Hill and Dale Race Series Results 2003
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
Race 4
Race 5
Race 6
Race 7
Race 8
Race 9
Race 10
Race 11
Overall


Race 2

Tollymore Mountain Center

10th April 2003

Race 2 (of 11)

Another Record Breaking Night at the Hill & Dale Series

A record entry turned out for the Tollymore Mountain Centre race, the 2nd in the Acheson & Glover Hill & Dale Series - 129 runners from far and wide; Larne, Ballymena, Belfast, Dungannon, Castleblayney, Newry and all points of County Down. It seems to have been a long time since this part of the world seen so much sunshine over a period of a few weeks - since St Patrick's Day it has been fantastic and this has left the mountains in superb shape and the forests dry with very fast running conditions.

Ballymena's Sharon McBurney has stamped her authority on the Series in only two races, following up last week's record breaking run with another sparkling performance to come home in 28th overall in 35 minutes and 51 seconds, knocking 1 minute and 20 seconds off Shileen O'Kane's two year old record. Second lady, and first lady veteran, was North Down's Roma McConville, who took advantage of Alwyn Shannon's absence to grab her first category win of the year.

The men's race was well set up with Newcastle's Deon McNeilly, record holder, going head to head with current World Master's Champion, and club colleague, Robbie Bryson. With last week's winner Neil Carty absent, could anyone else challenge?

This Tollymore race is very fast with the climbs well broken up with short opportunities to recover and very fast long downhill sections. The start is a cavalry charge with the best part of four minutes descent to Parnell's Bridge and a spectacular sight it was, thundering feet at the first corner like the field of thoroughbreds approaching the Canal Turn on the first lap of the grand National last weekend. Ballymena's James McCann said a quick 'hello' to the two favourites out front and then promptly joined the peleton of about 15 runners as the first steep climb got underway. Newcastle's Paul Mawhirt then appeared at the lead of the chasing bunch clearly intent on putting the disappointment of the previous weekend's Bernagh race behind him.

Off the first summit and Bryson who led, was quickly joined again by McNeilly with Mawhirt, Albertville's Steve Begley (2nd last week) and McCann now clear of the rest. With local man Jim Patterson having led the way in recent years the new bunch of veterans are now proving that the 'older man' can compete on equal terms with the 'younger man', the first two tonight being veterans and six more in the top twenty.

The first veteran 55, Willowfield's Des McHenry continues to produce blistering runs, even in these fast conditions, as he prepares for the World Masters Triathlon Championships in Ibiza (is that what he's really going for?) - McHenry came home 20th in 35 minutes and 3 seconds. First veteran 50, Albertville's Billy McKay had a very fast second half of the race to finish 15th overall in 33 minutes and 11 seconds.

First veteran 45 was Team Purple's Francie O'Hagan, 16th in 33 minutes and 27 seconds, who hasn't quite recaptured last year's form but will show far more when the Series enters the mountains proper. Also notable finishers were Lunchtime Legends' Tom Donnelly first veteran 65 and just ahead of him first veteran 70 Jim Metcalfe in 50 minutes and 58 seconds - an example to us all.

Meanwhile, the first veteran 40 would be the overall winner of the race as Bryson and McNeilly slugged it out. Off the second long climb and there still wasn't much in it, with Bryson just getting the edge on McNeilly and then being drawn back on the descents. However, slowly Bryson was just looking the stronger and eventually the elastic snapped and he eased away to win in 29 minutes 41 seconds, outside McNeilly's record by 16 seconds, but 33 seconds clear tonight.

Behind, Begley, who out kicked Davy McKibbin in the home straight last week, did the same to another Newcastle man this week as he charged past Mawhirt to secure 3rd place in 31 minutes and 6 seconds. Newcastle secured the team victory over Albertville reversing last week's result.

One of the great things about this Series is that every race is different and challenging in its own way and whilst the winner was destined to come home in under 30 minutes there were finishers all the way down to 55 minutes - everyone is welcome - so if you want something different to do on a Thursday night at 7.30pm just turn up (by 7pm) and run - this week it's Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor with a good climb to the Cloughmore Stone, followed by the rise onto the open mountain side and onto the summit of Slievemartin before returning to sea level -record again just over the half hour but runners all the way down to an hour. Full details of the rest of the Series can be found on http://www.nimra.co.uk/.

BOGBOY

1 Robbie Bryson Newcastle AC V40
29:41
2 Deon McNeilly Newcastle AC V40
30:14
3 Steve Begley Albertville O
31:06
4 Paul Mawhirt Newcastle AC O
10
5 James McCann Ballymena O
32
6 Alex Brennan Ballymena O
38
7 Damien Brannigan Newcastle AC O
51
8 Lee Maginnis U/A O
32:13
9 Paul Rodgers Newcastle AC O
18
10 Andy Gregg Larne O
21
11 Dave Allen Albertville V40
29
12 Jim Brown BARF V40
42
13 Mark Kendall Newcastle AC O
54
14 Richard Rodgers Newcastle AC O
33:03
15 Billy McKay Albertville V50
11
16 Francis O'Hagan Team Purple V45
27
17 Jonny Davis Lunchtime Legends V40
34:23
18 Andrew Stevenson ACKC O
37
19 Cathal McGreevy Team Purple O
59
20 Des McHenry Willowfield V55
35:03
21 Mervin Chambers Willowfield V40
10
22 Johnny Gregg Team Purple O
25
23 Chris Bell Abbey OJ
29
24 Ian Gourley BARF O
34
25 Eddie Bell Abbey V40
37
26 Steven Linton NWOC O
42
27 Adam Mitten Newcastle AC OJ
44
28 Sharon McBurney Ballymena L
51
29 Peter Howie Larne V45
59
30 David Fulcher U/A V45
36:06
31 Stevie Cunningham Newcastle AC O
08
32 John Curran Newcastle AC V50
15
33 Richard Cowan Willowfield O
23
34 Ivan Millar LVO O
26
35 Robert Hamilton U/A O
31
36 Clive Coffey U/A O
33
37 Harry Shields U/A V40
37
38 Gary Bailey ACKC O
39
39 Dominic McGreevy Ballydrain V45
53
40 Barry Wells Newcastle AC O
56
41 Jonathan McCloy Mid Ulster OJ
57
42 Vince McAlinden BARF O
37:06
43 Billy Reed East Antrim O
16
44 Billy Dickie North Belfast V45
25
45 Eddie O'Hagan Team Purple V40
28
46 Mel O'Hare U/A O
30
47 Brian Linton BARF O
35
48 John Stevenson Ballydrain V45
53
49 Charlie McAlinden Newcastle AC V45
56
50 Paul Brennan O/S OJ
59
51 Jed Anderson U/A O
38:04
52 Euan Naismith U/A O
11
53 Peter McGookin ACKC V50
17
54 Francis Nugent U/A O
24
55 Brendan O'Boyle Larne OJ
27
56 Fred Hammond BARF V50
29
57 Derek Parkins Albertville V40
30
58 Mal Scott Longwood Joggers O
32
59 David Bell Newcastle AC V40
37
60 Samuel Herron ACKC O
46
61 Billy Magee Larne V55
50
62 Joe Quinn East Down V55
52
63 John Savage Newcastle AC V45
39:00
64 Jonathon P Sloan ACKC O
06
65 Patrick Lemoine BARF O
12
66 Francis Boal Ballydrain V55
18
67 Harry Harron ACKC O
22
68 Denis Rankin BARF V55
28
69 Tim Wilson U/A O
34
70 Cuan Boake ACKC O
37
71 Peter McClenaghan BARF V40
39
72 Kevin Balmer U/A V50
45
73 John White LVO V45
49
74 Richard McCauley ACKC O
40:07
75 WJ Brown Newcastle AC V50
09
76 Andrew McGibbon U/A O
18
77 Ricky Cowan Willowfield V50
20
78 James Smyth U/A V40
21
79 Ian McMurray BARF V45
23
80 Wes Kettyle ACKC V50
24
81 Andrew Turner U/A O
26
82 Dave Ewart BARF O
49
83 Andy Bridge U/A V40
41:18
84 Paul Fegan U/A O
23
85 Ian McCollum U/A O
35
86 Brian Campbell Newcastle AC O
44
87 Peter Cunningham Newcastle AC O
52
88 Trevor Wilson BARF V40
54
89 Roma McConville N Down LV
55
90 Gary McLoughlin LVO O
42:07
91 Andrew Campbell ACKC O
09
92 Paddy Mallon BARF O
15
93 Violet Linton LVO L
21
94 Brian Wilson U/A O
35
95 Martin Houlihan U/A O
43
96 Stephanie Pruzina BARF LV
59
97 Ashley Fisher U/A O
43:05
98 Robbie Donald Longmoore Runners O
15
99 John Kay U/A O
20
100 Stewart Magill U/A O
30
101 Ian Taylor BARF V55
32
102 Des Robinson ACKC V40
41
103 Ronnie Donaldson CIYMS V55
47
104 Fintan Quinn U/A V40
56
105 Mark Eccles Ballydrain V45
44:29
106 Clarke Campbell BARF O
57
107 Bob Cooke ACKC V50
46:22:00
108 Darren Herron ACKC O
25
109 Connel Nugent U/A V40
44
110 Eddie Moore Lunchtime Legends V55
59
111 David Wilson LVO O
47:03
112 Gary Sloan ACKC V45
11
113 Kevin Quinn Newcastle AC V50
17
114 Peter Turkington ACKC V45
21
115 Richard McConnell BARF O
24
116 Charlotte Smith ACKC L
33
117 Hugh McCloy Mid Ulster V45
48:04
118 Paul Brennan O/S V50
09
119 O McCauley Lagan Valley V55
43
120 Bill Hopkins LVO V55
50:12
121 Denis Murphy BARF V55
45
122 Jim Metcalfe U/A V70
58
123 Leo Magrath LVO O
51:32
124 Tom Donnelly ACKC V60
53:07
125 Lucy Keightley U/A L
54:06
126 Pauline O'Hara BARF LV
06
127 Kate Blainey ACKC L
54:55
127 Ruth Harron ACKC L
54:55
129 John Adgey ACKC V55
DNF

Team Results

 
1 Newcastle AC 7
2 Albertville 29
3 Ballymena 39
4 Team Purple 57
5 Willowfield 74
6 BARF 78
7 Larne 94
8 ACKC 109
9 Ballydrain 153
10 LVO 197

 

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