A tale of 3 hills

24 June, 2024 - Mick Hanney

The Tinahely race has evolved into a perfect event.

Car parking and registration set-up at the farm alongside the Kyle B&B. Start line 100m away. And (speaking selfishly) the nearest IMRA event to my house on the 2024 calendar.
After some runner ‘variations’ of the route the last 2 years, the route this year was tweaked into a better loop with some other hills ‘found’. With Liam Vines marking it was all set for a great race.

Race numbers were up on previous years too and the prospect of good weather beckoned. Mind you, warm weather and hard hills don’t necessarily go together as I would find out.
The race is essentially a tale of 3 hills, both up and down, covering just under 15k and nearly 700m of climb.

Starting off we head up the Kyle hill grassy climb. It’s a tough start to the race and you need to grind it out to keep a running pace going. A nice 1.4k of just over 10%. Liam Mooney, Bernard, Becky and others stretched off into the distance. I managed to hold a running pace to the stile from where we had a nice downhill and forest section. It was along here that I heard a runner quickly approaching and was surprised to see Con Halpin, fleet of foot, sprinting past. A nav error on the drive to the event, it appears, led to Con arriving with seconds to spare, and the adrenalin boost of a no warm-up start seemed to do the trick for him. Con’s favourite album after this might be Kanye’s Late Registration. Con would proceed to continue to catch runners to make a fab 3rd place.

Up the grassy bank by the comms tower and along the single track to the trig point on Mullins hill, via the 2nd stile. A quick look back – note to self: don’t look back - and I saw Alan Ayling looming large behind me. I was surprised to be ahead of Alan for even part of the race. Needless to say, on the descent from Mullins hill, nearly 300m lost in less than 2k of running, played to Alan’s strengths and he effortlessly breezed past me.

Down onto the Wicklow way which leg 7 relay runners will know well. Many gates to pass on the way to Mangans. The heat was growing as the race went on. Passing early starters, but not by much as my pace slowed.

Surprised myself again to pass Alan once more on the gated section. A mid-race lull perhaps but that wouldn’t last long! A bit of a slog to get to the top of the trail leading to Mangans lane and a nice fireroad downhill to try get the legs working again. Hello to the marshal on the Wicklow way junction before the 2nd climb, towards Garryhoe hill started. This was a run/walk hill with various ramps of various grades before you topped off passing the summit cairn, then a lovely single track descent to the stile, then forest gate, before the descent down towards Grouse lodge. It was here that my race caught up with me. Hello to marshal no. 2 and off up the grassy bank towards the Wind Turbines. This 3rd hill caught a lot of people out, including me, and I should know as I recommended its addition to the route. Its less than 1k long but it packs 20% of gradient just when you don’t need it in a race. As I suffered up this climb, hitting the proverbial wall, Alan sauntered past and in moments was stretching out a lead ahead of me.
Head down, battling on to the fireroad, knowing the worse was over. Though, even running on the flat now hurt. Trying to find a comfortable pace on the section toward the last stile of the day before the grassy downhill from Kyle. Turn over the legs and enjoy the bounce off the turf. I love this hill and I’m lucky to have it close by. Crossed the line in I think 10th, of the early registrations :-)

Super wins by Sarah Flanagan and Liam Mooney.

Afterwards, back to O’Keeffes pub in Knockananna with its lovely beer garden for post-race socials and prize giving. Thanks Sean & team for a great event.

Tinahely RD Report.

24 June, 2024 - Seán Higgins

Race day over.....phew!

Everyone got down off the little quiet hills of south Wicklow, battered and bruised but in one piece, after a few minutes' recovery most could even smile.



The race was born out of a call for new route suggestions in the covid aftermath when people took to the hills and parking problems for races. After suggesting the hills around Tinahely next thing I know Lillian Deegan is enthusiastic and encouraging me to RD it. This was not my plan! Next thing I know and I am under the wing of Niamh and Paul Kelly of the Southeast League and the race was born.



This is my mother's part of the country, and I hoped I could get a parking solution. Hugh and Margaret Coogan of Kyle Farmhouse B&B have been unbelievably accommodating in allowing us to use their farm for parking and hosting us. Hugh is my 2nd cousin, and the farm is where my grandfather grew up, I'll be forever grateful to the family's hospitality.

A plug is due, the B&B is a beautiful place to stay if you are on the Wicklow Way.



A course was set the first year and we got the race off the ground thanks to the ever-enthusiastic help of Mick Hanney. A few got lost and discovered a half marathon course.

A few tweaks "over the first style turn right'' improved the course the following year, it and weather made it tougher. The course crossed over too much and not enough marshals made it difficult to mark. We had more getting lost in the mist on the hills, I'm beginning to think I'm making a balls of this. Wrecked afterwards I know I'll have to organise better and accept any help that's offered if I'm to do this again.



2024 I see Tinahely back in the calendar for June 23rd.

I bumped into Liam Vines at Dublin Castle before Art O'Neill and the conversation went something like this.

Liam "Ah Sean you'll RD Tinahely again this year"

Me "Eh not sure if the date suits me this year, I think I'll be on holidays"

Liam "I'll mark it for you, it'll be grand!"

Me "Hmmm OK"

Liam "You're in for a long night tonight, best of luck!"



I proceed to extend my night doing a few circles around Billy Byrnes Gap, I think to myself "Hey Liam any chance you'd mark this course". I get back on track and in my mind Tinahely gets back on track.



I had wanted to include the Garyhoe climb in the race, but I couldn't see how to link it into the rest of the course. A few ideas are floating around between Liam and Mick, and they have keen eyes, I follow a GPX from Mick taking in the trig on Mullins hill, the descent to WW near the Derry river, the climb up Garyhoe and yesterday's favourite climb back up to the windfarm from Grouse Lodge. I know it works, happy days.



O'Keeffes great pub in Knockananna is booked, volunteers called for, I try to improve my organisational approach maybe I'm getting a little better...

The forecast is encouraging, registration opens, and the numbers are good, I can see there will a few in for short course this year we had none last year. Info sent out to marshals, and we're all set for race day...

I ring Liam and he's still out marking the course, its 10pm

"I'll finish the rest in the morning!"



Sun is out, runners arrive, parking, registration, brief chats cut short, checking the watch, something else needs attention, get marshals away, more instructions, Liam arrives down the hill, "I made a balls of the marking", I think to myself "it'll be grand" early starters, race briefing, Me "First stile turn right", I feel a rap on the knuckles, Mick "OVER the first stile turn RIGHT", roger that, early starters away, main field away, Short course and joyous juniors away......a blur.



First Marshals (my wife and son Nicki and Cuán) check off everyone as they pass, everyone is accounted for and short course are on the turn for home. In no time they fly down the final descent and home with happy faces. I forgot to take photos, I hope someone did! Well done all and congratulations first female junior Alexandra Murphy and male junior Harry Killeen super running.

Second Marshal my sister Yvonne, has accounted everyone on WW and on track for Garryhoe the 2nd climb. A nice little descent to Grouse Lodge before the final highlight. I'll leave it for runners to report how that went.

In no time the leading runners were emptying the tank and thundering down Coogans lane on the final descent to the finish line. Respect to all the runners yesterday and very well done to Sarah Flanagan 1st female followed closely by Becky Quinn and Louise Murray. First male home and defending his title Liam Mooney followed by Anatole Guinamard and Con Halpin who took the time to finish his Weetabix before setting off.

Worth noting our youngest competitors Lochlynn Kenny on the short course and Oisin Monk on the long course the future is bright for them.



Thanks again to all who contributed yesterday, runners, First Aid Derek Hay, Marshals Jackie Atkinson, Yvonne Higgins, Nicki Rocca and Cuán Higgins, Course Marker Liam Vines, De-marking Clare Keely and Mick Hanney, Southeast League Niamh and Paul Kelly, O’Keeffes pub Knockananna and the lastly Coogans at Kyle Farmhouse for accommodating us.

As Derek Hay said to me yesterday “You’re always in good company with IMRA folk”