Slieve Donard Race

Newcastle Entertainment Committee-Perpetual Challenge Sheild Presented
by Gerald F. Annesley Esq Slieve Donard Mountain Climb

Friday 22nd June 2007

“Up & Running” 63rd Annual Slieve Donard Classic

McNeilly the most prolific of all-time – McCann wins for the first time

Since the 2nd Thursday in April there has been 11 weeks of preparation provided by the Hill & Dale Series for the big test that arrived last Friday night – the 63rd Annual Slieve Donard Race Classic, this year generously supported by Up & Running – the runners’ specialist shop in Belfast.

Since 2003, this historic race has taken place on a Friday night just a week after the Hill & Dales finish. This has proven popular and once again this year a record 87 runners (with the exception of when it was a British Championship race a few years ago and runners invaded from England, Scotland and Wales) braved the challenge of getting from Newcastle Centre to the highest point of Northern Ireland and back to sea level again by whatever route they choose.

The Slieve Donard Classic ranks in the top five longest running races without a break across Great Britain and Ireland. Over the years the race has seen many routes. In 1945, in the first running of the race and for many years thereafter, the event was known as ‘go as you please’, where runners started at the Newcastle Rural Council Office and the only checkpoint was the mountain summit. In intervening years the classic descent to the Bloody Bridge and the harrowing 2.7miles along the coast road was introduced. There were also races that started and finished in Donard Park. Since 2003, however, the race has reverted to its original 1945 format.

Over the years there have been prolific winners of the race including 6 times winner James McKinney and 8 times winner and defending champion Deon McNeilly and other recent local winners such as last year’s winner Alan McKibbin, Jim Patterson, Dermot McGonigle and Robbie Bryson – all local runners want their name on that historic trophy – 30 different winners in 62 races. It is a race that has had many visitors with the attraction being the obvious – the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 2,796 feet, steep and rough terrain and a direct climb of only two and a half back-breaking miles, followed by a treacherous descent back to the start.

Past non-local winners have been the likes of Mike Short, born behind where the Reebok Stadium stands in Horwich near Bolton, now in his late 50s and living and still racing in the Alps in Switzerland; Colin Donnelly who as a prodigious 18-year-old out of Cambuslang in Glasgow won the race for his first of three times in 1979, Donnelly went on to medal performances in World Championships and a World Masters title; Ian Holmes, three times British Champion from Bingley in Yorkshire won in 2000 with the incredulous descent time from the summit to Donard Park of 14 minutes and 16 seconds.

As ever straight from the starting whistle, Newcastle AC’s Alan McKibbin started fast but this year McNeilly was able to follow him – still smarting from last year’s defeat. McKibbin had won the Hill & Dale Series for a fourth year in a row, McNeilly still fancied his chances, whilst North Belfast’s Neil Carty was also there – to be the bridesmaid again?

As the runners emerged from the forest, McKibbin and McNeilly had opened a gap on Carty. What happened next surprised everyone that is except McNeilly. McNeilly made a decisive move and crossed the Glen River and set off towards the Black Stairs, taking this route for the first time in 10 years. Left on his own, McKibbin continued to work hard up the Glen, but eventually was caught by Carty.

McNeilly was not happy with his climbing form, but 39 minutes and 25 seconds after the start he emerged on the summit as the leader. Just as he turned, he sensed McKibbin and Carty approaching along the Mourne Wall from the direction of the Glen. McNeilly then quite literally sprinted off down the front of the vast mountain towards the summit cairn (which as everyone knows is just a little lower than the summit tower).

Carty turned a fraction of a second ahead of McKibbin with both some 15 seconds behind McNeilly. Onto the steep boulder field a few minutes later and the two boys had caught McNeilly. McNeilly, it has been said many times before, is a formidable competitor and his response to seeing the other two was to push harder and take the requisite risks over the dangerous ground that every winner of the Donard race must take.

Over the rocky crags of the Black Stairs and McNeilly still had the edge, but only just and as he entered the forest, he had simply decided in his own mind that no one would beat him – this race means that much to him. Carty had dropped McKibbin – it wasn’t to be a title defence – and once again caught McNeilly and once again McNeilly surged.

Down the Main Street and McNeilly was clear, he had just accelerated and accelerated and eventually broke the spirit of Carty to come home in the very respectable time of 57 minutes and 48 seconds, 32 seconds clear. Without doubt Carty was 2nd – 2nd at the summit, 2nd at the end, the bridesmaid forever. A very tired and disappointed McKibbin came home in third place but will return to fight another day.

Mourne Runners’ Stevie Cunningham produced another fine run in 4th place. Reaching the summit in 6th, he recorded the 2nd fastest descent of 17 minutes and 55 seconds to move through to 4th and become the last man this year to break the magic hour barrier – 59 minutes and 45 seconds. His club mates also filled the next three places – Eddie Hanna, Andrew Stevenson and Roy Donaldson.

With Mourne packing well, Newcastle AC had a much tougher challenge than in recent years but still managed to scrape home to win the team race for the eighth time in nine years with 12 points from Mourne Runners’ 15.

One of the victorious team, Eamon McCrickard has had a bit of an up and down season (pardon the pun) and it was a little bit like that this evening as he was a little disappointed with his climb to reach the summit in 11th place in 44 minutes and 49 seconds (nonetheless still respectable). No such problems on the descent though as he recorded his fastest ever time and took the prize for the fastest descent on the night – the summit of Slieve Donard to the Newcastle Centre in 17 minutes and 44 seconds (still 59 seconds outside Gary Bailey’s amazing 2005 record of 16 minutes and 45 seconds), 11 seconds faster than Stevie Cunningham’s descent.

In the ladies category, Newcastle AC’s Anne Sandford broke the 50-minute barrier to the summit, recording a symmetrical 49 minutes and 49 seconds. She wasn’t destined to win however, for 43 seconds behind was Mourne Runners’ Tish McCann who set off on the descent like a woman possessed to catch and overtake Sandford and pull away to win comfortably in 73 minutes and 10 seconds – 44th at the summit, 31st overall at the finish and the 22nd fastest descent – a maiden victory in Donard race. Sandford was second and also making a rare sortie into racing these days, BARF’s Stephanie Pruzina was 3rd. It is also worth mentioning that McCann won the Carantoohill Race earlier in the month and so tonight’s result makes her the fastest woman on both the highest mountain in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland.

It is becoming a tradition to mention Lazarus aka Barry Wells at this point of the annual Donard report. Wells made a few more appearances this year in the Hill & Dale series, demonstrating that despite his dodgy knee he is still able to descend like a flying machine. He reached the summit of Donard in 18th place nearly a minute faster than last year and then proceeded to record the 10th fastest descent in just over 20 minutes, 10 seconds faster than last year, to improve by over a minute and a quarter overall and come home 12th.

Beat Your Age

For the real ‘statos’ amongst the readers, the organisers of the race have a special category for those runners who ‘beat their age’ to the summit. This year’s roll of honour is:

1. Deon McNeilly Newcastle AC 43 years 39 minutes

2. Neil Carty North Belfast 41 39

3. Alan McKibbin Newcastle 40 39

4. Dominic McGreevy Ballydrain Harriers 50 44

5. Billy McKay Albertville 58 45

6. Peter Howie Larne AC 51 47

7. Peter McGuckian Mourne Runners 55 47

8. Ronnie Rutherford Ballydrain 57 49

9. Mike Barton Mourne Runners 53 52

10.Fred Strickland Ballydrain 60 52

11.Ricky Cowan Willowfield 59 58

Another worthy of a mention is George Graham, last man home tonight but a very respectable run nonetheless. In 1956, as a 16-year-old, Graham did the Donard Race for the first time and here he was 51 years later still able to compete successfully in one of the most strenuous physical challenges in the running calendar. The big crowd that had gathered at both the start/finish area and out on the mountain at the Ice House clearly appreciated the endeavours of not just Graham but also all the participants.

The Conquering McNeilly

Friday was Annual Donard Race day and it didn’t start well for victor Deon McNeilly when he attended the funeral of Tony Dickinson his teacher in Down High that encouraged and cajoled him into running some 27 years ago at the age of 16. Not only was Tony the reason that McNeilly started running – schools cross-country – but he also was the first to take him into the mountains on long treks.

After the race McNeilly dedicated this, his 9th victory, to Dickinson. In 1980 at the age of 16, McNeilly decided to run the Donard race for the first time and as an inspiration to anyone who thinks that people are ‘born winners’, he finished 15th that year (by the way, it remains sadly the writer’s only ever victory over McNeilly). The following year at the age of 17, he had put in a bit of training and came home in 5th. McNeilly worked away for 10 years and reached a running peak towards the end of the 80s when he was regularly in the top three cross-country runners across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

When he returned to live and work in Northern Ireland, he decided to run in the 1992 race and having borrowed Frank Morgan’s fell running shoes, he won for the first time. He didn’t run again until 1995 and since then, the rest is history, 8 more wins from 13 races – beaten only by McKibbin, Robbie Bryson, Yorkshire’s Ian Holmes, Scotland’s John Brooks and Brian Ervine.

The big question now is will McNeilly make 10 wins next year?

BOGBOY