National 10K 2016

Report by Gareth Murran

Photos by Eoin O’Brien

The Great Ireland run took place today in the beautiful Phoenix Park. For the past years this race has incorporated the national 10K championships. Weather you love or hate this fact you’ve got to admit that having so many runners in one race makes for a great experience. There’s only a few races on the calendar, The Raheny 5 comes to mind were you always surrounded by 5-10 runners no matter what pace you are running.

The course in Phoenix Park is challenging. The first 5k is very flat, but if you’ve gone out too fast then prepare to suffer. A sharp downhill just before the first 5k marker give you a false sense of security. The first major uphill at the magazine for leads to the equally tricky s-beans. At 7 k there is a steep climb and then you head down to the lake and finally climb back up between kilometers 8 and 9. It’s at this part of the race that you can really see people suffering. One you hit the 9k marker it’s pedal to the metal as you push for the finish line and try to make up as many places as possible in the team competition.

The club had about 20 runners taking part today, everyone of them vying for that personal best. As runners we seem to want to get a personal best every time we go out, but hey this is Ireland. It is often wet cold windy and whatever else. Today was quite windy it was very noticeable how runners were trying to take shelter running into the wind.

I decided to do the race last minute. It was nice to be able to go out at a steady pace. I was telling the lads I was gonna run 40 minutes before the start, no faster no slower. Once I got going I really started to enjoy the atmosphere. After a brief pit stop for number 1 at the 2K marker I started to accelerate a bit.

It’s great race to go out at conservative pace because the first 5k it’s just so damn easy. As I got to the 9k Marker I caught a glimpse of Conor McCarthy. I said to myself I’ll catch up with him and we will finish together. It’s took me until the 200 metre to go mark at which point the competitive Instinct kicked in and I decided to kick for home. Conor has been performing really well in training so a summer of personal bests awaits.

I learnt a lesson in pacing today. It’s so much easier to go out slow and pick up in the second 5K. Well done to everybody who took part. Helen, Noreen and Caoimhe ran fantastically well to come second in the team competition. In the men’s competition our top performers were Phil, Kevin and Carl. Great PB’s from Diarmuid and others.

Phil Kilgannon 00:35:40
Kevin Curran 00:36:02
Karl Chatterton 00:36:22
Gareth Murran 00:36:43
Conor Mccarthy 00:36:47
Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin 00:38:29
Helen Brouder 00:39:08
Noreen Brouder 00:39:14
Will Greensmyth 00:42:38
Caoimhe Costigan 00:42:40
Aidan Curran 00:42:55
Eoin O’Brien 00:42:56
Damien Geraghty 00:43:21
Catherine Mulleady 00:44:15
Sandra Gowran 00:46:04
Naoise Waldron 00:48:07
Sandra Kelly 00:50:50
Orla Jordan 00:51:52
Mark Kelly 00:51:53
Phil Daly 00:55:18

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