Hollywood Hills

24 July, 2025 - Mick Hanney

Hollywood (Down on your luck) https://open.spotify.com/track/3b10aq9TltBeRWevYxwYka

A txt from Bernard to say he'll pick me up. Happy days.
Nice backroads drive towards but avoiding Baltinglass and onto Athgreany.
Through a torrential downpour we were hoping for the skies to clear and the hills of Hollywood beckoned.

The field of dreams awaits. The ultimate in IMRA parking fields.
With a registration tent and a photo-shoot with a Hollywood backdrop. Choose your glitzy accessories in advance. See a great selection of photos from Alice. See who choose their accessories well. You know the event is going to be good when there is fun even before it starts.

The start line. Like the stories from last year this too is the stuff of legend. A ceremonial parade with the druid leader led to the starting stone. Climbing a stone in sandals is not an easy task. A race briefing like no other with a thank you to (this year's prophet) Lilliam. We are forewarned of the grim route to come. As the speech drew to a close I could see the robed lady on the horse approaching the start from up the fire-road.

Quoting Mike Fry "boom", we were caught by surprise by the sudden start. The horse-powered figure turned and led the runners up the trail. A start like no other IMRA race with a gong crash adding to the atmosphere.

Up and around the fire-road, it was not an easy start. I was glad to leave the fire-road onto the single track, leading onto the rough uphill track to the first kissing gate of the day greeted by one of the druids assistants. Overtaken by Brian McGuckan and Andy 'no rest' Keeling. Once upon a time the common wisdom was to rest 40 days after a marathon. Now it seems like a race a few days after a 127k race is absolutely fine.

Through the summit cairn and the ground thankfully leveled then pitched downhill through the aptly named townland of Ballymooney. Picked up a few places on the downhill, but passing Andy was a mistake as it would only be a temporary pass. Down the grim reaper descent.

Turned by another masked druid form into the forest, then along the valley of darkness by the brook. Mr Keeling took the opportunity to pass again, saying see you on the other side. Left up through the boggy gulley ascent of despair. At some point on this journey we were mocked by a speaker in the trees telling us we don't belong here. We didn't need to be told twice.

After a steady up along the fence line we were back to the druid priestess at the kissing gate before the rocky descent, leading onto a boggy slip and slide and a final rocky single track before a short road section and finish line.

A super super route with great entertainment throughout. Thanks so much to Liam and all his crew from Lakeshore striders.