Keeper Hill - Wednesday League

19 June, 2016 - Maire O'Sullivan

Well done to the 34 hardy runners who braved the elements on Wednesday 15th June to take on the Keeper Hill challenge – possibly one of the most difficult of the Wednesday League races. Race registration was in the car park of Ryans’s pub in Killoscully and everyone car pooled from there, with 4 or 5 squeezed into each car before it was allowed to leave for the start line.

Despite the roll of thunder and drizzling rain during registration, it cleared up for the race as the RD, Máire O'Sullivan, had remembered to order a dry night as part of the pre-race To Do list!

There were 3 Juniors at the event – well done to siblings Aoife and Sean Curtin who ran to the first marshall, Gráinne Blackburn, where they turned around and raced home, finishing neck and neck, with Aoife winning by a fringe.

Ewan Cunningham was the other Junior on the night and he went all the way to the top to complete the full course. He finished just 6 minutes behind his father – watch out Robert or he’ll be overtaking you soon.

Tom Blackburn was first to sprint home, followed by Sean Harte and Michael McCarthy. The ladies were lead home by Cliona Hurst, with Loretto Duggan and Michelle Tierney finishing the podium places. Joan Ryan, Anna Fahy Ryan and Fionnuala Keogh completed the ladies tally for the race.

Afterwards everyone went back to Ryan’s pub, made famous in Pat Short’s series Killinaskully, for tea and sandwiches and some craic and banter.

Thanks to all the volunteers who turned up to help out at the race. We were all pleased to see Curley assisting at the Start Line, although some of the men were happy enough that he wasn’t competing – “gives the rest of us a chance” was how one of the other runners put it. Thanks also to Brian Flannelly who assisted Máire in her first RD role for the MMRA; to Gráinne and Niamh Blackburn who marshalled at the two turn points of the course – they will never again believe their father, Tom, when he says “ah you’ve only about a kilometre or two to go to get to your stations”; thanks to John Kinsella who was only just home from the Ireland/Sweden match in Paris, as he braved the elements and battled a hangover, to act as Summit Marshall; and thanks to Aileen Field who did the timings – she’s also a dab hand at holding umbrellas over the RD, even if it’s not raining! Thanks also to Sean Harte who uploaded the results afterwards as Máire was too busy handing out Jaffa Cakes to worry about minor details like the race results.

We hope everyone enjoyed it and we’ll see you on TUESDAY, for the next Wednesday Night League race, the 12 O’Clock Hills near Kilkishen in Co Clare.