A new Gem

03 May, 2023 - Peter O'Farrell

This was the first IMRA race at Dysart Woods, and it was a great showing of a super little forest. Everything was planned and executed very well and even the finish line location was optimised to make the most of the lovely green light bathing the forest from the emerging Beech leaves. Out on the course was a veritable carpet of the most vivid flowering bluebells although sadly we were midrace at that point and enjoying one of the varied downhilling sections and so the appreciation for the beauty of nature was in abeyance.
With a small forest we were treated to 2 loops and these were marked and marshalled flawlessly.
As to the race it transpired that in the mens you had to be called Barry to win or come second but I made a valiant attempt to at least split the Barrys - foiled by a longish fireroad section where Barry the 2nd was able to simply run away from me with his faster turnover. Barry the 1st presumably also had fast feet but he was moving too fast for the remainder of the field to see them! Aoife, Siobhan and Karen took the plaudits in the ladies race and well done to them.

So all in all thanks again to Brian and his team;

Daniel
Johan
Gaelan
Ronan
Niall
Keith
Paul & Niamh
Lillian

who were all brilliant and we won't mention anyone driving into a ploughed field :)