Author Archives: Aoife Cochrane

McGrady’s Cross Country, Hill & Dale and Anna’s Win

Posted on by

McGrady Cross Country Presentations 2023

The McGrady race series was celebrated at the series prize giving held last Monday night at East Down clubrooms. The ethos of the series is enjoyment and everyone who participated is celebrated. Kids who ran in three out of the four races received a slate participation medal as they are seen as the backbone of the series and deserve to be congratulated.

Participation prizes were given to  Amber Keown, Alice Taylor, Isla Taylor, Rory Kinsella, Oscar Keown, Aoife Gilchrist, Annie Canavan and William Taylor,.

Of course with any series there are also winners. EDAC had their fair share of the podium places.

Category podium winners were:-

First place trophies were awarded to Orlaith Keary (Primary 7), Alex Robinson (Year 11/12), Sarah Gilchrist (Year 11/12) and Jacob Crawford (year 13/14).

Second place trophies  were awarded to Coen Canavan (P4 & under), Mack Canavan (Primary 6 joint winner with Rossa McAleenan), Tarynn Smyth (Primary 6 joint with Eve Harrison), Dillon Hynds (Year 8), Jarlath Price (Year 8), Thomas Magee (Year 11/12), and Charlotte Barr (Year 11/12)

Third place trophies were awarded to Willow Keown (Primary 4 & under), Fiadh Kellett and Rosa Canavan (joint Primary 5), Maria Rooney (Primary 7).

The primary 7 girls’ team (Orlaith Keary, Maria Rooney, Alice Taylor and Isla Taylor)  also won the primary school award for the greatest participation numbers in their category..

So another series has drawn to a close. Thanks must be given to all the parents who cover the volunteering rota throughout the year, helped at the hosted EDAC hosted races at Delmont, and bring the kids to training to ensure they are able to complete. Also thanks to our loyal coaches who give up their time to take training weekly. Finally thanks to the continued sponsorship from McGrady Financial Services.

Continue reading →

School District A Track & Field Events 2024

Posted on by

Now that the cross-country season is truly over the track season has begun in earnest. This week saw the start of the first of the secondary school district rounds, District A, held at Mary Peter’s Track. Wednesday was the turn for senior and Intermediate school pupils (Years 4 to Upper six)

The events are broken down on school years with the Inter category combining years four and five and the senior category combining Lower and Upper six pupils.  Depending on the distances and  numbers entered in each event, the track races were either held as straight finals or  pupils had to progress through semi-finals to run finals later in the day.  At the time of writing the report no results are known.

East Down had five participants across the events; four were competing for Down High School-(Charlotte Barr, Jacob Crawford, Alex Robinson, and Oliver Robinson) and one for Assumption Girls School  (Anna Gardiner).

Oliver Robinson decided to try both the 400m and 800m senior races so he was glad that the 400m was a straight final. He ran a well-placed race in lane one but needed to slow down approaching the finish line because the blocks had not been removed and one of the officials was standing in his lane. He placed second and acknowledged that the presence of the blocks would not have changed the result. He was disappointed with his 800m race finding his legs very heavy from the 400m. 

Continue reading →

Hill and Dale Race 2, NIMRA Granite Peaks Challenge and 2024 London Marathon

Posted on by

Hill and Dale Race 2 Tollymore

 

Tollymore Forest Park saw the second race of the Hill and Dale series, this race takes in the trails and paths of the forest park and all so takes in some of the open hills surrounding the park, finishing back near the car park after a steep climb to the line.

John Taylor in EDAC away colours at the Hill and Dale

John Taylor who is an old hand at the Hill and Dale took on the challenge will be happy with his 123rd position out of 250 athletes, in a time of 44 min 19 sec. The other EDAC member to take to the trails was Kieran Keown, this was his second outing and as last week put in a strong run clocking 46 min 08 secs 152nd spot. Great effort from the guys, next week Slieve Martin.

EDACs Kieran Keown making his way thought Tollymore Forest

Continue reading →

Hill & Dale Race 1, Larne 10 Miler and Manchester Marathon

Posted on by

Hill & Dale race 1

Last Thursday saw the first race in the Hill and Dale series, this popular event is hosted by Newcastle AC with the first race of the ten in this series being held in Castlewellan Forest Park. The course covers approximately 8.5 km of lake side, forest trails with hills and summiting Slievenaslat and looping back around the castle to the finish. The conditions were fair, but after all the recent rain the ground in places was still wet, muddy and slippery.

319 James Cuffey coming over the top of Slievenaslat

 EDAC always has a small contingent of runners that take on the challenge and this year some of the old faces came back to test themselves. James Cuffey who had a great first season last year was back for more and had a strong opening race crossing the line in 29th in 41 min 49 sec, a great opener from James. Mountain man Niall Gibney is an old hand at the Hill and Dale and will be pleased with his first race finishing in 73rd spot in a time of 44 min 50 sec. Kieran Keown took on his first Hill and Dale race in EDAC colours and had a great run out in 201st position in 52 min 15 sec.

539 Niall Gibney heading down hill

Continue reading →

Dundalk, Omagh and EAMS Bunny Hop Runs

Posted on by

Dundalk 10k and Half Marathon
Saturday morning saw the launch of the first Dundalk 10k & Half Marathon
organized by Bear races in Partnership with Dundalk Business
Improvements District Scheme (BIDS). The event is offering both local and
visiting athletes the opportunity to experience Dundalk’s vibrant town centre
and picturesque suburbs through a uniquely designed route. The Race
starts and finishes in the heart of Dundalk Town. There were 250 entrants
allowed for each event, but all the athletes not only had the distance to
tackle they had to contend with Storm Kathleen, so with a strong wind
blowing in their faces for the second half of the route it was going to be
tough going. EDAC had father and son team Wayne and Daniel Giles
taking on the stormy conditions. Daniel was on the start line for the Half
Marathon and took on the two and a half laps of Dundalk town center, even
with the very windy weather Daniel came in 30th position in a time of 1 hr
29 min 48 sec, a great run from him. Dad Wayne took on the shorter
distance and was happy with his run in tough conditions finishing in 128th
spot in a time of 56 min 50 sec. Both said it was a well run event and is
definitely one for next year.


Omagh Half Marathon
Sunday morning saw EDACs Seamus Savage take a trip to mid Ulster for
the 25th Omagh Half Marathon. The race takes in most of the town and
starts and finishes at the leisure center. The course is known for its hills
and being undulating, and with a strong wind it was going to be tough going
for Seamus who decided to run at the last minute, he was happy with his
time of 1 hr 39 mins but admitted it was hard work.


Continue reading →

Anna finished top 40 in the world on her 18th Birthday

Posted on by

Anna Gardiner, together with seven fellow Irish athletes, travelled to the Serbian capital,
Belgrade, to compete in the World Cross Country Championships at the weekend.
An unseasonably hot and sunny day with temperatures reaching 27 degrees, conditions in the
city’s Friendship Park made for fast running throughout. The course made up of 2k loops and
was flat so manmade obstacles of raised inclines, hay bales and manmade muddy sections were used to make it more interesting and more like typical cross-country courses. A far cry from the muddy races over the last cross-country season in Ireland. These conditions possibly favoured the East African runners and their class was on show. They took all but one of the twenty-seven medals on offer across five races of the day. Kenya getting eleven, Ethiopia, ten and Uganda five.

Continue reading →