Report by Karl Chatterton

On Sunday, the 6^th annual ‘Rock and Roll’ Dublin half marathon took place. It also doubled as the AAI national half marathon championships. This year saw a change to the regular route to allow the Phoenix Park be prepared for the visit of Pope Francis at the end of the month.

There were very mixed feelings about the changes, mostly due to the inclusion of some of the steepest hills in Dublin! Personally I really enjoyed the day and whilst the course was one of the toughest half marathons I’ve ever done, it was quite scenic at times and having the new start finish are at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham was a big plus.

It has been three years since I last did a half marathon so I decided that it was time to give the longer races another go! My PB for half was 1:24 from a race I did seven years ago in York. This was long before I moved to Dublin and joined the club! My aim was to try and break 80 minutes so I decided to sign up for the ‘Rock and Roll’, expecting the same course as the last few years. Training had gone ok. I’d increased my mileage and done a couple of 13 mile training runs in the Phoenix Park. Things seemed to be on track until they announced the course and I saw what was ahead of us!

The morning of the race I met a friend who was also running and we took a nice, easy jog the short distance down to Kilmainham. The start area seemed well organised and I saw a few familiar Sportsworld singlets gathering for the start of the race.

Following a 5 minutes delay the race started with a short downhill, followed by tight right turn and into the first climb of the day! This short climb up onto Thomas Street was to be the first of many hills along the route. I decided I’d try and run a fairly even pace of around 6min/mile for the first few miles as they were fairly flat. We came up Thomas Street as far as Christchurch Cathedral and took the downhill onto the quays.

Another left and back along past Guinness, then over the Liffey at Heuston Station. We then had a long straight and relatively flat section along the side of the Phoenix Park to Chapelizod.  A short detour brought us over the bridge at Islandbridge, through the entrance to Memorial park and back onto the main route. We ran through Chapelizod village and then onto the much anticipated Knockmaroon hill, which according to Strava is about 0.4km with 29m of climb.

Knockmaroon Hill at 8.5k

This was a real slog of a climb, but the main problem was once you reached the top as the climbing didn’t really stop there. It kept going all the way to Castleknock College. From there the course wound its way through the college grounds and up and down some smaller hills, under the M50, up to the Castleknock Hotel before we hit a long steep decline down to Strawberry beds. At the bottom of the hill there was a short hairpin turn, which gave me a chance to see that Andrew and Sadanand were pretty close behind me! I pushed on as the body started to tire nearing 10 miles. The most scenic sections of the course brought us along side of the River Liffey before a climb back up past the Anglers Rest pub to the top of Knockmaroon Hill.

At 10 miles into the race this climb felt even tougher than the earlier climbs. We turned the corner at the top and began the descent back to Chapelizod, where there were plenty of much needed shouts and encouragement from the runners still heading up the hill.

As we turned to cross the bridge at Chapelizod a shout from Neil Purdy let me know that Andrew was now right behind me. Pressure was on now! There is nothing like the challenge of racing a club mate for the last two miles of a half marathon to spur you on when you’re tired and feeling out of energy. Phil was well ahead so we were pushing for 2^nd and 3^rd place on the team. We pushed each other all the way and were picking off other runners as we made our way up the last couple of climbs and into the final 2k stretch to the finish line. I decided to pick up the sprint a little early and set off as hard as I could from the Gaol. As I came down the finish straight I could see the clock creeping towards 80 minutes so it time to dig in and sprint for the line. I managed to get over the line with 3 seconds to spare! Andrew came in right behind me and we finished in a 51^st and 52^nd place overall.

It wasn’t long before the fellows club mates all began to gather on the grass to for a non-alcoholic beer and debrief over how tough the course was!

Team Results

Womens Senior – 4^th Place

Sinead TANGNEY 01:27:58 05:07:43 4
Martina NOLAN-JONES  01:45:54 05:07:43
Eileen ROWLAND 01:53:51 05:07:43

Mens Senior – 4th Place
Sadanand Colm MAGEE  01:20:26 04:07:40 4
Martin DOYLE  01:21:36 04:07:40
Oliver HEDBORG 01:25:38 04:07:40

Mens Masters O35 – 3rd Place
Phil KILGANNON  01:17:32 03:57:33
Karl CHATTERTON  01:19:58 03:57:33
Andrew BRETT  01:20:03 03:57:33

Individual Results
Sinead TANGNEY  01:27:58 5th place
Anne BELTON 01:55:41
Deirdre O’Connell 1:42:50
Martina NOLAN-JONES 01:45:54
Siobhan CLARKE 01:55:34
Eileen ROWLAND  01:53:51 (Bronze O55)

Sadanand Colm MAGEE 01:20:26
Oliver HEDBORG  01:25:38
Phil KILGANNON  01:17:32
Karl CHATTERTON 01:19:58 Sp
Andrew BRETT  01:20:03
Martin DOYLE 01:21:36
Richard Cyganiak 1:33:30
Gerard Neenan 1:38:14
Emmet Wardell 1:41:18
Adrian LANIGAN  01:51:21
Paul CANNIFFE 01:53:04
Padraic MORAN  01:44:11 S

10k Results
Grainne Lynch 47:35
Olive Fogarty 49:11

When traveling for work I always look to get a race in when I’m going to be away for more than a week. This time things worked out particularly well when it coincided with the bank holiday weekend. So when I needed to be in San Jose, California this week I found a 10K race in a place called Chico in Northern California.

California has been dealing with record-breaking fires for the past month and they aren’t even halfway through their fire season. Chico is pretty close to one of those massive fires so a change of plans was called for. I found a race in a place called Truckee, California. The only problem was that the race started at 6200 feet and just went up. Running at high altitudes decreases the amount of oxygen getting to the muscles and there’s an increased risk of dehydration. At 6000 feet above sea level, you exhale and perspire twice as much moisture as you do at sea level.

I signed up and after a Thursday flight to San Franciso, I set out on Friday morning on the 200-mile road trip to Truckee. With a few stops along the way to see some old gold prospecting towns, I arrived to pick up my race number. There was around 250 signed up. The number would decrease on race morning due to the high levels of smoke from the fires.

After running a hard half in Killarney the weekend, and struggling to run a mile in the last graded I opted to sign up for the 30K distance rather than the 50K. The race was on point-to-point trails, taking advantage of the best single track dirt trails between Truckee & Donner Summit, near better known Lake Tahoe. The courses offered scenic views of some of the Northern Sierra’s most stunning terrain, including Euer Valley, Frog Lake Cliffs, Summit Lake, Castle Peak, and other beautiful peaks of the Sierra Crest.

The 30k route crossed over the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains offering runners a fun, challenging high altitude route, with plenty of dirt, rock, forest and elevation change. Getting to run some of the Pacific Coast Trail was the chance of a lifetime. Beginning in southern California at the Mexican border, the PCT travels a total distance of 2,650 miles through California, Oregon, and Washington until reaching the Canadian border.

A 5.15 AM start on race morning had me at the finish line for 6.00 AM to be bussed up to the road to the start. At 8.00 AM we were off. Immediately you could see and feel the effects of the smoke from the fires. Breathing was labored and eyes were burning. I was rubbing them constantly in my Sportsworld singlet.

After only a few minutes of running, we turned to start climbing up the mountain in front. Within 5 minutes I was run-walking on small steep sections. It took around 20 minutes to settle into 5th place, a position that I would hold onto for the majority of the race. A few times during the race I got quite close to the two runners in 3rd and 4th. The eventual 3rd placed runners held her position the whole race. She was very impressive at the high altitude, being well adjusted. As soon as we got to the next hill they could run away from me.  I gained some confidence as none of the other runners around me, could run the flats as fast, my only issue being that there were very few flat sections.

The race was broken up into 3. The first 10K was the most difficult I’ve ever run, the middle 10K gave some respite with around 50% being downhill. At 20K I felt great but by the time I got to the last 5K  I was starting to feel light headed and struggling to keep myself from tripping. One runner passed me with 6K to go on a very technical section of the course. I almost made the back in the closing section but ended up 50 seconds behind in 2.49. The winning time from last years race was 2.35 so I set a goal of breaking 3 hours. At times was having real doubts as some sections of the course were incredibly tough. starting out at 6200 feet and going close to the top of two 9000+ feet mountains. The scenery was magical, passing through redwood forests, alpine lakes, and rocky outcrops. descending with switchbacks that passed through meadows of summer flowers. It was incredible. our only instructions were to respect the altitude and follow the pink ribbons that marked the course.

All runners had to carry their own water bottle as disposables were not allowed on the course. They gave out a fantastic fold up a water bottle in the race pack. These were great as you could drink and then stick it in your pocket. I was amazed at all the belts, water packs and devices people had.

After the race and awards presentation, there was a great buzz about the place. The finish was at a ski resort so there were plenty of facilities for refueling and cleaning up. I spent the rest of the weekend exploring LakeTahoee along the California and Nevada state line. Its a magical place that even pictues cant do justice.  A highlight was running round echo summit, which is where the 1968 US Olympic Trials took place for Mexico city. Seeing the track cut out of the forest was some site.

Lewis Dillwyn once said of Killarney “The air was filled with the fragrance of wildflowers, and the eye wherever it turned beheld a region of delight, in which nature seemed to have unlocked all her secrets”. I’m a massive fan of this part of the country. Few places beat driving Slea head or seeing the Gap of Dunloe for the first time. A run around Muckross Lake knocks the socks off the also special Phoenix Park. You get the picture!

Killarney is a picturesque town on the shores of Lough Leane in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry. It’s a stop on the Ring of Kerry scenic drive, and the finishing point of the Run Killarney Half Marathon. Run Killarney gives runners the chance to run one of the world’s most breathtaking and scenic routes through Muckross House and Killarney National Park.

Sinead Tangney won the race in 2017 in a blistering 79 minutes and gave it the thumbs up as one of her favorite races. When I heard Martin Doyle had signed up for this year’s race I was straight on to book a hotel.

Driving down on Friday we were able to go for a walk around town, get a few non-alcoholic beverages in us and get to bed early.
It was an early start on Saturday but on a beautiful Kerry morning.

We were being picked up by a bus at 6.30 outside the famous Gleneagles hotel. The race started at Molls Gap outside Avoca Cafe. No time for scones though as the drive took almost 40 minutes and the race was to start at 8. As the gradient went up and up, the view gets a little nicer but it started to seem like a very long way back to the Gleneagles. You don’t need to warm up for a half marathon but when you plan to go flat out in the first kilometer to try and break 70 minutes you need a bit of one. Yes, my goal was 70 minutes, but more on that later.

Martin and I met a smiling Sinead at the top of the gap. She was eyeing up the competition and happy to be showing off her home turf. She pointed out a few of the lads I should stick with. We did a few strides and got a few selfie tips from Sinead.

At 8 we were ready to go. After a quick safety announcement, the race began. The start of this race is fast, so fast in fact that my mile time was in the 4.3Xs. I had my mind set on bringing one of those Run Killarney trophies home, preferably the big one. The eventual race winner was the Cork lad Sinead pointed out. I wanted to test him out in the first few kilometers and ran alongside. Shortly after the 3K, we hit about a mile of climbing. It was clear that I wasn’t going to be taking home the big trophy. The pace was too fast.

I ran the first 8 kilometers on the heels of the guy that would come 2nd. This part of the course was a real adrenaline rush. Going through kilometer after kilometer, never going slower than 3.05. I was starting to think the sub 70 was on, or better. Between 8-10K through the course flattens out. It hits you like a wall to not be running downhill anymore and have to face some rolling hills. At this point, I went through a bad patch and the guy in front got out of sight ahead. I later learned that he stopped to get sick at 13K but got going again. My PB for 10K is 33.00 but I went through in 32.35. That’s a reason to do the race in itself.

It’s around 12K that things get tough. The run into the Killarney via the park is full of rolling hills, none are huge, but they are long and challenging. I had some bad spells where the speed in the legs was just gone, doubts crept in and with nobody to run with it got tough to focus. I passed through 10 miles in 55.03 and was doing the math in my head. The slow agonizing pace over the past 3K had killed the dream of a sub 70. All of those kilometers were 3.4X and for no good reason, just feeling sorry for myself.

When we came off the road into the park I think there around 4K to go. I got a short boost down the hill into the park but then hit more hills. There were a few shouts for Sportsworld at Muckross House which was a welcome relief.

As we came out of the park I could hear footsteps behind me and was about to be passed. I didn’t come all this way and make such a concerted effort to go home empty-handed. I decided to let the guy pass me out and then let him bring me home.

Confident that I can outsprint most, I matched every surge waited until there was 300 to go and raced up the hill. My legs were about to fail as I passed over the line as if I’d just run 800M. Nice to finish 3rd satisfied with my time? NO satisfied with my effort in the day? YES

Not far behind was Martin with a fantastic PB of 76 minutes. We had only just caught our breath to see Sinead cheered home in 82 minutes in 1st place. When she wins next year, they plan to name the trophy in her honor.

After a quick cool down 8K and a shower, Martin and I walked back over to the Gleneagles and had a well-earned pint before collecting our prize haul with Sinead. The prize includes a free entry in 2019. I will be back to not go out at such a fast pace and try to bring it home a little easier and faster. This is one hard race, the course profile and fast start does fool you into a false sense of security.

We got to do do the tourist thing in Glengariff on Saturday afternoon with Whiskey In The Jar playing on full blast as we drove over the Cork and Kerry Mountains.

A good night was had in M Reidy’s in Killarney and a hike to the top of Carrauntoohil on Sunday morning topped it off. A fantastic weekend was brought to an end by an evening run around Muckross lake. This race is a must do. Whos coming in 2019? this will be more in demand than dip in the jackuzzi in Lanzarote.

Report by Michael Cunningham

Report by Emmet Wardell

Having dabbled in the art/effort/grunt of mountain running sporadically in recent years and each and every time I promise myself I must do this more! You will see this noted in Barretstown Dublin Mountain Way Race Report here.

So I signed up to IMRA Howth Summer on June 20^th and enjoyed it more than ever (despite getting lost and losing a load of places!), so I thought enough is enough, I need to start getting involved in this more regularly.  With my birthday coming up, the timing was good too – I asked my very generous big sister to get me a pair of proper trail runners which she kindly did. I invested in these puppies – v cool I am sure you agree?  Knowing that I would now have proper grip on the mountain trails, not to mention look like a complete boss, I was itching to find more mountain runs.

Thankfully IMRA has plenty on offer at this time of year!  I took on Seefingan (8km, 500 metre gain) on July 18th. This involved 4 gruelling peaks but my god the views. How are places so beautiful located so close to Dublin and so few of us know about them?!

This was not my finest effort, there was a lot of walking.  In my defence I had been feeling poorly (well had drank wayyyy too much on the weekend!) but enjoyed it nonetheless.  Another IMRA race chalked up but the appetite for more remained!

Balinastoe (11km, 550 metre gain) was the following week and this was probably my favourite course.  It had it all – gruelling gruelling uphills where even to keep walking can be tough.

There was also some real technical descents where each and every foot placement must be carefully chosen. We went through dense dark forests, over big ditches, through mud, over rocks, ducking under long hanging branches, over disused fences with each and every challenge coming thick and fast and unexpected giving you little time to think about how tired you are.

There is always a competitor on your tail forcing you to push push push, go go go! Next a trail through gorse that looked like it hacked open with a slash hook. Brambles scrape you. Blood tricking down the legs. Who cares – keep going!!

Then suddenly more uphills. Gruelling uphills!  Stay on the toes, try to keep jogging. Swing the arms using all 4 levers as the IMRA veteran lectured you last week after the Seefingan run/walk debacle.  MORE GRUELLING UPHILLS!  God I can barely walk up this, legs so heavy after 8 plus km of all terrain and challenges. Hang to the guys in front, you can pick a few off on the downhills.  Finally reach the final summit and you recognise where you are. It is literally all downhill from here – 2km of wreckless descending and I have managed to keep something in the tank. Let’s be ‘aving ya!  Stay relaxed and let the arms swings.

With IMRA times are out the window and it is all about how you place. The long legs and greater abandon help me start to pick a few off.  Past another! How can it possibly feel so exhilarating going from 42^nd to 41^st in a field of only a 100 odd?  I am not sure but it does!!! Keep going, more downhill. Pick your own line, always faster!  On no, lace undone!  1km to go. What to do? Can’t possibly stop – might drop back to 42^nd!  Try to think rationally/sensibly but heart rate so high – sure my feet are never close enough together that I could possibly trip. I am only running at about 3.30 per km pace down the side of a mountain trail. Perfectly safe!!  Keep going!!

On I push, pick off a few more on the final bit of fire road and collapse over the finish line.  Exhausted but beyond buzzing – 38^th spot of 140 off – what a freakin’ champ!!! Safe to say I have never ever enjoyed running on the road as much as the adventure of the 68 minutes just passed (to be fair my first DCM probably does top it but everyone knows that that feeling is all but unbeatable).

Last night I did the final Leinster league summer race in Downshill (9.5km, 350 metre gain) County Wicklow (I initially thought it was entirely a downhill race when I saw it first!).

All in all, it wasn’t my favourite route but the race itself was epic. I was knackered starting off but sure aren’t you always before a race? It was a big field. People crammed in on some laneway.  Off we go on a mad 150metre dash up the laneway and then a left turn. Bang!  Straight up a gnarly gnarly climb.  In and up we file!  Check my watch 0.32km covered and heart is thumping and I can barely keep moving forwards, upwards. How on earth can I get through this? But you can. You always can and you always do!

I settled into a groove and just dug in. I spend the next 8km of ups and down keeping Phil (a new IMRA carpool buddy) and Paul (former Sportsworld member whose better half Lucy D’arcy is well known down the club) in my sights. Hang on to them if you can. Don’t go past as you will blow up. Hang on though and we can maybe have some fun at the end.

We reach the top of the last proper climb and it is on!  Myself and Paul have exchanged places a few times at this point but he pulls away from me. He’s catching Phil, but so am I. I know that there is a small climb left that will hurt as people are so tired. I also know the race finishes with 500metres of sharply descending and challenging trail before 150 fire road downhill to the finish. Paul slows on the uphills. Phil too. I am past them both. But Phil sees me go past and comes alive again!  He is hot on my tail. In an epic mind numbingly speedy dash to the finish line I hold him off.  57^th place out of 158 competitors. I usually finish in around the top 10-15% of the road races I do. Here I barely make the top half but the buzz is far far greater.  Garmin tells me my max speed was 28.kph coming down the last 500 metres. I am not sure I believe it. It felt more like 128!!!

Race reporter Emmet. Before he scratched his pins

Aside from the thrill of risking limb and bone, other brilliant things about IMRA are the sense of community, the comradery and the self-respect between runners.  Additionally the association is completely not for profit and volunteer based with races costing as little as €5-7. There are carpooling initiatives in order to be environmentally conscious as well as help ease traffic. They give you one race number which you keep for the year/life. Again environmentally considerate. On top of the carefree fun of running in the mountains, there are just a few of the other things that make IMRA feel a great thing to be a part of and one from which many organisations can learn.

Eoin asked me to do a report to try and promote the joys of mountain running (Michael had been pestering too!). Crikey I thought!  But actually once I started it all came back to me and on I typed (in case you didn’t notice). I hope the above gives a sense of what a different challenge and of how much fun the mountain running can be. I would strongly encourage everyone to give it a good try – if you like a challenge and love the outdoors, you’d be mad to not give IMRA a go: www.imra.ie/events/

Sportsworld Results

13th Eoin Keith 0:44:50
58th Emmet Wardell 0:52:18
63rd Paul Mitchell 0:52:36
109th Lucy DARCY 0:59:37
124th Gerard Keating 1:03:52

Report by Sibeal Waldron

Way back in October last year when Naoise had just completed the Dublin city marathon a crazy idea took hold….why don’t we sign up for the Snowdonia trail half marathon.

My husband had done the Snowdonia marathon and it was one of the toughest races he had ever done and was going back to take on the ultra version.

Anyway we signed up and in January talked a lot about all the mountain runs we were going to do….I managed to only do about 2 of the planned training runs. Naoise did 5 (I think). But off we went on July 14th on the ferry to Holyhead very unprepared and naive about the challenge ahead.

The race starts with a climb, ends with a climb and has a massive climb in the middle (see naoise’s elevation map from her garmin)

The start of the race is mainly on road but starts to climb almost immediately, then there was a nice downhill to gate that said it was only 4.6km to the summit. At this point I was thinking it’s not going too badly. Less than 5km to the summit didn’t seem that far….I was totally and utterly wrong. The steepness of the climb and the niggling calf injury I had combined to make a very slow ascent. Then we crossed into the clouds and it got a bit cold which made the last part of the climb seem to go on forever!

Then finally the descent. I felt great and flew down passing people the whole way. I was feeling good and happy that I’d make it back in a respectable time but I was again very wrong….instead of turning left to go around the lake it was a right turn up into the slate mines. Lots of steps and uphill my niggling injury turned from a niggle to a pain and that last climb was one painful step after another.

Finally the last descent where I was met by my two boys at the finish line.

It was by far the longest and most challenging half marathon I have ever done but the views were great and the camaraderie was amazing. Not sure I’ll be back to do it again but I’d recommend it to others to give it a go.

Results

Naoise Waldron 2:35 (6th female)
Sibéal Waldron 3:23

Report by Gemma White

Firstly I would like to thank Eoin O’Brien for “volunteering” me to write this report!

So back at the beginning of the year there were plenty of chats among us ladies about booking  a race outside of Dublin which finally….  materialized  into Andrea , Catherine, Denise, Margaret and myself signing up for the Kilkee race.

The race itself takes place along the breathtaking Loop Head Peninsula in Co Clare.  The course provides two options of a 13.1 mile half marathon and a 10km run both of which are set along the picturesque sea cliff views of the Peninsula. All participants opted for the 10k.

At the time of signing up for this race, I was trying to convince myself that I would be fit enough to race! Unfortunately, this was not the case however; it was still possibly one of the most enjoyable runs I have done to date.

Last Saturday morning at 7.45am we hit the road for Kilkee, leaving us plenty of time to arrive for the 12.30 start. With the sun splitting the stones as we left Dublin, the clouds became darker the further west we drove – much to our disappointment…. (Bikini’s packed unnecessarily!). We had a leisurely journey down, with plenty of chats…. all in relation to race tactics of course!

Upon arrival, there was a great atmosphere in Kilkee.  The race itself starts and finishes along the Horseshoe Bay with a kilometre of golden, blue-flag beach.  We arrived with plenty of time to spare; so both Andrea and Margaret went about doing a warm up while I decided it would be more beneficial for me to persevere whatever resources I had for the actual race. Within this time I also pondered on how hanging back with Catherine and building sandcastles could be a lot more fun.  However, within a few minutes the girls where back and in spite of all my efforts to back out of the race they persuaded me to jog it. Before I knew it the four of us were up at the start line!

The weather was very humid and remained overcast for the race, so we luckily avoided the rain that came shortly afterwards.  The race consisted of two loops; the first half was extremely hilly which suited my pace (very slow and steady). The second half was a little more downhill; however there were a few sneaky hills thrown in for good measure.  I plodded along and was just happy to immerse myself in the breathtaking scenery and the spectacular rugged coastline that I obviously had taken for granted when I once lived in Clare a few years ago. It took until this very race for me to see it in its real beauty and to really appreciate it.  As I approached the finish line, which was crowded with people on both sides there came some familiar voices from the girls – which were very much welcomed by me at this point.

Despite the humidity and hills, there were some phenomenal performances by all the girls; with Andrea McNamara running an absolute blinder to become first lady home.

Margaret Crowley also ran a super race (40^th/529)

Denise Kilkenny – one word: Respect! Not many of us (if ever) will challenge ourselves to a 10k hilly race when pregnant and she totally took it in her stride, a very determined young lady.

A massive shout out to Catherine Mulleady who managed to pull herself away from her sandcastle to make sure she was at the finish line for each one of us, very much appreciated.  Catherine is currently injured but hopefully will be back in action soon.

After a few hugs were exchanged at the finish line, we made our way over to the DJ area to proudly gather around Andrea as she received her well earned trophy and reward.

With the race done and dusted it was time to take in some Clare culture … ending up in Lahinch, we took in Doonbeg and Spanish Point en route.  I wouldn’t like to bore you all with the antics we got up to but safe to say there was lots of sightseeing, jiving, head banging to ACDC and sean nos dancing to name but a few.

This weekend was a great demonstration and reminder of the comradely of being part of a club. We were a group of all levels – winners, beginners and the injured!

But everyone was welcome and supported and I’m really grateful for the girls forcing oh no wait convincing me to take part.  Thanks to everyone (especially Andrea for organising) a great weekend, happy memories and a super start back to the club.

See you at the next start line!

Andrea McNamara:         00:43:36 (1^st Lady)
Margaret Crowley:          00:48:29
Gemma White:                 00:56:57
Denise Kilkenny:               00:59:58