Mountain Men
It was an action packed weekend with members both Junior and Senior involved in races of multiple types and distance in several different venues. Saturday was all about the hills with Ollie Robinson and Jacob Crawford trying out for selection in the NIMRA U18 trials and Aaron McGrady taking on a fell race in England.
Slieve Croob
The NIMRA U18 (Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association) trials took place on Slieve Croob on a day where blue skies and pale sunshine enhanced the occasion for all concerned. The format of the day mirrored that taken by the events last year because of COVID; a time trial over the 2.9k route from the bottom along the path to the top of Slieve Croob and back down over the mountain side, followed by the actual race over the same route a short time later. The thinking behind not changing this was so that local runners did not have an unfair advantage from doing a route recce beforehand. EDAC was well represented by Ollie Robinson and Jacob Crawford, both only 15, and out to have a good hard mountain run. They tackled the tricky course with gusto and gave it a good blast. Most runners improved their time trial time to race time considerably showing a certain element of race tactics of holding something in reserve for the actual race since selection was based on race time only. Ollie came in first overall in a time of 11.57 and Jacob was 5th (time 13.29) across the finish line. Ollie was delighted to find that he has been selected for the International U18 Mountain Running Championships which will be taking place in Saluzzo, Italy this June.
Chicken Run
Aaron McGrady was in the Peak District along with 180 other runners for the annual Chicken Run which is a fell race approximately 8.3 miles distance and includes 1421 feet of climbing. He had a strong run and placed 2nd overall in a time of 54.27. Aaron was more than happy to be runner up to the winner Steve Vernon who is a triple British Cross Country and Mountain Running Champion. (He also set the Chicken Run course record in 2019). Steve and Aaron were the only two to break 55 minutes for the testing course and only 9 runners made it home in under the hour so it was a creditable performance from Aaron from all angles.
Titanic 10K
Sunday 3rd April saw the rescheduled Titanic 10K. This race was due to take place in 2020 but was called off due to Covid. At the time a large number of runners deferred their entry to a new date in 2021 but this also fell foul of restrictions at that time so for some runners this was a 2 year old ticket. With the returners bolstered by new entrants there were 734 excited participants in the Harbour Estate ready for action. Paul Lloyd was delighted to finally take to the roads in a race as he has been hampered by a long term injury and has only managed a modicum of training. He last raced in June 2021 so it was a long time coming. He finished in 43.15 which placed him 146th overall. This is a good marker for further improvement as he returns to previous form and he commented on how good it felt to be back at a mass participation event. Hopefully he will now feel ready to enter more races in the near future.
Manchester Marathon
As anyone who has done a marathon will know, the preparation required is gruelling. Most runners start months in advance and gradually increase their mileage so that they have the stamina to cope comfortably with 26.2 miles. They also need to include speed work if they want to set a good time so it is a juggling process. Gordy Graham coached by Ryan Maxwell had followed his schedule to the letter and had many promising race results in his build up so it was a hammer blow when he developed a knee injury with only 3 weeks to go. He eased off the miles in the hope that it would settle and right up to the morning of the marathon, he was debating whether racing was in his best interests. This head versus heart is not a new thing to runners. With the hours spent training for that day, sitting it out would have been too much to bear.
Gordy gives it his all
In the end he set off with equal amounts of hope and caution and for the first hour or so maintained the pace that he needed to match his 2.34 personal best set in Belfast last year. He was in a group banging out miles at an incredible 5.40 minutes per mile pace and he felt pretty good until mile 20. At this point the niggle became enough to disrupt his natural rhythm and as a result his pace wavered. However true to form he persisted to the line recording 2.38.13 as he passed the tape. This result is one that would cause celebration for most and it is, in fact, his second fastest marathon but for Gordy there is still a time out there that he wants to achieve and we know that when he has assessed and treated his injury, he will be back pushing for his goal. We wish him luck in his recovery and future endeavours.
Hannah gets her goal
Hannah Somani was also out chasing specific targets – Firstly to better her marathon time of 3.03 which she set in London Marathon last October and secondly to come home in under 3 hours. This sub 3 barrier is regarded as a holy grail for many and for Hannah being so close on in London was enough to convince her to give it another shot. She continued consistent training throughout the Autumn and into the Winter with multiple sessions per week as well as long runs at weekends. On her recent trip to Downpatrick she was so committed to the plan that she ran 14 odd miles on the morning of Jimmy’s 10 before heading to the start line! She then went on to run quickly enough in the 10K to lead in two other high performing EDAC Ladies (Deirdre Weatherall and Sharon Madine) to clinch victory in the Team Competition. All this must have stood her in good stead as she absolutely nailed it on Sunday. She arrived at the start with quiet resolve and executed her race with precision pacing. Her time of 2.59.50 was well deserved after her hard work and she was naturally over the moon. Super work, Hannah!
A great run by Steph Graham
Steph Graham was equally determined in her approach. A small matter of a wedding and a baby in the last 12 months might seem reason to hold back from committing to race targets but when your husband is also your coach then the lines become blurred! Gordy has had prior mention above for his own race but Steph would be quick to acknowledge his part in her achievements. She entered Manchester due largely to his encouragement as she had doubts as to whether she would be ready in time. She had been hacking chunks off her marathon times in the last few years and in Berlin 2019 she ran 3.17 so sub 3.15 was her aim. This was a big ask as training with a young baby is never easy but she pulled it off with style. Gordy was brimming over with pride when she finished in 3.14.20. Steph deserves kudos for this performance but even more so for the fact that she had to resort to the treadmill for daily miles. Despite the tedium of running miles looking at a wall, she never missed a session and her hard graft has paid off. What a team!
Paris “Schneider Electric” Marathon
Same distance but different city – Dee Murray had decided that Paris in the Spring would provide the incentive to train over the winter months and he had racked up his miles motivated by excitement of a European marathon. The day dawned bright but chilly and it took a bit of effort to get warm enough to shed the layers before the start. Fortunately once they were lined up on the famous Champs Elysées, the sun came out in full and the 35,000 runners had perfect racing conditions for the rest of the day. Dee ran with his usual metronomic rhythm ticking off the miles and the iconic landmarks as he ran the winding route. Apart from a bit of cramp in the last couple of miles, he felt comfortable and was delighted to get a sub 3 hour finish in 2.58.29 shaving 16 seconds off his previous best which had held since 2017. Dee is known as Mr Consistent and running as quickly as he did 5 years ago endorses that nickname no end. It is also worth a mention that he placed a commendable 1369 out of 34358. A good job well done!
What is next?
With the racing season in full flow, EDAC club members were quick to get signed up on the recent Membership Night so that they can keep training and also avail of the club discount when entering races. They might also have been encouraged by the raffle which was held at the sign up. Congratulations to the lucky winners who snagged bottles of wine and Easter eggs. Patrick Smith even won a free entry to Comber 10K! He will undoubtedly be looking to raise a crowd to keep him company.
Whether you are a club member or not why not have a look at the list of upcoming races at https://athleticsni.org/Fixtures. There is also the weekly parkrun at Dunleath Playing Fields. More info at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/dunleathplayingfields/ . On the other hand if you are looking for like minded people to help you get race ready then do get in touch with membership@eastdownac.co.uk and you will be made most welcome at East Down Athletics Club. Senior Training is Monday and Thursday 7pm with circuits also available to members on Tuesday and Friday Nights. Annual membership is a bargain at £35. Hope to see you soon.