The Turkey Trot is a long running Boxing Day calorie burn out, open to all hill runners over 18 yrs old . The course is basically a clockwise circuit of Slieve Meelmore, 7.5 Km in length with a height gain of 400 metres. The race starts near Meelmore lodge, following the tracks up to below Spellack cliffs then onto Slieve Bearnagh and Meelmore then onto Slieve Meelbeg. Then a fast descent of Happy Valley to the finish at Meelmore Lodge. EDAC had two runners in this tough race, Niall Gibney and John Taylor, both old hands at the mountain races, took this challenge on. With good conditions Niall was the first past the post in 22nd position in a time of 48 min 45 sec, John crossed the line in 72nd spot in 58 min 35 sec. Great running from both the guys.
At the end the year the juniors joined the seniors at the annual predicted time trial and Christmas party. Each junior had to predict what time they could complete a mile and the closest to their predicted time won a prize.
Thirty juniors turned up and discussed run tactics and predictions. The question, that all the seniors also ask, is whether to do a slow, steady run or to go as fast as you can . It isn’t the fastest who wins, just the person closest to their predicted time. On this occasion it was the first finisher Thomas Magee who got bragging rights for the fastest and the closest to his predicted time. Dillon Hynds was second closely followed by Matthew Taylor.
After the Christmas break races return in the new year starting with the Mathieson Cup on the 14th January. Then it will time for secondary school boys & girls to represent their schools at the Ulster Schools Districts Cross Country races starting on the 19th.Jaunary before EDAC hosts the next race in the McGrady series at Delamont on the 21st.
On the Thursday before Christmas East Down AC held their annual club Predicted Time Trial at the Downshire estate. This is a 5k run where each runner predicts what time they will complete the distance, this run is completed without the aid of a watch or GPS. The route is three long laps of the Downshire hospital. The conditions were cold and very breezy and with a great turn out and a final inspection that no time pieces were being worn or carried the athletes were set off. On a predicted time trial it’s not who runs the fastest, it’s who can pace their run closet to the time they wrote down before the start. A number of runners put their heads down and went for, but most were playing a more tactical game. Once all runners finished their run coach Paul Burns and his team started working out the results while the runners had a cup of tea and mince pie and tried to work out how they did.
Once the results were in the the top three were announced to the waiting crowd, In joint second place was Nuala Taylor in a time of 25 min 12 sec, predicted time of 25 min dead and Jame Cuffey in 18 min 58 sec predicted time of 19 min 10 sec so both athletes were 12 seconds out. The top spot went to Roisin Gaffey who ran a canny 5k with a predicted time of 28 min 28 sec and crossed the finish line in 28 min 18 sec a difference of ten seconds, a great and enjoyable club event.
EDAC Annual Awards
After the time trial the Annual East Down AC awards were presented. All club members have the opportunity to vote for the five categories. EDAC Male and Female Athlete of the year, most improved Male and Female Athlete of the year and Club Person of the Year. Many nominations were put in for all categories, especially Club Person of the year. The Awards went to.
Male Athlete of the year – Aaron McGrady
Female Athlete of the year – Catherine O Connor
Best improved Male Athlete – Daniel Giles
Best Improved Female Athletes – Aine Grant and Leanne Spick
EDAC Club Person of the Year – Paul Burns
Well done to all Athletes that were nominated.
London Marathon Club Ballot
To finish off the night the club held the Club ballot for its slot in the 2024 London Marathon. Each running club in the UK is allocated a slot or slots depending on the size of the club. EDAC has an criteria before an athlete can put their name into the hat for the ballot. This year three members met that criteria and were in with a shout. The lucky runner’s name was picked out of the hat by Wayne Giles. Barrie Atknison was the lucky winner, with Joanne Carson as reserve, good luck to Barrie for the race.
From all the members at East Down AC have a happy Christmas and a Great New Year.
Anna Gardiner who is the current Irish Cross Country Champion at both U18 and U20 levels produced a superb run to finish seventh in the U20 European Cross-Country championships in Brussels on Sunday running for Team Ireland. She placed first in the Irish team and helped the team place fifth in the overall team standings. From the start of the race she was well up the field and once she got into the top ten she stayed there. The conditions were similar to those at Gowran where she gained her All-Ireland title with the ground heavy and boggy from a week of rain. In fact after the race she said ’it was muddy and tough but not half as bad as Gowran so the team were well prepared for it’.
Her progression by the results she is continuously producing shows how gifted a runner she is. Anna now handles runs on bigger stages with apparent ease. This was her second outing at the European Cross Country Championships improving from 59th last year to seventh this year with still another two years in this age category.
Huge congratulations Anna from all at EDAC. We are all so proud of you.
Alex Robinson was the only EDAC junior representative at the Uneven All Ireland Championships in Navan at the weekend. Anna Gardiner wisely chose to rest her legs for the European Cross-Country Championships in Belgium next weekend even though she is the reigning Ulster Champion and would have been the one to beat in her age category. Alex had gained his place on the Ulster team two weeks previously by placing eleventh in the U15 age category in Donegal.
The venue was thankfully not far away around the grounds of Navan racecourse but the icy, foggy conditions on the roads travelling there raised their own issues. By the time he arrived at Navan the ground had thawed. The course for Alex was 3.5km long made up of two one-kilometre loops followed by one longer 1.5km loop. The ground was mainly dry but the long grass created a different challenge from the mud from previous weeks. The start was uphill before a sharp right-hand turn. The course then had a short downhill section before returning to the start location uphill. This loop was repeated twice before the longer 1.5km loop which took the runners further out. This also meant the return stretch to the finish was a longer uphill grind.
Bends on cross country courses add extra jeopardy when runners try to take the best, shortest line when changing direction so tumbles tend to happen there. Alex was lucky to avoid a tumble firstly at the start when he managed to jump over one faller. Another near miss on the first lap unsteadied his pace but he settled well moving up the pack. On the final lap, before disappearing from view, he was sitting in 13th place. The finish of the race saw the front runners spaced out with the winner finishing in 11.49. When Alex came back into view he was in 15th place out of 146 runners and maintained this place until the finish crossing the line in 12.27. In fact he was given the same time as the runner in 14th and only 8 seconds from gaining an all-Ireland top 12 medal. A fantastic result for Alex in the All Irelands and extra credit to him when he found out that he placed 4th for the Ulster team an improvement from 11th at the Ulster Championships. Congratulations also go to the other local runner, Fahlin Murphy McKibben from Newcastle AC who placed 31st in the same race.
On Saturday afternoon 842 runners took part in the Joe Seeley Memorial 10k, this is the 38th running of this annual event hosted by Willowfield Harriers. The Seeley Cup is seen as the culmination of the NI road racing season, the Seeley 10k attracts athletes from across the UK with its fast flat course which starts on the Ormeau embankment with two and a bit laps of Ormeau Park and finishes in the center of the park. For those watching and racing it was a very cold and sharp day but the rain held off, so some fast times were expected.
A top quality field toed the start line with Olympian Paul Pollock heading the field, EDAC had 8 athletes in the mix and from the gun Catherine O Connor went to the front of the field. Catherine has had a great season on and off the road and finished the road season off in style with a PB in 35 min 05 sec 107th position and 5th lady home in a very strong field. Adam Withers was next across the line, Adam has had a great year on the road/track and mud and will be pleased with his time of 35 min 44 sec. Matt Bezzant since joining the club has had some strong performances over the past year and had another strong run in 36 min 24 sec. Man for all seasons and races Dee Murray put in another great run for the club with a time of 38 min 20 sec, not far behind Dee was James Cuffey who has turned his hand to all terrains this year and finished this year with a strong 10k in a time of 38 min 31 sec. Seamus Savage has led the way as men’s team Captain this year and crossed the line in 386 position in a new PB of 40 min 41 sec. Jonathan Gelston was the next red and yellow vest to break the tape and will be happy with his efforts with a time of 41
min 23 sec. Wayne Giles loves the atmosphere of the big races and being part of the team and enjoyed the event and brought the club home in 55 min 02 sec. The race was won by Annadales Striders Paul Pollock in 29 min 59 sec, a great time and a well run event by Willowfield Harriers.
To finish the year the club will be holding its annual predicted time trial 5k at the Downshire on the 21st Dec 23, followed by the ever popular Castlewellan Christmas Cracker.
On Sunday morning Athletics Teams from all over N Ireland headed for the Malone Road to the Queen’s University playing fields for the next big race in the Cross Country season. The Malcolm Cup is one of the main events on the calendar and sees Juniors and seniors competing around this flat fast course.
The first race of the day was the Masters race, with three one mile laps of the playing fields and cold damp conditions EDAC had a team of six runners in this race. From the gun the pace was flat out as athletes joshaled for positions before the first muddy climb. Neil Curran who has been in good form of late pushed towards the front and slowly made his way through the pact. Neil crossed the line in 6th position in a time of 17 min 28 sec. Paul Burns also started at a fast pace hoping to maintain it for the full race, with the sticky ground condition Paul pushed to the finish line in 19th spot in 18 min 41 sec, not to far behind in 21st position was Martin Willcox who normally prefers a longer, mad as that may sound broke the tap in 19 min 13 sec. Joe Napier was hot on Martins heels and ran a strong race to finish in 26th position in 19 min 30. Dee Murray was next in and as ever put in a strong performance in 33rd spot in 20 min 15 sec. Wayne Giles brought the team home in 84th position in 27 min 15 sec.
After a number of Juniors races the ladies were up next, it was now raining and the ground was now getting cut up. The five EDAC ladies stuck to their task with Aoife Cochrane coming home first in 23 min 40 sec with a strong run. Ella Carroll was the next Red and Yellow vest across in 25 min 30 sec, Janine Murray was next in 27 min 58 sec 179th position. Alison Carroll always gives it 100% when it comes to Cross Country and put in a determined performance to come in 198th spot in 29 min 34 sec. Last lady in for EDAC was Aine Grant who seems to be getting a taste for this Cross Country thing and brought the team home in 228th position.
The last race of the day was the Malcolm Cup senior men’s race, this was a four mile race, and with the course getting more cut up this was going to be fast and furious with some steady foot work needed. East Down had two athletes in the main race, and up against some top runners Adam Withers tried to hang on to the blistering pace set by the lead pack. Adam W crossed the line in 47th position in 26 min 13 sec. Adam Morgan dug deep and had a strong run finishing in 115th spot in 30 min 10 sec.
A great days running by all club members in some tricky conditions.
