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28 November, 2009

Hell Fire Flash - Winter League 2000 race 1.
Report by Douglas Barry
Simon Fairmaner of Trafford AC - a hitherto unknown visitor to these shores - easily won the Irish Mountain Running Association's first Winter League race of the new millennium. Or was it the first Irish mountain race of the new millennium? Possibly not. Let's see, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 97, 98, 99, 100. If you finish in 10th in a race, are you in the top ten? If you finish 100th in a race, are you in the first 100? Of course you are. So the year 2000 is the last year in the 20th Century. Anyway, we now have another excuse to drown the dawn of the new millennium at the end of the year!
Simon who is over here for a work stint of three months or so, cleared off to win by nearly a minute from Ireland's record breaking junior international Mark Doyle (Donore). Both he and Mark were under the record set last year on the new route by Terry McConnon. Mark was making his senior debut on the hills having left his youth (in an athletic sense) behind him on the 31st December 1999. He leaves behind an astonishing legacy - six consecutive appearances in the World juniors as well as many other international vests. Behind him, Paul Nolan took an untroubled third on his return from injury.
Raheny's Orla Gormley admitted candidly that she found the easy going to her liking. She broke Una May's women's record as well as relegating the Crusaders runner to second. However, it's early days for Una and we expect a strong fight back from her over the coming months. Sportsworld's Lisa Dowling had an impressive debut to finish third in her first hill race with Julie Hilliard taking the veteran's race. Former winner Com Doran (Clonliffe) took the M40 class with Richard Flynn first in M50 and Mick Kellett the first in the M60s. Ben Fulton and Aislinn Austin won the Junior categories. The next League race is on the 27th February at Raven's Rock. Don't miss it!!