Gold for Mark Ryan

14 June, 2014 - Gerry Brady

European Masters
Nowa Ruda, Poland

Only one Irish runner travelled to Nowa Ruda in Poland for the fifth European Masters mountain running championships. There was only one gold medal on offer in the Men 35-39 age class and one runner was enough to win that for Ireland. Mark Ryan (Rathfarnham) ran 38:04 for the 9.4km course with a climb of 570m. He won by well over two minutes from Polish runner Piotr Kon and he becomes the first Irish man to win a European Masters title.

Ryan joins previous Irish winners: Aisling Coppinger (W35) and Mags Greenan (W50) in 2008; and Donna Mahon (W35) and Helen White (W45) in 2010.

Brian MacMahon made the journey also and won the open race in 37:45 which was 15 seconds ahead of the Polish runner-up.

M35 (9.4 km, 570m climb)
1. Mark Ryan (IRL) 38:04
2. Piotr Kon (POL) 40:26
3. Vladimir Srb (CZE) 40:34

Open race
1. Brian MacMahon (Clonliffe) 37:45