Lynch makes Irish Team for European Mountain Racing Championships

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lynch may16While the eyes of the local world were turned on Newcastle on Saturday, Rathfriland man Seamy Lynch (Newcastle & District AC) headed for the Wicklow Mountains with North Belfast’s Andrew Annett (himself a Mourne man). Lynch has focused on improving his running on the road and the track recently setting personal bests over 3km, 5km and 10km. Last year he won both the NIMRA and the Hill & Dale Series but this year has made no appearances at all. However, off the back of being in the best shape of his life he set off in the Wicklow race with the intention of mixing it with the best – comparing his result with last year at the same trial race tells a lot of the story:

2015 Euro Mountain Racing Trial Result
1st Brian MacMahon (Clonliffe Harriers) 32:35
2nd Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrocks) 32:46
3rd James Kevan (Clonliffe Harriers) 33:26
4th Seamus Lynch (Newcastle) 34:36 (5.5% behind winner)
5th Killian Mooney (DSD) 35:23
6th Louis McCarthy (Rathfarrnham) 35:48
7th Andrew Annett (North Belfast) 36:16

2016 Euro Mountain Racing Trial Result
1st Brian MacMahon (Clonliffe Harriers) 45:30
2nd Seamus Lynch (Newcastle) 46:05 (1.3% behind winner)
3rd James Kevan (Clonliffe Harriers) 46:11
4th Mark Ryan (Rathfarnham) 46:42
5th Brian Furey (Rathfarnham) 47:13
6th Andrew Annett (North Belfast) 48:24

Massive progress being made by Lynch and after what he described as a ‘brutal race’ he is is now looking forward to representing Ireland at the European Mountain Racing Championships. Also well done to Andrew Annett, an improvement on last year despite still recovering from his impressive 69 minutes and 21 seconds at the World Half-Marathon Championships in Cardiff in March.

The European Championships take place on the 2nd July in Arco in the impressive mountainous area in the Trentino Region of north-east Italy. It is the 15th staging of the event and more than 250 athletes from 25 different countries will take part. Up to 4 runners from each country take part with 3 making u the scoring team. More information at www.arco2016.com. The race is over 12.15km with 750 metres (c2,500 feet climbing) over 3 laps (2 short and 1 long) including the historic town centre of Arco.

By Bogboy