Fit4Life and Fit4Youth at Carton House 6K Trail Run, Thursday 28th July 2016
Our inaugural Carton House 6K Trail Run saw a fantastic turnout of close to 50 members from our Fit4Life and Fit4Youth sections, out in force to savour a change from our usual Thursday evening training session at the track. And what a refreshing difference it was between pathways, grass, forest and the tarmac avenue in the final stages, all in the stunning surrounds of Carton House Demesne.
Conditions were perfect for running; the threatened rain held off, it was still and mild but not too hot either. The course with the mixed terrain and uphill sections was challenging, in the best possible way, and what can we say about the final 500m or so? What a fantastic place to put a steep downhill .J If we were beginning to tire at 5.5km, gravity alone turned the hurting into hurtling as we sprinted effortlessly towards the finish. There’s nothing like finishing on a high! We’re already looking forward to next year.
Well done to all our members who got out there and proudly represented us. Needless to say fantastic times were recorded by everyone, but above all else it’s about enjoyment and participation for Fit4Life and Fit4Youth, and feedback ranged from positive to gushing – so mission accomplished. It was great to see our walking members’ section ably represented by Brede Grehan and Marian O’Leary. Well done ladies! We even had a few podium finishes to boast of; Fit4Youth member Maeve Dunne was 2nd Junior, Pat Ryan and Lyndon Thomas claimed 1st and 3rd places respectively in the Fit4Life Men’s section of the race and Aoife Glynn, not to be outdone by big brother Phelim’s heroics, claimed the prize for 3rd Fit4Life lady.
Check out your superb times in the full club listing below, folks. This listing also includes friends of Dunboyne AC who are not clubmembers but like to come out and support our local races. Your support is much appreciated and we’d also be delighted to enjoy your company at our training sessions. New members are welcome anytime, come down any Tuesday or Thursday evening at 8pm to try out Fit4Life training or at 7pm to try out with our Senior Section.
On behalf of all us participants, we want to express a huge thank you to race director Tommy McDonnell, club chairperson and fellow Fit4Lifer Teresa Smith and all our clubmates who volunteered, set up the course, managed registrations (coping admirably with the huge on-the-night entry of half the field), stewarded and supported us enroute, photographed us, baked scones and brack, served us with a smile and did the clean up afterwards. It’s easy to take a well organised event for granted and forget that these great club events are the culmination of weeks of planning by some not to mention a day’s leave from work for others. It’s true what they say, “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.”
