Robin Bryson added a third name - his own - to the list of winners of the 16 races held up and down Ireland's highest mountain. Robin stopped John Lenihan's amazing streak of wins at 14, but the injured Kerry runner vowed he'd be back to try to extend it to 15 next year. Lenihan like the other previous winner Douglas Barry couldn't make it to the race, even as a spectator, and missed a tremendous performance from the Enniskillen based Irish international who defeated former British Cross Country champion Deon McNeilly over the 8.5 mile course. Shilleen O'Kane took the women's race from Roisin McDonnell and US based runner Siobhan Snyder. Fuller report below.

Joe Lalor reports

The Munster squad was depleted. John Lenihan who had made this race his own over the last 14 years was injured, several likely substitutes were at the Masters Championships, even the tough Michael McAuliffe was missing having been attacked by a cow during dehorning. If there was ever a year for Lenister runners to make their mark this was it. The current leader of the Leinster League Paul Nolan and leader of Leinster Championship Bob Lawlor were in attendance while second from last year Simon Fairmaner still not fully fit had to be content with taking the summit times.

All of this did not take into account that Newcastle AC from County Down was celebrating its 21^st anniversary and was on tour en mass in Kerry. The first three runners were from this one club, a remarkable achievement. Robin Bryson added another first to his Irish Champs. win at Lugnaquilla and his third maximum score in the King of the Mountains competition. He was followed home by another vet. Deon McNeilly who was expected to make up time on Robin on the descent but as can be seen from the summit times this did not happen. The third Newcastle man was Damien Brannigan. To add to the woe of the Leinster runners the only opposition offered to the men from County Down was by two relatively new to the scene Munster runners Sean Whelan and Bernard Fortune who came either side of yet another Newcastle runner Paul Mawhirt.

The ladies race was won by BARF’s Shilleen O’Kane but there was the prospects of a great race when a very fit looking Deirdre Ni Challanain arrived at the start. Deirdre who was a very prolific winner of IMRA race in the past has been living in Britain for a number of year and has not competed at one of our races for some time, however on this occasion she was spectating. Second lady was Roisin McDonnell. James Doran had a fine run to be 19^th overall and first junior.

In a year of change even our post race venue for the last 16 years was not available.

The Climbers Inn, Glencar has changed hands and will not be open by the new owners until next week. Although a fine run by Robin Bryson it is too soon to be talking about the end of an era with the winning time of 79.35 two minutes outside John Lenihan’s time of twelve months ago. There is no saying what the next twelve months will bring.

		Carrauntoohil	02-Jun-02
Pos	Num	Name	Club	Cat	Summit	Time
1	264	Robin Bryson	Newcastle AC	M40	48.40	79.35
2	616	Deon McNeilly	Newcastle AC	M40	51.32	83.20
3	613	Damien Brannigan	Newcastle AC	M	55.06	84.53
4	415	Sean Whelan	Eagle	M	57.30	91.05
5	619	Paul Mawhirt	Newcastle AC	M	59.11	91.33
6	396	Bernard Fortune	.	M	58.12	91.34
7	194	Bob Lawlor	.	M	56.18	92.58
8	409	Thomas Blackburn	Bilboa	M	60.20	93.03
9	340	Brendan O'Brien	Ajax	M	60.55	95.25
10	397	Paul Mahon	Set	M	61.22	96.55
11	105	Paul Nolan	GEN-DSD	M	59.40	97.32
12	630	Bernie Pabon	Riocht	M40	61.55	98.12
13	411	Conor Delahunty	UCC	M	62.00	99.48
14	614	Brian McBurney	Newcastle AC	M40	63.00	100.01
15	609	Peter Mork	Crusaders	M	59.00	101.43
16	240	Barry Minnock	Offaly Faithful	M	66.32	104.24
17	227	Mark Geary	.	M	66.30	105.37
18	270	Shilleen O'Kane	BARF	F	65.57	105.38
19	407	James Doran	Ríocht	MJ	66.14	105.59
20	628	Tom Barrett	Gneeveguilla AC	M40	67.43	106.53
21	618	Richard Rodgers	Newcastle AC	M	65.40	107.52
22	141	Joe Feeney	Civil Service	M50	69.20	108.49
23	412	Michael Mullane	Duhallow AC	M	67.01	109.10
24	121	Vivian O'Gorman	.	M40	68.30	109.35
25	612	Martin McMullan	Newcastle AC	M	71.00	110.37
26	354	Ercus Stewart	Glenasmole	M50	70.30	111.21
27	377	Paul Cullen	.	M	72.41	111.27
28	422	Mike Cunningham	Bilbo AC	M	68.55	112.04
29	115	Joe Lalor	Gen	M40	71.40	112.42
30	413	James Collins	Duhallow	M40	71.31	114.03
31	621	David Bell	Newcastle AC	M40	72.56	116.35
32	239	Pat Breslin	.	M	73.13	116.44
33	900	Unregistered Runner	.	.	75.13	117.30
34	622	Wes Kettyle	ACKC	M50	72.57	117.43
35	623	Paul Fegan	Newcastle AC		73.35	117.57
36	157	Patrick Mason	.	M	75.45	120.33
37	610	Fachtna Healy	Set	M	75.50	120.39
38	101	Alan Ayling	GEN	M	78.05	120.54
39	617	Willie John Brown	Newcastle AC	M50	77.57	121.05
40	155	Bruce Shenker	.	M50	76.38	122.00
41	361	Roisin McDonnell	Crusaders	F40	76.18	122.44
42	288	David McAlpine	.	M40	75.29	123.24
43	405	Daniel O'Sullivan	Riocht	MJ	76.02	126.10
44	335	Gordon Kavanagh	.	M	81.15	127.26
45	636	Siobhan Snyder	.	F	79.05	127.59
46	615	Noel Douglas	Newcastle AC	M40	80.06	129.06
47	117	Jane Watt	Crusaders	F50	80.15	130.45
48	611	Martin McVeigh	Newcastle	M50	81.45	132.28
49	620	Clare Galbraith	ACKC	F	80.58	133.26
50	626	Maria Blumenthal	.	F	84.04	134.50
51	129	Glenn De Mange	.	M	78.50	135.14
52	145	Cormac Corrigan	Glenasmole	M40	84.10	135.33
53	427	Joe Laffan	Limerick AC	M50	82.16	135.54
54	116	Graham Porter	Crusaders	M50	84.10	138.24
55	185	Gavan Doherty	GEN	M	82.29	139.31
56	350	Gearóid O'Cathaláin	Glen na Smol	M40	83.04	139.45
57	169	Martina O'Kearney	.	F	90.40	141.55
58	625	Barbara Brown	ACKC	F40	90.13	146.27
59	174	Paddy Lord	.	M50	91.46	147.05
60	146	Thomas Galvin	Glenasmole	M	93.40	150.55
61	285	Barry Tennyson	.	M50	93.40	154.49
62	173	Louisa O'Sullivan	Crusaders	F	100.20	166.50
63	444	Batt Kearney	Leevale	M40	98.40	173.50
64	189	Caitlin Bent	Set	F50	112.55	182.05
65	176	Ger Power	3ROC	F50	113.00	198.00
66	179	Maura Higgins	Set	F60	115.57	220.00