Le Chéile’s Alice Clancy represented Ireland at her first World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Meduno, Italy, on August 30th, 2025.
Alice began with a 5km race featuring 800m of climbing, which proved extremely tough, including 300m of ascent in the final 1.5km. Recent torrential rain had left the course slippery and muddy, which, interestingly, favoured the Irish team. Controversially, the organisers allowed the use of poles, giving any athletes who used them a considerable advantage. However, Alice, Lorraine Bolster, and Paula Donnelan relied on their hands, knees, and grippy shoes as usual.
The effort paid off: Lorraine came 7th overall, Alice finished 13th, and Paula 14th. Together, their combined performance earned the Irish F45 team silver.
The following day, Alice tackled the long-distance 34km race with 1,850m of elevation gain. Alongside Irish F45 teammates Orla McEvoy and Sarah Whelan, she battled through rain, mud, and technical downhills to secure a bronze medal in the team event.
Alice, who has over a decade of mountain running experience, described the long-distance course as “the toughest race I’ve ever done”. She credited her success to the dedicated training with Le Chéile AC over the past year and praised the Irish supporters along the course who lifted the team’s spirits throughout both races.
