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28 November, 2009

ARUP Munster Championship Mountain Running

Exciting New Discoveries On the Comeragh?s !

Two very exciting new prospects were blooded as mountain runners on their very own patch on Crohaun in the Comeragh?s yesterday. I speak of course of Diane Behan of the promoting club ,West Waterford, who had a runaway victory in the Senior Ladies? when she finished the grueling course on the superb time of 40.46 on her very first attempt at mountain running and her clubmate, Sean Stlwell who caused a sensation, when he won the Junior Boys? category on the extraordinary time of 34.37 after dicing with the leaders for duration of the race. It was the sort of development that brought joy to the hearts of the Munster Executive the members of which always believed that their policy of promoting the sport on a county basis throughout the province would eventually bear fruit but required lots of patience and hard work.

Lenihan Un-Assailable Yet Again!

What can one say about Lenihan that makes sense? Suffice it to say that he has to be a member of that small ultra elite group which constitutes the best that Ireland has ever produced. Add to that, a lovely gentle person who is always available to help any-body who needs it and you areonly scratching the surface. Simply put , he is just a class act and he was at his scintillating best on Crohaun on Sunday. The race was taken out by Riocht?s Willie Reidy and the eventual runner up Dzintars Klava of Ballynonty. Reidy was still in the lead at 1 KM into the race but was having a tough dice with Klava. They were joined at the 2 KM stage by the crack West Waterford Junior Sean Stlwell who looked as if he had made the mountain his natural stomping ground and all that on his very first attempt. Richard O Donnell of Tulla came through like a tornado at about 3KM and joined Klava and Lenihan. Tom Blackburn of Bilboa was on the ascendancy also and tacked on to the rear of the bunch and looked impatient. Lenihan turned on the pressure over the next 2KM and moved up to join the Latvian who he passed at 5KM on the way out to the summit.Mc Intyre and Klava were now slogging it out behind Lenihan in joint 2nd and it looked as if neither would give way. It was mighty stuff! Lenihan was 25 seconds ahead of the pair at the summit,He burst forth like a man possessed on the last 3K down to the finish coming in on 31.48 which was slightly slower than his 2004 time. The dog-fight between Mc Intyre and Klava had not eased. It was a fight to the finish with the Latvian passing the Clareman in the closing 400M to finish on 32.42 forcing him to settle for 3rd place on a time of 32.53.

Tom Shanahan of Riocht had an excellent run in the M/40 category finishing in the fine time of 35.40 ahead of Pat Dunford of the host club who came in 2nd on a time of 38.28. Wexfordman Shane James Whitty was 3rd on a time of 39.51. Mick Mc Auliffe of Riocht had an effortless run in the M/50 category, finishing on the fine time of 36.59 with over 3 minutes to spare on Martin Sandford of the host club, West Waterford who finished on 40.00. Matt Alexander of Coolquill finished 3rd on a time of 40.37. Joe Laffan of Limerick AC was the best M/ 60 finishing on 53.24, ahead of Kevin Cummins of Cork BHAA who came home on 60.09.

Our thanks go to Tim Foley and his helpers from West Waterford AC for organizing the event and providing the food and prizes. We thank Michael Daly and family of Bridgie Terries for their kind sponsorship of the race . Last but not least we would like to thank Nora, the Chief Time-keeper on the day for a job well done