Hill and Dale Results 2006
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
Race 4
Race 5
Race 6
Race 7
Race 8
Race 9
Race 10
Race 11
Overall
 


Race 10 : Meelmore Meelbeg

8th April 2006

Travers Records Maiden Victory

Meelmore and Meelbeg (‘The Meels’) sit majestically alongside the ‘Devil’s Bite’ above the Trassey Area of the Mournes. Scorching summer is with us and the ground is as dry as many remember it. This made for fast times in the 10th of 11 of the Blue Lough Hill & Dale Series, despite some of the top runners resting up for Saturday’s Championship race over Donard and Commedagh.

As 7.30pm ticked over, the starting whistle sounded and the field of 114 runners soon snaked its way up the initial climb of Meelmore. Led out by the improving Stevie Cunningham, the main bulk of the field took the direct line for the first summit. A few Mourne Runner locals took more of a westerly line and headed towards the first grassy gully believing that it was a better line – unfortunately not. Meanwhile, Cunningham was now himself taking a small detour and swinging slightly left away from the main line. Disaster struck when he twisted an ankle, not bad enough to stop him altogether, but he knew it would curtail him on the descents to come.

BARF’s Jim Brown remains a wily character and he was one of three runners who didn’t follow Cunningham’s diversion with his inbuilt compass keeping him on the direct line for the summit. This brought Brown back onto the leading pack close to the top of Meelmore, where now Armagh AC’s Don Travers, Newcastle AC’s Cunningham, and Mourne Runner’s Andrew ‘Corkie’ Stevenson led the way.

In 14th place overall, lady’s champion Mourne Runners’ Fiona Maxwell had once again climbed strongly and this allowed her to ease back for the rest of the race with Saturday’s championship race on her mind. Behind her, BARF’s Shileen O’Kane was finding the steep terrain more to her liking and showing no signs of the damaged ankle from seven days earlier (red wine immediately post-race works wonders) was continuing to show her impressive return to form. O’Kane never gave up on the chase of Maxwell, but even with a superb dive on the final descent from O’Kane (she found a bit of mucky ground too – 10/10 for style), Maxwell did enough to come home six seconds clear. Behind these two, Newcastle’s Alwynne Shannon came in third complaining that someone had moved the finish, no one was taking responsibility for that though.

Meanwhile back in the men’s race, the descents were changing the order. Mountain racing is all about having the combination of a big heart and lung machine and the nerve to control a breakneck descent that is always verging on the catastrophe. Mourne Runners has its fair share of brilliant descenders as amply demonstrated by the runs this week of Roy Donaldson who stormed through to come home in 2nd place, his best run ever in a Hill & Dale race and starts to demonstrate the potential that he really has. Even faster on the descent was club mate James McKee coming through to 7th – his descent from Meelbeg to the finish unofficially clocked at 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Once again Corkie Stevenson provided much of the night’s entertainment moving from 2nd at the top to 5th at the bottom – still his descending is improving. However, he wasn’t happy at being passed by Brown and Newcastle’s Eamon McCrickard.

The winner though in a commanding display of climbing and descending was Don Travers. Travers has been knocking at the door all season and well deserved this victory. The mild mannered Armagh man has shown great potential and picked up his maiden victory with a descent that not even the best behind could catch. He came home 40 seconds clear and with this confidence boost, he should go on to achieve even more in the coming months.

Even on a night like this, there is always a surprise – this time, a candidate for ‘lost in the mountains’. Visibility was at its best and as Emer Hopkins turned at the summit of Meelbeg, she followed the faint track for a while and then she took a right hand turn and the white-vested figure could be seen clambering down through the crags on the steepest part of the mountain. I guess she is trying to emulate the past performances of Dad and brother – it remains to be seen if she has done enough the clinch the title.

Friday night next sees the end of the series with the 12th race in Donard Forest followed by the prize giving in Leslie’s Bar in the Avoca Hotel.

BOGBOY

 

Position Race Number Time Name Category Club % Time of Winner
1 70 31.25 Don Travers O Armagh AC 100.00%
2 203 32.05 Roy Donaldson O Mourne Runners 102.56%
3 174 32.14 Jim Brown V45 BARF 102.85%
4 33 32.19 Eamon McCrickard V35 Newcastle AC 103.01%
5 187 32.27 Andrew Stevenson O Mourne Runners 103.26%
6 23 33.03 Stevie Cunningham O Newcastle AC 105.70%
7 161 33.42 James McKee O Mourne Runners 106.94%
8 52 34.31 Paddy Mallon V40 BARF 109.79%
9 113 34.34 Sam Herron O Mourne Runners 109.89%
10 15 34.4 Mark Kendall O Newcastle AC 110.08%
11 198 34.54 Stephen Begley V40 Albertville Harriers 110.53%
12 215 34.57 Mike Annett V40 Unattached 110.62%
13 53 35.09 Steven Linton V35 NWOC 112.29%
14 142 35.12 Jim Patterson V55 Unattached 112.38%
15 197 35.21 Mark Hanna O Mourne Runners 112.67%
16 3 35.27 Peter Howie V45 Larne AC 112.86%
17 41 35.39 Dominic McGreevy V45 Ballydrain Harriers 113.25%
18 199 35.42 Patrick Bradley O Unattached 113.34%
19 64 35.46 Michael Harty O Mourne Runners 113.47%
20 89 35.54 Charlie McAlinden V50 Newcastle AC 113.73%
21 127 36.09 Jonathan McCloy J Mid Ulster 115.49%
22 32 36.1 Cecil McCullough V45 Mourne Runners 115.52%
23 58 36.11 Gareth Kelly O Unattached 115.55%
24 100 36.17 Vince McAlinden O BARF 115.74%
25 175 36.2 David Ewart O BARF 115.84%
26 110 36.31 Neville Watson O Unattached 116.19%
27 111 36.33 Jim Erskine V40 Newcastle AC 116.26%
28 235 36.35 Gerard Morgan O Unattached 116.32%
29 45 36.38 Fiona Maxwell LV45 Mourne Runners 116.42%
30 39 36.44 Shileen O'Kane LV35 BARF 116.61%
31 158 36.49 Ronnie Rutherford V55 Ballydrain Harriers 116.77%
32 274 37.06 Brian McCoubrey O Springwell 118.59%
33 214 37.17 Thomas Turner J Newcastle AC 118.94%
34 40 37.19 David Bell V45 Mourne Runners 119.01%
35 96 37.2 Brian Wilson V35 Lagan Valley 119.04%
36 160 37.23 Wes Kettyle V55 Mourne Runners 119.14%
37 148 37.25 Alwynne Shannon LV40 Newcastle AC 119.20%
38 90 37.27 Brendan O'Hagan V50 Team Purple 119.26%
39 245 37.3 Gerry Kingston V40 BARF 119.36%
40 240 37.31 Tim Wilson O Unattached 119.39%
41 248 37.4 Ken McConnell V45 Unattached 119.68%
42 91 37.42 Patrick Muldoon V40 Armagh AC 119.74%
43 51 37.44 Peter McClenaghan V45 BARF 119.81%
44 5 37.47 Gareth McKeown V40 BARF 119.90%
45 279 37.57 Liam Mac Hale V35 Unattached 120.22%
46 242 38.07 Richard Campbell O Mourne Runners 121.82%
47 31 38.42 Barry Rankin V45 Mourne Runners 122.94%
48 107 38.47 Mael O'Hare O Newcastle AC 123.10%
49 239 38.54 James Keown V40 Mourne Runners 123.33%
50 156 39.11 John White V50 LVO 125.15%
51 154 39.18 Gerry Kenny V40 Unattached 125.38%
52 17 39.29 Mike Barton V50 Mourne Runners 125.73%
53 48 39.42 Mark Pruzina V40 BARF 126.14%
54 172 39.57 Desmond O'Hagan V50 Physio&Co 126.62%
55 12 40.01 Paul Fegan O Newcastle AC 128.03%
56 84 40.12 Ricky Cowan V55 Willowfield 128.38%
57 130 40.19 Francis Nugent V40 Newcastle AC 128.61%
58 276 40.41 Tom Donnelly J O Mourne Runners 129.31%
59 192 40.49 Greg McCann V40 Mourne Runners 129.57%
60 75 40.51 Murray Cowan V35 LVO 129.63%
61 50 40.57 Fred Strickland V55 Ballydrain Harriers 129.82%
62 26 40.59 Andy Bridge V40 BARF 129.89%
63 94 41.03 Diane Wilson LV35 Lagan Valley 131.30%
64 196 41.17 Cormac Muldoon V45 Armagh AC 131.74%
65 62 41.24 Denis Rankin V60 BARF 131.97%
66 56 41.29 Seamus White V45 Newcastle AC 132.13%
67 43 41.44 Trevor Wilson V45 BARF 132.61%
68 55 41.59 Fred Hamond V55 BARF 133.09%
69 256 42.03 Philip McGavock O BARF 134.50%
70 21 42.09 Dave Goddard V50 Newcastle AC 134.69%
71 49 42.12 Francis Boal V55 Ballydrain Harriers 134.78%
72 60 42.2 Gordon Stephens V45 Mourne Runners 135.04%
73 168 42.23 Martina Elliot LV40 Mourne Runners 135.14%
74 223 42.26 Ed Smith V55 Lunchtime Legends 135.23%
75 204 42.58 Gareth Boreland O Unattached 136.26%
76 115 43.12 Darren Herron O Mourne Runners 137.98%
77 95 43.15 John Taylor O Newcastle AC 138.08%
78 238 43.18 Clarke Campbell O BARF 138.18%
79 231 43.2 John McBride V50 BARF 138.24%
80 178 43.27 Paddy McCrickard V40 Unattached 138.46%
81 229 43.3 Mark Breen O Unattached 138.56%
82 225 43.45 John Adgey V60 Mourne Runners 139.04%
83 47 44.02 Barbara Brown LV45 Mourne Runners 140.86%
84 122 44.1 Martin Houlahan V35 Newcastle AC 141.12%
85 59 44.25 Terry McQueen V45 BARF 141.60%
86 101 44.42 Norma Rea FO BARF 142.14%
87 124 44.49 Brian Peters V40 Unattached 142.37%
88 83 45.14 Wendy Findlay LV35 Newcastle AC 144.45%
89 82 45.45 John Findlay V35 Newcastle AC 145.44%
90 163 47.06 William Cargo V45 Unattached 150.59%
91 228 47.08 Colm Kelly O Unattached 150.66%
92 129 47.13 Gary McLoughlin V35 Newcastle AC 150.82%
93 123 47.22 Paul Watson V40 Newcastle AC 151.10%
94 275 47.3 Mike Thompson V45 Unattached 151.36%
95 277 47.5 Colm McNullan O Unattached 152.00%
96 61 48.41 Jackie Toal LV35 BARF 154.91%
97 80 48.48 Bob Cooke V55 Mourne Runners 155.14%
98 131 48.51 Conall Nugent V45 Newcastle AC 155.23%
99 118 49.01 Stephen Knight V40 LVO 156.83%
100 241 49.03 Christine Hill FO Unattached 156.90%
101 11 49.3 Ian Taylor V55 BARF 157.76%
102 278 50.17 Andreas Huchting V35 Unattached 160.54%
103 81 50.35 Simon Aldred V40 Mourne Runners 161.12%
104 219 51.07 Cormac Fitzpatrick V35 Unattached 163.42%
105 246 51.2 Donal O'Kane V40 BARF 163.84%
106 71 52.54 Peter Turkington V50 Mourne Runners 168.13%
107 79 53.18 Angela Beggs FO Physio&Co 170.18%
108 14 54.41 Pauline O'Hara LV40 BARF 174.11%
109 28 54.56 Elaine Hall FO Larne AC 174.59%
110 143 55.51 Jennifer Black FO BARF 177.63%
111 226 58.22 Hazel Hunter FO Lagan Valley 186.30%
112 20 64.56 Emer Hopkins FO North Down 206.59%
113 169 111 Tom Donnelly V70 Mourne Runners 355.20%
114 193 DNF Tish McCann LV40 Mourne Runners 0.00%

 

 

 

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