L to R Hannah Gilliland and Edie Carroll flanking Aoife Cochrane who won gold in the NI and Ulster Under 17 Girls 3K Championships
THE ULTIMATE RUNNER??
Last Wednesday evening I ventured through the mist and fog to the sun kissed, balmy temperature of Dromara for the Village Festival 5K road race. It was like a step back into the past for me as the last time I ran in that locality was, if memory serves, 20 to 25 years ago. However a revived Festival programme saw fit to include the once popular race in its calendar of events and with just under 100 participants that decision was certainly vindicated. Of course the intervening years have seen an increased gradient on all the hills with a corresponding reduction in my ability to run up them. I’m sure if he’d been asked old Pythagoras would have produced a Theory to cover it – but he wasn’t there so I didn’t have to tell him what to do with his theory. Strange to report then that it was in this tough and somewhat inauspicious environment that I
became the Ultimate Runner. Ultimate is one of those funny words which can mean polar opposites depending on its context – in some it can mean “unable to be beaten, the best, the winner“ while in others it can mean the “Last” in the sense that penultimate means second last! So having finished behind the penultimate runner I became the Ultimate Runner – sounds much better than last too.
HILL and DALE No. 9
Round 9 saw probably the smallest turnout of the series so far, certainly it was in the case of the East Down contingent, with only 5 stalwarts taking on Hen and Cock, no doubt influenced by several having already completed their 6 out of 11 to qualify for this year’s round the world cruise prize or perhaps because the Mourne Way Marathon was scheduled for this weekend and no-one wanted to risk injury ahead of that challenge.
Anyway Gavin Hynds again led the East Down team home, taking 34th place followed by Davy Foster 55th, Niamh Kellett in 68th making the top 100 with Joanne Foster and Janine Murray missing that target but not far behind.
KNOCKEVIN 10K PAIRS AND OTHER RACES.
Saturday saw the birth of a new event on the local running scene with the inaugural Knockevin School Pick and Mix Pairs 10K and 5K Fun Run. In spite of the numerous competing attractions the event was a huge success, with the emphasis on fun and enjoyment. Nearly 200 adults and children, many in fancy dress, took to the roads around the outskirts of the county town, including two visits to the quiet and scenic Downshire Hospital grounds, courtesy of the Estate Department, to help raise funds for the Sparkle project. Like Dromara on Wednesday night, Downpatrick doesn’t do flat, so as usual there were several hills on route, most of them downhill surprisingly, though that wasn’t what the majority of the runners noticed! However the 10K was “won” in splendid style and time by Ciaran Rea in a superb 36.30, from Newcastle’s Francis Tumelty 37.38 and Noel Gallagher 39.13. The only other runner to dip under 40 minutes was one of the race sponsors, East Down’s own Liam Keenan 39.57, who never seems to run a bad race. First Lady across was another rapidly improving East Down runner Lisa Laird in 45.14. The race was different in that it was a pairs race, whereby each runner was randomly paired off with another with their combined running times determining the prizewinners. So although the race was a triumph for Ciaran the prizewinner would be determined by the pair who posted the lowest overall time.
While this was a big headache for the irreplaceable Michael Kelly on the results desk and kept everyone waiting in suspense for the outcome, it proved a popular concept which with a little bit of tweaking will be easier to administer again next year.
THE WINNERS
In the event the pairings resulted in Ciaran and Carmel Tumelty being declared winners with a combined time of 90.58 followed by Francis and Jill Warnock 93.16 and Noel and Zoe Lewis 95.07.
THANKS TO ALL
A fantastic spread of sandwiches, cakes, buns and tray bakes awaited the participants on their return to the School and everyone who took advantage of the repast were fulsome in their praise of those who had provided the food. The fact that most were unable to express these sentiments on the day is due to having been told not to speak with their mouth full.
5K WINNERS
The 5K Run was won in fine style by East Down’s James Smyth in 20.27 with Jude Morrow in second and Adam Morgan East Down taking a fantastic third place. First Male Junior was Matthew Taylor.
The first Female home was Catherine Keenan from Adam’s Mum Carol, with Denise Kelly in 3rd place. First Junior Female was Ellen Taylor.
JUNIOR SUCCESSES AT SCHOOL AND AGE GROUP LEVEL
Laura Gardiner 4th in 800 metres last weekend’s All Ireland Schools Championships in Offaly and 7th in the 1500 metres. Two good performances and appropriately part of her athletics education.
Lauren Madine won 60m, 600m and long jump for P6 at the North Down Athletics Club competition on Wed 8th June to add to the gold medal she won in the NI and Ulster Under 12 Age Group Championships last weekend.
THIS WEEKEND
Matthew McGrattan had a straight final in U 17 200 and 400m and took 3rd place in both, winning bronze medals and qualifying for All Irelands. He was beaten on the dip for the 400 metres silver only losing out by one tenth of a second.
Edie Carroll and Hannah Gilliland ran in the U15 800m which was run as a time trial with Edie finishing 7th in 2.29.07and Hannah 10th in 2.31.35 of 19 Improvements for both from last year at same event
Aoife Cochrane ran in the U17 3K race and picked up the Gold medal and qualified for All Irelands – this in spite of a less than ideal preparation because of examinations. Well done to all
KILLYLEAGH 5 MILES SATURDAY 25 JUNE
This year’s Killykeagh Five Mile race has been brought forward to Saturday June 25th because a Half Marathon is planned for the last Saturday in August to mark 13 years of the shorter distance.
LOUGHINISLAND 5.05 on WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE.
And just around the corner from that on the local scene is Loughinisland’s Annual and very popular unique distance race which takes place on Wednesday 29 June and which incredibly, is 10 years old! Online entry is open at www.athleticsni.org and entries will also be taken on the day of the race. Entry fees are only £7 for Registered athletes and £8 for unregistered runners so it’s great value for money. The Fun Run too will ensure there is something for everyone.
Joe Quinn
12 June 2016