Saturday, 19th July 2025 — the annual pilgrimage to the epi-centre of County Down — Rostrevor — once again drew some of Newcastle AC’s finest and most fearless athletes for the much-anticipated Rossi 5K.

The road from Newcastle to Rostrevor led members through the charming Reid Hall, nestled halfway between Hilltown and Rostrevor — the very landscape that inspired C.S. Lewis to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Not quite Narnia, but close enough for a 5K race.

Taking place during the Fiddler’s Green International Festival, the Rossi 5K forms part of a week-long celebration of Irish folk music, dance, storytelling, arts, and good craic. Since its founding in 1987, the festival has blossomed into one of Ireland’s longest-running and most loved folk festivals.

The weather, for once, was too good. Trucker Ron arrived for his lift from 10 Downing Street, Newcastle already exhausted and wrecked by the heat. As the Newcastle AC convoy neared Rostrevor, a mini financial crisis broke out — no, not in London, but in our own travelling bubble. With panic swirling, Trucker Ron swooped in like a financial superhero, rumbling in with a metaphorical (or maybe real?) truckload of cash. Crisis averted. Journey resumed.

Once arrived, the usual pre-race rituals kicked in — complaints about fitness levels, phantom injuries, and body strappings galore. The club PRO managed to wrangle everyone together for the traditional photo op, though the uniform game was… inconsistent. Some proudly sported club vests in full kit glory (FKG), others claimed theirs were “in the car,” while a few simply freewheeled it with whatever they had on. Style points? Minimal. Enthusiasm? Off the charts.

Jinxy Farrell looked like a man freshly flung from a beach bar in Greece — clean wrecked, jet-lagged, and operating entirely on olives, ouzo fumes, and the last dregs of misplaced optimism. His skin bore the uneven bronze of someone who fell asleep face-down on a sunbed, and his shirt still smelled faintly of sea salt and sunscreen. His eyes, bloodshot and defiant, darted like a man who’d danced too close to the edge of a cliffside rave and lived to tell the tale — barely. Still, he toed the line like a warrior, sun-scorched, over-served, but upright.

Race registration and number collection was a relaxed freestyle affair. Some picked theirs up like pros, others had no clue and simply did their own thing, turning the start line into a mosaic of official bibs, DIY scribbles, and blank tops with bold attitudes.

Special shoutout goes to Oggie Mussen, back in competitive action for the first time since 2016 and his now-infamous Trim 10miler shoe incident. Sporting his signature stride and post-race Krombacher in hand, he made a glorious return to racing. Also making a comeback was Louth/Meath Ernie, running his first race north of the border in over three years — a historic moment wrapped in mid-pack modesty.

The race itself? A brute. The opening 1.5-mile climb could’ve doubled as a Hill and Dale event — a true test of grit. But the pay-off was glorious: a downhill finish with a very clean looking Carlingford Lough shimmering in the background, and the air so fresh and clean it could have been bottled.

Post race and club activities moved to The Cloughmore Inn, where The Butcher held court over a few cold pints and ate the child’s Tasty Bites margarita pizza.

Congratulations to the Podium winners:

Female

Kerry O’Flaherty 18.05

Joanne Mills 18.48

Ciara Regan 19.45

Male

Mark Malone 16.40

Richard Kennedy 17.18

Andrew Mc Intyre 17.28

The Newcastle AC club results:

Kerry O’Flaherty 18:05

Frank Cunningham 18:53

Brian McVeigh 19:12

Ashlene Mussen 20:26

John Kelly 20:38

Ciarán Óg Mussen 20:59

Lorna Cunningham 21:57

Ernie Hall 23:14

Ronnie Horrox 24:05

Joe McCann 25:40

Jerome Farrell 26:23

A special word of thanks to the organisers of this fantastic race, and to our very own Barry Óg. The event was exceptionally well organised and expertly marshalled. We truly appreciate the hard work and dedication that made it such a success!

Next up for the club Jack O’Hare has very kindly offered to sponsor a club bus to the Carlingford 5k on Friday 1st August 2025. The bus will be departing from O’Hare’s Bar Lounge at 5pm sharp and anyone looking to book a seat please contact Jack O’Hare, Joe McCann or the club logistics manager Colm Murtagh. Let the summer of running — and storytelling — roll on.