There has been a lot of talk, no action, about a Sportsworld Strictly Come Dancing night but one club member is taking the first step. Michael O Grady known for his physical therapy is now turning his hand to dancing to raise funds to build a playground for Zion Parish School. Please support him via this website https://www.ifundraise.ie/fundraiser/11368092_karen-nicholl-and-micheal-o-grady-dancing-cha-cha-for-zion-does-strictly.html

You can see him rehearsing by clicking at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=708_W2QVWOc

Only because I had paid for an entry did I decide that I’d hurtle from working in the West of Ireland to Dublin central on Tuesday evening for the catchy named “KBC Dublin Night Run 5K & 10K Sandymount”, organised by the even catchier “RunDublin & Clontarf Half Marathon & 5 Mile” people.

I had paid my money thinking it would be a sunny bright Sandymount evening in early March (yes that’s me!), and I was sick of missing races because of work. I’d come to know of these organisers as they also run the scenic “Park West Dublin Night Run 5k or 10k”, where I work, and ran, and WON in September. My first ever win! The small field in that race, coupled with the obscure location, AND just generally being around the back of Ballyfermot of a dark evening, it’s easy knowing you run fast.

Like any great athlete I had a Kitkat at 4pm ish and drove from Clare to Dublin, changing into my gear in the fine Merrion Tesco toilets. I figured Clanna Geal’s loos wouldn’t be a patch on these and turns out I was right.

Checking to remember whether I’d signed up for the 5k or 10K, I asked some guy about the route, stole some safety pins and was all set for my warm-up by 7.15pm, for the 7.20pm race.

I looked around for any Sportworlders. I was told Kate Nugent might be running and Michael was already volunteering her for the race report so I was off the hook. My biggest concern attending any race now is the glance from Michael about having to write that dam thing!

I took my spot amongst the elite, if just to see what attire most were wearing as it was fairly cold and I wondered about one layer or two. Barr a few signets and short shorts, most everyone had a few layers on, some were forty coats (!). With only about four other girls up near me, I wondered about the pack. Remembering my Parkwest win, my incumbent title, could I have a chance in this field? The Kitkat wasn’t so confident.

No sign of Kate and the race reporting anxiety arrived. And having run a 10K two days ago because I totally forgot about this one, the legs were a little tired.

Deirdre O Connell with a unique runner colour choice

But I got off well and settled in. The route was interesting, as in funny interesting, varying from grass and grassy verges, to footpaths with puddles to a bit of soggy grass, before joining the strand via very soft sand (horror flashback to La Santa’s beach run!). It was dark obviously, and badly light, so I felt a need to be cautious at times. But the sand firmed up, we joined the Sandymount Strand path, and then ran back up the beach. All very lovely, the cold evening was perfect, looking out over the glistening Dublin Bay at night.

I was fairly sure I was near the front of the lady’s pack passing the 5k mark / start of loop two, as most of the women ahead finished at that point. Round two was easier as the route was familiar and you’re over the hump, and barr feeling fairly dodgy a number of times, I enjoyed it! Around 8K, I heard the sound of a female coughing behind me and then she cruised by with such speed she was out of sight in no time at all (easy in a night run!). I had her pegged as first and me second and that was going to be just fine with me. I got in in 45mins, slower than my Parkwest win, but without the need to continue running to the car to get my ass out of there!

Like any great loser, I congratulated the lovely lady who passed by. She got second, so I was third. Turns out she’s not in a club yet. I told her to watch her back for Emily Dowling!

While I doubt I’d be as happy with my time with a stronger field, I took my place with confidence and figured, why don’t I just do the dam race report as it’s likely to be the best result I’m likely to get! So I would need a photo. Like any great loner with no phone, I approached a group and asked them to take a photo of me with my medal and could you please email me that?” HA!

To comment on race bag quantity, maybe the Parkwest bags had been robbed that time as there were none, and so I was pleasantly surprised with this loot. Well done KBC The Bank of You / Me.

No Kit Kat’s

I left quickly as it got cold. Like any top athlete, I picked up a curry from the Indian on the way home, wearing my medal. I asked did they sell beer? Excuse me? Beer! Oh we sell Ginger Beer. Oh. No, thanks.

Deirdre checks Strava for people to do race reports

Having written the race report that evening, I found out afterwards that Kate Nugent WAS at the race, and Kate ran a brilliant 5k to finish in third place. I’ve come to know Kate from the cross country running and we’ve very similar pace I think. Well done Kate!So while I was happy with my result, I was even more happy with my now complete race reporting career!

Deirdre O’Connell

RESULTS:

Sandymount Night Run 5 & 10km results are here:
http://www.redtagtiming.com/
SandymountNightRun2018March_5k
SandymountNightRun2018March_10km

I have done the Wicklow Way Relay race 3 times and each time I swore I would try and get people from the club to do some runs in Wicklow on a Sunday. Some of the photos below are amazing but it really does not do justice to the scenery that’s only 40minutes away from the clubhouse.

So a group of us set off Sunday morning from the clubhouse at 9am. The run was 13.7Km from Glendalough to Glenmalure and even though I put up a strong argument that running back from Glenmalure would be twice the fun it fell on deaf ears and we left half the cars in Glenmalure and half in Glendalough so we only had to run 13.7Km and not 27.4Km.

It is surprisingly easy to get lost or take a wrong turn when you are running somewhere new. When you are doing the race and there is someone chasing you down its even easier so its really important to recce your run to make sure you know your way. Thanks to Karl we were back on track after a slight detour early on.

The first 6Km were challenging but nothing impossible and we took regular breaks to regroup and take in the amazing views. There are no cars, no houses, no noise and in the entire run we only came across a handful of people.

We were really lucky with the weather. There was no rain, no wind and although it was cold once you were running the conditions were perfect. When you did go into the shade of the trees the temperature really dropped and there where huge icicles on the side of the path. Some people just couldn’t help themselves and had to have an organic Ice pop. I won’t mention any names.

Finally we came to end of the climb and we came through the forest and out ahead were some amazing views. I knew the scenery was going to be great but even I was impressed. After the boardwalks was rocky steps, some covered in ice, were we had to take our time but the run was all down hill , pretty much, from there back to Glenmalure.

As promised the outdoor sauna was all set up at the finish but lunch beside an open fire for some reason was more appealing. We will try and do another Wicklow Way Sunday run but its hard to avoid all the championship races coming up. But I’ll definitely be going to Wicklow again.

Leinster Indoor Championships

Saturday 24th February was D Day for 4 of the Sportsworld crew. It was the day of the Leinster Indoor Championships, incorporating Junior, Senior and Masters races. It was held in the National Indoor Arena in Abbottstown which is just a fantastic facility to have on our doorstep.

After waking on the morning of a race, I always open the curtains and check the weather but today I didn’t care. The weather wasn’t going to affect me today. What did affect me, were the many voices in my head questioning my decision to sign up for this race. I signed up because I had never run in these championships before and thought it’d be nice to give them a try (that wasn’t what I was thinking Sat morning).

I picked up Maria on my way and we questioned our bad decision all the way to the Indoor Arena. Thankfully it’s not too far of a journey or I think we would’ve convinced ourselves to keep driving. We even considered just heading into the AquaZone for the day instead.

Soon after arriving we bumped into a very nervous Michael and decided we should start our warmup. Each race was only given a rough start time so it was hard to judge our warmup. Races were running a little behind, so we felt like we were warming up for ages. Emily and Margaret made a mad dash after club training to come out and support us. It was great to have some support as the nerves were pretty fraught at that stage.

Maria was the first of the Sportsworld gang to race in the 1500m and put in a fantastic performance in a high class field.

I was up next in the Masters Women 1500m. The pace went off fast as expected but we settled in to a nice pace after about a lap. The leaders pulled away early and I just tried to keep a steady pace. The 7 and half laps ticked by quickly and I was so happy to see the finishing straight.

Next up was Michael in the 1500m. Michael put in a great performance but just missed out on a medal.

Derek went in the 400m later on in the day and stormed home to take the gold medal in a nifty 56 seconds.

Overall it was a very successful day for the Sportsworld singlet and hopefully we’ll see a few more people giving the track races a try in the future.

We really need to take more photos 🙂 – Catherine M

Results

Senior Women 1500m

9th Maria Jones 5:10

Masters Women O35 1500m

3rd Catherine Mulleady 5:24

Masters Men O40 1500m

4th Michael Cunningham 4:33

Masters Men O40 400m

1st Derek Saville 56:26

Last month we mentioned we were going to do a couple of runs in Wicklow as a sunday long run and give people a chance to run part of the Wicklow Way Relay route. The price for doing this unfortunately was me entering the Leinster indoor 1500m race. We have picked Sunday the 25th of February for the first run. We did Leg 4 at Christmas so we are going to do Leg 5 next which starts at Glendalough visitor centre and finishes at Glenmalure. The below Strava map may look intimidating but we wont leave anyone behind and will regroup along the way. Leg 5 is 13.7Km long with 560m total climb. For those that want a bit more fun we can continue on into Leg 6 and those that don’t can stop at Glenmalure. There is breakfast available at Glenmalure and this month there is also a mobile Sauna there. Naoise has tried it out and for a few euro you can use the Sauna and then cool down in the river which seems a perfect end to a mountain run.

On the Wicklow Way run at Christmas apparently some people did not realise we were running Leg 4 and then running all the way back. Some people just don’t listen. This time because the climb is harder, and to have food in Glenmalure, it makes more sense to drive to Glenmalure and use half the cars to drive back to Glendalough. Then when the run is over we drive back to the cars in Glendalough.

So what do you need to do?

-Please send a quick email back to the club if you want to do the run. Say if you have a car and can give people a lift or that you need a lift. Also say if you are interested in the Sauna so we can have an idea of numbers so we can book it.

– If you have trail runners it would be a good idea to use them. Bring a change of warm clothes and a towel. Make sure to bring a running jacket if it gets cold on the run and a pair of gloves and hat is also a good idea.

-The plan is to meet at the clubhouse at 9.00am and drive from there to Glenmalure

Michael

Race Report by Kate Kelly

February 11th was D-Day, the last cross country race of the year. The National Intermediate Cross Country Championships in Clarinbridge, County Galway, West of Ireland, familiar ground for me a diehard Rossie!

I left Roscommon in the snow, sleet and freezing temperatures with a heavy heart and dread in my veins in anticipation of what was to come.

The pressure was on today for a number of reasons, top of the list was securing a national team medal for the one and only Maria Jones on her birthday. We were down to a team of four so it was a matter of life and death for the intermediate women’s team. Next on the list was of course winning a medal for Emily and Myles the most dedicated trainers and most vocal supporters at all races. Lastly, my Mum had come along to see me for the first time in a cross country run, I couldn’t let her down especially when she had layered up for the day with three pairs of socks on and two jumpers.

My heart sank at first sight of the course, it was a scene not unlike one at the ploughing championships and it only got worse with each race.

The Masters Women were first to run for Sportsworld. The scenes of muck, sweat and strife were evident from the very start. This was going to be a tough race. The girls, as usual, did the club proud with Aoife leading the pack home, followed closely by Ruth and  Catherine the trooper, dosed up on antibiotics who still managed to run phenomenally. Also part of the team was Mary Finn who helped to secure the silver medals. They really had set the bar high for us intermediate girls.

The men’s masters were next to plough up the ground. Karol ran a very strong race, narrowly missing out on an individual medal, crossing the line in fourth position.

After a quick warm up and a few heavy strides we made our way sheepishly to the line.

It was the most gruelling course imaginable with hills and muck up to our shins, that same muck later managed to engulf Maria’s spike 2K in and the Tipp girl heroically crossed the finish line one foot in and one foot out. I managed to secure 7th position followed closely by Caoimhe (10th), Maria (12th) and newbie Ciara (24th). This was Ciara’s second ever cross country run and one I’m sure one she will never forget.

I have to commend my team mates who gave it everything and really got stuck in (literally) from the very start.

With encouragement from the sideline and pure determination we managed to secure National silver medals, Maria Jones is a magpie for medals and this was a great one to add to her collection!

A great day out was had by all and a big thank you to the diehard supporters who braved the inclement weather conditions in the West!

PS. Maria’s spike will live to see another day following rescuing by Val

With the demise of the legendary Ballycotton 10 after 40 successful years I found myself searching for a replacement race. I’d heard a lot of good things about the John Treacy race in Dungarvan Co. Waterford so I signed up as soon as it opened.

This turned out to be a good thing as the race sold out its 2000+ entries in one day. Anyway the big day rolled around and with 1.30pm start it meant plenty of time to get down from Dublin on the morning of the race.

There was some fairly biblical weather leaving Dublin but the weather got better the further south I went. By the time I reached Dungarvan it had warmed up to a balmy 8 degrees and was dry. Perfect running conditions.

Not knowing much about the route I didn’t really have any plan for this race except to try and set a good pace from the start and stick with it as long as I could.

The race starts with a small loop around the town before heading out along some nice country roads and back into Dungarvan. There are not much hills here but a few inclines here and there.

Once we came to halfway I was settling into a nice rhythm and started to push on. Around the 8 mile mark we head back out onto the main road where we are greeted with a strong head wind and the toughest part of the race.

Once through this section its back in towards the town and a final push towards the finish. I manage to muster a last bit of energy to give a little sprint to the finish.

My finish time of 67:04 is a good 4 mins faster than my 10 Mile race last August so I’m delighted with my result. After the race we get the famous T-shirt and goodie bag and head back to the hall for a pretty impressive post-race spread of goodies.

All in all this is a very good race, very nice course and we got very lucky with the weather. There is good support and everything is very well organised by West Waterford AC. The only downside is the 2 hour drive each way.

Sportsworld Results:

Will Greensmyth 1:05:12

Adrian Lanigan 1:07:03

Emma Barry 1:14:56

Madeline Byrne 1:20:25

Will Martin Smith

I woke up on Sunday feeling a bit sick and with what I thought must be tired legs from ‘Hills & Sprints’ on Tuesday. Delighted to have my excuses all lined up, I tucked into my first breakfast of the morning. 3pm races have their upsides after all!
Many hours and much faffing later, I was late-ish so I missed all the pre-race facilities and fun. After what was, frankly, a poor warm up, I arrived at the start feeling surprisingly good and hoping to bump into a non-running somebody to mind my phone and car key. I was advised to throw them into Lucy’s van at the start line. Thanks Lucy!
I joined a crafty gang of Sportsworld runners who had managed to break apart the sturdily built start cordon and we slipped into the front of the throng ready for the race. Good spirits all round, ready for the gun.

What giving 110% looks like

The race started and we set off at a good clip, downhill towards the sea. The crowd around us thinned out fairly swiftly and I settled into my stride. As I was a bit unsure where I was fitness wise, the plan was to go out quickly, blow up and then struggle over the line. The second and third parts of the plan were executed perfectly.

We had great support all round the course from the Raheny residents and supporters. The three toddlers on their little chairs, sitting like auld fellas at a cattle mart, running the rule over the field on All Saints Road was a personal highlight. On the way back up All Saints Road, I heard Emily and Myles shouting what I took to be encouragement. It may just have been the first part of an unheard threat, but whatever it was, I went bouncing on down the course with ‘Go on Will’ ringing in my ears. Plenty more ‘Go on Sportsworld’ shouts around the course helped to hoover up the miles.

Train of pain

The course was flat enough with little wind to speak of so conditions were ideal for hard running. So hard in fact, that I went out too quickly and lost a good bit of ground over the last mile. The park section and especially the out and back part were difficult as the noise of the finish is easily audible yet still disturbing far off. For all that, I did manage a modest burst of pace coming down the straight and finished under my goal time of 32 minutes.

Elsewhere, the massive Sportsworld crew of nearly 50 runners seemed to have had a successful day out. By my count we had 7 men coming home under 30 minutes, led by Michael in 28.21. In the women’s race, Maria Jones, Catherine Bambrick and Ciara Brady finished in 18th, 20th & 26th places respectively, which must surely have been worth a team medal. Lots of happy faces afterwards seemed to confirm that we had lots of runners pleased with their times.

The power of letters of complaint

The racing done, we all retired to our respective homes to sit in the dark and gorge on the outrageous amount of protein chocolate in the finishers’ swag bags which was presumably hijacked by Raheny AC from a truck coming out of Dublin Port.
Being a recent joiner (hence being collared to do this report at the start) I may not know everyone’s name yet but it was great to see so many Sportsworld singlets out on the roads of Raheny. We’ve got a good road race marker set down now, so work hard and smash those times! Well done everyone who raced and see you at training.

Reports by Adélie Reinaudo and Enda Kerin

Photos by Sandra Gowran and Neil Purdy

Report by Adélie Reinaudo

Last Sunday was the cross country in Dunboyne.

Not an easy race: muddy in a farmer field with many holes which made it even more difficult. Moreover, the cold weather and wind were present to make it more challenging !

4 races for our incredible runners and they did amazing:

• Gold medal for the women master Team- 4k (2 laps)
• Bronze one for the men master team- 6k (3laps)
• Silver for the women intermediate team- 4k (2 laps)
• And bronze for intermediate men!- 8k (4 laps)

Many people from the club were present with an amazing support for all the races.

Next step? One more cross country to go: the national championship the 11th of February in Galway county.

Report by  Enda Kerin

The Pre-Race

Sunday 14^th January – Leinster Intermediate and Masters Championships had been etched on the clubhouse whiteboard since late November and after the success in Raheny last week, I knew there would be no room for the “too many mince pies” excuse a fortnight into the new year. After a light Saturday morning session at which Myles distributed the bib numbers to those present, for fear of a repeat of the Raheny rush, it was time for my favourite part of any race weekend, unwarranted carb-loading.

Half a loaf of multigrain bread (choosing the healthier option being January and all) the heavier, I awoke on Sunday to a glorious sun-filled morning – I must have overslept, I haven’t woken up to sunlight since the clocks went back in October. After a thorough stretch and foam roll, followed by more carbohydrates, I rocked up to the club at 11:30. Michael approached me with the now infamous lead-in, “you haven’t done a race report yet, have you?” He sweetened the deal by offering me a lift to the Royal County, assuring me that with the numbers we had running, I would have plenty of material to write about – and he wasn’t wrong!

Step 1: Set up the Gazebo

Arguably the only thing more successful than Sportsworld’s Masters teams in Raheny last weekend was the appearance of the tent and club flag. Travelling with Michael meant that I, Karl and Paul were fortunate enough to be the select few chosen to avail of the offer to receive free training on how to put the gazebo up. Unfortunately, such training was not provided and the three of us, along with Myles and Karol, illustrated a clear incompetence in basic gazebo-assembling matters. As we attempted to open the gazebo “like an accordion”, I couldn’t help but think of a certain scene featuring Eddie Kaspbrak from It (2017), but as this is a family-friendly report I will not elaborate any further.

By the time the gazebo was up, the majority of runners had arrived and it wasn’t long until the warm-up laps and strides commenced in earnest. “Nice course, muddy in the middle part of the 2km-lap” was the general consensus. “Great”, I thought, “sure there are only three races to go off before the Intermediate men get to do their four laps, it won’t be messy at all after the 158 masters men and co. complete their sacrament of penance”.

Step 2: Race

First off were the Masters Women. As always, Sportsworld fielded a very strong team and took home the Club gold in the O35 category! Next up were the Masters Men, featuring a transatlantic visitor, Gavin, eager to add some cross country miles to that relentless Boston training plan. It turned out to be worth the trip as Sportsworld took home the Club bronze with Karol finishing a strong fourth and also making the Dublin team that took County gold. The Intermediate women followed, Kate running strong as ever and battling illness to finish a fighting fourth and lead the club to a silver medal to add to her Dublin County silver. A special shoutout to Ciara also, who wasted no time in picking up her first medal for the club having only joined a couple of weeks back!

Finally, it was the Intermediate men’s turn to shine. Or rather, Diarmuid’s. As Kevin, Diarmuid and I stood in the unwavering gazebo commenting on how windy and cold it was, Emily’s voice came shouting from afar – the race was starting. Having flirted briefly with the idea of missing the start of the race – it would make great material for my race report – I ran to the line after Kevin. Diarmuid took a more leisurely approach, deciding it was now the opportune time to put on his club singlet before the adoring masses. As Emily audaciously stood in front of the field in an effort to delay the race, Diarmuid decided to join us and just about managed to slot in with the rest of the Sportsworld squad before the gun went and we took off.

I had planned on taking the first lap easy and picking up the pace from there, but then I remembered that I usually don’t make plans because I rarely stick to them. With the adrenaline flowing, Paul shouted at me to hold back and warned that I was up too far. This is undoubtedly one of the best things about Sportsworld; the sharing of wisdom and advice from excellent runners that comes when you need it the most. Pulling back and choosing to sit on the shoulder of others proved the right move as I ran an even-paced race and didn’t instantaneously combust at the end, as has been known to happen. As always, the shouts for Sportsworld runners were the loudest and made the mid-race slog all the more bearable, knowing that the next shout of support was never more than a couple of hundred metres away. Another race, and another Club medal: a further bronze illustrating that Myles’ Men still have a bit to go to catch up to Emily’s Golden Girls!

Step 3: Eat

Gazebo disassembled (I chose to sit this out and strategically went on a cool-down lap with the now fully-clothed Diarmuid), next stop on the Sportsworld agenda was Avoca (note that other cafés, food halls and handweavers are available). Carbs and chats with the rest of the club-members proved a great end to another successful day in Sportsworld land and as I attempted to run (read: hobble) out the door after Michael for fear of missing my lift home, I thought about the apt words of Zátopek – that I definitely didn’t have to google when compiling this report – (again, other search engines are available), “I was unable to walk for a whole week after that, so much did the race take out of me. But it was the most pleasant exhaustion I have ever known.”

Sportsworld Results

Intermediate Women
4th Kate KELLY 00:15:47 (Team Silver medal & Silver medal on Dublin Team)
13th Ciara BRADY 00:16:48 (Team Silver medal)
18th Adelie REINAUDO 00:17:02  (Team Silver medal)
19 Naoise WALDRON 00:17:04 (Team Silver medal)
26 Catherine MULLEADY 00:17:38
33 Deirdre O’CONNELL 00:18:20
36 Katie NUGENT 00:18:52

Intermediate Men
4th Enda KERIN 00:28:11 (Team Bronze medal & Silver medal on Dublin Team)
22nd Mark HOGAN 00:31:06 (Team Bronze medal)
23rd Andrew BRETT 00:31:14 (Team Bronze medal)
24 Kevin CURRAN 00:31:32 (Team Bronze medal)
27 Diarmuid O’SULLEABHAIN 00:32:25
33 Damien GERAGHTY 00:34:12
35 Conor KEATING 00:34:37

Masters Women
8th Catherine BAMBRICK 00:16:02 (Team Gold Medal & Dublin Silver Medal)
9th Ruth KELLY 00:16:08 (Team Gold Medal & Dublin Silver Medal)
11 Aoife O’LEARY 00:16:17 (Team Gold Medal & Bronze medal in age category)
26 Stephanie BERGIN 00:17:16
45 Anna DELANEY 00:18:21
46 Eileen BUTLER 00:18:27
65 Lucy DARCY 00:19:10
77 Eileen ROWLAND 00:19:50 (Gold medal in age category)
79 Irene O’CONNOR 00:19:59
82 Ellen LAVIN 00:20:58 (Bronze medal in age category)
83 Siobhan CLARKE 00:21:07
90 Audrai O’DRISCOLL 00:22:37
91 Aileen MELODY 00:22:44

Masters Men
4th Karol-David CRONIN 00:20:32 (Team Bronze medal and Dublin Team Gold Medal)
13th Gareth MURRAN 00:21:07 (Team Bronze medal)
24 Phil KILGANNON 00:21:42 (Team Bronze medal)
30 Gavin FINLAY 00:22:03 (Team Bronze medal)
44 Michael CUNNINGHAM 00:22:30
57 Paul O’CONNELL 00:23:07
58 Justin MCKEEVER 00:23:08
67 Derek SEVILLE 00:23:25
79 Alan HYNES 00:23:59
83 Martin KEENAN 00:24:17
85 Ronan MASTERSON 00:24:22
97 John DWYER 00:24:34
103 Edward MCENTEE 00:24:48
104 Joe BYRNE 00:24:49
106 Noel TOBIN 00:24:56
112 Martin DOYLE 00:25:11
116 Jose CHAPA 00:25:40
125 Declan BRADY 00:26:03
128 Aidan CURRAN 00:26:16
129 Mark HEFFERNAN 00:26:18
132 Karl SHEVLIN 00:26:23
139 John FLAHERTY 00:27:03
142 Paul HAMILTON 00:27:09
143 Adrian LANIGAN 00:27:16
148 Padraic MORAN 00:28:34
153 Ray CARPENTER 00:29:33 (Bronze medal in age category)

Race reports by Grainne Lynch and Andrew Brett

Photos by Catherine Mulleady and MyRunResults.com

Grainne Lynch

Sunday January 7th saw 58 Sprotsworlders descend on St. Anne’s Park for the Dublin Masters Cross Country championship. After my dismal cross country debut at the Meet &Train this time last year I vowed never, ever again to take part in one.  I forgot to inform Myles of this vow and arrived at training just before Christmas to find he had already entered me!

I picked Irene up and we discussed race strategies – we had 2. Give it socks from the beginning and see how far we get before blowing up or take it easy at the beginning and try to pick up pace and make up ground in the second half. I went with option 1 and I didn’t get far before blowing up, 1500 metres to be exact. We were so busy discussing this that I took a wrong turn and ended up at the wrong side of the park. As we were jogging around aimlessly in a panic we were relieved to bump into a few other lost Sportsworlders. Martin Doyle and Thomas Kinsella among them, strolling around as if out for a Sunday ramble not like they were in danger of missing the entire race!

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Panic over we spotted the Sportsworld flag in the distance. Numbers pinned, spikes tried out on a few strides and were off! The course was relatively flat, the ground not too muddy and there was only 1 tree trunk to hop over. The sun was shining so conditions were perfect. I have to say, the atmosphere was great and the support from the lads who were waiting to run was really fantastic –  a big shout out also to those not running who turned up to support.  It made a big difference.  I was running alongside Martina until the end of lap one when Myles let out a roar “go on Martina, close the gap there” and that she did.  She found another gear, went off like a rocket and that’s the last I saw of her. Despite all reservations I finished with a smile on my face and had just enough left in me to cheer on the lads. The presentation of medals (Sprotsworld got a good haul) along with tea/coffee took place in the Raheny GAA club after.

Massive congrats to everyone who ran their hearts out! And well done to the teams and individuals who got medals.

Andrew Brett

Since joining the club last August I have managed to avoid running in the cross country events, but my luck finally ran out as somehow Myles found out that I snuck into the M35 category and he sent me a text telling me I was running. It’s hard to argue with a text so I accepted my faith and on Saturday morning I ventured down to Terenure Village to invest in a pair of spikes. The flashy blue and white Adidas spikes almost became an extension to the red & white singlet on Sunday, and it was easy to spot all the newbies in their pristine clean footwear some of which still had the tags on!

Having absolutely zero previous experience with cross country racing I genuinely had no idea what to expect. I sought advice off a few of the more experienced runners and the advice was identical. Don’t go out too fast, don’t get clipped, don’t let any one pass you, & don’t give up.

After arriving in Raheny, and collecting our race numbers, we did a couple of warm up laps to familiarise ourselves with the course before the ladies race started. Michael must have not noticed my brand spanking new pair of runners as half way through a warm up lap he asked me was it my first ever cross country master event. When I told him it was my first ever cross country event of any age/grade/description his eyes lit up as he responded “good for you, you’re writing the race report”. My first rookie error of the day.

The ladies took to the field at 1pm and put in an outstanding performance over the 3km, in what was an extremely fast paced race. Individually they were all excellent, and looked so strong throughout, but collectively as a team they were untouchable romping home to the overall team gold medal. Another fantastic result to add to the novice national gold win from December. There is some serious talent amongst the women in the club at the moment and their success in these events is a testament to that.

Once the ladies race was completed it was our turn so after a few strides we all huddled in a bunch, like penguins sheltering each other from the cold, as Myles gave a rousing motivational speech which was reminiscent of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday. After that it was race time and as we made our way to the start line it reminded me of the start of the Grand National at Aintree with some thoroughbreds and plenty of donkeys jostling for position at the front.

There was to be no false start and we were away at the first time time of asking. As we trotted off to the first corner the going was good, good to soft in places. The race was 6km, or 3 miles 6 furlongs, and Raheny Shamrocks were the odds on favourites but it was Sportsworld’s own Gareth Murran who took off like Shergar and lead the field out reaching the turn in the lead. I settled in amongst the chasing pack taking on board the advice about not getting clipped whilst trying to get in to some sort of a rhythm. Michael was just a bit ahead of me so my plan was to try keep him in sight. As we approached the first tricky part of the course, Beecher’s Brook, I began to get an understanding as to what a cross country steeplechase was all about. Having safely navigated that we turned in towards the Canal Turn and the then onto the Open Ditch. Myles was at this point screaming at me to catch the group in front. Then the course loops back around and you have to negotiate The Chair, then over the Water Jump and lap 1 of 4 four was completed as 279 stallions hurtled past the grand stand.

Karol “Hedgehunter” Cronin had made a move and was pushing the Raheny geldings all the way, with Shergar Murran in hot persuit. The Sportsworld support was fantastic throughout the course. Will “Mullins” Greensmyth was at the first roaring out words of encouragement, whilst Maria Jones seemed to be at about 8 different places cheering us on. Enda and Neil were out too whilst the fillies, fresh from their victory, were dotted out around the course which really provided motivation to attack the horses in front. Passing by Myles again I heard the usual scream “catch that group in front Andrew”. I’m not sure if he thought it was the same group as the previous lap or if he’s just a tough a task master but either way it worked as I did my best to put in a burst.

Two laps down and two to go. The rest of the race followed in a similar pattern, although the field did spread out a bit more. Going through the last lap it clogged up again as we had to navigate our way past some of the seniors, who I’m sure were looking forward to retiring to stud, whilst trying to earn every last position for your club. With about 800 metres to go I overtook a Colt from Crusaders  who didn’t seem too impressed as he upped the pace. We ended up battling to the finish and with about 100 metres I went to empty the tank leaving him behind and picking off two runners on the home stretch. Race over, lungs burning, and legs feeling more than a bit wobbly.

The Club put in a fantastic effort lead home by “Hedgehunter” Cronin who finished a magnificent third place overall, just a nose behind the two geldings from Raheny (who rumour has it share the same vet as Waterford Crystal so perhaps something untoward might come back in their blood tests). A length back was Shergar Murran who was the next club stallion home, followed by Phil “Rule the World” Kilgannon, with Karl “Silver Birch” Chatterton completing the men’s team top 4. Kevin “Kaoto Star” Curran was 5^th club man home followed by Michael “Mr. Ed” Cunningham in 6^th, and myself in 7^th. In what was a talent packed field Sportsworld provided 13 of the top 100 finishers which on another day could have yielded a team medal but after a stewards enquiry there were a few long faces as we had to settle for 4^th.

Overall it was an enjoyable day out and definitely a different experience than what I’m used to. These days are all about teamwork and running for your club as opposed to running for yourself so it’s a great feeling to put on the singlet (on a cold winters day in January!!!) and represent the club, and also to try give something back to Myles & Emily who are so good to all of us with their time. The ladies are on a roll at the moment, so long may that continue, and there are so many talented male runners in the club that team success can’t be too far away…..

Sportsworld Results

Woman 3k

4th Aoife O’LEARY 00:12:28 (Team Gold Medal and Silver Medal in age category!)
5th Catherine BAMBRICK 00:12:32 (Team Gold Medal and Bronze Medal in age category!)
8th Ruth KELLY 00:12:40 (Team Gold Medal!)
12 Mary FINN 00:13:10 (Team Gold Medal!)
19 Naoise WALDREN 00:13:19
21 Stehanie BERGIN 00:13:22
23 Catherine MULLEADY 00:13:33
33 Deirdre O’CONNELL 00:13:50
63 Anna DELANEY 00:14:35
70 Eileen BUTLER 00:14:48
71 Natalia O’GRADY 00:14:48
80 Martina NOLAN JONES 00:15:09
93 Grainne LYNCH 00:15:31
96 Lucy DARCY 00:15:34
97 Eileen ROWLAND 00:15:35 (Team Silver Medal and Silver Medal in age category!)
98 Bronwyn MURPHY WHYTE 00:15:35
111 Irene O’CONNOR 00:15:50 (Team Silver Medal!)
127 Ellen LAVIN 00:16:29  (Team Silver Medal!)
132 Siobhan CLARKE 00:16:38 (Team Silver Medal!)
139 Ann HIGGINS 00:16:54
145 Audrai O’DRISCOLL 00:17:19

Mens 6k

3rd Karol CRONIN 21.12 (Individual Bronze medal!)
10th Gareth MURRAN 00:21:49
25th Phil KILGANNON 00:22:43
29 Karl CHATTERTON 00:22:53
34 Kevin CURRAN 00:23:08
37 Michael CUNNINGHAM 00:23:18
44 Andrew BRETT 00:23:38
54 Paul O’CONNELL 00:23:54
80 Justin MCKEEVER 00:24:37
82 Martin KEENAN 00:24:42
94 Diarmuid O’SUILLIBHEAN 00:24:59
96 Derek SAVILLE 00:25:00
101 Martin DOYLE 00:25:07
113 Alan HYNES 00:25:21
117 Noel TOBIN 00:25:28
120 Anthony GILLEN 00:25:29
123 Ronan MASTERSON 00:25:41
124 Liam LENEHAN 00:25:42
131 Johnny DWYER 00:25:49
141 Wesley HARRISON 00:25:59
144 Declan BRADY 00:26:00
147 Joe BYRNE 00:26:03
148 Ed MCENTEE 00:26:04
154 Jose CHAPA 00:26:15
185 Paul HAMILTON 00:27:12
188 Karl SHEVLIN 00:27:16
189 Aidan CURRAN 00:27:19
195 Padraig LOOBY 00:27:28
196 Mark HEFFERNAN 00:27:28
217 Adrian LANIGAN 00:27:54
231 Peter KNAGGS 00:28:30
233 John FLAHERTY 00:28:43
240 Padraic MORAN 00:29:13
255 Derek LONG 00:30:03
258 Thomas KINSELLA 00:30:11
259 Ray CARPENTER 00:30:13