Springwell Running Club - Press Release – 29th December 2018

The Christmas holidays saw Springwell RC members out at the traditional events in the Mourne Mountains with the BARF ‘Turkey Trot’, The Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race, the Muff Glen Trail Run in Eglinton and the Castlewellan Christmas Cracker in Castlewellan Forest Park.

BARF Turkey Trot

The Belfast Association of Rock Climbers and Fell Runners (BARF) ‘Turkey Trot’ on Boxing Day might sound like a gentle outing to ease the Christmas digestion but don’t be fooled. It is a 13km race, which includes 450m of climbing along the Trassey Way and through the Hares Gap in the Mourne Mountains, so not exactly a ‘trot’ in the hills.

Springwell RC’s sole representative at the race was Barry Mullan who ran an excellent 1.04.54 to finish 8th overall and win the MV40 age category.

33rd Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race & Larne AC 5 Mile Road Race

Alistair Shaw at the Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race

The Boxing Day traditions were continued and resurrected with the 33rd Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race in County Tyrone and the resumption of the 5 Mile Road Race by Larne AC as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations. In Greencastle Alistair Shaw ran 33.26 to finish 81st while in Larne Bryan Edgar was 22nd with a time of 30.45 and Margaret Edgar 139th in 44.56

Northern Velocity Muff Glen Trail Race

Hosted by local events Management Company, Northern Velocity, the Muff Glen Trail race is now well established in the running calendar. This year’s event took place on Thursday 27th December with over 60 runners completing two undulating laps of the trails around Muff Glen, just outside Eglinton Village.

Ryan Gray finishing the Muff Glen Trail Race (photo Northern Velocity)

Lee O’Boyle (Mallusk RC), Luke Dinsmore (Springwell RC) and Colin Dean (unattached) (Photo Northern Velocity)

Luke Dinsmore (Springwell RC) had an excellent race to win the event for the second consecutive year, winning in a time of 24.06. Lee O’Boyle (Mallusk RC) finished second in 25.55 and Colin Dean (Unattached) completed the podium in a time of 28.50. In the lady’s race it was the local clubs Dawn Houston (Eglinton Road Runners) who won in 31.55 with Siobhan Gallagher (unattached) second in 32.36 and Dawn Rainey (unattached) third in 34.53.

Springwell RC had two other representatives at the race with Ryan Gray 9th in 30.41 and Will Colvin 21st in 33.35.

Castlewellan Christmas Cracker

Hosted by Newcastle AC the Castlewellan Christmas Cracker took place on Saturday 29th December, with 677 ‘teams’ racing around Castlewellan Country Park. The 8.5 mile course has 900 feet of climbing and covers a multitude of terrains, as runner’s race on forest trails, fields, grass, mud and tarmac. As it is a ‘pairs’ race you have to finish with your partner and can only enter the finish area when you are both present.

Continuing the excellent form they have shown throughout the year Springwell RC’s David Jackson and Ciara Toner finished 22nd overall in a time of 1.03.11 to win the Mixed 80 – 99 age category. Springwell RC’s other representatives were Brian Merron, who teamed up with Dom Dorris (Larne AC) to finish 279th in 1.26.03. The husband and wife team of Betty and Hugh Deighan were 463rd in 1.38.08 closely followed by Gary Kendall and Kay Hack in 487th with a time of 1.40.54. Alistair Shaw and Iryna Kennedy completed Springwell’s contingent with a time of 1.54.15 for 532nd.