Race 1 : The Mc Veigh Classic

7th April 2005

Harty smashes record & McKibben picks up where he left off

'Toute ca change, toute la meme chose' - 'Bord Failte' - everything changes, but really it's more of the same and everyone is very welcome to the Mournes for the 2005 Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series. For the next ten weeks the competition will be fierce, not just at the front end, but also all the way through the field to the very last finisher as each individual battles to beat their own expectations.

After a brief glimpse of summer the previous weekend as the clocks went forward, the full force of winter had returned by Thursday night as the runners gathered in Castlewellan Forest Park for the McVeigh Classic. 134 runners, a record for this race, started and they struck it lucky as the weather stayed dry albeit it with a harsh cold wind. Underfoot, although it was forest, was wet and slippy enough to cause a few thrills and spills.

The winners of both this race last year and the Series' titles overall were both in the field in the shape of Newcastle AC athletes Alan McKibben and Kerry Harty. The race started with the usual cavalry charge up the hill with the Castle as the backdrop. The nearest thing that locals will see to Kenyan style running comes courtesy of the McKibben twins. They love to front run, they love to surge, they love to win and…one of them usually does.

This evening, North Belfast Junior, Eoghan Gill, Junior winner two years ago at the tender age of 16, laid down the gauntlet early on along with a slower starting Deon McNeilly. As the leaders reached the top of the first climb after just over seven minutes, the four were together. After the swift drop to the castle for the first time, the longest climb of the race, the Ridge Walk, and onto the top of Slievenaslat followed. Gill was soon crouched and scrambling as the McKibben's pushed on relentlessly with McNeilly in hot pursuit followed by North Belfast's Kevin Kearney and Willowfield's Gareth Arnott.

The leaders speeded once again down to the castle with McNeilly now isolated in third. The final climb is to Fox's Green and it was on this one that Alan got the better of Dave and pulled away to lead clearly as he started the one and a half miles run back to the finish. Alan led home in 32 minutes and 58 seconds with Dave 24 seconds behind and McNeilly 19 seconds behind him.

Gill was first junior in a fine 6th place in 34 minutes and 56 seconds. First veteran 45 was Dave McGreevy from Ballydrain in 25th overall in 38 minutes and 3 seconds with ACKC's Peter McGuckin first veteran 50 in 55th overall in 41 minutes and 55 seconds. Billy McKay, of Albertville, now in the veteran 55 category was an excellent 14th overall in 36 minutes and 36 seconds. The veteran 60 win went to Larne's Billy Magee in 75th place in 44 minutes and 39 seconds with Ballydrain's Hugh Young home as first veteran 65 in 109th in 48 minutes and 47 seconds.

Harty Smashes Record

From the gun, last year's Ladies Series' winner Newcastle AC's Kerry Harty threw down the gauntlet again to all competitors. Coming off a best ever cross-country season, she led tonight's race from start to finish. Beating her winning time of last year by 2 minutes and 25 seconds, she came home 28th out of the 134 starters to smash Ballymena's Sharon McBurney's record by 84 seconds to post the new time of 38 minutes and 15 seconds.

Club mate Anne Sandford, now competing as a veteran 40 also demonstrated a vast improvement to better her last year's time by 2 minutes and 5 seconds, in tougher conditions, coming home in 41 minutes and 15 seconds in second place and first veteran. Cathy McCourt from the City of Derry was third lady in 42 minutes and 15 seconds with Newcastle's Martina Hawkins also showing an excellent improvement in fourth in 43 minutes and 4 seconds and her club mate Clare Galbraith, all coming off good cross-country seasons, in 5th in 44 minutes and 20 seconds.

Blood? Not a problem

Runners are well known for their reticence in giving blood as it affects tough training schedules. However, for the second year running one runner, Newcastle AC's Joe McCann, in the London Marathon next weekend, demonstrated his top quality ability to fall for the cause. On his, not so fast, descent off Slievenaslat, he was suddenly staring at the sky from the comfort of his back. It was only a graze, but by the time he reached the finish some 15 minutes later, there was blood everywhere. Shame the Blood Donation service had not been booked and the opportunity was missed - at least until next year.

Another great facet of the evening was that ten different clubs finished at least the requisite three runners to score in the team event. The difference between first and tenth team - 352 points - over 100 places per runner. Team Purple from the southern part of the Mournes finished eight runners with BARF and ACKC fifteen runners apiece. However, it was the host club, Newcastle AC, who brought home 31 runners. Amongst their number was Connel Nugent, coming home a proud 126th place in 56 minutes and 56 seconds - Connel has not run one step, indeed not has his trainers on, since the last Hill & Dale race of 2004 on the third Friday of last June - not to be recommended to everyone, in fact anyone, but a great performance nonetheless.

Race two is this coming Thursday at the Tollymore Mountain Centre with an exhilarating run around the small trails of the forest (with some small diversions due to the devastation caused by the storm in the early hours of the 8th of January). Anyone is welcome to participate with all abilities represented with times expected between half an hour and the full hour depending on your ability. Just arrive in the car park at the Centre by 7pm and enjoy the challenge.

BOGBOY