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28 November, 2009

2002 Races
Carrauntoohil race - Preliminary report by Douglas Barry
Robin Bryson added a third name - his own - to the list of winners of the 16 races held up and down Ireland's highest mountain. Robin stopped John Lenihan's amazing streak of wins at 14, but the injured Kerry runner vowed he'd be back to try to extend it to 15 next year. Lenihan like the other previous winner Douglas Barry couldn't make it to the race, even as a spectator, and missed a tremendous performance from the Enniskillen based Irish international who defeated former British Cross Country champion Deon McNeilly over the 8.5 mile course. Shilleen O'Kane took the women's race from Roisin McDonnell and US based runner Siobhan Snyder. Fuller report below.
Joe Lalor reports
The Munster squad was depleted. John Lenihan who had made this race his own over the last 14 years was injured, several likely substitutes were at the Masters Championships, even the tough Michael McAuliffe was missing having been attacked by a cow during dehorning. If there was ever a year for Lenister runners to make their mark this was it. The current leader of the Leinster League Paul Nolan and leader of Leinster Championship Bob Lawlor were in attendance while second from last year Simon Fairmaner still not fully fit had to be content with taking the summit times.
All of this did not take into account that Newcastle AC from County Down was celebrating its 21st anniversary and was on tour en mass in Kerry. The first three runners were from this one club, a remarkable achievement. Robin Bryson added another first to his Irish Champs. win at Lugnaquilla and his third maximum score in the King of the Mountains competition. He was followed home by another vet. Deon McNeilly who was expected to make up time on Robin on the descent but as can be seen from the summit times this did not happen. The third Newcastle man was Damien Brannigan. To add to the woe of the Leinster runners the only opposition offered to the men from County Down was by two relatively new to the scene Munster runners Sean Whelan and Bernard Fortune who came either side of yet another Newcastle runner Paul Mawhirt.
The ladies race was won by BARF?s Shilleen O?Kane but there was the prospects of a great race when a very fit looking Deirdre Ni Challanain arrived at the start. Deirdre who was a very prolific winner of IMRA race in the past has been living in Britain for a number of year and has not competed at one of our races for some time, however on this occasion she was spectating. Second lady was Roisin McDonnell. James Doran had a fine run to be 19th overall and first junior.
In a year of change even our post race venue for the last 16 years was not available.
The Climbers Inn, Glencar has changed hands and will not be open by the new owners until next week. Although a fine run by Robin Bryson it is too soon to be talking about the end of an era with the winning time of 79.35 two minutes outside John Lenihan?s time of twelve months ago. There is no saying what the next twelve months will bring.