Springwell Running Club - Press Release – 26th August 2018

It’s been a very busy, but also a very successful week for Springwell Running Club with members achieving podium places, age category wins and personal bests at a variety of events.  Always a very busy time of the year this week saw Springwell RC competing at Dessies 10k, the Castlederg 5k, the Portrush 5 Mile, the Rathlin Run, The Warriors Run, The Armagh City Marathon and finishing the weekend by ‘Storming the Castle’ with a 10k in Carrickfergus.

Dessies 10k

Hosted by City of Derry Spartans, the Dessies 10k took place on Wednesday 22nd August at Gransha Park.  This has always been a competitive event and 2018 was no exception as the cool overcast conditions provided almost perfect running conditions.

David McMenamin (Inisowen AC) & Steven McAlary (Springwell RC) at Dessies 10k

(Photo Local Derry Sport)

Scott Rankin (Foyle Valley AC), the current NI & Ulster 10k and 10,000m Champion produced another impressive performance to lead from start to finish, winning in a time of 31.48.  Kyle Doherty (City of Derry AC) was second in 32.16 with Eoin Hughes (Acorns AC) continuing his recent good form to finish third, in a new Acorns AC club record of 32.38. Steven McAlary (Springwell RC) ran a personal best of 32.40 to finish fourth, just two seconds behind Eoin.  While he just missed out on the podium places Steven won the M35 age category.

In the ladies race, Northern Ireland and Ireland international Ann-Marie McGlynn raced clear to win in an excellent 33.59.  Ciara Toner (Springwell RC) had a very strong finish to take second place in 36.37, while Nikita Burke (Letterkenny AC) crossed the line in 36.44 for third.

James Crampsey (COD Spartans) & Ciara Toner (Springwell RC) at Dessies 10k

(Photo Local Derry Sport)

Springwell had another age category win at the event as Pauline Mullan ran 47.55 to win the F45 category.

Springwell RC Results - 4th Steven McAlary 32.40 PB (1st M35), 13th Ciara Toner 36.37 (2nd lady), 17th David Jackson 37.51, 23rd Colin Loughery 38.37, 26th Jeff Young 39.23 PB, 45th David McGaffin 42.21, 54th Stephen McLaughlin 44.34 PB, 62nd Barry Mc Cluskey 45.16, 63rd Paul Irwin 45.26, 64th Kieran Cooke 45.26 PB, 88th Pauline Mullan 47.55 (1st F 45), 91st David Boorman 48.25 PB, 98th Peter Butcher 49.26, 106th Monica McCarthy 52.08, 114th Janet Patrick 53.45

Portrush 5 Mile Road Race

Organised by Mervyn Thompson in memory of his late father, the Portrush 5 Mile Road Race is a charity event raising funds for Prostate Cancer and the Alzheimer’s Society.  This year’s race took place on Friday 24th August with over 270 runners taking part in the very scenic event.

Start of the Portrush 5 Mile Road Race (Photo Richard McLaughlin)

The showery weather, that had persisted during the day thankfully stopped as the field gathered on the Bushmills Road for the start of the race with competitors only having to cope with a blustery on shore wind.  The course took the runners out the Bushmills Road and past the White Rocks before turning in the Magheracross Car Park, just before Dunluce Castle and returning to Portrush to finish on the East Strand adjacent to the Water Sports Centre.

Alan Nevin (Springwell RC), Ted Gourley (Giffock North AAC) and Bryan Edgar (Springwell RC)

(Photo Richard McLaughlin)

From the start it was Northern Ireland international Mark McKinstry setting the pace, as he took part in the event for the first time, securing a comfortable victory in 26.45.  Chris McGurk of Glaslough Harriers followed in 27.16 for second, before Gareth Lyons (Ballydrain Harriers) finished in a time of 28.05 for third place.

In the ladies race, Leann Gibson (Victoria Park & Connswater AC) won in 31.55.  Faith Vinney (Bure Valley Harriers) claimed second place in 32.32, while Elaine Connor (Derry Track Club) took third place with a 33.55 just ahead of Karen McLaughlin (Springwell RC) who was fourth in 33.57.

Karen McLaughlin (Springwell RC) (Photo Richard McLaughlin)

Springwell RC were well represented at the event with age category wins for Rhodri Jones (M35), Bryan Edgar (M55), Hugh Boyle (M60) and Karen McLaughlin (F45)

Springwell RC Results - 5th Rhodri Jones 28.19 (1st M35), 11th David O’Neill 30.50, 12th Bryan Edgar 31.01 (1st M55), 14th Alan Nevin 31.07 PB, 18th Fergus Irwin 31.38, 24th Ross Armstrong 32.15, 25th Maurice Walker 32.19, 31st Hugh Boyle 32.43 (1st M60), 32nd Dave Sexton 32.59, 36th Karen McLaughlin 33.37 (1st F45), 45th Rodney McPhee 34.05, 46th David McGaffin 34.06, 54th Terry Glenn 34.35, 65th Alan McKeeman 36.23, 76th Keith Nixon 37.10, 79th Ruari Bradley 37.42, 86th Mark Neely 38.04, 100th Lynne Young 38.40, 102nd David Boorman 38.44, 113th Andrew Wilson 39.19, 118th Charlotte Conerney 39.31, 128th Pamela Howe 40.04, 138th Alanna Millar 40.42, 151st David Campbell 41.59 PB, 154th Deborah McPhee 42.41 PB, 158th Carolyn Crawford 42.40, 161st Mariette Mulvenna 43.19, 172nd Laura Wilson 43.54, 173rd Alison Kelly 43.54, 179th Margaret Edgar 44.36, 185th Heather McLaughlin 45.20 PB, 191st Barbara Ferguson 45.49 PB, 193rd Ingrid Hamilton 45.54, 199th Caitriona Mackle 46.04, 200th Fergal Mackle 46.05, 201st Jonathan Lynch 46.06, 203rd Alison Duncan 46.05, 206th Amanda Scott 46.24 PB, 207th Elaine Montgomery 46.25, 213th Deborah Archibald 46.56, 215th Joanne McClenaghan 47.01, 227th Judith McLaughlin 48.21, 230th Pauline Duke 48.53 PB, 235th David Patterson 49.56, 243rd Amy Dobson 51.22, 245th Rhona Laverty 51.59, 246th Paula Chartres 52.00, 249th Lorraine Abernethy 53.20, 254th Jennifer Patterson 55.31, 255th Caroline Owen 55.21, 259th Kenneth Bacon 55.43

Armagh City Marathon, Castlederg 5k, Rathlin Run and the Warrior Run

The Armagh City Marathon took place on Sunday 26th August, where the very wet and windy weather did little to prevent Chris Denton producing a great performance and yet another sub 3 hour marathon, winning in a time of 2.54.50. The Castlederg 5k on Thursday 23rd August saw Patrick Gallagher produce a personal best time of 19.06 to finish 6th overall and second in the senior male age category.  At the Rathlin Run 5k on Saturday 25th August Will Colvin ran an impressive 21.32, on a hilly course, to finish second on the podium.

The top three at the Rathlin Run 5k – Brian Maltman (East Coast AC), Peter Fleming (Ballymena Runners) and Will Colvin (Springwell RC)

The Warrior Run is a 15km race in Strandhill Village, which is just to the west of Sligo Town, where competitors race from the shore to the top of Knocknarea Hill at a height of 1070 feet before returning to the shore to finish.  Catherine Byers took on this challenge and finished in 945th in a time of 1.59.11.

Storming the Castle

The ‘Storming the Castle’ 10k, hosted by Seapark Athletic Club, took place on Sunday 26th August with over 800 runners taking part in this very popular event.  The relatively flat course takes in the most scenic parts of Carrickfergus before finishing at the Castle.  Springwell RC were well represented with a few taking on their second race of the weekend - 143rd Mervyn Thompson 46.07, 176th Mark Neely 47.48, 184th Clive Bradberry 48.02, 442nd Alison Kelly 55.56, 443d Laura Wilson 55.57, 539th Hayley Neely 58.52, 591st Amanda Scott 1.00.09, 592nd Elaine Montgomery 1.00.26, 600th Fiona Walker 1.00.47, 606th Deborah Archibald 1.00.52, 632nd Andrew Wilmot 1.02.03, 779th Jennifer Patterson 1.11.56.