Two PBs, two age category PBs, two club records and lots of running over snow as our runners took on hills, trails and half-marathons.
TROOPERSTOWN WINTER
The weekend action started locally on the snowy flanks of Trooperstown dutifully marked by club coach Rene Borg who had to dust off one or two flags that had been further covered in snow from Friday to Saturday morning.
The runners began in slush and light rain before reaching the winter wonderland of the upper trail to Boots and Trooperstown where the snow rose gradually from ankle height to shin height and back down again during the descent.
First home was Colm Kenna followed by James Heggie and Mark Willoughby (lamenting his cold feet!). Winner Killian Mooney secured the overall Leinster Spring League. Our highest placed finisher was Alan Kennedy in 31st followed by James Heggie in 46th. In total 69 runners completed the league and 428 did at least one race.
| RESULT |
| 1. Killian Mooney () 0:45:12 |
| ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————- |
| 46. Colm Kenna 1:08:46 |
| 75. James Heggie 1:33:20 |
| 82. Mark Willoughby 1:46:52 |
NN CPC DEN HAAG 10 KM AND HALF MARATHON
The Devitt/Costelloe power couple continued their brilliant early Spring running over the two days of the NN CPC Loop den Haag where Catherine opened the weekend with a quadruple of achievements: 2nd in her category, an F40 personal best, and lowering her own Ladies and F40 club records).
10 km (12/03)
| RESULT |
| 1. Trond Einar Moen Pedersli (Norway) 0:29:59 |
| ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————- |
| 85. Catherine Devitt 0:38:25 (2nd F40, F40 PB, CR, F40 CR) |
Husband Richard was not to be totally outdone when he towed the start line for the half-marathon on Sunday 13th and smashed his half-marathon personal best from 2022 by 6 minutes with 1:22:29 (the fifth fastest time run in our club colours – the other four being run by Torben and Angus).
Both ran in massive fields with nearly 6000 runners in the 10 km and over 8500 in the half-marathon.
Half-marathon (13/03)
| RESULT |
| 1. Brian Kiptoo (Kenya) 1:00:53 |
| ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————- |
| 385. Richard Costelloe 1:22:29 (PB, M45 PB) |
BOHERMEEN HALF-MARATHON
Finally in Bohermeen Blaise Kinsella and Eoin Phelan got a run-out. Blaise ran well as he continues to settle into a routine after an injury scare last month in his marathon build-up. With 1:25:23, he ran his second fastest half-marathon and looks well on track for a strong sub-3 attempt in the marathon.
Eoin meanwhile kept it tight in regards PBs – dipping under his previous mark by a mere 4 seconds (but it all counts!). The tenth PB set by a club runner this year.
| RESULT |
| 1. Yared Derese (Carrick Aces AC) 1:05:58 |
| ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————- |
| 174. Blaise Kinsella 1:25:23 |
| 893. Eoin Phelan 1:52:07 (PB) |
Glendalough AC 