Leinster 10 mile Championship 2016 – Battle of Clontarf

Race report by Michael Cunningham

Photos by Aoife O’Leary. Full Gallery: Click here

On Bank Holiday Monday 29^th of March Sportsworld runners travelled to St Annes Park Raheny to take part in the Leinster 10 mile championship also known as the Battle of Clontarf 10mile.

Race reporter Michael dreaming of an electronic weighing scale jug – read on 

As people greeted each other at the Red Stable car park, as we got out of our heated cars, we all suddenly realised it was not summer and only March and it was cold, very cold. But the sun was shining and it was not raining and the 1916 rising weekend told us just to suck it up.

Team photo before the race

Team photo after the race

St Anne’s Park is huge and if you do go to run there for a cross country race or road race leave a trail of bread crumbs when you are doing your warm up as runners have been known to get lost. Most were found. The 10 mile race is a two lap course which takes you down the main straight, through woods, down beside the coast road, past the country course (still repairing itself) and back to the main straight.

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There is a nasty horrible detour at the end of the second lap which fools you into thinking you are just at the finish line but then takes you on a 500m detour, character building stuff. All the junctions and turns were well stewarded by Raheny and with Lucy on the timing the results were out quick.

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The course was fair enough will only a small climb on each lap but something about the race had everyone in pain. Maybe it was excess Easter eggs at the weekend. I don’t eat chocolate myself much. Maybe it was the unexpected cold weather. One Sportsworld member said he felt like crying at the half way. It was Eoin O’Brien.

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There were a number of medals won by Sportsworld, actually it was just the Sportsworld women who won Leinster medals. Stephen Willoughy says the Mens O/50 got the bronze team prize but its unconfirmed and I only publish facts in my race reports. Naoise suffered on during the race with a hip injury to get the women the 3^rd place team medal. Below is an artists impression of the hip surgery she will probably have to have now.

Sportsworld Awards:

• 3^rd Womens Team – Ruth Kelly, Caoimhe Costigan, Naoise Waldron.
• Ruth Kelly  4^th overall.
• Eileen Rowland won her age category.
• Audrai O’Driscoll came third in her age category.
• Ellen Lavin came third in her age category.
• The womens O/50 team also won gold.
• The mens O/50 team won bronze.

Actually photo of the freezing cold prize giving

On a sad note a number of the women won electronic weighing scale jugs perfect for baking but they were at a loss to know what there function was. They were also oblivious to the looks of envy from myself and Eoin O’Brien already deep in planning for this years cake sale. Sad times. 

Sportsworld results:

Michael CUNNINGHAM 01:03:09
Derek SAVILLE 01:05:12
Ruth KELLY 01:06:03
Caoimhe COSTIGAN 01:09:58
Stephen WILLOUGHBY 01:15:06
Eoin O’BRIEN 01:16:25
Naoise WALDRON 01:17:13
Eileen ROWLAND 01:18:43
Paul CASSIDY 01:19:32
Catherine GILMORE 01:21:59
Emma BARRY 01:22:12
Ellen LAVIN 01:24:06
Audrai O’DRISCOLL 01:30:35
Sean O’BYRNE 01:31:04

Visit myrunresults.com for full results: Click here

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