Report by Rory Morrow
The Belfast half marathon took place last Sunday with almost five thousand (4,816) runners braving the drizzle and distance of the city, with Newcastle AC’s athletes all recording fantastic times.
Six from the club completed the 21K exertion which began on the Ormeau Embankment and finished beside it, in Ormeau Park.
There was, though, some considerable running done in-between!
Half of Newcastle’s participants finished in the first one thousand, with all six coming home well inside the four thousand zone, an achievement in itself!
First to finish was Frances Tumelty with a blistering chip time of 1:22:40 as he made it as the 139th person to cross the line.
Shortly, just some five minutes and twenty-two seconds later, after came Franky McGivern with a fabulous run of 1:28:02, beneath the 1 hour thirty minutes mark with ease, a time to celebrate!
Paul Rodgers was next fifteen minutes later, also in ahead of a pacer, his chip time of 1:43:12 excellent and landing him a top thousand placing.
Leea Walsh got sub two hours with a speedy display as she ran in a sublime 1:53:48 chip time, Gerry Kingston striding around splendidly too, with a 1:55:07 chip time.
Rounding off a terrific club showring was Seaneen Bell, coming home beneath the two-hour twenty mark with a wonderful chip time of 2:18:41.
A great display by all involved under wet and soggy Belfast conditions, perhaps even whetting the appetite for some winter running as we enter the colder season.