Braving the Cold at Born2Run
Anyone heading out to run at the weekend had to brace themselves against the bitter cold and the near to gale force winds that prevailed. On Saturday there were 3 EDAC runners at Tollymore for the Born 2 Run Forest Series. This particular race was rescheduled from December when it was called off due to the icy conditions. In truth Saturday didn’t feel much warmer than the original date due to the wind chill factor but the ground was infinitely more runnable. The race started at the car park inside Tollymore Forest Park and took the runners through the forest paths with beautiful views of the mountains. From there they followed the Shimna River with a few climbs along the way. Then there was a gradual but very welcome descent before heading back out of the forest to the finish line. There was a 10k and 5k option.
Anna Strides to Victory
Anna Gardiner fresh from her top performance at the European Cross Country Championships was taking on her first 10K. The extra distance caused her no trouble and she absolutely flew round the course. She took the female lead early on and no one could catch her. She crested the tape beaming and looking fresh as a daisy.
Photo Credit Mervyn McKeown – My Sports Photo
Her time of 38.26 will set her base standard for now but will surely not be a personal best for long. She was 5th overall out of 414 in the 10K which was very impressive. Adam Morgan who works consistently hard at his running ran a commendable 46.39 which placed him 58th overall.
Sharon on the Podium
Sharon Madine loves the 5K trail runs so she was full of enthusiasm at the start. Despite a series of colds and bugs which have hampered her usual training schedule she was able to record 22.49 which bagged her 3rd Female and 15th overall out of 140. Super effort by all three!
Anna Gardiner get Call up to the Irish Cross Country Team
Anna Gardiner deserves a further mention as she has been included in the Irish Cross Country Team heading to Hannut in Belgium this weekend for the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting. She along with 4 other U20 girls are part of a strong team of 24 athletes. It is hoped that they will gain some useful experience and put in some solid performances. Good Luck, Anna!
The Mathieson Cup
By the next day Sharon was sufficiently thawed out to go again so she headed to the City Playing Fields in Mallusk for the Mathieson Cup Cross Country. This annual event is part of the NI&Ulster League and is named after Mags Mathieson a stalwart volunteer and beloved by all in the local athletics scene. Once the junior races had cleared the course, the ladies and veteran men were called to the start for their turn. The front runners went off at a gallop getting up enough speed for the first uphill. The climb to the upper pitches is not long but it is very steep and often treacherous. Once they had crested that they settled into a rhythm stretching into a stream of coloured vests as they did laps around the pitches. Sharon despite her efforts the day before ran very strongly to place 29th out of 189 females. Her time was 27.27. Wayne Giles as a veteran was in the same race and ran well to clock 33.28.
The Men’s Race was just as frantic at the start as runners jostled for places. EDAC had 4 in the mix. 
Neil Curran who values cross country for the long term endurance benefits and enjoys running on grass, looked comfortable throughout. He finished 22nd in 29.34. 
Adam Withers who is trying his hand at all distances and terrains clocked 32.03 to come 71st. 
Daniel Giles enjoyed his outing as did Robin Parsons with Daniel home 138th in 36.11 and Robin taking 38.12 to place 166th. Well done to all for representing the club as it takes a bit of grit to get out there at this time of year let alone tackle an off road event. Just remember the old adage – Winter miles make Summer smiles – you will reap the rewards of this efforts as the season progresses.
Jimmy’s 10 2023
As the cross country season continues there is also the excitement of the road racing calendar taking shape. EDAC’s flagship event Jimmy’s 10K is scheduled to take place in Downpatrick on Sunday the 12th of March. It is now open for entries online at https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/Jimmys10K2023. This annual event is very popular and brings a lot of excitement to the town for runners and spectators alike. With a new (ANI ratified) course which is almost entirely flat (no more cathedral hill) there is every chance of a new personal best. There will be pacers to help you meet your goal time and a post race BBQ supplied by the race sponsors Finnebrogue Artisan. If you are not quite up to 10K there is the option to split the course and run as a team of two. What’s more, the first 800 entrants are guaranteed a technical t-shirt and if you enter before the 31st January you can avail of the special Early Bird rates. What are you waiting for? More details are available on the East Down facebook page and on our website – www.eastdownac.co.uk