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28 November, 2009

2002 Races
League race - Report by Joe Lalor
Junior international Peter Dalton had an excellent run to finish just 9 seconds ahead of Paul Nolan in the Scalp - the 7th race of the Leinster League. Paul was in turn nearly a minute ahead of one half of the Wicklow Way Relay winning team Eoin Keith. Eoin had recovered surprisingly quickly after his efforts on the inaugural WWR at the weekend and was no doubt gratified to see that his partner in that enterprise Hugh McLindon managed to keep his Scalp record of 22 mins 09 secs intact despite Peter's best efforts. However, Peter's run on the 4 mile course was a new junior record by a considerable distance.
As usual the Scalp Race, near to the city in Kilternan, attracted a large crowd (112 runners), however we are in danger of losing the very convient use of the Dublin Sports Hotel car park.
If we manage to retain its use runners in future will have to refrain from warming up in the hotel grounds and using their facilities. Both functions will have to be carried out in the woods across the road.
The Scalp race poised as it in the middle of the 13 race series is a favourite with the runners with its long sections on tracks and it is a chance to claw back some points from the hill men who had things all their own way on routes like Sugarloaf and Three Rock. Paul Nolan who was on a winning streak of six races was ready to clinch the title with one last win. However with the arrival of junior Peter Dalton things no longer looked so simple. Peter who has been concentrating lately on cross-country running is obviously getting focused for his last crack at the Junior World Trophy Race in September.
The large field and the narrow start necessitated the runners being seeded before the off. The early section of the race, a steep climb through the forest, allows for very little passing and the early climbers know that they would be picked off one by one by the runners as the route continues along the tracks of Barnaslingan and up the track leading to the lead mine chimney. The route Jane marked around the chimney this year was thankfully gorse free but quite wet. Away from the chimney the runners headed towards the peak of Carrickgollogan, most not noticing the down hill section that was going to cause them much bother on the way back.
Runners new to hillrunning are always surprised by the sharp short sock of the final rocky scramble up Carickgollogan , all I can say is "Welcome to the sport of hillrunning". At the turn Peter Dalton was only a few metres ahead of Paul Nolan with vet. Aonghus O?Cleirigh in third. Peter was to retain this slim lead winning by 9 seconds in a very fast time of 22.31. Eoin Keith overtook Aonghus to finish in third.