Orla Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Ciaran Collins successful at Crone Wood, Wicklow The national intermediate cross-country champion, Orla Ni Mhuircheartaigh from Galway, won a very competitive women’s race ahead of two members of the 2007 Irish World Mountain Running Trophy team. Orla (NUIG) and Aisling Coppinger (Clonliffe) were together on the steep climb to the top with Aoife Joyce (Crusaders) close behind. Aisling and Orla continued their battle down the forest tracks but once they hit the Wicklow Way, Orla pulled away for an impressive win in her debut mountain race. Niamh O’Boyle (TCD) and Sarah Heal (TCD) won the silver and bronze individual college medals.
The men’s race was a tight affair with just over a minute separating the first seven. Irish junior international Ciaran Collins, from University of Ulster, moved into the lead towards the top of the climb and held it all the way to the finish. Stephen Cleary (DCU) pulled off a surprise second place ahead of Colm Mullen (Sli Cualann) in a sprint to the line. Neil Cowzer (UCD) DSD edged out Shane O’Rourke (Crusaders) for fourth place overall and a bronze medal in the colleges championship.
UCD men were convincing winners of the colleges team race while Trinity had a narrow win over the Waterford Institute of Technology in the women’s race. In all representatives from seven colleges participated in the race. See www.imra.ie for detailed results.
