The Weekly News – 28/10/19

Posted on 28/10/2019 by Alison Carroll

NI & ULSTER EVEN AGE GROUP CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Following on from Comber where the mud was the prevailing memory, the Juniors travelled to Greenmount Campus in Antrim for the Evens Age Group XC to find a totally different scene. On a day that was bright and dry, the runners were treated to both better weather and kinder conditions. That is not to say the racing was not tough as this being an NI & Ulster Championship event meant that all comers were here to test themselves and hopefully get a slot for the All Ireland’s on 23rd November either as an individual (coming top 12) or as a team (coming in the top 4 teams) or as part of County selection (coming in the top 10 of a county who qualify). So there was lots to play for and EDAC juniors as always were determined to be in the mix and gave it their best shot with the following results.

Boys U10 Jarleth Kearney 23rd, William Taylor 53rd (54 runners)

William Taylor, Jarlath Kearney and Caragh Moore (U10s)

Girls U10 Caragh Moore 36th (38 runners)

Boys U12 Alex Robinson 55th, Aaron Lennon 59th, Matthew Taylor 86th (94 runners)

Aaron Lennon, Alex Robinson and Matthew Taylor (U12)

Girls U12 Erin Moore 55th (100 runners)

Erin Moore in the U12 race

Boys U14 Oliver Robinson 39th (75 runners)

Girls U 14 Anna Gardiner 2nd, Emily 31st, Kara Trainor 34th, Anna Kearney 70th (74 runners)

Boys U16 MacKenzie Murray 24th (64 runners)

Girls U16 Lauren Madine 3rd (65 runners)

MEDALS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Big congratulations to Anna and Lauren on getting a prestigious Ulster Championship medal as well as qualifying as an individual for the All Ireland’s.

Lauren Madine with Bronze medal in U16

Anna Gardiner with Silver medal in U14

The club was also delighted to find that the U14 Girls of Anna Gardiner, Emily Burns, Kara Trainor and Anna Kearney go forward as 4th qualifying team. There was more good news when all the sums were done as Alex Robinson, Aaron Lennon, Matthew Taylor, Ollie Robinson and Mackenzie Murray will also get to race at the All Ireland’s by being part of a qualifying County Down Team in their respective age groups. It was a good day out for the Club and thanks go to coaches and parents for the smooth handling of the necessary logistics. Well done all!

Lauren Madine, Anna Kearney, Anna Gardiner , Kara Trainor, Emily Burns and Mackenzie Murray

DUBLIN MARATHON

It dawned bright and very sunny on Sunday morning as we prepared for the journey to Dublin for the 40^th running of the Dublin City Marathon, now a world class event, in terms of numbers and rapidly approaching those levels in terms of the quality of the elite fields it now attracts. It is however sad to report that the overall winner, Moroccan Othmane El Gourmi has just returned to competition following a 2 year ban imposed in 2016 for irregularities in his biological passport. His inclusion in the field raises questions about the integrity of the event, not least because he set a new race record time of 2.08 which will mean that his name and the ban will be mentioned every time the time is discussed.

SPECTATING AND ALL THAT

We were of course well rested courtesy of the time changes which gave us an extra hour in bed, though the “hunches” displayed by a couple of cyclists we met near Newry at around 8.00am was certainly evidence that there was a cool edge to the temperature. Ideal running weather as it turned out with calm conditions throughout, a bright sun but just the nip of frost to keep everyone on their toes. We made it to our usual vantage point, just as the thousands of runners began to appear, some 8 – 10 minutes after the leading clusters of elite runners had passed. It is really exciting watching hundreds of runners approaching at speed as they all pursue their own dreams, whether in terms of their finishing time or just to stay ahead of an old foe or, more likely, later in the day, just to finish. It also becomes quite scary as a veritable wall of runners the full width of the street descends the fairly steep hill in front of you and then have to be directed to bottleneck into half that width in order to keep to the course, avoid tripping on the traffic island, running into the bollard or, most importantly, Me, standing right in the middle of the road waving frantically for the runners to keep left.

And you think you’ve got problems out there running!? Afterwards we headed for Ballsbridge and the 25 mile mark, and we succeeded in getting parked within 50 metres of the route, complete with folding chair, expertly carried and erected by my extremely helpful and attentive companion for the day the lovely Brian Hamilton.

HARD WORK ALL DONE

After many weeks of preparation with weekly long runs and then anxieties over niggles, coughs and other potential hazards the date finally arrived when the marathoners could put all their hard work into practice. A marathon is a test of endurance both mentally and physically and all our club members passed the “test” with flying colours as they all made it “home”. There were those who achieved PBs and those who suffered mishaps which meant that they had to revert to plan B. There were those who were first timers and those who have done so many marathons that they are almost blasé. The times tell one story but the personal experience of each on the day can make the numbers almost irrelevant. All the runners were bowled over by the atmosphere and the delights of running in such a mass of participants. The weather was nigh perfect and the course was scenic. One for the bucket list by all accounts.

DEE AND DEIRDRE FIRST HOME FOR EDAC

The first EDAC male home was Dee Murray who had to lay off for a while in training with niggles but with a strong base fitness was able to get in good enough shape for a more than decent 3.02 on the day. Much as he would have liked a sub 3 hour time as per his PB he found himself totally drained from mile 21 and was grateful to finish in more or less one piece. On the female side, Deirdre Weatherall was tipped for big things as her approach to training and competition is exceptionally committed and determined. It was fantastic to see her achieve her goal and more with a superb time of 3.20. She executed the plan with precision and never really had a bad moment enjoying the run from the moment the gun went and nerves were no longer an issue. She insists that she is leaving marathons aside for now but London 2021 will surely be on the cards.

Janine and Dee Murray celebrate their achievements

Deirdre Weatherall with her number one supporter mum Mary Duffy

FROM THE BIG APPLE TO DUBLIN

2nd EDAC male Gareth Kelly ran a confident and highly commendable 3.16. Tony O’Connor is new to the club but ran 3.27 which was slightly unexpected as he was only taking up the challenge as a way to raise much needed funds for PIPS and discovered that he was actually fitter than he thought! As mentioned last week, Cheryl Denvir too often doubts her abilities but should take confidence from this latest event. She has to be clever in her training as night duties cut into her spare time so she was “over the moon” to run 3.32. Gavin Hynds who is the much appreciated training buddy of Deirdre ran 3.36 and was happy enough with that result. He was more pleased with the fact that his sister Helen Carbin who had travelled from New York to take part managed to cross the finish line in great spirits. Poor Helen had come over for this race last year but injury defeated her and she wasn’t even able to run one mile let alone 26.2. What a difference a year makes. Well done to the Hynds family!

Deirdre Weatherall and Cheryl Denvir at the finish

Gavin Hynds EDAC and his sister Helen Carbin who came home from New York to take part

KEVIN LEARNS LESSON FROM BELFAST

The happy duo of Dermot Cahill and Phillip Vint ran a slick and synchronised 3.36, though Phillip suffered from his recurring calf injury from mile 16 onwards and had to walk bits from mile 18 onwards. Patricia Galloway, always looked comfortable and clearly enjoyed herself, finishing in an impressive 3.43. These three make it look almost easy even when it’s not! Kevin Kelly who suffered badly in Belfast Marathon put that ghost to bed with a time of 3.55 which was a 40 minute improvement from May and a 6 minute cut from his previous PB set in Dublin 2018. He paced it well and when the dreaded cramp struck at mile 22, he managed to work through it with enough in the bag to secure a sub 4 with a good margin.

Kevin Kelly, Clare Carson and Patricia Galloway in Dublin

FIRST TIMERS

In just behind Kevin Kelly was Nuala Taylor, one of the debutantes at this distance. She had been plagued with achilles problems but was adamant that she was going to at least start the race. She did extremely well to stay on target, making her first attempt a sub 4 hour marathon in 3.56 and always looked happy. The other 2 first timers – Nuala’s husband John Taylor and Ladies’ Captain Janine Murray had mixed fortunes with various niggles and tummy issues but despite this they both made the finish line. No DNFs in this camp! John’s time of 4.16 is not to be sniffed at despite some initial disappointment on his part and Janine’s 4.40 may have been slower than she had trained for but despite being a first timer she has watched enough marathons to know that anything can happen on the day. The support along the way seems to have been a source of inspiration with Janine reporting “goosebumps in the final mile”. John could well be seen having another go at this despite Nuala saying that for her the box is ticked. Janine has also said that once is enough. Watch this space however as all 3 could be seen on an entry list in a future marathon if the addiction has kicked in.

John and Nuala Taylor – first time marathoners

CLARE AND PAT MAKE THE PERFECT NEIGHBOURS

Clare Carson was another sub 4 hours (3.59). This was by no means a PB, but considering the nausea that kicked in during the latter miles she was gratified to get under the barrier. She had the good fortune to fall into the company of the indomitable Pat Shields of Murlough AC, our nearest neighbouring club. Pat is a long time ally of EDAC and a kindly soul. Just the sort of person you need when you are suffering and she and Clare formed an allegiance and jollied each other from mile 23 to the end. Good neighbours make good friends.

Pat Shields (Murlough AC) and Clare Carson EDAC both glad to have found a friend for the last miles

LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER

Joanne Carson had to plough a lonely furrow when many of her usual marathon chums elected not to go to Dublin but she was well supported in training by the gang and she paid tribute to them for getting her through the schedule by running the long runs with her in the lead up. She did them and herself proud with a 4.24 finish and thoroughly enjoyed the run itself. Gavin McConvey has declared that 2 marathons is plenty but if that is true he ends his marathon career with a PB as he took over 14 minutes off his first attempt with a time of 4.52.

TRACEY TAKES THE HONOURS THIS TIME

Declan Teague is a multi marathoner but on this occasion it was his wife Tracey who took centre stage. She was running to fundraise on behalf of the Alzheimers’ Society. Declan having started the marathon with a niggle decided that supporting Tracey would be much more worthwhile so he pulled up in Phoenix Park to await the arrival of Tracey who started in a later wave. They then ran together from mile 6! She deserves great credit both for running her first marathon in 4.52 and for the sum of £1600 which has been collected by her as a result. She also deserves credit for staying with Declan for the final 16 miles and afterwards. Amazing what folk can do when they put their mind to it.

Tracey Teague running in support of Alzheimer’s Society

WHAT’S NEXT

Now that the marathon is out of the way local runners can relax and perhaps concentrate on something shorter with an aim to injecting some speed. The Co Down 5K on Sunday 17th November could well be the answer. There is also the upcoming Seeley Cup on November 30th. One that sells out so get your entry in!

Joe Quinn, Alison Carroll & Marguerite Robinson (with the juniors)

29 October 2019

The Weekly News – 26/11/18

Posted on 26/11/2018 by Alison Carroll

JUNIORS PROVIDE INSPIRATION TO THE SENIORS AT BALLYCLARE

As many of the younger junior members were away to Dublin for the All Ireland Even Age Group Championships only 2 East Down runners took part in the Age group races which preceded the Malcolm Cup Senior Cross Country races at Ballyclare on Saturday afternoon. Edie Carroll (Under 17 Girls) and Mackenzie Murray (Under 15 Boys) were the two to turn out and both produced eyecatching and morale boosting performances. Edie was coming back after an Achilles injury, with all the concern that can have, but she was pleased to feel herself strong and pain free throughout and was rewarded with second place.

Edie Carroll (2nd in the U17 Girls)

Pos.		Name	Club	Time
1	143	Meadow McCauley	Newry AC	12.50	G
2	45	Edie Carroll	East Down AC	13.01	G
3	144	Rebecca Magee	Dromore AC	13.15	G

Mackenzie ran a well paced race making a tactical burst as they approached the tree lined last section. The twists and the uphill were the right moment to do it and it enabled him to pass the athlete in second and take the number two slot on the podium. Great racing from both young harriers which provided inspiration for the seniors who were watching and had yet to run.

Mackenzie Murray (2nd in the U15 Boys)

1	167	Jacob McKittrick	Willowfield Harriers	11.07	B
2	165	Mackenzie Murray	East Down AC	11.41	B
3	157	C Fitzpatrick	St Michael’s Enniskillen	11.46	B

NEIL STARS IN MALCOLM CUP

After placing 4^th on the last 2 years in the Malcolm Cup fixture organised by Annadale Striders, East Down’s Neil McCartan was determined that he would at the very least take a podium position in this year’s renewal on Saturday. He made his intentions clear from the start setting off at the head of the huge field of almost 200 hundred runners. He was joined by a quartet of serious looking contenders for the title amongst who was Conall Kirk, his regular training partner under the expert eyes of Conall’s Dad, the redoubtable Mark Kirk. Johnny Whan, City of Lisburn, Eoin Hughes Acorns and Lorcan Magee Beechmount made up the leading group at the end of lap1 of 4.

FINAL LAP

At the end of lap 2 the top group had been reduced to 3, as Neil applied more pressure as he sought to make the decisive break. At the beginning of the final lap he looked to be in a strong position with only Kirk now in contention. But when they emerged from the long loop around the far end of the course it was Kirk who was leading by 10 to 15 metres, though as they passed by about 400 metres from the finish and headed for the hill through the trees, it was noticeable that the gap had started to close. After what seemed like an age they emerged from the trees again and it was the Red and Yellow East Down colours which were the first to show. Somehow, not only had he closed the gap on Kirk but Neil had overtaken him and established a rapidly increasing gap of 10 metres. What a turnaround this was! It was to great applause from his club mates and indeed most of the spectators who watched the finish that Neil not only improved his previous year’s position from 4^th but also won the race outright! It was a famous victory with Kirk taking second place 8 seconds behind in 20.40 and Whan a further 4 seconds behind that again in 20.44.

Neil McCartan 45 ahead of Connall Kirk 206 and Jonathan Whan at Ballyclare.

Neil McCartan 48 ahead of Conall Kirk 206 and Jonathan Whan at Ballyclare.

HOW DID THE OTHERS DO?

And of course there was the rest of the East Down squad still to come as this was a League fixture and team points were at stake. After taking the first 2 laps to suss out the opposition and the environment, Neil Curran, on his debut for the Club and on grass, gradually worked his way through the field to overtake long time 2^nd placed EDAC man Martin Willcox on the last lap to finish in a very commendable 48^th place just 2 ahead of Martin in 50^th followed by the 4^thteam scorer Dee Murray in 81^st to give the Downpatrick squad a team total of 180 points. There were several “first timers” to the cross country scene in addition to Neil – Gavin McConvey and Gareth Kelly, who if previous experience goes back to their school days is better described as “not within living memory”! Gavin Hynds and Stephen Heasley were their usual reliable selves while Paul Lloyd gets better with every outing. Gareth Kelly seemed to enjoy the softness underfoot while Paddy McDonald, Donal Smith and Gavin McConvey were all decidedly pleased to have contributed their points to the team total.

EDAC Men after the race

LADIES PERFORMANCES WARM THE HEART

The Ladies team also featured several making their initial sorties over the grass and Mags Flynn, apparently speaking for herself, Joanne Carson and Cathy Burke, was heard to mutter that it would be a once and once only experience, if only to get the team captain Janine Murray off their backs! However they actually really enjoyed it and are contemplating at least another one! Cathy’s daughter Aoife is now old enough to run as a Senior and she made light work of the course and looked fresh at the finish. Ella Carroll made use of her weekend at home to try not to be overtaken by her Dad, Paul. However it proved just beyond her as he flashed past without so much as a word of recognition, as she approached the start of her final lap and he on his way to 9^th overall and second place in the Over 45 category. The moral of the story is “Never look for sympathy, or fatherly love, when there’s money to be won!”

EDAC ladies before the race

COME AND ENJOY THE CRAIC (WHILE YOU’RE ABLE)

Leading the way of course, in her usual ebullient fashion, was Deirdre Weatherall and she proves time and again the inspiration to all the EDAC members, male and female to come and enjoy the craic. This is what cross country is all about! Another advocate of participation in this type of event is Cheryl Denvir who ably supports Janine in urging others to take part as I most certainly do. Probably the best example of getting out and enjoying yourself while you can is Carmel Tumelty, who travels to all parts of the country, enjoys running whatever the conditions, has a bit of craic and then goes home to await the next one.

TOM QUIETLY SOLDIERS ON

A word on our ever present “Senior” Tom Dowey who faithfully turns up in good time every week and runs with the over 60’s, who also run with the Females, very well, as it turns out. He may not know this but several of our inexperienced ladies have spotted how economically and evenly paced he runs and have targeted him as “the man to follow.” However keeping up with him is a problem as he has an excellent engine and often is second EDAC finisher as he was on Saturday ,well inside the top half of the field, in these mixed events. So Tom keep on running like you do and if you feel like you’re being watched, you’re probably right!

Tom Dowey 381 in action alongside Davie Seaton 554 ANI Chairman and 1st in the M70 category

ALL IRELAND EVEN AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS AT ABBOTSTOWN

The All Ireland Evens Age Groups XC took place on Sunday past at Abbotstown, Dublin. To take part athletes must have qualified as an individual, or part of a Club or County Team at the NI & Ulster Championship which was held at Greenmount, Antrim in October. EDAC U14 girls team had won Gold as top Club at that race so were hoping to maintain a podium position at the higher All Ireland level. Four of the EDAC athletes were also travelling to represent Co. Down as part of a team of 9 athletes including runners from Willowfield Harriers (Emmy Thornton, Alice Browne and Emma Harrison), Dromore AC (Ava Mehaffey) and Loughview (Lauren Taylor). Jodi Foster (EDAC) in the U12 category had qualified as an individual.

It was a wet, cold start to the day but conditions improved in time for racing to begin. The course was soft underfoot, muddy in places and had a few testing hilly parts. Jodi was in the first race of the day with 171 girls racing over 2000m. She managed a highly creditable 49th in the stacked field. The U14 girls were called to the line and as often is the case at the All Irelands there was a bit of jostling in the pens and some of the girls got a bad start. Anna Gardiner was unfortunate enough to take a tumble. They all know that a race is not over until the finish line is reached and they duly responded to the challenge with a full 3000m to redress the balance. The EDAC girls gave it their all. By the finish Kirsti Foster had worked her way up to a splendid 7th place, Lauren Madine came 11th, Lucy Foster made top 30 in 27th position. Anna Gardiner had to be pleased with 55th after her set back and Kara Trainor and Emily Burns completed the EDAC line up (127 and 134 respectively). It was a learning experience at a top level event and the parents and coaches are deservedly proud of their charges and how they performed. They missed out on the Club Gold by 2 points( what if Anna hadn’t fallen at the start?) but were delighted to go home with Silver Medals. The top 4 EDAC girls were also the first of the six scorers in the Co. Down team which took bronze medals, the others being Emmy Thornton 20^th and Ava Mehaffey 81^st , giving them a total of 201 behind only Cork and Dublin. Kirsti and Lauren were 2 of the top 6 scorers in the Ulster Team which won the Inter Provincial title ahead of Munster and the mighty Dublin squads and thus ended up with a complete set of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Congratulations to all for their individual efforts and team spirit.

3^rd PLACE IN THE IRISH NATIONAL MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DUBLIN

Out of the blue on Friday morning I received a small package from the postman, which contained 3 Bronze medals and a small slip of paper bearing 3 names, Declan Teague, David Smith and Liam Keenan. The medals, from the Athletic Association of Ireland (AAI), were inscribed National Marathon Masters Men Team 50+2018. So putting 2 and 2 together I figured that the 3 aforementioned had been awarded the medals as a result of their performances in the Dublin Marathon last month, their combined time for the distance was 9 hours 54 minutes and 45 seconds. So well done to our Seniors, and to complement the comments earlier about the inspiration set by the juniors, what an example this sets for our Juniors.

EDAC Juniors at the All Irelands Evens XC at Abbotstown – Silver medal in the U14 Girls
Anna Gardiner, Lauren Madine, Emily Burns, Kirsti Foster, Lucy Foster, Jodi Foster (U12) and Kara Trainor.

NEXT WEEK

It’s Seeley Cup time again and we’re back to the Ormeau Park on Saturday for one of the top road races of the year. If you haven’t got an entry by now then you’ll be out of luck as the organisers have reached their limit and won’t be accepting any more.

Please see the following information provided by event organisers Willowfield Harriers on

Pack Collection

This year there is only a small room available for on the day pack collection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that all runners collect their race packs at the times below or send someone to collect for you if possible. Pre-event collection will be at the Mary Peters Track (this is not the race venue), on :=Wednesday 28^th November – 11am until 6pm (last admission 5.45pm)

Thursday 29^th November – 12.30pm until 8.30pm (last admission 8.15pm)

Friday 30^th November – 11am until 4.30pm (last admission 4.15pm)

Saturday 1^st December – 12.30pm until 2pm (Ozone Arena, Ormeau Park)

If you have any surplus energy after the Seeley Cup or are just feeling festive there is a Santa Run in Crossgar hosted by Atlas Running. It starts at 2pm and you can register beforehand. https://athleticsni.org/Fixtures/Crossgar-Santa-Run

Joe Quinn, Alison Carroll and Kirsti Foster (on the Junior Scene)

26 November 2018

The Weekly News – 05/11/2018

Posted on 05/11/2018 by Neil McCartan

TOM A LONE STAR AT CROSS COUNTRY AT BALLYCLARE

As it is no longer a Cross Country League Fixture, the McConnell Shield event at Ballyclare has become a much less important meeting, and attendance has fallen dramatically over the past 2 years. Runners pick and choose their races with much more thought about the next team performance nowadays and for the most part are glad to have a “free” Saturday when they can relax and chill out. On Saturday only one EDAC runner, the evergreen Tom Dowey turned out at Ballyclare and gave evidence of his well being by taking 6^th place in the Over 60 Masters category. Unfortunately until I have obtained a new left knee I will be unable to accompany him on this so far, very impressive season or indeed any other campaign. But keep on going Tom you’re doing a great job, I’ll join you when I can!

LAUREN IMPRESSES AT MINNOWBURN

On Saturday morning it was Lauren Madine who took the honours when she finished second female and a very creditable 3^rd overall in 19.47 in the Born2Run Minnowburn 5K, which was won by top North Down runner Rachel Gibson.

Lauren Madine at Minnowburn Born2Run 5K

SUNDAY IN DROMORE

It is hard to believe that another McGrady Financial Services Junior XC has come along again so quickly but the theory is to get the bulk of the 5 race series over before the colder weather appears and so it was that the Juniors took to the playing fields in Dromore in bright autumnal sunshine for Race number 3 hosted by Dromore AC in their usual efficient fashion. The racing stuck to schedule and although there are no real hills in this course there are plenty of twists and turns so full concentration is required. This is one for the tacticians rather than the mud lovers. 30 of our Juniors took part and represented EDAC to the best of their ability. Every competitor gets a point for his or her club so we are delighted that so many made the effort to attend.

EDAC in the front line – P6 Boys and Girls. Eventual winners Kari Foster (80) and Alex Robinson (87)

Darragh McCrickard of Newcastle is a whiz with the figures so it makes it easy to see who did what. At a glance we can see that of our 30 athletes, 18 have managed to attend 3 out of 3 so far and are well on their way to collecting their reward for completing the series, 13 athletes made podium at Dromore – Lily Foster (P4 and under), Aoibheann McVeigh (P5), Alexander Robinson and Kieran Trainor (P6) Kari Foster and Erin Moore (P6) Matthew Taylor (P7) Jodi Foster (P7), Emily Burns (Yr8), Lauren Madine, Lucy Foster and Kara Trainor (Yr9) Mackenzie Murray (Yr 10) with special congratulations to Alex, Kari, Jodi and Lauren for coming first in their respective age groups.

Jodi Foster leads the way – P7 Girls

Lauren Madine (76) Lucy Foster (82) and Kara Trainor make the front pack in the Year 8 race

Kieran Trainor racing in to take 2nd place

As well as the ones at the front of the pack we had plenty who put in sterling performances and raced all the way to the line. Alice Taylor in one of the biggest races of the day (14 girls in the P4 and under) was not in the lead pack but caught the eye as she finished in a bunch of 4 with 2 seconds covering all 4 crossing the line. Others to impress were Anna Kearney, Ellen Tumelty, Seana Murray, Thomas Brown and Orla Gibney with a sprint finish! It was fantastic to watch.

Alice Taylor( P4 and under)

Anna Kearney EDAC(90) battles it out with Amy McCartan (35 Dromore AC)

NEWCOMERS WELCOMED

We had some first timers too – Rose and Sam Kelly gave it a go and hopefully enjoyed the experience. Aaron Mullan also a late recruit was obviously not put off by his outing in Kilbroney as he came back for a second go. This series is all about encouraging juniors to have a go and it is not too late as there are still 2 events left. Our EDAC hosted race takes place in Delamont on January 20th so plenty of time to prepare.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The only action on the home front next weekend is the Run to Remember 5K on Saturday organised by Atlas Running, in Ballynahinch starting at 2.00pm from the British Legion Hall. The N.I. and Ulster Uneven Age Groups Cross Country Championships take place on Sunday in faraway Scotstown Co. Monaghan.

On a different tack East Down AC will hold its annual Senior Awards and Social Evening in the Clubrooms on Saturday 10 November meeting at 7.00pm for 7.30pm. Hope to see all you senior members there.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

5 November 2018

The Weekly News – 10/09/2018

Posted on 10/09/2018 by Neil McCartan

MILL HILL MILE ( A PROXY RUN?)

As anticipated, there was a great turn out on Tuesday night for my favourite race of the year, the Mill Hill Mile, in Castlewellan. with entries just below the 100 mark. As you will notice my name doesn’t appear in the results which is down to the fact that I got my daughter to run it for me this year, RHIP or better AHIP (Age Has Its Privileges) as I am still incapacitated by my ongoing left knee problem. But not wanting to miss out on the fun of running up the Mill Hill, my daughter Karen kindly volunteered to step into my shoes, so to speak.

LAST MINUTE

It was very much a last minute thing as we arrived at the last minute before the race started, Karen hopped out halfway down Ballybannnon, where we were stuck fuming in the traffic while another of those damned road races was holding up all us angry drivers. So at the last minute Karen reached the back of the pack of runners just as the whistle / hooter? sounded.(Thanks again to the traffic jam I didn’t get close enough to hear what it was that started the race) and then she was off.

EVEN I WAS TIRED

It took me quite a while to overtake her (in the car) as she surged up the hill, trying to emulate me. I have to say it tired me out just watching all of the runners and I was indeed glad to see Karen cross the finish line in what was, for me, a very respectable 12.40. Well Done and Thank You Karen.

EDAC SUCCESS

But practically every other one of East Down’s 16 runners ended up with a winning place as, ably led by Paul Burns 4^th overall in 6.06 and first M40, the Robinson and Foster families, made it their benefit night. Oliver Robinson was the first Under 12 Boy to cross the line in 7.11 brother Alex was the first Under 10 Boy in 7.54, and Mum Marguerite claimed the prize for first Female Over 50 in 9.25. Callum Kent was close behind Oliver in 7.26. Mackenzie Murray posted a superb 6.42 to take the Boys Under 14 trophy.

Paul Burns – First EDAC home and third male overall

Hot and sunny at Larne 10k (234 runners in total) (Pictured: Seamus Savage)

FAMOUS FIVE FOSTER GIRLS

The Foster family went even better led by Dad Davy who was 8^th overall in 6.25 and 2^nd M40, only deprived of a prize by Paul’s effort. And then came the avalanche. Kirsti was the first of the five Fosters to complete the race, and she set the standard high with a time of 6.57 to take the Under 14 Girls title and was 4^th Female overall. Lucy clocked a splendid 7.01 for first Under 12 Girl, Jodi was next in 7.35 and first Under 10 Girl, with Kari only 24 seconds behind her and 2^nd Under 10. Lily then kept her end up by crossing the line in 8.45 to claim the 1st prize in the Girls Under 8 category.

A big turnout from EDAC at the annual Mill Hill Mile in Castlewellan

JAY’S THE STAR on his DEBUT

However they were not done yet. One young man, a brother of all the Foster girls was still out there doing his first ever Mill Hill Mile, and boy was he enjoying it! With a smile as broad as the Main St. he ran the entire way, happily chatting to mum Joanne and later re-united with his dad as he came into the finish funnel to the roar of the onlookers who crowded around. His time was 13.15, so why is it worthy of notice? Well it was Jay’s very first official race and his first go at the mile AND he’s ONLY 3 YEARS old. So welcome to the world of competitive running Jay, you’re a star already. There should have been a special award for him as he was running in the Under 8 Boys category!!

Jay the star at Mill Hill Mile

GORDY TAKES 5^TH PLACE IN LARNE 10K

EDAC had 3 runners head to the North Coast for the Larne 10k hosted by East Coast AC on Saturday. There were 234 runners taking part and Gordy Graham threw himself into the mix with pleasing results. He came 5th overall which is good going for a course with two fairly brutal hills on a hot day though Gordy thought that the weather conditions were almost perfect. He went out at a steady 5:30 pace and sensibly let the lead group go as they were closer to 5:00’s. He ran the whole way with Mark Smith (Mallusk Harriers) who finished sixth and was happy to outsprint him to the finish line even though both were given the same time 35.35. This was superb running bearing in mind that Stephen Scullion, just back from European action for Ireland had to set a new race record of 32.29 to beat second placed Ben Branagh 32.52 St. Malachy’s AC a winner of Jimmy’s Ten 2 years ago, and they are probably the top 2 road runners in the country right now. It was a new PB for the East Down man and as it came after a hard week’s training with no rest days, he had every reason to be more than happy with the result.

GAVIN and SEAMUS

Gavin McConvey was using the event as a birthday treat to himself and was happy to finish in 54.59. Seamus Savage went with no real aspirations as his training has been less consistent than he would have liked over the Summer but he managed to complete the course and said that he was glad that he had persevered. He found the second time up the hill a tough ask but said that it was a well organised event and he would return.

PAUL COMES UP SHORT?

Paul Lloyd was in Killyleagh on Friday night for the Atlas 10K and was 2nd overall which was an excellent result for this ever improving runner. Though his time 39.04 represented a new PB he doesn’t want to boast about it as he reckons the course was “short”. I say just accept it Paul as it’s easier than trying to explain to the uninitiated the peculiarities of road running. Anyway I spent 25 years trying to find a marathon route that was “short” so that I could break the 3 hour barrier and never found one!! Nowadays even the 10Ks are all “long” However he was thankful that he ran fast enough to beat the fading light as some of those tackling the Half marathon were finishing in the dark. George and Noreen Kerr took to the roads for the first time in a while and got round comfortably in the middle of the pack of 10k runners.

DECLAN STAYS IN THE LIGHT

Declan Teague took on the Half Marathon and was placed 12th overall in 1 hour 27 minutes which nevertheless was only just before the light disappeared. Given that, like Gordy in the Larne race he had a hard week’s training in his system and that the course was challenging enough, this was in impressive result, Declan! He has a fairly strenuous few weeks ahead as he prepares or the Belfast half Marathon on 23 September the Budapest Marathon on 7 October and the Dublin version on 28^th. Good luck in all of those.

LEFT IN THE DARK

It was noted with some concern on Friday night that with the swift onset of Autumn the evenings are drawing in and it was always going to be touch and go about whether the slower runners would complete the half marathon before it was actually dark. I left Kilyleagh round 8.20pm and it was quite dusky even then. That was 80 minutes into the race and with well over half the runners taking over 100 minutes to complete and the last runner taking 3 hours and 20 minutes to cross the line it must have raised serious concerns for the organisers about their safety.

24 HOUR RELAY IN SUPPORT OF AIR AMBULANCE NI

None of the EDAC members took part in the 24 Hour Run in the Park Relay on Saturday and Sunday in aid of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. It began at 12.00noon on Saturday and was well supported. Our contribution to the proceedings was we supplied our large digital clock for keeping everyone appraised of the total running time throughout the full 24 hours.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

10 September 2018

MUD NO PROBLEM FOR THE FLYING AFRICANS

Posted on 06/01/2014 by Alison Carroll

The best quality field ever assembled for the International Cross Country at Greenmount on Saturday afternoon in both Men and Women’s races did not disappoint the record crowd which turned to watch out in near perfect conditions. Apparently oblivious to the soft underfoot conditions the Africans served up a fascinating battle between reigning world cross country champion Japhet Korir of Kenya, team mate Emmanuel Bett and last year’s winner Thomas Akeyo of Uganda. In a frantic dash for the line Korir’s front running was rewarded with a 2 second victory margin over Akeyo with Bett in third. It occurs to me that the reason they cope so well with soft underfooot conditions is that they don’t leave either foot long enough in one place to sink into, seemingly gliding over whatever terrain they encounter. ninth place finisher Paul Pollock took the NI & Ulster title ahead of Stephen Scullion with Gary Murray in third. Continue reading →