Armagh 5K and 3K

The return of the Armagh International 5K race caused a great stir both close to home and internationally. It attracts a high calibre of athlete all hoping to record a fast time on the flat lapped course. It is held at night and the flood lit course creates great atmosphere.  The Women run 3K and the pace is phenomenal. England’s Alexandra Bell was the overall winner in 9.02 just ahead of Cari Hughes (9.03) & Calli Thackery in 9.12. An impressive 17 women ran sub 9.30 and 58 broke 10 minutes so it is only for the speedsters. EDAC’s Catherine O’Connor has raced this several times but has always felt that she didn’t perform to her best. This time however she nailed it. She managed to keep her head in the mad charge and as a result she ended up with a new personal best of 9.46. She was delighted! with her time and the fact that she was 42nd out of 152. 

The Men’s 5K was equally stellar and Shaftesbury Barnet’s Henry McLuckie went to the fore after the first lap and took complete control of the race. He was well in the lead but showed no signs of letting up. It became clear he was chasing the course record and he punched the air when he saw the clock.  His time of 13.37 shattered the record and gave him a good gap from Tai Dinger (USA) who ran 13.46. With 17 men running 5K in less than 14 minutes and 132 in sub 15 minutes, this was a spectacle of excellence and endeavour in equal measure. Neil McCartan found himself in a whirlwind of runners and managed to pull out a new personal best of 14.38 which pleased him greatly. This time put him 95th out of 170 and for perspective the runner who was last to cross the line ran 16.17 – a time many would see as an impossible goal. Adam Withers wisely decided that the Club standard 3K was more his style and he thoroughly enjoyed the whole affair. The fact that he also produced a new personal best of 9.23 indicates that his training is going in the right direction. This ranked him 34th out of 144. All in all a happy trio as they headed home. Well done all.

Stormont Cross Country

From the tarmac of Armagh to the turf of the Stormont Estate required a reset of the mind for both Catherine and Adam and how their legs would work after the fast running a couple of days before was an unknown but they both turned up to give it their best shot. The conditions were mild, dry with no wind to speak of and the ground was forgiving but not particularly muddy underfoot. All in all it was a perfect day for cross country. The racing got underway with the Junior Races then it was the turn of the ladies and the men over 60. With a goodly field of 190 there was a bit of jostling at the start but Catherine O’Connor went off hard on the heels of Sarah Lavery from Beechmount Harriers. Coincidentally she and Sarah had clocked the same time in Armagh so they knew that they were on a par but on this occasion Sarah was able to get a gap and Catherine sensibly settled into her own rhythm. She was still running well and was fit to take a good second on the line in 19.35. Sharon Madine as usual was eager to get racing and came 34th in 22.25. Carmel Ross was the next EDAC runner to finish (106th in 26.01). Alison Carroll surprised herself by enjoying the run immensely and was delighted to finish in 29.29 in 153rd place. Wayne Giles was in the same race due to his age category and he ran well to clock 26.47. 

The Men’s Race

As the women got their breath back, the men were lining up. With 6 EDAC in the mix and 4 laps to be run, there was plenty of opportunity for their club mates to cheer them on. Adam Withers despite his hard run in Armagh, threw himself into the race with 100% commitment. He is still experimenting with pacing and tactics and said afterwards that he maybe went off a bit too quickly as he felt that he suffered later on but to his credit, he dug in deep and worked until the line. He was 42nd in 25.27. Club Chair and XC stalwart Martin Willcox had a great run coming in second of the EDAC pack in 70th place overall (26.46). Paul Burns, a last minute entry, took it steady to finish in 27.27 (80th). Dee Murray ran the entire race with Paul in his sights and finished on his heels in 27.30 (83rd). Daniel Giles said he just wasn’t able to find his groove. Despite getting his first sub 20 minute parkrun recently he felt sluggish on the grass but nonetheless he got to the end in one piece – 27.48 (90th). Adam Morgan tackled the course with his usual dogged determination and ran a commendable 30.40 to finish 148th. With 208 runners in the race this was a sound showing overall. With only the Senior XC Championships left to take place the cross country season is on the count down.

Looking Ahead to Jimmy’s 2023

All eyes will now move to road racing and for EDAC the main focus is their own flagship event Jimmy’s 10K on Sunday 12th March in the streets of Downpatrick. The 10K road race (with a relay option) is a major source of funding for the club so they go all out to ensure that they attract a big entry. With a generous prize fund – £200, £125 and £75 for the first, second and third Male and Female plus age group prizes there is plenty to bring in the big hitters. And as if that wasn’t enough  there will be a bonus cash prize for the winning male if he goes sub 31 minutes and for the winning Female if she is sub 35 over the ratified 10K distance! With no Cathedral Hill and no towpath the course is flat so there is a real chance that these bonuses will get picked up. The winners will also be setting the Course Record regardless as this is the first time that this course has been run.

Sponsors Finnebrogue Artisan have also announced some exciting spot prizes which are not based on speed so everyone is in with a chance to win. The first 800 will get a 2023 technical race shirt and there is a post race BBQ (again courtesy of Finnebrogue Artisan). In short this is going to be a fantastic day out for racers, fun runners, spectators and volunteers. If you aren’t running and would like to be involved, all helpers will get a t-shirt and a ticket for the BBQ so get in touch if you would like to hear more. Entries are online only and capped to 800 so if you want to take part, you better sign up soon. Go to www.eastdownac.co.uk to find out more.