McKibben returns to make his point the best way
A fantastic turnout of 105 runners appeared
at the Happy Valley for the Meelmore Meelbeg race
on Thursday night last, the 10th of the 11 race 2003
Acheson & Glover Hill & Dale Race Series.
Sunny and kind weather, following another unsettled
spell, greeted the runners and after last week's 'lost
in the mountains' escapade, Newcastle AC's Alan McKibben
was out to prove a point.
After an initial sortie by Larne's Andy
Gregg, McKibben moved to the front, followed by Albertville's
Steve Begley, Ballymena's Alex Brennan, Ballydrain's
David McNeilly and Newcastle's Damien Brannigan and
Stevie Cunningham. This week the mountains were clear
and although McKibben twisted and turned, veered left
and right, he soon established a great lead, one minute
by the top of Meelmore. A swift descent of Meelmore
to the col, he set into climb of Meelbeg showing awesome
strength and stamina as he bounced up the mountain.
In his wake, it was McNeilly who led the bunch, but
only by a bit.
The ladies race was led again this week
from start to finish by improving Violet Linton of
LVO, showing better form as each race goes by. Linton
came home in 36th place overall in 37 minutes 49 seconds,
just over a minute outside Shileen O'Kane's record
from last year. O'Kane made her second race comeback
and finished 3rd in 62nd overall. Sandwiched in between
was Alwyn Shannon, first lady veteran in 41st overall
and only 25 seconds down on Linton.
Meanwhile, McKibben reached the summit
of Meelbeg comfortably ahead and took the foot off
the accelerator slightly, took no chances and plunged
down to Happy Valley below. His winning time of 17
seconds inside the half hour is high quality, only
beaten by the likes of Robbie Bryson.
A sprint finish saw McNeilly hold off
Brennan for 2nd, whilst Cunningham descended fastest
to move into 4th place ahead of Gregg and Brannigan.
Fast finishing junior, who loves the descents, Jonathan
McCloy, from Mid-Ulster, narrowly failed to beat Jim
Brown, first veteran 40, for 8th place. McCloy would
have to choose to out descend the fastest veteran
descender on the scene.
Billy McKay, one of the slowest vet
descenders, still managed to do enough on the climbs
to win comfortably the veteran 50 category in 11th
overall and first veteran 45 was John White of LVO.
Billy Magee out kicked the limping Des McHenry to
win the vet 55 category again this week.
Again this was an excellent 'McNeilly
clan' production with excellent hospitality at the
Maghera Inn afterwards as usual. Next week is the
last race of the Series in Donard Forest, a new route,
on FRIDAY, followed by the Series prize giving in
the Avoca Hotel.
BOGBOY
| 1 |
Alan McKibben |
Newcastle AC |
O |
29:43
|
| 2 |
David McNeilly |
Ballydrain |
O |
30:31
|
| 3 |
Alex Brennan |
Ballymena |
O |
34
|
| 4 |
Stevie Cunningham |
Newcastle AC |
O |
40
|
| 5 |
Andy Gregg |
Larne |
O |
46
|
| 6 |
Damien Brannigan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
31:03
|
| 7 |
Steve Begley |
Albertville |
O |
32:57
|
| 8 |
Jim Brown |
BARF |
V40 |
33:10
|
| 9 |
Jonathan McCloy |
Mid Ulster |
OJ |
11
|
| 10 |
James McCann |
Ballymena |
O |
22
|
| 11 |
Billy McKay |
Albertville |
V50 |
52
|
| 12 |
Gary Bailey |
ACKC |
O |
59
|
| 13 |
Steven Linton |
NWOC |
O |
34:09
|
| 14 |
Brian McBurney |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
18
|
| 15 |
Roy Donaldson |
ACKC |
O |
21
|
| 16 |
Eddie O'Hagan |
Team Purple |
V40 |
29
|
| 17 |
Andrew Niblock |
U/A |
O |
35:02
|
| 18 |
William Marks |
ACKC |
O |
22
|
| 19 |
Richard Cowan |
Willowfield |
O |
26
|
| 20 |
Paddy Mallon |
BARF |
O |
38
|
| 21 |
Owen McMurray |
U/A |
OJ |
45
|
| 22 |
Barry Wells |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
56
|
| 23 |
Marty McMullan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
36:06
|
| 24 |
Billy Magee |
Larne |
V55 |
09
|
| 25 |
Des McHenry |
Willowfield |
V55 |
23
|
| 26 |
David Bell |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
30
|
| 27 |
John White |
LVO |
V45 |
32
|
| 28 |
Denis Rankin |
BARF |
V55 |
37:04
|
| 29 |
Mark Hanna |
ACKC |
O |
08
|
| 30 |
Francis Nugent |
U/A |
O |
14
|
| 31 |
Charlie McAlinden |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
18
|
| 32 |
Adam Mitten |
Newcastle AC |
OJ |
22
|
| 33 |
Peter McGookin |
ACKC |
V50 |
26
|
| 34 |
John Savage |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
38
|
| 35 |
James Keown |
U/A |
O |
47
|
| 36 |
Violet Linton |
LVO |
L |
49
|
| 37 |
Cecil McCullough |
U/A |
V40 |
52
|
| 38 |
Samuel Herron |
ACKC |
O |
38:05
|
| 39 |
Wes Kettyle |
ACKC |
V50 |
09
|
| 40 |
Kevin Quinn |
Newcastle AC |
V50 |
11
|
| 41 |
Alwyn Shannon |
Newcastle AC |
LV |
14
|
| 42 |
Mike Barton |
ACKC |
V50 |
20
|
| 43 |
Jez Anderson |
U/A |
O |
29
|
| 44 |
Harry Harron |
ACKC |
O |
31
|
| 45 |
Brian Campbell |
Newcastle AC |
O |
46
|
| 46 |
Edward Hanna |
U/A |
O |
49
|
| 47 |
Andrew Campbell |
ACKC |
O |
49
|
| 48 |
Mervyn McCollam |
U/A |
O |
50
|
| 49 |
Tom Donnelly |
ACKC |
O |
39:06
|
| 50 |
Ricky Cowan |
Willowfield |
V50 |
33
|
| 51 |
Ian McMurray |
BARF |
V45 |
44
|
| 52 |
David Simpson |
U/A |
O |
48
|
| 53 |
Brian Wilson |
U/A |
O |
49
|
| 54 |
WJ Brown |
Newcastle AC |
V50 |
50
|
| 55 |
David Fulcher |
U/A |
V45 |
51
|
| 56 |
Derek Parkins |
Albertville |
V40 |
53
|
| 57 |
Aiden Campbell |
U/A |
O |
54
|
| 58 |
Frank Gorman |
U/A |
O |
55
|
| 59 |
Peter McClenaghan |
BARF |
V40 |
40:08
|
| 60 |
Harry Teggarty |
U/A |
V50 |
22
|
| 61 |
Francis Boal |
Ballydrain |
V55 |
38
|
| 62 |
Shileen O'Kane |
BARF |
L |
41:01
|
| 63 |
Roma McConville |
N Down |
LV |
08
|
| 64 |
James Smyth |
U/A |
V40 |
28
|
| 65 |
Paul Fegan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
32
|
| 66 |
Brian White |
LVO |
OJ |
38
|
| 67 |
Jim Walker |
East Antrim |
V40 |
47
|
| 68 |
Stephanie Pruzina |
BARF |
LV |
42:30
|
| 69 |
Ashley Fisher |
U/A |
O |
35
|
| 70 |
Clarke Campbell |
BARF |
O |
38
|
| 71 |
Trevor Wilson |
BARF |
V40 |
56
|
| 72 |
Noel Douglas |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
59
|
| 73 |
Martina Elliot |
Lunchtime Legends |
LV |
43:06
|
| 74 |
Barry Anderson |
U/A |
O |
09
|
| 75 |
John McDonald |
U/A |
O |
12
|
| 76 |
Jonathon P Sloan |
ACKC |
O |
34
|
| 77 |
Connel Nugent |
U/A |
V40 |
44
|
| 78 |
Gary Sloan |
ACKC |
V45 |
49
|
| 79 |
Jonathon McKinley |
U/A |
O |
44:13
|
| 80 |
Donal O'Kane |
BARF |
V40 |
24
|
| 81 |
Des Robinson |
ACKC |
V45 |
35
|
| 82 |
Hugh McCloy |
Mid Ulster |
V45 |
46:35
|
| 83 |
Andy McCaw |
U/A |
O |
39
|
| 84 |
Artie Quinn |
U/A |
V45 |
43
|
| 85 |
Barbara Brown |
ACKC |
LV |
47:12
|
| 86 |
Ian Taylor |
BARF |
V55 |
15
|
| 87 |
Mal Scott |
Longwood Joggers |
O |
39
|
| 88 |
Gary McLoughlin |
LVO |
O |
48:12
|
| 89 |
Richard McConnell |
BARF |
O |
40
|
| 90 |
John Welshman |
U/A |
V40 |
49:58
|
| 91 |
Bill Hopkins |
LVO |
V55 |
50:01
|
| 92 |
Charlotte Smith |
ACKC |
L |
47
|
| 93 |
Ronnie Donaldson |
CIYMS |
V55 |
51:03
|
| 94 |
Leo McGrath |
Lagan Valley |
O |
48
|
| 95 |
Pauline O'Hara |
BARF |
LV |
57
|
| 96 |
Johnny Gregg |
Team Purple |
O |
54:53
|
| 97 |
Kieron McDonald |
BARF |
O |
55:34
|
| 98 |
Peter Turkington |
ACKC |
V45 |
44
|
| 99 |
Michael McCullough |
ACKC |
O |
59
|
| 100 |
Colin McKee |
ACKC |
O |
56:00
|
| 101 |
David Adair |
U/A |
O |
72:58
|
| 102 |
Tom Donnelly |
ACKC |
V60 |
76:45
|
| 103 |
Claire Galbraith |
ACKC |
LV |
76:45
|
| DNF |
Ian McCollam |
U/A |
O |
|
| DNF |
Dermot Neary |
U/A |
O |
|
Team Results
|
1
|
Newcastle AC |
11
|
|
2
|
ACKC |
45
|
|
3
|
BARF |
56
|
|
4
|
Albertville |
74
|
|
5
|
Willowfield |
94
|
|
6
|
LVO |
129 |
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