Rocky

Hill and Dale Race 9

Thursday 5th June 2008

Welcome to the New Pretender?

Is the king’s reign coming to an end? Now 41 years old Alan McKibbin has won the past 4 Hill & Dale Championships, but this year he is really up against the wire. The (not so young) pretender from Omagh, Stevie Duncan, is close to grabbing the crown. Duncan is basically fed up with the long trek to the Mournes and this toil is not to be underestimated. The trip has to be made at least 6 times during a ten-week period and it is a long way. This year though, for the first time, it looks like he might crack it.

The 9th race Rocky (clockwise as the Swiss invented it; please note Bogusboy who described last week’s Loughshannagh Race as anti-clockwise when it was actually clockwise; not a bit of wonder he gave up track racing at an early age; he just couldn’t ever get his head around all that bumping into the other athletes coming the other way) is a classy fell race mixing the full range of the traditional challenge.

The race is usually held on a warm summer evening when the hoards of midges descend to eat the flesh of the more rounded participants. This year however, it had been raining and although it wasn’t too bad for the race, maybe the dreaded midge would stay away?

The race starts on the mountainside just at Leitrim Lodge and initially takes in the steep climb of the eponymous Rocky before the rough and tussocky run across the ridge that transverses the tops of Tournaman Rock, Pearse’s Castle and Altnataggart before the long descent along the track to the finish. It’s on this long run in that many a dream is ruined and in a state of mental and physical exhaustion runners must decide when to turn left off the track and plunge towards the finish. Too early and it’s steep and rough, too late and the runner loses time covering too much extra distance.

Mourne’s guru the Bartman paid a ‘too early’ visit to the final descent and ended up in the sheep pen – a welcome sight on many a long mountain run, but not in a race J

Last year, Newcastle’s Alwynne Shannon was racing Rocky on the way to winning the overall Series for the first time. She had the close attention of Shalene Ward (now a Mourne Runner) who after stalking for most of the race she was still in touch at the top of Rocky and surged down the final descent to win. Shannon, however, still went on to secure her first title. This year the chase for the Ladies title is equally tight and once again Shannon is fighting it out with Ward.

This year though Shannon struck out early on the climb of Rocky to establish what turned out to be an unassailable lead and came home in 38minutes and 37 seconds over a minute clear of Ward. Anne Sandford finished a good third just ahead of Shileen O’Kane. The title is still up for grabs but could Shannon be edging towards a 2nd in a row?

Meanwhile Stevie Duncan ran another canny race to pull away from the Mourne pair of Eddie Hanna and Hockey star Andy Niblock in the latter stages to secure his 4th win of the Series and combined with his one second place, this now means that McKibbin must win the final two races of the Series to take his 5th title in a row. It was interesting to hear youngish Hanna tell Duncan that he had ‘lost a stone in weight in the last fortnight’ – either some of the stone were marbles or maybe his true potential would be found in entering Northern Irish Slimmer of the Year 2008?

Just to prove that the story of Lazarus did really happen, Paul Mawhirt turns up. Last year after an operation on his bad back, Mawhirt made a quiet entry back into racing at the Rocky race and posted a time of 44minutes and 46 seconds in 73rd place. This year as he gets older he has returned to some fantastic form and this time he completed the Rocky race in 5th place and nearly 10 minutes faster. A brilliant effort J and an inspiration to anyone out there who thinks they are past it J

Meanwhile Decky McIlroy, mentioned by Bogusboy last week, is having a torrid time this year and definitely not racing at his best. This might be mainly due to the regular referral to his heart monitor to check that he is still alive. One way or another, after this week’s run he was last seen heading along the Ulster Way towards the local ‘Mass Rock’ – next week will see if his prayers have been answered J

Every single competitor faces his or her own demons to complete each race as quickly as they are capable – and this week’s ‘push to the limit’ award must go to Paddy McCrickard; ashen-faced he approached the line recorded a finishing time and promptly bent over and met his friend Huey – not a pleasant sight for the gathered officials and spectators.

Speaking of officials, the Brannigan Brothers (the older one being this week’s race organiser) were a version of Backstreet Boys meet Nuns on the Run at the finishing area – tucked up in skin tight hoodies and the younger one including a baseball cap, they really looked the piece – allegedly to protect from the hordes of midges who once again made a guest appearance J

And then there is last week’s race organiser, Joe McCann, whose celebrations of his birthday continued into this week when he declared that he was doing 40km in celebration of one km for every year he has been alive. The only problem is that everyone wondered why this silver fox was only doing 40km?

Finally four-legged dogs are not really allowed in the race as they cause a health and safety risk (the two-legged varieties pose a big enough one in themselves) and one particular specimen is starting to make a somewhat regular appearance – please, no.

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

BOGBOY

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