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28 November, 2009

Raven's Rock Report
By Douglas Barry
The Raven's Rock race on Sunday the 26th Feb, 2000 - the second race of four in the Winter League - saw a reversal of fortunes. Simon Fairmaner, the winner of the first Winter League race on the Hell Fire, unexpectedly found himself pushed back to second place in the 5.3 kilometre race in Glencree, Co. Wicklow. Hell Fire third placer Paul Nolan (RDA) proved he had shaken off his earlier injury problems, taking victory in the wet conditions, and relegating the English visitor to the runner's up slot.
However, Fairmaner still heads the standings in the Winter league, but will now have a tough battle to retain his leadership. Nolan, a former Irish international, seems back to the sort of form that saw him give a fearsome challenge to any of the top Irish mountain runners on the right day. The League leader Fairmaner wound up with a close fight with Ritchie McCauley on the climb to the summit turn, before pulling away from the Dubliner on the slippery descent. McCauley took third spot from the fast closing American runner Mark Baker.
A junior cycling international, McCauley briefly flirted with mountain running in 1989 to good effect: he represented Ireland at the World Cup in France that year before concentrating on his cycling exploits. He went on to appear on senior Irish international cycling teams and is a reserve for the Sydney Olympics. A relentless climber, he may, at only 28, still have something to offer Ireland at international level when he achieves full fitness. The long uphill race at the Worlds in Bergen, perhaps?
The women's race was won by Jane Watt from Eva Mulleady, with Nina Philips third. Kevin Grogan took the veteran's race while Graham Porter celebrated his coming of age with a win in the Super Vets category. Committee member Doug Corrie brought along two of his family to boost the field. His daughter Jennie won the Junior women's category, while his son Jonathan won the Junior men's and handed his father his first athletics defeat at the hand of a family member.