KEEPING ON TRACK

The juniors have been active on the track in various events in the last week or so

Districts

EDAC athletes have turned out for their respective schools at District level. Well done to all who ran or jumped in an attempt to qualify for the Ulsters and especially to Edie Carroll  who was 3rd in the Inter 1500m, Kirsti Foster was 2nd in the Junior 800m and Lauren Madine and Anna Gardiner who were 1 and 2 in the Mini Girls’ 800m. These performances will see them through to the next level at Antrim on 19/20 May.

MEDAL SUCCESS

Oliver and Alex Robinson were the only two to travel to Bangor for the Minis Competition on Wednesday 9th May but were rewarded by some great racing. Oliver having stumbled at the start of his  600m managed to get to his feet and catch the pack but just missed out on a medal. He came 2nd in the long jump & 3rd in the 80m by way of consolation. Alex was also third in the 600m. 

Lara Proctor-Amos and sister Keira were at the Mary Peters Track on Saturday for the RAF 100 ATC Squadron Athletics meet and managed to qualify for the next event by coming 3rd and 2nd in their respective 1500m events.

WORTH THE WAIT

And just in case anyone thinks that track is only for Juniors, Neil McCartan travelled to Manchester for a 5000m race and pulled out a PB of 15.13. His return to racing is welcomed by the Club and certainly gives the younger members something to aspire to. Well done, Neil!

BACK ON THE ROAD

The 3 Lakes Challenge  on Saturday past took part in glorious conditions – Perhaps slightly warm for the runners but heavenly for anyone enjoying the view across the Lake and the hospitality of the Lakeside Inn. The 15k route winds around 3 lakes as promised and incorporates a rolling terrain that explains the word “challenge” in the title. A shorter 7k route is available but is not an easy option either!  In an overall field of 86 15k competitors EDAC had the troops out in force and it was great to see. Some were testing their time against last year, some were using it as training miles and others were using it as “recovery” from the marathon only 6 days before!  The winner was Brendan Guiney from Beechmount Harriers who completed the 15k in an impressive 53.48.  Martin Willcox never takes it easy and he fairly blasted round to come in 2nd in a time of 56.58!  The first female Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn) was in fact third place overall. Paul Lloyd 8th place in an hour and 4 minutes, found to his amazement that his legs worked well enough despite his efforts on Monday.

Nuala and John Taylor – relax after the 15k

Deidre Weatherall celebrated the anniversary of her joining the EDAC ranks by coming 11th overall and picked up a trophy as 3rd female. Proves we were right to snap her up! Mark O’Connor had broken free of a veritable posse of EDAC men and came in 1 hour and 8 minutes glad to have the hills behind him. The afore mentioned chain gang then flooded in like synchronised swimmers with one lone Ballydrain runner spoiling their symmetry – Stephen McCartan, Raymond Milligan, James Magennis and Phillip Vint in a flash of red and yellow. Having set out to do a paced run to break 72 minutes they smashed that in 71.38. John and Nuala Taylor also recent additions to the Club demonstrated that they will prove useful in the season ahead as neither seemed unduly fatigued by the arduous route.  Roisin Gaffney came in smiling as is the norm and looked like she could have kept on going rightly. She was justifiably pleased with her time of 86.10. Gavin McConvey, another relaxed runner, who views the enjoyment aspect as important as the outcome, looked happy with his performance as he loped in with a nonchalant wave. That just left the female contingent who like their male counterparts had opted for a squad outing – Joanne Carson, Helen Vint and Cathy Burke all recorded the same time (1.29.59) a remarkable display of pacing to squeeze in before the clock broke the 90 minute barrier. 

Michael Kelly, Joe Quinn, Roisin Gaffney and Karen McFall

Interspersed throughout were the 70+ 7K runners and again EDAC had numbers aplenty. The winners were never in any doubt. Thomas Carson and Amy Bulman both Willowfield came in 1 and 2 overall 25.32 and 26.16 respectively. Callum Kent took 2nd Male with Mackensie Murray making up the male podium. Tom McClean opted for the shorter event as apparently he needed to reserve some energy for some serious gardening! Linda Cunningham on the other hand kept no such reserve and showed that marathon training has not hampered her ability to turn on a bit of speed bringing her in well shy of 40 minutes and just ahead of Katrina Hynds who was not impressed with the hills but relied on her usual gutsy approach got her through. Gareth and Gill Kimpton ran together as did Eithne McGrattan and Bernice McCann, both duos reporting an enjoyable experience. The final trio of EDAC runners had a different mission other than a time target. Joe Quinn accompanied by his daughter Karen and niece Oonagh Breteche set off to complete the 7k circuit as part of his remit as an ambassador for the Parkinson’s Trust. As Joe is waiting for an injection to relieve knee pain it was a brave decision to toe the line but not one that surprised friends or family as Joe often plays down how much it takes for him to participate as often as he does. The Parkinson’s Trust Charity is close to home for Joe and despite the fact that he is suffering considerably on a daily basis he is determined  to promote awareness of the condition, highlight the need for research and raise funds for the same and also at the same time continue his personal battle to stay mobile and active. He is nothing short of inspirational in his relentless enthusiasm and many of us would do well to take a leaf from his book when we too readily find an excuse to put off exercise or a task that we could well complete. This charity was in addition to the Down’s Syndrome Association another worthy cause supported by this event.

EDAC members enjoying the lake side setting after the race

OFF TO THE HILLS AGAIN

Some of those who had taken part then hotfooted it to Newcastle to bask in the afternoon sun on the Mournes which provided a stunning playground for the next entertainment. The Slieve Donard Race is a simple concept. Run to the top of the highest peak in Northern Ireland and without stopping to admire the view, turn and hurtle down the 850 m that you have just ascended. The technical aspect of the terrain is demanding both on the up and the down and as well as skill you need a good dose of bravery to trust yourself and let go on the descent. Again EDAC were well represented and many who did not race chose to spectate so it was a good day out. Niall Gibney mentioned previously in this report for his love of the hills lived up to this by coming in first of the EDAC entrants in 35th of over 200 starters. Gavin Hynds who declared that the difference between his mood on this occasion compared to his Monday marathon was chalk and cheese was seen in full flight only a few minutes behind, his feeling of exhilaration evident in his smile. Jonny Kelly took a little more caution but still cut in to the first 100 finishers by placing 99th and then Paddy McDonald another Hill and Dale regular followed on his heels 45 seconds later. There were only two EDAC females brave enough to take this on – Lisa Milligan in fine fettle led Cheryl Denvir on this occasion. A great run from her indeed. John Manley came in with Cheryl in 2 hours and 7 minutes both to be congratulated on pushing their comfort zone. Once back on the promenade there was an element of disbelief looking back at the mountain in the distance. Did that actually happen? Well yes it did and there are superb photos to prove it. Northern Irish mountain running at its finest.

Slieve Donard Race – John Manley, Lisa Milligan, Cheryl Denvir, Paddy McDonald, Conor Rice, Gavin Hynds, Jonny Kelly and Niall Gibney ready for the off

And that completes two weeks in the life of EDAC – it is great to see the range of events undertaken by our club by members both young and not so young. So what is on offer next?  The Les Jones Memorial 10k takes place on Friday. Online entry has closed but contact info@athleticsni.org as there may be entries available on the night. This Saturday 19th May sees another Atlas Running event – Knockevin 10K and 5K Start 12 Noon. Registration 10.30 onwards. Enquiries atlas@atlasrunning.co.uk

New Club Kit

PS EDAC KIT NIGHT – Tuesday 22 May 6-8pm Teamwear Ireland will be at the Clubrooms with samples and sizes to facilitate orders. Cash payable on the night – a bundle is available as a special offer.