On a lovely balmy summer’s evening the red vests of Sportsworld lined out again last night with a few very welcome additions this time – take a bow Lisa,  and Sir Paul Hamilton – the best wine till last they say and so he proved in the 5k,  as well as some great performances earlier in the evening.   A lot happened at this No 3 Meet.

It’s funny how those of us who’ve participated in a  number of these meets have now taken to talking about tactics, goals and strategy before we take to the track, whereas only 4 or 5 weeks ago we wondered if we had any business being here at all, or if we might make a show of ourselves or ended up being Paddy last.  It just goes to show that a bit of experience of these meets does bring a bit more confidence and enthusiasm to the table no matter how well or not you might do in the end.

The 100m sprints kicked off the evening and as always its impressive to see the speed of the athletes hurtling down the track in a line at full tilt after the gun goes off.  The margins at the finish line can be very fine.  You watch and you think “if only ….”

The Womens 1500m was next.  In the BC1 race newcomer Lisa and seasoned performer Katie took to the start line.  Lisa ran a superb race and looked very comfortable throughout – with 600m metres to go she took it on and powered over the last  lap and there was no catching her.  She won in just under 5mins at  4.59.7 which was fantastic and given that she ran much of the race in Lane 2 (despite us shouting from the sideline “move in Lisa” !) she has plenty more to spare there for next time.  Katie ran a steady even pace race and kept the leaders in her sights throughout – she finished in 5:28 which was a big PB and over 10 seconds off her previous time 4 weeks ago.

In the Womens C1 race Edel ran a brilliant race and surprised everyone (we though she was just a sprinter !) – coming up to the bell she looked very comfortable and she really stepped it up then and was getting faster as she went on – it was exciting to watch and she passed out several others and finished very strongly in 5.15.  This was a very competitive race with a lot of athletes close together and Deirdre ran a very solid race to finish in 5.41 which was another  PB.

In the Mens 1500 CD1 race Timothy and  Anthony lined up.    Timothy ran very strongly particularly over the first couple of laps and he finished in 4:48.  Anthony  ran his own race with steady even pace as he always does.  He was strong down the home straight and ended up with 5:15.  Given that Anthony had put two races back to back in the Leinster Champs in Carlow only last weekend that was a brillant performance.   He’s aiming for sub 5:10 on his next outing here.

In the Mens 1500 D1 I took to the startline with no team mates for company this time.  I felt I ran ok but was feeling a little bit of Leinster Champs in my legs still and the last lap took more out of me than I thought.  I finished up with 5:36 which was similar to what I did in Meet 1 four weeks ago.   It was a competitive race and I was happy I ended up 4^th.

After the Womens 5000m  which was won by in just under 17 mins by Barbara Cleary of Donore  the Mens 5000m finished off the night.  Paul was in the final heat at 9.15.   He’s a newcomer to track races but said he had a target in his head of getting close to the 18’s.    The 5000 on the track is a tough grind for anyone and as Anthony said 52 bends is hard to get your head around.  Keeping concentration and focus can be a challenge but Paul was more than up to the task.  He ran a great race, got into a nice group early on and held his form and pace very well.  In the second half he started to pick it up and over the last two laps he was very strong picking off the athletes in his group.  He powered down the back straight to finish up with 18.28 which was brilliant – a full half minute off his PB.  Well worth us sticking around for.

Overall the Event is very well organised and they seem to have it down to a fine art now with the races bang on schedule, some of them even slightly earlier than scheduled, which can catch a few people out as Myles flagged up before – Looking at you Paul – but on the up side you did’nt have time to get nervous !.

I’d thoroughly recommend these Grade meets to anyone, they’re very enjoyable to both partake it and watch, you get the runners high much quicker post race, and the support from the sidelines is always hugely welcomed and heard when you go around.   When I was signing in the chap at the desk said “great to see Sportsworld supporting our Event so well”.   Roll on the next Meet.

IMRA Races Unshackled by Tim Murphy

Targeted for newcomers to Trail Running / IMRA

IMRA stands for Irish Mountain Running Association. It is the governing body of the sport of Mountain Running in Ireland. It is run by volunteers, on a ‘not-for-profit basis’. In a typical year, they put on about 140 events annually – primarily in Leinster and Munster.

Races recommenced, post-lockdown, in the Wicklow Hills on the evening of Wednesday 16 June, with a jaunt up (and down) Little Sugar Loaf. Prince William’s Seat followed on Saturday the 19th, with Scarr; Sorrell Hill and Brockagh following in quick succession.

The climb on these 5 races varied between 360-450 metres; and the distance was between 8.4-11 kilometres. Between 2-12 athletes from Sportsworld participated in each of these 5 races.

Over the two weeks, 16 Sportsworlders experienced at least one of these races. These races are for everyone. Of the 16 from Sportsworld 8 were female; 8 male. Age categories up to Male 65 and Female 60 were represented. Thus, the Sportsworld crew were a younger grouping than the wider field. Many were ‘first-timers’ to IMRA races. Some runners competed at the top end – there was a 2nd place overall (Karol ) and a couple of Age Category winners (Eileen and Liam ). Some had a ‘walk and talk’. Others took myriads of fabulous photos (Thanks Eoin). Some wore ‘trail shoes’; some didn’t. Some were carrying child (Congrats ); more weren’t. Some celebrated their birthday in the hills; others celebrated a mid-week escape from work. Some had sore legs the next day; some didn’t. Some wore the Sportsworld singlet; some didn’t. Some experienced glorious summer evenings; some experienced thick mist. All seemed to enjoy themselves. The IMRA website (www.imra.ie) acts as a hub for bookings; event information; results; discussion; a beginners’ FAQ; photos and much more. It has many great features, and includes a ‘myIMRA’ section that shows all your results and photos and purchases. There are usually volunteers who take photos of the runners and post these to the website. Sometimes you get a great action photo, with a fabulous backdrop .

The Events tab is a good place to start. This has all the upcoming races that are scheduled for the year. There is a Dublin / Wicklow Wednesday evening race held throughout July and August. These start at 19:30. These evening races are typically 7-10.5k, with a climb of 200-550m. They are a great introduction to Trail / Mountain running. By clicking on the event, you get information re the race; maps of route / start point etc. There is also a forum where questions are asked / answered / volunteers looked for etc. Past results are available too. You can see an event difficulty rating too. The last race at time of writing was Brockagh. This had a difficulty of 7 (2 out of 3 for terrain (moderate) + 2/3 ascent (200m-500m) +3/3 distance (>10k).

You can purchase entry to the Wednesday evening races from the Thursday before, at 6pm. Places are currently limited to 150 and usually sell out. You will need to ‘Register with IMRA’ if you have never done so previously. This is an easy ‘one-off’ step. Just click on the ‘Register for IMRA’. Once registered, you can access the ‘Membership / Shop / Online Entries’ tab. This shows all the products / events that are currently available for purchase. You need to purchase an annual membership (€10), before you can enter an event). This will include a chip (if this is your first time becoming a member) and a bib number that will be valid for the calendar year. You will collect both of these at race registration, on the day of the race. You attach the chip to you shoe and retain this forever (€5 replacement fee). You also retain your bib number throughout the calendar year and bring with you to each race entered. Try to arrive an hour early for initial race.

Weekend races can be longer. There seems to be less than usual scheduled in Dublin / Wicklow this year, but many further afield. The ‘Circuit of Glenmacnass’ on Sunday 11 July is in Wicklow – a lovely route, but a challenging 19k, with 1,040m climb. As a rule of thumb, every 100m of climb can be equated to and additional 1k on the flat. Thus the ‘flat-equivalent’ effort involved in this race would be 19k + 10.4k = 29.4K. The shorter 13.4k Mount Leinster in Wexford has some Sportsworld interest already. Kerry / Limerick etc…for your staycation runs.

Wow… there is so much more to write but let’s not take all the fun of exploring away…

€7 per race. Great strength training. Great stamina training. Speed down those hills. Relaxed atmosphere. Less stressful on body than road running, in that the ground tends to be softer and the muscles that get worked are more varied. Good all-over body workout. Welcoming people. Wonderful locations. Sure to be some familiar faces. Sportsworld has an ‘IMRA’ WhatsApp group. E-mail info@sportsworldrunningclub.com to be added to it. Car pooling to event is usually available via Sportsworlders – mail info@sportsworldrunningclub.com or text the Sportsworld IMRA WhatsApp group.

A rain jacket is always compulsory – a face covering for registration area and first 200m of race is currently compulsory too. Any questions / concerns – feel free to speak to me (Tim Murphy) or e-mail / text Sportsworld. Can also ask questions on IMRA website / carpool there too (currently disabled re Covid).

P.S. There is usually also a short course option available. Open to all, but often used by families / teenagers.

P.P.S. There is usually an early start option that many Sportsworlders avail of. This allows you to start the race a half hour before official start time i.e., 19:00 on the Wednesday evening runs.You can decide on the day… just let them know at registration. Your race will still be chip-timed. This is totally optional, but usually only available to those who expect to finish slower than 160% of the winning time. By way of reference, for those of you who know me, I would typically be about 160%. Currently IMRA seem to be more relaxed on this rule now (to enhance covid-friendly staggered start).

Sometimes you can plan your races and prepare properly for them, with Covid you have to take your chances to do a race when they come up. Leinster junior, senior and masters track races were announced a couple of weeks ago and it took a bit of effort to finally press the button and commit and sign up to doing the race the following week, I don’t think I was the only one who felt that way.

The track was in Carlow IT and they have an amazing new facility with new bouncy track, pancake flat pitches beside track to do warmup, flood lit lights, car park and a wind machine for the back straight. There was no strolling in and hanging around watching other races, you had to book in and only go to track area at a set time and then you had to leave soon after your race. But everyone was happy with the set up and a chance to race.

First up was Noreen Brouder in the 1500m and she was in the leading pack for most of the race pushing the pace and ended up in 4th place winning Gold in her age category. The races came around quick and I was up next in the 1500m, I was happy with my run and legs were definitely burning the last lap but hopefully I can knock some time off in the graded 1500m’s during the summer.

Next was Anthony Gillan and Declan Brady in their 1500, Anthony was also doubling up with a 800m the following day. I don’t think any one factored in the wind which was strong on the back straight and tough if you were not in a group. Both ran well but post race lunch discussion was all about what we could of done better. Runners!?!

No one could hang around in the track area for Caroline Conway’s 400m but she didn’t disappoint getting a Gold medal.

The races were split over 2 days and on Sunday Martin Keenan coming back from injury produced a great time in the 800m to get a Bronze medal. Anthony Gillan ran again and I think hit his target time in the 800m

Final race for Sportsworld runners was a gruelling 5000km on the track by Liam Lenehan. All the IMRA mountain running must of paid off as Liam came away with a great time and a Leinster bronze medal.

Full results can be found here.

http://live.athleticsleinster.com/menu.html

Wednesday, 23rd June, marked the second event in the Dublin Graded Series for 2021 and it was great to see a few more faces take to the start line in the Sportsworld gear. Despite the enthusiasm for track racing, no-one put up their hands to write a race report so it falls to me again.

First event on the track was the 200m and Sportsworld was represented by Caroline & Edel who both put in solid performances in their races. Despite nerves around how to use the blocks, both shot off as soon as the gun went. Word has it that Caroline is now second in the Sportsworld records and Edel is third.

There was a quick turnaround after the 200m before the 800m kicked off. It really was a case of blink and you’d miss the start as the gun was almost silent. The event was slightly less organised than the first meeting two weeks ago. At one point they were looking for people to go to the start line but the names they were calling out were already racing down the home straight. Despite all of this, myself and Katie got ourselves ready to take part in the C2 race. I’ll admit I was a bit more nervous about this race than I was two weeks ago for the 1500m. I think the general confusion before starting the race had me a little rattled but as soon as the gun went, all was forgotten. Katie had the good sense to get close to the front from the start and she held that position all the way round. I started in lane 1 so I just held my own and let people go in front of me. It was a tough race and I could only admire Katie from afar as she ran a really strong race, finishing in 2:38. Despite being further down the field (and running with laces open on both feet) I was thrilled with my 2:47 time, taking 20 seconds off the time I ran at the same event in 2019. That’s the joy of the graded meets. It’s easy to be distracted by who else is in the race but sometimes you get the most satisfaction from simply racing against yourself.

Caroline Conway, fresh from the 200m, was up in the third C race. She took off at lightning speed and a few of us were worried that she didn’t realise it was an 800m race. Not a bother on her though. She took to the front and remained a good distance ahead until the final 100 metres when a Liffey Valley athlete came charging through. There was a fantastic battle between them with Caroline ultimately having the strength to hold off her challenger.

In the men’s 800m, all three Sportsworld athletes competed against each other. They pushed each other hard throughout with Declan coming through the first 400m in first position. Anthony and Martin took off on the second lap, with Martin coming through to win the race strongly. Anthony ran a very solid race to finish second. After a very quick first 400m, it was hard going in the second lap but Declan maintained form and finished well.

After a quick cool down, it was back to the track to support the men in the 3000m. Timothy & Michael were up first. As always, Timothy ran hard, and finished in a great time of 10:20. Michael ran a very steady race and looked like he might catch Timothy on the last lap but Timothy wasn’t having any of that and found an extra gear to finish ahead of him.

In the next race, Trevor & Brian both put in good individual performances. All of the 3000m ended up being quite strung out with many participants having to run on their own. No easy feat considering the distance so well done to all who slogged it out.

Finally, Conor Keating made the trip up from Tipp to compete in the D race. Again, it was a tough race with Conor running on his own for most of it but that didn’t deter him and he pushed on right to the end, hopefully making the long trip worthwhile.

And so ended another great evening at Tallaght Athletics Club. Thankfully, the weather Gods played their part and conditions were perfect for track racing. It was great to have Emily in attendance cheering us on for the 800m races and as always it was great to see the familiar face of Myles ringing the bell.

Hopefully we will see the same numbers (or maybe more) of Sportsworld runners at the next race.

200m

Caroline Conway – 29.4

Edel Keenehan – 30.406

800m

Caroline Conway – 2.29.262

Katie Nugent – 2.38.92

Deirdre McGing – 2.47.697

Martin Keenan – 2.28.827

Anthony Gillen – 2.34.211

Declan Brady – 2.40.194

3000m

Timothy Morahan – 10.20.25

Michael Cunningham – 10.22.14

Trevor Sweeney – 10.30.97

Brian Conway – 11.28.97

Conor Keating – 12.02.51

Race Report: Tim Murphy
Date: Wednesday 16 June 2021
Distance: 8.62k Climb: 360m Terrain: Field, Fire Road, Technical Rock, Cycle Trail.
Participants: Deirdre McGing (1:11:31); Eileen Rowland (1:11:56); Eoin O’Brien (1:13:50) – Photographer; John Fitzgerald (1:19:29); Liam Lenehan (0:51:56); Tim Murphy (1:01:54) .

The drive into Belmont Demesne and its setting are beautiful. The sun was out, but luckily, not too hot. The view of the Little Sugar Loaf ahead of us was somewhat daunting. Finding Belmont proved a challenge for most, and even stressful for some… no time for a change into trail shoes. But spirits were high and 5 Sportsworld warriors had made it to the first of the post lockdown IMRA races. Registration was the smoothest that I’ve witnessed. The compulsory kit was a face covering (for pre and post-race and first 200m of race) and a jacket.

The race went off in two waves – 19:00 (Deirdre, Eoin, Tim), and 19:30 (Eileen and Liam).
The first k was reasonably flat, through a windy forest trail – a climb beginning in the second k. Deirdre leading the Sportsworld 19:00 crew strongly. Through a long-grassed field and next 1.5k was a climb from hell, apart from the fabulous views that could be seen as you paused to grasp at some oxygen, or in the case of Eoin, take a great photo. The latter part of the climb was coated with the somewhat lumpy rocks of ‘sugar’, that was not so sweet. Tim, not being great with heights just kept his head down, eyes on the feet ahead of him. There was no running this bit (except for Liam maybe… who flew around the course!)

The first bit of descent was not much relief to many, with loose rock to contend with, but Tim threw caution to the wind and started making up some places. Many people – including Deirdre and Eileen came off the mountain descent, saw clear downhill ahead, and lashed down only to hear “Wrong the way” being shouted at them – “You need to turn right and start re-ascending”. How do you come back from that? Mental resilience at its best. The now undulating technical terrain gave way to much more runnable terrain. It was great to get the shout-out from Eileen (Wave 2) as I was heading down. Eileen was looking strong and going well. I didn’t have the heart to tell her, what lay ahead. My near 11-minute 4th kilometer had turned into a near 4-minute 7th kilometer.

The final 1.6k was very tough in parts. I was in a 5-person race – falling to last on the uphills, and moving to first on the downhills. This maze was easy to get lost in – Liam would have been even quicker had he decided not to detour – Eileen too. The cycle/toboggan final 600m was a real boneshaker for weary legs. I finished at 156% of the winner’s time (Ruari Long, UCD AC won by nearly 3 minutes from Rory Burke, Duhac, and Warren Swords, Crusaders). Ahead of my 160% target.

Eileen ‘the Flyer’ (on her ‘Birthday Run’) and Liam both topped their Age Categories! Liam was a very creditable 23rd overall. Deirdre gained great ground over the last few k and was happy with her new backpack. John Fitzgerald was 3rd M65 home. Eoin took photos. We all celebrated Eileen’s birthday. Anthony was missed.

All in all, a great race. Tough-ish for those new to trail racing. Wonderful views. Registration was ultra-smooth. Ideally would have had a couple of extra stewards on the course. But a great-value volunteer-run race. Check out the packed upcoming calendar on Imra. ie. Already a number of SportsWorlders have expressed an interest in the Sunday 27 June Sorrell Hill 9.45k race. Shout out to any of us if you want to be added to the SportsWorld IMRA WhatsApp group. Happy Running…

After what feels like a lifetime without “real” races, the Graded series started again last Wednesday, 9th June, in Tallaght. I didn’t enter any races during the shortened 2020 series, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this time with rules & restrictions etc. Entries had gone on sale the week before at 7am for both the 100m and 1500m with the 1500, in particular, proving popular and selling out within a couple of hours.

On the night, eager not to miss a moment of build-up and always anxious about parking, I arrived at the track an hour before my race was due to start. The check in was quick and easy with a desk set up at the entrance to the clubhouse. Armed with my race number, I headed out to the park behind the track to do a warm-up. Entry to the track itself was only allowed directly before your race so a small crowd had gathered on the grass to the side of the track to watch the races unfold. It was a warm, sunny evening and there was a great buzz about the place.

After a good 4km jog (who knew you had to warm up so much for such a short distance), I headed back towards the action where I was warned by Myles to stay near the track as they were starting to call out the 1500m races. I did a few strides and stretches in the car park while the ‘A’ race waited on the line to start. After several false starts, they were off. At this stage, Katie Nugent and her sister, Siobhán, had arrived and we discussed tactics (i.e. run until you can’t run anymore). Although we were both registered for the ‘C’ race, it had been split into two groups so we weren’t able to race each other. Katie went off first and ran very well, finishing in a great time of 5:40. More importantly, she finished just ahead of her sister and as all older siblings know, you can’t let the younger ones beat you. Finally, it was my turn to go. As soon as the gun went off a younger girl shot off and was quickly out of sight. I slotted in behind two other girls and over the next two laps managed to pass them before finishing in a very distant second place in 5:45. Having never raced a 1500 before, I didn’t know how to target the race. I based my expectations off the last two time trials we did at the Saturday sessions last year where I finished both in approximately 6:05. With that in mind, I hoped to go under 6 minutes. On the evening itself, I felt quite strong and was able to push myself further.

With the race out of the way, myself and Katie were free to relax and watch the men in their races. Anthony, Declan & Timothy all ran very well and were happy with the times achieved. It was great to have a gang of Sportsworld runners gathered together to race again. Thanks to Myles as well for all the encouragement.

The series continues on the 23rd with races across 200m, 800m and 3000m. It would be great to see a few more Sportsworld vests taking to the start line. The graded series is a great way to put the Saturday sessions to the test and race against a few new faces.

1500M Deirdre McGing – 5.45

1500M Katie Nugent – 5.40

1500M Timothy Morahan 4.42.13

1500M Anthony Gillen – 5.12

1500M Declan Brady 5.36