East Down’s Catherine O’Connor was again on international duty last weekend in Wales for the 2014 Snowdon Mountain Race and continues to impress. Due to the threat of lightning strikes the race was cut short for the first time in its 39 year history but Catherine put in anoher sterling performance over the revised distance finishing12th overall and just 14 seconds behind Diane Wilson.
PORTAFERRY 10 MILE AND 2 X 5 MILE RELY
Is this the way to Amarillo? It might just as well have been the question on many people’s lips on Tuesday evening for all the good it did when fog enveloped Strangford Lough as runners were arriving to take the ferry across the Narrows for the annual Portaferry Gala 10 Mile race. While everyone reckoned that Portaferry was definitely still there, it couldn’t be seen from Strangford or vice versa, with the result that ferry services were suspended, leaving a sizeable number of runners on the “wrong” side. Now it is relatively easy to drive by road to Portaferry but if you have travelled to Strangford to catch the latest possible crossing allowing the bare minimum time to reach the start line then it’s impossible to complete the road journey in time. In the words of another famous song “It’s a Long Way to Portaferry” However it says much for their commitment and ingenuity that many of “the stranded” managed to make the crossing to join the “on the runs” without actually swimming, though reports of hijacking and piracy, if not entirely untrue, were perhaps exaggerated
THE RACE ITSELF
The Men’s race was contested by North Down clubmates Stephen Wylie and Dennis Scott, who had finished 2nd and 3rd to BrendanTeer in Killough, less than 2 weeks ago with Wylie 55.55 prevailing by 52 seconds and David Lonnen City of Lisburn 60.28 taking 3rd. First lady home in overall 3rd place was North Belfast’s Breege Connolly in 59.44, the only other person to break 60 minutes for the distance. Undoubtedly the weather affected the overall attendance although the organisers were well satisfied with the field of almost 250 runners.
EAST DOWN PERFORMANCES
Those from East Down, though significantly no ladies? who did make the start line nevertheless made their presence felt.
Best was James Savage, 7th overall and 2nd Over 35 in 62.25 in his first attempt at the distance, with Dee Murray 65.00 and declan Teague 65.22 making it into the top 20. Gerard Mc Auley 68.49 set a new pb for the distance, as did Raymond Milligan 70.12 with Gavin Oakes really running consistently well now on 70.27. James Magennis was happy with 72.42 and Billy Logue flew home in an excellent 74.21 just ahead of Michael McKeown 74.33. Charlie Ataliotis 82.32 looks to be getting back in the groove again and there was a welcome re-appearance on the competitive front from George Kerr 92.42.
A noted feature was once again the huge turnout from Ballydrain Harriers, as if to underline their miraculous return from near extinction 2 years ago.
FIND THE LADIES?
But where have all the Ladies gone? None from East Down in Portaferry and none in the Newry and Mourne Women’s Only Mini Marathon on Sunday, though how the name Matthew Cole appeared in those results I’ll never know!
COOKSTOWN HALF MARATHON
On Sunday too Michael McKeown turned up again in Cookstown for the next round of the Half Marathon Series, posting a commendable 1.36.36, while Barrie Atkinson was winning the race in a super 1.13.48, amid allegations (his own) that the course was short!
ALL IRELAND AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
Laura Gardiner finished 6th in the Under 17 Girls 800 metres with Caolan Atkinson 9th in his race on Sunday in the All Ireland Age Group Championships in far off Tullamore. Congratulations to them.
WHAT’S NEXT
Kilmore Rec FC and Crossgar Community Association 5 Mile race is on Monday 4 August starting and finishing in the Monastery grounds followed by Darragh Cross 6 miles and Fun Run on Thursday 14 August at 7.30pm .
Joe Quinn
28 July 2014