Dublin based Gavin Byrne has represented his country at the IAU World trail champs and won Irish ultras such as the 200km Kerry Way Ultra and the Glendalough Clover in the past, but had made the Wicklow Round his focus for the start of 2019.

The Round, which takes in 26 summits in the Wicklow Mountains just south of Dublin, was first completed in a time of 22:58:30 by Moire O’Sullivan in 2009 and the following day Eoin Keith set a record of 17:53:45 that stood until 2018.

It wasn’t until Joe “Stringbean” McConaughey, a US runner who holds the record for the 2190 mile Appalachian Trail of 45 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes, broke the record in May 2018 that people started thinking of sub 17 hours. Stringbean ran 17:09:44.

Three in a row

Then it happened. US-based Irishman Paddy O’Leary, a former international lacrosse player, fancied a crack. The North Face athlete practiced by getting lost in his local California hills and came over in April to run 16:27:20. Eight days later the record was all gone.

Orienteer Shane Lynch ran 16:23:32, taking just under four minutes from the mark. O’Leary had been record holder for just over a week and no talk was of someone running under 16 hours for the round. Lynch did get to hold onto the record for a little while longer than O’Leary, but not by much.

Just under a month later Gavin Byrne smashed it out of the park. Having the pleasure of Byrne’s company for part of my Wicklow Way recce before his attempt, he was quietly confident that he had some good lines, ones that he felt could make the record possible. [Good lines means more direct routes between the 26 mountain tops, as runners can pick their own route as long as they go to every summit].

Throughout the day updates actually came through from O’Leary’s Instagram, the same for Lynch’s run too, as the community aspect of the Round means that everyone is supporting each other. Byrne had an excellent day that just kept going to plan and chipping time away from the splits of the others. His 15:04:30 skipped the sub 16 discussion altogether.

Now Fast Running caught up with Bryne and asked a few questions about his grand day out in the hills.

Fast Running: Well done on your new record on the Wicklow Round, how was it?

Gavin Byrne: It was great! I had a perfect day for almost all of it. Just a little foggy in one section at 8am between Oakwood and Table mountain. After that it cleared up and I had sunny blue skies, cooled down in the evening time nicely which helped me keep pushing right to the end.

Fast Running: Why do you think you were able to take so much time off the previous mark.

GB: I suppose the main reason would be I put a lot of effort into recces, I probably spent 100’s of hours on the route over the last year since Joe (The Stringbean) broke the record, running and walking around the looking for the faintest of deer, sheep or hiking tracks.

So it helped knowing the route so well, that also conditioned my legs and ankles for the rough ground. I’m definitely not as fit or as fast as I could be but that didn’t matter.

FR: So you trained specifically for the round? What else really helped?

GB: Yes I suppose I did. My knowledge of the route helped and not having to take out a map because it was a clear day. I did have a sheet of notes and bearings to get me around. Also having a crew for the first time ever helped, just to fill bottles and hand me whatever I need. They did a top job! Plus at every crossing there was someone new to cheer me on, which was nice.

I’ve never really fuelled correctly during an ultra but this one I did. I mainly used high5 energy drink and energy gummies(both for the first time ever). Breaking the number one rule of using nothing new I suppose. High5 was great! Wouldn’t mind them on my side in future.

Plus used I Clif bloks and Cadbury’s mini rolls and fudge bars. Fueling well definitely helped, normally i just wing it, but not this time.

FR: Were there any low points, how did you get through them?

GB: Strangely enough no there wasn’t, not one!

I’ve had poor runs before but this one was perfect. As the hours went by I just got stronger and stonger. I wasn’t chasing anyones’ splits. I had noted Paddy’s and Shane’s previous record at certain points, but they weren’t targets. I was there to run at my effort level and feel, which worked a treat!

FR: What about the shoes on your feet?

GB: I used an old pair of Salomon Elevate for the first 12 hours then switched to Salomon Sense 6 SG. I had serious foot issues in a 200k trail race in Kerry before after I got soaked feet, so I didnt want that again. I wouldn’t recommend the Elevate for this challenge, they’re too soft! That pair have been retired since the Round.

FR: Any tips for anyone else doing the round?

GB: Picking a nice day helps a lot. I crewed for Paddy O’Leary on the April 13th and the weather was brutal! I don’t know how he finished, it was really cold and extremely windy, don’t think it rained though.

Also remember to just enjoy it. Logistically, it will help a lot to get a few recce’s done. That’s if it’s possible for you. If you’re aiming to break the record or just complete under 24hrs, knowing the ground and having an idea of where you’re going can really help.

Happy to help someone out if I can with questions or whatever.

FR: How are you feeling after the challenge?

GB: No serious issues in anyway, I was walking normal enough the next day.

Just the usual fatigue after an ultra, tight muscles and out of breath after a light 300m jog, not sleeping properly and waking at random hours. Knocked out an easy 10 miler on Thursday after it, felt rough at the start but okish at the end.

FR: Anything you’d do differently if you went again?

GB: I hate saying it but no. I feel everything went to plan on the day.

FR: Whats next?

GB: Well the big one is the TDS in August. That will be my first time in the Alps so can’t wait see how I fair out over there.

I’m down to run the Wicklow Way this weekend but I’ll see how I am nearer the day. [Turns out Gavin will be starting this weekend, so hopefully I’ll hear all about the Round there – Robbie]

FR: Last question, do you reckon sub 15 is posssible?

GB: Definitely! I’m no where near the fastest mountain runner around, I just put the work in for this event, everything went perfect and I got the result. I think I could probably run a sub 15 if everything went as well as it did again. Kind of hoping someone runs 15.01, so if I go back again the target will be sub 15.

Gavin can be followed on Instagram and Strava and hopefully will be running the Wicklow Way next weekend so I can ask him a wee bit more about his Wicklow Round record. If you know anyone at High5 then tell them to get in touch. 

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The post Good lines on the Wicklow Round – Gavin Byrne interview appeared first on Fast Running.

Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC finished third in the 400-metre hurdles at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday (May 18) in a time of 49.41 secs – just half a second off the Tokyo 2020 qualification standard of 48.90.

Finishing ahead of Barr were Abderrahman Samba of Qatar in 47.27 and the USA’s Ben Rai in 47.80. “Very happy with a fast and smooth start to 2019 tonight in China!” tweeted Barr after his race. Next up for Barr, who took bronze at last year’s European Championships, is the Stockholm Diamond League on May 30.

Stars of the future shine

Irish heptathlon record holder Kate O’Connor of St Vincent’s Secondary School improved her own Irish junior record to 49.46m when winning the senior girls’ javelin at the Leinster Schools Championships at Santry on Saturday (May 18).

Other Santry highlights included Efrem Gidey of Le Cheille SS setting a senior boy’s 5,000m record of 14:34.22, an easy win for Sarah Healy of Holy Child Killiney with a time of 10:14.98 in the senior girls’ 3000m and victory for Louis O’Loughlin of Moyle Park in the senior boy’ 800m with a time of 1:52.43.

Rhasidat Adeleke of Presentation Terenure College won both the 100m and 200m at inter level, with her times of 11.69 and 24.34 faster than the winning times in the senior races. Fastest of the senior boys was Israel Olatunde from St Mary’s Dundalk who won the 100m in 10.90.

At the Munster Schools Championships, Darragh McElhinney of Colaiste Pobal Bantrai broke Sean Tobin’s record when winning the senior boys 1500m in 3:49.42.

In the senior boys’ 100m, Conor Morey of PBC Cork was the winner in 10.55 – faster than the 1985 record of 10.6 (hand timed) but helped by a 2.3 following wind.

Over 3000m, Laura Nicholson of Bandon Grammar knocked 19 seconds off the previous record when winning in 9:45.97.

Highlight of the Ulster Championships was a new record and personal best of 10.49 secs for Aaron Sexton from Bangor Grammar in the senior boys 100m. Sexton later won the 200m in 21.20, which although off his best of 21.06, was another Ulster schools record. Sexton is making quite a name for himself in rugby circles and earlier this month, was named Ulster A Player of the Year for his performances in the British and Irish Cup. He will defend his All Ireland 100m and 200m titles in Tullamore on June 1.

At the Irish Milers Club meet in Irishtown on Saturday (May 18), Katie Kirk of Ulster University ran a time of 2:10.24 to win the A 800m. Maisy O’Sullivan of St Abban’s was second in 2:11.57. Fastest in the men’s A 800m was 16-year-0ld Cian McPhillips of Longford AC in 1:40.71, with John Fitzsimons of Kildare AC, aged 21, second in 1:51.21.

Conall Kirk of Annadale Striders won the men’s A 1500m in 3:50.76, a personal best.

Winning the men’s A 5000m was English visitor John Sanderson from Guildford and Godalming AC in 14:17.31, with Joe Wilkinson of Lincoln Wellington AC second in 14:28.19 and Kevin Moriarty of Raheny Shamrock third in a personal best 14:41.73.

Siofra Cleirigh Buttner of Dundrum South Dublin, who has returned to the USA, ran a personal best time of 4:10.43 when finishing fourth in a 1500m race at Swarthmore, Pennsylvania last Monday (May 13). That puts her top of the current Irish rankings.

Can anyone beat Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC?

The diminutive Kenyan Somba, who is on his sixth annual visit to Ireland, won two races in three days over the weekend.

On Friday evening (May 17), he provided a thrilling finish to the Simon Combers/Paddy Hyland 6km in Navan when he edged out Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock for victory. Somba was timed at 17 mins 36 secs and Clohisey just two seconds behind for second. A distant third was Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers in 19:25. First woman in Navan was Catherina Mullen of Metro St Brigid’s AC in 20:23

On Sunday morning (May 19), Somba turned out for the Tallaght 5km and this time battled it out with Mark Kennally from Clonliffe Harriers until the final stages of the race. Again it was Somba who took the victory this time by four seconds – he crossed the line in 14:50 with Kenneally, running his first race after a long break, second in 14:54. In Tallaght, there was a home win for Laura McDonnell in 17:48.

Winners of the Les Jones 10km in Belfast on Friday (May 17) were Stephen Wylie of Victoria Park and Connswater AC in 33:26 and Gemma McDonald of Ballycastle Runners in 39:47.

Wicklow Round goes again

Gavin Byrne came close to breaking 15 hours with his stunning record time of 15:04.30 for the Wicklow Round on Saturday (May 18). The local runner had put in plenty of time picking the best lines and his knowledge of the Wicklow mountains helped created an outstanding performance on the day.

It was the third time that the record for the looped course taking in 26 of the main Wicklow summits has fallen in the past five weeks. First off was US-based Paddy O’Leary, who ran a time of 16:27.20 on Saturday April 13. That knocked over 40 minutes off the 2018 17:09:44 mark set by American ultra runner Joe “Stringbean” McConaughey. Before McConaughey’s effort, Eoin Keith’s record of 17:53:45 had stood for nine years.

O’Leary’s record lasted for only a week when Shane Lynch from Co Louth clocked 16:23.32 on April 19 going four minutes faster.

parkrun

Eoin Hughes and Sarah Fitzpatrick ran the quickest parkrun times in Ireland on Saturday (May 18). Check out the full rankings here

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

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! 

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 Thomas Barr flying and Wicklow Round record lowered again – weekend roundup appeared first on Fast Running.