McCONNELL SHIELD AT BALLYCLARE and OTHER EVENTS
A beautiful sunny but crisply cold afternoon greeted the runners as they gathered in Ballyclare on Saturday for the 82nd McConnell Shield cross country races organised by East Antrim Harriers. Although by no means as riveting a contest as last year’s duel in the sun, it was nevertheless a most enjoyable contest with Kilbroney winner Conor Duffy from Glaslough Harriers again taking control of the race just after halfway going on to win from Springwell’s Neil Johnston and North Belfast’s Mark McKinstry who won in Comber last week.
MEDALS
This was the 82nd running of this particular race and I got to wondering who was the person after whom the Shield was named. I bumped into John McKeag, who is in his 95th year, and he coincidentally produced 2 medals which he won in this very race 76 years ago!! Now he didn’t have the background of the mysterious Mr McConnell but he told me that in 1940/41, cross country running was tremendously popular and teams travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to take part, possibly in even greater numbers than today, and that huge numbers of spectators turned out to support their local heroes. John still runs a couple of times a week but doesn’t compete any more, though he is more than capable of holding his own in his age group yet.
Paul Burns led home the East Down team of 7, having worked his way through the field, to finish just 9 seconds ahead of Davy Foster with Dee Murray a mere 12 seconds further back. Then in the absence of an Under 18 race on the card, Matthew McGrattan decided to run with the adults and made a very good job of it too placing 79th in the 161 runner field, with Stephen Heasley 7 seconds behind him. Next in was Simon McGrattan, resting up ahead of next week’s Tollymore Mountain Marathon, in 147th and Paddy McDonald, our newest recruit to the joys of Cross Country, finishing just 4 places behind him.
LADIES DO WELL
The Ladies fielded 5 runners, with some of our most promising juniors taking advantage of the absence of an Under 18 Girls race, to turn out and to gain some valuable experience by running with the seniors. Catherine O’Connor, on her way back to full fitness again after a lengthy injury hit spell took 13th place, as she did last year, and Aoife Cochane, freed from the shackles of expectation she often unreasonably puts on her own shoulders in age group races, ran a fine race to finish in 37th place while Ella Carroll shadowed her mother Alison for two and a half laps before sprinting ahead in the final half mile to finish in 69th just one place ahead of Alison. Janine Murray as ever battled well to hold onto 74th place.
UNDER 14 RACE
Earlier Mackenzie Murray ran in the Boys under 14 race with his typical determination and was accompanied round the 1 mile route by several of the Foster sisters. Unfortunately results of the junior races are not yet available so I can’t be more precise.
ALEX and OLLIE SHOW THE WAY IN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DONEGAL
Several East Down Juniors travelled to Stranorlar for the NI and Ulster Uneven Age Group championships, in what proved to be grim conditions, with wind, rain and low temperatures enough to daunt even the keenest runners but Alex Robinson showed great attitude, on discovering that there was an unscheduled Boys Under 9 race he quickly stepped up to the mark to volunteer and after a bone chilling wait he ran brilliantly to take 9th place and win a medal as a top 10 finisher.
Big brother Oliver ran the Under 11 race and taking Alex’s example finished well in 33rd place in a field of 88. Edie Carroll also performed well in the conditions finishing 37th out of 67 in the Under 15 Girls and Laura Gardiner was 4th in the Under 19 race. Gold medals all round I’d say to both competitors and their parents for braving the conditions and the journey.
BORN2RUN
Bernice McCann and Eithne McGrattan were in action in the Born2Run Minnowburn 10K on Saturday, an event which attracted over 700 runners.
SEELEY CUP or HOMESTART SANTA 1OK??
The ever popular Joe Seeley Cup 10K takes place on 26 November and the limit of 1000 entries is fast approaching. So if you don’t manage to get an entry for this one why not try the Homestart Santa 10K the following day in Downpatrick, starting at 11.30 from East Down AC Clubrooms. A 5K is also on offer and is likely to attract many of the Couch to 5K Group who will have finished their training course by then. With a 2K walk/run for families to take part in there is something for everyone and with all being asked to wear a Santa hat or outfit the emphasis is on fun. Entries will be taken on the day but online entry is open at www.athleticsni.org
COMING UP
It’s Griddle time again on Sunday 4th December and a big turnout is expected in the event this year, which has increased prize money, a Relay section and as last year is being organised as a project by a class of young people from SERC. The race begins at 12 noon and entries will be taken on the day in Saul GAC Clubrooms from 10.00am onwards, but online entry is open at www.athleticsni.org
Joe Quinn
7 November 2016