North Down Cross Country Relays 2005

Saturday 15th January 2005 - Pictures

Harty Excels at Bangor

In 2004, North Down Athletic Club introduced the new concept of cross-country relays into the winter calendar and last weekend saw the 2nd running of the event at Castle Park in Bangor. It was a mild day and the race took place over a one-mile loop slightly different from the traditional route in the park. The day was breezy but mild and mainly dry with some of the underfoot conditions very sticky.

Newcastle AC ladies, sponsored by the Burrendale Country Club, fresh from their first ever cross-country team victory in Dromore in December were first off in the 3x1mile event. The team was led off by Kerry Harty who following last week's fine run at the International Cross-Country in Stormont has been selected to run for Northern Ireland in next week's Reebok International Race in Cardiff - her first senior cross-country international vest following on from last summer's mountain racing and the many junior vests from years' back.

The start of each lap climbed the one serious hill on the course and Harty reached the top tucked in behind Lagan Valley's Catriona McCorkell who had narrowly beaten her last weekend. She laboured a little through the muckiest section of the course but emerged at the top of the hill again with 400 metres to go just behind McCorkell. Few can live with Harty's finishing kick. She strode off down the hill past McCorkell and despite an over-zealous official temporarily directing her off the course, she passed McCorkell again to come home first in 5 minutes and 37 seconds for the fastest leg of the day.

In her first cross-country season, Martina Hawkins, record setter at the Boxing Day mountain race, set off in the lead and ran a stormer. She worked hard all the way round and extended the lead over Lagan Valley to record in the process the 7th fastest leg of the day in 6 minutes and 23 seconds, to record a fine baptism to the sport. Sinead Murphy, also in her first ever cross-country had been dreading what she was witnessing as she knew that she had to set off on the last leg in first place being chased down by Lagan Valley's Suzanne McCormick the leading Northern Ireland lady in last week's Stormont International.

Murphy is a gutsy and determined runner and she never let up. McCormick did catch her and recorded the second fastest time of the day, just two seconds slower than Harty, but Murphy worked all the way to record a time of 6 minutes 44 seconds and bring the team home an excellent 2nd.

Next up was the Men's Relay over four legs with the first being 1 mile, the second and third over 2 miles and the fourth being 1 mile. It was another opportunity to blood a couple of cross-country newcomers. First off was Ed Hanna who is already an accomplished mountain runner and, today, he was having his first crack at the country. A fast start from the gun saw Hanna inside the top ten and then near disaster stuck as the mud sucked off one of his shoes before he was half way round the lap. Undeterred, he ploughed on to come home in 9th and record a good time of 5 minutes 23 seconds for the 1-mile circuit.

Richard Rodgers took the second leg and brought the team home in 8th place recording 11 minutes and 7 seconds. Rodgers handed over to Gary Bailey who worked hard all the way to record a good 11 minutes and 23 seconds, an excellent run for his first cross-country of the season. Stevie Cunningham took the final leg, having his first ever outing at cross-country. He raced well to record 5 minutes and 27 seconds, just outside Hanna's earlier time to bring the team home in a fine 7th place.

All in all a worthwhile expedition to Bangor and the club is now concentrating on the national men's and ladies' intermediate and junior championships back in Bangor in two week's time.

Open Women 1 Mile, 1 Mile, 1 Mile

Open Men, 1 Mile, 2 Mile, 2 Mile, 1 Mile

U14 Girls 1 mile, 1 mile, 1 mile

U14 Boys 1 mile, 1 mile, 1 mile

Top ...