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28 November, 2009

Irish Trail Running Championships
Report by Douglas Barry
DSD junior Peter Dalton surprisingly added the 2000 Irish Trail Running Championship title to his war chest on Sunday the 6th August. The win came only four days after his success at Knockree. The 17 year old's principal victim on the Co. Wicklow course near Djouce was classy US runner Mark Baker. Baker, who runs for Raheny Shamrocks, had an excellent third place at Howth to his credit earlier in the season. The in-form Baker looked to be in a strong position with a comfortable lead at the Lake turn with only three and a half kilometres to go.
However, at that point, the American took a wrong option at the unmarked turn and headed up the brief climb towards the Lake Car Park. Dalton closed the gap and shouted the mistake at Baker's disappearing back. The Raheny runner heard the call, realised his error, but had irretrievably reversed his margin, and could not claw back to the fired up Dalton. The DSD runner held on to win with an eleven second gap to Baker. Another junior Kevin English took third ahead of an off form Mark Doyle with Bandon junior Mark Lehane 5th ahead of Crusader's Alan Cox.
Mark Baker's girl friend and team mate Edel Mooney did not make any errors in the women's race. She gave a convincing demonstration of front running over the scenic 8.5 kilometre course set in Djouce Woods. With the beautiful Powerscourt Waterfall as a back drop to her efforts, the Raheny runner finished nearly two minutes clear of Riocht's Ailis Brosnan who was in turn comfortably clear of another Raheny runner Orla Gormley. Majella Diskin won the Over 40s race, Caitlin Bent the Over 50s while Niamh O'Boyle took the junior section. Desie Shorten took the men's Over 40 with Graham Porter the Over 50 winner.