Bluebell Wood

14 May, 2024 - Turlough Conway

Union Wood was the location on Saturday for the first race in the expanded Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) 11 race West League. 87 runners of all hues and abilities toed the start line from all over the West. The beautiful benign day and bluebell speckled trail verges disguised a challenging and varied lung buster of a route. A combination of good quality fast trails, mountain bike tracks, single track climbs through forest and a run through a wild meadow kept the runners distracted. The course took in the tough push to the top of Union Rock before a bee-line descent back to the finish like. There was a short course option and Junior option which skipped the summit section.

On the competitive side and in the men’s race Leitrim off-road Ultra legend Ricki Wynn was ominously present as was Mayo’s Alan Dunne and Michael Casserly. Ricki was putting the field under pressure through the faster opening sections and broke away once the going got more technical for a comfortable win about a minute ahead of Alan. Michael Casserly held off the experienced David Sands to record a good third. In the female race there was local Irish masters cross country international Mari Johnson, but Junior mountain running International Mayo’s Caitlin Hughes was in the field. We also had three Juniors take the field.

Mari gave Caitlin a great run for her money but Caitlin took the win to add to her short course win on Benbulben last year. 20% of registrations for Union Wood were by women who took part in the Women's Trail Series organised by IMRA and the Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership and directed by Theresa Kilgannon in the previous weeks. Fastest graduate was Susan Aldridge with an amazing podium finish on her full racing debut! She was shortly followed by Amanda Hynes and Joanne Kilfeather.

The junior event saw three amazing young girls in Roxanne Sands and sisters Holly Jane and Ella Grace Ginty finish at the top of the short course leaderboard. Indeed it appeared Roxanne was in the top 7 of the entire field when she turned off for the short course, with the two girls not far behind. Juniors are very welcome!

Well done RD Barry Gallagher and to all the volunteers who helped out on the day. Next up on May 26th is beautiful Carrowkeel.