Sharon Lucey

27 August, 2013

On Wednesday evening, 82 runners headed to Curragh Woods on the outskirts of Midleton for the final race in the South Munster Trail League. With temperatures in the low 20's, the conditions could not have been more ideal. Those who have taken part in the rest of the league may have found this race slightly more challenging, with very little use of forest road and some technical descents and unforgiving climbs to battle.
The race was 5.5km with around 300m in climb. The route started with a steep uphill climb along a forest road out of the car park for 400m before turning right onto a forest path, leading competitors into the heart of the woods. After around a 1km, marshals directed runners onto a path with a tricky decent down towards the river before taking a sharp left and ascending straight up the hill again. This climb reduced some of the field to a walk as the steep climb seemed to drag on. The route then cut around the ring fort following a lovely forest path along the north of the woods before returning back to the forest road again.
This fast and interesting route would not have been possible without the help and assistance of the numerous marshals who marked out the route and manned the path junctions. This allowed Robbie, the Race Director, to make full use of the forest paths and trails.
A tough battle took place up front between the top three runners, with Tom Blackburn taking top position, swiftly followed by Owen Cummis and Roy Fahy. In the women's field, Niamh Walsh stormed home in podium position, one minute clear of Aisling Breedy, who was closely followed by Mags Dempsey.