Well done to the four Rathfarnham teams who competed in the Leinster Novice & Masters cross country races today, held on a challenging new course in the scenic grounds of Avondale House. Conditions were very cold and wet for most of the day, with the mud to grass ratio rapidly increasing with each race. First off were the Novice Women who ran two laps of the 2k loop, and were led home to team bronze by Valerie McGuinness in an excellent individual 4th position, followed by Clare Sullivan (12th), Eimear Fitzmaurice (14th) and Noelle Fitzgerald (37th). Next was the Novice Men’s 6k race, in which Alan Danagher (8th), Matthew Horrigan (10th), Peter Toomey (42nd), Gerard Claffey (58th) and Bernard English (59th) were unlucky to miss out on team bronze by one point. The Masters Women’s team of Vanessa Sallier (13th), Helen French (21st), Zoe Melling (24th), Miriam McCormack (26th) and Jackie Sullivan (42nd) ran the same 4k course as the Novice Women, and last but not least was the Masters Men’s 6k race, in which Paul Fleming stormed home in 2nd place overall, scoring team silver along with Turlough Conway (10th), Michael Freeley (16th, in his debut masters race), and Terry Clarke (65th). Full results are on the Precision Timing site, and photos are in the gallery.
The bronze medal winning Novice Women & Masters Men's teams.