Irish Championship 2024
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Peter O'Farrell | Mar 11 2024, 4:00pm | Roll up, roll up... The 2024 Irish Championship has five cracking races - the league page can be seen at https://www.imra.ie/leagues/view/id/370/ The series kicks off with Slieve Donard on Saturday the 11th of May in NewCastle, Co. Down. Entries to this event are at https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=13012 and the race is organised by Newcastle AC - you do NOT enter this race via the IMRA website. The Slieve Donard results will be added to the IMRA Slieve Donard event page and the Irish Championship webpage for those runners with a 2024 IMRA membership. (The other four races will have the standard IMRA entry procedures) Many thanks to Newcastle AC for allowing IMRA to piggyback on their race as this ensures that the Irish Championship visits the highest point in all 4 provinces. |
| Peter O'Farrell | Apr 23 2024, 7:46pm | With some athletes missing round one at Slieve Donard thanks to their selection for international duty (well done) there's a chance for the rest of us to stake an early claim in the race for the Irish Championships of 2024. Slieve Donard is a stone cold classic - much like the other 4 races - and having raced it for the last few years I can strongly recommend the race. There's already been some fantastic racing at the provincial championships and with the Irish Champs only needing you to visit areas of outstanding natural beauty - of 5 - why not make 2024 the year you finish the league? We might even go mad and have a league Finishers momento this year as well as the usual winners prizes. Just to note : As you enter the event via the https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=13012 and the race is organised by Newcastle AC you will get a Slieve Donard result which is separate from the IMRA result. Safety equipment required for the race: compass, whistle, waterproof full body cover comprising of jacket (with hood and taped seams) and trousers, hat and gloves For your result to be manually added to the IMRA Irish Champs page you must have a 2024 IMRA membership to be counted. |
| Pearse Brogan | May 2 2024, 11:02pm | Less than a week left to enter Slieve Donard, entries close Thursday 9th May @ 7pm. Entry link is below https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=13012 |
| Peter O'Farrell | Jun 10 2024, 10:31pm | After a well attended race at Slieve Donard 66 fine folk have an early foothold in the Irish Chjampionships for 2024. Round 2 brings us to the self styled weekend of the year in the West with Mweelrea the Irish Champs race of that weekend. It's on the 29th June so you have 19 days to get your plans made. Thanks to Laura Flynn for race directing this one. Zak Hanna and Esther Dickson are the current overall leaders and there are overall category prizes to keep us amused as well. |
| Peter O'Farrell | Jul 23 2024, 12:51pm | The Irish Championships have rolled through the Kingdom and after a (very) stern test up the highest mountain in the country, the results have put some early shape on the league for 2024. Huge thanks to Robbie Williams and his 19 officials and who knows how many unofficial helpers on the weekend. Should the Crowdstrike antivirus protection fail us and Covid24 land in to cancel hill running for the season we would have winners as Lesleyann Wylie and Andy Keeling have diligently visited Donard, Mweelrea and Carantoohill and currently top the leagues. Onto the highest point in Leinster to come and cometh the hour, cometh the mountain. Lugnaquille awaits on Saturday coming! There's a big battle in prospect in the women's race with Becky Quinn holding a slim advantage over Esther Dickson after what looked to be a huge battle on Carantoohill. Both ladies had a win arriving into the Kingdom - Mweelrea and Donard respectively and Esther - if running - will be keen to turn the tables.The orienteer Ciara Largey is waiting to pounce on any errors. All three ladies have 2 races done and whilst I haven't got access to the entries list my spies tell me Ciara has definitely entered. Connie, Alice, Emma and Naomi have also completed 2 rounds and will be keeping a close eye on the competition.There are some strong names still in with a chance of completing the league on 1 race so ladies, time to think of Lug and Galteemore.The menfolk have a full podium of league finishers with the aforementioned Andy joined by the Liams, Kenny and Vines, on 3 races completed.On 2 races completed and most definitely hovering with intent we have the new Connacht champion Matthew McConnell, Séan Quirke, Mark McAdden, former Irish Champion Brian Furey and all round superstar Tom Blackburn.The same spy who knew of Ciara's intent to run suggests Brian Furey is planning to race. All credit to the grandparents I say. The Irish Championships are a unique challenge and great days out so if you are even considering it sure enter Lugnaquille. It's the easiest of the 5 on a clear day and the weather Gods have indicated to the long range forecasters that a clear day is in store. Enjoy! |
| Mick Hanney | Jul 23 2024, 2:54pm | People might want to do the Lug double - with the IC champs race this weekend and the LC champs race (via Ballineddan) in a few weeks, to compare and contrast. And don't make the mistake of taking the wrong descent for the route you are doing. Its been known to happen. |
| Peter O'Farrell | Aug 12 2024, 4:38pm | The ever smiling Vivian O'Gorman may possibly (hopefully) be presiding over an almighty tussle this coming Sunday at the final round of the 2024 Irish Champs. In what already looks to be a vintage year we have the frankly exciting situation of the 2 leading women on 4 points, with both having beaten the other once and both won a race where the other wasn't present. So 4 points and both have beaten the other once. Couldn't be closer - in fact if neither showed up on Sunday the current competition rules, as written, wouldn't separate them. In the Female category. What is definite is that a Ciara will finish 3rd, in pole position is Ciara Largey on 3 fine runs with Ciara Coffey in the hunt should she find a top 2 finish on Galteemore. Onto the Males and Séan Quirke either has it all wrapped up or could require a heroic performance if Matthew McConnell, on 2 races, shows. The vagaries of sporting decisions...The killer B's Ben and Bernard are also on 2 races and could make a late run into the podium where former champion Brian Furey is holding 3rd place with Mark MCadden in 2nd. Whatever happens on Sunday 2024 has already seen somewhat of a renaissance for close competition in this league and thanks to all the organisers and runners for making it so. |
| Peter O'Farrell | Aug 23 2024, 8:15pm | Galteemore lived up to the hype and the Irish Champions for 2024 were decided. After an amazing nip and tuck race Esther Dickson finally broke away from Becky to win both the race and the league. Ciara Largey had wrapped up 3rd place on Lugnaquille. In the men's race Matthew McConnell picked up where he had left off and added the Irish Championship to his earlier Connacht Champs. Séan Quirke's fine win on Lugnaquille was the backbone of his 2nd place in the league and Mark Mcadden's consistency in the middle section of the league was rewarded with 3rd place on the podium. Irish Championship 2024 1st Esther Dickson 2nd Becky Quinn 3rd Ciara Largey 1st Matthew McConnell 2nd Séan Quirke 3rd Mark McAdden As always there were many good runners on 2 races and the task for 2025 is to find ways to encourage those to complete the league. |
