Slieve Donard Race

23rd June 2006

The 62nd Annual Slieve Donard Classic

McKibbin realises a long-time ambition – O’Kane smashes record

After 11 weeks of preparation through the Hill & Dale Series since the second Thursday in April, a further big test arrived last Friday night with the 62nd Annual Slieve Donard Race Classic. Since 2003, this historic race has taken place on a Friday night just a week after the Hill & Dales finish. This has proven popular and once again this year 73 runners braved the challenge of getting from Newcastle Centre to the highest point of Northern Ireland and back to sea level again by whatever route they choose.

The Slieve Donard Classic ranks in the top five longest running races without a break across Great Britain and Ireland. Over the years the race has seen many routes. In 1945, in the first running of the race and for many years thereafter, the event was known as ‘go as you please’, where runners started at the Newcastle Rural Council Office and the only checkpoint was the mountain summit. In intervening years the classic descent to the Bloody Bridge and the harrowing 2.7miles along the coast road was introduced. There were also races that started and finished in Donard Park. Since 2003, however, the race has reverted to its original 1945 format.

Over the years there have been prolific winners of the race including 6 times winner James McKinney and 8 times winner and defending champion Deon McNeilly and other recent local winners such as Jim Patterson, Dermot McGonigle and Robbie Bryson – all local runners want their name on that historic trophy – 29 different winners in 61 races. It is a race that has had many visitors with the attraction being the obvious – the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 2,796 feet, steep and rough terrain and a direct climb of only two and a half back-breaking miles.

Past non-local winners have been the likes of Mike Short, born behind where the Reebok Stadium stands in Horwich near Bolton, now in his late 50s and living and still racing in the Alps in Switzerland; Colin Donnelly who as a prodigious 18-year-old out of Cambuslang in Glasgow won the race for his first of three times in 1979, Donnelly went on to medal performances in World Championships and a World Masters title; Ian Holmes, three times British Champion from Bingley in Yorkshire won in 2000 with the incredulous descent time from the summit to Donard Park of 14 minutes and 16 seconds. This year the furthest travelled was Igor Stefko in 43rd from the Czech Republic – accomplished as an orienteer, maybe he doesn’t really count as he is currently living and working in Northern Ireland. Therefore, furthest travelled actually for the race was probably Stephen Johnston from Milburn Harriers in England who came home in 54th.

As ever straight from the starting whistle Newcastle AC’s Alan McKibbin stormed off down the Main Street in yet another attempt to add his name to the famous Donard Winners Trophy to add to his hat trick of Hill & Dale titles won this year. McKibbin finished 2nd in 2003 to club mate Deon McNeilly, 2nd in 2004 to Scotland’s John Brooks and got lost on the descent in last year’s race when leading – with a gorgeous clear and sunny evening this year’s conditions, would this be his time at last?

In close order as they entered Donard Forest, McKibben was followed by McNeilly, Mourne Runners’ Eddie Hanna, Newcastle AC’s Stephen Cunningham and Armagh’s Don Travers.

The first big decision for the runners is whether to take the gentler climb (it’s still steep) up the Glen to the Saddle and up the Mourne Wall to the summit or to take the steeper and more direct route via the Black Stairs for the summit, which is more than half a mile shorter. Only McKibbin and McNeilly stayed in the Glen with the rest of the field taking to the Black Stairs.

A heavyweight summit group of marshals awaited the runners – Billy McNeilly, himself a veteran of many Donard Races, Wills McNeilly, Mark Hanna and Marty McMullan. 38 minutes and 43 seconds after leaving the Newcastle Centre it was McKibbin who made it to the summit first and only 20 seconds later Hanna emerged from the Black Stairs route to reach the top in second and 38 seconds later McNeilly made it in third this time from the Glen route. Cunningham made it in 4th place just outside 40 minutes with Travers only 4 seconds back.

In the ladies race, pre-race favourite BARF’s Shileen O’Kane getting fitter by the week had grabbed a lead on Newcastle’s Alwynne Shannon. O’Kane is a really strong climber and she reached the summit in 19th place overall in the excellent time of 47 minutes and 45 seconds, one minute clear of Shannon who was in 31st place overall. It is rare to see two ladies reach the summit of Donard inside 50 minutes in the same race.

The Donard race, like a football match, is an event of two halves. To win, the runner must be able to climb fast and descend like a mountain goat. The fastest descent route is straight over the front, through the scree on the upper slopes, down through the deep heather laced with holes waiting to catch the unsuspecting ankle, and down the Black Stairs gully taking care over the few rock steps, before plunging through the forest over the tree roots, there like outstretched legs and then re-finding the legs to run the flat road back to the Centre.

McKibbin was unable to let up if he was to realise his dream. His lead wasn’t comfortable and Hanna is an accomplished descender not to mention Cunningham, who despite a dodgy ankle, on his day has the natural ability to be the best descender in the country. Literally sprinting at times through ground that drops away fast and with treacherous bumps and holes underneath, the runners take their health in their hands and relax. Those who take it easier to be safer, it would seem, run the greater risk of injury.

Emerging from the forest McKibbin had done it at last, he had produced his fastest ever descent of Donard and as he ran down alongside the new promenade he looked shattered but really pleased as he came home to win in an excellent 57 minutes and 33 seconds including an 18 minutes and 51 seconds return journey. Hanna managed to close merely 5 seconds on the whole descent as he recorded 18 minutes 46 seconds to come home in 57 minutes and 48 seconds.

It was Cunningham who was wishing that the return journey was longer because he emerged as the fastest descender on the night. An awesome 17 minutes and 58 seconds after reaching the summit he crossed the finish line and only by then half a minute down on the winner. Cunningham’s time is the second fastest ever on this route, only 18 seconds down on Gary Bailey’s (who is due back soon from his year’ trip to New Zealand and Australia) record of 17 minutes and 40 seconds.

Closest finish of the day came from Travers who held off McNeilly by a second to come home in 4th place. Other notable descents came from Armagh’s Kris Muldoon, second fastest in 18 minutes and 32 seconds and Mourne Runners’ James McKee fourth fastest in 18 minutes and 49 seconds.
In terms of places gained Willowfield’s Richard Cowan was 24th to the summit and after the 9th fastest descent he came home in 13th place, whilst Mourne Runners’ Cecil McCullough was 33rd at the summit and 14th fastest descent got him up to 19th place.

Meanwhile in the ladies race, O’Kane was in no mood to let up as she recorded 24 minutes and 46 seconds for the descent to win in a new record time of 72 minutes and 31 seconds – she knocked nearly six minutes off her old record time. She is now well placed to be in the form of her life by the time the World Championships come round in September. Shannon consolidated her second place coming home in 76 minutes and 13 seconds and first vet40. Newcastle’s Wendy Findlay was 3rd lady in 88 minutes and 42 seconds.

Spare a thought for a couple of other ladies who developed a problem at sea level rather than on the treacherous slopes of Slieve Donard. First, Newcastle AC’s Clare Galbraith never made any of the 2,796 feet of climbing pulling a calf muscle before the end of the Main Street just after the start. Then Abbey AC’s Mary Dallat, having negotiated the rough and tumble of the mountain, turned her ankle off the edge of the kerb only yards from the finish and limped in.

Another notable achievement came from John Taylor who has been running for the past year or two only and earlier this year was challenged by his dad to compete against him in this year’s Donard race. William Taylor, with his doctor’s clearance set off to beat his son. John, meanwhile, was threatening all sorts of self-abuse if his dad was to beat him. Luckily, for John, as he crossed the line in a second under the 90 minutes, he heard that he had won the challenge with his dad having pulled out before he reached the summit.

Celebrating at the prize giving upstairs in Quinn’s Bar, who generously supplied food to all the runners to replenish the spent energy stores, whilst wife Nuala waited at home for the promised pizza, Taylor ate another hot dog and slice of birthday cake as an early dessert and toasted his victory.

A final thought for Lazarus aka Barry Wells. Wells had not been seen during the Hill & Dale series for the first time in years. Reports though of the end of his running career because of a bad knee problem would seem premature as he came home in 12th place with another classic descent of just over 20 minutes.

Newcastle AC once again dominated the team race, winning for the seventh time in eight years with 9 points from Mourne Runners with 17 and Armagh with 45.

The evening finished with a presentation by Mourne Runners to Fiona Maxwell for her massive achievements in her first year of serious competitive racing, whilst a 60th birthday cake was presented to long-time timekeeper and official Frank Morgan.

BOGBOY