Race reports by Anna Delaney and Michael Cunningham
Full Club results are below.
Womens Intermediate by Anna Delaney
This Sportsworld intermediate team are a talented bunch. They’ve been picking up individual/team/county medals all season. This was to be their last outing and hopes were high. I had planned to go to Tuam to watch them run but somehow I ended up running the race. And doing the race report. Not sure how that all happened but it was great to be part of the excitement. I can happily say that now.
I certainly wasn’t saying that on the drive to Tuam, or on the warm up or at the start line. But on the plus side the sun was shining and there wasn’t a breath of wind as we were called to line up. I felt really apprehensive at that start line, there were only 53 girls lining up. Nowhere to hide here. After a few encouraging words from Lucy we were away off around the 5k course. 4 laps, 2 short, 2 long.
It really was soft underfoot. And hilly, so many hills. It was tough from the start. The girls battled away up the front and I ‘ran my own race’ as was my instruction. The field spread out a lot but with the twisty turney course I caught the odd glimpse of the girls in the distance doing what they do best. It felt very long as the energy was being sapped out of my legs. I don’t know how many Killtipper Saturday mornings you’d have to do to make this easier. Does it ever get easier?
As I was still navigating my last lap I could hear the announcer over the intercom listing off the girls as they crossed the finish line. He very helpfully counted in the Sportsworld girls. If I couldn’t watch the race at least I could hear it. The finishing straight was on a bit of an incline so there wasn’t too much of a sprint finish from my legs but I was so happy to cross that line. Sinead was already getting her silver individual medal when I came in. She had another stunning performance. Helen wasn’t too far behind her in 6th, followed by Catherine, Ruth, Noreen and Stephanie. We had 5 girls in the top 15.
It was another bit of a wait before the team results were announced but it was looking good. And good it was. Sportsworld were announced National Intermediate champions. A really strong performance in what was a very competitive field.
Well done to all the girls who ran, and to the lads in their gruelling 8k race. Huge thanks as always to Myles, Emily, Lucy and Paul for the encouragement all over the course and to Mr & Mrs Tangney who are no strangers to cheering on at cross country races.
Mens Intermediate by Michael Cunningham
A few years ago I wrote a little introduction to cross country races (To read that: Click here) because at the time we were trying to get more runners in the club involved in cross country and to try all have full teams in all the races. There were a couple of things I left out.
Jealousy – You’re going to have live with the women’s team being more successful then you
Lack of sympathy – For a lot of us this was the third Sunday in a row of cross country races on the back of a Christmas hangover but coaches like winners not whiners.
Transport – Some races like this one in Tuam is a 2 hour drive away. Pick the right car and you will travel in style in a top of the range BMW with homemade protein balls for the trip home, pick the wrong transport and you could be on a bus with a failing battery surrounded by people talking about food but not actually having any.
Not waiting for Michael at the clubhouse
So at 8.45am on a Sunday morning most of us met at the clubhouse to start the journey to the National Intermediate cross country in Tuam. There was no breakfast for the racers, no cheering crowd to see us off and we had to carry our own bags to the cars. After 2.5 hours we arrived in Tuam on a gorgeous January day with no wind, or rain just blue skies. The course is in a public park just like Bushy park with people walking their dogs and kids playing in the playground. Only the load speaker announcing the races and the tape and stakes gave away there is a cross country going on.
We watched the woman’s race first while doing our warm up and checking out the course. The men had an 8km challenging course of 2 small laps and 4 large laps. Watching the race the girls made the course look easy but there were 3 or 4 sharp hills and loads of twists and turns so you could never settle or get a rhythm. When I started in Sportsworld we used to struggle to get a full men’s team for the races but the last few years we have always had full teams with new people trying out the races each year.
The men’s team finished 6th in a national cross country with a good battle between Conor McCarty and Kevin Curran at the front with Karl Chatterton putting his park run pace to good use and an excellent first season run by Stephen O Donnell. Only two Dublin clubs managed to make it to Tuam with full teams which shows you not every club has an Emily or Myles to round up runners and get a team together. Thanks to all those with drove to Tuam and back for the race.
Sportsworld Results
Intermediate Women
2nd Sinead TANGNEY 00:20:39 (Individual Silver Medal, Club Gold Medal and Dublin team Silver Medal!)
6 Helen BROUDER 00:21:11 (Club Gold Medal and Dublin team Silver Medal!)
10 Catherine BAMBRICK 00:21:59 (Club Gold Medal and Dublin team Silver Medal!)
11 Ruth KELLY 00:22:12 (Club Gold Medal and Dublin team Silver Medal!)
14 Noreen BROUDER 00:22:47
22 Stephanie BERGIN 00:23:34
29 Anna DELANEY 00:24:37
Intermediate Women Teams
1st Sportsworld A.C. 29
2 Youghal A.C. 37
3 North Sligo A.C. 84
4 Mayo A.C. 87
5 An Riocht A.C. 121
6 Galway City Harriers A.C. 127
7 Swinford A.C. 153
8 Tuam A.C. 173
Intermediate Womens County results
1st Cork
2 Dublin (Sinead, Helen, Catherine, Ruth)
3 Galway
Intermediate Men
38th Conor MCCARTHY 00:31:52
39 Kevin CURRAN 00:31:55
43 Karl CHATTERTON 00:32:22
48 Stephen O’DONNELL 00:32:41
50 Michael CUNNINGHAM 00:32:49
61 Sadanand MAGEE 00:33:16
76 Anthony GILLEN 00:34:49
77 Diarmuid O’SULLEABHAIN 00:34:59
Intermediate Men Teams
1st Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 62
2 North Belfast Harriers A.C. 66
3 North Sligo A.C. 81
4 Crusaders A.C. 106
5 East Cork A.C. 118
6 Sportsworld A.C. 168
7 Mayo A.C. 172
8 Longford A.C. 180
9 Tuam A.C. 190
10 Galway City Harriers A.C. 198
11 Tullamore Harriers A.C. 203
12 Castlegar A.C. 249
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