CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

GREENCASTLE 5 MILES

Just as he did last year Tom Dowey travelled the furthest of the East Down runners over the Christmas period to Greencastle Co.Tyrone in fact, on Boxing Day, to run the famous 5 miles race. He maintained his good record in the race by placing 781^st in the field of over 1,000 runners.

BURREN TOWNLANDS RACES.  

This year’s events in Burren were to be 10 Miles and 6 Miles races also on Boxing Day, but unfortunately due to a funeral in the area the ten mile route had to be shortened and turned out to be an 8 mile race. In the words of East Down’s Gordy Graham, who won the race,  “it was far enough” as the course contained “a few serious uphills” though he did enjoy the benefits of the downhills that come along with that! He was also “delighted to take the win ahead of Chris Devine of Newry City Runners who has been in flying form” of late. This is proving to be quite a happy hunting ground for Gordy as he won the shorter distance race last year. Gordy however got his Ten Mile weekend distance with considerable interest when he turned out again on Saturday in the Christmas Cracker.

EAST DOWN DOUBLE

In Gordy’s absence in the shorter race, Catherine O’Connor proved a more than worthy deputy, taking the title this time, to preserve East Down’s name on the trophy.

Unfortunately I don’t have any of the details about times etc. at the time of writing.

CASTLEWELLAN CRACKERS??

Who would Aaron McGrady get to partner him in the famous Cracker race this year on 28^th December. That was the question which most of those competing at the front end of the field were asking before Saturday’s keenly awaited renewal of the epic Pairs race? Zak Hanna and Seamus Lynch, last year’s winning duo were highly fancied to repeat the feat, given their recent form, though Aaron had set a new Pb in last month’s Seeley Cup and had finished 2^nd and 5^th in the Cracker in 2017 and 2018 respectively, so he was not without hope and worthy of respect from all the top duos. For those of you who don’t know the Cracker is a race run in pairs who must cross the finish line together.  If anyone arrives ahead of his/ her partner they must undergo a sort of quarantine, by waiting in a specified area about 50 metres from the finish line, in order to meet up again and have a reconciliation, before they’re allowed  to cross the line and record their finishing position. There was considerable speculation as to what had happened when top cross country and road runner, Mark McKinstry, appeared in the last 400 metres, in splendid isolation!! “Where was his partner?” and “Did he start without one?”, were just two of the questions asked by spectators at the finish line, but when he was directed into the waiting area it was clear that his companion, whoever he/she was, had been unable to keep up with the Glenshesk warrior. In the form he was in on Saturday no-one could have! But nevertheless he had to stand and wait at least 6 minutes until his partner, Stephen Wylie of the Victoria Park & Connswater club, who is no mean slouch, arrived,  just in time to enable them to cross the finish line in 57.08, in 4^th place overall. Meantime Aaron and his partner Andrew Barrington who runs for the same London based club, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets AC as Aaron, had comfortably crossed the line for a superb win in 53.29, ahead of the Hanna /Lynch 55.03 and Johnston/Scott 55.55 combinations which were 1^st and 2^nd respectively last year. So the mood was certainly bright as the winners joined the crowds along the finishing straight to await the arrival of the remainder of the East Down contingent.

ANOTHER PODIUM PLACE FOR THE LADIES

Naturally Aaron’s thoughts were for his girlfriend Hannah Somani who was competing alongside her friend Georgina Wiley in the Female Under 80 category, the youngest age group there is, based on the combined ages of the pairs. So there was further celebrations when the pair duly appeared amid speculation, later confirmed, that they were in 2^nd place in their category! They placed 60^th in 1.10.56. The winners were the Beechmount pairing of Sarah Laverty and Catherine Diver who placed 26^th overall in 1:06:30. So there’s something to work on for next year?

HOW THE REST FARED

Just one place behind Hannah and Georgina was Mark McDowell in company with Gary O’Connor, though there were already 3 other East Down runners past by then, Dee Murray in the company of Newcastle’s John Kelly in 35^th and Dermot Cahill and Joe Napier in 44^th.

They were followed by Caroline McNabb and Declan Morgan City of Lisburn who were 4^th  in the Mixed Under 80 category.

143^rd  Niamh Kellett & Gavin Hynds East Down AC

170^th Gordy Graham EDAC & Steph Girvan City of Lisburn

268^th John Taylor East Down AC & Colin Denvir

300^th  Michael Morrissey East Down AC  & Ciaran McGarrity

325^th Eamon Kelly & Hallie Jennings East Down AC

342^nd  Nuala Taylor & Patricia Galloway East Down AC

364^th James Magennis & Cheyrl Denvir East Down AC

376^th Janine Murray East Down AC & Oonagh Breteche

451^st Donal Smith & Kelly Smith East Down AC

521st Suzy Smith East Down AC & Patrick Smith

549^th Joanne Carson East Down AC & Lauranne McMullan

There were 24 EDAC runners in total spread across the various categories, though I cannot find any trace of John Manley and Lisa Milligan finishing even though I saw them leaving the town in the early stages of the race?

Gavin Hynds and Niamh Kellett as Fred and Wilma Flintstone the Fancy Dress prizewinners

James Magennis and Cheryl Denvir, East Down’s Ugly Sisters

Donal, Kelly and Suzy Smith

Oonagh Breteche and Janine Murray

John Kelly Newcastle AC and Dee Murray East Down AC enjoying the fun at the Christmas Cracker on Saturday in Castlewellan

Halle Jennings and Eamon Kelly East Down AC showing off their finishers medals on Saturday

WELL DONE to everyone from the Club who ran as EDAC pairings or as half of another registered Club runner pair or with a friend or family member. It is after all a Fun Event and it was obvious that the majority of participants were in fun filled mode and certainly gave the spectators plenty to laugh at. James Magennis and Cheryl Denvir certainly deserve praise for turning out in fancy dress costumes and Gavin Hynds and Niamh Kellett who won a prize for their appearance as Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND INJURY FREE NEW YEAR TO EVERY RUNNER OUT THERE, IN 2020.

 Joe Quinn

30 December 2019

MARATHON No. 71 FOR PHILLIP

While most of us were sleeping or at least huddling up beside a cosy fire on a bitterly cold Saturday morning, East Down’s Phillip Vint was warming up for the latest leg of his century attempt, the 71^st to be exact, at the marathon distance. Not for him the attraction of a flat and easy course on some idyllic tropical isle, but rather the ups and downs of the latest in East of Ireland Marathon Series, namely the Howth marathon, which began around 9.30am on Saturday, with some 3000 feet of climbing thrown in and had a strong cold headwind on the return legs, all 3 of them in fact. But it proved of little hindrance to the tough as nails veteran, as he kept going strongly to the end, crossing the line in 3.50.04, in overall 6^th place. Well done to you Phillip, only 29 more to go!!

Meantime, his wife Helen was making her way around the Half Marathon distance which she duly completed in 2.17.05, not a PB by any means, but coincidentally in 6^th place too, and which given the terrain and the weather conditions is a commendable effort nonetheless.

SHARON TAKES TOP SPOT IN BORN2RUN KILBRONEY FOREST 5K

On Saturday morning, Sharon Madine took full of advantage of the Juniors resting up for the All Ireland’s the next day. In the absence of her daughter Lauren and EDAC Junior Anna Gardiner who have been dominating the series, she bagged herself a win. Nicely done Sharon! It was not an easy ride though as the route entailed climb after climb in Kilbroney Forest. Thankfully the last 2.5K were mostly down hill and she came home clear to take first spot in a speedy 23.28 almost 2 minutes ahead of 2nd placed female.  This started a trio of podium places for the Club over the weekend.

Louise Valley 2nd, Sharon Madine 1st and Lorraine Hanna 3rd at Born2Run in Kilbroney

PODIUM FOR CATHERINE AT DROGHEDA & DISTRICT CHRISTMAS 5K

This race, on Sunday morning, was well attended and of a high standard as evidenced by the winning time of 15.28 set by Gary Campbell of Dunleer AC.  With 842 starters, it was interesting to note that 492 of them were female. The first female home, Ciara Hickey, clocked 17.32 with Catherina McKiernan 2^nd Female in 17.56, still showing signs of her big race pedigree. Her claim to fame is that she is the Irish Marathon Women’s record holder an astonishing 21 years after having run 2.22.23 in Amsterdam.  Catherine O’Connor continuing her run of good form placed 3rd female only 4 seconds behind this athlete of note (18.00 exactly!)  Donal Smith with a late entry came 101^st Male finisher in a time of 23.38.

Catherina McKiernan 2nd, Ciara Hickey 1st and Catherine O’Connor 3rd in Drogheda

ALL IRELAND UNEVEN AGE GROUPS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Only the very hardy “do” Cross Country in December and that refers to the parents who drive to far flung places despite other festive commitments and to coaches and supporters who brave the cold to stand on the sidelines as well as the young runners who fit in training around all the fun things that are going on at this time of the year. This is even before mentioning the icy mud and biting wind which can make competing a real challenge so irrespective of performance the bunch of Juniors who travelled to Cow Field (Yes that’s right it’s an actual place!) in Dunboyne, Meath on Sunday deserve huge praise. The day started out very chilly with the ground too firm in places, but thankfully there was a gradual thaw. The grass was long and there were stretches of mud which made running hard work. Despite the sun melting the ice on the ground, the temperature didn’t seem to rise much and spectators and runners alike were keen to keep moving.

U11 BOYS – EDAC had three boys, Alexander Robinson, Rory Morris & Jarlath Kearney in this race, qualifying as part of the Down team. It was first time at an All Ireland event for both Jarlath and Rory while Alex ran in the All Ireland Evens three weeks previously. With the biggest field of the day (a massive 198 runners) there was little room for manoeuvre so well done for negotiating the masses. Alex was 145th, Rory 161st and Jarlath 193rd. All took the 1500m event in their stride and did the club proud.

U15 GIRLS – Anna Gardiner & Lauren Madine both lined up in this age group having finished in the top 12 at the qualifiers. Lauren finished strongly in the 3500m race to clinch 6^th position and Anna came 9^th putting both in the top 10 in Ireland in a field of 181 runners which is more than impressive. As a result of their efforts Ulster were placed as the top province and the County Down Team was third.

U15 BOYS – EDAC had only one runner, Oliver Robinson in this race. At the start he did feel a bit out of his comfort zone having just turned 13 less than a week ago but he settled quickly and enjoyed the race climbing up the places with enough energy in reserve for a sprint finish and placed 103rd out of 131.

U17 BOYS – Mackenzie Murray and Declan Hampton were in as part of the County Down team but were also great representatives of the Club as they battled their way. Mackenzie held his own to come 81st out of 110. Declan would say that Cross Country is not his first love but he did well to complete the gruelling 5000m distance. Good work boys.

EDAC Juniors brave the cold in Dunboyne at the All Irelands – Back L-R Anna Gardiner, Lauren Madine, Declan Hampton, Oliver Robinson and Mackenzie Murray

CROSSGAR SANTA RUN NO FUN FOR CLARE

The Crossgar Santa Run took place on Sunday afternoon and although it had the look of a great day to be out, there were some slippery patches that were tricky to navigate. Clare Carson took a nasty tumble which ended her race and Nuala Taylor who stopped to tend to her was also a DNF as a result. Best wishes to Clare for a speedy recovery and thanks to the Good Samaritans who took care of her.

Hallie Jennings picking up prizes at Crossgar

PODIUM NUMBER 3!

The first EDAC runner home was junior Finn Gibney in 12^th position. His regular parkruns have obviously set him up well. Hallie Jennings came 2^nd female  securing the 3^rd  EDAC podium of the weekend! She also won a raffle prize so it was a good weekend for her all round. The whole Taylor family also deserve a mention because of the superb effort they put into their attire. Matthew Taylor was 29^th and dad John came in one place behind son number 2 William, 40^th and 39^th respectively. Kevin Kelly also took part with his son Domhnall who has recently completed the Couch to 5K in Downpatrick. Hopefully the first of many for Domhnall?

The Taylor Family at Crossgar Santa Run

PREDICTED 5K TIME TRIAL ON THURSDAY NIGHT

There was a good turnout on Thursday night for the Annual In-Club predicted Time Trial, well it was good but could have been a lot better, given the current membership, but a big thank you and well done to everyone who took part or marshalled or helped in the Club Rooms before and afterwards. This was very much a fun event in which members predict the time they anticipate it will take them to run the 5K distance and then are set off without a watch or other timepiece to try to match their prediction. It therefore gives even the slowest runner in the Club a chance to compete with the fastest on equal terms. And it is amazing how close most of them came to their predictions. In fact with only 2 exceptions everyone ran faster than predicted, so what does that say about confidence in their own ability? However,

the top 5 were separated by a mere 10 seconds and they were:-  Niamh Kellett, one who was slightly under in her prediction by a mere 11 seconds, Gordy Graham 10 seconds over, Deirdre Weatherall 7 seconds over, Paul Lloyd 5 seconds over and the first prize went to Gavin Hynds who was a mere 1 second quicker than he predicted. This is exactly the same difference than was recorded last year by Liam Keenan. So  can next year’s winner hit the time exactly? I don’t know what the answer to that question is but all being well I intend to give it a go myself.

Niamh Kellett, Deirdre Weatherall, Gavin Hynds (Overall winner), Gordy Graham, Paul Lloyd pick up prizes for their accuracy in pacing.

CHEQUE GOES TO MARY PETERS’ TRUST

The Club held a memorable evening in September past when Lady Mary Peters came to talk about her running career as well as to highlight the work of the Mary Peters’ Trust which supports young athletes who aspire to reach their potential. On that night there was a collection and over the last few months there has been a loose change bucket at the Clubrooms. On Thursday Fionnuala McGrady (a director in the Trust) came to accept a cheque for £500 on behalf of the charity. She chatted with some of the members and expressed thanks on behalf of Lady Mary.

EDAC Club members with the representatives of the Club and Fionnula McGrady Director Mary Peters Trust
Mal McGrady (MB McGrady & Co) Club Sponsor on Thursday night.

Joe Quinn, Alison Carroll and Marguerite Robinson (Juniors)

16 December 2019

CAOILIN IMPRESSES ON 4 LEGS

The week effectively began for me, on Wednesday morning strangely enough, with the inspiring news that former East Down AC top junior runner, Caoilin Quinn, who gave up running on 2 legs to seek fame and fortune on 4, when he left to pursue his dream of becoming a top jockey, had ridden his first winner on his first race course ride in England. The race was held at Kempton Park and it marks the first of what we all hope will be, many. Our congratulations to him and best wishes for his future progress in the tough, highly competitive world of National Hunt race riding. Almost coincidentally two of the present East Down senior squad, Neil Curran and Martin Willcox, headed for Aintree racecourse at the weekend, not to seek success on the 4 legs of a horse, but to run on their own two, as part of the NI Masters team in the British and Irish Masters Cross Country Championships held at the world famous home of the world’s greatest steeplechase, the Grand National.

Neil Curran at the British and Irish Masters XC Championships at Aintree Race Course

BRITISH AND IRISH MASTERS X/C CHAMPIONSHIPS ON 2 LEGS

There was lots of jokes about the going being good to firm and Red Rum making a possible comeback but it was certified before they started that all the runners had only 2 legs as they set off on their 8K test.  The weather was kind and as a result the pace was hot from the start. At one stage Martin Willcox found himself near the back of the 35-49 race which is not his usual zone but by digging deep he brought himself back into the stream of runners and eventually finished as 4th out of 6 in the NI M45 Team in a time of 29.35. Neil Curran up ahead in the same race but representing the M40 NI Team ran a steady race and kept himself in the pack finishing in 28.35. Both men deserve praise for getting their NI vest and their performances endorsed their selection. It has to be said that well as they ran they didn’t make a similar impression to Caoilin, finishing in mid field in the race. However these races are always tough and hotly contested affairs and both will have learned considerably from their experiences.

RUN IN THE DARK

On Wednesday over 2000 runners turned out in the 5 and 10K races which make up the Run in the Dark that is now an established annual event in the grounds of the Stormont Estate. It is an event which I have never missed since it began until this year when I totally forgot all about it. A sign of the times or just an involuntary precaution on behalf of my body help to preserve it from the cold? Luckily sufficient of the rest of the running fraternity, though none from East Down, remembered, while I sat snugly and oblivious to it all, at home.

SATURDAY IN DRUM MANOR FOREST PARK COOKSTOWN

After the horrendous weather of the previous weekend, it was a relief to have both Saturday and Sunday dry and calm conducive to good racing or simply to being outside for any reason. The EDAC athletes who took the journey to Drum Manor Forest Park for the Born2run 5/10K were able to enjoy the scenic surroundings to the full. The course started flat with a few downhills but then there was payback with a bit of climbing and one challenging hill in the last 1K. Gordy Graham was out on his own from the start and with a gap of almost 2 minutes he probably did appreciate the views. He took the win in 19.01 with Paddy Hannon in 2nd place in 21.49.  Right behind him,  Lauren Madine and Anna Gardiner were playing a cat and mouse game in a repeat of the last Born2run event and came in as first and second females with Lauren pipping Anna on the line by 1 second! Their respective times were 21.51 to 21.52 placing them 3rd and 4th overall. Sharon Madine had a good strong run (24.26) which gave her 6th lady home and 13th overall out of a field of 132.  Great running all round!

Anna Gardiner, Lauren Madine, Sharon Madine and Gordy Graham at Drum Manor Forest Park Born2run 5K

VIVA LAS VEGAS!
What better way to bring marathon season to an end than a trip to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas Rock’n’Roll Marathon. Clare Carson and Kevin Kelly headed off to the USA last week, much to the envy of many and reported back that it was a trip worth making. They soaked up the atmosphere of the event which aims to entertain runners by playing music along the route and creating a carnival feel to ease the pain of the miles. The EDAC duo had always planned to take it as an end of season wind down and wisely took time to hydrate in the warm dry heat rather than push on for times. In the end they crossed the line in 4.28 so the tunes and bright lights must have carried them along rightly. The famous Vegas Strip is incorporated in the route and the marathon is the only time that the Strip is traffic free. With 35,000 runners it is quite a spectacle and starting in late afternoon it carries the festivities on into the night. Definitely one for those who like to combine their running with a bit of razzmatazz.

Kevin Kelly and Clare Carson in Las Vegas after the Rock’n’Roll Marathon
Rest are at County Down 5K Champs

VIVA TOLLYMORE!

That doesn’t have quite the same ring to it does it, though nonetheless, whether running a marathon in Tollymore or Las Vegas still has the one common feature – they all require the runner to cover 26.2 miles, so Declan Teague’s performance on Saturday, as the only EDAC runner in the Tollymore Mountain Marathon has equal value. Though he said he ran it “slowly” his time of 4 hours and 2 minutes suggests otherwise.

SUNDAY IN DOWNPATRICK  – THE Co DOWN 5K – THE FIRST RACE – OVER 25 MINUTES.

On a beautiful sunny morning, with not even the slightest whiff of a wind, the Co Down 5K Series got under way at 10.00am with the “Over 25 minutes” estimated timed runners, all 67of them, taking to the measured loop around St Patrick’s Square, the Mall and Lr. Market St, with 7 and a half laps ahead of them. The idea is that runners enter one of the 3 choices on offer, i.e. over 25 minutes, 18 to 25 minutes or under 18 minutes, which is most appropriate to their known pace and should see them finish close to this estimate. The fact that the top 5 runners all finished inside the 25 minute target with the top two clocking 22.22 and 22.50 respectively means that they had seriously underestimated their times.

Gavin Oakes, Andrew Telford (Race Organisers) with Joe Quinn and Tom McClean (EDAC)

East Down’s Cathy Burke ran extremely well to finish in overall 9^th place and 3^rd Female in 25.07, with Sean Sealey in 16^th place in 26.00 minutes. It is inspiring to guys like me who are ”temporarily” sidelined to also see Emma Mallon and others like her turn up and run just for the fun of it.  Well done everyone.

 THE SECOND RACE 18 – 25 MINUTES

There were 77 runners in this race, the most popular of the day and certainly there was a much more competitive  edge to proceedings with the target times of between 18 and 25 minutes being achieved by 74 of the 77 finishers, from the winner, East Down’s Barrie Atkinson’s 17.53, also representing Down Triathlon Club, (good to see him back racing again and competitive with it) to Maureen Kelly’s 25.31 everyone nailed down their target times and there were several races within the race, and close finishes as club colleagues tried to outrun each other. No doubt Barrie will target the Elite race next year!!

Donal Smith and Barrie Atkinson

Several, including Anna Gardiner and Lauren and Sharon Madine, had run the day before in Cookstown so deserve double credit for not only travelling to compete in one of the remotest parts of the country, but for turning out again on Sunday and giving it a real go.

RACE 3  – THE ELITES – UNDER 18 MINUTES

The top race of the day certainly didn’t disappoint as all 32 of the 36 runners were either inside the target or just on the 18 minute mark. From the gun Eoin Hughes Acorns AC took the race by the scruff of the neck and proceeded to open up a sizeable lead by hthe end of the second lap. But then Eoin Mullan, Omagh Harriers, really got the bit between his teeth and over the course of the next 4 laps he whittled Hughes lead down to a mere few seconds so it was a case of could Hughes hold out for the final lap. As they approached the line for the final time it was only just Hughes ahead and despite Mullan’s desperate final charge Hughes 15.09 just prevailed by a single second with 3^rd  place going to Gareth Lyons North Belfast Harriers in 15.46.

Lauren Madine, Anna Gardiner and Emily Burns

NEW WORLD RECORD

Of course the main source of interest, to those in the know, was the redoubtable Tommy Hughes aka the Marakesh Express, now in his 59^th year, trying to break his own world record in the M55 Age category. Remarkably he was also vying with the other half dozen or so runners who were battling for all the places at the head of the field. And quite a cheer went up when it was announced that he had actually set a new world by one second in his age group. The new time is 16.13. Congratulations to Tommy who finished in overall 7^th  place.

East Down’s James Sloan ran a superb race to finish in 16^th place in an eyecatching 16.47. having worked his way steadily through the field.

WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN?

Rachel Gibson turned up to defend the title she won last year and had East Down’s Catherine O’Connor and Newcastle’s Mari Troeng for opposition. And although Rachel was virtually untouchable as she posted 16.50 in 18^th place Catherine stuck to her task and came home in 17.50 in 28^th place with Mari taking 3^rd Female place in 18.44.

All in all it was a superb morning’s racing, very well organised and marshalled with the sunny conditions an added bonus. Well one to everyone involved.

Madeleine Crawford(2nd), Christine Rice (3rd) (both Tels Fitness) and Cathy Burke (EDAC) 3rd in the 25min+ Race

AARON PERFORMS WELL IN LONDON

News from the capital is that Aaron McGrady is training hard to make a significant bid for honours in the Seeley Cup 10K on 30 November. Evidence of his progress and his well being came on Saturday when he placed 10^th in the London X/C championships held on a very muddy and hilly course at Parliament Hill. The course is used for the English National Championships. His time was 37.59 and he was 25 places better than when he last ran the race, out of a massive field of 494 finishers, which considering he hadn’t tapered for the race and had a heavy week’s training beforehand, was a superb effort.

This follows on the heels of his notable win in the North London Championships 2 weeks earlier when he cruised to a relatively comfortable top spot in 27.21, ahead of Glenn Hughes Serpentine/New Zealand 27.54 2^nd  and Roger Maidment London Heathside 28.11 in 3^rd .

HANNAH HITS THE HEADLINES TOO

Aaron runs in London for the Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets Club which is also the “local” club for his girlfriend Hannah Somani. She too is also making significant progress as she targets the Seeley as her next outing for East Down. She took 5^th place overall in the North London C/ships and 28^th in the North London C/ships on Saturday out of 309 Women which was good enough to give her the honour of being first Female athlete from her club to finish, beating several experienced runners by over a minute.

Well done to both of these up and coming runners who promise to make East Down a force to be reckoned with in the coming year.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

18 November 2019

NI and ULSTER UNEVEN AGE GROUP CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS.

In what I can only describe as the worst conditions I ever remember in all my years involved with running, a view endorsed by many of the ANI officials who have been around the sport much longer than me, the NI & Ulster Uneven Age Group Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday at the Billy Neill MBE Sports Centre near Dundonald. Admittedly the races took place on the dedicated cross country course which the Lisburn and Castlereagh Council have provided at considerable expense, so if anywhere could have catered for the conditions it had to be there.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Last year following a last minute change of venue for this particular championship event, held in Monaghan, we reported that the mud lovers and hill seekers were disappointed that the new course was almost like a track event held on grass! Well the mud lovers and hill seekers, should have been in their element on Saturday,  not that I recognised any by their expressions, as conditions were reversed with an almost vengeful intensity.

With severe weather warnings being the order of the day the event must have been in great danger of being called off, and as it can really only succeed if the runners turn up, it was very much a case of “The races are going ahead come and run”.  And turn up they did, kids aged from 9 to 18, from every club and county in Ulster, braving the elements to travel and then to run over what was a waterlogged course, with the rain non-stop and a strong headwind to test the resolve of the hardiest.

TOTAL RESPECT

As I stood, buffeted by the wind but relatively well protected underneath a large umbrella, I was lost in admiration of every runner who came past, not just those at the front but more so for those at the very back, who not only faced up to the fact that they were not going to improve their positions, but bravely completed the required number of laps and finished the race.

WELL DONE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE!!

HOW DID THE EDAC RUNNERS FARE?

The brutal conditions were across the board with no respite. For the Juniors who were at their first Cross Country this was a complete shock to the system and even for the hardened enthusiasts it was hard to get through. The hardest part was waiting to race and trying to keep warm but even during the race there was little chance to thaw with icy water spraying constantly and the battle to stay upright was at times more on their minds than worrying where the opposition was. It is truly hard to convey how tough it was and even harder to comprehend why some of them will turn out again several more times this winter.

U11 Girls – Maeve McNeill was understandably a bit nervous but got to the start and finish! A big achievement for one so small!

U11 Boys – Alex Robinson 34th, Rory Morris 61st, Jarlath Kearney 72nd (98 runners) Good runs by all 3 and Alex and Rory were delighted to realise that they each had bagged a place on the Down Team for the All Ireland’s. A well deserved reward.

Rory Morris and Jarlath Kearney on the finish line of the U11 Boys’ Race

U13 Girls – Anna Kearney 67th, Orla Gibney 70th (87 runners) The two girls paced each other and finished strongly. Orla was grateful to have the lead of Anna’s experience.

U13 Boys -Finn Gibney 73rd, Aaron Lennon 79th (85 runners)This was a first time for Finn but he coped very well and Aaron showed that he had not been put off by his first race a couple of weeks back. Promising performances.

U15 Girls – Lauren Madine 2nd, Anna Gardiner 10th, Emily Burns 33rd, Kara Trainor 39th, Lucy Denvir 77th ( 81 runners ) Lauren Madine ran a spirited race and was always up with the leaders and gave notice of her continuing good form by taking the silver medal. It was a gutsy performance and was great to see. She qualifies as an individual as does Anna Gardiner who ran well to come in 10th. The rest of the U15 EDAC girls ran their hearts out too and as a result they were 4th Club Team in the count and go through to the All Ireland’s as a Team which is praiseworthy as some of them are a year under age for this grouping. Some of them will also form the basis of the Down Team.

Lauren Madine (left) getting a silver medal in the U15 Girls’ Race alongside Kirsti Foster (Willowfield) 1st
and Ferne Duffy (Shercock) 3rd.

U15 Boys – Ollie Robinson 49th (80 runners) – It is hard to be the only EDAC in the race but he found a good rhythm and got stuck in rightly.

U17 Boys – MacKenzie Murray 32nd was in good form and placed well in a top level field. Declan Hampton and Jack Carson were game to try this out and deserve praise for their efforts. Mackenzie and Declan both qualify for the All Irelands on the County Down ticket.

There is no doubt that cross country is a great character builder and runners are the better for it but try telling them that at the time! The results above are only half the story and the club is more than proud of every individual who turned out. A big thank you is due to the coaches for their support which went far beyond the call of duty and also to the parents who not only had to spectate in the downpour but also clean up the aftermath. Well done one and all!

SENIORS IN THE BOBBY REA MEMORIAL 

EDAC fielded the minimum 4 runners in order to get team points in the Bobby Rea International race and were well represented by Neil Curran 52^nd, Gareth Reilly 113^th, Gavin Hynds 118^th and Niall Gibney 122^nd out of 218 finishers, a good all round team performance.

Gavin Reilly, Neil Curran, Gavin Hynds and Niall Gibney after a muddy Bobby Rea XC

RUN TO REMEMBER 5K

Over 200 took to the roads around Ballynahinch for the Run to Remember Event hosted by Atlas Running. It was heartening to see so many prepared to turn out in the wet conditions. EDAC had 3 runners who all came in the top 10. Paul Lloyd was 7th in 21.17  with Martin Willcox taking 4th spot in 19.57. Bragging rights go to recent arrival James Sloan, who ran a determined 18.42 to take 2nd overall. The route went along the Crossgar Road and went in a loop on the quieter country roads before heading back to the town. There were plenty of hills and plenty of puddles and there may have been some nice scenery but no-one many took time to notice it. Well done to all who took part.

Tom Crudgington Newcastle AC 3rd, Lawrence O’Hara North Belfast 1st and Jimmy Sloan EDAC 2nd at the finish of the Run to Remember 5K race on Saturday with the race sponsor Kevin Smyth proprietor of The Primrose Bar, Ballynahinch

SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT

The Senior members are reminded that they must contact either Deirdre Weatherall or Gavin Hynds to book their places by 16^th November and that their votes are required for the following categories:- Most Improved Female Athlete, Most Improved Male Athlete, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and the Club Person of the Year, by 21 November, so that the awards can be presented at the Club Night in Denvir’s Hotel night on the 23^rd.

NEXT WEEKEND

On Sunday 17 November the action switches to the tarmac again as the Co Down 5K takes place in Downpatrick, with the first race at 10.00am. Entries in all the categories and races is open at www.athleticsni.org. This event has been increasing in popularity since its inception 3 years and local runners are advised to enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Further information is available from Andrew Telford on 07771985042 or at www.andrewtel84@gmail.com

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll &  Marguerite Robinson (with the Juniors)

11 November 2019

CROSS COUNTRY AT COMBER

The weather at Comber on Saturday for Ballydrain’s Cross Country event ranged from wet, cold and windy to bright sunshine and clear skies with a hint of warmth creeping in meaning that depending on when you ran, you had a very different experience. The one thing that was in common though was the mud underfoot as heavy rain had left a carpet of muck which was soon churned up by a multitude of pounding feet.

JUNIOR PERFORMANCES

Starting at the rainy end of the day, there was a Primary Race where EDAC had Alex Robinson and Kelsey Murray. They both fairly romped round, ignoring the rising tide of sludge working its way up their legs and onto their vests. Alex even had it over most of his face! He came 18th overall and 7th of Boys aged 10.

Alex Robinson pushing on through the mud

Kelsey paced it well ending with a turbo finish to pass a few on the way in. She was 17th Primary Girl and 6th Girl aged 9. In the U13 Oliver Robinson was 14th Boy while Emily Burns was 10th in the Girls’ Category with over 60 in the combined race. Lauren Madine and Anna Gardiner came in 4th and 5th Girls in the U15 Race. Kara Trainor was 16th in the same race with 24 girls in total completing the tough route. Mackenzie Murray had a great race coming 6th overall in the U17 Race, although he’s still only 15, coping well with the 2 full laps. Well done to every one of them and commiserations to the parents who were left to deal with the aftermath in terms of sodden kit and clogged spikes. Sometimes I think that the racers get the easy part.

Kelsey Murray with her Primary School’s medal

Kara Trainor, Lauren Madine, Anna Gardiner and Emily Burns

THE SUN COMES OUT FOR THE SENIOR LADIES

As the juniors finished up, the clouds rolled back and a smidgeon of heat could be detected just in time for the Comber Cup and the John McKeag Cup Races. The former is for Men’s Senior Teams and the latter the equivalent for Females. East Down AC were able to field a male team but the Ladies were only able to drum up 3 so unfortunately there were no points for them. The Ladies (including Masters’ Men over 65) set off at 1.15pm in the wake of the Juniors to tackle 3 gruelling laps. The sun may have made it more pleasant but the damage was done to the ground underfoot and there was little they could do to avoid the wide swathes of wet mud. That combined with hills that seemed to go on and on meant that it was a feat of endurance with little respite. Rebekah Nixon of Dromore was the overall winner with Newcastle AC’sMari Troeng 17 seconds behind. Her win set the tone for her club Dromore who went on to win the McKeag Cup. EDAC’s Catherine O’Connor ran steadily to finish 9th overall out of a good crowd of 180. Sharon Madine was running to experience the mysteries of cross country for herself having spectated at many an event in recent years. She took to it with ease and finished well up in 66th position. Alison Carroll (125th) found the hills a tough challenge but was heartened to see that there were plenty behind her at the finish.

Sharon Madine, Alison Carroll and Catherine O’Connor before the race

EVEN MORE MUD FOR THE MEN

If the ground was soft going for the ladies, it was truly treacherous for the men and more than one runner came to grief on the tactical descents. Mark McKinstry (North Belfast) this year’s Jimmy’s Ten winner, seemed to be oblivious to the swampy ruts however, he describes cross country as his favourite discipline, as he charged to victory followed by Seamus Lynch of Newcastle AC. Third placed was Allan Bogle. North Belfast Harriers went on to lift the Comber Cup when the team results were counted up.

HOW THE EDAC MEN FARED

As for the EDAC Men? Martin Willcox managed to hold on to 40th place which put him 2nd in the Male 45 category. Paul Lloyd while not a fan of cross country is well aware of the benefits of the outings and was content with 99th place. Adam Morgan moving out of the Junior ranks did extremely well to pace the full 4 laps as this was quite a bit longer than any cross country that he had previously attempted. He was strong throughout finishing 157th. Just as Mark McKinstry likes to go out hard on the whistle, Donal Smith prefers to hang back at the tail end of the bunch and then to wend his way through. He managed to catch a few and finish 170th with a smile. All in all those who were there were glad that they had taken part and look forward to more EDAC members joining the XC campaign after Dublin Marathon.

Paul Lloyd, Martin Willcox, Adam Morgan and Donal Smith post race at Comber

CONGRATULATIONS ON INTERNATIONAL SELECTION

The EDAC squad was led by Martin Willcox who together with Neil Curran, qualified, in the Masters Trial races last weekend, to represent Northern Ireland in the British Masters International to be held next month in Southport, around Aintree racecourse to be specific.

Congratulations to both of them.

MOURNE SKYLINE RACE

Aaron McGrady set a great pace as he tackled the 6th annual Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race and his eventual placing of 7th was impressive. 4 hours and 19 minutes to cover the 35k event, which includes a massive 3,370m of ascent is quite some going. The day started off in foul weather conditions but gradually eased. Despite the improvement 27 runners called it a day before the finish which indicates how hard it was. Niall Gibney had entered in the hope of bettering his time from last year. He did that with ease taking 36 minutes off and breaking the 5 hour barrier. This was good enough to put him 2nd M40. Well done to both on a superb effort all round. 210 troopers made it to the tape in the end so well done to every one of them.

Niall Gibney after the Mourne Skyline MTR

GR8 RACE in DUNDRUM

East Down was well represented in Dundrum by Gareth Kelly and Phillip Vint both setting better times than last year, having a last blow out before their assault on Dublin next Sunday, with Eamon Kelly 63.00, knocking  a huge 3 minutes 20 seconds off last year’s time, an improvement only surpassed by Noreen Kerr who clocked 80.54,  a massive 8 minutes faster than last year. George Kerr was as reliable as ever, coming home in the same time as last year.  John Smith did well in his first attempt at this unique race, clocking a more than respectable 78.00.

Gareth Kelly catches his breath coming off the beach at Murlough in the GR8 Dundrun Run

Eamon Kelly in his stride at Dundrum

John Smith pushing on at Dundrum

RUNNING AND MORE

Some of our members have been tackling multi sport events over the last while. Barrie Atkinson (racing as Down Triathlon Club) took on his first duathlon at Glaslough last weekend. It was 2.5k run,  20k cycle with a  2.5k run to finish. Although he has had to lay off running for a long time due to injury, there were flashes of speed that will improve with fitness. He found the cycle enjoyable but to run after that section was a  whole new challenge. To finish under the hour in 58.47 is commendable and he is eager to try another such event soon.

Barrie Atkinson after the Duathlon at Glaslough

TRIATHLON SUCCESS FOR DARK HORSE

Another master of multi tasking is Cheryl Denvir. She can turn her hand to most disciplines and although work commitments leave her with reduced training time, she is well known as a dark horse as her competitive spirit kicks in when she is in a race situation. Recently she travelled to Donegal for Gaelforce North Triathlon event and surprised even herself by making the podium when she was third female to cross the line. It consisted of a 15K run and a 24K cycle around Mount Errigal There was meant to be a kayak element as the third discipline but as the winds were too strong it was replaced with a further 6K trail cycle. She completed the lot in 3hrs 29 minutes. Well done to both these members for pushing their boundaries and using their running background to seek further challenges!

Cheryl Denvir – 3rd Female at Gaelforce North Multi Race

BEST WISHES TO ALL DUBLIN MARATHON RUNNERS.

Good Luck to all EDAC members, especially the first timers, like Janine Murray and John and Nuala Taylor, remember it’s about getting it done, the time is irrelevant,  and indeed to all runners from the NM&DD Council area who will be out on the streets on Sunday morning participating in Dublin City Marathon.  I’ll see you there, somewhere along the route.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

21 October 2019

FLAHAVANS PRIMARY SCHOOL CHALLENGE Rd 1

The first round of the 2019/20 Flahavans Porridge Primary School Cross Country Series was held during the week and comprised 5 races in all, a combined boys and girls fun run & then 2 girls & 2 boys races. Alex Robinson was the best placed EDAC runner, taking 8th in 2^nd boys race. As you would expect the course had become a virtual mud bath by that stage and there was a lot of fallers. Finn Gibney ran very well to take 27^th place in the same Boys race, which had a field of 80 finishers and Kelsey Murray also did well to take 38^th   place out of 70 finishers in the Girls race.

MASTERS UP FOR SELECTION

This weekend saw the Masters XC Trials take place at the Queens’ Sport Playing Fields. The weather was almost too good for it to feel like cross country with brilliant sunshine and little wind. The well kept grounds enticed one runner to go barefoot which was slightly disconcerting for the remainder wearing spikes, but maybe that was a tactic to get clear passage as the others were afraid to cause him injury! The conditions underfoot may have been kind but the course was taxing with 4 long loops and a few rises and drops where tactics played a part.

MARK WINS AS EDAC RUNNERS STAKE CLAIMS FOR INTERNATIONAL SELECTION

It was no surprise to see Mark McKinstry from North Belfast surge into the lead from the go given his recent form, but it was still impressive to watch how hard he continued to push despite the clear gap. Second overall was Eamon White from the same club with Glenn Donnelly of Acorns AC in 3rd. As this race was a trial for selection for the NI team for the British and Irish XC International in Southport in November, all were out to see if they could do well enough in their age groups to merit a place. Three EDAC runners were in the mix. Neil Curran ran a great race going out hard and hanging on – a tactic which worked extremely well. He was 13th overall and 4th in his age category so stands a good chance of making the team. Martin Willcox, a previous NI team member at the International event, also put his hat in the ring with a gutsy run coming 24th and 3rd in his category which should see him nominated to race. Confirmation was not out at the time of writing but we will keep our fingers crossed for them both. Gareth Reilly was 47th overall getting his cross country season off to a solid start.

**edit with the Team Selection now announced we can congratulate both Neil and Martin on being named to represent NI in the B&I Masters XC. Well done guys!

Neil Curran, Gareth Reilly and Martin Willcox before the Masters’ XC at Queens’ Sports Ground

SAINTFIELD SOGGY BUT STILL A HIT

As rain swept in overnight and just kept coming, there was the danger of a wash out for the long awaited Saintfield 10/5K but runners are a resilient lot and so they turned up nonetheless ready to enjoy the carnival atmosphere laid on by the hardworking members of Saintfield Striders and other conscripted volunteers. It was no secret that this is a tough route. Described as a challenge, the 10K starts outside the Cricket Club, rises up into the town, rises again up Main Street and rises yet again after the left turn which takes the runners out into the countryside. As if that wasn’t enough there are at least 3 more hills which take their toll but there are occasional downhills to catch your breath and the biggest compensation of all is the final mile and a half which drops down into the finish.

EDIE LEADS EDAC HOME

The pacers were encouraging and the marshals were cheery, so there was plenty to keep runners on track whether they were chasing a time or just hoping to finish. EDAC had a small but determined army. First home for EDAC was Edie Carroll, who thoroughly enjoyed the run and finished 40th overall and 8th Female in a time of 45.49 which is more than respectable on that course. Kevin Kelly who has racked up some great racing en route to Dublin Marathon, ran a PB (46.34) which is a real boost in these last couple of weeks of his prep. Clare Carson also in taper produced a good time of 47.11. Ryan McVeigh now an established EDAC runner was happy with his 49.25. Donal Smith cursed the hills and then just when he was bracing himself for the last one, he found to his delight that he was in fact on the down slope of the route home. He crossed the line in 52.12. Alison Carroll turned out purely as test of endurance as, since she picked up an injury many months ago, she has been slow to return to consistent training so with a sub 60 as her goal, she was more than content with 57.33.

Clare Carson, Kevin Kelly, Ryan McVeigh, Alison Carroll, Donal Smith and Edie Carroll after the 10K in Saintfield

5K PODIUM FOR THE MADINES

Mother and daughter duo, Sharon and Lauren Madine did the family proud when Lauren took a clear win in the 5K (20.34) which went a different route but managed to pack in a couple of hills despite being the shorter option. Susan Smyth of Dromore AC was 2nd in 21.38 followed by Sharon on 23.12. Bravo to the Madines!

And “Bravo” also to the organisers of the event – Saintfield Striders led by Atlas Running provided a good afternoon’s entertainment with hot food, face painting and music. All the helpers deserve credit for their hard work and their warm welcome. As someone, probably a rugby supporter from Japan, said – “the weather cannot be controlled” though a positive attitude goes a long way to dealing with it and positivity was in good supply!

Sharon Madine, Lauren Madine and Susan Smyth on the podium for the Saintfield 5K

GARETH GOES SOLO

The only other senior in action was Gareth Amos who slipped off to Kells to do a 5 Miler. He was 42nd in a time of 43.47. He enjoyed the race describing it as “hilly, dry and with a tasty post race BBQ. A very good event that deserves more runners. Definitely recommend it to others for next year.” Note:- See the comments in last paragraph below.

WHAT’S ON NEXT WEEK??

Dundrum celebrates the 10^th  anniversary of its ever popular Gr8 Dundrum Run on Saturday and as ever the event will probably sell out before race day. For the last few years this event has coincided with the Comber Cup Cross Country fixture, which is held at the Billy Neill Centre just outside Dundonald. This is an unfortunate clash for both events but demonstrates clearly the dilemma facing committed runners, and also supporters and club officials, week in week out as to where to run/spectate. It can also affect the number of entries in both and often tests the loyalty of runners who have to decide between offending the promoters of one event or, their clubmates who are expecting them to turn out to increase their points tally in a League fixture. A runner’s lot is not always a happy one!!

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

14^th October 2019