NIMRA Junior Championship and Trial Race 2018
By Phil Hodge
Distance: 5 miles
Ascent: 300 metres
The race takes place on April 14th at 12 noon.
Cost: £3.00
The route
Starting in Donard Park runners will follow the Donard Trail out to the climb up the granite steps on the old Bogie Line to the top of Donard Park. From this point, follow the short mountain path over to the view point at Thomas’s quarry. The route now follows the trail along the top of the park over to the race’s high point at the top of Drinnahilly. It’s downhill from here, following a singletrack from the mast, down the firebreak (slippy at this point) and then along a trail to Donard Park.
Donard Wood Trail Race route
This race is on hard parked forest trails, granite steps and grassy trails.
International Race details
This race will be used as the main form of selection for the following two competitions:-
WMRA (World Mountain Running Association) International U18 Cup.
This race will be held in Lanzada, Italy on 16th June.
Both Male and female races will be the same distance, of approximately 4-5km (details will be posted once the organisers have announced final details.)
Age – athletes should be aged 16 or 17 in the year of competition – i.e. born in 2001 or 2002.
UK Inter Counties Junior Fell Running Championship 2018
This race will be held in the Peak District, near to Charlesworth approx. 15km east of Manchester.
Date – 30th June 2018
Teams – U17 – male and female (born in 2002 or 2003)
U20 – male and female (born in 2000 or 2001)
Distance – 6.4km
Ascent – 365m
Senior Course records – Male: S Bailey – 00:34:04 – 2016
Female: H Dent – 00:38:27 – 2016
Rules and regulations for Inter Counties can be seen here and rules about UK Inter Counties competition in general.
Selection Details.
Junior athletes must be members of NIMRA if they hope to compete for Athletics NI.
Junior Membership – £8.00 – http://www.nimra.org.uk/index.php/membership/
This is to ensure they are insured for competition and registered for Athletics competition.
It is hoped that Athletics NI will be able to select and send full teams for both competitions.
This Trial race will form the main selection criteria for selection to these teams, though we reserve the right to select additional members to the team in exceptional circumstances after all things considered.
If an athlete finds themselves in an event clash with a top-level event, but wish to be considered for selection, then they should contact me as soon as possible.
philhodge@hotmail.com
Sadly, with the earlier date (16th) of June for the WMRA event, we are already aware that this clashes with GCSE exams. After an appeal this event has already been moved from the previous 9th June date, but due to clashes with International competition on the following two weekends, cannot be moved back any later in June)
A student confronted with an exam clash, should contact me immediately, to discuss possibilities.
