NORTH DOWN FESTIVAL OF CROSS COUNTRY RACES
North Down AC got the year off to a good start by putting on a Festival of Cross Country on Saturday in the majestic surroundings of Bangor Castle. There was a full program of events to suit all ages and all levels of fitness. There was even a relay event to allow a taste of the fun without the full quota of pain.
EDIE AND MACKENZIE BOTH IMPRESS
Edie Carroll and Mackenzie Murray were the only 2 Juniors who made the trip and they found the winding course interesting and testing in equal measure. Edie still making up for fitness after injury layoff was pleased with her consistency and was rewarded with a trophy for 3rd place in the U17 girls. Mackenzie had to run in the U17 as he was too old for the U14 but it put him up against some top talent so he just hung in and claimed a very well earned 6th place. This is all good training for recovering from the Christmas indulgences.
Edie Carroll and Mackenzie Murray after the North Down AC Cross Country in Bangor
THREE TO FOLLOW
The Senior Men fielded 3 runners in the Open race as it takes 4 to make up a Relay team – Neil Curran who went off with gusto and then settled into a strong rhythm battling against a group of runners of similar speed. His 13th place was well deserved. Dee Murray was going through the same battle albeit a bit further back. He paced himself against those around him and enjoyed the twists and turns of the undulating course and finished 27th. Tom Dowey as ever took it in his stride and finished in 46th place in 33.46.
Neil Curran, Tom Dowey and Dee Murray in Bangor
KEIRA FLYING (ALMOST)!
Keira Proctor-Amos turned out for the inter Squadron Air Cadets’ Cross Country and secured herself a place in the Northern Ireland team which will travel to Scotland in the next few weeks, by finishing in 2nd place. Congratulations to her.
Kiera Proctor-Amos at the Air Cadets’ Inter Squadron Cross Country
KIRSTI HITS THE TOP
Kirsti Foster deserves a mention for a standout performance in the Victoria parkrun the week before Christmas. She completed in 18.33 which gives her the current record for the Junior Women 11-14 age group in any of the Northern Ireland parkruns. It also places her 18th in the UK rankings for parkrun in that age group in 2018. As if that wasn’t a good enough end to the year she went to Castlewellan Park the following week and completed a hat trick of results by recording a new PB of 19.24 (for the Castlewellan course) in her 50th parkrun.
LINDA STILL CHURNING THEM OUT
Although perhaps not out in as great numbers over the Holiday period, East Down’s Linda Cunningham, stayed closer to home and still ran further than anyone. She completed the 2nd leg of the EAMS Back to Back marathons on New Year’s Eve and completed the Beat the January Blues Marathon in Armagh, barely a week later, on Sunday 6th January as she progresses towards her 200th marathon.
ROLLERCOASTER RACES DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK
The date of this year’s Rollercoaster Races, which will be confined to Primary School and up to age 17 races, i.e. there will be no senior 5K race, will be announced next week.
JIMMY’S TEN on 17th MARCH
A large entry has already been received for this year’s event on Sunday 17 March and anyone intending to run is encouraged to enter now at www.athleticsni.org as there is a limit on the number and no entries will be taken on the day.
NEXT WEEKEND
There are almost 300 entries already for next Sunday’s Cross Country League Fixture at Mallusk, where not only are there League ranking points up for grabs but the senior events are for the Mags Mathieson Cup (Male) and Shield (Female) respectively. Mags is known to practically every runner in NI and a lot beyond as well and has been a staunch supporter of East Down and Jimmy’s Ten for many years now and a huge turnout from the club is requested to show her the respect she deserves. As I write this however it is noted that of the figure quoted in the opening line of this paragraph only 2, yes 2, are from the Club. So come on you guys (Men and Women), get the fingers out and enter online at www.athleticsni.org. Let’s show that we appreciate Mags!!
INTERNATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY at COMBER on 19th JANUARY
The following weekend sees the inaugural International Cross Country event taking place at the Billy Neill Centre near Comber, after a reign of over 20 years at Greenmount, so it will indeed be interesting to see how the course lives up to the expectation and if it can become a worthy successor to the DEFRA site.
INTERMEDIATE CROSS COUNTRY C/SHIPS ON 26th JANUARY
And of course it’s the Intermediate Championships on the 26th January which all the Club’s attentions will be focused as the Men’s team bid for an historic victory in this most prestigious event.
Joe Quinn & Alison Carroll
6 January 2019