Unknown

28 November, 2009

2001 Leinster League
Glasnamullan - Preliminary report by Douglas Barry
Raheny Shamrocks runner George Lonergan, missing from the hills since 1999, made a winning return in the Glasnamullan race - the penultimate and longest in the 13 race Leinster League series. George denied Simon Fairmaner his sixth win, but the DSD runner confirmed the League title was to be his solely with a fine second place behind the former junior mountain running international. George is targeting the Irish team for the Worlds in Italy in September and looks odds on to make it on this performance.
Fairmaner's main rival Hugh McLindon missed the race and lost any chance he had of sharing the title with the Irish based English runner. Simon's five wins and two second places put him on 9 points for the League and beats Hugh's three wins and three second places. Hugh still has to compete in the last race on the Sugarloaf to claim second overall in the League. In contrast to the uncertainty in the men's League, Beth McCluskey's eighth League win on Glasnamullan nailed down the fact that she is the leading women's runner in Leinster. She also knocked 1 minute and 27 seconds off Una Creagh's record.
The winner of the veteran's category in a new record was Aonghus O'Cleirigh - a fine showing on a course which was soft going underfoot thanks to the heavy overnight rain. Joan Flanagan won the women's equivalent. Ercus Stewart took the over 50s category while Aaron Shorten won the junior section easily beating his father Desie to boot. Fionan O'Muircheadaigh won the short under 16s course.