The Montane Spine Race has grown into one of the most iconic events on the ultra running calendar and is often called ‘Britain’s most brutal endurance race’. This is certainly true of the winter edition and this year, we had John Conway in action for the 12th edition of the race. John took the start line of the so-called ‘Montane Spine Challenger North’ event – a ‘shorter’ (if such a term has any meaning for a 168 mile race) – version of the full spine inaugurated in 2022.
The first year the route was diverted due to storms, so this year’s race would be only the second running of the formal version of the course. Irishman Joe O’Leary set entirely new standards when he won the race in 44 hours 37 minutes. Our attention locally in Wicklow was fixed on John Conway, his wife Laura O’Driscoll and Parnell’s Michael Dowling who formed a formidable trio for much of the race. Laura was in the lead when she unfortunately had to withdraw from the race, leaving the duo of John and Michael to venture onwards.
Once Tom Hollins, a former winner of the full Winter Spine, and Nikki Arthur (the women’s winner who took 20 hours off the female record in her first outing at this distance) had crossed the line, John and Michael were leading the hunt for 3rd spot in the men’s race. They were hunted by Josh Ellis, who managed to claw back over 2 hours going into each of the two final split points called simply ‘Hut 1’ and ‘Hut 2’. He never got nearer: Michael and John ran the final checkpoint 8.5 minutes faster and had a solid gap of 1 hour 22 minutes by the end as they kissed Hadrian’s Wall.
A weekend of extremes (in several senses) loomed for our runners this weekend past. On the one side the Friday evening winter escape from Dublin Castle in the Art O’Neill Challenge and on the other Sunday’s Wicklow Indoor Championship in the National Arena in Abbotstown. John Conway also began his Montane Spine Challenger North 100 mile run on the English Pennines – one of the toughest winter challenges in these parts of the world. Either way, we had runners competing on flat bouncy track in 24 degrees of dry heat while others trotted over uneven wet bog at night in sub-zero.
FERRYCARRIG 5 MILE
There was time for road action as well as Aoife Joyce took on her homestead run – the flat and fast Ferrycarrig 5 mile where she set her 31:11 personal best in 2013. This Sunday she had a convincing run of 35:26 despite having to make a stop to tie a shoe lace (!) – a new F45 personal best and club record.
RESULT
1. Dermot Cummins (West Waterford AC) 0:24:41
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
84. Aoife Joyce 0:35:28 (F45 PB, Club F45 record)
ART O’NEILL CHALLENGE
Rebecca Whineray crossing the line in Glenmalure!
Before this, Brian Lydon and Rebecca Whineray became our two finishers of this year’s Art O’Neill Challenge after Graeme Warren had to defer his race to 2025 due to illness. Brian had a stellar race finishing in the top-20 while Rebecca was 10th woman overall.
RESULT
1. Ricki Wynne () 5:46:36
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
17. Brian Lydon 8:21:17
76. Rebecca Whineray 10:59:48
WICKLOW INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Happy innocence before the first race of the meet
We had a large contingent planned to travel to the Wicklow Indoor Championship but in a repeat of the Wicklow Senior XC situation, we first lost Marcus (to illness) and then Anthony Breen (who once again had to look after the Wicklow roads in the middle of the night). Donna Quinn – our sole female competitor – also had to pull out wit a neck strain, leaving it down to senior runners Aran Lynham, Diarmuid Kavanagh, and Eoin Phelan to join with Masters’ runners James Heggie, Paul Duffy and Rene Borg.*
* Eoin was erroneously placed in the senior race as we misread his age! He should have competed in the Master’s race in the M35 category.
WICKLOW INDOOR 1500m
Aran Lynham with Diarmuid behind him in the Senior men’s 1500m
The 1500m is fast becoming a cult favourite for the club and our senior runners were sent off (somewhat grudgingly with the young guns of the u19 category) and Aran grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck to record a PB of 4:59 with Diarmuid Kavanagh and Eoin Phelan – both still recovering from recent bout of illness our 2nd and 3rd club scorers. It was a club senior men’s record for Aran (and briefly a club indoor record) with PB for Diarmuid and a debut for Eoin with a club M35 record of 5:49.
Paul Duffy shadows the early leader Darragh Page (Kilcoole AC) before overtaking him and leading home for the win
The over-35s got their own race and Paul Duffy grabbed hold of the lead early accompanied by a Kilcoole AC runner. 40m back Rene Borg tried to lay claim to the final podium spot but failed to notice he was pulling a train of 4 runners with him. On lap 5 he slowed enough that they came past, leaving him well out of the medals with a time 4 seconds slower than his M40 gold from 2023.
Rene Borg pulling ‘his train’ behind him
Paul ensured this medal stayed in the club though by holding off all challenges and recording a fabulous new club record of 4:52 (6.6 seconds faster than his outdoor lifetime best from 2023). This also erased Rene’s 5:11 M40 record from our club books and will take some beating.
Eoin Phelan in the senior men’s 1500m
WICKLOW INDOOR 800M
the anxious wait between events….
Due to some delays, our team spend around 2 hours waiting for the next race and trying to get the bodies right. There was the usual between race vomitting (person shall not be named!), plenty of talks of sore muscles and joints and the decision by Eoin Phelan to retire from the meet to not aggravate his cold but eventually four of our runners took to the start this time in a combined Senior/Masters race.
The men’s 800m begins
Bray Runner’s Drew Donohue (a commanding figure in the meet overall) led out with Paul sitting in second marked closely by Aran and Diarmuid a bit further back. The pace was fairly hot and had casualties – Tiernan Heany, St. Benedict’s pulled up first around the 400m mark followed by Rene Borg who both found the sub-3 min/km pace too fast to handle.
St Benedict’s Tiernan Heany steps off the track just before the 400m point. Rene Borg (behind) followed shortly after
This led three of our men in the chase and they secured 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the heat resulting in two PBs and the M40 gold medal for Paul Duffy along with the Silver and Bronze Male Senior for Aran and Diarmuid.
Paul Duffy outsprints Aran for 2nd place overall with Diarmuid behind them
Both Paul Duffy and Aran may have broken Diarmuid’s Overall and Senior 800m club record as they ran around 2:20 (his mark is 2:21.6) but we await official results to confirm.
WICKLOW INDOORS 400M/ 3000 M
With the withdrawal of the 800m and 1500m men and the no-show from Anthony and Marcus, we only had James Heggie facing a long wait to get started on the 400 and then immediately after the mentally tough 15 laps of the 3000m. But James hung tight and got both events done and we wouldn’t be surprised if he nicked the M50 gold in both.
More results to follow once official results are verified….
The year always begins fast with lots of county and provincial running action on cross-country and on indoor track as well as the IMRA mountain races looming towards the end of the month.
Our team came together for the first team in 2024 to run at the Wicklow Master’s hosted once more in Shanganagh by Bray Runners on a new course as the regular course was waterlogged.
Glendalough AC has competed in this event since 2019 and with 17 runners this year we beat our previous participation record of 13 from that year.
WOMEN’S RACE
The women began on the slightly shorter than 4 km course consisting of a short and two long laps at 10 am. They had a good record to defend having won the M35-49 teams in 2019 and having taken silver last year. This year’s course was flat like the previous incarnation but with several slippy sections including a small ‘mud-trench’ to occupy minds once per lap.
Aoife Joyce checks her time at a busy finish line…
In an incredibly tight race Loraine Creane set off strong after Parnell’s runaway leader Catherine O’Connor with Rachel Wisdom closing the gap towards the end only to be outsprinted near the line by Parnell’s Caroline Ayton. Donna Quinn followed 10 seconds later in 5th with Aoife Joyce (13th) and the returning Claire Thompson (16th) rounding out the team. Claire earned her 14th and 15th cross-country medals (a club best) at her first run-out as a Master’s athlete in this discipline.
How tight the finish was: Parnell’s Caroline Ayton squeezes in between Loraine and Rachel
In the end Parnell edged it 10 points to 11 but all members of the team earned individual medals with Loraine Creane’s gold medal in the F40 the pick up the crop.
The ‘Silver’ winning women of 23/24. (Photo: Irish Independent)
RESULT
1. Catherine O’Connor (Parnell AC) 0:14:48
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
2. Loraine Creane 0:15:46 (F40 Individual Gold, Team Silver)
4. Rachel Wisdom 0:15:51 (F40 Individual Bronze, Team Silver)
5. Donna Quinn 0:16:01 (Team Silver)
13. Aoife Joyce 0:17:09 (F45 Individual Bronze, Team Silver)
16. Claire Thompson 0:17:40 (F35 Individual Silver, Team Silver)
MEN’S RACE
Paul Duffy sprints home as our first finisher
Both men and women’s field had record numbers meaning good competitive races with plenty of action, passing and repassing and dramatic sprint finishes. Reigning club champion Paul Duffy carved out a 200m lead on our next runner (Rene borg early on) nearly from the gun and as the race progressed Angus Tyner drifted into 2nd place and led home the men’s M55 team to the first Team Gold medal in cross-country since our foundation 10 years ago.
Rene Borg (left) followed by Kevin Ferguson, Graham Bush, Angus Tyner and Gavin Kennedy on lap 1
Rene Borg came in next as second scorer for the M35 team in his 16th cross-country outing for the club (the most of any club member – Donna Quinn is next with 15).
Next was Graham Bush shortly after as the second scorer for the M55 team. Positions were crucial - Alan Kennedy was the third scorer as the M55 won by a single point (18 v 17) ahead of Kilcoole.
Double-medallist Graham Bush (left) and Angus Tyner (right)
Our O35 men finished a respectable 5th out of 7 teams with cross-country debuts to Kevin Ferguson, Corrie Adams, James Heggie and Tadeusz Cantwell. The men packed well with three runners between 23 and 24 minutes and 4 within 24 and 25 minutes.
Alan Kennedy (one of our 5 debutantes) ended up third scorer for the M50 gold winning team
RESULT
1. Tim Grummell (Inbhear Dee AC) 0:22:13
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
12. Paul Duffy 0:23:16
16. Angus Tyner 0:23:35 (M55 Individual Gold, Team Gold)
21. René Borg 0:23:50
23. Graham Bushe 0:24:02 (M55 Individual Bronze, Team Gold)
27. Gavin Kennedy 0:24:14
30. Marcus Murphy 0:24:19
37. Kevin Ferguson 0:24:41
47. Alan Kennedy 0:25:57 (Team Gold)
49. Anthony Breen 0:25:59 (Team Gold)
60. Corrie Adams 0:28:29
61. James Heggie 0:28:35 (Team Gold)
64. Tadeusz Cantwell 0:44:58
As a final anecdote on the day: Anthony Breen was not a scorer but still a counter on the M55 team and thus recipient of the Team Gold. This was his sixth cross-countrymedal: the most of any of our male runners (Angus Tyner has 5).
The year came to a close with 9 more race results bringing the 2023 tally up to 530 races breaking our record of 345 races in 2017 by a significant margin. We also recorded the first five results of 2024 as we look forward to a very busy January with a triple header of weekend races coming up: the Wicklow Masters (7th), Wicklow Indoors (14th) and Leinster Masters and Intermediate (21st).
Uithof Cross-country
Richard Costello had started his December with a solid 18:44 5 km run at the Zuiderparkrun (2nd Dec) and the following week he finished 10th overall and 2nd in the M45 category at the large cross-country race in Uithof on a 7 km course around a mountain bike track.
RESULT
1. Dominic Bersee (Olympus ’70) 0:26:47
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
10. Richard Costelloe 0:30:49 (2nd M45)
DJOUCE REMEMBRANCE RUN
Mark Willoughby on the uphill finish at the Djouce Remembrance race
Five runners did the post-Xmas run in remembrance of deceased IMRA stalwarts on December 27th in extremely wet and sloppy conditions and as usual both Angus and Alan were in the M55 podium spots with Angus in the top-20.
James Heggie secured his title as our ‘Most Prolific’ racer of the year with 28 races ahead of Angus Tyner (27) and Alan Kennedy (24). Catherine Devitt was our most prolific female runner for the year with 19 races.
RESULT
1. Ruairi Long (UCD AC) 0:27:22
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
18. Angus Tyner 0:33:37 (1st M55)
50. Alan Kennedy 0:39:09 (3rd M55)
71. Eoin Phelan 0:42:34
84. James Heggie 0:45:34
101. Mark Willoughby 0:50:05
PARKRUN – IN SUMMARY
Angus had gotten close to pipping James Heggie late partly courtesy of two ParkRuns in 3 days on the 23rd and 25th December at Hartstown and Ardgillan. he ran a very solid 18:45 in Hartstown for 2nd overall and 1st M55 and then held back a bit with a 20:43 in Ardgillan.
MJ Bolton Memorial Run
Another Remembrance run kicked off 2024 as we had five runners paying their respects to the Parnell junior coach MJ Bolton in an event that used the Avondale Parkrun 5 km course. Richard Costelloe was our first man home in 12th position. 99 runners attended the senior events with lots of participation in the 200m and 1 mile junior races as well.
Paul Duffy on lap 1 (all photos courtesy of Andrew Hanney)
Heavy rainfall Saturday had set the scene for true cross-country muckishness as the county’s finest lined up for the most prestigious of the year’s four championships in the discipline: the Wicklow Senior. A fitting warmup for those eager to rush home and watch the Irish in action at the European XC.
Rene Borg on the first downhill
The day started poorly for us with 3 out of our 6 man team being unable to make the start line due to illness and work commitments. This meant individual standings was the order of the day and particular interest was the battle between René Borg and Paul Duffy for who would take the title of Club Champion of the year. A victory to either would decide it in their favour regardless of how well the other ran. Diarmuid Kavanagh – also running – was unfortunately out of the running haven’t conceded a DNF in round 9 but as things went, he could not ultimately have won anyway.
Diarmuid (front) and Rene on lap 1 when field was still closely bunched
MEN’S SENIOR RACE
We had no women’s team this year so all eyes were on the three musketeers. Paul went out hard and gained 100m to Diarmuid and 200m to Rene. He would more or less hold this distance the whole way although he conceded a drizzle of spots to other club runners through the race.
Diarmuid Kavanagh on the second descent
Diarmuid sat in second spot until midway through lap 2 when René caught up. This would be the finishing order with Paul first, Rene 38 seconds later and Diarmuid a further 27s down. All placed in the middle of the field.
Three from our club ventured down to the fast half-marathon in Waterford. Marcus Murphy and Gavin Kennedy were both in their post-Dublin phase but that didn’t stop Marcus running his second fastest half-marathon to date and Gavin smashing the 90 minute barrier first. Donall Flanagan also notched himself a PB.
RESULT
1. David McGlynn (Waterford AC) 1:05:43
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
190. Marcus Murphy 1:28:29
199. Gavin Kennedy 1:29:10 (PB)
847. Donal Flanagan 1:50:04 (PB)
AVONDALE PARKRUN
Meanwhile Angus Tyner took 2nd overall and first man in the Avondale in his 10th ParkRun of 2023. Angus is now only 2 races behind James Heggie and 1 ahead of Alan Kennedy in the race for ‘Most Prolific’ racer of the season with his 23 races to date.
Our Club Annual Awards and Christmas Party were celebrated in Byrne and Woods in Roundwood this Saturday (2nd). As per tradition, candidates had been nominated across a number of category by the club coach for the membership to vote on.
At the end of the dinner (and the Club Quiz), the winners were announced:
CLUB AWARD WINNERS 2023
Donna Quinn (Club Person of the Year)
Club Person of the Year: Donna Quinn
Best Newcomer: Siobhan Brennan
Most Improved: Marcus Murphy
Road / Track Performer of the Year: Blaise Kinsella (men) and Donna Quinn (women)
Off-Road Performer of the Year: John Conway (men) and Catherine Devitt (women)
Team of the Year: Gavin Kennedy, Paul Duffy, Richard Costelloe (Men’s M35 gold winning team in the Wicklow Off-Road)
The Club Champion will not be decided until next week at the Wicklow Senior XC where the title will go to either Paul Duffy or René Borg. The ‘Most Prolific’ prize will be awarded on the first training after New Year.
Marcus Murphy (Most Improved)
CLUB QUIZ
Paul Duffy (left) with Gavin Kennedy (right) for the Team of the Year Award
The traditional Club Pub Quiz asking 16 fiendishly difficult questions about club events, racing and statistics was won by Donna Quinn, William Belton and Marcus Murphy with 12 right answers (with a tie-breaker question necessary to separate them from Alan Kennedy).
ONTO 2024!
Well done again to all club members in a year of growth that saw record members, record number of races, record number of PBs and so much more. We hope for more of the same in our 10th anniversary in 2024.
This week’s report takes us from Florida to Malta to the Netherlands along with several local fixtures but we must first mention the unfortunate news that Donna Quinn has had to hand back her national team silver medal from the Dublin Marathon as the leading Sli Cualann runner (Catherine O’Connor) was disqualified for using a pacer in the race.
Now onto the 16 results from six different races. The weekend of the 11th/12th was particularly busy with our runners racing 4 races in 4 different countries!
Apart from running results John Conway also secured a fine 11th spot in the Sea to Summit adventure race on the long ‘Supreme’ course which included a 7 km run up Croagh Patrick and a 4 km greenway run to the finish line.
NAV CHALLENGE 3 – TICKNOCK
Our post-Dublin marathon reports began on the 4th November when Graham Bush participated in the 3rd IMRA Nav Challenge short course shortly before being confirmed also as the Leinster Championshp M55 winner.
Graham Bush – Leinster Champs M55 winner
RESULT
1. Brian Farren (Fingal Orienteers) 1:10:00
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
16. Graham Bushe 2:17:37 (2nd M50)
TOLLYMORE TRAILS – 10K, MARATHON, ULTRA
there was misfortune for Richard Costello in his big season goal. After several misfortunes on his way there last year, he was this time struck by a stomach bug in the week leading in and had to throw in the towel after 4 km.
Graeme Warren had a better day out finishing a fine 9th place in the 65 km ultra for a memorable top-10 finish. Tadeusz Cantwell took on the Tollymore 10k and cruised through in ‘zone 2’ to ease his body back in after a recent health scare.
RESULT – ULTRA
1. David Boyle () 5:14:43
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
9. Graeme Warren 6:04:28
RESULT – MARATHON
1. Joshua McAtee () 3:01:18
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
103. Richard Costelloe DNF
RESULT
1. Rob Hilis () 0:40:24
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
96. Tadeusz Cantwell 1:27:19
POWERSCOURT RIDGE
A very strong field came out as usual for Powerscourt Ridge – the race that always precedes that IMRA AGM and Killian Mooney blew the course away while Graham Bush, Torben Dahl and James Heggie represented our club well and Graham secured 2nd M55.
RESULT
1. Killian Mooney (DSD AC) 1:13:25
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
39. Graham Bushe 1:35:24 (2nd M55)
49. Torben Dahl 1:40:23
111. James Heggie 2:09:28
SALUTE TO THE VETERANS 5K
Flora on the podium in Florida
Flora McKnight got herself onto the F45 podium in sunny Florida with a 28:30 run-out – a last bit of chance to race in the sunshine before herself and her husband relocate to Minnesota this week! Her time was a club best for Flora.
RESULT
1. Britanny Eberson () 0:18:49
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
141. Flora McKNight 0:28:30 (3rd F45 F45 PB)
ZURRIEQ 10K
Trophy for Aoife on Malta handed over by perhaps Europe’s longest serving race director: 39 years in the job!
The weekend continued when Rene and Aoife – fresh off a Friday plane to Malta – had to drive across the island for the ungodly start hour of 6:45 Irish time (7:45 local time) partly to avoid excessive heat (it was ‘only’ 23 degrees by then) and the frisky traffic of Maltese roads. The event was one of the largest of the year on the island with over 460 finishers and club singlets everywhere. The route was ‘fast enough’ but consisted of some ups and downs and a particularly cruel long uphill finish!
Rene chasing a local club runner
René finished 10th in his category despite recording a personal career worst of 42:12 for the distance whereas Aoife got a better share of the spoils finishing 1st in the F45 category and getting a massive trophy to go with the hefty medal!
RESULT
1. Dillon Cassar (Mellieha AC) 0:31:16
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
46. René Borg 0:42:12
106. Aoife Joyce 0:47:23 (1st F45)
RUN THE LINE 11.5K/25 KM
This year we had five runners in the traditional event supporting mountain rescue on the Dublin border. Diarmuid Kavanagh got the worst of it by first twisting his ankle and then losing his car keys as he put on his jacket and DNFed.
RESULT
1. Killian Mooney (DSD AC) 1:52:50
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
186. Alan Kennedy 2:55:45
507. James Heggie 4:09:11
511. Brian Howard 4:19:16
523. Diarmuid Kavanagh DNF
This left Alan Kennedy as our first man home in 186th spot out of 523. James Heggie also completed the long course with Mark Willoughby our only representative in the short course.
RESULT
1. Alex Gray () 0:49:14
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
308. Mark Willoughby 1:27:33
Graef Castricum trail 35km
Catherine: the third lady to step onto a podium in this week’s reporting period!
We finish with Catherine Devitt who was 11th overall and the winning woman in the 35 km Graef Castricum trail/due race in the Netherlands.
Two events to report on this weekend and we have to lean heavily into the Dublin marathon! with this weekend’s event our club broke 500 annual races for the first time with our runners having donned race gear 505 times in 2023 so far!
DUBLIN MARATHON 2023
A record twenty of our runners were signed up to start this year’s Dublin Marathon but late illness, misfortune and injury whittled away Mark Willoughby, Anthony Breen and James McCarthy in the final days – leaving a glorious seventeen (an attendance record in the Dublin Marathon for us) securing two Club Records, 12 PBs, and 5 debuts!
In general it’s been a good year for marathon with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th fastest men’s times and the fastest women’s time being run in 2023.
RESULT
1. Kemal Husen (Ethiopia) 2:06:52
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
972. Marcus Murphy 3:04:49 (PB, M40 PB)
1452. Aran Lynham 3:13:01 (PB, MS PB, MS Club Record)
1589. Donna Quinn 3:14:59 (PB, Club Record, F40 PB)
2098. Philip O’Brien 3:20:53 (PB, M35 PB, M35 Club Record) – debut!
2274. Gavin Kennedy 3:23:14 (PB, M45 PB)
3288. Kevin Ferguson 3:32:02 (PB)
3357. Eoin Phelan 3:32:51 (PB, M35 PB)
5136. Mark Lindsay 3:47:25 (PB, M35 PB) – debut!
5209. Nora Butler 3:47:53 (PB, F40 PB) – debut!
5660. David Murphy 3:50:32 (PB, M50 PB) – debut!
6473. Annie Lowney 3:55:38 (PB, F40 PB)
6650. Ben Lewis 3:56:25 (PB, M45 PB) – debut!
8008. Donal Flanagan 4:05:58
12876. Dave Lawless 4:49:43
13707. James Heggie 5:01:17
13726. Gleb Reys 5:01:49
14100. Ross Thompson 5:08:24
Marcus Murphy – in only his second marathon (having run 3:57 in 2009)- led home the charge with a fine 3:04 despite a late hamstring cramp slowing him down from 36 km onwards. He was our only man in the top-1000. Marcus’ time is the 4th fastest run for our club and makes him the 6th fastest marathoner in the club currently.
Aran Lynham – club MS record holder
Next home was ‘young’ Aran Lynham who improved his PB by 16 minutes for a 3:13 lowering his own club record for the Male Senior category in the process. Donna Quinn was third and our first female finisher whilst taking just over 3 minutes from her best from 2022. She lowered her own overall and F40 club marathon record as well.
Donna showing the joy in Dublin
Fourth was Philip O’Brien nearly cracking 3:20 in his debut . Three minutes later Gavin Kennedy recorded 3:23 smashing his 2022 PB by 22 minutes. Kevin Ferguson just missed out on the sub-3:30 barrier but still got a 12 minute PB. Outdoing nearly everyone else Eoin Phelan washed away his DNF disappointment from EcoTrail 80k (four weeks earlier) by not only dipping under the 4 hour barrier for the first time but knocking 40 minutes off his PB (we may as well hand out the Most Improved award now!).
We had three debutantes next in a three minutes window as Mark Lindsay arrived 28 seconds ahead of Nora Butler followed by David Murphy. Annie Lowney knocked over 30 minutes off her 2022 time a bit later arriving in 3:55. Ben Lewis arrived nearly at the same time going under the 4 hour barrier in his first attempt.
Ross Thompson who supported his friend Alan (right)
In 4:05 was Donall Flanagan running his 11th DCM and then Dave Lawless arried in 4:49 and James Heggie and Gleb Reys in 5:01 with our man from Dynafit Ross Thompson (with a 3:20 PB) keeping a friend company and closing off our runners with 5:08.
PUMPKIN RUN 5k
Flora McKnight meanwhile continues to improve in the colourful Florida 5 kms she currently she attend finishing in 29:20 in the scary Pumpkin 5k and 15th in her age category. The event was well attended with nearly 1200 starters.
RESULT
Jeff Provenzano () 0:17:53 ——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
Orange marking, orange branding and orange weather warning was the theme of this year’s Glendalough Trail Run in aid of Fighting Blindness.
Club coach Rene Borg had taken over as Race Director ably assisted by several locals including club members Derek Cullen at the upland water station and Yvonne Brennan keeping an eye on affairs in the Upper Lake while Graeme Warren got in his very long run in preparation for Tollymore by first running the long cousre as ‘course checker’ and then sweeping behind the last racers later!
GLENDALOUGH TRAIL 8.5 K AND 15K
The two fields were reduced to 50% of the entry – a very high figure likely driven in huge part by the heavy rain and orange weather warning the night before. The course was still wet but very runnable by the time a glorious Saturday morning dawned on the valley.
RESULT
1. Fran Morales (Corriendo el Fondo) 1:04:47
——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-
2. Diarmuid Kavanagh 1:10:25 (2nd MS)
28. Nora Butler 1:30:01
Diarmuid Kavanagh and Nora Butler were first in action with Diarmuid finishing 2nd behind runaway winner Fran Morales of Costa Rica (who broke six local Strava records as he rampaged around the course). Nora Butler also ran well finishing 28th overall and 5th woman.
Siobhan Brennan ran in the smaller 8.5 km race where she was not only first woman but also 2nd overall!
Glendalough AC 