IRELAND SHINES AT WORLD MASTERS MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday's (Sept 3) weather may have been overcast in Clonmel but Irish athletes blazed the Comeragh Mountain trails to take an impressive haul of medals at the 21st World Masters Mountain Running Championships.

With  a population of just 5.1 million, Ireland produces more than its fair share of strong mountain runners versus much larger countries who sent teams to this world championship for athletes ages 35 to 79. Irish mountain runners took home eight of eighteen available team gold medals and four individual gold medals.

The fastest times of the day were recorded by Thomas Roach (GBR - M40) in 42:00 and Victoria Wilkinson (GBR - W40) in 53:17 on the 10.6km long course with 602 meters of climbing. On the 8.4km short course with 500 meters of climbing it was Franco Torresani (ITA - M60) in 42:09 and Nicoletta Fearari (ITA - W55) in 50:50 who ran the fastest times.

Another performance of note was that of co-race director and course designer Tom Blackburn (IRL) who won a bronze medal in the male 55-59 age group running 44:37, just 20 seconds behind the winner in his age group.Races kicked off in age group waves starting at 10:00 AM under perfect weather conditions for runners; overcast, light breeze and temperatures in the high 50s (F) slowly rising into the low 60s (F).

Only a brief period of light drizzle would interrupt this pattern until the final wave at 1:45 PM.Running on the short course, the W75 race was won by Barbara Prymakowska (POL) in 1:16:40. The W70 gold medal went to Margret Gottnauer (GER) in 1:00:56. The first Irish gold went to Pauline Moran (IRL) who won the W65 age group in 55:50.

Ana Mori Aguado (ESP) won the W60 class in 52:18. Representing a strong Italian contingent, Nicoletta Ferrari (ITA) won gold in the W55 class in 50:50; the fastest women's short course time.Also running the short course, James Patterson (GBR) took gold in the M75 age group in 58:12. Adolfo Accaliai (ITA) led an Italian podium sweep of the M70 age group in 48:49.

The first Irish men's gold medal of the day went to Martin McDonald (IRL) in the M65 class in 48:27. Franco Torresani (ITA) won the M60 class in 42:09. Over 60 runners finished the M55 men's race but it was Tom Tipping (GBR) who bested them all in 44:17.

posted Sunday September 4th
by Richard Bolt