Stacked week of events for East Down runners

Stacked week of events for East Down runners

26 June 2024

WEDNESDAY saw the annual Lisburn Vitality Half Marathon and 10K Road Race. 

This is a very popular event and both races start and finish at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex, taking in the town centre before covering the roads and lanes of the local countryside. 

The half marathon was the first race off and East Down AC’s Leanne Spick was the only representative from the club. 

With warm and dry conditions, Leanne joined 965 runners and hit the roads. Leanne was going well until the ten mile point when a bad cramp ambushed her, making the last three miles very uncomfortable. 

However, Leanne dug deep and crossed the line in two hours 12 minutes.

In the 10K race, Ashley McGrady was the only red and yellow vest on the start line with the other 1,124 runners. 

And with the warm conditions Ashley will be happy with her time of 56:12. Well done to both of the girls.

Drinnahilly

On Friday evening the final race of this year’s Hill and Dale series took place. 

East Down AC had four musketeers in this last race. Kieran Keown has completed all the races in a great first year, and he will be pleased with his 103rd place finish in 32:27. 

Not too far behind was young Matthew Taylor, who will have bragging rights in the Taylor household, pipping his dad in this race in a time of 32:51 for 108th spot with dad John coming in 123rd position in 33:57. 

Lesley Keown again has completed all the races this year which is some achievement and finished the season with a great run, crossing the line in 42:36, taking 229th position. 

Well done to all the Hill and Dale participants this year.

Catherine PBs at The Long Woman 5K

Also on Friday evening in Omeath, Co Louth, the Long Woman 5K run and walk took place raising funds for extracurricular activities for pupils at Scoil Naomh Lorcan, Omeath. 

The 5K route starts near the Long Woman’s Grave and from there, the athletes will follow the local roads which take them along what is arguably the most scenic stretch of the Cooley Peninsula. 

The route explores into Omeath village with a fast flat run to the finish line. East Down AC’s Catherine O’Connor made the short trip to Omeath for this short, fast race. 

From the gun Catherine hit the front of the 222 field and stayed with the front runners. 

Catherine had an amazing run, placing in fifth position and as first lady home in a personal best of 15:54. A great result for Catherine.

Comber 10K

If Friday could not get any busier, Ballydrain Harriers organised the Comber 10K Road Race. 

This popular event takes in two big laps of the town and with a fairly flat course it attracts athletes from all the local clubs. 

The conditions were wet and a little windy so personal bests were 

few and far between, but not impossible. 

EDAC had 12 athletes on the packed start line joining the other 683 runners. From the gun it was a fast start with the race making its way through the backstreets of the town, before heading out onto the main roads and carriage ways. 

Gordy Graham was the first red and yellow vest home in eighth position in a great time of 34:17. 

Neil Curran also had a great race, winning his age group in a time of 35:29 for 12th spot. 

The first lady home for East Down AC and first lady across the line was Caroline MacNabb, who from the start put her head down and attacked the race, even in the wet conditions, to cross the finish line in 37:29 and a great first place. 

Next in was Martin Willcox, after a break in racing he was glad to get back on the road and was happy with his efforts, finishing in 42nd position in a time of 38:18. 

Not far behind Martin was Daniel Giles, who has been in great form of late, crossing the line in 38:39. 

Dee Murray is one of the faces of the local running scene and always gives his all.

He put in a strong performance to come home in 39:06. 

There wasn’t many personal bests but Eamon Kelly was one of them in 42:51, a great run from Eamon. 

The second lady home was Sharon Madine, who put in another strong run clocking 46:08. The ever steady Mark O’Connor was next in with a time of 49:47. 

Not too far behind Mark was Clare Forester, who worked hard in the wet and windy conditions to cross the line in 52:48. 

Wayne Giles, who always gives any race a go, will be happy with his 57:22.

The fourth lady home was Laura Hardy, who enjoyed the whole race event from the warm-up to after the race and brought all the EDAC runners home with a time of 58:50. 

A great evening for the club and a great event by Ballydrain Harriers.

Niall tackles the Rankin Round again

The Denis Rankin round is a circuit of all the peaks in the Mourne mountains and is over 400m in height, covering 90K and 6,500m in ascent.

The challenge is to complete this within 24 hours. Denis Rankin was a pioneer and leading light in fell running and mountain marathons in Northern Ireland since the 1970s, who tragically died on May 16 2013 competing in a fell race on Slievemoughamore. 

This is not an organised event but a challenge open to all who believe they can circumnavigate the beautiful, rugged and demanding mountains of Mourne within 24 hours. 

East Down AC’s mountain man Niall Gibney has completed this challenge twice before but with wingman Gavin Hynds. 

This time he was going solo and aiming for a better time, so very early Saturday morning Niall left the start line which is under the white arch at Donard carpark on an anti-clockwise route of the Mournes. 

The conditions were perfect with clear visibility, not too warm 

with a light breeze and with his back up team of Dermot Cahill, Steven Morgan, Helen Gibney and Rankin round legend Stephen Bickerstaff (nine rounds to his name), Niall 

was in a good position to beat his time. 

After 54.42 miles, 20,748 feet of elevation and 17 hours 47 minutes, Niall entered the Donard carpark later that day to set a new personal best for this amazing challenge, knocking 2.5 hours off his previous attempt. 

An amazing effort from Niall and his team.

Moy Park Women’s 10k

On Sunday morning the Moy Park Belfast Women’s 10K took place with 1,600 runners turning out to take on the flat two lap course around the Titanic Quarter. 

The sun shone and there was a light breeze so it was perfect running conditions. 

Alison Carroll was the only EDAC representative but she reported back that it was a slick, well organised event with good support around the route. 

It has been well over a year since she had tackled a competitive road race and she was unsure what to expect but she enjoyed her run and set a steady pace that brought her home in 54:29 for 211th overall and fourth in the 60 plus age group.