Rain can't dampen a superb Junior Home International
Whilst the seniors were battling it out in Scotland the juniors traveled to Ireland for the British and Irish Junior International mountain running champs. The atrocious weather couldn’t dampen the youthful exuberance of the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish competitors…
…and saw a ding-dong battle between the English and Scots for the spoils. Course with athletes like Ffion Price on show the Welsh weren’t going to miss out on individual honours, but it was the all important team battle which produced some great racing.
U18 winner Peter Harrison
Equally the reporting and photo media was, as can be expected from Gerry Brady, Jason Kehoe and John Shiels, fantastic. With every runner logged, and photographed, with all results now online too – hats off to the fantastic organsisation of this event.
As the runners climbed the ridge a spectacular Wicklow mountain vista (and the Heavens above!) opened around them in all directions.
On a day where it did not stop raining, the IMRA volunteers matched the Irish athletes in their performance. Peter O’Farrell (course Director), Vivian O’Gorman (start/finish Director), Sinead Roche (results Director) and Mags and Sinead Greenan (accommodation and teams liaison Directors) and their many helpers made everything run smoothly.
Full results and images for the U18, U16 and U14 races online at IMRA, with additional reporting over at the Scottish Hill Runners site
Reactions so far
Gerry Sep 24, 02:09 PM
Great performances by the athletes. Hopefully the junior races stay as a separate event in 2011 rather than be combined with the senior event.