For once, I have actually been “on trend” doing my own FKT having completed the Fife Coastal Path in September in a new record time.

I have been watching a few films from the FKTs over the year and one thing that struck me was how I seemed to have a much more enjoyable experience than others did. So I thought I would write a bit on how to have fun on an FKT.

Only run if the weather is perfect

I started running at 11pm on Friday 4th September and I had perfect conditions throughtout. It was a lovely temperature and I was comfortable in my t shirt and skort throughout, only briefly wearing arm sleeves at the very start until I warmed up.

It also wasn’t too warm which was a worry after doing a recce weekend on the hottest weekend of the Scottish Summer. I just found I needed so much more fluids and also chaffing became an issue as I sweated so much. The sun shone throughout and I had a fabulous sunrise and sunset!

So make sure you pick a lovely sunny calm day with pleasant temperatures.

Photo: Provided by athlete

Know your route well

Although the Fife Coastal Path is a marked route there are quite a few points where it is badly signposted (particularly for navigationally challenged people like myself) and errors can be made. I did a lot of recce weekends where I made a lot of mistakes (I actually ran in the opposite direction one day along a motorway…) but meant that on the day I was very confident with the route and could actually enjoy it.

It also meant that I knew what was coming up throughout and had no nasty surprises. The section before St Andrews is beautiful but very tough underfoot with rocky beaches and boulder paths. On the day I was ready for them. Equally I could plan the timing of the day better as some sections were much quicker than others.

Have a good support crew

This is absolutely key – I had my boyfriend driving from point to point with refreshments and fuel stocks (He has zero interest in running unless it is after a rugby ball so I was really worried he would hate it and I would feel bad that he was having a dreadful time but he actually seemed to really enjoy the day out!).

I deliberately planned it so that he could get a good sleep on Friday night and only needed to be at the first stop at 7am – I didn’t want a cranky boyfriend making mistakes later on either! He had detailed instructions that he was to treat each stop like a Formula one pit stop in terms of efficiency. I had a tracker so he had no excuses not to have my requirements/requests ready. In fact he actually surpassed himself and even offered a few (quick and efficient) hugs along the way. He also popped up with ten miles to go with some extra coke for me – and extra fuel for my support runners.

Photo: Provided by athlete

Run with your friends

This is the most important bit. I had my friends running with me for the whole route – different people for different sections. Each and every one of them were brilliant and I actually had so much fun laughing and chatting with them along the way.

It also broke the 117 miles down nicely having people for different sections. After a year where lockdown meant a lot of social restrictions it was great to catch up with some friends I hadn’t really seen all year. They all looked after me so well and did and said all the right things at the right time. Having people that know you well is important – when I was having a low moment I needed my friend Peter to be stern with me and let me know that I needed to eat and I had to keep running, not someone to sympathise with and tell me ok to walk.

I have a lot of fun memories from the day – seeing a tawny owl with Warren in the dark, having Peter M put a seaweed wig on to make me laugh, my friend Corrie bringing a new lip balm as an essential item for me (she knows me well!), my friend Donnie suprising me at Leuchars to run with me and detailed discussions over how Alex’s amazing photo should really have a watermark on it. There was lots of good silly fun along the way!

Remember why you are doing it.

I was doing it as a Fundraiser for my friend Kat who is now paralysed from waist down following a mountain bike accident last year.

So there was never a point where I felt I wouldn’t finish it. I remember she came to cheer me on at 80 miles which was magical – 7 miles later I hit a low spot and wished could have stopped then with her. But then remembered that a proper challenge is meant to be hard and should have a chance of failure.

Overall I had one of the best days of my life!

Ultimately I was getting to spend the day running on a lovely route in perfect weather with my friends. We managed to raise enough money to get Kat her bike which was really what it was all about.

I do think that FKTs will continue to be popular in future years. I have just finished Ally Beaven’s new book “Broken” which details a lot of impressive FKTs over 2020 and it really highlights how they offer a very different challenge to a race. Ultimately you are creating your own adventure and challenge – and you might as well have fun in the process!

The post How to have Fun on an FKT appeared first on Fast Running.

To follow Nicola’s run this weekend check out the live tracking here.

One thing that has occurred as a result of COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions is an abundance of FKT attempts across the UK!

Beth Pascall sent a fantastic record of the Bob Graham round last month. First John Kelly and then Damien Hall broke records along the Pennine Way, Jo Meek broke an overall record down on Dartmoor and Sophie Mullins set a new mark on the Union Canal.

Arguably the most impressive feats were the recent LEJOG attempts – Carla Molinaro and Dan Lawson both setting female and male records of the 820-30 mile route from Lands End to John O Groats.

With my own events all being cancelled and not looking good for the rest of the year I decided to do my own FKT and use it as my fundraising event for my friend Kat – my original challenge was the Madeira Island Ultra Trail in April.  I decided to take on the 117 mile route of the Fife Coastal Path, starting at Kincardine and tracing its way around the coast to Newburgh.

So what is an FKT?

FKT is shorthand for “Fastest Known Time”—essentially, a speed record on any given route. There is no formal race or event for these routes, which include everything from long-distance hiking trails to circumnavigations of lakes or mountains, to “up-and-down” times summiting an iconic peak or completing a linkup of multiple peaks. 

In many ways, chasing FKTs is the ultimate egalitarian “sport.” There is no entry fee to participate, nor any permission necessary (other than being allowed on the route).

Anyone, at any time, on any day, can try to break a record and set a new FKT.

Photo: Provided by athlete

So how does one prepare for an FKT?

Unlike organised events there are no arrows or marshals during an FKT.  Therefore a very important part of preparation is becoming familiar with the route.

For me that was actually quite a pleasant thing to have to do as the Fife Coastal Path is beautiful – certainly no hardship having recce days along it! 

As it is 117 miles long it can be a logistical nightmare to sort out getting sections done.  My two running friends Alex and Neil were fantastic at chumming me along different stretches….often cycling to the start for out and backs and occasionally getting buses and trains to different sections and getting a train back. 

Lessons learned on the trail

It becomes harder the further along the route when there are no train stations and no direct buses back to Edinburgh.  I did a recce weekend where I did 31 miles one day and 33 miles the next – solo on the hottest weekend of the year!  Here’s what I learned on my recce adventures:

1. It may be a way-marked route but I can still get lost.  A few times.  In particular on my last recce weekend, with just five miles to go I missed a sign and ended up on a motorway.  I needed to get to Newburgh for my lift to train station so decided to run on the big road for 5 miles. Unfortunately I ran 5 miles…..in the wrong direction.
2. Tides exist…high and low.  I will likely end up getting wet at times not having the luxury of being able to pick and choose when the tides are at the right level.
3. Some villages still only accept cash.  This was very sad when I needed an ice cream in Ansruther and there was a big queue for ice cream which I waited in and then couldn’t buy one.
4. Some cows are friendly – some aren’t.  Extreme caution at times required.
5. If it’s hot…use lots of Vaseline.  The chaffing I got on my recce weekend was indescribable due to sweating so much!
6. I will need to eat and drink a LOT over 117 miles. 

Photo: Provided by athlete

Part of the FKT community

As part of my preparation I helped support two FKT attempts – I cycled beside Sophie along the Union Canal and I guided Dan Lawson across the Pentlands on his LEJOG attempt.  I learned a lot from these experiences too:

HAVE A PLAN B. I got a puncture when supporting Sophie which meant she was without her energy drinks while I repaired (thanks Matthew the Maths teacher) my puncture and caught back up. 

This has made me be over cautious with my own plans and I will aim to carry everything I need myself and have extras.  I can restock and refuel along the way but just in case something happens and I don’t get my restocks at a certain point – I will have enough.

There will be low points.  Pain and suffering is temporary.  Watching Dan on day seven of his challenge was so inspiring – he told me that he did have low points and that you have to almost see it as a shift at work.  In my case…maybe three shifts.

Energy from supporters

Seeing people cheering you on really perks you up.  I saw how Dan got lifted when people came out to cheer and run with him and this made me decide that I would like people to run stretches with me too. It will make it much more fun and ultimately I want it to be an enjoyable experience. Also it might be less scary tackling the cows in the dark with company.

When it’s really tough….remember your WHY. For me this is easy – fundraising for Kat is the main goal of this event and hopefully will be successful with that. 

This weekend will be my final recce of the route – doing the one section I haven’t managed yet and re-doing the last section to ensure I don’t end up on the big roads again.

So that’s how I prep for an FKT – there may be another article to follow afterwards with more lessons. I will have a tracker and if anyone wants to run some of it with me or cheer me on let me know.

If you want to follow Nicola’s run this weekend then the tracking can be found here.

If you would like to assist Nicola in raising funds for Kat via this FKT attempt then follow the link here.

The post Preparing for an FKT on the Fife Coastal Path appeared first on Fast Running.

I have always been someone who likes to prepare as much as possible for everything- I have an “intolerance for uncertainty” (control freak) and have always tried to combat that by doing as much as I can for things….I was never a crammer for my exams in school!

When I played tennis I practised and practised every single shot thousands of times…I had a bucket of 100 balls that used to practice my serve while my Mum or brother scootered around the court picking them up for me to serve them again. My first tennis coach told me that to master a new shot/stroke you needed to practice it 10,000 times and this is something that has always stuck with me.

I have taken this approach to my running too – and with ultra running preparation seems to be all encompassing. There is just so much that can go wrong in a long Ultra…but the better you prepare the less likely things will go wrong….and if they go wrong you will be better equipped to deal with it.

The next big challenge

I have entered my biggest challenge to date this year…the Madeira Island Ultra Trail. 115km across the island with about 8000 metres of ascent. I am terrified to be honest – the longest I have ran for is when I did the Highland Fling in 2018 when I ran for 8hrs 26 minutes (I was seven minutes quicker in 2019) – realistically looking at previous times and knowing my strengths/weaknesses on that sort of terrain I will be running for 20 hours or so!

The beautiful, but unforgiving landscape of Madeira. Photo: Nicola Duncan

So how am I preparing?! I have broken down the preparation into different sections and am focusing on each of these to try and make sure I am doing everything I can to get ready:

Training with the goal in mind

For whatever event you are training for you need to keep the training specific. I love long runs and already run quite big mileage every week.

So realistically I know I can’t really increase my mileage more than what doing already. So I have been focusing on lots of hilly routes (living in Edinburgh I have the Pentland Hills as my playground and the Seven Hills of Edinburgh is all-time favourite route), hill rep sessions, longer progression runs and am currently in Madeira doing a camp which is a recce of the race route.

One thing that is difficult to replicate for events in Europe is the long sustained ascents and descents…my runs are much more “undulating” in Edinburgh. This week of training is the ideal opportunity to get my legs used to climbing for AGES and then descending for AGES. Interestingly it is the long descents that trash my legs much more and I have suffered with cramp at races like the OCC as a result.

A night out on the trails

My race starts at midnight…so will be a) running with a head-torch and b) running when I should be sleeping.

I run a lot throughout Winter with a headtorch so am comfortable with this, although I had a nasty fall in Sicily in September running in the dark without a headtorch on an uneven gravelly path along a pier. One of those runs where, in hindsight, you couldn’t have been more of a numpty! I have the scars on my face to show for this but it took months to regain my confidence running in the dark (and a new super duper 900 lumen Petzl headtorch).

A few pals of mine have planned some nocturnal Pentland Skyline runs where we will start late on a Friday evening – replicating starting a bit tired and ready for bed. Hopefully this will help with confidence too – of course it is a balance as you don’t want to mess up training generally and sleep so important in any training cycle.

Keeping the body healthy

Consistent training is so important and this means avoiding injury. I used to be permanently injured when I did road marathons and have learned a lot through making all the mistakes possible.

I do Pilates regularly, train with an amazing outdoor fitness group called Race Fitness which incorporates lots of strength and core work (and “hardship” training), get a massage every month and have an amazing osteopath who sorts me out instantly when I have any issues. I have regular recovery days (My coach Robbie makes me) too which I find hard.

Eating for the miles (and mountains) ahead

I have been working with my coach Robbie Britton with this – I remember the first time he asked me what I would have for a race and his absolute horror when he realised I meant for the whole thing and not per hour…

I now use Maurten which has been amazing for me – an easy way to get carbs and liquid in, especially when weather is warm and drinking more.

There’s a good variety of race food I enjoy, like mini rolls (you can just shove them in and no chewing required!), clif blocks (experimenting with caffeine versions also) and jelly babies. But for Madeira I need to expand my list of foods as everyone tells me you get sick of some foods..imagine if I couldn’t face any more mini rolls.

I am going to try Swiss roll (less messy than mini rolls when warmer and not much chewing), rice with jam and Nutella sandwiches on the camp in Madeira…but any suggestions welcome? I love ice cream but think this isn’t really going to be possible logistically carrying my own food.

Last Summer I did the UTMB route over four days when there was a heat wave and survived off ice cream and coke! Every time I got to a town the plan was to load up on vanilla ice cream – it was immense. Cooled me down, full of energy and just a comforting food in general.

So if anyone has any secrets on how to transport ice cream during a long mountain ultra then please do get in touch.

Colour coordination and a strange leg twist are key for your trail photos. Photo: Provided by athlete

Got to look the part

The fun bit of training and racing! I hope to have an idea of what runners will be best after my recce camp in Madeira – thinking La Sportiva Helios or Inov8 Trail Talon [Although since writing this Nicola has discovered the trails are quite rocky for these lighter shoes – Ed.]

My Ultimate Direction pack is the business and fits in everything (down to my lipgloss) and is super comfy. I have found THE perfect shorts for race day – multi coloured short short ones with ice cream cones on them as it might be the only ice cream, I get on race day.

And will wear my tried and trusted Lululemon t shirt – no matter how much I sweat it dries and I still smell lovely. Gloves and buff are key parts of my kit also – my friends joke how “tapps off” weather means “gloves off” for me. I have my lucky underwear that I wear for all my races too.

The race is 10 weeks away and the racing outfit is sorted. How’s that for organised?

Getting the head in the right place

This is a key aspect of any race – how do you cope when the going gets tough and you have those periods of “darkness”?

I think it is important to have a very defined “WHY” for doing the race…so when you want to stop you have a reason not to. I like to challenge myself and see what I can do but I have an extra component in my “WHY” this time.

I am fundraising to get a super duper bike for my lovely friend Kat who is paralysed after an accident on her mountain bike last Summer. Kat is one of the best downhill runners I have ever seen (we always joked we needed to find a relay hill race where I went up and she went down) and we have done lots of OCR events together too.

She loved mountain biking and being outside. Her accident has meant a complete change of life for her but this bike will be a game changer. She will be able to get back on the trails and hills where she belongs and will mean that her quality of life will be so much better. I am determined to get this bike for her so that we can continue to have fun together…so when I want to stop on race day…this will keep me going.

Here’s hoping that all this preparation and consideration will pay off and I will finish in one piece on April 25th. If I have missed anything…please let me know.

If you would like to sponsor Nicola to help raise funds for Kat’s bike then please follow the link here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Preparation is key appeared first on Fast Running.

Yared Derese of Carrick Aces was a comfortable winner of the Trim 10-Mile in Co Meath on Sunday (February 2). By halfway, which he reached in 23 mins 32 secs , Derese had built up a minute’s lead and he went on to win the race in 48 mins 1 sec, with Eric Keogh of Donore Harriers, the only other athlete to break 50 minutes, second in 49:29.

Hugh Armstrong of Ballina AC was third in 50:22 and former Olympic race walker Colin Griffin of Ballinamore AC fourth in 51:56.

First woman was Ciara Durkan of Skerries AC in 59:16. Isabel Oakes was second in 60:48 and Caroline Donnelly of Edenderry AC third and first W40 in 60:53.

In Co Waterford, Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC was the winner of the John Treacy Dungarvan 10-Mile in 48 mins 16 secs.

Kevin Maunsell of Clonmel AC was second in 48:30 and Conor Duffy of Glaslough Harriers third in 50:07. Alan O’Shea of Bantry AC was fifth and first M40 in 51:02. Dublin visitors Crusaders AC were first of the 25 teams, beating East Cork AC and St Finbarr’s AC.

First woman in 54 mins 23 secs was Irish marathon champion Aoife Cooke of Eagle AC. Sarah McMahon of Dundrum South Dublin AC was second in 59:16 and Fiona Santry of East Cork AC third in 60:18. Fourth and first W45 was Angela McCann of Clonmel AC. Cooke’s aunt, the great Mary Sweeney of St Finbarr’s AC, finished third W55.

Eagle AC proved best of a massive women’s team entry of 43; Watergrasshill AC and Clonmel AC finished second and third.

Dublin Track Club in action.

Another sizzler from Coscoran

After his sub-four minute indoor mile a week earlier, Andrew Coscoran, of the Star of the Sea club in Co Meath, continued his recent streak of good form with a personal best 3:37.98 for 1500m at the Boston University Scarlet and White Invite on Saturday (February 1). Dublin Track Club athlete Coscoran finished third in the race, with Josh Thompson the winner in 3:37.21.

In Vienna on Saturday (February 1), Phil Healy of Bandon AC finished second in both the 200m and 400m in times of 23.46 and 52.65 secs.

Meanwhile in Melbourne a week earlier, Sean Tobin of Clonmel AC and Michelle Finn of Leevale AC won the 3000m races at the Box Hill Classic in times of 7 mins 59 secs and 9 mins 6 secs respectively.

Cross country

Sean Horan of Harrier Products was the winner of the Garda BHAA open four mile cross-country in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Saturday (February 1).

Doran’s time of 22 mins 18 secs saw him finish ahead of George Snee from Fidelity Instruments in 22:24 and Ross Hurley in 22:28. In the graded team categories, Bank of Ireland won both A and B, and finished second in C behind ESB. Revenue teams finished first and second in grade D.

A clear winner of the women’s two-mile race in 12 mins 38 secs was Laura Buckley, with her Teachers team mate Eva McNelis second in 13:21 and Claire Ní Fhaircheallagh third and first W35 in 13:36. With Ashling Smith finishing ninth, the Teachers finished first team ahead of Health A and HSE. The race, part of the Lord Mayor Series, had a massive 332 finishers.

Some women opted for the longer distance race with Rachel Yorke of Deloitte the best of the bunch. Next BHAA race is the ALSAA cross-country at Dublin Airport on Saturday February 15.

At the first Irwin Speirs Memorial Cup cross-country held at MUSA, Cookstown on Saturday (February 1), host club Acorns AC dominated with Vincent McKenna not only wining the men’s 4-mile race, but leading Acorns AC to team victory.

Gemma Whitehouse made it an Acorns AC double when she won the women’s 3-mile race; team winners were Victoria Park and Coniston AC.

The races were held in memory of the late Irwin Speirs, a highly respected masters’ athlete and coach of Acorns AC who died suddenly last December.

Irish action in Scotland

Finishing third in the men’s long race at the BUCS Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park on Saturday (February 1) was Jayme Rossiter of Clonliffe Harriers representing Aston University.

In the women’s short race, Louise Shanahan of Leevale AC, a PhD student in physics at Cambridge University, finished fifth. Shanahan, a track specialist, competed at the European U23 Championships in Sweden last summer.

At the Fox Trail winter series in East Lothian it was Irish ultra runner Nicola Duncan who victorious over the half marathon distance event.  The muddy trail race saw Ian Logan of Linlithgow AC the men’s winner in 1:26:36 and Duncan ran 1:35:39, whilst training for her first ultra race of the season at the Madeira Ultra Trail. Follow the speedster’s preparation in the Fast10 blogs.

Montserrat Sky Race

In the mountains outside Barcelona, Spain, last year’s IMRA World Cup Winner was getting her season into action. Sarah McCormack won the women’s race with a strong performance and it was actually a Yorkshire 1-2-3 on the men’s podium. We’re exited to see how well McCormack runs again in 2020, seemingly going from strength to strength every year.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Fast 10 milers the flavour of the week – Irish round-up appeared first on Fast Running.

With a 2:33 marathon best Nicola Duncan is one of Ireland’s quickest ever marathoners (before the Next% era too) and now focuses on trail and ultra running, competing for Ireland at the World Longs and World Trail Ultra Championships in 2019.

Profile:

Name: Nicola Duncan (my other half calls me The Midget, my family call me Dolly!)
Age (Jan 2020): 37
Hometown: Live in Edinburgh but originally from Galway in Ireland
Club: Carnethy Hill Running Club
Main discipline: Ultra trail running
Other disciplines: Trails of any distance really, hill runs, also enjoy obstacle course races but haven’t managed many in recent times.
Full-time athlete/work/studying: Full time Actuary (and Mummy to Senna the golden retriever)

Goals or targets for 2020

I asked my boyfriend for help with this question and he said “Be Awesome,F@ck Sh&t Up”!!! But really I want to improve my endurance and have entered some longer ultras including Madeira Island Ultra Trail (115km) and CCC at UTMB.

I also want to improve my navigational skills and have entered Lakeland 50 so looking forward to some practice weekends for that – companions/guides welcome!

My main goal is to enjoy my running and stay injury free.

Past Running highlights

In 2019 I was both National Scottish Ultra Trail champ and National Irish Ultra Trail champ! [We think Nicola may have forgotten a few things for this section – Ed.]

Interesting or fun facts

I was a decent tennis player in my time (5th in Ireland as a junior) and played for Connacht and East Scotland many times. Given my size…I really should have started running sooner!!

I run because…

I love the freedom of it and being outside.

Favourite training session

The longer the long run the better and I have been known to “round up” my training sessions….

Photo: Peter MacDonald

Least favourite training session

Anything short and attempted fast. parkrun is my nightmare.

Favourite pre-race food

Porridge!! With pumpkin seeds and chia seeds and maca powder! And pink Himalayan salt.

Favourite post-race food

Hot Chocolate! And Pizza! And fish and chips!

Favourite runner or runners

I have always been inspired by Jo Pavey and how long a career she has had and how much she does to promote running in the UK. Very inspiring how she clearly is still loving running.

Brands or organisations that support me

Beta Running give me lots of amazing UD kit and Injinji socks!

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Fast10: Nicola Duncan appeared first on Fast Running.

There are three events taking place: the junior and senior World Championship races on Friday 15th and the World Long Distance race on Saturday 16th . The courses are based around the K42  Adventure Marathon course and take in some stunning highlights of the Province of Neuquen in Patagonia.

The juniors will race over a route of 6.6k with 393 metres of ascent. The course will initially take them north into the forest with a steep and technical climb. When it reaches the highest point of the race (1246 metres) the runners turn south and begin a steep descent. They will then have to contend with a stream crossing (with ropes), before a fast, runnable descent on a wide path all the way down to the finish.

The seniors World Mountain Running Championships will take place over a 14k course with 754 metres of ascent. They will start in the streets of Villa La Angostura and head north along a dirt track and into the forest. The first 2.5k are quite flat, but then it starts to climb up through the forest and becomes steep and technical. This is followed by a section of technical descent, before the runners head to the Inacayal Waterfall, then start to descend again on a faster path. This takes them down to the street which heads to the finish line.

World Longs

The World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships takes place the next day and the course is 41.5k with 2,184m of ascent. Again, it starts in the streets of Villa La Angostura and then starts a climb on forest tracks. It climbs steadily until around 7k, then there’s a long, fast descent.

The middle section is generally flatter, but with some technical sections and a creek crossing, then the big climb begins just after 20k. This long climb will take the runners up to the summit of Cerro Bayo at 1785 metres, where they will be in snow. They will then begin a long and fast descent, mainly on dirt tracks, back down to Villa La Angostura.

Countries who will take part include the USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, France and Spain, who have all featured heavily in this year’s World Cup. So competition will be fierce. 

The courses look fantastic and varied and should test any runner. The championships are going to be really exciting and we look forward to bringing you all the news as it happens live from Patagonia. Follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for updates.

Photo: Robbie Britton

Women’s senior race

The 2019 World Cup winner, Sarah McCormack, will be running for Ireland. After a very successful season, where she won the Snowdon Race and was second at the MaXi Race, Drei Zinnen and Smarna Gora, she must be one of the favourites. She will face strong competition from many women.

Firstly, the World Cup winner from 2017 and 2018 (second this year), Lucy Murigi, proved that she will be a contender, winning Smarna Gora a few weeks ago in a thrilling race with McCormack. The Kenyan team will not feature at the Champs.

Sarah Tunstall of GB will also be a strong contender, having finished third in the world championships in 2017 and having won Grossglockner and Drei Zinnen this year and finished fourth at the European Championships earlier this year. Her compatriot Emmie Collinge must also be one to watch. She was second in the world championships in 2015 and won the European Mountain Running Championships the following year.

Other women to watch include Italy’s Elisa Sortini and Alice Gaggi, France’s Elise Poncet and Grayson Murphy. Collegiate stand-out Murphy is an excellent road runner who has recently returned to the trails and was the clear winner of the US trial. Her excellent leg speed could be a huge factor in the mountain race.

Photo: Alex Donald

Men’s senior race

The men’s World Cup winner, Andrew Douglas, will also be in Villa La Angostura, and will be among the favourites, having had an incredible 2019 season. Joe Gray won the US trials and as 2016 world champion and 17-time national champion, he must also be one to watch.

GB’s Jacob Adkin, this year’s European Champion, is a favourite to be up there. Watch out for young Adkin starting sensibly and finishing with his trademark blazing strength. Anyone new to the champs could well learn from Jacob, as if you’re ahead of him in the first few kilometres and not expecting to podium, then you’re going too fast.

The Italian team is strong as ever with Xavier Chevrier, Luca Cagnati and Casare Maestri among others who could well feature in the top 10. Fast Running’s man in Italy, Francesco Nicola, believes his team can challenge for the gold medal and we think he’s right.

The French team is a very experienced one with Julien Rancon and Alexandre Fine. The Kenyan team contains Robert Panin Surum and Timothy Kimutai Kirui, who, as ever, could very well feature or not trouble the front at all. It seems the latter was correct as the Kenyan team will not feature.

Ireland’s Zak Hannah, who finished sixth in the World Cup this year, will also be a strong competitor, and will be looking to build on his strong top 20 position from the European Championships earlier this year, as will Slovenia’s Timotej Becan, who finished fifth in the Mountain Running World Cup.

Other runners to watch include Hans-Peter Innerhofer of Austria and any number of strong Czech, German and South American athletes.

Women’s long distance race

Over the longer distance the women’s race should also be really exciting. One of the most interesting athletes to watch will be Laura Dahlmeier of Germany, who has famously swapped an incredibly successful career as a biathlete for mountain running.

France’s Blandin L’hirondel won this year’s Trail World Championships, so it will be interesting to see how that translates to mountain running. Judith Wyder of Switzerland should also be up at the front, having had a hugely successful season in Skyrunning.

Her compatriot Maude Mathys will also be a strong contender [Although we should add that the Swiss mountain running star has previously been reprimanded for anti-doping rules violations – Editor].

Spain are fielding a very strong team, with Sheila Aviles (who was 3rd at this year’s Trail World Championships) and Azara Garcia de los Salmones (4th at the Trail World Championships, 2nd at this year’s OCC), among others expected to feature.

Ireland’s Nicola Duncan will be relishing the fast, runnable climbing and could well feature well this weekend. The ultra distance athlete has been racing well in recent weeks over the trails and has been focusing on this event for the Autumn.

Several runner to watch include Italy’s Sylvia Rampazzo and GB’s Charlotte Morgan, both former champions, Adeline Roche of France, who’s best performance to date remains her 2017 World Trail Champs win and Kellie Emmerson of Australia, who is more of a longer distance specialist but could surprise many in the final kilometres.

Men’s long distance race

The men’s long distance race has had a couple of big names pull out – Luis Alberto Hernando of Spain and GB’s Tom Evans [although as Evans was strong enough to finish third in the Milton Keynes Cross last weekend it is disappointing to hear he won’t be representing his country – Editor]  – but it still has plenty of incredible athletes.

The 2019 World Trail Champion Jonathan Albon from GB will be among the favourites, as will Italy’s Francesco Puppi. But it’s perhaps the US team which has aroused the most interest. Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks and Mario Mendoza are strongly expected to feature in the race.

Hayden Hawks especially has some of the best leg speed in the event with a 13:54 5k PB and great experience over the longer ultra distance events. The show down between Hawks and Walmsley could make for real entertaining watching, but Fast Running is backing Hawks to come out on top in the US battle, but the fierce competition could put the team atop the podium if Mendoza runs well.

Other runners to watch include Switzerland’s Stephan Wenk, and France’s Nicolas Martin, both excellent on the trails and over ultra distance so look for strong finishes.

Ireland’s Paddy O’Leary and Gavin Byrne both broke the Wicklow Round record in 2019 and O’Leary has been in South America for a number of weeks preparing for the race… or just on an extended holiday with some races. We’re not sure. Look for both to run well in their national vests after great seasons so far.

Junior races

The junior races will be hotly contested and the future of mountain running is looking very bright. Among the runners are the British junior Joe Dugdale, who won this year’s European championships, and Joslin Blair of the US, who won the 2018 WMRA International U18 Mountain Running Championships.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Strong British & Irish athletes at WMRA Champs appeared first on Fast Running.

In Chicago, Fionnuala McCormack finished 5^th woman in 2 hrs 26 mins 47 secs, knocking almost four minutes off her previous best of 2:30.38 run in Boston earlier this year. That time is comfortably inside the Tokyo 2020 qualifying standard of 2:29:30 and means that McCormack, now aged 35, is on target to compete at her fourth Olympic Games next summer.

It also puts her third on the all-time list of Irish-born athletes led by Catherina McKiernan whose Irish record of 2:22.23 dates back 21 years to Amsterdam in 1998. Second on the list is Mayo-born Sinead Diver who ran a time of 2:24.11 in London last April; Diver runs for Australia. Only four Irish women have ever gone under 2 hrs 30 mins for the marathon.

Photo: Robbie Britton

Irish success in the mountains

At the final World Cup race on the Smarna Gora in Slovenia, Sarah McCormack finished second behind defending champion Lucy Murigi from Kenya with less than a minute in it.

McCormack, who is based at Ambleside in the Lake District, had already done enough to lift the World Cup trophy after a super consistent season, where she ran six of the seven World Cup races. She finished second at the opening round in Annecy and at the Drei Zinnen in Italy as well as in Slovenia and took a big win at Snowdon, a race she had won twice before. She also picked up good points for a fourth at the savagely steep Grossglockner in Austria and for 13^th in the 31km Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland.

In the men’s race, Zak Hanna of Newcastle AC finished ninth which put him 5^th overall in the World Cup rankings. He made the top ten in the four races he ran, with his best result coming at Snowdon where he finished fourth.

Both athletes will represent Ireland at the World Mountain Running Championships taking place in Villa La Angostura, Patagonia, Argentina at the end of next month.

Photo: Kirsten Kortebein

Trail running overseas

Nicole Duncan, building up towards the World Mountain Running Long Distance Championships in Patagonia the November, was the comfortable winner at the Pentland Skyline race in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Running for the race organisers Carnethy RC, the former road marathoner clocked 3:10:51 to win the 26.6km race with 1890m of climbing. Tom Owens, running for Shettleston Harriers, was the men’s winner in 2:25:29.

US-based ultra trail runner Paddy O’Leary, who started a trio of Wicklow Round records earlier this year, was the winner of the THF Endurance Challenge Chile 50km. Also building up towards the World Longs in Argentina this November, the 2:20 marathoner is travelling and adventuring in South America before the champs and looks in fine form.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

Lindie Naughton is a journalist and writer based in Dublin who joined the athletics club at her college many many years ago and has never quite escaped. You’ll normally find her jogging around some orienteering course somewhere – or down at the Irishtown track coaching kiddies!

The post A good weekend to be called McCormack – Irish weekend round-up appeared first on Fast Running.

Gideon Kimosop of 1ZERO1 Athletes was the winner of the Waterside Half Marathon in Derry on Sunday (September 1).

Kimosop, a regular visitor to Ireland for the past four years, raced away to victory in 66:43. For second place, Kyle Doherty of City of Derry Spartans just outpaced his club mate Declan Reed with the pair timed at 68:34 and 68:35. Reid was first M45.

First woman in 16^th place overall was Ann Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC in 76:58 – faster that her winning time of 77:21 from 2014. Sinead Lambe of Donore Harriers was second in 82:53 and Gemma McDonald of Ballycastle third in 87:06. In the team competition, Foyle Valley AC, with four in the top seven, proved best of the men, beating City of Derry Spartans. Spartans had the consolation of finishing first in the women’s category. A total of 1,442 completed the race.

In Belfast, also on Sunday, John Black of North Belfast Harriers and Emma Mitchell, Clonliffe Harriers newest recruit, were the winners of the Laganside 10km in Belfast. Full results here.

Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin AC made the trip to Cork on Saturday (August 31) where he came out on top in the John Buckley Sports 10-Mile with a time of 49:57.

Finishing a close second was Jonathan Escalante-Phillips of Cambridge and Coleridge AC in 50:09, with Tim O’Donoghue of East Cork AC third in 50:41. First woman was Jill Hodgins of Leevale AC in 59:26. National half marathon champion Angela McCann of Clonmel AC was second in 59:38 with Claire O’Brien of Watergrasshill AC a distant third.

Keeping busy with racing

Escalante-Phillips was a busy athlete, running four races in as many days. On Thursday evening, he won the Portmarnock 5 mile in 25:04. Next up was the Tara 5km on Friday evening where again he was the winner in 16:17.

On Sunday, he was back in Leinster and proved the class of the field when winning the Boyne 5km in Drogheda in a time of 15:18. A distant second in 16.37 was Ruarcan O Gibne of Ace AC in 16.37. First woman was Amy Bulman of Willowfield Harriers in 19:25. In Portmarnock. Colm Rooney of Clonliffe Harriers was four seconds behind for second place, while Raheny’s Kate Purcell was first woman, while in Tara, Laura McvDonnell of Tallaght AC was first woman in 18: 15

On a congested weekend of fixtures, Freddy Sittuk and Aisling O’Connor were the winners of the Tullamore Half Marathon on Saturday (August 31).

Sittuk, currently resident in the Wexford area, was a clear winner of the race in 68:31. Local athlete Liam Brady of Tullamore Harriers was second in 70:20 and Stephen Conroy of Celbridge AC third in 71.27.

O’Connor was first woman in 80:20, with her Edenderry AC clubmate Caroline Donnellan second and first W40 in 82:51 and Dunleer AC’s Karen Costello third in 84:57. Fourth and first W50 was Olympian Pauline Curley in 85:19. She was also leading Tullamore Harriers to team victory over Dunleer AC and Ferbane AC.

First M40 was Paul Buckley of Ferbane AC in 73.08. Brendan Donagher of Naomh Mhuire AC was first M50 in 78:47 and Barry Potts of Donore Harriers first M60 in 93:54. Tullamore Harriers were first men’s team, finishing comfortably ahead of Ferbane AC and Newbridge AC.

Gareth Lyons of North Belfast Harriers and Catherine O’Connor of East Down AC were the winners at the Ards 5-mile on Saturday (August 31). Lyons finished in 28 mins 14 secs, with O’Connor clocking 30:42.

Sean Doran of C& E Products raced away from the field for victory in the Pfizer BHAA 5km on Wednesday (August 28) in Grange Castle, Dublin.

Doran’s time of 15 mins 36 secs saw him finish over a minute clear of Phelim Glynn of Eir who was first M55 in 16:46. Third in 16:55 was Cyril Cuddy of host club Pfizer, with his team finishing first of the grade A teams ahead of Eir. First woman was Lynn Hennessy in 18:35. Luke Whelan O’Loughlin of Pfizer was second and first W40 in 19:48 and Grainne Butler third and first W55 in 20.22, with Butler leading the Health Group to team victory. With no teams in grade B, Eir won the C grade while ESB was best in D.

Photo: Catriona Jennings

50km on the flat and all the way around Mont Blanc

Caitriona Jennings of Letterkenny AC finished seventh in a new Irish record of 3 hrs 19 mins 49 secs at the World 50km Championships in Brasov, Romania on Saturday (August 31). Finishing 46^th in 3 hrs 16 mins was Raivis Zakis of West Waterford AC who was representing his native Latvia.

Best of the Irish at the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc in and around Chamonix, France, was Paddy O’Leary who finished 41^st in 26 hours 5 mins 54 secs for the 171.6km distance in his first attempt at this most daunting of off road running challenges.

Finishing 52^nd and 3^rd M50 in 27 hours 17 mins on Saturday evening was Eoin Keith of Sportsworld AC in Dublin, who was delighted to complete the race after three DNFs in the past three attempts.

“That went well. Managed to hit my targets, and finishing in a respectable time. Overall I was 52nd, which in a field with way more than 100 elite athletes is pretty good. I was delighted to manage to get on the podium as third in my old old man age category. The UTMB podium is a special place to be!” Keith wrote on his FB page.

Fast Running’s Robbie Britton saw Keith in a sprint finish through the streets of Chamonix in the final miles and said “the sheer determination Eoin was showing in the final push of such a long race was inspirational. It just showed that competitive spirit that has seen Eoin win races and set records across so many years.”

Over the 146.9m TDS distance (with over 9,000m of climb), Gavin Byrne finished 31^st in 22 hours 57 mins 22 secs. Byrne suffered with stomach issues in the early stages, but showed his ever growing experience by moving through the field over the entire race even if the hills “weren’t built for Irish lads”.

Lonan O’Farrell from Castlegar AC finished in 27:11.16 and Munster mountain runner Joe O’Leary in 28:05.07

In the shorter 56.2km race, which took place earlier in the week, Irish international mountain runner Eoin Lennon finished 45^th in 6 hrs 23 mins 17 secs. Finishing 170^th and 26^th woman in 7:50.13 was Nicola Duncan who, like Lennon, is a member of the Carnethy club in Scotland.

Moving towards Doha on the track

Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC finished sixth in the 400m hurdles at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday (August 29) in his second fastest time of the season.

Barr’s time of 49.17 secs was just off his season’s best of 49.11 set in Oslo in July.

Ahead of him, Karsten Warholm with a sensational time of 46.91 secs not only extended his unbeaten run of 2019 but ran the second fastest time ever – a time only bettered by the American Kevin Young who ran 46.78 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

At ISTAF Berlin on Sunday (September 1), Michele Finn of Leevale AC clocked a personal best and national record time of 6:16.67 when finishing seventh in a high quality 2000m steeplechase.

On Friday evening at the Tonbridge Twilight Invitational in England, (August 30), Mark English of UCD AC continued his preparations for  the World Championships by winning the 800m in 1:45.98 – just off the Doha automatic qualifying mark of 1:45.80. A close second in 1:46.08 was Spender Thomas.

Marcus Lawler of St LOT AC was at the 100m/200m sprint series meet in the Lee Valley stadium on Wednesday (August 28) where he ran a wind-assisted time of 20.63 (+2.5) to win his 200m. In the 100m, Stephen Gaffney of Rathfarnham WSAF ran a personal best 10.63 (0.6) in the 100m.

parkrun

Lynne Hennessy and James Hamilton ran the fastest parkrun times in Ireland this weekend (August 31st). Full rankings here.

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

Lindie Naughton is a journalist and writer based in Dublin who joined the athletics club at her college many many years ago and has never quite escaped. You’ll normally find her jogging around some orienteering course somewhere – or down at the Irishtown track coaching kiddies!

The post Athletes at UTMB, World 50k Champs, track & the roads – Irish round-up appeared first on Fast Running.

Finishing second in 2:03.07 was British visitor Hannah Seagrove, with Nadia Power of Templeogue AC third in 2:03.40 and Katie Kirk of UU Jordanstown AC fourth in 2:04.43. Sarah Healy of Blackrock AC, the recently crowed Irish 1500m champion, clocked 2:07.39 for seventh place.

Later in the evening, Mageean acted as a pacemaker for the 3000m.

Photo: Lindie Naughton

Winning the men’s 800m race was John Fitzsimons of Kildare AC in 1:48.19 – his quickest time so far this season and not far off his lifetime best of 1:48.09 set summer. Conall Kirk of Annadale Striders ran a personal best 1:49.13 for second while Mark Milner of Tullamore Harriers was third in 1:49.87.

Finishing second with a time of 11.69 in the women’s 100m was Ciara Neville of Emerald AC. Scottish athlete Alisha Rees was the winner in 11.57. Joan Healy, who has recently transferred to Leevale AC, was third in 11.81 and Molly Scott of St LOT AC fifth in 11.97.

Sarah Lavin of UCD AC proved the class of the field in the women’s 100m hurdles, winning with a time of 13.44. Scotland’s Heather Paton was second in 13.67 and Molly Courtney of Cheltenham and County Harriers third in 13.97. Lavin also won the B 100m in 11.74.

In the men’s A 100m, Stephen Gaffney of Rathfarnham WSAF was third in 10.69 while Jason Smyth of Derry TC clocked 10.84 for fifth.

Photo: Keith McClure

Leon Reid of Menapians AC finished second in the men’s 200m with a time of 20.89; winner was Adam Gemili of Blackheath and Bromley AC in 20.63. Best of the Irish in the women’s 200m was Joan Healy who finished fourth in 24.42 secs.
In the women’s 4 x 100m, an Irish quartet set a meet record of 45.07 secs.

Kerry O’Flaherty of Newcastle AC made a return to steeplechasing at the BMC meet in Birmingham on Friday (August 2) where she ran a time of 9:56.87 for fourth place.

On the roads

Winning the Micheal Fearon and Kevin Marron 5km in Carlingford, Co Louth, on Friday evening (August 2) in an untroubled time of 14 mins 23 secs was Yared Derese of Carrick Aces AC.

Master athlete Paddy Hamilton of Slieve Gullion Runners was second in 15:03 and Conán McCaughey of North Belfast Harriers third in 15:09.

Continuing her comeback to racing after a long period of injury was marathon woman Laura Graham of Mourne Runners who finished first woman in 17:01. Jessica Craig of North Down AC was a close second in 17:04 and Niamh Devlin of Dundrum South Dublin AC third in 17:56.

In the M55 age group, David Clarke of North Belfast Harriers gave Tommy Hughes of Termoneeeny AC a rare beating; Clarke finished in 16:33 and Hughes in 16:40.

North Belfast Harriers won the men’s team prize with Armagh AC best of the women.

A trip from Dublin to Ringaskiddy outside Cork proved worthwhile for Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin AC when he added €500 to his bank balance after setting a new course record at the Cork BHAA Novartis 5km on Wednesday (July 31).

On a warm and sunny evening, Tonosa, who had won the national 5000m title only three days earlier, clocked a time of 14 mins 31 secs to knock three seconds off Mark Hanrahan’s record. A distant second was Gavin O’Rourke of Eli Lilly in 16:28, with Nick Hogan of UCC third in 17.09. First woman was Carmel Crowley of Stockhealth in 1918; Crowley was also first W50. Linda O’Sullivan of Cope was second in 19:34 and Linda O’Connor of Musgrave third in 20.22. First wheelchair was Jerry Forde of the HSE, who now has 456 marathons to his credit.

A total of 356 completed the race. Next Cork BHAA race is the DePuy Synthes 4-Mile on August 7th, also in Ringaskiddy.

Trial Trail Running

In the IMRA WMRA Long Distance Championships trial, for the event being held in Patagonia later this year, the women showed the boys how to get it done. Both Nicola Duncan and Angela Speight finished under the required qualification set, with 3:41 and 3:42 respectively for the Irish internationals. Becky Quinn was third.

None of the male runners could get under the 3:20 qualifying mark, although victory went to Gavin Byrne, who featured recently after smashing the Wicklow Round record. Second was Brian Furey, with Barry Hartnett in third.

IMRA Chairman Richard Nunan said that “Gav and Brian were no more than 50 meters throughout the race, with Gavin out sprinting Brian over the last 200 meters.” Sounds like an excellent race.

Photo: Lindie Naughton

Monday racing

Colin Maher of Ballyfin led home over a thousand finishers at the annual Bay 10km in Dun Laoghaire on Bank Holiday Monday (August 5).

Maher, who along with Paul Stephenson of Rathfarnham WSAF AC,had pushed the pace from the start, finished the hilly course in 31 mins 42 secs. Stephenson was second in 31:56 was, with mountain running specialist Killian Mooney of Dundrum South Dublin AC third in 33:16.

Ailish Malone of Clonliffe Harriers was first woman in 38:14 – a first win for a delighted Malone in some time. Sarah Baryga of Sli Cualann AC was second in 38.27 and Michelle Cox of Newbridge AC third in 39:02. The race included a mixed team category which was won by Sli Cualann AC from Sportsworld RC and Crusaders AC.

parkrun

Annette Kealy of Raheny Shamrock AC and Louis McCarthy of Rathfarnham WSAF ran the fastest parkrun times in Ireland this weekend. Full rankings here.

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

Lindie Naughton is a journalist and writer based in Dublin who joined the athletics club at her college many many years ago and has never quite escaped. You’ll normally find her jogging around some orienteering course somewhere – or down at the Irishtown track coaching kiddies!

The post Monday racing at the Bay 10k – Irish weekend round-up appeared first on Fast Running.