Keogh sets new time for indoor half-marathon

Aifric Keogh (27), a member of Rowing Ireland’s High Performance programme which is based in Cork, knocked almost 13 seconds off the world indoor record, which was set earlier this year by US rower, Brooke Mooney, setting a new time of 1 hour 18 minutes 59.9 seconds in the age 20 to 29 category for the 21,097 metre distance.

She set the record during a Rowing Ireland virtual regatta, and it was one of two world records broken by Irish rowers on the day, as reigning single sculls world champion, Sanita Puspure, broke the half marathon world record in the age 30-39 category.

Puspure – who won the world title in 2018, and retained her crown last year – clocked a time of 1hr 18 mins 13.6 seconds, shaving 1.2 seconds off the record which had been set by Lauren Schmetterling of the USA.

“I used a Concept2 Ergometer – basically, a static rowing machine, the same as you would find in any gym, and Concept2 is the brand that we use in Rowing Ireland,.

“It was fun to try a new challenge during lockdown, but now that it’s done, I won’t be in a hurry to do it again!” says Keogh, who moved back home to Furbo from Cork, where she trains at the National Rowing Centre at Farran Wood.

Rowing Ireland’s High Performance camp was closed on Wednesday March 11, and its members were sent home, when it became apparent that Ireland was set to go into some form of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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