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28 November, 2009

2001 Races
Powerscourt Ridge - Report by Douglas Barry
Former Irish champion Francis Cosgrave won the 13.7 kilometre Powerscourt Ridge race in a sprint finish from Ross Alexander. The former international Cosgrave candidly admitted that he wasn't in his usual form - a form that normally makes all the best Irish mountain runners sit up and take notice. The Killiney man didn't even realise that the Tipperary runner was closing him down until the last corner before the finish at Crone Wood.
"I felt I had a comfortable cushion after Djouce - the second mountain - and eased back. However, I didn't realise I'd eased back that much! I was lucky to hear his footsteps closing on me and edged him out on the sprint" said the Dubliner after the race. His winning time of 73 minutes was a long way off John Lenihan's record of 59 mins 45 seconds set on a dry course in the late summer of 1991, but the softer going and the fact that "Mr. Francis" is a brand new daddy conspired against anything closer.
The rapid Aussie Mike Burton was only 40 seconds behind the winner, taking third place overall and the first veteran honours. Joan Flanagan had a comfortable win in the women's race after pre race favourite Beth McCluskey went over on her ankle - on the flat! However, Parnell's Jenny McAuley finished a surprisingly close second in her first mountain race while comely Crusader Roisin McDonnell came third. Paul Cullen won the short course up and down Maulin.