Unknown

28 November, 2009

Race report
European Mountain Running Championships
8th July 2007
By Gerry Brady

There were good Irish performances in all races in the recent European Mountain Running Championships held in Cauterets, France. The races were run in cool conditions with the longer races running in a low cloud for around 5 km before emerging into the sunshine for the last 2 to 3 km before finishing at the 2,400m summit. This was in stark contrast to the strong sunshine on the Saturday.

The championships incorporated junior races for the first time. Michelle Sturm finished 18th in a small field in the junior women?s race. Blue Haywood of Great Britain set the early pace but she was hauled in by Slovene Lucija Krkoc and in the end finished 5th and on the winning British team. Next on her agenda is the 3,000m in the European Youth Olympics.

In the junior men?s race, Turkey had a 1-2-3 for an impressive clean sweep. Leading Irish performer, and youngest competitor in the race, was Michael Dowling from West Wicklow who finished in 30th place. It represented a very good performance on a course that required a lot of strength.

Norway provided 1st and 3rd in the women?s race with Czech reigning champion Anna Pichrtova separating them. Switzerland packed well to take the team title. Ireland finished 14th of 16 teams and were led home by Fiona Maxwell of Mourne Runners. This represented an improvement on our placing of 16th (2006) and 17th (2005), and gives further encouragement to the larger women?s squad that is developing at home.

Turkey also took the individual victory in the senior men?s race but Italy took the team title ahead of France and Germany. Ireland finished 14th led home by Robin Bryson. This equalled our 2006 team placing. An improvement of around 6 minutes in the cumulative 4 hours taken by our three scoring athletes could have got an 11th place team finish.

Senior women (8,500m / 1010m ascent)
1. Switzerland 17 (4,5,8)
2. Czech Republic 22 (2,9,11)
3. Italy 29 (7,10,12)
4. France 33 (6,13,14)
5. Norway 42 (1,3,38)
6. Germany 58 (15,19,24)
7. Austria 71 (21,23,27)
8. Great Britain 71 (18,20,33)
9. Spain 85 (16,30,39)
10. Turkey 87 (25,28,34)
11. Slovenia 114 (32,37,45)
12. Portugal 114 (26,42,46)
13. Belgium 149 (36,50,63)
14. Ireland 158 (48,53,57)
15. Poland 160 (47,52,61)
16. Belarus 168 (54,56,58)
1. Anita Evertsen (Nor) 51?45?
2. Anna Pichrtova (Cze) 52?34?
3. Kirsten Otterbu (Nor) 52?56?
48. Fiona Maxwell 64?05?
53. Tricia Sloan 66?55?
57. Alwynne Shannon 69?56?
59. Aisling Coppinger 72?41?
65 runners finished

Senior men (12,800m / 1570m ascent)
1. Italy 15 (2,3,10)
2. France 31 (6,12,13)
3. Germany 36 (8,9,19)
4. Spain 46 (7,17,22)
5. Czech Republic 53 (15,18,20)
6. Great Britain 66 (11,26,29)
7. Turkey 68 (1,32,35)
8. Portugal 78 (14,27,37)
9. Switzerland 85 (5,30,50)
10. Norway 91 (24,28,39)
11. Slovenia 133 (33,43,57)
12. Austria 134 (41,46,47)
13. Poland 138 (38,44,56)
14. Ireland 147 (45,48,54)
15. Belgium 164 (51,52,61)
16. Belarus 190 (59,64,67)
17. Monaco 194 (63,65,66)

1. Ahmet Arslan (Tur) 68?39?
2. Marco de Gasperi (Ita) 68?50?
3. Marco Gaiardo (Ita) 69?09?
45. Robin Bryson 77?16?
48. Colm Mullen 78?36?
54. Stephen Duncan 81?47?
58. Ronan Guirey 83?43?
67 runners finished

Junior women (4,000m / 450m ascent)
1. Great Britain 8 (3,5)
2. Austria 10 (4,6)
3. Slovenia 13 (1,12)
4. Turkey 17 (8,9)
5. Czech Republic 27 (10,17)
6. France 28 (13,15)

1. Lucija Krkoc (Slo) 23?33?
2. Kerstin Straub (Ger) 23?58?
3. Hannah Bateson (Gbr) 24?50?
18. Michelle Sturm 29?35?
20 runners finished

Junior men (8,500m / 1010m ascent)
1. Turkey 6 (1,2,3)
2. Germany 21 (4,5,12)
3. Italy 34 (7,9,18)
4. Switzerland 41 (10,11,20)
5. Great Britain 47 (8,15,24)
6. Czech Republic 48 (6,19,23)
7. Slovenia 70 (21,22,27)
8. France 73 (16,26,31)
9. Ireland 97 (30,33,34)

1. Mehmet Akkoyun (Tur) 48?27?
2. Emrah Akalin (Tur) 48?34?
3. Mahmut Uruclu (Tur) 48?40?
30. Michael Dowling 60?11?
33. Jason Wilson 63?19?
34. Conor Moore 65?34?
36. Ciaran Collins 70?21?
36 runners finished

For full results, see www.cauterets2007.com and internationals page on www.imra.ie for a summary of Irish international performances during 1985 to 2007.

Gerry Brady

01 April, 2009

There were good Irish performances in all races in the recent European Mountain Running Championships held in Cauterets, France. The races were run in cool conditions with the longer races running in a low cloud for around 5 km before emerging into the sunshine for the last 2 to 3 km before finishing at the 2,400m summit. This was in stark contrast to the strong sunshine on the Saturday.

The championships incorporated junior races for the first time. Michelle Sturm finished 18th in a small field in the junior women's race. Blue Haywood of Great Britain set the early pace but she was hauled in by Slovene Lucija Krkoc and in the end finished 5th and on the winning British team. Next on her agenda is the 3,000m in the European Youth Olympics.

In the junior men's race, Turkey had a 1-2-3 for an impressive clean sweep. Leading Irish performer, and youngest competitor in the race, was Michael Dowling from West Wicklow who finished in 30th place. It represented a very good performance on a course that required a lot of strength.

Norway provided 1st and 3rd in the women's race with Czech reigning champion Anna Pichrtova separating them. Switzerland packed well to take the team title. Ireland finished 14th of 16 teams and were led home by Fiona Maxwell of Mourne Runners. This represented an improvement on our placing of 16th (2006) and 17th (2005), and gives further encouragement to the larger women's squad that is developing at home.

Turkey also took the individual victory in the senior men's race but Italy took the team title ahead of France and Germany. Ireland finished 14th led home by Robin Bryson. This equalled our 2006 team placing. An improvement of around 6 minutes in the cumulative 4 hours taken by our three scoring athletes could have got an 11th place team finish.

Senior women (8,500m / 1010m ascent)
1. Switzerland 17 (4,5,8)
2. Czech Republic 22 (2,9,11)
3. Italy 29 (7,10,12)
4. France 33 (6,13,14)
5. Norway 42 (1,3,38)
6. Germany 58 (15,19,24)
7. Austria 71 (21,23,27)
8. Great Britain 71 (18,20,33)
9. Spain 85 (16,30,39)
10. Turkey 87 (25,28,34)
11. Slovenia 114 (32,37,45)
12. Portugal 114 (26,42,46)
13. Belgium 149 (36,50,63)
14. Ireland 158 (48,53,57)
15. Poland 160 (47,52,61)
16. Belarus 168 (54,56,58)
1. Anita Evertsen (Nor) 51:45
2. Anna Pichrtova (Cze) 52:34
3. Kirsten Otterbu (Nor) 52:56
48. Fiona Maxwell 64:05
53. Tricia Sloan 66:55
57. Alwynne Shannon 69:56
59. Aisling Coppinger 72:41
65 runners finished

Senior men (12,800m / 1570m ascent)
1. Italy 15 (2,3,10)
2. France 31 (6,12,13)
3. Germany 36 (8,9,19)
4. Spain 46 (7,17,22)
5. Czech Republic 53 (15,18,20)
6. Great Britain 66 (11,26,29)
7. Turkey 68 (1,32,35)
8. Portugal 78 (14,27,37)
9. Switzerland 85 (5,30,50)
10. Norway 91 (24,28,39)
11. Slovenia 133 (33,43,57)
12. Austria 134 (41,46,47)
13. Poland 138 (38,44,56)
14. Ireland 147 (45,48,54)
15. Belgium 164 (51,52,61)
16. Belarus 190 (59,64,67)
17. Monaco 194 (63,65,66)

1. Ahmet Arslan (Tur) 68:39
2. Marco de Gasperi (Ita) 68:50
3. Marco Gaiardo (Ita) 69:09
45. Robin Bryson 77:16
48. Colm Mullen 78:36
54. Stephen Duncan 81:47
58. Ronan Guirey 83:43
67 runners finished

Junior women (4,000m / 450m ascent)
1. Great Britain 8 (3,5)
2. Austria 10 (4,6)
3. Slovenia 13 (1,12)
4. Turkey 17 (8,9)
5. Czech Republic 27 (10,17)
6. France 28 (13,15)

1. Lucija Krkoc (Slo) 23:33
2. Kerstin Straub (Ger) 23:58
3. Hannah Bateson (Gbr) 24:50
18. Michelle Sturm 29:35
20 runners finished

Junior men (8,500m / 1010m ascent)
1. Turkey 6 (1,2,3)
2. Germany 21 (4,5,12)
3. Italy 34 (7,9,18)
4. Switzerland 41 (10,11,20)
5. Great Britain 47 (8,15,24)
6. Czech Republic 48 (6,19,23)
7. Slovenia 70 (21,22,27)
8. France 73 (16,26,31)
9. Ireland 97 (30,33,34)

1. Mehmet Akkoyun (Tur) 48:27
2. Emrah Akalin (Tur) 48:34
3. Mahmut Uruclu (Tur) 48:40
30. Michael Dowling 60.11
33. Jason Wilson 63:19
34. Conor Moore 65:34
36. Ciaran Collins 70:21
36 runners finished

For full results, see www.cauterets2007.com and internationals page on www.imra.ie for a summary of Irish international performances during 1985 to 2007.