Sugarloaf Rush
Authors
Unknown
28 November, 2009
<B><center>Sugarloaf – 5 May 2004</center></B><B><center>Leinster League – Race 2</center></B>
The second race of the Wednesday evening Leinster League took place on the slopes of the Sugarloaf mountain in quite uncharacteristic cold and blustery conditions after the last few weeks of relatively settled weather. Thankfully the heavy rain showers which punctuated the day held off during the race.
Although down a bit on last weeks record entry of 187, the weather, or the more challenging nature of the Sugarloaf did not deter 157 runners from lining up for the race.
The race started and finished at the usual place for this event, from the old Calary filling station although a route change at the top end of the route was introduced this year. In view of the increase in the number of participants and in the interests of avoiding collisions, the IMRA committee decided that the decent from the top, down the scree slope, should be different than the ascent and a new route going over the top and down the other side was used. This did not make the decent any less treacherous than it usually is but did avoid the two-way traffic near the top, which would have been even more hazardous.
The race started at the frantic pace which we have become accustomed to lately and the field was quickly headed by Scots man and elite mountain runner John Brooks. John, who showed his form last week winning the Hellfire Flicker, was again the easy winner and I’m sure we’ll see lots more of his talents as the summer season progresses. This week Killian Mullet had a great run taking second place in the men’s category with the resilient Eoin Keith taking the third spot – the reverse of their positions last Wednesday.
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The ladies category was won by Beth McCluskey, minus one contact lens on the decent, after it was whipped out by the wind on the top. Second lady was Roisin McDonnell and third was newcomer to the mountain running scene in 2004, Zoe Melling.
The other category prize winners were – Mens vets – Bob Lawlor and ladies vets – Mary O’Connell. In the M50 class the sure footed Brian Bell took the top spot and impresario, Jane Porter took her usual W50 prize. M60 winner was Mick Kellet and Maura Higgins took the W60 prize. Mike Gomm rounds off the senior results for the top spots with his customary M70 win. First Junior boy was Thomas McElhinney and junior girl was Deirdre Bell.
Further down the field there was an international flavour to the race with a group of runners, all working for Xerox in Dublin, taking part. Austria, France, Germany and the Netherlands were all represented. We could have held a mini Eurovision in the pub afterwards!! Rene Post from the Netherlands normally a road/track runner said he enjoyed the race and would be back for more. Astrid, despite being from Austria had never run a mountain race before and said she would also come again.
Spare a though for the lads from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) who entered a team in the University Championships earlier in the year and decided to come back for more. One of their group, who shall remain nameless, had run on the Sugarloaf before but always in the July race which starts at the other side of the mountain, nearer to the pub. They turned up, jogged up to the usual start point for the July race, and disappointed to see no race apparently taking place, decided to run to the top anyway. So if any of you saw three student types running around the top of the Sugarloaf and going in a different direction than everyone else, now you know why!!
