A Stitch in Time at Happy Valley
Controversy prevailed at the penultimate
2004 Hill & Dale race over Meelbeg and Meelmore
Mountains surrounding the Happy Valley (just one early
point of order for Des McHenry who despite his many
years of experience still seems a little confused
- the 'hills' are what the runners race up and down,
the 'dales' are in between the hills and are mainly
there to enhance the view from the hills - this is
part of what makes the sport more interesting and
beautiful than road racing).
Billy McNeilly was this week's organiser
and once again the race would have gone off like clockwork
if it hadn't been for the torrential shower that turned
the results' sheets into pulp and the fact that the
finish was set up in the wrong place. Bogboy himself,
not unknown to controversy, is taking his share of
blame for the confusion, but nonetheless was amused
by the colourful complaints led by a local ex-footballer
who shall remain reasonably anonymous. No sooner had
he finished shaking his head and quietened down -
it was already two minutes into the race and his tirade
had begun at the start line before the race had even
started - when Kiwi Richie Stevens' lovely labrador
dog, the infamous Tess, charged out in front of him
nearly bringing his race to a premature end - the
air was the same colour as the sky.
103 runners took the starter's orders
on an evening that had followed several thunder and
lightning showers, but for the time being was hot
and sultry. It's a tight start and the climb of Meelbeg
goes on and on. Series title-holder Alan McKibben
led the charge followed by one of the most improved
climbers of the season Ed Hanna. Behind Hanna, Stevie
Cunningham was also climbing strongly. Just inside
19 minutes McKibben reached the summit cairn and plunged
down the hill to the col in under two minutes. Five
minutes later he was on the summit of Meelmore and,
no problem, in another five minutes he came home in
just 14 seconds outside the half hour. This was McKibben's
seventh victory of the Series. Hanna hung on from
the fast-finishing Cunningham to finish second.
In the ladies race, Anne Sandford took
her third victory of the Series to cement her second
place overall ahead of Violet Linton by 15 seconds
with Tish McCann in third a further 20 seconds back.
Albertville's Steve Begley was first
veteran home in 10th overall, his best race so far
on real mountain terrain. Jim Patterson was 12th overall
and first veteran-55; yet again demonstrating how
good his form remains. Billy McKay took first veteran-50,
just behind Patterson and Larne's Billy Magee secured
the veteran-60 title with 44th in just outside 40
minutes.
Meanwhile back to the finish-line controversy.
The 'unofficial long race' was won by the grumpy ex-footballer,
with ACKC's managing guru in second place and young
Pauline O'Hara in third; each having continued through
the 'official' finish line and over the stile and
down to the 'traditional' finishing spot.
Special thanks this week goes to BARF's
Nigel Hart who for the second week running attended
to one of the race's victims. Last week he looked
after Larne's Andy Gregg who gashed open his knee
during the Rocky Race, this week it was the turn of
Wes Kettyle. Kettyle cycled down from Belfast and,
despite a troublesome calf muscle, set off to ease
his way around the race. Ever the competitive animal,
Kettyle stayed on script as far as the summit of Meelbeg,
then spotted a couple of his mates already part way
down to the Happy Valley col. Setting off to catch
them, he gathered a head of steam. Then suddenly the
Mourne Wall was hurtling towards him, or was it him
hurtling towards the wall? Either way it was Kettyle
who was bound to come off worst. Shoulder first, the
collision happened and in a state of some shock, blood
pouring from fresh wounds, step in BARF's angel of
mercy to guide him off the mountain. Some time later,
Kettyle, after cleaning his wounds in the nearby river,
was seen putting in a couple of stitches into one
of his deeper gashes - they breed them hard in Deramore.
The last race of the Hill & Dale
Series takes place in Donard Forest on Friday night
(note 'Friday') followed by the Series Presentation
Night in Leslie's Bar in the Avoca Hotel. Action starts
in Donard Demesne at 7.30pm sharp - come and give
it a go as a warm-up for the Annual Classic Slieve
Donard Race, which this year takes place at 7.30pm
the following Friday (25th June).
BOGBOY
| 1 |
Alan McKibben |
Newcastle AC |
O |
30:14
|
| 2 |
Edward Hanna |
ACKC |
O |
31:24
|
| 3 |
Stevie Cunningham |
Newcastle AC |
O |
26
|
| 4 |
Gary Bailey |
ACKC |
O |
32:28
|
| 5 |
Paul Mawhirt |
Newcastle AC |
O |
33:00
|
| 6 |
Andrew Niblock |
ACKC |
O |
05
|
| 7 |
Mark McManus |
Larne |
O |
34:18
|
| 8 |
Richard Cowan |
Willowfield |
O |
28
|
| 9 |
Steven Linton |
NWOC |
O |
30
|
| 10 |
Steve Begley |
Albertville |
V40 |
35
|
| 11 |
Richard Rodgers |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
38
|
| 12 |
Jim Patterson |
Newcastle AC |
V55 |
34:43
|
| 13 |
Billy McKay |
Albertville |
V50 |
51
|
| 14 |
Adam Mitten |
Newcastle AC |
OJ |
35:20
|
| 15 |
Barry Wells |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
21
|
| 16 |
James McKee |
ACKC |
O |
51
|
| 17 |
Brian McBurney |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
57
|
| 18 |
Eddie O'Hagan |
Team Purple |
V40 |
36:07
|
| 19 |
Brian Campbell |
Newcastle AC |
O |
16
|
| 20 |
Samuel Herron |
ACKC |
O |
34
|
| 21 |
Joe McCann |
Newcastle AC |
O |
35
|
| 22 |
Mark Hanna |
ACKC |
O |
37:04
|
| 23 |
Charlie McAlinden |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
11
|
| 24 |
David Bell |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
20
|
| 25 |
Des McHenry |
Willowfield |
V55 |
30
|
| 26 |
Nigel Hart |
BARF |
O |
40
|
| 27 |
Vince McAlinden |
BARF |
O |
47
|
| 28 |
William Marks |
ACKC |
O |
38:14
|
| 29 |
Cecil McCullough |
ACKC |
V40 |
21
|
| 30 |
Mervyn McCollam |
Larne |
O |
26
|
| 31 |
Marty McMullan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
44
|
| 32 |
Jim Erskine |
U/A |
O |
51
|
| 33 |
Anne Sandford |
Newcastle AC |
LV |
55
|
| 34 |
Peter McGuckin |
ACKC |
V50 |
59
|
| 35 |
Darren Herron |
ACKC |
O |
39:01
|
| 36 |
Violet Linton |
LVO |
L |
10
|
| 37 |
Chris McCann |
ACKC |
V40 |
16
|
| 38 |
Fintan Quinn |
U/A |
V45 |
19
|
| 39 |
Ronnie Rutherford |
Ballydrain |
V50 |
20
|
| 40 |
John Savage |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
28
|
| 41 |
Tish McCann |
Newcastle AC |
LV |
30
|
| 42 |
Billy Reed |
EAH |
O |
39
|
| 43 |
Corey Urwin |
Larne |
O |
42
|
| 44 |
Billy Magee |
Larne |
V60 |
40:06
|
| 45 |
James Keown |
ACKC |
O |
18
|
| 46 |
Patrick Bradley |
U/A |
O |
42
|
| 47 |
Dave Ewart |
BARF |
O |
53
|
| 48 |
Norman Roberts |
Larne |
O |
58
|
| 49 |
Donal O'Kane |
BARF |
V40 |
41:03
|
| 50 |
Jess Anderson |
Newcastle AC |
O |
06
|
| 51 |
Harry Teggarty |
ACKC |
V50 |
17
|
| 52 |
Brendan O'Hagan |
Team Purple |
V45 |
21
|
| 53 |
Andy Bridge |
U/A |
V40 |
28
|
| 54 |
Brian Linton |
BARF |
O |
35
|
| 55 |
Denis Rankin |
BARF |
V55 |
43
|
| 56 |
Philip McGavock |
BARF |
O |
51
|
| 57 |
Shileen O'Kane |
BARF |
LV |
54
|
| 58 |
Fred Strickland |
Ballydrain |
V55 |
57
|
| 59 |
Noel Douglas |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
59
|
| 60 |
Robbie Boake |
U/A |
O |
42:25
|
| 61 |
Trevor Wilson |
BARF |
V40 |
33
|
| 62 |
Mike Barton |
ACKC |
V50 |
51
|
| 63 |
John Findlay |
U/A |
O |
43:03
|
| 64 |
Ricky Cowan |
Willowfield |
V55 |
10
|
| 65 |
Martina Elliot |
ACKC |
LV |
22
|
| 66 |
Paul Fegan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
37
|
| 67 |
Claire Galbraith |
ACKC |
LV |
44
|
| 68 |
Brian Magee |
Larne |
O |
54
|
| 69 |
Ed Smith |
Lunchtime Legends |
V50 |
58
|
| 70 |
Patrick Higgins |
LVO |
OJ |
44:21
|
| 71 |
Gregg McCann |
LVO |
V40 |
29
|
| 72 |
Barbara Brown |
ACKC |
LV |
33
|
| 73 |
Seamus White |
U/A |
V45 |
35
|
| 74 |
Richard Stevens |
ACKC |
O |
50
|
| 75 |
Roma McConville |
N Down |
LV |
54
|
| 76 |
Martin Houlahan |
U/A |
O |
45:14
|
| 77 |
Martina Hawkins |
Newcastle AC |
L |
15
|
| 78 |
Francis Boal |
Ballydrain |
V55 |
49
|
| 79 |
Simon Aldred |
ACKC |
O |
52
|
| 80 |
Mark Pruzina |
BARF |
V40 |
58
|
| 81 |
Helen Cassidy |
U4EA |
L |
46:03
|
| 82 |
Charlotte Smith |
ACKC |
L |
07
|
| 83 |
Cath Coey |
BARF |
L |
47:01
|
| 84 |
Barry Rankin |
ACKC |
V45 |
10
|
| 85 |
John Adgey |
ACKC |
V55 |
48:05
|
| 86 |
Connel Nugent |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
07
|
| 87 |
Dave Goddard |
U/A |
V50 |
07
|
| 88 |
Paul McCormack |
U4EA |
O |
49:04
|
| 89 |
Trevor Fisher |
ACKC |
O |
08
|
| 90 |
Ian Taylor |
BARF |
V55 |
12
|
| 91 |
Wendy Findlay |
U/A |
LV |
33
|
| 92 |
Paul Watson |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
50:15
|
| 93 |
Bob Cooke |
ACKC |
V55 |
26
|
| 94 |
Artie Quinn |
U/A |
V50 |
51:59
|
| 95 |
Wes Kettyle |
ACKC |
V50 |
52:23
|
| 96 |
Neil Granger |
Lunchtime Legends |
V50 |
53:12
|
| 97 |
Pauline O'Hara |
BARF |
LV |
28
|
| 98 |
Peter Turkington |
ACKC |
V45 |
45
|
| 99 |
Jonathon McKinley |
U/A |
O |
54:25
|
| 100 |
Michael McCullough |
ACKC |
V45 |
35
|
| 101 |
Greg Lennon |
U4EA |
O |
58
|
| 102 |
John Carser |
U/A |
O |
68:44
|
| 103 |
Natalie Irvine |
U/A |
L |
44
|
Team Results
|
1
|
Newcastle AC |
9
|
|
2
|
ACKC |
12
|
|
3
|
Larne |
80
|
|
4
|
Willowfield |
97
|
|
5
|
BARF |
100
|
|
6
|
Ballydrain |
175
|
|
7
|
LVO |
177
|
|
8
|
U4EA |
270
|
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