Colleges

22 March, 2015 - Gerry Brady

A small but elite field of orienteers dominated the 2015 Colleges mountain running championships on a dry sunny day. The route climbs from the shores of the Upper Lake in Glendalough to the summit of Camaderry with the steepest and most technical part over the last 500 metres of the climb. Some mountains ease off near the top but not Camaderry as it changes to steep, wet, and eroded peatland near the summit.

The return home involves a very technical early part followed by a long unrelenting descent. The course makes it difficult for a poor descender to hold out. This year the small field were all competent descenders so the places remained largely unchanged from the summit. Conor O’Keeffe had a comfortable 100 metres lead at the top but his nervous look backs near the top revealed a concern and his pursuers closed to seven seconds by the finish. Roisin Long had a solid climb and descent roughly losing five minutes each way.
Men
1. Conor O’Keeffe (UCD) 45:00
2. Eoin McCullough (TCD) 45:07
3. John O’Sullivan (UCC) 45:22
4. Cillian Corbett (UCD) 47:23
5. Colm Moran (UCD) 48:25
6. Conor Short (TCD) 52:14

Women
1. Roisin Long (UCD) 55:24