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Castlewellan Christmas Cracker 2006
Saturday 30th December 2006
Report
by Kerry Harty
| POS |
RUNNERS |
CLUBS |
TIME |
CATEGORY |
| 1 |
D
MC KIBBIN - A MC KIBBIN |
NEWCASTLE |
64.43 |
OPEN |
| 2 |
D
MC NEILLY - C SPEERS |
WILLOWFIELD/UA |
65.10 |
OPEN |
| 3 |
DEON
MC NEILLY - E MC CRICKARD |
NEWCASTLE |
66.42 |
M
80 |
| 4 |
E
HANNA - S CUNNINGHAM |
MOURNE |
68.15 |
OPEN |
| 5 |
M
KENDALL - D BRANINGAN |
NEWCASTLE |
68.35 |
OPEN |
| 6 |
G
MC KENDRY - J STEEP |
N.
BELFAST |
69.14 |
OPEN |
| 7 |
R
RODGERS - D O FLAHERTY |
NEWCASTLE |
69.41 |
OPEN |
| 8 |
N
JOHNSTON - S SEATON |
N.
BELFAST/N. DOWN |
70.02 |
OPEN |
| 9 |
J
MC CANN - G KELLY |
NEWCASTLE |
71.25 |
OPEN |
| 10 |
K
SHIELDS - B CONNELLY |
N.
BELFAST |
72.43 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 11 |
T
DALTON - C GIRVAN |
N.
BELFAST |
72.48 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 12 |
G
KEENAN -E BELL |
ALBERTVILLE/ABBEY |
73.26 |
M
80 |
| 13 |
C
BAILEY - S HERRON |
MOURNE |
73.28 |
OPEN |
| 14 |
P
MURPHY - D MC ELROY |
N.
BELFAST/NEWCASTLE |
73.41 |
M
90 |
| 15 |
G
MC CLURE - D WRIGHT |
ABBEY/LAGAN |
73.44 |
M
80 |
| 16 |
J
MC CABE - R KINAHAN |
SETANTA |
74.08 |
M
80 |
| 17 |
M
CHAMBERS - P MALLON |
WILLOWFIELD/BARF |
74.32 |
M
80 |
| 18 |
S
HOEY - C HOEY |
BALLYMENA |
74.44 |
OPEN |
| 19 |
C
MC GREEVY - K MURDOCK |
TEAM
PURPLE |
75.07 |
OPEN |
| 20 |
P
RODGERS - P MAWHIRT |
NEWCASTLE |
75.25 |
M
80 |
| 21 |
M
ALEXANDER - A FAULKNER |
BALLYMENA |
75.40 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 22 |
F
MAXWELL - B MAXWELL |
MOURNE |
76.05 |
MIX
90 |
| 23 |
T
SLOAN - H SHIELDS |
NEWCASTLE/DERRY |
76.23 |
W
80 |
| 24 |
J
HAYES - J PATTERSON |
BALLYDRAIN/MOURNE |
79.16 |
M
120 |
| 25 |
R
COWAN - M HAWKINS |
WILLOWFIELD/NEWCASTLE |
78.36 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 26 |
P
HIGGINS - G HIGGINS |
MOURNE |
79.49 |
JUNIOR |
| 27 |
S
LYONS - B GRIMMES |
DUB |
80.07 |
M
80 |
| 28 |
M
HUNTER - M STEWART |
WILLOWFIELD |
80.19 |
OPEN |
| 29 |
N
MC IVOR - J DAVIES |
UA |
80.25 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 30 |
D
GILL - R ERVINE |
N.
BELFAST |
80.26 |
M
90 |
| 31 |
M
HANNA - R CAMPBELL |
MOURNE |
80.28 |
OPEN |
| 32 |
J
GRAHAM - G GANIEL |
ABBEY |
80.30 |
W
OPEN |
| 33 |
D
RANKIN - M ELLIOT |
LUNCHTIME
LEGENDS |
80.55 |
MIX
100 |
| 34 |
G
MC BRIDE - T DONNELLY |
ABBEY |
81.20 |
OPEN |
| 35 |
C
MC CANN - P MC CANN |
MOURNE |
81.35 |
OPEN |
| 36 |
C
MC CULLOUGH - D BELL |
MOURNE |
81.47 |
M
90 |
| 37 |
D
MC GREEVY - H ROSS |
UA |
82.04 |
M
90 |
| 38 |
M
QUINN - M MARTIN |
EAST
DOWN |
82.14 |
OPEN |
| 39 |
A
WALLACE - D HENDERSON |
UA |
82.25 |
M
90 |
| 40 |
R
COWAN - H TEGGARTY |
WILLOWFIELD/MOURNE |
84.09 |
M
110 |
| 41 |
D
MITCHELL - S HUDDLESTONE |
UA |
85.03 |
OPEN |
| 42 |
S
MC KEOWN - M CANTLY |
DROMORE |
85.35 |
M
100 |
| 43 |
J
MC BRIDE - A BRIDGE |
BARF |
85.43 |
M
90 |
| 44 |
S
WHITE - M LAVERTY |
NEWCASTLE/UA |
86.01 |
OPEN |
| 45 |
R
SHIRLEY - J MOORE |
UA |
86.58 |
OPEN |
| 46 |
M
BARNET - D MC CROSSAN |
UA |
87.31 |
OPEN |
| 47 |
J
KEOWN - WJ BROWN |
MOURNE |
87.33 |
M
90 |
| 48 |
R
STEWART - A KINAHAN |
SETANTA |
87.51 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 49 |
B
RANKIN - V PURNELL |
MOURNE |
88.17 |
M
80 |
| 50 |
J
QUINN - L KEENAN |
EAST
DOWN |
88.28 |
M
100 |
| 51 |
S
TAYLOR - I TAYLOR |
BARF |
89.12 |
M
80 |
| 52 |
J
MILLIS - P BROWN |
UA |
89.14 |
M
100 |
| 53 |
D
EWART - N REA |
BARF |
90.09 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 54 |
G
BAILEY - C HAUGH |
MOURNE |
90.51 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 55 |
P
DUNBAR - T BROWN |
NEWRY |
90.59 |
M
90 |
| 56 |
F
HAMMOND - A MC GIBBON |
BARF |
91.00 |
M
90 |
| 57 |
P
ATCHSON - B HAMILTON |
TUESDAY
CLUB |
91.04 |
M
110 |
| 58 |
P
JENKINS - D MAGILL |
N.
BELFAST |
91.11 |
OPEN |
| 59 |
B
HANNA - J GLOVER |
LAGAN |
91.47 |
M
110 |
| 60 |
R
FRIEL - I LOCKINGTON |
LAGAN |
92.00 |
M
80 |
| 61 |
H
HUNTER -F MC COURT |
LAGAN |
94.25 |
W
80 |
| 62 |
G
BURNS - P VINT |
UA |
94.59 |
M
80 |
| 63 |
J
NEWALL - J BILL |
UA |
96.51 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 64 |
T
EAKIN - P O DRISCALL |
LAGAN/N.
DOWN |
99.06 |
M
110 |
| 65 |
G
MC COLL - A MC COLL |
UA |
99.30 |
MIX
90 |
| 66 |
H
BAMFORD - A HANNAN |
LUNCHTIME
LEGENDS |
99.41 |
W
80 |
| 67 |
A
MC CONNELL - A WOODS |
N.
BELFAST |
100.28 |
MIX
80 |
| 68 |
D
MC KEE - D MATHERS |
UA |
101.08 |
W
OPEN |
| 69 |
J
HODGEY - J DOYLE |
N.
DOWN |
110.15 |
MIX
OPEN |
| 70 |
I
GRAHAM - N ROLLINS |
N.
BELFAST |
123.58 |
W
110 |
| 71 |
A
WATSON - F HURST |
UA |
128.16 |
W
OPEN |
McKibbin Twins Score Hat-trick
at Newcastle AC’s ‘Christmas Cracker’
Twins Alan and David McKibbin won the Christmas Cracker
Race for the third year in succession at Castlewellan.
The event, mainly over the roads and tracks of the forest
park is unique, in that the athletes compete in pairs.
Race promoter, Marty McVeigh changes the course each
year to keep the runners guessing and avoid any obsession
with records – every year is then a new record.
After the excesses of Christmas and before the New Year
repeat, the challenge of competing over 17km, which
is very hilly, is designed to clear the cobwebs. A record
71 teams competed this year with the start outside Castlewellan
Football Club and the finish more securely located at
the entrance gate to the Forest Park.
After the initial run on tarmac round the Drumbuck
Road, a big group was still together as they turned
into the forest park after around 1.5 miles with the
McKibbins, Chris Speers & David McNeilly, Eddie
Hanna & Stevie
Cunningham, Deon McNeilly & Eamon McCrickard and
Richard Rodgers & David O'Flaherty all well placed.
After three more miles or so in the forest including
the climb of Slievenaslat via Foxes Green, the runners
had the welcome downhill run to the back of the Castle.
By there, the twins had opened a slight gap over McNeilly
& McCrickard who were disputing second with McNeilly
& Speers.
North Belfast Harriers were controlling the mixed section
with Briege Connolly & Kevin Shiels and Cara Girvan
& Tony Dalton running together close to the top
10 of the race overall.
After the respite of the descent from Slievenaslat
to the Castle, the route turned tough again as the runners
headed north again and out of the forest towards Leitrim.
Turning back at the top of Dolly’s Brae, the race
re-entered the park at the Leitrim Road Car Park and
McVeigh’s typical sting in the tail took the runners
on the climb to the Moorish Tower, down to the lake
and up the climb of the Crow Road. From there the run
was mainly downhill to the main park entrance avenue
and on to the finish.
The twins still led turning for home with Speers &
McNeilly chasing hard, but the reigning champions had
enough in hand and crossed the line with a 27 seconds
advantage. McNeilly & McCrickard were third and
top M80 veterans.
The North Belfast quartet continued in close formation
with Connolly &
Shiels just getting the verdict by five seconds from
Girvan & Dalton in super 10th and 11th places overall.
Paul Murphy and Declan McIlroy were top M90s with former
champions Jim Hayes and Jim Patterson topping the M120
section.
Hannah Shields and Alwynne Shannon were ladies favourites.
However, with Alwynne suffering a slight injury at the
Turkey Trot a few days earlier, club mate Tricia Sloan
stepped into the breach and joined Hannah for a runaway
success in 23rd overall.
Another successful promotion was made possible by the
support from Castlewellan GAC providing changing and
showering facilities and soup and dessert in the clubhouse
afterwards. Also thanks go to race promoter McVeigh
who almost single-handedly delivered the whole show.
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