The East Down team overtook the entire Newcastle team near the finish line of Saturday’s Cross Country League fixture in Gransha Park in Derry. With both clubs having travelled over 100 miles to participate and with Newcastle in strong contention for the League title, this was no mean feat. Admittedly this was while the vehicles in which the Clubs were travelling were approaching the registration and start areas about an hour before the race was due to begin and was to prove East Down’s only success of the day.
It was indeed a long way to travel for a 6K race but at least the organisers had the good sense to set the start time at 12.35pm enabling the long distance visitors to aim for a home before dark return.
NEWCASTLE TOP DOGS
Newcastle of course were League leaders going into the race and were desperate to maintain their position with just 2 fixtures to follow. League rules are that any team which has 4 finishers in a race will be awarded 2 bonus points up to a maximum of 6 points for 12 finishers. Knowing that every point would be vital to withstand the challenge being mounted by host club City of Derry the injury hit seasiders fielded 13 runners to aim for at least the maximum bonus points. In the event they battled superbly to claim 6 points as 3rd placed team and which added to their 6 bonus points keeps them firmly in the driving seat heading into the New Year.
DNF or DNF?
East Down fielded a team of just 4 runners, the result of injury cry offs and pressures exerted by the influence of a large bearded guy in a red suit, so the Club’s only objective on the day was to score appearance points. This by no means a foregone conclusion as with the minimum of 4 runners going to post it was going to be essential that they all avoided mishap and for all four to finish. While everyone wanted to avoid the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish) notation after their name I was desperately wishing precisely the opposite. In my world DNF stands for Did Not Fall. The fact that the ground was soft underfoot I was reluctant to try its properties underface or any other part of my anatomy for that matter. So while Newcastle were battling for a top 4 placing against determined opposition Michael Cultra led out the East Down quartet, finishing 32nd overall, just one place ahead of Francis Tumelty with Mark O’Connor packing well in 75th place. It only remained for me to avoid the DNF award but to secure it at the same time. In fairness the leading trio showed remarkable stamina by hanging around until I crossed the line some 9 minutes and 145 places later, not only having avoided falling for the first time this season but feeling like a proper runner again having helped secure 2 team points. This is the beauty of the League team competition as every runner counts no matter how slow or far behind they might be.
LEADING LADY
Catherine O’ Connor was the only Club representative in the Ladies race, run in conjunction with the Men’s, and found things much to her liking with a splendid 4th place overall. So Ladies take your lead from Catherine and get a team out in next year’s League. Of course it would help if the aforementioned red suited individual would undertake a fitness regime or arrange his visit during the Summer months to free up the time currently spent on shopping.
Next weekend it’s Castlewellan for the Cracker where even if you’re last you have company! See you there?
Happy Christmas everyone.
Joe Quinn
22 December 2014