Leinster ends on a high for Keith
Jenny McCauley at Sugarloaf 2010
Another IMRA summer league has waxed and waned as the thirteenth, and most technical, of the routes finished yesterday at The Great Sugarloaf (501m) next to the M50 highway. Barry Minnock had wrapped up the men’s individual title…
…with Rathfarnham and Crusaders taking the team competition for men and women respectively, but there were still secondary positions at stake as well as the little matter of overall victory in the ladies.
Final Shuffle
With a short sharp six kilometres on offer and a very rocky narrow descent, there’s not a second’s relief to be had on the Sugarloaf and Eoin Keith held off North Laois’ Martin McDonald for his third league win. Aaron O’Donohue, Rathfarnham, finished third after all three men had summited close together. Keith and O’Donohue were rewarded for their efforts on the day with the former securing the runners-up position and the latter pipping Niall McAlinden for third in the overall standings.
Eoin Keith
There were more last day upsets: UCD put together a strong finish, their second victory on the trot, to win ahead of Rathfarnham and Boards. This proved expensive for the Boardies who dropped to third in the overall rankings but can still take joy from a podium finish. Neither team lacked for effort, being the only two to field full teams in all thirteen races.
Ladies Wrap-Up
Suzanne Kenny, “fresh” from her international debut at the European Championships, lost her 100% record, coming down in second, but continued a remarkable maiden season by winning the ladies’ 2010 Leinster League title and dictating proceedings on the ascent. Her better on the night, winner Jenny McCauley, climbed to third overall. Ranked between the two ladies is Kate Cronin, Raheny, and you can forgive her if she’s tired of second spot: She secured her ranking with five runners-up positions during the league but no wins.
The ladies team competition faded out a bit rather than ended with a bang: defending champions Sli Cualann bagged their second win of the season, but for the fifth race in a row, only one female team competed (in fact, at Seefingan it was zero). Be that as it may, Sli Cualann remained second overall. No other team completed the minimum required five races but Duhac was best of the rest in third.
BBQ
The Glencormac Inn hosted the traditional end-of-league barbeque and while the midges where once again out in force (the winter apparently only killed their predators) the “craic was mighty” as runners could celebrate either putting up their legs for a wee rest or would have listened out for more punishment during the announcements: Mt. Leinster this weekend is an ideal initiation to the longer weekend races and if you like long, then don’t forget the Dublin Mountains Plod half-mrathon the following weekend.
So much for end of season…
Overall results of the Great Sugarbowl at IMRA. Final standings in the league here.
