The European XC Championships – Anna does herself proud!
East Down AC’s Anna Gardiner travelled to Piemonte in Italy at the weekend to get the taste of international racing at the European Cross Country Championships. Her selection to the Irish U20 team despite only being 16 was an honour, but actually no surprise, as she had performed so well at the recent All Ireland Cross Country Championships. At that event in Donegal, Anna took a decisive gold medal in the U18 age category. For the National Championships they had combined the U18s and the U20s in the one race and in fact Anna as well as winning the her own age group (U18) was second in the overall results with only one U20 athlete ahead of her. As a result she was on the list when Athletics Ireland published their squad in full and became the first East Down AC athlete to race cross country at European level.
The 40 strong team set off from Dublin proudly wearing the team strip and excited to be participating in such a high profile event. The venue, La Mandria Park, was a stunning setting for the race. One of the largest royal properties in Europe it includes a vast public park with miles of roads, trails and cycle paths surrounding an imposing castle and other royal buildings. The terrain was perfect for a challenging hilly and technical course and the weather was dry and bright but extremely cold. The U20 Women were the second race of the day and Anna lined up with 5 other Irish Team mates ready for the off. She had no idea how she would fare in a race with athletes of this calibre but she was game to give it her best shot. The start was frantic and it was just a blur of colour but as the laps ensued the runners gradually thinned out into smaller groups and those watching on tv back home were able to catch the odd glimpse of Irish vests but it was hard to see who was who.
Anna was extremely consistent throughout and held her position and even gained a couple of places with a strong finish. She crossed the line 59th overall out of 90 starters. She was 4th home from the Irish Team who then placed 8th Team overall out of 15 countries that were represented. This stands as a very successful debut at this level, a great experience and valuable learning for the future. Well done Anne, we are very proud of you and look forward to seeing what lies ahead.
Beating the Cold
On Saturday morning the heavy frost put paid to any competitive nature of the Santa 5k organised by Ballykinlar and Tyrella Community Association. Organisers deemed it too risky for a running event however a few folk driven by the promise of cake decided to gather nonetheless. Sharon Madine, Patrick Smith, Suzy Smith and Roisin Gaffney took the opportunity to take it easy over the course and enjoy the scenic views of the Mournes along the coastal path to the beach at Ballykinlar. The icy conditions were offset by the bright sunshine and blue skies. The fantastic photo opportunities and the festive fare back at the community centre made it a worthwhile trip.
RNLI Fundraiser at Castlewellan Forest Park
The RNLI had organised an event which included a 10k and 5k run and a 1mile walk with all proceeds going to the Newcastle branch of the RNLI. It took place on Sunday morning at Castlewellan Forest Park and despite the bitter frost Sharon Madine was back in action joined this time by Gavin McConvey and Wayne Giles. 
They gathered at the start line with a few extra layers on and full of enthusiasm. The icy patches made the runners rather cautious, however the beautiful scenery around the lake made it a very pleasant run. With 112 in the 10K and 96 in the 5K there was a good buzz as the race got underway. Sharon was the second Female home in the 5K in 22.11 and this placed her 7th overall out of 96. Wayne ran well to clock 26.48 and rank 18th. Gavin was 47th in 30 minutes and was happy with his efforts. Well done to them for braving the weather to take part in a worthwhile event and support a local charity.