Donore Harriers
ESTD 1893
Results
01.01.70
Cardiff X Challenge
Cardiff Conquered.
A group of nine athletes, one coach and two “advisers” set sail from Donore for the Cardiff Cross-Country Challenge on Aer Aran’s latest Airbus on Friday evening. Despite the best efforts of gale force winds and monsoon rain but with the help of prayers and frantic shouts, we hit the moving tarmac running, to a relieved round of Donore - lead applause. Free day Saturday-shopping-Munster mania. Mama Mia’s Sicilian superchef Maximillian fed us superbly. Ready for action Sunday morning. Albert had booked us into the Cathedral Road Hilton, 100 yards from the course. The large city - centre Bute Park had been subjected to teeming rain for days, so the very heavy unusual course was a severe test. Big fields–high standards.
First into action were our u.20s over 6.7 k. Lee Van Haeften had a fantastic run in 11th place, as did Darren Kelly 18th and Tadgh Prendiville 40th. Next up was the u.15 boy’s race. Mean Max (Van Haeften) ran the race of his life in finishing a fabulous second. In contention all the way, he moved into second place on the final lap and held his position comfortably to the finish. In the men’s senior Willie Hughes, guesting with us from Thurles Crokes ran very well to finish in 23rd place, with Gavin Keogh close behind him in 26th place and Philip Cavanagh in 29th position also having very good runs.
The under 17 men was run over 6k. John Travers lying in 7th place for most of this high class race, made a spectacular move on the final lap finishing a brilliant third. Meanwhile Eric Keogh was having a “stormer” coming through the field finishing in 10th place. Finally John Downes battled through mud and rain to finish an impressive 3rd in the Masters 6k. Everyone ran brilliantly.
Fantastic trip, great laughs, crazy stories, top class behaviour. Lee gets the prize for doorman of the weekend, Eric for star-struck groupie and J.D. for shyest member of the group.
