The Cross-Country season is in full swing marking the impending arrival of winter as the days of October get slowly darker towards the dreadful changing of the hour at Halloween marking darkness well before 6pm.

After the good summer and limited rain the cross-country courses, as they tend to do at this time of year, presented firmer going than they’re likely to do in the New Year and there were some very good performances across the age spectrum.

The Field of Dreams

8 time zones west of here is Oregon – more specifically Estacada and the Milo McIver State Park and a fast and relatively flat cross-country loop set alongside the Clackamas River. In turn Estacada is just southeast of Portland, a hotbed of US endurance running which includes Nike’s Headquarters in Beaverton and the home of the disbanded and disgraced Nike Oregon Project. Eastacada is also around 100 miles north of Eugene, home to the spiritual Hayward Field, set to host the World Athletics Championships next summer.

Ryan Forsyth, whose maternal family line emanates from Comber, is a recipient of the prestigious ‘All-American’ status at both cross-county and track from his time at Colorado University in Boulder. He completed his studies just over two years ago and now works as an engineer presently in Seattle. He finished 4^th, four years ago in the European U23 Cross-Country in Tilburg in the Netherlands on a day when he had the potential to make the podium – but still a brilliant run. Continue reading →

Marathon Mania – Report by BOGBOY

The 21/22 cross-country got under way in the Armagh AC promoted McElmeel Cup on Sunday in the Palace Demesne.

It is great to have cross-county back…

It is great to have a traditional cross-country course – whilst it has been relatively dry and so there was limited mud, the course was truly undulating with not much flat running at all.

It is great to have a full programme of races with U9s starting at 12:30 and the final race being the U18 & Senior Men together at 3pm.

The McVeigh clan were out in force all day with 3 kids and a dad racing across the schedule. First up was Harry who showed a clean pair of heels to win the Boys U9 over the small lap of 500m. Then it was Óggie who ran well to clinch a top 10 finishing position in the Boys U11. In the Girls U11 it was Maisie who once again ran strongly to clinch a podium position. Continue reading →

Congratulations to Newcastle & District AC Member Tom Crudgington who came 6th at the British Championship U20 Trials in the Sedbergh Lake District over the weekend.

Race Report by BOGBOY