The home countries international extreme running event featuring the UK champions took place in Limerick on Saturday.
Runners set off at 8am to run 51 laps of the 1.9km loop around the University of Limerick sports grounds. Adrian Stott reports.
Apart from the teams representing the home nations, the accompanying open race had some strong competitors.
Men’s race
In the men’s race, Daniel Rothwell of Swansea and Wales led a strong group of runners that included England trio Hugh Tibbs, Joe Turner and Dave Barratt, Tom Almond, Chris Kelly and Sage Pearce-Higgins.
Rothwell was to continue to set a good pace with three minutes to go with 25km which he stretched to four minutes by the halfway point of lap 26, clocking around 3:12:00.
Turner, Tibbs and Almond made it through in about 3:15, with Dave Barratt and McKenna about 30 seconds back.
Rothwell began to pay for his early efforts and at around 60km Turner took the lead with Tibbs and Almond still in touch. Barratt and McKenna still looked comfortable, just off the lead pace.
Turner pushed forward and opened up a small lead, but then began to fade a bit, leaving Almond in the lead with 75km to go.
Turner had to suddenly pull up to the side of the track and pull away shortly after, leaving Almond, Barratt, Tibbs and McKenna to battle it out for the podium spots.
It was Barratt who now looked stronger and he took the lead with around 85km to go.
This seemed to be the inspiration between then and the finish, he ran his fastest splits of the race, finishing strong in 6:31:04.
Almond, also in his first 100km race, had to hold on to finish second in 6:33:29, with 2022 champion McKenna coming home third in 6:37:47.
It was an incredible debut for Barratt, who had never raced over 50km before, taking him fifth fastest in the UK’s all-time 100km rankings. Only Don Ritchie, Steve Way, Simon Pride and Kevin Woodward have run faster. Almond now ranks seventh fastest.
The top two secured two automatic qualifying places for Team GB and Team NA at the IAU 100km World Championships in September, should they wish to run.
Women’s race
The women’s race, on the other hand, was simpler. Ireland’s Patricia McLoughlin and the English trio of Katie Young, Nicole Funnell and Fiona Cook, running together as a team, were the early leaders, with Scotland’s Jacqui Wilson close behind.
As the race progressed, McLaughlin and Cook would drop back, leaving Young and Funnell in the lead and Wilson in third and well connected.
Lap 26, halfway through, reached 3:50 with Wilson a minute ahead. Cook held the fourth five minutes earlier.
Young and Funnell continued to run as a duo over 50 miles, pacing the race well and looking comfortable. Young was to prove stronger in the final kilometers finishing in 7:50 36, Funnell held on very well to take second place in 7:51:45. Both were well within the GB qualifying standard to secure the women’s two automatic spots for the World Championships. Wilson held on well for third and also fell under the eight hour mark in 7:58:24 to also be in contention for a GB recall.
Host Ireland’s McLaughlin finished 4th in 8:14:57.
The companion 50km race was won by Cornwall’s Sam Mitchell Harriers in 3:13:33 and Scotland’s Joe Wilson in 3:47:25.
Full results here
