2024 World Masters Classic, Spain
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Turlough Conway | Jan 15 2024, 12:21pm | Last year in Madeira the Irish Masters Team achieved our greatest away medal haul (42) of which built on the tremendously successful home Championships in Madeira. This year’s Championships are being hosted in the stunning location of Canfranc, Spanish Pyrennees. As well as the uphill (6k) and long (17k) course there is a new ultra event (34k) this year. We are hoping to build on the team’s previous successes in medal haul, and in participation we are hoping to have full Irish Teams in all categories and in all races. This event is not just for those seeking to medal, any entrant will help the Irish Team and give the participant a feel for classic continental races. Participants who can sing, play an instrument or spin a few yarns and generally enjoy themselves doing the sport they love are also encouraged to come along. Please consider answering Ireland’s call and please spread the word wide. Canfranc is in the Aragon Valley which connects Spain and France. Hannibal, Napoleon and others used the valley to march huge armies between the countries. More recently, an International railway was built with a massive and beautiful station in Canfranc (once the biggest train station in Europe). The station was used for a famous scene in the movie Dr Zhivago. (if you haven’t heard of Dr Zhivago you may be too young for this trip). The main main settlement in the area is the Cathedral town of Jaca at the bottom of the drive and only 18 mins drive from race start. The city of Pamplona is also only 80 mins away. We have set up a Whatsapp group to support this effort and we will use that and here as the main sources of information. Masters events are not subsidised ,but the Whatsapp group will have very current information and will be exploring economies of scale etc as they can apply. Please join the conversation here and for the Whatsapp group just text 0-eight-9 6-zero-61371 (mention who you are ect) |
| Turlough Conway | Jan 15 2024, 2:45pm | Here is the Event website: https://canfranc2024wmmrc.com/ |
| Turlough Conway | Apr 3 2024, 4:48pm | Hi folks just upping this again. THe organization for this years Masters is gathering pace. We have plenty of information on accommodation and transport options. All (O35s) welcome. Those who competed last year and want to go again this year please touch base. turloughconway at gmail or details above. Also looking urgently for 060s for the Euroepan Masters in Madeira. Usually Ryanair out Wednesday, back Sunday and event right beside airport. Easy peasy! Reply to seperate thread by Sarah Whelan (or here) message below. 'Message from Esme. Matt and I registered today for the European masters off road championships in machico, Madeira which is only 5 minutes from funchal airport. Just wondering if you know of any w60 's interested to make a team. Need 2 more. Only 6 /7 days left to enter. If you contact me, I’ll put you in touch with Esme. |
| Turlough Conway | Apr 12 2024, 7:51pm | "Matt Alexander looking for one M/70 to fill up the Irish team at the European Masters Off Road Running Championships in Machico, Madeira (very near the airport). Great chance of team medal success. Vacancies for W60 also with good chance of team medal success too. Entries close Tuesday 16th April." |
| Mrs U W Gavin | Apr 14 2024, 8:12pm | I'm just asking about F60, have you got a team, thank you, una |
| Esme Alexander | Apr 15 2024, 9:54am | UNA are you interested in running in the European Masters Championships in Madeira on the 10th May. I have entered the 9 K. Closing date tomorrow, Tuesday. Esme. |
| Mrs U W Gavin | Apr 15 2024, 4:26pm | Esme I'm sorry I have been reminded I have family wedding 10th May weekend. Good luck |
| Turlough Conway | Apr 15 2024, 10:08pm | Reminder: Euro masters closing tomorrow. Canfranc World Masters open till Sept 1st. |
| Ciara Coffey | Jul 26 2024, 11:28am | I received the below from Canfranc… can anyone help me please? What is a federation license? —————————————————- We need you to provide us with a photo of your federation license so that the organization can check it. Thank you very much. Un cordial saludo, Gloria Bataller Tempo Finito Cronometraje y Servicios para el organizador de eventos deportivos |
| Jeff Swords | Jul 26 2024, 11:34am | You need to be registered with an Athletics Ireland affiliated club and a screenshot or photo of your membership details from here will be sufficient https://membership.athleticsireland.ie/ Although I see you're with Newry so they're Athletics Northern Ireland aren't they, so the equivalent for them. |
| Michael McSweeney | Jul 26 2024, 4:13pm | Ciara, Same as Jeff replied. Also I had to send them on my Athletics Ireland payment receipt for 2024, just to prove I was a current member. Micheal |
| Turlough Conway | Aug 9 2024, 9:25pm | Hi all Your country needs you! Please read and consider the below and/or send to your clubs Dear ... Ireland are competing in the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Canfranc Spain and are sending out a huge team. Last year we won a huge haul of medals in Madeira and are hoping to emulate or surpass that this year. All masters runners are welcome to sign up, but we are short runners in a few key categories in certain distances to have scoring teams. These are F55 (17k), F75 (6k and 17k), M45 (34k), M50 (34k), M65 (34k). Closing date is Sunday 12th August!! Race and registration details here: https://canfranc2024wmmrc.com/eng.registrations.html and if interested contact turloughconway@gmail.com and/or register at the above location. All the best |
| Michael McSweeney | Sep 17 2024, 7:06pm | Just back from a great weekend in the Pyrenees. Three great races,. Plenty of flat to the mat running on super trails. Sunshine, wind and snow. Lots of old friends. Some older than others. Lots of new friends from such far away places as Spain, Uruguay, Colombia, Morocco, Donegal, Mayo, the posh part of Dublin, and even GB. Some good singing. Lots of bad singing. Good food and drink. Go mbeirimìd beo ar an am seo arìs. |
| Pól Ó Murchú | Sep 23 2024, 10:18pm | Full Irish results below from the World Mountain Running Championship in Canfranc, Spain 2024. Uphill: 6km – 1,000m Mens Individual: M40 3. Ian Conroy M55 2. Des Kennedy M65 3. Martin McDonald Women Individual: W40 2. Kealey Tideswell W50 3. Rebecca Quinn Mens Team: M35 – Silver (33 Points) 10. Daithi O Beag 11. Christopher Aylward 12. Philip Goss Jason Wilson James Trainor Paul Trainor Rob Tobin Bryan Lanigan M40 – Silver (36 Points) 3. Ian Conroy 16. Martin Hennessy 17. Pól Ó Murchú M50 – 6th (86 Points) 27 Mark Alexander 29 Kenneth Bates 30 Bill Carty Micheal McSweeney Sean Manning M55 – 5th (49 Points) 2 Des Kennedy 20 Paul Flynn 27 Graham Bushe Derek Hunter Kieran Meegan M60 – 7th (71 Points) 35 Donal O'Kane 36 Brendan Lawlor M65 – 3rd (23 Points) 3 Martin McDonald 6 Conor Nolan 14 Liam Lynch Gerard Down James St John John Corry Vivian O'Gorman M70 (3rd 33 Points) 5 Matthew Alexander 13 Joseph Lalor 15 Peter Bell John O'Neill Malachy Doyle William Brown Women Teams: W35 (2nd - 36 Points) 9 Marina Quinlan 10 Eleine Langley W40 (1st - 19 Points) 2 Kealey Tideswell 8 Clare Sullivan 9 Carmel Fitzgibbon Eimear Purdue Sarah Whelan Iveta McDonnell W45 (2nd - 26 Points) 7 Karen Crean 9 Paula Donnellan Walsh 10 Margaret Hassett W50 (3rd - 25 Points) 3 Rebecca Quinn 9 Ide Kelleher 13 Sareen Walsh Eavan Long W55 (3rd - 33 Points) 5 Shileen O’Kane 9 Mari Johnston 19 Siobhán Foley Long Mountain Race: 34km – 2,000m Men Teams: M35 (3rd – 47 Point) 6. Adam Cunningham 20. Rob Tobin 21. Bryan Lanigan Christopher Aylward M40 (2nd – 38 Points) 11. Lee O'Boyle 13. Martin Hennessy 14. Pól Ó Murchú David Yelverton M45 (5th - 124 Points) 40. Michael Hayes 41. James Keogh 43. Aidan Cleary M50 (8th - 65 Points) 28. Kenneth Bates 37. Micheal McSweeney M55 (4th - 78 Points) 7. Paul Mahon 22. Graham Bushe 39. William McMahon Women Teams: W40 (5th - 29 Points) 11. Imogen McGuinness 18. Iveta McDonnell W45 (4th - 39 Points) 8. Sorcha Kearney 15. Sharon Woods 16. Ciara Coffey Classic Mountain Run – 17kn (1,000m Up And Down) Men Individual: M55 2. Des Kennedy M65 3. Conor Nolan M70 2. Joe Gough Women Individual: W40 1. Kealey Tideswell (2nd Overall in Race) Men Teams: M35 (2nd – 38 Points) 11. Philip Goss 13. Jason Wilson 14. Daithi O Beag Padraic O Flynn Paul Trainor James Trainor Rob Tobin M40 (2nd - 53 Points) 4. Ian Conroy 24. Paul Duffy 25. Pól Ó Murchu Kevin Doherty Niall McGeorge M45 (3rd - 56 Points) 5. Sean Quirke 23. Ciaran Steed 28. Maurice McCartan Jeff Swords Ben Murphy M50 (5th - 64 Points) 20. Bernard Fortune 21. Mark Alexander 23. Tim Lowry Kenneth Bates M55 (3rd - 50 Points) 2. Des Kennedy 21. Thomas Blackburn 27. Graham Bushe Derek Hunter Brian McGuckin Kieran Meegan M65 (3rd - 41 Points) 3 Conor Nolan 14 Gerard Down 24 James St John John Corry Vivian O'Gorman M70 (1st - 13 Points) 2. Joe Gough 5. Matthew Alexander 6. Joseph Lalor John O’Neill Malachy Doyle Women Teams: W35 (3rd – 21 Points) 9. Marina Quinlan 12. Elaine Langley W40 (1st - 16 Points) 1. Kealey Tideswell 7. Aoife Mundow 8. Brid Hearne Sarah Whelan Colette O Donoghue Edel Hennessy W45 (2nd - 21 Points) 6. Karen Crean 7. Paula Donnellan Walsh 8. Margaret Hassett W50 (3rd - 28 Points) 5. Ide Kelleher 8. Sareen Walsh 15. Eavan Long |
| Brendan Lawlor | Sep 24 2024, 10:00am | Thanks Pol for pulling those results together. A very impressive medal haul! All of our individual and team medalists should be rightly proud of their performances and the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals you brought home on behalf of Team Ireland. This excellent team performance did not happen by accident or chance. Tom and Tricia Blackburn, Turlough Conway, Sarah Whelan and many others have been banging the Hillrunning Masters drum for many years. They have been encouraging, cajoling, training and in some cases begging (!) to ensure that Ireland was sending full teams in as many age categories as possible to Masters events. I ran in the 6km Uphill race on Friday and managed not to come last in either my age category (M60) or the race itself which was an achievement, at least in my own mind. An elusive medal will have to wait for some more training and another day out- I can but dream! But a Masters trip is much more than just medals and performances . It’s a chance to run in amazing mountain locations throughout the world, meet and be inspired by mountain runners from around the globe, reconnect with old friends and make new ones, take part in the Opening Ceremony, support your team mates along the course and at the start and finish line flying the flag for Ireland, sing a few verses of ‘Grace’, ‘The Wild Rover’ or ‘The Fields of Athenry’ and much more. There is a place on these trips for everyone old and young, fast and slow and all you really need is the inclination to come along and be amazed by it all. Sign up for next year and see for yourself! For 2025 there will be two main Masters International events: -European Masters in Nicolosi, Sicily (a chance to run up Mt Etna, an active volcano!) May29th-June 1st 2025 -World Masters in Meduno, Northern Italy 29th August-31st August 2025 Turlough Conway has a very active, informative and entertaining Masters Whats app group which you should join if you are interested. Text me (oh87 two432 seven98) if you want to be added in. A special word of thanks to our ‘man on the ground’ in Canfranc – the amazing Ruben. Ruben is a Spaniard (well he’s Spanish/Basque but that’s a long story) who lived in Waterford for a number of years working on the Rose Kennedy bridge outside New Ross. His knowledge of the local Waterford/ Wexford/ Kilkenny GAA scene was impressive. But even more impressive was the 6 months he spent helping us in the run up to the event. Ruben was living near Canfranc and he provided amazing help and support with accommodation, logistics, travel, race entries and lots more in the run up to the event. He also collected race bibs on behalf of people who were arriving late and helped us organise a fantastic final night meal and celebration in a local restaurant. We look forward to welcoming him to a race or two when he comes back to Ireland – ‘He’s a man you don’t meet every day’ as the Pogues would put it! Finally thank you to IMRA who very kindly supported our final night meal. This was greatly appreciated by all who travelled. |
| Caroline Reid | Oct 14 2024, 8:36am | Fantastic two page write up on the World Masters by Karen Crean and Siobhan Foley in this weeks Meath Chronicle! Well done ladies on your wonderful achievements and on being such great role models for our sport!! https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2024/10/11/just-because-some-of-us-have-a-bit-of-grey-hair-doesnt-mean-were-not-still-highly-competitive/ |
