Tag: cross-country

REPORT: National Masters XC

by glendaloughac, posted in Cross-country running, Race reports

The National Masters Cross-Country came to Avondale and four of our runners joined up underneath the banners of the broader Sli Cualann teams to compete. Two and one kilometer loops had been laid out with a start from Avondale House featuring several hills including ‘The Green Wave’ midway through the bigger two kilometer lap making it one of the hilliest cross-country courses in the country.

There was much success for Sli Cualann overall with several individual medals and team bronze for the Men’s Intermediate team. Glendalough AC could not contribute to this effort as we have no male members under 35!

Ladies race

Ladies Masters and Over-65 men

Donna Quinn, running her first national cross-country event, set off first with the Masters Ladies race over 4 km (two laps) and went on to have a strong run finishing 67th out of 206 and fifth of the 11 Sli Cualann ladies in action.

Men’s race

Sli Cualann Masters (O35-O65) men’s team

Our three male representatives raced in the men’s over-35 to 65 race over 7 km (three 2 km laps after a shorter 1 km warm-up lap). 258 set off in a regular stampede.

First Glendalough AC man was club coach René Borg representing Sli Cualann for the first time (having not run outside county level since his transfer from Crusaders AC in 2013) in 30:11. Angus and Anthony arrived within a minute with Angus in 30:28 and Anthony in 31:10. This was the case for much of the Sli Cualann team – Parnell’s Tony Collins arrived at the 30 minute mark with Jonathan O’Neill in 30:35 and MJ O’Neill in 30:41 making it six out of the total twenty Sli Cualann runners in the field within that 70 second time-span.

Angus’ run made him fourth scorer in the 2nd placed over-50ies team with Rene and Anthony 2nd and 3rd scorer for the Sli Cualann B team that finished 22nd out of 22 in the over-35s!!!

As the race contained three or more Glen AC runners, it will count in the Club Championship 2020.

RESULTS

Masters Women

  1. Teresa Doherty, Finn Valley 15:21

————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS (REPRESENTING SLI CUALANN)—————

67. Donna Quinn 18:16 (5th Sli Cualann runner)

full results

Masters Men

  1. Brian Maher, Kilkenny City Harriers 23:43

————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS (REPRESENTING SLI CUALANN)—————

157. René Borg 30:11 (13th Sli Cualann runner)

166. Angus Tyner 30:28 (14th Sli Cualann runner)

193. Anthony Breen 31:10 (17th Sli Cualann runner)

full results

REPORT: European Cross-country challenge and ‘To Hell with the Fairies’

by glendaloughac, posted in Cross-country running, Mountain running, Race reports

Despite the Dublin Marathon coming up and winter training in full swing for many, a few club runners still got a race in over the last two weekends – in this case our two Danes!

First up was Torben Dahl who finished 13th in ‘To Hell with the Fairies’ out of 101 runners over the testing half-marathon course with 650 m ascent.

This Sunday, Rene Borg ran the European Cross-Country Experience – a ‘relaxed’ cross-country races offering a glimpse at the European Championship course. He finished 28th out of the 496 participants.

To Hell with the Fairies (Dublin Mountain Half)

  1. Killian Mooney, DSD 1:38

———–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————

13. Torben Dahl 1:56:15

full results

European Cross-Country Experience

  1. Stephen Butler, Raheny Shamrocks 14:02

—————GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS—————–

28. René Borg 16:42

full results

https://www.imra.ie/events/details/id/1743/

WICKLOW INTERMEDIATE XC 2019

by glendaloughac, posted in Cross-country running, Race reports

With the late withdrawals of Anthony Breen and René Borg our men’s team for the Wicklow Intermediate in Avondale was gone but it did not stop Richard Costelloe and Barry O’Neill from hitting the grass for a second time in a week.

The men’s race took place over a course consisting of 2 x 1 km and 2 x 3 km laps including the most infamous hill in Avondale which had to be surmounted twice. Conditions were perfect with a cool, clear and sunny day.

Richard made good progress late in the race and Barry O’Neill ran steady throughout to finish 12th and 15th respectively.

RESULTS

  1. Ian McGrath, Bray Runners 30:34

————GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS———–

12. Richard Costelloe 34:26

15. Barry O’Neill 35:47

REPORT: Wicklow Novice XC 2019

by glendaloughac, posted in Cross-country running, Race reports

After a one-year absence from Novice cross-country, we had a men’s team representing us last weekend for the county season opener in Roundwood. The men’s challenge was to run 6 x 1 km laps of a hilly field and combine the best four scorers in an attempt to win team medals.

Debutante Richard Costelloe had a storming run: going off boldly in the top half of the field and holding on for a fine 9th place. Behind him Barry O’Neill and René Borg packed for most of the race. Rene passed Barry on the 4th lap only to be repassed on the final half of the last lap. They finished 14th and 15th with 4 seconds between them. 

The last man is usually critical in cross-country and this proved the case again: Colm Kenna suffered a bit as the result of a too fast lap 1, but by toughing it out to the finish line he secured our silver medals. Had one of the two Bray Runners behind him not DNFed, we would likely have been consigned to the Bronze!

Kilcoole where run-away winners with 12 points (15 points clear of our crew) and the individual honours went to Inbhear Dee’s Robin Mooney.

This weekend another four-man team consisting of Anthony Breen, Barry O’Neill, Colm Kenna and René Borg will take on the Wicklow Intermediate in Avondale.

RESULTS

  1. Robin Mooney, Inbhear Dee 21:49

————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS———————-

9. Richard Costelloe 23:32

14. Barry O’Neill 24:37

15. René Borg 24:41

19. Colm Kenna 28:47

REPORT: Wicklow Masters Cross-country

by glendaloughac, posted in Cross-country running, Race reports

Having missed the previous three instalments of this years Wicklow cross-country championship, it was heartening to see a big squad of our runners out for today’s Wicklow Masters Cross-Country Championship held in pristine conditions in Shanganagh Park today and hosted by Bray Runners. Thanks in advance to our hosts for a marvellous event!

messy team photo
Most chaotic team photo ever!

A great Nollaig na mBan

Our women where up first and we sported our biggest team yet with 5 runners: two of our ‘regulars’ (Yvonne Brennan and Donna Quinn) with Catherine Devitt and Aoife Joyce making their come-backs after extended breaks and Rachel Wisdom returning to cross-country for the first time in many years.

Rachel went off in an early lead but Parnell’s Catherine O’Connor quickly asserted herself and dominated the majority of the race to finish first – 24 seconds ahead of Aisling Smith. Rachel battled midway for the last podium spot with another Parnell runner – Ann-Marie Kenny – but lost out by 21 seconds in the end. As a consolation she took the Gold Medal in the F35 category. Behind our Catherine Devitt set out in second but had been caught midway by Yvonne Brennan and Donna Quinn.

rachel in lead
Rachel Wisdom on the first lap 

The girls worked together and packed well and in the end Donna Quinn paced herself best to take 5th overall – Yvonne and Catherine followed in quick succession in 6th and 8th spot and then Aoife in 15th. Such tight packing was duly rewarded: our women took Gold in the team competition with 15 points – 7 ahead of second-placed Parnell and four individual medals – the Gold, Silver and Bronze in the F35 category (Rachel, Donna and Catherine respectively) and the Bronze medal in the F40 category for Yvonne. This was the 5th team medal in cross-country in our history so far but only the 2nd gold.

 

‘A’ means medals: awards for Angus and Anthony

Not to be completely outdone, our men also took home two individual medals: Angus Tyner had another excellent race – as is his habit – finishing 13th overall and taking the Bronze medal in the M50 category. Not far behind was a determined Anthony Breen in 20th who was rewarded for his efforts with the Bronze medal in the M45 category. Barry O’Neill and Rene Borg worked together for the mid-part of the race and finished 28th and 31st respectively with Johnny Conway (making his senior debut in the discipline) in 37th. Next in was another first-time cross-country runner – ultra-man Duncan Barrett in 47th followed by Colm Kenna and Keith Mulvey in 49th and 50th place. Winner of the men’s race were the hosts Ian McGrath.

anthonyjohnny.jpg
Anthony and Johnny at the start (photo: Andrew Hanney)

Overall, our men finished 5th out of 6 teams with 51 points – avoiding finishing last by a mere two points ahead of the Kilcoole B team – every place counts!

All in all, 1 team GOLD, 1 individual gold, 1 individual silver, and 4 individual bronze medals represented a fantastic haul for the teams which will hopefully encourage everyone ahead of the 2019-2020 cross-country season!

A special thanks for our hosts Bray Runners for putting on a smoothly run event on a superb course.

WOMEN’S RACE (4K)

  1. Catherine O’Connor, Parnell AC 15:35

————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS—————

4. Rachel Wisdom  16:39 , 1st F35, TEAM GOLD

5. Donna Quinn 17:03, 2nd F35, TEAM GOLD

6. Yvonne Brennan 17:07, 3rd F40, TEAM GOLD

8. Catherine Devitt 17:25 , 3rd F35, TEAM GOLD

15. Aoife Joyce 19:06, TEAM GOLD

 

MEN’S RACE (6K)

  1. Ian McGrath, Bray Runners 20:24

————–GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS—————

13. Angus Tyner 22:01, 3rd M50

20. Anthony Breen 22:51, 3rd M45

28. Barry O’Neill 23:30

31. René Borg 23:36

37. Johnny Conway 24:12 (XC debut)

47. Duncan Barrett 26:33 (XC debut)

49. Colm Kenna 26:55

50. Keith Mulvey 27:08

 

WOMEN’S TEAMS

  1. Glendalough AC 15 pts

 

MEN’S TEAM

  1. Kilcoole 10 pts

5. Glendalough AC 51 points