Not all running stopped for our club members organising Lap of the Gap over the weekend. Johnny Conway flew the green and gold flag in London finishing the Vitality London 10,000 in 41:43.
REPORT: Vitality 10k
Author: glendaloughac
REPORT: Wicklow Way Relay 2019
Our team took up the team challenge of the Wicklow Way Relay for the fifth year running and it was another buzzing day.
Half the battle is getting to the start line!
The team very nearly didn’t make the starting line. First Torben Dahl called in with a poor IT band Tuesday evening (he had a miracle recovery), Angus Tyner did in his ankle on Wednesday night (he didn’t recover) and finally Amidou Dembele’s car broke down in Sligo on the way down from Donegal Friday evening. One rental car later Amidou was at least on his way to Dublin but injury and other commitments in the men’s team meant genuine concerns existed around whether Angus could be replaced.
That was until Richard Costelloe dusted himself off early in his Ballyhoura recovery and took over in the eleventh hour (thanks Rich!) and making his debut in the event. Derek Cullen and Anthony Breen also had their debuts on the ‘official team’ having previously only competed in the event along with the ‘Laragh Locals’. He ran strong despite sheepishly admitting his house-renovation project had left him short of training since qualifying!
The times they are a-changin’!
The final team thus bore only 4 repeat runners from 2018: Rachel Wisdom, Torben Dahl, Amidou Dembele and Yvonne Brennan with Marcus Murphy, Angus Tyner, and Blaise Kinsella (injured) and Johnny Conway (moved to London!) making way. By accident rather than design, the four returning runners ran the first four legs!
Barry O’Neill bore the captain’s mantle and sat down with club coach Rene Borg to bang out a time schedule based on people’s predictions. It was pretty good as it proved – the team predicted an 8 hour 31 minute finish and crossed the line in 8:29 – 45 seconds faster than the 2018 team.
Looking at the team line up, we knew ahead of team that getting into the top-10 would be hard enough with many closely matched teams behind the run-away top-2 (TT Racers and Rathfarnham – TT Racers going on to do an unprecedented ‘4 in a row’).
Flying as high as 4th early on, the team eventually settled in 8th place (2 spots up from 2018) meaning a fifth top-10 finish in five years. No one got lost, no one was late and no one had any notable trouble along the route so that is about as uneventful as a Wicklow Way Relay can get. Even our tracker didn’t give out.
Placings by leg:
- Leg 1: 9th Amidou
- Leg 2: 5th Torben Dahl
- Leg 3: 10th Yvonne Brennan
- Leg 4: 15th Rachel Wisdom
- Leg 5: 12th Richard Costelloe
- Leg 6: 16th Derek Cullen
- Leg 7: 11th Anthony Breen
- Leg 8: 6th Barry O’Neill
Some history
Amidou Dembele ran Leg 1 for the eighth time – the joint-most attempts on leg 1 in the competitions history along with Nadya Dunne and Derek Charles. He has a bit to go to break the record for ‘most attempts at a leg’ which belongs to Tommy Galvin who has run leg 2 twelve times (!).
We keep track of every club runners history in the relay and it can be seen below with the 2019 times. Times before 2015 were run by these runner for their previous clubs/teams.
Barry O’Neill’s leg 8 time is the fastest time set by a male runner in our club and the third fastest overall and Torben Dahl’s 74:02 on leg 2 is a new club record. Rachel Wisdom’s leg 4 time was the fastest female time on the new (since 2018) extended leg 4 course.
REPORTS: IMRA race updates
Richard Costelloe showcased great form as he finished 21st in the Ballyhoura Trail Half-marathon finishing the 750m elevation course in 1:46:24.
results
- Michael McMahon 1:28:04
————GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
21. Richard Costelloe 1:46:24
Meanwhile earlier in the week at Downshill, our runners kept polishing off the form for the Wicklow Way Relay. Torben finished a good 5th followed by Barry O’Neill in 13th and Richard Costelloe in 25th. Colm Kenna was 93rd.
RESULTS
- Peter Bell 45:31
————GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————
5. Torben Dahl 46:42
13. Barry O’Neill 48:58
25. Richard Costelloe 50:43
93. Colm Kenna 64:52
REPORT: Devil’s in the Glen
The final chance to make a claim for our Wicklow Way Relay team was had in the Devil’s Glen where a new and faster course was inaugurated. Torben Dahl – already preselected – underlined his credentials finishing 10th as our first man across the line.
Barry O’Neill had another stomping run to finish 22nd and he was followed by Richard Costelloe in 34th and Colm Kenna in 98th. 136 runners competed. One round of the Trail League remains and Torben sits in 8th with Barry O’Neill joint-14th.
RESULTS
- Barry Minnock, Rathfarnham 30:49
————glendalough ac runners————
10. Torben Dahl 33:35
22. Barry O’Neill 36:39
34. Richard Costelloe 38:00
98. Colm Kenna 46:05
REPORT: Richard battles at Clontarf
A millennium and some loose change since Brodir ran into Brian Boru’s tent and slew the old king, it was Richard’s time to do the running as he secured himself a 10 mile PB at the Leinster 10 mile championship at Clontarf. Performance wise it was another big step up from his half-marathon in February so Richard seems to be hitting form coming into the summer!
RESULTS
- Kieran Little, Crusaders AC 54:17
———–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————
136. Richard Costelloe 72:51 (PB)
REPORT: Glen of the Downs
A great turn-out from the club at the first of the IMRA Trail League series: seven GMACers turned out to race AND we still managed to have a good group out for the subsequent Thursday evening group training. The IMRA race drew a good field of 171 for the race which is probably the closest trail race to the N11!
Torben Dahl was first GMACer across the post. Second home, and thus doing his chance of making the Wicklow Way Relay team no harm, was Barry O’Neill in 30th
As three or more runners competed in this race from our club, it automatically became a counter in the club championships – the first of the season.
Derek Cullen was next and he had a close battle with Richard Costello who was only 6 seconds behind. Yvonne was our only female representative finishing 5th lady and second F40.
RESULTS
- Eoin Richards 29:52 St. Cocas
———GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS———
- 12. Torben Dahl 32:35
- 30. Barry O’Neill 34:47
- 42. Derek Cullen 36:26
- 45. Richard Costello 36:32
- 71. Yvonne Brennan 38:22 (2nd F40)
- 87. Bruce Phillips 40:32
- 107. Colm Kenna 42:45
REPORT: Coole run
Anthony Breen was running well on the trails last weekend. The Coole run 5k and 10k trail races were held again to raise funds for Ballymena GFC and Anthony competed in the 10 km race finishing 6th overall and first M40.
COOLE RUN 10K
- Alex Gray 43:27, Roundwood and District-
————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS——-
6. Anthony Breen 46:28
REPORTS: Assault on Annagh Hill
Barry Murray got a fine podium finish (2nd) at Annagh Hill this weekend – 31 seconds behind the legendary Robbie Bryson who continues to run strongly in his fifties. This was also Barry’s first run for his new club – West Kerry AC – so we bid him farewell (here in our race reports) but will continue to follow his exploits with interest in his new home.
A wrong turn lead some of the top-10 runners astray including Torben Dahl, who had also missed the start and came home in an uncharacteristic 23rd and Adrian Hennessey, former ‘Lap of the Gap’ and Run the Ridge winner, whose wrong turn dropped him to 9th.
RESULTS
- Robbie Bryson 61.42 , Newcastle AC
———GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS———
2. Barry Murray 62:13
23. Torben Dahl 73:24
Also a belated mention – Torben Dahl was our only representative in the previous IMRA Winter League race at Maulin where he finished 13th.
MAULIN WINTER
- Killian Mooney 45:05
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS——
13. Torben Dahl 50:02
REPORT: Records and baptism at Maurice Mullins
On a day where three of the four course records were broken on the Maurice Mullins 25 km and 50 km races, it was fitting that our two representatives in the 50k also had personal bests.
For Keith Mulvey it was a mere second better than previous times whereas for Richard Costelloe it represented his first stab at the race and at any ultra-distance race. Well done lads on a mighty effort!
MAURICE MULLINS 50K
- Eoin Lennon, Carnethy AC 3:52 (CR)
————-GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
153. Richard Costelloe 6:16:10 (PB)
201. Keith Mulvey 6:55:20 (PB)
REPORT: Winter League final round (Brockagh Woods)
We got the excitement we had hoped for in the duel between Barry O’Neill and Bruce Phillips of who could ‘game the handicaps’ and run the best. Barry O’Neill knew that a 2 minute improvement of his previous best would secure him the league but this was easier set than done as he had run 44 minutes flat for the hilly 9.3 km course last time.
Bruce came in without improving his tally – meaning ‘only’ beating his time by 1:57 would now be enough for Barry – a time of 42:03. BUT … it was not to be – despite lowering the best time for the course to 42:55 and taking 65 seconds off his best. To add injury to insult, Aoife Joyce improved her handicap the most of any runner on the day – taking 2 minutes 3 seconds off her mark and this moved her up into 2nd place overall.
In the end 16 seconds separated Aoife and Bruce in the overall standings with Barry O’Neill a further 52 seconds adrift. Barry did secure the honorary title ‘King of the Hill’ for being the best performer on the hilly routes (Clara Vale and Brockagh) while King of the Road went to Derek Cullen who performed best on the Green Gapways course. In the end we had 19 runners competing of which 11 managed to get the minimum 4 to score.
In terms of individual wins Rene Borg did best with 5 victories followed by Barry O’Neill with 3. Bruce, Donna, Arne, and Aoife took 1 race each. Two runners completed all twelve races in the series: victor Bruce Phillips and Rene Borg followed by Aoife and Colm with 10 races each.
Best improver in relation to handicap was Barry O’Neill – who improved it by 2 minutes 59 seconds ON AVERAGE in his races . No one was closer than Aoife Joyce who took 78 seconds off on average. Fastest average pace of the league was held by Rachel Wisdom with 4:26 min/km (but this was based on one race). Bruce Phillips ran by far the furthest – completing 97.4 km over his 12 races followed by René Borg with 69.2 km (this shows both who ran most races and who preferred the longer courses over the shorter).
All in all the short courses were more popular with 70 runs over them versus 36 people running long routes. Based on results, Brockagh Woods is the toughest course followed bye Green Gapways and Clara Vale
