International Under 18 Mountain Running Cup

East Down AC’s Ollie Robinson had the privilege of representing NI & Ulster at the U18 International Mountain Running Cup in Saluzzo, Italy on Sunday 26th June. He along with runners from various clubs (Joshua Muckian, Ben Acheson and Ethan McMullan) gained selection through trials that took place earlier this season and they were there to test themselves against the top U18 runners from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as representatives from countries as far spread as the USA, Sierra Leone, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary. Italy as host nation had the advantage of fielding 2 teams. 

The journey to their destination involved a 2am start to get to Dublin for the early flight to Milan. From there it was a two-hour bus journey northwest to race headquarters in Saluzzo, a small town which still retains much of its 15th century charm.  Registration and course recce took place on Saturday in searing temperatures and staying hydrated in advance of the race was a big concern. After seeing the course Ollie decided to wear his road runners as he thought they were the best option for the dry ground and cobbled streets. There was a chance to meet all the other runners on Saturday evening at the opening ceremony with each country proudly holding their team flags.  

A Hot Day for Racing

Racing was scheduled for early morning in the hope of escaping the worst of the heat but it was still far from cool and the heat increased rapidly hitting 32 degrees before long. The Girls’ Race went off first and then a short while later the Boys lined up for their start. The 2 loop route included steep climbs and technical descents in a unique course which looped through the town as well as a vineyard and was a mixed terrain of cobblestones, grass and small sections of road. The first loop was a twisty 550m followed by the second loop of 3800m to give 4350m as the total distance.

The pack of boys went off on the whistle, with the first 600m fast and furious practically a sprint through the narrow streets of the town. Ollie found the heat difficult to contend with but was pleased with his performance overall running with the best U18 mountain runners in the world. The uphill section was energy sapping but the support was electrifying with the shouts of encouragement in many languages  which was a first for him. Normally downhill is where he can come into his own but the twisting nature of this section meant he couldn’t gain the speed he would have liked. Everyone was relieved when the finish line came into sight. The quality of the running was reflected in the fact that there was just over 5 minutes between the winner and the person last over the line.  What an experience at 15 knowing he can try for selection in the same category next year when they travel to France.  

A great deal of thanks needs to go to the organiser, Phil Hodge and to Catherine McIntosh who helped in Italy together with parents who travelled to support the teams.

Hill & Dale – End of 2022 Series

The 2022 Hill & Dale Series concluded on Friday evening past with one last blast followed by food and presentations. The final event was Drinahilly and while almost every race prior had been held in pleasant conditions, the runners were not so lucky on their last outing. It was a wet and windy night but there were still 190 ready and willing and some were relying on this to complete their quota to qualify as a series finisher. East Down AC was represented by five men – Niall Gibney was the leader for the club in 44th place (28.49). Paddy Erskine was 81st in 31.10. Paddy McDonald managed to hold off John Taylor who was on his tail. They finished 124th and 126th in 35.39 and 35.43 respectively. Brian Hamilton who had taken a short hiatus in the Series, returned to tick the box and was 163rd in 39.33. Well done to all 5 for their efforts throughout and congratulations on making the list of 210 recorded Series Finishers.

Jacob Crawford turned out as one of a handful of Juniors prepared to take on the challenge of Drinahilly and was delighted to come across the line in 2nd place after a gutsy run. Jacob has raced well this season, trying 3k road racing, various distances on the track as well as trail and mountain. It is a great way to find out where strengths lie and his attitude will take him far. Well done, Jacob!

Ards Half

Credit – Richard Cowan

Dee Murray must obviously enjoy Friday Night racing as one week after the Comber 10K he was signed up to do the Ards Half Marathon. It is not a flat nor fast course but it was well organised and marshalled by Scrabo Striders and he was glad that he made the effort to attend. He won the M50 category, placing 16th overall out of 500 entries in a time of 1.26.12 which pleased him.  Sam Anderson also took part and was vocal in her praise of the support crew who got her round. They would both recommend this friendly event to others.

Beyond the Wall

While not strictly running a mention has to be made of the inaugural sprint triathlon (Beyond the Wall) hosted ably by Down Triathlon Club at Castleward last weekend. They did a superb job and should be very proud of delivering such a great event. We all know the effort and months of planning that goes into these races, so hats off to them on nailing this on their first attempt. Congratulations also to EDAC members who took part, some of them completing a triathlon for the first time. Well done to all involved.

Big Thank You to McDonalds, Downpatrick

McDonalds, Downpatrick as one of the race sponsors of Jimmy’s 10K also make sure that the youth section of the club get a reward for their hard work training and racing all season. After the session on Monday past, the EDAC juniors were delighted to receive Happy Meals as an end of term treat. It was rumoured that the coaches even got the chance to tuck in. Cheers to Balazs and the team!