McCormack and Conroy top Irish results at World mountain running championships

McCormack 9th and Conroy 24th in World Championships

Ireland had a small team at this year’s Worldmountain running championships in Wales. Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers) was our only senior woman. McCormack ran in the top ten throughout the race for a very solid performance. Ugandan Stella Chesang won the senior women’s race to add to her 2014 junior title – Chesang was 11th in the 2015 World junior cross-country championships. The 2011 World champion, Kasie Enman (USA), finished in tenth one place behind McCormack.

The senior men’s race was won by Ugandan Fred Musobo who finished ninth in this year’s World junior cross-country championships. Ian Conroy (Raheny Shamrock) had the race of his life to finish 24th in the senior men’s race. At the two kilometer mark he was 22nd and he stayed there all the way to the finish for a huge breakthrough. Behind him the Irish runners packed more closely as the race continued and the five of them finished between 61st (Killian Mooney) and 74th (Seamus Lynch).

1. Stella Chesang (UGA) 37:52; 2. Emily Collinge (GBR) 38:2; 3. Emma Clayton (GBR) 38:33; 9. Sarah McCormack (IRL) 40:01

1. Fred Musobo (UGA) 49:00; 2. Bernard Dematteis (ITA) 49:44; 3. Robbie Simpson (GRB) 50:31; 23. Ian Conroy (IRL) 53:50; 61. Killian Mooney (IRL) 57:48; 62. Brian Furey (IRL) 57:49; 66. James Kevan (IRL) 57:52; 68. Tom Hogan (IRL) 58:00; 74. Seamus Lynch (IRL) 58:24

Team results

1. Italy (2,4,7,12) 25; 2. Uganda (1,8,9,20) 38; 3. Great Britain (3,6,10,27) 46; 13. Ireland (24, 64,65,67) 220