Two years ago, Jonny Steede of Ballymena Runners won the Wicklow Way 52km Ultra in freezing hazardous snow. Today Steede proved himself a runner for all seasons by winning the ultra for a second time in glorious sunshine in a time of 3 hrs 56 mins 47 secs smashing David Simpson’s 2012 course record of 4:11.27 – the first sub-four hour time for the 52km course first run in 2010.
There was also a tremendous effort from Sarah McCormack in the 26km trail run, where she finished third overall in a time of 1 hrs 51 mins 40 secs – another record, breaking Donna Mahon’s time of 1:57.14 on the 26km course first run in 2010. Ahead of McCormack, Rathfarnham’s Brian Furey and Ian Conroy of Raheny 
Shamrock battled it out, with Furey stretching away on the final road stretch back to Glencullen. Both were timed at just over 1 hr 48 mins; Conroy has a previous best for the 26km course of 1:45.01 – second only behind the course record of 1:42.06 run by John Brown in 2011. A few pics at www.lindie.zenfolio.com
Wicklow Way 52km Ultra/25.5km Trail, Glencullen/Ballinastoe, Co Wicklow www.imra.ie
Ultra (52km; 118 finishers) – Men: 1 Jonny Steede (Ballymena Runners) 3:56.47 (rec), 2 Paul Tierney (Ambleside) 4:11.34, 3 Eoin Keith ((M40) 4:18.00, 4 Brian Hartnett (Tipperary) 4:22.08, 5 Justin Maxwell (Larne AC) 4:22.37, 6 Silvani Riz 4:36.25. M50: Billy Reed (East Antrim) 4:37.43. M60: Michael Hayden (Marathon Club) 7:03.19. Women: 1 Suzanne Kenny (Clonliffe) 5:10.42, 2 Joanna Curran (BARF, W40) 5:16.41, 3 Jackir Toal (BARF, W40) 5:32.23, 4 Denise Mathers (W50) 5:51.43, 5 Clare Keeley ( Coral Runners, W40) 5:58.54, 6 Loran Corr (W40) 6:27.55.
Trail (26km) – 1 Brian Furey (Rathfarnham WSAF) 1:48.15, 2 Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrock) 1:48.20, 3 Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe) 1:51.40, 4 Brian Caulfield (UCD, M40) 1:53.52, 5 Brian McGuckin (Crusaders, M50) 2:01.28, 6 Lonan O’Farrell 2:02.22. Women: 2 Mags Fitzgerald 2:18.41, 3 Hazel McLaughlin (Lagan Valley, W40) 2:24.30, 4 Rachel Burgess (W40) 2:27.01, 5 Helen Weir North Belfast Hrs, W40) 2:30.46, 6 Stefanie Kenny (W40) 2:34.21. W50: Annette Kehoe (DSD) 2:35.53.
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