Winning runner travels 200km
MOST festivals offer nothing but overpriced beer and uncomfortable accommodation, a sore head and muddy clothes, but the Wexford Festival of Running was a little different.
Unlike its contemporaries, this was a festival for those who wished to push their body to its limits through exercise rather than alcohol and sleep deprivation.
Consisting of five separate events, a one-hour race, a three-hour race, a six-hour race, a 12-hour race and a 24-hour race, the festival was held at Johnstown Castle with a special 1.2km running track winding its way through the picturesque surroundings.
The winner of each race was determined by who ran the furthest, not the fastest. And, having run almost 207km, Rolando Espina was crowned the overall winner in the 24 hour event. Not far behind was Jill McCann, whose distance of 187km was the best by a female entrant.
In the 12-hour race, Aoife Mundow was the overall winner, covering 107km. Local runner, Alan Cloney was the best in the men’s event, with a distance of 95km. Other winners were John Stone, Jesse Kielthy, John Gordon, Vanessa McShane, Jessie O’Connor and Barry Drennan.
Commenting on the success of the event, Shirley Walsh of Wexford Marathon Club who organised the festival, said, ‘It was absolutely brilliant, we’re delighted with the way it went, it was a great success for the club.
Confirming that all 240 runners completed their events without suffer- ing any serious injuries, Shirley commended local runners Anna Ruth O’Connell, Maria McDonald, Monaghan, Cloney and Paul Driscoll for their efforts and main sponsors Whelan Cleaning Systems for their support.
However, the real star of the show for Shirley and for the majority of those who took part, was the location. ‘People loved it, it was absolutely stunning,’ Shirley said of Johnstown Castle. ‘The rain only started on Sunday morning at around 7 a.m., before that the night was so scenic out there, it was an ideal place for it really.’