Masters Cross Country – an eventful day
our Gold medal o65 winner Mags Glavey with Georgina Drumm Head of Competition and Deputy President, Athletics Ireland Board
We went to over the border to Tuam for the National Intermediate and Masters Cross Country championships on Sunday.
Tuam AC hosted the event at the Palace Grounds park with the assistance of local clubs. They did an excellent job overall, providing a good testing course with some technical twists and cambers, and a firm grassy surface. The heavy chilly fog never lifted despite the best efforts of February sun, but conditions were perfect for running.
John Byrne and Colette Tuohy led our masters teams last year as they battled to success at Dunboyne. They were back again to lead our teams 8 men and 7 women, both of which included o35 teams and all challenging in individual age categories.The course had two adjoining laps of 1k and 1.5k to make up the women’s and men o65 race over 4k, and master men over 7k. Competition was very keen and the big fields provided an exciting spectacle up and down hills and through trees, a unique atmosphere in cross country events.Medals were thin on the ground this year though all 15 of our runners put in their best efforts.
Colette Tuohy finished 13th overall and 4th F45 in the women’s masters race, a courageous run as she endured an energy draining bug in the last few days. Angela O’Connor, Chris Gallagher, Joan Walsh and Ann Murrray battled hard too. Pauline Moran had another ever-changing tussle with Sheelagh Jones, but was edged out of the medals when the DSD athlete finished third o55. Margaret Glavey came up trumps again with a well deserved gold in o65 category. This was her first National cross country race and her training and racing in recent weeks certainly paid dividends. She has added to a formidable medal collection in the past year. All o65+ men categories ran in the same 4k race as masters women, and Tom Hunt won his first national cross country medal finishing third o65.
John Byrne led the 035 squad finishing 20th overall – Brendan Gill, Anto Devaney, Sean Murphy, Tom Charles and Danny Green – all put in a great effort. Val Glynn had his first xc experience, starting in trainers and finishing barefoot!. So, two individual medals to start our championship toll – less than eight weeks to the national 10k April 11th.
John Byrne and Colette Tuohy led our masters teams last year as they battled to success at Dunboyne. They were back again to lead our teams 8 men and 7 women, both of which included o35 teams and all challenging in individual age categories.The course had two adjoining laps of 1k and 1.5k to make up the women’s and men o65 race over 4k, and master men over 7k. Competition was very keen and the big fields provided an exciting spectacle up and down hills and through trees, a unique atmosphere in cross country events.Medals were thin on the ground this year though all 15 of our runners put in their best efforts.
Colette Tuohy finished 13th overall and 4th F45 in the women’s masters race, a courageous run as she endured an energy draining bug in the last few days. Angela O’Connor, Chris Gallagher, Joan Walsh and Ann Murrray battled hard too. Pauline Moran had another ever-changing tussle with Sheelagh Jones, but was edged out of the medals when the DSD athlete finished third o55. Margaret Glavey came up trumps again with a well deserved gold in o65 category. This was her first National cross country race and her training and racing in recent weeks certainly paid dividends. She has added to a formidable medal collection in the past year. All o65+ men categories ran in the same 4k race as masters women, and Tom Hunt won his first national cross country medal finishing third o65.
John Byrne led the 035 squad finishing 20th overall – Brendan Gill, Anto Devaney, Sean Murphy, Tom Charles and Danny Green – all put in a great effort. Val Glynn had his first xc experience, starting in trainers and finishing barefoot!. So, two individual medals to start our championship toll – less than eight weeks to the national 10k April 11th.
There were other noteworthy performances around the province. Well done to Matt Bidwell (GCH) bronze o40, Lucy Brennan (Sligo AC) silver o55, Sarah Doohan (Corran AC) bronze Intermediate women, and to the GCH club, and Galway County team.
More photos to follow separately.
You can check out all results on the athletics ireland website at
http://www.athleticsireland.ie/competition/results/
or at www.precisiontiming.net