PORTAFERRY GALA 10 MILE RACE AND 2 X 5 MILE RELAY
It was pretty much weather as usual on Tuesday night when the crowds gathered in Portaferry for the annual Gala week 10 Mile road race and the 2 x 5 Mile Relay run in conjunction with it. Those of us who have been around the running scene longer than is good for us can tend to overlook the fact that to some it is the first time to tackle such a distance, and often to dismiss their efforts too readily. Bearing in mind also that the Portaferry Ten is no easy route and that you have to work for every second you run out there, it is a feather in everyone’s cap to be able to say “I ran Portaferry”. I used to be able to say that too but it hasn’t been one for me for several years now – but Next Year?
Anyway enough of nostalgia, the race is for those who can now run it, and I am happy to delegate the pain and the glory to my younger, fitter clubmates and relatives,
So it was with great delight that on Tuesday 16th July I witnessed a super turnout from East Down AC, with a total of 17 taking part, and led home by the ever improving Neil Curran in 1 hour and 31 seconds, possibly slightly disappointed to break the 60 minute barrier but an excellent result nonetheless, taking 10th place overall.
He was followed by Murlough’s Alan Johnston 61.01 who took 1st over 45 prize and Martin Willcox 62 minutes, who was second in that category ahead of EDAC’s Dee Murray 63.02 who was 2nd in the Over 50 age group.
Neil Curran and Martin Willcox at Potaferry
Next there was a trio of EDAC runners led by Phillip Vint 69.00.’ Gareth Kelly 69.20 and Conor Rice 69.34.
HOW THE LADIES FARED
Then followed the first of the EDAC Ladies, Deirdre Weatherall in 70.57 who had James Magennis 75.14 and Stephen McCartan 76.14 as the filling in the sandwich between her and the next of the Ladies, Cheryl Denvir 77.32.. Paddy McDonald eased through in 80.27 while Donal Smith 1.27.28 claimed a PB in spite of finding the going tough. Janine Murray passed our viewpoint on her way to a 1.32.13 timing . Then it was the turn of the first timers Gillian Grant and Nicole Laverty who have both targeted the Belfast Half Marathon on 22 September as their next major objective. For both of them it was their first outing at this distance and both proved that they will have no difficulties with the 13.1 miles of the half Marathon given that they have 2 months, in which to fine tune their training. Both finished relatively fresh if a little sore, in 1.36.15, and will have gained in confidence as a result. The final finisher in EDAC colours was Gavin McConvey in 1.40.50 and he will be delighted to find that his time was 59 seconds faster than last year! The only other EDAC runner on the night was Karen McFall who ran the second leg of the Relay and was more than pleased to post a combined time of 1.37.47. Well Done to all.
Gareth Kelly leading Deirdre Weatherall at Portaferry
Nicole Laverty 69 and Grainne Grant 309 at Portaferry
ULTIMATE ULTRA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MPT
Keith Reilly took on a tough challenge at the ATLAS Running 100 & 50k Ultimate Ultra Championship round 1. He opted for the “short“ course of 50K and with a warm day pretty much from the get go, it was made even more testing. He completed a mind boggling 125 laps of the 400m track to complete the 50k as 3rd male in 6hrs 57min 49 secs.
Keith Reilly (R) receiving is 3rd place trophy from
Adrian Daye at the end of the 50K race at Mary Peters Track on Saturday
THE SEA TO SKY 5K
Although there were 2 options for Friday night’s annual Sea2Sky aces on Friday night, neither proved to be an “easy” one! With rugged terrain for the first 1k, which kept the runners to a slower pace, everyone in single file, with no space for overtaking everyone had to navigate over boulders and marsh holes before a sharp descent into Newcastle. The course then levelled out for the last 1K from the Waterpark and along the promenade to a welcoming crowd of spectators and a live band.
ANNA GARDINER FINDS ALL TO HER LIKING
EDAC’s Anna Gardiner took the lead from the very beginning of the 5K and was paced by clubmate Lauren Madine, who stuck with her for most of the way until she flagged a little towards the end. Emily Burns kept a super pace throughout the race too and when passed by Sharon Madine responded to her encouragement and found a determination to keep going. Then she passed Sharon again on the last 1K when Sharon herself was finding it a challenge. Shows how ungrateful some people can be Sharon!. Afterwards Anna proclaimed that she had loved every minute of it including the rain, thunder and lightning. With Anna, 19.47, Lauren 20.07 and Emily 22.26, finishing as three of the top 4 Juniors and Anna winning the Female race overall, ahead of Lauren, it was indeed the beginnings of a night to remember!
L to R Sharon Madine, Lauren Madine, Emily Burns and
Anna Gardiner at Friday night’s Sea 2 Sky 5K Race.
L toR Lauren Madine 3rd Female Anna Gardiner 1st
Female and Caitlyn Harvey 2nd Female in Friday night’s Sea 2 Sky 5K Race.
5K WINNER NEIL CURRAN
Neil Curran also opted for the shorter distance, no doubt in view of his efforts in Portaferry on Tuesday. As a first timer in this race Neil didn’t know quite what to expect and was surprised that the first mile was run pretty slowly. However with the uneven trail and boggy underfoot conditions which resulted in him losing his footing a couple of times, he would rethink his footwear choice if he was to return. Despite his near mishaps he took the lead early on and never came under serious challenge as he crossed the line well clear of his rivals in 17.38.
10K WINNER GORDY GRAHAM
East Down’s Gordy Graham made it a treble on the night for the County town club, by winning the 10K title. His race plan was to take the race on from the start which he did and he had built a fairly big lead by halfway. He was on for a good PB but then he hit the tail end of the 5K race on the single mountain track, which was badly cut up at that stage, and that slowed his progress dramatically. Obviously the whole 10K field was similarly impacted but the end result still left him a comfortable winner, in a very respectable 36.19. Female winner was Gladys Ganiel from North Belfast in 38.41.
Andrew Bunbury was the only other EDAC runner on Friday, his 58.20 placing him well inside the top half of the near 800 runner 10K field.
L to R Neil Curran and Gordy Graham the respective
winners of the 5K and 10K Sea2Sky races on Friday night.
CASTLEBLAYNEY ROCKETS 10 MILES ROAD RACE
Fifty years to the day since Neil Armstrong took ‘One Giant Leap For Mankind’, Donal Smith drove almost as far as they had travelled, to Castleblayney in fact and took several thousand small-ish steps in just under 90 minutes to complete the Castleblayney Rockets 10 Miles Road Race. According to Donal “It was my second 10 mile race of the week and just like Portaferry on Tuesday past it was both warm and sunny. It was he added “a tough enough course with a couple of juicy climbs but an excellent event, superbly organised and very well supported both on and off the course. Nice T shirt and medal to add to my ever growing collection and more than happy to get finished in 1:27:58.
Most definitely a race I’ll be rocketing back to in 2020, and with a bit of luck I’ll take a car load.”
Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll
22 July 2019