Binnian to the Top

Hill and Dale Race

Thursday 1st May 2008

Steep, Steep & Even Steeper

168 runners braved the traffic jams to reach the Head Road on the south side the Mournes last Thursday evening – they came from all parts – Belfast, Larne, Ballymena, the Sperrins, Omagh, Armagh, Castleblayney, Dublin and of course the heart bed of local fell running - the Mournes and surrounding area.

What was the occasion? The 4th race of the 2008 Hill & Dale series – the one whose unique selling point (USP for those of a marketing bent) is that there is no descent –that’s right, all the pain and strain of the battle against gravity without the exhilaration of the descending rush. The race to the top of Binnian only covers around one and three quarter miles, but the fact that the runners must also gain in excess of 1700 feet means that many are reduced to a mere pulp by the time that the summit is reached.

Archive News

24 years ago, Mike McNulty dreamt up the idea of a series of races in the Mourne area and named it the ‘Forest & Fell’ league – on the 19th June the first ever ‘Binnian to the Top’ race was held with 19 finishers. Reviewing the results shows Annalong’s Davy Graham as the winner in 26minutes and 35seconds with another famous local, Rugland’s Willie John Brown in 7th some 3 minutes behind. A fresh-faced Damian Brannigan (probably only 17 years old or so) was a couple of places further back in 9th. Four local ladies completed the race, all from the now extinct Tollymore AC – Fiona Barr, Kathleen Keown, Kathleen McGonigle and Anne McComb.

Maxwell brilliance

24 years on, 149 extra runners faced the starter’s whistle and the race HQ was based in Willie Marks’ field – thanks to the Marks – with the traditional start moved down the road to the field entrance to allow the field to thin out a little before it reached the narrow track on the initial climb to the Binnian quarry.

No Stevie Duncan this week, winner of the first three races of the Series and so an opportunity was opened up for last week’s second placer and 2007 champion, Alan McKibbin to secure a first victory of 2008. However, Dublin’s top fell runner of the moment, Peter O’Farrell from Rathfarnham WSAF was also in the field and so the scene was set for another epic tussle.

Mourne’s Fiona Maxwell is unashamedly a Vet45 now, but she is in the very best shape of her life. The weekend before this race she had competed in the World Long-Distance Mountain Running Challenge in the Yorkshire Dales over the classic Three Peaks course of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. She came home a brilliant 9th place after 3 hours and 39 minutes of running. Only 5 days later she toed the line for her first Hill & Dale of 2008. The result? Another brilliant display of mountain racing coming home in an amazing 14th place overall in 25minutes and 50seconds, two and a half minutes ahead of ‘unattached’, no sorry, ‘Newcastle AC’s’, oops, ‘Mourne Runners’ Shalene Ward, with Omagh’s Frances Orr in third after a great scrap with Newcastle AC’s Alwynne Shannon (another Three Peak performer) and club mate Angela Speight.

McKibbin seals victory

Meanwhile McKibbin was running his usual aggressive race at the front to make amends for last week’s loss. O’Farrell was hanging in behind with another Three Peaks participant Des Woods also in touch. Becoming isolated in behind was Deon McNeilly followed by Stevie Cunningham and the re-born Paul Mawhirt.

McKibbin’s winning time of 22minutes and 57 seconds brought him home 9 seconds clear of O’Farrell with Woods another 9 seconds back. In among mainly older bodies, youngster James Speight from Omagh came home in an excellent 11th place.

At the summit, the heavens’ opened, the thunder and lightning struck and hailstones fell – the runners were strewn all over the battlefield and encouraged those arriving after them over the finish line – the marshals battled to record results as the paper started to disintegrate. All 168 runners succeeded in making it home inside 45 minutes.

The team title for the Series is very competitive this year with Omagh and Mourne Runners securing on race each, but this week Newcastle AC made it two in a row with 1st, 4th and 6th.

100-up and so on

Pauline O’Hara popped up this week to say that she is now on her 112th race of the Hill & Dales – so belated congratulations on reaching your 100 sometime last year.

Thanks for the hospitality of the Marks in providing parking in their field, the dangerous junction on the Head road was covered in ‘no parking’ signs – thanks to all for taking due regard of them. Actually, not all – Mrs Johnston – you know who you are! – managed to park her car in the aforementioned area – her excuse? “I parked in behind the signs”. Inventive, yes, but stupidJ

Joe McCann slaved away in the kitchen this week as usual and produced another delicious loaf of sandwiches for the post-race festivities. A thoughtful chap he is, so much so, that as he left for another appointment on Thursday evening, he left the batch of sandwiches on his front doorstep for the McNeilly clan to pick up, so that Mrs McCann would not be bothered by a knock at the door. As the McNeilly car approached the house, they knew all was not well as the sandwiches were now scattered all over the lawn and being enjoyed by a local dog – “take them anyway” said Mrs McCann – thankfully for the runners they did not. “Stupid boy”J

Moughanmore

This week, the 5th race in the Hill and Dale Race Series is the Moughanmore Race covering the out and back course via Pigeon Rock to Moughanmore from the Deer’s Meadow – please park on the old road down to the Spelga Dam – please not park on the main mountain through road. Also get there as early as possible – registration opens at 6.30pm

BOGBOY

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