McKibben & Harty Dominate Last
Night and the Series Overall
A record 113 runners turned out for
the final Hill & Dale race of the season in Donard
Forest last Friday night. It was great to see new
faces taking up the challenge - five in all in this
race alone - showing that all are welcome to take
up the challenge of a race against gravity. Over the
twelve weeks each of the twelve races is unique; from
faster forest races to steep and rough mountainous
terrain. Donard Forest comes into the category of
being one of the faster races, but still has its fair
share of steep climbing and fast descending.
The atmosphere was buzzing in Donard
Demesne before the start as runners and supporters
gathered following the extensive thunderstorms of
the late afternoon. Also buzzing was the tiny nightmare
- the might midge - no, not the Mighty Mitty (he was
buzzing later in the evening), the mighty midge. This
sworn enemy of the human being is fast becoming the
scourge of any evening races near a tree. At least
the runners are reasonably protected when they can
move around, but for officials and supporters, a multitude
of bites were the order of the day. Official starter
and timekeeper, Frank Morgan, seemed to suffer worst,
not the prettiest oil painting at the best of times;
Morgan's midge bitten face was a picture afterwards
at the presentation evening. Enough said as Morgan's
diligent input to the Series' officialdom is irreplaceable.
Despite the midges, the Series victors
Alan McKibben and Kerry Harty insisted on posing for
copious photographs in front of the starting line-up
just as the clock turned 7.30pm. Blaming the Mourne
Observer photographer for the delay just does not
wash, as they were clearing delighting in their moment
of fame. How many different angles can the victory
picture really be taken? I think we saw all of them
as the midges delighted in the bare flesh.
Still, straight from the gun, McKibben
was off in a flash and was quickly joined by Simon
Taylor. Fresh from a15 minutes and 1 second 5,000
metres on the track, Taylor set about opening a gap
on the early flatter section. Speed is one thing,
however, but specific climbing strength and endurance
is another and once on the steep climb to the top
of the Ballagh, McKibben caught and dropped Taylor
who was soon joined by 2003 winner Neil Carty and
2002 winner Deon McNeilly.
Former bike international, McKibben
is having the best running season of his life and
no doubt will want to win again next year to emulate
his twin brother's double of Hill & Dale Series'
victories. For now though he will settle for a fine
8th victory in the Series this year and a new record
by 25 seconds, coming home in 31 minutes and 7 seconds,
nearly a minute clear of Carty in 2nd, McNeilly on
3rd and Taylor in 4th.
Junior, Mid-Ulster's Jonathan McCloy,
who makes more than a 100-mile round trip each time
he competes in a Hill & Dale race, won again on
Friday night, coming home in 11th overall in 34 minutes
and 57 seconds. This was his 6th win of the series
and his second junior title in a row. McCloy faced
good competition from the Mighty Mitty, who despite
making good progress this season still cannot get
the better of McCloy, on most nights.
Kerry Harty and Anne Sandford are off
to Poland in a couple of weeks to compete for Ireland
in the European Championships and their close competitive
rivalry this season so far has spurred each on to
new heights. This has not only been good for the both
of them, but also for Violet Linton and Tish McCann
who are hot on their tails. Donard Forest, though,
clearly suits the faster Harty with less steep ground
that normally suits Sandford. Harty, like McKibbin,
is fast out of the blocks and was well clear after
the first ten minutes and never looked back, coming
home in 41st overall in 39 minutes and 59 seconds,
only 20 seconds outside Sharon McBurney's course record
and 46 seconds clear of Sandford. Sandford, meanwhile,
had been led by Linton for the whole race, but nipped
inside her on a tighter line as they enter the final
sprint down the grassy demesne to the finish line.
Linton was clearly disappointed, but graceful as ever
in defeat, she will feel that she will get her own
back quietly as the season unfolds. As for McCann,
she had another excellent race coming home only 8
seconds behind Linton.
BogBoy
| 1 |
Alan McKibben |
Newcastle AC |
O |
31:07
|
| 2 |
Neil Carty |
North Belfast |
O |
32:04
|
| 3 |
Deon McNeilly |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
06
|
| 4 |
Simon Taylor |
BARF |
O |
10
|
| 5 |
Edward Hanna |
ACKC |
O |
33:46
|
| 6 |
Paul Mawhirt |
Newcastle AC |
O |
34:16
|
| 7 |
Gary Bailey |
ACKC |
O |
28
|
| 8 |
Stevie Cunningham |
Newcastle AC |
O |
29
|
| 9 |
Jim Brown |
BARF |
V40 |
39
|
| 10 |
Damien Brannigan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
47
|
| 11 |
Jonathan McCloy |
Mid Ulster |
OJ |
57
|
| 12 |
Richard Rodgers |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
35:28
|
| 13 |
Paul Rodgers |
Newcastle AC |
O |
31
|
| 14 |
Adam Mitten |
Newcastle AC |
OJ |
32
|
| 15 |
Mark McManus |
Larne |
O |
36:06
|
| 16 |
Roy Donaldson |
ACKC |
O |
13
|
| 17 |
Steven Linton |
NWOC |
O |
16
|
| 18 |
Brian Campbell |
Newcastle AC |
O |
18
|
| 19 |
James McKee |
ACKC |
O |
22
|
| 20 |
Johnny Gregg |
Team Purple |
O |
37
|
| 21 |
Mark Kendall |
Newcastle AC |
O |
50
|
| 22 |
Eamon McCrickard |
Newcastle AC |
O |
57
|
| 23 |
Joe McCann |
Newcastle AC |
O |
37:02
|
| 24 |
Samuel Herron |
ACKC |
O |
23
|
| 25 |
Jim Erskine |
U/A |
O |
29
|
| 26 |
Charlie McAlinden |
Newcastle AC |
V45 |
31
|
| 27 |
Des McHenry |
Willowfield |
V55 |
38:11
|
| 28 |
William Marks |
ACKC |
O |
11
|
| 29 |
Nigel Hart |
BARF |
O |
11
|
| 30 |
Paddy Mallon |
BARF |
V40 |
11
|
| 31 |
Geoff Howie |
Larne |
O |
55
|
| 32 |
Marty McMullan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
39:07
|
| 33 |
Peter McGuckin |
ACKC |
V50 |
08
|
| 34 |
Chris McCann |
ACKC |
V40 |
10
|
| 35 |
Brendan O'Hagan |
Team Purple |
V45 |
12
|
| 36 |
Mark Hanna |
ACKC |
O |
18
|
| 37 |
Dave Ewart |
BARF |
O |
23
|
| 38 |
David Bell |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
28
|
| 40 |
Mervyn McCollam |
Larne |
O |
53
|
| 41 |
Kerry Harty |
Newcastle AC |
L |
59
|
| 42 |
Patrick Bradley |
U/A |
O |
40:02
|
| 43 |
Darren Herron |
ACKC |
O |
8
|
| 44 |
Billy Magee |
Larne |
V60 |
33
|
| 45 |
Ronnie Rutherford |
Ballydrain |
V50 |
38
|
| 46 |
Robbie Boake |
U/A |
O |
41
|
| 47 |
Anne Sandford |
Newcastle AC |
LV |
45
|
| 48 |
Violet Linton |
LVO |
L |
47
|
| 49 |
Jess Anderson |
Newcastle AC |
O |
53
|
| 50 |
Brian Wilson |
U/A |
O |
56
|
| 51 |
Tish McCann |
Newcastle AC |
LV |
|
| 52 |
Eddie O'Hagan |
Team Purple |
V40 |
58
|
| 52 |
Clive Coffey |
U4EA |
O |
41:11
|
| 53 |
Philip McGavock |
BARF |
O |
12
|
| 54 |
Steven Cassidy |
U4EA |
O |
32
|
| 55 |
Mike Barton |
ACKC |
V50 |
34
|
| 56 |
Fintan Quinn |
U/A |
V45 |
41
|
| 57 |
Harry Harron |
U/A |
O |
42:04
|
| 58 |
Francis Nugent |
Newcastle AC |
O |
05
|
| 59 |
Francis Boal |
Ballydrain |
V55 |
20
|
| 60 |
Anthony McCloy |
U/A |
V40 |
21
|
| 61 |
Fred Strickland |
Ballydrain |
V55 |
25
|
| 62 |
Andy Bridge |
U/A |
V40 |
26
|
| 63 |
Brian Linton |
BARF |
O |
30
|
| 64 |
Martina Elliot |
ACKC |
LV |
41
|
| 65 |
John McBride |
BARF |
V45 |
44
|
| 66 |
Marty McVeigh |
Newcastle AC |
V50 |
56
|
| 67 |
Norman Roberts |
Larne |
O |
43:20
|
| 68 |
Denis Rankin |
BARF |
V55 |
22
|
| 69 |
James Smyth |
U/A |
V40 |
28
|
| 70 |
Paul Fegan |
Newcastle AC |
O |
30
|
| 71 |
Harry Teggarty |
ACKC |
V50 |
34
|
| 72 |
Mark Pruzina |
BARF |
V40 |
41
|
| 73 |
Rob Matson |
U/A |
O |
43
|
| 74 |
Ricky Cowan |
Willowfield |
V55 |
45
|
| 75 |
Patrick Higgins |
LVO |
OJ |
44:00
|
| 76 |
John Findlay |
U/A |
O |
06
|
| 77 |
Willie John Brown |
Newcastle AC |
V50 |
10
|
| 78 |
Andrew Campbell |
ACKC |
O |
25
|
| 79 |
Micky Harty |
Newcastle AC |
O |
54
|
| 80 |
Ed Smith |
Lunchtime Legends |
V50 |
55
|
| 81 |
Barbara Brown |
ACKC |
LV |
45:01
|
| 82 |
Martin Houlahan |
U/A |
O |
06
|
| 83 |
Helen Cassidy |
U4EA |
L |
7
|
| 84 |
Adrian Baron |
ACKC |
V45 |
11
|
| 85 |
Tom Mitchell |
U/A |
V40 |
13
|
| 86 |
Martina Hawkins |
Newcastle AC |
L |
18
|
| 87 |
Trevor Wilson |
BARF |
V40 |
21
|
| 88 |
Paul McCormack |
U4EA |
O |
26
|
| 89 |
Connel Nugent |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
37
|
| 90 |
Terry McQueen |
BARF |
V40 |
37
|
| 91 |
Greg Lennon |
U4EA |
O |
53
|
| 92 |
Cath Coey |
BARF |
L |
58
|
| 93 |
Richard Campbell |
ACKC |
O |
46:13
|
| 94 |
Colin Smyth |
BARF |
O |
24
|
| 95 |
Paul Watson |
Newcastle AC |
V40 |
58
|
| 96 |
Clive Bailey |
U/A |
O |
48:04
|
| 97 |
Charlotte Smith |
ACKC |
L |
08
|
| 98 |
Peter Turkington |
ACKC |
V45 |
12
|
| 99 |
Wendy Findlay |
U/A |
LV |
31
|
| 100 |
Ian Taylor |
BARF |
V55 |
39
|
| 101 |
Barry Rankin |
ACKC |
V45 |
53
|
| 102 |
Trevor Fisher |
ACKC |
O |
49:34
|
| 103 |
Dave Goddard |
U/A |
V50 |
34
|
| 104 |
Mark Eccles |
Ballydrain |
V45 |
50:57
|
| 105 |
Neil Granger |
Lunchtime Legends |
V50 |
52:16
|
| 106 |
Liz Redmond |
U/A |
LV |
21
|
| 107 |
Bob Cooke |
ACKC |
V55 |
51
|
| 108 |
Moya Burns |
U/A |
LV |
53:05
|
| 109 |
Bill Hopkins |
LVO |
V55 |
18
|
| 110 |
John Carser |
U/A |
O |
49
|
| 111 |
Carolina Peters |
U/A |
LV |
55:53
|
| 112 |
Natalie Irvine |
U/A |
L |
60:25
|
| 113 |
Maureen Oliver |
DUB |
LV |
63:22
|
Team Results
|
1
|
Newcastle AC |
10
|
|
2
|
ACKC |
28
|
|
3
|
BARF |
42
|
|
4
|
Larne |
86
|
|
5
|
Team Purple |
107
|
|
6
|
Ballydrain |
165
|
|
7
|
U4EA |
189
|
|
8
|
LVO |
232
|
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