LVAC Avondale Cup 2026 - WL 5 of 6
Sunday, 8 March, 2026
George Harrison 5k Lap, Phoenix Park.
Race 5 Podium – Handicap Applied 🏆
🥇 Hilary McDonald – Net Time: 27:42
🥈 Aoife Brady – Net Time: 23:17
🥉 Jason McGlone – Net Time: 18:55
Race 5 Podium – Clock Time 🏆
🥇 Mark Naylor – Net Time: 15:48
🥈 David Carroll – Net Time: 15:56
🥉 Pierce Geoghegan – Net Time: 16:01
Race 5 added another decisive chapter to the Winter League, dramatically reshaping the standings as the competition enters its final stretch 📊🔥. With the 5 race participation bonus now coming into play, consistency and commitment across the season are starting to pay off in a big way.
Several athletes who have taken part in five races received the +10 point participation bonus, which has had a major impact on the leaderboard and produced significant movement near the top of the table.
Winter League Standings – After Race 5 (of 6) 🏃♂️❄️
New Race 5 Podium 🏆
🥇 Hilary McDonald (187 points)
🥈 Paul Balfe (176 points)
🥉 Donal Iremonger (173 points)
Previous Podium (After Race 4)
🥇 Paul Balfe (166 points)
🥈 Simon Monds (164 points)
🥉 Donal Iremonger (163 points)
Race 4 ➜ Race 5 – League Movement 📊
Race 5 proved to be a turning point in the league standings 🔄. The introduction of the +10 bonus points for athletes completing five races rewarded consistency across the series and reshuffled the leaderboard.
🚀 New League Leader: Hilary McDonald surged into 1st place overall, combining another strong result with the 5 race participation bonus to take control of the standings with 187 points.
🔥 Paul Balfe, who had led the league for several races, remains firmly in contention in 2nd place, while Donal Iremonger continues his impressive consistency to hold onto 3rd place.
The fight for the podium remains extremely tight, with several runners still mathematically capable of breaking into the top three in the final race.
Consistency Paying Off 💪
Athletes who have raced five events are now being rewarded for their commitment. Runners such as:
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Hilary McDonald
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Paul Balfe
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Donal Iremonger
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Margaret O’Friel
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Paddy Reilly
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Antonio Lorente
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Joe Cooper
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Pat Collins
Have all received the +10 participation bonus, demonstrating how showing up race after race is one of the most powerful strategies in the Winter League 🧠🏃♂️.
Biggest Gains 📈 (Race 4 ➜ Race 5)
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🚀 Hilary McDonald: major leap into the overall lead thanks to another strong result and the 5 race bonus (+4 places, 5th ➜ 1st)
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🔥 Mark Naylor: continued his excellent form, breaking into the top 6 overall (+8 places, 14th ➜ 6th)
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⬆️ Paddy Reilly: climbed into the top 5 with consistent scoring and the participation bonus (+1 place, 6th ➜ 5th)
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📈 Paddy Doyle: continued his strong upward trajectory (+4 places, 16th ➜ 12th)
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🚀 Joseph Whittle: steady improvement through consistent participation (+6 places, 20th ➜ 14th)
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⬆️ Pierce Geoghegan: jumped into the top 25 following another strong performance (+2 places, 23rd ➜ 21st)
🆕 New Faces in Race 5
Race 5 also welcomed several new participants, continuing to grow the league and bringing fresh energy to the competition 👋👏.
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🆕 Jason McGlone
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🆕 David Carroll
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🆕 Michael O’Connor
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🆕 Ciaran Reilly
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🆕 Matthew Blyth
It’s fantastic to see the Winter League continuing to attract new runners even late in the series, adding depth and excitement to the field ❄️💙.
Looking Ahead – The Final Race 🏁
With five races completed, the Winter League now heads into its final event, the 2 Mile Road Race, with Handicap, on Tuesday 31th March 7:30pm.
While Hilary McDonald currently leads the standings, the margins remain tight and a strong performance in the final race could still reshape the top positions.
The final race of the Winter League promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the series, where every point will matter and runners will give their last push to secure their final positions.
Whether you’re fighting for the podium, defending your place in the top 10, or simply looking to finish the series strong, the final race will decide it all.
One race to go. Everything still to play for. ❄️🔥
So lace up, show up, and get ready for the grand finale of the Winter League! 💙🏃♀️🏃♂️
Leaderboard LVAC WL 2025-2026 after Race 5 of 6: INFO | PDF | JPG
Winter League Standings
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