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28 November, 2009

The by now famous red bandana topped Mick Kellett looked a certainty to claim the win on the Kippure Handicap race, but certainties are sometimes never certain. Orla McEvoy has been improving steadily recently (check her %age winning time stats on the website) and with a good run was in with a chance of participating in the final shake up.

More than a chance, it turned out. The remorseless running of Orla reeled in "Red Bandana Man" in over the last 500 metres 'til the hero of the recent Runners World article was obviously catchable in the opinion of the massed hodes of spectators and officals. "She's catching him, she's catching him" went the alternating anguished and jubilant cries depending on whose side you were on. With a tremendous surge, Orla drew level in the last 300 metres and then managed to put an unsprintable gap between herself and the M60 winner. Modern women have no respect for age, experience, fame, and fashion sense...

John Stewart helped to console the well represented Stewart family (Ercus & Ria) with an excellent third place overall after his brother Cillian suffered a compound fracture of his wrist following a fall in last week's Sugarloaf BBQ race. Get well soon Cillian!

The majority of the field finished in a 15 minute band so the handicapper was presumably well satisfied. Next year, if you want to be in with a chance, do at least 7 Arup League races so that you get the best handicap possible.

Jim Fitzharris has prepared a file which shows the best times in descending order as if there had been a mass start.
<A HREF=http://www.iol.ie/~imra> Go here for the file</A>