Race you to the Top ... for the European Team
Brain McMahon, romped away at Cloghernagh
The British weren’t the only ones with their European Trials this weekend: The Irish were also hard at it on Saturday, running strictly uphill only to win a prized green vest to be worn at the European Mountain Running Championships in July.
Brian MacMahon from Clonliffe literally ran away with the race, leading from start to finish to take the tape by over two minutes ahead of Rathfarnham’s Kevin Keane. It was a repeat of Brian’s fine form demonstrated recently at the 1st WMRA Grand Prix in France where he placed a remarkable 10th place behind Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand.
Behind Brian, the Rathfarnham lads grabbed 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions, Kevin Keane being well supported by his team mates, Mark Ryan and Peter O’Farrell.
Podium boys Peter O'Farrell (right) and Kevin Keane
The ladies race was a much tighter contest, with different women showing to the fore on different parts of the course. Rathfarnham’s Donna Mahon led the way for the first third of the race on the long flat road run-in from Drumgoff. Hitting the zig-zagged climb to Cloghernagh summit, Mags Greenan then took over, eventually leading the ladies to the top. Alwynne Shannon from Newcastle pipped Donna to the post for 2nd, with Helen White from Sportsworld claiming 4th position.
Evergreen Mags Greenan (11)
For the European Championships team, Ireland draws its runners from both North and South of the border, unlike the World Trophy team where the Northern Irish join their British Isles counterparts. Saturday’s European Trials race was therefore one of those rare occasions when mountain runners from all over the island ran together, so to ultimately compete together in France. And though only 47 candidates vied it out on Saturday for team places, it did bring out the cream of the island’s crop for a spectacular race to the summit.
