All members are invited to attend the club’s AGM on Monday 13 January in the Avoca Hotel, Newcastle at 8pm.

The purpose of AGM is to elect a new committee for the coming year, it would be great to see new members joining the committee.
If you are nominating someone please ask them first.

At the AGM the clubs accounts will be reviewed and the membership fee set for 2020, following the review of the accounts members have an opportunity to ask any questions relating to the accounts.

While questions/suggestions can be put to the club committee at any time, questions/suggestions can be made at the end of the meeting.
If possible please submit AOB by email before 11 January to info@newcastleac.org

2019 Committee (stored on club website https://www.newcastleac.org/?page_id=432)
Chairman – Deon McNeilly
Vice Chairman – PJ McCrickard
Treasurer – Damien Brannigan
Secretary – Richard Rodgers
Additional Committee Members
Rita Devlin
David Hicks
Patrick Higgins
Pauline McCauley
Eamon McCrickard
Jack O’Hare
Mari Troeng

Well done to everyone who took part in our 5km time trial on Tuesday 7 January. There were some very impressive times.

This marks the beginning of the Spring Training Block (Tuesday sessions will be posted in the next few days) until 7 April 2020.

Thanks to the Prophet and Francie for officiating.

Report by Hill Runner

Turkey Trot 2019

Christmas is normally a time for people to take it easy, eat and drink plenty and to put the feet up for a while. When most folk were busy doing this, the local running fraternity were gearing up for a week of off road running which sees three very popular races taking place. Boxing Day started it off with the Turkey Trot mountain race followed by the infamous pairs race (see separate Cracker report) on Saturday 28th and ringing in the new year we had Race Over The Glens in Co. Antrim on New Year’s Day.

Boxing Day dawned doom and gloomy after heavy overnight rain fell forcing organisers to cut the course short avoiding the open mountain section, much to the annoyance of some of the hardier mountain folk! The route followed fire roads through Tollymore Forest to the Trassey Track, which was like a river in places, with several knee deep icy cold crossings to be made. Staying on the Trassey, runners headed for The Hares Gap, where three hardy marshals stood guarding the dibber control ensuring it wasn’t going to be blown off the mountain. This was the halfway point and a very wet, slippery and mucky descent followed before returning along the Trassey back to the mountain centre. Continue reading →

By The Grey Faced Runner

Tollymore Forest Park was the destination on Saturday as a small number of Newcastle and District AC runners put their toes to the line in the now annual Born 2 Run series.

Historically, Tollymore was known to have been included in seven and a half local townlands; however, going to press the Prophet could not be contacted to officially confirm all the townlands names.

Reports received by The Grey Faced Runner indicate that The Prophet is busy scrubbing the red road writing of the steep slopes of Ballymagreehans Playrock. It has been confirmed that “Higgins this is a hill” has now been fully removed; however the removal of “this aint no walking club” is proving a more difficult task. Continue reading →