Another south Wicklow gem from Mick Hanney

17 March, 2025 - Andy Keeling

The Paddy's day long weekend offered a great choice of races and honestly two weeks previous I was still unsure which race/ races I'd head along to. I had been challenged to do three in the one weekend by Prophet (Liam) Vines who was suggesting that Crone night challenge, Sliabh Gullion and Askanagap would make for a great weekend of running. After a very busy year racing last year though I've decided to pick my fights a bit more wisely this year.
Still undecided, I ran a very enjoyable WW half race the weekend before. After finishing and stuffing a lovely sausage roll down my gullet I was beckoned by the "come over here to me" finger of laptop operator Mick Hanney.

"How was Annacurra last week Mick?"

"It was a great race apart from neither you or Alan Ayling bothered to come down"

"Sorry Mick, I had to go into work that day"
(I don't know what Alan's excuse was)

"You'll be down at Askanagap next week?"

"Yes ok, Mick"

Decision made.

Myself and carpool buddy's Becky and Louis arrive at the lovely Askanagap village. The day before rumours were circulating that the extremely fast runner from the north Zak Hanna was coming to race Askanagap. Rumours are quickly confirmed as we park nearby him preparing to whizz around the course in record time. We walk up to the reg, get ready, and head towards the start area for a quick warm up.
After some inspirational boom box music and a race briefing from Mick, we are released. There's quite a few very quick racers in the mix and we settle into the fire road climb. Bit of chat between runners on the way around the first bend reveals that we're all just here for a nice run, not racing. Yeah right.
The short fire road section ends and we're digging into a long single track climb. Hand railing a forest edge all the way to the summit (first visit). The fire road has sorted us out into our positions so well that from this point in the race I keep the same place the whole way round. Donatas is up ahead and I try to make up some ground but he must have had a better breakfast than me. I run and walk up towards the summit and resist the urge to look behind me. I know there's some fast guys on my tail and feel the target on my back. After the summit we're flung straight onto a fast descent all the way down to the Wicklow Way which is dry and hard. A descent where you just try and fling your legs in front of you as quick as you can and just hang on. Great fun.
We're then turned right onto the Wicklow Way fire road. At this point I reach for a gel in my back pocket. Not usually a gel guy on a short race but last week I went a bit mad in decathlon and bought a box. And I am very aware that we have dropped a long way and we need to visit the summit again before the end. There is a climb coming and this is a Mick Hanney race so you can better believe it will be steep.
Sure enough, Liz Wheeler turns us right saying "unfortunately it's all the way up now" . Up a steep fire break climb on loamy sticky ground. The gel does its work and after a short fire road section I catch sight of Donatas again. But he's very far ahead. The last climb starts out on a trail then deteriorates into mushy ground through reeds and felled logs.
Thankfully the ground levels out and I whizz past Liam Kenny at the summit and back down the last descent. Another very fast one. It's brilliant because I know it's 100% downhill from here. It's a blur. And before I know it, I see high vis figures and the finish.
Very fun fast race. All climb and descent with just enough fire road to recover in between.
Cheers for the great race Mick and volunteers. Hopefully we'll be racing here again next year.

First Askanagap hill race,only a decade in the making

17 March, 2025 - Mick Hanney

Ballycurragh aka Askanagap hill has been on my local radar since before 2012. Thats the earliest recorded run I had on it and I’ve been on the hill many times over the years. I was immediately taken by the sustained climb to the top. Also the descent to Sheilstown and back. It made for a nice loop or climb from the Wicklow way side at Sheilstown also. Once heavily forested, the clearing of trees in recent years has changed the look of the hill a lot and also opened up fantastic views of the surrounding hills - from Keadeen to Lugnacoille and Croghanmoire, Ballycumber and Croghan Kinsella. Runners of the Wicklow way race and relay through Sheilstown were oblivious to the hill beside them.

The hill has been on my mind for a long time as a potential race route. Prior to the 2025 calendar shaping I must have nagged the prophet Vines sufficiently to earn its place for the South East league.

The biggest issue with IMRA races tends to be parking and we seemed to be ok with local parking spots, provided the scale of the race was kept manageable. I got great support from locals.

Numerous recces around the hill tied down an optimal route which would serve up plenty of climb and descent and be a horrible, sorry a good challenge, suitable for the hardiest of IMRA runners. Thanks to all the runners who joined me on recess and gave the route a thumbs up and from the feedback yesterday it appears to have gone down well. Thanks to volunteers and runners for making the inaugural race here happen.