Mountain Running News

Richie conquers Hell, hill running round-up

Richie Healy beat off 1200 other rough-running enthusiasts to take victory on the 10k “Hell and Back” race course in Kilruddery Estate yesterday. Kevin English, Donore Harriers, looked set to win by Richie stayed strong throughout on a course that counted innumerable obstacles and took full advantage of his strong finish. This was a great way to start the season for Richie whose work commitments kept his racing limited in 2011.

Da Cru in action over the Christmas break

The women’s captain finished off one of the best years for the Crusaders women’s team by finishing 3rd Senior women in one of the most competitive female road race of the Irish calendar.

Torben Dahl wins Polar Circle Marathon

New Crusader Torben Dahl put in another impressive win this autumn when he recorded a time of 3:02:57 Polar Circle marathon on Greenland with almost five minutes to spare on the next contender. To appreciate the time consider the conditions of the race dubbing itself “the coolest marathon on Earth”: the route has some stretches of good dirt road but contestants have to face ice, snow and undulating terrain so Torben’s experience from the IMRA races no doubt proved a great help.

Jason Kehoe wins Donard, Kevin O’Riordan takes on Wicklow Round

The final race of the Irish Championship had been integrated into the Slieve Donard-Commedagh race run by the Northern Irish Mountain Running Association. This created the rather interesting situation that Jason Kehoe finished both fourth and first in the same race. He finished fourth in the overall classification but first among the runners who have competed in the Irish Championship. The result confirmed his second place in the championship, one point adrift of Rathfarnham’s Brian Furey.

Jason Kehoe second in Irish Championship

Jason Kehoe has had an enthralling rivalry with Rathfarnham’s Brian Furey in the battles over Ireland’s highest peaks and roughest mountain-side for the title of IMRA Irish Champion this season. While he managed to draw the longest straw in the uphill competition, King of the Mountains, and had a memorable win at Carrauntoohil, his hopes for the Irish Championships were ended when he finished second to Brian on the penultimate race at Galtymore this weekend.

Crusaders in action on British hills

Aoife Joyce ran well in her international outing at the 36th Snowdon Race to record a new personal best for the 10 mile mountain race of 95:47 and finished 17th woman overall and was the second finisher home for the Irish ladies squad.  English marathon international Andi Jones took his fifth win in six years in a festival of mountain running which was dominated by the Scottish teams.

Aoife and Amidou shine at Mt. Leinster

Crusaders runners were very active in Co. Wexford this weekend: Following on Sam Mealy’s win in the Kilmore 5k the previous day, Aoife Joyce took her second victory in five days winning the Mt. Leinster championship race ahead of Rathfarnham’s Zoe Melling.

In doing so, she became the second record-breaker of the day: Overall winner Tom Hogan, Racing795, had set a new men’s record on the slightly lengthened course and Aoife followed that up by knocking a minute of her own record set in 2008 confirming showing further proof that her form is coming together well for Snowdon.

Aoife Joyce wins Trooperstown Hill

Aoife Joyce had a good opportunity to polish off her form ahead of her international involvement at Snowdon at the Leinster League race at Trooperstown this Wednesday. She held off an early challenge from Clare Sullivan and Sonja Fuhrmann before building a commanding lead on open mountain winning in 48:25 with Sullivan second (51:33) and Fuhrmann third (52:04). Susan Seager’s finished 8th and Eva Fairmaner 12th allowing the ladies’ team to pick up their eighth win in nine outings.

Aoife Joyce selected for Irish Snowdon team

Crusaders rise to the task at Lugnacoille

Plenty of highlights for the club at the third of five Irish Championship races at Leinster’s highest peak Lugnacoille this weekend. Jason Kehoe had to defend a twelve second lead in the King of the Mountains competition over Brian Furey and duly rose to the occasion with a combative performance. Aoife Joyce set a new PB on the course as she finished 2nd behind Northern Ireland’s Diane Wilson while Amidou Dembele produced a breakthrough performance on the descent.

Aoife Joyce fourth at Euro Trial as men take silver medals

Aoife Joyce confirmed her resurgence in form since her return form injury with a commanding climb at the European Trial on Djouce Mountain this weekend. To add a “silver lining” Richard Healy (10th), Amidou Dembele (15th) and Jonathan Healy (16th) combined to take the runner-up medals behind Rathfarnham in the Irish Club Championship attached to the event.

Crusaders take silver medals at Wicklow Way Relay

A great start to the mountain running season got better when the Crusaders team recorded their highest ever finish in the annual Wicklow Way Relay taking the silver medals behind a rampant Rathfarnham side who lowered the existing record for the 127km traverse to 7hrs3min13secs. Even with a club record finishing time of 7 hours 36 minutes and 13 seconds, the team car endured some nervous moments securing the more precious metal by only nine seconds to Boards AC.

Jason Kehoe takes spectacular victory on Carrauntoohil

The 25th anniversary of the Irish Championship race up Ireland’s highest mountain will be long remembered. A strong field took the line with Rathfarnham’s Brian Furey and Barry Minnock as the favourites. Our men’s mountain running team has been steadily improving over the last few years with many good highlights but none will stand out as clearly in memory, or rank as highly, as today’s performance by Jason Kehoe.

Crusaders prize sweep at Scarr

On a day without overall victories to celebrate for Crusaders, our mountain running members swept all before them in the age categories while Aoife Joyce finished a strong third behind Karen O’Hanlon and Jenny McAuley and once again led the women’s team to victory.

Aoife Joyce wins revived Glasnamullan race

Aoife Joyce won her first Leinster League race since returning from injury as the IMRA Leinster League continued on the new Glasnamullan course which takes runner’s up Djouce mountain from an entirely new direction. Aoife led from the early stages of the race and by the end of the race she was almost four minutes clear of the next lady.

Strong Crusaders performances at Prince Willie’s and Powerscourt

Two more rounds of the Leinster League as well as one Leinster Championship race took place over the last fortnight in the Wicklow hills and the increased breadth of the hill-running squad really showed in all events and puts Crusaders top of the team’s league table after four of thirteen races.

Mountain running season starts

Jason Kehoe finishes second in opening race of the Irish Mountain running championship.  While more Crusaders get their seasons started in the Leinster League.

Hill sessions will kick off shortly again

Current program and start times:
MAY
Mon 23rd: Reps/Windsprints in Marlay Park
Mon 30th: Hill reps/Uphill windsprints at Kilmashogue

JUNE
Mon 6th: Reps/Windsprints in Marlay Park
Mon 13th: Hill fartlek (venue TBC)

Meeting place at Taylor’s Three Rock pub at 18:20 or Kilmashogue car park at 18:30.