Race 3: Slieve Martin

20th April 2006

McNeilly & Maxwell reignite the Series title chases

The heat is back in the sun, the weather forecasters have renewed their knack of getting it wrong and another beautiful early summer’s evening greeted the 127 runners who turned up to take the challenge of Slieve Martin, the 3rd race of the Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series.

The Slieve Martin race is the first in the Series that the participants get a taste for the ‘real mountain’ with a climb in excess of 1,700 feet almost double that of the first two races of the Series. The climb is back breaking at times, but most of all it goes on and on and on. Rising initially through the forest from near to the entrance of Kilbroney Park, it levels out and then steepens again to arrive at the famous Cloghmore Stone. Without even as much as a glance, the route climbs steeply once more alongside the ruined fence before topping out on the summit of Slieve Meen. At this point the views across Carlingford Lough are spectacular and remain so as the route winds its way through more climbing and some small descents to the ultimate summit – Slieve Martin. At this point the runners have covered half race distance or just over two miles and then proceed to close the loop back via the Cloghmore Stone – a similar distance but covered by most in well under half the time.

No Ricky Graham this week, winner of the first two races and this left the way open for race organiser, Newcastle’s Deon McNeilly to dominate proceedings – before, during and after. Reaching the summit in around 25 minutes, he strolled home, easing back, in around 11 minutes to record his fourth victory in his own race.

Club mate Eamon McCrickard started this season with an ambition to make it into the top ten in a Hill & Dale race. Realising your potential doesn’t happen overnight, but comes as a result of planning, hard work and most of all enjoyment. McCrickard has now spent a couple of winter seasons doing cross-country and road racing including a fine 17-minute 5km at Armagh in February. In the first race of the Series in Castlewellan he wasted no time in coming home in 8th in the finest run of his career and first vet35. He followed this up with 8th again in Tollymore in race two running slightly better. However, his wildest dreams were surpassed with a fine 4th place in Slieve Martin this week, to make it three wins from three in the vet35 section. He has been rewarded with a place as reserve for the Northern Ireland team for the International Race at Knockdhu this weekend. McCrickard is not only a strong climber, but loves the rough ground and is a very fast descender. Expect more as the Series takes to the serious hills.

Comment must also be made of the second place finisher. Armed with the latest gadget, the Garmin Forerunner 305, GPS no less – it’s incredible what the American satellites are watching up there – he managed to miss the saw dust marked turn off on the way back through the Cloghmore. Thanks to a degree of charity from Armagh’s Don Travers he still managed to regain his summit position by the finish line, but it’s hardly Spain and blaming the late evening sunshine for visibility problems is a bit like blaming the Eskimos for global warming.

In the ladies section, an early exit for Series joint leader Newcastle AC’s Martina Hawkins along the side of the track – not looking healthy, head bowed, ground a mess, you know the picture – like 3am in the morning after a ‘great night’ – this time though Hawkins has her ‘racing head on’ and the futility of ‘tea totality’ was amply illustrated as the nasty virus produced the same results. The way was wide open for last week’s winner Michelle Sturm from Omagh. However, it was new Mourne Runners signing Fiona Maxwell who following a half-minute defeat by Sturm in her previous outing in the Series, who climbed and descended strongly to win clearly in 42 minutes and 40 seconds only half a minute outside the record with Sturm second.

BARF’s Shileen O’Kane had her best race since returning from baby number two to come home third ahead of Newcastle’s Alwynne Shannon.

In the remaining male veteran categories BARF’s Jim Brown had his highest finish for some time to take 8th and 1st vet45, Billy McKay again denied the sands of time to finish 11th and 1st vet55, whilst Charlie McAlinden came home watched by brother Micky in 25th overall to take 1st vet50. BARF’s Denis Rankin made it three wins out of three in the vet60 category.

Pegasus’ Jason Wilson continues to improve and chalked up his first junior win in 22nd place in 40 minutes and 39 seconds.

Finish of the week goes to orienteer Greg McCann who illustrated his determination and guts to pip John Findlay and Brian Peters to the line – it might have been for 107th, 108th and 109h places, but it illustrated how every single competitor competes against first themselves and secondly those around – it is the very essence of the Series and once again is demonstrated among the finishers all down the field – everyone hurts equally, but some more equally than others!

Once again Newcastle AC won the team race with 7 points and contributed 23 runners to the race. Mourne Runners are starting to show their potential pedigree with people like Andrew Stevenson and Roy Donaldson returning and came home second with 37 points and most runners in the race with 25. Armagh AC once again was third with 46 points. BARF in fifth place had 15 runners and once again Omagh Harriers with 8 runners and Pegasus (Coleraine) with two runners vied for furthest travelled clubs.

Back in the pub, the Glenside Inn in Rostrevor, and race organiser Deon McNeilly never fails to create a special moment. Sure enough he won the race, but fluent in German he may well be, but the language of his parents remains a struggle. Introducing the ladies winner, Fiona Maxwell of Mourne Runners he described her as 1st Junior Lady Vet – now that’s some trick.

Race four is the one many like to hate – all the pain of the climb and none of the exhilaration of the descent. It’s the 2,000 feet Binnian ascent finishing among the summit tors. Please try and register before 7pm at the top of Brackenagh East Road with off-road field parking available adjacent to the start.

BOGBOY