“Ireland, and Wicklow especially, is a fabulous destination for trail running. Regardless of the weather”!
In spite of the very rough elements EcoTrail Wicklow 2023 saw more than 1,300 runners compete in one of the four races from Bray Seafront on Saturday last (30th September).
The 80km race was won by Deirdre O’Gorman from Ireland and Yoann Stuck from France. Having won the 80km EcoTrail Paris race in March of this year, Yoann established a new record completing the distance in 6h 34min. Afterwards, he said: “I love this race! There is such a diversity of terrain including single tracks, forest trails and technical sections. I particularly loved the board walks up the Wicklow Mountains. I will have to come back next year and hope for better weather so I can enjoy the sceneries.”
The American professional athlete Hillary Allen won the 47km female race in 4h57min and Irish athlete Enda Cloake won the male race in 3h58mn. Upon finishing the race, Hillary said: “Ireland, and Wicklow especially, is a fabulous destination for trail running. Regardless of the weather, the event today was incredible. Over the past few days, I have been lucky to walk the various trails, cycle up the Wicklow Mountains and even squeezed a mountain bike afternoon at Ballynastoe: this is an amazing Outdoor Destination!”
Present throughout the weekend, Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council noted: “The rain couldn’t dampen the spirit of those taking part in this year’s Wicklow EcoTrail with many having travelled from across the country and the globe to be in Wicklow and Bray for the weekend. I was amazed with the excitement and determination on their faces setting off at 7.30 in the morning. Witnessing the satisfaction and joy as they returned was incredible: It was a privilege to witness it all.”
Cllr Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, braved the elements taking part and completing the 19km race over Bray Head and the Little Sugarloaf. After crossing the finish line, she said: “It was one of the most exhilarating runs I’ve ever done, a fantastic atmosphere. Despite the weather, it was a very well organised event, with extremely friendly volunteers along the route: well done to all.”
Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, said: “Even in bad weather, Wicklow remains a great destination for Outdoor Activities. EcoTrail Wicklow is proving to be a fabulous brochure to showcase the fantastic playground that Wicklow is.”
For more info on Ecotrail Wicklow, go to http://wicklow.ecotrail.com
Results
Full results for EcoTrail 2023 can be found on the EcoTrail Wicklow Website
80km Race
Female:
- Deirdre O Gorman (Ireland)
- Elaine Collins (Ireland)
- Lou McLaughlin (Ireland)
Male:
- Yoann Stuck (France)
- Cillian Fleming (Ireland)
- Brendan Joy (Ireland)
47km Race
Female:
- Hillary Allen (USA)
- Deirdre Galvin (Ireland)
- Rachel Murphy (Ireland)
Male:
- Enda Cloake (Ireland)
- Gavin Byrne (Ireland)
- Donnacha Cassidy (Ireland)
30km Race
Female:
- Kaisa Laapas (Finland)
- Sarah Flanagan (Ireland)
- Jasmine Wonik (Germany
Male:
- Luke Weldon (Ireland)
- Joseph Bond (Ireland)
- Johnny Conway (Ireland)
19km Race
Female:
- Erin Gillingham (USA)
- Imogen McGuinness (Ireland)
- Yani Cornthwaite (Australia)
Male:
- Des Kennedy (Ireland)
- Rían MacMaoláin (Ireland)
- Derek Cram (Ireland)
