The annual mountain race on Mt Leinster took place on Sunday in damp foggy conditions. It was the fifth race in the six race Leinster Championship run by the Irish Mountain Running Association.
In all 61 runners lined up for the start of the race on the forest track in Ballycrystal but the mountain itself was shrouded in mist. The local challenge was lead by Bernard Fortune of SBR who is currently lying in second position in the championship.
The first section of the 7K route to the summit is on good forest track before moving to the open mountain. On attaining the Blackstairs ridge the conditions underfoot were very wet and slippery even for those equipped with studded mountain running shoes. The final 400m to the summit close to the aerials is even more challenging.
At this point in the race Martin McDonald of Ballyroan in Laois had a mere 4 second lead over David Power of Waterford having completed the ascent in 40.25. However on the challenging descent Martin held his footing better and pulled away to win in 65.42 some two minutes ahead of David. Third was Torben Dahl of Crusaders AC in Dublin with Bernard Fortune in fourth position and first man over 40.
In the women’s race the honours also went to Ballyroan in Laois with the winner, Anne Churchouse coming home in 89.51. Niamh O’Gorman from Dublin was second with Sarah Steere from County Down in third position.
Martin Francis who finished 5th overall won the M50 class and Matt Kavanagh won the M60’s. Mag Dunphy of Slaney Olympic was first F50 and Caitlin Bent was first F60.
Prizegiving and refreshments afterwards were in The Holy Grail in Ballindaggin
Results
| 1 | Martin McDonald | M50 | 65:42:00 | Ballyroan… | Laois |
| 2 | David Power | M | 67:48:00 | Rathfarnh… | Waterford |
| 3 | Torben Dahl | M | 68:17:00 | Crusaders… | Dublin |
| 4 | Bernard Fortune | M40 | 69:00:00 | Sliabh Bh… | Wexford |
| 5 | Martin Francis | M50 | 72:55:00 | Sli Cualann | Wicklow |
| 6 | Brian O’Murchu | M | 72:59:00 | Dublin | |
| 7 | Stephen Perry | M | 73:20:00 | Tinahely … | Wicklow |
| 8 | Barry Moore | M40 | 74:30:00 | Kildare | |
| 9 | Adrian Tucker | M50 | 75:01:00 | Rathfarnh… | Dublin |
| 10 | David Leonard | M40 | 75:16:00 | Sliabh Bu… | |
| 11 | Mike Jordan | M | 76:19:00 | Sligo | |
| 12 | Patrick Byrne | M40 | 76:29:00 | ||
| 13 | Billy Reck | M40 | 77:17:00 | ||
| 14 | James Clancy | M | 78:44:00 | Wicklow | |
| 15 | Dave Bager | M40 | 79:44:00 | Slaney Ol… | |
| 16 | Mick Morrissey | M50 | 79:50:00 | Slaney Ol… | Wexford |
| 17 | Barry Nolan | M | 80:36:00 | ||
| 18 | Pat Farrelly | M50 | 80:41:00 | DFO | Longford |
| 19 | Tom Egan | M | 80:47:00 | DFO | |
| 20 | Gareth Little | M | 81:27:00 | Dublin Wi… | Dublin |
| 21 | Myles Gibbons | M | 83:09:00 | Sliabh Bu… | |
| 23 | Paul Gibbons | M | 83:24:00 | Sliabh Bu… | |
| 24 | Thomas Dunne89 | M | 83:26:00 | Ballyroan… | |
| 25 | John Langenbach | M | 84:17:00 | Boards AC | Dublin |
| 26 | John Moore2 | M40 | 85:05:00 | Kildare | |
| 27 | John Kirwan1981 | M | 85:35:00 | Ballyroan | |
| 28 | Kevin O’Malley | M | 86:29:00 | Dublin | |
| 29 | Michael Nolan | M | 87:50:00 | Slaney Ol… | Wexford |
| 30 | Fergus Byrne | M | 87:53:00 | Setanta | Wexford |
| 31 | Ronan Gately | M40 | 87:58:00 | Jedi Knig… | Wexford |
| 32 | Thomas Galvin | M40 | 88:26:00 | Glenasmole | Dublin |
| 33 | Fergus Murphy | M | 89:30:00 | Slaney Ol… | Wexford |
| 34 | Ann Churchouse | F40 | 89:51:00 | Ballyroan… | |
| 35 | Tim Churchouse | M40 | 90:10:00 | Ballyroan… | |
| 36 | Joe Lalor | M50 | 90:20:00 | GEN | Dublin |
| 37 | Rob Kelly | M | 90:28:00 | ||
| 38 | Neil Keane | M | 90:31:00 | Carlow | |
| 39 | Pat Kirwan | M | 93:15:00 | Sliabh Bu… | |
| 40 | John J Barry | M40 | 94:17:00 | Waterford… | Waterford |
| 41 | Pat Quill | M40 | 94:23:00 | Boards AC | Westmeath |
| 42 | Derek Livingstone | M | 94:48:00 | Dublin | |
| 43 | Stephen Marry | M | 97:12:00 | Dublin | |
| 44 | Mathew Kavanagh | M60 | 97:18:00 | ||
| 45 | Bruce Shenker | M60 | 97:55:00 | ||
| 46 | Eddie Murphy | M | 99:26:00 | ||
| 47 | Dermot McNamara | M | 99:48:00 | ||
| 48 | Niamh O’Gorman | F | 100:30:00 | ||
| 49 | Donall Flanagan | M | 100:36:00 | Waterford… | |
| 50 | Thomas Morrissey | M | 106:20:00 | ||
| 51 | Bill Kavanagh | M40 | 108:52:00 | Slaney Ol… | Wexford |
| 52 | Sarah Steer | F | 109:13:00 | Down | |
| 53 | Gerard Murphy | M40 | 113:25:00 | ||
| 54 | David Brady | M60 | 115:51:00 | Raheny Sh… | Dublin |
| 55 | Murs Dreelan | M50 | 117:03:00 | ||
| 56 | Barry Murphy2 | M | 117:03:00 | ||
| 57 | Mag Dunphy | F50 | 123:00:00 | Slaney Ol… | |
| 58 | Patrick Corcoran | M40 | 124:09:00 | ||
| 59 | Caitlin Bent | F60 | 125:00:00 | Setanta | Dublin |
| 60 | Breda Cash | F40 | 127:00:00 | Slaney Ol… | |
| 61 | Deirdre Bowers Kavanagh | F40 | 131:00:00 | Slaney Ol… | Wexford |
