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 – 28/01/2019

Posted on 28/01/2019 by Neil McCartan

NI & ULSTER INTERMEDIATE & MASTERS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Last year I wrote after the Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships that this was the fixture which all of East Down AC had been waiting for. And after securing Silver medals last year, there was no less anticipation within the ranks that the Ladies could well improve on that this year. However, due to unforeseen circumstances and a series of injuries affecting several of the top runners, it was a case of not counting too many chickens. The team performances in the League fixtures had been inconsistent to say the least, so “those in the know” were reluctant to express too much enthusiasm about the Club’s chances beforehand.

VENUE A PROBLEM

ANI had experienced great difficulty in securing a venue for this year’s championships but finally settled on Barnett’s Park, near the House of Sport, as a last resort. The route was contrived and convoluted to say the least, though all praise must go to the officials who managed to mark it out as the weather finally turned seasonal and dumped an unwelcome deluge of water on the course overnight.

INTERMEDIATE WOMEN’S RACE over 4 K

The Intermediate Women’s race was the first of the 4 race card, normally 3 but increased numbers meant that the usual practice of holding both the Intermediate and Masters Women races together was considered unsafe. This meant that the Intermediate Women got first crack at the 4K distance over 3 laps of the sodden turf. From the gun the pace was fast and the Red and yellow EDAC colours were prominent with Catherine O’Connor taking up a position in the top 6, closely pursued by Caroline McNabb, Niamh Kellett and Deirdre Weatherall, all of whom were in the top 30 runners, with Clare Carson playing the essential savers role By the time the 3^rd and final muscle wrenching lap had begun here had been changes to the position of the ED girls, with Catherine struggling to retain her place but with Caroline and Niamh having moved up noticeably. However, Catherine dug deep and held onto 10^th place, while Caroline secured 11^th place, with an impressive middle race surge and Niamh was engaged in a battle with Newcastle’s Sinead Murtagh, only managing to break clear in the last 5 strides to grab 12^th place.

Niamh Kellett, Deirdre Weatherall, Caroline MacNabb, Catherine O’Connor and Clare Carson – NI & Ulster Intermediate Ladies Cross Country Champons, posing with a substitute Cup on Saturday.

FOURTH

So it was all down to Deirdre and Clare Carson the 4^th and 5^th members of the team. It is essential that 4 runners from a club cross the finish line in order to constitute a team. So all eyes were on the tortuous drag to the finish line when out of the gloom emerged Deirdre, who responded to the cheers and who crossed the line in 20^th place. By this time, of course, having run out of fingers and toes, I had lost count of what position she was in, so I anxiously awaited the announcement of the Team placings, knowing that it was probably going to be a close call between us and Willowfield Harriers for who Hannah Gilliland was the first finisher in 8^th place with her clubmate Anna Blake in 9^th.

THREE TO ONE

So when they were announce as first Omagh, 2^nd Willowfield and 3^rd East Down , I was taken aback. Relatively pleased but puzzled as to where Omagh come from to take first place? Unfortunately I couldn’t hear how many points, based on the aggregate total of the first 4 finishing places, had been awarded to each team so headed for the Results Tent to speak to the Championchip guru, Glenn Grant. And then came another announcement, saying that there had been an error in calculating the team scores and that the revised result was “First East Down, 2^nd Omagh and third Willowfield.

Clare finished in 48^th place, which would still have given the team 3^rd place if any of the other runners had dropped out.

NO GOLD IN THE SPERRINS

I didn’t hear the scores that time either as all haste was needed to recall the EDAC squad who had already headed for the exit, complete with Bronze medals. And of course one had to feel sorry for the Omagh girls who had been presented with the Gold medals and the trophy and were now hightailing it out of own towards the safety of the Sperrins, little realising that their celebrations were about to take a rapid dive into the ground with the recall of medals and trophy!

CHAMPIONS AT LAST

Anyway not to be outdone the Girls quickly returned to the podium area and grabbed the Masters Trophy for photographic purposes and went through the ritual of celebrating all over again – only this time as the CHAMPIONS. When the trophy and the correct colour medals are received a formal presentation will be arranged and photographs will be taken.

Incidentally the scores were East Down 56, Omagh 64 and Willowfield 71.

MASTERS MEN RACE over 8K

East Down didn’t have a team in the women’s masters race, so attention next turned to the Male Master’s, where the Down men had the bare minimum of 4 runners. Club Captain Dee Murray was hopeful but not unduly optimistic that the team comprising himself, Neil Curran, Martin Willcox and Donal Smith, would at least equal their 2018 position of 10^th. Neil it was who set the marker for the squad, as he continues to test the water in his first season of cross country running, eventually working his way through the field to take 24^th place, closely followed by Martin in 39^th place and Dee in 58^th position. Donal then needed to finish to ensure a team score and he duly obliged crossing in 114^th place and in the process gave the club 10^th place once again. Paul Carroll once again led his Annadale team home, to 3^rd place in the team competition and in the process he also took the individual 2^nd place in the Over 45 category.

Neil Curran, Dee Murray, Martin Willcox, Donal Smith – Masters’ Men XC

INTERMEDIATE MEN over 8K

The last event of the day was the “Blue Riband” Intermediate Men’s race, which was targeted by me since last year as the club’s best chance of Team and/or individual medals. Unfortunately due to injuries to several key individuals in the run up to the event, East Down only had two runners on the day, Aaron McGrady, who was 6^th in 2018 and Gordy Graham, who had rushed home from Kenya to take part.

Gordy Graham and Aaron McGrady (3rd place) Intermediate Men XC

THE AFRICAN CONNECTION?

So what was he doing there? He told me

“There was a group of 32 of us including four ex Irish players raising money for the Irish Rugby Charitable Trust which looks after former amateur players with life changing injuries. The aim was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I found it mentally a lot tougher than physically as it was long days out on your feet at a very slow pace to get used to the altitude. Hardest part was sleeping in a cold and wet tent and it was so cold at the very top! A quick photo with the sign and back down again.”

Gordy Graham – on trip to climb Mt Kilimanjaro – doing his “Top of the World Ma” impression and at the summit with some of his friends.

A HILL TOO FAR?

But at least he has the proof – see photos! Well done Gordy and thank you for coming back in time for the Race on Saturday. It’s a pity that you couldn’t have spent a few more days doing altitude training as your overall feeling after the race on Saturday was of total physical exhaustion. Though let’s face it 44^th place in a strong competitive race isn’t bad, considering you’d literally been given a mountain to climb a few days ago!

AARON HITS THE PODIUM

After last year’s valiant attempt in this race when it was held at the Billy Neill Centre near Dundonald, Aaron McGrady was quietly regarded, within EDAC circles, as a good bet for at least a podium place. However standing in his way was last year’s 5^th placed runner and recently crowned Irish Novice Cross Country Champion, Zak Hanna and his Newcastle clubmate Patrick McNiff, better known as a track athlete. So setting out from the start it was this trio plus Lorcan Magee, Beechmount Harriers and the Acorns pair of Vincent McKenna and Eoin Hughes who filled the top 6 places. And so it continued for the first 2 laps, with McGrady taking the lead at the start of lap 3 to try to exert some pressure on the Newcastle men. But as lap 4 unfolded it was Hanna and McNiff who had moved ahead of the East Down man and increased their lead well into the last lap. It was then that Hanna made his decisive move and he outpaced McNiff to claim an historic victory. McNiff crossed the line 11 seconds behind him with Aaron a further 11 seconds back in 3^rd, just reward for his role in an intriguing contest.

WELL DONE NEWASTLE AC

Newcastle packed extremely well and easily claimed the team prize by virtue of the fine runs by Luke McMullan 6^th, Aidan Brown 8^th Daniel Molloy 11^th and Thomas O’Gorman 29^th on top of Hanna and McNiff’s, results to give a total of 57 points against Acorn’s 75 and the 3^rd placed team Springwell on 190 points.

NEXT YEAR?

And so back to the drawing board again for Aaron as he contemplates his moves for next year. Admittedly he was not unduly perturbed by his loss on Saturday, in fact he sees it as more of a win, in that he has improved on his 2018 performance, still has the ability and determination to improve even further, has gained invaluable experience this year and won’t have the 2 runners who beat him in opposition to him next year! From the club point of view he really needs the support of some more EDAC runners around him, even if they prove unable to win the team trophy, which incidentally I believe they can.

But for now it’s back to the training and racing grindstone again for him as he endeavours to hone his fitness to new levels, with the emphasis on building up his strength and stamina.

Then it’ll be “Look out the Inter crown in 2020 I’m coming to get ya.”

ANOTHER MARATHON SUCCESS

Phillp Vint chalked up yet another marathon when he completed the East of Ireland Staplestown Marathon outside Dublin, on Sunday, his time of 3.14.48 being good enough to win him 3^rd place, a mere 30 seconds behind the 2^nd place. His wife Helen completed the half marathon at the same venue in 2.10.40. Well done to both.

Phillip Vint – receives his 3rd place trophy at East of Ireland Marathon in Staplestown near Dublin on Saturday

NEXT WEEKEND

It’s the Moira Cross Country meeting next Saturday and a large entry is expected for this popular event. First race is listed for 11.45am

Joe Quinn

28 January 2019

The Weekly News – 17/12/2018

Posted on 17/12/2018 by Neil McCartan

THE ALL IRELAND X/C UNEVEN AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

On what was predicted to be one of the wettest, windiest days of the year with the threat of storm Deirdre, athletes were wondering if the Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Group XC championships in Navan would even take place. In the end the weather didn’t turn out it as bad as had been expected. However conditions were still extremely tough to run in with a constant gale blowing and many heavy showers. It was the first true XC conditions of the year. The course had an uphill start with many other hills and sharp turns along the way and an uphill finish with a headwind blowing to top it all off.

UNDER 11 GIRLS
The first race of the day was the U11 girls who ran a 1500m course. EDAC had 2 athletes in this race, who both ran exceptionally well in their biggest race to date with a total of 181 girls. Kari Foster (who qualified through provincial team) and Erin Moore who was included as part of the County Down Team. Kari managed a very respectable 99^th and Erin ran well to finish 165^th .

MEDAL WINNERS

Next EDAC athletes to toe the line were the U13 Girls’ Team which consisted of Lucy Foster, Anna Gardiner, Jodi Foster, Kara Trainor, Emily Burns and Anna Kearney. Lucy ran a brilliant race and came across the line in 8th place and received a top 12 medal for her efforts. Anna came a well deserved 29th. Lucy’s tremendous effort also earned her a silver medal as the first scorer of the Ulster team that placed 2^nd . Next one across the line was Jodi Foster in 74th then Kara in 115th, Emily Burns (123rd) and Anna Kearney (151st). Overall the team placed 7th, a mere 18 points off 3^rd place ad bronze medals.

Oliver Robinson with Kari, Lily and Jay Foster trying to keep warm in the icy wind and rain

Oliver Robinson was the only EDAC runner in the U13 Boys race and as ever he ran a well paced race to cross the line in 115th place out of 160 finishers.

Oliver Robinson (679) mid race in the U13 Boys at Navan

ANOTHER MEDAL

The U15 Girls’ race kicked off soon after all the U13 boys finished. Kirsti Foster and Lauren Madine were the only girls in this race from East Down both having qualifying on the provincial team. Kirsti ran well to finish in 13th and was also part of the Ulster team which came 3rd. Lauren seemed somewhat off colour on the day but nevertheless placed well in 89^th . She is however entitled to an off day every so often as all top athletes do and has had a tremendous season.

Lucy, Jodi, Kari and Kirsti Foster at the All Irelands XC at Navan

LAST MAN RUNNING
Last EDAC junior to run that afternoon was Mackenzie Murray in the U15 Boys’ race. Mackenzie had a strong run on the tough course to come 61st position. A very good run for his first ever all Irelands.
As it turned out the runners got the better part of day as the weather took a turn for the worse just as they were leaving, making the drive home horrendous with strong winds, heavy rain, many floods and constant road spray. It was a great relief when all reported that they were home safe.

WELL DONE TO THE PARENTS

A special word of thanks is sent to the parents who have driven their children to all corners of the country, North and South, often in the worst of the weather conditions, like those at the weekend, which saw most of our seniors hibernate, in pursuit of those elusive medals.

It can be tough going at times and takes a special type of dedication that only parents possess as they help make the memories which will be the stuff of family stories forever. So a big THANK YOU from the coaches and senor members at East Down AC.

WISDOM FROM NEIL AT THE NOVICE X/C

Neil McCartan was a little disappointed with his performance in the Novice race over a 6K distance. – he felt that he didn’t cope as well with the hills as he might have and that his recent form led him to expect to finish a bit closer than 6^th to Newcastle’s very experienced winner Zak Hanna. On reflection however and on a more positive note he has enjoyed the XC outings so far this year and sees them as good base work for the events ahead, which is what every coach tells his track and road racing stars.

CATHERINE STARS in the BEKO 5K in DROGHEDA on SUNDAY

The Beko Christmas 5K started and finished on the track at the Lourdes stadium running track in Drogheda with almost 700 participants a mix of serious and fun runners alike. East Down’s Catherine O’ Connor 18.19 had a stormer of a race and proved she is returning to peak form finishing second only to the still formidable former Queen of Irish Runners Catriona McKernan 17.20. Donal Smith was the only other EDAC participant his time of 24.12 wasn’t far off his 5k best and was well inside the top 200 finishers and left him happy enough with his morning’s outing.

DRIVEN TO THE NORTH WEST CROSS COUNTRY?

No one from the Club chanced the long run to Derry for the North West Cross Country in Gransha Park on Saturday as the prospect of freezing rain and the warnings issued with the forecasts made even the stalwarts pull the duvets back over their heads again. I didn’t even get that sort of exercise either as having decided on Friday night that I wasn’t going I already had my duvet exactly where I wanted it come getting up time on Saturday morning.

Hats off to all who drove to Derry through driving wind and rain to be greeted by driving wind and rain and then had to drive all the way back in more driving wind and rain. I wonder what drove them to do that?

5K TIME TRIAL

All members are invited to tomorrow night’s (Thursday) 5K Time Trial at the measured course at Downshire Hospital, where you’ll be asked to turn in your watch and /or any other timing device to try to run as near as possible to your predicted time. Needless to say the person who does so wins the top prize. But there are lots of prizes on offer and all will be presented back at the Clubrooms afterwards where some seasonal food and refreshments will be provided. Also the draw for the Club’s London marathon place will be made and the bronze medals will be presented to the All Ireland Over 50 Marathon Team from the Dublin marathon, who were all from EDAC.

Come and join the fun.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.

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

17 December 2018

The Weekly News – 10/12/2018

Posted on 10/12/2018 by Neil McCartan

MIGHTY PERFORMANCE BY MCGRADY AT MIGHTY OAKS

After missing out on competing in the Seeley Cup race last weekend due to flying problems, East Down’s Aaron McGrady was really champing at the bit as he waited at the start of the Mighty Oaks Cross Country league fixture in Cookstown on Saturday. And he literally took off from the gun to quickly assert his class, using his pent up frustration from last Saturday to jet propel him around the demanding and very muddy course, until he made a safe landing across the finish line, his time of 23.29 left him well clear of his nearest challengers, Neil Weir Willowfield 24.25 and Vincent McKenna Acorns in 24.26.

Dee Murray and Aaron McGrady pre XC

AARON’S PROFILE

Some of you are probably wondering who is Aaron McGrady anyway. Well he was a talented junior with EDAC and won triple jump tiles in the Young Athletes League before he went to university and settled in London after finding employment there.

He was very much into cycling before re-discovering his passion for running and he re-joined East Down AC again 2 years ago. He is also a member of Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets AC which won the South of England Athletic Association Fell Running Championships on the Isle of Wight in September, with Aaron winning the individual title. These championships comprise 3 aces in 2 days, with the first 2 races on Saturday and the third and longest, on Sunday.

Aaron McGrady on the ups and downs of the South Eastern AA Fell Running Championships on the Isle of Wight, where he won the overall title.

TOUGH GOING IN THE ISLE of WIGHT

The races are not by any means easy individually, or collectively, the first being 3.8 K but with an ascent of 235 metres, the second 12K with an ascent of 443 metres and the third, on the following day, 21K with a 487m ascent. Aaron was 1^st and 2^nd respectively in the first two of the races and he calculated that he could win overall if he finished in 4^th place in the third race on Sunday morning. His eventual 3^rd place left him overall winner and as he said afterwards “It was a beautiful setting and some very hard racing, good mental preparation for the XC season coming up.” How prophetic that was!

AMSTERDAM HALF MARATHON

To further emphasise his versatility he ran the Amsterdam Half marathon on 21 October and came home in 9^th place posting a superb 1.12.09 which would have placed him 4^th in the recent Belfast Half and 6^th in the Waterside Half in Derry, so he is a top quality runner over all terrains.

JUNIORS AT COOKSTOWN

Lauren Madine was the only female from the Club juniors to take part in and duly won the U14 Girls race at the Cookstown venue and ever dependable Mackenzie Murray was the only Boy from the Club in the Under 16 Boys race, and while he found the going very tough he’s learning by the week and I am confident that he’ll develop into a top class runner.

Lauren Madine (centre) getting medal for winning the U14 Girls at Mighty Oaks AC

LADIES GET FIRST POINTS ON THE BOARD

East Down’s Ladies were much better represented than the men as they fielded a team of 6 and were more than pleased to place 5^th overall and to register their first place points of the current League campaign. The team scorers were Catherine O’Connor 10^th, Niamh Kellett 12^th, Deirdre Weatherall 20th and Clare Carson 54^th giving a total of 96 points. As if to emphasise the importance of overtaking everyone possible, right to the very end, that total was matched by Acorns AC, but because their 4^th scorer had finished higher than the East Down 4^th placed runner, Acorns get the better team position. In truth, the 3^rd placed team had only 6 points less than either Acorns or EDAC so with a few extra places it could so easily have been 3^rd place. But the EDAC squad are delighted with their achievement anyway. The other two participation point scorers were Janine Murray and Ella Carroll.

Clare Carson, Catherine O’Connor, Niamh Kellett, Deirdre Weatherall, Janine Murray, Ella Carroll before they hit the hills and muck at Mighty Oaks XC, Cookstown

TOUGH GOING IN LANZAROTE TOO!

Rising star Gordy Graham headed for the sun in Lanzarote to make his latest marathon effort and with typical cussedness the weather promptly stuck two fingers up at him by providing a very strong headwind on the out and back course, the sting in the tail being that it was in the homeward half. Nevertheless he should be happy with his time of 2.58.30.

PAUL CONTINUES HIS GREAT RUN OF FORM

Paul Lloyd, hard on the heels of his PB in last week’s Seeley Cup 10K, didn’t rest on his laurels, taking on the fairly unique Half Marathon around the motor racing circuit at Kirkistown. In a relatively small field of just 9 runners he ran very well to take second place in 1.31.54.

Paul Lloyd wearing his Run Kirkistown medal – 2nd in the Half Marathon

JINGLE ALL THE WAY for the CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

On Sunday Callum Kent and Roisin Gaffney showed the true Christmas spirit by heading to Stormont to take part in the Jingle All the Way 5K organised by the NI Hospice Care Team to raise money for the Children’s Hospice. Callum finished 9^th of 359 runners in 20.49 and Roisin was a little further back, in 81^st place in 27.49.

An excellent cause, so well done for giving it your support.

Roisin Gaffney and Callum Kent at Stormont – Hospice Santa 5K

FLAHAVAN’S PRIMARY SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY.

On Tuesday past several of East Down’s juniors representing their schools in the Flahavan’s Porridge Primary School Cross Country League meeting in Donard Park Newcastle, managed to qualify for the NI Finals as individuals, based on their placings in the 2 preliminary rounds.

Jodi 1^st and 2^nd and Kari Foster 4^th and 4^th from Spa Primary School and Erin Moore

from St Patrick’s Primary School Saul, with two 10^th place finishes qualified as the top 3

of the 5 individuals outside the qualifying teams. Unfortunately Alex Robinson was not

so fortunate for the boys, as after a slow start, he could not find his way far enough

through the traffic in a field of over 125 runners to take a qualifying position.

NEXT WEEK

Next weekend will see the EDAC Juniors on the road again as they travel to participate in the All Ireland Uneven Age Group Cross Country Championships at Navan Racecourse.

The Seniors have an equally difficult and lengthy journey to participate in the North West Cross Country in Gransha Park, Derry but at least they only have to run 6K when they get there. To paraphrase an old First World War marching song “It’s a long trip to run in Derry”. And it’s unique too in that everyone runs together, men, women, older men and women and junior men and women. It is literally an entire human race!

Joe Quinn

10 December 2018

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 – 12/11/2018

Posted on 12/11/2018 by Neil McCartan

BALLYNAHINCH RUN TO REMEMBER 5K and 26 EXTREME MARATHONS IN TOLLYMORE and NI and ULSTER UNEVEN AGE GROUP CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

East Down athletes had a busy weekend despite only a relatively small number actually running. So while most of its long distance runners rested after their efforts in the Dublin Marathon 2 weeks ago, many of the members were involved in making preparations for the Annual Senior Award Night, held on Saturday night in the Club’s Premises in Downpatrick, a marathon effort in itself!

However as he had entered the 26 Extreme Tollymore Trail Ultra marathon long before the date of the Awards night was known, Stephen Heasley didn’t want to opt out of taking part, eve though a few hours on the dance floor was the carrot dangled in front of him. So off he went to begin the Ultra (39 miles) around the trails and hills of Tollymore Forest Park and a right good job he made of it as he was done and dusted in 6 hours and 51 minutes taking 20^th place overall in a field of 48 finishers Well Done to him. And he also turned up ready to trip the light fantastic at the Awards Do later on that night. I just need to remind him here though that when it comes to “tripping” that is my particular speciality at the present time.

DECLAN TEAGUE 3 in 5, 11 in 12 or 13 In 12.

Another to clock up yet another marathon, his 3^rd in the past 5 weeks and 11^th this year, was Declan Teague who although he had no expectation of attending the Ball later on, still made short work of the 2 lap marathon distance in 3.55 , placing him 24^th out of 80 finishers in that particular race. He said he was looking for another marathon somewhere before the end of December to give him a round 12 in 12 total for the year, though he doubts if he really wants to go for the Baker’s dozen.

Declan Teague – Tollymore Trail Marathon

HALF MARATHON

Niall Gibney was 25^th in 1.41 the Half Marathon, which had 318 finishers, while Marguerite Robinson rediscovered her love of the trail and enjoyed every minute of it finishing in 174^th in 2.06. Probably enjoyed the freedom of getting away from being chauffeur in Mum’s Taxi, for a few hours! Gavin McConvey was another one cashing in on the miles built up for Dublin taking a respectable 223^rd place in 2.15.

Gavin mcConvey and Marguerite Robinson after the Tollymore Trail Half marathon (26xtreme)

There was also another 119 in the 10K which meant that almost 570 runners took part in these increasingly popular races.

RUN TO REMEMBER 5K

On Saturday morning Martin Willcox proved yet again that he doesn’t do slow and easy as he completed the Atlas Running organised 5K Run to Remember in Ballynahinch, his 19 minutes time being bettered by only one other person as he claimed 2^nd spot to John Craig’s winning effort of 17.12. John is in tremendous form at the moment as he won the Decathlon 10K last weekend in 32.45, so Martin certainly did well to keep him in view.

Ross Moore (3rd) John Craig (1st),Martin Willcox (2nd) In Ballynahinch Run to Remember

Fastest female was Sarah Graham Mourne Runners with East Down’s Joanne foster an impressive 2nd place running 21.45, a good 40 seconds ahead of 3rd place Beverley Mitchell of Albertville Harriers in a field of 241 finishers.

Joanne Foster (2nd ) Sarah Graham (1st) Beverley Mitchell (3rd) Ballynahinch

ANNA EXCELS AT SCOTSTOWN

After a last minute course change caused by a farmer taking exception to the route, the NI&Ulster XC Uneven Age Groups at Scotstown, Co. Monaghan, took place on a bright clear day with little wind. The hurriedly revised course was flatter than the original and as a result the mud lovers and hill seekers were disappointed and it was said that it was almost like a track event held on grass. No matter though as athletes have to race what is in front of them and race they did. EDAC had sent a good quota of Juniors and it was a well rewarded mission.

As with the Evens a couple of weeks back, these Age Group races are qualifiers for All Irelands (Dec 15th) and selection is based on coming in top 12 individuals or being part of a club team that is placed in top 4 or by coming top 10 in a County Team that is in the top 3 of all the County Teams. Confused? Now you can see why we say to the Juniors run, run and don’t look back and only stop when you reach the finish and then when the race is over, we can calculate any selections. More on that later.

HOW DID THEY DO?

The youngest athletes ran in the U11 category. Alex Robinson and Kieran Trainor battled hard as they always do and came 29th and 53rd respectively out of a lively 84 youngsters. Erin Moore and Kari Foster were in the U11 Girls and again put in the efforts we have come to expect. Erin got 36th out of 86 and Kari was delighted to come 11th. In the U13 Boys we had Oliver Robinson (27th of 93) and in the U15 boys Mackenzie Murray 23rd out of 64. These boys are consistent performers and do the club proud every time they pull on the vest. In the U13 it was fantastic to see Anna Gardiner take the outright win. Well deserved, Anna! Behind in the same category were Lucy Foster (7th), Jodi Foster (20th), Kara Trainor 32nd), Emily Burns (44th) and Anna Kearney (68th). Their collective results out of a huge field of 94 secured third Club Place so bronze medals for the team! In the U15 Kirsti Foster ran a well paced race to take 5^th place with Lauren Madine a couple of places back in 7^th .

Oliver Robinson (U13)

Alex Robinson and Kieran Trainor (U11)

Scotstown – NI&Ulster Uneven XC Championships Anna Gardiner – Gold

NAVAN HERE WE COME

So in the final tally up we are proud to say that the following are going to the All Ireland Uneven Championships on December 15th at Navan race Course – Kirsti and Lauren and Kari as individuals, Anna Gardiner and Lucy Foster also achieve this as well as going as part of the EDAC U13 Girls’ Team with the rest of the girls- Jodi, Kara, Emily and Anna Kearney. Mackenzie and Oliver and Erin may well get the call based on County selection as Down came 2nd County in their age groups. Not a bad day’s work for Team EDAC. Thanks are due to Coach Peter for drawing up the entries which is no mean feat and to the parents for transport. See you at the next one.

EDAC Junior girls after their races

SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT

On Saturday night the Club held its Annual Senior Awards night, superbly organised by the Social Secretary, Janine Murray and ably assisted by Alison Carroll and the rest of the Committee. Thanks are due to Roisin Gaffney, Gavin McConvey, Gavin Hynds, Joanne Carson, Ella Carroll, Dermot Cahill and Daniel McClean for pitching in to set up and clear up. Much appreciated. A great night’s craic was enjoyed by many of the members and their friends.

The Awards which were presented were as follows:-

Most Improved Female Athlete:- Clare Carson,

Most Improved Male Athlete:- Gavin Hynds,

Male Athlete of the Year:- Phillip Vint,

Female Athlete of the Year:- Deirdre Weatherall

Club Person of the Year:- Alison Carroll

201718 East Down AC Club awards – Alison Carroll ( Club Person) Clare Carson (Most improved Female) Deidre Weatherall (Female Athlete ) Gavin Hynds (Most improved Male) Missing from pic Phillip Vint (Male Athlete)

Speaking at the presentation Club Chairman Tom McClean paid tribute to all the athletes who had represented the Club throughout the past year, to the hard working Committee who were eager to do everything in their power to deliver excellent facilities and coaching for the benefit of all the members, and to parents who were stepping in to help the coaches on junior club training nights. He said that the premises, which are the envy of most other clubs, were now used on 5 out of 7 days/nights every week for a variety of fitness related activities and he thanked the management and staff of AMH for their ongoing help and co-operation in making night’s like this one possible and he called for a special round of applause for Tony and his staff in the Gaolers Kitchen for providing a very enjoyable meal. He wished all those present and all the members juniors and seniors, continued and even greater success in the coming year.

Joe and Vera Quinn with EDAC Chairperson Tom McClean

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

12 November 2018

The Weekly News – 01/10/2018

Posted on 01/10/2018 by Neil McCartan

ONLY 3 IN ACTION?

In a competition to ascertain what the lowest turnout from East Down runners over a weekend in recent years then, last weekend’s total of 3 at 2 separate events, must really be the winner. However most can probably be excused as it was the final weekend of “getting in a 20 miler” in preparation for the Dublin City marathon on the last Sunday of this month. (See apologetic humble pie being eaten before end of this report!)

JIMMY’S TEN WINNERS FILL 3 of TOP 6 PLACES in BANGOR

The 2 events in question were the Bangor Classic 10K, which this year incorporated the Ulster and NI 10K Road Racing Championships, and the Ford 5K in Newcastle. The former event had over 1000 entries and almost 1000 finishers and had probably the best front end in terms of quality runners, of any race in recent times, in which the top three broke 31 minutes and the top 10 all broke 33 minutes. The Derry based Kenyan Gideon Kipsang, 2015 winner of Jimmy’s Ten, who last weekend won the Belfast City Half Marathon only just got up on the line to beat Kevin Seaward, who was a superb 4^th in the recent Commonwealth Games Marathon, both being credited with the same time 30.21. Close behind came Declan Reed 30.56 in third place ahead of Mark McKinstry 31.14 who won Jimmy’s Ten this year, followed by Scott Rankin in 31.56 and Ben Branagh 32.00, who won Jimmy’s Ten in 2017.

PAUL IN THE 40s

The sole East Down representative in the race was Paul Lloyd, who came agonisingly close to breaking the 40 minute barrier for the first time, clocking 40.06, a mere second per mile deficit! But come it will Paul, possibly some time when you’re least expecting it. The secret of success is to relax and try not to think about it. Don’t go out every week with the aim of breaking through and don’t be too hard on yourself – there are those who dream of the times you are clocking now! Perhaps the Saintfield 10K on 13^th October could be the one? This race organised by Atlas Running on behalf of Saintfield Striders was a big success last year and promises to be even bigger and better this year. Entry details can be found at https://www.atlasrunning.co.uk Failing that the Seeley Cup in Ormeau Park on 1^st December is a flat fast course which may tick the PB box.

Paul Lloyd Paul Lloyd at Bangor, not looking too disappointed at missing out on a sub 40 time.

FORD 5K COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Paul Burns and Callum Kent were the lone raiders from East Down to try out the new route which was widely publicised as much flatter and faster than last year.

Here’s what Paul had to say afterwards-

“I thought the race itself was really good – it was a flat, fast course through the centre of Newcastle finishing with a lap of the Gaelic pitch, well supported and well marshalled. The organisers provided great refreshments afterwards with hot food and sandwiches, tea & coffee, etc. and also some very impressive looking trophies. It deserved better support but I understand that it’s hard to compete against free Parkruns all over the country on the same day. But it’s definitely a race I would recommend and do again.” Paul’s time of 17.35 and 6^th place overall was a PB, made all the more satisfying as he was still feeling the effects of last Sunday’s Belfast City Half Marathon and a tough hill session during training on Thursday night.

Callum Kent 81 and Paul Burns at the Ford 5K on Saturday.

CALLUM ALSO ON THE PB TRAIL and CROSS COUNTRY TOO!

Another super run saw Callum Kent not only land the trophy for 1^st Juvenile to finish but also set a new PB of 20.05 into the bargain. Well done to him and he tells me he is looking forward to the upcoming cross country season which will give him the opportunity to build up some considerable strength in his legs to improve his road and track running speed next year. Good luck to him in that.

EVEN MORE RUNNING THAN I THOUGHT

I have also heard since I began writing this that some other Club members did in fact run at the weekend, several taking part in Parkruns in preparation for next Saturday’s Relay races in Victoria Park and elsewhere. So my apologies to anyone who was offended by my opening remarks, if you’re still reading this. Neil McCartan set a new Parkrun PB of 15.26, though not a 5K PB, in that very venue on Saturday, an indication of his form at the moment. So watch out all comers on Saturday, EDAC are on the move.

RACE TO TRAIN?

Clare Carson ran the 3/4 marathon in Ballybofey, Donegal on Sunday. She is going well in her lead up to Dublin and her tack of getting in the long miles by entering events seems to be working as she completed in 2 hours 50 minutes. She has found that racing breaks up the tedium and has produced some good performances on the way. I have to say that Clare’s philosophy exactly matches mine in this respect. If you’re training for a marathon, racing a slightly shorter distance than your target e.g. a half marathon or even 10K, faster than your planned time is an ideal way to keep the boredom away and to fine tune your fitness.

EDIE IN SEARCH OF MORE VARIETY?

And of course there are things other than running to do at weekends to keep your fitness at a high level, like taking part in triathlons for instance! Edie Carroll added a couple more disciplines to her training recently in order to prepare for her first triathlon. The event was the “Tri-gether Ladies Only Triathlon” hosted by 247 Triathlon Club in Letterkenny. It was a huge success with 100 females of all ages turning out to race on the day. There were 2 distances of pool swim – 400m or 750m with the same bike (20K) and run (5K) courses for both classes. Edie having only recently come to swimming opted for the shorter swim and having conquered that challenge in under 9 minutes, she cycled the fastest bike split of the day and had a decent “off the bike run” giving her second place overall. It was a well organised event with a very encouraging organising team and worth considering for anyone wanting to cross train for their running season. Well Done Edie.

Edie Carroll strides out on her way to 2nd place overall in the triathlon I Letterkenny on Sunday.

EARLIER IN THE WEEK

Mackenzie Murray running for St Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar secured 2nd place in the Junior Boys age group at NMDDC Schools’ XC which was held at Kilbroney Forest Park mid-week. He ran a tactical race sitting in 3rd for a long way then he and the boy who had been in second went for a late surge and passed the previous leader. It was an exciting race and one which will give Mackenzie the incentive to race to the line every time. Well done! I have been unable to find any published results of this event on the NM&DDC site or elsewhere, so if you’re annoyed about not getting a deserved mention here then why not report what you’ve done each week directly to me? My email address is jaykwin69@gmail.com and my telephone number is 07398514122.

East Down’s Mackenzie Murray smiles after winning the Silver medal for his school St Colmcille’s Secondary in Crossgar

INDUCTION NIGHT

On Monday Night past EDAC held an Induction Night for our current Junior members. We looked back at the achievements that have been made by various teams and individuals throughout the last 12 months and commended good attendance and consistent efforts at training sessions. The young athletes were shown a training plan going into the XC season and all received an EDAC buff to wear in the colder weather ahead. It was fantastic to see so many young people committing themselves to the sport and keen to represent the club. It was also heartening to see parents prepared to add their names to the rota to help the process run smoothly. It takes a lot of manpower to organise a junior section but the atmosphere on Monday Night was a just reward. Here’s to the future!

Some of East Down’s Junior members pictured at the Club’s Induction night on 24 September.

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

1 October 2018