Unknown

28 November, 2009

Camaderry 2002 Race
Leinster Championship race - Report by Douglas Barry
He didn't say it because he's too modest, but "Veni, Vidi, Vici" is what he could have declared. Instead Robin Bryson let his feet do the talking last weekend. One week after winning the World Masters Championship in the Austrian Alps, Robin took the final round of the Leinster Championships on Camaderry mountain, comprehensively beating the opposition and John Lenihan's record of 54 minutes 7 seconds.
The Enniskillen based World Champion powered away from the small field soon after a relaxed start from the side of the rather splendid Upper Lake at Glendalough. Winding upwards from the trees onto the open mountain which dominates the skyline of Wicklow's most celebrated beauty spot, Robin soon had a sizeable lead over Irish international Bernard Fortune who was being chased by the irrepressible Paul Mahon.
Robin took advantage of the hard ground donated to the runners by the rather benevolent indian summer of recent weeks and set a record of 50 minutes 40 seconds lopping a sizeable chunk of the old Lenihan record. Behind him, an inspired Paul Mahon chased down Bernard Fortune on the steep descent only to see the Wexford runner power away again on the forest track to finish. Behind him, Simon Fairmaner recovering for his long injury problem took 4th with the impressively improving John O'Reilly in 5th.
Another amazing run in the women's race saw Beth McCluskey chop nearly 10 minutes off Ailis Brosnan's record with an astonishing time of 58 minutes 47 seconds. This put the mountain biker into 6th place overall only 4 seconds behind John O'Reilly. With form like this, it's a pity Beth didn't travel to the Worlds in Innsbruck due to a mountain bike event clash.... The newly crowned Leinster Champion Joan Flanagan was second woman and 1st vet with Emma Sokell in third.
The men's over 50 category was won by Ercus Stewart with Mick Kellett continuing his dominance of the over 60s, but the day belonged to the Master. Robin Bryson - World Champion (sounds good, eh?) - is the Master and with form like this will give anybody in Ireland a lesson in mountain running for the foreseeable future!