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28 November, 2009

Carrauntoohil Race
Report by Douglas Barry
13 times in a row. 13 times in a row.... Hard to believe really. The former World Mountain Running champion John Lenihan did it again. As mountains go, Carrauntoohil tops everything else in Ireland. 3,414 feet of muscular old red sandstone, it pulls itself towards the sometimes blue Kerry sky just above its neighbours in the McGillicuddy Reeks. Its steep slopes are not to be taken lightly: it bites in winter. But, it has never frightened John Lenihan.
Carrauntoohil and the sickle shaped ridge of its outliers, Caher and Beenkeragh, dominate the view of the western skyline from Lenihan?s hillside farm in Glounageenty. For the last twelve years, he has won the 8.5 mile race up and down the loose rocky scree to the summit cross and back. Challengers come and challengers go, but the tough Kerryman has rebuffed them all on Ireland?s highest mountain. The year 2000 was no exception.
A pleasant day with no wind greeted the 48 athletes who lined up at the start in the townland of Breanlee. The field included the five times runner up Francis Cosgrave. "Mr. Francis" as he is known to the hill people of his second home in Borneo had trained assiduously to try to break the Kerryman's winning sequence. Spending the winter in Borneo and the Philippines, he used the fearsome Mount Kinabalu and the only slightly smaller Mount Apo as his training grounds.
Francis had flown home only three days before the race to wind up his affairs, prepare for his wedding in Borneo in September, and, of course, beat John. His late arrival home meant he succumbed to minor jet lag, but the long flight also aggravated a dental problem. A severe abscess in his jaw knocked all his preparations. A sleep deprived Francis was not the "Mr. Francis" needed to knock the King Lenihan off his throne.
47 mins 39 seconds took the Kerryman to the summit. He had charged off at the start, powering up the steep hill road towards the dam at Lough Eighter with fellow Irish international Jonathan Lamont. The pair were closely tracked by the rest of the field, including an on-form Paul Nolan, up the initial steep climb before Lamont stuttered and his challenge evaporated. Four and a quarter miles later, Lenihan was 5 minutes clear on the summit with Francis second.
John took it easier on the descent over the quite slippery underfoot conditions that prevailed on the day. "I knew the gap I had at the turn. I wasn't prepared to risk the win by doing anything stupid on the descent. It was very soft on the lower slopes of Caher, and I knew no one was going to break any records" he said later. He swept in to win for the thirteenth time in succession, nearly five minutes ahead of Francis - second for the sixth year in a row - with Paul Nolan a delighted third.
Majella Diskin won the women's race for the fifth time, but was three minutes outside her woman's over 40 record - understandable in the soft going. The Mayo woman beat Jane Watt into second by some margin with Devon girl Emma Sokell in third. An excellent performance by Martin Bradshaw saw him take the shorter Junior race which went up to Caher before turning back. Fergal Fitzmaurice, a former Junior winner, finished second despite being hampered by an ankle injury. Mark Doyle's four year old record of 57 minutes 56 seconds was untroubled.
However, John Lenihan's prediction of no records falling proved to be incorrect. An amazing run by Dubliner Mick Kellett saw him setting a new record of 2 hours 18 minutes 36 seconds for the over 60 category. The younger veteran winners - Ercus Stewart in the over 50s and Kevin Grogan in the over 40s - were well outside their class records in the soft conditions.
13 times in a row. 13 times in a row.... It is hard to believe, but it's true. Next year, he's a vet too!