World trail championships Connemara national park Ireland-Heather runs for GB
Heather Foundling-hawker runs again for Great Britain, after an early start at 5am the athletes from 20 participating countries lined up at the start at Kylemore Abbey, running in open moorland, peat bogs, incorporating four ascents two of diamond hill 442 meters high in fog and mist, then expansive panoramic views of the twelve Ben mountains, kylemore lough later to be encountered in the 50 mile trial race.
Carrying a safety whistle, windcheeter jacket umpteen sweets in hand the teams of up to six set off 3 members to count. Heather finished the grueling climbs and depths of peat bogs as 3rd team member home, enabling the GB team 4th position just missing out on team Bronze.
"it was awe-inspiring and horrendous, I fell over 26 times spectacular skids in the peat bogs returned covered in midges smelling like a bog bug, but loved every moment , even the descent of Benbaun mountain summit of 729 metres having to find little orange markers to locate the route. As the major medals had been won by the French and Italians respectively, The helicopters and marshals in the form of army men in orange jackets had been withdrawn thus leaving a handful of us on the mountain to negotiate our way home, with out the aid of map n compass or route map this proved pretty tricky. After coming to a T junction unmarshalled Heather chose to wait until the Spanish team came off the mountain to follow them home.
In hind sight the marshalls should of all stayed until all the athletes had finished the race after all we all completed with in the time limit to attain a world finishing standard in fell and mountain trail running.
The views were spectacular, people really warming, memories will truly be impressed upon me literally. I was like a big kid running in and through a postcard. I can see why it's called the Emerald isle, the Connemara green marble is not only really hard, yet beautiful a very precious humongous national park. Channel 4 filmed with a view to air as a trail race run documentary later in the year. Heather's next travels see her compete in the Trans de Gaule 18 stage foot race 1150km across France starting at Roscoff in the north and finishing at gruissan de plage in the south in two weeks time !! If you like to contact heather or read her website www.hands-on.me.uk for updates or just google her name . heather foundling-hawker.
