Womens Mini Marathon 2016

Report by Lucy D’Arcy

Photos by Eoin O’Brien. Facebook album: Click here

Sportsworld Results below

Well what can I say – it’s Mini-Marathon day – it feels like the years are getting shorter and shorter, it certainly did not feel like my 28th in a row.

Race reporter Lucy still smiling at 5km

After spending the last 4 days in the blistering heat of Balbriggan , Sandymount, Tullaroan and Derry in temperatures of 27-28 degrees timing races, I thought today had to be a bit cooler and was right until about 11am when the heat was turned on again full blast.

I set off – heading into town soon after 12pm to hook up with Noreen and Caoimhe and passed many other ladies heading in too I was sweating after the 1st km – what was I going to be like by the time I got in to town!!!! Dripping is the answer. 🙂

I met up with the lovely ladies, got our race numbers sorted and pinned to our singlets (thank you Noreen for kindly collecting for us), and decided it was time to hand in the bags. At that point – someone( the man upstairs decided we needed a shower before we run so the heavens opened and we got soaked, the only problem was – we we not prepared – we had no shower gel ????

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The good thing was – it cooled us right down and made the temperature way more bearable and we thought – happy days – this won’t be so tough after-all, Ha Ha how wrong we were, on the start line the sun and heat were turned up full blast again drying us all off. As the sun beat down and minutes were counting down, we baked slowly whilst having a bit of banter with other ladies all feeling the same, friendly competitions took place as to who was training the best, actually – just who was training in some cases.

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Suddenly the anthem started to ring out “Molly Malone” and the singing started, at this point the race usually starts just before the end of the song but not today, the “Molly Malone” was on an extended version as we were all waiting for the OFF, then we heard word from the track there was a technical hitch, the system had to “re-boot” it couldn’t take the heat from 40,000 females and the sun ????

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Finally we were away and I thought my aim today was to stay in the top 250 and under 45 mins , no pressure as I watched the other Sportsworld ladies Noreen, Caoimhe and Kate drift on ahead, I caught up with and got passed out by many familiar ladies on route.

2016 Mini Marathon Winner Siobhan O’Doherty (4) – coached by Will Greensmyth so he claims 😉

The support along the way way brilliant and very welcome on more than 1 occasion. We had music as we ran, we had supporters from many of the Dublin clubs and other clubs nationwide, we had photographers that were almost jumping out to take pics and we had the one you wouldn’t know were there to capture those really unexpected glamorous moments – Yes Eoin – I mean you.

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The first 4km passed by before I had realised we’d gone that far already, 5km I thought this is going pretty well , turn-a-round point just ahead, As we approached that point we were watching the leading ladies descent the slope into the 2nd half of the race. As we made the descent we were looking as the masses heading up to the turn-a-round, wow: what a sight as far as the eye could see was a mass of colorful women in all types of costumes, and a few women that looked like men all nice and colorful ????

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Carol Lynch who has raced all 33 mini marathons! 

The last 1.5km i have to admit were a bit of a struggle as the heat and lack of fitness kicked in but got there. Didn’t stay under the 45mins but stayed well inside the top 250,Oh well, 1 out of 2 ain’t bad!!! and there’s always next year. This is 1 event I will participate in as long as I can put 1 foot in front of the other. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to Carol Lynch who has done every single Mini-Marathon to date which I think is now 33years.

Sportsworld Results

11th Noreen Brouder 00:37:59
38th Kate Kelly 00:41:33
82nd Caoimhe Costigan 00:44:25
108th Lucy Darcy 00:45:17
519th Caroline Lynch 00:52:50

Full results: Click here 

At the 5k turn around on the N11