BELFAST HALF MARATHON

The 7^th running of the Belfast City Half Marathon on Sunday morning was welcomed by 5500 runners and a distinctively Autumn feel to the weather which resulted in several heavy downpours of rain before and during the race.  Kenyan Gideon Kimosop had little trouble in defending his crown and led all the way to come home in 1.06.58, well ahead of 2^nd place Eoin Hughes 1.08.30 and John Black in 3^rd in 69.12 .An interesting fact about Hughes is that together with his famous father Tommy, the Marakesh Express, now 69 years old,  he was attempting to set a new world record for a father and son’s combined time total and although Tommy ran extremely well to claim 7^th place in, their combined total was a mere 31 seconds outside the existing record!!

1 and 2 EDAC Seniors prepare for the Half Marathon starting in the Ormeau Park

1 and 2 EDAC Seniors prepare for the Half Marathon starting in the Ormeau Park.

EAST DOWN PERFORMANCES

Aaron McGrady carried the hopes of all his clubmates in East Down on the foot of his 1.12 time in last year’s Amsterdam Half Marathon and he came into the race in the form of his life. He had planned to take things conservatively for the first 10K and then pick up the pace but though he looked in excellent shape at 3 miles when he was lying in 4^th place he found that he had nothing when he asked for the extra pace. He had to just hang on and hope for a second wind. On this occasion it didn’t happen and although he finished in an admirable time of 1.14 he was nonetheless disappointed even with a Top 15 placing. Experience will tell him that sometimes this happens, for no apparent reason, perhaps it was the unnoticed pressure of the weight of expectations?  He had however, set his sights higher and he will have another chance to slay his demons over the same distance in Oxford in 3 weeks time. Meantime those who saw him yesterday are in no way disappointed with his excellent showing.

BEST OF THE LADIES

While Aaron did not set a new PB he did provide an unexpected bonus for the Club when his girlfriend Hannah Somani decided that if she was going to compete on their trips home from London, she may as well sign up to the Club. She had run a handy sub 40 minutes in Jimmy’s 10K in 2019 and felt that wearing club colours would add to the enjoyment. So in her debut in EDAC colours she ran 1.25.15 which was an 80 second PB for her. She was 8th lady home! Well done Hannah. Do you think the vest was the secret ingredient?

Hannah Somani and Aaron McGrady – First Male and Female home for EDAC

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Clare Carson and Kevin Kelly went for the double by nipping down to Dublin the day before and running the Half Marathon there. The weather was warm and dry for Dublin and they enjoyed the run through Phoenix Park. Kevin recorded a time of 1.45 which was a PB for him at this distance. Clare got 1.43 which was a good time but not a PB. Not to be outdone she managed 1.42.36 the very next day in Belfast, and in the blustery rain too! That now stands as her best time to date. Kevin, being happy with his Saturday time nevertheless posted 1.49. Well done you two!

WELL DONE EVERYONE

The following reflect the excellent performances from the other East Down runners :-

1.19.49 Neil Curran – found it a hard grind but set a PB.

1.29.03 Joanne Foster who set herself a goal of running a sub 1.30 and nailed it. PB  Super run Joanne

Joanne Foster – done and dusted

1.29.26 Paul Lloyd PB delighted

1.30.11 Conor Rice PB delighted

1.30.37 Gareth Kelly PB delighted

1.32.25 Deirdre Weatherall Strong run but only a few seconds quicker than last year which didn’t please her- She had to accept that Dublin is the main aim.

1.34.42 Gavin Hynds – struggled a bit but again Dublin is the A Game so hopefully he will have gained good mileage by slogging on.

1.42.36 Clare Carson – PB and chuffed to bits

1.42.46 Stephen McCartan – always looked strong and in control

1.44.30 Edie Carroll  – Debut at the distance did the training and ticked the box. Happy but found it hard.  2^nd Female Junior to finish

Edie Carroll ready for the off

1.44.50 Paddy McDonald  PB

1.47.25 John Taylor – looked happy enough throughout.

1.53.25 Eamon Kelly  Another Debut – very happy

Eamon Kelly – pleased to have completed his first ever half marathon

1.54.24 Ryan McVeigh Debut – glad to finish but happy with his time.

1.56.02 George Kerr  Excellent run PB

1.57.10 Kelly Smith – A debutante and a good one at that. Passed her Dad Donal inside last 2 miles!

1.58.00 Donal Smith – chuffed for Kelly but will seek revenge!

1.59.48 Gavin McConvey – Quietly chipping away and got the job done. Slightly quicker than on the same course last year.

2.02.35 Janine Murray – Good steady run as part of the build up to the Dublin marathon

2.03.04 Helen Vint – very pleased

2.05.30 Gillian Grant Debut – Over the moon, set a good pace throughout

2.05.30 Nicole Laverty Debut – Over the Moon to finish, enjoyed every minute of it but will NOT be running a marathon.

Phillip Vint decided to pull out when he felt a stiffening of his calf muscle after just 7K. Purely a precaution as Dublin marathon is his main aim.

HARDEST WORKERS

In case any of your runners decide to retire and become spectators next year, here’s a word of warning/advice. It’s not an easy task, having to be in position long before any runners come along and in some cases long before they’re even up! Having to stand about for 3-4 hours with only the occasional cup of coffee to sustain you is a difficult task at the best of times, but when the rain is pouring down and the water begins to seep into your shoes, then devotion to duty is tested to the full. Not only is is difficult to stay afloat in one place but a few choose to follow their runners progress on a bike! Talk about multi-tasking! Riding a bike, watching runners, and staying above the waves is a job best left to women. I think I’ll stick to watching on foot. It’s not as easy as running but it’s easier than on the bike. So all of you who are tempted to take up the practice of  spectating please ensure that you do all the Health and Safety training first.

Niall and Gavin get their Certificates 

Gavin Hynds had to keep moving after the race on Sunday as he had to attend the presentation for the Denis Rankin Round. Along with Niall Gibney, he had tackled and completed this challenge with great determination. The club was proud to note that they were the first members to do so. The certificates were presented by Denis Rankin’s widow. Certainly something to put on display – congratulations again you two!

Gavin Hynds and Niall Gibney receive their certificates for completing the Denis Rankin Round

Joe Quinn,  Alison Carroll

23 September 2019

 (Hosted by NAC at Spring Gardens, Castlewellan Forest Park)

After a week of autumnal sunshine, 12 hours of rain can only herald one thing – the start of the cross country season. Numbers were low for all races compared to previous years a result possibly of the forecast & the fact that Seniors were involved in Belfast Half marathon amongst other things. However as usual the 20 EDAC juniors who turned up did the club proud.The Series of 5 events sponsored by McGrady Financial Services Races is based on points per runner regardless of position and the stakes are high!

The first race, Primary 4 and under, was the only race where the girls & boys were separated because of the numbers. Charlotte Mulhall, in her first race ever, was the only EDAC competitor to run the 500m distance and was a star to finish in 9th out of 15 runners. In the combined P5 750m Girls & Boys’ Race  Jarlath Kearney was 3rd and Luke Napier 4th out of the 7 male runners. Maeve McNeill our P6 runner showed how much she has come on by coming 4th out of 8 girls in her race.

EDAC P7 boys might be able to field a team in this age category in some of the future XC races given that 4 of the 11 runners were from the club. Alex Robinson won comfortably in a time of 4.57 for 1200m. Finn Gibney was unfortunate not to get a podium place having run most of the way in 3rd, just to be caught in the closing stages. His recent form in Park runs will see this position improve in future races no doubt. Adam Mulhall was close behind followed by Aaron Mullan. Great running boys! Cara Napier came third in the same distance for the P7 girls in 5.41. Another one who is quietly improving all the time.

The most thrilling race of the day was the combined Yr 8, 1400m race. It was a sprint finish between Aaron Lennon & Euan McIntosh of NAC. They tried to overtake Sophie Stevenson of Dromore in the closing few metres, but she wasn’t having any of it and held off coming one second in front of Aaron who was 1 second in front of Euan. Great race for the spectators and a boost of confidence for Aaron

.

Year 8 1400m race saw Cara McVeigh come 5th in a time of 6.52. Oliver Robinson was the clear winner of the Y9 1600m race in a time of 6.11. He was paced in the early stages by teammate Emily Burns who  firmly won the Girls’ race in a time of 6.28. Anna Kearney came 3rd with Orla Gibney just behind her in 4th. Good teamwork all round.

Lauren Madine won the Y10 1800m race followed by Kara Trainor in second place. Both girls looked strong as if they were ready for another lap! Final race of the day was the combined Y11+ race, a distance of 2km. EDAC had 4 runners with Mackenzie Murray the unchallenged winner in 7.17. He was followed home by Thomas Brown in 2nd, Declan Hampton in 4th & Ben Carson in 5th. It is great to see all these boys sticking at it when many of that age drop off.

Full results at https://www.newcastleac.org/wp-content/uploads/McGrady-XC-R1-Results-2019.pdf

Marguerite Robinson

More photos on the East Down AC Juniors Page

and https://www.facebook.com/pg/NewcastleAC/photos/

Thanks to everyone involved in the set up & organisation of the races and to the parents for braving the conditions.  We look forward to the second race in the series in Kilbroney on the 13th October. If you have registered for the series you do not need to do anything other than turn up. If you have not yet registered it is not too late. Come on EDAC Juniors – the Club needs you!  (EDAC Coaches)

BEER AND BUBBLES 5K

Thursday Night saw the inaugural  M.B. McGrady sponsored Beer and Bubbles 5K. In the scenic setting of Finnebrogue Wood on a beautiful September evening a good crowd of almost 150 runners turned out to take part with the proceeds going to the Air Ambulance NI. Quite a number from East Down AC participated and were led home by Eamon Kelly 28.23, in 11^th place followed closely by Kieran McMahon 30.05, John Smyth 30.32, in 14^th and 15^th places respectively.  Donal Smith 32.12, was 29^th to cross the line so all the EDAC runners were comfortably inside the top 50 finishers.

TOP THREE MEN AND WOMEN

The top three Male finishers were 1^st  David Smyth 22:41, 2^nd  Fergus McGrady23:51, and 3^rd Eamon McCann 24:22 and the top 3 Ladies were 1^st Carissa McLister 27:40,

2^nd Gillian Grant 30.35, and 3^rd Una McCann 31:00. Well done to East Down’s Gillian Grant who was 2^nd placed Female, in 16^th place overall. This will have given quite a boost to her morale ahead of her inaugural run in the Belfast Half Marathon next Sunday morning.

DROMISKIN 5K

The Dromiskin 5K, just south of Dundalk in County Louth, took place on Saturday evening. It was favourably reviewed by Donal Smith in terms of value for money. There was a medal as well as a t-shirt and some great post race food but even better than that was the fact that Donal managed an all time PB of 23.18. He attributes this to the ongoing rivalry between himself and his brother Patrick. They set off side by side at quite a lick and although Donal fell off the pace in the last half kilometre, he had stuck close enough to get the time mentioned. Suzy Smith also turned out despite injury and illness and managed to complete in a sensibly sedate time. At the front end of proceedings EDAC’s Catherine O’Connor was second female (18:16) with Laura Graham taking the win. Well done to Catherine on another podium place to add to the list that she has racked up in recent weeks.

Female podium at the Dromiskin 5K race on Saturday L to R Catherine O’Connor East Down, Laura Graham Mourne Runners and the 3rd placed (name unknown)

ULTIMATE ULTRA CHAMPIONSHIP

Keith Reilly was determined to see the Ultimate Ultra Championship to its conclusion with the last race of this series taking place in Castleward at the weekend. He ended up being one of only 5 who managed to complete all 3 races. He found this one the toughest by far as he felt his legs were dead and no amount of nutrition seemed to give him the energy he craved. It was a real battle of wills to keep going in the second half of the 50K race which consisted of 5 laps of a10K course, but he persevered and kept his total average time for the 3 events to just under the 7 hours. Quite an achievement! He is now looking ahead to the Causeway Ultra Event at the end of the month!!

Keith Reilly towards the end of his 50K Ultra run in Castleward on Sunday

DEEP RIVER ROCK BELFAST CITY HALF MARATHON

Many of EDAC’s best distance runners and several who are attempting the distance for the first time, will be on the start line on the Ormeau Embankment on Sunday morning for the start of the Belfast City Half Marathon which this year carries championship status. The race begins at 9.00am and the Club’s hopes are high that London based Aaron McGrady will put up a good showing and given his recent form, who’s to say he won’t make the podium?

Others hoping to make favourable impressions on their previous times include Neil Curran, Niamh Kellett, Phillip Vint and Conor Rice while first timers like Nicole Laverty and Gillian Grant will just be happy to finish standing upright!

Best wishes goes from EDAC to all runners from the Club and indeed to all the local runners who will be taking part in the race. Good Luck.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

16 September 2019

This was a week when there was no one dominant event and so runners from
EDAC dispersed far and wide in search of a race. The first event of the week
however was just a stone’s throw away in Castlewellan. It may have been
easy to get to, but it is tough to complete – namely the long established Mill
Hill Mile.

MILL HILL MILE

The old saying about the best laid schemes of mice and men etc. came to mind as I contemplated missing yet another Mill Hill Mile on Tuesday night! It had been my intention to take part in this test of stamina having missed out last year, because of my ongoing knee problems. However, for the same reason this year, though with a much more optimistic outlook, it was not possible to make the start line. I am happy to report that I have had a total knee replacement operation and that my recovery is going well. Therefore I plan to take part in the Mile next year!! Though I refer back to my opening comments!!

Donal Smith, Ollie Robinson, Marguerite Robinson, Alex Robinson and John Smith in the square at Castlewellan for the Mill Hill Mile

EDAC SUCCESS

However the EDAC runners who did manage to get to the start line performed very well, being led home by Oliver Robinson in a splendid 7.13 in 18th place overall and first in his Junior Boys under 12 category. Not far behind was brother Alex Robinson 8.03, in 30th place followed by John Smith 9.08, in 55th Donal Smith 9.11, in 57th and Tom Dowey 9.31 in 64th place. And finally Marguerite Robinson who posted 9. 32 in 65th place also earned the Female Over Category50 prize. Another finisher who also rates a mention is Richard Robinson who posted 8.55 and is more often seen in a variety of support roles for the aforementioned Robinsons. He took the opportunity to make his mark on Tuesday just to show that he can still lay claim to some of the bragging rights in his house!! All the placings are out of a total field of 120, so well done to everyone concerned.

DECLAN MAKES IT No. 61 IN 100th EAMS MARATHON

Early on Saturday morning EDAC stalwart and marathon afficionado Declan Teague undertook what he intended to be a good, steady, easy, long run in preparation for the Dublin marathon. It was however described by the organisers, EAMS, as a challenging route taking in 4 laps of Monkstown Woods! And “Challenging” it most certainly was as the lap started on top of the hill which meant it ended on top of the hill. Four laps which involved an extremely steep hill climb at the end of each would not be most people’s idea of an “easy” run, though in fairness to the organisers it was to celebrate the 100th marathon they had organised, so they wanted to make it memorable. In the event 57 turned up to celebrate and Declan went with them. He was impressed with the quality of the organisation as there were no road closures, minimal marshals and only one policeman on a motorbike at the start.
So it just shows what’s possible when everyone exercises a modicum of common sense, without the application of the heavy layer of bureaucracy which the recent legislation on road races has entailed. Declan finished his “training” run in the very respectable time of 3.42 and in 5th place overall!

The remainder of this week’s report centres on Sunday when there was a
flood of results from various sources. The prize for the furthest distance
travelled in order to compete goes to Gavin McConvey who flew all the way to
Italy to take part!

BIRTHDAY IN BOLOGNA

Gavin obviously thought that his upcoming birthday merited a trip to celebrate
and having spotted a half marathon in Bologna on the date in question it
seemed like it was meant to be. He survived the hot conditions and even
managed a PB coming home in 1.59.28 to break the 2 hour barrier in style.
Well done and many happy returns to you, Gavin!

Gavin McConvey in Bologna, Italy for a Half Marathon

CLOSER TO HOME

The same race distance of 13.1 miles was covered in the not so exotic but
nevertheless scenic surroundings of Killyleagh. James Magennis and Paul
Lloyd were the only two who turned out for this event which incorporated a
10K as well as the Half Marathon distance. The two EDAC stalwarts opted for the longer miles. Paul only just missed out on podium place coming 4th overall in a time of 1.32.19 and James was 10th in 1.41.12.

Paul Lloyd and James Magennis in Killyleagh for the Half Marathon

And the most famous Half of All – THE GREAT NORTH RUN

EDAC’s Gareth Amos had doubts about his fitness levels going into this event so was determined that if a PB was out the window that he would seek maximum enjoyment from his participation to ensure that the trip was not in vain. He found the crowds exhilarating and this injected some energy into his tired legs to bring him home with a smile on his face. With 57,000 runners taking to the streets of Newcastle in the North of England) it was never going to be a fast run and indeed it was an experience rather than a race. Gareth who was accompanied by family members who live in England soaked up theatmosphere to the full. It was Sir Mo Farah’s 6th successive victory and he finished in a time of 59.07. The Female winner Brigid Kosgei, beat the world
Half Marathon record with a time of 64.08.

Gareth Amos at the Great North Run in Newcastle, England – see below a 2nd pic for choice

10K NA CEATHRÚN GAELTACHTA 2019

Donal Smith enjoys travel and running and often combines the two. He also
enjoys encouraging others to join him and has found a great way to do this.
He buys entries to races for family members as birthday presents so that they
have no choice but to turn up. In this case it was daughter Kelly Smith who
was treated to a free race. She may have cursed her dad’s generosity when
the route led up a gruelling ascent on the Glen Road in Belfast but they
managed to hang in together through the lap of the Falls Park and reach the
line in just over 55 minutes. With his brother Pat leading the charge in 49.03
it was a family affair. For once Donal was parted from his beloved EDAC vest
as the event was in aid of Organ Donation and in particular for the charity
Donate to Daithi and race shirts in fetching pink race were the order of the
day.

Donal Smith with daughter Kelly and brother Patrick in Belfast for the Gaeltacht Quarter 10K in aid of organ donation.

SINEAD GETS THE CALL

Sinead Sweeney who was recently welcomed into the EDAC ranks was
awarded her first Northern Ireland Vest when she got the call to run as part of
an NI & Ulster Team in the Inter Area Road Race Series which includes North of England, South of England, Midlands, Armed forces, Scotland
and Wales.The race was held as part of the Stirling 10K and the Female NI
Team proved their worth by taking the team trophy. The team consisted of
Fionnualla Ross who was the outright Female Winner in 33.34, Laura
Graham who was 4th Female in 35.01, Sinead who came 8th Female in
35.40 (which is a PB and quite remarkable given her schedule as a junior
doctor). The 4th member of the team was Sarah Lavery who came 11th
Female in 36.02. Congratulations to the whole team and especially to Sinead
for a great run!

The NI&Ulster Team in Stirling for the 10K Inter Area Race. Sinead Sweeney EDAC (723), Sarah Lavery, Fionnula Ross and Laura Graham with Chris Madden, Conan McCaughey, Scott Rankin and Eoin Hughes

COMING SOON

This Thursday 12th September gives you the chance to take part in a novel
event in the Finnebrogue Woods. M.B. McGrady &Co. are hosting an event
(Tickets £20 with all proceeds going to Air Ambulance NI). Registration can
be made on the night at 5.30 with the 5K starting at 6.30pm. The name “Beer
and Bubbles” hints at treats in store at the finish line.

LADY MARY PETERS’ EVENING

We are honoured to have Lady Mary Peters coming to EDAC Clubrooms next
Monday 16th September to share her personal story as well as some updates
on the Mary Peters’ Trust. She is also going to commission trophies for the
Jimmy’s 10K race. All past and present members are warmly invited as well
as those how have been associated with the race or the club over the years
as a volunteer or friend of EDAC. Please contact info@eastdownac.co.uk for
further details.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

9 September 2019

ARDS 5 MILES RACE ON FRIDAY

Four of East Down’s ladies, Catherine O’Connor, Deirdre Weatherall, Janine Murray & Marguerite Robinson, travelled to the Ards 5 Mile Challenge on Friday night organised by Scrabo Striders Running Club. The weather kept them guessing but the forecast was nowhere close to the downpours forecast with most runners home before the first sign of drizzle.

The 5-mile loop initially took runners along the flattish peninsula road for approximately 2 miles, but into a head wind, before climbing inland. Pre-race descriptions had been of a hill climb for the next part followed by a section which undulated before a steep decline and a flat finish. The general consensus though was that once the race left the coast it felt like it had more uphill than down.

Catherine O’Connor, Deirdre Weatherall, Marguerite Robinson and Janine Murray in Ards

SUCCESS ALL ROUND

Catherine came home as first lady in a brilliant time of 30.41. She was followed by Deirdre Weatherall, third placed female, in a time of 33.31.   Marguerite, who normally runs longer half marathon distances was pleased with her time of 41.03 which gave her 3^rd place in the F50 category. Both Marguerite & Janine, who finished in 42.09, 6^th in the F35 category, now realise that a holiday before a race is probably not the best preparation. Janine had just returned at 4.30pm Friday afternoon!! Well done and Congratulations to both.  Informed opinion afterwards was that the post-race refreshments were “lovely with lots of tray bakes to replace sugar levels”. Thanks to Scrabo Striders for a great event.

FIRMUS FAB 5 LAST ROUND

On Thursday a bus full of keen EDAC Juniors attended the last Firmus Fab 5 track event of the season hosted by Lagan Valley AC at the Mary Peters track. They were under the watchful eyes of the coaches Paul, Peter & Patricia. This was the first time that many of our younger junior members had taken part in such an event so there was a palpable level of nerves. However all the kids rose to the challenges of field & track events admirably and did the club proud.  It should be noted that a lot of our younger athletes are participating in age categories with other children who are often a few years older than they are, so the results are all the more praiseworthy.  Field events included long jump & high jump with 100m, 1200 & 1500m track events on offer.

EDAC Juniors at Mary Peters’ Track for the Firmus Fab Five

Further podium places were won by Kari & Lily Foster, 2^nd and 3rd respectively in the Girl’s U11 1200m. This is Lily’s first podium place on the track, and deserves a mention as she is only 8. Older sister Jodi came 3^rd in the Girls U13 1500m. Other podium places were won by Anna Gardiner who was first in the Girls’ 1500m and Kara Trainor who was third. Just off podium in 5^th was Anna Kearney in the Girls U13 100m and Oliver Robinson who came 4^th in the U13 Boys 1500m. He led for the first 2 laps but was overtaken in the last lap by three boys who paced the race better.

Kari (2nd) and Lily Foster (3rd) on the podium with Emer McKee Willowfield in first place.

Also representing the Club on Tuesday were Iona Bunbury, Thomas Brown, Alex Robinson, Aaron Mullan, Rory Morris, William Taylor, Maeve McNeill, Jarlath Kearney,  Aaron Lennon, Louis Scullion, Declan Hampton, Emily Burns, Matthew Taylor and Jack Carson.  However irrespective of how they performed all the children were buzzing on the bus home.  A big thank you to the coaches & parents who helped out on the evening. Also, a big thank you to Lagan Valley AC for hosting these sessions throughout the summer.

Anna Gardiner (1st) and Kara Trainor (3rd) on the podium with Lucy Cheatley NDAC in 2nd.

PHILLIP STRIKES AGAIN

Just 4 weeks after he won his first ever marathon, Phillip Vint completed the double when he crossed the line well ahead of the field in the latest East of Ireland (EOI) organised marathon in Tirmoghan, Co Kildare, which also included 10K Half, and 50K distances. Although he had planned to make this race as “a long, hard run as part of the build up to the Dublin marathon at the end of October, that idea went out the window when I realised I was in contention!” This became evident from the early stages when he saw the other contender at the end of the 1.2 mile loop, prior to undertaking the first of 5 loops of the 5 mile circuit which were set up to make the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. To his delight the 5 mile loop had a steady climb which he was able to exploit to his advantage, first  by accelerating slightly at the start of each lap, to open up a gap and then to maintain and increase it as the race progressed.  An excellent tactical triumph against an opponent who was just as determined as he was to come out on top, Phillip’s time was 3 hours 20 minutes, over 1 minute faster than his earlier successful outing.

So it’s well done again to Phillip and to Helen who completed the half marathon in 2 hours and 2 seconds!!

Helen and Phillip Vint in Kildare

MAGHERALIN 5K
Since his nickname is “Duck”, Donal Smith just had to make the trip to the other side of Moira for the (Moira Lakes)Magheralin 5K to get hold of a special piece of bling – a race medal with a duck on it!
There was a big turnout at the Friday night event organised by the St. Michael’s GAC despite the weather warnings for heavy rain that thankfully didn’t materialise on a testing enough route which finished back at the St. Michael’s clubrooms with Donal crossing the line in 25.48 in 49^th place.  Donal’s review “a nice little goody bag and a very tasty burger post race”  is part of his recommendation to others to try it next year!

LAGANSIDE 10K
This popular flat and fast course was well attended as is usually the case. East Down AC was well represented with 7 runners, led home by Davy Foster who recorded 37.34 in 56^th place overall in the nearly 1000 finishers field. The ultra consistent Dee Murray finished in 38.41 in 78^th place while Caroline MacNabb had a morale boosting run in 38.59 which was good enough to give her 3^rd place in the Female Open category and 6^th placed female overall. Clare Carson took the 10K in her stride despite having stuck to longer distances of late and was happy with 46.25 in 269^th place while Kevin Kelly 48.24 also had his best run for some time in 324^th place. Despite racing on Friday Donal turned up on Sunday for race two in 3 days. He was delighted to record a sub 50 minute 10K for the first time since his operation back in March, posting a time of 49.17  in 365^th place. Janine Murray also making up for a week of rest decided to run for the second race of the weekend and came home in 52.18 comfortably inside the top 500 finishers, in 472^nd place.

Kevin Kelly, Clare Carson, Janine Murray, Caroline MacNabb, Dee Murray and Donal Smith in Ormeau Park at Laganside 10k

MILL HILL MILE

By the time you’re reading this next week’s headlines will already be written, courtesy of the Mill Hill Mile on Tuesday night. I missed out on it last year and am still out of commission this time as well. But come 2020!!

Joe Quinn

2 September 2019

Strangford Festival Draws the Crowds

This week’s running was confined to the weekend with no midweek event to lure people away from a solid week’s training. Friday night was always going to be well supported as it is a local event and part of the larger program of Strangford Festival. Entries taken on the night and the promise of good weather meant that a good number of EDAC turned out for the 5K and 10K races. The route was advertised as road and trail, starting and finishing in Strangford and a section in the grounds of Castleward. When runners see this description they know that they are in for an interesting run with some scenery to distract but they also know that they are unlikely to hit a PB. That does not mean that they will take it easy by any means. As is becoming a familiar theme in the post race comments the words “that hill!!” was mentioned more than once.

Aaron McGrady Retains his Crown

The hill in question is around the 6K mark of the 10K on the main road in the estate and to make things even more testing, “there was a stiff headwind at that point that made it difficult to get the legs going again on the road to the gates” according to Aaron McGrady who was out to defend his title from the previous year. In the end he was well clear of Drew Fowler (Ballydrain Harriers) who came in 2nd and despite the gap back to his nearest competitor, Aaron even improved his winning time of 2018 by a full minute  finishing in 33.33. Drew was home in 37.10 with Connaire McVeigh of Newcastle&District AC (37.27) taking third place.

Aaron McGrady in full flight on Snowdonia as part of the World Fell Running Champs

Aaron was particularly pleased as he is coming off a hard block of training and knew his legs were not fresh but he obviously was more than fit to race. It is clear that Aaron is going well and endorses the fact that he got his first Northern Irish Vest recently when he was selected to take part in Snowdonia World Cup Fell Race as part of the NIMRA Team. He came 16th overall and was first home in the NI squad which is quite an achievement in competition of that level.

Catherine O’Connor gets an East Down AC Double

Catherine O’Connor took the race by the scruff of the neck and despite her cursing the aforementioned hill, she ran an impressive 38.43 to hold off the formidable presence of Karen Wilton of Jog Lisburn (39.33).  The third lady home was Hannah Somani of Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC who had accompanied Aaron home on his flying visit and was keen to get in the mix. She enjoyed the race and was pleased to make podium in 41.55.

East Down in the Mix

As well as the two at the pointy end, the Club was well represented with a further host of athletes led in by Colin Shields in a gutsy 42.45. He was soon joined by Dermot Cahill in 43.59, Gareth Kelly (46.07), Gerard Grant (46.12) and Nuala Taylor in 48.04. Nuala was delighted to discover that she had won the F40 category and probably a little bit chuffed to also come in ahead of her husband John (48.38).  Seamus Savage worked hard for his 52.33 and managed to stay ahead of club mate Donal Smith (52.51). Gillian Grant crossed the line in 53.31 and Patricia Galloway running in with her sister Penny Polly encouraged her all the way to a 55.04 finish and Nicole Laverty who thought it was the hardest event that she had ever done was relieved to get home in one piece in 58.40. Last but not least of the EDAC brigade was Richard Boyd who slipped in before the 60 minute barrier happy with his efforts. The tailwind home in the last 2K was a life saver and while it may not have made up for the hill, the welcome from those in the town and the general atmosphere was a great encourager. Well done to the organising Committee and all the volunteers who put on such a great event!

Nuala Taylor delighted to receive a prize as first F40

Glory for Rory

As if that wasn’t excitement enough there was also a 5K option. It was even more popular than the 10k and had 160 entrants eager to breach the tape. East Down was again out in force and indeed was a force to reckoned with. Conor Rice was 4th overall just a shade over 20 minutes in 20.03 which is a good time but on the night the glory went to new recruit Rory Morris who stormed off to take the first Junior spot in 21.56 and to finish 8th overall. He was absolutely thrilled and rightly so – a great debut in the EDAC vest. Bravo Rory!

Rory Morris wins on his debut for EDAC (First Junior at Strangford 5K)

Top 20 for Adam

Adam Morgan stuck with the front bunch to come 19th (23.50) overall. The first Female Junior was Meabh Hull (unattached) in 23.55 and a mere 5 seconds behind her was Cara Napier in a powerful run to take 2nd Female Junior. Anna Kearney (24.09) and Anna Boyd (24.13)  were 3rd and 4th FJ so they all did the club proud. Another debut was Jarlath Kearney who skipped in ahead of his sister by one second. Hopefully there were no sibling wars as a result. Cara McVeigh enjoyed the race in a creditable 27 minutes flat and Matthew Boyd did well to come 86th in the pack of 160 in 30.30.  There were 2 more EDAC vests in the crowd but they were on Daddy Duty and as all good dads do they made sure that their offspring crossed the line safely and just a step ahead. Well done to Dillon Hynds and Peter Reilly as you deserve the mention more than your dads!

Jarlath and Anna Kearney after the Strangford 5K

Gavin Hynds giving his son Dillon a pep talk before the Strangford 5K

If it isn’t the Heat, it is the Hills

The Bank Holiday Weekend delivered in terms of the weather and although many opted to relax in the sun, Donal Smith and Seamus Savage decided that Friday night’s efforts were not sufficient to merit a layoff so they headed to Carrickfergus for the “Storming the Castle” event. 885 runners in total braved the heat and the trials of the course. Donal Smith is a tough cookie as proven by the amount of races he takes on but he said this was very nearly a DNF. The hills in his mind were lesser than the Friday race but he struggled with the extreme heat. However true to form, he kept plugging away and overhauled Seamus who had led him throughout. This reversed their finish order from Friday and made it 1-1 for the weekend. They were 247th and 256th in 53.27 and 53.55 respectively. Donal also reported that they got a “Nice t-shirt and a super medal for the early-bird entry fee of £12. Now that’s a value for money race if ever there was one” A commendation from our roving reporter is worth having.

Seamus Savage and Donal Smith after the Storming the Castle 10K

EDAC Branching Out

The only other EDAC representation was in an evolved form – Mourne Triathlon took place in sunny Castlewellan where the run of 5K was the third discipline after a 750 metre swim and a 20K cycle. A few of our members (some of whom are a cross over as part of the newly formed Down Triathlon Club) took part. For Cheryl Denvir it was a battle of wills as the swim was the stuff of nightmares for her but she emerged from the lake in one piece and after a determined cycle was glad to get out on the run (back to her comfort zone). Her predictions of coming last were unfounded and she finished 175th out of 260 with the triathlon box well and truly ticked. Mark McDowell was a good support in calming her nerves as not so long ago he too was a nervous beginner. Hard to believe that now to see him go through his paces. He was able to finish in 30th place and looked comfortable throughout. Michael Morrissey and wife Anne-Marie both club members entered as a relay -Michael doing the swim, Anne- Marie running the 5K and Paul Keary drafted in for the bike leg. Well done all!

Paul Carroll (Olympian Triathlon Club) relaxing after the race with EDAC/Down Triathlon Club Members – Cheryl Denvir, Mark McDowell, Michael and Anne- Marie Morrissey

This week sees a final fling at the track – Mary Peters for the Firmus Fab Five on Thursday. Entries can be taken on the night or if travelling as EDAC Junior you should pre register at https://athleticsni.org/Fixtures/Firmus-Super-5-Series. The Ards 5 Mile is on Friday with a very small number of on the night places left. Laganside 10K is Sunday https://athleticsni.org/Fixtures/Laganside-10k-2019 so it is shaping up for another busy week. Go Team EDAC!