No holiday for the runners
July is an odd month as better weather sees more running and lots of races but it is also holiday time so attendance can fluctuate. However with a race of the reputation of the Portaferry 10 Mile there was always going to be a good turn out. It is a well organised event and a challenging course so it deserves to be well supported.
Tuesday night therefore saw the East Down crew descend in great number to tackle the 10 mile route – a course and distance where pace is key. On an evening when conditions were perfect for racing the first home for East Down was Paul Burns in 1.05.10 , closely followed by the ever consistent Niamh Kellett 1.06.33 who once again did the club proud as she was 2nd Female overall for the 2nd race in a week!
Katrina Hynds and Roisin Gaffney after the Women only mini marathon event
A welcome sight for East Down was the return of Davy Foster rocking a fancy new haircut in 1.07.44. Hopefully he can get over recent injuries and get his season back on track. Philip Vint was next then Deirdre Weatherall, Gavin Hynds and James Magennis followed in quick succession with all very happy with their results and pacing.
Stephen McCartan, Raymond Milligan Donal Smith, Sean Sealey and Catherine Gilchrist were all as solid as ever and happy with their night’s work. It is great to see these regular attenders reap the rewards for their efforts. Oonagh Breteche, Helen Vint, Joanne Carson, Linda Cunningham and Gavin McConvey all ran with smiles on their faces. Again dedicated training is key to their ability to take these distances literally in their stride and they are a great advertisement for how to enjoy your running.
East Down were also well represented in the 2 x 5 mile relay. Katrina Hynds ran with Eimear Degan and had a great run while Eimear’s sister Cathy Flinn ran with Clare Forster who was very pleased to complete her first race back following maternity leave, welcome back Clare !
Janine Murray ran with her sister in Law Amanda but must have thought she was in with a chance of getting 2 medals as she also ran the second leg with Amanda to get the miles in. All in all a great night out and the ferry crossing added to the fun. One to remember for next year’s diary.
Happy EDAC crew en route home on the Portaferry – Strangford Ferry
The Relay Teams – Katrina Hynds, Eimear Degan, Cathy Flinn and Clare Forster (2×5 Mile Relay at Portaferry)
EDAC after the Portaferry 10 Mile
Katrina does the double
There are always a couple who squeeze in an extra race in the week just to prove that they have the energy to play with. This week Katrina Hynds was one who turned out for another event. Along with Roisin Gaffney she took part in a women’s only event – the Newry and Mourne women only Mini Marathon which is a 10k route from Leitrim Lodge to the Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor. It was mostly road with an uphill last mile including some trail. Roisin came in at 54 minutes and Katrina narrowly missed a sub 60 minutes on account of the tough finish.
Katrina Hynds and Roisin Gaffney after the Women only mini marathon event
Phillip makes it look easy
Phillip Vint also showed his level of fitness by turning out for a second event in the one week but he went the whole hog and made that a marathon. He finished the course at Longwood in a speedy 3.22 to boot. That makes his tally up to 55 marathons and no sign of stopping.
All Ireland championships for Lauren
Lauren Madine travelled to the All Ireland’s Track and Field Championships in Tullamore. She had qualified at the Ulsters to allow her to take part which is an achievement in itself. She ran in the U14 200m facing stiff opposition. Her time of 29.81 was not sufficient to qualify for the final but as with all competition at this level will be useful experience for the future.
What’s Next?
There are two local races this week for anyone looking to test their fitness or just enjoy a bit of craic. The RGU 10k and Relay on Wednesday night at 7.30pm and the Crossgar 10k on Friday 27th at 7pm.