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28 November, 2009

A premature summer arrived for the Three Rock Ticknock Wednesday race. Conditions were slightly better (!) than that endured in the winter run some months back. In short it was perfect. I was glad to get there early and walk up some of the course and take in the terrific views of Dublin bay, something that can't often be seen and certainly I wouldn't see it during the race!

Before the race Turlough Conway's bring and swap shop was doing a good trade. We've moved away from using money in imra and honey and jam was used for at least one exchange.
Reckon Mick Redmond got a great bargain to secure the Lore of Running for those few jars. Better be good honey Mick. We need to work on the honey / euro exchang rate so Mick knows how many jars will secure a registration next time fo

Moire and Eoin did the route marking and did a terrific job. The temptation to have an uphill finish was resisted fearing an uprising by an angry mob.

According to Moire, the route was up to Fairy Castle and over towards the Wicklow Way. Turn right at the bottom of the boggy descent, along the Woka-Woka (up and down) path; cue quizzical looks from the crowd - to the forest edge, then turn right again to go up that path that leads back to the route down off Fairy Castle. Returning the same way, only cutting through the forest just above the main gate at the end to get to the finish.

Personally, I don't follow beyond the first sentence of race descriptions given at race commencement. It's a combination of my short attention span (a male thing I think) and the knowledge that I will be following runners who will be adept at following the adequately marked course. So I hoped but I was to go wrong once during the race following another runner off course and losing some vital seconds into the bargain.

There was a moments silence when Moire announced that the race would be more like 10K than the distance publicised. For me this led to some moments of doubt over the course of the run as I tried (in vain) to save some gas for the distance expected. But the run only amounted to 8 and quarter k.
The "only" won't come as much consolidation to many people ;-) as that distance was long enough in itself.

Personally I had a solid race, one of my better ones. I was suffering slightly on the initial uphill (join the club says you) due to recent long training runs and races.
I noticed Barry Minnock in the early stages, who hadattempted to give people a head start, as he started from the back of the field by the looks of it. The end result wasn't affected by that start. Barry, for future reference you need to give us more of a head start. 10 minutes might be appropriate. Or, can we look for the introduction of a late start section???

Rathfarnham made another clean sweep as their stormtroopers: Barry, Peter, and Aaron each arrived in 1st, 2nd and 3rd each having put a comfortable gap between themselves and the next runner.

In the women's Anne Ormsby secured a tight-fought victory on the descent against Aoife Joyce who had led the ascent and took a firm hold of 2nd place.

Barry and Aoife led Rathfarnham and Crusaders respectively to victory with Peter O'Farrell, back from his Tuaras Beagh victory, and Aaron O'Donohue also scoring for the men, while Eva Fairmaner and Niamh ni Cholmain completed the Crusaders women's team on the night.

I can complement the race director (well done Rachel) and her team of volunteers for a very well run race and we look forward to having a similar level of organisation next time out (volunteers always needed please).

<b>Team Results:</b>

Overal LL: <a href="/ad-hoc/LLOverallTeamResults4-12.xls">here</a>

MEN

1. Rathfarnham WSAF 6 (Barry Minnock 1, Peter O'Farrell 2, Aaron O'Donohue 3)
2. Sli Cualann 60 (Martin Francis 14, Mick Hanney 18, Cormac O'Ceallaigh 28)
3. Setanta 69 (Gerry Lalor 4, Tony Doolin 27, Andreas Kusch 38)
4. UCD 77 (Jonathan Daly 6, Zoran Skrba 35, John Kirwan 36)
5. Unwilling Wandererers 86 (Richard Healy 7, Robert Healy 20, Matthew Kenny 59)
6. Crusaders AC 103 (Shane O'Rourke 5, Jason Kehoe 17, John McNaughton 81)
7. GEN 203 (Pat McCavana 21, Alan Ayling 45, Brendan Doherty 147)
8. Fingal 237 (Seamus Murphy 32, Jonathan Corrie 93, Val Jones 112)
9. Tumbleweeds 343 (Ben Moore 71, Danny Ward 128, Geraint Jones 144)
10.Sportsworld 355 (Henny Brandsma 90, Sean O'Byrne 108, Charlie O'Connell 157)

WOMEN
1. Crusaders AC 19 (Aoife Joyce 2, Niamh ni Cholmain 8, Eva Fairmaner 9)

</br>
<b> Inter-county women </b>
1. Dublin 24 (7 Jacqueline O?Hagan, 8 Niamh Ni Cholmain, 9 Eva Fairmaner)
2. Wexford - (2 Aoife Joyce)
3. Wicklow - (17 Liz Ryan)
4. Louth - (50 Michelle Fanning)
</br>
<b> Inter-county men </b>
1. Dublin 49 (10 Niall McAlinden, 19 Ronan Hartnett, 20 Robert Healy)
2. Wicklow 37 (5 Shane O?Rourke, 14 Martin Francis, 18 Mick Hanney)
3. Meath - (46 Luke Walsh, 77 Colm McAtamney)
4. Westmeath - (29 Patrick Ryan, 142 Alan McDonnell)
5. Offaly - (1 Barry Minnock)
6. Kerry - (12 Mike Long)
7. Cavan - (70 Declan Carolan)
8. Waterford - (119 John J Barry)
9. Louth - (130 Aidan Callery)
10. Wexford - (155 Mick Redmond)