Dermot Murphy

07 June, 2011

From Paul Joyce

I can be excused for milking my moment in the sun, here's a copy of our race report from Boards. We'll do up a leg-by-leg report from each runner, and link it here, but the the moment here's an account from a very, very, happy team captain :)

Boards A- 1st : Boards B- 7th
Well done to all who ran in this best race of the year. Results show that the race begins months before the start, with teams being picked, runners assigned to legs, and recces organized.

Before the race, I had hoped for a top 10 finish for our A team- although I secretly anticipated a finish of 5,6,7 or 8. Our B team looked stronger than their moniker suggested, particularly after some strong results in recent imra race, so I figured they might be around the same place as our Boards team from last year- 14th place.

After waking up and making some coffee,I was greeted to the great news that Gary Condon had a great run, finishing leg 1 in 7th place. More surprising was John Ahern's result from the B team- two minutes behind, in 9th. Truly those demons from last years mishap had been slayed, and how! Another cup of coffee and some porridge, and I nearly choked at the result that came in- Joe Cawley had made up 5 places over leg 2, Boards A were now in 2nd! I'll admit to mixed feelings around this time- it's easy to run in 10th team, slap on back, well done, no-one really notices: but when you are in a podium place, expectations arise.

Our scheduled leg 3 runner, Jo Fearon, had severe blisters on her feet following her recent epic run from Malin to Mizen, so sadly had to drop out of our team at the last minute. Our new replacement (from Rathfarnham!) Vanessa Sallier had a great run to hold second, as did Suzanne Kenny, whose time on leg 4 show's she's a force to be reckoned with! (Can't be too long until some of the vultures from "proper" clubs take notice of her talents- joking ;)!). Mick Hanney took off on leg 5, and I was sat waiting at the end, watching the madcap antics of marshal Graham Porter, aided and abetted by Jane (and goaded by Peter!). Its strange to stand and chat with other runners before a leg starts, one eye on the road looking for your runner, the other on sizing up the competition.

Anyway, the Rathfarnham runner came in, and had a 10 minute gap on Mick, who ran a brilliant leg under the hour. I slapped hands, and set off. The idea was to pace this run, being a long uphill, a downhill, another uphill, and a couple of killer downhills to finish. I had run it in 62 minutes last year, while fitter, and chasing runners, but I would have been happy with 65 this year. As it happens, I paced too softly, with no-one to chase or be chased by, and finished in 63:xx, but with too much energy. Slapped hands with David Walsh-Kemmis, a little disappointed with the energy I still had, but never mind, I hadn't been caught, and I had held second, right?

Except I realised I was talking to Jason, who was meant to be running leg 7 for Rathfarnham. Took a couple of minutes before the penny dropped, and the Rath guys were asking me had I seen a runner wearing white on the course? The unfortunate runner had gone astray, and ended up running a 12k leg in 22k. This misfortune was our good fortune: Boards were now in 1st place.

I drove back to Tinahely, stopping along the road to run a bit with David, who was flying on this road section. The message at this stage was very much, hold it together, don't f*** it up, and if there was a sharp turn on leg 7 that might be missed, there was an overbearing team captain there, to make sure the right route was followed. On to Tinahely, and wait for David, who came in and set off Dominic Horan, still in first. Eleven minutes later, Jason came in for Rathfarnham, having ran a great leg and clawed back vital time. Still, 11 minutes over 10k would be hard to find, so we drove to the finish, with cautious confidence. Met Dom along the way, and ran with him- he was in real pain, his recent hip injury causing major discomfort. At this point, it was 5k to go, and I ran beside him, talking of glory and history, if only he'd get up over this last uphill bend (of course there was another uphill bend around the corner...). Anyway, after a while we decided it was cruel to be torturing the guy like this, and let him run his own race. Down to the finish, and wait, wait... Soon he came round the corner, and with a final sprint, took the tape, in under 8 hours, for a Boards victory! It wasn't long after that the Boards B team came in, 7th place, another magnificent achievement!

This is the first time I have been part of a winning team since under sevens hide-and-go-seek, so I'll be milking it for a while. Far, far, beyond what I had imagined- its a dream come true. Well done to each and every Boards member who gave their all today, for the two teams. Commiserations also to Rathfarnham, who had some of the fastest legs of the day, only to be undone by a wrong turn. Talking to Jase, Donna, Peter, and the others after, they were gracious in applauding Boards winners, if a little downbeat about another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. There's always next year to avenge, guys. Although this time Boards will be defending champions, and victory tastes very, very sweet!

Training for places on the A team starts tomorrow! Well done to Joe, Nora, and all their helpers on a truly great day.


From Joe Lalor

Race Report:

Runners assembled in Kilmasogue car park at 6.30 for the ninth running of the WWR. The main interest before the start was “had the Dutch” arrived. Then two brand new 10D cars pulled in, it had to be them. They started to unload a bicycle, had something been lost in translation. No, one of their supports was going to visit all eight of the handover sites travelling by the longer road route. He arrived in Shillelagh as fresh as he started out before many of the runners.

Unlike most years there were no problems with leg1 but runners needed to be careful of the new Dublin Way route which has similar markings to the WW. As a result of a trouble free leg1 I managed to get to each of the handover spots before the runners came through. That is, in the early stages, not before the Rathfarnham runners who were steaming ahead, but more about them later. On leg 2 nobody got electrocuted but something stung Joe Cawley into action (Boards ac) who brought them from 7th to 2nd. Leg 3 seemed to have been pretty uneventful. I have heard nothing, anyone care to differ?

On leg 4, with thanks to Colin and Arkadiusz, you all got safely across the bridge without it collapsing… or did you? Both marshalls independently counted 29 runners but 30 arrived in Glendalough??? The climb on leg 5 makes this one of the more difficult legs but it is the switchback on the track that does the damage with some runners heading for Derrybawn or the Rathdrum road.

Was it arriving in Drumgof to the mad hatter’s tea party that put the jinks on leg 6 runners? Whatever it was it caused Rathfarnham to turn a 20 minute lead into an 18 minute deficit. Unfortunate for Rathfarnham but it rejuvenated an event that looked all sown up from early on. Leg 7 is very long, it is much longer if you add on the new “Mangans Loop”. This leg proved a challenge to a few “old hands”. Rathfarnham, courtesy of a great run by Jason Reid, managed to claw their way back to second place at this stage (see Paul Joyces’s report above for a great insight into the closing stages). Vivian O’Gorman’s Presidents Men were in third place at this stage and hoping finally to be in the medals, but it was not to be principally due to a fantastic final run by Ben Mangan to secure third placed for Setanta, who were so surprised that half of the team missed the prize giving.

From Mick Hanney:

32 teams were lined up to do the 2010 Wicklow way relay. The event was booked up well in advance and it continues to be a very popular imra event for obvious reasons. The success of the event is the result of the dedication of Joe Lalor year on year. This year was no different and Joe was assisted by various helpers over the course of the day which contributed to a great day for all those taking part.

In recent years the relay has resulted in great races between the stronger clubs, usually Clonliffe, Rathfarnham and Donore. However, the relay has a romance about it which attracts all and sundry and there have been other teams over the years that have interrupted the podium places. The importance of logistics and recces each year is restated. The value of same was confirmed in the days proceedings when straying from the waymarked trail was to have telling consequences on the results, not for the first year.
The vagaries of the imra calendar this year ensured that the relay was going to be a bit more interesting and possibly more predictable that heretofore. The European trial race the day after the relay attracted many elite runners away from their relay teams. No Clonliffe team it would appear, but there was a strong looking Rathfarnham team nevertheless who probably started as clear favourites.

The relay kicks off at Kilmashogue at 7am. The mass start here probably makes it feel more like a regular imra race. Ryan Montgomery was fastest over the leg finishing in under 58 mins. Not bad before most people’s breakfast time. Keith Daly’s sub 54 minute time on this leg from a previous year wasn’t to be threatened this year. Rathfarnham and Donore had runners in 2nd and 3rd. Boards had runners in 7th and 9th – John Ahern putting his route error from last year behind him with a great run Lucy Darcy was first lady home on this leg for Sportsworld in 10th overall.

Onto leg 2 then which started at Curtlestown. Places changed quite a bit on this leg. Fastest leg time (just over 64 mins) was recorded by a flying Ger Butler. A 2nd best time on this leg by Peter O’Farrell would put his Rathfarnham team into an overall lead. A tremendous run by Joe Cawley – running his first ever hill race – would bring Boards A from 7th to 2nd overall. Jenny McCauley was first lady on this leg finishing just ahead of Caroline Reid. The record for leg 2 is the sub 60 min time of Brian McMahon from last year. That time will stand another year, possibly for a great many years!

Leg 3, from Lough Tay to Oldbridge. Team places at the top stayed the same after this leg. Fastest leg time was Fiona Reid’s 30:09, which if confirmed could be a new best time for a lady runner on this leg? Aisling Coppinger and Vanessa Sallier, a last minute addition to the Boards team, ran the same time of 32:42. Ironically Vanessa had switched from Rathfarnham for the day. A twist of fate perhaps.

Leg 4, from Oldbridge to Glendalough. Donna Mahon holds the ladies record on this leg. That record wasn’t challenged on the day but Donna’s time of under 45 mins was still the best ladies time and kept Rathfarnham in the lead. A fine run by Suzanne Kenny – who would run the next day too in the European trial – would result in Boards A remaining in 2nd place overall.

By the time Donna tagged Aaron O’Donoghue in Glendalough at the Leg 5 start to Glenmalure the Rathfarnham team had compiled a serious lead that looked unbeatable. Aaron consolidated that lead with the best leg 5 time of the day, a sub 57 minute time that ranks as one of the best runs of the day. Tim Richards, on the Where’s Patrick team had a cracking run too. Yours truly had a solid run to keep Boards A in 2nd place ahead of Sportsworld. John Brooks record of 53:29 for this leg looks like one of those hard to beat records on the relay. Beth McCluskey was first lady over this leg in a great time of 62 mins which was 4th fastest time overall.

Leg 6 from Glenmalure to Ironbridge was where things were to get interesting. At this stage Rathfarnham had a big lead of somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes. Padraig MacCroistal has some of the best recorded times on the leg over the years so he looked to be a safe pair of hands to maintain and stretch the Rathfarnham lead. However, when Paul Joyce from Boards A arrived in Ironbridge he found himself tagging David Walsh-Kemmis into a lead for Boards as Padraig was a no show at that time! The question was whether the Rathfarnham runner had gone off course or was injured? No one knew. Another team placing was to change as Sportsworld moved into 2nd place. Fastest time on leg 6 was Ben Mooney with a sub 59 min time. Jeff Fitzsimons from Boards B showed up his Boards A compatriot by pipping him on this leg. First lady on this leg was Setanta’s Hazel Thompson. Gerry Healy holds the record on leg 6 of 48:57, a time which looks like it will stand the test of time. With Leg 7 having started we have a team order of Boards A followed by Sportsworld. Jason Reid from Rathfarnham could only sit and wait the finish of his leg 6 compatriot. Padraig did finish, eventually, having took 2 wrong turns on leg 6 with drastic consequences. Credit to him for finishing his leg when others on the day DNFed when their team were waiting. Padraig will have to wait another year to correct his error on the day. The relay can be a cruel event.

Leg 7, Ironbridge to Crossbridge. The word had spread that a change in the team order had happened. No one quite knew the extent of the gap between teams. David Walsh-Kemmis from Boards ran a solid leg to keep Boards in the lead. A long leg at the best of times it must seem longer again on a warm day such as it was. Best time on this leg was set by Fred Kiernan of Donore. Jason Reid ran his socks off to bring Rathfarnham back into 2nd place overall. Cormac Conroy had 3rd fastest leg. Lornie Dwyer was 1st lady of the leg 7 distance. The inimitable John Brooks also holds the record for leg 7 – the old leg 7 before it got slightly extended from the bridge to Crossbridge. That time was just 75 mins!

Onto the final leg, leg 8 from Crossbridge to Shillelagh. Boards leg the way and Dominic Horan set off now knowing the extent of the gap he had on the next runner. Dom had run leg 8 the previous year and over many recce’s so the changes of going wrong were slight. Wrong. An open gate where one is usually closed led to an extra ½ a kilometre being run. It made no difference in the context of the day and Dom crossed the line in Shillelagh to give Boards a win on the day. Keith Daly was fastest on this leg today followed by John McEnri from Rathfarnham who tried as much as he might to chase down the Boards lead. Sarah Moores was quickest lady over leg 8 on the day. The record for this leg belongs to Barry Minnock. That record time of 33:33 still probably wouldn’t have been good enough to help Rathfarnham claw back their overall team.

A day of ups and downs. Boards A consistency and correctness in route finding and recces paid off with a winning time of 7:58:44. 8:25 ahead of a very gracious Rathfarnham team who had more than 20 mins over a fast finishing 3rd placed Setanta team. Sportsworld had fallen away after their runner had gone astray on leg 7 it seems.

The top 10 placings were:
1. Surfing Boards 07:58:44
2. The Castle Crew 08:07:09
3. Setanta SET alight 08:29:52
4. Where's Patrick 08:32:37
5. All the Presidents Men 08:34:16
6. The Wicklow Pain Train 08:43:12
7. Boards Stupid 08:43:17
8. UCD 22 08:44:56
9. Donore Divils 08:49:01
10. Desperate Hillrunners 08:49:39

Thanks to Joe and helpers. Thanks to the Team Hollandia relay teams who gave the event an international air.