A review of the Virgin Money London Marathon by Bogusboy
From humble beginnings the London marathon has become one of the most spectacular and popular mass participation events in the world. This year 39,108 athletes of all abilities from all corners took part in a carnival of colour that was nothing short of breath-taking. Every athlete has their own reasons for running. For some it was the prospect of winning, for others it was about Olympic qualification, for others still it was about raising money for charity and for all it was about the sense of accomplishment and achievement that comes from getting the medal and the t-shirt at the end. It is only at that point, often bleary eyed and fighting back the tears of joy, that most come to the realisation that 26.2 miles, however hard, have passed and the ordeal is over.
Running a marathon is not about turning up on the day and hoping for the best – the general ballot for 2017 opens on 2 may and closes on 6 May! It is all about preparation and getting the body ready for the mental and physical challenges that lie ahead. The training is long and hard – many competitors put in between 60-70 miles per week at the peak of their training, often on cold and windy weekends in January and February. Many complete spring half marathons to test their training against their race pace. In short, for those with ambitions to do their best, irrespective of whether you are a top African or a decidedly average club runner, there are sacrifices to be made in the months leading up to the big day.
Newcastle AC had 11 athletes – 9 male and 2 female – in this the field of 2016. Entry is secured by being randomly drawn from the open ballot (there was no joy for NAC on this one as 9 entered the ballot and 9 were unlucky), securing a ‘good for age’ qualification time in a recognised marathon – most had their entries by this route or securing one of the two club places – Carson and Rodgers were the lucky ones back in October! Training had been intense from January and the miles were certainly pounded. The intrepid 11 took to the line, al determined to give of their best; this they did, but alas with mixed fortunes.
How did they do?
Alan Strachan was first home and though his time was a couple of minutes outside his 2015 result, he can be extremely proud of his performance in light of the injuries and setbacks encountered in the build-up – 9/10.
Aidan Brown was next home and a lot of smart money was on the wee man to produce a storming run on the back of his sub 1:20 half in Bohermeen. He went very well in the early stages, but faded a bit towards the end. Notwithstanding this he achieved a new PB and can definitely build on this in future marathons – one to watch in the years ahead – 7/10.
Norman Smyth had shown good form early on in training, but had regressed towards the end. He produced his best for on the day and scythed through the field in the second half, recording a negative split and gaining over 400 places in the final 7.2k – a remarkable performance – 10/10.
Joe McCann was hoping to improve on the 3:02:59 recorded in Dublin in October and was confident of a sub three after a 1:21 half in Bohermeen. Alas, it was not to be and he slowed gradually from 6 miles onwards and at halfway was a minute and a half behind the schedule – plenty of room to improve 5/10.
Niall Carson had missed two separate blocks of training due to injury and was very much and unknown variable. Like Smyth he produced a great run on the day and finished strongly in the final stages to secure a ‘good for age’ for 2017 – another who can take confidence from his performance – 10/10
Sinead Murtagh was next home and comfortably achieved objective 1, beat her New York time. The ‘Drumaroad Dynamo’ ran very steadily and showed that a sub 3 is a definite probability in the not too distant future. Now that she has the benefits of underfloor heating, great things will be expected – 8/10
Francie McAlinden was perhaps the most presentable athlete in the race. As he unpacked the kit on Saturday evening his socks and pants were ironed and immaculate, his vest beautifully folded and his trainers freshly polished. ‘See that’ he said, ‘doesn’t she have me well trained.’ Francie impressively improved his Dublin time and has set his sights on a sub 3:10 – not bad for a man over 50 – 9/10
Jerome McCrickard was blighted by a myriad of injuries, some of which defy medical science. He had trained stoically, but had been dealt setback after setback. There were many occasions when he was deemed less than likely to even make the start line. However, ‘The Prophet’ is made of Mourne granite and make the start he did. Breaking the ‘good for age’ 3:15 was another miracle – 11/10
Richard Rodgers without reservation is counted among the finest NAC has ever produced, yet surprisingly this was his marathon debut at the ripe young age of 52. He had put the hard miles in and for 35k was comfortably under his 3:20 target. Despite being a cliché, the marathon starts at 20 miles and Richard found the going tough as the end approached. Though suffering in the last 2k in particular, he had the character to see it through and is determined to go again if the opportunity presents itself – 6/10
Rita Devlin finished like a woman possessed, passing 787 runners in the last 7.2k. Her 3:29 was a significant PB and suitable reward for the tough miles in training. Like so many of the posse, she is already looking forward to 2017 and with entry guaranteed, she will be working hard to improve as much again – 10/10
Regrettably the 11th man on the team, Paul Rodgers was unable to complete the course. He had struggled with numerous niggles and strains and despite his best efforts and those of his overworked medical backroom staff was unable to shake the problems that he had encountered in the months leading up to the big day. He must be applauded for putting his toe to the line and completing the first half in a respectable 1:37, all the more credible in light of his well-documented and much lamented problems. Every cloud does have a silver lining as one of his club mates collected a clandestine side-bet!
| Alan Strachan | Aidan Brown | Norman Smyth | Joe McCann | Niall Carson | Sinead Murtagh | Francie McAlinden | Jerome McCrickard | Richard Rodgers | Rita Devlin | |
| 5K | 00:19:35 | 00:20:09 | 00:21:35 | 00:21:12 | 00:22:19 | 00:22:25 | 00:21:25 | 00:21:35 | 00:22:34 | 00:24:35 |
| 10K | 00:39:04 | 00:40:14 | 00:43:26 | 00:42:38 | 00:44:41 | 00:44:46 | 00:43:01 | 00:43:26 | 00:45:33 | 00:49:48 |
| 15K | 00:59:01 | 01:00:30 | 01:05:50 | 01:04:32 | 01:07:04 | 01:07:23 | 01:05:05 | 01:05:50 | 01:08:47 | 01:14:37 |
| 20K | 01:19:02 | 01:20:39 | 01:28:33 | 01:26:36 | 01:29:24 | 01:29:55 | 01:27:24 | 01:28:34 | 01:32:03 | 01:39:14 |
| HALF | 01:23:24 | 01:25:00 | 01:33:32 | 01:31:26 | 01:34:15 | 01:34:46 | 01:32:21 | 01:33:33 | 01:37:09 | 01:44:36 |
| 25K | 01:38:52 | 01:40:33 | 01:51:04 | 01:48:50 | 01:51:37 | 01:52:00 | 01:50:07 | 01:51:34 | 01:55:44 | 02:03:46 |
| 30K | 01:59:09 | 02:00:49 | 02:13:16 | 02:11:37 | 02:14:07 | 02:14:26 | 02:13:31 | 02:15:08 | 02:20:18 | 02:29:19 |
| 35K | 02:19:58 | 02:21:48 | 02:34:56 | 02:35:17 | 02:36:43 | 02:37:20 | 02:37:31 | 02:39:23 | 02:45:01 | 02:54:27 |
| 40K | 02:41:01 | 02:45:04 | 02:56:37 | 02:58:59 | 02:59:53 | 03:01:22 | 03:01:58 | 03:04:01 | 03:10:48 | 03:18:42 |
| FINISH | 02:50:13 | 02:56:54 | 03:06:19 | 03:09:34 | 03:10:17 | 03:12:06 | 03:12:43 | 03:14:32 | 03:24:07 | 03:29:05 |
| Position | 849 | 1508 | 2732 | 3132 | 3252 | 3501 | 3599 | 3884 | 5342 | 6320 |
London Results for NAC athletes
| Alan Strachan | Aidan Brown | Norman Smyth | Joe McCann | Niall Carson | Sinead Murtagh | Francie McAlinden | Jerome McCrickard | Richard Rodgers | Rita Devlin | |
| Passed | 87 | 19 | 441 | 216 | 309 | 226 | 202 | 200 | 151 | 807 |
| Passed by | 37 | 424 | 4 | 78 | 31 | 100 | 133 | 116 | 353 | 20 |
| Difference | +50 | -405 | +437 | +138 | +278 | +126 | +69 | +84 | -202 | +787 |
How they did in the last 7.2k
It is not just about the running!
London marathon weekend is not just about turning up, running a few miles and coming home again. There are logistical issues to be managed, flights to be booked, hotels to be sourced, meals to be ordered to name but a few. As well as the athletes competing a select support crew had been put together to look after the posse. This team consisted of Ron ‘Sat Nav’ Horrox, Colm ‘Spartan’ Murtagh and Jack ‘Slimmer of the Year’ O’Hare. Horrox was tasked with getting the crew to the airport. To be fair he was successful, but only after directing his pilot up and down every street in Hillsborough, Culcavy and Lisburn. The journey to Aldergrove took longer that Rodgers’ marathon! Not content with this, Horrox, secure in the knowledge that he did not have to run, took the individual late night London sightseeing tour via taxi! O’Hare and Murtagh were in charge of entertainment and reported back that all the clubs were of the highest quality – McAlinden was so disappointed claiming that had he not been running on the Sunday he would have been leading the charge to the underground scene in the meat packing district. His disappointment was exacerbated when Murtagh was last seen boarding the tube in West Brompton in search of his shirt from the previous night! Reinforcements were called in on Saturday and Byrne and Cunningham brought their own unique talents to the party. Byrne proved to be the ultimate football trivia warrior while Cunningham ensured that Horrox and O’Hare got an early night on Saturday. Come Sunday morning all were in fine fettle and were a wonderful source of support and encouragement at various points along the road – anyone who has completed the 26.2 will testify that seeing a friendly face along the course can be a tremendous boost. Brendan Donnelly, resident in the capital, came out to add his support also – equally appreciated by the runners.
Other results that have not been mentioned
In the week leading up to the marathon there was plenty to cheer about for NAC athletes. 5 went to the Queen’s 5k and all ran outstanding times. McMurray and Mills were the top two ladies on the podium, while the three men all recorded super-fast times.
| Position | Name | Gender | Cat | Finish |
| 10 | Seamus Lynch | M | MO | 00:15:22 |
| 13 | David O’Flaherty | M | MO | 00:15:24 |
| 35 | David Steele | M | M35 | 00:16:21 |
| 78 | Shalene McMurray | F | F35 | 00:17:32 |
| 84 | Joanne Mills | F | FO | 00:17:42 |
Queen’s 5k results
On the same night Philip Murdock, now in the advanced stages of his preparation for the Liverpool Marathon in late May, travelled to Dundalk with Ciaran og Mussen and Ashlene McGeough to run the 10k. Philip was first of the trio home in 40:26, followed by Ashlene in an impressive 42:08 and Oggie in 42:54. All reported that it was a great race in a great place – though there was no sign of Bob Wilson, Anchorman – Paul Rodgers will appreciate the reference to ‘Half Man Half Biscuit’ lyrics here!!!
On the day before London 4four NAC runners took part in the Ballynahinch Lions 10k. O’Flaherty was a valiant second to the resurgent Stephen Duncan from Omagh. Martin Melville showed he is on the way back with 5th and Ashlene McGeough and Brendan McQuaid finished close together, both inside the top 30 – fine performances by both.
| Position | Name | Cat | Lap 1 | Lap 2 | Finish |
| 2 | David O’Flaherty | MO | 00:16:02 | 00:16:29 | 00:32:30 |
| 5 | Martin Melville | MO | 00:17:26 | 00:18:20 | 00:35:46 |
| 28 | Ashlene McGeough | FO | 00:21:10 | 00:22:10 | 00:43:20 |
| 30 | Brendan McQuaid | MO | 00:21:11 | 00:22:26 | 00:43:37 |
Ballynahinch Lions 10k results
In the aftermath!
With the ballot now open, entries from local athletes will be flooding in. Many have signed up for Dublin, while others will be working on their speed, beginning with the prestigious Les Jones 10k on Friday 13 May.