Clonmel Trail Half-Marathon… nervy day all around!

11 March, 2025 - Martin Cooney

Clonmel Trail Half-Marathon
by Martin Cooney

A dull, grey sky loomed over the hills south on Clonmel as I arrived into town. It felt like a wary day, a bit like my mood- this was my first time back to do this race since I officially bust two hernias here, two years ago. It wasn’t raining but felt like it was just about to as I parked up at Hillview Sports Club. As I got out of my car, I was greeted by Sean Leonard & Martin Hennessy who were volunteering for the day. A bit of banter with the lads was had before I went in to register for the race. At registration, I found out the gear list and apart from a tent, we need to bring the whole shebang as Dee O’Gorman (RD) informed us it was mucky, wet & windy up on the open mountain. I bumped into Shane O’Neill (volunteering) and Roisin Howley (running) and chatted to them both for a while.

Back out and was getting on my running gear just as a herd of vibrant runners went through the iron gates into the school grounds; about to take off for the early start at 10.15am. There must have been about 30-40 in the group, which is more than normal. No doubt most of them were trying to blast out the race so that get home to watch Ireland batter the Frenchies in rugby (that didn’t exactly go to plan)! I went for a quick warm-up jog. I was feeling so stiff in my movements- this is what seems to be happening more often than not now that I am getting more experienced in life (not going to say old). My right hernia was feeling sore since Thursday and I was not sure if this is a “phantom pain” or had I actually strained it during my last run on Thursday. Either way; I am getting fairly nervous if I should do the race at all. I jogged back to the carpark and meet Sean Leonard again. I tell of my dilemma- I think I will do the first 3km and see after that. His answer; in the most wonderful West Cork accent and rogue’ish smile was brilliant and baffling- “Ah’re sur, leave one of your laces open at the start and that way you won’t go off in a hurry!”… Brilliant advice but have no idea what that was going to do to a damaged hernia. I smiled and thanked him, walking away even more baffled than before.

I put on my small backpack with “the whole shebang” in it. It wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be but not sure what weight is in a “shebang”! I trotted over into the school ground and bump into Ed Casey, whom I haven’t met in a long time. We had a good chat about absolutely nothing but it was good to chat. I looked around and saw the various runners that were here- in the female category; Kealey Tideswell, Dee Collins and Roisin Howley and in the male category; Barry Hartnett, Nick Hogan, Sean Quirke, John Kinsella and Gavin Byrne. It was going to be some race out at the front… Dee (RD) gives us an overview of the course & tells us to follow her car out of town. We gather at the school gates in a big group, similar to what it was like “escaping” school at 3pm on a Friday in the 1980s; delighted that you have avoided being battered by your 6th class teacher for another week. Edel Hennessy is beside me smiling and in great form anticipating a great day out.

And off we go… and the rain just starts. I am well back in the pack as we head down the road. I have decided at the last moment to hold back a bit to see how my hernia is before committing to adding speed to my run. Looking at the crowd in front, I would guess I am back in the 50’s positions. I trot along, more runners passing me than me passing runners. Along the Dungarvan Road for about 800m before taking a left and up a gentle but steady hill. I seem to be going okay, no pain in my hernia so tell myself to keep running steady until I hit the next junction which is at about 3km. Slowly; I start to pass a few people- not really because I am getting faster, more that the hill is slowing some of the other runners. As the road flattens; I pass a runner that I know. “How’re they all in Waterford?” I ask. He responds in a broad English accent “Not a clue mate!”… sh*te- he was a complete stranger- I run a bit faster so as not to bump into him again. Well that was embarrassing. Into a gentle descent and Dee decided to make things interesting by putting in a chicane on the road using tape, a volunteer and a JCB digger. I weave in and out through it- it was pretty narrow passing the digger. Dee could have made it really interesting by having the digger driver swing the mechanical bucket over and back as we pass, knock out a few people and that might even up the field bit- Health & Safety these days ruining all the fun! I continue down the road, passing Eugene O’Keeffe who is ushering us to the left and left again into the woods and onto a narrow fire-road. The pace slows but I am still slowly passing a few runners. As I pass one runner about 500m into the gentle uphill, he tells me this is a killer of a climb. I deduce that he must be a first time runner of this course cos if he was finding this tough, he was in for a fair surprise in another couple of kilometers. We turn right over a mound of dirt and into the narrow single track of the woods. This part of the course is where we are like lemmings, plodding along in single file. Just up ahead of me is my IMRA pacer, Ide Kelleher. I can judge how well I am doing in a race if I am close to her- she is such a steady runner. I am just behind her now and a few words passed between us so I am happy to get my breath for a while. As she passes some runners, then so do I. After maybe 500m until I pass Ide and David Yelverton. I congratulate him on a great Seville marathon; he tells me he is still feeling the effects of it. Weaving between all the trees, we all inch our way uphill until we hit the 4km marker and pop out onto a fire-road and turn right.

I spot Rob Cunningham about 200m in front of me but there is no catching him on a downhill. It is a gentle descent for about 500m until we get turned into the left onto a lovely flowing single track. It is lovely to run on cos you can’t see around the next corner so time and distance kinda goes out the window- you just run. It meanders gently downhill until we are running to the right of the Glenary River and then pass under the arches at Carey’s Castle. We cross over a bridge, turn left and back into the woods having completed about 6.5km. Sludgy, single track with intermittent fire-road greets us for the next 4km with about 300 metres of ascent just to add a bit of salt to the wounds. The ascent starts again, thankfully I am able to keep my legs plodding along. I find that there are various types of ways to run especially in mountain running; sprinting, running, jogging and then there is plodding; which isn’t quite jogging and just above walking. This is where I spend a lot of my time during an IMRA race especially on the uphill. I pass a few runners and in turn they pass me, all the time with Rob off ahead just in my sights but not quite reachable. Eventually I pull away from the runners around me and am closing in on Rob. Just after the 8km mark on a fire-road, we get turned into the left onto another single track of absolute sh**e. This seems to go on for an eternity and at some point during this, I pass Rob. Very slowly, I move away from him. Around the 10km, I pop out onto yet another fire-road and am greeting with the biggest smile and always happy, Martin Hennessy. He has water and jelly babies so I grab a pack of them in case I want to re-live my childhood! Back into one last single track of thorny fur bushes; I know that we are not far from the top of this ascent.

As I come out on the top of the climb, I am hit by a strong breeze and driving mist. It is Baltic cold up here so I stop in the shelter of a bush and pull on my light waterproof jacket. I get going again and am joined by a runner with a blue top. As we start on the descent, he comments that it is his first time on the course and that he is from Wexford (turns out his name is Stefan Hamilton). I tell him to strap himself in cos the next 3km is absolute carnage. Rocks, mud, gorse, sh**e, mini crevasses, sludge and slime all await us. I am about 500m down the hill and staying ahead of Stefan. I reckon I had gained about 500m on Rob Cunningham on the uphill but no doubt was going to catch me before the bottom of this slippery slide that we were now calling a race route. Sure enough and quicker than I anticipated, I hear the pattering of feet on rocks as Rob torrents passed me. I am considered pretty decent on a downhill but I am throwing this statement out there now; Rob Cunningham is the fastest downhill runner in IMRA! He passes me at such speed and I wonder if I am moving at all. Now in most runs, the mountain tames all the runners but I can truly say that Rob tamed this section of the mountain- no weaving over and back, no mind your step! It was one straight line downhill and everything in his way could just go and get f**ked. In just over a kilometer, Rob went from being 500m behind me to about 100m in front of me. At one point, I think I heard him roaring “Speeeeed” and “more power”; similar to Jeremy Clarkson driving a Kia C’eed around the Top Gear track, frustrated and wanting to go quicker! I manage to stay upright all the way down the slimy descent. It is tough going and I could feel my recovered hernias screaming at me to cop myself on.

We hit the bottom of this downhill as we splash through the river. Rob is ahead of me as we start up the open mountain which will eventually bring us up onto the summit of Long Hill. We start to pass other runners so I am presuming they are early starters rather than runner’s slowing. I slowly start to eat into Rob leads and joined by Stefan. While Rob is like an American drag-racing car on the downhill, he is more a like a car that has blown a head-gasket now. I catch him up and pass him and the soft, slippy ground and pass him. Further up the hill, I pass more runners as I make a slow ascent, taking the time to take on board an energy gel and water for the last downhill in hopefully fifteen minutes time. Stefan has now passed me and moving nicely along up the hill. I slowly pass a few runners all the way up onto the summit of Long Hill, not being sure if they are early starters or runners from the main start time. From the summit I can see a line of runners in front of me all the way down this descent and onto the next hill. I can just see the cross before our final descent. I increase my stride knowing that there is only about 5km left in the race. My aim is to catch as many people as possible before reaching the cross. It is a rocky descent off Long Hill. I am now moving really well without exhausting myself and as I hit 18km, I pass a couple of more runners. I start the last ascent knowing that in about 500 metres, I will have the jog of downhill until we reach the school in Clonmel.

Just as I creep up over the summit, I can see the cross. I can also see at least about six runners in front of me including Stefan. Who do I meet as I pass the cross only my agony aunt; Sean Leonard. He gives me a big cheer, checks that my laces are tied and tells me to watch out for the low lying hedges; just as I start my uncontrolled descent. I absolutely open it, striding down through the slimy grass and rocks with no real care for my own well-being. I pass Stefan and another runner before passing Tricia Twohig and 5-6 others as I make my way through the overgrown bushes onto a single track. I turn right and pass one last volunteer who tell me to take a right at the next car. I duly oblige as I stride past four more runners, who I would say were early starters. I hear my watch beep so know I am now into kilometre number nineteen. Only 2.5km to go. Next thing, Stefan in his blue top is striding alongside me and moving comfortably. Down along the road and the slapping of feet are in unison just as we start to reel in another runner with a blue top. Stefan eases away from me as we edge closer to this runner with all three of us running really well. As I catch up with this runner, I discover it is Kevin Broughton, who is having the race of his life. It takes me at least thirty seconds before I go from being level with him to just creeping ahead of him. Eugene O’Keeffe turns us sharp left down onto another road and it is what gives me the edge on Kevin at this point. Stefan is leading, I am next and Kevin hot on my heels. After about 700m, we hit an actual chicane on the road, whipping back right and then left. We are all within five metres of each other. As we take the left, which has a sharp drop, Stefan goes wide and stops. He starts tying his lace so he is dropped immediately. I can hear Kevin’s footsteps behind me matching mine so I know I need to keep moving as hard as I can. Just as I start to pass the houses, I can feel my calf muscles tightening; not cramping but they are letting me know they won’t take much more sh*t from me. Kevin’s footsteps are a bit fainter now so I take a quick glance over my shoulder just as I take the turn and go passed the Edel Quinn Park. I have about ten metres on Kevin; not enough to ease off but enough that I can take a few breaths and shorten my stride. I can see another runner about 40 metres in front of me and it gives me another focus so I see if I can catch her. Turn in at the school and up the little hill, there is no catching her; who turns out to be my friend; Roisin Howley. I make it to the line; put my hands on my knees and try to catch my breath. I welcome Kevin in fifteen seconds after me, followed by Stefan.

Back to the car, into the shower and then out for the fodder and some chats. Damien McDonnell put on some spread of food for us all. He is some man for one man; IMRA Munster’s Official Cater. It makes you want to go racing when you know that you are going to leave there afterwards heavier than when you arrived. Congrats to John Kinsella & Kealey Tideswell on their respective wins and congrats to all runners who finished this tough course- an achievement in itself!

Sincerest thanks to Hillview Sports Centre for letting us use their facilities; to Dee O’Gorman as Race Director, to all the volunteers who gave up their day to let the rest of us run and marking the course, to Damien McDonnell whose lemon tartlets, sandwiches, sponge and cheese cakes are in a league of their own… and to my Agony Aunt Sean Leonard, who put a smile of my face when I needed a bit of reassurance- his advice is crap but he’ll make you laugh!

PS- It probably took as long to read this as to run the race… My hernias appear intact- roll on my next race!

Edel Hennessy

10 March, 2025

I started drafting this in my head whilst schlomping up the climb following the second river crossing. Anything to distract myself. To ensure it's positive, I'll leave my personal race details brief. My highlights were: 1. Finishing in time for the match, 2. Finishing, 3. Being very happy in the runners for the mud; Speedcross's (the irony as I didn't feel speedy!)

It's always a pleasure to travel to Hillview since spending so much time there in preparation for the World's in 2022. Nice to catch up with current chairman Noel who thinks all hillrunners are mad as he headed out for a tennis match. The hall was buzzing for registration & doubling up as a changing room as we all double checked mandatory kit. Unreassuringly, Dee reported that it was wild up the mountain when she checked the route in the early hours. (Great, sure we love a bit of hardship.)

Race briefing done outside Raheen School & we followed the lead car for the first 500m until we turned off the main road and started the first climb of the day. The first short up and down followed the familiar Long Way Round route on tarmac until we turned left and into the woods. A lovely start to the climbing until we cleared a bank and turned up a narrow, root lined track until our first reprieve on fireroad. A few fun downhill mountain bike trails followed bringing us towards the lovely trails by Careys castle & along by the river. And then we started climbing through the woods. Muddy, rocky, narrow, woody; it's all a bit of a blur but passed a few very chirpy marshals who encouraged us along. Martin was at half way point with unrequired refreshments; "That next downhill is slippy." Noted.

Out onto the open mountain for a muddy, slippy downhill that I was looking forward to but struggled to find a rhythm. Stayed upright all the way (obviously didn't push hard enough) and met the first river crossing. The feet were well soaked by the bog at that stage so straight through and off again. Of course, when you run downhill to a river you have to expect a climb straight after. Off we trotted up the mountain along a valley until we met another river crossing which was followed by the aforementioned uphill schlomp. An open mountain during a race allows you to see the trail of runners ahead to reassure you you're not lost but it also is a constant reminder of how far you have to go!

Once we crested that hill Clonmel was within sight and the climbing was predominantly behind us. The chimneys at Bulmers were blowing steam & a bird was giving a very energetic tune. A very welcome tailwind guided us across the mountain along trails to Holy Year cross. Sean, the next chirpy marshal directed us downhill onto the tarred road for the final blast back to Hillview and the very welcome sight of the IMRA Munster van at the finish line.

There were lots of race reflections happening over plentiful cups of hot tea, sandwiches (with REAL ham), cakes and goodies. It seemed both congratulations & sympathies were shared in equal measures. I didn't finish the race quick enough to avail of water for the shower so took my tired and dirty legs home after the best cup of tea & ham sandwich!

Whilst not my favourite day out in the hills there's something special about any day spent in the mountains which leaves you coming back again and again. Maybe Noel was right.

Huge thanks to RD Dee & her hard work in organising the race. It was a super route & so well organised.
Also thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time to make sure we could enjoy our day in the mountains.