Race 5 of the NIMRA championship took place on Saturday June 1. A new venue took runners out of their usual haunts around the Mournes as they headed North towards Larne for the Carncastle Classic organised by East Coast AC. The race starts and finishes at Ballygally beach and after a few road crossings takes in the summits of Knockdhu and Scawt hill on the 10 mile course.

With a large contingent of NAC on the opposite side of the island for the Carrauntoohil mountain race (see separate report) this left an opportunity for a few new faces to podium. It was NAC’s Mark Stephens who took the early lead before having to settle for second place as Mourne Runners’ Timmy Johnson took control from the halfway point finishing in 1:13:09, Stephens close behind in 1:16:25 and 3rd Shane Donnolly (unattached) in 1:17:11.

Paulette Thomson was NAC’s only female and finished 5th in 1:44:54. The female podium saw Newry AC’s Esther Dickson win in 1:29:59, Jog Lisburn’s Karen Wilton 2nd in 1:30:45 and Newry AC’s Sarah Quinn 3rd in 1:39:54.
Round 6 takes place on Sunday June 16th Flagstaff to Carlingford.

By Hill Runner