Race 4: Binnian to the Top

27th April 2005

Shannon & McKibben dominate the long steep climb

The rain cleared, a fresh southerly gale arrived to help the runners and 103 souls braved the 7.30pm start line to tackle the much hated 'Binnian to the top' race - the fourth of the 2005 Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series.

One of the beauties of mountain racing is that the climbs do not last forever and, normally, when they are over there is the exhilaration of the descent when the legs are eased and the thrill of letting gravity do its best is experienced by all. In most Hill & Dale races there are more than one climb and descent. However, this week, despite it being the shortest of the series, the pain increases steadily as the mountain gets steeper and just as the summit crags are reached the race is over and lungs gasp for air and the car is parked 2,000 feet below and what would be a spectacular descent becomes a post-race trudge for all 103 participants - all except Willie John Brown, who of the number failed to make it to the finish when his back gave up.

The race starts at the top of Brackenagh Road East and climbs very easily initially up the old quarry track to… yes… the disused quarry. That's where the real climbing starts, keeping the wall on the left the flank of Binnian is conquered and then the Mourne Wall is reached and the summit crags are only 300 feet above. Robbie Bryson, one of the best climbers in the world on his day, won the race in 2003 in the formidable time of 20 minutes and 56 seconds - probably never to be beaten?

With a big racing weekend up ahead (Knockdhu International Mountain Race and the Belfast City Marathon) some of the front-runners from men and ladies' sections were missing. This did not include the brothers McKibben who once again showed a clean pair of heels to all. Surging is their trademark and Alan exploded out of the blocks with Dave close behind, with the former chaperoning the latter to the upper slopes of the climb. Alan won in 22 minutes and 46 seconds and with four wins out of four is now the firm favourite to retain the title he won last year. Dave turned up the pressure on Deon McNeilly for second place.

An excellent run from Albertville's Steve Begley, a veteran 40, who led home the rest of the field in third in 23 minutes and 39 seconds after a great tussle with fast-improving Newcastle AC's Paul Mawhirt and Team Purple's Des Woods.

Newcastle AC's Alwynne Shannon has had a mixed twelve months with one injury or another dogging real progress. Racing for the first time in the Hill & Dale this season, she helped to throw open the series again coming home with a well-earned victory in 29 minutes and 12 seconds, 34 seconds outside club-mate Anne Sandford's record. Clare Galbraith took second with strong running less than half a minute behind.

Mid-Ulster's Jonathan McCloy took first junior in 13th overall and is looking more and more like the series winners. Ballydrain's Dominic McGreevy continued his domination of the veteran 45 category with another win in 14th overall in 29 minutes and 9 seconds. Other category winners were Billy McKay in 7th overall (vet 50) 'resting up' for Saturday's Knockdhu International, Willowfield's Ricky Cowan (vet 55) in 31 minutes and 18 seconds and recently turned 60 year-old John Adgey in 33 minutes and 42 seconds.

Newcastle AC's Noel Douglas is a former Northern Ireland mountain racing international and is now a vet 45. Having peaked at close to 16 and a half stone in weight, Douglas has been talking a good comeback for a few years and this year it seems that the wheels are moving again. Leaving his 'day job' in Magherafelt too late to be good for the health, he arrived this week at the start with only fifteen minutes to spare. Despite all, his new sylph-like body didn't let him down and he climbed strongly to come home in a decade's best of 41st place in 28 minutes and 21 seconds. Everyone beware, this man is a serious competitor and it looks like, at last, he means business again.

Silly boy of the evening brought a father and son double. Last week Mark Hopkins won the award for getting lost on the sawdust marked course on a clear night, this week his dad Bill picked up the 'cap with built-in GPS'. As a stalwart local orienteers, Bill will now, with the aid of the cap, teach his son the fundamentals of navigating so that there is a chance as the races now hit the serious mountains that he might not get lose again - and pigs will fly.

Race five takes the runners into the heart of the mountains for Moughanmore with the start and finish at the Deer's Meadow above the Spelga Dam. Please try and register before 7pm at the top of Brackenagh East Road.

BOGBOY