain and edging in ahead of Ukraine.
Ballybofey woman Byrne also won silver in the 8km cross country, alongside Anne Hegarty and Anne Gormley in the W60 category, beaten only by Sweden.
Her Finn Valley AC colleague Catriona Devine won the bronze in the W50 1500m in 5:03.68.
The Castlefin woman was third behind Sandrine Host of Belgium and Italian athlete Lara Gaultieri.
Rosses AC’s Aidan Gillespie reached the M50 100m hurdles final, placing seventh in 15.67 seconds after going 16.17 seconds in his heat.
Brian Boyce of Milford AC placed seventh in the M45 400m, clocking 53.97 seconds and was third in his heat of the 200m, clocking 24.49.
Read next: Donegal boxer Roisin Hegarty set for European U15 Championships
Shane Toolan from Tir Chonaill AC reached the semi-finals of the M65 100m and 200m. In the 100m, Toolan won his heat in 13.97 and placed fifth in his semi, finishing in 14.05. Over 200m, Toolan qualified in second from his heat in 29.09 and was eighth in Thursday’s semi-final, crossing the line in 29.65.
Barry Mackey from Letterkenny AC was 26th M60 in the 8km cross country and Mackey also competed in the 10k road race, coming through in 47:10.
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