Run UlsterSlovenian Slopes Await: Irish Masters Gear Up for Smarna Gora Races
October 7, 2023
A team of eight Irish master mountain runners will compete at the 42nd annual Smara Gora Races in Ljubljana-Tacen, Slovenia on Friday and Saturday.
Anne Marie Kenny Sharon Woods, Lisa Byrne, PaulaWalsh will compete in the over 40 category. Of the men Philip Goss and Peter Keane and in the over 40 age group, Des Kennedy and Ray Ryan both go in the over 50 category Only last Saturday, Kennedy won the 19km race at the Eco Trail in Bray.
All eight will line out in the vertical kilometre (1.8km, 3560m) on Friday, followed by the classic 10km with 705m climb at Sobota, which is a World Cup round, a day later.
Locally, the Kilmac Running Festival starts on Friday with a women’s night challenge and four races of varying length on Saturday; see www.imra.ie.
On the roads, and with the Dublin Marathon just three weeks away, three-quarters marathons take place in three venues - Longwood, Co Meath; Clondalkin, Dublin; and Tarmonbarry, Co Roscommon, on Sunday.
Other road races on offer include the Simon Home Run 8km in Dublin’s Phoenix Park and the Galway Bay Half Marathon, 10km and marathon on Saturday. On Sunday, the Limerick Women’s Mini Marathon and the Armagh 10-Mile both take place.
The cross-country season continues with Dublin and Cork novice championships on Sunday, along with a number of other county championships over the weekend.
