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28 November, 2009

All-Ireland Championship 2000 - Aughavannah
Report by Douglas Barry
The Aughavannah race is, at 22.1 kilometres, the longest in the Irish Mountain Running Association calendar. It is also arguably the hardest. Any intending winner has 25 minutes of steady climbing from the Ow bridge on Glenmalure/Knockanna military road up a never-ending forest track before he breaks outs into the open. Then, facing him down is the impressive bulk of Lugnaquilla. Its heather shrouded slopes hide a myriad of ankle snapping mini pot holes created by the shifting ice of 5,000 years ago. Mind you, the bulk is only apparent if the weather is kind. Even in July, the swirling mist that regularly enshrouds the highest mountain in Leinster ensures that glimpses rather than scrutiny are the norm.
After a wretched flog up this relentless 925 metre high Calvary, our contender must skirt clockwise around the top of the infamous South Prison cliffs that have swallowed the lives of many an unfortunate pilot and climber - fearless folk these mountain runners..... Having survived the dangerous part of the race, he must continue his semicircular route towards Corrigasleggaun, dropping off Lug's higher ground, onto the saddle, then a brief climb before bagging its 794 metre summit. He continues eastwards down to Corrigasleggaun's outlier Carrawaystick mountain before dropping steeply to the forest edge and a control point at a forest road junction. Sounds easy? It isn't.
After locating the control, three kilometres on track beckons, contouring just below Dromgoff - a hill whose identity has been smothered in featureless pine. He emerges once again onto tarmac and the Glenmalure/Knockanna road. Turning north and away from his ultimate goal, he must drop more hard won height gain along the tarmac before heading eastwards, and yet further down, to locate another control point. Looking up from the control, at 250 metres the second lowest point of the race, our hero is greeted by the string in the tail of this sapping race - the Fananieran ridge.
There are many options to gain the crest of this ridge from the control point. All of them, of course, appear to be the wrong choice when legs are aching with exhaustion. The steady pull to the crest is rewarded by the sight of the final mountain on the route Croaghanmoira, at 664 metres the 136th highest mountain on the island. Relentlessly, he must pull himself to the summit. When reached, and providing there's a gap to the next runner, a treat is in store. Splendid views of the eastern coast greet him with both Wicklow Head and Arklow prominent, and further east given a clear day, glimpses of Wales are possible.
From there, it's a relatively straight forward run, skirting the unnamed hill at the summit of the Fananieran ridge, back westwards to the finish at the highest point of the military road. More 22 kilometres and none of it is flat. The course has 1235 metres of climb and descent and the legs feel it by the end. The anticipated record for the effort was expected to be a shade over two hours. It didn't work out that way.
The defending All Ireland champion John Lenihan considers, now that he's pushing 40, that running for two hours or more is over his personal limit. He has cropped his season to a concentrated effort over the Irish Championship period, and the snatching of whatever other goodies lie scattered over the table, but yet within his grasp. This season, with his start much delayed by a career threatening injury, he intends taking in the World Championship in what may be his last year of international competion. On the way, the All Ireland race was a goody within his grasp. The only problem for him was there were a couple of other capable arms reaching across the table.
Northern Ireland's champion Brian Ervine and former Irish champion Francis Cosgrave also wanted the title. They are younger, and enjoyed good preparation over the winter. Lenihan had a fight on his hands. He set off hard up the trail, tracked by Cosgrave with Ervine taking easy behind. As they started the tough climb up Lug, Lenihan started to stretch away from Cosgrave who was swallowed up by Ervine. England's Simon Fairmaner joined Cosgrave as they watched the Kerryman's receding back. However, mist on top of Lug lost Lenihan time and enabled Ervine to close. Lenihan eased away again over Corrigasleggaun and Carrawaystick, but lost a couple of minutes again in the tricky forestry section.
As they passed through onto the Military road, the Northern Irish runner had cut the gap to just 10 seconds and was looking confident and strong. However, Ervine took a poor route choice through the heather to the top of Croaghanmoira. Lenihan, spurred on by Ervine's proximity, saw the title drifting away from him and pushed hard. He reached the top of Croaghanmoira 2 minutes ahead of a frustrated challenger. After the sweeping descent to the finish, the Kerryman was champion yet again with a brilliant time of 112 minutes 33 seconds.
Behind them, Francis Cosgrave got the better of Simon Fairmaner after the English runner made a similar route error. Behind them in 5th after a tremendous run came first vet Kevin Grogan who has really impressed this year. Northern Ireland's Shilleen Donnelly continued on her record breaking ways with an emphatic win in the women's race. The over 50 men's winner was Ercus Stewart edging out a determined effort by Graham Porter. Just behind them came over 40 women's winner Jane Watt who was second woman overall just under 3 minutes ahead of Roisin McDonnell. Irish international Martin Bradshaw won the shorter junior race.