Race 7: Monument

19th May 2005

McKibben makes it seven out of seven

The beautiful Tollymore Forest Park always attracts the crowds. Even a cool showery and windy Thursday night in May, with the mountains hidden in the clouds, is no exception and 133 brave souls arrived before the 7.30pm start time - mind you for some, only just. The Monument race was the seventh in the 2005 Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series.

The consensus was that this year's race was around half a mile longer than previous years' editions because of the enforced re-routing (see below). Not that this stopped Newcastle AC's Alan McKibben make it seven wins out of seven. McKibben was at the front of the field from the start, the very fast start to the Ivy Bridge, and pulled slowly away from the rest on the first climb and eventually ran out a clear winner in 31 minutes and 12 second, more than a minute ahead of his brother Dave who came home second.

In the ladies race, McKibben's club mate Kerry Harty made it four wins from seven coming home 1 minute and 42 seconds ahead of Anne Sandford who took the ladies vet40 category. Half a minute behind Sandford came Alwynne Shannon who was closely followed by Clare Galbraith.

Newcastle AC's Adam Mitten continues to improve from week to week and made it into 10th place this week to win the Junior race, half a minute ahead of Series favourite Mid-Ulster's Jonathan McCloy, who was 11th.

In the male veterans categories, BARF's Jim Brown took the vet45 race in 15th overall, just ahead of Ballydrain's Dominic McGreevy. Willowfield's Des McHenry was first vet55 in 37 minutes 50 in 29th place with ACKC's Peter McGookin first vet50 in 35th in 38 minutes 20 seconds. ACKC's John Adgey was first vet60 in 90th in 44 minutes 37 seconds. Another ACKC runner, Barbara Brown, took first lady vet45 in 98th place overall in 45 minutes and 30 seconds.

Return to the Trenches

On the night of the 7th of January, the greatest storm of the winter of 2005/06 raged and as people woke up on the 8th after a sleep punctuated with the sound of roofs nearly being ripped off, one Newcastle couple left home early to catch a flight to Nice in the south of France with one half due to run in a 10km Road Race in the summer sun. One hour after leaving home they returned having failed to get out of Newcastle. What relevance is this to a race in Tollymore Park in May? Well, on the same night thousands of trees in the forest were flattened and the traditional route of the Monument Race was covered with strewn trees. The top end of Curraghard remains impenetrable even five months on.

Paul Mawhirt, this week's organiser, had (a rare occasion) to work really hard to develop a new route to get the runners to the top of Curraghard. Many of the runners expected, therefore, the changes from the traditional route on the upper slopes of the climb. What they did not expect, however, was the change to the lower end of the route near the Ivy Bridge along the Shimna River, as it exits the Forest Park on its way down to Newcastle and the Irish Sea. As the runners speeded down from the Monument to the Ivy Bridge, the pace was fierce, but when they entered the narrow tracks along the Shimna, the route started to twist and turn as Mawhirt weaved his magic round the fallen trees.

Suddenly, a trench emerged, really suddenly. Runner after runner jumped first the few feet down into it, only to discover that a six feet rise faced them to allow them to emerge the other side. Six feet is a big climb, particularly for the vertically challenged, but to add spice, after the rain, it was slippy too, no, very slippy. Picture the scene, 133 runners arriving at speed, only a few minutes after the start. It was like a return to the Great War, the mind was saying 'over the top', but the body was slipping back in, damn that gravity. Time after time, individuals tried to exit the trench, easy to get in, but much harder to get out. One lady veteran having failed three times to extricate herself cried out for help and with a snigger from behind, the ACKC guru readily helped with one hand on each cheek to levitate the distressed damsel out of her predicament. As the runners gathered in the Anchor Pub, there were many more stories on the same subject including those who had been stood on, jumped on, used as foot stools - and this is a friendly series in a friendly sport?

The legend that is McHenry

29th placed Des McHenry is a racing legend. Competing these days as a vet55 (the clock cannot be stopped), he has graced many a race up and down the country for years. This week he completed his fifth race and fifth race victory in his category of the seven so far in the series and now only needs one more win to win the vet55 title. Not only of course on the mountains, many would argue that it is his least favourite terrain, Des has turned necks at many a Belfast Marathon - remember the year he pinned the number on the dog and ran a personal best in tandem, with it? He turned his attention in his 'middle years' to triathlons and was one of the best, winning many and completing the famous 'Ironman' in Hawaii.

McHenry is a legend in his own lunchtime, a retired school teacher, he is a CORGI qualified gas installer running his own business, 'The Original Gas Company', and will probably never really retire. However, this is likely to be the peak of his Hill & Dale racing season, for a source close to McHenry has told the 'Stig Bogboy' that McHenry is about to have his beloved 2CV restored. Soon to be unveiled from a heavy tarpaulin that has protected it from the elements for so many years, the obsession to put it back on the road again is likely to interfere with the great man's fitness, but more importantly, his running speed is likely to dwindle to that of the 2CV rather than the V6 to which he aspires.

The Racing Community

One of the features of the Hill & Dale season is the amazing distances that people travel to compete in the Thursday evening races. This week was no exception with representation of three from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, one from Mid-Ulster (Desertmartin), four from Larne, seven from Newry/Rostrevor, dozens from Belfast as well as a big representation from Newcastle, Annalong, Kilkeel and the general Mourne area. An amazing 21 runners represented both host club, Newcastle AC and Annalong Canoe & Kayak Club (ACKC). Belfast Association of Rock climbers and Fell runners (BARF) had 18, south Mournes-based Team Purple 7, North Belfast & Physio&Co 6, Lagan Valley Orienteers' (LVO) 5, Willowfield Temperance Harriers (Temperance?) Armagh AC and Larne AC 4, Ballydrain Harriers 2 with individual representation from CIYMS, East down, Lagan Valley, Olympian, Lunchtime Legends and Mid-Ulster.

After commenting last week on the 'unsung heroes' - the race marshals - it was the Three Musketeers of Billy & Wills McNeilly with Mark Hanna who again this week were waiting for the runners on the summit of Luke's Mountain behind Tollymore Forest Park. Safe to say that McNeilly's patience of last week did not last. As the wind blew and the heavy rain fell and runners arrived with numbers ripped off by the conditions, he rued the stupidity of so many runners unable to remember their numbers. Who, you ask, was their D'Artagnan? It was none other than one of the great losses to local mountain-racing Jason Weir. Weir is infamous for his all round ability, climbing, descending and post-race ability in the pub. Unfortunately, he finds gravity heavy going these days, but most hope he will return to running. Standing half way up the first climb, he encouraged most and had some fun with others. Then out of the mist he was there again, at the back of the forest standing at the wall 'greeting' the runners returning from the summit. Maybe he is back to fitness already? No, for hidden just behind the forest wall was the trusty yellow steed forestry van, maybe next year he will be competing - hope springs eternal.

Race eight this Thursday is the exciting Loughshannagh Horseshoe taking in the beautiful central Mournes sites of Ott, Slieve Loughshannagh, Doan and Carn Mountains. It's the longest of the series, starting close to the top of the Spelga Pass and runners should try and allow an extra fifteen minutes if they can because of the local road works.

BOGBOY