Womens intermediate race report by Emma Meade

Mens intermediate race report by Conor Keating

Masters were too tired to write race reports.

National Intermediate Women’s Cross-Country

Race Report by Emma Meade

I will start with a disclaimer that this is my first race report and that I feebly attempted to get out of writing it with no success. However, with some brief guidance from José and Naoise over tea, and a look back at previous reports, I now feel more prepared to write the report than I did prior to running the race itself.

After coming down with some sort of flu/throat infection on Saturday morning I was struggling to breathe while standing still not to mention while tearing round a mucky field. Sunday morning came and the worst of it had cleared apart from the odd coughing fit/bout of nausea. Despite this, I felt there was no way I could miss the last cross-country race of the season. I was back at home with the parents, so I missed the anxious bus ride down to Dundalk and got a lift with my Dad landing in Dundalk with an hour before kick-off. For once the weather seemed to be in our favour with no high wind or rain!

Fast-forward to the start-line, and after a brief explanation of the course (1 short lap, followed by 3 larger laps to make up the 5km course) the gun was sounded, and the relatively small field was off at a fast pace. I stuck on Jess’s shoulder for about the first kilometre and a half but had to drop back to a slower pace as the longer hill on the larger lap took its toll on me. The field had stayed relatively close together for the first half of the race, around this point Margaret passed me and I kept her in my sight as something to aim for for the next two kilometres. The last kilometre was the toughest. This was my fourth cross-country race and two of the previous three had been 4km, so when I reached the fourth kilometre, I really wanted to be done!

Margaret was practically out of sight and I had a stitch in my side as I couldn’t quite get my breathing right, but the support from everyone there was amazing (especially Emily and Myles) and spurred me onto the finish line. Despite feeling a bit lightheaded at the finish, and once I got my breathing back under control, I was delighted I had completed the race and hope to be a bit more consistent in my training for next season!       

2019/2020 cross country Ladies Gazebo is being upgraded

National Intermediate Men’s Cross-Country

Race Report by Conor Keating

With the weather forecast the last few weeks predicting snow in ‘the next few days’ the lead up to the National Intermediate was filled with trepidation that it might be ‘a bit of a slog’ again this year.  However by around Thursday it  became increasingly clear that the East was having the fairer of the weather and there would be no repeat of the shinanings of Clarenbridge 2018. To get over any lingering trauma I suggest watching the Netflix documentary ‘The greatest party that never happened’ about the infamous Fyre music festival which as you know was supposed to be the most awesome festival ever on a private island in Bermuda. One of my favorite parts of the documentary was when there was no proper transport organized from the airport so a local bus driver drove the attended to the ‘venue’ and politely informed that them on the way that ‘Oh people, I’ve seen this site and your in for a shit storm here’. Brings back memories of the bus journey to Galway but at least I didn’t have to pay 3k minimum (before expenses) for the experience! Joe.ie was funny when stating ‘Netflix releases the first horror movie of 2019’ – Rated R for Retared (I may have made up the last bit).

Therapy over I made my way to the clubhouse for just before 10:45 Sunday, bumping into Brian Conway on the way. Once there there was only Michael there quickly followed by Emily who declared that a lot of people were making their own way and it would be a half empty bus. However the feeling of being bus wackers only lasted a few minutes as a great crowd materialized and once on the bus a roll-call ensued. Karol, who was sitting next to me, had his name called out twice by Emily – you don’t however have to be nearly as good as Karol to take part in these XC races and it was great to see such a crowd from the club on this road trip. Conor McCarthy had text to say he was making his own way, but his lift didn’t work out, and he ended up taking the public bus to Dundalk but still arrived in good time.

We had a  few hours wait for our race which gave us plenty of time to warm up and cheer on our colleagues in the other races. Both the ladies teams packed well and each came away with the team bronze. Special mention to Lisa Madden on a fantastic 5th place finish in the women’s Intermediate. The Masters men’s race had a huge crowd of nearly 250. There was a few cluster of Sportsworld runners which required a quick tongue to say c’mon to each as they passed by. Apologizes to the few women who had to make do with ‘C’mon Sportsworld’ – I’m bad at names, I don’t know how Emily and Myles do it. Karol had a great run to finish 10th closely followed by Gareth in 14th – well done to both for winning a Gold county medal on the Dublin team. 

Finally it was time for the Men’s Intermediate which comprised 2 small laps and 4 larger laps. There was only 57 in this race and the race started at a lightning pace – Justin said he ran the first mile in just under 6 minutes and was nearly last. Justin was soon past me and I tried to keep a good steady pace, not helped by a strung  out field and the fact there were few behind me. The race commentator could be heard at all points on the course and we were informed that a group of 9 made up the leading pack half way through the 3rd lap. Shortly after the  commentator then declared that one athlete was falling off the lead group and even named the athlete and his club – a little bit of a low blow I thought. As I commenced my penultimate lap I knew that the leaders were closing so I gave it an extra push – determined not to get lapped and avoid an unwanted mention on the commentary. I had just passed the bell when I saw the leaders heading to the finish straight. This sense of achievement was quickly quelled by the realization that I still had a lap to go having treated the 2nd last as a ‘final push’. Ronan was a little bit ahead of me throughout the race and even though I closed the gap in the last lap he finished a few seconds ahead of me with Justin circa another 30 mins better off. Further up the field and not far off mid pack finishes were Stephen, Conor McCarthy and Sadanand – great running in a high class field. I was 14mins quicker than this race last year, my time this year would have won last year’s race by over a minute and I finished ahead of twice as many people as last year – in other words I finished 5th last.

I enjoyed the XC season – I did 7 out of the 9 races that I can compete in; only missing the Dublin senior (we club had no participants this year) and the national senior – I was in Lanzarote. Nearly constitutes ‘full attendance’ – My lack of medals has me really clutching at straws.  We were quickly back on the bus home with a quick stop in Applegreen for coffee and in some cases Burger King – you’ve earned it lads. There are a few more BHAA XC races coming up which I intend to do and would recommend. If you’re busy those weekends don’t despair – it’s only 7 months to the Dublin novice XC in Phoenix Park.

Summary of Results

Intermediate Women’s Team Bronze – Lisa Madden, Ciara Brady, Jessica Kennedy, Adelie Reinaudo

Dublin silver county medals – Lisa Madden, Ciara Brady

National Women’s team O/35 Bronze – Catherine Bambrick, Ruth Kelly, Mary Finn, Naoise Waldron

National Women’s team O/50 8th

Dublin team gold medal – Catherine Bambrick

Intermediate men’s team 6th

Masters men O/35 6th

Dublin team gold medal Karol Cronin, Gareth Murran

Masters men 0/65

Dublin team gold medal Ray Carpenter

Full race results can be found here

The John Treacy Dungarvan 10 mile took place on Sunday afternoon. With the dearly departed Ballycotton 10 no longer a fixture on the Irish running calendar, the Dungarvan 10 has soared in popularity as one of the “go to” Spring 10 mile races, along with the Mallow 10.

Any lingering doubts about the appeal of Dungarvan surely vanished on the day that entries opened last autumn – the entry website crashed and the organisers had to resort to a raffle for entries.

Assuredly, the course is a PB course. A relatively flat loop that navigates sheltered country roads. It’s a course that rewards patience in the early miles – there are plenty of opportunities to attack the downhill sections from the turn at halfway. The race t-shirt is one of the best in the business and comes with a decent goodie bag, and a spread of food in the sports hall afterwards that could feed an army.

The weather conditions on Sunday were surprisingly good – temperatures rising to nearly 10 degrees by the start, albeit tempered somewhat by a headwind for the first half of the race.

A small crew of Terenure’s red and white toed the line and put in some admirable performances – Diarmuid O’Suilleabhain and Andrea McNamara both snaring PBs. Recent Cork exile Damien Geraghty, also ran a stunning PB. Martin Doyle thundered around despite only being back running a couple of weeks. Tom Kinsella, David Kennedy and myself also took part. Many thanks to Brian Byrne and Lucy D’Arcy for the support en route.

In the overall results, Kevin Maunsell of Clonmel took the spoils for the second year in a row, while in the ladies, two runners with close connections to Sportsworld, Laura O’Shaughnessy and Siobhan O’Doherty finished second and third, behind Grace Lynch of Iveragh AC.

Like Raheny last week, Dungarvan serves as a great indicator of where the fitness is coming into springtime and the drier sod. I heartily recommend it for next year – just be sure to set your alarm for the morning the entries open!

Sportsworld times:

Laura O’Shaughnessy 58.00

Siobhan O’Doherty 58.56

Damien Geraghty 1.01.19

Diarmuid O Suilleabhain 1.01.49

Martin Doyle 1.02.30

Adrian Lanigan 1.09.03

Andrea McNamara 1.09.13

Tom Kinsella 1.14.43

David Kennedy 1.14.46 

First one done in Tirmoghan, Co. Kildare with the East of Ireland Marathon group. Heavy rain from start to finish in this one. Relatively flat. Out and back for a mile and half then 5-mile loops. Disappointed not to get sub 4 but cramp set in on last lap. Finished in 4:17.

http://www.eastofirelandmarathons.com/

https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=167678

The 35TH AXA Raheny 5 mile took place this past Sunday with over 4,600 runners and walkers signing up, making it one of Ireland’s biggest club races. The race marks the beginning of the season for most runners and attracts both elite runners along with fun runners, joggers and walkers. This is very much an event for everyone. Nobody wants to miss the Raheny 5 which has turned into a must do race at the start of the year. The event is noted for fast times, a fantastic atmosphere and the now famous goodie bag that other races struggle to match up to.

The weather on Sunday was good with cold and sunny conditions. The last time I ran this race was in 2016. The course route has changed somewhat since then. Despite the dreaded last mile on the old course I did prefer it in comparison to the course today, more on that later.

I have been running relativley well over the past month and was looking forward to this one. I set myself a target of 25.45 going into the race which equates to 3.12 per kilometer. Very achievable given recent training and races. The plan was to do the bulk of my running at the start of the week and taper down at the end. Best laid plans don’t always come to fruition. I ended up being sick after training on Tuesday, not running Wednesday and felt really sluggish on Thursdays doing the Terenure lap. Not an ideal build up week when attempting to run a PB. 

Come race day I did around 5K to warm up and was on the start line with 10 minutes to spare. During the warm up I sensed I was a little tired as I wasn’t feeling any kind of a kick when doing strides. With a chill in the air I felt my hear beating a little too much. 

At 3.00 PM we were off and 3000+ runners went hurtling down All Saints Road. I had a bad start to the race, almost walking off the line but pretty soon I was galloping around people, dodging cars and making up furlongs.

I felt sluggish even at this early start in proceedings, this should have been an early indicator that there wasn’t too much in the tank. The course looped back around Wade’s Avenue, well known as part of the beloved national road relays course. The 3rd kilometer was probably the toughest part of the course for me. I have it in my head for years that when you hit the top of All Saints Road in the relays that it’s all downhill. I really slowed to a crawl here and was running exposed at half marathon pace into the strong headwind.

Normally so early in the race I would have expected to have more drive, more tenacity so early on.  I sensed a bigger group of runners gaining ground behind and the runners in front getting further away. I picture myself getting ever slower as the races progressed, not gathering myself for that final kick in the last mile as I’d visualized before the off.

It was clear after 3 kilometers that it was not going to be my day for a PB but I was never the less determined to keep pushing the pace for the next couple of miles. On Sybil Hill, the lead lady Anne Marie McGlynn of the cross country face was up running alongside. I pictured Myles telling me to hang up my spikes if she beat me so I kept pushing on.  It was quite an enjoyable part of the course. Very flat, great support and some good surfaces. As we came into St Anne’s however I was starting to lose a few meters and then running onto the main avenue my legs weren’t having any of it, despite my breathing being comfortable. I’ll happily give up the cross country spikes after the Nationals next week. Fair play to Anne Marie she ran a super fast 25.59

In slow motion, almost exactly like a freeze-framed runner, I was falling behind. I really struggled in my last two kilometers. Not even with the wind at my back, Sportsworlds finest out supporting, and the finish line within smelling distance could I muster anything but the faintest of efforts to hold off the runners behind. Each made efforts to get ahead but were held off as I solemnly contemplated whether or not I should have lined up? All the time bearing in mind that your own resolution to keep going is more important than anything else.

In hindsight today I’m glad I ran but just didn’t have the energy to execute the plan. 

A little bit about the course to finish. The support was amazing, the looping around Raheny not so great. The turns in the park were tight, particularity the one on the main avenue. This really broke my stride. I would have preferred there to have been a chicane, it would have required just a few more cones.  On the old course, you had a tough hill but a good downhill section before it. As you are running up the main avenue in the park you can see the runners coming down the other side. It’s not really clear how far ahead they are. I didn’t like this part of the route. The long finish as always is fantastic. It seems so much wider than it did  26 minutes earlier.  
As always a great race, superb goodie bag and well recommended. It’s probably the second best 5-mile race in Dublin after the Terenure 5.

Well done to all ofthe Sportsworld runners who took part and thanks to our great supporters and their photos. Note the times below are from the gun. Which is all that was listed on the club results page. Many people ran great personal bests which are not fully reflected below. Check My Run Results for accurate chip times.

The race was won by the home town and extremely popular Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock A.C. The women’s race was won by Anne Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny A.C. This was Anne Marie’s second successive title.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to training without fear of being catapulted into a  cross country race, Meet and Train is back!  Meet and Train – for those who haven’t had the pleasure – is the starter drug for Cross Country.    For the serious runner it’s a great training ground in cross country. For those of us who aren’t expecting to bring back a medal haul  any time soon it’s a chance to compete at your own level, to get to know your clubmates and to be part of a team.  And when it’s all over there’s always a friendly cup of tea afterwards from the host club.

A near 30 strong contingent of Sportsworlders rumble into the car park of the National Basketball Arena on Sunday morning.  We gather round car boots, beating concreted mud off spikes and wrestling safety pins through the race numbers that Emily and Breda are handing out.   Conditions aren’t ideal; “It’s Baltic” is the general comment and a thickening mist is inducing crisis levels of frizz.  What else would have us out of bed and this sociable on a wet Sunday morning?For a good portion of the runners, this is their first XC experience, their first time to compete as part of a team and their first time to wear spikes. (On that point, there are some stylish if ultimately unhelpful ideas put forward. Thanks, Maria Waterhouse.)

Down to the field and the glamour continues. Bags hung on dripping trees, numb toes slipped into spikes, tense legs eased into a warm up lap and strides, the wet of the field instantly soaking through to our socks. (Another thing learned about spikes, no absorbent outer layers!)

And then we herd behind some ticker tape, smiles, shoulders hunched against the cold, last words of cheerful encouragement from Emily: “move up and stay with your team” and then the off. A congested but pacey start, pulling back from a full stride for the first 100 metres lest our shins are pierced by the high flying spikes ahead.   Then there’s some opening out of the field and a settling to a (hopefully) more sustainable pace.  Tymon feels like a nice course, not too uneven, grass not too long, hills short and sharp and relatively infrequent.  Nonetheless, at just 1.5kms in I’m ready for a sit down.   I gear down the pace again. Above all, I don’t want to have to stop. One small lap and two big laps is the starting instruction.  Just 3 kilometres.  One tesco lap. It should be easy.  But it’s hard work.

The hard work is eased by having clubmates Mary, Claire, Val and Anne all in the general vicinity and having Michael, Carmel, Emily and Breda shouting encouragement from the sides.  The watch clocks 3km.  It came sooner than I’d expected in the end so enough left for an unnecessary but dramatic final sprint. 

We line through the finishing corral.  It’s places rather than times that count.  Then back to Tallaght AC for a warming and welcoming spread from Tallaght club and a post mortem on our experiences.  Katie has steamed home 4^th with Jess, Elaine and Margaret all getting in the top 20 and putting the Sportsworld A team at the top of the leaderboard. (Woohoo!)

February 10^th is the next one so keep your race numbers stuck on your singlets, pep talk your teammates, polish the spikes and get your game face on.

Ladies report by Lisa Madden

As the Leinster Intermediate Cross Country came upon us, I was a bundle of nerves! Still remembering the pain of the last XC race I ran at Tymon Park, picking up my first injury and hobbling around for the following week, I can’t say I was looking forward to this one, at all! This was my third cross country race and I think I only get more nervous each time. Poor Ronan & Padraig tried to calm me down on the way to Gowran but, despite their best efforts, I still felt panicky & apprehensive as we pulled into the car park.

Everyone I met seemed as calm as can be so either they’re better at hiding it then I am or they need to teach me their ways!! We were just in time for the masters’ race and as it kicked off, we cheered on from the side-lines. Both the ladies & men ran amazing races and both picked up team & county gold! Huge congrats to Noreen & Karol as well for winning individual silver & bronze and well done to Eileen & Ray who both got bronze in their age category.

A quick warm up & a few strides later and we were at the start line. The first line was already full so we squeezed in behind. My pre- race jitters were in full swing and I was already looking forward to being finished! The 4km course consisted of 2 laps. After starting too fast in my last XC race and struggling (a lot) for all of it, I vowed to learn my lesson and not to get carried away this time. The front runner went off hard, and seemed miles ahead, so the rest of us settled in behind. After the initial mad dash, we settled into our stride. The course was generally okay; a little wet, mucky and soft under foot in places, but apparently that’s the norm at these things! There were a few more bends in the course than I anticipated and, as Miles kindly reprimanded me at the end, I went too wide on a couple of these! I think my over cautiousness probably stemmed from falling a few months before hand at Phoenix Park during my first XC race (and taking someone else out with me).

The first lap was okay and I felt relatively comfortable, tucking in with a little group, behind the leading three runners. As we neared the end of the first lap, somehow or another, I realised I was in & around third place. It genuinely hadn’t occurred to me before this that I was in with any chance at all of placing in the top three, so I was as surprised as anyone! From here on in, the whole race was a bit of a blur for me to be honest. The second lap was harder, a lot harder, and it was mind over matter towards the end to keep on going. The support was incredible and I honestly don’t think I would have kept on going without the cheers, screams & roars of support from the side lines. I think I was around 600m out when I realised I was leading. With the end in sight and hearing the enthusiastic screams of Emily, Miles and everyone else from Sportsworld, I pushed on through the pain that was threatening to take over at this point. I knew the next girl was right behind me because I could hear her club mates screaming ‘She’s only a few yards ahead of you, you can catch her!’ This made me all the more determined to win and the feeling of elation as I crossed the finish line (a mere second in front of her) overrode all of the pain I felt. The sense of camaraderie that comes from running in a team is the best thing about cross country; everyone is in it together, cheering each other on. The rest of the girls all ran superbly and we just missed out on a bronze team medal.

On this note also, thank you to Ruth for holding me up & looking after me after I crossed the finish line! I think anyone who saw me at the end would agree that I looked like I was in danger of passing out! (Padraig later told me he was looking around for the paramedics.) Thankfully, 10 minutes later I was all recovered (the dizziness and wooziness had passed) and we set off to cheer on the men’s intermediate race. I really can’t imagine running an extra lap, not to mind 2, so well done to them for that alone!! They all ran great, starting & finishing strong and narrowly missed out on team bronze.

Before I sign off, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for all of the amazing support throughout the race and especially at the end; it gave me the much needed push I needed to finish.

Finally, any tips or magical solutions on how to overcome the nerves before the next cross country race would be much appreciated!

Mens report by Conor McCarthy

There must have been no such thing as Cross Country running in 1789 because if there were, Benjamin Franklin surely would have added “and acute suffering during cross country running” to his famous “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” quote!
Fed, watered and caffeinated at the nearby Apple Green, we arrived at the Gowran venue just after noon. There was a quiet sense of anticipation about what the club could achieve today, especially from Myles who had the glint in the eye! Sportsworld has enjoyed many a success in Gowran and today was no different. The Masters men’s team ran very well the week before in Raheny, winning team silver and placing two in the top ten individually, so it was plain for all to see that the club now possess the requisite strength in depth to compete for Gold. 

The exact same applies to the women’s masters team as well, who got the day’s proceedings off to a flyer, led by Noreen Brouder, who for the second successive week, finished in second place individually, helping Sportsworld to win the team Gold in the process.  Well done to Noreen and also to Catherine Bambrick and Ruth Kelly, who made up the team.
The Masters men’s race was very competitive and all our lads put in serious performances to take the team Gold, spear-headed by Karol Cronin, who competed in a sprint finish with Portlaoise AC’s Tom Lupton for second and third place, respectively. Karol, Gareth, Andrew and Phil have all been in fine form of late and it was great to see them go one better this week. Two top six finishers is fantastic hurling by the lads.
Then, during our warm up, we witnessed Lisa Madden win Gold in the Ladies Intermedate race to add more silverware to the day’s collection. So, no pressure boys!! 

The Gods were kind to us weather-wise; memories/nightmares still linger like a bad smell from The Battle of Clarinbridge last year where it lashed out of the heavens all week and we had the privilege of taking to the mud after about 58 (slight exaggeration) races took place before ours. To my delight, there was no repeat situation today! The conditions in South Kilkenny were mild, which was a help to us in our 8K race.
Given the expectation of hardship and as cross country courses go, today’s assignment of five miles was challenging without being overly tough. There were 4 x 2 km laps spanning two separate fields to get stuck. We all took on the steep incline in the back field pretty well and mentally, it was a huge lift to get up and over it on that last lap, before making the final dash to the finish line. At a personal level, I am still searching for full race fitness and found the race a great test of endurance and strength. Out a field of 42 runners, we fell just short of landing third place, which was disappointing. Stephen O’Donnell was the first man home on the team in 19th place. Rathfarnam AC’s Mitchell Byrne won the race at a canter, running masterfully. Cool downs, cups of tea and post mortems completed, we headed back to the Capital after what was collectively a great day of racing for the club. Roll on the Nationals.

Masters Men’s Results: Karol Cronin 20:06 Gareth Murran 20:35 Andrew Brett 21:04 Phil Kilgannon 21:22 Bruce Campbell 22:02 Kevin Curran 22:19 Michael Cunningham 22:35 Johnny Dwyer 24:25 Ed McEntee 24:26 Joe Byrne 24:35 Liam Lenehan 24:44 Anthony Gillen 25:04 Brian Conway 25:19 Declan Brady 25:33 Mark Heffernan 25:34 Jose Chapa 25:38 Noel Tobin 25:41 Jim Browne 25:58 Padraic Moran 26:23 Peter Knaggs 26:44 Ray Carpenter 28:26
Intermediate Men’s Results: Stephen O’Donnell 29:12 Conor McCarthy 29:26 Mark Hogan 29:52 Ronan Masterson 31:19 Conor Keating 31:52 David Kennedy 33:29 Padraig Looby 33:52

Race report by Louise Jackman

I could abbreviate my race report into a single sentence; I followed Shay!

For those of you who have moved on from primary school history, the race is based on three prisoners escaping Dublin Castle via the sewers into the night. Art and Henry O’Neill, along with Red Hugh O’Donnell escaped from Dublin Castle on the night of 6 January 1592 making for the safety of Glenmalure. Art succumbed to hypothermia during the escape, hence the race is held in commemoration. Madness..

Nevertheless, Friday night at ten, I find myself dragging a backpack through town towards Dublin Castle. Snag one, I can’t find the way in. How am I going to navigate to Glenmalure if I can’t even find the entrance?! About six more misfits are lurking, clearly in the same boat. We stand out like sore thumbs in high-vis loaded with gear. En masse, we skirt around to the side entrance and in I skip. Registration has a few steps: gear check; bag-drop; and tracker is taped on securely. All done and dusted quickly. Midnight rolls around at last. Out to the courtyard for the countdown. It’s a perfect night for running – cool and clear. I certainly didn’t think I’d be starting this race in a t-shirt! 

The klaxon sounds and off we go. Round the corner and straight past Leo Burdocks. There’s a ripple of laughter, we’re all cracking the same jokes about stopping for a bag at this stage. It takes a few minutes to settle into a pace, but quickly Shay and I are jogging along taking it all in. We head along familiar roads – Clanbrassil Street, Harold’s Cross and we’re turning at the Blue Haven before I know it. We leave the security of streetlights and footpaths as the road begins to climb. And climb it does. We’ve agreed to make this 30k as easy as possible. We walk the hills and run the rest. It works well. We end up playing leap-frog with the same six or so runners who struggle up the hills for us to pass them again when it flattens out. I’m happy to save the legs thinking on what lies ahead. The mental checkpoints tick off. Stone Cross, Kilbride Camp, Shay’s pal’s house (the last landmark before THE TURN!) Shay has pointed this nondescript gate out to me every-time and it still looks like a gate into a field. There’s more of a hint tonight as the lights from head-torches bob as runners ahead jump it and start the slide downhill in the tractor-tracks. Back on road, the climb starts again in earnest. We look back at the stream of torches behind weaving along the roads and down the field. I wish I’d stopped for a photo. 

In to checkpoint one before I know it. Well-warned to stay away from the heat of the camp-fires and the lure of the seats, I sit on the ground and swop running gear for heavier trail clothes. Head-torch finally goes on and I switch the GPS on. A quick coffee and off we go again. Later I look back and the timer says we were twelve minutes in CP 1! Twelve! And no wetsuits involved. We jog out of camp and I realise why we seemed to get there so quickly. It’s 2k closer to the road than usual. D’oh. We turn up out of Ballynultagh Woods and start hiking. A fog has rolled in and it’s raining heavily. Visibility has dropped to a couple of metres. We hit the same track we recce’d on Wednesday night, but it’s a different place. We hit the planned turn and jump the stream. More hiking to hit the ridge. On Wednesday, Blackhill, Mullaghcleevaun were obvious landmarks. Now we’re working off compasses and altitude. We end up veering slightly off-course closer to Blackhill than we should. We are descending sooner than we should and with no visibility, we backtrack. I shove the GPS into the bottom of my bag and follow ViewRanger on the phone. Back on track we descend into Billy Byrne’s gap, on the other side of the valley to plan, but this ground is good enough we can mostly run. We’re running at the same pace as another group so all stick together and can have the chats. The streams are bigger than on the recces but the head-torches light up the rocks enough to hop across safely. One last stream and through the gates at Sheep Pen i.e. back on fire-road. Yesss. The group breaks up at this stage as we can properly run at this stage. We fly down the track, cross the road, back onto the track before running into CP 2. 

More coffee – I’m not obsessed, CP 1 was two hours ago! Two minutes later, we’re back on the track, albeit with cheeks full of chocolate in my case. I’m delighted with life, having put in fresh batteries in my head-torch. We hit the foot the steep climb I’ve been dreading and start making decisions. We had already decided bypassing Art’s cross was a given. It’s a slower route and in darkness it’s not so meaningful if you can’t see it. Randomly we land back into the same group. The girls who were slower on the fire roads seem to have skipped CP2 and hence we all catch the front guys who are slower fording a stream. They are keen to take a route we hadn’t planned on. Disclosure: I’ve done CP2 – Glenmalure once, and that was in darkness. All I know is there are endless peat hags which equate to leg-sapping misery and losing one’s sense of direction constantly. The security of a group is tempting, so we trudge on as a unit. My sense of time is sketchy here, but I suspect we hiked up water-logged bog for about an hour before there was even a chance of running again. We progressed from single file hiking to single file running. I wish I’d been wearing a Go-Pro, both to capture the fun of running freely with streams and rocks appearing with a split-seconds notice, but also the falls. Running fast on an uneven surface means you’ll probably fall, adding in wet rushes means you’ll slide. We all took a few spectacular tumbles. We hit Table-track without me ever being too sure of where we are. Sneaking a look at a phone or watch almost guarantees a fall and a few seconds on the ground means running a risk of getting separated.

As soon as we hit the rocky path of Table-track the three guys in front get a burst of speed. They look like they’re at 5k pace, strange for 50k into a race and on a slippy surface. One girl picks up a similar pace, which makes up my mind for me. The are three girls in our little group and we have made serious progress over the mountains section. I don’t fancy trying to outsprint anyone in the last 100m should be told we’re vying for places. I spend the next 50m or so trying to get by this girl on a narrow track. I get a few thorns to my face for my troubles but I squeeze by. Suddenly my tired sodden legs are forgotten and I try to chase down the lads. It’s easier to run in the stream of water where possible than on the track proper. The track is a cruel combination of smooth rock or loose shale. It’s like trying to sprint downhill on ice, making it the most unnerving 4k of all. I look back for Shay’s torch and promptly smash my ankle on a rock. Genius. Briefly light-headed with pain, I try to put my foot to ground but can’t put any weight on it. I have visions of not finishing which kicks me into action. I hop a few steps and start partial weight-bearing. I’m able to limp-run quickly enough. I can feel the sticky trickle of blood, but decide I’ll look when I’m done. As the ground flattens out, I look behind again.. There’s a head-torch about 100 metres behind. It’s the impetus I need. I pick up the pace with gritted teeth. I even manage to pass a man toughing it out on his own. Of course he then picks up the pace then so it’s hard to work out if the head-torches have also chased me down. I feel a light right behind me, then they draw level. I give a side-glance, to see that it’s Shay! 

Perfect timing – we cross the final bend, barely notice the river and are at the finish! It probably takes us a minute to remember to cross with all the chat. I’m 3rd lady, which is a nice surprise. It’s such a surprise, I forget about my battered ankle(s) especially when I see the breakfast roll tent. I still don’t remember in the pub; helpfully open at 9 in the morning. DMRT know how to organise a race alright! 
In summary, everyone should stick their name in the lottery for an entry next November.

Results: 
1st man Florian Reichert 4.51.06- new course record

1st woman (joint) Aoife Fennell / Diane Downes 7.46.28

Shay Brady 7.48.45

Louise Jackman 7.48.45

There was a ladies 3K and men’s 6K for the Dublin masters. We have a race report first from Deirdre O’Connell and then Tom Kinsella.

For me, nothing beats cross country for getting to know your fellow club mates. Be that from the profile photos on the Ladies XC Whatsapp Group as I identified a few names to faces I’ve come to know (and chuckled at the unladylike of all questions being asked of said ladies, “Are you over 35 or 40, or 45?!”), to shouting in support of the Men’s race after our own slog was done. Naoise, standing beside me, would shout, Go Derrick, and I’d duly shout, Go Derrick, as if team-mates for years. I now know Derrick.

The day was smashing for a number of reasons. Many dry weeks beforehand, a few weeks ravaged with Christmas excess which would fuel the race, a surprisingly balmy day weather wise, a relatively short spin to St. Anne’s Raheny, and nearly 500 competitors in the biggest ever Dublin Masters field. I reckon each runner brought three more people too, as the crowds the entire way around our short 3K course were immense. And with a huge contingent of Sportsworlders, including many non-runners only there to support the rest of us, the mood was great.

22 of Sportsworld’s finest ladies slotted right into the massive field of 225 Dublin Masters. I’m too new to it to get involved in discussion on whether to have worn the spikes or not, I just put mine on, though I could have washed them since the mud carnage of Navan in mid December. Note to self.

 Turns out 3K is a lovely short distance, my favourite, and though a little caged in at the beginning, the field spread out soon enough. It was my second time running this one, a huge benefit in hindsight. I found the run “okay to semi-enjoyable”, ground was hard enough and only two laps of the route is pleasing mentally. I’ve never run to such huge crowds and cheers from the side-lines either and that part felt great!

The Sportsworld ladies did very well. A call out and welcome back to Crona Brady, back after some time. The dream team of Noreen Brouder, Catherine Bambrick and Ruth Kelly came in second, to Raheny. “Would Raheny do it so well off their home turf? Come to Bushy and we’ll see!” hollered a Mayo born / Ennis bound Sportsworlder.

Well done everyone. You can’t beat that craic. Roll on Kilkenny.

The first cross country race of the year in St.Annes Park, Raheny always has a great turnout and so it proved last Sunday with massive numbers from Sportsworld involved as well as some fantastic support from the younger runners in the club (your time will come).

The conditions were dry and the ground fairly firm so this was an ‘easy’ home run of a race by all accounts – rubbish. Cross country doesn’t do easy!

Just a decision on what length spikes to wear so the track spikes it was.    

After the ladies blazing run which should be covered (above/below) it was over to the men.

The course is 6km (4 loops of 1,500m) with 5 turns, two concrete paths to cross(great for the spikes) and a log to hurdle.

There’s great banter at the start of the race when all age categories and levels are treated as equals but that ends as soon as the whistle is sounded and the elbows extended(the drone footage shows all).

As it was my second ever cross country race I decided to start conservatively, probably too much so which I was reminded of by Noreen on the first lap.

The aim was just to enjoy it as much as possible and acknowledge the ‘supportive’ comments from the familiar faces dotted all along the route. (high fives from Maria after the log jump an annual favourite!)

I stuck in behind Peter Knaggs for the majority of the race and overtaking a few runners along the way, thanks Peter!  

After the team photos it was over to the clubhouse for tea/coffee and biscuits as the awards were presented.

There were some excellent individual running and the Sportsworld women and men first teams both got brilliant silvers!

Well done to everyone on the day and thanks to Emily and Myles for making it all possible.

For parking I’d recommend two places :

If you have to head after the race Watermill Lawn just off Watermill Road and right beside the start line has lots of parking.

To make it easier when leaving after the presentations, park near Raheny GAA which is a 10-15 minute walk from the start line.

The annual ‘Streets of Wicklow’ organised by Inbhear Dee AC, has been taking place in Wicklow Town on St. Stephens Day for over 10 years and has become quite the featured event, what better way to run off the Christmas Day indulgences than a festive family 5 km fun run, walk or crawl. with a 1 mile race for the younger athletes.

This year had over 500 participants with all ages, and abilities taking part making for a fun day out, whilst raising much needed funds for Inbhaer Dee Athletics Club. With good representation from a lot of the Wicklow clubs – Kilcoole, Parnell, Ashford and Greystones to name a few, and a wider presents from some Dublin clubs – Rathfarnham, Sportsworld, Crusaders and Bros Pearse; this was a well supported event. on a bright sunny Wednesday morning.

This was my 6th time to run the race and 2nd outing on the new course which was introduced in 2016. I have a good record in the race with a win in 2015, 2nd in 2017 and a few 4th place finishes.

This year I was in good company with Phil,Gavin and Conor Kenny running alongside. The course is not super fast with hills, twists and turns but I always seem to run well.

It was clear standing on the start line this year that a top 3 was going to be challenging. To name but a few there was Hiko Tonosa, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Emmett Dunleavy and Sean Hehir standing on the startline. There was prizes for top men and women so I decided to go out hard and hang in for as long as possible.

The first kilometre of the race is up the main hill in Wicklow town. Its a tough climb but you hit a sharp downhill just as you are reaching breaking point. The next section is flat along the port. When I hit the 2K marker I was on 3.03 kilometres and starting to feel that pace was a bit too hot. I wasn’t going to last another 3K at this tempo.

At that point in the race I was in 8th. I decided to slow things down to a more manageable 3.10-3.12 pace and try to catch the lads in front running a more steady pace. The next section is quite picturesque along the sea front. The surfaces are good but I’m always left wondering what must the average beach goer be thinking as 500 grunting runners fly by.

As luck would have it I was in 6th but seriously struggling as the 4K marker approached. I completely missed it during the race but I remembered roughly where it is from previous years. It comes at a point in the race where you have just 200 meters of small climb to go before a fast downhill finish. When I finally caught a glimpse of the finish with 500M to go (picture below) I could see the 5th place runner and clock in front and knew that I was going to have to sprint to get under 16 minutes and to stand a chance at that 5th place prize. I finished in 15.57 and from the finish line video just ran out of road, finishing in 6th place. It has been a while since I went sub 16 minutes and I was 15 seconds faster than last year. A good sign and nice to pick up an age group prize.

Gavin was fast finishing just behind with Phil a short bit further back. Conor Kenny was next home for Sportsworld. A superb race as always. My fastest 5K of the year. Looking forward to having a crack at a PB in 2019. A heavy month of training starting to pay dividends.

The mens race was won comfortably by Hiko and local international lady Emma O’BRIEN.

Gareth Murran 15.57 (2nd in age group)
Gavin Finlay 16.17 (3rd in age group)
Phil Kilgannon 16.59 (1st in age group)
Conor Kenny 23.44 (4th in age group)