Springwell Running Club - Press Release –26th November 2023

The last weekend of November continued the trend of trail running and cross country with the Lough Fea 5k in the Sperrin Mountains and the Malcolm Cup cross country at the Queens University Playing Fields in Belfast. The one consistent theme throughout the year is the parkrun and this week Springwell members could be found at fifteen different venues.

Lough Fea 5k

Saturday 25th November saw event two of this year’s Winter Trail Series, hosted by Sperrin Harriers, with the traditional lap and a bit of Lough Fea. A cool but calm morning lured almost 130 runners into the Sperrin's for this 5k event along the narrow path that circumnavigates this scenic location. Seven Springwell members made the trip with Nicky Frizelle first across the line in 42nd with a time of 21:23, followed by James Hughes who was 51st in 22:44. Carolyn Crawford was 60th in 23:55 with Andrew Wilmot 99th in 27:30. Shirley McGaffin was 119th in 36:35, David McGaffin was 120th in 36:38, with Iris Wilson Completing the magnificent seven in 121st with a time of 36:54.

Cross Country League

A tale of two cups, as the cross-country results all arrive together. On Sunday 19th November it was the Comber Cup hosted by Ballydrain Harriers at the Billy Neill Playing Fields in Belfast on a testing course. On this outing there were no playing fields incorporated into the course, and spiked shoes were an essential if you were to maintain your balance and gain traction in the mud. While it was cold, thankfully the rain didn't appear until the very end of the final race of the day, and it had little effect on an already well-trodden course. Ciarán Ferris produced a very strong run to finish seventh in the men’s race.

Ladies Race - 79th Pauline Mullan 27:59, 94th Ashley McPhee 28:57, 96th Deborah McPhee 28:59, 106th Helena Dornan 29:20, 145th Alison Duncan 31:39, 167th Heather McLaughlin 33:35, 211th Ingrid Hamilton 39:45, 215th Linda McMichael 41:00

Masters Men - 16th Gary Kendall 27:18

Men's Race - 7th Ciaran Ferris 28:47, 51st Ryan Galway 32:47, 91st James Weir 34:35, 121st Rhys Walker 36:15, 184th David McGaffin 40:49, 219th James Hughes 43:29, 225th Adrian Finlay 44:09, 245th Andrew Wilmot 49:40

No sooner have you got one race finished, cleaned, and dried out your shoes, when another comes along and on Sunday 26th November it was another trip to Belfast. This time to the Queens University playing fields for the Malcolm Cup, hosted by Annadale Striders. A colder and wetter day for racing, but that's just one of the joys of winter cross country, saw twenty Springwell members make the trip to Belfast for the event. The persistent rain did little to dampen spirits with some determined running on display. A strong run from Ashley McPhee saw her finish second in the U20 age group.

Ladies Race - 36th Fiona Prue 21:42, 50th Judith Buchanan 22:02, 56th Fiona Martin 22:34, 102nd Pauline Mullan 24:29, 119th Deborah McPhee 25:09, 123rd Ashley McPhee 25:22, 124th Gael Butcher 25:25, 134th Helena Dornan 25:45, 141st Sarah Milligan 26:07, 161st Sinead Graham 26:56, 164th Alison Duncan 27:09, 172nd Karen Campbell 27 :23, 216th Ingrid Hamilton 31:08

Men’s Race - 30th Ryan Galway 25:51, 49th Rodney McPhee 26:21, 57th Stephen McLaughlin 26:46, 58th John Butcher 33:22, 149th Jonny Rowntree 33:22, 151st Adrian Finlay 33:26, 175th Andrew Wilmot 38:35.

Ashley McPhee - 2nd U20 at the Malcolm Cup

Parkrun

It was a well-travelled weekend for the Springwell crew as fifty - eight appeared at fifteen different venues. Six personal bests were recorded, Sonya Colville at Ecos parkrun, Rhys Walker, Jonathan Huddlestone and Cathy Adams at Portrush parkrun, Alison Duncan at Limavady parkrun and Karen Armstrong at Garvagh Forest parkrun.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to volunteer on Saturday.

Waterworks - Majella MCATEER 24:17

Belfast Victoria - Andy WHITEFORD 17:43

Ecos - Reggie COLVILLE 20:55, Sonya COLVILLE 30:44, Kenneth BACON 41:20

Portrush - Rhys WALKER 18:55, Maurice WALKER 19:59, Fiona PRUE 20:57, Jonathan HUDDLESTON 21:27, Shaun CARTON 21:42, Paul LAVERTY 22:56, Cathy ADAMS 23:00, Mervyn THOMPSON 24:27, Peter JACK 24:43, Mervyn ADAMS 24:49, Heather SPENCE 25:40, Patrick MAGEE 25:52, Andrew WILSON 29:02, Roisin WALKER 29:23, Gemma WRAY 29:50, Fergal MACKLE 30:45, Amanda SCOTT 30:59, Reid JACK 31:29, Pamela HOWE 37:19, Caitriona MACKLE 38:29, Emer THOMPSON 42:47, Anne JACK 52:21

Rhys Walker - first finisher and a personal best at Portrush parkrun

Margate - Bernie HANNIGAN 30:39

Ormeau - Conor SHIELDS 22:18

Castlewellan - Gary KENDALL 22:07

Peckham Rye - Heather MCLAUGHLIN 28:57

Limavady - Chris DENTON 17:33, John BUTCHER 18:19, Ryan GRAY 20:11, Catherine PINKERTON 21:04, Kevin MCLEAN 21:27, Darren WALSH 21:53, Fergus THOMPSON 22:43, Pauline MULLAN 23:06, Leanne QUIGLEY 24:33, Janet PATRICK 25:16, Alison C DUNCAN 25:29, Sinead GRAHAM 25:33, Alan WHITE 26:53, John MCMICHAEL 29:51, Linda MC MICHAEL 29:51, Ingrid HAMILTON 32:02, Nicola WHITE 32:03, Adrian FINLAY 43:31

Jamaica Pond - Ali SHAW 19:44

Avondale Forest - Elaine MONTGOMERY 34:11

Coldham’s Common - Catherine BYERS 34:25

Hay Lodge - Alanna MILLAR 28:42

Meadowmill - Colin CONNOLLY 32:37

Garvagh Forest - Laurence BLAIR 26:59, Annita MCNICHOLL 29:57, Karen ARMSTRONG 33:32, Kay HACK 35:39