Coleraine Campus 5k 2025 - Race Report
Springwell Running Club hosted the 4th Coleraine Campus 5k at Ulster University’s Cromore Road premises on Sunday past. This was Springwell’s second year organising the event after former member Ryan Galway passed the baton to the club when he moved from the North West back home to North Down at the end of 2023. Ryan began the event under the ‘Friday Night Lights’ of the University Campus, with Springwell then changing the event to a Saturday afternoon in 2024. The event day was changed yet again to a Sunday morning for 2025. With less activity on the Campus at this time of the week it was thought that this would make for a safer event with less traffic, and also allow those travelling from distance to arrive comfortably with plenty of time before the 5k races.
We woke on Sunday morning to a forecast that changed overnight, with moderate cool winds forecast throughout the morning and a light drizzle to pass over between 8:30am and 10am. However, this didn’t dampen the spirits as the crowds quickly descended upon the sports hall in Ulster University’s Sports Centre as it opened for registration just before 9am. The return of the Junior race at this year’s event, catering for eight to sixteen year olds, brought a buzz and energy to the hall as parents and coaches pinned numbers onto the vests of the excited boys and girls who would open race proceedings for the day.
The Juniors turned out in good numbers despite the cool, wet and windy morning, and come 9:30am they were led them from the registration hall to the start line, found just after the main entrance to the campus. At 9:45am the Boys and Girls toed the line and the days racing got underway. The Junior Race used the same start and finish line as the 5k races, which meant a course of 1100 metres and just shy of a full lap. There were fantastic performances from all of the Juniors who took part with great enthusiasm, and some promising talent on display.
The prizegiving for the Juniors took place at the finish line immediately after the race concluded, with prizes for the top three boys and girls in U8, U10, U12 and U16 age categories. There were great turnouts from the Juniors at Ballymena and Antrim Athletics Club and Dominican College Portstewart!
After the Junior prizegiving was completed, it was time for the crowds to make the short walk from the finish line across to the start line, where runners gathered for the first of three 5k race which would each be just under four complete laps of the course. This race was targeted at runners with a predicted finish time of 22 minutes or greater. David Sexton stormed into an early lead in the race and with each lap the gap grew between David and the other runners. As David entered the final lap it was clear that he would be much quicker than the advertised fastest time of 22 minutes for this race, which would make him ineligible for the podium prizes, however, still posting a great time of 20:51.
Jonathan McCaughan (21:17) and Ciara Rudd (21:30) were another two runners who had a good day, underestimating their current fitness levels and both came home with times faster than they had expected. Unfortunately their performances were also outside the fifteen seconds leeway to be eligible for the podium in Races 1 and 2.
In the Female category in this race, we had a Springwell one-two, with Catherine Pinkerton (21:53) just about edging out Fran McFadden (21:53) in a sprint finish to claim the 1st Female prize. Alison Foster of Ballymena Runners ran a time of 22:19 to earn herself 3rd place and complete the female podium. John Neill (22:00), Martin McCauley (22:17) and Ashley Sands (22:42) of Acorns AC made up the Top 3 Male podium in this race.
Next up, as the clouds parted way and the sun peeked through, a 5k race for those with predicted finish times of between 18 and 22 minutes. From the gun, this race was a much closer affair, with a leading pack of 7 or 8 staying relatively close together until they began the final lap. At this point Chris Hamilton, Peter Tees and Harry Moffitt began to stretch things out, with Chris Hamilton of Ballymena and Antrim AC (17:51) then opening it up in the last 400 metres to take the victory from Peter Tees of Springwell RC (17:57), closely followed by Harry Moffitt (18:01) of Lagan Valley AC.
The Top 3 Females also came in relatively close together, with Natasha Henderson (19:00) of North Belfast Harriers in 1st place, from Niamh Marrs (19:16) of Glens Runners in 2nd place, and Maire Ferguson (19:22) of Derry Track Club in 3rd.
To conclude the racing for the day, there was the Sub 18 minutes race, that took off shortly after 11:30. In previous years this race was a sub 17 minutes race, however it was changed to 18 minutes this year in an attempt to improve female participation. On paper, we had a bout a dozen males who wold generally be in and around the 15 minutes mark for the 5k, and the vast majority of this group packed up from the beginning of the race and worked together into the strong headwind that hampered the runners in one half of the course loop.
David Spratt of Ballydrain Harriers raced the smartest of the group however, as he sat in the pocket conserving energy for much of the race before breaking out on the last lap to open up a gap between him and the pack on the home straight and finishing in a time of 15:25. There was next to nothing between Annadale Striders club mates Jonathan Spratt (15:29) and Chris Anderson (15:29), with Jonathan just finishing a stride or two ahead of Chris to take 2nd place.
The tussle for top spot between the females in the race was also a close race. Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC) opened up a gap of about 5 to 10 metres between her and Sarah Lavery (Beechmount Harriers) early on in the race, a gap that was maintained for most of the race before Catherine pushed on in the last lap and opened that gap up a little more. Sarah was probably still feeling the effects of her efforts at the Craic 10k just six days earlier, when she had a fantastic run to finish on the podium then also. Catherine finished with a time of 17:39, Sarah following 8 seconds behind her with a time of 17:47, and Ciara Toner of City of Derry Spartans completed the Top 3 Females with a time of 18:18. Ciara continued her podium streak in this event, having been among the Top 3 since the race’s inception in 2022.
The club would like to express its gratitude to those who supported the event this year, without the support of whom the day would not be possible. Mallon & Co Solicitors continued as the headline sponsor of the event in 2025, while also offering up a significant cash prize to any male or female who would set a new course record. Bensons Estate Agents once again very generously supported the event for the third consecutive year.
On the day, Kevin McLean of Northern Road Markings very generously gave up his resources and time for the whole morning to set up the course for the event, while NISA Ballybogey supplied the water that rehydrated the runners at the finish line, and Scott’s Wholesale Fruit and Veg refuelled us all at the finish line by providing some tasty bananas!
We can’t fail to mention our sincere thanks to Ulster University, who have been extremely supportive of this event from day one when Ryan began it back in 2022. As well as allowing us to take over the roads on the Coleraine Campus for the entire morning, we also had use of much of the facilities in the Sports Centre on race day.
Many thanks also to all the club members who volunteered in the days leading up to the event and on the morning of the event with registration, marshalling, and making sure all the competitors, spectators, volunteers, and other members of the public using the campus premises stayed safe throughout the morning.
Over and out for the Coleraine Campus 5k 2025, looking forward to beginning the planning of the 5th Coleraine Campus 5k event in 2026!
Full results available on our results page.