With Emily collecting our numbers in the log cabin, we realised that the master’s women’s race was off in a half an hour, so quick action had to be taken. It was extremely competitive, with 100 girls crossing the finishing line within 5 minutes of each other, so averaging out at a woman every 3 seconds.

Both Lucy (3rd in her age category) and Helen finished in the top 10 overall, and we got a decent display from all of our women. Judith narrowly missed out on an age category medal by less than 10 seconds. The best news was that we came away with team silver with Lucy, Helen, Aideen & Sandra scoring. Helen White helped Dublin to a silver medal.

The team contest was won comfortably by a North Belfast Harriers side that are easily capable of medalling at senior level, indeed they were national senior champions in 2007 albeit with a stronger team on that occasion. They had all team members running in the top twenty five.

While the intermediates was a race for younger (and in some cases faster) girls, it was understandably not as competitive or packed as the masters race that preceded it. Both races were held on the same length of course. The team comprised mainly of October’s Dublin novice winning team, with welcome additions Stephanie and beginner Aoife Lynch. We came away with team bronze medals and were led home by a brilliant Louise. Well done girls.

The master’s men’s field was equally as competitive and condensed as the master’s women’s race was, as the 200 runners completed the course within 9 minutes of each other. It was won by a terrific Peter Matthews who despite being well ahead kept huffing and puffing as he wanted a good workout ahead of the National Inter Clubs XC on Sunday week. There was no joy for us here, but it was great to have a men’s team running in the national master’s; something that we usually don’t get. Well done to Ed, Paul Mitchell, Willers, Seán and Killian for giving up their Sunday and travelling down with us.

The final race of the day was the intermediate men. Their was no joy here either for our men, however it was still a beneficial race that will serve the men’s team well for the Inter Clubs XC on Sunday week. It was won by DSD’s Breandán O Neill. Breandán is on scholarship at DCU, and was bronze medallist in last week’s intervarsities indoors 3000m in 8:34.05. The team title was won by City of Derry, who are also the current National Novice and National Half Marathon champions, and for the record they have Ireland’s current fastest man too in Jason Smyth.

Awaking to the, now, all too familiar sound of rain drumming against the window I was relieved not to hear water flowing around my bed. Wrapping the duvet tightly about me I pondered what was in store and secretly hoped that today’s Dublin Intermediate Cross Country Championships would be called off. Alas, it takes more then a flood of biblical proportions to stop a Dublin Athletics Board Cross Country Race.

Arriving with Mike Cunningham at Tymon shortly after 1pm, it didn’t bode well to find the Children of Lir resting on a lake formed at a bend in the course.

Paul Duffy and Ronan Merrick trotted up to tell us that we had 10mins before the mens race so with an air of controlled panic we made a bit of a dash down to the start. The great advantage of being late is you don’t need to bother about warming up and you don’t have to keep going to the toilet. One by one the rest of the mens team, Gareth Murran, Trevor McSweeney and Colm Kennedy arrived – with minutes to spare.

Unfortunately, due to our lateness, we missed the ladies race. I did bump in to Ciara, Helen and Louise, and I know that Ruth had another very strong run – well done to all on what must have been ‘Character Building’! In fact Ciara told me that she felt like she had just completed an Iron Man competition.

And so to the mens race… We are assembled ready to go when, is it a bird, is it plane – no, it’s Mark Dunne doing the 100m dash to the start line. Harry’s anxious to get this one started – there’s no messing about ‘toe behind the line’ this time – everyone just wants to get this over so we can go home. BANG and there off!

The underfoot conditions were the worst I’ve experienced over the two years of Cross Country I have raced. The opportunities to run were limited to a few short sections on the higher section of the course – but for the most part it was trudging through deep muck or standing water – up to 25cm in places.

Paul Duffy tore off with the leaders followed by Mike, Trevor, Ronan, Garret and Mark. Colm and I fought a rear-guard action – objective: Try not to be last. After a week of warm-weather, high altitude training in Lanzarote great things were promised by our elite – on reflection, perhaps a bog snorkelling trip to Yorkshire would have been more beneficial?

After the first lap I lost sight of our elite runners and settled down to run with Colm, exchanging the lead between us as the course rose and fell. We worked well together for the first two laps but then I lost contact with him and ran on my own. Passing through half way I could see Garret dropping back through the field and tried to give chase. By that stage I had developed a pretty bad stitch in the lower abdomen and was also dropping back, and was never within 30m of him.

A steady stream of runners passed me on the 3rd and 4th laps and I had nothing in the tank to stay with them. In the last 500m a Rathfarnham runner went by and I used him to take me home – just about holding off the following pack and sneaking by him on the line as an added bonus. Colm followed a couple of seconds later.

Top of the Sportsworld pile was Mike, who secretly loves running in slop, followed by an impressive Trevor in his Cross-Country debut. For full results check the Dublin Athletics Board Website – in about a month.

Thanks to Sportworld faithful for their supporter – the conditions may have been harder on you then on us. The cheers were certainly appreciated if not acknowledged.

For racepix395 photos click here.

Report By
Paul Mitchell

Sunday 8th November saw the Leinster Intermediate Cross Country hosted by Tullamore Harriers in Tullamore, County Offaly.

Sportsworld were represented in the men’s race. Some of us were led to believe that we were running an 8km race, but we were taken back when we reached the field to be informed it was 10km made up of 5 laps. Hoping that underfoot conditions might be ok, we weren’t long finding out that the course was flooded in one corner and the rest was the near resemblance of a field vacated after the national ploughing championships with 3 hills to tackle 5 times thrown in to make it more enjoyable.

The race took off at a steady pace led by eventual winner Tom Hogan of Slaney Olympic. Sportsworld were led out by the excellent Micheal Cunningham, Paul Duffy and Ronan Merrick, followed closely by Mark Dunne, Paul Mitchell and Liam Mc Fadden.

Lap one was the greatest test for all, seeing was it safer to take a 30 metre detour to avoid the small lake in the bottom corner of the course or dive straight in and hope to make it out the other side with spikes still on. Gladly we all took the dive and made it trough. After that it was a case of settling in and trying to make moves on the leader board.

Sportsworld were unlucky not to come away with a team bronze medal for all their hard effort eventually finishing 4th placed team.

Overall Results
1 Tom Hogan 34.20 (Slaney Olympic)
18 Michael Cunningham 38.19
24 Paul Duffy 38.50
27 Ronan Merrick 39.10
30 Paul Mitchell 40.15
32 Mark Dunne 40.33
40 Liam Mc Fadden 42.21

Report by
Liam Mc Fadden recovering from ‘trench foot’ has supplied this report.

Within the last 2 weeks Aoife Brady has proved to be a fantastic all-round athlete. First of on 8th February 2009. We had the Irish Indoor championships. Aoife ran in the 1500m but unfortunately just missed out on the medals and finish in fourth place. The following day Aoife ran the 3,000m and collected a Bronze medal. This is Sportsworld first indoor track medal and we are very proud of Aoife. The following week we all headed over to Tymon Park for the Cross County Championships. Aoife continued to put in a brilliant preformance when running the Intermediate 4,000m. Aoife took an early lead, she held the lead and finish very stongly winning herself a gold medal for individual section. Well Done Aoife.

Also in the Indoors we had Crona Brady who ran in the 800m and finish in a great time of 2.25.42. Well done Crona. Crona has improved greatly this year and seems to be following in her sister footsteps. So watch out for this name ha.

Sportsworld had a fantastic day out in Tymon park bringing medals home left right and centre. Check out the results below.

Woodies DIY Cross County Championships 15/02/09

Master Men 7,000m
Charlie O’Connell had a great run and finished in at time of 41.57.

Intermediate Men
Ed McEntee 44th place time of 36.03,Ronan Merrick 47th 36.06,Paul Duffy 57th place time 36.53,Michael Cunningham 72th place time 37.40, Kieran Lynch 87th place time of 38.59, Paul Mitchell place 97th time of 40.33. This race was highly competitive with the winner Sean Hehir Rathfarnham in a time of 32.14.

Master Women 4,000m
Lucy Darcy 7th place time of 15.27, Rachel Morgan place 9th time of 15.40, Helen White place 25th time 16.33, Kathleen Horgan (o/w o’Callaghan) place 32nd time 16.58, Aideen Downes (welcome back) place 43th time 17.24, Breda Browne place 70th time 19.04, Anna Delaney place 76 time 19.48, Kim Musada place 85th time of 20.49. Sportsworld won a gold medal in team section. Well done to Lucy who scored on the Meath team who won Bronze medal.

Intermediate Women 4,000m
Aoife Brady place 1st time 15.08, Crona Brady (huge improvement this year) place 11th time 16.18, Mary Finn place 15th time 16.21, Edel Madigan place 19th time 16.38, Stephanie Bergin place 20th time 16.39 (well done very close for medaling) Lorna Quinn place 23rd time 16.49, Louise Bruton place 50th time 16.49, Orla Jordan place 51th time 18.32, Orlagh Fleming place 54th time 19.13. Sportsworld won gold over all in the team section. Edel and Mary also were on the Dublin team and Dublin won gold so well done girls.

Well done to all, great running. Keep up all the hard training.

November 9th saw the annual meeting of the Leinster Intermediate CC Races, which was held in a mud bath at Heywood College Abbeyleix Co. Laois. We knew that it was going to be a tough day from the start, when the parking man stop us at the gate saying ‘I think lads ya may park here, the auld field up above is gone soft’, and can I have 5 Euro each as well!.

Well the parking man wasn’t lying, the course didn’t have a blade of grass which makes the performance of our Ladies team remarkable. The Girls team brought home the first gold of the cross country season. Well done to Aoife & Crona Brady, Stephney Bergan & Lisa Dowling. Aoife season is going from strength to strength & she took 1st place to boot. Even at that the twins weren’t finished clearing the place out of medals. They also picked up Gold for Meath in the county competition.

The lads were up next and they had the pleasure of 5 laps in the cold icy blustery conditions. But what else would you be doing on your Sundays, I even heard one of the lads saying the harder the better. But I’m soft & I taught that its was a day beside the fire. Despite the Conditions Ronan Merrick & Ed McEntee battled on to claim 11th & 16th overall. Next in Micky Cunningham marched in 24th spot. Paul Mitchell, James Shanahan. Will & Paul Duffy also had a go & the team as a whole just missed out on a bronze medal. However lads our day will come again.

Race report by Paul Duffy.

National Masters and Intermediate Cross Country Championships took place in near perfect conditions in Piercestown in Wexford, with Sportsworld athletes competing in three of the four races being held.

Lucy Darcy led the women’s masters race out on the first lap, and finished in 4th. Lucy, Helen White, Kathleen O’Callaghan and Breda Brown were silver medalists in the team event, with Lucy also winning a bronze county medal.

In the intermediate women’s event, Aoife Brady had a fantastic run to finish in the top 10 in only her second race after a season injured, while Crona Brady ran strongly in her national cross-country debut.

The intermediate men’s race was over 10K, with a long punishing hill to climb at the end of each of the six laps. In a field crowded with former prizewinners at novice and international junior level, it was telling that this hill progressively thinned out the pack on each circuit of the course. Despite this, Phil Kilgannon advanced through the field on every lap to finish with a county gold for Dublin. There were also great runs from Paul O’Connell, Ronan Merrick, Ed McEntee, Michael Cunningham, Martin Keenan, Paul Duffy and Will Greensmyth.

Sean Wall won the under 17 race comfortably – he led from the start and sauntered home with a huge lead on the rest of the pack.

The Women’s race was 2 laps, or 4K, and Stephanie Bergin led the team home to a 3rd place finish, while also winning an individual bronze herself. Jackie O Hagan was our 2nd runner home followed by Louise Nolan / Helen Dixon / Kim Masuda / Jenny Maher.

Team Places > Stephanie Bergin 3rd / Jackie O Hagan 18th / Louise Nolan 19th / Helen Dixon 24th / Kim Masuda 30th / Jenny maher 39th.

The men’s race was 5 laps, or 10K, and the SportsWorld guys narrowly missed out on 3rd place in the team event. Eanna Cunanne picked up an individual silver, while Ed McEntee and Ronan Merrick took 11th and 12th, with Jakub Splawski and Will Greensmyth also running.

Leinster Intermediate Cross Country Championships were run over a gently undulating 2KM course in Abbeyleix. There were hills galore on every lap, but these seemed manageable to anyone who tackled the “hill of death” at the Leinster Novice Championships in Avondale 2 weeks previously!

The Girls’ team was made up of Sarah McAteer, Orlagh Fleming, Helen Dixon and Clare O’Reilly. They all finished closely together, which was a great team effort in a race dominated by local clubs.

Eanna Cunanne led home the Dublin team to a team gold in the men’s event, and also got the individual silver medal (having been narrowly beaten in a sprint finish by Ger Clancy of DMP). Ronan narrowly missed a team gold, and with him and Ed both putting in strong runs, we were unlucky not to have had a full team, as we would have got bronze medals in the team event! ( Report by Eanna Cunanne )

Sarah McAteer Sportsworld 17.11
Orlagh Fleming Sportsworld Dublin 17.15
Helen Dixon Sportsworld 17.30
Clare O’Reilly Sportsworld 17.39

Eanna Cunnane ( 2nd Overall )Sportsworld Dublin 32.02
Ronan Merrick Sportsworld Dublin 34.39
Ed McAteer Sportsworld Dublin 35.20