Binnian to the Top

Hill and Dale Race 4

Thursday 26th April 2007

Shannon Breaks a Record for the First Time

The early summer continued apace towards the end of April with the 4th of the 2007 Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series. It was fine and sunny with a light wind and dry underfoot conditions making fast times likely. On the summit of Slieve Binnian the light wind was stronger, the tors cast a shadow blocking the evening sun over the finish line and the team of six summit officials were soon shivering as they waited for the runners to arrive.

It’s appropriate to spend a short moment thanking the marshals and officials who week in and week out have the relatively thankless task of hanging around waiting for the runners in even the foulest of conditions. This week in particular thanks go to Billy McNeilly (you should see the man with bionic hips descend ?), Mark Hanna, Dominic Kane, Marty McVeigh and owner/proprietor of the sponsors, Blue Lough, Marty McMullan who all managed the finishers at the top of the steep climb with 100% accuracy. Thanks are also due to the Harbour Inn in Annalong who hosted the post-race prize giving. Further important thanks also go to Willie Marks and his parents for making their field available for race registration and car parking.

This is the third year now that the Marks have been kind enough to make the space available, so important these days as even quiet roads up in the mountains are now very busy with traffic. This enabled the organisers to block off the verges with red and white tape. Funny, though how some of the local locals seemed to interpret this as a VIP parking space and pulled in their 4x4s anyway. Afterwards at the prize giving Marks’ generosity was rewarded with a jar of much sought after Tollymore Honey from the McNeilly hives – particularly good for the oiling of bionic hips – only to discover that Mr Marks has five beehives of his own and cupboards stuffed with honey – you win some, you lose some.

Binnian is unique in the Hill & Dale Series in that it is the only race that does not involve any descent. After the early two-thirds of a mile or so of steady climbing along the track to the disused quarry, the route climbs ever more steeply until the summit finish line is reached – all in all less than two miles. Easy? Not even close. The best definition is that it hurts early and gets progressively more painful as the climb progresses. As the runners lurch across the finish line, it seems for many that their heads are about to explode from the sheer pain. As one remarked, by the time the first 100 had crossed the finish line, it was like a scene from ‘Saving Private Ryan’ – with bodies strewn everywhere. Thankfully all starters finished and returned in more leisurely fashion to the start, heads intact.

Newcastle AC’s Alwynne Shannon is having a mixed season, continually walking the fine line of injury. In the absence of both Fiona Maxwell and Martina Hawkins, winners of the earlier races, Shannon started as the favourite. She did not disappoint. Climbing strongly, she led from start to finish to cross the line in 29th overall in 27 minutes 12 seconds, 1 second inside Maxwell’s record. Only half a minute behind club mate Anne Sandford came home in second place and first lady vet40. Third lady and also first lady vet35 was North Down’s Stephanie Hambling, home in just outside 30 minutes.

Out front, defending champion Newcastle AC’s Alan McKibbin, fresh from his first victory of the Series last week, set off with clear intentions to leave the rest of the field in his wake and that he did. Behind, club mate Deon McNeilly was alongside North Belfast’s Neil Carty, who was showing no signs of any animosity after last week’s shout. In fact it was surprising that McNeilly was up there at all, as this well-known Scout Leader is still having trouble with his knots – with shoes laces still too loose he was left on the starting grid after the whistle was sounded, still securing his shoes. Also in the mix were Dave McKibbin, Carty’s club mate Paul Blaney and Mourne Runners’ Stevie Cunningham. Blaney was at this first race of the Series and having been instructed at registration that this would be his number for the rest of the Series, he promptly lost it whilst warming up. Having hastily had a makeshift number worked up, a ‘good Samaritan’ then found and returned his original – numbers galore – are people like these safe to be let loose in the mountains?

McKibbin still looked surprisingly relaxed as he crossed the line a mere 21minutes and 45 seconds after the start and only 49 seconds outside the famous Robbie Bryson’s record. McNeilly, ever the competitor, had dropped Carty to come home second 31 seconds behind, with Carty a further 15 seconds back. The other McKibbin twin Dave recorded his best finish of the Series so far in 4th, another 18 seconds back, with Cunningham 8 seconds further adrift in 5th. Blaney was first vet35 in 6th place in 23minutes and 25 seconds with a superb run taking Ballydrain’s Dominic McGreevy into 9th in 24 minutes and 1 second and first vet50.

In only his second appearance in a year, Newcastle AC’s Brian McBurney was first vet45 in 24th overall in 26minutes and 43 seconds with Mourne Runners’ Wes Kettyle once again winning the vet55s with 40th overall in 28 minutes and 14 seconds. Ballydrain’s Fred Strickland won the vet60 in 30minutes and 5 seconds.

The lesser spotted continuity ACKC vest was making a home appearance this week and in sheer defiance of his elitist ex-club mates, Davy Hughes made the summit finish line in last place running backwards up the final steps of the 1 in 3 climb to focus the gathered spectators, fellow runners and officials on the ACKC on the back of his vest. This one is set to run and run.

It takes a lot of work to put on each race never mind the whole Series of 11 in the Hill & Dales. For example, each week sandwiches are produced and devoured by the locusts post-race. Regular readers will have heard of the famous McNeilly free-range eggs that go into the much sought after (and for some much hated) – you guessed it – egg sandwiches. This week, however, near disaster when Deon arrived at registration realising that he had left the sandwiches at home. Too late to contact a fellow competitor as they would all be on their way. Last resort, phone the good lady (after all we know that she makes the sandwiches, Deon?) and ask another favour. Sure enough such is the importance of the weekly ‘oeufs’, the good lady obliged and drove up from Newcastle with the merchandise.

Sorted? No. It runs in the family. Afterwards McNeilly Senior arrived back from his summit marshalling and photography duties to declare to his son that he’d gone and forgotten his sandwiches. Lightning it seems does strike twice? Did he repeat the recovery of his offspring with grace and style? Did he heck. For a fleeting moment he thought about phoning Mrs McNeilly Senior and then jumped in the car and drove to Newcastle to recover the sandwiches for himself. Once again it was well worth it as the sandwiches disappeared down the hatches in double quick time on his return.

It seems that talk of fags and Corky caused a little controversy last week but shame, this week seems to have turned out little better. Moses is Corky’s brother and is designated to provide support to Corky in his preparation for a fast Belfast Marathon. This being Corky’s last race before the marathon effort, Moses set out for the mountain summit, no not Sinai, Binnian, replete with carry-out or ‘tinnies’ to some. Firstly, Moses created a superb atmosphere at the finish area especially as Corky approached on the final climb. Corky had ‘waited’ for the classic Eddie Hanna acceleration, which unfortunately Hanna was in no mind to do, instead concentrating on the recent birth of his child. So Corky had to do the accelerating for himself to come home in 7th and just a little deflated. A ‘tinnie’ or two later with the setting sun over the Silent Valley 2,000 feet below and the race had been forgotten and sights firmly set on the tarmac of Belfast in a few days time.

Times were relatively quick with the mountains being so dry (as recent fires confirm), cue BARF’s Joanne Curran, who chit-chatting away to her mate on the relaxed descent chose to slip and fall and manage to get soaked from head to toe in the only wet patch on the mountain – embarrassing at the best of times but more so when it happens just in front of the scribe.

Newcastle AC again secured the team race, making it three out of four with one Omagh. A good time to mention the reintroduction of the club’s Youth Policy with the signing of Vet60 John Sloan, who has returned to racing after a couple of years absence from the Hill & Dales. Also worth a mention is the return to the fold of Vet55 Kevin Quinn. These returns would seem to make up for the loss Vet60 Jim Patterson to Mourne Runners, who seems to have turned his infrequent appearances in the Series into ‘never, never, never’. In passing, despite Jim Patterson being in a ‘non-playing’ role for Mourne Runners, they managed to field the highest number of runners in the field on their home ground with 28 against Newcastle AC’s 26.

LVO, which stands for Lagan Valley Orienteers, are rarely competitive at the sharp end in the Hill & Dales, but they are waiting for the classic foggy night in the depth of the hills when their finely honed navigation skills and in-depth route preparation can be used to their advantage. This week for example the crack team of Pauline O’Hara (who moonlights for BARF as well), Stephen Knight and Bill Hopkins took advantage of the leisurely descent to gather for a moment in a team huddle at the disused quarry to discuss the ‘best’ route for the climb next year – agreed and compass bearings recorded, they jogged off into the sunset dreaming of next year’s pea-souper.

Race five takes the runners into the heart of the mountains for Moughanmore with the start and finish at the Deer’s Meadow above the Spelga Dam. Please DO NOT PARK ON THE ROAD. It is a dangerous hazard. Turn off on the slip road towards the dam. Thanks and be there by 7pm.

BOGBOY

PS There will be a quiz in the Avoca Hotel on Sunday 6th May at 9pm in aid of the Neo-Natal Unit, all runners and readers are welcome

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