Press Release – 3rd September 2017

Storming the Castle

Hosted by Seapark AC, 800 athletes took to the streets of Carrickfergus on Sunday 27th August for the annual ‘Storming the Castle’ 10k road race. With ideal weather conditions this fast, flat provided runners with the opportunity for personal bests.

Kent Swann (North Belfast Harriers) led the field home in a time of 34.53 (1st place). With James Budde (North Down AC) a close second in 35.07. Joe Malone (North Belfast Harriers) completed the podium in 35.10.

In the ladies race Anne Terek (City of Lisburn AC) won with a time of 39.39. Julie Murphy (Lagan Valley AC) took second place in a time of 40.24, while Debbie Matchett (Ballydrain Harriers) crossed the line in 40.49 for third place.

Bryn Edgar (Springwell RC) had an excellent race, winning the M55 age category and 12th overall in a time of 38.36.

Springwell RC - 12th Bryan Edgar 38.36 (1st M55), 94th Mervyn Thompson 46.12, 104th Jean Claude Bourgeois 46.39, 110th Paul Quinn 46.40 PB, 130th Stephen Smyth 47.29, 161st Noel McAllister 48.43, 272nd Laura Wilson 53.01 PB, 369th Margaret Edgar 56.57.

Armagh City Marathon

The Armagh City Marathon also took place on Sunday 27th August and Chris Denton (Springwell RC) continued his excellent form with another sub 3 hour marathon of 2.52.15 to finish third. In the half marathon Louise Hanna (Springwell RC) ran 1.58.31 to finish 35th.

The event also incorporated a relay event with a team of four covering the marathon distance. Competing under the name ‘The Running Dead’ the Springwell RC quartet of Andrew Kincaid 1.04.53, Stacey Lyttle 1.30.59, Julie Corbett 1.05.03 and, on the anchor leg, Janet Patrick 56.31 finished 30th with a time of 4.37.25.

Run for the Hills

Hosted by Rasharkin Runners the charity 5 & 10k Run for the Hills too place on Saturday 2nd September at the Moneyleck Road in Rasharkin. In the 10k race Alex Brennan (Ballymena Runners) led the field home in a time of 38.37. Bryan Edgar (Springwell RC) took second place in 40.21 with James Stewart (Springwell RC) completing the podium with third in 40.27.

In the ladies race Veronica Nellins (unattached) took first place and 8th overall in 45.28. Louise O’Donnell (Springwell RC) was second and 20th overall in 54.59 and in third and 21st overall Sharifa O’Kane (unattached) crossed the line in 55.05.

Springwell RC - 2nd Bryan Edgar 40.21, 3rd Jimmy Stewart 40.27, 6th Raymond McCann 42.59, 20th Louise O'Donnell 54.59 (2nd lady), 22nd Mary Brogan 55.35, 25th Margaret Edgar 57.51.

Waterside Half Marathon

The very popular Waterside Half Marathon attracted over 1700 runners to the city on Sunday 3rd September to take on the course. The heavy, overnight rain which had left some very large puddles for the runners to negotiate stopped in time for the start of the race.

The course started in Ebrington Square and took competitors along the Limavady Road and around Gransha Park before they faced the challenge of the climb over the Foyle Bridge. Once recovered from the climb the course continued along the River Foyle onto Queens Quay and out to Coshowen before turning back along the river to cross the Peace Bridge and finish on the running track in St Columbs Park.

Springwell RC’s Ricky Wilson and Jim O’Hara take on the Foyle Bridge at the Waterside Half Marathon.

The mens race produced one of the closest ever finishes with the dip on the line making the difference between first and second. Freddy Sittuk (Raheny Shamrock AC) took victory by a second from Declan Reed (City of Derry AC) finishing in 1.09.18 with Declan 1.09.19. Scott Rankin (Foyle Valley AC) finished in third with 1.10.18.

In the ladies race Catherine Whoriskey claimed her third successive WHM title in 1.20.41. Deborah Gray (Bellahouston Road Runners) finished second in 1.29.04 and Catherine McKinley (Letterkenny AC) completed the top three with a time of 1.29.54.

Springwell RC had a large turnout of members at the even with Hugh Boyle continuing his excellent form with another M65 age category win, finishing 104th in 1.30.22.

Springwell RC - 39th Stephen Joyce 1.23.56, 93rd Jason Scott 1.29.38 (Pacer 1.30), 102nd Anthony Higginbottom 1.30.11, 104th Hugh Boyle 1.30.22 (1st M65), 105th Eddie Clyde 1.30.17, 113th Jeff Young 1.31.21, 175th David McGaffin 1.35.30, 177th John Butcher 1.35.36 PB, 194th Timothy Bacon 1.36.38 PB, 233rd Davy MacNichol 1.38.32, 302nd Kenny Coulter 1.42.07, 351st Glenda Whiteside 1.43.53 (Pacer 1.45), 352nd Darren Madden 1.44.10 (Pacer 1.45), 372nd Will Colvin 1.44.57, 381st Paul Irwin 1.45.14, 406th Ricky Wilson 1.46.01, 411th Paul Quinn 1.47.00 PB, 419th Martin Smith 1.46.19 PB, 468th Alwyn Hunt 1.48.56, 493rd Mandy Stewart 1.48.18, 508th Lynne Young 1.48.42, 547th David Gault 1.50.01, 548th Maxine McGregor 1.50.02 PB, 549th Noel Harkin 1.50.08, 556th Kieran Cooke 1.50.19, 575th Jim O’Hara 1.51.17, 603rd Paul Humphreys 1.52.18, 613th Geoff Glass 1.52.04, 665th Elizabeth Deighan 1.54.23, 666th Ali McAllister 1.54.13, 871st Gregory O’Brien 1.59.24 (Pacer 2.00), 1097th Brenda Burns 2.05.51 PB, 1224th Elaine Montgomery 2.10.47, 1338th Colin Connolly 2.14.36 PB, 1352nd Jonathan Lynch 2.15.55 PB, 1476th Karen Robinson 2.23.46, 1554th Helena Dornan 2.28.18 (Pacer 2.30).

Laganside 10k

On Sunday 3rd September over one thousand runners turned out for the Laganside 10k road race, sponsored by Pure Running and hosted by North Belfast Harriers. The race was also part of the ongoing Novosco 10k Grand Prix Series.

Blustery conditions reduced the chances of fast times, but it took nothing away from an excellent race. Both the male and female races went to the wire – in the end, reigning Champions Mark McKinstry (North Belfast Harriers) and Laura Graham (Mourne Runners) successfully defended their titles.

In the Mens race Mark McKinstry (North Belfast Harriers) retained his title from last year, winning in a time of 32.01 from Chris Madden (City of Lisburn AC) who finished in 32.11 just ahead of Lindsay Gordon (North Belfast Harriers) who completed the podium finishing third in 32.12.

In the ladies race Laura Graham and Gladys Ganiel O’Neill (North Belfast Harriers) went stride for stride until the final stages when Laura surged towards the finish line to tae victory in 35.26. Gladys finished second in 35.37 before Jessica Craig (North Down AC) crossed the line in 36.59 for third place.

Springwell RC - 98th David McAfee 39.31, 123rd Alister Jamison 40.40, 504th Janet Patrick 52.22 (1st F55), 587th Andrew Kincaid 54.10, 687th Catherine Byers 59.04, 764th Julie Corbett 1.00.12 PB, 884th Emer Thompson 1.04.34, 1016th Stacey Montgomery 1.27.01

Springwell RC’s Janet Patrick, Catherine Byers and Emer Thompson at the Laganside 10k

Parkruns

Springwell RC had 48 members out and about parkrunning at 6 different venues. 4 personal bests were recorded and Kenny Bacon completed his 90th parkrun in Leeds.

Portrush - Chris Denton 18.27, David Jackson 21.10, Ronan Close 21.45, Mervyn Thompson 22.25, Gary Kendall 23.28, Hugh Deighan 23.46, Andrew Wilson 24.08, Jonno Johnson 24.36, Patricia Craig 24.42, Rosanna Jack 25.24, Jack Blee 25.41, Donna Costello 26.08,
Rachel Blee 27.02 PB, Emma Birrell 28.31, Kay Hack 28.49, Andy Deal 29.34, Catherine Byers 30.08, Sylvia Pollock 30.11, Caoimhe Armstrong 30.32, Andrew Wilmot 30.42, Deborah Purdy 30.51 PB, Debbie Tutty 42.29, Fiona Walls 42.30, Rebecca Clarke 42.31, Zara Hunter 42.32, Lynn Montgomery 42.33, Ali McAllister 42.44, Emer Thompson 52.12

Limavady - Richard Wilson 20.38, John Butcher 21.08, Fergus Thompson 22.13, Catherine Shiels 23.19, Martin Smith 23.24, David McCool 24.32, Lorraine Mullan 24.44, Janet Patrick 24.59, Catherine Pinkerton 26.27, Alwyn Hunt 26.40, Gary Moore 26.40, Andrew Kincaid 27.09, Julie Corbett 29.00, Paul Campbell 29.22, Mairead McNicholl 33.10 PB, Lauren Andrews 33.29 PB

Waterworks - Jim Platt 24.41

Roundhay - Kenny Bacon 35.06

Ecos - Christopher Capper 25.41

Queens - Stephen Smyth 22.32