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28 November, 2009

2002 Winter League Races
Prince William's Seat - Report by Douglas Barry
Simon Fairmaner stormed away from the rest of the field in the Prince William's Seat race to stretch out an unassailable lead on the climb to the eponymous Co. Wicklow summit. The DSD runner turned with a comfortable margin to spare from 3ROC's Hugh McLindon and held it all the way down the descent to take an untroubled win.
Hugh finished second ahead of the morning's Winter League leader John Brennan, but Simon's win ensured that John's league lead was history and that the DSD athlete is the 2002 champion. Adrian Tucker finished best M40 veteran and a creditable 4th overall. His nearest M40 class rivals John O'Reilly and Doug Corrie finished some distance behind.
In fact, Joe Feeney, the M50 class winner, was the nearest vet to Adrian, but he got a fright when Maurice O'Hara making a return to the hills after an absence of three years, popped up unexpectedly on his shoulder close to the finish. However, Maurice had used up all his energy to get up to Joe, and was shaded out on the run in to the finish. Bruce Shenker was third, while Mick Kellett and Mike Gomm won the M60 and M70 classes respectively.
Beth McCluskey was the clear winner of the women's race. "I was 8th man!!" she quipped later in the pub commenting on her magnificent 8th place overall. I can assure you folks out there that Beth is definitely not a man! Some way behind, Irene Walsh was coming in second when Torill Baekken closed up and, in a frenetic finishing sprint, Irene held her off by only one second. Irene also finished first F40 ahead of Rose Leith and Lindie Naughton. Caitlin Bent was first F50 while Maura Higgins was first F60.
After the race, a couple of non-running emergencies arose. One runner had locked his bike and broke the key in it. Another pair had locked the keys in their car. Pliers and some oil were procured from our emergency stores, and the bike lock was opened. The car was harder. Various runners swarmed over it trying every key available. Wire coat hangers were tried, windows examined, rocks were tested for weight, before the emergency baseball bat was produced. Your reporter took careful aim, and KAPOW!! They were free and I'd always wanted to try that!!