Tom in action at Little Sliabh Bui earlier this year
Congratulations to Tom Hogan on another excellent win, this time pipping rival Barry Minnock by only 1 second in a thrilling finish at the IMRA Prince William’s Seat race.
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Joy notches up her first sub-four-hour marathon.
| First Name | Last Name | Bib No. | Race | Finish Time | Marathon 10k | Marathon half | Marathon 30k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joy | Furlong | 2910 | Marathon | 03:58:48 | 0:56:05 | 1:55:43 | 2:46:40 |
[Joy Furlong reports on her first marathon, well done from all your club mates]
My day started off very nervous but with just enough belief that I would do it. Whistle went and I settled into a nice steady pace, clicking each km off one by one and holding the pace. But it was definitely a tale of two halves.
The first half of the course proved to be flat and easy going allowing me to settle into a rythmn and stick with it. We started in the city centre and the route brought us past UL and back in along the canal heading back towards the city again for the half way marker. I felt good going through here, having found the previous 20 km enjoyable. The sun was shining and we got great cheering on by the locals.
We headed out of the city again, running on some quiet country roads. All was good here. Even though we were running away from the city I knew once we turned right we would be heading back into the city and nearer the finishing line. But that right turn took its time in coming and at about 30 km I could see my pace was slipping. I quickly told myself to hold this steady until 32 km and sure its only a 10 km race after that.
Through 32 I began to feel tired and my pace became slower. This part was more challenging. We ran into a head wind and some slow drags but I took them all on and kept running. Back in the city centre the crowd was swelling, a definite buzz in the air, but yet again we were directed away from the city for the final few miles. Past the Treaty stone, Thomond Park , a pull up past the Gaelic Grounds and right at the Union Cross all very famillar territory for me, with my gang cheering me on at just the right moment.
I could feel it in my grasp here as the four mile pacers were still be hind me and I could hear them shout. Turned onto Clancy strand with the city in sight, a man I spoke with at mile three ran past me giving me a pat on the back egging me on telling me that the four hour was there for me, he reckoned it was only 0.5 of a km away from the finish outside Savins shop which I knew to be on a hill and I thought no way not on a hill, but a marshal on the bridge shouted just around the corner to the line and on I went. Turned on to O’Connell street and I could see the finish line and the clock.
A chap flew past me making for the line and as I saw the seconds ticking I too made that dash, only 100 meters to go, the crowd cheering and at last I was there. Bragging rights won, plan achieved, I did it. Yipee!
It was a good day, I didnt suffer too much and hey I think I will have to do another one and get it just right. As always you have to thank the support team and on the day that was left solely to David who seemed to be everywhere and at just the right moments too giving me those much needs words or encouragement.
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Winner Keith Heary (centre) pictured with Tom Hogan (3rd) and Colm Pollock (2nd)
Well done to all who raced and helped out at the Racing795 Duathlon today. A special thanks to all our visitors from Carlow, Wexford and Tinahely Tri clubs, as well as those who do not yet belong to a club.
Congratulations to our winners Keith Heary in the men’s and Amy O’Donovan in the women’s race. Bragging rights go to Carlow as the top club this time round. Well done guys.
Special thanks on behalf of everyone to Kilavin GAA for the use of their facilities.
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Racing795 is once again delighted to be hosting Leinster XC League Round 1. The race is on 20th March, in the same venue as last year just outside Bunclody, Co Wexford. We’ll be using all of last year’s singletrack with a few extra bits added to extend the lap, so you know it’s going to be fun.
Online Registration is now open.
Please note that registration and payment is exclusively online for this year’s race. We think you’ll find the system pretty convenient and easy to use. For us, the big bonus is that it will reduce admin effort and eliminate the need to handle any cash on race day
Now, just in case anyone is only coming down for the feed, we regret to announce that there will be no Thai food this year! Last year’s catering was a once in a lifetime deal thanks to some good friends of ours. This year’s fare will be modest but delicious and wholesome.
Of course it’s not all about the food. Those who were with us last year will remember a fun, challenging but fair course, ridable for all abilities. We’ll also have some nice spot prizes so you won’t have to win your race to have a chance of snagging some loot.
Hope to see you all on the 20th March. More race info here
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John powering his way up Annagh Hill
[Race report by John Dempsey]
This is a new course starting and finishing on the steep side of the hill by the Gap pub. At 9k it’s not that long, but the climbs, especially the first one really pulls the legs off you. Everything seemed to go to plan on the day, except with one of the race favourites Eoin Keith tripping on the final descent and breaking his fibula – ouch! Other than that the course was great, the weather was fierce and the complimentary soup and rolls in the pub afterwards were savaged by the 135 runners. The race was won fairly comfortably in the end by Belpark triathlete Kevin Keane, who along with 2nd placed Peter O’Farrell had cycled down from Dublin to the race – a nice little duathlon for the two lads.
From the pub carpark the first climb is in full view and was all anyone was talking about beforehand, and it surely didn’t disappoint when we hit it. A long slow walk, run, walk to the top and I’d reckon I was about 12 minutes or that covering the first kilometer. Having ran the course before I was looking forward to recovering and picking up the speed running across the flat ridge up the top, but the howling wind made everyone work the full way until we ducked into the forest. Nice and sloppy, the going was fairly tough through the trees, before a long speedy downhill took us around the back of the hill and facing into a 2k climb back to the start of the ridge again. I lost a few of places here, and really need to get back running more hills.
Back to the ridge we had another slow climb back to the top of the ridge where now the wind was in our backs and swept us along towards home. There were several big pools of water along this path with different people opting to either skirt around them or straight through. The last one is the deepest with no way around so full steam ahead into the freezing water that was thigh deep. Just lovely to sap the energy and give you heavy legs before tackling the final series of descents to the finish line.
The first of these descents is back through the forest so visibility is pretty poor and underfoot is fairly lumpy, I ended up kicking a lot of rocks down this bit. Into pure muck at the bottom of this and around the side of the hill back out to the front before launching down the steepest downhill of the lot of them. The path here is mucky, very very steep and covered in broken branches from the Coillte forestry works there last year, you need to keep your wits about you and it was here that Eoin broke the bone in his leg.
Another sloppy flat bit brought us back to fireroad and the final descent which was really stoney and rough on the legs after all the muck before that.
Sprinting for the finish line I had a fight to hold onto my place but got there in the end.
Great course and a great race. These IMRA races are brilliant, and really good value. There’s one or two less tricky ones coming up in Wexford this summer like ‘Little Sliabh Bui’ before the big race on Mt Leinster on the 10th July, organised by Jane & Graham Porter. Would be great for the club to get a good turnout for that one, both to support Jane & Graham and to put in a good showing on ‘our mountain’ 😉
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