T'was a cool, crisp last evening out in Dangan for the 5th running of the Athenry AC Handicap 5KM Championship, 14 October 2008.
The weather stayed dry though the track was still wet. (I was in a quandry whether to run in spikes or runners but that decision was soon made for me as I forgot to pack the former yesterday morning!)
Thirty four eager(!) athletes(?) lined up at the start and after minimal ado from starter, Alan Burke, we were off.
The field quickly spread out into their own little groups.
The 20 minute men - Burke, Dunne, O'Connor, Magnier, eh?
My bunch of merry men, Frank Burke, Philip Magnier, me and probably Dave Dunne, Ray O'Connor and a few others behind soon were clumped together, with Frank doing all the hard work up front. Fair play to the chap too!
Most of that group stayed together for the duration of the 12.5 laps with only Philip, Aidan & Finbarr falling slightly out the back towards the end game.
Suffice to say that Ray, Dave, Frank and myself were all quite happy to record sub-20 5KMs, in what were perfect running conditions. No wind niggling us on the back straight! The track being new was very bouncy and offered sufficient resistance to the rain that meant we weren't sliding all over the place! Good pace setting with the group around us contributing wholeheartedly throughout. (Ray's 48 second beeper - to pace him to a sub-20 - was probably a help to him but the rest of us didn't hear it.)
Our group were passed once by the posse further up. No disrespect there. Everyone held their positions on the track, so all knew that to pass, you had to go around the outside etc.
The results production was less than stellar with all sorts of "technical" issues, even though I had a Seiko timer and laptop to hand. It didn't help that the lights went off mid-ways through their production along with the battery in my laptop :(. It also didn't help that Loughrea's 5M Road Race times were still in the timer's memory or that I forgot to put any paper in the printer itself! Mea Culpa...
Happily, 95% of the runners had their own times and I have been able to produce a full result from them and with some other help.
The fastest runner prizes were given out before the lights went out again, while the rest and a full result are given below.
Well done to all others who attended to cheer on the runners, including Martin Keane - last year's champion - and Paul Hession - fastest Irishman ever!
Well done to the organisers, Johnny O'Connor, Ann Carter and Mick Rice.
Prizes
Ray O'Connor Club Champion
Assumpta Feeney and Valeria Glavin Joint 2nd Club
Dave Dunne First Vet Club
Mick Rice Fastest Club
Johnny Lane Fastest non-Club
Full Result
Num Name Time
190 Johnny Lane 17:16
193 Mick Rice 17:20
213 Gerry Carthy 17:41
182 Johnny O'Connor 17:59
191 Justin Niland 17:59
212 Paul Fallon 17:59
200 Paul Kilkelly 18:13
199 John Donnellan 18:14
192 Peter Delmer 18:59
210 Ray O'Connor 19:49
201 Dave Dunne 19:50
185 Frank Burke 19:57
183 James Lundon 19:58
205 Aidan Hanley 20:24
209 Philip Magnier 20:27
186 Finbarr Connolly 20:40
202 Sinead Foran 22:45
197 Valerie Glavin 21:30
181 Peter Strange 21:57
215 Ruth Staunton 22:20
196 Seb Locteau 22:30
216 Dave Bermingham 22:49
206 Miriam Wall 22:50
184 Maeve Noone 22:57
211 James Corbett 22:59
207 Maria Hehir 23:00
208 Cathal McLaughlin 23:25
187 Asumpta Feeney 26:30
214 Noreen Cooley 27:30
198 Michelle Tooher 28:00
189 Aishling Murray 32:00
195 Caroline Collins 33:00
188 Michelle Power 36:00
194 Martina Grealish 36:00
Handicap Result
Num Name HandicapTime ActualTime Diff
210 Ray O'Connor 21:00 19:49 -01:11
187 Assumpta Feeney 27:30 26:30 -01:00
197 Valerie Glavin 22:30 21:30 -01:00
212 Paul Fallon 18:40 17:59 -00:41
201 Dave Dunne 20:30 19:50 -00:40
205 Aidan Hanley 21:00 20:24 -00:36
208 Cathal McLaughlin 24:00 23:25 -00:35
183 James Lundon 20:30 19:58 -00:32
199 John Donnellan 18:45 18:14 -00:31
207 Maria Hehir 23:30 23:00 -00:30
186 Finbarr Connolly 21:00 20:40 -00:20
200 Paul Kilkelly 18:30 18:13 -00:17
191 Justin Niland 18:15 17:59 -00:16
182 Johnny O'Connor 18:10 17:59 -00:11
193 Mick Rice 17:30 17:20 -00:10
184 Maeve Noone 23:00 22:57 -00:03
185 Frank Burke 20:00 19:57 -00:03
209 Philip Magnier 20:30 20:27 -00:03
192 Peter Delmer 18:45 18:59 00:14
198 Michelle Tooher 27:30 28:00 00:30
190 Johnny Lane 16:45 17:16 00:31
213 Gerry Carthy 17:00 17:41 00:41
206 Miriam Wall 22:00 22:50 00:50
181 Peter Strange 21:00 21:57 00:57
196 Seb Locteau 21:30 22:30 01:00
211 James Corbett 21:00 22:59 01:59
215 Ruth Staunton 17:00 22:20 05:20
202 Sinead Foran 17:00 22:45 05:45
216 Dave Bermingham 17:00 22:49 05:49
188 Michelle Power 27:30 36:00 08:30
194 Martina Grealish 27:30 36:00 08:30
214 Noreen Cooley 17:00 27:30 10:30
195 Caroline Collins 22:15 33:00 10:45
189 Aishling Murray 17:00 32:00 15:00
Well done to all!
Just a word of thanks to all who helped, took part or spectated last night. Great club spirit about the place.
Must have been the full Moon :o
A really great night's running...
This was a really special night for the club. To see so many club members out on an autumn evening running out under the full moon on a track was a brilliant experience. The mix of personalities and standards we had at the race made for a very enjoyable and sociable race. Where else would you get such a wide group of people all competing for fun on an equal basis? The number of close-fought duals up the finishing straight also told that the racing wasn't 100% just for fun either. Just as it should be.
Johnny O'Connor deserves a bit vote of thanks from us all for putting this together quietly and efficiently behind the scenes so that the rest of us could just show up and run. This championship race is a great club event and one that will hopefully be contested for many more years.