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28 November, 2009

<b> Inter-club </b>

MEN
1. Rathfarnham WSAF 19 (Barry Minnock 1, Peter O'Farrell 5, Mike Long 13)

WOMEN
1. Crusaders AC 19 (Rachel Walters 4, Emma Sokell 6, Mary Collins 9)

<b> Inter-County </b>

MEN
1. Dublin 27 (Peter O'Farrell 5, Greg Byrne 8, Aaron O'Donohue 14)
2. New Zealand 54 (Jason Reid 3, Geoff Ludemann 20, Justin Rea 31)

WOMEN
1. Dublin 6 (Donna Mahon 1, Mags Greenan 2, Jacqueline O'Hagan 3)

Despite the wet ground coming off Maulin and on Djouce, conditions were generally good for the annual Powerscourt ridge race with the temperature warm and a good-sized field of 56 runners turning out to bid farewell to the 2008 season.

However there was confusion at the finish as to who had actually won the mens race. Barry Minnock had been seen doing some strides before the start and seen briefly again for the first few minutes of the race. However for the next 70 minutes there was no sighting of him. All was revealed though when the results became available as he had won by the proverbial mile (almost seven minutes) and set a record for the new course in the process!

Behind him Peter OFarrell and Jason Reid did much of the work up Maulin but on the slow climb up Djouce, they were gradually reeled in by Eoin Keith and Bernard Fortune. On the run for home, it was Jason Reid (having a great run) and Eoin Keith who slipped away from their pursuers. In the end, Eoin Keith showed his experience to take the runner-up position followed by Jason Reid, Bernard Fortune and, a regaining his fitness, Peter OFarrell.

A different type of confusion reigned in the womens race. Tradition has it that the women are content to finish in the 20s on a good day and be happy. However the new breed of IMRA women appears to have scant regard for such pleasantries! Mags Greenan passed through the first summit of the day in the top 10 with Donna Mahon close behind in around 15th. Donna made good progress on the descent to the river and then used the climb up Djouce to move into 8th. At that stage such luminaries as Greg Byrne, Niall Fox, Mick Hanney and Mike Long must have been wishing they had stayed in bed! Donna held her place well on the journey home to finish in an impressive 10th place and almost more importantly ahead of her great rival, Mags, and in the process she joined her club mate by setting a record on the new course. Attempts to bring an emergency motion to the afternoon AGM to formalise these Gentlemans agreements were thwarthed and so we look set for some keen rivalries up front in 2009!

Other notable performances included that of Dermot Murphy who showed he will be back in fighting form for the Winter league, and Jacqueline OHagan and Tressan McCambridge who both made it into the top 30.