Only the brave take on The Ow
The second of this year’s three Navigational Challenges took place yesterday around Aughavannagh in Wicklow. Only 12 runners braved the challenges put up by the thick mist and persistent rainfall with visibility down to 10m on parts of the route – reports Rene Borg
Ajax’s Philip Brennan won in a dead-heat finish with Dave Weston and 4 runners had to DNF on the day. All runners had made it easily through the first few controls but then things got difficult, as Race Director Joe Lalor reports:
The last control was seen as the crux of the exercise. There was an open mountain route option and a longer, lower route through the forest. Again the RD, fearing he might never see some of his colleagues again, intervened and suggested that maybe the longer way around was the quickest way home.
Some of the more confident navigators took the open mountain choice and managed fine. Given the day that was in it there were the inevitable few DNFs and lost maps.
The final race Up Leinster is coming up this Sunday next and only 6 minutes currently separate Philip Brennan in 1st from Justin Keatinge in 2nd. Paul Smyth, also of Ajax, and Mick Hanney, Boards AC, retain an outside chance of the title.
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Mud, Sweat and Tears was dreamt up some time ago. I had returned to the sport of running (competitively) after around a 15 year layoff due to injury.
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