**Sun Shines and Medal’s Glimmer in Monte Gordo, Portugal, May 20th – 22nd***
Michael Cornyn, Phelim Glynn and Clodagh Dunphy travelled to sweltering Monte Gordo at the end of last month for the European Non-Stadia Masters Athletics Championships. The Championships consists of a weekend’s road and cross country action, taking in walks on the Friday morning, a 10km road race on the Friday night, a cross country relay held on trail on the Saturday morning, walks on the Saturday evening, and finishing with a half marathon on the Sunday morning.
Michael and Phelim took on the 10km on Friday night, in 28C heat, a race with attracted over 300 entries. Both men ran excellently despite the conditions, Phelim finishing 7th in his category and scoring on a winning Irish team, whilst Michael placed 29th in his and was on the Irish team that finished in an agonising 4th, one place outside the medals. This result only emerged after the Irish M55 team were awarded medals and an appeal was submitted by the UK team, who were then reinstated on the podium, thus knocking our lads off. A right kick in the gut for the team.
Results – https://raceresults.reportlab.com/entries/2016/emacns/event/R05/
With barely 12 hours to refuel and recover, both were at it again on Saturday morning, in the team relay, a 3 x 4km race in equally tough conditions. The results were repeated again, with Phelim’s M50 team finishing first, and Michael’s finishing an agonising 1 second from bronze, in 4th place, thus compounding the misery endured on the Friday night. The three Irish men on that team ran excellently and deserved at least one medal from the weekend.
Results – https://raceresults.reportlab.com/entries/2016/emacns/event/R08/
The sun took no break on Sunday, and yet again Phelim was in action, this time in the Half Marathon, joined by Clodagh Dunphy on this occasion, the sole Irish female representative taking on the distance. Phelim ran comfortably, with two medals in back pocket and three Irish colleagues securing team gold again, he finished off his weekend with a super 1:19 and a 9th place category finish. Clodagh also finished in 9th in her category, adjusting her pace from the start to take account of the heat but still finishing in a credible 1:34, two mins off her previous best.
Results – https://raceresults.reportlab.com/entries/2016/emacns/event/R11/
Well done folks!
