REPORT: Wicklow Way Half / Zuiderparkrun

The racing is slowly ramping up towards relentless with seven runners in action this past weekend and another busy weekend coming up (with the Maurice Mullins / Wicklow Gaolbreak double-header).

Nora Butler outbound in the Wicklow Way Half

We had six runners entered for the fourth running of Wicklow Way Half – the successor race to the now defunct classics (the Wicklow Way Trail 22k and Maurice Mullins 25k). Shorter but steeper than it’s predecessor races it feature around 21.5 km of running with over 900m ascent.

Mark Willoughby a happy finisher

Torben Dahl led the team home as he had at Howth earlier followed by Alan Kennedy who nearly get himself under the 2.5 hour barrier. Mark Willoughby and Keith Mulvey (returning after a break) rounded out the team. Our female representatives where Aoife Joyce who finished shortly after Alan in 2:35. Aoife had only run 1 non-relay IMRA race since 2014 (the predecessor race – Wicklow Way Trail – where she had an excellent record with two wins and two third place finishes). Nora Butler had an excellent debut in this race – only her fourth IMRA race – with a time of 2:42 (and 18th female with Aoife in 10th).

Aoife Joyce finishing with welcoming committee at hand

RESULT

1. Matthew McConnell () 1:40:40

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

38. Torben Dahl 2:19:50

69. Alan Kennedy 2:30:03

74. Aoife Joyce 2:35:03

113. Nora Butler 2:42:44

128. Mark Willoughby 2:56:53

139. Keith Mulvey 3:09:24

Alan Kennedy (front in WW singlet) with Keith Mulvey (in our blazing yellow) in background

ZUIDERPARKRUN

Meanwhile in Holland, Catherine Devitt continues to make sub-19 minutes 5 km times routine at her regular outing at the Zuiderparkrun. once again she was 4th overall and first female finisher.

RESULT

1. Jony Osterboos () 0:18:27

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

4. Catherine Devitt 0:18:57 (1st woman)

REPORT: Snow at Trooperstown, fast runs at Bohermeen and in the Netherlands

Two PBs, two age category PBs, two club records and lots of running over snow as our runners took on hills, trails and half-marathons.

TROOPERSTOWN WINTER

The weekend action started locally on the snowy flanks of Trooperstown dutifully marked by club coach Rene Borg who had to dust off one or two flags that had been further covered in snow from Friday to Saturday morning.

James Heggie and other happy runners in Trooperstown Wood – below the snowline!

The runners began in slush and light rain before reaching the winter wonderland of the upper trail to Boots and Trooperstown where the snow rose gradually from ankle height to shin height and back down again during the descent.

Mark Willoughby passes Trooperstown cairn

First home was Colm Kenna followed by James Heggie and Mark Willoughby (lamenting his cold feet!). Winner Killian Mooney secured the overall Leinster Spring League. Our highest placed finisher was Alan Kennedy in 31st followed by James Heggie in 46th. In total 69 runners completed the league and 428 did at least one race.

RESULT

1. Killian Mooney () 0:45:12

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

46. Colm Kenna 1:08:46

75. James Heggie 1:33:20

82. Mark Willoughby 1:46:52

NN CPC DEN HAAG 10 KM AND HALF MARATHON

The Devitt/Costelloe power couple continued their brilliant early Spring running over the two days of the NN CPC Loop den Haag where Catherine opened the weekend with a quadruple of achievements: 2nd in her category, an F40 personal best, and lowering her own Ladies and F40 club records).

10 km (12/03)

RESULT

1. Trond Einar Moen Pedersli (Norway) 0:29:59

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

85. Catherine Devitt 0:38:25 (2nd F40, F40 PB, CR, F40 CR)

Husband Richard was not to be totally outdone when he towed the start line for the half-marathon on Sunday 13th and smashed his half-marathon personal best from 2022 by 6 minutes with 1:22:29 (the fifth fastest time run in our club colours – the other four being run by Torben and Angus).

Both ran in massive fields with nearly 6000 runners in the 10 km and over 8500 in the half-marathon.

Half-marathon (13/03)

RESULT

1. Brian Kiptoo (Kenya) 1:00:53

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

385. Richard Costelloe 1:22:29 (PB, M45 PB)

BOHERMEEN HALF-MARATHON

Finally in Bohermeen Blaise Kinsella and Eoin Phelan got a run-out. Blaise ran well as he continues to settle into a routine after an injury scare last month in his marathon build-up. With 1:25:23, he ran his second fastest half-marathon and looks well on track for a strong sub-3 attempt in the marathon.

Eoin Phelan at Bohermeen

Eoin meanwhile kept it tight in regards PBs – dipping under his previous mark by a mere 4 seconds (but it all counts!). The tenth PB set by a club runner this year.

RESULT

1. Yared Derese (Carrick Aces AC) 1:05:58

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

174. Blaise Kinsella 1:25:23

893. Eoin Phelan 1:52:07 (PB)

REPORT: Annacurra, Bundoran, Corkagh ParkRun

Seven of our runners got their weekend race outings done and dusted on Saturday this weekend across 4 different races: the Annacurra IMRA Spring League mountain race, the Avondale and Corkagh Parkruns, and the Bundoran 10 miler all the way North in Donegal. We’ll go through them alphabetically.

James Heggie crosses the finishing mat at Annacurra

ANNACURRA

125 runners made their way down to south-east Wicklow for a new revised version of the Annacurra race – the penultimate counter in the IMRA Spring League including four of ‘our own’. First and last of our scorers were members of the ‘Wicklow Wolf’ division of the club – Alan Kennedy (leading our team home for the first time) and James Heggie. Sandwiched between them was Barry O’Neill (in his first race since November) and Colm Kenna (running his first race of the calendar year).

Alan Kennedy (in Wicklow Wolf tshirt) leading home the team at Annacurra

RESULT

1. Andrew O Donnghaile (NUIG) 0:49:02

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

57. Alan Kennedy 1:09:31

79. Barry O’Neill 1:15:49

83. Colm Kenna 1:16:43

112. James Heggie 1:28:05

AVONDALE PARKRUN

Donna Quinn ran the Avondale Parkrun and crossed the line as the first woman in 21:30. Unfortunately, she was missing bar code meaning she’s registered only as ‘unknown’ in the results.

RESULT

1. Finn Buck () 0:17:36

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

7. Donna Quinn 0:21:30 (1st woman)

CORKAGH PARKRUN

Aran Lynham meanwhile was recorded as running 20:02 in Corkagh Park for another ParkRun as he continues building back the running-specific fitness after a 2022 focused on GAA.

RESULT

1. Barry Whelan (Tallaght AC) 0:17:00

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

12. Aran Lynham 0:20:02

BUNDORAN 10 MILE

Much further North, Nora Butler ran well in the Bundoran 10 mile race attended by nearly 1200 runners. This was only the third 10 mile race run by a Glendalough AC female runner in our 9 year history and the first by an F40 setting up the club mark for that age category to beat.

RESULT

1. Jake O’Regan (St. John’s AC) 0:49:23

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

368. Nora Butler 1:17:57 (PB, F40 PB, F40 CLUB RECORD)

REPORTS: 5k record for Catherine at Zuiderpark and Mullaghmeen IMRA race

The racing action dampened a little bit this weekend with only 3 runners in action.

Zuiderpark ParkRun

Catherine Devitt continued her strong form setting a new club 5 km record for women and lowering the F40 category as well whilst winning the women’s category in the Zuiderpark Parkrun. To do this she beat her own time of 18:59 set a few weeks back in the same ParkRun. These two runs remain the only two times a female runner has run under 19 minutes in our club colours although Catherine’s all-time best from club members (18:41 – shared with Aoife Joyce) remains safe (for now).

correction: Catherine had run another Zuiderparkun in 18:49 on 4th February which is the ACTUAL record time – not 18:57.

RESULT

1. Jonny Oosterbos () 0:17:51

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

4. Catherine Devitt 0:18:57 (1st woman, F40 PB, Club Record, Club F40 record)

Alan Kennedy (photo: Laurence Briody)

MULLAGHMEEN

Back in Ireland, Alan Kennedy and James Heggie continued their IMRA Spring League adventure in Meath in Mullaghmeen Forest Park. On a winding course over 10.8 km (over 11.5 km for some!), Alan got himself into the top half of the field and finished 4th in the M55 category while James Heggie completed in 104th.

RESULT

1. Killian Mooney (DSD AC) 0:48:25

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

45. Alan Kennedy 1:04:15

104. James Heggie 1:23:48

REPORT: BHAA Central Bank 4 mile XC

CLARA VALE – IN REVERSE

Our regular Winter League hit it’s penultimate round with the traditional Clara Vale courses (5k and 9k) run in reverse – Ben Lewis, Aoife Joyce and Yvonne Brennan competed as many others were away on holidays or engaged with racing. Results to follow!

BHAA Central Bank 4 mile XC

Diarmuid Kavanagh and coach René Borg achieved the rather esoteric achievement of being the first Glendalough AC runners to attend a race organised by the Business Houses Athletics Association (BHAA). This meant that although club singlets were allowed (and worn by many), runners were first of all competing for the company or employer.

Club coach Rene battling his way into the top-3rd of the field on one of many sharp corners (light blue tshirt) Photo: Lindie Naughton

The race had hastily been organised as the newly crowned National M40 champion – Eoin Flynn of Rathfarnham WSAF. Working alongside Rene in Running Coach Ireland this was a rare chance to show off the light blue company colours for Eoin who normally resides in the Canaries. He promptly took full advantage winning the race with a safe margin after the early leader had faded on the back off a 4:50 first mile! Overall, it was a strong field where former Snowdon winner Sarah McMahon (then Mulligan) won the ladies race and notaries such as Brian McMahon (Irish hill running international on multiple occasions) down in 8th place.

Club coach Rene Borg poses with colleague and race winner Eoin Flynn in company attire (both in their first BHAA race since 2010!)

Diarmuid Kavanagh – wearing our blazing yellow – had set off hard but both he and Rene had to concede more places than they gained in the second half (with Rene eventually overtaking Diarmuid on the latter part of the 3rd of 4 laps). The course was a far cry from familiar cross-country venues in Wicklow: relatively flat around multiple rugby fields but featuring two descent into strong head-wind and a staggering 52 sharp turns!

Rene’s time of 25:36 was the third fastest 4 mile run in the club’s history and the fastest on cross-country or trail

Diarmuid Kavanagh preparing to hit the corner (yellow singlet) Photo: Lindie Naughton

RESULT

1. Eoin Flynn (Running Coach Ireland / Rathfarnham WSAF) 0:20:22

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

39. René Borg (Running Coach Ireland) 0:25:36

48. Diarmuid Kavanagh 0:26:04

REPORT: Howth Winter

Torben Dahl opened his season at Howth Winter with a very credible 32nd spot in a race where many – including a pack of the leaders – took several detours leading to some familiar names finishing further down than normal and people completing anything from the allotted 7.7k to over 11km! (some like winner Killian Mooney ‘only’ added 400 or 500m to the course).

HOWTH WINTER

Torben Dahl bombing it home at Howth

Nora Butler from Wicklow Wolf RC also competed and banked a spot in the top-100 and both her and Torben completed a ‘clean run’ of the route as intended.

RESULT

1. Killian Mooney (DSD AC) 0:37:58

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

32. Torben Dahl 0:40:39

100. Nora Butler 0:51:49

REPORT: 3 PBs and 2 club records on the roads (Enniscorthy and Delft 10ks)

With hill running getting most of the attention last weekend, it was the turn of the road racers this weekend.

Donadea 50 km

Before they got started our club record holder in the 50 km (John Conway with 4:21 – set in this race last year) had to pull out after around 2 hours running in Donadea Forest Park to shield a niggle and keep himself on track on his and Laura’s big adventure this summer: the Transalpine.

Tudor Moldovan who holds the record for our club fundraiser Glen to Glen Half-marathon was crowned national champion in his first go at 50k.

RESULT

1. Tudor Moldovan (Clonliffe Harriers) 2:59:04

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

241. John Conway DNF

Enniscorthy 10 km

Newly elected club captain Marcus Murphy led the charge at the traditional Enniscorthy 10k in Wexford where the Sli Cualann team had a very successful day winning both team events and securing 2nd place overall for men and women (through Derek Crammond and Catherine O’Connor).

Marcus Murphy in action (left) (Photo: Tony Crosbie)

Marcus came in 31st overall and broke the 40 minute barrier for the first, setting a PB in the process (his previous mark was 40:15 from 2017). It had looked tight midway with only a 6 second cushion but a strong finish bagged the result. Aoife Joyce was next as she continues her return to more regular racing. While her time was a good way off her PBs, it’s the first 10k run by someone in the F45 category for our club and stands as the mark to break.

Eoin Phelan was next taking nearly 4 minutes off his PB and cracking the 50 minute barrier.

Aoife Joyce strides home (Photo: Popupraces.ie)

RESULT

1. Isak Eriksen (Halle IF) 0:31:42

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

31. Marcus Murphy 0:39:42 (PB)

93. Aoife Joyce 0:46:16 (club F45 record)

122. Eoin Phelan 0:48:32 (PB)

Eoin Phelan celebrates his sub-50

Delft 10 KM

We saved the best to last: Two more club record followed when Richard Costelloe broke his own overall and M45 10 km record with a stunning time of 36:30 at the Delft 10k in the Netherlands – lowering his 37:08 from a few weeks ago. This also brought him to the top of the ‘all-time’ list beating the 36:30 Amidou Dembele had held since 2011.

Richard Costelloe eating up ground in Delftse Hout on his way to 36:30

As a final gloss of sheen, he also finished well inside the top 10 with 6th place and likely won his category although this is not confirmed yet.

RESULT

1. Jurre Kaizers (De Koplopers) 0:33:30

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

6. Richard Costelloe 0:36:30 (PB, Club record, Club M45 record)

Some of our Wicklow Wolf RC members also competed at Howth on Saturday a race that saw a substantial part of the field go off course but results are not yet available from this event.

REPORTS: Bursting up Brockagh

Only one race this weekend and it was the IMRA Leinster season-opener at Brockagh Burst. Two men in the top-20, four in the top-50, three category placings, two debutantes and a few returnees – this race had it all.

Graeme Warren checking in on the post-Art O’Neill legs (photo: Graham Bush)

BROCKAGH BURST (SL season-opener)

report by club coach Rene Borg

We had our third largest crew ever at an IMRA race (10)* at one of the most local races for us: Brockagh Burst, this year serving as the season-opener for mountain running in Leinster and the Spring League – something shown by sold out tickets and nearly 200 starters. On the side-lines we were also well-represented with Graham Bush serving as summit marshal and Barry O’Neill as deputy race director although no special shortcuts for our members we reported.

Paul Duffy, myself and Kevin Ferguson stayed close together up and around the first bend on the constantly steepening fire-road (at 1.2k). For Kevin this was his first race for our club and also his first IMRA race! In general the theme for our runners was comebacks: Derek Cullen back after injury with his first IMRA race since 2019, Graeme Warren returning to shorter racing after Art O’Neill and Paul Duffy back after nursing a peroneal injury for a month.

Also racing on the day was a good contingent of our Wicklow Wolf RC runners: Alan Kennedy, Mark Willoughby, Maria Forsyth, Elaine McKinney (one of the 2023 new-joiners) and James Heggie. It was particularly sweet for Elaine who won the F45 category!

RESULT

1. Derek Crammond (Parnell AC) 0:25:11

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

13. Paul Duffy 0:30:26 – 3rd M40

15. René Borg 0:30:33

33. Kevin Ferguson 0:31:49

46. Graeme Warren 0:33:26

51. Derek Cullen 0:33:57

67. Alan Kennedy 0:35:34 (WW RC) – 2nd M55

92. Elaine McKinney 0:38:46 (WW RC) – 1st F45

100. James Heggie 0:39:36 (WW RC)

141. Mark Willoughby 0:44:48 (WW RC)

164. Maria Forsyth 0:49:30 (WW RC)

* Our record IMRA attendance at a race was Brockagh 2017 and Scarr 2020 (11 runners in each case)

Summit ahead, bright skies behind for Alan Kennedy in his WW RC gear (photo: Graham Bush)

As fire-road gave way to the infamous grassy bank, I carved out a bit of a lead on our other runners arriving at the summit somewhere in the top-20 with two runners closely ahead. A few spots back first Kevin arrived and then Paul Duffy. At the Xmas Party, myself and Paul had featured on the Table Quiz as the ‘Rivalry of the Year’ – facing off six times in official races – with me winning the 4 hill races and Paul the two cross-country runs. This year the tables look set to turn. I was enjoying a good descent – passing out 5 runners only to lose a spot late on to the hard charging Paul who gained at least 10 spots on the descent.

Kevin Ferguson (yellow tshirt) arrives as our 2nd man to the summit on his debut

Kevin was next over the line followed by Graeme Warren and Derek Cullen in that order and then came our five Wicklow Wolf RC pack: first Alan in a great 67th spot then Elaine (11th lady), James Heggie (securing his top-100 spot!), Mark Willoughby and Maria Forsyth.

Elaine McKinney near the summit (Photo: Graham Bush)

REPORTS: Catherine 2nd in Puinduinrun, Eoin Phelan PBs at Charlie Curran 5 miler

Only two races this weekend but they ranged from The Hague in the Netherlands to the Charlie Curran in Carlow…

PUINDUINENRUN

Following up on her first place in the Zuiderparkrun last weekend, Catherine Devitt finished 2nd woman in the unique trail race ‘Puinduinrun’ described thus on their own website:

The Hague's Puinduinen, also referred to with a wink as the “Alps of The Hague”, is a recreational area that was created from a literal heap of rubble as a result of all kinds of demolition work in the fifties and sixties.

Catherine Devitt showing off the 2nd prize trophy

RESULT

1. Vincent Vergeer (Nederlandse Triathlon Bond) 0:41:14

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

30. Catherine Devitt 0:50:22 (2nd lady)

CHARLIE CURRAN MEMORIAL RUN

Meanwhile at home Eoin Phelan ensured the men’s section wasn’t entirely shaded for the weekend with a PB at the Charlie Curran Memorial over the increasingly less common 5 mile distance. It’s a distance that has only been run 4 times by Glendalough AC athletes since 2014.

None of this takes away from Eoin’s run which was the year’s 2nd PB by a club runner and where he finished nicely in the top quarter of the 400 plus field.

RESULT

1. Paddy Kavanagh (St. Laurence O’Toole’s AC) 0:27:00

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

101. Eoin Phelan 0:39:20 (PB)

Eoin Phelan celebrates his PB at Charlie Curran 5 mile

REPORTS: Record-breakers in The Hague!

Richard Costelloe and Catherine Devitt continued their recent run on good results in Den Haag in the Netherlands taking possession of four club records for their household!

Catherine Devitt strides home to victory in the Zuiderpark ParkRun

ZUIDERPARK PARKRUN

Catherine began the weekend by winning the local Zuiderpark ParkRun outright whilst running 18:59 – only 18 seconds off her personal best from 2012 and a new overall ladies 5 km record (breaking Rachel Wisdom’s 2016 club best by 4 seconds) and also F40 record (breaking Donna Quinn’s recent 19:04 mark).

RESULT

1. Catherine Devitt (Glendalough AC) 0:18:59 (F40 PB, Ladies Club Record, F40 Club Record)

——-

1. Catherine Devitt 0:18:59

ZOETEMEER 10 KM

Not to be outdone on the home-front, Richard tripled up on achievements on Sunday: setting a new 10 km PB of 37:08 (taking 30 seconds off his 2020 mark), establishing a new overall and M45 club record (and the fourth fastest time on our ‘all-time’ list), and finishing 2nd in the M45 category.

RESULT

1. Henk Bregman () 0:32:40

——GLENDALOUGH AC RUNNERS————-

8. Richard Costelloe 0:37:08 (PB, M45 PB, Club Record, M45 Club Record)