SEELEY CUP in ORMEAU PARK

The eagerly awaited Joe Seeley Cup race took place on Saturday in what were ideal running conditions. Although it is no longer the NI 10K Road Racing Championship event which it always used to be, it still retains its position as one of, if not the most sought after, prizes in local racing, as evidenced by the quality of the runners who take part and also that it always sells out its maximum entry limit weeks before the date.

HARD RUNNING BY ALL 

It also seems that everyone who enters tries their hardest to set a new PB as it is rare to see anyone on the day who is only “out for a stroll in the park”. I say this quite confidently from my viewpoint in the park where the runners all pass within a few feet of where I stand, not once but 3 times in the course of an hour and I have never, in the last five years,  seen anyone who isn’t running hard and giving it their all. With a winning time of 30.25, the first half dozen runners under 31 minutes and the top 20  under 32 minutes there was considerable quality in the field. In total over 290 runners ducked under 40 minutes which includes the top 27 women, of which East Down had 3 very impressive competitors, Sinead Sweeney 36.02, Catherine O’Connor 36.12 and Hannah Somani 38.34, in 7^th 8^th and 18^th places respectively and whose combined total of 33 was good enough to claim the prizes for 2^nd placed Ladies Team, just 9 behind their old rivals North Down and  2 ahead of North Belfast Harriers.

THREE TIMER

This was a major “first” for East Down Ladies in that never before has a Female team from the County town club featured in a high profile road race like this one and it makes it a hat trick of impressive team outings coming after the EDAC Ladies won the Cross Country Intermediate championships last January and the Road Relays in October.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

Sinead Sweeney juggling a heavy workload with night shifts was not able to produce a performance in terms of striking a PB but she was very pleased with how she ran and even felt that she could have pushed a little harder at some points. Her finish time of 36.02 placed her as 7th female in a stellar field so she can be happy that overall form is good and look forward to racing at the weekend in the Telford 10K with the NI&Ulster Team. Good Luck Sinead!

Catherine O’Connor ran a superb race lifting herself when she needed to and recorded a huge PB with her time of 36.12 and 8th place overall. It is fitting that she was recently awarded EDAC Female  Athlete of the year as she is in top form and working hard. Hannah Somani also grabbed herself a PB in 38.34, a 41 seconds improvement, as she romped home 18^th placed female overall to give EDAC 3 females in the top 20. She was delighted with the trip back to NI and she enjoyed racing with the big numbers and the on course support.

THE BEST OF THE REST

Not only did this trio acquit themselves well but other EDAC ladies who raced were Hallie Jennings a virtual stranger to competition since Dublin 2018 but setting another new PB of 47.52, Janine Murray 50.52, back on track after Dublin and looking ahead to the Cracker, Helen Vint 54.24, currently enjoying a break from longer distances but with a challenge of a race a month and Alison Carroll 56.02 who was temporarily in contention with her husband Paul, 34.13, Annadale Striders, albeit at the tight switchback turn in the centre of the Park, where he was striving to stay ahead (successfully as it turned out) of Paul Rowan in the battle for the Over 50 Age category 1^st prize.

LOOKING FOR A NEW PB?

East Down’s Catherine O Connor adopted waiting tactics in her battle with clubmate Sinead Sweeney, as for the opening 2 laps she basically sat on her shoulder but by the time lap 3 was nearing its end the former QUB star had eased into a ten second lead, which she maintained until the end.

Nevertheless it was a brave effort by Catherine and a massive improvement in her PB and a tactic which some other EDAC runners could well emulate if they want to improve their PBs i.e. even when there are no official pacers in a race, there’s nothing wrong with you unofficially targeting a runner whose pace you would like to equal or better. We all know someone who fits that bill. So simply by tagging on to him/her and staying with them until they reach the line or better still, until you can make a decisive move to overtake. Hey Presto! a new PB? Easier said than done? It is of course, but if you really want to improve your times?

TOP QUALITY IN TOP RACE

As recorded earlier this event is one of the top goals for 10K racers and attracts those who want test themselves against the clock on the flat course. As usual there were big hitters in the line up and they were all off like the clappers once the hooter sounded. There was a bit of congestion at the start but with some agile manoeuvring, the closely packed runners filtered through and streamed along the embankment before a sharp left through the gates of the park. By the time they reached 1K there was a lead pack and then several groups who were working off each other trying to stay the pace. Aaron McGrady found himself in good company and well positioned in the second group.

LEADING MEN

The front runners in the race from the moment the gun fired were still battling for the top 3 positions well into the third and final lap before the tall figure of 2017 Jimmy’s Ten winner, Ben Branagh, St. Malachy’s AC, strode clear in the final 400 metres, to take the trophy, 7 seconds ahead of the diminutive Chris Madden City of Lisburn AC, with Annadale’s Conall Kirk a further ten seconds back in 3^rd .

AARON LEADS THE WAY

But the EDAC men were impressive too and led by the ever improving Aaron McGrady with a superb new PB of 31.35, by 50 seconds no less in 16^th place overall, they produced a series of results which certainly made me proud to be associated with them, even from the humble position of supporter.

The next EDAC man to finish was Jimmy Sloan in 97^th place, who has had a great start with the club performing well at the cross country races as well as in the recent County Down 5K. He revealed that he had never ran a 10K race before so he went off not quite sure how to pace it but he managed admirably and the fact that he had a negative split indicates that he has a bit more in the tank to work with as his confidence grows. His time of 35.05 is an impressive base marker. Neil Curran 107^th who has put in a lot of cross country racing recently was glad to have the tarmac beneath his feet again and delighted to get a PB by nearly 30 secs to clock a time of 35.28. He did feel though that he is due a break from the weekly competition as weekly races definitely takes a toll after a while. When better to do it than over the festive season Neil? 

DEE AND DONAL CONSISTENT AS EVER

Dee Murray was just one second over 38 minutes, again proving his enduring determination while Donal Smith knew that sub 50 was a big ask and was happy with 50.17. Like I said before this race brings out the competitor in all of the runners and none looked more focussed than Donal when they passed me, even towards the end of the race, so I reckon he didn’t see me there at all.

DOWN SIDES?

In contrast Gareth Reilly, who had been training hard and making real progress, was deeply unhappy with how his race evolved as, up to 8K he was on target for a PB, having gone through 5K in 20.56, but with a lightning strike of pain to his achilles he was forced to pull up and walk home. So although he appears in the results as having completed in 58.15, he thinks of it as a Did Not Finish (DNF) in real terms. Don’t even think like that Gareth as it took tremendous courage to finish at all, and I take my hat off to you for that, so look back on it as one to forget about, though I doubt if you ever will!

Wishing you a speedy recovery and a quick return to fitness. 

SUPER SUZY TOPS 100

Suzy Smith who still hesitates to call herself a “real” runner has to be mentioned this week as she has turned up at Castlewellan parkrun on a regular basis and chipped away at her time over the last couple of years. This weekend she was able to record her 100th event. That is some achievement from someone who says that she doesn’t really run. She would say that consistency is key as well as her love of the EDAC circuit class and is a great example of how quiet determination pays off. Superb effort!

Another Park Runner who had cause for celebration at the weekend was Carl Keenan who set a new PB on Saturday in Belfast’s Victoria Park clocking 21.17 and beating his Dad Liam by over a minute.

A 4 TIMER FOR EDAC LADIES IN LOUGHGALL

Saturday was a bright crisp day perfect for running and the EDAC quartet who travelled to Armagh to Loughgall Country Park for the latest in the Born2Run Series were greeted with scenery to match the conditions. The race was mainly inside the park on gravel paths around the lake. It started on the level with a few downhill parts in the first 3K but in the last 2K there was payback for this when there were 3 big climbs to get through. The finish was technical with a steep decline and a left hand turn. Lauren Madine and Anna Gardiner have had 2 of the series races where they been head to head the whole way, with Lauren just pipping Anna on the line. The same played out this week but with an even narrower margin. The two girls breached the line two abreast and they were both clocked at 21.11 with the overall female win given to Lauren by a photo finish. A thrilling outcome for the spectators and more excitement for the EDAC support when it was Sharon Madine who crossed as the next female (23.51) to take the third podium spot with Emily Burns in just behind her in 23.56. So the 4 Ladies from EDAC were the first 4 ladies to cross the line, a remarkable 4 timer.

Well done all for representing the club with such determination!

Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll

2 December 2019