We had our usual large contingent at the ‘local mountain’ Brockagh where Paul Duffy led our men home in a very impressive 57:20 (the fastest time recorded by one of our runners on this new course introduced in 2022). Behind him was an impressive Aran Lynham (in his first hill race of the season) and next Kevin Ferguson who combined a strong climb with ever improving descending to get under the 62 minute mark.
The field was described as ‘stacked’ and there was truth in that – when injured coach Rene Borg (who had to walk off at the 2 km mark with a calf strain) led the team home last year, it was with a time (59:20) that would only have been good enough for 23rd this year. Last year it yielded a 12th place. If any doubt remained, Karol Cronin settled it by winning in a new course record – 11 seconds ahead of Derek Crammond’s 2022 mark.*
* statistically 14% of the field this year broke 1 hour versus only 11% in 2022
Our runners did well in the categories: Angus and Alan did their now (nearly) regular 1/2 in the M55 with only 13 seconds between them while Loraine Creane was third woman overall and 2nd F40. Sarah Foster was 7th woman and 2nd senior female (under 35) and Aran Lynham 3rd in the Senior men’s category.
afterwards it was commented that the ‘most of the same faces that were running 2007-2010 appear to be still around. A quick comparison of the 2008 to 2023 race confirms it: in 2022, 15 out of the top-20 runners were under 35. in 2008 19% of the field was over 40. 15 years later, it is 83%!
| RESULT |
| 1. Karol Cronin (Sportsworld AC) 0:49:29 |
| ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————- |
| 18. Paul Duffy 0:57:17 |
| 25. Aran Lynham 1:00:04 (3rd MS) |
| 34. Kevin Ferguson 1:01:52 |
| 43. Diarmuid Kavanagh 1:04:07 |
| 45. Angus Tyner 1:04:36 (1st M55) |
| 46. Alan Kennedy 1:04:49 (2nd M55) |
| 59. Loraine Creane 1:07:25 (2nd F40, 3rd woman) |
| 82. Sarah Foster 1:12:40 (3rd FS) |
| 112. Mark Willoughby 1:22:41 |
| 137. Keith Mulvey 1:25:43 |
| 142. James Heggie 1:26:24 |
| 162. René Borg DNF |
Glendalough AC 