Race 6

Hen Cock

13th May 2004

Race 6 (of 11)

New Record Turnout for Hill & Dale at Hen & Cock

Summer returned to the Mournes last week and with it, a record turnout of 132 runners, beating the previous record by 3, arrived for the challenge of Hen & Cock. One of the oldest records, Robbie Bryson’s 1996 time of 26 minutes and 59 seconds remains a superb target, whilst BARF’s Shileen O’Kane’s 2002 record of 37 minutes and 15 second might be under more threat. O’Kane is back racing again less than three months after giving birth to her first child and improving as each week goes by.

The start to these races seems to be becoming faster and the initial climb of Hen was no exception. Hen is a beautiful mountain to look at, not so beautiful to race on, as its steep flanks soon turn fresh legs into a complete mess. Newcastle’s Alan McKibben certainly means business this year and he is being challenged hard by defending champion North Belfast’s Neil Carty and by others now as well, as the strength in depth rises by the week.

On the traditional measure, the most popular race organiser of all-time becomes Frank Morgan. Morgan is a lesson in preparation and registration ran like clockwork with four latecomers missing the official registration cut-off at 7.25pm. They had a run anyway, with only one coughing up the race entry fee afterwards – the other three of you know who you are and for one of you, it’s not the first time this year. Also, our old friend the Euro made another appearance this week, this time bolstered by a few of its mates as €8 were later found in the treasurer’s box.

At 7.29pm Morgan was giving the organiser’s customary pre-race speech, however, the assembled masses weren’t even sure of the language he was speaking, never mind working out any of the words. This had an interesting side-effect as when mentioning the presentation venue as being Downey’s in Rathfriland, very few heard and Des McHenry, to name one, paid a visit instead to the Mary Margaret’s Horseshoe Bar and joined the locals for a water – not all to waste though, just see it as a reccie for the official visit there after the Loughshannagh Horseshoe in two weeks time.

Meanwhile back at the race, McKibben was quickly out of the blocks and led the 132 bodies up the steep climb. Not renowned for his navigation skills (he had tried to reccie the course a few days earlier on his own and had failed miserably after briefly glimpsing the S of Spelga), it was a clear night and he was relying on the official marshals, John Savage and Derek Ross, to mark the exact spot of Hen summit. No joy, Savage and Ross were admiring the view of the southern Mournes from the wrong crag on Hen and could do nothing more than shout a quick ‘hello’ from up above McKibben. He cursed his luck and decelerated to keep a watch on the route his rivals were taking.

Having negotiated the short descent off Hen, McKibben accelerated again onto the climb of Cock followed by club mates Dave McKibben, Deon McNeilly, Stephen Cunningham, Ballydrain’s David McNeilly and Carty. Still leading, the speed of his descent off Cock and reverse climb of Hen were awe-inspiring and McKibben came home in 28 minutes and 37 seconds, 24 seconds clear of fast improving David McNeilly with Carty a further 3 seconds back. With five wins out of six, it looks like McKibben will emulate his twin brother and win the coveted Hill & Dale title.

As for the Ladies, Newcastle’s Kerry Harty came to the race with four wins against club-mate Anne Sandford’s one win. It’s a good rivalry with LVO’s Violet Linton also coming into her own on the steeper mountain circuits. Normally Harty starts fast, but this week it was Sandford, running like someone possessed, who quickly made her mark on the steep initial climb. Never passed, she came home in 36 minutes and 54 seconds, 21 seconds inside O’Kane’s two-year-old record. Now in the Lady Veteran 35 category, Sandford is a former several times Northern Ireland Fell Running Champion. She has been off the fell running scene for a few years now, but this year has marked her return by running better than ever, with her times in the likes of this race being two to three minutes faster than anything she has done before. Now with two wins, she is giving Harty something to think about. Harty this week was third just ahead of fast-finishing Lady Vet 40 Tish McCann, another find of the season, who seems to love the steep climbs and descents. Linton finished a creditable second, half a minute behind Sandford, marking her intention of making this her best year on the fells ever.

Mention is also worth making of the two excellent juniors in last Thursday’s race. Mid-Ulster’s Jonathan McCloy is improving as each month goes by and finished a superb 7th overall claiming Deon McNeilly’s scalp (something the scribe has been trying to do for 25 years) on the steep descent into the finish. Behind him in 11th overall was the second junior, local Adam (the Mighty Mitty) Mitten, also fast finishing and getting stronger by the week. With three wins to Mitten’s one, McCloy is now installed as favourite to win the Hill & Dale junior title.

As with every Hill & Dale race, there are stories littered all over the field – too many to mention. Some of the highlights of this week included BARF’s Mark Pruzina’s shorts, which along with his flowing blond locks and his ethnic Czech ancestry, he looked more set for a Prague underground movie than a mountain race in the Mournes. Race marshal Billy McNeilly is becoming even more irritated with individuals who appear at summits with no number, as he typically chose his words of criticism and admonishment with due care to one repeat offender, grandson Wills listened quietly on the other side of the summit cairn and learned. Veteran 45 winner, Charlie McAlinden may have been a place or two further up the field if he hadn’t decided to try his hand, unsuccessfully, at a spot of rock climbing at the summit of Hen on the way back. It took Savage and Ross, who had made it to the correct summit crag for the runners’ return, to extricate him from his predicament.

Also worth a mention at any time, was the 94th place of Everest Conqueror, Newry’s Banjo Bannon, a former summit marshal in this race, he returned this year to participate and suffer properly with the rest of us.

As for after the race, well we’ve already heard about McHenry’s pub exploits, but at the official presentation venue, let’s just say that a local solicitor allegedly picked up a second spot prize of the series – the limit for any one individual is widely know to be one – you know who you are.

Race seven this Thursday returns the runners to Tollymore Forest Park. This time registration is in the Main Car Park with the race starting from the Monument nearby and taking in the climb of Curraghard and the White Plains before finishing with the cruellest end to any race, up the steep grass bank back to the Car Park. If it’s a pleasant summer’s evening and you want to enjoy some suffering, it’s a tremendous sight with the first runners expected in just after 7.55pm.

BOGBOY

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