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 11 : Donard Forest

16th June 2006

Spectacular Finish to 2006 Blue Lough Hill & Dale Series

As tradition has it, Donard forest was the venue for the 11th and final race of the 2006 Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Series. The weather has been superb of late, but the light rain earlier in the day caught some of the runners out as it left the ground very slippy, particular in among the trees.

110 runners set off at the second time of asking after a false start from Mourne Runners Roy Donaldson and the early pace was set by Champion-elect Newcastle AC’s Alan McKibbin, club mate Deon McNeilly, Omagh Harriers Stephen Duncan (who had an earlier 3rd in the Monument Race) and Abbey’s Simon Taylor.

Behind, in the absence of 2006 Champion Fiona Maxwell, BARF’s Shileen O’Kane was determined to pick up her first victory of the Series. Newcastle AC’s Alwynne Shannon and Omagh’s Michelle Sturm were in close contact.

The Donard Forest Race is unique in nature – a feature of the Series. An early very short climb is followed by five minutes of relatively flat and downhill running that brings the runners to far end of King Street. After another short climb and bit of flat, the boundary wall is reached and the real climbing starts with the highest point reached after ten minutes in the forest emerging on the mountain ridge very much directly above the Ballagh. The next seven or eight minutes of running is on a faint track over rough ground including boulder hopping and climbing up into the Donard Quarry. The run starts there with the race being almost all downhill to the finish via a narrow track in the forest, which had become greasy with the day’s earlier rain.

McKibbin pulled away followed by Duncan and McNeilly with Taylor fading as the climb got steeper. As he reached the Quarry in front, it looked a formality as he sped off for home. Duncan however had other ideas. A very able 10km roadrunner the Omagh man stalked McKibbin quietly from behind and as the runners crossed Castle Bridge, McKibbin suddenly realised that he was under real pressure. As the pair turned the final corner for the charge across the Demesne grass to the finish, Duncan struck and in an ‘eyeballs out’ finish he crossed the line to record a fantastic victory. McNeilly secured third for 2nd overall in the Series and to win the Vet40 category.

Meanwhile, Shileen O’Kane celebrated her first victory of the Series coming home in 39th position overall in 40 minutes and 37 seconds, 20 seconds ahead of fast finishing Michelle Sturm who out kicked Alwynne Shannon.

As the runners streamed into the finish they were greeted to the strains of the bagpipes with which Brian McBurney, the race organiser, was manfully grappling. Series ‘Chief’ Martin McVeigh was heard quip, ‘piper not turn up then Brian’, to a reply of a shake of the head. To which, one lady standing close by said to her friend, ‘I told you he wasn’t the real piper’.

McBurney has had his fair share of abuse during over the past few months and particularly since his course marking difficulties at last year’s Donard Forest race. This year he ‘bust a gut’ marking every possible twist and turn in the forest with sawdust and tapes. However, his enthusiasm backfired. Having completed the task on Tuesday, a little earlier, some friendly person had moved the tapes and re-directed the arrows at the Boundary Wall saving the vast majority of the field (anyone after the first ten) about a minute or so – poor Brian.

BOGBOY

1 32.24 Stephen Duncan O Omagh Harriers 100.00%
2 32.26 Alan McKibbin V35 Newcastle AC 100.06%
3 33.07 Deon McNeilly V40 Newcastle AC 102.57%
4 33.16 Simon Taylor O BARF 102.85%
5 34.32 Kristofer Muldoon O Armagh AC 106.45%
6 34.35 Richard Rodgers V40 Newcastle AC 106.54%
7 34.42 Andrew Stevenson O Mourne Runners 106.76%
8 35.17 Eamon McCrickard V35 Newcastle AC 109.09%
9 36.14 Jonathan McCloy J Mid Ulster 112.10%
10 36.15 James McKee O Mourne Runners 112.13%
11 36.46 Martin McLaughlin V40 Omagh Harriers 113.09%
12 36.49 Dominic McGreevy V45 Ballydrain Harriers 113.18%
13 37.04 Clive Bailey O Mourne Runners 114.89%
14 37.13 Richard Cowan O Willowfield 115.17%
15 37.18 Gareth Turner O Unattached 115.32%
16 37.28 Thomas Turner J Newcastle AC 115.63%
17 37.31 Declan McElroy V40 Newcastle AC 115.73%
18 37.38 David Newell O Mourne Runners 115.94%
19 37.52 Gerard Morgan O Unattached 116.38%
20 37.55 Charlie McAlinden V50 Newcastle AC 116.47%
21 38.06 Mark Hanna O Mourne Runners 118.05%
22 38.14 Mael O'Hare O Newcastle AC 118.30%
23 38.21 Patrick Bradley O Unattached 118.52%
24 38.5 David Ewart O BARF 119.42%
25 39.01 Declan McGrellis V35 LVO 121.00%
26 39.21 Gerry Kingston V40 BARF 121.62%
27 39.28 Ronnie Rutherford V55 Ballydrain Harriers 121.84%
28 39.33 Darren Herron O Mourne Runners 121.99%
29 39.44 Darrell Brogan J Omagh Harriers 122.33%
30 39.49 Brian Wilson V35 Lagan Valley 122.49%
31 39.5 Cecil McCullough V45 Mourne Runners 122.52%
32 39.53 Vince McAlinden O BARF 122.61%
33 39.59 Peter McGuckin V50 Mourne Runners 122.80%
34 40.06 Brendan O'Hagan V50 Team Purple 124.26%
35 40.11 Mark Pruzina V40 BARF 124.41%
36 40.14 Peter McClenaghan V45 BARF 124.50%
37 40.25 Eddie Bell V45 Abbey AC 124.84%
38 40.36 Neville Watson O Unattached 125.19%
39 40.37 Shileen O'Kane LV35 BARF 125.22%
40 40.44 Roy Donaldson O Mourne Runners 125.43%
41 40.5 Wes Kettyle V55 Mourne Runners 125.62%
42 40.57 Michelle Sturm FJ Omagh Harriers 125.84%
43 41 Alwynne Shannon LV40 Newcastle AC 127.17%
44 41.09 Patrick Lemoine V40 BARF 127.45%
45 41.15 David Bell V45 Mourne Runners 127.64%
46 41.17 Jason Shelvin V35 Armagh AC 127.70%
47 41.19 Ricky Cowan V55 Willowfield 127.76%
48 41.21 Gerry Kenny V40 Unattached 127.82%
49 41.21 John White V50 LVO 127.82%
50 41.23 Cormac Muldoon V45 Armagh AC 127.88%
51 41.4 Clive Coffey V40 Physio&Co 128.41%
52 41.42 Liam Mac Hale V35 Unattached 128.47%
53 41.43 Mike Barton V50 Mourne Runners 128.50%
54 41.49 Nicholas Dunne O Lagan Valley 128.69%
55 41.5 Philip McGavock O BARF 128.72%
56 41.55 Aidan Campbell V40 Unattached 128.88%
57 41.59 Connor Moore J Omagh Harriers 129.00%
58 42.05 Eddie O'Hagan V45 Team Purple 130.43%
59 42.08 Clare Galbraith LV40 Newcastle AC 130.52%
60 42.25 Paul Fegan O Newcastle AC 131.05%
61 42.46 Francis Nugent V40 Newcastle AC 131.70%
62 42.5 Vaughan Purnell V35 Mourne Runners 131.82%
63 42.52 Barry Rankin V45 Mourne Runners 131.89%
64 43.02 Desmond O'Hagan V50 Physio&Co 133.44%
65 43.16 Bill McCausland V45 Omagh Harriers 133.87%
66 43.17 Mark Breem O Unattached 133.90%
67 43.2 David Wilson O LVO 134.00%
68 43.24 Francis Boal V55 Ballydrain Harriers 134.12%
69 43.3 Colm Kelly O Unattached 134.31%
70 43.32 John Taylor O Newcastle AC 134.37%
71 43.34 Dave Goddard V50 Newcastle AC 134.43%
72 43.47 Andy Bridge V40 BARF 134.83%
73 43.51 Denis Rankin V60 BARF 134.96%
74 44.06 Fred Strickland V55 Ballydrain Harriers 136.66%
75 44.12 Ed Smith V55 Lunchtime Legends 136.85%
76 44.18 Diane Wilson LV35 Lagan Valley 137.03%
77 44.34 Kerry Iveston FJ North Down 137.53%
78 45.04 Martin Houlahan V35 Newcastle AC 139.70%
79 45.05 Clarke Campbell O BARF 139.73%
80 45.09 Willie John Brown V50 Mourne Runners 139.86%
81 45.16 John McBride V50 BARF 140.07%
82 45.22 Terry McQueen V45 BARF 140.26%
83 45.24 Fred Hamond V55 BARF 140.32%
84 45.27 Paul Watson V40 Newcastle AC 140.42%
85 45.36 Gordon Stephens V45 Mourne Runners 140.69%
86 45.58 Frank Gorman V40 Unattached 141.38%
87 46.02 Barbara Brown LV45 Mourne Runners 142.74%
88 46.09 Wendy Findlay LV35 Newcastle AC 142.96%
89 46.17 Andrew McGibbon O BARF 143.21%
90 46.44 Mark Gray O Omagh Harriers 144.04%
91 47.04 Cormac Fitzpatrick V35 Unattached 145.91%
92 47.12 Stephen Knight V40 LVO 146.15%
93 47.33 Brian Peters V40 Unattached 146.81%
94 47.34 John Findlay V35 Newcastle AC 146.84%
95 47.4 Paddy McCrickard V40 Unattached 147.02%
96 48.11 Donal O'Kane V40 BARF 149.22%
97 48.13 Michael Carol O Unattached 149.29%
98 48.43 William Cargo V45 Unattached 150.22%
99 49.2 Conall Nugent V45 Newcastle AC 152.61%
100 49.35 Gary McLoughlin V35 Newcastle AC 153.07%
101 50.24 Mark Hopkins O North Down 155.83%
102 50.34 Michael Quinn V35 Unattached 156.14%
103 50.58 Jackie Toal LV35 BARF 156.89%
104 51.28 Angeline McCain LV45 Omagh Harriers 159.06%
105 52.26 Hazel Hunter FO Lagan Valley 162.10%
106 53.1 Elaine Hall FO Larne AC 164.70%
107 53.21 Emer Hopkins FO North Down 165.04%
108 53.29 Bill Hopkins V55 LVO 165.29%
109 54.06 Nina Huet FO Physio&Co 167.68%
110 54.09 Jennifer Black FO BARF 167.77%



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