INTERNATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
I was looking through the results of the International Cross Country races after this year’s races on Saturday and it reminded me of just lucky we had been over the years to attract what is a veritable who’s who of top class athletes. The event first took place in 1977 (7 years before I took up the sport) at Mallusk where it remained until 1996 before switching to Barnett’s Demesne for the next 2 years and then on to the Stormont Estate were it thought it had found a permanent home until in 1999, because, strange as it might seem, the ground cut up due to the heavy rainfall and snow which preceded it, the powers that be decided that it would not host it again. And so from 2009 until the present the event has been held in the superb surroundings of CAFRE, Greenmount Campus, courtesy of the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and where it seeks to make its permanent home.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Among the Men who have graced the podium over its 40 year existence are Steve Ovett, Brendan Foster, Steve Cram, John Treacy, Dave Taylor, Dave Lewis, Roger Hackney, Tim Hutchings, Eamonn Martin, John Ngugi, Deon McNeilly, Ondoro Osoro, Ismael Kirui, Sergey Lebid, Paul Terget, Mike Kigen, Thomas Ayeko, Andy Vernon and this year’s winner Consesius Kipruto, the current Olympic Steeplechase Champion.
Andy Vernon has become a firm favourite with the local supporters over recent years as he never runs a bad race, always takes on the Africans and his well deserved 3rd place finish on Saturday replicated his previous best effort in 2013.
LADIES STARS
The Ladies, whose first event only took place in 1986, have also been exceptionally well represented by the likes of Liz McColgan (nee Lynch) a winner under both names, Ann Buckley, Roisin Smyth, Teresa Duffy, Catherina McKiernan, Paula Radcliffe, Rose Cheruiyot, Gete Wami, Hayley Yelling, Steph Twell, Mary Cullen, Gemma Steel, Ethalemu Kidane, Fionnuala McCormick (nee Britton) twice winner, once third 4th this year behind Birtukan Adamu the Ethiopian who placed 3rd this year for the third time.
2017 PERFORMANCES
Anyway enough of nostalgia, this year’s races were up to the usual high standard with the high flying Kenyan Chipruto finding only one obstacle on this occasion in the shape of Abraham Cheroben from Bahrain, before just winning on the line, with the had working Vernon a creditable third. Notable performances came from Newcastle’s Seamus Lynch, representing Northern Ireland, who finished 13th overall, four places ahead of clubmate Zak Hanna with David O’ Flaherty in 20th. Mourne Runners Willie McKee was also in good form placing 22nd in this world class field.
EAST DOWN MEN
East Down were well represented too and all contributed solid performances in increasingly softening underfoot conditions. Led home by Dee Murray 91st the rest of the quartet made up of Davy Foster 97th, Gavin Hynds 122nd and Stephen Heasley 125th could be well satisfied with their efforts in the over 200 runner field.
EAST DOWN LADIES
East Down’s Ladies also performed well and Alison Gilliland made a welcome return to competition and finished with her trademark sprint to take 43rd place closely followed by Joanne Foster 52nd and with the three other runners Clare Carson 77th Alison Carroll 81st and Janine Murray 91st finishing within a minute of each other.
Laura Gardiner, had a tough time in the Under 20 Girls race, but nevertheless finished in 10th while Aoife Cochrane 24th and Laura Green 29th gave their all as ever in the Under 17 Girls race.
JUNIORS
Kirsti Foster was the first of the East Down juniors to run and set a high standard with a battling 32nd place in the Under 13 Girls race. And Mackenzie Murray was equally determined in holding onto 35th place in the Under 13 Boys race.
In the Under 15 Girls race Edie Carroll was again out top performer, showing signs of a return to better form in 21st place while Lucy Morgan and Annie McMullan enjoyed each others company to finish in 48th and 49th places respectively.
In the Under 17 Boys/ Junior Men under 20 category James Smyth showed up well and is perhaps returning to top form, placing 26th in a hotly contested race, while Matthew McGrattan was 53rd in the Under 17 category, in spite of a nasty spiking injury picked up on the start line.
PERFORMANCES OF THE DAY
As has been common in recent months the stars of the day turned up in the Girls Primary School race where East Down’s Lauren Madine won comprehensively from Armagh’s Ciara Nugent and Emmy Thornton of Willowfield. The other East Down runners placings, Lucy Foster 6th, Anna Gardiner 9th , Jodi Foster 19th and Ella Telford 41st enabled the girls to win the team competition. WELL DONE TO THEM.
Perhaps one day some of these rising stars will joint the list of famous runners featured above?
OTHER RACES
Declan Teague reports on running a marathon last Wednesday, which was 8 times up and down the seafront in Clontarf, with the return leg into the teeth of a gale and although there were only 10 runners in the marathon there were 29 brave souls altogether doing the Half or Full marathon with different start times so that the Loneliness of the long distance runner was less than it might have been. The course was a bit like running up and down Newcastle promenade but with a good grass area which he decided to stick to as the concrete path was too hard on the joints and he was “just doing it for fun”. Is there such a thing?”.
He commented that the organisation was pretty low key but there was a decent wee medal at the end and was pretty good value for 20 euros entry fee. Another one is planned for 15 February in the same place organised, he thinks, for people looking to join the 100 marathon club. Perhaps you should take a weather check before heading South again, Declan?
NEXT ON THE AGENDA
The next event on the local front is the Rollercoaster Races on Saturday 11 February at Downpatrick Racecourse and all schools and clubs are invited to send their juniors to this safest of venues for road racing. All the races take place on the perimeter road round the racecourse and there are refreshments for all participants.
Adults too are welcome to what is Downpatrick’s annual answer to Parkrun, a 5K race for seniors to round off the day.
Joe Quinn
16 January2017
PS – Please send me your reports of races you have taken part in and any photos you