Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association
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Another Historic Day for Newcastle AC

Thu 4 September 2003 - Simon Taylor

The warmest part of the summer had passed in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales by last Saturday (16th), but it was still 24 degrees and cloudless. It was the venue for the sixth and final race of the 2003 British Fell Running Championships, with statistics of 19 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing ? awesome in the warm and sunny conditions with no shelter to hide from the sun.

In the first five races of the season (Bernagh in the Mournes in April, Stuc a Chroin in the Trossachs in Scotland and Moel Eilio in Snowdonia in Wales in May, Pen Y Ghent in the Yorkshire Dales in June and Skiddaw in the Lake District in July) the Newcastle AC Open Team had secured finishes to leave them in a very creditable 4th place in the team competition. However, they most likely needed an unprecedented win in the Brecons to move into 3rd place.

As for the Veterans team, they had won three against rivals Horwich?s two wins. So it was well set up for the last race, which would see a Newcastle win give them the Championship. Also in the individual it was very close with Newcastle AC?s Robbie Bryson, Ambleside?s Mark Rigby or Borrowdale?s Mark Roberts able to win with a victory at the Brecons. Further, this year?s Northern Ireland Champion, Deon McNeilly was lying fourth in the individual veteran section.

The race started close to the Tol-y-Bont reservoir in a picturesque part of South Wales with nearly 200 runners in the field. Long races are unpredictable affairs, it?s not like feeling bad in a 45 minutes races, if after 2 hours the body is not working properly, then a lot of time and places can be lost in the third hour. The race started sensibly with the runners settling into a steady pace with Bryson and McNeilly close to the front. The first climb of the race was actually the longest rising 2,000 feet to the cairn at the summit of Craig Wlifa. Once on the top the views were stunning for those with the energy to look.

There followed a steady two and a half miles on the escarpment to the crossing of the Roman Road where the Newcastle runners had a welcome water replenishment station courtesy of the McNeilly clan. Bryson, needing a win in the vets, was starting to see his dream fade as rival Rigby was pulling away with the two other race leaders ? maybe he would come back?

From the Roman Road the race then climbed the three close tops of Cribin, Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du. Pen-y-Fan is the highest point in the Brecons at 2,906 feet. Newcastle?s Damien Brannigan had now caught club mate Dermot McGonigle and was working through steadily. Behind, Stevie Cunningham was working steadily with Jim Patterson. Cunningham fresh from his 2nd place and 4 hours 42 minutes at the Seven Sevens in the Mournes the weekend before, was attempting to complete another ultra-long race only seven days later. His performance, and the fact that he is one of the few Newcastle runners still in his twenties, illustrates that he is one to watch carefully for the future.

After Corn Du the race traversed the edge of the escarpment on the other side of the valley, which the runners had run out on, for about four miles to a trig point, before descending steeply to the Neuadd reservoirs. At this point there was a half mile section on tarmac before entering the forest and a mile or so to the start of the fifth climb of the day. At water replenishment stop number two, nearly two hours into the race, this time courtesy of the Rodgers clan, it was clear that Newcastle was packing well, both in the open and veterans race. Brannigan was having a fantastic run and was moving through the field steadily.

Up through the long grass and onto the summit of Pant-y-Creigiau, only a seven hundred foot climb, but at this stage of the proceedings starting to really hurt as the day wore on. Bryson was now six minutes behind Rigby, who looked home and dry for the individual honours. However, the team race was all to run for. What followed was purgatory, over four miles of grassy undulating running with tired muscles starting to show signs of cramp in some of the runners, as the heat of the day took its toll. Then the sting in the tail, the climb of Tor-y-foel, only about 500 feet, but murder at this stage of the race. Literally downhill from there, an eight-minute steep plunge to the Tol-y-Bont reservoir wall, keeping the muscles moving before complete seizure.

For the Newcastle contingent, it was a roll of honour. Bryson finished 7th to secure 2nd overall veteran in the Championship, McNeilly 10th in the race, and third vet, just missed out on the Championship medals in 4th place overall. Brannigan had the race of his life to come home 14th and McGonigle, a cornerstone of this year?s six races for the team secured 19th and the third counting veteran place. The arrival of Rodgers before the fourth Horwich counter, meant that Newcastle could celebrate the veteran team victory both on the day and in the overall vets championship with four wins from six.

Just how tough is a long race like this? Ask Jim Patterson, three times veteran 50 champion, he suffered today in the searing heat and the last hour wasn?t pleasant, but the great thing is, he?ll be back to fight another day. Next target for the Newcastle runners will be the World Masters Hill Running Championships in the Black Forest in Germany in September, where Bryson is defending champion. After that, all being well, it?s the Relay Championships in Shropshire in October.

BOGBOY



1st Nick Sharp Ambleside 2 hours 28m 30
2nd Simon Booth Borrowdale 2 hours 29m 30
3rd Mark Rigby Ambleside (1st vet) 2 hours 30m 31
7th Robbie Bryson Newcastle (2nd vet) 2 hours 40m 40
10th Deon McNeilly Newcastle (3rd vet) 2 hours 45m
14th Damien Brannigan Newcastle 2 hours 48m 07
19th Dermot McGonigle Newcastle (7th vet) 2 hours 52m
37th Richard Rodgers Newcastle (12th vet) 3 hours 09m 13
58th Stevie Cunningham Newcastle 3 hours 11m 56
89th Jim Patterson Newcastle 3 hours 20m

Open Team Veteran Team
1st Ambleside 1st Newcastle
2nd Newcastle 2nd Horwich
3rd Borrowdale
198 starters