By Joe McCann
A great race, a massage when it is over and a bag of spuds thrown in!
Ten athletes from Newcastle travelled up the east coast to Waterfoot to compete in the annual Glenariff Mountain Race. Building on their success the previous week at Gullion, the Newcastle AC men were in confident mood. O’Flaherty had seemingly recovered from the road rage that had led to him shouting a volley of unrepeatable abuse at other road users the previous week and was in serene mood as the posse travelled to the picturesque setting of Waterfoot and the registration.
However an impromptu pit stop was required to enable Patterson to change into his Sunday best. His initial attire was less than sweet smelling and McNeilly called time on it, proffering the choice of change or walk. Patterson chose the former and harmony was restored, much to O’Flaherty’s joy.
Newcastle have to work to win Glenariff team race
In the more serious business of the race, Newcastle won the team prize for the second week running, scoring 2, 8 & 9 and in the process edging out Mourne Runners who finished 4, 7 & 12. McNeilly was best for Newcastle, finishing runner up to City of Derry’s Allan Bogle, who went out very hard on the first mile on the grass. McNeilly was back on even terms as they approached the summit and actually led at the top of the mountain. However Bogle had a fantastic descent and overtook McNeilly and opened up an unassailable race winning lead. In the end he won by the relatively comfortable margin of 37 seconds. McNeilly actually dropped from first to fourth on the descent as Jonathan McCloy then Neil Carty managed to ease past on the descent. However, McNeilly is never one to give up and settle for a minor placing and he duly rallied on the 2 mile run in to the finish where he was able to use his still impressive leg speed to reclaim the lost places and finish a very well deserved second to Bogle. The equally evergreen Carty managed to hold on for third, while the youthful McCloy will be satisfied with fourth on his first outing of the season.
Anyone for a freebie or two?
At the finish there were free massages on offer and Patterson was first on the table to have his tired old legs rubbed down. Once rejuvenated, he made a direct line for the impressive spread of post race refreshments and certainly ate his money’s worth. His only regret was that he absent-mindedly forgot to bring a carrier bag to bring some of the goodies home for future consumption. Upon disembarking the car in Newcastle Jim pointed out that it was a great day out for a tenner and he certainly believed he had good value for money. As if this was not enough, all competitors were presented with a bag of spuds at the end of the race in lieu of the cotton t-shirt which few ever wear (except of course for Brannigan!)
The other Newcastle runners packed well once again with O’Flaherty 8th, David McNeilly 9th, Steele 10th, Quail 11th, Gene McCann 14th, McGreevy (for once having an off day) 16th, the Prophet 22nd, Wells 27th, Wilson 30th and Patterson 32nd. There were category wins for McCann, McGreevy and Patterson. No Newcastle ladies were present, though they were credited with 40th overall as Anne Sandford failed to remember that she recently joined Lagan Valley – who can blame her for clinging to the halcyon days of yore!
Patrick’s Day on the 6th of March
Young Patrick Sheridan was the recipient of plaudits and admiration from many older and wiser (though not in all cases) than himself following his sparkling run in the Newcastle AC Winter Series 5k time trial. Starting 9th in a field of 14 he cut through the eight before him and left the faster and more experienced club mates trailing in his wake as he held them off to cross the line first. He started 15 seconds behind me and had hurtled past within half a mile. I hollered a cautionary, ‘take it easy and make sure you don’t blow up’, but I doubt he heard me as he raced into the distance remarkably quickly. With the early runners starting at 30 second intervals there was always someone to chase, which made for good racing. Despite the generally inclement evening, any advantage was with the athletes as they covered the 3.1 miles from the Harbour House Inn through Tullybrannigan to the big stone that marks the entrance to the new housing development on the Castlewellan Road. Patrick was pursued at great speed by Kendall and O’Flaherty, with the latter just failing to catch the prodigious young talent as the finish approached. O’Flaherty followed up on his success at Slieve Gullion with the fastest time of the night, a swift 17:05 to add to his third place on the mountain 3 days earlier. Kendall, who had averaged 6 minutes a mile for 13.1 in Navan 48 hours earlier was second fastest on the night, recording 17:30; an impressive time given his exertion so close to this event. Libby Morgan was a convincing winner of the female category! Club yoga guru Lisa Rice (aka Yogalisa) was delighted that her flexible friends, Barry, Brian and Patrick have won the last three club events and is convinced that their weekly intensive yoga sessions are contributing to their success. Her new project is to get husband Declan moving a bit quicker!
Brannigan wins the one man race
Well done also to Damien Brannigan who recorded the fastest time of the night for the three mile course that he ran on his own at the same time as his club mates were running together. Why his did not join his mates you might reasonably ask. Could he not bear the hanging around for 4 minutes while the slower runners got a bit of an advantage? Was he worried about being defeated? The answer to both is an unequivocal no! The real reason is that the mung beans and lentils were not drained in time nor was the cous cous forked and this would offset the tea by as much as 3 minutes, thus destroying the equilibrium in chez Brannigan and potentially causing great distress! To make matters worse the lunch for the next day was unprepared by 6:26 and all of this was caused by an unannounced and unscheduled visit from O’Flaherty which set the Big Marathon Man’s schedule back by 8 minutes and 36 seconds which proved an insurmountable obstacle in his getting to the line on time.
See Results section for full results of Handicap race.
Leitrim 5 Mile Road Race on 31st March
Liatroim Fontenoys GAC, in association with Newcastle AC, is proud to present the inaugural Leitrim 5 mile road race & 2 mile fun walk/run on Saturday 31st March 2012. Nestled between Castlewellan Forest Park and the Dromara Mountains in stunning surroundings, this relatively new 5 mile road race offers elite athletes, age group competitors and fitness runners a different, challenging course in a unique, scenic and small village setting. The race is sponsored by: McGrady Financial Services, Mourne Fresh Foods, Smyth’s Toymaster, Move Physiotherapy and Healing Within.
Something for everyone
The 2 mile fun walk/run starts at 1pm with the main event, the 5 mile road race at 2pm. Both events start at Fontenoy Park on the Backaderry Road. This is the perfect race for anyone in marathon preparation, 10k road race mode on the back of Jimmy’s and the Spring Lake, honing their form in anticipation of the Hill and Dale race series or simply enjoying running for fitness. There will be secure changing and shower facilities and hot food and refreshments will be served after race. We look forward to a great event that is well supported by local clubs and the local community. For further information please contact Frank Morgan 07791510867 or Brendan Quail 07827394948. The minimum age for the 5 mile race is 15 years old. Teams of four from local sporting clubs are encouraged to compete in the 5 mile road race and represent their club. Meanwhile the 2 mile fun walk/run offers an opportunity for the whole family to get out and enjoy the challenge, taking in the locally well-known Leitrim mile. Entries will be taken on race day from 12 noon: 5 mile Road race: Registered Athletes: £7, Unregistered Athletes: £8 & Club Teams of 4: £25. Fun walk/run: £3 / Under 10s free / Family Group (4 members or more) £10. For those interested in competing, there will be a pre-race run around the course on Thursday 22nd March at 6pm. There will also be free massages for athletes after the race, which will no doubt prove to be a unique selling point for tempting Jim Patterson to register and compete, though he is still awaiting confirmation about the fillings of the sandwiches!
McKibbin was an impressive winner
Last year the inaugural running of the event witnessed an impressive victory from Newcastle’s Dave McKibbin who held off the challenge of Dromore’s Andy Hicks to win by an impressive 34 seconds. Newcastle also boasted Steele in third, Quail, the organiser in fourth and Brannigan completing the top 5. The course is undulating but is a good test of strength, speed, stamina and endurance; a test I would recommend to those looking for a well organised, well marshaled and friendly event. Leitrim GAC will be looking to retain their team prize, though they would probably hope to face sterner competition than was evident last year.
Jimmy’s 10k
Before the jaunt to Leitrim there is the serious business of Jimmy’s 10k in Downpatrick on 18th March. This race is one of the highlights of the racing year, attracting a great crowd of athletes of all abilities. With the 700 limit almost reached it promises to be a great event once again. The lure of the holiday voucher combined with the infamous East Down AC post race ‘feed’ ensure that the auditorium of Down Leisure Centre is packed to the rafters for the presentation and prize-giving. Last year Stephen Scullion was the convincing winner, with over a minute to spare over Joe McAllister. Brendan Teer was the best placed local athlete in 7th overall; a position he will improve on this year given his current insatiable form.
Coming up
Next week there will be a full report on the presentation evening to celebrate the McGrady Financial Services Junior Cross Country Series and a report on the fortunes of the Newcastle athletes at Jimmy’s 10k. As the 2012 Hill and Dale series draws closer watch this space for a full preview of the main contenders who will be attempting to wrestle the title from defending champion Des Woods of Mourne Runners.