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Spelga Skyline 2005
Pictures
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2nd
April 2005
The Highest Quality on Show in the
Central Mournes
Saturday saw the first round of the
British Mountain Racing Championship, incorporating
the second round of the Northern Ireland Championship,
over the very tough and arduous Spelga Skyline course.
Overhead the conditions were good for early sunburn
from the young spring sun. Underfoot the conditions
were saturated after the recent rain. Billed as 13 miles
in length and 6,175 feet of climbing (and the same in
descent!), it felt every step of the distance, for after
some early reasonable going from Meelbeg to Muck, the
ground turned treacherous for the final two-thirds of
the race.
A record 216 starters towed the line
with around 36 from Ireland and the remainder from England,
Scotland and Wales. Largest turnout of the day came
from Bowland Fell Runners from Lancaster with over 20
travelling followed by Calder Valley from Yorkshire
with 18. In the end there were only 12 dropouts, a testament
to the fitness of the people who took part and despite
the nature of the course.
Lakeland sheep farmer of pedigree stock,
Gavin Bland from Borrowdale led the field as it crossed
the Deer's Meadow after 45 minutes of running. He pulled
away from Bingley's Rob Jebb and had established a 50
metre lead after climbing Pigeon Rock, Moughanmore,
Eagle, Rocky and Cock as he crossed the 'S' of Spelga
and onto the last steep sting in the tail climb of Spelga
Mountain itself. Unfortunately for Bland the wheels
came off as he toiled up the terrain much like his home
territory. Jebb passed him to come home in 2 hours 26
minutes and 40 seconds, one minute clear of Bland's
team mate, Simon Booth and Ambleside's Nick Sharp. Bland
faded to fourth, losing 3 minutes over the last 15.
Ballydrain's Brian Ervine led home
the locals in an excellent 7th place in 2 hours 36 minutes
and 3 seconds, with ACKC's Gary Bailey coming through
strongly for second in 2 hours and 50 minutes ahead
of North Belfast's Neil Carty.
Newcastle's Jim Patterson was 5th veteran
50 in an excellent 3 hours 7 minutes and 26 seconds.
Other Newcastle finishers were Paul Mawhirt, fourth
local and in 38th overall and Barry Wells in 3 hours
49 minutes and 13 seconds.
| 1 |
02:26:40 |
Rob |
Jebb |
MO |
Bingley |
| 2 |
02:27:59 |
Simon |
Booth |
MO |
Borrowdale FR |
| 3 |
02:28:05 |
Nick |
Sharp |
MO |
Ambleside |
| 4 |
02:29:55 |
Gavin |
Bland |
MO |
Borrowdale FR |
| 5 |
02:30:42 |
Jethro |
Lennox |
MO |
Shettleston Harriers |
| 6 |
02:31:57 |
Phil |
Davies |
MO |
Borrowdale FR |
| 7 |
02:36:03 |
Brian |
Ervine |
MO |
Ballydrain Harriers |
| 8 |
02:36:59 |
Lloyd |
Taggart |
MO |
Dark Peak |
| 24 |
02:50:50 |
Gary |
Bailey |
MO |
ACKC |
| 27 |
02:51:27 |
Neil |
Carty |
MO |
North Belfast |
| 38 |
03:00:40 |
Paul |
Mawhirt |
MO |
Newcastle AC |
| 45 |
03:07:26 |
Jim |
Patterson |
MV5O |
Newcastle AC |
| 78 |
03:22:30 |
James |
Keown |
MO |
ACKC |
| 90 |
03:27:36 |
Sam |
Herron |
MO |
ACKC |
| 123 |
03:49:13 |
Barry |
Wells |
MV40 |
Newcastle |
| 126 |
03:50:52 |
Wes |
Kettyle |
MV50 |
ACKC |
| 145 |
03:57:51 |
Harry |
Teggarty |
MV50 |
ACKC |
| 154 |
04:01:56 |
Cecil |
McCullough |
MV40 |
ACKC |
| 179 |
04:32:33 |
Andrew |
Campbell |
MV40 |
ACKC |
Full Results can be found on the NIMRA
website
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