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28 November, 2009

<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Results08.htm"> RESULTS 08 </a>

<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg1.htm"> LEG 1 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg2.htm"> LEG 2 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg3.htm"> LEG 3 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg4.htm"> LEG 4 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg5.htm"> LEG 5 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg6.htm"> LEG 6 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg7.htm"> LEG 7 </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg8.htm"> LEG 8 </a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquaasho/sets/72157605484721536/"> Race photos Aisling Coppinger </a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/sets/72157605493717854/"> Race photos Lindie Naughton </a>
<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157605483388140/"> Race photos Gerry Brady </a>
<a href="http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/WWR 2002-2008.xls"> Fastest times 2002-2008 </a>

The seventh holding of the Wicklow Way relay saw the closest finish yet with only 50 seconds separating the teams after a seven-hours adventure across the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. A record 35 teams completed the event, and we had the oldest ever winning team comprising two M50s, two M45s, an M35, and one male and two female seniors which had been assembled from Clonliffe, Galway City Harriers, Metro St. Brigid?s. Tallaght and North Laois to challenge the might of Rathfarnham!

On paper it looked like Rathfarnham would win from Clonliffe & Guests and Crusaders and so it almost transpired. Last minute changes during race week appeared to weaken Rathfarnham when Sean O?Heigeartaigh cried off only to find that Barry Minnock was the replacement! Clonliffe were having their own last minute difficulties and brought in more guests to leave their all ladies team with a shot at a top ten finish.

From leg 1, the pattern was set with Rathfarnham guest Eoin Keith (56:58) having a particularly good run to lead home four runners in under the hour mark and hand over a two minutes lead on Clonliffe?s Kevin English (58:59). Ryan Montgomery (Raheny) had an excellent run to finish on Kevin's heels with Adriele Prina Mello (Crusaders) a close fourth. Next up for Eoin Keith is the World adventure race in Kerry.

It was expected that Peter O?Farrell (70:40) would extend the lead on leg 2 but Jonathan Doyle (Clonliffe and Guests, 70:24) and Alan O?Keeffe (Crusaders, 70:32) had strong runs to reduce the lead to 105 seconds. Down the field, Aisling Coppinger (81:07) had the ninth fastest time to set a new women?s record and bring her Clonliffe team from 28th to 16th. Fiona Reid (89:10), younger sister of IMRA junior officer Caroline, also had a fine debut run.

Their dad Eddie Reid (31:10) upheld the family glory by getting the fastest time on leg 3 ahead of debutante Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham, 31:22) who had a great run to put Rathfarnham into a clear lead and put herself in line for international honours. Zoe Melling (32:15), Orla NiMhuircheartaigh (34:37) and Rachel Walters (35:29) also had good performances. Some of the finish times on this leg appear to have been recorded to the nearest minute, which affects the precision of both leg 3 and leg 4 times.

Leg 4 is traditionally the leg where the top teams put their fastest women and this year was no exception with five women running under 50 minutes. Karen O?Hanlon (46:14) was the fastest runner on the leg and in the process established herself as a contender for the European championships team. Aoife Joyce (Crusaders, 48:00), Conor Short (junior, 48:30), and Laura Flynn (Rathfarnham, 48:36) followed Karen home. Another debutante Kate O?Neill (Clonliffe and Guests, 49:10) caught around three minutes on Rathfarnham only for her to become disoriented by a bus coming out of the finish area in the Glendalough visitors centre car park. Such was her drive that she had gone 500m up the road towards Laragh before she turned around. Anyone used to orienteering can understand her reluctance to stop!

John Brooks headed off on leg 5 over five minutes in the lead and there was an anxious wait at leg 6 to see if he would kill off the race. He ran a new record of 53:49 but Martin McDonald (55:14) held him to 85 seconds and kept the race in doubt. Shane O?Rourke (56:38) kept Crusaders in contention by keeping within 84 seconds of Martin and finishing just slower than Tim Richards (56:14). Mags Greenan set the second leg record of the day with a solid 65:57 for eight fastest runner on the leg and moved Clonliffe ladies up into 10th.

A last-minute change of plan saw John Farrelly switch to leg 6 for Rathfarnham and Mick Bolger promoted onto the A team for leg 7. John (53:50) ran well but Sean Foley (53:01) reduced the lead to just over six minutes and set the scene for the longest leg in the race. Ger Butler better known for his orienteering had a super run in 54:38. Two minutes separated the fastest five women with Krissy Gormley (65:24) keeping Clonliffe ladies in 10th, Melanie Earwaker (65:58), Tressan McCambridge (66:41), Jacqui O?Hagan (67:08) all running well and Caroline Reid (67:33) completing the family trio.

The field was well spread out starting leg 7 and up front Niall Coppinger (85:01) gradually bore down on Mick Bolger (97:22) to eventually catch him at the ford crossing and pull well away to hand over a six minutes lead. Down the field Mick Byrne had the fastest run of the day in 81:10 with Cormac Conroy (83:41), Uli Fluhme (84:05) and Gary Crossan (85:17) all catching the eye.

And so to Dessie Shorten and Barry Minnock. Dessie?s son Aaron had held onto a narrow lead on leg 8 in 2003 and now it was his turn. As the kilometres passed by, the lead dwindled but all the time the roads were sufficiently windy to prevent Barry ever getting an added stimulus from catching sight of Dessie (38:54). Barry had the compensation of setting a new record (33:33) on a much shortened course although Paul Nolan?s old record is such that it is still the third fastest time ever. Crusaders ran a solid race in third and Rathfarnham B team finished fourth thanks to a new leg record by Carole Pauli (43:13) with The Whirligigs and The Hill Eaters close behind. Joyce O?Hare (46:50) pulled up two places for Clonliffe ladies to move them into 11th place overall.

So another year, more sunshine, a few mishaps and concerns about lack of proper preparations by teams, and a race perhaps lost as much as won. Extended thanks to Joe and Nora Lalor and their team of volunteers for organising the most popular race of the hill running year.

Gerry Brady

12 April, 2009

Report by Joe Lalor and Gerry Brady

Results: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Results08.htm

Leg 1: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg1.htm
Leg 2: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg2.htm
Leg 3: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg3.htm
Leg 4: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg4.htm
Leg 5: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg5.htm
Leg 6: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg6.htm
Leg 7: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg7.htm
Leg 8: http://www.imra.ie/ad-hoc/Result%20Leg8.htm

Race photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquaasho/sets/72157605484721536/
Race photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/sets/72157605493717854/
Race photos: http://flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157605483388140/

The seventh holding of the Wicklow Way relay saw the closest finish yet with only 50 seconds separating the teams after a seven-hours adventure across the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. A record 35 teams completed the event, and we had the oldest ever winning team comprising two M50s, two M45s, an M35, and one male and two female seniors which had been assembled from Clonliffe, Galway City Harriers, Metro St. Brigid's. Tallaght and North Laois to challenge the might of Rathfarnham!

On paper it looked like Rathfarnham would win from Clonliffe & Guests and Crusaders and so it almost transpired. Last minute changes during race week appeared to weaken Rathfarnham when Sean O'Heigeartaigh cried off only to find that Barry Minnock was the replacement! Clonliffe were having their own last minute difficulties and brought in more guests to leave their all ladies team with a shot at a top ten finish.

From leg 1, the pattern was set with Rathfarnham guest Eoin Keith (56:58) having a particularly good run to lead home four runners in under the hour mark and hand over a two minutes lead on Clonliffe's Kevin English (58:59). Ryan Montgomery (Raheny) had an excellent run to finish on Kevin's heels with Adriele Prina Mello (Crusaders) a close fourth. Next up for Eoin Keith is the World adventure race in Kerry.

It was expected that Peter O'Farrell (70:40) would extend the lead on leg 2 but Jonathan Doyle (Clonliffe and Guests, 70:24) and Alan O'Keeffe (Crusaders, 70:32) had strong runs to reduce the lead to 105 seconds. Down the field, Aisling Coppinger (81:07) had the ninth fastest time to set a new women's record and bring her Clonliffe team from 28th to 16th. Fiona Reid (89:10), younger sister of IMRA junior officer Caroline, also had a fine debut run.

Their dad Eddie Reid (31:10) upheld the family glory by getting the fastest time on leg 3 ahead of debutante Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham, 31:22) who had a great run to put Rathfarnham into a clear lead and put herself in line for international honours. Zoe Melling (32:15), Orla NiMhuircheartaigh (34:37) and Rachel Walters (35:29) also had good performances. Some of the finish times on this leg appear to have been recorded to the nearest minute, which affects the precision of both leg 3 and leg 4 times.

Leg 4 is traditionally the leg where the top teams put their fastest women and this year was no exception with five women running under 50 minutes. Karen O'Hanlon (46:14) was the fastest runner on the leg and in the process established herself as a contender for the European championships team. Aoife Joyce (Crusaders, 48:00), Conor Short (junior, 48:30), and Laura Flynn (Rathfarnham, 48:36) followed Karen home. Another debutante Kate O'Neill (Clonliffe and Guests, 49:10) caught around three minutes on Rathfarnham only for her to become disoriented by a bus coming out of the finish area in the Glendalough visitors centre car park. Such was her drive that she had gone 500m up the road towards Laragh before she turned around. Anyone used to orienteering can understand her reluctance to stop!

John Brooks headed off on leg 5 over five minutes in the lead and there was an anxious wait at leg 6 to see if he would kill off the race. He ran a new record of 53:49 but Martin McDonald (55:14) held him to 85 seconds and kept the race in doubt. Shane O'Rourke (56:38) kept Crusaders in contention by keeping within 84 seconds of Martin and finishing just slower than Tim Richards (56:14). Mags Greenan set the second leg record of the day with a solid 65:57 for eight fastest runner on the leg and moved Clonliffe ladies up into 10th.

A last-minute change of plan saw John Farrelly switch to leg 6 for Rathfarnham and Mick Bolger promoted onto the A team for leg 7. John (53:50) ran well but Sean Foley (53:01) reduced the lead to just over six minutes and set the scene for the longest leg in the race. Ger Butler better known for his orienteering had a super run in 54:38. Two minutes separated the fastest five women with Krissy Gormley (65:24) keeping Clonliffe ladies in 10th, Melanie Earwaker (65:58), Tressan McCambridge (66:41), Jacqui O'Hagan (67:08) all running well and Caroline Reid (67:33) completing the family trio.

The field was well spread out starting leg 7 and up front Niall Coppinger (85:01) gradually bore down on Mick Bolger (97:22) to eventually catch him at the ford crossing and pull well away to hand over a six minutes lead. Down the field Mick Byrne had the fastest run of the day in 81:10 with Cormac Conroy (83:41), Uli Fluhme (84:05) and Gary Crossan (85:17) all catching the eye.

And so to Dessie Shorten and Barry Minnock. Dessie's son Aaron had held onto a narrow lead on leg 8 in 2003 and now it was his turn. As the kilometres passed by, the lead dwindled but all the time the roads were sufficiently windy to prevent Barry ever getting an added stimulus from catching sight of Dessie (38:54). Barry had the compensation of setting a new record (33:33) on a much shortened course although Paul Nolan?s old record is such that it is still the third fastest time ever. Crusaders ran a solid race in third and Rathfarnham B team finished fourth thanks to a new leg record by Carole Pauli (43:13) with The Whirligigs and The Hill Eaters close behind. Joyce O'Hare (46:50) pulled up two places for Clonliffe ladies to move them into 11th place overall.

So another year, more sunshine, a few mishaps and concerns about lack of proper preparations by teams, and a race perhaps lost as much as won. Extended thanks to Joe and Nora Lalor and their team of volunteers for organising the most popular race of the hill running year.