Loughshannagh Horseshoe (anti-clockwise)

Hill and Dale Race 8

Thursday 24th May 2007

Loughshannagh’s Little Lost Lambs
Pauline turns the result tables upside down

With Bogboy AWOL this week, the 8th race in the Blue Lough Hill and Dale Series, this report on the Loughshannagh Horseshoe comes courtesy of Bogman and if there is one race to toss the ‘form book’ out the window then this is it. The early evening mist that was hanging over the mountain tops as the runners began to arrive at around 6.30 slowly began to drop down the mountain side as the race start time approached. At the pre-race briefing the 129 runners were warned of the need to carry full safety gear, but it was obvious that some thought that they could beat the mountain, a decision that many were later to regret.

With the top three runners in the series, Alan McKibbin, Neil Carty and Deon McNeilly not on show, there were a few young and not so young Turks looking for their 15 seconds of fame. A sign of the things to come became apparent when pre-race favourites David McKibbin and Stevie Cunningham were asking anyone they could find before the start of the race, if it was ‘right or left’ at the top of the track?

The whistle went and off they went and how of they went. Within two minutes our race favourites were heading off in the direction of Muck, which has not been part of the series since the last century, with what turned out to be a flock of sheep following their every (wayward) step. These rather silly flockers were made up of orienteers, mountain rescue team members and runners who have been running over the course for the last month. Then finally came the black sheep of the flock, Pauline O’Hara, who with her eyes firmly fixed on her compass headed off on the correct course for the top of Carn, were she topped out in 5th place not bad for someone who failed to make it into the top 150 last week.

Looking rather smug in her newly found position, Pauline headed for Doan, which is the halfway point, for anyone on the actual course. Pauline usually greets the marshal with “there are four behind me” only to hear the quick witted Mark who quipped “looks like there are 104 behind tonight”. Perhaps this is what gave rise to her doing the “compass dance” - where was the photographer when you need him? Well he was on Carn too, but his camera was tucked up in its waterproof bag and he had no intention of taking it out, as it might get wet. Back on Carn, the first official mountain, the sheep were gradually making there way back from some early grazing on Muck, except for the front ten who were now heading towards Kilkeel and pastures new.

Race leader over Carn was Roy “Willie” Donaldson who after being informed by his club mate Cecil that they were on the wrong course, managed to give Cecil the slip as he jumped the wall and head back towards Carn. Club mates come and “go” but friends stay together forever life, or at least until you get back on course. Next over Carn were Paddy Mallon and Greg McCann, mainly because they had a map and compass and could use them.

Rathfriland man David Bell cleared the top in 4th place, though it took the marshal to say “cross my heart etc” before he would accept his promotion and like a little spring lamb he bounded off into the mist. It was about 10 minutes later before the main flock appeared, with the experienced mountain men and women, passing by with their heads bowed in shame. As the flock reached the flat lands of the Lough they were nearly “minted” by the McKibbin/Cunningham runaway train, heading off somewhere, but not surprisingly, none of them knew where. Back on Doan marshal Mark, who is undergoing Mountain Rescue training, spotted his navigational skills teacher Leo McGrath who was just back from the tour of Muck - the day the pupil became the master.

Each mountain had a tale to tell and it was no different on the 3rd one, Slieve Loughshannagh, it was here that Dave Bell’s early luck appeared to be running out, but no, out of the mist appeared Mourne Runners top navigator Willie John Brown, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As the pair set off for the top, the conversation quickly turned to WJ’s knowledge of the hills. By the time they had got to within 20 metres of the top the “Grand old Duke of Rugland” decided they were on Beg and so after marching Dave nearly to the top he marched Dave down again. But just like when he was up, he wanted to come down, now that he was down he realised they had been on Loughshannagh all the time and so WJ the mountain guide, marched them back up again.

Slieve Loughshannagh was now becoming very busy as the bulk on the field were trying to make up for lost time and were hoping to reel in the leaders, Pauline and Paddy, who had just overtaken the Roy boy. It was beginning to look like a big night for team BARF and a mighty night of celebrations in the bar. There was talk that the BARFers could be drinking big pints of diluted orange instead of their usual half pints, but as it turned out it was only a rumour.

The final, official, mountain in the race is Ott and while it is by far the easiest climb of the night, that is if you do so by the race route. The marshals, who had been on the top since before 7.30, finally spotted the first runner just after 8.30, some 25mins down on the ETA. While Paddy appeared from the expected direction, this proved to be the exception as over the next hour, runners appeared from all directions, with most sheepishly asking what direction they now should head, with many being informed just to go back the way that they had come from.

One wonders what directions that they would have been given if Gary Bailey, who had earlier been up with the marshals, had not been hastily despatched back down to the finish area. Why was that I hear you ask? Well, when Gary spoke to summit marshal Billy about how misty it was up here on Carn and that he was going to head to Loughshannagh, he was informed he was actually on Ott and that ‘the best thing that you could do son was to return from where you came’. Exit one International runner back down the hill with his tail between his legs – how did he survive for a year in Australia, perhaps the sheep there are more accommodating?

Back on the downhill slopes of Ott the circus continued, enter Eamon McCrickard. For those that know the descent (that would exclude almost tonight’s entire field) there are a couple of 10-foot crags. It was here that the goat (aka Eamon) in the flock appeared, launching himself off the top followed by two forward rolls and up and away – don’t try this one at home kids.

Back down at the finish pens it was a case of counting them in and recounting them as it was beginning to look like a major rescue job may be on the cards. So, dear readers, as you can see from the results table, time recording was suspended early on, as the job of identifying how many had completed the full course had taken top priority. As Larne junior runner Brendan O’ Boyle was still not back his father was doing some “soul” searching, not knowing that his son was doing the same. Young Brendan was actually searching around the hillside for the “sole” of his shoe that had parted company from the uppers. When reunited, Father and Son, not the shoe, both were last seen heading off looking for Brian Ervine.

Other concerned spectators were now offering help, Mark Pruzina headed up the hill with a lamp to guide the tail end runners in. Billy McKay, over-55 category leader, having a night off from competing and wearing a pair of wellies offered to take his unused crook up the hill and chase any lost ewes home, but race shepherd Frank was now content that all had returned and ordered everyone back to the sheep dip (local pub).

The reading of the results, at the sheep dip, announced that club BARF had made it a double with the winner of both the men and women’s race - Paddy and Pauline. Though when Pauline’s was the first name read out in the ladies race, someone quipped that they must be doing the results in reverse order tonight. As copies of the full results were not available on the night it’s a good bet that this week’s Mourne Observer will be kept by those who are usually in the bottom half of the field. Young grandchildren will be sick of hearing - did I ever tell you about the time I finished in the top dozen in a Hill and Dale race.

Next year the race goes in the opposite direction, so for all but Pauline, Muck will be the last Mountain.

LATE NEWS

David McKibbin and Stevie Cunningham were back out training on Saturday morning, running up the middle of the main road in Newcastle. They were observed running quickly for about 4 metres, then walking hand in hand for the next 2 metres and repeating this routine. When asked what they were doing, they said that after Thursday night they were taking no chances and had decided to play safe by keeping to the white line, fine, but why were they running fast then walking? The answer was that sometimes the solid white line became a broken white line and there was no way they were going to get caught going off-line again.

BOGMAN

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