Bogusboy and Bogboy form a one week unholy alliance to bring all the news
As summer approaches, there is much to whet the appetites of the running community, with midweek racing increasingly the norm on long sunny evenings. Last week was the Dromara 5k road race – a cheeky undulating and challenging little number starting and finishing in the village. Jack O’Hare was away like a shot and held the lead from gun to tape to record an emphatic win in 18:17 – not one bit shabby on a tough course. Newcastle AC had four others in the race and all made the top 10 in a field of 92. Ronan McVeigh – aged 13 – was 4th overall (19:08), Johnny Crutchley 5th (19:24), Joe McCann 6th (19:26) and Wonderwall was 8th in 19:38. There was a typically fine spread of sandwiches and buns on offer afterwards as the local WI had obviously been baking and constructing their fillings in the days leading up to the event.
On Friday the action moved to Comber where a massive field of 674 took to the line and even more impressively Norman Mawhinney knew each athlete personally!!! On a relatively flat course, David O’Flaherty continued his rich vein of form with another impressive win. On this occasion, however, he did not have it all his own way and had to work extremely hard to hold off the challenge of Lindsay Gordon from North Belfast Harriers. O’Flaherty produced an explosive finish to win by 5 seconds in a tight race to the line. A little further back, the ever improving Brendan McQuaid found himself in a fourball with Dee Murray, Daniel Atkinson and local celebrity Norman Mawhinney. Sickened by the continual cries of ‘Go Norman go!’, McQuaid and Murray accelerated to clear their heads from the tumultuous din and were rewarded with times just over 38 minutes, McQuaid finishing 29th overall – evidence of his steady progress towards breaking the 38 barrier. The third man to take the line was Niall Carson. Ribadoo’s most famous horticulturalist was forced to abandon at 2 miles due to a hamstring strain. We wish him a speedy recovery.
On his cool down, O’Flaherty showcased his talents further when he was the proverbial ‘Good Samaritan’ to an athlete who was in some distress. While he was not required to pour wine into his wounds and take him to a nearby inn, he did ensure he was in the correct recovery position and offered comfort and support in staying until the paramedics arrived. As he finished the cool down he ruminated, cogitated mused before declaring, ‘I knew that first aid course would come in handy one day’ – indeed it did David! Ballydrain AC is to be congratulated on organising such a great event and for turning out so many of their own in the race. Needless to say the post-race grub lived up to Co. Down standards and none of the 674 athletes went home hungry! This race is sure to grow in the years ahead!
Hanna, Hicks & Thomson Burn Up in the Lake District…
On Sunday (18th June) Dromara’s Zak Hanna, Rostrevor’s David Hicks and Newcastle’s Paulette Thomson (all Newcastle & District AC) took to the start line of the Home International Mountain Racing International in Sedbergh, Cumbria. As well as being a team competing between Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, the race was also doubling up at the Trial for the British team for the World Mountain Racing Championships at the end of July in Italy.
Hanna is in the form of his life having taken the classic Slieve Donard title in May and at the same time booking his place in the Irish team for the Worlds in Italy and before that the European Mountain Racing Championships in Slovenia on the 8th July. The biggest challenge for Hanna turned out not to be the terrain of indeed to quality opposition, rather it was to be Mother Nature. Sedbergh is a beautiful village nestled in the east end of the world famous Lake District and today it was picture postcard stuff with not a cloud on the sky, the lush green mountain of Winder but also a beating sun with no shelter and temperatures reaching 27 degrees in the shade and in excess of 34 degrees on the sun.
Hanna set off in a controlled way and was comfortably in the top ten as he crossed both to the two summits on the first lap of two. As he descended towards the start finish line he described is as ‘stepping into a sauna’ and his core temperature soared. As he passed the officials at the end of the lap, they could tell that he wasn’t handling the heat well and first asked him ‘are you alright’ and this quickly became a strong request to retire from the race. Afterwards Hanna admitted that he had rapidly overheated and probably didn’t realise how bad it had got as he wanted to run on – but as soon as he stopped he dropped to the ground feeling very nauseous. So if you see a young lad pounding the roads and hills in the Dromara Hills over the coming weeks in the full body cover whatever the weather, you’ll know that it is Hanna preparing for the European’s in Slovenia and the potential for a repeat experience in the heat – this time he will be more prepared.
Hicks and Thomson found the going tough too but unlike Hanna they managed to make it to the finish line having melted under the midday sun – at time of writing final results are still to be produced and it was a great experience for them both and an international vest gained.
Summit of Winder, Sedbergh, Lake District and no respite from the searing heat.
Flagstaff to Carlingford
On the same day, conditions were equally testing for the NIMRA Flagstaff to Carlingford race; 11 miles and 3000 feet of climbing. Gary Bailey of Mourne runners was the winner with Newcastle athletes peppered throughout the field. Pete Grant was best placed in 9th followed by Ryan McDonald 22nd, Jim Patterson 31st, Eugene McCann 33rd, Stephen rice 42nd and Sam McNeilly 53rd. Well done to all for getting to the finish on a searing afternoon.
O’Flaherty selected for Ireland for the European Team Championships
After a tough start to the season for Newcastle & District AC’s Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty when she tore a calf muscle during a 5000m on the track in Solihull in May, O’Flaherty has recovered well and already raced twice over the 3k Steeplechase in Meeting International Demi-Fond in Belfort in France (9th June) and Meeting Iberoamericano in Huelva, near Seville in Spain (14th June). Her times of 10:05 & 10:06 were down on her lifetime best but as experienced by Hanna in the Lake District, O’Flaherty found the June heatwave, especially the 31C in Huleva (at 8:30 in the evening) very difficult to deal with. Nonetheless, 10:05 is the fastest in Ireland this year, earning O’Flaherty a call-up to the Ireland Team for the European Team Championships in Vaasa, Finland over the weekend of the 24th and 25th June. This will be the 6th time that O’Flaherty has run in these championships for Ireland dating back to 2009 (3000m), followed by 2010 (3000m), 2013 (5000m), 2014 (3k Chase) & 2015 (1500m).
O’Flaherty clears a barrier in the Heats at the Olympic Stadium, Rio in 2016
Racing ahead
This week sees the curtain draw on another Hill & Dale series. Race 11, Drinahilly is on Friday 23 June and all proceeds from the entry fees will be donated to charity. This will be followed by the series prize-giving in O’Hare’s. Please come along, make a donation and support worthy causes. Before that, there is the small matter of the Lisburn Half Marathon, 10k and fun run on Wednesday evening. Looking ahead a little further, 22 July has been finalised as the date of the Ford 5k, a fast, flat and furious dash around Newcastle organised by Bryansford GAC and supported by Newcastle AC. Last year’s winners, Andrew Monaghan and Laura Graham recorded 15:09 and 16:41 respectively and there is a £50 bonus on offer for breaking these records. Keep the date free for a great race.