Rocky

Hill and Dale Race 9

Thursday 31st May 2007

McKibbin Makes it 4 Titles in a Row

Newcastle AC’s Alan McKibbin turned 40 this year, but it clearly hasn’t given him an excuse to slow down. Winner of the Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) Hill & Dale Race Series in 2003, 2004 and 2005, McKibbin missed the first two races this season but then returned to win one race after another until (sensibly) missing out on last week’s walkabout and then stepped up to the line this week to attempt to win once more to secure a perfect score of 6 and win the title for a fourth time in a row.

The Rocky race starts on the mountainside just at Leitrim Lodge and takes in Altnataggart, Pearse’s Castle and Tournaman Rock before the final climb and descent of the eponymous Rocky back to the start. The weather was superb with beautiful sunshine and summer heat greeting the 136 runners who pitched up for the start. A brisk wind also seemed to be deterring the infamous midge from the environs of the car park, but it was simply to lull the runners and spectators into a false sense of security, for as with the blood running fiercely in the runners’ veins after the race, the feeding is easier and tired runners were once again subjected to a feeding frenzy that would lead to uncomfortable scratching for days to come.

The start of the race is fast before the field climbs steeply alongside the end of Kilbroney Forest before rejoining the main track heading for Altnataggart. One of the great things about the Hill & Dale series is the wide variation in each of the 11 races and also the variation within each race itself. This week the ground covered included smooth track, rough boggy (although drier than usual) and tussocky terrain, gentle and steep climbs and descents.

A regular visitor to this year’s series is Omagh’s Steve Duncan, now an accomplished road runner with fast times to his name, it seems that the hills and mountains are his underlying love. Last year he made his debut for Northern Ireland in the World Championships in Turkey and this year he looks set to earn more international call-ups later this year. Learning the trade all the time, he is still not confident enough to steal a lead on the open mountain and so it was this evening as the champion-elect McKibbin led the snaking field up the first steep climb.

It must be in the genes – Alan McKibbin’s twin brother Dave has also won the Hill & Dale Series. However, there is more in the genes than initially meets the eye; readers of last week’s epic sheep frolic will remember that in Alan’s absence Dave had led the majority of the field onto Slieve Muck instead of Carn. Well not to be outdone, this evening in crystal clear conditions only eight minutes into the race Alan took to the Altnataggart ridge too early taking the top ten with him (including twin Dave), before the runner in 11th place realised McKibbin’s mistake and kept the rest of the field on the track. It wasn’t a serious mistake, probably only cost them 30 seconds or so and it was still McKibbin with Duncan, stuck to him like glue, who emerged at Altnataggart summit in first place.

The marshals on both Altnataggart and Pearse’s Castle, less then half a mile apart, stood and wondered at the breadth of the spread in the runners as they crossed between the two. Normally the shortest distance between two points is a straight line – but not necessarily so in the mountains because the terrain and contours are so varied. Some runners are faster at weighing through the heathery and boggy tussocks, whilst others prefer the smooth track. McKibbin and Duncan opted for the latter, although longer, but still led as they summited Pearse’s.

Meanwhile back in the ladies race, early leader Alwynne Shannon was climbing well in her attempt to win the Hill & Dale series for the first time. This week, however, she had the attention of the fast improving Shalene Ward. Having run in only three of the races so far, she was about to produce her best race ever in this her fourth outing. She was always in touch with Shannon and stalked her endlessly through the unrelenting terrain. Onto the final climb of Rocky and she finally realised that she might just win her first race ever. So much of racing is psychological, pain disperses in the competitive brain when the realisation dawns that winning is a possibility and the surge down the steep flank of Rocky was enough to see her ahead and onto a maiden victory in 41 minutes and 8 seconds, some 18 seconds ahead of Shannon. Shannon still looks certain to secure the Series title.

McKibbin is the ultimate racer and this plays on the minds of his rivals – never certain enough on the open hill to strike off on his own, McKibbin knows that his rivals will be waiting for the inevitable surge. This week it was towards the summit of Rocky when McKibbin finally surged to break Duncan. Emerging on the summit with a significant lead, McKibbin sought reassurance from summit marshal McNeilly Senior and struck off for the finish to literally romp home to win in 34 minutes and 3 seconds, 21 seconds clear of Duncan.

Behind the leading two here was a tremendous tussle among the next six who all came home within 15 seconds of each other. It was Armagh’s Don Travers taking third place, clearly demonstrating that he has got over his London Marathon efforts, 4 seconds ahead of Mourne’s Stevie Cunningham who in turn was 5 seconds ahead of club mate Eddie Hanna. A storming descent by BARF’s Jim Brown saw him only a further 3 seconds behind and just ahead of another fast-finisher Mid Ulster’s Jonathan McCloy, with Dave McKibbin one more second back in 8th.

The team race was a tight one with Newcastle pipping Mourned Runners with the McKibbin twins linking up with fast-improving David O’Flaherty to score 18 points ahead of Mourne’s 20 points – Roy Donaldson scoring alongside Cunningham and Hanna. Furthermore, obviously inspired by the great team victory in last week’s walkabout, BARF descended en masse with 17 runners this week – just like the old days.

This sport and seemingly many more sports today seem to becoming more and more dominated by the older athletes, nearly 100 of the 136 starters this week were over the age of 35, an age in the past that would have seem most tucked up on a Thursday evening in front of the fire with slippers on and pipe in mouth. Not that this picture is much different than it was for one runner this week – accomplished architect Peter McGuckin (otherwise known as McGookin & McGuckian, take your pick). In 45th place and another steady performance after his usual arrival at the race venue with only ten minutes to spare, he crossed the finish line and promptly lit up – yes, lit up. The smell of pipe tobacco flooded across the valley – didn’t he realise that the smoking ban is now in place? Oops it doesn’t apply on the open mountain. Still there was method in his madness, as he strolled into the car park and sat down at a picnic table and contemplated the beautiful summer’s evening the midges moved away from him and sought fresher air for their feeding frenzy on fresh runners’ blood. In the pub afterwards, many of the runners looked like a ‘dot to dot’ book.

Back at Doran’s Mourne View Bar near Hilltown, Down District’s well-known Community Relations executive and this week’s race organiser, Damien Brannigan, put the finishing touches to another hi-energy performance reading out the results in the style of an election returning officer. He did cause a stir when Lazarus, aka Paul Mawhirt, arising from his back operation, took to the line for the first time in many a moon only to receive a commemorative mug from the aforementioned – protests abounded from Mourne reps Cecil and Mark, but the presiding officer was having none of it.

Unbelievable, but it is already race 10 of 11 next week, based at the Happy Valley taking in Meelmore and Meelbeg, clockwise direction – remember the full body cover and adhere to the parking directions whenever you get there.

BOGBOY

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